I want to tell you about a new project which will enhance communication within our diocese. The project is called "Parish Profiles." The profiles are created from footage that I film during parish visitations.
My Christmas Message to You
As followers of Jesus, the story of the birth of Jesus is a familiar one. So familiar that we may assume that there’s not much in the story we haven’t already heard before.
Read from the point of view of the participants in the Gospel accounts – varied as they are – the story of Jesus’ birth is full of surprises. Mary, for example, must have been very surprised to be visited by the angel Gabriel who brought some very unexpected news. Joseph, Mary’s betrothed, was certainly surprised, as was the innkeeper, the shepherds in the fields and the evil king, Herod. All of the characters in the Christmas story were surprised by God’s appearance in their lives. Their reactions to God’s surprise appearance were as varied as the characters themselves: Mary said “Yes”; Joseph accepted; the shepherds heeded and hurried; the Magi journeyed; the innkeeper was generous; Herod responded to God’s surprise appearance in his life with a murderous anger. Part of the Christmas story is that it’s not always the “good” folk in this world who take God’s appearance seriously, and it’s not always the “wicked” folk who ignore God’s appearance.
As many times as we have heard it before and as well as we believe we know it, part of the story of the birth of Jesus is that God continues to appear in human lives and in your life and mine in ways that are surprising, unexpected, sometimes disturbing. The Christmas question is: How will we respond to God’s appearance? Will we, like Mary, say a simple “yes”? Or will we like the Magi, undertake an unexpected and perilous journey? Or will we patiently accept, like Joseph? Or, like Herod, will we treat God’s appearance as an unwelcome intrusion in our well-ordered life? God’s appearance in life can be met with wonder, confusion, patience, anger, or joy, as the Gospels show so clearly.
But be of good cheer! In a world dark with the bitter fruits of war, violence and oppression, God continues to appear in human life and with God’s appearance comes healing and reconciliation and hope restored, and joy! We can rejoice and be merry at Jesus’ appearing. For that is the way the world can be in Him.
A blessed Christmas to all!
Monday, October 6, 2008
This past weekend saw an important gathering in Philadelphia at which Episcopalians from all across our church and nation gathered to apologize for the part the Episcopal Church played in support of slavery and to apologize for taking part in the sin of slavery. At least two of our seminarians from Virginia Seminary in Alexandria attended (Grant Ambrose and Clay Riley) and will be sending reflections for Cross Current. The sin of racism is still very much with us and on various occasions The Episcopal Church has committed itself to the eradication of racism. Recently, an important documentary named “Traces of the Trade” was released which documents the part a prominent New England family played in the slave trade. The documentary centers on present-day members of the family undertaking a pilgrimage to their roots in New England and to Africa to probe the meaning of slavery. I have seen pieces of this documentary, and it is superb (you can also go to tracesofthetrade.org for more information.) I am also reminded of the fine work that our diocesan Anti-Racism Commission, under the leadership of the Rev. Bob Hudak (rector of St. Paul’s, Greenville) is doing, and that anti-racism training is now required for all persons who are in positions of diocesan or parish leadership throughout our church nationally.
I had a wonderful visitation yesterday with the good people of St. Thomas, Ahoskie. This is a fine congregation and their parish life is strengthening. St. Thomas’ rector, the Rev. Jeff Douglas, is soon to attend CREDO – a program offered to the clergy of our church for reflection, self-examination, refreshment and planning for ministry. The program is offered by the Church Pension Fund and has received great praise from all who have attended.
