After the resolution passed, the Rev. Susan Russell, president of Integrity USA, an LGBT advocacy group within the Episcopal community, called the vote “a big step forward on same-sex blessings.
“I trust the process and most of all I trust the Holy Spirit present in the process,” she said. “I have seen us do hard things well many times, and I was convinced this would be one of them. I just could not believe that this church isn’t bigger and better and stronger than many were giving it credit for. I am delighted to be moving forward.”
[blockquote] Resolved, That bishops, particularly those in dioceses within civil jurisdictions where same-gender marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are legal, may provide generous pastoral response to meet the needs of members of this Church [/blockquote]
[blockquote] “Nothing we did today actually did anything other than provide for the collection of and design of rites for a conversation. That’s very important to understand. We didn’t bless or move toward blessings any more than we were.” [/blockquote]
Bishop Doyle we did move forward from ‘acknowledging’ blessings take place [GC2003] to giving permission. And in the eyes of the rest of the AC we reaffirmed our decision to ignore the call for a moratorium on such blessings.
These people can’t tell the difference between careful wording and sophistry, nor have they a clue that there is a time and a place for everything. Look at the clumsy way they handled the Duncan deposition: they removed a fellow bishop based on “interpretations” of the (grossly misapplied canon) that amounted to sophistry unworthy of a ten year-old and then went on and on about how he was guilty and it was nothing personal – as if either had anything to do with what they’d done to their own purportedly beloved “polity”. The situation called for careful exactitude with wording and interpretation; not elephantine misapplication.
Here we go again. Only this time, the situation called for broad gestures intended to clearly signal to the rest of the Communion that they haven’t departed the station and will wait on the rest of us lunkheads to catch up before they plunge ahead. What do we get instead? Supposedly delicate parsing of a phrase here, a word there, subtle restatements that purportedly capture a delicate flavor hither and a gentle aroma yon.
Who cared how carefully you adjusted the number of habaneros? You were supposed to be making vanilla pudding. Cluelessness is often its own punishment, but alas in this case…
[blockquote]I trust the Holy Spirit present in the process[/blockquote]
No doubt there was a spirit present in the process, but it most likely wasn’t holy. The spirit of the present age is not to be confused by the discerning with the Holy Spirit.
[blockquote]Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (RSV 1 Corinthians 1:20 )[/blockquote]
[blockquote]Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. (RSV 1 Corinthians 2:6)[/blockquote]
[blockquote]Celebrant: Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers ?
People: I will, with God’s help.
(First promise of the Baptismal Covenant)[/blockquote]