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Ocasionally, beyond my feeble attempts at inspirational messages in this newsletter, I will give you some thoughts and reflections about our diocese. In the aftermath of a wonderful Diocesan Council in Tupelo from Feb. 5-7, this is a perfect time to begin this tradition. Before I share a few snippets of information about what is happening in the Diocese of Mississippi, let me give you an overview that will explain why I think this news is important to all of us. Many of you know this already, but for those of you who are new to our church, the word Episcopal means simply “of a bishop” or “of bishops”. The heart of our common life is the bishop. While we have a national church structure (headed by a Presiding Bishop) and a loose confederation of churches across the world called the Anglican Communion that spawned off of the Church of England (headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury), we do not possess the strict hierarchy one finds in the Roman Catholic or Orthodox Churches. Outside of a few powers that they hold, these prominent national and international offices hold very little “real” authority in our parish life. However, our Bishop, Duncan Gray III, is the “real” authority for approximately 85 congrega-tions in the Diocese of Mississippi, including Calvary in Cleveland. Though I am your rector, I merely work for the bishop. To borrow language from our Presbyterian brothers and sisters, Bishop Gray is the senior pastor of our congregation. In this light, what goes on in the diocese profoundly affects us. This is not only because diocesan ministries impact us on a local level, but rather it is because we are truly linked through the bishop as one Church, the one Body of Christ, in this diocese. It gives us the ability to utilize so many more gifts, to reach so many more people than if it were simply the ministry of Calvary Church. The bishop often becomes a lightning rod because of this structure, as he is asked to not only invite but engage people of very diverse backgrounds culturally, theologically, and economically around the same table. When a guest gets upset, guess who they look towards to fix the problem? The story of Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners really makes much more sense when you have attended a Diocesan Council! And yet, as much as we complain sometimes that the Church would be a better place if it wasn’t for all these @#$% people, listening and engaging those with whom we are different is often the most effective way of being able to listen to the Lord’s message for ourselves as well. For in this, we realize how imperfect we are as individuals, and it gives us “eyes to see and ears to hear and understand” ourselves and the world we live in from the Lord’s perspective. This does not make the Church an easier place in which to exist, but whoever said faith was an easy path to take in the first place? As I wrap up my ranting, I can tell you that, from this standard I have laid before you, I witnessed a very healthy and vibrant diocesan at our Council a few weeks back. The diocese has had to cut back significantly on its budget because the bishop made the decision to assume the notes on four new church properties that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Even though this necessitated scaling back or even fully eliminating other diocesan programs, the Council unanimously voted to accept this burden and allow the coastal churches to minister to the needy in their area instead of remaining among the needy themselves. The overall theme of this Council was the life of mission. We heard about many programs outside the diocese, including ministry with companion dioceses in Honduras, Panama, Uganda, and Sudan, as well as burgeoning plans to begin involvement in the Haitian recovery efforts. But we also heard much new (and renewed) initiatives within Mississippi: the hiring of two Delta missioners to fill formerly vacant cures at congregations in Sumner, Lexington, Hollandale, Leland, and Greenville; increased infrastructure and programming at Camp Bratton Green and the Gray Center; and powerful outreach ministries to the homeless and unemployed in various congregations around the state. The breadth of resources and spirituality available in our diocese is truly remarkable. While we are a particularly blessed congregation in these regards for our size, let us not forget the movement of the Spirit outside of our own walls. As you ponder these things, my continued prayer for each of you this Lenten season is greater clarity and vision for the work of the Lord as the Holy Spirit strips away our outer shell and nourishes our core spirit – the one that cries, “Abba Father!” - in order that we may know Him and live with Him forever. Bailey ___________________________________________
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