Advent- a season where we are called to wait and watch for signs of God's emergence, God's visiting us in human flesh.   This past weekend I believe I saw an Advent manifestation.

Since the election and consecration of Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire 6 years ago, The Episcopal Church has proclaimed to the Anglican Communion it would exercise a certain restraint in consenting to the election of Bishops who like Bishop Robinson were in same gendered partner relationships.  While not stepping back for discerning as a church that Gene Robinson was appropriate to serve as Bishop in our Church, as a sign of our appreciation of communal relationship, we, as St. Paul spoke of, restrained ourselves from the liberty we find in Christ in order to engage the wider family.

In the past 6 years there have been in the neighborhood of 30 Bishop elections in the U.S.  There have been candidates living in same gendered partnerships in a handful of  those elections.  For the past 6 years dioceses gathered, prayed and elected the person they felt God was calling to be their faithful pastor.  They were not trying to carry out litmus tests or make some proclamation in the elections.  As with the election of Gene Robinson, they sought to hear who would best serve their diocese as Bishop.

This past weekend, the Diocese of Los Angeles elected a woman who has been a priest since 1984.  In that time she has served as rector for two parishes and has served as Canon to the Bishops in the Diocese of Maryland, a role in which she is described as a reconciler.  Mary Glasspool also happens to have lived the past 19 years in a faithful, committed relationship with a woman.

I do not see here a church speaking arrogantly to the rest of the world as some would claim.  I see a church who for 6 years and for over thirty elections has gathered, prayed and asked God to lead them to the person they need as their Bishop.  I see a church who values all human relationship, asking that all those relationships manifest integrity, mutual self offering, fidelity and seeking in others the presence of God.

There are already tumults in certain places of the globe regarding this election including the Archbishop of Canterbury.   While his Grace made a written response to the election within 12 hours of its happening, we have yet to hear any response from the Archbishop regarding Uganda's recent pending legislation calling for life imprisonment of any homosexual person and imprisonment for any person not reporting known homosexuals to authorities (including clergy).  "When did we see you in prison?"

This Advent I do not see a church trying to tell the world it is better than others.  I see a church who has gathered 30+ times in 6 years and in each gathering has looked for God who visits us in human flesh.  What Los Angeles did, I believe, was the same thing the other 30 dioceses did; they asked God, "In whom are you visiting us?"  They gathered, they listened, they acted.   Listening for the Word in our midst, discerning the presence of God in human flesh, responding to that presence; this is the task of Advent.

Peace,

Todd Donatelli