Eyes on Jesus. Hold on to One Another

Posted By: The Rev. John Pollock

The Mission of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Morehead City is “To follow Christ without delay, and to bring others into Christ’s gracious presence.”  Our mission doesn’t call us to sit with Jesus, or attach to ourselves to Jesus, or to give Jesus advise as to where He should go.  Each of these things might be something a faithful Christian might do from time to time.  But our call… our mission is to both follow Jesus, and to bring others into Christ’s presence.

Some early reflections from Bishop Daniel on Resolution D025

Yesterday afternoon (July 13) the House of Bishops took up Resolution D025, a multilayered resolution which I hope you will read in its entirety before you continue reading these reflections. [View the final version of the resolution here] The resolution reaffirms our Church’s continuing and deep commitment – spiritual, financial and missional – to life and relationships in the Anglican Communion. It goes on to reaffirm that we continue to be governed by the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church as our Anglican polity requires. The resolution also points to and gives thanks for the ministry of lay and ordained gay and lesbian people in this Church as well as this Church’s understanding that the call to ordained ministry comes from God and in the mystery of that reality, notes that the call to ordained ministry may come to any baptized person.

Three Stages of GC

a word from neighboring Bishop and friend to East Carolina, The Rt Rev’d Porter Taylor, Bishop of Western North Carolina

I have found that the General Convention has three stages: the greeting, the great bewilderment, and the convergence. These happen over the ten days, but they also happen within one day or even one meeting. First is about meeting. We see old friends; we meet new friends. It’s like going to college as a freshman. You find your dorm and your classes, and figure out who all these other people are and who you are in relation to them. This part has been wonderful. Being on a Legislative Committee means you work very hard with strangers and you become a community over the Convention.

The text of the Archbishop’s comments to Convention on July 9th

The Most Rev’d Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

The 76th General Convention of The Episcopal Church

July 9, 2009

Meditation at the Eucharist

One thing you learn very quickly as Archbishop of Canterbury is that everything you say is scrutinised and interpreted and picked over for hidden meanings and agendas. Something tells me today will be no exception…

But because I don’t actually like coded messages or hidden agendas, and because I believe they’re an aspect of a whole rather unhealthy culture of suspicion – not to mention conspiracy theories – I’m going to begin by saying two things as simply and directly as I can, so that we can get on to the more important matter of reflecting together on the Scripture passages we have been given in this Eucharist.

Telling Stories

Posted By: The Rev. Canon Matthew Stockard

This Thursday morning offered all present for The General Convention a time of mission conversation prior to the celebration of The Holy Eucharist, at which The Most Rev’d The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury preached. The conversation was a moment of hearing one another. All deputies, visitors, exhibitors, and bishops are invited to participate in this work, which is one aspect of an extensive ‘Public Narrative’ experience in which ultimately all Episcopalians are invited to participate and to share.

So what is this grand thing? It’s a short time for the disciplined practice of what may be a long lost art. Telling personal stories which provide clear articulation of personal motivations, so that others are invited more deeply into an understanding and potential participation of God’s call to ‘love one another’ and the ways that call is lived out in mission and ministry. That’s a mighty big sentence. Let me try a smaller one. When we share stories that have inspired us to action, we invite others to join us in this work.