Since the Gospel reading was Jesus’ parable of the tenants of the vineyard, I spoke in my sermon about God’s abundance and our call to stewardship in light of the current economic crisis that this and many other nations are facing. All the strands evident in Jesus’ parable are also evident in this moment in our nation’s life: failed stewardship, lack of accountability, misplaced and betrayed trust, and greed; an attitude of dedication to selfish ends rather than service of neighbor. No doubt there will be a long road to the recovery of trust and economic stability. At the same time, I believe we can have a fundamental trust and confidence in our system of government. Our government has proven to be flexible and adaptable in meeting crises, and I have no doubt it will do so once more. We can also trust in God’s providence and have confidence in the future God prepares for us and all people: a future of abundance, for God is a God of abundance and a future of hope since (as St. Paul says) “…all things work together for good for those who love God.” That means that even these anxious and distressing days can be used by God to further the establishment of his kingdom. And, since truly we as members of the Body of Christ are called to be God’s hands in the world, there is much that we are called to do in this moment.
I also realize, apart from our own national concerns that almost 40% of the world’s population (about 4 billion people) live on $2 or less a day, which is counted to be extreme poverty. While we who are part of the wealthiest portion of humanity have confidence that our economic woes will eventually be resolved, it is also unlikely that the economic circumstances of the poorest in our world will change without drastic intervention by Christians and other people of good will who live in the wealthiest nations of the world. That includes you and me and our commitment to live into our baptismal vows of seeking justice, loving our neighbor, and preserving the dignity of every human being.
This is why working toward the United Nations Millennium Development Goals is crucial for us as Christians and as stewards of God’s abundance. The first of the eight Millennium Development Goals is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and by 2015 to cut in half the number of people who suffer from poverty and starvation. This is not only the goal of the United Nations, it is also the mission of the Church: to follow in our Lord and Savior’s footsteps of being in solidarity with the poor, the sick, the starving, the outcast and those who live on the margins of society, and to serve them and their needs in Jesus’ name. As followers of Jesus, and as God’s hands in the world, such service is what we are called to. When the owner of the vineyard in the parable returned, he found the tenants he had placed in charge working for their own selfish and greedy ends. When Jesus returns, let us as his followers be found working for the good and the well-being of all people!
One way we can do that is through participating in the Millennium Development Goals as individuals and as parishes and as a diocese. (Thank God for our Millennium Development Goals committee and its good work under the leadership of the Rev. Michael Singer, rector of St. Mary’s, Kinston.)
The Millennium Development Goals are ambitious, but every act of generosity and dedication to their fulfillment – be that act or contribution large or small – every demonstration of generosity, no matter how grand or how modest, counts toward the fulfillment of God’s dream for his world and for all humanity: a world of abundance and plenty for all people in which all are fed, all are healed and all are equal recipients of God’s mercy.
Today (Monday, October 06, 2008), I’m off to Memphis, TN, for a meeting of the Standing Commission on the Structure of the Church for several days. My prayer in going is that the structure of our church and of every parish and diocese of our church be turned ever more clearly toward serving the ends of justice, reconciliation, and the alleviation of human suffering.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008 It was good to get back to the office after being away at the House of Bishops meeting. A variety of interesting mail, telephone calls, conferences and meetings awaited my return, to put it delicately. Early in the week was a conference call for the Standing Commission on the Structure of the Church in preparation for our upcoming meeting in Memphis at which time we’ll make plans for the General Convention next summer. On Tuesday, I met with the Rev. Lynn Peterman and several interested people to hear about her visit to Uganda this past summer and especially her visit with our good friend Bishop Ernest Shalita. Part of the purpose of the meeting was to continue work toward establishing a companion diocese relationship with a diocese either in Uganda or in Tanzania. We’ll meet again in a couple of