from May 19: Episcopal Church, Old & New

Dear People of Christ Church,

Yesterday evening, our Introduction to the Episcopal Church class continued. The topic for was "The church's stance on contemporary moral issues." As with last week when we tried to cover the Bible, prayer, liturgy, and the sacraments in 90 minutes, we definitely had our work cut out for us, but still managed to have a great conversation.

The Episcopal Church is known for being a distinctive combination of traditional liturgy and "modern" social practice-or, as the comedian (and Episcopalian) Robin Williams puts it, "All of the pageantry, none of the guilt." On the "traditional" side, we share a deeply historic faith. The Episcopal Church is a daughter of the Anglican church (Anglican just means "of England" and we are still part of the worldwide Anglican Communion). But our history goes back before the church in England broke from Rome. Our confession of the Nicene Creed is 1600 years old, and our sacraments go back to the practice of Jesus. We gather, as his disciples did, in the breaking of the bread, and we, as they did, baptize in the name of the Trinity. At the same time, we are also a "modern" church-we ordain women and married people, support the right of people to limit their family size as they feel called, and respond to human sexuality in dialogue with the wider culture. What we sometimes forget, though, is that some of what is often called "new" really isn't-we're just being faithful to the theology we've shared for hundreds of years.

Early Anglicans talked about how the church was like a three legged stool, supported by Scripture, tradition, and reason. All three have equal claim-otherwise, you fall off! Too much Scripture, and you are worshipping a book instead of a living God. Too much reason, and you elevate human knowledge above mystery and faith. Too much tradition, and you find yourself in a museum, not a church.

This approach has real consequences for the practice of the church in the world. While it is true that women have only been regularly ordained since 1971 (Hong Kong was the first-the US followed in 1974 and 1976), it is not new theology that says this is finally OK. In our diocese, where gays and lesbians can legally be married, it is not "new theology"' that says that they should be offered the full benefit of the support and blessings of the church. It is our reason informing our tradition, reading Scripture for clues about how love is of God and how all love is to be honored. It is reason that looks at what homosexual practice was understood to be in Biblical times, and seeing how that's quite different from two people pledging their love as long as they both shall live. It is tradition that looks at the practice of marriage and thinks, "Gosh, it seems like marriage really helps society and it helps people keep their promises. Sounds like something everyone should have access to."

So, too, with women-the church is part of the world. It is a comparatively new thing that the world has "gotten" that women are equal to men. It's too bad that the church didn't figure it out first, but as the wider culture started to understand, so, too, did the church. But the church did so in applying its same old categories of analysis to the contemporary world-it didn't invent new justifications or new ideas. God is still the creator of all, and God is still a creator who named creation-all of it-good. God still wants to see the gifts of every person used to the fullest. This is a tradition that honors a Holy Spirit who still speaks.

When Henry the VIII wanted to get a divorce back in the sixteenth century, he was protesting the wider issue of a distant pope having say in English affairs. He wanted, in effect, for the church to respond to lives as they are lived, where they are lived. He wanted for decisions to be made close to the ground, in the same place where they impact people's lives. So, too, now: the Episcopal Church is nimble enough to allow same sex marriage in states where it is legal, but to allow dioceses (and, even congregations) where the people don't support it (either legally or theologically) to abstain.

Diversity, too, is the name of the game-we unite in prayer, but recognize that each of us may pray and believe differently. Queen Elizabeth I famously said that she did not "desire windows into men's souls." Each of us can believe differently, but coming together in those sacraments and those creeds feeds us in our differences. Not everyone has to agree on sexuality, or on abortion, or on the death penalty-but when we come to the altar, we are all equally fed-and there is enough for everyone. Thanks be to God!

Blessings,

Sara+