Tutu on Truth

Archbishop Desmond Tutu was in Pittsburgh on Friday to receive an honorary degree from Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh. The event took place at historic Calvary Episcopal Church in the city’s east end. It is a parish with a tradition of great preachers, and Tutu did not disappoint, at one point quipping, "Can you imagine that there are those who think God is a Christian?" … "Can you tell us what God was before he was a Christian?" You can read more about it in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette report here.

The Archbishop’s visit was an expression of thanks to those of many faiths in the Pittsburgh community who had supported his efforts to end apartheid in South Africa. "They were all inspired by their faiths. I have yet to hear of a faith that says it's OK to be unjust," he said.

Voices like Archbishop Tutu’s are prophetic, because they shine a new light on commonly-held “truths,” and in doing so expose them for the unjustness or silliness they are. Would that there were more like him.

Back to Work, Please

The bishops and primates have all gone home. The parties have published their final statements and reactions. The media have moved on. A number of my fellow bloggers seem not to have noticed. They continue attempting to divine a greater meaning from assorted whisperings, correspondence, and notes sent back and forth among various prelates and actors.

Enough, already.

Surely, a couple of dioceses are whispering ominously about their intentions, and some shady convention resolutions will no doubt be offered. But there’s work to do. The church is not the mission of the church. The mission of the church is spreading the love of God in Christ. There are more than enough places at home and abroad that need that love. We have ample evidence, both here and nationally, that folks understand that, and there is outstanding mission work going on among our congregations and their partners. It’s a rewarding journey of mutual discovery. By not participating, those who would threaten us by their leaving will simply be left behind. For that we should all grieve.

Mark the Dates

Two items of note to clergy and congregations: Former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold will lead an Advent retreat on Saturday, December 15 at St. Cyril Retreat Center in Danville. Clergy should check with Patrick Strohl at the Diocesan Center for details.

Bishop Baxter will be among a group of national figures participating in “By the People – Dialogues in Democracy” a PBS program produced by McNeil Lehrer Productions in cooperation with the By the People Foundation in Williamsburg. The program is scheduled to air in January, 2008. We will provide additional schedule details, or you can “check your local listings” for a broadcast date.

Building Children’s Lifelong Loves

Monday’s New York Times includes a delightful chronicle by Michael Winerip about the trials involved in turning his brood of four children into adults with a lasting passion for reading. You can read it here. As a book reviewer for the Times, we assume Mr. Winerip is invested in this passion for more than one reason.

Any parent will tell you that kids are frequently loathe to try anything new, especially if it hasn’t been on their radar, or perhaps more importantly, that of their friends. You can’t force them to like something; you have to stick it under their noses, then wait patiently for them to decide that the whole thing was their idea in the first place.

Church can be the same. Children will go where they’re taken or told, but teens want to decide for themselves. That sometimes entails acceptance at a different pace, on different terms, or in different places. Making teens feel like part of the community is essential. Involve them as competent, thoughtful people, and odds are they’ll behave that way. Letting them discover how God works in their lives can be more instructive than telling them. It can be maddening stuff; that’s why community is important.

A Thank You

And a tip of the editorial hat to Mary Warner at the Harrisburg Patriot News for her interview with Bishop Baxter that ran in last Sunday’s editions. You can read it on line here.

It was refreshing to read someone who has come to understand the complexities with which The Episcopal Church is wrestling, and whose presentation mirrors the thoughtfulness with which the House of Bishops and others are now approaching those issues. We hope for more.

Change of Pace

Yesterday’s schedule included a trip to Christ Church, York Springs for the annual service there. The Rev. Kate Kelderman, Rector of Prince of Peace, Gettysburg, officiated. It was a small, simple service of Evening Prayer – held in a space that is beautifully plain.

This building once housed the congregation that started both St. John the Baptist, York, and St. John's, Carlisle. While it is used only occasionally, it is a wonderful reminder of a portion of our heritage which we often overlook.

Prayers and Congratulations…

…to the Rev. Veronica Chappell and the Rev. Dee Calhoun, whom Bishop Baxter will ordain to the Priesthood today at Trinity Church, Williamsport. Our prayers are with you.

Bishop Masereka Arrives

The Rt. Rev. Zebedee Masereka and his wife arrived in the Diocese yesterday for a visit of about ten days. While here, they will spend time visiting the many parishes that have supported the Bishop Masereka Foundation and its efforts to build and operate a clinic for HIV-positive women and their children. More on this later.

Arriving by a Different Path

Today’s Centre Daily Times carries a fascinating article about the Rev. Christian Brady, Dean of Penn State’s Honors College and a deacon at St. Andrew’s, State College. Bishop Baxter will ordain him to the priesthood at St. Andrew’s on October 20. Dean Brady’s path to the priesthood has included time in Louisiana, as well as two graduate degrees from Oxford. You can read the entire story here.