Virginia Episc Op Alian
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VIRGINIA EPISCOPALIAN of Virginia Diocese Magazine of the Episcopal Quarterly The Spring 2016 It’s All About Jesus: It was a Different Re-Imagining 1 A Letter from 4 Kind of Council 6 Community Bishop Johnston Across Racial and Denominational Lines GROWING OUR CONNECTIONS IN THE KINGDOM TABLE OF CONTENTS WHO WE ARE 1 It’s All About Jesus THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF VIRGINIA FOR CHRIST. FOR THIS TIME. FOR ALL TIME. 3 Let It Not Snow The Mayo Memorial Church House: 4 It Was A Different Kind Of Annual Council 110 West Franklin St. 800-DIOCESE 6 Re-Imagining Community Across Racial and Richmond, VA 23220-5095 804-643-8451 Denominational Lines Fax 804-644-6928 8 Connected In The Kingdom: What’s Your Verb? The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia is a part of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church. We are a community of 80,000 baptized members and 425 clergy in 38 9 An Imam And A Priest Walk Into A Conversation… counties and serveral cities of central, northern and northwestern Virginia, serving the world through 181 congregations, six diocesan schools, two diocesan centers and six diocesan homes, 10 Lifting High The Cross and home to the largest Anglican seminary in the world. Our episcopal seat is the Cathedral 11 Grace in Oak Grove Shrine of the Transfiguration, Orkney Springs. Organized 1785. 12 Cuba How to Reach the Diocesan Staff: Paris Ball, Director of Christian Formation [email protected] ext. 1042 14 Reconciliation: Voices from Africa Sissy Bice, Benefits Coordinator [email protected] 1047 Buck Blanchard, Director of Mission and Outreach [email protected] 1016 16 Bishop’s Appeal for Mission & Outreach Mary Anne Bryant, Assistant, Mission and Outreach [email protected] 1017 17 The Episcopal Church of Jordan and the “Other” Refugees Ashley Cameron, Communications Associate [email protected] 1048 John Herrera, Sexton 1028 18 Bishop’s 2016 Conference And Retreat Series Stephanie Higgins, Bp. Assistant, Congregational Support [email protected] 1031 Edward W. Jones, Secretary of the Diocese, Chief of Staff [email protected] 1030 19 Staff Transitions Kathlyn Jones, Transition Ministry Assistant [email protected] 1038 Stas Jones, Financial Administrator [email protected] 1022 21 Diocesan Calendar, Clergy Changes Ed Keithly, Deputy Director, Transition Ministry [email protected] 1015 Mildred Lofton, Bookkeeper [email protected] 1023 Bill Martin, Assistant to the Secretary [email protected] 1025 Kendall Martin, Communications Officer [email protected] 1029 STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP Aisha Huertas Michel, Multicultural Officer [email protected] 1021 Meg Schwarz, Assistant, Christian Formation [email protected] 1043 Julie Simonton, Staff Officer for Congregational Development & Stewardship [email protected] 1035 Karen Smith, Receptionist/Assistant [email protected] 1010 Ted Smith, Treasurer [email protected] 1046 The Rev. Mary Thorpe, Transition Ministry Director [email protected] 1013 Michael Wade, Asst. to the Director of Christian Formation [email protected] 1027 Kate Wettstein, Assistant to Bishop Gulick [email protected] 703-241-0441 Amy Williams, Assistant to Bishop Johnston [email protected] 1012 The Rev. Canon Pat Wingo, Canon to the Ordinary [email protected] 1024 VIRGINIA EPISCOPALIAN SPRING 2016 Virginia Episcopalian (ISSN 15353621, USPS 019711) is published quarterly by the Episcopal VOLUME 125 ISSUE 1 Diocese of Virginia, periodicals postage paid in Richmond, 23232-9998. Copyright 2016. Contact the editor for reprint permission. Views expressed in this newspaper are not official statements of policy by the Diocese. Editorial/advertising policy is set by the Published by the Diocese of Virginia – Circulation 18,600 editor and Executive Board. Bishop: The Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston Bishop Suffragan: The Rt. Rev. Susan E. Goff Postmaster: Send changes of address to the Virginia Episcopalian , 110 W. Franklin St., Assistant Bishop: The Rt. Rev. Edwin F. Gulick Jr. Richmond VA 23220. Office hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. Editor: Kendall Martin Associate Editor: Ashley Cameron Communicants: $5/year Non-Communicants: $6/year Design/Layout: John Dixon Cover photograph by Kendall Martin IT’S ALL ABOUT JESÚS ES LA JESUS REALIDAD THE RT. REV. SHANNON S. JOHNSTON As I begin to write this, I’m thinking that it’s Al comenzar a escribirles, estoy pensando que going to be very short. That’s because what I lo haré brevemente. Es porque todo lo que want to say, what I want everyone who reads quiero decir, todo lo que quiero que el lector o this to take to heart, truly and deeply, is this: lectora comprenda con todo su corazón, es esta IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS. This has been put into my verdad totalmente fundamental: En realidad todo mind by the strong emphasis of