Prayer

I have found myself convicted by the Holy Spirit, through the words of my friend at A Pilgrim on the Canterbury Trail, of my deficiency in regards to prayer and study of the Holy Scriptures. I, too, have called myself a Christian for quite a few years, since sometime in the early eighties, and still I manage to go days without study and quiet reflection or time in communion with my Lord. I know that I am not alone, and that there are those who have overcome it with the Lord’s help. I take heart in knowing these things, but at the same time it saddens me that our adversary is so successful in his labors.

Enter the words of encouragement from friends. I have had the pleasure of corresponding through email with a fine man, a deacon in Christ’s church whom, though we have never met face-to-face, I have come to appreciate for his wisdom and charity. I wrote to him a couple of weeks ago in total exasperation and received from him words so simple I was almost ashamed to have not thought of them myself. He said, and I was quite glad to listen, that prayer is neither limited to sitting alone in a quiet room and speaking with intent to God, nor kneeling behind a pew in the local parish church. We pray, whether we know it or not, throughout the day. God hears our thoughts…He knows our hearts.

When we sing that favorite hymn that we can’t seem to get out of our heads, He hears it and knows that we worship Him. When we help someone in need, we honor Him, and He is pleased. When we cry out in frustration, He hears us and knows that we really cry out to Him. When we look around and wonder at all that He has made, He knows that we recognize Him as Lord. When that sudden revelation comes to us while driving, it is He who gives it to us. We pray throughout the day, and He hears and answers us.

This is not to say that quiet reflection and prayer are not needed. If we look at the example of our Lord, we find that He often went off by himself to pray. Even He, the Son of the Living God, recognized the need for one-on-one communion with the Father. It is during these times that He received peace and strength for the path laid before Him. And so it is with us. We need that time of solitude, that peaceful communion with the Father who strengthens us.

Everyday Ethics Round Table Discussion

While browsing Virtue Online, the weblog of David Virtue, I found and listened to a round table discussion on BBC Radio’s “Everyday Ethics.” The point was made by a gay rights activist that “the science is overwhelming that sexual orientation is down to our genetic inheritance.” Surprisingly, a TEC bishop, the Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen of Maine, made the counter-point that in cases of identical twins, who share 100% of their genetic make-up, one twin may be homosexual while the other is not. This brings us to Mr. Virtue’s comment that there is no such thing as “sexual orientation”, but rather there are sexual preferences and behaviors, which was the catalyst for the mentioned exchange. +Knudsen continued her refutation with the assertion that we are all born fallen and with various “conditions and orientations” that we don’t like and wish we could be without.

Another question posed to the group was that of homophobia in the church. As I have stated before, while there may be some homophobia/hatred of homosexuals driving the current debate, it is not the majority "conservative" position. As stated by Mr. Virtue, the disagreement over homosexual ordinations and same-sex blessings has really nothing to do with fear of and hatred for homosexual people, but with the impropriety and sinfulness of homosexual behavior. Scriptural texts are clear in their designation of homosexuality as sin, just as they are with any other form of sexual sin (fornication, sin outside of the bonds of Holy Matrimony). I am not by any means saying that I am less sinful than an actively homosexual person. My sins are neither more nor less than his/hers. My sins may be different, but I need God’s grace just as much. Therefore, I have no fear or hatred for my brother or sister sinners. I welcome them to sit next to me in the pew, to share my prayer book and hymnal, to join me in worship, to seek the same forgiveness and transformation I seek. However, knowing the biblical position on homosexual behavior as sin, it is my humble opinion that one who openly flaunts his sin, refuses to confess that it is sin when confronted with God’s Word written, is unqualified to be ordained to Holy office in Christ’s church. I have the same answer for the question of gay rights and the role of homosexuals in the church. They have the same rights as everyone else. They have the right to participate just like everyone else. They have the right to seek grace and forgiveness for their sins. They have the right to accept God’s gift of salvation through transforming grace. They do not have the right, just as I do not have the right (the call comes from God to ordination to Holy Orders in Christ’s church) to be ordained. And this has nothing to do with the person, but with that person’s choices and behavior.

“This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;” -- 1 Timothy 3:1-2 (emphasis added)