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December
2001
God, in
the midst of pain, calls us to choose life abundant
For many
of us, this has been a difficult fall, a fall different than
any other we have known. We were all just getting into the pace
of a new program year when the horrific events of September
11 occurred. The impact of those events has been felt in every
home, every parish, mission and mission station of our Diocese.
In my office I am continuing to hear not just the personal stories,
but also the organizational stories of congregations in distress.
At a recent gathering, I heard the Rev. Chris Porter say,
"In some sense, it appears to be easy to die for what
one believes. It is in fact harder to choose to live for what
we really believe".
I hope that Christmas will be a time for you to find rest
and care and joy with those you love, and to give thanks to
God, who, in the midst of our pain and suffering, calls us
yet to choose life, abundant life.
I will be away from the Diocese of Newark from November 26
to December 3 at CREDO. This is a time of vocational, spiritual
and personal reflection. It is an opportunity that will not
be offered to me again for several years. The management team
will know how to reach me and Bishop Brome will take care
of any pastoral emergencies for the clergy.
Speaking of pastoral concerns, as our Assisting Bishop, Bishop
Brome will be doing more of our pastoral work with clergy.
Those of you who have had occasion to speak with him on pastoral
maters know how skilled he is, as he brings the experience
of ten years as a diocesan bishop. You may expect to hear
from him if you have a health or other personal concern or
just in general as he checks in on our clergy. It is important
to me, and to all of us at Episcopal House, to know when you
are experiencing difficulty. We include clergy and lay leaders
in the prayers at our Wednesday chapel services.
I also want to call you attention to several events that
you will see described further in this issue of The Voice.
Sunday, December 2 at Grace Church, Nutley will be a program
for friends and family of those who service in the armed forces.
Friday, December 7 is the second annual Dean's Ball in celebration
of our Cathedral. I hope that many of you will be able to
attend.
Sunday, December 9 is our annual Diocesan Evensong and Ingathering
at 3:00 pm at the Cathedral. This is the time when our congregations
present their pledges for the coming year. Stewardship of
our treasure is extremely important if we are to preach and
be the Gospel in the world. This year I will be the preacher
for this service. I hope to see you there.
Monday, December 10 beginning at 2:30 pm is a day with our
Lutheran partners in Called to Common Mission - an opportunity
to worship and talk together about our common mission and
ministry in this part of God's vineyard.
See you on the journey.
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