Sustainability and stewardship are topics circulating with renewed vigor in the Diocese of Missouri.
On Saturday, March 20, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, at Christ Church Cathedral, attend the Global Warming Cafe: from Conversation to Action. We know that global warming is a dangerous reality, one that will increasingly touch our lives, those of our children and grandchildren, and many of the poorest people on our planet. Serious consequences can already be seen in the form of floods, heat waves, more violent storms and the rise of sea levels. World Cafe is a wonderfully facilitated conversation. (Your editor has a good deal of experience with the conversation cafe movement, and when we were planning the first meeting of the online Episcopal School for Ministry book club mentioned this conversation style to Fr. Rod Wiltse, book club facilitator. Father Rod exclaimed, “Oh, Lectio Divina!”) (more…)
One of the duties of the Standing Committee is to consent to the election of bishops in the larger Episcopal Church. This may seem simple, and it often is. Other times, the conversation is more complex. (more…)
I remember reading somewhere in the works of Roland Allen, great Anglican theologian of mission, his idea of the most important thing that a missionary can do: Go on leave.
To do otherwise is, first, to distrust the Spirit, and second, to disregard the gifts of the very community in which one serves. Any work worth doing can lead to fantasies that one is irreplaceable, a deception undercut by Allen’s good sense. The dignity and value intrinsic to any human being cannot be in doubt, and the pursuit of excellence in the doing of one’s vocation is a virtue. But no one person is indispensable, a truth worth remembering.
The practice of Sabbath itself, holy leisure, reminds the believer who is God—and who is not. Human being, capable creature of God that we are, does not run the universe. We have some responsibilities for the cosmos, yes, but we are not in charge. The full stop provided by Sabbath time, interwoven into the very structure of creation in Genesis 1, should remind us of that truth about God. We can quit working, and the universe goes on—precisely because we are not God. The God-ward direction of Sabbath time complements that other crucial piece inherent to the day, the practice of holy rest, the restorative value of intentional leisure, in and of itself. Human being grows weary and needs rest, and Sabbath time is a gift from the Creator to these beloved creatures.
For years I have encouraged colleagues in ordained ministry to take substantial time away at regular intervals. I believe that the processes of disengagement from one’s community and re-engagement afterward bear fruit, both for the cleric involved and for the community. I have pushed people to make space in that time away for four purposes: sheer rest, self-care, spiritual renewal, and learning for its own sake.
So now it is time for me to heed my own advice, and I am taking two months, March and April, away from the day-to-day ministry as Bishop of the Diocese of Missouri. This is my first Sabbatical during my tenure as Bishop, and it will not be my last. Let me sketch out my plans. In early March I will head to South Texas, for two weeks of warm-weather camping, pure leisure. Later in March I will drive to Camp Allen, near Houston, for the spring meeting of the House of Bishops. (Let me say that I had considered not attending this meeting but came to realize how restorative I find this peculiar community, that I would miss not being with friends and colleagues.) I then will spend Holy Week and Easter at Sewanee, keeping the rites of the season with that community, mostly at the School of Theology. The rest of April I will devote to some pursuits of learning—and perhaps some writing.
I am grateful to the Diocese of Missouri for making it possible to be away; I know that I am eager for rest and renewal. I hope, in fact, that this time of Sabbatical will make for my deeper engagement with the Diocese of Missouri, and enhance the work we share in serving God’s mission.
A Lenten Gift from St. Martin’s-Ellisville. This year forty-three parishioners contributed to a collection of 46 meditations. The daily readings cover the 40 days – as well as the six Sundays — of the Lenten season. Mary Drastal contributed the original cover image; Ruby Downs and Janet Theiss produced the books in the church office. (more…)
Congratulations and prayers to the Rev. Renee Fenner and the people of St. Barnabas, Florissant and Christ Church Cathedral. Canon Pastor Fenner, currently serving Christ Church Cathedral, has answered the call from St. Barnabas to be their next rector. Stories from the cathedral and St. Barnabas online. Fenner has been a steady and faithful guide and presence these past years at the cathedral, and will be terribly missed, but there is great joy surrounding her new ministry with the people of St. Barnabas. Caught in the hallway, at the end of the day, Canon Renee asked that we continue to hold her and the people of these two Metro II congregations in our prayers.
Cathedral Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust St., St. Louis, MO 63103, ph 314-231-3454, www.christchurchcathedral.us
St Barnabas St. Barnabas' Episcopal Church, 2900 St. Catherine, Florissant, MO 63033, ph 314-837-7113, www.stbarnabas-stl.org
Saturday, March 6, 2010,
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Registration begins at 8:30)
St. Martin’s, Ellisville.
