Another Perspective

A letter back home from Rev. Eleanor McLaughlin

To the People of God in the North Country,

The Triennial General convention of the Episcopal Church is the ecclesiastical authority of our church, the second largest legislative body in the world, a family reunion, a gigantic yard sale by purveyors of all manner of ‘church stuff’ from albs through icons to zebras carved by Anglican artists from Africa. It is exhausting-- for legislative committee hearings often begin at 7 am and open hearings (as on the various legislative bills dealing with the limitations on who might be elected a Bishop, to the blessing of marriage of same sex couples) last until 10 pm. The General Convention is also exhilarating, in the rich variety of our daily Eucharist in Spanish and English, singing and swaying as we move to receive Communion to music from all over the Anglican world; the delight of catching up with friends from the past, my students, my first Spiritual Director, people who sang in the Choir at my Ordination, priest friends who have become Bishops, old Radical buddies from the struggle for the ordination of Women in the early ‘70’s. And General Convention is a spiritual gift beyond describing, a Sign of that promised “Wedding feast of Bliss and Love”…in the powerful experience of breathtaking Diversity in the Unity of the Church, the Body of Christ, and an assurance of the Hope which God has promised that the “Gates of hell shall not stand against” the Church in her Call to be about the business of building the Kingdom of God here on earth as in heaven. The only folks who speak anxiously of loss of numbers and want of resources are those who are fearful of the challenge of our changing world, and the exciting transformation of our church and our selves which Christ offers as we , rooted in our Anglican Tradition, make our way forward, in the Spirit.

The Theme of this 76th General Convention is Ubuntu … a word from our African sisters and brothers which means “I am because you are”, or “I in you and you in me” God calls us as and in Community. Every sermon from the Presiding Bishop, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the President of the House of Deputies has elaborated on this very counter cultural theme…we find our human reality and our divine transformation not primarily as individuals, but in Community…the Community of the Church reflecting the relationality of the Trinity, and Our Lord’s Great Commandment, to love God by which relationship, we are enabled to love the Other whether friend or enemy, neighbor or stranger.

So far, I have experienced this theme of finding the wholeness of our Self in Community in several different venues. Throughout the week we have been introduced to a “training” for evangelism and community transformation entitled “the Public Narrative Project.” Led by Dr. Marshall Ganz, son of a Rabbi, shaped by the civil rights and anti war movements and now a lecturer in public policy at the Harvard University Kennedy School for Government, this process introduces us to a structured story telling, in which we discover in our stories of Self, the values and choice points which have shaped our identity. Equipped with a sharper sense of who I am, we move into the story of Us…uncovering our community values and finally, are pressed by the excitement of heart and head kindled through this corporate story-telling, into the actions for self and community transformation which is in Christian terms, repairing God’s world, building God’s Reign of love and justice. I was privileged to be in a group including our Bishop +Gene, and other members of the NH deputation, Learning to know each other, even in two minute clips, empowers as we build relationships, and gives us courage to witness to and move forward in our faith. Through story telling of Self, Us, and in the Now, we clarify our common values, even when we differ on the issues, setting us free from fear, and eager for cooperative action.

The open legislative hearings is another place for community building where as a Visitor, I cannot take part in the legislative heart of the convention, but may sign up and speak our piece on a specific matter, limited to two minutes at the microphone. I attended the hearing on the wonderful work of the Prayer Book and Calendar Committee which has produced a massive revision and addition to our Calendar of the Saints in Lesser Feasts and Fasts. We will likely be treated to a rich feast of over a hundred new commemorations, such as Frances Perkins, the first woman member of the United States Cabinet and the inventor and successful advocate for the social security system under President Roosevelt. Another familiar Witness is John Bunyan, whose powerful gritty English language in Pilgrim’s Progress we sing in “He who would valiant be, ‘gainst all disaster, let him in constancy follow the Master….his one avowed intent, to be a Pilgrim” Less well known, Wilfred Grenfell, whose mission to Labrador and Newfoundland still brings medical care to the isolated communities of Labrador and Newfoundland! I love the Saints…but I’ll stop here. I testified at that hearing against the inclusion of John Calvin --e-mail me if you want to know why! It is so good that our calendar of Saints is ecumenical (Karl Barth) and embraces the great world religions ( Ghandi)…and many artists…our local Bostonian, Ralph Adams Cram (architect of All Saints Church Peterborough), Christina Rosetti, composer of “In the deep mid winter”, and many types of Christian witness-- Samuel Shoemaker+, founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Thomas Merton, monk, mystic, witness against war, Cesar Chavez, Farm Labor leader…As a church we will have a three year trial use of this new calendar with a structured opportunity to comment on our experience of prayer and reflection with these Holy Women and Men in our public worship and private devotion.

