VOLUME 14 ISSUE 4 CHRISTMAS 2017 Highlighted this Issue: V Equipping and Empowering the Laity for the Mission of the Church V “In this sign conquer”? The Great Reversal of the Cross V Keeping Our Eyes On Jesus V The Lord Himself Will Give You a Sign V Parishes of Christmas Past And more… Inside This Issue... Equipping and Empowering the Laity for the Mission of the 3 Church - Bishop Love “In this sign conquer?” The Great Reversal of the 6 Cross - The Ven. C. Brown, PhD Episcopal Diocese of Albany Keeping Our Eyes On Jesus - The Rev. Cn. Robert F. Haskell Diocesan: 9 The Right Reverend William H. Love Acolytes Honored at the Cathedral Business Office: 12 580 Burton Road Greenwich, NY 12834 Phone: (518) 518-692-3350 Parishes of Christmas Past Fax: (518) 692-3352 14 Email: [email protected] Website: albanyepiscopaldiocese.org Therefore the Lord Himself Will Give You a Sign – The Rev’s Thomas & Elizabeth Papazoglakis Spiritual Life Center: 16 575 Burton Road Greenwich, New York 12834 Be the Light. Let it Shine – Janice Summers Bedoukian Phone: 518-692-9550 18 Fax: 518-692-8777 E-mail: [email protected] St. Matthew’s, Unadilla, and area churches Website: www.ctkcenter.org 20 commemorate the Reformation Albany Episcopalian Editor: Cn. George J. Marshall Honoring Humble Service: Joan Ecker [email protected] 21 Communication & Technology Officer: The Rev. Jill Stellman Clergy in Transition [email protected] 22 23 Lessons and Carols in Advent 23 The Twelve Days of Christmas 24 2018 Diocesan Events Schedule Diocesan Updates The Diocesan Update is the diocesan weekly e-mail newsletter, containing Bishop Love’s 2018 Visitation Schedule news and events from around 25 the diocese. If you’re interested in receiving the Diocesan Update, 2018 Beaver Cross send an e-mail to: webmaster@ 26 albanydiocese.org. Put “Subscribe” in the subject line, and include your name, address, phone number, and Coming Events at Christ the King parish (or other diocesan affiliation) in 27 the body of the message. 2 Equipping and Empowering the Laity for the Mission of the Church Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) o greater gift could ever Tragically, some 2000 years after No doubt, there are many reading be given at Christmas His birth, billions of people alive in this letter who are thinking – “That’s or any other time, than the world today (to include many in the job of the clergy. They are the ones that which God the our own communities and perhaps who are called and paid to preach, NFather gave the world that very our own homes) still have no clue teach and offer the sacraments.” first Christmas – the gift of His Son, who Jesus is, and the gift of eternal I would agree that it is the job and the Lord Jesus Christ. With the life He offers to ALL who believe in ministry of the clergy, however, it is exception of Mary and Joseph who Him. also the ministry of the laity to help were visited by an Angel and told the share the Gospel and make Christ identity of the child in Mary’s womb; God is calling all Christians known throughout the world. and Elizabeth who (filled with the (clergy and laity alike) to go forth Holy Spirit) exclaimed to Mary: in His Name and share the “Good In “The Examination” of the “Blessed are you among women and News” – the Gospel of Jesus ordinand, during the liturgy for the blessed is the child you will bear! But Christ with family and friends, “Ordination of a Priest,” we hear the why am I so favored that the mother acquaintances, strangers, whoever following: of my Lord should come to me” the Lord brings into our lives or sends us to. While we can’t, nor should we “All baptized people are called (Luke 1:42-43); and the shepherds to make Christ known as Savior and who were greeted by a heavenly host try to force our Christian faith on others, we are not only called, but Lord, and to share in the renewing of announcing the birth of the Christ his world.” (BCP 531) Child; and perhaps the Magi who commanded by Christ in the Great saw a mysterious star in the sky and Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) to Similarly, in the Catechism, found came bearing gifts for the “child born share the gift of faith which we have in the Book of Common Prayer, the King of the Jews” -- no one else had received in order that others may be Church teaches: any clue of the priceless gift that God strengthened in their faith. And, “The mission of the Church is gave the world that first Christmas. for those who do not yet believe in to restore all people to unity with Life went on for the people in and Christ, may our Christian witness God and each other in Christ… around Bethlehem as if nothing help them come to believe in Jesus, The Church pursues its mission as happened. Little did they know that accepting Him as Lord and Savior of it prays and worships, proclaims the the child born humbly in the manger their life. Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, world change the world forever. 3 and love…The Church carries out its far too much ministry that needs to for them alone. I pray also for those mission through the ministry of all its be done for the building up of God’s who will believe in Me through their members.” (BCP 855) Kingdom, to be carried out solely by message, that all of them may be one, the clergy. Father, just as You are in Me, and I am The Episcopal Church is part of in You. May they also be in Us so that the one holy catholic and apostolic Jesus initially called and trained the world may believe that You have Church. It is a liturgical and the 12 apostles to share and carry on sent Me.” (John 17:18, 20-21) sacramental Church, and as such, the His ministry. However, we are told in ordained clergy have a very special and Luke’s Gospel that as Jesus continued The Apostle Paul heard and obeyed vital role in the life and ministry of the moving toward Jerusalem, He the Lord’s command to go into the Church, particularly sacramentally. appointed seventy-two others and sent world and share the Good News of The bishops and priests are the ones them ahead in groups of two to all the Jesus Christ. He knew the importance who are called to serve as the celebrant towns and villages where he planned to and necessity of preaching the Gospel at Holy Communion; anoint the go. Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, in order that others might come to newly baptized with holy chrism; grant but the workers are few. Ask the Lord know and believe in Christ. In his letter absolution during confession; and of the harvest, therefore, to send out to the Romans, Paul writes: “Everyone offer the nuptial blessing during the workers into His harvest field.” (Luke who calls on the name of the Lord will sacrament of Holy Matrimony. 10:2) be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? While they also play an important The “seventy-two others” weren’t And how can they believe in the one leadership role in preaching and the apostles, but they had an important of whom they have not heard? And teaching and providing pastoral care, role to play in preparing the people for how can they hear without someone apart from the sacramental ministry, Christ to come into their lives. Similarly, preaching to them? And how can much of what clergy do in the day to not all Christians are called to the anyone preach unless they are sent? day life of the parish can be done by ordained ministry, but all Christians are As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the anyone – lay or ordained. I believe called by Christ to be ministers and to feet of those who bring good news.’” for far too long, we as the Church go into “the harvest field” to proclaim (Romans 10:13-15). have depended too much solely on the the Gospel and help prepare people for clergy to carry out the mission of the the coming of Christ. The “harvest” is Dear Friends in Christ, the Church, while failing to fully appreciate indeed plentiful. As mentioned above, “Harvest” is plentiful, so much so that the importance and necessity of the there are currently over five billion it is going to take far more than just laity’s participation in the mission of men, women and children alive in the the clergy to go out into the “Harvest the Church. Given the current clergy world today who have not yet come to Field.” As I have been praying about shortage and the fact that it is only know and believe in Jesus Christ. how we as the Diocese of Albany can going to get worse in the near future better minister to the needs of our for a variety of reasons, we need to When Jesus said, “I am the way congregations, and also go out more rethink how we are doing things. and the truth and the life. No one effectively into the world to share the comes to the Father except through Gospel, I believe the Lord is calling As with many aspects of our life, for me.” (John 14: 6), He wasn’t kidding.