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Ecumenical guests raise their voices in song and prayer
Changes made to saints days in church calendar
Each of the singers in turn offered a prayer and then combined their voices into what was called "a sung Abrahamic blessing to this house." Christianity, Judaism and Islam all trace their roots to the biblical prophet Abraham.
The singers included Cantor Mark Saltzman, Congregation Kol Ami, Los Angeles; Mu'athin Ben Yousef, the Islamic center of Southern California; the Rev. Peter Rood, rector, Church of the Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, Diocese of Los Angeles.
The visitors were introduced by Bishop Christopher Epting, deputy to the Presiding Bishop for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations. The Rev. Dean Nelson, bishop of the Southwest California Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, spoke on behalf of the group of more than 20 people representing Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and Baha'is in Southern California.
Nelson also thanked the Episcopal Church for the "strong voice" shown on important issues. "Your commitments to social and economic justice, equality and dignity for all, and care for the earth and environment have been evident not only in your actions here at this convention but more importantly in the communities where you have been called to live and serve," he said. "And they embolden and enliven us all."
The ecumenical and interfaith guests were presented to the House of Bishops later on July 14.
"We were blessed, as always, with the presence of our ecumenical and interreligious guests at General Convention," said Epting. "We focused especially upon the interreligious presence since we were in the rich, multi-cultural reality of Southern California where our own Episcopal Church has done such great work. The Jewish-Christian-Muslim chant of the Abrahamic blessing was positively riveting in both Houses. We were blessed by their sung blessing!"
Saints days changed
In legislative action, the House of Deputies joined the House of Bishops in approving proposed significant additions to the list of names commemorated in the church calendar as part of a major revision of Lesser Feasts and Fasts. These "saints" days were proposed to expand the current list in the Prayer Book. These additions were adopted for trial use in the next three years. They would become official only on adoption by the 2012 General Convention.
Called Holy Women, Holy Men, the changes aim to reflect a broader representation of the church in all its diversity, including "a cloud of witnesses not limited by ordained status or denomination or gender or culture or profession," said retired Bishop Jeffrey Rowthorn, who led the standing commission's calendar committee when it began the revision in 2001. "We have been led to include an extraordinary array of faithful men and women."
Deputies also joined bishops in approving six immediate additions to the church calendar after their three years of trial observance. They are Harriet Bedell, James Theodore Holly, Oscar Romero and the martyrs of El Salvador, Tikhon, Vida Dutton Scudder and Frances Joseph Gaudet.
The house also heard the results of a vote by orders taken on July 14 to add "gender identity and expression" to Title III, Canon 1, Sec 2, dealing with non-discrimination in the ordination process. Deputies adopted that addition to Resolution C061 in both orders. The vote was 82 yes, 21 no and 6 divided in the lay order, and 72 yes, 28 no and 9 divided in the clerical order. The amended resolution will now be considered by the House of Bishops.
Four lay and clerical Episcopalians were elected to the Trial Court of a Bishop: the Rev. Francis Wade (Washington), the Rev. Carol Cole Flanagan (Washington), William Fleener Jr. (Western Michigan), Diane Pollard (New York).
After the final vote, Sally Johnson (Minnesota) noted that this marked the first time someone other than bishops would serve on this trial court. She said this action means "increased balance in our polity to bring priests and lay people into the discipline of bishops."
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