Hijacked

By Faith Chatham - excerpt from SACRED SPACES - copyright 2009

The Bishop
and most of the convention delegates
voted
to leave the church;

In leaving,
they decided to take the diocese
with them.

My parish left
with the Bishop,
though it still stands down the block
near home,
it’s became part
of the Southern Cone.

Most of us
were Christened as babies,
then decided to be Confirmed
when we grew older.
We decided
to become Episcopalian.

When the Bishop
and the parish left
taking us with them,
we didn’t have a say.

To remain Episcopalian
we had “to transfer back-in”
or we couldn’t stay!

I’ve never been south of Honduras,
yet they took “my spiritual allegiance”,
legally shifting it
far beyond
where I’d explored
and chose
for it to be!

I’m more comfortable
with the Theology
of the Bishop and most of those
who left than with some “who stayed.”

Most of those I hold most dear
have gone south.

Joining a church,
uniting with a denomination,
changing your “letter”
is very personal.

No one,
not an elected delegate
or my beloved Bishop
should be allowed
to make
that personal
of a decision
for me.

It’s between me and God.
Not even
the broken Theology
or politics of the church
justifies
such intrusion.

I transferred back
“into”
the Episcopal Church.
I may not stay,
but if I do,
or if I leave,
it won’t be by “majority vote”
or decree
of a church convention.

It will be about
how I’m fed,
what I feel,
how I serve,
Who I hear,
what I see,
Whose I am.
It will be a decision between God and me.
-- by Faith Chatham
copyright 2009