- Home
- Archive
- Old Categories
- Religion
- GLBT Episcopalians 'sold down the river,' yet keep the faith
GLBT Episcopalians 'sold down the river,' yet keep the faith
Acolyte .
Your servent searching the Internet for religious and spiritual articles
View all articles by Acolyte .GLBT Episcopalians 'sold down the river,' yet keep the faith
By THE REV. DR. RICHARD P. SMIRAGLIA
CONFUSION reigned as reports about the Episcopal House of Bishops began to appear. That was our first clue that our bishops had crafted a very Anglican document. For it is at the heart of the Anglican Communion that our faith is based on the three-legged stool of scripture, tradition and reason.
What is in this document for the Anglican Communion? The bishops took the opportunity to teach, mostly, by pointing out that in the Episcopal Church, authority is shared by the clergy and the laity, and is invested in the General Convention, held every third year. They also took the opportunity to lay out the positions that have been embraced by the General Convention to date.
What is in this document for gay and lesbian Episcopalians? That's a tougher question. My job is to serve as missioner among the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender (GLBT) community. We have enjoyed the embrace of the inclusive Gospel for decades. Gay and lesbian people are in our pews, are at our altars, and are importantly involved in the hands-on work of the whole church - the food cupboards, the literacy programs, the soup kitchens, the clothing drives and the thousands of other ministries through which we seek to proclaim by action the love of God for all of God's children.So what is there for these folks in the bishop's communiqué?
Not much, is the answer. We feel we have been sold down the river for the sake of Anglican unity. The bishops pledge once again to "listen" to the stories of gay and lesbian Christians. But since this was called for in 1998, nobody has paid much attention. Who gets to listen? We the GLBT Episcopalians do. We are told constantly to be patient and not to expect much, while the conservative voices are heard everywhere.
GLBT people are disappointed. Being forced into the depths of the closet by our own church is unacceptable. Two issues predominate: the blessing of our relationships and the full inclusion of the baptized in the holy orders of the church.
The blessing of our relationships is vitally important for our spiritual lives.
The power of a public commitment before God and friends and family cannot be understated. Such services already take place widely, and likely will continue with or without authorization. Gay and lesbian people, like everybody else, seek the affirmation of God, family and friends as they enter into lifelong loving commitments in the loving embrace of a faith community.
The numbers of weeping grandmothers and laughing nieces and nephews at such blessings are all the affirmation we need as church to see the importance of making a pastoral commitment to all of God's children.
Also, we are upset about the issue of the consecration of bishops who might be gay. It is the imposition of a glass ceiling to say to all of us who are gay or lesbian priests that we might never serve as bishops. I expect a gay or lesbian priest will be elected bishop soon, and then there will be a new argument. This issue also will not go away.
In my ministry I meet a lot of GLBT folks who are spiritually hungry, seeking faith communities and looking for equality with their heterosexual brethren in the pews. The Episcopal Church, especially here in the Diocese of Pennsylvania, is doing a wonderful job of providing inclusive homes for all of its members. In the end, one thing is not confusing at all and that is the simple truth of our faith: We are all God's children.
Bounce back
CONFUSION reigned as reports about the Episcopal House of Bishops began to appear. That was our first clue that our bishops had crafted a very Anglican document. For it is at the heart of the Anglican Communion that our faith is based on the three-legged stool of scripture, tradition and reason.
What is in this document for the Anglican Communion? The bishops took the opportunity to teach, mostly, by pointing out that in the Episcopal Church, authority is shared by the clergy and the laity, and is invested in the General Convention, held every third year. They also took the opportunity to lay out the positions that have been embraced by the General Convention to date.
What is in this document for gay and lesbian Episcopalians? That's a tougher question. My job is to serve as missioner among the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender (GLBT) community. We have enjoyed the embrace of the inclusive Gospel for decades. Gay and lesbian people are in our pews, are at our altars, and are importantly involved in the hands-on work of the whole church - the food cupboards, the literacy programs, the soup kitchens, the clothing drives and the thousands of other ministries through which we seek to proclaim by action the love of God for all of God's children.So what is there for these folks in the bishop's communiqué?
Not much, is the answer. We feel we have been sold down the river for the sake of Anglican unity. The bishops pledge once again to "listen" to the stories of gay and lesbian Christians. But since this was called for in 1998, nobody has paid much attention. Who gets to listen? We the GLBT Episcopalians do. We are told constantly to be patient and not to expect much, while the conservative voices are heard everywhere.
GLBT people are disappointed. Being forced into the depths of the closet by our own church is unacceptable. Two issues predominate: the blessing of our relationships and the full inclusion of the baptized in the holy orders of the church.
The blessing of our relationships is vitally important for our spiritual lives.
The power of a public commitment before God and friends and family cannot be understated. Such services already take place widely, and likely will continue with or without authorization. Gay and lesbian people, like everybody else, seek the affirmation of God, family and friends as they enter into lifelong loving commitments in the loving embrace of a faith community.
The numbers of weeping grandmothers and laughing nieces and nephews at such blessings are all the affirmation we need as church to see the importance of making a pastoral commitment to all of God's children.
Also, we are upset about the issue of the consecration of bishops who might be gay. It is the imposition of a glass ceiling to say to all of us who are gay or lesbian priests that we might never serve as bishops. I expect a gay or lesbian priest will be elected bishop soon, and then there will be a new argument. This issue also will not go away.
In my ministry I meet a lot of GLBT folks who are spiritually hungry, seeking faith communities and looking for equality with their heterosexual brethren in the pews. The Episcopal Church, especially here in the Diocese of Pennsylvania, is doing a wonderful job of providing inclusive homes for all of its members. In the end, one thing is not confusing at all and that is the simple truth of our faith: We are all God's children.
Bounce back
