Reflection on the House of Bishop’s Meeting – Kanuga at the half way point

The Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano

Bishop of Long Island

There are some 148 bishops of the church registered for this meeting of the House. I am told that it is the largest number in quite some time.  It is a good and encouraging sign that so many bishops believed it important to share this time together.  We all recognize our need of each other in formal and informal ways, to live out this vocation as bishops at this time in the life of the church.  On this Sunday, we have had some Sabbath – everyone dressed in “play clothes” with a brunch at 11:30 a.m. and Eucharist not until this evening!

We each had to get use to the idea that there was nothing we had to do this morning.  Sabbath is feeling good at the moment.

Our focus over the last few days has been ministry with young adults.  We have spent significant time absorbing facts, trends, shifting demographics, and studies.  Mostly we have been examining ourselves, our attitudes, our propensity to hold on to our own way of thinking, of functioning and being bishops in a changing church and world. 

It has become clear to at least this bishop that our mission forward must be predicated upon our moving out into the world, rather than merely inviting the world into the church. It is not true that people are becoming less faithful, less interested in a spiritual life and a connection to God.  What is true is that the next generation of Christians may not be interested in the same structures of church we seem to spend so much time trying to preserve.  There appears to be an authentic longing for two very specific realities:

·       One, that the church, as the body of Christ, be intimately involved in the concerns of God’s people in any given geography;

·       And two, that the church maintain an authentic sense of mystery in its liturgical and sacramental life.

Relational Evangelism is a phrase we should get accustomed to hearing.  It is a way of living out the Baptismal Covenant that we will engage in our diocese.  Practically it might look like this: We invite people into a community experience.  That community in a particular setting (a parish, a deanery, or an intentional community) engages the wider community in what might be called justice work/mission.  The result of working together in the wider community leads that wider community to seek spiritual practices (church life) centered in a faith community that is ready, willing, and equipped for welcoming the people they have served and worked alongside.

It is about meeting people where they are, with their real needs and desires.  It is not a program, but rather grassroots ministry in which the relationships built working together in neighborhoods and communities feed the need and curiosity of the wider community about the life of the church, its liturgy and sacraments. 

The holy element in this process of relational evangelism is that we must learn to act as Jesus acted in the gospels. There must exist a non-judgmental attitude that does not set up barriers and expectations of those we hope to serve and welcome.  Instead of seeing the newcomer as one to be indoctrinated, we must first see the newcomer as a carrier of truth and grace as a child of God.  There will be much more time to share “our way” if those we welcome experience the reality and joy of our Christian life before we attempt to teach them all about it. Moreover, we must be prepared to learn from those we work with in our communities.  Relational evangelism demands that sharing and learning go both ways.  We should not assume that one who claims to be seeking, or has been un-churched or under-churched has nothing to teach us.  We are going to have to get used to the fullness of community – not just seek to replicate our own comfortable ecclesial club. 

The church is changing, because God’s people are changing with ever-increasing speed. The incarnational nature of our church demands that we embed ourselves in the midst of the people of God.  Relational evangelism is one of the ways we may live out the fullness of our nature. 

I believe, like so many others, that the Episcopal Church is uniquely qualified to be the vehicle for bringing more and more people into relationship with God in Jesus Christ.

Although there are times when we appear to be set in our ways, our theology of church and acceptance in the church freely allows us to engage in relational evangelism.  We are a church comprised of people from every ethnic, cultural, linguistic and national background. We are a church that includes all people regardless of sexual identity, political background, religious affiliation or level of education. 

We have welcomed all in the name of Jesus Christ – we must now go out in the name of that same Jesus Christ and be amongst the next generation of the church.