Father Jim's Blog

Consolidating Blogs

2011-07-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

I am consolidating my blogs into two:

Fr. Jim's Ramblings
The Baseball Gospels

I will no longer be posting on this one (Father Jim's Blog), but am trying to be more active on the other two. Please join me in conversation and contemplation at one or both of those.

Liberia - Day Four

2011-01-14T07:12:00.000-08:00

Bone-jarring is the only way to describe it. Rural roads in Liberia, and over half of the urban ones, are not paved, but a reddish clay-like soil; think Georgia or Albemarle County, Virginia. Coupled with a prolonged rainy season, the roads are criss-crossed with deep, semi-permanent ruts. Think mini Grand Canyons. It's not unusual to have to back up and find an alternate route, especially if there is a disabled vehicle in the way, one that broke an axle or punctured a tire trying to negotiate the crevasses in the road.

Thursday morning's trip to Pleebo was no exception. It is nineteen miles from downtown Harper and takes about an hour to negotiate. But the trip was so worth it. For one thing we stopped at an ongoing rubber farm, one where Annie Cooper spent many of her holidays as a child. There was such a radiant look of recognition on her face as she took it all in; it was wonderful to see. At the edge of the clearing, just where the rubber trees started, there were two huge trees, which Annie identified as 'Cottonwoods,” although they are nothing like the small trees we call Cottonwoods in the plains states. These trees are huge and stately. While we were admiring them, Annie told me that they were planted especially at the boarders of villages so that those who were walking down the road would see the trees and take heart that home was not that far away.

We stopped for a time about half way to Pleebo at the rectory of St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church to see an old friend of Paul Jones, Father Thomas Hayden, an Irishman from Boston. All this way to meet a fellow Red Sox fan; we are everywhere. Father Hayden came to Liberia as a twenty-five year old priest in 1958 and has been in Africa for over 50 years, only absent from the country during the worst of the troubles. He retired once and returned to the United States, but it wasn't home; so now he's back outside of Pleebo in a little Liberian village, pastoring a small Church. I bet he saw the Cottonwoods upon his return. Meeting Fr. Hayden was such a moving experience for me because he is a living representative of all those faithful missionaries from the west who spent their lives in places and with people they grew to love so fiercely.

In Pleebo we visited St. Stephen's Episcopal Church and School which was very uplifting. St. Stephens itself is a modest structure; it has a sound roof and new windows and doors, and it seats about 125 people. But the real exciting thing was the school. Until just a few years ago it was K-6, but has now expanded through grade 12. Although the high school is not big, it has been very successful. Last spring 14 seniors took the national exams and 12 passed; nationally, the average is about 22%. We walked around the classes; the school is laid out all on one level with each classroom exiting out into a common courtyard. Deeply concentrating on final exams, the fifth graders were bent over their papers. We were encouraged to stick our heads in and say hi. When my traveling companion Dr. Annie Cooper asked them about the first question, they were quick to recite it. When she asked for the answer we all laughed. “Don't give it away!” the teacher exclaimed.

We are leaving Harper on Friday afternoon, back to Monrovia where I will be preaching at two churches Sunday morning. There is so much to absorb about my visit in this beautiful, complicated, isolated place. I am in awe of Dr. Ajavon-Cox, who runs Smiles for Liberia. She saw 45 patients in two very long days, and she was broken-hearted to have left people untreated, some who had walked hours from their villages. There just wasn't enough time to see them all.

That there are bumpy roads ahead is a reality. Yet the resilience, the faith, the love of the Lord in this place is so strong. Those who labor in this vineyard have been challenged by the most difficult of circumstances–poverty, years of war, and chaos. They will prevail, of that I am sure. May we all keep our eyes on the Cottonwood at the end of the road.

Bumpy road ahead.

Liberia - Day Three - I am a Liberian

2011-01-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

I am a Liberian

“Oh, you're not a Liberian,” the young woman who was checking our passports said, and it made us all chuckle. “No, but I want to be one,” I replied which brought a smile on her face, too. Dr. Ayele, Paul Jones, Anne Cooper and myself–we who make up the St. Anne's delegation–were a lot happier this morning then we were yesterday morning. Monday we arrived at the United Nations airfield in Monrovia at 6:45 with permission to hop a UN helicopter to travel to the city of Harper, Maryland County, in the southeastern corner of the country. There are no roads to speak of from Monrovia to Harper. Two priests I talked to today came back Sunday from a conference, and the last 11 hours of the trip were spent on the back of a pan-pan. So our only prospect was the UN. Dr. Ayele has come to practice two days of desperately needed dental surgery at the hospital here, and we constituted her medical team, which allowed us access to the flight. But there were so many UN military who were going down to the southern boundary of the country to help with the increasingly serious refugee situation with people fleeing The Ivory Coast, that we got bumped and drove to Cuttington University instead (see yesterday's blog).

Tuesday morning things were different. With fewer military travelers, we got on the helicopter with no problem. Sitting in a Russian military chopper in two lines just like in the war movies, with UN supplies and the personal belongings of NGO workers jammed in between, we donned our orange ear protectors and off we went. Twice we stopped at outposts to drop off personnel and supplies; finally we arrived in Harper. Flanked on two sides by the Atlantic Ocean and with one of the two largest lakes in Liberia, Harper is a beautiful city with tall palm trees and warm sandy beaches. With no one on them.

Harper, indeed Maryland County, might as well be on the moon. With the road situation so poor and no commercial airline, Harper is virtually cut off from the rest of the country. Ninety per cent of the goods coming into the city are now cut off because they come from neighboring Ivory Coast, hence the presence of the UN troops; and the border is very, very tight. A suitable road from Monrovia would solve many of the problems of this area, but the will and the funds of the government are not there. All of the Episcopal Churches in the area suffer from this problem as well. Priests don't want to come or stay, and those who are here are worked very hard. There are 39 churches, each one with satellite small chapels and seven, yes seven, priests. Each parish gets communion once every six or seven weeks; the other Sundays lay readers lead Morning Prayer. Yet so many of the people here are full of hope and expectation, and though there are rebel bullet holes in the stained glass and broken pews that were pillaged for cooking fire fuel, there is a love of Jesus in this place that is strong and firm.

Wednesday morning we traveled to the extreme southern end of the country to a place called Cavalla, where the Episcopal Church in Liberia was started in the 1830's. We visited graves of many of the America missionaries and their families who died here in the 1800's. Bishop John W. Payne, a Virginian and graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary (who the Seminary library is named after), was the first missionary bishop and served here for forty years. There are strong ties here between the Virginian Church and the one here in Maryland County, from long ago, and ones that are being formed at this very minute.

