That Gathering in Baltimore

In November, I traveled to Florida, where I delivered the generous donations our church and community gave for Hurricane Ian relief. After that storm, I looked up Episcopal Churches in the pathway of the hurricane, and reached out to All Souls' in Fort Myers. Sunday, November 13, I preached at their church, sharing some of our experience of Hurricane Harvey recovery. I encouraged them to take care of themselves, their community, and to persevere. It was a powerful experience, and my eyes leaked to match theirs as they sent their thank you back with me to deliver to you. 

Outside Westminster in London

That is what I love about our church: we are connected with churches across the country and globe who share a similar piety and style of worship. In a small church across the Gulf that I had never visited before, I led the familiar service nearly from memory because we pray Common Prayers. I had a similar experience years ago in South Africa, even though one of the churches I attended spoke primarily isiXhosa, I knew what we were praying. I have experienced the same in Anglican Churches in Latin America where Spanish was spoken.

Another practice I love about our church is "via media" or the middle way. That practice with regard to divisive issues within the life of the church started with the Elizabethan Settlement, and meant being either Catholic or Protestant in the Church of England would no longer get you beheaded or otherwise persecuted. Since the 1600's we have sought to wait for the Holy Spirit's guidance, not giving to one extreme or the other, but to seek the middle way. Via media takes patience, trust, and deep relationships across our church. Our annual Diocesan Council is one place we strengthen those relationships as we worship and have fellowship with people from our region of the church. General Convention is another gathering, that one every three years, and a time of worship, fellowship, and yes legislation.  

I am frustrated with some of the resolutions that came out of our most recent General Convention, the every-three-year legislative gathering of the Episcopal Church. My experience as a parish priest is that just as we are rebuilding the community after the pandemic, Convention (in an effort to articulate welcome) included divisive content without the needed time for conversation across the wider church. I personally believe General Convention should not have passed those resolutions which sound like they are speaking on behalf of the whole church, when they are not; abortion and gender supportive surgeries are not something we all agree about across the church. I would prefer medical professionals to be giving advice on such things, rather than church legislators.   

Our Diocesan Bishop, the Rt. Rev. David Reed reminded me on a recent phone call that the resolutions do not have any bearing on Trinity by the Sea, and our parishioners do not have to agree with them. Nor do those resolutions have any legal bearing in the public sphere. 

The resolutions about gender affirming surgeries and abortion are hot topics in our country right now. While our life in the church should inform our participation in politics and everyday issues we face in life, making statements from General Convention that can't represent the diversity of political opinions in our pews doesn't help. 

I didn't even know about the resolutions, except that a news platform picked them up, and a few parishioners as well as people in our local community have brought it to my attention. Of course in our day, the most sensational, controversial tidbit is going to take the headlines.  Part of the problem with this summer's General Convention is that they crammed 430 resolutions into a very short gathering period. So things that would have had more time to study, discuss, and consider were not given enough time. 

A prayer carved into the Westminster wall

I'm not writing about this to draw your attention to the resolutions, but because enough people have voiced their concern, and I want to make clear that Trinity by the Sea continues to welcome everyone regardless of political view, sexual orientation, gender, etc. because what makes us a part of God's family is our baptism into Jesus. We are many parts in one Body of Christ. 

It is in the midst of conversation with people different from ourselves that the Holy Spirit's voice can be discerned. Hot topics are not our focus, we are a church with open doors where you are welcome to worship. We are a Christian Church steeped in the Bible, and part of the Episcopal Church and worldwide Anglican Communion. We seek to be a big tent church. Including a lot of people means we don't all agree on issues of the day, but we will come together for worship and fellowship, and live together as we serve Christ in the world. It is in participation in fellowship, study, and worship that we are shaped to then go serve Christ, love our neighbors, and make decisions in the world.

As I have written before, I grew up with an awareness that when I kneel down at the altar rail, I may be kneeling next to someone who is very different from me, and that is a beautiful thing. We are there to humbly kneel before God, set aside our differences, and allow the Holy Spirit to work on our hearts. In the past, it seemed to me General Convention has respected that reality, and maintained plenty of room for people on different sides of issues to think the way they think, taking time for discussion. That created an environment where a big messy church family could discuss deep matters, respect someone in spite of disagreement, and still sing together, "The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord." 

If you have questions about this, I will visit with you about it, though I'd rather talk about your life, your soul, and what God is calling you to do. Institutions are always imperfect because God has empowered us humans to organize them. At best, our churches are places of sanctuary where we can be together on a lifelong journey with God guiding and shaping us. They bring us together across geography, and I would hope across political or any other other imagined divisions. Our church should empower us to help those in need, like we were able to do with the people who were hit by Hurricane Ian. The Church can help us to listen to the urging of the Holy Spirit to become the amazing human family God has created us to become.