Late to the Dance!

I went to seminary in 1969. From time that I left my beloved Michigan to the time that I reached New Haven, Connecticut I realized that something important had changed. What I left was a low church (it just seemed normal) Morning Prayer 1928 Prayer Book parish built on the 1955 or so model of the Church. What I found in the seminary chapel was a different (green book) Book of Common Prayer, incense and protests against the war in Vietnam. Women could certainly not be ordained as priests. Women bishops would have been a psychedelic trip. Berkeley Divinity School was absorbed by Yale. I was ordained a priest in 1973, women were ordained to the priesthood in 1976, in 1979 there was a new Prayer Book. Women began to be elected as Bishops. Issues of sexuality began to be talked about and now in 2006 we have a new Presiding Bishop-elect, The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, a woman! I struggled vehemently with the ordination of women. I worked for the preservation of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. I wondered about the issues of sexuality. Many was the time that I believed that this was not what I had signed up for.

Why am I still here? I believe that God has a plan. Maybe better said, we continue to discover the will of God set down from the beginning of time. I am also aware that there are those who believe that the present state of affairs in the Episcopal Church is certainly not of God. I wish that I was as sure of God's will as so many seem to be. I rejoice with those who rejoice and I grieve with those who grieve.
I wrestle with God and God prevails.

Now that I begin to contemplate retirement, I realize that my faith journey would have been easier had I just gone along for the ride. That was not to be. I couldn't just go along. This was all too important. I am still here and the Church is still here and my faith is still here. The joyful music of heaven plays on and I realize that I am late for the dance but I am here and the dance with God goes on and we learn the new steps for a new time "and the beat goes on". May God bless and challenge and protect our blessed Episcopal Church for this time and the time to come.

Dean Hurley