weeks. On Friday the 24th, I traveled to St. John’s, Fayetteville, to officiate at the funeral of Dr. William C. Powell, a long time member of St. John’s. Bill was an active leader in his community and diocese, serving on Executive Council, Standing Committee and as a Deputy to several General Conventions. His family and friends gathered to give thanks for his life and ministry and to celebrate his entrance into the larger life in God’s kingdom. Sunday was a full and happy day. I gathered with the members of St. John the Evangelist Church in Edenton, along with members of the Ingles and Drane families, for a celebration of the Eucharist. The Rev. Web Simons was in attendance and given his long relationship with the parish, I invited him to join me at the altar to concelebrate the Eucharist. Following the service, we gathered in the parish hall for a wonderful lunch and good fellowship. (Did you know that the first woman to be ordained a priest of The Episcopal Church in North Carolina, the Rev. Wendy Raynor, was ordained at St. John’s in the late 1970s?) Later in the afternoon, I attended the 250th anniversary celebration of the Cupola House, a landmark in historic Edenton, and saw many friends. Frances Ingles, a leader of the Friends of the Cupola House, even took me on a trip up into the cupola and the magnificent views of Edenton Bay and the Albemarle Sound beyond. A short drive across the Albemarle Sound took me to Creswell where I met late in the afternoon with the Vestry of Christ Church. We had a good meeting and conversation about the renewing energy of the congregation and about St. David’s church, which is a colonial era and historic building of colonial times in Creswell used for services on Christmas and Easter, weddings and funerals. Just a few moments ago, I finished a conference call with members of the Vestry of Holy Cross, a new and energetic mission congregation in Wilmington. They told me of their congregational energy and vision, significant stewardship progress in reducing their indebtedness for land purchase by half, and their plans for a new building in the (hopefully) not too distant future. All in all an interesting and stimulating week that demonstrates the contrasts between the old and the new, the celebration of times past and rising to the challenges of the present and future here in our blessed Diocese of East Carolina these days. Let us give thanks for our past and move with confidence into the future God prepares for each and all of us. Roots and wings, roots and wings!
Monday, September 22, 2008 Dear Friends, I have just returned from a September 15-19 meeting of the House of Bishops in Salt Lake City, Utah. The meeting was scheduled over a year ago as an opportunity for the House of Bishops to debrief with one another following the Lambeth Conference held at Canterbury this past summer. In the meantime since the meeting was scheduled, the Title IV Review Committee of the House of Bishops (“Title IV” refers to the section of the Canons of the Church dealing with disciplinary matters relating to ordained persons) certified to the House that a bishop of The Episcopal Church had abandoned the Communion of The Episcopal Church, which called for a hearing and decision by the House of Bishops. We spent the first day of our meeting reflecting on and sharing experiences and learnings from the Lambeth Conference- a once-every-ten-years gathering of the bishops of the Anglican Communion from around the globe at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Here are some of the highlights of our conversation, which I jotted down: I am thankful for the Archbishop of Canterbury’s pastoral and theological leadership. We were all struck, in one way or another, by the challenges proclaiming the Christian faith faces through the world in wildly varying cultural contexts, and how what is acceptable in one context may be scorned in another. We held a deep gratefulness for human connections among bishops and for old and new relationships. There was a tremendous amount of honesty present during the Conference. There was a vast difference of opinion on a variety of topics, but held within a context of mutual respect and affection. There is a pressing need to pay attention not just to “church” issues, but also issues and realities facing human society and the environment. (In the Pacific Ocean, one bishop’s island diocese is literally sinking into the ocean due to the ocean’s rising water level). There was a great desire and deep rejoicing to continue as part of the Anglican Communion. The second day of our abbreviated meeting was given over to consideration of the Review Committee’s recommended deposition of Bishop Robert W. Duncan (Diocese of Pittsburgh) in accord with Canon IV.9.1 on the grounds that Bishop Duncan had abandoned the Discipline of The Episcopal Church. As part of the Presiding Bishops’ Council of Advice, the other members and I planned a hearing by the House