A post Scripture Church?

 Now, it is no secret that Anglicanism has historically been a roomy place where multiple interpretations of Scripture, theology and churchmanship have coexisted! This, of course, amidst conflict, conversation, and debate!

It has been so in the Episcopal Church, long known for its progressive leanings, but which for much of its history, has been home to liberals, conservatives, Anglo-Catholics and a sprinkling of Charismatics. 

This week, it feels like it may be no more…

The presenting issue is that of  same sex marriage in the church! 

Do not get me wrong, an overwhelming majority of Episcopal clergy and lay people, myself included, have long been advocates for same sex marriage in civil society, and for gay couples in long term relationships, to be welcome into the Church. Even among conservative Episcopalians, the idea that blessings should be extended to same sex couples in civil marriage has not been unwelcome! 

That the prayer book might be altered or that the sacrament of marriage as has historically been held in this church should be changed, is another matter altogether!

After what has seemed like decades of conversation, controversy, trial liturgies and debate,  2018 General Convention passed Resolution B012 making same sex marriage available in all dioceses of the church!  In effect, no bishop of the church could prohibit same sex couples from being married in a parish of their diocese, if they so desired.

“As of Advent 1 of 2018, in all dioceses where the marriage of same-sex couples is legal under civil law, no bishop of the Episcopal Church may prohibit the use of the Trial Use marriage rites..”

The few bishops theologically opposed to same gender marriage, were to arrange for alternative episcopal oversight, for those parishes who desired to offer this service for same sex couples. All acquiesced, except Bishop Love of Albany who, using arguments from Scripture and the historic teaching of this church from the Book of Common Prayer,  forbid the marriage of same sex couples in his diocese.   

Then came the Disciplinary panel, which unanimously found Bishop Love guilty of violating the doctrine and discipline of the church, and a few days ago his resignation as Bishop of the Diocese of Albany! 

Some have hailed it as a long awaited victory for full inclusion of gay and lesbians in the life of the  Episcopal Church! Others, as an ominous and  surprising moment when the church, formally made, the teaching of Scripture, of the Anglican Communion, its own historic understanding of marriage and the Book of Common Prayer, take second place to The General Convention’s current understanding of marriage.

This might be, in modern history the first time that, a Christian bishop is disciplined and effectively removed from office, for championing the teaching about  marriage long held in the Episcopal Church, taught in the Bible, and mentioned by Jesus Christ himself.

I must admit not having any idea of what will happen, but I hold no illusions! Our church has sailed into uncharted waters and though, diversity in thought is still found in our church, it does seem being too vocal about certain views could land you outside the doors, even if Jesus himself had uttered similar things!

At times like this, I am reminded of this seldom read tidbit from the 39 Articles:

“…Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith..”

It seems that when it comes to marriage, that is no longer the case in The Episcopal Church!

 

What my parents taught me about voting!

 Perhaps, it was the experience my parents had in Castro's Cuba, that led them to always remind us of what was for them a certainty: 

NEVER TRUST POLITICIANS! 

My mom and dad were among the idealistic young Cubans who opposed the dictatorship of Batista, Cuba's strongman before 1959! They wholeheartedly risked their life and gave their support to a charismatic young revolutionary who promised freedom for the island, elections, safety and prosperity! One who insisted, even as his movement triumphed, that there was no socialism , no communism in his ideals nor the future of their island.

Sure thing...! We all know how that went! 

I am a Marxist Leninist was Fidel Castro's announcement when he had seized power in Cuba, sending many of those who had risked their life for the ideals of freedom scrambling for exile in Miami!  Older Cubans still joke that when Fidel said his revolution was "green" like the palm trees, he really meant it was like a watermelon, pretty green on the outside, red on the inside! 

POLITICIANS LIE!  That for us has been part of  our education and political participation in the United States, ever since I can remember! 

Look at what they have done, not at their eloquence, looks or promises! In politics, my parents insisted , actions speak louder than words! Also that it is issues, goals, that are the driving force of the party or candidate to support.  Vote for what matters to you, for the things you would like to see in our society, for the future you want to see....and for the candidate, however flawed that you feel can help further those goals! Sometimes they will keep the promises they made while campaigning, most of the times they will not!

My parents lessons sure have come in handy over the years! I admit to not always following their advise! We all have been drawn to different politicians, loved their speeches, their energy, the idea behind their candidacy and have chosen to vote on that! Putting personality, education, TV image and charisma over concrete actions and goals. More often than not , it is disappointing!

