General Convention Is Here
Doubtless, few or none of my regular readers care, but I am going to discourse at length on the subject.
Every three years, Episcopalians send representatives to some major city in the United States and legislate for the church. They live together, pray together, argue together, forgive together, and occasionally schismatize apart. This Convention will be no exception as to the conduct of all of these activities. Faithfully, all Christians are my family, but Episcopalians are my immediate family. Two members and personal friends of my home parish are in Minneapolis at the moment (as alternates). Hence, what is decided by the House of Bishops and House of Deputies may have some impact on my future life. I'm worried, but I'm prayerful. Unlike the Ecumenical Councils of ancient times, one advantage of General Convention is that it does not bend to the will of Pope or Emperor. Unfortunately, the same petty power politics holds true. Moreover, as an increasingly small but still important segment of the Christian Church, any General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the United States has its role ( wherever two or more are gathered ) to play in God's salvific plan, if only someone could see it.
For the purposes of those who are still curiously reading, I have reviewed the legislation before Convention and I am going to tell you about some important highlights. Some knowledge of the Bible will be helpful, although I will try to explain particular aspects of Episcopal ecclesiastical polity as the occasion arises.
1. Resolutions on Bioethical Issues
Key Point: Reproductive cloning is immoral because it is so unsafe that any experimentation in this area is a form of child exploitation.
What it Means: Episcopalians have yet to come to any consensus on reproductive issues or the definition of hubris. The bioethical resolutions seek to inject the interests of the Church into the scientific sphere without making absolute pronouncements.
2. Resolution on Diversity: Baptismal Parity
Key Point: Task Force to be appointed to make Episcopal theology (in its narrowest sense, i.e. thought on the nature of God) more friendly to women and minorities.
What It Means: Liturgically, there has been substantial attempts to use non-traditional gender or gender-neutral language in worship. This resolution would budget money and time to go further down this road.
What I Think: The gender of God is a very thorny issue Scripturally. Only Genesis (as far as I know) suggests that God could be female, hermaphroditic, or androgynous (as Philo of Alexandria speculated about Adam.) In most other cases, God's traditional matrimonial relationship with Wisdom (since estranged) and with covenant peoples and institutions such as Israel and the Church and the gender of the Incarnation suggest God's maleness. On the other hand, this issue's very thorniness recommends for its discussion and settlement. I just hope the Task Force keeps an open mind.
(To be continued...)
ESA(20030730.1)
Doubtless, few or none of my regular readers care, but I am going to discourse at length on the subject.
Every three years, Episcopalians send representatives to some major city in the United States and legislate for the church. They live together, pray together, argue together, forgive together, and occasionally schismatize apart. This Convention will be no exception as to the conduct of all of these activities. Faithfully, all Christians are my family, but Episcopalians are my immediate family. Two members and personal friends of my home parish are in Minneapolis at the moment (as alternates). Hence, what is decided by the House of Bishops and House of Deputies may have some impact on my future life. I'm worried, but I'm prayerful. Unlike the Ecumenical Councils of ancient times, one advantage of General Convention is that it does not bend to the will of Pope or Emperor. Unfortunately, the same petty power politics holds true. Moreover, as an increasingly small but still important segment of the Christian Church, any General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the United States has its role ( wherever two or more are gathered ) to play in God's salvific plan, if only someone could see it.
For the purposes of those who are still curiously reading, I have reviewed the legislation before Convention and I am going to tell you about some important highlights. Some knowledge of the Bible will be helpful, although I will try to explain particular aspects of Episcopal ecclesiastical polity as the occasion arises.
1. Resolutions on Bioethical Issues
Key Point: Reproductive cloning is immoral because it is so unsafe that any experimentation in this area is a form of child exploitation.
What it Means: Episcopalians have yet to come to any consensus on reproductive issues or the definition of hubris. The bioethical resolutions seek to inject the interests of the Church into the scientific sphere without making absolute pronouncements.
2. Resolution on Diversity: Baptismal Parity
Key Point: Task Force to be appointed to make Episcopal theology (in its narrowest sense, i.e. thought on the nature of God) more friendly to women and minorities.
What It Means: Liturgically, there has been substantial attempts to use non-traditional gender or gender-neutral language in worship. This resolution would budget money and time to go further down this road.
What I Think: The gender of God is a very thorny issue Scripturally. Only Genesis (as far as I know) suggests that God could be female, hermaphroditic, or androgynous (as Philo of Alexandria speculated about Adam.) In most other cases, God's traditional matrimonial relationship with Wisdom (since estranged) and with covenant peoples and institutions such as Israel and the Church and the gender of the Incarnation suggest God's maleness. On the other hand, this issue's very thorniness recommends for its discussion and settlement. I just hope the Task Force keeps an open mind.
(To be continued...)
ESA(20030730.1)
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