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Episcopal Diocese of West Texas (Use your browser print commands then click back to the webpage.) |
Live from Columbus - June 16, 2006
Volume 2, No. 6
NEW!
Live from Columbus Audio recording
The Rev. David Reed reflects on a most important day.
We have a bishop - almost
The
way has been cleared for the Rev. David Reed to be consecrated as
the bishop suffragan of the diocese on August 26. On Friday
afternoon, the House of Bishops consented to the election of Reed
and four more as bishops. These include the Ven. Dena Harrison who
has been elected bishop suffragan in the Diocese of Texas. Her
consecration is set for October.
Under circumstances other than just prior to a General Convention, consents to elections of bishops are sought from the diocesan standing committees and "bishops of jurisdiction" -- generally, diocesan bishops -- by mail.
But when an election falls within 90 days of a General Convention, consents are given instead by the House of Deputies and bishops of jurisdiction in the House of Bishops.
That was up for a change at this General Convention: the House of Bishops voted Thursday to remove that stipulation so that all bishop elections, no matter when they occur, would be consented to "through the mail," as Bishop Lillibridge put it. But Friday, the House of Deputies did not concur with the bishops, so the resolution to change fails.
Reed's consecration on August 26 will take place at St. Luke's, San Antonio. He and his wife, Patti, and their two children will move to San Antonio from Harlingen, where Reed has been rector of St. Alban's for almost 12 years, in July.
St. Paul's -
hear a sample of the
evening's music
Ten
members of St. Paul's, Brownsville, including four teenagers, brought a
Tejano-style worship experience to more than 200 teens and their adult
sponsors who have gathered in Columbus as a part of the General Convention.
The "E3" youth event -- for "educate, experience, and empower" -- has drawn high school age youth from around the country and Province IX (the latter includes several Latin American Episcopal Church provinces).
The St. Paul's group led worship for E3 on Friday evening, bringing a high-energy offering of Hispanic music, Scripture readings in English and Spanish, and testimonies from five of the group.
Jackie Pena, 16, a member of St. Paul's, has been serving on the design team for the E3 event. When planners decided they wanted to incorporate a Latino worship experience, says the Rev. Chuck Sharrow, vicar of St. Paul's, Jackie volunteered her church.
Besides Jackie, the teens include Monica Aguilar, 17; Elsie Ceballos, 18; and Alejandra Sanchez, 17. Adults included Sharrow, Danny and Hilda Pena, Kevin Armstrong, Sylvia Nunez, and Brigido Jaime.
It has not been without difficulties. Just two hours before the service on Friday afternoon, the group lost a bag with their harmonicas, tambourines, maracas, and some of their music. After a quick trip to the music store, they were ready.
Whether or not they could understand and sing along with the Spanish lyrics, the E3 teenagers joined in the tempo with their clapping.
Most impressive were the testimonies given by the Brownsville teens. Monica Aguilar told of watching her grandfather slip into depression and drinking. "He thought God had abandoned him," said Monica. She said that Sharrow had told her once that fasting is a form of prayer, so at the 30-hour famine in which the teenagers at St. Paul's participated, Monica offered her fast for her grandfather's healing. "It was hard telling my youth group about my grandfather," confessed Monica. But her friends prayed with her, and her grandfather has not had a drink for more than two years.
All of the Brownsville teens witnessed to the power of prayer and Christ in their lives, and each ended her testimony by telling the E3 participants, "He can help you, too."
At the close of worship, the Brownsville invited those who wished to come forward for prayer, and dozens of young people took them up on it.
Catherine
Catherine
Lillibridge, Christian formation director at St. David's, San Antonio, and
wife of Bishop Gary Lillibridge, invited her listeners into a Godly Play
experience Friday morning when she addressed the Province VII Episcopal
Church Women (ECW) breakfast. About 80 women and a handful of men gathered
for the 7:30 a.m. breakfast at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Godly Play is a children's Christian education curriculum used widely across the Church, and Lillibridge told the audience that part of a Godly Play presentation is "I wonder" questions. As she lit three small candles from a larger candle, she asked her audience to "wonder" about when each of them first received the light of Christ.
