Dear Friends,

You may have seen the news that the General Convention of the Episcopal Church has  just passed resolutions authorizing two new marriage rites and a change in the canons of the church. Through these resolutions, the church can now offer marriage rites to same sex couples. Up until now, there were only provisional services for the witnessing and blessing of life long covenants for such couples. The resolutions, though coincidentally coming just after the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage, are in fact the result of a decades long conversation in the Episcopal Church about what full and equal inclusion means for gay and lesbian persons. Now, the church can offer a full blessing to gay and lesbian couples, as well as a call to commitment in a marriage.

Blessing and call. At times, the struggle for marriage equality is viewed as a struggle for rights – specifically the right to marry. But along with the blessings embodied in the marriage service is a call for the couple to take on a responsibility – to signify, in the words of the marriage service, “the mystery of the union between Christ and his Church.” Married couples, in making vows of unconditional love,  commit themselves to be a witness in the world of what the love of Christ looks like.

That is no easy responsibility, and no couple ever is completely successful in doing such a thing. That is why every marriage service also includes the promises of the larger community – family, friends, and the church – to love and support the couple in their new life together.

When my spouse Thomas and I made our public commitment to each other over ten years ago, we were living in Vermont, where civil unions had been authorized by the state. We had a quiet and meaningful legal service, presided over by a dear friend who was a justice of the peace. A regular marriage service in the church was not possible at the time. But it was essential for us to gather with our friends and families for what we could call a Blessing of Our Civil Union. There in church, surrounded by family and friends, we joyfully took on the responsibility as well as the blessing of a covenant relationship. We wanted to give thanks to God for bringing us together. And we knew we would be unable to sustain that relationship without Christ’s presence and the ongoing love and support of the community gathered around us.

I rejoice that now all couples may benefit from the blessings of marriage. And I rejoice that the Episcopal Church will not only bless, but also  call all married couples – whatever their makeup – to be a sign of Christ’s love in the world.

Faithfully,

Tom

Dear Friends,

Once again, we awakened to horrifying news. Or perhaps we learned of the senseless killings at Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston last night, before going to bed, and then had a troubled sleep.

Emanuel AME Church
Charleston, South Carolina

Pray for the members of that congregation, and for all who grieve at the devastating losses they have suffered. Nine persons, including their pastor, gathered for bible study and a prayer meeting,  and were killed after welcoming a stranger into their midst. Even as I write this, it is becoming clear that this was an attack motivated by racial hatred.

This is not the first time that Emanuel Church has confronted such hatred. Affectionately known as “Mother Emanuel,” it is the oldest AME congregation in the south. An article from the Washington Post notes:

“This historic congregation, the oldest of its kind in the South, had already seen more than its fair share of tumult and hate. It was founded by worshipers fleeing racism and burned to the ground for its connection with a thwarted slave revolt. For years its meetings were conducted in secret to evade laws that banned all-black services. It was jolted by an earthquake in 1886. Civil rights luminaries spoke from its pulpit and led marches from its steps. For nearly two hundred years it had been the site of struggle, resistance and change.”

Today, it is once again a site of struggle, of profound grief, and I believe, of resilient faith. A congregation that has endured as  a witness to the Gospel will continue to do so. As I join my prayers with others, in the midst of whatever despair I feel, I am moved by the very name of that church- Mother Emanuel. Emanuel – God with us – Christ – enfolding us with a mother’s embrace, taking into the divine heart all of the grief, and with a mother’s strong arms lifting up those who are overcome, giving faith and strength with which to endure.

Faithfully,

Tom

Dear Friends,

There’s a parade on Sunday. We once again have come to Bunker Hill Day, and the parade will wind its way through the streets of Charlestown. Streets will be blocked off, people will line those streets and some of us may even be marching.

It is a historic and much beloved event. But the fact is, every week there’s a parade on Sunday. Have you ever thought of gathering for Sunday worship as a parade? Or, if not a parade, at least as a procession?  Each of you, as you prepare yourselves and come to church, is part of the procession of God’s people, gathering to offer praise and thanksgiving to the Holy One who calls us together.

Occasionally on Sunday mornings, as I am preparing myself for worship, I take delight in imagining each of you coming from your various homes. Whether you walk, drive, or ride your bicycle, you have joined a procession. You are part of the parade. And that parade culminates in the uniting of our voices as we sing the opening hymn.

It is a very long parade. It is not limited to those of us who gather this Sunday in this place. We join with faithful people  everywhere, past, present, and even future, who are part of the procession.

You can hear the invitation to the parade in the words of the psalmist, written long ago. Perhaps this invitation is one we can keep in mind this Sunday, and every Sunday, as we make our way to worship:

I was glad when they said unto me,
“let us go to the house of the Lord!”
Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem – built as a city
that is bound firmly together.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

 Psalm 122:1-4

Faithfully,

Tom