Liberia - Day Two - Tee Shirts

2011-01-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader of the Rector's Blog,

After the loss of our friend and fellow St. Anne's member so suddenly last Sunday I decided to hold off on sending any blogs until today, Wednesday.

Tee Shirts

“You can run, but you can't hide.” It's a sentiment that police officers, dentists and parents have used with recalcitrants for years, and it's apparently true. I've been trying to forget a really dismal season as a faithful Redskin football team fan, when the most forgettable player of the season went zipping past me this morning, the third man riding on a motor scooter, called a pan-pan here in Liberia. Ok, so it really wasn't Portis Clinton in his #26 Redskin jersey, but it was a young Liberian wearing a replica. It made me reflect on this phenomena, which is the most ubiquitous U.S. presence throughout the developing world, the American theme tee-shirt. Wherever I have been to do this kind of work, all over the world, the most obvious things are these colorful American jerseys. This week I saw a toddler wearing a Buffalo Sabers hockey team tee much too large and a 40ish year old woman with a Little Princess tee much too small. I wonder if this is what we as a nation really want to be known around the world for, especially since all of these shirts were worn by others, indeed worn out, before they arrived in aid packages or shops selling only second-hand.

Running into Portis' shirt this morning, thankfully not actually, was while we were on our way to Cuttington University, an Episcopal school of great repute throughout Liberia, one of the shining lights of higher education. Founded in 1889 in Harper in Maryland County, the school moved from the rather isolated southeastern corner of the state to where it is now, in Bong County which is much more in the central part of the country.

With a large beautifully situated campus, Cuttington was, tragically, one of the pieces of prime real estate for the various rebel groups during (what I am calling) the reign of terror. The first of the hoodlums who took over the space as a training ground was Prince Johnson, then came Charles Taylor, and finally the property was used for over thirty thousand refugees. In complete disrepair, like so many structures and institutions, it was hard to imagine that the University could ever move out of exile (which was in Lawrence Virginia), back to the campus in Bong County. I can only imagine how disheartening it must have been for the faculty to come back and see the damage.

Today the campus is thriving once again. And it is a testimony to the perseverance of the Liberian people and the vision and perseverance of the leadership of the University. Enrollment has grown steadily in the past three years; there is now a fledgling campus television and radio station, and they are broadcasting health and other social service programs that reach widely into the community. One of the most important components to this revival is the grant awarded to Cuttington from the United States AID that allowed the University to buy three large generators. Their presence has provided power for all the needs of the school, twenty-four hours a day. In a country where electricity is scarce, this is a huge benefit. So, I thought to myself, maybe the generators balance out the tee shirts, or maybe complement them, I'm not sure. Anyway, I saw the American flags on those big heaving machines and felt proud.

Liberia - Day One

2011-01-09T05:32:00.000-08:00

A remarkable day! Ayele, Paul and I (with a muslim driver who has four wives and twenty-five children) drove for two plus hours, the last one over some very rough dirt roads, to Robertsport to visit Marilyn Robertson, the widow of E. Bolling Robertson who was principal of St. John's school for boys and House of Bethany School for girls. He came to be a missionary in Liberia in 1945; Marilyn (everyone here calls her Mother) came in 1958. On the way back to Monrovia this afternoon Dr. Ayele told me about how the girls at the school would speculate endlessly on which female this handsome, vibrant Episcopal priest would fall in love with and marry.

When Fr. Robertson retired in 1984, he and his wife came back to Virginia. He was a Virginian born, bred, and educated; and they lived in Mechanicsville for twenty years. They visited us at St. Anne's a few times to attend funerals and other services and were always present at Diocesan events. But as Mother Robertson said they missed Liberia tremendously, and they came back in 2004. Fr Bolling was weakening, and rather then go into a nursing home, they came back to Liberia to be cared for by their friends (more like family) here in Robertsport. He died in 2006 and is buried high up on the bluff overlooking his school and the Atlantic Ocean. There could be no more peaceful spot, or fitting last few years, for this remarkable man. Now Marilyn lives alone in this beautiful place, surrounded by young people who adore her, many of whom are children and even grandchildren of students of St. John's. She seems very content in this small, beautiful corner of the world. I admire and respect this couple and their work greatly, and it is heartbreaking to see that the schools were destroyed during the war years and that there are no students there now.

On our trip back we stopped at a fishing village of Ghanians to buy dried fish. It was a wonderful place, full of children playing and women tending wood fires that were under pieces of huge oil drums covered with odd pieces of tarp to keep the smoke in. In the pungent aroma and colorful sights of adults and children alike wearing second-hand American tee-shirts, it was a thrill to watch Dr. Ayele first haggle over the price of fish, then make lasting friends by enquiring about them and their children. When he asked what they were doing to care for the health of their families, I thought Dr. Ayele was going to jump out of the car and demand that a Coca Cola truck take it's cargo back where they came from. "These children are malnourished" she exclaimed through gritted teeth, "and they give them coke!" She and Father Hipolito in the DR have a lot in common, and I again thought in wonder and gratitude about these amazing people who care so deeply.

On our way back to the city we were stopped at checkpoints twice, and it was apparent that unscrupulous individuals in uniform wanted money before we could pass. But Dr. Ayele was great, refused to be cowed, did a little dressing down of the men, and we were quickly on our way. As you can see my admiration for this woman grows by the minute.

Monrovia is a lively city teeming with people, all doing business in the streets, selling everything from knock-off designer basketball shoes to car fenders. Shanty communities all around the city are evidence of the thousands of people who moved in from the distant villages to escape the ravages of the war lords during the years of terror. As much as things have changed in the last five years (I am told) it seems like this country is holding her breath, especially now with thousands of refugees flooding across the boarder from The Ivory Coast. But more about that later, for now I need to prepare for a busy day of Church tomorrow.

Fr. Jim

Our task now is to continue to move in the direction of full equality and inclusion.

2010-06-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

"It seems to me that love must, by its essential nature, be always unconditional. We welcome Katharine Jefferts Schori to this pulpit because we love our sisters and brothers in the Episcopal Church of the United States; not because she is female, or a woman bishop ahead of us, or has permitted a practicing lesbian to become a bishop. (As it happens she couldn’t have stopped it after all the legal and proper canonical electoral processes resulted in the election and nomination.) We welcome her because she is our sister in Christ."

