Of Bishops and blizzards

On January 26th, history was made.  No, not the “blizzard that wasn’t” (more on that later), but the ordination and consecration of the Rev. Libby Lane as the first female Bishop in the Church of England (CoE). This might seem like old news to those of us in The Episcopal Church (TEC), where women have been allow to be ordained for almost 40 years (yes, when I was born, women were not allowed to be ordained!), but women’s ordination has been a huge controversy in our Mother Church. 

Unlike TEC, the CoE did not chose to allow women to be elected bishops once they allowed them to be ordained to the priesthood in 1992. This capitulation to traditionalism was only part of the uphill battle. Several people filed law suits against the Church saying that women’s ordination was illegal.  Others were more passive-aggressive in their dissension and would walk out of a service if a woman was presiding.  I bore witness to this in 2004, when the first woman priest on the staff at Canterbury Cathedral was presiding at the morning Eucharist.  And it wasn’t a man that walked out – it was a woman. 

Ten years later, the CoE General Synod, which is similar to our General Convention, finally voted to allow women to be elected bishops. While it took 13 years for the first woman to be elected bishop in TEC (Barbara Harris in 1989), it only took months for Libby Lane to be elected.  It was time.
 
There is still dissension.  Just like in our marriage services, ordination services have an opportunity to ask if those present consent to the proceedings.  On Monday, one person did step forward and make his case that the Bible does not allow for women bishops.  It is true, but the Bible also doesn’t talk about cars, cellphones or space travel.  Should we ignore those advances in thinking as well?  If we believe in a Creator, are we to say when that act of creation ends, or are we brave enough to risk believing that God is still creating something new and wonderful every day?  And if so, shouldn’t all people be part of that new creation, Greek or Jew, slave or free, male or female? [Galatians 3:28]

Some fear the future because it is unpredictable.  Or it is predicted, like a “major snow event,” and not much happens.  But, if we are smart, we take precautions and get prepared.  Being a Christian is all about preparation in order to live in the moment, to act and be as Jesus taught us to be – loving and truthful.  We develop our gifts and talents to offer them in service to God.  Some have talents to make emergencies go a bit easier, some have talents (or misfortune) to predict the weather.  Others have talents to offer leadership in the church.  None of them – or us – are perfect and will make mistakes.  That doesn’t mean they cannot do the job to the best of their ability and for God’s glory.
 
I will pray for Bishop Libby, and for all bishops, for the incredibly difficult job they have of sharing God’s love to a world that seems rather reticent, and at times, hostile, to Jesus’ message.  And yet they endure. 

Now I’ll go build a rather small snow woman and find a pointy hat to put on her head.

In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+ 

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