2002 Diocesan Convention Address: “Wade in the Water”
by the Right Reverend Thomas Clark Ely, Bishop of Vermont
[The Cathedral Church of Saint Paul, November 15, 2002]
My dear sisters and brothers in Christ: Grace, mercy and peace to you from God, the author and sustainer of all life and from Christ Jesus our Savior. In the power of God’s Holy Spirit, we gather to celebrate our common life in Christ, our varied gifts and ministries and the joy that is ours in wading in the water of our baptismal covenant with God.
As a child, I liked the water, but I wasn’t much of a swimmer. When I went off to Church Summer Camp at age nine, I was classified as an advanced beginner swimmer. Standing before you on the occasion of my second Diocesan Convention in Vermont, I think that is a good description of me as a bishop—an advanced beginner!
My childhood memory is that most advanced beginners were eager to learn new skills, were open to trying new things and placed a great deal of confidence in those around them. Advanced beginners were cautious, but curious; careful, but adventurous; deliberate, but persistent; nervous, but eager. For advanced beginners there was always something new to experience and a great sense of accomplishment with each new day of going more deeply into the water.
Years later, when I went back to work at Camp Washington, I always made it a point to go with the boys in my cabin to free swim. I remembered how others had encouraged me and stayed with me, helping me to develop my swimming skills. I remembered too, how much their trust and example had helped me wade more deeply into the water. As a counselor I especially liked spending time with the beginners and advanced beginners, encouraging them to try new things and to bravely wade more deeply into the water. I remember one year spending a whole week of camp with Robert, a young boy from Bridgeport, just trying to get him to put his face in the water. He finally did, and when his parents picked him up on the last day of camp he rushed to them shouting at the top of his lungs, “I can swim! I can swim!”
A group of advanced beginners
Thinking about our life together as a diocese and the theme of our Convention, “Wade in the Water: Living more fully into our Baptismal Covenant,” I can imagine us as a group of advanced beginners. In my imagination’s picture we love the water of baptismal living. We are eager to learn more. We are open to new experiences, and we have placed our trust and confidence in one another. We know we can learn from one another. We encourage one another, and sometimes we get nervous. We know that we need to sharpen our skills. We know that we need to practice. We know that we need to go deeper into the water. And we are willing to do all those things because we love the water of baptismal living, and know that going deeper holds the promise of greater joy.
For me, baptismal living is all about being and living in the world as the sacramental presence of Christ’s Body. I have come to understand the water poured upon my head and the sign of the cross traced on my forehead in baptism as an incredible gift. Each morning when I look into the mirror I look for that cross as a reminder of who I am and whose I am. Buried with Christ in death, I live with Christ in resurrection. Not only does that change me, it changes how I live. That is baptismal living.
I recall someone once describing the baptismal font as the womb of God. What a wonderful image! It is the fluid of divine life that sustains me, helps to form me, gives birth to me and ultimately transforms me. Living as a member of Christ’s crucified and risen body is the sacrament of baptismal life.
This afternoon, I want to offer some thoughts about how we as a diocese are living that sacramental life and wading more deeply into the water of baptismal living. And, I want to offer some thoughts about ways in which we might go even deeper. This is not meant to be an exhaustive description, but rather a sampling of some ways that I see us being faithful to the promises of our baptism. I invite and encourage you to do your own thinking about all this and then share your thoughts with one another and with me.
Our life in the Spirit
First: our life in the Spirit. Last year at Convention, I announced that a Diocesan Council Task Force would look at the various spiritual life ministries in the diocese and make some recommendations for strengthening that dimension of our life together. They did that work, and Council has implemented their recommendations. We now have a newly reconstituted Spiritual Life Committee in the diocese, with membership from throughout the diocese, chaired by the Reverend Jean Mac-Donald. Please keep them and their work in your prayers. In addition, our Cathedral is becoming a Dio-cesan Center for Christian Spirituality. The Bishop Booth Conference Center continues to develop as a spiritual life resource, under the leadership of its newly appointed Director, Debi Paterson. As advanced beginners in the art of baptismal living, our spiritual lives need to be nurtured and strengthened. These ministries and those taking place in congregations throughout our diocese are important in helping us wade more deeply into the water and pray the prayer of Christ.
