Bishops' Word to the Church
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To be read in churches at each service
on Palm Sunday, March 20, 2016
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Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
We, your bishops, write to you, the clergy of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, at the conclusion of our spring House of Bishops Meeting at Camp Allen in Navasota, Texas. We have had a blessed time with our sister and brother bishops considering what it means to be leaders committed to evangelism and racial reconciliation. Our meeting was a prayerful, thoughtful, and joyful witness to our unity in Jesus as bishops of The Episcopal Church.
Even as we found new unity as bishops, we were also profoundly aware of the division, anger, and hostility engendered by the current political season in our country. As bishops, we take very seriously our promise to "boldly proclaim and interpret the Gospel of Christ, enlightening the minds and stirring up the conscience of your people." (Examination of a bishop, Book of Common Prayer, page 518.) To that end, the House of Bishops in our business session on our final day of the meeting unanimously adopted a "Word to the Church," included below. This "Word" calls for prayer for our country that a spirit of reconciliation will prevail in this political season.
As the Episcopal bishops of Connecticut, we wholeheartedly stand behind this Word to the Church and ask that each clergy person and lay leader in charge of worship in the parishes and worshiping communities of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut ensure that this Word to the Church is read in each service in the Diocese this Palm Sunday, March 20, 2016. As we journey to Jerusalem and the cross with Jesus this upcoming Holy Week, may we hold onto the promise and truth of new life in the resurrected Jesus on Easter morning.
Faithfully,
The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas
Bishop Diocesan
The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens
Bishop Suffragan
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A Word to the Church
from the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church
Holy Week 2016
On Good Friday the ruling political forces of the day tortured and executed an innocent man. They sacrificed the weak and the blameless to protect their own status and power. On the third day Jesus was raised from the dead, revealing not only their injustice but also unmasking the lie that might makes right.
In a country still living under the shadow of the lynching tree, we are troubled by the violent forces being released by this season's political rhetoric. Americans are turning against their neighbors, particularly those on the margins of society. They seek to secure their own safety and security at the expense of others. There is legitimate reason to fear where this rhetoric and the actions arising from it might take us.
In this moment, we resemble God's children wandering in the wilderness. We, like they, are struggling to find our way. They turned from following God and worshiped a golden calf constructed from their own wealth. The current rhetoric is leading us to construct a modern false idol out of power and privilege. We reject the idolatrous notion that we can ensure the safety of some by sacrificing the hopes of others. No matter where we fall on the political spectrum, we must respect the dignity of every human being and we must seek the common good above all else.
We call for prayer for our country that a spirit of reconciliation will prevail and we will not betray our true selves. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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