These are the words of the Dean of the Cathedral of Southwark who felt compelled, and with good reason, to introduce the visiting preacher and presider of the Eucharist at the Cathedral's main service this last Sunday. An invitation to Bishop Katharine had been extended over a year ago. The Very Rev. Colin Slee went on to explain that he had not for a moment, in light of the recent events in the international Church, considered retracting her invitation.

It has been reported that the Archbishop of Canterbury asked the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America not to wear her mitre, the head covering of a bishop, and not to carry the universal symbol of a bishop's authority: the staff, or crozier. Bishop Katharine has not, to my knowledge, commented on the accuracy of this statement, but it was noted by those present that she carried, but did not don, her mitre, and her crozier was not in sight. Apparently, with the approaching Synod of the Church of England, where the consecration of women as bishops will be a major topic, Archbishop Williams did not want to fan any flames. It strikes me that, with knowledge of the legend of Nero's musical endeavors as most of Rome burned, for the Archbishop to concern himself with the accouterments of our Presiding Bishop while the Church of England, and indeed the entire Anglican Communion, is facing such a monumental change is a misguided waste of energy.

Returning to Dean Slee, it comes to mind that he represents those in the Church of England who understand that power and control are not the central issues of Christianity…rather, it is seeing each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

It might be worth recounting, briefly, how we got to this point. I am aware that there are many who did not hear my sermon last Sunday, which attempted to do just that, and that several who were there asked afterward if I would put it in print, so they could consider my description with more time.

As I said in sermon last Sunday, we can trace the kind of controversy which now absorbs the energy of the Church back to its very beginnings, with the differences between the Churches in Jerusalem and those in what we now call Asia Minor. James, brother of Jesus and a Jewish/Christian (not the best term, but will have to do), on the one side and Paul, originally from Tarsus located in modern Turkey, on the other. Inclusion was the key issue then, too. The point of contention: did followers of Jesus first have to be practicing Jews?

We can now move a good deal closer to home. Culture and the Protestant Church have always been deeply intertwined. Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Queen Elizabeth I were all leaders in the European churches that broke away in the sixteenth century from Rome. Unlike Roman Catholics and most reform Churches (Anabaptists,Quakers, Mennonites), European Churches embraced a strong relationship between the culture and religion. Accordingly, it is not surprising that many in these Churches were at the forefront of the immense, worldwide societal changes of the middle 1960's.

Yet in the Episcopal Church of that time, ardently held opinions battled with each other. Spokesmen for the two “factions” were Bishop John Hines and Bishop Stephen Bayne, each a strong contender in the 1964 election for the new presiding bishop. Hines won and in many ways the die was cast. Bayne was a conservative Anglo-Catholic who had been a major voice in the futile attempt to persuade the House of Bishops to declare the Bishop of California, James Pike, a heretic. Hines, on the other hand, was a social liberal who fought for civil rights, the ordination of women, and equality for African Americans in the Church. (Episcopal seminaries in the south had been segregated until the middle 1950's.)

Thus began a very difficult time for the Episcopal Church. In the 1970's, controversy around women's ordination and changes in the Prayer Book shook both congregations and Church leadership. When I was in seminary in the 1980's, it was the use of inclusive language in worship that created stress. It was at the same time the issue of full inclusion of gay and lesbian people became important and divisive.

Many who had felt pushed by changes they could not stop were very upset about the prominence this discussion began to take on. With the election of Gene Robinson as the Bishop of New Hampshire and the ratification of his election by Church leadership at the General Convention in 2003, many conservative Episcopalians felt they could no longer, in good conscience, be part of the Church.

So they left, but in their leaving did several significant things. They courted, and aligned themselves with, conservative Anglicans in Africa. They decided, at least here in Virginia, to refuse to leave the church buildings in which they had worshiped, forcing a wrenching and costly showdown. More on that in a bit.

Now, with international involvement - the Churches in Nigeria, Uganda, and Rwanda - the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, got involved. Fearing that the Anglican Communion worldwide (WWAC) was in danger of falling apart, as the Churches in Canada and the U.S. were moving to bring gays and lesbians into full participation in the life of the Church, Archbishop Williams called a group of Anglican leaders together to create a document called the Windsor Report. The Report would both define what it was to be part of the WWAC and provide a way to move forward in the midst of all the angst.

It was during this time that nine of the 180 parishes in Virginia decided to leave the Episcopal Church. They found a "home" in several different Churches in Africa, with several American priests leaving the Episcopal Church to be ordained bishops in these new "homes." They then returned from Africa to lead other U.S. churches that had separated from the Episcopal Church. All this in direct violation of the Windsor Report. At the 2006 General Convention, the newly elected Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori, asked for and received a vote that effectively became a moratorium on the election of gay, partnered priests to the episcopacy (a bishop). This moratorium was honored until after the General Convention of 2009. In the spring of 2010 the Diocese of Los Angeles elected The Rev. Mary Glasspool as Bishop Suffragan and the majority of the rest of the Church affirmed her in short order.

This has created real problems for the Archbishop of Canterbury. He has tried his hardest to maintain a status quo, although his reasons for doing so are not entirely clear. It is apparent that there are major differences in fundamental issues between Anglicans, not only across continents but also within the United States, Australia, Canada, and South Africa. That many such differences have existed in the past, and that the Church has survived these times, seems to escape the Archbishop and others who find the changes that are happening a threat.

This past week a letter was issued to scholars and other leaders in the Episcopal Church who have been involved in two ecumenical study groups. They were informed that their memberships were "discontinued." Other than Bishop Robinson's exclusion from the last Lambeth Conference (an every ten-year gathering of all the Bishops in the WWAC) in England, this is the first time to my knowledge that such a thing has happened. It has created something of a “constitutional crisis” in a group which has no constitution. We will have to wait and see what follows.

Getting back to the issues of the Diocese of Virginia. When the nine congregations voted to leave the Episcopal Church they also decided to lay claim to the church buildings, even though there is canon (church) law passed by the General Convention in the mid 1970's, and centuries of tradition in hierarchical churches (those lead by ordained bishops), to the contrary. Designating themselves the Anglican District of Virginia (ADV), a district of the Convocation of Anglican Nigerians in America (CANA), these congregations rested their claim on an 1867 Virginia statute that addressed property rights determined upon a division within a church or religious society.

The Diocese of Virginia eventually had to sue these churches for access to its property. Advocates for the Diocese argued that the 1867 statute did not apply to a hierarchical church. A circuit court judge agreed with ACV; the five-member Virginia Supreme Court agreed with the Diocese. There will now be a series of proceedings to establish rights in and to the property, essentially back to where we were two years ago.

