updated with fuller quotations throughout By Jim Naughton, Lauren Stanley and Rebecca Wilson The deputies are debating the resolution passed by the bishops that would
This points back to the brilliance of D025 and the now pending C056 that the House of Deputies takes up on Friday. They were wrought, particularly in the House of Bishops this General Convention, through bishops on opposite sides of these questions engaged in conscientious listening to one another – the Indaba process that a number of our bishops first experienced, ironically enough, at Lambeth.
“My question that I pose today, because those hands haunt me: Is it time to fill those hands? Can we fill those hands together with the absolute love of God?”
In the afternoon, the Houses came together in joint session to hear Program, Budget, and Finance (PB&F) present the proposed budget for The Episcopal Church in the next triennium. The Presiding Bishop warned us that it would be painful, as it calls for the substantial reduction for program and mission funding, cuts in staff across the board, and a massive restructuring of how The Episcopal Church goes about its ministry in the Gospel of Christ Jesus.
Resolution C056, the same-sex blessing resolution passed yesterday by the House of Bishops, will be heard on Friday at 9:30 am Pacific in the House
That moment, at Matthew Shepard’s funeral, is when Caldwell became an activist. He concluded his speech on Sunday by saying, “My question that I pose today, because those hands haunt me: Is it time to fill those hands? Can we fill those hands together with the absolute love of God?”
Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consultation with the House of Bishops, collect and develop theological resources and design liturgies, and report to the 77th General Convention for further action; and be it further
What surprised me as she was speaking was the GIANT lump that was rising in my chest. I was almost overwhelmed by an emotion of gratitude that someone finally had recognized the truth about the Episcopal Church. We have been accused of doing so many things, most of which we simply haven’t done.
Some new language was proposed for certain sticky points in the resolution–although I am not sure what those points were or what that language is. At any rate, several bishops whose opinions on this issue are not very different than mine, seem to think that the changes are not devastating, and that the chances of passing the resolution are pretty good.
Updated: I was wrong, the same sex blessing conversation in the House of Bishops is going to occur after the budget presentation, which, I am