So. It’s the Fourth of July, and the fireworks started early here in Pittsburgh.

OK, so that was too easy, but Holy Cow.

I ducked out of our ‘picnic’ dinner here at the David Lawrence Convention Center to begin the process of interpreting today’s Plenary Sessions here at General Assembly – that is the extraordinary commitment I have to you, my faithful (if only imaginary) readers.

You’re welcome.

As the more tech savvy of you may already know, the big news of Wednesday’s first Plenary was the resignation of the Vice Moderator Tara Spuhler McCabe. While this came as a surprise to many – there were audible gasps and cries of protest – it was apparently decided sometime yesterday and was kept under wraps to the point that the Committee on the General Assembly was blindsided by the announcement. It does seem that some people were apprised in plenty of time to prepare statements which hit the twitterverse and the blogosphere almost immediately. For example, the full text of her speech before the GA can be found at 218 GA Moderator Bruce Reyes Chow’s blog, http://www.patheos.com/blogs/breyeschow/.

I am afraid this is an example of just how serious the disconnect is between good and faithful servants of God in the Presbyterian Church (USA). One side simply cannot understand how one could even consider turning one’s back on the time-honored interpretation of Scripture and historic witness of the church to preside over a same gender marriage in the church; the other cannot understand how one could turn one’s back on children of God entrusted to their care as they seek His blessing on their love.

And here we are, in the same very large room, 

talking right past each other.

Rev. McCabe defended her decision to preside over a same-gender marriage as a pastoral decision. She said,  I think I’m embodying the reality of a growing number of pastors who find ourselves caught. We are caught between being pastors –being with couples in those sacred moments when they make their vows to one another…and having a polity that restricts us from living out our pastoral calling – especially in states where it is legal for everyone to be married. The tension over this is real, and clearly the energy and passion of this issue runs deep – and isn’t going away…

The tension is real – and talking like this won’t make it go away.

Now friends, I voted for Rev. McCabe. As the choice of the Moderator, I thought it was the right thing to do; I voted for the new Vice Moderator Candidate, The Rev. Dr. Tom Trinidad, for the same reason. I don’t know Rev. McCabe (or Dr. Trinidad, for that matter), but I have no doubt that she is a fine pastor and would have served ably and well as Vice Moderator. And I am all about God being the Lord of the Conscience - as Christians, as Presbyterians and as Elders.

But there’s this thing that bothers me about what’s happened.

As Presbyterians and especially as Elders, we agree to bind our consciences in a variety of ways – including abiding by the disciplines of the church, and being held accountable for our actions. If there is a tension, it seems to me that one resolves it not through defiance, but through overture, as will be done here at GA. I have to say; I do not believe civil disobedience is an acceptable strategy in the church. We pray; we study; we petition; we pray; we advocate; we pray; we vote; we pray; we respectfully disagree; we pray; and if necessary, we graciously withdraw, praying all the while.

  

The choice to act may have been a pastoral decision, but it wasn’t the only pastoral decision; and to suggest that it was deeply offends many of our brothers and sisters in Christ, who are trying to deal with the same tension in a way that honors their Call.

This is not to say they are all are trying very hard, 

or dealing with it very well. 

In her resignation, the Rev. McCabe made reference to pervasive poisonous activity directed at both GA and the Moderator in the wake of her election, and  unhelpful and frankly divisive blog and twitter comments which she suggested have been growing since Saturday. While I was unable to find such comments, I’m sure many people have expressed varying degrees of dissatisfaction, frustration and even rancor about the issues surrounding her election - both in conversation and in the ether. Let me be clear: If the accusations are true, some of the people opposed to Rev. McCabe’s election have also violated their ordination vows by betraying the Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church, through rumor, invective and disrespect.

Whenever and wherever such expressions cross the line 

from respectful disagreement into something dark and ugly, 

that is wrong, and awful, and not to be borne.

I couldn’t help but see a certain irony in the liturgy to commission our Young Adult Volunteers and Missionaries, where we proclaimed and called upon our essential unity as Christians. If there is an essential unity, and I believe there truly is, I think we better start trying to find it.

Or maybe we should just hush up, and let it find us.