Archbishop Desmond Tutu was in
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.
A look at The Episcopal Church in many locations - from a well-traveled Episcopalian who probably has way too many clergy friends and relatives.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu was in
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
Yesterday’s schedule included a trip to
This building once housed the congregation that started both
…to the Rev. Veronica Chappell and the Rev. Dee Calhoun, whom Bishop Baxter will ordain to the Priesthood today at
Today’s Centre Daily Times carries a fascinating article about the Rev. Christian Brady, Dean of Penn State’s