Except we're not back where we were. In reality, the landscape is continuing to change. Civil jurisdictions such as the District of Columbia and the State of Iowa are changing their marriage laws. Conservative, nationally known lawyers are arguing before the California Supreme Court to repeal Proposition 8 (banning homosexual marriage). With increasing clarity and conviction, the rightful place of gay and lesbian folks, right here in the mix with everybody, is being more firmly established.

Our task now is to continue to move in the direction of full equality and inclusion. Which for many means finding a way to include those with whom we have struggled, and those who have kept silent.

Edwin Markham, a poet and educator in California in the late early 1900s, apparently knew a lot about being left out. He once wrote a poem called “Outwitted.” Indeed.

He drew a circle that shut me out--

Heretic, a rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in!

Inclusivity and thoughtful change that embraces tradition

2010-06-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

At the end of last week I was at a training of EfM mentors in Waverly, Georgia. I enjoy being a part of these trainings as it is clearly evident how important this program is to the Church, as well as to those who take the course. For some time now I have been convinced that the Episcopal Church is on the verge of a breakthrough. We, Episcopalians, have realized that Christianity, as it has been expressed in the past, needs to be brought into a new reality in the 21st century. With our focus on inclusivity and thoughtful change that embraces tradition, we can lead the way. EfM has been for some time a vital part of this exciting process.

At the end of a long training day I was having a break with several friends, and conversation drifted towards the topic of our Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori. There was a noticeable increase of energy in the conversation. I mentioned how excited I was about her Pentecost pastoral letter and was surprised to hear that no one in the group had read it yet. It may be the most important thing she has said to date. I strongly encouraged them, and more importantly encourage you, to read it if you have not already done so. You can find it readily on the Episcopal News Service web site, Episcopal News online June 4th.

I am thrilled by this letter. We - I am not the only one who feels this way - have been waiting for it for a long time. Bishop Katherine was prompted to write this letter largely as a response to a public letter written by Rowan Williams the Archbishop of Canterbury http://www.anglicansonline.org, which reintroduces the concept that there be a two-tiered Anglican Communion, one that agrees with his position, the first tier and one the doesn't the second. This time the presenting issue for Archbishop Williams is the election as bishop in the Diocese of Los Angeles of Mary Glasspool, a partnered lesbian, and the affirmation of that action by the majority of dioceses across the country. Although the dividing incident seems once again to be about the role of gay and lesbian persons, I am convinced that the tension is about something deeper.

Since the beginning of the Church of England, the birth mother of all Anglican Churches, there have been differences about the nature of hierarchy. Who controls the workings of the Church? Is it a top down organization like the Roman Catholic Church, or is it a bottom up, grass roots organization like the first century churches. Interestingly, it is now the Church of England which represents the top down model, and the Episcopal Church which represents the bottom up model. This is no surprise I guess given that this is exactly what we fought a revolutionary war about. I find it ironic, to say the least, that Archbishop Williams says he's fighting to hold a World Wide Anglican Communion together. In fact, it was the creation of the Episcopal Church that prompted the possibility of an Anglican community, as we were, the first of England's colonies to start our own church. We have long held, as Bishop Katherine says in her letter, that the strength of the communion is in it's diversity and flexibility. As it gets larger and much more multicultural the Archbishop of Canterbury struggles to enforce regulations and controls.

Bishop Katherine does others things in this brilliant letter, too. She acknowledges and accepts, on behalf of us all, our part in the exploitation that happened during colonization both abroad and here at home. She also firmly and without equivocation expresses the views of the majority of Episcopalians, that it is our desire to fully include all persons in all aspects of church life as has been demonstrated by the approval of Mary Glasspool. Our presiding bishop has, with forcefulness and grace taken a definite position. One, many of us feel, on which we can stand with her. Archbishop Williams. on the other hand, continues to chastise the North American Churches, while turning a blind eye to the actions of other Churches, particularly some in Africa.

In our agreement with and admiration for the words and actions of the Presiding Bishop, it is appropriate for us to ask how we can help. Bishop Katherine references the baptismal prayers found in our Prayer Book, that we “strive for justice... and respect the dignity of every human being.” We will continue to work very hard for the full inclusion of all people to receive all the blessings that the Church offers now only to some.

Telling the Story

2009-07-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

“Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden,

and I will refresh you.” Matt. 11:28

We have come to that time in the deliberations at General Convention when eyes begin to glaze over. Participants are beginning to peek at their travel home itineraries, to buddy up for rides, to dream of their own beds. It has been a long ten days, work starting with committee meetings at 7:00 a.m. and ending too late to catch the late news on hotel room televisions.

Parliamentary process with 1,000 deputies asking procedural questions, expressing opinions, and all too often enjoying the sound of their own voices on the PA system, can make the four hour sessions absolutely mind-numbing. An occasional stroll to the water cooler or restroom is the total exercise possible during a day 'on the floor'. Yet in the midst of the tedium there have been thrilling moments, as when the vote was taken for the Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003, and the announcement of the vote taken in the House of Bishops electing Katharine Jefferts Shori as the Presiding Bishop in 2006.

There are also those quiet moments when, if one listens very carefully, one can hear the rustlings of change, the murmurings of hope. At the beginning of this morning’s session, the penultimate day of Convention, the House of Deputies heard its chaplain describe the work of evangelism. Not the definition hijacked by religious hucksters (my term) but a much more traditional understanding of the word, translated as “telling the story,” --telling others your/our story about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

Our preacher at the morning Eucharist, Brian McLaren, took up the same topic in his sermon. He called it “using the 'e' word.” He spoke to the heart of the matter of why we have been assembled here in Anaheim for nearly two weeks. Frank Wade and Brian McLaren both got it right today. Pioneering sociologist Emile Durkheim once famously wrote that the primary goal of any institution is its own continuance. History and a realistic appraisal of the situation on the ground have proven him to be correct, overwhelmingly. However, let us consider that the Episcopal Church may be about to prove the exception to the rule. Our Church’s goal is to simultaneously maintain the precious traditions of a story that reminds of who we are (and whose we are), and still provide a fearless vision for the cessation of any entity whose self-preservation concerns override its responsibility to the “least of these” as expressed in Scripture. This is the legacy of Jesus, the reason for his presence in the world, and the way that we are bound to follow.

