DRAFT: Resolution Guaranteeing Episcopalian Bill of Rights

TITLE: Provisional Acceptance of the Episcopalian Bill of Rights

Preamble: The the Episcopal Church of the United States of America recognizes the revealing nature of our salvation given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ in the two great commandments. Love the Lord your God with all your mind and all your heart and all your soul. And the second, love your neighbor as yourself. Furthermore recognizing that each and every person is a sinner but that we have an Advocate with the Father. Be it therefore,

Resolved, the House of _____________ concurring, that this 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church make a commitment to revoke, rescind and reject Resolution B033 ; and be it further

Resolved, that the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies fully, completely and sincerely apologize to all those who have been marginalized by the Episcopal Church including but not limited to LGBT persons, those who are handicapped, and those whose culture and person have been ignored and ridiculed; and be it further

Resolved, that in accordance with the two great commandments the Episcopal Church does hereby recognize, support and defend every person's right to fully and completely participate in every aspect of the Episcopal Church both liturgically and politically; and be it further

Resolved, that this proposed Episcopalian Bill of Rights be commended to the various dioceses of this church for study and comment during the coming triennium; and be it further

Resolved, that the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies appoint a Special Task Force to determine what constitutional and/or canonical measures may be necessary in order to make a permanent commitment to the Episcopalian Bill of Rights; and be it further

Resolved, that this Special Task Force prepare a report to the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church that includes draft legislation that could be considered for the convention to institutionalize this Episcopal Bill of Rights.

This is from the Three Legged Stool and it says it better than I could:

We are living at a time when it is critical to live according to the two greatest commandments: to love our Creator God and to love one another. The Episcopal Church is entering a time of transition, which always includes some fear and anxiety. This transition will affect us all in our corporate relationships within the church and in the world. Make no mistake: treating each person as a brother and sister in Christ now will create the sacred space where the Holy Spirit’s presence can be seen and felt. In this way, we have an opportunity to experience the risen Christ standing among us and live as children of God.

Let's create that sacred space where Our redeemer lives and we are ALL safe and secure and can fully participate in the experience of the risen Christ!

Sunday Music: My Redeemer Lives

My Redeemer Lives, Nicole Miller.

Community Forum: A Reminder

A quick reminder:

Father Terry Martin will join us at St. Francis on May 3, 2009. We will gather at Noon and it promises to be a great time.  For you in the North of the diocese that have not had the pleasure of being with St. Francis Turlock they are an absolutely inviting and enjoyable group of Episcopalians.  Come join Father Terry and the entire cast and crew of St. Francis Turlock you will not be disappointed!

EPISCOPALIAN BILL OF RIGHTS

A while ago Father Harris wrote his 1000th blog. In the post he tripped through about 15 or 20 items that he had "learned" over the course of his writings. At that time I asked him if from time to time I might "springboard" from those various items and, at least at that time, he agreed. This is my second posting from that 1000th blog post of Fr. Mark's.  I am hopeful he still is in agreement, especially since my last post over at Real Anglicans.

"2. Not enough attention was paid to the Kuala Lumpur statement on Human Sexuality and on the wider distress with innovative theology. Had more attention been paid to serious dialogue then, we might be in a different place now."  Fr. Harris

I will start with my own "spin" on what was written.  This speaks to issues surrounding our LGBT brothers and sisters -- and perhaps to a lesser extent issues surrounding adultery, divorce and other sexual "misconduct" issues.  Let me posit something not terribly novel.  

Suppose, just suppose TEC were to make a blanket statement that everyone who comes to the Episcopal Church will be welcomed and able to participate to the fullest extent.  Call it "The Episcopal Church Bill of Rights".  That is correct, a bill of rights for all Episcopalians that allows for an open door through which one steps and when one does so it permits the person to fully participate in ALL aspects of the Episcopal Church of the United States.  We, as a church from the very beginning of our days, have always thought that and acted, for the most part that way, now we actually voice the truth.  Then, we go on to conclude this statement with the following words: 

If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous; and he is the perfect offering for our
sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole
world. 

Now, that ends the argument/discussion on this issue.  I am unclear why the issue of "sex" in any way shape or form continues to fascinate so many people for so long a time.  Be that as it may, it is time to get over it.

This Bill of Rights is nothing more and nothing less than what we as a a nation and as a church are founded upon. It is the bedrock of our existence and a baseline beneath which the Episcopal Church should not go.  We have for too long and for too many people talked a good talk but never walked the walk.  We have excluded women and handicapped and poor, and culturally different and LGBT brothers and sisters from some or all of our great Church opportunities and now is the time to make it right.  Actually, now is the time to walk the walk.  How can anyone not subscribe to the basest of human requirements, that all persons are created equal and demand to be treated accordingly.  In God's kingdom we, each and everyone of us, needs each and everyone of us.  We are all broken before the Lord.  We are all entitled to fully participate in all aspects of God's saving grace here on earth.  We have denied it for too long to too many.  This Bill of Rights allows for the Episcopal Church to reach out to everyone and say with an open heart and an honest mind "Come here, we have a place for you at the Lord's table."  (If nothing else it relieves many of the burden of having to read peoples minds to determine whether they have sinned and to what extent. ;-})

It is time!

