SCLM Addresses US House of Bishops

I send you this message as an update of the ongoing work being down by the Episcopal Church’s (TEC) Standing Committee on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) on the matter of blessing “same-sex couples.”

The Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers, associate member of APLM Council chair of SCLM, and other members of the Commission met with TEC’s House of Bishops (HOB) this past weekend. She spoke of General Convention’s motion C056, which directs SCLM to consult with the HOB as it collects and develops resources for same-sex blessings. A report on resources gathered will be presented at General Convention in 2012. SCLM’s work addresses four areas: liturgical resources; theological resources, pastoral and teaching resources; and canonical/legal considerations.

The Rev. Patrick Malloy, another associate member of Council, outlined the principles adopted by the Liturgical Resources Task Group to guide its work: rites developed should be consistent with the Book of Common Prayer and the Baptismal covenant, and liturgical principles that express Anglican liturgical qualities (literary, formal, holy, meaningful, metaphorical, performative). The work must have contemporary speech, liturgical prayer, and expressions of the Church, not simply of the couple.

The Rev. Jay Emerson Johnson outlined the theological principles being addressed by the Theological Resources Task Group: vocation, spiritual discipline, covenant, household, faithfulness.

The Rev. Canon Thaddeus A. Bennett and the Rev. Canon Susan Russell of the Pastoral and Teaching Resources Task Group are focusing on the pastoral resources to prepare couples for ceremonies and teaching resources to prepare congregations to better understand the parameters of the resources.

Susan Russell has a blog post about their time with the HOB, and the follow up to that meeting. It's a long piece, but well worth taking the time to read:

http://inchatatime.blogspot.com/

I remind you, too, to continue checking SCLM’s blog for their postings about this and other work:

http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/

Blessings,
Jay

Jay Koyle, APLM President