The Wider View This Week

New Wineskins Conference

As a family we have taken many road trips; often back and forth from Nova Scotia to visit our families, and once across the continent and back. On all of those trips there have been remarkable vistas, sudden wildlife sightings, and amusing signs and billboards. All these visual wonders have been taken in by most, but not all, in the car. Frequently as the driver I have missed some of these things because, legitimately, I needed to be focused on the road in front of me. But sometimes we could pull over and take a moment to consider the wider view.

Two events in the coming week have much to do with a wider view of things than that which is in front of us every day here in Pittsburgh.

The first is the New Wineskins conference in Ridgecrest, NC, the end of this week into the weekend. This Global Missions Conference which happens every three years is a fantastic encouragement to our mission as Christians, both here and around the world. Many people from our diocese will be attending, but many of us will not. Could I encourage us to take some time to look up from whatever our focus is on, and PRAY for the New Wineskins conference? We can pray for its participants, organizers, and presenters—and for the increase of the Kingdom of God here and abroad through mission.

The second event is the annual Bishops Conclave, which meets next week, just after New Wineskins. This is a time for the bishops to be in worshipping community, for extended conversation and counsel taken together. Similarly, I invite you to pause this week to keep the College of Bishops in prayer as we meet, that we may draw closer to the Lord and to one another—to the glory of God and for the upbuilding of the Church.

Grace and peace to you,
+Alex