The family is splitting up

Once a week I drive down Mendon Road towards Nate Whipple Highway to go to my saxophone lesson. As I turn onto Nate Whipple Highway there is a white and blue sign with the Episcopal sheild on it, and under the sheild it says "The Episcopl Church Welcomes You". I personally believe that that saying is our greatest gift. Despite our differences we still gather once a week the altar and recieve communion as a family. We respect each others difference, put our arguements aside and answer our weekly altar call. Recently, when I have been asked what I think about the Episcopal Church, I tell them the above story. I tell them that we are a church of no fine print and when we say "we welcome you" we mean it. I do not think that on these controversial issues we will ever all agree. Because we have placed to much on something so little. We have focused to much on our differences, and not enough on our similarities. we have lost sight on our common mission of loving our neighbor and working to bring Christ's light into this very dark world. When I tell people what the greatest thing about my church is, I tell them that despite our political and theological differences we all still share together in the Lord's table. Yet, those who have decided to leave have decided that they can no longer put their differences aside and join us at the altar. I can't say if they are right or wrong, but I can say I feel that they are breaking our greatest tradition of all. So if those who left, those who are leaving, and those who will leave ever want to come back we will welcome them.