Posted on 03/19/2006 5:15:50 PM PST by sionnsar
From Bishop Jenkins:
Christ says to the Church in Ephesus: “I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” Revelation 2. 3-4
Our Presiding Bishop, who is at his absolute best in retreat settings with clergy, used the above cited Scripture this Sunday morning to address the Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the silent retreat portion of our House of Bishop’s meeting. Many of us who heard Bishop Griswold have given decades of service in the ordained ministry and our “first love” in ministry is for many of us hard to even remember. I would count myself amongst that number who have matured to point of almost forgetting. My first love was and is to serve God.
I had to decide last Friday night whether or not I would agree to the request of twelve Bishops who asked me to allow them to nominate me from the floor for consideration as the next Presiding Bishop. As you may know, I had been previously dropped from the process by the Nominating Committee. These twelve Bishops who asked me were from across the specturm of the Church and included liberal and conservative, male and female and are of various colors. I am humbled by and conflicted by their request.
After a long night and day of struggle and wrestling with myself and with God, I decided to allow them to put my name in nomination, this time for consideration by the entire House of Bishops.
Many of you know that following the advice of a spiritual companion and guide, I have for years prayed for the spiritual gift of indifference. Such a spiritual gift should not be seen as a negative emotion, such as not caring about something or even an active dislike of something. Rather, the spiritual gift of indifference is described by Pierre Wolf in his wonderful little book “Discernment, the Art of Choosing Well” as “inner freedom.” In saying yes to these Bishops I am not saying that I prefer something else over the work of “episcope” in Louisiana. I am saying that I want to be open to serve God as I might be called. Unless and untill called elsewhere, I believe I am called to serve God in Louisiana. The Church will discern where best I might serve God and use whatever gifts and talents God gives me at this juncture in my life. There is great freedom in that.
In the meantime, the work to which I am called in Louisiana will continue without distraction. That too is part of the ever unfolding gift of indifference. The work to which we are all called in our “new normal” is a holy work and a gift for the Church and our poor old region. The ministry we undertake in Louisiana is not just about us but is in a sense about hope for many around the world. Please pray for me. No day passes without my offering up to God our common life and ministry in Louisiana.
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Charles E. Jenkins
Very interesting. Additionally, I think it would be interesting to have a bishop from Latin America lead the church.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. What the Episcopal Church really needs as Presiding Bishop is a black Latino lesbian who has recently converted to Islam and is confined to a wheel chair due to a little accident she had back in the 1960s when she jumped out of a window on an acid trip. That would be the perfect Incarnation of the Multicultural Piety Episcopal Church.
Oh that is not nearly inclusive enough! Gotta have a black Latino lesbian bisexual in a committed relationship with an Oriental Buddhist while married to a peyote smoking Native American.
Much better. The perfect Presiding Bishop.
I give. Would Jenkins be good or bad for ECUSA?
I have a suggestion; How about Benedict XVI?
I first would want to see whether BXVI can clean up his own playground first before I'd start recommending him to anyone else.
I like him a lot, and I wish him well in the overwhelming task.
I want to see the same. The problem for Anglicans and many other denomination is the lack of any move or even the POSSIBILITY of a move into the right direction.
At least there is a real and believable chance with the RCC and the Pope.
I basically agree. Anglicanism is lost as any kind of separate strain of meaningful Christianity, whereas Catholicism does have hope.
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