[Barbara] Harris referred briefly to a reading from Acts about St. Peter hearing God’s call to welcome Gentiles into the church. Otherwise, her sermon was a collection of barbs””most aimed at conservatives, but with a few challenging her fellow progressives.
”” “Unfortunately, many people who need to be reminded of these truths are not here,” she said, referring to the lesson from Acts.
”” “Some glibly speak of our diversity. ”¦ I am reminded that there was diversity at the Tower of Babel.”
”” Resolution B033 was “not just a grudging response to the Windsor Report, but a ticket ”¦ to attend the Lambeth Conference and to make false peace.”
”” The Archbishop of Canterbury’s message to General Convention, as condensed by Bishop Harris: “Don’t make another unilateral move on the Communion chess board.”
”” “If you don’t want GLBT folks as bishops, don’t ordain them as transitional deacons.”
”” “Better yet, don’t baptize them in the first place.”
”” “Don’t initiate someone and then act like they’re half-ass baptized.”
I now will take comments on this submitted by email only to at KSHarmon[at]mindspring[dot]com
[i] Sarcastic comment deleted by elf. [/i]
[i] Please don’t make our job more difficult today. [/i]
-Elf Lady
There is a way to respond to this without being unduly sarcastic, personal or demeaning to the speaker as opposed to disagreeing with and indeed seeking to combat her arguments. The comments have alas failed in this regard.
From Driver8–
This is, in fact, a plea for a major departure from recent Anglican theology and is a rejection of agreed statements with which the Episcopal Church once concurred. Have we not agreed in our various ecumenical conversations that Christian marriage is rather more than just a civil contract? If marriage is a sacrament (a visible sign of God’s invisible grace) or has something sacramental about it – then simply devolving it to the secular state is an abandonment of our responsibilities.
Thus for example the ARCIC report on marriage