Proper 25A
October 25, 2026
St. Dunstan’s
The Rev. Patricia Templeton
Why are you an Episcopalian? How would you answer if someone asked you that question? Of all the different branches and flavors of Christianity, why did you choose this one?
As we are in the midst of our stewardship campaign we are hearing the answer to that question from different parishioners. More specifically, we are hearing why they are at St. Dunstan’s, and what this particular congregation means to them.
Here are some of my thoughts about those questions.
I grew up in the Episcopal Church. I went because my parents took me there, and I liked it. But in college, like many other students, I opted for sleep instead of worship on Sunday mornings. I didn’t have anything against church, I just got out of the habit of going.
I was 30 before I came back to the church. I went because I was invited by a friend who knew I had grown up Episcopalian. I stayed because of what I found in that little church in Nashville.
What I found was this – a place where all sorts and conditions of humanity were welcome, a place where I was welcome. At St. Ann’s there were lawyers and car mechanics; there were residents of the nearby housing projects and people from the wealthiest neighborhoods in Nashville; there were Blacks and whites, gays and straights, young and old – there was a little bit of everything. St. Ann’s looked like I imagine the kingdom of God looks, a place where there was room for everyone.
I have been part of many Episcopal churches since my days at St. Ann’s. None have been quite as diverse as that small, inner-city congregation. But all have had that same spirit of welcome and inclusiveness. All have understood that in God’s kingdom there is a place for all God’s children. All have been more concerned with breaking down barriers instead of putting them up. That is one reason I am an Episcopalian.
Another reason I am an Episcopalian is because we are a denomination that embraces the intellect and encourages thoughtful questioning. We believe that’s what Jesus meant when he said, as we heard today, that we are to love God with all our hearts, all our souls, and all our minds.
In most Episcopal churches I have been part of, including this one, people see the life of faith as a journey. Asking questions is encouraged. Wrestling with the issues and discussing sometimes wildly opposing viewpoints is a way to grow in faith. We know that there are mysteries beyond our understanding, but we also know that God expects us to use our God-given intelligence.
Another aspect of the Episcopal Church that I appreciate is our comfort with ambiguity. We know that the world is not black and white, and efforts to divide it and our faith up that way will not sustain us for long.
That does not mean we do not know the difference between right and wrong, or that “anything goes,” as our critics sometimes charge. It does mean that we recognize that the world is a complex place, and there are times when there is no absolute answer or “one size fits all” solution to a problem.
Jesus knew that. Time after time he put human need above following the strict letter of the law.
I also appreciate our understanding of scripture. One common criticism of the Episcopal Church is that we have abandoned the Bible, when in fact we read four sections of it in church each Sunday, and hear sermons interpreting them.
It is true we do not always go with a literal interpretation of scripture. As I’ve heard someone say, “We take scripture far too seriously for that.”
Taking the Bible literally has led to persecution of Jews, the defense of slavery, the subjugation of women, and the condemnation of gays and lesbians. All of these positions can be defended by Bible passages.
But taking scripture seriously means looking at the overall message of the Bible, not isolated passages taken out of context. It means looking at the good news, or gospel tidings that are found in both testaments of scripture. It means looking at the context in which a passage was written and comparing it to the times in which we live.
That approach to scripture means coming to the realization that God’s word may be calling us to do things in new ways, like ordaining women, and including God’s LGBTQ children in all aspects of church life, including marriage and ordination.
We changed because we believe that Jesus’ message of love and acceptance of those who society has cast out overrides any isolated verse of condemnation. We did so because we believe the Holy Spirit is still at work in the church, leading us to new understandings. We did so because we believe that God is still able to do new things.
One may disagree with our interpretation of scripture, but to say that the Church has thrown scripture out the window is not true.
I also love our denomination because we do not isolate ourselves from the world. We take to heart the admonition that we heard in scripture today – to love our neighbors as ourselves. Indeed, we know that the best way to show our love for God is to love our neighbors – which means working for justice and peace, standing up for the poor, being good stewards of the environment, and speaking out against the greed and consumerism rampant in our culture.
Finally, another strength of our church is that we do not insist that we have all the answers and are the only path to salvation. For most of us here today, Jesus is indeed our way, and our truth, and our life. In Jesus, we see the embodiment of God and what it means to lives a human life fully attuned to God’s presence and will. For us, Jesus is our way to salvation.
But most Episcopalians I know also respect people of other faiths, and believe that they, too, are on paths that can lead to God. Most of us believe that God is bigger than any one faith; that the God who created all humans in the divine image, who created the diversity of peoples and languages and cultures, has also created different paths to the divine.
There are, of course, other reasons I love the Episcopal Church. I love the awe and mystery of the Eucharist, I love the music, I love the concern for the physical world God has created, I love the sense of community in each of the congregations I have been a part of.
We are not a perfect denomination by any means. And we are not a denomination that appeals to everyone. That’s okay.
Other denominations have different strengths and appeal to different people. The vastness of God’s love cannot be captured or contained by any one group.
But I love being part of a congregation that tries every day to live faithfully in the world God has made.
Amen.