Bishop Mary's Address to Convention 2008

Photo: Copyright 2008 Katy Dickinson, used with permission







Click here to read the full text of Bishop Mary's Address: Bishop's Convention Address

Bishop Mary, in her address to Convention, encouraged us all to stretch our boundaries, locally and globally

• She challenged us to get to know someone or a context in our community that is outside our comfort zone, remembering that multi-cultural parishes grow far faster:

"Be mindful in your prayers about where you may need to stretch: children? Culture? Color? Gender? Sexuality? We all have an edge that meets the open expanse of change as we encounter the reality of another. Make it a point this year to take in and absorb, rather than judge, the fullness of another, who is other, than you."

• She talked about the thought behind establishing a companion relationship:

"In other words there had to be enough room in this relationship that we could be ourselves: those who could be financially generous and those who can only give a little, gay, straight, world travelers, homebodies, lay and clergy. This would not be a relationship just for the bishops, but a large communal space that could potentially hold us all."

• She talked about how the Triad Relationship was visioned:
  

"[Bishop] Michael [Perham of Gloucester] suggested that in companioning, we really needed to have an American, an English and an African diocese companion together, keeping all the matters that challenge our communion before us; owning, accepting and working with the myriad of our theological and cultural diversity, speaking, listening, challenging and helping one another in the ways that we each need.

I believe we are being gifted with this opportunity of a triad relationship with Gloucester and Western Tanganyika for both mission and for a deeper relationship with fellow Anglicans around the communion."

• She spoke about the place of this Companionship in our ongoing mission efforts:
  

"I am well aware that individuals, groups and entire congregations in our diocese have significant and important relationships with other churches, schools and outreach organizations around the communion. It is not the intention of a diocesan companion relationship to displace those, but rather to add to the repertoire of mission and communion opportunities of our diocese, so that whomever would like to participate will have a chance to do so."

• She played this video from YouTube- to show the context for our ministry, and responded to it (below):
  

"Sort of scary isn’t it? Stop trying to keep up – we will make ourselves crazy trying to do that. In fact, the key is to go to the deeper stillness of God’s abiding Presence, not to try to keep pace with all these shifts. 'Be Still and Know that I am God' has never been a more necessary spiritual practice than in these days. Jesus Christ is still our foundation, and spiritual principles are timeless... When we are grounded in Christ, we are okay, no matter what. He is our foundation. I imagine that people caught off guard and overwhelmed by the rapid shifts in our lives, might appreciate a firm foundation and some timeless spiritual principles... Across all our diversity, grounding in an eternal and spiritual reality is something we all seek. That basic human need is one of our most unifying realities"

• The Triad Companion Diocese relationship was enthusiastically approved by the delegates!
  
• See More info on the Companionship in posts below: Click Here