Today the big news on the floor of the House of Deputies was the debate over acceptance of the Church’s budget for the next three years. Its presentation alone created consternation and anxiety for many, as the cuts were extensive. I spent some time this evening with the Chief Operating Officer of the Episcopal Church, our own parishioner Linda Watt ,who expressed great concern for the substantial number of national church employees who lost their jobs in the aftermath of these cuts. And yet, even in the midst of this tale of scarcity, there are bright glimmers of hope for our beloved Church. Adherence to our commitments to the poorest among us, in a global sense, was consistent and well honored. Today we pledged 1% of our income to the Millennium Development Goals, and .7% to our domestic poverty programs.

In meeting the need to pare our budget, I believe we also did another great thing, unintended and difficult though it may be. We asked ourselves to adhere to the Principle of Subsidiarity, a seemingly complex and obscure theological notion that is actually very easy to understand. The principle is that the most effective method of dealing with an issue is to do so at the most basic and uncomplicated level. For our purposes, this means that the best, most effective way for Episcopalians to deal with Jesus’ call for us to be missionaries in the world, and to sow generosity where the world wants only to reap selfishness, is on the local, diocesan and parish, levels. It is our opportunity, therefore, to be as the first disciples were, real flesh and blood proof of a living and loving God.

As I leave this convention tomorrow, I am even more convinced that it is each of us who must be Jesus’ agent of change in a world longing for the coming of the Reign of God, for the peace that passes all understanding. If not us, as you have heard me say many times, then who? Jesus’ promise in the quote from Matthew at the top of this post is that we do not, and will not, do this alone.

Time Flies

2009-07-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

How is it that sometimes the import of the moment arrives with great clarity, like having the San Francisco fog, a visual 'herd of elephants' pushed by an invisible force, flee before the radiant sun. Sometimes such a moment can only be gauged over time, unfolding like a spring bud. I wrote yesterday that the passage of resolution D025 by both houses here at General Convention was the latter. Yesterday morning, watching the House of Bishops begin deliberation on C056 was just the opposite; it felt more like momentum. I arrived at the visitors' section of the House of Bishops a little after the conversation started, and the first thing I saw was my classmate and good friend, the Bishop of Kansas, Dean Wolf, stand to ask that those who were in the majority on this issue exercise "generosity of spirit" with those who were in the minority. I was taken aback. Had votes been taken already? Who was this apparently overwhelming majority and who was the minority? This resolution was one of the more controversial. It has to do with the second essential pillar for full inclusion, the companion of D025 which affirmed full inclusion into the ordained roles of the Church. It's called C056 and it directs the Standing Committee on Liturgy (standing committees meet throughout the year, not just every three years), to develop rites for the blessings of same gendered couples. In very similar forms, this resolution has been before General Conventions since 1994. The difference is that this time it has, as I said, real momentum.

Many observers, including our own Bishop Johnston in his pre-election appearances around the diocese, have stated that the ability to bless same gender couples in the context of a liturgy approved by the Church is the lynchpin of all changes dealing with the full inclusion of the GLBT community. There is the clear expectation that we hold ourselves, all of us, to a high moral standard. This is a requirement of our ordained persons. 'Faithful', 'monogamous', 'life affirming', 'committed','intentional' are words that we use in describing intimacy between two people. While we recognize only two sacraments in the Episcopal Church, Baptism and Eucharist, we still consider Confirmation, Last Rites, Holy Orders, the Penitential rite and the Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage to be “lesser” sacraments. The last of these sacraments is withheld only from gay and lesbian couples and its denial then bans them from serving the Church as clergy. I agree with Bishop Johnston and others who assert that ordained persons living in an intimate relationship with another person should have the expectation of having that relationship conform to the moral expectations of the Church. Now, back to the story of the day.

Several bishops spoke powerfully about the resolution, many in favor, some opposed, and several bishops suggested amendments to change the resolution, some a little, some a lot. It was then I began to see the helium leak out of the balloon. Finally, the Presiding Bishop tabled the discussion until today, Wednesday, in the afternoon. I heard in a meeting just a few moments ago that the bishops formed a subcommittee and have written a substitute resolution. I’m hoping the issue will be discussed on the floor of the House of Bishops this afternoon; but that might not happen.

Unfortunately, delaying an important vote such as this for two days provides a tactical opportunity for those who oppose passage to keep the resolution from being acted upon at all. In the labyrinthine machinations of parliamentary procedure, legislation gets lost in the waning days of convention. If the Bishops pass a substitute resolution this afternoon, it will go to the Deputies tomorrow. A special order could possibly put it on the floor tomorrow morning, Thursday. But if any amendments are approved by the Deputies, then it must go back to the Bishops, who will discuss the new form with the amendment included. This would take until Friday, the last day of convention, when many participants will have their attention directed towards home. I well remember 2006 when B033, the resolution asking for a moratorium on the consecration of partnered bishops, happened on Friday. It will be most unfortunate if the acceptance of this very important resolution gets rushed into an up or down vote; equally so if it has to wait another three years. Some have asked for a rundown of the votes for D025.

House of Deputies

Clergy:

The Rev. Susan E. Goff, St. Christopher’s, Springfield yes

The Rev. Susan N. Eaves, St. Thomas’, Richmond yes

The Rev. Robert W. Prichard, Virginia Theological Seminary no

The Rev. James A. Papile, St. Anne’s, Reston yes

Lay:

Mr. Russell V. Randle, Christ Church, Alexandria no

Mr. Russell V. Palmore, Jr., St. Paul’s, Richmond no

Mrs. Cindi Bartol, Christ Church, Alexandria yes

Mr. John Paul Causey, Jr., St. John’s, West Point yes

Bishops:

The Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee yes

The Rt. Rev. David Jones yes

The Rt. Rev. Shannon Johnston no

A Tale of Two Houses

2009-07-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe they're in the same building. The House of Deputies meets in what feels like an airplane hangar; it has to be large to accommodate 1,000 deputies, plus visitors and the press. There are two jumbo-tron screens at the front of the hall and with a sound system powerful enough for that enormous space, there is an echo reverberating every time anyone speaks into a microphone. Deputies sit in long rows of tables; every one facing forward, 4 lay deputies sitting in a row and 4 clergy deputies seated right behind them.

In contrast, the House of Bishops feels like sitting in someone’s living room. With just around 150 bishops, the space is naturally much smaller. It’s also at the top of the Convention Center, third floor. The House of Deputies is always on the first floor, right next to the exhibit center. Hmmm, is one closer to the celestial realm and the other closer to the trappings and seductions of the world? Let's not even go there!