Our life of learning
Second: our life of learning. I also announced at last year’s Convention the formation of a task force to strengthen and expand the ministry of our Diocesan Study Program. The first part of that work was accomplished, and the “new revised version” of DSP is set to launch this January. I hope you will encourage members of your congregations to take advantage of this great resource. We are also looking for more opportunities to expand the offerings of the Diocesan Study Program, including the use of Vermont Interactive Television sites to offer other courses and educational programs.
Knowledge is essential for advanced beginners, indeed for all who seek to live more fully into the covenant of baptism. One of the things I enjoy doing is reading parish newsletters (yes, I do try to read them all!) and learning about the educational offerings at the local and deanery level. From Bible study groups, to Sunday forums, to Alpha courses, to seasonal offerings, to one time events, there is a whole lot of teaching and learning going on in this diocese. I give thanks for those opportunities that help us wade more deeply and confidently into the water of baptismal living and learn the mind of Christ.
Outreach and social justice
A third area in which we continue to wade more deeply into the water of baptismal living is outreach and social justice. This area of our life in Christ was highlighted in the profile you prepared as part of the episcopal election process over two years ago. In that profile you indicated that one of the characteristics you sought in a bishop was a willingness to “speak out with a prophetic voice on issues of social justice.” I have tried to do that, and with your support and help I will continue to do so.
Several initiatives are underway in this regard, including the development of Vermont Interfaith Action and a newly formed Committee on Environmental Stewardship. We participate in many outreach and social justice programs throughout the state including those seeking to address the affordable housing crisis in Vermont, a livable wage, health care issues, hunger—especially childhood hunger—and refugee resettlement. Tomorrow we will hear a report and some practical suggestions regarding the farming and agricultural concerns we discussed at Convention last year. The Jubilee Ministry initiative we are bringing to Vermont and the dismantling racism initiative that will be before us in our business session tomorrow are two more excellent examples.
It may seem risky for us to wade more deeply into the baptismal water of outreach and social justice. It was risky for Jesus too, but He did and we must as well. Outreach and social justice are not extracurricular activities for the Body of Christ. They are part of the heart and soul of our evangelism effort to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ. I know that many of you are deeply involved in these and other issues at the local level, and for that I give thanks and encouragement. Clearly, this is one example of that ministry of servant leadership I talked about in my homily at the Diocesan Regional Days and to which I believe we each are called as we seek to do the deeds of Christ.
For a few minutes, I want to talk with you about two specific, important social justice matters. One is the dismantling racism resolution that you will consider tomorrow. The other is the prospect of war with Iraq.
Dismantling racism
Some people in Vermont say that racism is not a problem. They say this, in part I think, because they look around and see that there are not many people of color living in Vermont. I suspect as well they have little awareness of the experiences of racial discrimination and injustice that people of color actually experience here in Vermont. This is one of the liabilities of “white privilege” in this country. We are often unaware of the daily experiences of persons of color.
But we do have a problem of racism in Vermont, and we will understand that better as we take the time to listen and hear the stories of those who have been on the receiving end of racial injustice. I encourage you to read the Vermont Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights report, Racial Harrassment in Vermont Public Schools. Listen to the voices of people of color in our communities when they tell about being followed in stores or ignored by sales persons in favor of white patrons. Ask the young woman at UVM who was thrown to the ground and handcuffed by a police officer who thought she was the “black man” they were looking for in connection with a robbery last week.
Listen to how a UVM spokesperson described her ordeal in the Burlington Free Press: “It was a relatively brief encounter. As soon as the officers realized they had the wrong person, they immediately released that person.” The spokesperson estimated that the young woman was in handcuffs no more than a few minutes. However, she will have to live with the trauma for a lifetime.