This year I went with the tried and true lessons we learned! Its the issues that matter, the actions, the promises kept, the things that further a future where you would like your children to live in successfully!  As someone once said, 

" My vote is a chess move, not a valentine"! 

Remember as you go vote!

Blessings

Seraph

Supreme Court Changes!

Since I was a teenager, one of the unchanging goals that took Evangelical and like minded Christians to the polls every election cycle, was that, somehow the Supreme Court's makeup would change.

Today, after 30 years, that goal and promise was kept by none other than someone, THAT I PERSONALY judged unelectable, unworthy of the Republican party and of my vote in 2016!

Wow...what a lesson for me! What others could or would not do, the least likely in my eyes, KEPT HIS PROMISE and did! He had the chance to appoint not one but three justices to the highest court in the land! Who would have though that? Not me!

God can use anyone he chooses to further whatever he pleases ....in his time! God bless our president! May the Spirit of Truth and Love give our new justices WISDOM to judge impartially and rightly!

Blessings

Seraph
 

The Incredible Shrinking Church

I have now been an Episcopalian for over a decade. On June 2008 the CEC parish of El Mesías was received in the Episcopal diocese of Florida to much fanfare and a hearty welcome! I have no regrets at all, overall the diocese of Florida has been a good home to us, and our ministry in the heart of the Arlington Neighborhood has been fruitful.

Yet for all that, the Episcopal Church is full of surprises. There are many things admirable about the Episcopal Church which I and others in our parish love! Yet, every three years, the National Convention with its discussions and resolutions, seem to throw our parish into weeks of questions, uncertainty and distraction from our mission to worship God and spread the good news! Are they changing the prayer book? How is the canon on marriage different? Will we have to do that at our parish? Can we do it? Is our church now against Israel? We have to do whaaaaaat to our bathrooms? Estan locos?  

Episcopal clergy rightly are vocal about the things they believe in, and the internet keeps a record of that forever! That is not always a positive thing! Imagine explaining to people in a family oriented, largely conservative parish, stuff they happen to stumble on as they surf in the world wide web…How is it that “ Abortion is a Blessing” ? And how in the world can Episcopal priest and Seminary president  say that?  Or.. this recent beauty: How can a bishop be disciplined for following what the Bible says clearly about marriage?

It is another surprise, as we explore the status of our diocese and church over the years…when the Parochial Report and Statistics come out every September! It seems every year there are a lot less Episcopalians!  

Since we came into the Episcopal Church in June 2008, average Sunday attendance for TEC has dropped by 24.5 %. There is now 177,770 less Episcopalians.

As a parish working with mainly Latino members, many of whom move frequently looking for work or better opportunities, we are used to church attendance waxing and waning! There usually is a balance, you lose some, you gain some!  That is hard to see when we gaze at the latest statistics from TEC.

Anecdotally, I would think that the numbers may be a little different for Latino parishes and missions, most of my friends in Hispanic ministry seem to think that their churches are either stable or growing. But then, if we consider the Episcopal Church in Province 9, churches in Central and South America; their attendance has dropped by a whopping 40% in the last decade.    

I am sure we have lost members and prospects, over the years,  due to some of the things that land our church in the news. It is also true that, many of the young adults raised in our parish, who have moved away for college or have begun a life away from family, of those who remain committed Christians, most have chosen other communities of faith instead of the Episcopal Church.   

However, for many people at San Lucas, the warmth of the parish family, the celebration of the Eucharist and practical teaching of scripture along with years of relationships seems enough for them to stay and call our church a spiritual home!  

It has been a blessing that we pray lasts, even as we are part of a beautiful, historic, amazing and incredibly shrinking Church , not just in numbers but in theological perspectives.

This is all before COVID 19…! I must confess that judging by our parish numbers as we reopen from 6 months of a shut church, with services online, it seems to me that we and our beloved Episcopal Church have serious challenges ahead! 

I have no solutions to offer for this complex problem but, if it ever was proper to pray, this is a time when we should do so much more seriously!

