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Sunday, August 4th was a GREAT DAY

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This past Sunday was a highlight in my ordained life! I have never had a church celebrate an anniversary in that way, my family and I felt so loved and honored. I am grateful to the Bible study group and all who helped make it happen, and most of all for all of you. Your love and support mean the world to me. 

I got too choked up talking about my grandkids to add a few words for my wife and kids. I thank Steve Brown and Mary Hauge for honoring Jennifer as well – the life of a clergy spouse is hard, y’all! She will tell you, “I didn’t marry a Priest”, but she was also the first person to recognize my calling and to say it out loud! Thank you Jennifer for your love and support and sacrifices.

And when I was talking about why I have my grandkids join me at the altar whenever they visit, I really should have mentioned how my own children have had to make adjustments and compromises all these years. They even schedule grandchildren birthday parties early on Saturday mornings so I can come and be back for church! 

Every clergy family makes sacrifices and compromises (as do most families I know), and my family is honored and happy to do so. I wish my two sons-in-law John and Wynne, and my son Joseph and daughter-in-law Flannery, with baby George, could have been there too, but having Chelsea with Eliza and Oliver, and Mackenzie with Juby and Mills, along with our son’s first born, Jane, made the day perfect! And I must say, having Juby and Eliza, the two oldest grands, serve at the altar, was the best! What a day!

Again, I am so grateful for all of you and blessed to serve amongst you.

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Prayers for our nation and our world

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Dear Friends:

As I continue to reflect on the event this past Saturday, the attempted assassination of former President Trump, I have prayed and searched for words to share with all of you during these troubling times. I hope you join me in praying for the family of the young man killed, for those who were wounded, for President Trump and his family, and most of all for the soul of our nation. As followers of the Prince of Peace, may we all strive to be Peacemakers in all that we do and speak.

I wanted to share with you some words and prayers I found comforting. May God hear our prayers and transform our hearts and minds to be people of love.

From our Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church – the Most Reverend Michael Curry:

“The way of love—not the way of violence—is the way we bind up our nation’s wounds. We decry political violence in any form, and our call as followers of Jesus of Nazareth is always to love. We pray for the families of those who were killed. We pray for former President Trump and his family and for all who were harmed or impacted by this incident. I pray that we as a nation and a world may see each other as the beloved children of God.”

From our Bishop – the Right Reverend Russell Kendrick:

Friends and neighbors in the Central Gulf Coast,

As I write to you, only 16 hours have passed since the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump. Questions continue to be raised. The news continues to develop. Emotions continue to stir. Social media continues to spiral. The future continues to unfold. Into the waves and wind of this storm, let us recall and repeat these words of comfort, healing, and hope. “Peace be with you.”

And as we make our way forward, may we remember that we follow the way, truth, and life of Christ Jesus.

Let us pray for all personally affected and emotionally impacted by the horror of this event. Pray for President Trump’s full recovery and pray for his family too. Pray for those who mourn; pray for those whose actions brought calm and resolve. And let us pray for our way forward being guided by the familiar words of this prayer attributed to Saint Francis calling us to be instruments of peace.

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

May the Peace of God which surpasses all understanding be with each and all.

+Russell

Lastly, this prayer written by philosopher, pastor, educator, theologian, and civil rights leader Howard Thurman. At our recent General Convention, we passed a resolution directing our Standing Committee on Liturgy and Music to prepare readings and collects for honoring Thurman on or around April 10th each year, on our calendar of Lesser Feasts and Fasts. Consequently, in preparation for General Convention, I began reading some of his works. I am completely blown away by his writings and grateful for his life. I encourage you to investigate some of Thurman’s works. This prayer seemed most appropriate for our current situation:

Prayer For A Friendly World

Our Father, fresh from the world, with the smell of life upon us, we make an act of prayer in the silence of this place.  Our minds are troubled because the anxieties of our hearts are deep and searching.  We are stifled by the odor of death which envelopes our earth, where in so many places brother fights against brother.  The panic of fear, the torture of insecurity, the ache of hunger, all have fed and rekindled ancient hatreds and long-forgotten memories of old struggles, when the world was young and Thy children were but dimly aware of Thy Presence in the midst.  For all this, we seek forgiveness.  There is no one of us without guilt and, before Thee, we confess our sins: we are proud and arrogant; we are selfish and greedy; we have harbored in our hearts and minds much that makes for bitterness, hatred and revenge.

 While we wait in Thy Presence, search our spirits and grant to our minds the guidance and the wisdom that will teach us the way to take, without which there can be no peace and no confidence anywhere.  Teach us how to put at the disposal of Thy Purposes of Peace the fruits of our industry, the products of our minds, the vast wealth of our land and the resources of our spirit.  Grant unto us the courage to follow the illumination of this hour to the end that we shall not lead death to any man’s door; but rather may we strengthen the hands of all in high places, and in common tasks seek to build a friendly world, of friendly men & women, beneath a friendly sky.  This is the simple desire of our hearts which we share with Thee in thanksgiving and confidence.

