I will bless you, and you will be a blessing

The liturgy for blessing same-sex relationships that was approved for provisional use at the discretion of diocesan bishops by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church is now online.


From the introductory material:

A sacramental framework for covenantal relationships offers a way to reflect on the grace of Christ and the fruit of the Spirit in the lives of faithful, committed couples. Several theological themes can assist couples as they consider their covenantal vows as a form of spiritual practice:

• Vocation: God calls people into various kinds of relationship, whether as single

people, in monastic communities, or as intimate couples. These vocational callings can

empower our witness to the gospel. The decision to enter into a covenantal union is a

vocation marked by these characteristics: “fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and

respect, careful, honest communication, and the holy love which enables those in such

relationships to see in each other the image of God.”

• Households: Covenantal relationships are often lived in households in which we

practice daily the giving of ourselves for the good of another. While households take

many different forms, they create a space of mutual trust and accountability. The joy,

intimacy, and shared vulnerability of households can thus help us learn the spiritual

disciplines of compassion, forgiveness, and reconciliation in lives of committed

monogamy and fidelity.

• Fruitfulness: The divine grace that sustains a covenantal relationship bears fruit

in countless ways, not only for the couple but for the wider community as well.

Covenanted couples manifest this grace in their shared gifts for ministry and in lives

of service, generosity, and hospitality.

• Mutual Blessing: A blessed relationship is set apart for a divine purpose: to bear

witness to the creating, redeeming, and sanctifying love of God in the world. As

the Spirit empowers the couple for this witness, the Church is likewise blessed and

strengthened for its mission and ministry.

In all of these ways and more, the blessing of a same-sex relationship invites the couple and the whole Church to renew our commitment to the Baptismal Covenant. That commitment is expressed by faith in the good news of Jesus Christ, in the hope for union with God that Christ promised, and with the love that knits us together as the Body of Christ. As the apostle Paul says, we live our life together as God’s people with faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).

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