RE: thank you

[Louie Crew <lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu>]

Sounds like we're in much more agreement than I realized.  I believe
that violations of law should happen only in situations which the
violator takes to be extreme and is willing to pay the price of
her/his  conscience.   

[Openning communion to the unbaptized ] does not represent the diocesan 
policy or practice.   I will work within GC to try to change that
policy.
 
If the subject were lay celebrants of the Eucharist, I would be much
more worked up, and would work to bring presentments against any
priest who authorized them.
 
Several friends of mine have refused their bishops' offer to bless
their relationships, holding out for a time when the church will
officially pronounce that blessing.   Ernest and I could easily find
a priest who would "marry" us, but we have chosen not to do so.  Nine
years ago we renewed our vows in our parish, on our 25th anniversary,
but we were quite clear that we we were renewing our vows, not being
married.   In conscience we feel that marriage is done by the couple
and that we married 34 years ago when we made those fearsome pledges
with the 1928 Prayer Book (the only one available at the time)  in
our apartment with only the two of us and the Holy Spirit present. 
Irregular?  Quite.  Recognized by the church?  Not yet.
 
One of the delightful ironies is how very conservative I am in most
liturgical practice,  in most of my theology, and in how I spend my
time and money.  My parish (Grace/Newark) is not in the main stream
of the diocese or of TEC:  we were founded in the 1830s as an
Anglocatholic parish.  I am evangelical in my theology (and in the
length of my sermons).  I am still a Baptist in many regards, but
find the Episcopal Church the only safe place to be a Baptist in our
times.  (The Baptists have abandoned three of their major
distinctives of 60 years ago:  the priesthood of the individual
believer, separation of church and state, and the autonomy of the
local congregation:  I still strongly hold to the first two and
reject the third as decidedly 'not Episcopalian'.)  I also have
taught the Bible as literature in the English Department for 44
years, and rarely exposed my students to secondary sources:  why take
them away from the treasure itself?  I am continually amazed at how
little of the bible most people have read, especially those who argue
most vociferously about it.  I often get the impression that I am
listening to the conversation of people who have read all the critics
about a particular movie but have not actually watched it. 
 
I respect you for continuing to preach the gospel and to bring people
into this church, given how often this church pains you.  I hope we
have that in common.
 
I have stayed in the church to work for change within the canons and
not outside them.   I have willingly to pay the price of my
conscience again and again in my life commitment to Ernest, not
waiting for the Church to say okay.   That price has been huge, but I
consider it small compared to the grace of God working through that
relationship redemptively.
 
Louie
 
 

Louie Crew, 377 S. Harrison St., 12d, East Orange, NJ 07018. 
973-395-1068
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~lcrew