In October I wrote an article about the death of our dog Jasmine. She had been with us for almost fourteen years, and had become an integral part of the family. Her death left an emotional hole in our home---one that we knew we would fill sooner or later. That day came on Palm Sunday when we adopted a dog from the San Diego Animal Shelter as a birthday present for my son Fletcher. She is a one-year-old, tan colored Australian Cattle Dog/ Shepherd mix, full of energy and love. The birthday boy had the honor of naming her Lucy.

One of Lucy’s obvious needs was to undergo some obedience training. Although fairly well behaved around the house, she was almost uncontrollable outside. So, four weeks ago I began bringing her to the course that Dennis Van Sickle, a parishioner here at St. Dunstan’s, offers periodically in our church parking lot. The classes are excellent! I can now take Lucy out for long walks in the neighborhood without my arms being pulled out of their sockets (except when she spots a cat). However, the class greatly surprised me because I thought that its purpose was to train the dogs. No, its real purpose was to train the owners of the dogs---to teach us how to give consistent, clear commands to our pets so as not to confuse them. The result is that not only is Lucy a more well behaved dog, but I am now a well-trained owner of a dog.

I thought of this experience when I came across an old entry in my personal journal from William Temple, famous Archbishop of Canterbury (1942-44): “The Church must be very clear in its public pronouncements, so she can be very pastoral in her application.” Perhaps we have so much confusion and anxiety right now in The Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion because our Church leaders are not at all clear in their public pronouncements. Just as I had to learn how to be consistent and clear in my commands to Lucy, so our leaders must themselves be very clear in their public pronouncements so that they can provide the godly pastoral direction we want and need.