Thought of the Week

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting the seven candidates that have been nominated to be the next Bishop of New York. There are five candidates that have been nominated by the Committee to Nominate a Bishop and there are two candidates who have been nominated by petition. Most of you know one the nominees, Andy Deitsche, as he has preached at St. Stephen's at my Institution as Rector and at Neil's baptism. That being said, he is only one of many wonderful candidates who have been called into this shared discernment process.

Part of the election process involves a series of meetings that are called "walkabouts." The walkabout that I attended happened at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Mamaroneck. For over three hours the candidates rotated among seven groups in order to have a chance to sit, talk, and answer questions. They were literally walking about from group to group. What I came to realize is that there are some wonderful people who have allowed themselves to be a part of this rigorous call process (yesterday afternoon was only one of seven such meetings).

In the middle of speaking with people yesterday I was reminded of the process that began almost three years ago as I discerned with St. Stephen's whether we felt God was calling me to be your priest, pastor, and family member. The process of discernment is a long inquiry into who we are and where we see ourselves going. All of life's big decisions are accompanied by similar intentionality. Whether it be where you might move next, whether to accept a new job, where you might go to college, how to address changes in our community or world, etc., it is always a process of weighing the options and listening for that small still voice to lead us to where we need to go.  Sometimes life gets so loud with emotions, judgments, fears, insecurities, or even literal yelling that it becomes difficult to hear the still small voice of call, but it is always there...always yearning to show us the path that leads us to growth, joy, and ultimately love.

This is why we gather; we gather to listen. There are moments of pregnant silence in our worship. There are moments of inspiring prayers. There are moments in which we hear stories and sermons that try to amplify that still small voice and remove distractions. I've found that one of the best ways to transition to a place of receptive listening is through music whether it be a beautiful special concert, a shared hymn on Sunday morning, or a simple guitar prelude on Sunday evening. Whatever unexpected moment in our shared life creates enough space for you to hear that still small voice, I pray that you are able to listen and go where you are being called because God is always calling us to follow.

See you in Church!

Fr. Josh

ps - if you would like to watch videos of the candidates for Bishop follow this link: www.nybishopsearch2011.org/videos/.