Florida Shootings

In the modern history of mass shootings in America, Orlando is the deadliest - Hate engendered violence leading to more hatred. This shooting, its shooter, and victims, will be politically used to create more hate that will lead to more violence. The shooting is caused by hate for those who are different and it will expand hatred for still others. Availability of weapons that can cause this level will be defended due to the hate. All of which is unjustifiable. We live in a nation that pretends civility and Christian values while rejecting the core and central tenets of Christian faith: love God and love neighbor and help create a peaceable kingdom. We live in a country that is revealing its underbelly of death, hate, and love of violence.

I pray for the victims of hatred, I pray for those who use fear and hatred to inspire further violence towards others, I pray for our country.

Our Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, or a staff member on his behalf, posted a piece in the wake of the shootings, it is from Galatians 6:7: "Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." He now states it was a mistake and planned before the shooting. It was taken down. Maybe it was taken down because it was in poor taste and timing.

The shooter is now believed to be a radical terrorist of Isis. The shooter was on a watch list but able to purchase an assault rifle because of our sad state of gun laws in the US.

The Internet is already full of unchristian, disrespectful, and horrific responses supporting the shooting and demonizing Islam.

The reality is that we in this country are responsible for creating a place where hate speech is glorified, unnecessary weapons of mass destruction are freely accessible, and violence is cheered. All of this came to bear on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community in Orlando. It is the same deadly mix that fell upon the African Americans in Charleston. As in Charleston there will be a clamoring to scapegoat Islam for Orlando - our newly appointed "other". The choosing of particular communities who have been our scapegoats in this society is no accident. As a society of violence we will have to perpetuate this in one fashion or another.

JoAnne and I pondered that it has been 18 years since Matthew Shepard. And, how in that time our fears for our LGBT friends has only increased. This nightclub attack will bring back to mind the violence in 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, or the Upstairs Lounge in 1973, or the Otherside Lounge 1997, or the New Beford attack in 2006 plus the countless beatings and deaths of individuals. (You can read the history of violence against the GLBT community here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_violence_against_LGBT_people_in_the_United_States)

Today I weep with my brothers and sisters in the LGBT community just as I wept with those in the African American community. And, I fear I will weep with future victims of American violence most of which will come via a shooter with a high powered rifle of some kind. I wonder how many more will it take? How many more of the least, the lost, the scapegoats, and the voiceless will have to be killed before we as a country have had enough?

Yes America, we are reaping what we sow.

Violence and hatred shall beget only more violence and hatred. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.

The Not So Mysterious Trinity

Preached at St. Thomas Houston and Trinity Port Neches

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Pentecost Sunday - The Inside and Outside of Church

Preached at St. Timothy's Lake Jackson, St. Mark's Houston

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Our Foundations are Shaken as We Are Freed From Fear

Preached at Christ Church Cathedral Vancouver

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God Draws Us To God's Self

Preached at Christ Church Temple 

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Dream the Dream of God

Preached at St. John's Cathedral Hong Kong April 24

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Our Sinai Lord

Preached at Palmer Confirmations

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The Lord's Day is Everyday

Sermon preached at St Mark's Beaumont, April 3, 2016.

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The Gardner, The Fig Tree, and our Lenten Journey

Lent 3 c preached at St Christopher's League City

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Lent Is Hard

Lent 2C Christ Church Nacagdoches

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You Know, I Know, God Knows

Ash Wednesday Sermon St. Thomas College Station

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Transfiguration - Go and Grow

Transfiguration Sunday Sermon at Church of Holy Apostles, Katy and St. Paul's, Katy

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Sometimes Loving Jesus Means We Don't See Too Well

Epiphany 4C St. Francis Houston

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The Conversion of the Church, The Conversion of Paul

Sermon Preached at Duke University Chapel on The Conversion of Paul.

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Thoughts on the Future Church

A talk given at the Duke University Anglican House Dinner.

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Jesus Calls Us To Follow

Spanish Sermon Preached at San Pedro, Pasadena

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An Experience of God - of Transcendence

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Statement by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry Following Primates Meeting

[January 15, 2016] Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael Curry has issued a video statement concerning the actions of the Anglican Primates at the meeting in Canterbury, England.

The following is the text of the Presiding Bishop's statement:

Before I say a word about our gathering here at the Primates Meeting, I just want to say a word of thank you to you for all of your prayers: your prayers for this meeting, your prayers for me personally, both here and in my earlier sickness. We are well, and God is God, and I thank you.

Let me say a word about the meeting.

This is not the outcome we expected, and while we are disappointed, it's important to remember that the Anglican Communion is really not a matter of structure and organization. The Anglican Communion is a network of relationships that have been built on mission partnerships; relationships that are grounded in a common faith; relationships in companion diocese relationships; relationships with parish to parish across the world; relationships that are profoundly committed to serving and following the way of Jesus of Nazareth by helping the poorest of the poor, and helping this world to be a place where no child goes to bed hungry ever. That's what the Anglican Communion is, and that Communion continues and moves forward.

