You
may have heard that the Episcopal Church in the United States has been
“sanctioned” for three years. My words for this . . . we have been put into
‘timeout’ because of our position on gay marriage is not embraced by many of
our Anglican brothers and sisters across the globe. As an Episcopal priest in
Bloomington who is happily married to his husband, here are my thoughts.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Episcopal
Church in the United States, we are a progressive church which believes in
living out Christ’s message to ‘feed my sheep.’ We believe this means all of
God’s sheep.
We are also part of a Worldwide Anglican Communion.
Because of our roots in the Church of England, our roots extend
beyond the borders of the USA. Being
a part of the Anglican Communion shapes our spirituality and shields us from
thinking that we are the center of our universe. Belonging to a global network
is a blessing. It also holds challenges. In the case of same gender marriage,
the Episcopal Church in the USA is moving faster than some of our global
brothers and sisters.
As
Trinity's Rector, I try to ensure our church family is living in harmony and
seated at one table. This is challenging. I honor our Archbishop of Canterbury, the leader of our
denominational, global system. I trust that he is doing what he needs to do to
keep everybody at the table. I trust that he is prayerfully honoring God’s
intention to bring all of creation into right relationship with God and each
other.
So, the Episcopal Church has been
sanctioned for three years. It feels like those times when we were punished for
standing up for the little kid on the playground. But is this such a bad model?
Even though our position within our
Communion may be a bit shaky at this time, I remain proud of the Episcopal
Church in the USA. I am proud that we, along with so many of our denominational
and interfaith brothers and sisters, are letting the winds of the Spirit guide
us into places of justice and freedom. I am also proud to be a part of the
Anglican Communion and I honor the perspectives of my brother and sister
Christians, even if our opinions do not align. There is room in God’s heart for
all of us. With all of our wounds, our deeply held opinions and even our
jabbing elbows, there is a place for all of us at God’s table, and I, even
after all these years, am humbled to have a place at it.
