This is really scary. The task force developing resources for same sex blessings in the Episcopal church today completed a two day meeting in Atlanta. They have posted videos of the meeting, and I would call session 3 to your attention. If you can endure the first 8 minutes and 30 seconds then you will get to the results of their survey on what is going on right now in the Episcopal church and if people and clergy want "educational materials" for their congregation. Here are some of the results of this "survey."
Has your congregation had same gender blessings in your parish?The scary thing is that "preparation process" and the example of how a New Hampshire curmudgeon was converted through the power of "conversation." (minute 4:15)
23.2% said yes
Of those 55.2% engaged in a congregation education process before doing the blessing.
55.6% say they do not need educational material before doing same gender blessings.
25.5% do prepare same gender couples before a blessing.
66% Prepare same gender couples the same way they prepare mixed gender couples.
Here are the top three dioceses who sent in responses.
3rd place with 24 respondants Diocese of Western Michigan
2nd place with 31 respondants Diocese of Ohio
1st place with 69 respondants Diocese of SC! (see it at minute 15:30) They win the stuffed monkey! WHEEEEEHAH
Arrrgghhhh
Posts
There are two (2) Diocese in SC, Upper South Carolina, and the Diocese of South Carolina..
ReplyDeleteWhat are the odds this is from the "upper" Diocese? Their new bishop should be pleased. Not so +Lawrence if its South Carolina..
Grandmmother
You know Grandmother, those people at that meeting are so confused that they probably don't know themselves.
ReplyDeleteI don't recognize the priest who accepts the prize. Maybe somone will chime in with a positive ID.
Query: Did the "conversation," to which you refer in the last bit about the New Hampshire curmudgeon, include Biblical exegesis? If so, one wonders how certain whole portions of both Testaments were discussed.
ReplyDeleteOr, perhaps they had a translation which omitted them entirely.
Cheers.
I'll have more on this on my blog later this afternoon (around 5 CST on 3/20).
ReplyDeleteThe timing of this event is interesting, to say the least.
Tim,
ReplyDeleteYeah, the Feast of St. Joseph is to my mind not an appropriate time for this type of thing, but to the progressive mind it might make perfect sense. Don't ask me how it could make sense, "engage in conversation" with one of them.
Randall,
ReplyDeleteI suspect there was no Biblical exegesis at all unless they looked at Psalm 45:3,
"gird your sword on your thigh O Mighty one." (ESV)
as a homoerotic verse.
UP I watched the whole segment with a combination of amusement and distress (those are CONFUSED PEOPLE!). I did note, however, that the priest with the short gray hair said that in one of the sessions a participant had indicated that never in his church would same sex unions be blessed. Could that have been you? I was somehow hoping so, then I realized I didn't even know if you were at the conference.
ReplyDeleteTNS,
ReplyDeleteIt was not I.
I wonder if that priest was from DSC?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that DSC had one person defending traditional teachings.
ReplyDeleteThe ENS now reports,
"The Very Rev. David W.T. Thurlow, of St. Matthias Episcopal Church in Summerton in the Diocese of South Carolina, is one of those who opposed what he called the Episcopal Church's 'agenda' to approve same-gender blessings during the 2012 convention. 'But that doesn't stop me from heralding what I believe is scriptural truth,' he said"
In his small group, he told ENS, he was "the only voice that does not concur with the trajectory of the national church on this issue and I've been able to voice that and have been heard."