Official Diocesan Blog

A few days ago, a friend told me, “You are failure at retirement!” I understood this as a rather backhanded compliment, but it did start me thinking about what success and failure at retirement look like.

In recent days we have all watched with horror as men, women, and children have been brutalized, and many killed, as Russia has continued its barbaric invasion of Ukraine. It is hard to believe that we are witnessing one European country systematically destroying another while the world stands by, seemingly helpless. While we have all been amazed by the courage of these innocent civilians and the inspirational leadership of their president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, agonizing questions haunt us all. What can we do? What should we do? Who is our neighbor?

At a time when the world was far from settled, the apostle Paul wrote, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Timothy 2:1–2)

February 23, 2022 

Dear Friends,  

The week for our candidate “walkabouts” is coming quickly. We have four special gatherings planned for March 21 – 24. We look forward with enthusiasm to discover which of these three men the Lord would have as our next bishop. As we prepare to meet with our candidates, here is an update with instructions related to our time together.  

Who Are Walkabouts For?  

"When I served as rector of Truro Church, I made a point of asking newcomers about their experience of our worship – what worked and what didn’t? Early on, I heard many of the same comments – while they appreciated the music and the preaching, they got lost in the liturgy. It was too complicated, and we used too many different books. In response, I decided to arrange an “Instructed Eucharist,” during which I would give a series of brief teachings as the service progressed, explaining what we were about to do and why."

Liturgy serves many different purposes. At its most basic it provides an order for common worship. Even those churches that consider themselves “non-liturgical” have a regular pattern for when they gather for worship. Our Anglican liturgy is grounded in Scripture and many of its elements remind us of our Jewish roots. Its regular use also imparts a common language of faith that is designed to not only instruct and inspire but also establish communities that can bear witness to the non-believing world of the redemptive love of God. Liturgy is never meant to be a “straight-jacket” stifling of the creativity and imagination of the local community, but rather to provide a framework to allow us to draw closer to God and to one another.

Hospitality is not only a Christian virtue – it is also a powerful antidote to the increasing scourge of loneliness. In recent years, the astonishing growth in the use of mobile phones and information technology has failed to improve social cohesion – instead, it has contributed to greater polarization and personal isolation.