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1988 the Witness, Vol. 71, No. 6. June 1988

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1988 the Witness, Vol. 71, No. 6. June 1988 VOLUME* 71 NUMBER* 6 JUNE 1988 publication. and reuse for required Permission DFMS. / Church Preachment Episcopal To People Power the of John H. Burt Archives i Union-Busting 2020. Susan E. Pierce Copyright Episcopal Church As Voyeur L Louie Crew Hushed-up Christ by Robert Hodgell Letters Bishops not all bad magnitude involving a complete rever- serving is an inference drawn by Cor- Charles V. Willie's article on women sal of custom and tradition ends up win and not a conclusion of this author. bishops, "No doubt about it," (March based on guesswork, I wonder. Also my essay on women as bishops WITNESS) is a learned and dramatic Prof. Willie writes, "If women are did not state that men as a rule are more support of the elevation of ladies to the called to be bishops, my guess is they harmful and less helpful. Again, this is episcopate, and in spite of my own are called to do these things because Corwin's inference. For the record, my doubts, it seems almost an exercise in they are helpful and not harmful." That article simply stated that "If men are futility not to accept that this is going to seems to infer that men as a rule are not more helpful as bishops than happen, come hell or high water, in the more harmful and less helpful. If that is women could be, and if women are not not too distant future. That will give us true, then perhaps the ultimate step is to more harmful as bishops as men have have only women in Holy Orders. been, why should either gender be ex- publication. a first-hand opportunity to determine whether women will be better suited to My argument is not that women cluded from this office?" My question and that office than many men who are now should not be elevated to the episco- deserves a straightforward answer. bishops, as Prof. Willie indicates. pate. But I cannot accept the fact that Despite Corwin's selective emphasis reuse However, when Prof. Willie speaks they will per se be more helpful and and awareness of the ideas contained in for about the self-serving and arbitrary ac- less harmful than men. Men and women my article, I am pleased that he believes tions of our bishops, I assume he are first human beings, and regardless "the elevation of (women) to the epis- of sex, there are rotten apples in every required doesn't apply this to all, although his copate" is an action that "is going to language could be interpreted to apply barrel. I will probably not be around happen." This is a profound opinion and to a majority. If we have some bishops long enough to see how this works out. I am grateful to him for sharing it. who have lost sight of their servant role, In any event, these next few decades Charles V. Willie Permission then they should be replaced. But over may be years that test our love and Harvard University faith, and our very souls. 77 years, I have known many bishops Cambridge, Mass. and have found that they are in fact, just Charles Corwin DFMS. / human beings who have their faults. Colonial Beach, Va. Except for a very few, they are not self- Kudos from PB I think Susan Pierce's report on Central Church centered, materialistic, greedy persons Willie responds America is superb. (See April, May is- primarily concerned with self-preserva- Selective reading, understanding, and sues.) It is really written with a lot of tion and the exercise of authority in an awareness is a problem that we all ex- arbitrary manner. Nor have they lost the sensitivity and I think it will mean a lot Episcopal perience from time to time. Charles servant attitude toward priests and laity to the people in Central America. the Corwin's letter manifests this problem. in their dioceses. Edmond L. Browning of My article about women as bishops did Presiding Bishop I also question whether we in this not label bishops as self-serving. It The Episcopal Church now generation are any better qualified stated that by majority vote the House Archives to determine the will of God in areas of Bishops, meeting in Chicago during where we approve change which is so the summer of 1974, committed the er- Wrong church? 2020. opposite to the customs and traditions ror of defending the faith against We have not renewed because we find of our ancestors, who served this Body change of the gender of persons in the the policies of THE WITNESS to be of Christ so well over the past 2000 priesthood, and of absolutizing the rela- contrary to the true and traditional- Copyright years. Obviously they would not have tive by calling into question the validity teachings of Christ's church. accepted the ordination of women, nor of the newly desegregated priesthood The Rev. John L. Goeb their elevation to the episcopate, but if which was accomplished in July of that Milwaukee, Wise. they had, I doubt that they would have year. considered women better qualified to be To assert that some bishops commit- bishops than men. ted an error does not suggest that they Redemptive suffering Although Prof. Willie has written a were self-serving. Any inference that Mary Lou Suhor's star-spangled essay very logically argued treatise, he ends bishops who did not support the women (April WITNESS) was arrow-straight to up with guesses. When a change of this who were ordained July 1974 were self- the heart of redemptive suffering. She THE WITNESS took me with her from the first leap, gist in Utah, is doing great work with ness of homophobia." It is based on a through landing, through hospital hugs. Mormon women (three generations in talk he gave at our AIDS Conference at Everyone's pain was palpable. Whoa- one family!) who have survived child St. Thomas' Church, Whitemarsh, ear- sa! abuse/incest. I have sent her a copy of lier this year. WITNESS readers may be She wrote a meditation on transfor- Roberta Nobleman's "Call it not love." interested in a resolution passed by our mation by patient (pun) intention as It is about time the Episcopal Church vestry recently which reads: well as on healing process and the faced that problem, just as the author Whereas we are all made in the im- prayer-of-being. Remember the Bernard says. age of God, and we are all equally and of Clairveaux quote? "God puts us on Thank you again for all the good unconditionally loved by God just as we our backs to make us look up." I pray reading — and the insights that reading are; and her roommate is healing, too. brought. Whereas we are all called upon to publication. Alia Renee Bozarth Nancy S. Montgomery love one another in the spirit of God's Washington, D.C. love for each of us; and and Sandy, Ore. Whereas in Christ we learn that all reuse Prays for healing people have a right to respect and jus- for tice; and Identity with humanity My tears flowed as I read "Star Whereas we envision the community It gladdens my heart to see what an in- Spangled Suffering." I imagine I'm not of St. Thomas' as embracing the values spiration Mary Lou Suhor has turned the only person to react that way, either. required of human relationships revealed by God her suffering into — not a pious admo- Since I belong to the Companions of in Christ; and nition to accept pain as a blessing, but the Society of the Holy Cross in which an identification of her pain with that of intercessions for others is a major part Whereas Lesbian/Gay persons are of- humanity. Identification, not compari- ten scorned by society and feel alien- Permission of our Rule, Mary Lou Suhor's name is son; even there she avoided using other now on my intercession list and will be ated from many communities in our people's greater suffering as a palliative sent to all 800 of us through our culture; DFMS. Therefore, it is necessary to affirm by / for her own. She did not say, "think of monthly "Intercession Paper." May the the Nicaraguan war victims who don't power in our prayers add to her healing. official resolution that: have morphine." She said, "My theol- Lesbian/Gay persons are welcome Church Doris Boyd within the community of St. Thomas' ogy had not caught up with my condi- Beverly, Mass. tion ... the chain rattles for all of us." Church to share in the liturgy and life of (I am so humbled, and grateful, for the our parish family, and are also welcome Brava! varied and touching responses which Episcopal to seek employment and leadership in Margaret D. Wilde came in after my parachuting accident. the our parish. Bethlehem, Pa. The prayers, especially, have sustained of Annette Irvin, Chair me and sent my spirits soaring, even AIDS Conference April sparked insights though I have been grounded. — Ed.) Archives What a fine April issue of THE WIT- Security threatened 2020. NESS! You are singularly fortunate to Keeping us honest? have a young person with writing skills I am writing to ask you to change the Why don't you drop your pretense of address of my subscription to THE of the quality that Susan Pierce shows. being Christian? Wouldn't it be more And she's only beginning — what the WITNESS from my El Salvador ad- Copyright honest? dress to an address in the States.
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