Sunday, March 25, 2012

Preparing for General Convention Upper South Carolina Style

The following announcement popped up on our Diocesan web pages recently:
Preparing for General Convention
Update and Dialogue on the Rite for Same Gender Blessings
Please join our deputies to General Convention and Bishop Waldo for a brief review of the major issues before The Episcopal Church this July in Indianapolis, and a detailed review of the status of the rite for same gender blessings. These gatherings will also offer participants the opportunity for dialogue on the proposed rite and its impact on Upper South Carolina. The meetings are free and open to all diocesan communicants in good standing.

Meeting schedule - 8:15 am - 1 pm:
Saturday, April 21 at Trinity Cathedral, Columbia
Saturday, April 28 at The Church of the Advent, Spartanburg
(register online)
Is anybody planning to go to this?

If our delegates to GC2012 have not already made up their minds, then we have a sorry lot of delegates (here is a link as to who they are).
Of course, the format for these discussions has not been published. Let us hope that the five hours does not involve moderated table discussions and focused meditations followed by open microphone discussions of feelings, or some such nonsense as we have come to expect from Bishop Waldo.

Let's hear our bishop lay out the theology for same gender blessings that he found to be so lacking last year when we held a great "theological council" about this.

If he couldn't do it then as a Bishop of the Church, I don't think he will have much pew "cred" if he suggests that the theology has revealed itself to him during the past 12 months and he waited until now to let us in on it.

Maybe these dialogs will take up other questions for GC2012,

1) How will the delegates vote on the table resolution from the Diocese of Eastern Oregon in favor on Communion without baptism? This is something that we know Bishop Waldo allowed to be be promoted during his last parish level job. Why not just vote "No"?


2) Will the delegates vote in favor of a budget which will spend more on secular lawsuits against other Christians than on Youth, young adult, and formation ministries? Why not just vote "No"?

3) Will the delegates vote in favor of the Anglican Covenant? (or does anybody care?)

4) Will the delegates stand up and declare the Episcopal church's support for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice to be pro-death and wrong? Stand up for life!



How about it delegates?

Do your prep work.

Isn't it time to plant the flag?







4 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:42 PM

    Given what's being taught to youth, perhaps a few more bucks in my colleagues pockets is not such a bad thing.

    Seriously, prayers for your denomination during this time. May God's Truth and not Man's prevail.

    Cheers.

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  2. Prayers needed. Thanks Randall.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous1:12 AM

    I pray for the wickedness of a church, a government, and right-wing radio talkshow hosts who would block women's rights to birth control and abortion without any knowledge of the situation---and the fact that these groups are composed of men who never once thought about practicing birth control themselves, who would desert a pregnant woman in a heartbeat, and to whom the terms "rape" and "incest" mean nothing,,,,Am I right in assuming that Up and Sherman have never fallen into any of these categories? And that if your daughters became pregnant you would not instantly whisk her off for an abortion?

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  4. Anon's comments are a good example of why the delegation needs to do its homework, and they need to expect "ad hominem" attacks as well.

    Anon,

    Please get back on your medication.

    ReplyDelete