[Watch this address and selected parts of general convention online at http://gchub.episcopalchurch.org]
The following is the opening address of Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, presented July 7, 2009 to the Church’s 76th General Convention.
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
Greetings to all the dioceses; visitors, ecumenical and interfaith from around AC. We give thanks to the diocese of Los Angeles for hospitality, and to the many volunteers. It is already a great convention.
When I was growing up, my mother often reminded us of what our grandfather used to say to her and her siblings when they were in trouble, “We’re going to have words, and you’re not going to get to use any of yours.” Well, we are going to have words. I’m not going to chastise; I am going to talk about crisis. And you are going to have abundant opportunity to use your words – they will fill the coming eleven days. As you use those words, remember that they are meant to image and imitate God’s effective word, and accomplish what God intends for a healed and reconciled creation.
Crisis is always a remarkable opportunity – that’s how Christians are meant to engage crisis. Crisis is about focusing on the most important and most essential things first. Pilots talk about crisis management in the shorthand of aviate, navigate, communicate – fly the airplane, figure out where you are, and then call for help – but keep on flying the plane. The crisis management called First Aid deals with breathing and bleeding and heart beats, and then moves on to other, less critical issues.
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The following is the sermon of Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori at the Sunday, July 12 Eucharist and Triennial Ingathering of the United Thank Offering, preached at the Church’s 76th General Convention in Anaheim, California. (Video will be available on the Media Hub, http://gchub.episcopalchurch.org/)
