An Inch At A Time: Reflections on the Journey: the swift and varied changes of the world

Thursday, March 30, 2006

the swift and varied changes of the world

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

So doing the noonday Eucharist today I thought this Collect for Lent V might just be one that would be worth adopting as a pre-Convention prayer mantra ... remembering

that in spite of all our whereases and therefores it is God who brings order out of chaos,
that to love what God commands and desire what God promises keeps our eyes on the prize and our anxiety at bay
EVEN while the swift and varied changes of the General Convention "buzz" tempts us to lose heart, faith and resolve.

2 comments:

Laine said...: Rev. Russell, thank you for the work you are doing, and for the encouragement in this post. I needed to hear this.

I've been doing some extensive reading on the GC06 in the anglican blogosphere...and, quite frankly, I'm terrified. I feel as if I am standing on the precipice of dis-fellowship yet again. What will happen to those young people, like me, who want to serve Christ and the body of believers if this church (that we love)turns their back on us?

I admit it, I am beginning to lose heart. I am supremely glad that God is the 'Father of the Fatherless;' however, I need the church - and I hope that all Christians can hear that. I am not out to 'change' the church - I am out to participate and partake with it. I need the body of believers - and, I need them to be in communion with one another.

May God fill us all with a peace that passes understanding, that we may truly "see" each other and know that we are all truly loved by our Father - especially when we disagree.; 7:09 PM
Catherine said...: Rev Susan, I also thank you for the work you are doing and what you are trying to accomplish: equity within the Church. I have not lost heart but I can see how the blindness of some can definitely affect us all. It is my hope that those who would keep us from Claiming the Blessing would at least look at the words of the Constitution and take to their intellect and heart that we all have equal protection and have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Perhaps more importantly, they should review the two great commandments: Love God with all our being and love our neighbors as ourselves...and I don't see the word "straight" in there anywhere.; 7:51 AM

... where I try to be really clear about what I'm clear about. For example:

Religious persecution is when you're prevented from exercising your beliefs, not when you're prevented from IMPOSING your beliefs.

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Using "biblical standards" to condemn those who understand that sexual orientation is morally neutral makes as much sense as using "biblical standards" to condemn astronomers who understand that the earth revolves around the sun. The Bible may have said it but that doesn't always settle it.

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It's liberty and justice for all -- not some. It's respect the dignity of every human being -- not just straight ones. Got it? Great. Let's do it.

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In order to keep moving forward toward liberty and justice for all we can't just be right about what the 1st Amendment protects. We have to be smart about how we respond to those who skipped the 9th Commandment and think lying is a Traditional Family Value.

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Jesus said "Love your neighbor." Not "Love your neighbor unless your neighbor is gay."

Smart things other people have said you should know about

“Faith in action is called politics. Spirituality without action is fruitless and social action without spirituality is heartless. We are boldly political without being partisan. Having a partisan-free place to stand liberates the religious patriot to see clearly, speak courageously, and act daringly.” -- Ed Bacon

“Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"It's time for "tolerant" religious people to acknowledge the straight line between the official anti-gay theologies of their denominations and the deaths of these young people. Nothing short of changing our theology of human sexuality will save these young and precious lives." -- The Rt Rev Gene Robinson

"How can you initiate someone into the Body of Christ and then treat them like they’re half-assed baptized?" - The Rt Rev Barbara Harris

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ~ Elie Wiesel, 1986 Nobel Peace Prize

"Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant with the weak and wrong. Sometime in your life, you will have been all of these." — Siddhārtha Gautama

"I'm so glad Mary didn't wait for the formulation of a Doctrine of the Incarnation before she said 'Yes' to God." -- Ed Bacon

"The great Easter truth is not that we will be born again someday but that we are to be alive here and now by the power of the resurrection." -- Philips Brooks (paraphrase)

"History belongs to the intercessors, who believe the future into being.” -- Walter Wink

“Patience, a quality of holiness may be sloth in the soul when associated with the lack of righteous indignation.” -- Abraham Heschel

"Don't tell me what you believe. Tell me what difference it makes that you believe!" -- Verna Dozier

“We establish no religion in this country, we command no worship, we mandate no belief. Nor will we ever. Church and state are, and must remain, separate. All are free to believe or not believe, all are free to practice a faith or not, and those who believe are free and should be free, to speak of and act on their belief. At the same time as our constitution prohibits state religion, establishment of it protects the free exercise of all religions. And walking this fine line requires government to be strictly neutral.” -- Ronald Reagan

Let's be clear. The fact that the State authorizes a marriage in no way compels any Church to perform or recognize it. Marriage equality merely guarantees equality under the law to all citizens; it does not compel churches to do anything.-- Katherine Ragsdale