To leave or not to leave, that is the question...

At a recent meeting of the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion, a resolution was presented asking that The Episcopal Church be separated from the communion. The Standing Committee did not accept the resolution on the grounds that it would end dialogue within the communion and that was considered undesirable. I would also note that ++Rowan Williams chairs that body and that while in London for that meeting, Katherine Jefferts-Schori was invited to preach at St. Paul's Cathedral. Could it be that we really are still welcome at the table after all? Only time will tell.

We in the Episcopal Church seem to be receiving mixed signals at this point time. Representatives from the Episcopal Church are removed from ecumenical dialogues, including dialogues with churches that bless gay unions like the Lutheran Church of Sweden (which also has its first partnered Lesbian bishop) and Old Catholics. Our Presiding Bishop is invited to preach at Southwark and then is told by Lambeth Palace she cannot wear her mitre. Yet, we are retained on the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion and our primate is invited to preach at St. Paul's and is treated with all the respect that ought to be accorded a visiting prelate.

Some abusive parents send mixed signals. One moment the child is the beloved apple of an eye. Yet, the next moment a innocent action on the part of the child elicits a torrent of verbal or physical abuse. On another day, a far more serious misdemeanor is ignored or laughed away. The child grows with a sense of walking on egg shells, never sure when the next explosion will come or what will provoke it.

I have every confidence that ++Rowan Cantuar. and Dr. Williams are wonderful parents. Given the sheer intrusive viciousness of the tabloid press in Britain, if they were knocking their kids around, it would make the news. "Archbishop knocks kiddies cross-eyed...more on page 3" would doubtless read the headline. "Primatial teens live in Lambeth torture chamber" would read another. Consistent, loving parenting seems to be a hallmark of the Williams family. Consistent love, even in the face of significant disagreement, would be a healthier approach to the crisis in the communion.

One must be fair. The Americans and Canadians have provoked this crisis. Abp. Williams did not ask us to create the current church fight but it must be acknowledged that we did. What's that bumber sticker I saw for sale in the Episcopalian section of Cafe Press? An Episcopal Shield with the legend "I helped strain the bonds of affection?" Having thrashed at ++Rowan Williams, a balanced blog requires that I take on our own contributions to this mess. So, my next blog will be "Avoiding the appearance of evil" or "Did we mean to tell lies?"

Till then,
I am Donald Lowery, an Episcopalian