of Bishops. The purpose of the hearing was, first; to give all bishops present an opportunity to speak freely and openly outside a formal meeting of the House, and second; for each bishop to form his/her own mind on this matter through hearing others speak. For almost two hours, we heard a full range of opinion, belief and discernment as it existed among the members of the House. The members of the House are remarkably diverse in theological belief, opinion, biblical interpretation and all run the gamut from “conservative” to “liberal.” A great many views were expressed, sometimes passionately; all were heard with the appreciation, tolerance and respect due to brothers and sisters in Christ. The session was surrounded by prayer as members of the House sought to form their individual mind and conscience on the matter before seeking our collective mind through prayer and parliamentary procedure. The next day, within the context of a formal meeting of the House of Bishops, the House considered the findings of the Title IV Review Committee and through a roll-call vote, gave consent to the deposition of Bishop Duncan by a considerable majority of 88 voting “aye,” 35 voting “no,” and 4 abstaining. I voted to consent to the deposition for several reasons: first, Bishop Duncan consented to and took active leadership in attempting to lead his diocese to secede from The Episcopal Church and join another church; second, I have watched Bishop Duncan regularly refuse to receive communion in the House of Bishops; third, at his diocesan convention, Bishop Duncan refused to rule out of order a motion to remove that part of the diocesan constitution affirming its loyalty to The Episcopal Church; fourth, in the face of Bishop Duncan’s abandonment of his duty and responsibilities as a bishop of The Episcopal Church, the House of Bishops has a duty and responsibility to provide a safe space for those members of the Diocese of Pittsburgh whose desire is to remain loyal members of The Episcopal Church; and fifth, the House of Bishops in my estimation has a further responsibility to preserve the property and assets of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh for the use of faithful and loyal Episcopalians in furthering the mission and work of The Episcopal Church. I need to note, too, that my vote to depose was not cast with an eye to Bishop Duncan’s theological views, which he shares with various other bishops in the House. Rather, the patience the House of Bishops extended to Bishop Duncan over the past 10 or so years wore out due neither to his conservatism nor theological views, but due to his disregard of the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church and his breaking of his ordination vows to remain loyal to the discipline of The Episcopal Church. Following the vote, the Presiding Bishop said, “This is a painful vote for all and we are diminished as a body by the outcome of the vote. We are called to care for the whole people of God, and to continue to pursue the mission of God’s reconciling love in the world.” The last morning of our meeting was filled with a conference call with the bishops of the Diocese of Texas to hear of their situation and difficulties following Hurricane Ike, to assure them of our prayers, interest and support in the days ahead. We also heard from bishops from the Caribbean who described the situation in their dioceses following the devastating hurricanes. The House assured all of our fellow bishops of our care, concern, prayers, interest and support in the days ahead. The last item we discussed (in a much too brief way) was the crisis in the cost of seminary education in preparation for ordained ministry and the increasing educational debt level of those graduating from seminary. This is a conversation that we will no doubt continue at future meetings of the House and at next summer’s General Convention. After a somewhat difficult flight home – I was stranded in Denver overnight due to a missed connecting flight – I arrived home Saturday afternoon. Sunday brought a wonderful visitation to St. Peter’s, Washington, and a delightful outdoor service and picnic at Riverside Park on the shore of the Pamlico River. Over 250 people attended and we celebrated five baptisms and 21 confirmations. It was a joy for Anne and me to see so many old friends and to celebrate the renewed energy and vigor of Late in the afternoon, I attended the dedicatory recital of the restored 19th Century organ at Trinity Church, Chocowinity. The vitality of the parish family and the good leadership of its rector, the Rev. Sonny Browne were clear for all present to see and enjoy. The organist was Colin Andrews, a world-renowned organist who is also organist and master of the choirs at St. Stephen’s, Goldsboro, and Interim Head of the Organ Department at East Carolina University.
St. Peter’s within the context of the Rev. Kevin Johnson’s recent completion of his first year as rector.
