As Seen Elsewhere

Here at the Walking With Integrity blog are scouring the headlines for you and bring you bits of news as we find them each morning during convention. Please feel free to share your news stories you find in the comments!

First we want to highlight and lead off with one of our very own team members:

General Convention, Young Adults, and Mission
By Otis Gaddis III

Increasingly I am convinced that this General Convention could unleash the great potential the Episcopal Church has to effectively reach the unchurched and dechurched in the United States. I was drawn to come here because I wanted to be part of the story of that transformation of potential energy into kinetic energy.

Bishop Sends Shockwave, Slaying the Sacred Cow of Individual Salvation [Includes an online comic]
Candace Chellew-Hodge, Religion Dispatches and founder/editor of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for GLBT Christians

... Rev. Schori’s amazing opening words to her flock call us from this insidious practice and rightly names it for what it is—heresy and idolatry. Focusing only on our own needs—with perhaps scraps and crumbs thrown to “the least of these”—has produced a selfish church preaching a variety of individualistic messages of prosperity, moral superiority, or feel-good sermons about godly self-esteem.

Clergy say, "I won't"
Lilly Fowler, Salon.com

"We are not going to allow the state to make us agents of discrimination," Susan Russell said, the congregation's senior associate. (Russell issued this statement from the Episcopal Church's general convention being held in Anaheim, Calif., this week and next. The convention is set to consider resolutions that would allow same-sex blessings in the church, as well as the appointment of gay bishops, resolutions that many Anglicans disagree with and that have resulted in friction among members.)

Archbishop hears from cross section of Episcopal Church
Mary Frances Schjonberg, Episcopal Life Online

In his story, Spencer tried to convey the cost of the "current challenges" around the issue of full inclusion and he said Williams recalled his words during his conversation. "I was just really glad to know that he recognizes that there are actually costs involved while we wait," he said.

Resolution to allow 'generous discretion' for same-sex blessings draws passionate debate
Janet Kawamoto, Episcopal Life Online

Deputy Samuel Gould of Massachusetts noted that he was attending college in California during the fall 2008 election, when Proposition 8, defining marriage as exclusively the union of a man and a woman, was hotly contested. At his college, he said, most students were opposed to the resolution, and favored marriage rights for gays and lesbians. When the resolution was passed by a slim majority vote, he said, "It was really hard for me to believe what a bubble I'd been living in." However, he said, the support on campus for gay rights gave him hope. "Young people are the church of tomorrow," he said, "and I think the church of tomorrow is here today."

Please feel free to share your news stories you find in the comments!