Blessings

Seraph

 

The Seventh Sunday of Easter, Morning Prayer

Septimo Domingo de Pascua

The Sixth Sunday of Easter, Office of Morning Prayer

Sexto Domingo de Pascua. La Oracion Matutina

The Sixth Sunday of Easter, Office of Morning Prayer

Quinto Domingo de Pascua, Oracion Matutina

Domingo del Buen Pastor. Oracion Matutina

The Third Sunday of Easter, Office of Morning Prayer

Segundo Domingo de Pascua

Ordination of Monica Bosque.

EL CORONAVIRUS Y LA MARCA DE LA BESTIA

Tired of Quarantine, Aburrido de la Cuarentena!

Espiritualidad en la Pandemia

The Wind Blows...

Coronavirus Woes...

Feliz Navidad 2019

Christmas Eve, for Christians and Episcopalians in particular the most special night of the year! Among Latinos the joy is contagious! This is the postlude to the Christmas Eve Eucharist at San Lucas!

Offering Our Gift

"...When you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. “Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one...” 

Jesus is teaching his disciples and here are three gems for us in life.'

1.       The importance of worship-  

   

      When you take your offering to the altar…when you take your gift! There is no ambiguity here as to what should take place in our lives, not an if but an expectation, the word is when…! It is no something that another can do for you, not a gift that someone else can procure …this speaks personally to you and to me.

2 Corinthians 9:7

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Hebrews 13:15 

Let us continually offer up an offering of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.


Romans 12:1   

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Hebrews 13:16 

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

The importance of Reconciliation


Again the emphases is on you….you remember…why? Because it is you the Holy Spirit of God speaks to…it is not someone else that he tells…it is in your mind that he brings a recollection of where you are in the spiritual life, it is he who is tasked with teaching you…not anyone else…"When the Holy Ghost has come he will teach you , he will remind you he will lead you into all the truth"


I am sure I have offended  people and forgotten, plum forgotten or I have though perhaps, they deserve that….they will get over it…after all,  some people get offended at the mere sight of you! There is not a thing we can do about that or should…however there are some things that God does bring to our remembrance….! 


Now suppose this employer goes to church and there has it come to mind that this (former) employee is upset with him—angry and offended at him—for firing him. Does this mean that God will not accept his worship until he goes and offers this guy a job? No, because he has not sinned against his employee by firing him for not doing the work he was hired to do.

Or suppose a mother disciplines a child in the car on the way to church and the child is upset with his mother. Will God refuse to accept her worship until the child is no longer angry with her? No, she has not sinned against him for disciplining his misbehavior.'


Paul says in Romans 12:18, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.


Benson: “Because men are very apt to fall into rash anger, and to express their anger by contemptuous speeches and abusive names, fancying that there is no sin in these things, or but little, and that the compensation may easily be made for them by acts of devotion, Jesus declares that atonement is not to be made for these offences by any offerings, how costly soever, and therefore prescribes immediate repentance and reparation as the only remedies of them

 The Importance of your word

James 5:12 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

¹² My friends, above all else, don’t take an oath. You must not swear by heaven or by earth or by anything else. “Yes” or “No” is all you need to say.

A former archbishop of Canterbury arrived in New York. A journalist asked him, “Will you be visiting any of our nightclubs whilst you are here?” The archbishop mischievously replied, “Are there any night clubs here?” Next day a newspaper headline read: “Archbishop’s first question on arriving in New York: ‘Are there any night clubs here?’” How easy it is to misquote or misunderstand without a context! 


If you are ever called on to testify in court, you will be asked, “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” Are you violating Scripture to put yourself under such an oath? Our President and other elected officials must place their hand on a Bible and take the oath of office. Are they disobeying the very Bible that they swear upon?

Matthew 23:16-22:

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’ You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.’ You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? 

We all have to take the words we say much more seriously if we are to apply this lesson from the Lord!  Give us grace Lord, to be serious about the words we say, the promises we make, the things we commit to. May we be known as people of our word!

Blessings

Seraph

Una de Mis Canciones Favoritas!

No hay nada mas agradable para un padre que ver a sus hijos alabando a Dios! Aqui parte de mi familia cantando una de mis canciones favoritas.

EL RICO Y LAZARO

BACK TO BLOGGING? MAYBE!!!!

It seems like forever since I have uploaded anything to this space that I have long used for things I like, things I see and random musings. I have been way too busy, then came a pandemic and a quarantine and with the extra time I had a chance to look at stuff I had placed in my blog folder! So I will upload this weekend and hopefully take the time to visit here more often!

Blessings

Seraph

Cumple de mi Viejita Bella, Mom turns 86