If anyone thinks the present spiritual malaise is mainly about The Episcopal Church, or mainline Christianity in America, then I daresay they're naïve about spiritual warfare - not to mention reality outside their window. The demons that have ransacked TEC (to take a single example) are the same ones which have targeted the West as a whole. Indeed, the assault upon orthodox Christianity only makes strategic sense as part of a massive assault upon civilization as we know it.

Let us consider this representation.

OUR POLITY?

In 1991, the General Convention adopted the following resolution, B020:

"Resolved, the house of Deputies concurring, That this Church receive the report of the Standing Committee on Human Affairs as clear evidence of no strong consensus in the Church on the human sexuality issues considered or the resolutions proposed; and be it further

Interestingly enough, there are relatively few scriptural references to reconciliation. Yet those we have clearly cover the whole range of human experience. Certainly, they highlight the depth at which reconciliation needs to bring healing to the human heart. Old Testament references naturally deal with personal and social offenses within Israelite society, or against God, and talk of sin offerings for forgiveness or peace offerings for restitution.

"The Very Rev. Robert Taylor, dean of the cathedral, informed parishioners in a March 21 letter that the church fell short of its annual fund-raising goal and would be laying off the three women."

What makes this news outrageous is the Times report of Taylor's recent raise in salary:

"Church leaders ... said Taylor's raise was to make his salary - $175,000 - comparable to those at Episcopal churches of similar size and was funded through gifts for that purpose."