We Need to Pray for the Episcopalian Church NOW!!!

[CoilyFields]

July 11th News
Gay marriage has been overwhelmingly approved by the 14th largest religious denomination in the US.
The US Episcopalian Church has approved a rite for blessing gay marriages in Indianapolis, Monday. The Chamber of Bishops of the church expect to hear of the final approval from its House of Deputies sometime this week, said Ruth Meyers, a chair of the Episcopalian's Subcommittee on Prayer Book, Liturgy and Church Music. The church, affiliated with Anglicanism, would be the biggest US church to allow a liturgy for gay marriage.
The liturgy is called the "Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant" and would be standard for same-sex marriages. Episcopalian bishops have been blessing gay marriages for the past three years, despite resistance in the past, with 111 votes in favor and only 41 opposed. There were three abstentions.
The Guardian in the UK online stated, "The convention also approved inclusion of transgender people among those who should not be discriminated against, either for ordination or as lay leaders. "Today the Episcopal Church affirmed the human dignity of a deeply stigmatized population that is far too often victim to discrimination, bullying and abuse," the Reverend Lowell Grisham, a leader of the Chicago Consultation, a group that supports equality. ' "
It has been 15 years since the Episcopal church allowed its first gay priests, and nine years since it approved its first openly gay bishop, the Guardian reported.
Gay rights advocates are enthusiastic with the declaration, adding it to the list of six states as well as the District of Columbia where same-sex marriages are legal. This year, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington states also approved gay marriage, although New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed it. President Barack Obama endorsed same-sex marriage in May of this year.
The Presbyterian church, the 10th-ranked US denomination, rejected a recent proposal to redefine marriage as a union "between a man and a woman", Friday, but the global Anglican Communion groups are independent national churches, and create their own rules of ordination, membership and conduct.
The Episcopal Church is the 14th-largest denomination in the US, with nearly 2 million parishioners



We need to pray for our churches and leaders folks. When I saw this on the news this morning my heart ached for God's church. It is a dangerous thing to "bless" something God has called a sin. And it's even more dangerous when leaders, who are to be more mature in God, teach people to sin against God. There are NUMEROUS examples in the Bible of God punishing HIS people when they sin against him as a nation and served other gods. He allowed the earth to swallow them up...many never saw the promised land...sickness...disease...captivity...God is NOT playing when it comes to the holiness of his people. And for HIS church to deny Him is betrayal. When we put the trends of the culture before the Word of God we teach Christians and others to live by their own feelings and desires rather than the word. And if righteousness EXALTS a nation then it pains me to see the outcome when the Church is the one leading the rebellion.

So please please please pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ. That they turn from the wrong decision that they have made, that they be convicted in ther hearts by the Holy Ghost and compelled to repeal the sinful decision that they have promoted.

 

[sidney]

Yes you have the solution. Just like you were meditating on the scripture from chronicles last week: If MY people who are called by MY name, would humble themselves and seek my face they will hear from heaven and I will hear the land. Human effort can't fix this, we need a move from heaven. Praying. God still in control. Amen, thanks for sharing.

 

[aribell]

Until a year and a half ago, I was what is called a "postulant" to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church. In Anglicanism, the path to ordination is a lengthy process and very involved before one is given the go-ahead to attend seminary. I and many others, including the pastor who sponsored me, saw ourselves as attempting to maintain Christ's banner in the midst of increasing apostasy. There are many faithful Christians and pastors who are attempting to preach the Gospel within the Episcopal Church, and they desperately need prayer for strength. (many of them entered the ministry before Episcopalianism went off the rails).

However, through a persistent lack of peace and a passage involving King Jehoshaphat and Ahab (ungodly alliances, which should be a thread all on its own), I was called to leave. In my spirit I said that God does not strive with man forever and I would no longer strive with the Episcopal Church.

The next day, the centuries-old chapel of the Episcopal Church's flagship seminary (where I was set to attend) burned to the ground.