This year’s annual Leadership Conference for clergy and lay members of the diocese is devoted to Public Narrative; how we effectively, succinctly, and engagingly tell our story.
Keynote and lead presenter will be the Rev. Devon Anderson. In addition to her work as executive director of Episcopalians for Global Reconcilliation, Anderson was the project manager for the Episcopal Public Narrative Project. (more…)
In earthquake-stricken Haiti, an Episcopal bishop is providing relief to as many survivors as he can while they wait for the arrival of official aid. Jean Zache Duracin speaks with WSJ’s Charles Forelle on how he’s trying to help.
Main Haiti information page at Episcopal Relief & Development, including a letter from Bishop Duracin and the Rev. Lauren Stanley, TEC missioner to Haiti.
“Our hearts are broken,” the Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said in a homily at a prayer service for Haiti on January 17. The Presiding Bishop joined Bishop of Washington John Bryson Chane, Cathedral Dean Samuel T. Lloyd III, The Honorable Susan E. Rice, US Ambassador to the United Nations, His Excellency Raymond Alcide Joseph, Ambassador of Haiti, and others at “Strength through Unity — L’Union fait la Force: A Service of Prayer for Haiti” at Washington National Cathedral.
Our hearts are broken, as we sit transfixed before images of devastation and ruin, the bodies of children and elders piled in the streets, buildings crushed to dust, pleading arms and voices raised to heaven. We respond in lament and grief and sorrow, we push back against the senseless mystery of life’s pain. We yield to those ancient questions: Why? What sort of a God permits destruction like this? What can I do, how can I help? Those questions can’t ever be fully answered fully, yet they are most important in times like these. The reality is that life is not safe or predictable, but what we do with our lives gives them meaning. God does not cause suffering or punish people with it, but God is present and known more intimately in the midst of suffering. Above all, we become more human through our broken hearts. (more…)
A service of music and prayer for the victims, families, and survivors of the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. The offering will benefit relief efforts in Haiti. The service will feature prayers from interfaith representatives and a Haitian folksong sung by countertenor Jean-Luc Princivil.
Main resource. Real time reports from Haiti and from across The Episcopal Church on missionaries, church responses, persons in Haiti, blog locations, congregational resources, prayers, hymns, ministries, missions, current needs: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/haiti.php
The Diocese of Haiti
FAQ. The Episcopal Diocese of Haiti is a member of Province II of The Episcopal Church. The Diocesan offices are located in Port-au-Prince. Haiti is the largest and fastest-growing diocese in The Episcopal Church with over 83,000 members (2008 parochial reports). There are 97 Episcopal churches in Haiti. TEC is in the process of ascertaining their status; updates will be posted on the Episcopal Church Haiti page. In 2008, the diocese celebrated over 200 child and adult baptisms, and over 700 child and adult confirmations. There are over 200 Episcopal schools with more than 6000 students. (more…)
Each article’s footer contains descriptive keywords. Category lists location. Tags identify key terms that relate to the topic; a complete list can be found by clicking All Tags.
I remember reading somewhere in the works of Roland Allen, great Anglican theologian of mission, his idea of the most important thing that a missionary can do: Go on leave. 
A Lenten Gift from St. Martin’s-Ellisville. This year forty-three parishioners contributed to a collection of 46 meditations. The daily readings cover the 40 days – as well as the six Sundays — of the Lenten season. Mary Drastal contributed the original cover image; Ruby Downs and Janet Theiss produced the books in the church office. 
Congratulations and prayers to the Rev. Renee Fenner and the people of St. Barnabas, Florissant and Christ Church Cathedral. Canon Pastor Fenner, currently serving Christ Church Cathedral, has answered the call from St. Barnabas to be their next rector. Stories from the 
Saturday, March 6, 2010,
Our hearts are broken, as we sit transfixed before images of devastation and ruin, the bodies of children and elders piled in the streets, buildings crushed to dust, pleading arms and voices raised to heaven. We respond in lament and grief and sorrow, we push back against the senseless mystery of life’s pain. We yield to those ancient questions: Why? What sort of a God permits destruction like this? What can I do, how can I help? Those questions can’t ever be fully answered fully, yet they are most important in times like these. The reality is that life is not safe or predictable, but what we do with our lives gives them meaning. God does not cause suffering or punish people with it, but God is present and known more intimately in the midst of suffering. Above all, we become more human through our broken hearts. 
A service of music and prayer for the victims, families, and survivors of the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. The offering will benefit relief efforts in Haiti. The service will feature prayers from interfaith representatives and a Haitian folksong sung by countertenor Jean-Luc Princivil.
