Today is the evening before Gene Robinson is consecrated as bishop of New Hampshire. Call it the eve of "All Hell Breaks Loose" Day. I honestly believe the Anglican Communion as we know it will look radically different after Robinson is consecrated tomorrow. The Primates have spoken, the rest of Christendom has spoken and our interfaith partners have spoken. Yet, ECUSA does not listen and moves forward anyway, knowing it will mean certain excommunication from the majority of the world's Anglicans and the breakdown of ecumenical talks. Robinson's election did not draw the battle lines. Rather, it revealed the fault lines that have existed for years. When the bishops at General Convention refused to affirm key principles of Anglicanism (and Christianity for that matter), they publically affirmed that there are two churches in ECUSA: One church that stands for the catholic faith and evangelical mission and one that stands for inclusivity and diversity, which is essentially standing for whatever happens to be in fashion. There can be no true unity between these two churches because they are radically different in belief and in practice. The choices left are to remain together simply for the sake of remaining together or to go our separate ways. People will be going their separate ways after November 2nd (many already have). Some will just leave Anglicanism completely, some will go to one of the continuing churches, and others will stick it out and seek re-alignment. The options are many, but for most of the orthodox, myself included, remaining in ECUSA outright is not an option. After Sunday, we will have to seriously discern where God is leading us. As a postulant for holy orders, this will be especially difficult, as I have devoted much time and money to ECUSA. But there are others who have devoted much more than I and will lose much too. I watch ECUSA act in this way with a feeling of profound sadness. But there is also hope, hope that the biblical, catholic, and orthodox Anglicans in the USA may finally be able to live out their vision in a realigned communion instead of having to make continuous compromises with a national church that includes the agendas of people like Bishop Spong. I believe that after re-alignment, ECUSA will finally be free to live out its vision as well. With the conservatives mostly gone, it will probably take only a couple of General Conventions to approve same sex blessings, start the creation of a feminist revision of the Prayer Book, and approve "open" communion. As ECUSA spirals out of control, the realigned churches will probably see more and more people come over until ECUSA is a UU church with ceremonial. I have many friends and mentors whom I love and know to be solid Christians who will remain with ECUSA and I hope for their sake I am wrong. Even after Nov. 2nd, I will never stop praying for their ministries. During and after Robinson's consecration tomorrow, I will be in prayer, praying for the future of Anglicanism. I don't believe God is finished with us yet and it could be the start of something wonderful. Let the chaos begin. Pax