From Bishop Lane’s Convention Sermon:
The world is not full of people waiting for our help. The world is full of people waiting for God’s justice and for friends who will work with them to achieve it. Another way to say this is that mission is not done by patrons on behalf of those who are incapable of helping themselves. God’s mission is done by brothers and sisters in partnership, who work together for the benefit of all.
Download it as a pdf here.
Read it online here.
From Bishop Lane’s Convention address:
Our grief is real, but so is our hope.
All of this is a reminder that we have work to do of far greater importance than preserving what is comfortable and comforting. Our job is to bring Christ’s love to all the poor and suffering persons in our communities and to claim that love for ourselves in our own poverty and suffering. It is to work with our neighbors because they are God’s children and our brothers and sisters, without regard to their denomination or affiliation. We are to be places of welcome and refuge where every person will know that he or she is loved and safe – just as they are. Just as we are…
I do not believe for a moment that God is finished with us yet. I do not believe that body of Christ is dying, except, of course, to be born anew. The institution we dearly love is struggling mightily and will probably continue to do so for some time. But the ministry of reconciliation goes forward unabated. Our task is to claim our part of that ministry, to discern God’s call, to travel light, to look for new forms and new opportunities, to be flexible, and, above all, to trust that God is with us. God’s mercy never fails. It is new every morning.
Download it as a pdf here.
Read it online here.
Audio (mp3) version link to follow.
