A Fractured Unity

This morning Joy and I went to St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Franklin, TN. It was a good experience. One thing in particular stuck out to me: the beauty of the liturgy. Good evangelical protestants have often labeled more liturgical services as archaic, old, or out of date. I think it has more to do with a lack of understanding rather than the mode of service. The service flow has a centuries old witness. When I experience such a service I can't help but think that thousands of churches are reading this scripture and proclaiming the Lord's death at the same time, and we are not alone. Those who have gone before us are also 'groaning in child birth' as we await the holistic redemption waiting for us. They are present, as is Christ.

I particularly noticed the transition from the homily into the creed. As the media has made abundantly clear, the Episcopal church of the USA has been going through a rough patch. The seminal issue revolves around the acceptance of gay bishops. Some are for it and some are not. There was an honesty this morning when this was addressed. However, it was not a message against or even for homosexuality within the church. It was a message of love in the midst of our differences. One can interpret our differences as our views about homosexuality, our certain doctrines, or even the way in which we conduct a service. What matters is that Christ is in all and through all. And we as a church are still trying to figure that out.

The serviced progressed from the homily right into the first words of the Nicene Creed: "We believe in One God, the Father, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen." How beautiful a movement. To go from talking about the divisions that have arisen within the community and then still professing the unity that is in the body of Christ culminating in the Eucharistic feast. May the love of Christ continue to knock down the barriers that keep us from loving each other.