The Episcopal Church's triennial convention is now over. I offer a little background for those who don’t understand the EC convention. At its essence, it is the meeting of our governing body – the equivalent of our congress. The Prime Minister or President of our congress is the Presiding Bishop. The Episcopal Church is unique in Anglicanism because it has the most highly democratic polity. The bishops are our senate, and the elected priests and congregants are our house. It is these to bodies that work together to create church law (canons) and issue resolutions of understanding.

The headlines and network news shows that covered the convention concentrated on our election of the first female Presiding Bishop among the more than 75 million Anglicans worldwide. But also, there was a great debate within the convention about how the American branch of Anglicanism (The Episcopal Church USA) would explain it's theological foundation for ordination of gay and lesbian clergy to the Anglican Communion which includes many theologically conservative bishops in the developing world (specifically Africa, Asia, and South America). After reading many blogs about the convention, I came upon a new online video entitled Voices of Witness. It helps explain my thinking about the long running controversies within the church (which actually date back 30 years, not just 3 years).

I and perhaps most Episcopalians in the US are what some call "Incarnation" believers. In other words, we look to balance and interpret scripture with personal experience of God's creation, all around us and in a modern context. The central idea to incarnation theology is that God continues to speak to us through His creation right now, in today's world, and with today's modern scientific understanding of the universe, and not just through a book that is more than 1000 years old. And that new revelations and understandings should be incorporated into our belief system.

Many conservative believers have a problem with incarnation theology because it diminishes the role of the Bible. But I disagree on that point. I believe it actually enlivens the Bible and makes it more relevant in today’s world – especially in the developed western world where Christianity is losing adherents.

Another objection is that incarnation theology expands the moral gray area, limiting or even eliminating boundaries and absolutes. Again, I disagree. I believe this theological system only requires us to re-examine our long held beliefs, and perhaps find some beliefs that in the light of new information, are actually sinful if we retain them.

Most controversial among these beliefs are the beliefs common in many religions that women should not be priests or bishops, and that gay and lesbian people have an inherently sinful and disordered sexual orientation. That last belief has caused the most controversy lately because the Episcopal Church confirmed the elevation of its first openly gay bishop three years ago. And the world wide Anglican Communion objected, demanding an explanation for our theological foundation.

I discovered the Voices of Witness video online today. It does the best job of explaining why gay and lesbian people should have full communion with the body of believers, and full access to all sacramental rites. The video is fully incarnational, because it directly draws from human experience of God’s love and creation as it is known today. Watch it, please. It may bring new understanding to your life too.

Sadly, the recent convention was polarized by a minority of conservatives who held expulsion from the Anglican Communion as a threat over the heads of all delegates to the convention. In the end, little ground was gained for gay and lesbian people. And sadly, the conservatives are still dissatisfied and are unlikely to withdraw their threats of schism within the US and international church. Times will tell where we go from this point.

Episcopalians are a small denomination in the US. But I’m very proud of our inclusive church. We walk the talk more often than not.

Eyeman is cut from the same cloth as Senate Majority Leader Bill Facist ( I mean Frist). As usual, the Republicans want less federal government in your wallet, but more in my bedroom. The Senate's attempt to ammend the US Constitution to outlaw gay marriage in EVERY state (even those who freely choose it) failed for the second time yesterday.

According to the PI, Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell were getting more frustrated and angry. Like most Democrats -- and even some Republicans -- Murray and Cantwell have sharply criticized the Senate's Republican leadership for taking three weeks from a tight schedule to debate constitutional amendments on gay marriage and flag burning and on banning the estate tax. Even though they know these issues are all destined for failure since several Republicans refuse to tow the party line.

To all my friends and family members who voted for George Bush...this is what you get! You get a party that's controlled by fundamentalists who care nothing about deficits, war, or human rights. What they care about is my sex life AND cutting my taxes (yeah, we are in the upper 5 percent for per capita income!) You get a nation with a rising international reputation for hypocracy and a widening gap between the rich and the poor - not to mention a military that is stretched to the limit. 

Is that what you wanted in 2004? I hope so - now you have got it. I told you so.