The widening split in the Episcopal Church
MANY THANKS to Michael Paulson for his July 18 front-page article on the widening fissure in the Episcopal Church. I take no issue with the tone or objectivity of his writing, but would like to clarify what I take to be a confusing statement he makes in regard to local Anglican churches.
He mentions that there are two churches on the Cape that "are so conservative they were never part of the Episcopal Church." It is true that my own church, the Anglican Church of the Resurrection, which is one of the two he cites, has never been an Episcopal Church. However, many of our members, including myself, have long histories with the Episcopal Church. The fact that the creation of our church was not accomplished via a mass exodus from a single Episcopal church does not have any bearing on our theological convictions.
Our goal as Christians is not to extol conservatism above all else, thus leading us to reject all ties with the Episcopal Church. Conservatism is not our god, and we are not afraid of change qua change. What we are concerned about is the severing of ties with the worldwide Anglican Communion that is continuing apace. Our goals are: to remain faithful both to the Scriptures as understood by the historical church and to our tradition of common prayer, and most of all to be witnesses to the good news of the Gospel that God loves the whole world.
The Rev. MICHAEL RENNIER
Dennis
AS A former Sunday School teacher at All Saints in West Newbury, I felt driven away, as did my family, by an air of self-righteous intolerance that had nothing to do with homosexuality at the time. But it did not surprise me to read several years later that this church and its priest still function under an attitude of divisiveness and judgment no matter what the issue.
I wish they could answer some questions for me: How does the acceptance of a monogamous gay bishop in a committed relationship hinder your spiritual life? Do you feel God no longer hears your prayers? Are you finding it difficult to follow the teachings of Jesus to feed the hungry and care for the sick and look after the widows and orphans?
Imagine what good these people could accomplish in God's name if they directed their energy toward this doctrine of Christ's love, rather than seeking to isolate and condemn.
A feeling of "crisis," as the Rev. William Murdoch describes his view of the church's situation, often comes from a place of fear. I wonder what it is he and his followers are so afraid of?
AMY DeLIETO-SHANAHAN
Haverhill
M. THOMAS Shaw, the Episcopal bishop for Eastern Massachusetts, says, "I don't think morality is simply about what goes on in the lower half of a person's body." The most important sex organ, the brain, is located at the other end of the body. Both the Old and New Testament describe sexual communion in terms of an experience that is physical, social, emotional, and spiritual. The Apostle Paul speaks of its bonding power upon both partners and of the profound effects on one's personality. Hebrew and Christian scriptures alike define sexual union as a covenantal act that bears responsibility both to God and to one's faith community. The positive potential of sexual expression is a recurring biblical theme, along with carefully delineated safeguards for its protection and enrichment. Let's at least get the issue straight.
CATHERINE CLARK KROEGER
Brewster
The writer is a professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