Because the bishops meet as a body several times a year (as opposed to the deputies, who meet every three years) the conversation in their house is much more intimate, a feeling enhanced by the round tables seating eight or so of the bishops at a time. At various times, the bishops have conducted small group conversations and Bible studies around these tables, strengthening the atmosphere of closeness. All this familiarity might lead one, such as myself, to a supposition of predictability. It has been my sense, since before the start of Convention, and during it, that the House of Deputies was poised to move forward on the progressive agenda of the Church. On the other hand, the House of Bishops would be quite conservative, not so much in the political sense of the word, but rather in a 'preserving the way the Church will continue' sense of the word. Thinly veiled admonitions from the Archbishop of Canterbury, and reports of the Church of England’s scrutiny of our actions (they are now participating in their own national meeting) only reified my assumption.

That is, until yesterday. Yesterday the House of Bishops stunned the Convention, and many others, I’m sure, by concurring with the House of Deputies on resolution D025 (you can find the text on my post from two days ago). This is the resolution stating that neither a candidate's sexual orientation, nor his/her same gender relationship, can, in and of itself, preclude ordination. What a huge step for the bishops to take--and it passed with a two-thirds majority.

While the bishops were discussing the matter of ordaining same gender partnered candidates into all three Holy Orders, the House of Deputies passed, with a significant majority, resolution C061, a canonical amendment. Changes in Canon Law are substantively very different from other resolutions. As with civil law, the interpretation of a Canon is much narrower -- not nearly as subject to the feelings or beliefs of individual bishops.

Language was carefully parsed in this resolution to state: No person shall be denied access or have his or her discernment process terminated because of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disabilities or age, except as otherwise provided by these Canons

Many deputies were concerned about some of the terms. For instance, what does "gender expression" mean? These questions reflect our evolving understanding of gender identity in every aspect of contemporary culture. It seems that developments in medicine, psychology, and sociology break new territory daily. It is to the credit of our Church that we contribute to this conversation. We should not fear the emergent understanding of these aspects of human life; rather, we should embrace our role in welcoming God's people

There has been much conversation in newspapers and on blogs about what this all means. We will have to live into the reality of our actions before we can understand their full ramifications. One thing I know is that each diocesan bishop will continue to use his or her own judgment in these matters. It will be the responsibility of each diocese in its convention (in Virginia's case, annual council) to advise its bishop. St. Anne’s has sponsored resolutions at the past several annual councils in this matter. I am proud of us, for we have been in the vanguard.

Tomorrow: same gender blessings

Zebra Book, Revisited

2009-07-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

“OK; this morning we want to talk about the Zebra Book.” I had already been through a thoroughly confusing Sunday morning worship service, juggling two books and a leaflet, stumbling over unfamiliar language. Did I just say that I was “not worthy so much as to gather up crumbs under this thy table?” What did that mean? And yet, as the weeks went by, as I got more used to the Book of Common Prayer, I became infatuated. As I used the Book not just on Sunday mornings, but also in my daily prayers, I found the language to be quite beautiful. With repetition, the prayers began to speak to me deeply. I learned that the “Zebra Book” was one of several trial prayer books distributed throughout the denomination as the Episcopal Church approached the adopting of a new prayer book, and did so in 1979. At that time the Church was ready to change. However, I also learned about the difficulties the prayer book revision caused Episcopalians who did not want to let go of the 1928 edition. I watched both the efforts to minister to those who were upset, as well as the commitment to a desire to worship in a way that was relevant to a new time. I was moved and impressed; I embraced the Episcopal Church as my own.

Learning more deeply about the history and theology of the Episcopal Church has increased my appreciation for the working of the Church. Not being part of a “confessing church" like other Protestants, and not having to follow theological dogma from church leadership as Roman Catholics do, it is, in fact, the Book of Common Prayer that holds us together. Lex orandi, lex credendi, “What we believe is what we pray.” This is the theological overview of the Anglican ethos. Since we are committed to praying together with the Book of Common Prayer, this community activity is the highest form of Anglican theology and doctrine. Imagine my delight with the 1979 prayer book which gave such variety and breadth in terms of both corporate and personal worship. Not only did we carefully preserve the poetic Elizabethan language, we added sensitive, responsive, instructive language. A new awareness was born in us as a people when we began to declare in prayer that ours is “a fragile earth, our island home.”

So where am I going with this personal testimony and historical exposition? Since 1990, the General Convention has discussed the issue of developing a service for the Church's blessing the commitment of a same gender relationship. Today, we are poised to authorize the appropriate committees of the Church to prepare these liturgies. This morning, Tuesday, the House of Bishops is scheduled to discuss Resolution CO56 (text included below), which states that at the next General Convention the expectation is that a rite will be added to the authorized services of the Episcopal Church, hopefully an addition to the Book of Common Prayer.

My point is that our expansive and inclusive Prayer Book, thanks to all the work done with the “Zebra Book" and others in the 1970s, will again lead the Church into a deeper understanding of the Reign of God described in the Gospels. It is evident that the Holy Spirit has been working hard in the Episcopal Church here in Anaheim and well before we arrived here. This morning, in what many see as the most unlikely of places, the meeting of the House of Bishops, the Episcopal Church is poised to present to world outside these walls a profoundly new vision.

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, that the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consultation with the House of Bishops Theology Committee, collect and develop theological resources and liturgies of blessing for same-gender holy unions, to be presented to the 77th General Convention for formal consideration, and be it further

Resolved, that the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consultation with the House of Bishops Theology Committee, devise an open process for the conduct of its work in this matter, inviting participation from dioceses, congregations, and individuals who are or have already engaged in the study or design of such rites throughout the Anglican Communion, and be it further

Resolved, that all bishops, noting particularly those in dioceses within civil jurisdictions where same-gender marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are legal, may provide generous pastoral response to meet the needs of members of this Church; and be it further

Resolved, that honoring the theological diversity of this Church, no bishop or other member of the clergy shall be compelled to authorize or officiate at such liturgies, and be it further

Resolved, that the Anglican Consultative Council be invited to conversation regarding this resolution and the work that proceeds from it, together with other churches in the Anglican Communion engaged in similar processes.

Minority report from Bishop Henry N. Parsley:

I offer the minority opinion that in the 3rd resolve the substitute should read, "Resolved, that in dioceses within civil jurisdictions where same gender marriage or civil unions are legal, the bishop may provide a generous pastoral response to meet the needs of the members of this church."