Last Saturday I participated in a walk against racism here in Burlington. One of the speakers at the rally was Dr. Larry McCrorey, an educator and veteran of the struggle for racial justice in Vermont. After talking about the struggle he has shared in for decades in Vermont, he said this:
“All of us need some preparation for this struggle. To my fellow people of color, I say: we must come to know and understand our past and present, and take control of our future; we must learn, and teach our children, to fight racism with every ounce of strength we can muster, but never let it be an excuse for failure. We’re better than that.
“To my colleagues of the dominant society, I say: you have a tremendous responsibility in this struggle. Ultimately the side that created this distortion in human relations must make the great changes. Look at yourselves, my friends…. Not with guilt, for there is no time for that. Guilt is merely an excuse for not acting—a way to comfort yourself because you felt bad about something. Guilt is useless as a means of progress. No, look at yourselves with a resolve to understand racism.…to understand that there is nothing scientific about race; it is a social construct, existing only in the mind. As such, it can be deconstructed, and we need to be in the business of doing just that. Join the struggle; there is everything to gain from reducing and eradicating racism.
“This is a battle that will not be won by one or the other of us, but by all of us. Dedicate yourselves to change. You can make it better. You can help to make this a city and state that would be a model for the nation. Ah, it could happen, my friends…almost before our eyes. We can create the future rather than merely inherit it!”
The goal of our dismantling racism resolution is to join with community leaders, ecumenical and interfaith partners, and others in creating that future and to better prepare ourselves for the struggle. I hope you will pass this resolution; and I also hope you will wade into the water with it, embrace it and commit to what it says we will do as a diocese.
Peaceful solutions to conflict
On the subject of our pending war with Iraq, I simply want to acknowledge that this is a matter that weighs heavily on my heart and mind, and I suspect on yours as well. The House of Bishops has spoken its mind on this subject; and I communicated that sentiment to our congressional delegation, along with my own strong caution against unilateral action on the part of the United States. I am pleased that the United Nations is playing a stronger role, although I continue to be concerned about the rhetoric coming out of both Washington and Baghdad.
Dear friends in Christ, matters such as this are never simple matters, and good people of faith will often disagree on how best to respond. For Christians, peace and peaceful solutions to conflict must always be our heartfelt prayer and the goal of our efforts in confronting the prospect of war. Disagreement about the means to achieve that peace is what most often pulls us apart. My hope for us is that our discourse around such matters with one another will always be civil and that we will do our best to listen to those with whom we do not fully agree. The best discernment, I believe, is never a matter solely of one’s own conviction, but of the community in conversation, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. May it be so among us.
Our life of prayer and worship, our life of learning, and our life of witness and action are all part of the great gift we offer as the Episcopal Church. Vermont is a state with many people who have no church affiliation. I am convinced that many of these people have a deep spiritual hunger and thirst that the Episcopal Church can help nourish. We need to proclaim, with confidence, the story of God’s love for us and our love for God.
We need, without embarrassment, to acknowledge our participation in the reconciling mission of Jesus Christ and our empowerment by the Holy Spirit for ministry. I want us to be bold in our efforts to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Good News of our baptismal life, with others. Reach out to those who may be searching for a spiritual home. Welcome those who seek us out. Nourish those already among us, and all for the love of God. This priority must always be prominent in our life together. Please, don’t be bashful about wading into this water!
