Parishioners across the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago had the opportunity to grill eight nominees – including a lesbian priest – vying to become the next bishop.
The candidates concluded on Sunday a weeklong tour of the diocese that consisted of meetings, presentations and answering questions on controversial issues such as immigration and the full inclusion of gays and lesbians.
At a time when The Episcopal Church has placed the global Anglican family on the brink of schism, openly lesbian candidate the Rev. Tracey Lind remains in the running to lead the Chicago diocese.
"In light of recent events, some of you may be wondering why I am still standing for election," Lind, dean of Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland, told audiences, according to The Chicago Tribune. "I trusted the spirit of this discernment process and I pray that you will do the same and that together all of us will see where the heart of God leads us."
Parishioners in the diocese aren't too concerned about the sexuality of their next bishop. Their priorities were more with the managerial and fundraising capabilities of Lind.
If elected, Lind would be the second openly gay bishop in The Episcopal Church – the U.S. branch of Anglicanism – and another blow to the wider Anglican Communion.
Its first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, was consecrated in 2003 and widened rifts within the Anglican Communion. The 77-million-member body rejects homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture.
Conservative Anglican leaders worldwide have called The Episcopal Church to repent and pull back its controversial decisions. However, Episcopal bishops, including Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, said last month they will not retreat but will "exercise restraint" in approving partnered gays as bishops and authorizing public rites of the blessing of same-sex unions.
In their official response to the worldwide Anglican family, the bishops also called for "unequivocal and active commitment to the civil rights, safety, and dignity of gay and lesbian persons."
Voting for the Chicago diocese’s next bishop will take place during its 170th annual convention Nov. 9-10.
According to the local Tribune, Lind didn't come out of the recent weeklong tour as a frontrunner but the Revs. Jeffrey Lee, rector of St. Thomas Church in Medina, Wash., and Petero Sabune, chaplain at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, N.Y., did.
Comments
Only the Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can cleanse us of all unrighteousness and filthy sin - this does include many other things, but as it pertains to this article - adultery, fornication, and yes, homosexuality. Too many in today's church want to cover up sin, and be politically relevent to today's "culture". They water-down the Wrod of God, and twist it to make it seem more "pleasant" to the ears. Many people want to hear what feesds their ego; they don;t want to hear the truth that transforms lives for their own good and for God's pleasure.
The Bible tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. None of us are without sin. The Good News is that Jesus Christ became God in the flesh for us! He decended from his exalted heavenly place, and willfully shed His Prescious Blood and gave up His life so that we may have a relationship with God the Father our Creator.
We need to first acknowledge that we are all sinners; we need to repent - that is to literally and willfully choose to turn away from our old life of living in sins; we need to ask for forgiveness and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior of our lives (this means we hand over our free will to Him, and choose toi obey His commands and teachings). We must put our total trust and confidence ino Him, and then follow Him.
The question is, have we trully repented, and turned back from our sin. That is to say, if we're willfully, and rebelliously living in sin, have we made a conscious choice to turn from that sin, die to ourselves, pick up our crosses daily and follow Christ?
None of these sins are unpardonable, but God has given us a free choice. We must choose this day whom we will serve. Are we going to choose to gratify our flesh and live in sin, or are we going to die to ourselves, and choose to follow Christ Jesus?
Whoever doesn't truly know Christ on this site, please give your life to him. You will not regret it. He will never bring up your past. We all have pasts, but God can make you a new person, and as you continue to seek after Him and as you surrender your life to Him, He will continue to mold you and make you into the vessel of honor He wants you to be. I hope this touches someone out there, and may the Lord turn your heart to repentance. God Bless You.
Peter 4
1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us[a] in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime[b] in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 4 In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. 5 They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
point of clarification:
Ephesians 2:14-18, speaking about Christ's work and the Law....
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Galatians 3:24-25
24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.
But that does not mean the Law is not still useful in letting us know what God calls sin:
Romans 3:20
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
God definitely DOES speak to us today. We definitely ARE going to have to answer for disobedience.
Biblical Womanhood
http://polemos.net/Womanhood,%20Biblical.html
the parishioners hold to it because of their social standing, or because of fear to do the right thing. many pastors have controlling spirits combined with a total lack of the truth of the word of God. many people study the word but don't really know what GOD IS SAYING BEHIND HIS WORD. God is still speaking to people today, have we forgotten that? do we not realize that each of us is going to answer to Him for every disobedient act? do not christians believe or realize that the law is not abolished; as paul the great man of God said: we establish the law by our faith. there are many laws in the new testament that christians just seem to not want to face up to. i just think and believe from what i have been taught for the past year, that most christian leaders are leading your average person away from the truth of the gospel of Christ and Him crucified, and our total obedience to Him. We shall be rewarded according to our works.. look it up, folks, and tell me if it doesn't say that. God help people who think driving to church is going to get them out of the fire of hell; it WON'T save them.. only the blood of Jesus; but most of all, as WE CONFESS HIM BEFORE MEN. Again, I ask you to look this up.
God bless.
our culture teaches acceptance of sin and calls it tolerance. The church is filled with the same.
If pastors dont live and teach the word of God, why would their parisioners hold to it?
What staggers me is that there are apparently real Christians in these churches that put up with it. I would have to ask them where their ultimate loyalties lie: with the preservation of their institution, or the testimony of Christ? If your voice is not listened to, there's only one way left to vote ... with your feet.
"In light of recent events, some of you may be wondering why I am still standing for election," Lind, dean of Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland, told audiences, according to The Chicago Tribune. "I trusted the spirit of this discernment process and I pray that you will do the same and that together all of us will see where the heart of God leads us."
Hopefully, to repentance:
Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Romans 1:25-27 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
Mark 10:6-9 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
No helpmate for man was found among the animals. Why? God was showing us that it would not be natural. He could have created another man for Adam. Why not? It would not have been natural. There are two ways to put asunder what God made from the beginning: divorce through the hardness of heart and same-gender relationships.
When one deviates from "the beginning" they will naturally deviate from God because "In the beginning God..." (Genesis 1:1).
Well said Gig. Someone who admits to sodomy pretending to be a Christian, and in a high place in a "Christian?" church. Definately a sign of the times--and what the bible said would happen. Christians live by the bible and the example of Christ. These perverts are NOT Christians as long as they refuse to repent of the filthy lifestlyle they seem to be 'proud' of.
Openly gay? does this mean she brings her girlfriend to church with her?
This is just a sign of the times, and just another nauseating fact of life. She is a false Christian, a false witness, and a pagan to believe that she can "openly sin" and admit to it, AND then pretend to be teaching the word of God??? too many weird negatives.