From “The Centering Moment”, by Howard Thurman (1984)

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General Convention Day Seven

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Today is our last day, and I suspect we will go down to the wire with many more resolutions to finish up. This morning the Rt. Reverend Sean Rowe, our Presiding Bishop Elect, will preach the closing Eucharist, the celebrant will be Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. I am anxious to hear Bishop Rowe while it will be emotional as Bishop Curry presides over his last Eucharist at General Convention.

Yesterday we approved several trial liturgies, including expansive language changes for Eucharistic Prayer C and some alternate texts (badly needed) finally approved for Good Friday. We will have time over the next three years to use these trial liturgies and report back our experiences.

Once General Convention is over I will do a more detailed look at some of the resolutions approved, and some that were not. It’s been a long 8 days and I will be glad to be home tomorrow. Thanks for checking in!

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General Convention Day Six – A new Presiding Bishop!

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Wednesday’s highlight was of course the election of our new Presiding Bishop. The Right Reverend Sean Rowe, currently Bishop of the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Provincinal Bishop of the Diocese of Western New York. Bishop Rowe was elected by the House of Bishops, gathering in prayer at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Louisville, on the first ballot, receiving 89 votes, with 82 a majority needed to be elected.

Bishop Rowe, while only 49 years old, is the longest serving bishop in our House of Bishops, having been elected Bishop of Northwestern Pennsylvania when he was 32. He brings a unique skill set to the position and obviously is well respected in the HoB.

Following the election, the House of Deputies received the news and, as is canonically required, voted to confirm the election. Shortly after the confirmation, Bishop Rowe addressed the House of Deputies. I really loved his speech and his presence with us. I recommend you watch his speech at the link below and see why it got me excited about his upcoming 9 year tenure as our PB.

https://video.ibm.com/recorded/133745864?mc_cid=0d35080681&mc_eid=eb172c34af

Meanwhile the slog through legislation continued. We dealt with resolutions on Israel / Palestine, concurring with the Bishops on two resolutions and amending a third, which will require a conference committee from the House of Bishops and House of Deputies to attempt to craft a compromise resolution. Some of the deputies insisted we return the terms “apartheid” and “genocide” to the resolutions in regard to Israel’s actions in the Gaza conflict. The resolutions did attempt to balance critique of the October 7th attack by Hamas and the extreme nature of Israel’s response.

And for some of us, the issue was raised over what exactly we think General Convention passing such resolutions even means to the wider world, much less the church. I found myself wondering and praying how we can generate the same level of passion and energy around evangelism and church revitalization as we do over such political issues.

Lastly, we concurred with the House of Bishops on a very important change to our constitution as to how our Prayer Book can be modified in the future, while preserving our traditional ways of slow change to our liturgical life together. This resolution was a “Second reading” of the same resolution passed in 2022, a requirement for any changes to our constitution. The resolution allows the Book of Common Prayer to include all liturgical texts authorized by General Convention, not just those currently in the actual book, while preserving a careful process of making any changes or additions.

More Prayer Book related resolutions will be dealt with today. Unfortunately our very slow pace thus far will see quite a few resolutions remaining on a Consent Calendar, meaning if the entire Consent Calendar is approved by one vote, the house simply agrees with the recommendation of the respective legislative committees proposing the resolutions and their recommended action on them (adopt, adopt with amendment, reject, take no further action). There is no debate allowed, so careful review of each Consent Calendar is essential prior to the vote in case deputies feel strongly resolutions should be pulled off that calendar and added to the legislative calendar to be debated. As time winds down and the sheer volume of work left is apparent, resolutions we probably should spend time debating may end up on the consent calendar instead. All this, to me, is a factor of how we do our work which bothers many of us, we just have too many resolutions to deal with and I wish we had a way to pare down the volume ahead of convention. Efforts to do so over my 7 times serving at convention have made little progress in that effort. Keep praying y’all!

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General Convention Day Five

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June 25th was Episcopal Camp and Conference Day at General Convention, and our entire deputation was decked out in fancy Beckwith shirts to honor our camp and conference center. It was also my birthday, thanks to so many for the birthday well wishes!

The House held the election for the President of the House of Deputies, current president Julia Ayala Harris was reelected on the first ballot. This was a contentious election and our prayers are with all involved for reconciliation and a path forward together, as we all have much work to do for and with our beloved church.

Late in the day, we shared a very moving time as the Navajoland area mission was officially welcomed as a Missionary Diocese. This change is canonical, and allows the Navajoland to govern themselves as all dioceses do and elect their own bishop. The testimony of their deputation was quite wonderful and their excitement and pride in this new status was palpable.

Today the bishops will gather in Christ Cathedral (just a few blocks away) for the election of the next Presiding Bishop. Your prayers are appreciated. We expect to hear election results at our 11am legislative session, but it could take longer if there are multiple ballots. All five nominees seem well suited to serve as PB, may the Holy Spirit guide our bishops in this very important election.

Itinerant: noun. a person who alternates between working and wandering.