Dialogue Surrounding the Blessing of Same-Sex Unions
Dear Friends in Christ,
As we prayerfully prepare to engage in a very important dialogue regarding our response as a parish to the bishop’s invitation to discern whether or not we will bless same-sex unions who have already been civilly married, I wanted to outline some important values and parameters that I hope will guide our dialogue.
As with any dialogue, it is important to be intentional about what our objectives are. It is my hope that our objectives are more than just a Vestry vote on whether or not this parish will bless same-sex couples who have been civilly married. It is my hope that this important dialogue will bring about a deeper engagement with our Faith, as well as with one another. Ultimately, the goal of any meaningful dialogue is a deeper understanding of, and respect for, one another, even if we may happen to disagree.
The bishop is asking the Vestry to vote, but a democracy does not ensure that people are listened to, understood, and respected on both sides. Our current political state proves this very clearly. Our task at hand, as I hope and pray, is not just to vote or express our opinion, but to engage our faith and one another in mutual respect, charity, and dialogue. If done well, this dialogue can serve to actually energize and renew our parish as opposed to dividing it, as has tragically been the case in some parish communities in the past.
Perhaps it would be beneficial to borrow a pivotal concept from our Jewish brothers and sisters known as Pilpul. Pilpul is the view that tension is normal and healthy, and even necessary for truth to be more deeply understood. Like Episcopalians, Judaism is full of divergent viewpoints, and Judaism at its best embraces the tension because it ultimately enriches and encourages all to strive more deeply to understand God’s truth and movement in our lives.
Personally speaking, I am blessed and honored to be part of a tradition that invites and encourages this kind of dialogue over an issue that I was not allowed to discuss in the tradition from which I came. I am looking forward to being challenged to understand others, as well as engaging my own position on this particular issue in new and meaningful ways.
Please consider coming to our dialogue session on February 1st at 9am, and please take some time, if you are not familiar, to review the accompanying documents that outline both the national church’s, as well as our bishop’s and diocese’s, position on this issue. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me as well, if you would like more information, or would simply like to have further conversation!
May the peace and love of Christ guide our hearts and minds as we enter into this important dialogue!
Fr. Jason
As we prayerfully prepare to engage in a very important dialogue regarding our response as a parish to the bishop’s invitation to discern whether or not we will bless same-sex unions who have already been civilly married, I wanted to outline some important values and parameters that I hope will guide our dialogue.
As with any dialogue, it is important to be intentional about what our objectives are. It is my hope that our objectives are more than just a Vestry vote on whether or not this parish will bless same-sex couples who have been civilly married. It is my hope that this important dialogue will bring about a deeper engagement with our Faith, as well as with one another. Ultimately, the goal of any meaningful dialogue is a deeper understanding of, and respect for, one another, even if we may happen to disagree.
The bishop is asking the Vestry to vote, but a democracy does not ensure that people are listened to, understood, and respected on both sides. Our current political state proves this very clearly. Our task at hand, as I hope and pray, is not just to vote or express our opinion, but to engage our faith and one another in mutual respect, charity, and dialogue. If done well, this dialogue can serve to actually energize and renew our parish as opposed to dividing it, as has tragically been the case in some parish communities in the past.
Perhaps it would be beneficial to borrow a pivotal concept from our Jewish brothers and sisters known as Pilpul. Pilpul is the view that tension is normal and healthy, and even necessary for truth to be more deeply understood. Like Episcopalians, Judaism is full of divergent viewpoints, and Judaism at its best embraces the tension because it ultimately enriches and encourages all to strive more deeply to understand God’s truth and movement in our lives.
Personally speaking, I am blessed and honored to be part of a tradition that invites and encourages this kind of dialogue over an issue that I was not allowed to discuss in the tradition from which I came. I am looking forward to being challenged to understand others, as well as engaging my own position on this particular issue in new and meaningful ways.
Please consider coming to our dialogue session on February 1st at 9am, and please take some time, if you are not familiar, to review the accompanying documents that outline both the national church’s, as well as our bishop’s and diocese’s, position on this issue. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me as well, if you would like more information, or would simply like to have further conversation!
May the peace and love of Christ guide our hearts and minds as we enter into this important dialogue!
Fr. Jason
links to important documents to review
| General Convention Resolution of 2012 |
| Position of Bishop Miller |
| standing_committee_cover_letter.pdf |
| standing_committee_report.pdf |
| standing_committee_report_to_bishop_on_blessing_marriages_of_same_gender_couples.pdf |
| Bishop Miller's Response to the Standing Committee Report |
| Diocese of Pittsburgh Pastoral Letter |