'Being the Church' should take our breath away. The very images we use are graphic: we are ‘grafted on' to the vine that is Jesus - we are the very Body of Christ.

Then, unfortunately, these days, come the asterisks. Yes, but...

It is a good thing that the House of Bishops affirmed in their final statement from their just-concluded meeting in New Orleans their "commitment to establish and protect the civil rights of gay and lesbian persons, and to name and oppose at every turn any action or policy that does violence to them,encourages violence toward them, or violates their dignity as children of God."

And who can argue with their strong affirmation, saying: "We proclaim the Gospel that in Christ all God's children, including gay and lesbian persons, are full and equal participants in the life of Christ's Church."

But, then, the asterisks...

*Some restrictions may apply. 

They continue to hold to the lamentable last-ditch language of Resolution B033, from the last General Convention, agreeing "to exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion." And then they now add: "The House acknowledges that non-celibate gay and lesbian persons are included among those to whom B 033 pertains."

It appears as though the Bishops are ready not only to refuse to consent to the legitimate election of a non-celibate gay or lesbian Bishop - including, potentially, Tracey Lind, Dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Cleveland, OH, who has been nominated to be Bishop of Chicago—but to continue to blame it on her "manner of life" (wink, wink) because it "presents a challenge to the wider church". People wept openly at General Convention when this language was pushed through at the last moment in the summer of 2006—don't the Bishops remember?!

And they "pledge not to authorize for use in our dioceses any public rites of blessing of same-sex unions until a broader consensus emerges in the Communion, or until General Convention takes further action." Some may feel off the hook by pointing out that no public rites have been authorized for use in any dioceses, and so perhaps use of ‘unauthorized' rites will pass muster (wink, wink).