Thursday, May 14, 2009

Hand-wringing about leaving or staying

This hand-wringing over whether or not the Episcopal Church can or cannot be a place for all to be together is is unrealistic. In addition, I humbly suggest, it is based in an errant understanding of Church per se. The communion of saints is bigger than TEC. The mistake that I think many in TEC continue to make is to assume without thinking about it that TEC is the only Church in town.

We are a protestant Church, therefore it is inherent to our very being that we reject the notion that any Church can rightly claim to be the only true or single full expression of Christian faith. If we of TEC continue to straddle the fence on discrimination, a fence that is growing increasingly lonely, then we will end up with exactly what we deserve: an unprincipled community of people whose chief value and core identity has little to do with Christ Jesus and a great deal to with mediocre commitment to anything having to do with the gospel.


TEC is one space among many that people can and should choose to stand together in relationship to God and for the sake of those who want and need to know God's Love for all. TEC is one expression of the gospel among many, and this is as it should be. When we think about it, we should recognize that none of wants people to remain in this Church if it means that they remain under duress. We should be able instead to give thanks that people have many branches on the tree of Christianity upon which they may light and pursue their relationship with God, while we on the branch called TEC are able to pursue ours.

My wish is that people could learn to distinguish between drawing people to Christ and keeping people in the Episcopal Church. The more we move to the former, the more the latter will take of itself. When people have clarity about who TEC is and what TEC stands for, they will be blessed with greater clarity to choose where they must stand, responding to their consciences and to God. There is nothing to lament in this. Let's stop hanging our heads over the death of an illusion of unity, a unity that we've not had for quite some time, now. And let's lift our eyes and hearts and follow the path that God's Love for all has entrusted to us.

Jim +

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