Main
Who We Are
Anglican Identity
Upcoming Events
Links
Our Worship
Divine Office
Services
WOW
Homilies
Our Ministries
Prayer List
Lay Ministry Rota
The Servant
San Esteban
San Esteban
Search:
Job 38:1-11, 16-18, II Corinthians 5:14-21, Mark 4:35-5:20
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, West Valley City, UT
The Rev. W. Lee Shaw
It is good to be back home after General Convention. I love Convention, but it can be an overwhelmingly draining adventure. The Rev. Susan Russell noted at the Integrity Eucharist: “We have worship, we have legislation for the life of the church and we have shopping—all under one roof!” At times it did take on the feel of an Episcopal theme park.
It was in the exhibit hall while shopping I came across some old papyrus for sale. Feeling it might have some bearing on our life—or perhaps even Mormon Church history—I bought it and had it translated:
Greetings to the church gathered: Yea to what shall I compare your gathering for general convention? To what shall I speak of your work and your prayers and your too many snack foods and fudge. Yea verily, general convention can be compared to a marathon of endurance for all are tired and none are rested, yet all drink coffee. Or yet still compared to a place in hell where it is always 2 p.m. Or yet, verily to a family reunion held as a youth group church lock-in, with no escape until the doors are unlocked. I know of thy tired feet and stiff shoulders from carrying bags of books and of excessive shopping. I know of your bleary eyes from squinting over countless “be it therefore resolved....” I know of the desires of your heart for peace in our time. Yet, all these are taken up as in a grain of sand, for the reign of God is within you. Know this, God's love for you is not found in a resolution from convention, it is a reality from the heart of the One who created you, redeemed you and sustains you, yea verily even to the depths of the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Here endeth the lesson.
I am planning to have this papyrus authenticated by the BYU Department of Ancient Scriptures, just to be on the safe side.
It was a long convention and we basically did some good work for the life and mission of the Church. Was it perfect? No. Could we have done better? Yes. But we gave strong support and witness to the Millennium Development Goals of allocating .07% of budgets toward world relief. We gave consent to the election of several new bishops of the church. We authorized new liturgies to mark significant times in a person's life and added some new names to our calendar of men and women to remember. And we elected the first woman Primate in the history of the Christian Church, Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori! Wednesday evening at WOW, Karen Cramer and I will give an overview of what we did at Convention, the good, the not so good and everything in between.
Having just returned from convention I could not read our propers for today without reflecting on our time in Columbus. The first part of the Gospel reading is the powerful story of the storm at sea and Jesus' words of “Peace! Be still!”
At convention I had the distinct feeling of being too often in a storm tossed sea of voices and resolutions, of hearings and of debate, of joy and of sorrow.
And for too much of the time convention was afraid: afraid of how the Anglican Communion may respond, afraid of bishops who may walk out, afraid of what the Archbishop of Canterbury might think. If only we had heard more clearly: “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”
I am so moved by Paul's words to the church in Corinth, for they remind me of what mission, whether it is at General Convention or in the parish or in the world, is all about. “So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us.” God is working through us, through you and through me, to bring the Good News of Christ to the world. It is not always an easy calling for even in the face of disappointment or defeat we are called to proclaim the good news of God in Christ and we are called to love one another as Christ loves us.
Through that calling we are to seek reconciliation with God and with one another. There is much ahead of us in doing the work of reconciliation. General Convention reminded us very acutely of the need for reconciliation in the world and among our own sisters and brothers.
As convention has ended I continue my own discernment within the church. This was not an easy convention for me, especially toward the end. You will hear and read more of convention in the days ahead. We will talk about it at WOW.
I began with a little reading from an imaginary papyrus about General Convention. Let me give you now my own true feelings of what Convention is like. For me, despite the long hours, the hearings, the fine resolutions we approved (and there were many) as well as the disappointing and at times heart breaking votes, General Convention is perhaps a glimpse into the kingdom of God. We are grounded in faith. We worship daily. We talk of nothing but the mission and ministry of fellow Christians and of the church. We are continually meeting and greeting friends and exchanging hugs: Friends from the last convention, friends from last night's hearing, or from our daily worship tables. There were always the greetings and the hugs and the promise of fellowship with fellow pilgrims in faith. So, for me, yes, General Convention is a glimpse into the kingdom of God because it is men and women trying their best to be “ambassadors for Christ.”