Is it the Cathedral's role to take stands on issues? Or Is
it the Cathedral's role to be a gathering place where issues are
prayerfully and respectfully discussed ... with us lifting up the Gospel in the midst of the conversation?
It's a question your Cathedral Chapter will take up this Thursday evening. And even though we might each have a strong gut answer to the question, the question is anything but simple.
Two recent queries have raised this issue:
In March, I was approached by two parishioners who were taking the training to gather signatures for a petition drive that Metropolitan Congregations United is supporting for a ballot initiative that would seriously curtail the interest rates lenders can charge on payday loans. They wanted to be able to collect signatures at the Cathedral on Sunday.
Yesterday, I was asked if the Cathedral could serve as a backup rain location for a counter-rally to the NRA convention in St. Louis today.
In both cases, I said no ... not because I don't personally support the ballot initiative (I have signed the petition myself) or because I am a fan of the NRA (I can't tell you in how many ways I am not!) ... but because this raises larger questions of who we are and what our role as a Cathedral is, and the Chapter is the body elected by the Cathedral congregation and the Diocese that is entrusted with making those decisions. I wanted Chapter to have those conversations before we waded into these waters.
Either choice carries with it challenging implications.
If it is the Cathedral's role to take stands on issues ... either by making public statements or by allowing our facilities to be used for certain causes ... then who decides what those stands are and what causes we support?
Even if we can all agree that limiting interest rates on payday loans (rates which prey disproportionately on the poor) is a cause worthy of support, who makes that call? And what if someone wanted to come to Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday morning and collect signatures for a Missouri version of the Defense of Marriage Act? Or for restricting federal funds from going to Planned Parenthood? Or to distribute literature about repealing the Affordable Health Care Act?
And what if it was the NRA that wanted to use our space? Or what if both a Pro-Choice group and an Anti-Choice group each wanted to use Schuyler Hall for an open forum on abortion? What would our answer be? And would we charge or would we see it as part of our vocation as a gathering place?
And if we are that gathering place, what does it mean for us to lift the Gospel up in the midst of the conversation? If we, along with our partners in ministry at the Central Library, with joy invited Angela Davis to speak at Christ Church Cathedral, would we extend the same hospitality to Sarah Palin? Why or why not? And who decides?
As individual baptized Christians, we each have the responsibility to be active politically and socially to raise our voices for the voiceless and use our power for the powerless. And as individuals how we do that is informed by scripture, tradition and reason and we each make the call for ourselves.
But what about when we act as a body? According to the Cathedral bylaws, the Dean is the only person authorized to speak for Christ Church Cathedral. But do we really want a Cathedral whose political & social stands are just an outgrowth of my own personal opinions?
Here another angle. In today's Fox News/MSNBC world, we live in opposite echo chambers where we surround ourselves with like-minded voices and are rarely challenged by ideas different from the ones we start with. Is it more in line with the church's mission of reconciliation to take a stand on an issue or to try to provide a middle ground where all can meet in prayerful and respectful dialogue?
It should be an interesting conversation ... and one that isn't limited to just Thursday night's Chapter meeting.
Why is this important for Christ Church Cathedral?
I hope that's pretty obvious. This is important for us because how we decide on these issues will go a long way toward shaping our role in this community.
What do you think?
What do you think our role as a Cathedral should be? And if your answer is that we should take stands ... then who decides what stands and what causes or groups get invited to use our space? And if your answer is that we should allow everyone or no one, and that we shouldn't take stands but be a gathering place ... then what does that look like? And how do we be a presence of the Gospel in the midst of the conversation?
FYI, there is nothing legally that would prevent us from allowing anything mentioned here. For details about what churches can and cannot do in terms of political action without threatening our nonprofit status, click here for a handy two-page guide from Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation.
It's a question your Cathedral Chapter will take up this Thursday evening. And even though we might each have a strong gut answer to the question, the question is anything but simple.
Two recent queries have raised this issue:
In March, I was approached by two parishioners who were taking the training to gather signatures for a petition drive that Metropolitan Congregations United is supporting for a ballot initiative that would seriously curtail the interest rates lenders can charge on payday loans. They wanted to be able to collect signatures at the Cathedral on Sunday.
Yesterday, I was asked if the Cathedral could serve as a backup rain location for a counter-rally to the NRA convention in St. Louis today.
In both cases, I said no ... not because I don't personally support the ballot initiative (I have signed the petition myself) or because I am a fan of the NRA (I can't tell you in how many ways I am not!) ... but because this raises larger questions of who we are and what our role as a Cathedral is, and the Chapter is the body elected by the Cathedral congregation and the Diocese that is entrusted with making those decisions. I wanted Chapter to have those conversations before we waded into these waters.
