A Time to speak ...

At 2:00 p.m. on Thursday I attended the World Mission Committee's hearing on Resolution D020, which would commit the Episcopal Church to "provisional" agreement to sections 1-3 of the Anglican Covenant draft recently reviewed by the Anglican Consultative Council (kind of like an executive council for the Communion). This time I showed up in time to sign up to give a testimonial, and here's what I said (I first gave this from some quick notes, since I was the fifth person to speak, so I needed to adapt to what others had said before):

"A covenant does not support an abstract idea, a happy thought, or a vague notion: it establishes a relationship. For the people of God, covenants establish a relationship between the Triune God and humanity. A relationship initiated by God's grace and given as a gift. A relationship in which humanity lives in a redeemed accountability and a joyful dependence upon God. From the Scriptures, we learn that Covenants are initiated at turning points, kairos times, to point the way forward, to reveal a destination or victory prepared beforehand by God.

The Anglican Covenant is not a happy thought, a good idea, or a vague historical inheritance. This committee, of all the committees of this convention, should know that the Anglican Communion is a web of relationships. Relationships like the one I have with Bishop Bullen Dolli: I have eaten in his tukol, I have wept at the foundation of his bombed out house, I have taught his clergy, I have celebrated communion with him. This web of relationships, this Communion, is given as a gift by God and sustained by His grace. It is a web of relationships in which we live in mutual accountability and joyful interdependence.

Friends in Christ, this is a turning point, a kairos time, in the life of our Communion, and I am convinced that we must engage in the Covenant process -- and that is what "provisional" means to me: process. An Anglican Covenant is required, in my judgment, to point the way forward, to reveal the destination prepared beforehand for us by our Lord. A destination revealed by the name of our Church, itself: restored and redeemed communion with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak today."

So that's what I said: believe it or not, I got it in within the two minute limit (although the chair was telling me time was up for my last sentence!). I also had the opportunity to answer two questions from members of the panel, which gave me additional time to flesh out the case for the Convention to adopt a pro-Covenant resolution. We'll see what happens, but simply the opportunity to speak in this forum on behalf of something I care deeply about is deeply gratifying.