Standing on Tiptoe in Hopeful Expectancy: Gafcon II Reflections

by the Rev. Shari Hobby

As the immediate effects of jet lag receded into the distance, I began to reflect on what I had experienced at Gafcon II, and how I would share it with Trinity, Thomasville, when I preached the Sunday following my return from Nairobi. The Scripture text was the thanksgiving and prayer at the end of Ephesians 1. I was particularly struck by v. 18-19a "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." This seemed particularly fitting as our morning Bible studies in Nairobi focused on the book of Ephesians.

In doing some study on that passage, this quote by CDF Moule caught my attention: Hope is "faith standing on tiptoe!" I came away from Gafcon full of hopeful expectancy, so tangibly aware of the richness that we have being connected with the saints from all over the world and the incredible power of the Lord to accomplish His will in and through us.

Here are a few of the times at Gafcon where I found myself standing on tip toe, learning forward in hopeful expectancy, not wanting to miss what was going on.

• The Opening Eucharist. We were tightly packed into All Saints Cathedral. I was sitting near the 341 vested Bishops and Archbishops in a side chapel. Not wanting to miss anything, I found myself on tiptoe. I was both involved in the glorious worship, yet was watching, waiting, wondering what would happen.
   
• The Bishop's Picture Event. The Bishop's picture, that you have hopefully seen online, was taken on the side lawn of the Cathedral. There were lots of us gathered to witness this event. I was back behind several rows of people, and passed my camera to the front, and someone got a great shot for me. I was standing on tip toe, trying to get a view of this historic moment.
   
• The African Dinner and Entertainment Night. Under a huge tent, with round tables for all 1300+ of us to be seated together, there was a stage on which we were able to see costumed men and women demonstrating traditional African dance. From across the way, I stood on tip toe to be able to watch this treat. That glimpse of African culture reminded us of the rich diversity from which we come.
   
• The Plenary Sessions. During the rich worship, I often was on tip toe, not wanting to miss anything! I usually sat near the left front, where I could both see the stage as well as get a panoramic view of the whole gathering. Not knowing exactly what to expect, I was in hopeful expectancy of what was to come next.
   
• The Courtyard. During our breaks for tea and connecting, I often found myself on tip toe, looking over the crowded spaces for someone I wanted to speak to.

Standing on tip toe:   being eagerly expectant, straining upward, being an active participant and not just watching a performance, seeing as much as you can of what's going on, seeing what is ahead.

My posture at Gafcon was being on tip toe. Since my return, my heart remains on tip toe. There is hope, joy and anticipation of what is to come! Here are a few things that give me hope and expectation for the days ahead:

• The Church in Worship. The worship at Gafcon was a foreshadowing of the throne room of heaven pictured in Revelation 4, where the saints are gathered from every tribe, language and nation are around the throne of Jesus in worship. The worshiping church of Jesus is bigger than our own congregations, dioceses and provinces!
   
• The Church at Prayer and at War. The prayer of both the intercessors and participants alike reminded us who we are and whose we are. Though we are fighting spiritual warfare we know that "greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world." We also know how the story ends up. Jesus is on the throne, and we all are on their knees before Him.
   
• The Church in Thought. The church is not just trying to repeat the past, but to move forward in new ways of doing things. The church is aware of the real differences between us, but places those differences in the context of the most important thing that we all share. Jesus is Lord of the Church, who redeemed us and is sanctifying us for His work in the world. We have great leaders helping us do great thinking.
   
• The Church on Confident and Powerful Mission. The church is under the direction of the Lord of Hosts to accomplish His work in the world, not to pursue our own agendas. Working together we can be more effective stewards of his gifts and call. We have his divine power giving us everything we need for life and godliness!

At Gafcon, standing on my tip toes, I got a glimpse of

• The saints of God gathered together in community
• The most incredible prayer and worship I have ever experienced
• People wrestling with difficult issues in a way that empowered their thinking
• The church living in the present, aware of the past, yet living toward the future with great expectancy
• The saints of God together exhibiting confidence and power as they submitted themselves to the love, care and mighty works of the Lord.