Monday, September 15, 2008 Anne and I returned a few days ago from our daughter Elizabeth’s wedding on September 6 at St. Michael’s, Bristol, RI, where I served as rector for 12 years. She married a fine young man, Jared, whom she met during her college days. They live and work in New York City, he as an attorney, and she as a publicist of Random House. Anne planned a beautiful and fun wedding, and it was a joy to be with family and friends from far and near for this wonderful occasion. On September 14, I made a visitation to St. George’s, Lake Landing (near the shore of Lake Mattamuskeet). The church is a lovely 19th century carpenter style, recently and very beautifully restored and repaired, along with the original pipe organ and newer parish house next door. All this was accomplished by a successful capital funds campaign and a grant from our Diocesan Episcopal Foundation. Fr. Jim Lupton gives fruitful service to this congregation and St. James, Belhaven. Were it not for Jim Lupton and the many retired priests who continue to serve, many congregations in our diocese would be without priestly presence- for this I am grateful. Thank God for them all! On this day we gathered in a packed house for an excellent and abundant covered dish lunch. Afterwards, I met with the vestry to discuss their desire to begin a long range planning process around congregational growth, stewardship and mission. The vestry just purchased the 19th century Masonic building next to the Parish House with the idea of using the building to serve the community. Today is September 15, and I am sitting on an airplane on my way to Salt Lake City for a meeting of The House of Bishops. This will be a somewhat brief (Sept. 17-19) but busy meeting: The House will spend some time debriefing from the recent Lambeth Conference in Canterbury; we will have a major discussion on the crisis in the education and preparation for ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church. (Specifically, we will begin to look at our Church’s increasing inability to sustain eleven independent seminaries, ten of which have never received funding from the National Church, and the related issue of seminarians graduating from seminary only to begin their ordained ministry with substantial student loan debt; and finally, the House will review the determination of the Review Committee’s determination that Bishop Duncan of Pittsburgh has abandoned the Communion of the Episcopal Church. In addition, I am arriving a day early to continue my training as a peer coach for newly elected bishops during the first years of their episcopate. During the meeting, I will also gather with the Presiding Bishop as a member of her Council of Advice and will meet with the Court of Reviews for the trial of a Bishop, for which I am Presiding Judge. It will be good to gather, work and pray with many friends and colleagues. It will also be good to return home for my visitation this coming Sunday morning with St. Peter’s, Washington for baptisms and worship down on the river shore, and for dedication of the restored pipe organ at Trinity, Chocowinity later that afternoon.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
What a joy and pleasure it was to make a visitation to La Iglesia de la Sagrada Familia (Church of the Holy Family) in Newton Grove this past Sunday and to join in the celebration of the rich and vibrant life of that congregation. As you might have surmised, Sagrada Familia is an Hispanic congregation and the language most often heard is Spanish.
By attendance, Sagrada Familia is the second largest parish in our diocese with an average Sunday attendance of 450. The congregation meets outside under a large shed with no walls and is so large that many must sit on the ground outside the perimeter of the shed.
Sagrada Familia is served faithfully by Fr. Tony Rojas and his wife, Lucia. Fr. Tony and Lucia minister not only to the communicants of the parish, but also go out during the week and on Sundays into the farm worker camps to minister to “los migrantes” (migrant workers).
Sagrada Familia is in the process of purchasing 17 acres of land and preparing to construct a church that will seat 1000 worshipers. As part of the vision for Sagrada Familia, Fr. Tony intends to build an educational center along with the church. The educational center will be for clergy and lay people to learn about Hispanic culture and to learn Spanish, all as a means of increasing the effectiveness of our diocesan Hispanic ministry.
Hispanic ministry is, to my thinking, the great evangelistic challenge of our day. I want our diocese to be in the forefront of mission and ministry among Hispanics and intentional in our parish’s welcome to these newcomers in our midst.
Here is a picture of my Bible Study group.
