Last year was amazing ... and it was only the beginning.

In 2006, the Episcopal Church woke up and embraced God's mission of global reconciliation in the Millennium Development Goals. We heard the call to seek and serve Christ in the 2.7 billion people who live on less than $2 a day and said with a loud voice "We will, with God's help.

In 2007, we will show the world, the church and ourselves what that mission looks like lived out loud.

2007 is a big year. It's the halfway point to the MDG target achievement year of 2015. It's also the seventh year, the first "jubilee year" since the Jubilee year of 2000, when such incredible work was done on lessening the debt burden of the world's poorest countries.

2007 is the year it all comes together. And it's in our hands.

We will, with God's help.

To answer this call, this movement needs to continue to grow in two dimensions at once -- in breadth and in depth.

First, in breadth. There are still too many people and congregations that have never heard of the MDGs, who haven't embraced their opportunity for Gospel ministry, who haven't taken that first step of education and the 0.7% pledge. We get to spread the word and invite them to be a part of this amazing movement to heal the world's deepest brokenness.

Second, in depth. This movement isn't just about learning about extreme poverty and giving 0.7% toward its eradication. It's about what happens next. It's about spiritual transformation -- the kind of transformation that happens when we embrace the extreme poor not as recipients of checks but as fellow guests at Christ's table. When we remove the "us and them" thinking that creates poverty and look at all as "us."

We will do this through prayer, through relationship-building, commitment to political advocacy, continued education, giving away not just money but the power to decide how that money will be spent.

We will do this through reaching around the world to embrace each other as partners in addressing the ills that afflict us all -- the sins of racism, classism, sexism and all the other "isms" that cut us down short of fully being the Body of Christ.

We will, with God's help.

The foundation has been laid. The movement is growing. God is on the move. But time is of the essence. We're halfway to 2015 -- and lagging way behind.

2007 will be the year we turn the corner in the fight against extreme poverty. It will be the year we claim not just in word but in deed that being the Church is not about self-destructive political infighting but about life-giving mission, a mission that finds Christ right where he said he would be -- in the poor, the weak, the sick and the lonely.

God has given us all we need to answer this call. The rest is up to us. Up to us to say:

We will, with God's help.