Good Stuff : Rio Grande

This is from the August Diocesan Newsletter and is pre-Lambeth but I'm sure the sentiments haven't changed. The President of the Standing Committee is writing to the diocese and describing a plan for reconciliation not separation. Refreshing ! ("Reconciliation" - by Vladimir Sokolov- right)


A message from
The Rev. Canon Colin P. Kelly, III, D. Min
President of the Standing Committee

As I write to you, most of the bishops within the Anglican
Communion are meeting in England, under the leadership
of the Archbishop of Canterbury at what is commonly called
The Lambeth Conference. They are in our prayers. Many
clergy and laity are eagerly or anxiously awaiting some
statement from this Conference. All hope and pray this gathering
of our bishops will provide some clear leadership for
the future of the Communion. Some fear that nothing substantive
will come forth and they wonder if they should make
plans to leave The Episcopal Church.

I have heard from some that there are fears within our
own diocese that the Standing Committee and others in
leadership are promoting an image of a unified diocese,
when in fact there are serious divisions. From the beginning,
we on the Standing Committee have acknowledged that our
diocese has many issues with which to contend. Among
them are the differing theological positions held by the
members of our diocese. It is, in fact, because we do not
have a mirage of a unified diocese that we are working to
prayerfully face into the divisions which exist in our diocese.

Our Lord, Christ Jesus directs us to go and be reconciled
with our brother or sister when we discover that they have
something against us. (Mt 5:23-24) We see this process of
healing continuing for the next several years, going deeper
and deeper, much like the image of peeling the onion. As a
response to the call of the people of our diocese for healing
and reconciliation, we formed the New Life Healing and
Reconciliation Process. All of our leadership teams: The
Standing Committee, The Diocesan Council, and the
Search and Transition teams experienced the first Healing
and Reconciling Retreat.

The New Life Healing and Reconciliation process is designed
with the following vision:

* Call together the community of Jesus Christ.

* Develop a sustainable process that offers hope for
healing, reconciliation, and restored trust.

* Build communication capacities that are transparent,
respectful, and loving.

* Provide opportunities to live in the tension of diversity.

*Create a Sacred Space as a safe place to share stories
and explore differences.

* Establish connections that transcend differences.

The retreats will also offer people across the diocese the
opportunity to inform the profile being developed as a part of
our search for a new bishop.

I invite you to come work with your brothers and sisters in
Christ to bring healing in the body of Christ, that together we
may glorify our Lord and bear witness to Christ's reconciling
power.

In Christ’s love,
Colin+

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