St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

There's been a lot of comment about Bishop Sisk's letter out in the diocese and the blogosphere. Some seem to think the primary concern wasBishop Moore's sexuality, and I guess for the wider public interested in
such things that will be the titillating revelation.

Some people are disillusioned with church. And I understand. Episcopal demographers weep about the church's demise. They don't know what to do. Actually we do know, but most churches can't do the work as effectively in this highly competitive spiritual marketplace. We have big physical plants, and few volunteers.

I was considering some of the ways to describe the Episcopal church precisely, in a way that is readily identifiable - against other Christians, in some sense.

We are Christians in that we follow the trust and confidence found in the person the Church identifies as Jesus Christ. He was scapegoated as an innocent victim and preached the overcoming the fear of death through love. His resurrection fosters hope, tenacity, courage, resilience, magnanimity, and humility.

To the Editor:

The City of New York is turning its back on the poor, the hungry and the homeless. Your Oct. 30 issue gives clear evidence of the fact. Bob Herbert’s column exposed the flawed and often cruel new policies and procedures of the Department of Homeless Services. Mothers and children are being put out on the streets with no housing resources.

We're often called heretics.

The Episcopal Church might be guilty of being Arminian, offering grace a bit more freely than usual. Or Erastian, as we do submit to the state. Definitely Latitudinarian, as we are particularly broad-minded. Often Semi-Pelagian in that we think our own agency and God's can be linked. Surely a body of pragmatic friends of the infinite.

As represented through the life, death and life of Jesus Christ.

But we're not Gnostic, Marcionites or Arians.