our Presiding se trata de JESÚS. Esto lo tengo muy presente Bishop, the Most. Rev. Michael Curry, who por el énfasis puesto por nuestro Obispo consistently refers to the Church as “the Jesus Presidente, el Reverendísimo Michael Curry, quien Movement.” Yes, that’s it: It’s all about Jesus. constantemente se refiere a la iglesia como “el The measure and meaning of your life, the gift Bishop Johnston movimiento de Jesús.” Sí. Así es: todo se trata de of love and friendship with respect to all those Jesús. La medida y el sentido de su vida, el don del who give your life real context, your experience amor y la amistad con respecto a todos aquellos of, and relationship with, the Eternal God, the imperative que dan contexto a nuestra vida real, nuestra experiencia y of baptism, your worship, your choice of what Christian relación con el Dios eterno, la misión bautismal, la adoración, ministry, service, and stewardship you undertake as the aquello que escogemos hacer como ministerio cristiano, el concrete expressions of how you are, in fact, a disciple of servicio y la mayordomía que adoptamos como expresiones Jesus, it’s all about Jesus. Furthermore, and perhaps most concretas de que realmente somos discípulos de Jesús: es decir, pointedly for my purpose here, the Church itself—certainly que todo se trata de Jesús. Además, y quizás más básicamente your congregation but also more than that, all of the Church para el propósito de esta carta, la propia Iglesia – tanto su which is ours as a gift from God: the Diocese of Virginia, The congregación local, pero aún más allá, la iglesia que es nuestra Episcopal Church as a Province of the Anglican Communion, como un don de Dios: la Diócesis de Virginia, la Iglesia Episcopal and that very Communion that spans the entire globe—it’s como una Provincia de la Comunión Anglicana y esta Comunión all about Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, God’s very self, born que se extiende por todo el mundo tiene su razón de ser en into human life as our own flesh and blood. It is this Jesus Jesús de Nazaret, el Cristo, Dios mismo, encarnado en la vida who shows us how you and I are to live and why we are to humana como nuestra propio cuerpo y sangre. Es este Jesús live that way. Now, here’s the kicker: If our participation and quien nos muestra cómo cada uno de nosotros debe vivir y por understanding of “church” in our lives don’t ultimately boil qué debe de vivir de esa manera. Pero aquí hay algo mucho más down to that single, very personal realization and reference profundo: si nuestra participación y comprensión de “iglesia” point—that it’s all about Jesus—then we’re just wasting no se condensa finalmente en una materialización simple y muy precious time and spending increasingly limited reserves of personal que nos sirva como punto de referencia – que todo se energy pointlessly. trata de Jesús – entonces simplemente estaremos derrochando My assertion in these words may seem so very obvious un tiempo precioso y gastando sin ningún sentido nuestros to some, but I do not take this point for granted. For one cada vez más limitados recursos. thing, I have to say that all too often I encounter people, Estas palabras pueden ser muy obvias para algunos, Christians, who quite obviously have taken their eye off that pero no quiero darlas por sentadas. Por una parte, debo decir ball. I also have to say that more often than I care to think que muchas veces yo me encuentro con ciertas personas, about I can easily be one of those people. That’s why it is cristianos, que obviamente han dejado de prestar atención so important that there are many people and times in my al tema. También quiero decir que a menudo yo también life (both as a bishop and in my personal relationships) that puedo ser una de estas personas. Por eso es importante remind me of this single truth—it’s all about Jesus—and call que haya personas y ocasiones que en mi vida (tanto como me back to it. You, too, need such people, such occasions, obispo como personalmente) que me recuerden esta verdad in your life. fundamental: todos se trata de Jesús, y que me reorienten. Y Are you really with me about this? I admit that right ustedes también necesitan que haya personas y ocasiones que now, as I write, I can virtually hear people react to my les recuerden lo mismo. mantra—it’s all about Jesus—with a comment to the effect ¿Me comprenden? Debo admitir que ahora mismo, al continued on page 2 continúa en la página 2 SPRING 2016 / VIRGINIA EPISCOPALIAN 1 continued from page 1 viene de la página 1 that what I’m saying is just so simplistic as to be utterly escribir, virtualmente puedo escuchar que hay personas naïve, unnecessary. So, I also imagine that more than a reaccionando a mi mantra – todo se trata de Jesús – few have already stopped reading, having turned the page comentando que todo lo que estoy diciendo es tan ingenuo not being convinced that this is something that is actually que se hace innecesario y simplista.