A history of reconciliation Today is the 4th of July. Our Rector, in his sermon, told us about a service held just a few blocks away from the signing of the Declaration of Independence where an Anglican priest edited his prayer book. He removed the names of King George from the prayers and added "the people of the United States." This priest, whose name escapes me, was arrested for this act of treason. This event was the start of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.

It occured to me that while some people in England may refer to our revolutionary wars as "the coloniel rebellion" there isn't any hostility between the Archbishop of Cantebury, the Primate of the Anglican Communion, and the Episcopal Church in the United States. Somehow those wounds were healed and the two organizations were able to join in communion. I know the Episcopal Church is still under threat of division. In the last month a parish in Rochester New Hampshire walked out on their Bishop. We have survived previous splits, but there seems to be a complete lack of willingness on the splitters part from even talking with the mainstream Episcopal Church.

I need to find a few resources that can help me understand how the Church reconciled with Cantebury to see if there is a pattern we can use to maintain friendly communications with this group of Episcopalians who insist that they cannot be in communion with the rest of us.

I asked one of our parishoners who has studied Coloniel and Revolutionary times and she recommended a few books. A biography of Samuel Seabury would be helpful, and the book "Awash in a sea of faith" by Jon Butler. A book by Bishop Paul Marshall "One, Catholic, And Apostolic: Samuel Seabury And The Early Episcopal Church" looks interesting. I've added them to by list of books to buy.  ¶ 3:23 PM 0 comments