AWAITING TOMORROW

NOTE: 
SCOTUSblog will live stream the release of the Supreme Court decisions tomorrow beginning at 8:30 a.m. EDT. Find it here. This is the web address:  live.scotusblog.com/Event/Live_blog_of_orders_and_opinions_June _11_2018 . 
One can also go to this address and click on "Editor's Note" at the top of the page. That will take you to the live blog page where you can register for an email reminder when the streaming begins.



We are all anxiously waiting for an announcement from the United States Supreme Court on tomorrow, June 11. The court is to release its decision on whether to accept an appeal of the South Carolina church case. The Diocese of South Carolina submitted a petition to the court on Feb. 9, 2018, for a writ of certiorari, that is, for the court to agree to review the South Carolina Supreme Court decision of August 2, 2017 which recognized the Episcopal Church control over 29 parishes and Camp St. Christopher.

The decision is scheduled for release to the public at 9:30 a.m. I will relay the news on this blog as soon as possible. Note above that the live stream begins at 8:30 a.m.

There are three possible decisions:

1-the justices postponed the matter until later this  month.

2-the justices granted cert.

3-the justices denied cert.

Of the three, at this point, I suspect the third is most likely. This is mainly because of the opinion of the SCOTUSblog website. In March, Aurora Barnes, who researches and writes authoritatively about the cases before the court, promoted the SC case as an important one to watch. However, on the day before the June 7 conference, she posted a piece listing the 13 cases most likely to be considered for cert on the 7th. She did not include the SC case. Neither did she put in the MN Presbyterian case. Thus, somewhere between March and June Barnes decided the SC case was not strong enough to make it to the high circle worthy of consideration for cert. This is enough to make me think the court denied cert.

However, I would caution myself and everyone else not to jump to conclusions. We must await the official announcement of the court.

So, where does that leave us now on the eve of this momentous event in the long and terrible history of the Episcopal Church schism in South Carolina? Feeling exhausted, angry, resentful, self-righteous, confused, doubtful? All of these are legitimate emotions. All are to be expected. All are valid. We are only human after all. It is OK to feel bad. It is not OK to take out our bad feelings on others. It is OK to question others' judgments. It is not OK to question their motives. We cannot know on our own what is in other people's hearts (although I wish someone had known what was in Kate Spade's and Anthony Bourdain's hearts). We must follow the two great commandments. We must. It helps that DSC has stopped talking about their acts as God's will. They have not done that since the SCSC decision of Aug. 2, 2017. It does not help for one side to demonize the other. DSC ought to stop saying that the Episcopal Church does not believe in the uniqueness of Christ and in the Bible. I think they really know better than that. 

Though there are very difficult and stressful days right ahead, the two sides should move forward with the love and compassion they claim. Everyone in the split diocese is bound up together in this mess even though it may not be a situation of their own making. Whatever rocky road lies ahead, the two sides should go down it together ever worthy of the name they bear. The world is watching.  

I expect to return here tomorrow morning.