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ADDRESS TO THE 210TH DIOCESAN CONVENTION Opening Most people are anxious about change, especially as regards the Church. However, the Jubilee year reminds us that one community of Christians can have a transforming effect on society. Let it be our intention to share in God's plan for the redemption and restoration of our souls, and for the soul of our communities and world. My address will focus these intentions in three areas: mission, money, and formation. Mission As a way of celebrating the deanery mission projects and the Bishop's Jubilee Challenge, we will gather as a diocese on Sunday afternoon, June 3, 2001. This is the Feast of Pentecost, and the day prescribed by the Presiding Bishop as the close of the Jubilee Year. We will celebrate the Holy Eucharist and share a grand collation. I have a sense of hopefulness and urgency about mission and ministry in our diocese. The report of the Mission Strategy Task Force presented to Convention this morning offers encouraging news and clear challenges. I am grateful for their tireless efforts in producing this document. We are working towards regional ministries. This is the concept of taking a few churches in a region and helping them share resources for their mutual health and growth. The Canon to the Ordinary and I have visited six churches that have expressed interest in this form of ministry. Our goal is to work with the local church to create an atmosphere where change will enhance ministry before a parish or mission is depleting their endowment or struggling for survival. I urge churches that seriously desire to participate in a co-operative, regional, venture for ministry, to contact my office as soon as possible. In support of these efforts we have retained the consulting services of the Rev'd David Brown. Father Brown is nationally known for his work in regional ministry. He is retired, and attends St. Thomas' Church, Alton. Christian mission is not a question of moving in a linear direction; it is about making turns. When the community of the baptized is willing to turn, to change the course of their ministry, creative and effective engagement is possible. My hopefulness for the diocese is grounded in the knowledge that so many of our churches are beginning to make those important turns that lead to spiritual growth and health. The church is not a club, nor a family of like-minded people. It is more than a community within its building. The vitality of a church is not measurable solely on the number of communicants or pledges, but by its vigor in living out the gospel. We have the faith and integrity to create the church of our highest ideals. This imperative requires conviction, and living out of one's convictions demands making choices, sacrificing one good for another. Too often, I have heard that certain churches cannot work together because members come from different social, economic and educational backgrounds. Sisters and brothers, if we cannot live across our differences in the Church, how can we ask the world to live in peace. If we say that we are one in Christ, then we must discover this unity within our own household. In Christ there is no mill owner or mill worker, no working class or professional elite, no superior race or inferior ethnic group. We must listen to each other's fears, and repair the trust that remains fractured. Let us not divide what Jesus has made one. Mission is expansive movement, challenging the church to stretch the boundaries of its confidence. The church is you, sharing ideas with freshness and renewed enthusiasm. Brainstorming, not to press your personal idea, but to see it as an ingredient in a large pot of soup, simmering with the ideas of others until a deep and rich aroma permeates the life of the community. Then, it is time to move forward. It is our mandate to take up our nets, our memories and our excuses, and rededicate ourselves as followers of Jesus Christ. Money 1
The past twenty years has seen the explosion of easy money. Numerous credit and debit cards are available and there is an increasing accessibility to money. Money, for some, has become a goal in itself, the accumulation of wealth, a game. For some people, it is not only a source of security, they believe it is their salvation. Taking a chance on hitting the jackpot sells hundreds of thousands of lottery tickets and fills casinos across the country. "You could be a winner," is an addicting slogan, engaging our fantasies and manipulating our reality. "Buy now, pay later," is a common refrain. This is an attack against our beliefs, our basic theology as Christians—albeit unintentional. Through Christ, who ransomed his life for many, we know that there is a cost to faithful living. The cost does not come later; it is now, in the present, in the midst of daily life. No one can experience the riches of God's grace without carrying the cross. No Church can live into the baptismal promises, unless there is continual engagement in the Paschal Mystery. The painful contradictions, shameful mistakes, rejections, and deep and pervasive loss that we all experience is the source of our resurrection. There is a price to pay for all our decisions and in paying the price, there is a new life to live. In our present society, money is God's rival. God and mammon are set before us and we cannot serve both. We need to name this idol in our midst, lest we continue to confuse it with personal worthiness, happiness, and success. Most North Americans are in debt beyond their house and automobile, very few save money for the future, and even less leave gleanings on their field for the poor to take. We need to recommit ourselves to disciplined fiscal restraint. We cannot do this alone. We need the support of the community of the baptized to help us maintain a spirit of generosity when we are saturated with voices that promote a consumerism that is eroding the gospel way of life. It is Jubilee, the time for each of us to live below our means so that the poor can live above theirs. As the Church in Rhode Island—the people of God in our various parishes and missions—let us admit that we have been endowed with the generosity of God's creation, and like our