Is The Episcopal Church a Learning Polity?

Well, the latest and greatest plot has been hatched by those who would eliminate the Episcopal Church from the encyclopedia -- as well as the United States (and Canada as well). Seems, these two groups are far too liberal for even the clergy and laity that would NOT leave for the Global South. According to a whole bunch of the "loyal opposition" they just wanted to bring us closer to God - - and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Of course they wanted to do this without "that woman" as Presiding Bishop or Susan Russell and "that group" and whole lot of the rest of us. So, the Communion Partners including the Anglican Communion Institute and every other "conservative" cleric and bishop decided to hatch a plot to do just that.

Yesterday there was a flurry of blog postings shining the light of day on this insidious plot to do away with the Presiding Bishop along with the rest of us. Today is another day. Fr. Mark has posted a critical canonical piece to refute the "great scholarly writing" of those who would betray the Episcopal Church. Tobias Haller has also written a substantive work on where these interlopers fell off the tracks. Susan Russell has likewise written a refutation of this "revolutionary subterfuge".

But ya know, ain't it always like that?

One would think with all the learned persons on this side of the fence we would be able to put a plan into play that does something beside say "Oh ya!". Do you know what I mean? A couple of examples. Mr. Wantland and Mr. Howe and Mr. Schofield go off and file incorporation papers and try to abscond with the name "The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America" and this is uncovered and everyone writes about and cites the proper constitution and canons and all the stuff and the plot is thwarted and we say "Oh ya!", nothing else just, "Oh ya!".

Mr. Schofield and Mr. Duncan and Mr. Iker all say, the Episcopal Church has moved and so we are the real church and everyone else is apostate and so they must be recognized. We take the time, once again look up and help everyone understand the constitutions and canons and then guess what happens? We say, "Oh ya!" Then, Mr. Duncan and Mr. Schofield and Mr. Iker and whoever the h**l runs Quincy goes to the Southern Cone -- ah, this time we did a little more than "Oh ya!" but not much. Those global south folks one-upped everyone by forming GAFCON and we struggled to find traction, and when we did and produced the documents and scholarly writings necessary to refute their claims and then we said "Oh ya!" Now, we have the Communion Partners who tell us the Presiding Bishop is only a woman and really can't lead a whole Province, not like say, Bobby Duncan, and we refute it in a scholarly manner and end up with a whole lot of "Oh ya!".

I would like to point out, as an interesting side note, that during this entire time those LGBT who are Episcopalian have paid an enormous price for all this "Oh ya!". So do not think we, as the Episcopal Church are not somewhat duplicitous in this struggle where "no one is getting hurt." Remember B033? And while TEC is busy refuting the nonsense the opposition is hatching more nonsense and then hiding behind the argument" Don't you love us? Aren't we part of the big tent? Oh, so you are not really all inclusive?!" And a bunch of us become wracked with guilt and feel bad about the whole affair.

So, the main question is have we learned anything and are we prepared to do something about it? Have enough LGBT and women now been hurt, maimed and psychologically (as well as really) killed to put together some of these great minds and get a plan of action in place that will outwit, outplay and OUTLAST our opponents? Are we ready to protect our beloved Church with everything we have? Is it not the time to stop this fooling around before something MORE terrible happens if that is possible)? Can we learn and then act on what we learned? You can bet that just as surely as the sun rises this plot is only the latest and that the next one is already in the formative stages.

For those of you who play basketball you already know this but the real action occurs away from the ball. Don't look at the Communion Partners let's look to whoever is planning the next best thing to overthrow the Episcopal Church. You say, that can't possibly be happening? Read not just the context of those recent e-mails but the tone and the tenor and the tenacity of this group. Then tell me sit down and relax, everything will be all right. We got it all under control -- I see absolutely no evidence of that at all!

For Our Own Communion Partners

Turns out we are taking requests this evening and so, this song goes out to Father Rob Eaton, St. John's Tulare and all those wonderful guys (and one gal) we fondly refer to as The Communion Partners.  Clearly there is a significant problem with Schofield, Iker, Duncan et al as they tried unsuccessfully to move into ACNA.  So now we have this next step, well, hope you enjoy the song and remember -- someone is always watching!

Where Has Everyone Been?

The Episcopal blog world is abuzz with ACI and The Communion Partners. Well, where have you all been? The Communion Partners and ACI and the Covenant Group are all tied together along with the Diocese of West Texas. Apparently no one has read the CP website or the West Texas resolutions passed at their last convention. In addition to all that keep in mind there is a secondary group from CP called the Communion Rectors group.
Any one hazzard a guess that what is going on is benign? Why is this a surprise? The CP and the ACI and Duncan and Radner are all tied together.
Finally, anybody care to put a plan together now?