Episcopal Statement of Faith

Recently I received an email from a man I had never met.  Somebody had recommended Trinity Cathedral to him.  He went to our website searching for a “statement of faith.”  Many religious bodies provide a clear list of their beliefs, such as “we believe the inerrancy of the Bible.”   He could find no such statement on Trinity’s site so he emailed me.  He wanted to know if we had a Statement of Faith.  Here’s what I wrote:

You are asking a great question.  Most Episcopal churches don’t have a Statement of Faith.  This isn’t because faith is unimportant to us.  It is just that uniformity of doctrine is not what unifies us.  What unifies us is common prayer and gathering around the altar of Christ.  There are Episcopalians who believe a wide range of things.  We consider ourselves comprehensive of a wide range of Christian beliefs.  There are catholic, evangelical, charismatic, etc. Episcopalians.  There are Episcopalians who are pro-life and those who are pro-choice.  There are Episcopalians who read the Bible quite literally, and those who don’t.  Our views on social as well as doctrinal issues are comprehensive of the spectrum of beliefs of Christians.
 
We are serious about our worship, because we believe it is through the ancient sacraments that we are shaped.  Probably the closest thing we have to a “statement of faith” is our Baptismal Covenant.  This is the statement that shapes us as a community.  Even so, each tenet of the Covenant is variously interpreted.  For example, there are different ways folks read the language about Jesus being born of a virgin or returning in power to judge the living and the dead.

As for Trinity Cathedral, we are a very Christ-centered congregation.  We take prayer very seriously and have regular service of healing prayer.  We also have silent meditation groups and a monthly labyrinth.  We take Christian formation seriously and are very active in study. Our Christ-centeredness has led us to be radically open to God’s children. We are fully welcoming of people who are gay, lesbian or transgendered and we do not consider homosexuality to be a sin.  We are committed to social justice and many members are involved in ministries that serve those in need outside the Cathedral.  
 

 
Here’s the Baptismal Covenant:

It’s comprised of two sections.  The first is the oldest creed in Christianity and is divided into three  parts.  The second section is a series of five vows that show how to live a contemporary Christian life. 

 
The Baptismal Covenant

Do you believe in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?
I will, with God’s help.

Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
I will, with God’s help.

Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
I will, with God’s help.

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
I will, with God’s help.

Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
I will, with God’s help.
 

 
That’s the Covenant and it’s said every time anyone is baptized and is also affirmed by the entire congregation several times each year.
 
 I hope that description is helpful in your discernment.  I would be interested in your feedback.  Of course you are welcome to worship with us.  Please let me know if there is any other way I can be helpful.

Sister Libby Fights for Homeless

Here’s a link to a great article on Sister Libby.   She was involved in the rally last week to appeal to our leadership for safe ground for people who are homeless.

Louie Crew’s Manner of Life

 At the very end of the Episcopal Church’s last General Convention in 2006, resolution B033 was passed.  It asked bishops and Standing Committees to exercising restraint by non consenting  to the consecration of any candidates for bishop  ”whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion.”  The manner of lifethat was clearly in the sights of those approving this resolution was homosexuality.  While many who voted for this resolution were in favor of consecrating bishops who are gay or lesbian, it was felt that our newly elected Presiding Bishop, Katherine Jefferts Schori, needed this expression of restraint in order to be welcomed to the conversation with the wider Anglican Communion. 

Since The General Conveniton of the Episcopal Church only meets every 3 years, we haven’t had an opportunity to revisit this decision.  That chance is coming this summer in Anaheim.  As you can imagine, resolution B033 will be revisited.  There is aleady lively conversation.

Louie Crew from the Diocese of Newark (NJ), a senior statesman in the LGBT movement, wrote a lovely reflection on his “manner of life.”  Here’s an excerpt:

 Assumptions to the contrary notwithstanding, as a Christian I am indeed concerned about my manner of life, and I am troubled by how insidiously sin can work its way into my behavior in my marriage.   My most besetting sin is not sex.  In fact, I cannot think of a single instance that sex has caused one of us to be unkind or controlling or manipulative or abusive or knowingly and willfully disobedient to the Creator.

One of my major besetting sins is selfishness, and I am so successful at that sin that I have hundreds of ways to mask even from myself how I am getting my own way, or trying to.

Fortunately my husband is as wise as he is kind.   After the honeymoon was over, I remember saying to him, “I want to be do my share of the unpleasant chores of the marriage, but I can easily deceive myself.   Will you please tell me when you think I am not doing my fair share?”

He said he would not.  A healthy relationship, he explained, is one where each takes responsibility for his own behavior.  “I love you, but please don’t assign me the role of being your policeman.   I won’t ask you to be mine.  If you must compete, let’s compete in terms of who can do 51 percent of the unpleasant chores.  But why compete?  I am not going to love you less if you do less than 50 percent.”