Back Row (L-R): Api Qiliho (Bishop of Fiji, Polynesia), Tony Robinson (Bishop of Pontifract, England), Ian Fruest (Archbishop of the Province of the Indian Ocean), N.T. Wright (Bishop of Durham, England)
Early in the morning the entire Lambeth Conference, Bishops and spouses – about 1200 of us - boarded 38 buses for the two hour trip from Canterbury into the heart of downtown London. Bishops were attired in cassock, and female spouses wore lovely dresses and hats since we were having lunch at Lambeth Palace followed by a Garden Party hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
Our first stop was the Embankment on the Thames where we gathered for a march in support of the Millennium Development Goals and especially the goal of halving poverty in the world by 2015. It is quite a sight to see 1000 bishops and spouses setting off to march in the heart of British government in witness to our Lord’s command to feed the poor, to love mercy and to do justice. As I read later, it was the largest assembly of religious leaders in the history of London. And we witnessed to our Lord’s command to serve him in the person of our neighbor.
The march was about a mile in length. We marched along carrying placards and singing songs as we passed Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and crossed the Lambeth Bridge. At the foot of the bridge was Lambeth Palace, and in we went, about an hour or so after we began the march. Lambeth Palace is the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. As we proceeded into the inner courtyard of the palace, we were offered cool bottles of water, eagerly accepted. On one side of the courtyard were two large banners, one proclaiming “Love Mercy” and the other saying “Do Justice”, quotations from the book of the Prophet Micah. Under the banners was a large stage and podium. While we waited for the program to begin, I stepped into the Library where a display of books relating to the life of the Anglican Communion was set out. Imagine my amazement as I was looking at a large book made in the early 1600s open to a hand-drawn and colored map which was lovely, and which I slowly realized was a map of what is now the northeastern part of the Diocese of East Carolina. There it all was, drawn and labeled as clear as day: the Chowan River, Chowan County, the Albemarle Sound, the Pamlico Sound, Alligator River, Roanoke Island, and Cape Hatteras. We in East Carolina have a rich heritage which, God willing, serves as a good foundation for the mission challenges we face today. (Come and celebrate that heritage as we gather as a diocesan family to commemorate the baptism of Manteo and Virginia Dare on August 17 at 3PM at the Waterfront Theater in Manteo!)
As I went back out into the courtyard, the Archbishop approached the podium, gave a brief speech of welcome and in support of the Millennium Development Goals and then introduced Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister then proceeded – without notes or teleprompters – to deliver himself of an impassioned speech about the need for the Millennium Development Goals, quoting statistics in detail, and naming specific ways in which we can make an impact on the life of the world. A powerful speech. A moving speech. A passionate speech.
After the Prime Minister finished to a mighty roar from the crowd that did not stop for a long time, we were ushered through the courtyard and into the beautiful gardens behind the Palace. A large tent, beautifully appointed, had been set up for lunch for 1500 guests. Our menu was cold breast of chicken, fresh asparagus, new potatoes – a wonderfully cool lunch on a hot day. Dessert was the best part: a dark chocolate and raspberry tart with raspberry ice cream.
After a leisurely lunch and time to explore the garden and visit with other guests, it was time to board the buses for the short trip to Buckingham Palace. We entered the Palace through the front gates, passing into the inner court, entering through the front door, through the entrance hall and Music Room out onto the terrace and the lawn and gardens beyond. It is rather a stunning sight to step out of the building onto a wide terrace and look up to see nothing but a lovely and vast expanse of lawn and trees with a lake in the distance. It is hard not to believe that you are somewhere in the English countryside rather than in the heart of metropolitan London. To the right is one of two military orchestras playing gathering music. To the left are large and beautifully appointed tents from which tea and finger foods are served during the Garden Party. The Queen, I am told, hosts five or six such parties each summer, usually with 2500-4000 guests at each. The Lambeth Conference Garden Party is the smallest, with only 1500 guests. After having 45 minutes or so for all the guests to arrive, a cadre of 12 “Beefeaters” dressed in brilliant scarlet and gold 16th century livery and long pikes come out of the palace and “stake out” an open space in front of the terrace steps and a wide corridor down the lawn. Without encouragement, the guests move close to the area staked out by the Beefeaters and everything becomes very quiet. You notice a small group of people coming out of the palace and suddenly there is the Queen, standing alone at the top of the terrace steps. Her husband Prince Philip stands two steps behind, and behind him stands the Queen’s Lady in Waiting, two Gentlemen in Waiting and two rather sturdy looking security men dressed in top hat, cutaway coats and striped trousers. Everything is still for a moment and the band plays “God Save the Queen.” As soon as that is finished, Her Majesty smiles broadly and steps down to greet her guests. She is greeted first by Archbishop Rowan who escorts her down the long corridor. She does not greet every guest but moves from side to side in a seemingly random way to stop and greet and chat briefly with her guests. (At the 1998 Garden Party, my wife Anne was one of the guests honored in this way, and had a charming few minutes in conversation with the Queen. Anne said later that the Queen creates a bubble around so that it seems it is just the two of you speaking to one another.) Alas, no cameras allowed.