Hundreds of people attended a two hour hearing on the various legislative responses to the last Convention’s hasty acceptance of B033, by which our Church bowed to pressure from other churches of the Anglican communion to refrain from electing to the Episcopate anyone whose “manner of life” might be the occasion of question….meaning, no one in a committed relationship with one of the same sex would be considered by a diocese for the Episcopate. Although this piece of legislation is in conflict with our Canon Law which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, some conclude that it has given the Anglican communion a three year breather to reflect prayerfully on the progress of the Canadian Anglican Church and our own Episcopal Church towards a living out of our Baptismal Covenant to seek and serve Christ in all persons…no qualification. The testimony that evening was overwhelmingly in favor of moving beyond B033 towards the full inclusion promised in our Baptisms. Most of the two minute witnesses told personal and pastoral stories…there was, in my view, and that of several of the opponents, not enough careful theological reflection. It is a weakness of our American Church that we often, with some splendid exceptions, do the personal and relational story better than foundational theology. This writer has been given a challenge to do some of that theological work for which retirement affords me now time.

An underlying and bubbling up theme of everything we do or say is an awareness that for the first time in human history one billion human beings live here on earth in the deadly grip of extreme poverty. This reality and our commitment as a Church to the Millennial Development Goals is stronger than the voices of argument about human sexuality…THANKS BE TO GOD! The House of Bishops is moving us towards a more significant contribution of our monies and energies towards the needs of a wounded world at home and abroad. God’s Preference is for the Poor, often hard to remember as we are surrounded here in Anaheim with Southern California’s exuberant spectacles of American Capitalism run amok…but I did enjoy the sun and the pool yesterday, close to 80 degrees with no tail slapping beaver as in Durand Lake and its 60 degree murky water! Even the fact that many of us keep stashes of slowly dying fruit etc in our room to save on restaurant meals is a reflection of our awareness of privilege here. I tell our story of Shaw’s Market abandonment of Berlin and Gorham…how far we drive for groceries…of closed mills, of shrinking social services, of challenged hospitals…to whomever will listen. But the reality of life for those billion and the numbers of children dying minute by minute for lack of clean water, malaria, AIDS, war and poor maternal health car …is continually ‘in our faces’….as God wills it to be. Don’t be misled by the media which pushes sex and ads to buy stuff we don’t need and can’t afford, all the time. No Public Radio, only TV here …what a wasteland and total distraction from the economic realities of which the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke so eloquently. +Rowan Williams named it for us…”The global economic situation is a “crisis of truthfulness.” “We have lied to ourselves about the possibility of profit without risk…We have lied to ourselves consistently about the possibility of limitless material growth in a limited world.” This, in the context of ubuntu…the interconnectedness of all people, all of God’s creatures and material creation is our burden of sin, crying for action.

Finally, worship is the center of each day, the anchor which holds us together, and the roots which supply us with food for our work and play! Yes, the worship here is wonderful “play in the courts of the Lord”…great wild music from our Latino and African American tradition and African sister churches…drums and chants and bells and dance and Amens and laughter and clapping and foot tapping worship of our God, in thanksgiving, intercession, petition, above all—Praise! The customary Integrity Eucharist bringing together GLBT Episcopalians and friends was a two hour glimpse of the Kingdom…our Bishop +Gene was the Celebrant and Bishop +Barbara Harris, retired of Massachusetts preached the Gospel of Freedom, Joy, Justice, Thanksgiving, as only a Black Preacher can do…the hair on our heads was raised up like the spiky “do’s” of the kids I see on California streets! Taize music, Hymnal music, African drums and chant to dance the Gospel about the Holy Space….small children, old men, young priests, ancient priests and bishops, lay folk from everywhere…Before the Liturgy I drank a beer with a woman from East Hollywood whose husband is an Irishman from Berlin, NH! …all rejoicing in the dreams and visions of One Church, many ways of Being in God’s world. Wow…unforgettable!

Every time I get grumpy about the temptation to take the luxury of the Anaheim Hilton for granted, I/We are re-centered in the daily Eucharist. Bi-lingual, I stand next to Betsy whose Spanish is fluent…and delight in letting the unfamiliar words wash over my body/soul as a new experience of Baptism daily. I’m bringing all the service leaflets home, so, people of St. Paul’s, Lancaster, gird yourselves, for when I preside in Noel’s absence on the second Sunday in August…there’ll be some new offerings with which to take joy in the Lord …. What Hope and Delight is to be found and shared in this gathering of the People of God ….

“Christ is made the sure foundation, Christ the Head and cornerstone….” Ellie+