Twenty into our 35-year marriage, Ernest developed a great delight for Japanese food, especially several little trays of raw fish.   While I could enjoy tempura, a Japanese restaurant was not my idea of where to go when we decided to treat ourselves.   I did not complain, but sulked alone in my selfishness.   “When it’s his turn to choose, why doesn’t he choose a cuisine that we both like?” I thought to myself.

During this time someone asked Ernest and me who Kim Byham is, and I explained, “Kim Byham is my best friend.”    Later when we were alone, Ernest said, “I know you are close to Kim and I rejoice in that.  But I am surprised that I have never heard you name me as your best friend.  You are my best friend.”

There was no meanness, no ‘gotcha’ in his countenance, just gentle, loving vulnerability.

I could say nothing for a long time, and when I did, I acknowledged that I have never thought of him as my best friend, that it was not just a mistake in my choice of words.

Over the next few months I concluded that I was valuing marriage too much if I let being a husband so absorb me that I never even recognized Ernest as my best friend.  I noted that he had indeed always treated me as his best friend without stopping for a moment in being my husband.

I’m still working on the challenge, and have been much blessed by it.  One minor example.  For more than 10 years now, it actually been a great pleasure to me to be the one to choose a fine Japanese restaurant when it is my turn to choose where we will eat out.  Just last night, I again with joy watched him attack trays of raw fish with a  twinkle in his eyes, especially the double portion of eels, his favorite.   And he beamed when I insisted that he eat a huge chunk of my crab cake.

I rarely order tempura anymore, because I have actually grown to like some sushi.

Most important, I have the great joy of taking my best friend to a place that he will enjoy the most.

What do sharing the unpleasant chores and choosing Japanese fare have to do with B033?   Far more than you might think:

I commend heterosexuals who want to look at lgbt relationships and determine whether God would bless them or have the church bless them, yet few heterosexuals will understand these relationships if they imagine what it would be like for themselves to have gay or lesbian sex.   When a heterosexual imagines homosexual intercourse, the outcome is often predictable:   heterosexuals won’t like it.  Perhaps they even SHOULD consider homosexual sex sinful for themselves if it is something they would do only unwillingly, something that counter states everything their bodies have told them for a lifetime.

Just so, many lesbians and gays feel it would be unfair to a heterosexual partner to go through the motions of a heterosexual marriage if those motions counter state everything that their bodies have told them for a lifetime.

Early in  puberty, we boys at the Baptist Church learned a way to enjoy a long and boring sermon:   we would scan the index of the hymnal adding to each title the phrase “between the sheets.”   For example,

     Love divine, all love excelling, between the sheets.
     Joyful, joyful, we adore thee between the sheets
     I come to the garden alone between the sheets

Having grown up, we can smile at our big innocence (‘ignorance’) during that phase of our lives.

Heterosexual Christians need a mature way to assess God’s likely response to the manner of life of lgbt Christian Christians in committed relationships.  I hope my anecdotes help.    Keep in mind the Lord’s Prayer in the Quean Lutibelle rendition:   “God, use the same standard in judging me that I use in judging others.”

Our Lives in Christ Jesus – Thew Forrester

 I have been wanting to write a reflection on bishop elect Thew Forrester ever since his election as bishop of Northern Michigan.  There are folks who are urging others to withhold consent because of Fr. Forrester’s  association with Zen Buddhists.   Personally I don’t see any reason not to support him.  From what I’ve read, it seems like he will be a fine bishop.   I’m planning on writing more in the next few days, but I wanted to post something he recently wrote about his view of Jesus and the Christian Spiritual journey. 

Our Lives in Christ Jesus

 Kevin G. Thew Forrester 

Many years ago the theologian Karl Rahner, SJ, wrote that “Christology is the end and beginning of anthropology.” What he meant by that, I believe, is that to be truly human is know that Christ is the source of our life, our love, our hope. We are created in Christ, we live in Christ, we return to Christ.

My life begins and ends in Christ. Jesus of Nazareth incarnates in full the Christ. The gospels reveal to us theholy way of Transfiguration as the very path of our own discipleship. Lent itself is a season reminding us that the very purpose of life is to empty ourselves of everything but Christ, following in the footsteps of Jesus, and thereby tasting the grace of salvation. Jesus, the Transfigured One, is our Savior, because he is the Life-Giver. Jesus is the font of life revealing to us the eternal forgiveness of the Father, breathed into us in creation and baptism. Jesus incarnates and reveals that the path of salvation is the path of oneness with God in the Spirit. Jesus offers salvation because he embodies God’s life, even to his death on the cross where he can pray with a peace that passes all understanding, “into Your hands I commend my spirit.” We are not faced with a choice between salvation and life. To live truly can only mean to live in Christ and to taste God’s saving presence therein. 

