The Bishop of Massachusetts Writes his Clergy about Day One

Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

We have just finished the daytime activities of the first day of the House of Bishops meeting. There is an impressive turnout at this meeting, including in particular, a high number of retired bishops.

At a celebratory dinner last night for bishops and spouses, we had the opportunity to get reacquainted with each other.

Bishops from most of the dioceses and bishops of differing points of view are represented and different opinions have been heard. We are joined by member of the Joint Standing Committee (JSC) of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) and the Primates Meeting. JSC is an elected body of representatives of both the ACC and the Primates Meeting representative of all orders of ministry including women and men, lay people, priests, bishops and archbishops from all regions of the Anglican Communion who meet annually to facilitate the business of the Anglican Communion. They were warmly welcomed as was the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Rowan Williams.
All of us celebrated Eucharist this morning which continued the high spirit of celebration from last night’s dinner and with an added sense of hopefulness when we sung: There’s a Sweet, Sweet Spirit in This Place.

In her homily, the Presiding Bishop spoke from 1 Timothy 4:12-16 “’Pay close attention to your teaching, and continue in these things if you would save yourselves and your hearers.’”
She said:
“Self-awareness is at the root of what we do when we gather, and it is vital to the ministry of oversight. And it is in regard to self-awareness that the gospel seems most apt. Those who are forgiven much, love much”¦
“I have been much aware in this season of the power of language, particularly judgmental language, to wound and remove hope for reconciliation. I have spoken to a variety of groups using the example of Don Imus, who pronounced a judgment on the Rutgers women’s basketball team earlier this year. It was the kind of judgment that said, ”˜you are not my equal, you are not worthy of the dignity I accord those who are like me.’
“Interestingly enough, the basketball players were able to respond with an invitation to conversation ”“ a response that did not involve immediate judgment, but said, ”˜we’d like to get to know you, to find out what prompts the position you hold.’ When you and I can meet our rhetorical opponents, or anyone we are wont to judge as ”˜other,’ with an invitation rather than a judgment, remarkable things can happen. When we are willing to be vulnerable enough to spend time, to turn about with, to hang out with another, which is what conversation actually means, we not only begin to have conversation, but conversion also first becomes possible”¦.”
“May we all pay attention to ourselves, bite our nimble tongues, and suspend judgment. Think how our conversation might be different if we began by recognizing the beloved before us. Like the monastics among us, may we bow when we meet the image of God in our midst. That very bowing might even lead us into a bit of subversion and overturning. May that physical act of setting our egos aside help us to recognize the fount of blessedness enfleshed all around us, and offer peace. May we be peace for all who gather here, and all who await the fruits of our conversation. May we all pay close attention to ourselves, and continue in these things if we would save ourselves and our hearers.

Following the Eucharist, how we then came together around the table says as much about the Episcopal Church as the words spoken in the day long meeting. We engaged in a three hour discussion in the presence of the archbishop where bishops shared their concerns and hopes for the Anglican Communion and our shared faithfulness to God’s mission. We had the opportunity to describe to the JSC and the archbishop where we are as a church and to describe the health and vitality and mission work we do mindful that there are deep theology divisions but committed to moving forward in common mission.
In the afternoon session, the archbishop offered us questions and framed them in a twenty minute talk which challenged us theologically and scripturally about what it is to be a bishop and how we go about doing common discernment in the Anglican Communion. We then had 40 minutes to discuss the questions in small groups and in a plenary session, where we responded to the archbishop’s observations and as in the morning session, comments were both frank and honest.

In addition to my emails, you may also check Episcopal Life online for other reporting on the meeting http://www.ecusa.anglican.org.

Yours in Christ,

–(The Rt. Tev.) Tom Shaw is Bishop of Massachusetts