She answered the question for herself by telling of a time when she was attending a women's retreat at Camp Capers. "I was alone in the chapel," she said, "and I mean really alone -- lonely, tired, scared, and angry." In that chapel she came to realize that the anger and pain of some of her childhood had been her fuel and empowerment. "But it was a damaging kind of energy," she said. The realization was a moment of change in her life. "My light from that day on has been fueled by faith," she said. "I can still end up in fear, but I know now how to get out of it."
Lillibridge also spoke about being open to a change in our light. She and her family have been going on a summer camping retreat with five other families for ten years. This summer, some of those who usually attend were unable to do so. "But the lights of those missing families were there with me," she said. "I half expected them to come around the corner at any moment."
She said that we have choices about our own spiritual walk, our own light to the world, and invited her listeners to heed the words of Mark 6:31: "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
Revised common lectionary to replace common lectionary
Both houses of General Convention have supported a resolution that calls for the use of the Revised Common Lectionary by the year 2010. Currently, Episcopal clergy may use the Common Lectionary -- found in the Book of Common Prayer -- for Sunday and daily Scriptures readings. Or they may use the Revised Common Lectionary, which differs slightly on some reading selections.
But starting on the first Sunday of Advent in 2007, the Revised Common Lectionary will begin to be implemented as the Episcopal Church lectionary. However, with the bishop's permission, a congregation may continue to use the current lectionary until 2010.
The Revised Common Lectionary has been used for many years by several of our ecumenical partners as well as by the Church of England.
Bishops vote in favor of slavery and racial reconciliation
It declares that the institution of slavery "was and is a sin" and a "fundamental betrayal of the humanity of all persons who were involved." The resolution called for the Episcopal Church to acknowledge its history and "the deep and lasting injury" that slavery inflicted, and to express "most profound regret" for its support and justification. The resolution called for a Day of Repentance and Reconciliation service to be held at Washington National Cathedral.
Bishops discuss civil rights and Windsor resolutions
The House of Bishops considered several resolutions June 16 that touched on civil rights from a variety of perspectives.
Resolution C010 asks that states which
prohibit the rights associated with domestic partnerships not be considered
for future General Conventions. Several bishops expressed
concern
about the resolution, pointing out that Ohio, where the 75th General
Convention is being held, would be included in that prohibition. With a vote
of 82-71, the bishops passed an amended version of C010, changing its
language from "directing" to "suggesting" such sites not be proposed for
future Conventions.
Bishop Dorsey Henderson of Upper South Carolina, co-chair of the Special Committee on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, introduced resolutions A165 and A159 to his colleagues.
A165 calls for the Episcopal Church's commitment to the "Windsor Process," a process of discernment as to the nature and unity of the Church. In response to concerns about language which had been deleted from the resolution, committee member Bishop Edward Little of Northern Indiana said the committee chose to shorten the resolution in the interest of "clarity and simplicity...to make it clear that we will join wholeheartedly in the process." The resolution was adopted with amendment.
A159, which had already been adopted by the House of Deputies, calls for "commitment to interdependence in the Anglican Communion." A proposed amendment which would have deleted specific reference to "inter-Anglican consultation and participation" on standing commissions of the Episcopal Church was defeated, although another amendment adding some language to the resolution was carried. The bishops voted to concur with amendment; the amended resolution now returns to the House of Deputies for consideration.
For a complete list of legislation being considered by the 75th General Convention, visit http://gc2006.org/legislation
-- Nicole Seiferth for Episcopal News Service
Larry King Live
Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold; the Rev. Canon David Anderson, president and CEO of the conservative American Anglican Council; and Bishop Gene Robinson were featured guests on Larry King Live on CNN Thursday night along with several other guests on the topic of "Gays in the Church." You can read the rough transcript of the show here.