While the gay marriage issue is extremely significant, what is really destructive behind the scenes is the division between faithful believers over what is happening within the church. You have churches splitting and people accusing one another who are both upholding Scriptural orthodoxy and holiness because some say every faithful believer should leave and others say they want to stay and fight for righteousness. Sometimes we get distracted by the most noticeable issue and miss how Satan is really tearing things apart. It's a spirit of division. And if you look throughout our country as well, you will see a spirit of division all over the place. It is a spirit of division that has ultimately undermined the Episcopal Church (in addition to apostasy), because the faithful believers were so busy arguing with one another about how to be faithful to God, that they did not unite with one another against the true enemies of the Church. Those who name the name of Christ and submit to Scripture and believe in God's judgment upon sin have to stick together and fight as one against our common enemy. We can't waste time on our individual disagreements or on accusing one another (Satan, not the Holy Spirit, is the accuser of the brethren).

So yes, please pray for the Episcopal Church, most notably for those believers who are still struggling to faithfully preach the Gospel and disciple Christians in the midst of evil; that the Lord would give them the right things to say, and that those who have chosen to leave and align with other parts of the Anglican Communion would stand in solidarity with those who are still fighting.

 

[Belle Du Jour]

I thought the Episcopal church already accepted gay clergy a while ago so this isn't a shock for me. This is just further evidence of how our man-made denominations have gone so far away from Jesus' original message and the true Church that He established. I thank God for opening my eyes to His truth People like to bash the Catholic Church because of priests who molest children as if the Church teaches that molesting children is ok. Here, the Episcopal church is espousing a doctrine that is clearly against the Word of God but I'm sure many will applaud the Episcopal church for being "progressive."

May God have mercy on us.

 

[Galadriel]

nicola.kirwan I will definitely be praying! Some of my most beloved friends are Episcopalian and it is a very hurtful and divisive situation. Praying for healing, God's grace, and conversion of heart.

Until a year and a half ago, I was what is called a "postulant" to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church. In Anglicanism, the path to ordination is a lengthy process and very involved before one is given the go-ahead to attend seminary. I and many others, including the pastor who sponsored me, saw ourselves as attempting to maintain Christ's banner in the midst of increasing apostasy. There are many faithful Christians and pastors who are attempting to preach the Gospel within the Episcopal Church, and they desperately need prayer for strength. (many of them entered the ministry before Episcopalianism went off the rails).

However, through a persistent lack of peace and a passage involving King Jehoshaphat and Ahab (ungodly alliances, which should be a thread all on its own), I was called to leave. In my spirit I said that God does not strive with man forever and I would no longer strive with the Episcopal Church.

The next day, the centuries-old chapel of the Episcopal Church's flagship seminary (where I was set to attend) burned to the ground.

While the gay marriage issue is extremely significant, what is really destructive behind the scenes is the division between faithful believers over what is happening within the church. You have churches splitting and people accusing one another who are both upholding Scriptural orthodoxy and holiness because some say every faithful believer should leave and others say they want to stay and fight for righteousness. Sometimes we get distracted by the most noticeable issue and miss how Satan is really tearing things apart. It's a spirit of division. And if you look throughout our country as well, you will see a spirit of division all over the place. It is a spirit of division that has ultimately undermined the Episcopal Church (in addition to apostasy), because the faithful believers were so busy arguing with one another about how to be faithful to God, that they did not unite with one another against the true enemies of the Church. Those who name the name of Christ and submit to Scripture and believe in God's judgment upon sin have to stick together and fight as one against our common enemy. We can't waste time on our individual disagreements or on accusing one another (Satan, not the Holy Spirit, is the accuser of the brethren).

So yes, please pray for the Episcopal Church, most notably for those believers who are still struggling to faithfully preach the Gospel and disciple Christians in the midst of evil; that the Lord would give them the right things to say, and that those who have chosen to leave and align with other parts of the Anglican Communion would stand in solidarity with those who are still fighting.

 

[Shimmie]

The responses in this thread are wonderful. Wonderful because they are coming from women who love God in wholeness and care about giving God glory in your lives.

Continue to be the Lights that you are. Continue to pray and allow God to lead you. God is well pleased with each of you in not just this area, but just for being one who stands for Him.

I'm blessed just knowing each of you.

Love,
Shimmie

 

[Laela]

Just wanted to come back and give a big ole to this...

It is a dangerous thing to "bless" something God has called a sin. And it's even more dangerous when leaders, who are to be more mature in God, teach people to sin against God.