B033 will be overturned in the House of Deputies. It’s a matter of perspectives. Relationships are tended to by the parish. The sacraments happen in parishes. Day in and day out, Sunday after Sunday we care for one another. The sacraments belong to us ”“ they’re ours to distribute as we will. Right? Not!
While I am part of a parish, my vision of the church need not be parochial. The parish is part of the church but it is not the sum total of the church ”“ that’s what it means to be catholic and not simply congregational. Of necessity, bishops exist to remind us of that simple but essential truth. That’s why I believe the bishops will not concur with the Deputies in their desire to overturn B033.
Bishop are not like us. They’re heads are in the clouds. Their role ought to challenge us to look beyond our feelings, our local relationships to the wider and greater Church ”“ to the Mind of Christ. The Founding fathers of this Episcopal Church wisely required in our Constitution that both Houses concur on matters such as these.
If the House of Deputies were to uphold B033, they would clearly deny the feelings running so current in this Church. The heart would sorrow. But if the Bishops falter and find themselves in agreement with the House of Deputies in rescinding B033, it would be denying long standing catholic thought. The mind would falter.
Uggh! The bishops are not upholding catholic thought. They are institutional pragmatists at best. A catholic mind of the house of bishops would never have allowed this “church” to get to the point where its General Convention is so devoid of the gospel, that it resembles any progressive activist organization.
I suspect that some of the “catholicity” may come from the realization that their pointy hats (paycheck) might be hard to come by if the full agenda of the HoD (at least they are being honest) goes through. Departures will increase in ways that will cripple existing diocese. Add to that the fact that there is now an alternative, the ACNA, I would guess that the bishops are feeling more than a bit uneasy with where they have led this church. It is the HoB who have neglected their role as defenders of the faith and leaders of the church.
Too little, too late; the bishops indeed have their heads somewhere, let’s just call it “the sand” for decency sake.