After the Queen passes where you are standing, you move to the refreshment tents for tea or a cool drink and finger sandwiches and sweets. After that, a stroll in the gardens and after a while, the Queen departs with a wave from the terrace steps, and it is time for the guests to depart. Back onto the buses, and we arrive in Canterbury around 9:30. It was a special day indeed.
The unique event alluded to in the title of this blog took place on Saturday, July 27, and it is one of the oldest traditions of the Lambeth Conference: the Conference photo of all the bishops present. The first Lambeth Conference in 1867 only had 60 or so bishops present and they are shown gathered in front of the gates of Lambeth Palace. For this conference photo, there are nearly 700 bishops, vested in rochet and chimere, standing on bleachers 30 feet high and very, very long. It is a hot day, the vestments are woolen, and we are packed close together on the bleachers for what seems like a very long time. It also took a long time to get everyone onto the bleachers. And it was fun. I took my camera and took pictures of the photographers getting the bishops assembled and ready for the photo. I believe the pictures will speak better than any description of mine.
We are now in the final week of the conference, and the work we have been doing will begin to emerge in the form of reports and statements. If this Lambeth Conference is anything like the last one in 1998, this last week will be somewhat tense and intense. Let me urge each of you to several things: first, the tone of this Lambeth Conference, though not free of tension, has been positive, friendly and optimistic. Despite various statements and posturing, let me assure you that the life of this Communion is more complex and tightly interwoven through personal relationships than you might be led to believe by reading press reports. Second, let me urge you not to rely on the secular press as your main source of information and interpretation. Go to Episcopal News Service (http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife/) for accurate information; most everything else in the media will be speculation. Third, I am more proud than ever to be a member of The Episcopal Church and even more honored to be a Bishop of our church. With a few exceptions, our Bishops have been excellent representatives and ambassadors here at Lambeth, and good witnesses to the Gospel of Jesus. Lastly, I am ever more convinced that our Episcopal Church is exactly where God is calling us to be at this moment in time and pursuing the ministries of justice and compassion and reaching out to the poor, the hungry and suffering of this world which God has laid before us.
From this point, my blog will turn more toward interpretation of what is occurring as events unfold. As always, please keep the Bishops gathered here in Canterbury in your prayers, along with our Church, the Anglican Communion and those in this world in need to whom we are called to serve in Jesus’ name.
Recent Comments
-
Chris Cowan said:
Yes Bishop Daniel Father Tony is an amazing man! You mentioned he serves 450 parishioners at his church. He also... read more
on A Sunday Well Spent -
Scott Nunn said:
Thank you, bishop, for the posts and for sharing your Lambeth experience with us. read more
on A new picture for you -
Don Wiesner said:
Bishop, thanks so much for your blog. read more
on The Lambeth Conference Opening Service at Canterbury Cathedral -
Ann Bonner-Stewart said:
[this is good]Hi, Bishop. Thank you so much for starting this blog. I appreciate the time and effort you're taking to update... read more
on An Ordinary Day at Lambeth Conference
Recent Additions
Links
Lambeth Conference: Interfaith collaboration a 'dialogue ...
Wow, you are deep in the life. read more
on A few thoughts...