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.
Bishop’s E-pistle
Elections, Investures, Surveys, and More
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.
2024 Diocesan Convention Wrap-Up
Diocesan Convention 2024 was a fantastic gathering of the faithful! Our Year-in-Review video is available–take a look and see what the Diocese of Arizona has been doing as we Follow Jesus, Grow in Faith, and Walk in Love!
2024 Diocesan Convention Anticipation
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.
Visit from Bishop John Oringa Omangi of Kenya
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.
Harden Not Your Hearts
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.
Call for Nominations to Diocesan Leadership
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.
2024 Season of Creation – To Hope and Act with Creation
parishes throughout Arizona can use this resource to celebrate God’s creation during this season which starts on September 1st and ends on October 4th, the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. The theme for 2024 is To Hope and Act with Creation.
Prayer Vigils for the Elections
Election news dominates almost every headline; election ads intersperse most TV programs, our social media feeds brim with opinions, quotes, and opportunities for involvement. Passions and tensions are high–sometimes for very good reasons. I feel in myself a mix of hope, fear, anxiety, and exhaustion. It’s possible that you feel some of those emotions, too.
Staff Transitions
It is a season of comings and goings at Diocesan House. Dawn Jackson, the Assistant to the Canon to the Ordinary and for Ministry, has taken a new job near her home in Payson. Dawn is currently the longest-serving employee of the Diocese of Arizona, beginning in 2014 as our Receptionist, and then moving forward …
Breadapalooza!
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.
The Olympic Refugee Team
This year, I’m also intrigued by the team of refugees and displaced people who are competing under the Olympic flag.