Consequences

A couple of years ago a woman roughly my age was in the congregation. I didn't recognize her, but she was quite attentive through the sermon and picked up a copy on the way out the door. We exchanged hellos and she mentioned that she is an Episcopal priest in Scotland. She is a cousin of a woman in the choir and vacationing in Canada. I had snooped around the subject of acceptance and what that sometimes costs us as Christians. I gave the example of the long and painful and important journey of the United Church toward acceptance of those who are LGBTQ, as well as same-gender marriage.  She mentioned that her denomination was in an earlier stage of exploring the same issue. We later exchanged emails to continue our conversation.

I noticed a couple of days ago that Scottish Anglicans will face "consequences" for voting in June to allow same-gender marriages. Here is how the Guardian describes what is unfolding:

The Anglican church in Scotland is to face de facto sanctions imposed by global church leaders next week for its acceptance of same-sex marriage. Leaders of the global Anglican communion, meeting for five days in Canterbury, are expected to impose “consequences” on the Scottish Episcopal church along the lines of the punitive measures dished out to the US Episcopal church last year for its embrace of LGBTI equality.
The measures include a bar on membership of representational bodies and an exclusion from decisions on policy. Scottish Anglicans voted overwhelmingly in June in favour of allowing same-sex couples to marry in church,  setting the church on a collision course with the Anglican communion. The Anglican church in Canada is expected to follow suit.

It may surprise you to read that the Anglican Church in Canada still doesn't allow same-gender marriages. Because the range of "consequences" moving toward marriage equality can be costly in terms of church harmony, financially, and in the broader denominational picture these decisions can be difficult.

We'll pray for the Scots and the Canadians in their choices.