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.
"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!
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.
“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.
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
The Rev. Jim Papile has been rector of St. Anne's Episcopal Church for more than 10 years. His vision of a church that is inclusive and diverse has been an excellent match with St. Anne's Episcopal Church, which is located in the diverse and forward-thinking planned community of Reston, Virginia.
Father Jim has a Master's in Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary and a degree in Philosophy and Religion at George Mason University. In 1992, he was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Virginia.
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.
