Bishop Lawrence and revealed direction

Bishop Lawrence has been out in the real or metaphorical wilderness set on receiving a revelation from God concerning the future of his ministry and the life of the Diocese of South Carolina. He is back in the Diocese and has been meeting with his Standing Committee and Deans of area deaneries. It appears he has received direction. 

The word is not yet out as to just what that direction is. "South Carolina Episcopalians" reports on August 24th that it may all be revealed this week. They write,

"Revelation Given to Bishop Lawrence Could Be Made Public This Week

Vision: "Prosper ... in the Gospel and not for harm"

Bolting the Episcopal Church is in there too, according to a clergy source

SC Episcopalians can confirm that Bishop Lawrence received a vision of God's Will for the Diocese during his recent vacation.  It could be made public as early as next week, according to a clergy source.

In July after the General Convention, the Bishop told friends and clergy that he would be looking for exactly this kind of revelation as he took some time off in the mountains and the desert.  This week he returned to the Diocese and shared the vision with the Standing Committee and clergy leaders of the various deaneries.  All say they have signed onto it, but are keeping mum about the specifics. 

Here's what is known:

The Very Reverend Craige Borrett, Rector of Christ-St.Paul’s on Yonges Island and former Chairman of the Standing Committee, reported the following to his congregation:

As you know the bishop returned from an intense time of prayer, reflection and seeking God's will for himself and this Diocese this week.

On Tuesday he met with the Standing Committee, and they released their joint statement. "The Bishop met today with the Standing Committee, which unanimously approved the course of action he outlined for the Diocese of South Carolina."

On Wednesday he gathered with the Deans of the Diocese and shared this vision. I join with the Standing Committee in wholeheartedly approving this Godly course of action.

A fellow Dean and member of the Standing Committee, Fr. John Barr, stated, 'Bishop Mark has faithfully sought God's leading and has been given a vision for the future of this Diocese - a plan to prosper it in the gospel and not for harm."

The Standing Committee has prayed that it would be drawn to a place of alignment with God alongside Mark; and, graciously so, we are in unanimous agreement.  Because of the need for both prudence and charity, I cannot share more specifics at this point, but you will all know more within the next few weeks.

SC Episcopalians has learned from one of the deans who has spoken with the Bishop that part of the vision is that God wants him to try to take the Diocese out of the Episcopal Church. (underline mine)

Well, dear friends, the fat may well be in the fire. SC Episcopalians also has a very good essay on what it understands the hole that Bishop Lawrence has dug and why he is about to fall into it. Diocese Adrift as Bishop's Options Narrow  is an excellent piece of analysis and worth the read.

Several points: 

(i) If indeed Bishop Lawrence is set on leading the Diocese and/ or many of its parishes out of The Episcopal Church he needs revelation very much, for anything short of that makes him a liar. 

(ii) The claim to have received revelation, or that it has been revealed to him, has remarkable possibilities of being an ego trip of the most egregious sort.  More, as a revelation about "what must be done" personal inspiration stands over against the notion that God might well reveal the path forward by a form of communal revelation, as in prayerful meeting or convocation. What authority can the Bishop bring that satisfies the charge that his personal revelation trumps the working of God's revealing of self in community decision making?  

(iii) South Carolina Episcopalians have asserted that "According to two attorneys contacted by SC Episcopalians, Lawrence and his allies have used the past few years to engage in a coordinated campaign to defraud the Episcopal Church of its property at a level that rises to criminal conspiracy."  Revelation backed by preparations build from conspiracy, criminal or otherwise, is hardly an open process.

We Episcopalians are a mixed lot, theologically, spiritually and in terms of our understanding of church. It is essential to find ways to include as fellow Episcopalians people who disagree strongly with us, and we with them. I set great store on the right of a diocese to elect who they will within the very broad boundaries set by the vows they will take, the canons and constitution they will affirm and the community into which they are called. And, we are finally even called to take risks on behalf of inclusion. We do this all the time. 

Everyone knew that Bishop Mark Lawrence would be, for some of us, theologically cranky. But theologically cranky is different from being a liar.

Even at this late hour I hope and trust that Bishop Lawrence has not found a revealed word that he is to try to take the Diocese or even its member churches with him down paths that lead out of The Episcopal Church.  I can hope that SC Episcopalians misread the tea leaves. 

So we await Bishop Lawrence's revelation and we will wonder if that revelation has anything to do with the revelation to the people of God by way of their common life in Christ, or will it be the episcopate re-incarnated and now based on authority by revelation? 

Whatever it is, it's not, well, Anglican.