A STATEMENT
FAVORING THE BLESSING OF SAME-SEX UNIONS
The
Very Reverend Samuel G. Candler
Dean
of the Cathedral of St. Philip
For
the General Convention of the Episcopal Church
Open
Hearing on Resolution C-005
Grace
to you, every one of you, and peace, in Jesus Christ our Lord!
Isn’t
it fun to be in this Church? I say unfasten
your seat belts, friends, because this is a great flight, a blessed pilgrimage;
God will get us home gracefully.
If
you are visiting this conversation tonight, please know that the Episcopal
Church is a Christian tradition which is both orthodox and comprehensive; both
faithful and adventurous. That is why we gather tonight, and we invite you to
join us. I have been asked to speak tonight in the affirmative; I accept with
honor, and with gratitude for my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. Yes, the
Church should develop liturgies that bless certain non-marriage relationships.
However,
I speak in the spirit of Philippians, chapter two, in humility looking not to
my own interests but to the interests of others, seeking the mind of Christ.
I
speak in humility because I know that my affirmative vote does not represent
all Christians, or all Episcopalians, or all in my parish, the Cathedral of St.
Philip, in
While
my particular view does not speak for all in my parish, I do speak for a
thriving congregation who has learned how to live and pray and work together
even when we disagree on sexuality issues. I hope that all churches in the
Anglican Communion, and all
I
speak in humility, too, because I always know I may be wrong. I have been wrong
before, and I have changed my mind before.
In
fact, I have changed my mind on this issue, the blessing of same-sex unions.
I’ve certainly had plenty of time in these last thirty years of prayer and
study, hope and anguish! I suppose that this issue, with its arguments and
stories familiar to all of us, has become a part of every one of our parishes
in one way or another.
I
first understood the issue as one of nature, and of natural law. I love nature.
Most of us, like me, are heterosexual. That is natural for me –and, I might
add, wonderful, even fabulous! Personally, I do not understand what
homosexuality is like. But I do believe that a certain percentage of humanity
will always be gay or lesbian. This orientation is as natural for them as my
orientation is for me. The percentage is small, and it will always be small; it
is no threat to the institution of marriage.
Each
of us, gay or straight, can commit sin in our sexual expression. There are
sexual sins, deep and divisive because sexuality is such a deep part of our
lives. But homosexuality, in and of itself, is not a sin. I count four verses
of our sacred scripture which might indicate otherwise, four verses which I
–and you– have examined endlessly. I do not think those four verses speak about
what we experience today as homosexuality. They do not speak about same-sex
relationships that are faithful, life-long, other-serving, self-sacrificing,
grace-filled, and God-directed.
In
cases of controversy, my Protestant principle of scripture interpretation –and
yours-- is that scripture interprets itself. And here is where I have changed
my mind.
Our
arguments about same sex unions should not be based on nature or natural law at
all. I believe God honors creation and loves creation and blesses creation. But
throughout scripture, God emphasizes something much greater even than creation.
God’s Word lifts up the blessing of covenant, the grace of fidelity, and the
power of single-minded commitment. Theologically, that is the faith of
monotheism. The great commandment is that we should have no other God but
Yahweh (Deuteronomy 6.4-5). Monotheistic commitment.
No idols. God wants us to be in covenant with one God.
This
is the real commitment that God blesses. Thus, the Church should be about
blessing only those human relationships and events which point to the glory of
one God. We should not bless any relationship
just because it is natural -- heterosexual or homosexual.
Let
the state do what it wants! Let the followers of natural law do what they want!
The Christian Church makes another kind of claim altogether: that we are saved
by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. The Church blesses faithfulness. The
Church blesses those relationships and institutions which symbolize, represent,
and point to, a new creation, a new order. In that new creation, grace
overcomes what we think we know by nature. (This is what Galatians 3.28 means;
in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female.)
Marriage
itself has been defined in many ways within the Christian tradition. It is a
Catholic sacrament, a Reformed covenant, a Lutheran social estate, an Anglican
little commonwealth. However, in any Church, marriages are properly blessed
only insofar as they represent the single-mindedness and purity of heart and
faithfulness that we ought ultimately to have for God.
Let
us acknowledge that same-sex unions not only can, but they do, now, offer some
gays and lesbians an occasion to make sacred commitments to one another,
commitments which point not to themselves, but to God. God is not ultimately
interested in our changing social estates. God is interested in our life-long
devotion and allegiance. Throughout scripture, God blesses those people and
relationships that point to God.
I
understand that acknowledging the grace of some non-marriage relationships
startles, and even shocks, some people. But the Bible is full of God’s actions
that startle us from our sense of order. Consider Jacob’s surprise: “God is in
this place, and I knew it not (Genesis 28.17).” Consider Isaiah’s words, when
he spoke about the foreigner and the eunuch, a minority order of person who was
regarded as unfruitful and not permitted to serve: “Let not the eunuch say I am
just a dry tree” (Isaiah 56.3). Consider Peter’s vision that he must not call
unclean what God has called clean (Acts 10.15). Startling!
Relationships
that glorify God bear fruit, what
Article XX of our historical Thirty-Nine Articles states that no place
of scripture should be expounded so that it is repugnant to another. I agree with that
principle. Four verses of scripture should not be expounded so as to be
repugnant to the overwhelming message of God’s grace.
Today,
the resolution before us is not about marriage. It is not about what would
become a customary part of the Prayer Book. It would not be required. The
resolution acknowledges what is occasionally, occasionally, the case in many
our parishes. There are non-marriage relationships in the Church which mediate
the grace of God (our last convention affirmed that!), and which point to the
commitment that all Christians should have for God. Many of you here tonight
live in such relationships and you knock on the door like a friend at
No
relationship is perfect here on earth. It is only thanks to my wife that my
partnership even comes close. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the
glory of God (Romans 3.23). No relationship is ideal. But insofar as any
relationship shows us the grace and glory of God, that relationship is properly
blessed by the Church.
A word to those whose unity with the Episcopal Church is threatened,
even by this very conversation tonight. Do not
fear! God has brought the Christian Church through far bumpier flights than
what we experience today. We need one another, even in this disagreement. In
fact, I appreciate this disagreement with my friend, Kendall Harmon. We need
this conversation to remind ourselves what the catholic essentials of the faith
are.
The
Anglican Communion, only a fairly recent historical fellowship, is not unified
by universal jurisdiction. The Anglican Communion is unified by holding
catholic essentials in local jurisdiction. When the Church makes the transition
from
Do
not fear. This is the word of prophets and angels; it is the word of Jesus. I
am proud of the Episcopal Church and hopeful.
We can be a thriving Church whose members disagree on the issue of
homosexuality. And, at the same time, we can be a thriving Church that includes
occasional, blessed same-sex relationships – certain unions which are wholesome
examples of the grace that God has poured out for each one of us. Every one of
us is saved by that grace, in Jesus, Christ our Lord.
Thank
you.
The
Very Reverend Samuel G. Candler
The
Cathedral of St. Philip
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