Either choice carries with it challenging implications.
If it is the Cathedral's role to take stands on issues ... either by making public statements or by allowing our facilities to be used for certain causes ... then who decides what those stands are and what causes we support?
Even if we can all agree that limiting interest rates on payday loans (rates which prey disproportionately on the poor) is a cause worthy of support, who makes that call? And what if someone wanted to come to Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday morning and collect signatures for a Missouri version of the Defense of Marriage Act? Or for restricting federal funds from going to Planned Parenthood? Or to distribute literature about repealing the Affordable Health Care Act?
And what if it was the NRA that wanted to use our space? Or what if both a Pro-Choice group and an Anti-Choice group each wanted to use Schuyler Hall for an open forum on abortion? What would our answer be? And would we charge or would we see it as part of our vocation as a gathering place?
And if we are that gathering place, what does it mean for us to lift the Gospel up in the midst of the conversation? If we, along with our partners in ministry at the Central Library, with joy invited Angela Davis to speak at Christ Church Cathedral, would we extend the same hospitality to Sarah Palin? Why or why not? And who decides?
As individual baptized Christians, we each have the responsibility to be active politically and socially to raise our voices for the voiceless and use our power for the powerless. And as individuals how we do that is informed by scripture, tradition and reason and we each make the call for ourselves.
But what about when we act as a body? According to the Cathedral bylaws, the Dean is the only person authorized to speak for Christ Church Cathedral. But do we really want a Cathedral whose political & social stands are just an outgrowth of my own personal opinions?
Here another angle. In today's Fox News/MSNBC world, we live in opposite echo chambers where we surround ourselves with like-minded voices and are rarely challenged by ideas different from the ones we start with. Is it more in line with the church's mission of reconciliation to take a stand on an issue or to try to provide a middle ground where all can meet in prayerful and respectful dialogue?
It should be an interesting conversation ... and one that isn't limited to just Thursday night's Chapter meeting.
Why is this important for Christ Church Cathedral?
I hope that's pretty obvious. This is important for us because how we decide on these issues will go a long way toward shaping our role in this community.
What do you think?
What do you think our role as a Cathedral should be? And if your answer is that we should take stands ... then who decides what stands and what causes or groups get invited to use our space? And if your answer is that we should allow everyone or no one, and that we shouldn't take stands but be a gathering place ... then what does that look like? And how do we be a presence of the Gospel in the midst of the conversation?
FYI, there is nothing legally that would prevent us from allowing anything mentioned here. For details about what churches can and cannot do in terms of political action without threatening our nonprofit status, click here for a handy two-page guide from Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation.
4 comments:
Reconciliation is certainly important for the Church. I do believe, though, that there are times when the Church can and should take a stand. There is a distinction between opinions and issues of justice. I don't think that the Church should remain silent on issues of justice. Jesus took a stand when he threw the money changers out of the temple. I believe that the Gospel guides us in issues of justice and when it is appropriate for the Church to speak out.
This is an interesting topic for discussion. I would hope that it will find another forum where more people can participate.
I so agree that discussion should focus on what is the role of Christ Church Cathedral in political and social action and understanding the consequences/implications of our roles and actions. I have many questions or stresses as to what the Diocese or Cathedral believes and why we are not vocal, why we are placid on multiple issues facing this country. You were correct, I believe, in saying no to the two queries presented to you. There is so much that I think and want to say about the distortions, selective reporting and outright lies that permeate our country's culture. Where is the church inall of this? My most recent transformation, however, came from "Gnaw on This" for the Second Sunday of Easter. I (we) must think of church not as a place that we go but rather as a place we are sent from. I must let this guide me as I grapple with the multiple issues which I believe are appropriate for Cathedral dialog and spiritual leadersip. Dannie Franklin
Interesting conversation. I would be curious to know what the National Cathedral's policies are. After all they are located in the thick of it all and are known as a "gathering place" for the region. I like Dannie's thought about the church being a place we are sent from. At the very least we should listen to the Gospels, make up our minds and vote. Adele Moore
I am increasingly encouraged by the centered, considered approach the Dean is evidencing on many issues. I believe we are witnessing our little corner of God's Kingdom moving from a "low trust" environment to a "high trust" one. In this light, perhaps we can regard a Dean's personal opinions more attune to a judgement, the latter being informed and flavored by education, training, experience, natural intelligence, good will and continuing cogent counsel. Whatever the outcomes of any policy matter, what we see now amoung us are concerned, thoughtful, even wise perspectives and I, for one, am deeply grateful and encouraged by the quality of the evolving dialogue.
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