Prayers Count

2009-07-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

“Mon Dieu, Papa,” the prayer started, and I immediately felt hot tears forming . Maybe it was my fatigue, or the stress I had felt in the hearing room for an hour and a half, but when the Bishop of Haiti, Jean Zache Duracin, started the closing prayer with the words “my God, Papa” I was moved by a deep sense of personal connection between the pray-er, the bishop of the largest, and arguably the poorest, diocese in the Episcopal Church, and his God. Unbidden, the ancient and most problematic of all questions came to mind, “How much does the suffering of a person or people have to do with the depth of relationship between the sufferer and God?” I knew that I was witness to an intimate and powerful family moment.

It was a tough decision. But I’m glad I woke early enough to be present in the hearing room at 6:45 for a continuing discussion by the Committee on World Mission. There are twenty-five different committees meeting throughout the ten days of Convention. They are responsible for all that happens: the nuts and bolts of the running of the event, the preparation of the Church's budget, the drafting of legislation. Bishops and Deputies serve on each committee to ensure that voices from both houses are heard. World Mission is the committee that is most concerned with the relationship between The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion at large. That means that at this Convention, many of the resolutions that have to do with the tension between the global Church and the Episcopal Church, the issues around the role of human sexuality, are being vetted by World Missions. It’s a very large group with some terrifically talented people.

There are at least thirteen separate resolutions that address actions taken by previous General Conventions and Lambeth Conferences (the decennial meeting of all the bishops of the Anglican Communion) concerning the appropriateness of people in same gendered relationships being ordained in the Church. One of the most controversial of these previous pieces of legislation was passed in the waning moments of the last convention in 2006. It was called B033 and it asked for a moratorium on the consecration of bishops who are in same gender relationship. B033 was seen at the time as an attempt to show good faith towards that part of the international church upset by the consecration of Gene Robinson; it was seen by others as a repudiation of that same action. Many who voted for B033 in 2006, myself included, have had serious misgivings about that action for the past three years.

Thirteen separate resolutions presented to the committee were distilled into one, complex one, that was the topic of conversation this morning (I’ll post it early next week, as soon as it looks like it’s in a final form). It was scrutinized, parsed, and dissected at great length, but in the end was accepted by the majority of the committee members from the House of Deputies; however, members of the House of Bishops were not so clear on their thoughts.

Ray Suarez, of the Jim Lehrer News Hour on NPT and member of St. Columba’s in Washington, D.C., preached at this morning’s Eucharist. It was a stunning sermon and I commend it to you; hopefully, it will be posted on the Episcopal Church website soon. He called us to be "that blessed company of all faithful people" which the Prayer Book talks about. It sounds like “family talk” to me, much like that powerful beginning to the prayer of Bishop Duracin. But are we all talking about the same family? For those bishops who voted against the resolution proposed this morning, and others who will take exception to it when it becomes public, I wonder about their definition of the family, the community of all the faithful. We yearn to call this our God in the most intimate of ways, our nurturing and loving parent. Yet at the same time, there are those who want to define for this God what family means, or at least who is included and in what capacity. Rather than an embrace, this seems like a repudiation of the God I heard so meaningfully called forth in the prayer of the Bishop of the suffering people of Haiti: the God who stands for and with all peoples everywhere, who have no voice, who are in poverty of body and spirit, who are marginalized, denied justice. I, for the life of me, cannot understand how to reconcile the two.

"Boots and Saddles"

2009-07-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

“Boots and Saddles” was the rallying cry familiar to those of the Seventh Cavalry of the United States Army, an organization my father was a member of while I was growing up. Crisp blue uniforms with distinctive yellow piping running down the trouser seam, epaulets on the shoulders, shining medals and that fascinating clinking, gleaming saber! A wild-eyed child, I marveled at this wondrous vision. I learned early on the overt and the meta messages that are telegraphed by dress.

Bishops in polos, deputies in business suits; flip flops and loafers, baseball caps and Stetsons--the sartorial diversity of this General Convention is a thing to behold. There was a time, indeed, just a generation ago, when clergy (who were all men) wore black suits and clerical collars. All lay men (the House of Deputies was comprised solely of men until 1967…1967) wore suits and ties, and the women of the Episcopal Church, who since the 1930’s held an event concurrent with General Convention called the Episcopal Church Women Convention, wore hats and gloves at all public events. Even though there is now, through the grace of God, full access to all orders and organizations of the Church to all women (unless, of course, they are partnered lesbians) the Episcopal Church women still meet concurrently with General Convention. We continue to recognize and hold up the efforts of Episcopal women of all times and places.

Other than a short discourse on the sartorial practices of the Episcopal Church at General Convention and the triennium gathering of the ECW; and a personal comment on my childhood, what could possibly be the reason for these words? Or put in a different way, is there something we can say about the nature of this Convention by anything as mundane as the way people are dressing? I believe the answer is" yes." I believe that are we moving to a new place. Indeed, the very reason for why we are here, what we are about in these ten days, is all about being part of a new thing, about being in a new place. My sense is that our tee shirts and Bermuda shorts are symbols, symbols of the Church, which, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, are making all things new. Are we beginning to see each other, not as separated by definition, whether that be clergy or lay, rich or not so rich, male or female, gay or straight, but as one in relationship? This…this may be the startling gift of the 76^th General Convention. As informally, and formally attired as it is, this assembly is poised to give not just the Episcopal Church, but the world outside its sanctuary walls something so sorely needed.

Looking for Leadership

2009-07-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

He is, without a doubt, a prodigiously intelligent and, I truly believe, deeply spiritual man. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is for all the distinctive flyaway hair, bushy beard and large eyeglasses, a man of lyrical proportions. Slight of build, although of average height, Archbishop Rowan chose to sit for his presentation last night, rather than stand, as Presiding Bishop Katharine did for hers. This meant that I found myself watching the Archbishop’s hands as he spoke. They curved through the air in such a way as to shape the very words he was saying. Like brush strokes from a painter’s brush, his hands gave his words color and meaning. Yet I felt no invitation in them-- erudition and deep thought, certainly, being privy to an elegant endeavor-- but no invitation to join in.

Archbishop Williams' acceptance to attend and speak to this General Convention was a very big deal, although played down in its significance across the Anglican Communion. He had refused, after all, to attend the Convention three years ago in Columbus. Would some who are outside the American Church see this as an acquiescent gesture on his part? By his presence, is he condoning the actions of the Episcopal Church, seen so unfavorably by others, notably some Anglicans in Africa and the Southern Hemisphere?

