Winter 2013
What is True Religion?
Deaconess Anne House Director Jon Stratton at convention
The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri 1210 Locust Street St. Louis, Missouri 63103 ph: 314-231-1220 online: diocesemo.org email: info@diocesemo.org
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. —James 1:27 As social justice-minded people, we generally like James’ Epistle of Straw. It fits with our liberal mindset. Who doesn’t think it noble to visit orphans and widows in their distress. Who doesn’t want to be the hands of Christ that reach out to the hurting, the poor, the vulnerable, or the weak. This is good stuff. But then James says something that sounds a bit sectarian. He says that true religion involves keeping oneself unstained by the world. Unstained by the world. This is a powerful statement, and maybe even a more powerful sentiment. It kept fundamentalists in the mid-20th century unstained from the evils of voting or engaging in politics. It kept evangelicals unstained from worldly habits of drinking, smoking,
or attending movie theaters. And if we are not careful, this sentiment of separation from the world can keep us—even us social justice-minded Christians—disengaged from the neighborhoods, the peoples, and the hard work that might stain our sense of comfort and control. But I am convinced that if we are to care for widows and orphans, we risk getting a little stained in the process. In Old North St. Louis, we hope to try, ever so humbly, to live out at least part of James’ definition of “true religion.” As many of you know from either following the Old North Blog or hearing me speak at your church, we are planting a local branch of the Episcopal Service Corps in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood. ESC is a national organization with 25 different locations throughout the United States that invites young men and women ages 21 to 30 to spend a year of their lives dedicated to service and spiritual formation. Like many other Corps model programs, such as AmeriCorps, our young adults will
A Whole Lot of Holy
Diocesan convention reflection from delegate Linda Bush It’s still early and only one other person is here in this huge room! I know I’m in the right place, though, as a large screen projects “The 173rd Convention of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Missouri.” It’s exciting albeit somewhat overwhelming! I open my registration packet and see once more the same materials I received in the mail weeks ago. Similar information has also been discussed in our local meetings two and six months ago. I pour over everything once more and when I finally look up, the tables are beginning to fill. My fellow church-mates are here now, but I move to the front of the hall to attend Convention 101, a class for those who want to review proce-
dures for addressing the convention and voting, and an overview of the schedule. I begin to understand the established format which will insure a purposeful outcome, one in which time, for those in attendance, is at a premium. I begin to realize, too, that I am walking among angels in this place; unadorned as it is in every other way. A quick lunch followed by Plenary One which is a session of reports from the various committees and councils, then on to two workshops. Of the three offered, I first attend ‘Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Gender Relationships.’ It begins with a handout, The Oasis Missouri Discernment and Education Covenant for Discussions. “To continued on page 6
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More and deeper: mission and spirituality in Missouri Bishop Wayne Smith’s message to the diocese at annual convention Imagine a different kind of convention Henry Martyn Robert was a brevet brigadier in the U. S. Army during the Civil War. He was obviously adept at commanding soldiers. But a church meeting was another thing entirely. War was easier. It was from his frustration with church meetings that General Robert began to develop his Rules, the same we adopted for the meeting of Diocesan Convention: Robert’s Rules of Order. We have these rules because a war veteran found church meetings difficult. You have heard me say that the Church in legislative session is not the Church at its best. Last night (Friday’s Ordination and Eucharist on Nov. 16) at Calvary Church comes pretty close to the Church at our best: Gathered with all the baptized, with bishops, priests, and deacons, everyone taking a place. Gathered to make more deacons, but most of all gathered to make Eucharist. My dream for our time together in Convention is to take some of the energy and joy from those moments into our annual gatherings. And we hear your feedback, that you want more time to be together. I want that too and we can decide for this to happen. I say let’s do it. We will still need to fulfill basic canonical responsibilities in legislative session, and I will trust the chancellor, Standing Committee, Council, and others to help identify these. Legislative session is not bad, and I am grateful to General Robert for acting on his frustration and developing rules. If we exercise self-discipline, we can keep resolutions to a mini-
mum. If we use the convocations as they are intended, we can allow much of the deliberations to occur. If we do all these things, then we can use our time together in Convention to be with one another over the things that matter to us, and to do so in less formal settings. Other dioceses have chosen this route, and we in Missouri can surely learn from them. To this end, of having a different sort of convention, I will appoint a task-force to study the possibilities and make recommendations to me, to the Secretary of Convention, and to the Standing Committee no later than July 1, 2013. I am planning for a different kind of convention.
Package deal: mission + spirituality In familiar venues like Lui Diocese in South Sudan, new venues like Old North St. Louis, and in many locales around our congregations—the work of mission progresses. We in this diocese are privileged to join in God’s mission, and to have so many opportunities. Sometimes there is a false dichotomy imposed between the categories of spirituality and mission—that the one is for monkish introverts and the other for activists. I learned from my teacher Kenneth Leech, and from the writings of Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and William Temple that mission and the spiritual life are a package deal. For the religion of the incarnation, a more robust spiritual life does not result in mere quietism. It becomes the energy for mission. And no one can adequately engage God’s mission, without a grounding in the liturgy and in prayer. It
is absolutely crucial for the work ous people among Southern Baptists that I do. Mission, in turn, deepens are returned missionaries. That is our sense of life with God—a spirian out-of-fashion word, but, oh my, tual life. These pieces of the Chrisis she right. People who have visited tian life make a beautiful feedback another part of the world and have loop of grace. And a package deal. seen what God is doing there and The model for the Deaconwitnessed how God’s heart is breakess Anne House in ing are dangerous the neighborhood people when they of Old North St. come home. They ...as we explore Louis explicitly are dangerous to God’s mission and builds on this unthe status quo, derstanding of seek a spiritual life— dangerous bethe convergence cause of their own in that desired unity conversion. For a of mission and spirituality. The century and more between the two setting is an intenthey have providrealities of mission tional Christian ed great tonic for and spirituality. community that Baptist Churches will house five or all throughout the so interns beginAmerican South. ning next year, in a neighborhood These six missioners from our where there is a lot of material Diocese heading to Lui in a couple need. It’s a design for young adults of weeks are blessed with the opporwho want something more and tunity to step into God’s mission in something deeper. More and deeper South Sudan. By knowing them, we sense of purpose, more and deeper are all of us blessed. awareness of God, more and deeper Returned missionaries are clarity of calling. More and deeper some of the best things I remember experience in the city, and maybe from my Baptist childhood. There even in the Church. were three of them, all women, This will be a house for the in the little farming-community interns, and for us, as we explore church where I grew up. They were God’s mission and seek a spiritual great leaven for the rest of us. So will life—in that desired unity between these missioners to Lui be for us. these two realities. We have heard Jonathan Stratton’s report [printed Same-sex blessings in this diocese above]. I like what I hear. As approved by the General Convention last summer in IndiaMissioners to Lui, South Sudan napolis, there are about two hunOne more time we are senddred pages of materials forwarded ing off a team of missioners to Lui to the rest of the church—Bible Diocese. The Bible scholar Phylstudies, theological resources, study lis Trible grew up, as did I, in the guides for congregations, pastoral Southern Baptist Churches. I heard practices, and the rites themselves. her say once that the most dangerThe enabling resolution allows the continued on page 6