This week I want to tell you about a resolution that is near and dear to my heart. As a scientist, I am saddened when I hear people say that our Christian faith is in conflict with science. As I have studied both the Scriptures and my science texts, I find a beautiful harmony between them rather than see them in contradiction. Personally, my interest in science and the amazing intricacies of the universe have served to expand my view of God rather than diminish it. I share the perspective of the Psalmist when he wrote in Psalm 8:
O LORD, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
to silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have established;
4 what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?
5 Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under their feet,
7 all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
I am delighted that our church has taken a stand to promote a balanced relationship between these two expressions of who we are. General Convention passed Resolution A136: Affirming the Compatibility of Science and Christian Faith which reads:
Resolved, That the 77th General Convention affirms that there is no inherent contradiction between holding and practicing the Christian faith and practicing or utilizing the outcomes of science and medicine; and be it further
Resolved, That this Convention affirms that certain characteristics of faith, most explicitly the tenet that reason and tradition are essential to extending our understanding of God’s Creation, are mirrored in science; and be it further
Resolved, That in God’s physical universe, the proper practice of science cannot and does not automatically lead its practitioners or others to lose faith in God, or to be led into beliefs that contradict the existence of God; and be it further
Resolved, That the methods of science, when applied to a search for truth, contribute to our understanding of God’s Creation such that we should use scientific information, after diligence as to its acceptance among scientific peers in relevant disciplines, to inform and augment our understanding of God’s Creation, and to aid the Church in developing Christian programs and policies consistent with our faith and our understanding of God’s Creation and our stewardship of it; and be it further
Resolved, That this Convention encourages the dioceses and the parishes of The Episcopal Church to establish Christian education programs pertinent to this complementary relationship between science and faith, using resources such as those compiled by the Executive Council Committee on Science, Technology and Faith.
As I challenge my students, let me extend this challenge to you: Explore the world with a renewed sense of wonder looking for God in all creation. Take delight in the amazing universe God has shared with us and look for ways that you might live into this resolution.
See you next week!
– Judith Schellhammer, Chair of the Resolution Review Committee, Diocesan Council
EDOMIresolutions 
Beautifully written, Judith! Thank you!