“The man who seeks God in isolation from his fellows is likely to find, not God, but the devil, who will bear an embarrassing resemblance to himself.” (R. H. Tawney)
If you have been blessed by the healing ministry of your parish, then thank a General Convention of the Episcopal Church. If you have benefited from the ministry of a deacon, from the ministry of a female priest, or from serving in the various lay ministries of your church, then thank a General Convention of the Episcopal Church. If you support the work of relief organizations that helps people in need such as Episcopal Relief & Development or the United Thank Offering, then thank a General Convention of the Episcopal Church.
These are just a few examples of the impact that past General Conventions of the Episcopal Church have on our lives. All of those blessings and benefits result from past decisions of the central governing body of the Episcopal Church that convenes every three years. The first General Convention met in the city of Philadelphia in 1785 to formally organize the Episcopal Church and to bring to America our own form of the Book of Common Prayer for worship. It also established our republican form of church governance -- quite similar to America's form of government -- that assures the full participation of laypersons in church affairs at all levels. Few churches accord laity such an honored and important role. You can thank our General Convention for that.
But there is yet a more important reason why General Convention matters to us, as the quote from R.H. Tawney reminds us: we are all a part of something that is much larger than ourselves. Episcopalians are not just part of a local parish but also part of a nationwide church and the international Anglican Communion. Episcopalians in the United States are part of a church family of some 75 million people in 164 countries, all of whom trace their history back to the See of Canterbury in England and all of whom worship from the Book of Common Prayer.
What that means is that Episcopalians are people who strive to be in relationship with other persons, both within and outside of our parishes. We are not free-standing parishes: we are connected to other people through our diocese, the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. And all of those people influence and shape our expression of the Christian faith. Thank God, for we are thereby prevented from falling into the abyss of an overly individualistic kind of faith ruled by our private idols and not leavened by the experience of other Christians.
Our current theologian-in-residence in the Diocese of Southern Ohio, the Rev. Frank Wade, recently said this about the importance of our Episcopal way of life: “We come to church to seek the wisdom of others who shape our faith and understanding.”
This same principle applies to why General Convention really does matter to us. Unless you are convinced that you have all the answers, then you really do need to listen to the thoughts and experiences of other faithful Christians – even if you don’t necessarily agree with them.
What the 75th General Convention meeting in Columbus this month decides will have an impact on our lives. And though you may not agree with everything that is decided, recall those blessings you have and will receive through the work of our Church’s House of Bishops and House of Deputies, and thank General Convention for having an impact on your life as an Episcopalian.