Creator, open the doors to our abundance. Giving 10% of my income to the Church, demands a re-ordering of my financial responsibilities, and encourages part of the use of my income as a gift to share, not as a commodity to spend. We do not have financial problems in most of our churches. We are prosperous. We have a spiritual problem that is casting a dark shadow on our ministry and mission. In fact, it is often in churches located in the poorest sections of our state, that the spiritual riches of generosity are most evident. We have enormous resources, given to us by our generous God; not for our glory, but to witness to every segment of society God's overflowing generosity. "If society remains unchanged by our witness, then at the very least, allow God to change you." (I don't think I wrote this.) Formation From a very early age, our children rejoice at birthday parties, holiday meals, and family gatherings. The mystery of celebration takes root in very small children. Likewise, our adults have inquiring and discerning minds. The information seekers are alive and well as they browse the Internet. In a society that hungers for the knowledge and formation that the church has historically offered, we need to "sell" our hesitancies and unearth this buried treasure. We cannot afford to lose this opportunity. If we do not recapture the important role of Christian education, those who hunger for spiritual health, community and knowledge will go elsewhere. The purpose of Christian formation is to understand our faith so that we can navigate through life with a clear sense of the message and direction of Jesus Christ. The Diocesan Resource Center has a wealth of teaching materials, including videos, and web sites. A year ago, I announced the appointment of the Rev'd Pamela Rannenberg as director of the center. In less than ten months, over 1,000 resources have been catalogued and over 300 contacts have been made with various church teachers, and groups. I want to encourage the increasing participation of parish educators in this important facility. Resources for all ages are available, and Pam has helped churches devise specially tailored programs for a particular set of needs and expectations. The goal of education is to enlighten and encourage, to challenge and to reconcile. We must open our doors to new members, not because we want their pledge, but because we have a Saviour to know, a story to tell, a community to share, and much to learn from the stranger in our midst. Every church should be a "school for the Lord's service." (St. Benedict) It is my fervent hope and prayer that every vestry and bishop's mission committee will seriously discuss ways in which they can implement adult Christian education, and the full inclusion of our children in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Closing During the week of Thanksgiving, I will visit the Anglican Church in Pakistan, taking your prayers to that part of the world where Christians are a very small and misunderstood segment of the population. My host, the Archbishop of Pakistan, has invited me to preach and teach; to observe social programs and visit with community leaders; to experience Christian-Islam discussions; and to share in the first ordination of women deacons. Archbishop and Mrs. Azariah are very special people, dedicated to the church in a troubled land. At great sacrifice, they have sent their three daughters to live with relatives in California, because girls receive a very poor education in Pakistan, and it is not always safe for Christian children. This separation is one of the great heartaches of their ministry. Mrs. Azariah is an international lecturer in Christian ecumenical circles, where she is a proponent for women's ministries. I know that through their faith and courage, I will receive many blessings. At the very end of June, I will go to Mexico to attend a school for the intensive study of Spanish, as my continuing education for the years 2000-2001. I go with some anxiety, since I have never had an ear for languages. But, we have a growing Spanish speaking population in our state, and I am their bishop too. I want to be able to celebrate the Eucharist in their language, and converse as much as is possible. I know that I will receive many gifts from the people and events that I experience in the months ahead, and I will share them with you upon my return. This has been a good and blessed year, in which God has favored us with reasons for hopefulness. Our priests and deacons continue to serve the church in God's grace and faithfulness, and we rejoice with those who have joined their number this year. We give thanks for the seating of our new Dean, and remain grateful for the generous offerings that have enabled the Ngarambe family to find refuge in our midst. The many contributions of time, faith, and expertise by lay people throughout our diocese helps us to claim a creative edge, and I am grateful for all they continue to offer. The work of the Program and Budget Committee has been a labor of love and commitment. My friends, let me restate the mission. The mission is proclamation, not survival. The mission is transformation, not security. The mission is action, not maintenance. The poor await our recommitment. The handicapped yearn for accessibility. The immigrant awaits full inclusion. The person with limited English seeks our patience. The Latino, Cape Verdean, Liberian, Asian, Nigerian, Native American, and all people of color will not wait for the generosity of Anglo-Americans. Now is the time to return to the uncomfortable challenges of the gospel, where all people bear the image of Christ. Now is the time to raise the light of Jubilee, and vigorously witness to its promises. "I tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed." May these changes bring God's promises into the world. 1. This section was inspired by Lambeth Conference, 1998; conversations with the Rt. Rev'd Peter Selby, Bishop of Worcester, at Lambeth and General Convention; writings by the Very Rev'd Wesley Carr, Dean of Westminster Abbey; paper delivered by the Rt. Rev'd Geralyn Wolf, at Lambeth; and a NPR program on poverty, 2000. |
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