This has been a disappointing time for many, and there will be heartache and pain for many, but it's important to remember that we are still part of the Anglican Communion. We are the Episcopal Church, and we are part of the Jesus Movement, and that Movement goes on, and our work goes on. And the truth is, it may be part of our vocation to help the Communion and to help many others to grow in a direction where we can realize and live the love that God has for all of us, and we can one day be a Church and a Communion where all of God's children are fully welcomed, where this is truly a house of prayer for all people. And maybe it's a part of our vocation to help that to happen. And so we must claim that high calling; claim the high calling of love and faith; love even for those with whom we disagree, and then continue, and that we will do, and we will do it together.

We are part of the Jesus Movement, and the cause of God's love in this world can never stop and will never be defeated.

God love you. God bless you. And you keep the faith. And we move forward.

The Most Rev. Michael Curry
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church

A Love That Puts Hate To Death

Sermon preached at St. Mary's in Cypress Texas for 4th Advent Year B

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You are My Beloved

Sermon preached at churches in La Marque and Alvin Texas. 2 Sunday after the Epiphany Year B. Baptism of Our Lord.

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Statement From Presiding Bishop Curry

From Presiding Bishop Curry:

"Many of us have committed ourselves and our church to being 'a house of prayer for all people,' as the Bible says, when all are truly welcome," Curry said in remarks he later made available to Episcopal News Service.

"Our commitment to be an inclusive church is not based on a social theory or capitulation to the ways of the culture, but on our belief that the outstretched arms of Jesus on the cross are a sign of the very love of God reaching out to us all. While I understand that many disagree with us, our decision regarding marriage is based on the belief that the words of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians are true for the church today: All who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female, for all are one in Christ."

"For so many who are committed to following Jesus in the way of love and being a church that lives that love, this decision will bring real pain," he said. "For fellow disciples of Jesus in our church who are gay or lesbian, this will bring more pain. For many who have felt and been rejected by the church because of who they are, for many who have felt and been rejected by families and communities, our church opening itself in love was a sign of hope. And this will add pain on top of pain."

Curry told the primates that he was in no sense comparing his own pain to theirs, but "I stand before you as your brother. I stand before you as a descendant of African slaves, stolen from their native land, enslaved in a bitter bondage, and then even after emancipation, segregated and excluded in church and society. And this conjures that up again, and brings pain.

"The pain for many will be real. But God is greater than anything. I love Jesus and I love the church. I am a Christian in the Anglican way. And like you, as we have said in this meeting, I am committed to 'walking together' with you as fellow primates in the Anglican family."

The Rt Rev C Andrew Doyle
Episcopal Diocese of Texas

Primates 2016 Statement

The Primates of the Anglican Communion, meeting in Canterbury this week,released a statement today about the continuing relationship between The Anglican Communion and The Episcopal Church. You can read the document  online.

I am profoundly grateful that the Primates want to continue to walk together as communion and participate in communion globally. Because of the strain that decisions made by The Episcopal Church regarding marriage have caused in some areas of the Communion (like Africa and the Global South), some Primates have requested that The Episcopal Church be prevented from certain work of the Communion for the next three years. Early reporting provides enough detail about the nature of this removal or any particular parameters Primates may have required unclear. The document released January 14 "requires" that The Episcopal Church "no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies" and "should not be appointed or elected to an internal standing committee."

The expectation seems to be that The Episcopal Church will continue to participate "in the internal bodies of the Anglican Communion" without the ability to take part "in decision making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity" for a period of three years. 

The Primates can require such things of their own body and so, this would mean that our Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Michael Curry, would not be allowed to sit on the Primate's Standing Committee, or take part on any ecumenical or interfaith bodies with whom the Primates are working. Bishop Curry would also not be able to work with the Primates on any matters of doctrine and polity they may be considering currently. 

While the Primates may ask this for their own body, as one of the instruments of the Anglican Communion, it does not make the same automatically true for the Anglican Consultative Council, a second of the four instruments of the Anglican Communion. That Council will have to make its own decisions according to its bylaws and constitution.

I would speculate that that member churches will move to formalize a similar requirement at the upcoming Anglican Consultative Council meeting, which included both clergy and lay members of the Church.

Our unity in living out the Gospel and representing the best that we can be to the broader, and decidedly secular, world is a priority. Our ministry to seek justice and respect the dignity of every human being is also a priority. I await further clarity from the Primates and continue to pray for our Presiding Bishop, our Archbishop and the rest of the Primates as they gather. 

The Rt Rev C Andrew Doyle

Episcopal Diocese of Texas