Posted on 08/01/2005 12:58:55 PM PDT by sionnsar
Bishop Alexander has appointed a committee to address the mandate of the
2004 Diocesan Council to form a study committee to consider same-sex unions
and the formation of a liturgy for a blessing of such unions. The committee
has been meeting since Spring 2005 and plans to present an Interim Report to
Diocesan Council 2005 in November. A Final Report of its work is not
expected prior to Diocesan Council 2006.
In his charge to the committee, Bishop Alexander stated that it is his
understanding that the Canons of the Church do not permit him to authorize a
liturgy for regular use unless and until the General Convention of the
Episcopal Church has authorized such a liturgy. In the discussion, the
Bishop and the committee recognized and affirmed that pastoral acts of
blessing are taking place in various places in the Church (including the
Diocese of Atlanta) and that General Convention 2003 recognized such
pastoral acts as taking place within the normal and legitimate life of the
Church.
To date, the committee has reviewed the legal meanings of marriage in the
state of Georgia and the diverse theological meanings of marriage in the
Church. Going forward, the committee will study the meanings of blessing and
the history of holy unions. It will seek to get a clear view of where the
Diocese of Atlanta is presently; review liturgies that are being used in
various places; seek to understand what other dioceses are doing to address
these issues within the context of their pastoral life; review the state of
the Church in regard to The Windsor Report and To Set Our Hope On Christ -
and try to make some suggestions for a way forward.
The committee welcomes bibliographical recommendations and other suggestions
for its study. You may contact the committee by e-mail at
ssblessings@bellsouth.net or by “snail mail” c/o The Rev’d. Roger H. Ard,
St. Peter’s Church, 101 E 4th Avenue, Rome, GA 30161.
The committee is eager to receive your suggestions and is open to all points
of view. Please understand that this is a study committee and is not able to
engage in dialog or debate with individual correspondents.
The committee is particularly interested in receiving narrative descriptions
from clergy that facilitate our understanding of what is currently being
done “under the radar” and which can facilitate communication within the
Diocese of Atlanta as a whole. Confidentiality of couples, clergy and
parishes will be preserved and you need not identify yourself in any
communication unless you wish to do so.
The members of the committee are Ms. Debbie Anderson, St. Thomas, Columbus;
The Rev’d. Roger H. Ard (Chair), St. Peter’s, Rome; Ms. Melanie Caron, St.
Matthew’s, Snellville; The Very Rev’d. Dan Edwards, St. Francis, Macon; The
Rev’d. Paul Gerlock, All Saints’, Warner Robins; Dr. Norma Givens, St. Luke’s,
Fort Valley; Mr. Alex Patterson, Holy Innocents, Atlanta; The Rev’d. William
Thigpen III, St. Bartholomew’s, Atlanta; and Ms. Nedra Wick, All Saints’,
Atlanta.
The committee requests your prayers and your assistance as it seeks to
fulfill the mandate of Diocesan Council on behalf of the Diocese of Atlanta.
–From Diolog, the diocesan publication of the Diocese of Atlanta, September/Ocotber 2005 edition
And why shouldn't adulterers, or fornicators, be given a blessing as well? I mean, the principle's about the same.
At the very least, this is Romans 1:32 coming to fruition right before your very eyes.
Why stop there? Following this logic any persistent sinner should be blessed and encouraged in their sin. Forget about 'go and sin no more'.
Why not just distribute the ELCA's study guide, copy and paste their results, save a lot of time and money, and call it good? (The majority of congregants didn't want to bless gay unions or ordain gay clergy, but that isn't going to matter because, well, they're ignorant and simple, like children. Watch Orlando this month.)
With a Holy Bible in an honest person's hands, a study of this issue ought to take ten minutes, max.
As Jesus said, "Let the dead bury their dead."
The liturgy's name could resemble "The Annointing of the Sick". It could be called "The Packing of the Fudge".
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