Because Jesus receives everything and gratefully returns everything – his heart, his soul, his mind, his strength –   he is empty of everything except the Presence of God. This is a Christology of utterkenosis. Jesus in his Transfiguration is fully revealed as he always is – the Christ, empty of everything but the Spirit. We, as disciples, are called to the same life of transfiguration, so that through and through, in the end, it is only Christ who lives in us and we are dead to all else. This transfiguration, I believe, is our baptismal life: “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” In the end, we come face-to-face with God and know that it is no longer “I,” but God who lives in me holding us forever as one-in-Christ, Life-giving salvation.

Anglican History and Contemporary Conflict

Sam Candler, Dean of the cathedral in Atlanta, wrote a good article on the history of the Anglican Communion and our current conflicts.  I got this from Episcopal Cafe’s Daily Episcopalian.

A comprehensive solution

By Sam Candler

In times of controversy in the Episcopal Church, and even in times of relative calm, someone inevitably makes the accusation or the slight joke that Henry VIII (and his search for a suitable wife) started the Episcopal Church. Thus, I require all my confirmation classes and any audience who hears my presentations on the history and theology of Anglican Christianity to repeat the same line: Henry VIII did not start the Anglican Church (or the Episcopal Church.)

You pass the class if you can say that simple sentence. You pass with honors if you can state who actually did found the Episcopal Church: Jesus Christ founded the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church, developed from the Church of England, and an integral member of the Anglican Communion of Churches, is part of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ.

That church, started by Jesus Christ, has included inevitable conflict. Even the beautiful first century Christian community involved conflict, which we can read about clearly in The Book of Acts (see Acts 15:2). One of the great apostles, St. Peter, was opposed to his face by the other great missionary apostle, St. Paul (see Galatians 2:11). From then on, every Christian community has lived through conflict. Sometimes that conflict was minor, and sometimes it has been major (see The Great Schism of 1054).

Read more »

Easter Sermon 2009

Holy Saturday

I’m spending the day preparing sermons for tonight and tomorrow.  I came across this lovely Easter reflection from Ann Fontaine.

Supposing him to be the gardener…

Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb, deep in her grief and loss. The one who had freed her of her many demons, who had given her back her life, whom she had followed and supported – he is dead. All who have experienced death of those we love, of the passing away of beloved times, can relate to this depth of loss. The story of God in human life starts in a garden. In the beginning… God walked with Eve and Adam, talked with them, they felt at one with God. They turned away from God to pursue their own lives and desires – they broke faith with God. As God makes garments to protect them on their journey, perhaps God wept into the threads.

Now we come to another garden and we are weeping. We know the terrible loss that death brings. We ache to be whole. Mary Magdalene think Jesus is the gardener and in a way he is – a gardener of our being – tending us and caring for us and praying us into wholeness. Even on the cross he stretches his arms out to us saying “forgive” – offering the path back to union with God.

Perhaps you have been far away, wandering from the faith of your childhood, perhaps you never heard the story of God’s love for you and today you came out of curiosity or because a friend said, “Come and see.” Or maybe your parents or your children brought you. Hear the words of Peter in the story of the Acts of the Apostles: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” Jesus comes to free us from whatever keeps us from living and loving freely. The offering is before us calling to us – we don’t earn it – it is grace abounding freely. Everyone, in every nation, in every state of life, everyone is offered the loving embrace of God. Our response is awe and wonder (as Acts calls it “fear”) and the desire to walk in the path of Christ. But first comes the offer.

In the garden, Mary Magdalene, does not know who Jesus is until he calls her name. It is that naming that is symbolic of who we are – someone who fully knows us and fully loves us. That is the offer today and every day of the one who rose from the dead and shows us the path of life.

Building Resilience Video

On April 4, 2009 Tibetan Buddhist Khen Rinpoche Geshe Kachen Lobzang Tsetan, psychologist Phyllis Watts and I held a forum on building resilience. We  each spoke briefly from our different perspectives, then opened it up for questions. I recorded the program in 4 20 minute segments. You can see them all on my webpage HERE.

If the link above doesn’t work, copy this into your browser:

http://www1.deanbaker.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66:building-resilience&catid=41:buddhism&Itemid=55

Sermon: My God, Why have you forsaken me? April 5, 2009

Preached on Palm Sunday

Vermont legislature votes for same-sex marriage

This is from The Lead:

Vermont has become the fourth state to legalize gay marriage — and the first to do so with a legislature’s vote The Huffington Post reports:

The Legislature voted Tuesday to override Gov. Jim Douglas’ veto of a bill allowing gays and lesbians to marry. The vote was 23-5 to override in the state Senate and 100-49 to override in the House. Under Vermont law, two-thirds of each chamber had to vote for override.The vote came nine years after Vermont adopted its first-in-the-nation civil unions law.

It’s now the fourth state to permit same-sex marriage. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa are the others. Their approval of gay marriage came from the courts.