And the word of the Lord came to Jonah......

This is an interesting concept, that is, the Word of the Lord. I'vebeen a priest for many years and I know I've heard the word of the Lord, but, sometimes I am not exactly sure it has been the Lord's voice and not my own until the story plays itself out. Having kept a journal helps me to see the foot print of my footsteps and the hand of the Lord that has guided those size 11's! I read and pray most every morning. Even a priest has those mornings....well.....those mornings! But, often the word of the Lord has come to me through a dream, a radio announcement or a song that has come to mind.

So, here's the deal. I'm at the General Convention of The Episcopal Church. I am observing the House of Bishops. Important information here for non-anglicans: Bishop's have a diocese, they wear purple shirts and Bishops are elected for life and not for a term. The priests and laity meet every three years in various cities around the USA to help with the governance of the church and some will engage in pretty awful and amature politics. They are called the House of Deputies. The Bishop's of the Episcopal Church meet more frequently, but, they also meet at this 3 year point in order to work with the House of Deputies. Usually most everyone is very polite and, at least, minds their manners. I suppose that is better than all out brawls on the floor of each house, but , sometimes the polite words are worse than a physical beating! I was listening to a really polite exchange of words and realized that the words stunk like a skunk if you took the pretty flowers off of them! As I am sitting there a song came to mind.....And the word of the Lord came to me......

It was Paul Simon's song, One Man's Ceiling is Another Man's Floor. (should be playing as you read this). Listen to these words!

There's been some hard feelin's here about some words that were said
there's been some hard feelin's here and what is more
there's been a bloody purple nose and some bloody purple clothes
that were messin up the library floor
It's just (Bishop's) house blues so all you Bishop house ........
remember one man's ceiling is another man's floor.
I thought about this song and it's relation to what I was seeing and hearing. I saw that sometime it is just our perspective that gives us our trouble. We forget that some people are only beginning to grapple with new ideas and new concepts while other people have had literally generations to grapple with them. God forbid that I was held accountable for any of my views when I was 16, 20 or even 30! My perspective has left the floor and become the ceiling. But my perspective is just another's floor! The words that seemed so nearly harsh on the floor might have been the floor which would seem ludicrous to another generation. But, once said, they are out there and just won't be stuffed back into the mouth out of which they fell.

Yet, in spite of this, yes in spite of ourselves, we seem to have been spit up on the right shore ready to be the prophetic witness that The Episcopal Church has become to others. There's been some strange goin' ons and some folks have come and gone. And it could be that my perspective isn't the right one after all, maybe, just maybe I am wrong. I work, I pray, I listen, I give the best I have to give and trust that God will do whatever needs to be done with it.