Organic Growth

Wednesday, February 7, 2006 -- Week of 5 Epiphany; Year One

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 946)
Psalms 119:97-120 (morning) // 81, 82 (evening)
Isaiah 59:15b-21
2 Timothy 1:15 - 2:13
Mark 10:1-16

Spiritual growth has an organic nature to it. We don't just decide to be spiritually mature and become so. It takes time and practice.

The writer of 2 Timothy offers three helpful images -- soldier, athlete, and farmer. Soldiers undergo rigorous training in order to become fit and to respond with instinctive obedience in times of threat. Athletes practice long hours until their skill is finely honed. A farmer works with the natural cycle, patiently preparing the soil, planting, and waiting for the gifts of sun and rain to produce the crop.

There are no shortcuts. You can't plant today and reap tomorrow. You can't take one tennis lesson and serve an ace. You can't run through one obstacle course and face combat as an effective unit.

It is the same way with the practice of virtue, prayer, and study. It takes time to develop the discipline and practice that produces spiritual growth. But with time and discipline and practice you will discover yourself responding with instinctive charity or praying effortlessly or understanding intuitively. Growth happens.
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In the heart-breaking conflict, division, and separation that characterizes some parts of the church today I see some irony in the selective obedience that is happening. Some priests are leaving the Episcopal Church alleging that we are being unfaithful to scripture if we recognize and accept the spiritual gifts and be committed love of Christians with a same-sex orientation. They cite scripture as their authority.

Some of the same priests are finding themselves in awkward positions as they affiliate with African Anglican churches which do not recognize the experience of resurrection and committed love of Christians who have divorced and remarried. This passage from Mark combined with a similar prohibition from Paul was the foundation for the centuries-old tradition of the Church prohibiting remarriage. "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

Until 1978 no one could be remarried in the Episcopal Church if their former spouse was alive. In some congregations, remarried members were not admitted to communion. They were not ordained or given leadership. That is still the practice in many parts of the Anglican Communion.

It was the Episcopal Church's experience with the fruits of the Spirit present and manifest in the relationships of divorced and remarried Christians that persuaded the Episcopal Church to change its policy. We became convinced that remarriage is often an experience of resurrection, healing, grace and love. We allowed love to overcome the "letter of the law" and we made careful exception to the Biblical prohibition to remarriage.

Most of the priests now leaving the Episcopal Church, maybe all, have recognized the grace present in remarriage and have presided at the sacrament of marriage for persons who have divorced and whose former spouse is still alive. There is a priest in a neighboring diocese whose testimony at the 2003 General Convention was the most passionate and, to my mind, the most extreme in opposing any accommodation to homosexuals. Recently he led his congregation out of the Episcopal Church. His news release about that action cited his commitment to being "unapologetically biblical." He is himself divorced and remarried.

I wish those who have appreciated the grace present in many remarriages could also recognize the grace present in the committed relationships of many gay couples. But if they can't, I wish they would not beat those of us who do over the head with the Bible. We are all trying as best we can to follow the revelation of God in scripture. We just disagree in our interpretations.

Lowell
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.