Saturday, July 18, 2009

Breaking news: C056 confirmed in HOD

By a two-thirds majority the House of Deputies has passed C056 which gives carte blanche to bishops and dioceses to develop pastoral responses for same sex partnerships (i.e. same sex blessing liturgical resources).

Between the two resolutions, D025 and C056, TEC has, more or less, by a two-thirds decisive majority signaled that it continues on a pathway of response to homosexuality which is at variance with all published indications of the mind of the Anglican Communion (Lambeth 1.10, Windsor, Primates Communiques).

The Communion must now either break fellowship with TEC (for a season at least) or rapidly articulate an agreed manner of walking with one of its members while in profound and widespread disagreement with that member. Either way must require some kind of meeting together of ... well, that is one problem we have, is it not? When it comes to decisive action we are neither papal nor conciliar!

This is not a moment for triumph (pace those who have said, 'We have told you this was coming, why did you not act before?) but for careful thought and much prayer. At the core of this dilemma for the Communion is not a simple question of rules, members, and discipline for infraction of the rules, but a search in the post-modern age for a theologically sound response to questions of human relationships. In this case that search includes understanding tradition and Scripture in a shared fellowship of Anglicans determined to find the mind of Christ together. We are not 'together' at this point in time.

Has TEC discovered the mind of Christ in a progressive manner, years, even centuries ahead of the rest of us? Or, has TEC mistaken the mind of Christ, the knowledge of which is securely lodged in those parts of the Communion which are more in step with Rome and Constantinople than Anaheim?

For a devastating critique of the actions of the PB and the President of the House of Deputies writing letters to the ABC and the Primates, suggesting various ways in which these letters dissemble while also betraying an anxiety about future relationships with the Communion, read Baby Blue Online's post. For the record, Baby Blue is at Anaheim, a first-hand witness!

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