Presiding Bishop Rowe is articulating his vision for the Episcopal Church in the next nine years, and he is re-committing us to articulating that vision in terms of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus speaks a lot about the Kingdom of God in the gospels—it is like a mustard seed, a pearl of great price, yeast, and so many other images.
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint …
I had intended to write today’s Epistle about the movie Conclave, a fictional exploration of the conclave of cardinals gathering to elect a new pope I found it a fascinating …
Serving as an Episcopal bishop in a swing state means that I know there are some members of my flock who are happy at the results of yesterday’s election, and to those who are in that category, I ask for your support and compassion and prayers for those who woke up this morning feeling frightened or lost.
It is a huge week for the nation, and there are also many critical things going on in our diocese. This E-pistle is perhaps a reflection of the scattered nature of my own thoughts, prayers, and actions.
Our diocesan staff is eagerly getting ready for our Convention on Saturday, October 19. So are the good people of St. Philip’s-in-the-Hills, Tucson, who are hosting us!
Amidst the frenzy, I am spending some time reflecting on our convention theme: Rising Joy.
I have counted Bishop John Orina Omangi of the Diocese of Upper Southern Nyanza-Kisii, Kenya a friend and colleague since we met at the Lambeth Conference in 2022. Several people from the Diocese of Arizona visited him in Kisii last summer, and you have been collectively generous in supporting the ministry and mission of their newly established Diocese.
It is my joy to confirm that Bishop John is on his way to Arizona right now, and will be visiting many of our churches and ministries, including our Diocesan Convention this October.
Today at Morning Prayer, I prayed Canticle G from Enriching our Worship, the Song of Ezekiel. It includes the verse, “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit put within you. I will take the stone heart from your chest, and give you a heart of flesh.” It’s one of my favorite verses in the Bible.
I have felt myself, this week, subconsciously hardening my heart–choosing the heart of stone over the heart of flesh. The news is too awful, there are too many places of violence, and too many conflicts that seem intractable.
Jesus called disciples and then sent them out and trusted them with the mission of the Gospel. Generation after generation in the church, clergy and lay leaders have prayed about, interpreted, and acted on that mission.
Each of our congregations does this, and we do this on a diocesan level as well. This is the last week we are receiving nominations for two important diocesan elected ministries: Disciplinary Board and Standing Committee.
I think we are now in week four (or five? I have lost track) of “breadapalooza,” the summer season during the Lectionary Year B where we hear stories about bread in the gospel for six weeks in a row.
Like many preachers, I am constantly looking for new illustrations to make potent the image of Jesus as the Bread of Life, to keep our sermons varied enough that we don’t simply preach the same thing six weeks in a row–though at some level, repetition is exactly what we are called to do. Gospel: Jesus is the bread of life. Liturgical Action: eat the bread of life. Repeat at least weekly.
This year, I’m also intrigued by the team of refugees and displaced people who are competing under the Olympic flag.
This Sunday we will host our diocesan observance for the 50th Anniversary of the ordination of the first women priests in the Episcopal Church at 4 pm at Trinity Cathedral.
Our preacher at Evensong will be the Rev. Machrina Blasdell, who was one of the first women to go through the ordination process in the Diocese of Arizona. I will let her share her own story—but I will tell the punchline that although she went through the ordination process here, she was not actually ordained in Arizona or by a bishop of Arizona.