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"If you are a dreamer, come in. If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a Hope-er, a Pray-er, a Magic Bean buyer; if you're a pretender, come sit by my fire. For we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!" -- Shel Silverstein

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Vision, Prayer, Projects and Dreams


One of the really wonderful things about Lambeth was the opportunity to network internationally.

Herb Gunn took this picture of me and Christina Rees, president of WATCH (Women and the Church), the UK equivalent of The Episcopal Women's Caucus, while we were at Lambeth.

Christina and I were "housemates" - sharing student housing with four other women who were part of the "Inclusive Church Network."

Christina is originally from Long Island but married a wonderful British bloke and has been living for the last two decades or so in England. Her accent is an interesting amalgam of "lung island" and Coventry (if you can imagine such a thing). Sometimes, listening to her just flat out made me giggle. Indeed, one of the most endearing things about Christina is that sometimes, she laughs right out loud about herself.

Christina and I shared a vision, a prayer, a project and more than a few hopes and dreams.

Our vision is simple but a challenge, given that we are reminded that the Anglican Communion is still in a "period of reception" of the "innovation" of the ordination of women. (Yes, I know, but it's true. Swear to God.)

So, our vision is that by Lambeth 2018 there will be women in all ordained orders in all provinces.

Yes, you heard me: By 2018, there will be women in all ordained orders in all provinces.

That is, no doubt, a tall order, given the fact that sexism and male privilege are still very much alive, even in England.

If you followed anything of the process for the British Synod vote to allow the appointment of women to the episcopacy (in the CofE, bishops are appointed,not elected), you understand that the process of accommodation of Anglo-Catholics might take a bit of a long haul.

Even so, I think our prayer is even more of a challenge than our vision:

That the women who are ordained, elected or appointed to the councils and corridors of institutional power and authority will be vehicles of the change and transformation necessary for the church to have greater integrity and authenticity as the Body of Christ.

We're talking systemic change here, not just changing the faces at the top. That will require lots and lots and lots of prayer.

In terms of projects, we are hoping for exchanges in pulpit, altar and See. That is, we are hoping that ordained women in all the provinces and from every continent will have an opportunity to have the experience of women preaching, presiding and leading.

We're hoping that women will be invited to exchange pulpits and altars with their male counterparts in places where the ordination or consecration of women is not yet allowed.

We're also hoping that women who are bishops might be able to exchange "sees" for a time with their brothers where women are not yet allowed to the episcopacy, so that folks get a chance to 'vive la difference'!

We suspect that, once a male bishop gets to experience a diocese where the leadership of women is as natural as breathing, he might go back to his province and become an advocate for change and transformation.

We trust that the experience of women in authority will help to change hearts and minds and we are committed to having our organizations facilitate that exchange of experiences.

Finally, we have some common, shared hopes, dreams and prayers:

We hope and pray that our young children and young adults will continue to be nurtured and challenged to grow more and more into the full stature of Christ.

We dream of a church in which they will have enough support and love to be able to take the risks of faith which the once and future church will need if it is to be relevant in the lives of her people.

We hope and pray that our church will formally repent of the sins of sexism as a manifestation of prejudice and patriarchy as a system of oppression.

We share a common dream that we might inspire our church to dismantle patriarchy and combat sexism where ever it is made manifest. We dream of an end to domestic violence and the rape or women and children as a weapon of war. We are convinced that once sexism is dismantled, the dismantling of the sin of heterosexism will soon follow.

Finally, we hope and pray that we can grow more fully into relationship with each other, despite the geographical boundaries that separate us.

We dream of a time when we might have increased opportunities to share our passion for the gospel, as well as more occasions to share our individual faith stories and the myriad of ways in which Jesus is alive in our lives, calling us to our various vocations, ministries and mission.

And, you thought Lambeth was just about bishops!

13 comments:

Fran said...

What a great photo- your friendship and joy shows!

You other than me attending a weekly healing mass at St. Thomas on 5th Avenue for about a year (around 90-91 and another story for another day...), I admit I knew almost nothing about TEC or the Anglican church.

I have learned so much in the past year of blogging and being in community with you all. And in this past month of Lambeth blogging I have learned enormous amounts.

So I don't have any concept of bishops only! But hey that's just me.

I love your vision, prayer, project and dreams!

Anonymous said...

For what it's worth, Elizabeth, I bless your prayer. And I thank you (plural) for your vision. As I say again and again, it's about relationship, and I do what little I can along the way.

Thank you.

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

Thanks, Fran. I'm "this far" , by the authority invested in me by absolutely no one at all, from declaring you an "official Anglo-Catholic."

I think spending as much time as you do in Anglican blogosphere earns you that distinction. Besides, you think like an Anglican.

Thank you, Scott, for your blessing. It is deeply appreciated.

David@Montreal said...

and let the Chirldren of God say Amen, Elizabeth

love the hat Elizabeth!

Fran, I love the new photo, much more reflective of your energetic, open-hearted faith as witnessed in this space.

And whatever the 'official label' Fran, please know you're a much loved sister in Christ. So, with absolutely no power invested in me, I'm starting on gigantic, fraternal hug and sending it out to Fran ( everyone please feel free to join in)
((((((((((((Fran))))))))))))))

David@Montreal

JimB said...

I love the idea of a see exchange. It would be fascinating to see what for instance, NT Wright would make of 6 months as ordinary of a major American city -- see!

FWIW
jimB

Unknown said...

Such beautiful prophecy!
May it be so........
It must be so.......
It will be so.......
Amen!

SUSAN RUSSELL said...

grat picture ... great dream!

Kirkepiscatoid said...

Fran's simply Anglo-Catholic by osmosis. There's no simpler explanation!

June Butler said...

And, you thought Lambeth was just about bishops!

Elizabeth, I never! How could I with you there? You're a force! Christina looks and sounds like a force, too. What are bishops up against the two of you?

I have a hat like that. It's foldable and packable, isn't it?

St Edwards Blog said...

Oh my beautiful and loving friends... how grateful I am for you.

As many of you have seen me write over recent weeks, what will be will not likely know any of the lines of denomination that we live by today.

It is fine that we live with them but we must also live across them. And that is what we do here.

You are all people of my essential community now, you inform my faith, you support my life as I hope to do for and with you.

Thank you all for your welcoming hospitality and love. We are doing our Kingdom work here in the blogosphere and what a rich gift that is indeed.

Plus, if TELP says I am "in"- well then, I am definitely in... right?

So by osmosis or blogmosis, I am here, ever your sister in Christ with great love.

All will be one... some day!

(p.s. this is fran, in my altar, oops I mean alter-ego!)

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

Mimi - that hat has been to Ghana, Belize and now London. It's the BEST travel hat for "women of a certain age" who must begin to worry about the perils of skin cancer and such.

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

Fran - you are a member of TEC by 'blogmosis.' I declare it to be so. TELP has spoken. Somebody give me an 'amen.'

June Butler said...

Amen, and amen, and amen! Will that do?