August, 2003

RE: General Convention

Dear Parish Family:

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I bid you greetings! This letter comes to you at a time when the Episcopal Church has been the center of much media attention. As you know, the General Convention being celebrated in Minneapolis, has drawn the attention of the media over the confirmation of the Rev. Canon Gene Robinson as a bishop in our church. The media has focused a lot of attention on a possible schism and break-up of the Anglican Communion over what will probably be the first consecration of an openly Gay priest to the Episcopate. The conservative branch of our Church is threatening schism if the General Convention either confirms the election of Canon Robinson as a bishop for the Diocese of New Hampshire, or the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music is directed to prepare blessing rites for couples living in committed relationships outside of marriage. Both of these issues are at the center of a controversy that has led to enormous tension and deep woundedness.

As I watch and read the daily reports I am left with a deep sense of sadness, and disappointment. My intent here is not to advocate for either side, but to bring to light what I feel is our calling as a Church, and that is the call to live the Gospel of Love weve been handed by our Savior Jesus Christ. Our calling is to love God above all things, and our neighbor as our selves. Through our baptismal covenant we are called to "respect the dignity of every human being."

When I hear threats of schism I hear intolerance. I hear the need to be right and self-serving ahead of the need to be the Body of Christ, united as one body with all its imperfections. The truth is that Christianity in the 20^th century was not what it was in the Nineteenth Century -- when among other things, women were regarded as little more than the property of men. Christianity in the Twenty First century will not be the same as it was in the Twentieth century. What does remain the same is the call to love, to practice justice, to grow beyond our comfort zones. This was the model of our Rabbi, our teacher Jesus Christ. For this he was crucified. In all honesty, Christianity as we know it is in a continual state of evolution. Human Sexuality has had an enormous impact on the life of the Church, and we continue to evolve.

Homosexuality is an issue that wont go away for the Church, and I am pleased that at least in the Episcopal Church, the issue is being addressed. Regardless of how difficult and painful this subject may be, it is not being ignored and swept under the rug. The Episcopal Church is not a legalistic church. One of the strengths of our church is that we have been willing to live in the gray zones, as we discern what God calls us to be. The irony in all this is that Homosexual Priests and Bishops have always been a part of the Church. It would be sheer hypocrisy to deny this. The only difference now is that this is no longer a thing to be done in secrecy, it is coming out into the open. We should remember that there was a time in the Church when it was disgraceful for a woman to be divorced; the Church would have none of that. Now we know that marriages dont always work, and life is more important than clinging to old ways, just for the sake of clinging to old ways.

At a gut level I believe this is more about homophobia than theology. It is easy to use the Bible to justify our likes and dislikes. The reality is that there is still enormous ignorance surrounding human sexuality in our very modern and sophisticated world, and the real tragedy in all this is that we insist on drawing from our sacred texts to justify our positions, rather that allowing these texts to speak to us, with our defenses and prejudices down. As a Church we struggle to be a people of God, but at times we are still like sheep without a shepherd, we tear each other down, rather than build each other up, even as we profess Christ as our Savior. Sadly, throughout the history of the Church there have been schisms, all in the name of God. We have been a divided Body, and we are still crippled by division; we seem not to have learned from the errors of our past.

It is my prayer that as General Convention moves forward, the controversy subside, and that we reach out to each other across theologies, embracing in the love of Christ, and that this talk of schism cease. As in the past, here at St. Anselms, Gays are welcomed as full members of our parish. If there is a need for us to have open and honest dialogue on this subject, as we have done so in the past, we will continue to do so in the future. As I wrote earlier, this is an issue that will not go away, it will not be suffocated, and it will not be cast into oblivion. As painful as all this may be to the Church, I am pleased that the Episcopal Church has had the courage not to run from the issue, and is facing it square in the face. At the same time I am still left with a feeling of sadness and despair over our divisions, and the intent of one group to impose itself over another.

In closing, I leave you with these words from a very old hymn dear to our hearts:

"Though with a scornful wonder men see her sore oppressed, by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed; yet saints their watch are keeping, their cry goes up, "How Long?" and soon the night of weeping shall be the morning song."

May Gods blessing and healing be upon our Church, and indeed the worldwide Anglican Communion, as we desperately seek to learn what it means to be Gods Kingdom on Earth.

In Grace,

Wilfredo Benítez+

The Rev. Wilfredo Benítez, Rector

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