Dear Ones,

Both major presidential candidates tout American exceptionalism: the conviction that the United States is a unique nation with a God-given mandate of privilege and leadership in the world. Walter Brueggemann in his book Reality, Grief, Hope: Three Urgent Prophetic Tasks, which I commend to you, makes a powerful case that this attitude is reminiscent of the one found in pre-exilic Israel. He writes: "As the destruction of Jerusalem was a wake-up call to historical reality that 'chosenness' could not fend off, so 9/11 is a wake-up call to the historical reality that the ideology of exceptionalism could not fend off among us."

On Sunday, we will mark the fifteenth anniversary of 9/11. In those years, we have fought two wars, altered our understanding of civil rights, and watched a disquieting resurgence of xenophobia. As tragic as the events of 9/11 were, our hearts should be broken by the tens of thousands killed by our reaction as a nation. Indeed, the events in Iraq and Syria would be hard to imagine absent our nation's actions. What seems increasingly clear is that 9/11, and what followed, has given us permission to radically change our concept of neighbor and our relationship to the human family beyond our fortified borders. Even with our boundaries, we seem to be increasingly apt to renegotiate who gets counted as neighbor.

As we remember 9/11 and the sorrows of that horrific day, we also need to face the reality that the world may be calling us to change in ways not easily addressed. This is an essential prophetic task of the church. That prophetic church, Brueggemann suggests, is called "to bear witness to the irreducible reality of God and the irreducibility of the neighbor as the reference points for a viable life in the world that even exceptionalism cannot nullify."  We are called to speak the reality of a changed world -- something we really know as a nation and feel as a church -- in which we no longer dominate and can acknowledge the narcissism and idolatry that accompanies a claim to power. Only then can we grieve what we lose and find hope in the reality of God.

Our sacred place is always the table of Christ. It is a place of the reality of God in suffering and in joy. It is a place where neighbor is always welcome. I bid you to ponder and pray about these things as we live into our prophetic ministry. The church and our nation need to come to grips with reality, and grieve so that we can truly be the people of Jesus--a people of profound hope.

Take time to connect with other youth ministers in the diocese and participate in visioning, campfires, hiking and more. Information

All diocesan youth are welcome to this fun activity in the middle of our diocese - Temecula. We'll talk about the upcoming diocesan convention too. RSVP: Charlette Preslar.

View brief position descriptions on the diocesan website.

An influx of sacred items are now available on the Bishop's List for use in your congregation.

A new page on our diocesan website features an updated video each month to inspire you in your congregational development work. This month features the Rev. Winnie Varghese on the topic of racism and missional ministry.