By Father Casey

Back in 2018, Transfiguration embraced some targeted revisions to The Book of Common Prayer approved by General Convention and known as "expansive language." These revisions were intended to lessen the dependence on masculine pronouns for God, which can diminish our spiritual imaginations, and also introduce some changes to the Nicene Creed to foster ecumenical relationships.

Bishop Price has declared that starting this weekend at Trinity Sunday, every church in the diocese must end the use of expansive language and use only The Book of Common Prayer as printed. Churches will no longer be given permission to use resources like Enriching Our Worship, which we commonly use in seasons like Advent and Lent. In his pastoral letter, Bishop Price wrote that our common prayer will be "a sign of our deeper union in Christ and collegiality with one another."

Here at Transfiguration, we chose to use the expansive language rites to honor the leadership of General Convention, which is the governing body of our church. Much as Fr. Roper did back in the 1970s, when he led our church to embrace the "new" prayer book at Transfiguration, I felt it right to embrace these new trial-use rites to show our participation in the wider church. I also felt this would foster our theological imaginations, helping us to understand that God is neither male nor female, not made in our image, and utterly transcendent. Of course, God is more expansive than any language can comprehend, and all language falls short, but it helps to decrease the times we use he/him.

As we begin this next chapter, we will abide by the bishop's direction, and we will continue the important work of kindling theological imaginations, helping everyone here to grow in the knowledge and love of a God who is so much bigger and greater than anything we could fathom or imagine. In our preaching, in our teaching, and in our common life, we will bear witness to a God whose image is alive in every person. We will live and love expansively, as we always have.

Casey+