If Rowan Williams was willing, as is evidently the case, to accept this criticism, he and the shapers of the evening’s event were not going to engage directly in any Church controversy. Bishop Katharine, Archbishop Rowan and three young Episcopalians working in the fields of environment, justice and global health all spoke eloquently about the effects of the current global crises. It was a rich and meaningful conversation. However, I had the feeling that the Archbishop was like the visitor who studiously avoids the puddle the puppy left on the living room floor. I do not suggest that the issues causing such consternation are distasteful or inconvenient, but rather say there are those, including those on whom we rely for leadership, who act as if they are.

There was much anticipation Thursday morning as the time approached for the daily Eucharist; the Archbishop was scheduled to preach. Would there be any new word about how he felt and what he thought, personally, about the Episcopal Church and the actions we have taken in past Conventions? He was much more personal, expressing gratitude for the role the American Church has taken, even apologizing for actions taken by Churches outside the United States. His sentiments were heartfelt and, at least by me, welcome. Then, as has happened so often in the past, the Archbishop said, “I hope you take no actions that will push us further apart.”

Push us further apart? It is not universally accepted that anything the Episcopal Church did is what broke us apart. Some of us chose to move away from the rest of us. This is a very old and tired argument. It’s time for us, while we have the opportunity at this Convention, to move forward, beyond the arguments and justifications. It is the time for bold and powerful leadership; may God send it now.

Ubuntu!

2009-07-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

"Ubuntu." The word is everywhere this week at General Convention. Ubuntu. It has a rich, melodic sound, coming from down in the diaphragm. Try saying it with a squeaky voice; you can’t, can you? I first became familiar with the term in my studies of the theology of Desmond Tutu. What had given this diminutive yet leonine Anglican clergyman the courage to stand up to the racist ways of an entire nation? What had kept him going through the years of bloodshed and trauma? As I learned more about who Tutu was, and what gave him his vision, I realized it was Ubuntu. It is not something the Archbishop made up; rather, it comes from the deepest part of his tradition. It is, for Tutu and for many cultures in subequatorial Africa, a worldview, an overarching, organizing principle. Its essence is that there is no such thing as an individual without placing that person with the context of the community: “There is no I without Us.”

Gathering for the first legislative session this morning, the Rev. Frank Wade, retired Rector of St. Alban’s Church, Washington, DC and chaplain to the House of Deputies used the theme of this gathering, Ubuntu, to organize his opening remarks. He described an incident several months ago, flying to Los Angeles to participate in planning for convention. Frank had been, he said, deep in contemplation about this foreign yet compelling idea during the long flight from Washington. “I thought I had a handle on it,” he said. Then, upon landing he looked up at the airport sign and read, “John Wayne Airport.” Suddenly it hit him. His was a time and a culture that had long valued just the opposite of Ubuntu. John Wayne’s movie characters had been formed on just about as un-Ubuntu as one can get. Clearly, for us this notion of Ubuntu is going to take some work. We, as a culture, are not used to thinking about the Us and not the I. Actually, we seem to be all about the I. Isn’t that exactly why we’re in the economic mess we’re in?

Yet, this way of relating may mean something new and different for the working of the General Convention, for the Episcopal Church and for all of us. For those working here in Anaheim there is the possibility that we can work for some kind of consensus in doing the business of the Church. Maybe we can begin to lay down the deep polarizations and have meaningful conversations about what brings us together. Archbishop Tutu’s belief in Ubuntu, and our ability to embrace it, holds an even more profound meaning. For it is through this strange, African way that we all, each and every rugged individual, church leader and human being at large, may begin to realize and truly understand that when one person is diminished, one person denied his or her God-given privileges and rights, then we are all diminished. If anyone is left out, then we are all left out.

How strange, and how wonderful that this most African of notions, in the shadow of Disneyland and the John Wayne Airport might find root in the Episcopal Church and grow, beyond all our imaginings. Although something tells me even this would not surprise Desmond Tutu.

Getting Started

2009-07-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

“Watts Towers.” The sign was austere, black letters on a faded white background. How many motorists drove by it every day, without even a second thought? Or maybe they thought, it’s a neighborhood, or a shopping area. But for me, just catching the sign as the Super Shuttle sped down the freeway, brought back that amazing day fifteen years ago when I was able to make a special pilgrimage to the Watts Towers.

Sam Rodilla emigrated from Italy at the very end of the nineteenth century and found his way to Southern California not much later. He was a construction man, working with stone and concrete, as his family had in the old country. In 1924, he bought a small lot on 107th Street in Los Angeles, and he began to build. In the evenings, after work and on weekends, with just a few simple hand tools, a window washer’s belt, and his prodigious creative energy, he began to build. He built tall, slender columns out of construction steel, covered them with concrete, and then, with what is best described as folk art extraordinaire, added bits of colorful ceramic, colored glass, seashells… anything he could find that fit his vision. He built towers, benches, and bird baths. One tower is ninety-nine and a half feet high, the tallest structure of its kind in the world. Whenever anyone asked him why he spent thirty-four years of his life doing it he would say, “I wanted to do something big.”

Walking into the vast cavern that is the Anaheim Convention Center today for the beginning of General Convention brought Sam Rodilla’s words back to me. Do we dare in these next ten days to try to do something big? Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Shori talked about the challenge of being a mission church in a time of crisis, in the Church’s life and in times of economic stress. She talked about the opportunity that comes with such a task and how we need to embrace that opportunity in the days ahead. Bishop Katharine warned the assembly to attend to the tasks of the national church and to leave to the home congregations the mission imperative best suited to us. Astute advice. Dr. Bonnie Anderson, President of the House of Deputies then spoke about the necessity for the Church to continue the aims of the Millennium Development Goals, to not lose sight of our responsibility to the poorest of the poor.

Today was a day of bumping into old friends, getting used to the fast pace of Convention, and figuring out how I can best help the Virginia Deputation in our work. David, an old friend and veteran of many a General Convention, said to me how much he loved the first day, “Nobody’s had time to get worked up yet,” he said.

Well, I hope we do get worked up in these next ten days, worked up enough to move this Church to a new place, a place of even greater strength, inclusivity and joy. Seems like the Church is kind of like the Watts Towers; made up of bits of this and that, things you would never think could go together, yet behold the result. A thing in all its fits and starts beauty, reaching to the sky.

On My Way!

2009-07-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

I am on my way to the General Convention in Anaheim, CA, which starts tomorrow and ends on July 17, 2009. I will do my best to keep you informed about discussions and happenings.