Grappling with the definition of marriage

I AM writing regarding Roman Catholic bishops' calling on clergy to mobilize their congregations to vote against marriage equality (City & Region, Oct. 31). I serve St. Luke's and St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, a small congregation in Allston-Brighton. Over the years our community has been out in front in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, yet like most communities of faith, we are not all on the same page on how to implement change both within and outside our church.

What has become clear as I get to know this congregation and as I listen to broader swaths of my denomination at events such as our recent diocesan convention is that we are all being challenged -- I would say "called" -- to rethink what marriage means within both the civil and ecclesial spheres. How is our conception of marriage being made new and how might we embrace that challenge not over and against or despite but in and through the stories and theological patterns of our faith traditions?

Yes, this is a challenging time, but that's why we're part of faith communities: to grapple with and embrace life's challenges together.

Rev. CAMERON PARTRIDGE
Everett