Can you, by faith and with great hope and certainty, stand with me on your tip toes to see what is going on, to strain upward and not be content to sit back, to be eagerly expectant in what the Lord wants to do in and through us?! Hope is "faith standing on tip toe!"

So, standing on my tiptoes, I have hope for what heaven is going to be like, and can pray, in hope, for God's will to be done on earth as it is heaven.  I have hope because there's strong leadership in the Anglican Communion that we're a part of that is living Biblical faith as normative Christian living and normative Anglicanism. I have hope that diverse people can gather together in unity around the authority of Scripture and the centrality of Christ at the foot of the cross and keep secondary issues in their proper place.  I have hope!

Why Do I Need a Coach?

by The Rev. Jim Hobby

Do you have a person in your life:

• who is unreservedly on your side?
• who wants to help you accomplish God's plan for your life?
• who can ask questions that produce insight?
• who points you to helpful resources?

If so, thank God right now for that blessing. If not, find a coach.

A well trained coach will help you achieve your goals by asking questions that produce insight within a supportive relationship. A coach can help you:

• clarify direction, next steps, motivation, and commitment.
• identify obstacles (internal and external) that are hindering progress.
• brainstorm potential ways forward.
• discover resources to help you make progress.

While our image of a coach is someone standing on the sidelines yelling instructions, this kind of coaching relationship is something different. It is first and foremost of serving relationship that focuses on your agenda (not the coach's). The coach's goal is your success. The coach's method is asking questions that bring insight.

"Isn't coaching expensive?" Sometimes. Executive Coaches can make $250 (and way up) per session. But, it doesn't have to be that expensive. There are plenty of options, including coaching cohorts (one coach working with 3 people at the same time), that can make coaching accessible to anyone who wants to be coached.

If you would like to learn more about coaching, call or email Jim Hobby (229-379-6100; jhobby@gulfatlanticdiocese.org). He can suggest some trained coaches (and multiply the reasons to have a coach!).

Support the American Anglican Council

November 20, 2013

 Dear Leaders in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese,

At the recent Synod we were struck with how far our diocese has come in fulfilling God's call on us, as members of the Anglican Church of North America, "...to reach North America with the transforming love of Jesus Christ." We were reminded of the early days of organizing, planning and much prayer, initially through the American Anglican Council (AAC), then the Anglican Alliance of North Florida, and finally the Gulf Atlantic Diocese. We were thankful for the pioneering work of the AAC and see much fruit born from its labors.
 

With permission from Bishop Lehbar, we'd like to tell you of the current ministry of the AAC and ask you to consider supporting them financially. Rather than use our own words, let us refer to Archbishop Duncan's September 2013 letter of the same purpose. Archbishop Duncan wrote:

 "I am writing to ask you to join me in supporting the work of the American Anglican Council (AAC)...In keeping with their "DNA" of responding immediately to the needs at hand, the AAC has shifted significant time, talent and financial resources to support the mission of our Church, to reach North America with the transforming love of Jesus Christ."

 The AAC has developed four area to assist the ACNA which are: 1. Developing Clergy Leaders with the Clergy Leadership Training Institute, 2. Helping Local Churches with best practices for Growth with the Sure Foundations program, 3. Promoting "Good Governance" in the church, and 4. Providing influence and support for the emerging Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. Archbishop Duncan continued:

 "The work of the American Anglican Council is essential to the future of the Anglican Church in North America. Would you consider a gift of $50? $150? $250? Would you encourage your church leadership to pledge ½ of one percent of your congregation's yearly budget?" [bold added]

 As board members of the AAC and fellow leaders in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese, we are asking you to respond to the Archbishop and our request to give to the "essential" work of the AAC in your 2014 church budgets and/or personally. For more information and to give, please go to www.americananglican.org. 

Thank you and may God bless you,  

The Rev. Mark Eldredge, The Rev. Alex Farmer, Mrs. Carol Rogers Smith

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