showing my true colors

I believe in the holy catholic church. I do, I can't get around it. In the term coined by my latest church hero, William Muhlenberg, I am an Evangelical Catholic. But having now read the primates statement on the actions at GC 03 and the ever so awesome AP spin on YAHOO! News, I am strugglin'. I knew the day Gene Robinson was consecrated I was screwed. I was headed towards ordination in a church that shot itself in the thigh and was slowly bleeding to death a the while being macho and saying it didn't hurt.

Well it hurts. On day 3 of the GC backlash, one of the members of my parish discernment committee resigned saying he wanted to see me ordained, but he couldn't recommend me for ordination in a church that had thrown out its understanding on the authority of scripture. My COM interview surrounded the issue and how I would deal with it in a parish setting (as all the clergy frantically wrote notes hoping I had a good idea to help them). I picked a seminary that I thought was a moderate institution, forgetting of course that moderate means something different in both higher education and Episcopal clergy terminology. All the while I've just sat back wondering when someone would fess up and say, "oh crap we shot ourselves."

I think now might be that time, and I'm nervous about what will happen next, but I believe in the holy catholic church, more specifically I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church, which when this is all said and done will still exist, but my bet is on there being a few more fractions make up that one.

I know I've now pissed people off and expect it. Please reply to me face-to-face, I'd love to talk more about this. I think it will help both "sides" deal with the hurt we have caused each other.