Youth ministry
Another priority for our life together, one highlighted in the episcopal election profile of the diocese, is youth ministry. Here too we are wading more deeply into the water of baptismal living. Thanks to the action of Convention last year, we began the search for a new half-time Canon for Youth Ministry. Inspired by that resolve and their own commitment to youth ministry, the people of Holy Trinity, Swanton approached the Diocesan Council and said they wanted to use part of the income from the bequest they had just received to help fund a full time Youth Ministry position in Vermont. “If you will make the long term commitment to this ministry,” they said to us, “then we will help get it started.” Council said “yes,” and in September we called Connie Saeger-Proctor to be the first full-time Canon for Youth Ministry in the Diocese of Vermont! Hallelujah! I am happy about that. Most of you know that this is an area of ministry very near and dear to my heart. Naturally, expectations are running high. Connie cannot do this ministry alone. I know that. Connie knows that. The young people and adults of our Diocesan Youth Committee and those who recommended her for this position know that. And I want to make sure that you know that.
Advanced beginners don’t shove each other off the dock! If we are to wade more deeply into the water of this ministry then we must do it together. Connie brings ideas, experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to this ministry. Our ministry is to work with her and the youth leaders of our diocese, both young and old, to foster an atmosphere of welcome and openness to young people and their gifts for ministry.
We need to be willing to examine and then change behaviors that work against the full inclusion of children and young people in the life, worship and governance of our church. We need to be willing to reach out to hurting young people, to young people on the margins and to those in any need or trouble and demonstrate to them the reconciling and unconditional love of God - whether or not they ever become Episcopalians. We need to embrace this ministry to, with, for and by young people, not just for the sake of the future of the church, but for our very life and health right here and now. I hope you are ready to wade more deeply into the water of this ministry. In the Eucharist tomorrow we will experience some of that ministry first hand.
Diocesan Ministry Support Team
As I have already noted, one of the characteristics of advanced beginners is that they stick together. They trust, help and encourage each other. They are resources to and for each other. And sometimes they are nervous. I believe all those are marks of a healthy diocese. I experience that health among us in the financial and human resource support congregations provide, enabling us to carry out the shared ministry in which we are engaged as a diocese. I am very mindful that those financial and human resources represent a deep, deep commitment on your part to mutual ministry on the part of the congregations of this diocese. I am tremendously grateful for that. I am also mindful that ministry at the local level is a priority for you and for me, and so I pledge to you the full support of our Diocesan Ministry Support Team in helping to strengthen and empower ministry in the congregations of our diocese. And, I encourage you to help and support one another.
At the conclusion of my address, I will ask you to share in a “Liturgy of Calling and Sending Forth” the members of the Diocesan Ministry Support Team. That team is now fully in place and many of you are already experiencing the ministry of these fine people and the resources they bring to our common life. We are your Diocesan Ministry Support Team. We live throughout the diocese. We worship throughout the diocese. We meet throughout the diocese, and we serve throughout the diocese. Advanced beginners one and all, we cherish this ministry we share with you.
Diocesan Council long range planning
Finally, let me turn our attention to the future and two envisioning initiatives that are underway. During the past year, our Diocesan Council has been working hard at taking on a larger leadership role in the life of the diocese. We have done some restructuring, and we have begun to meet more often. As a result, Council is sharing more and more in the decisions that shape and direct the ministry of our diocese. In September, Council took action to enter into an exciting process that will help us envision and plan for our life together as a diocese five years from now. A steering group for this began to meet in October, assisted by the Rev. Craig Collemer, an American Baptist Pastor and an experienced guide in helping organizations envision and plan for the future. The model we are using provides a powerful and engaging process for assuring that people reach agreement on the direction an organization should take and that there are measurable criteria for evaluating progress and improvement. This is a living process; not one that ends up with a great plan stuffed in a file cabinet somewhere!
So your help is needed. Tomorrow you will be asked to help kick off this process and bring word of it to your congregations. After lunch, we will distribute scrolls for each delegation to take home. When you report about this Convention to the members of your congregation, please bring attention to these posters. On them there are three questions. We hope you will ponder these questions and offer your response to them. Hang the posters in your church or parish hall. Encourage conversation about the questions. Encourage people to add their thoughts to the posters. Together we will think and dream about what our diocese would look like five years from now if we were engaged in mission in a way we would describe as “ideal.” We will think and dream about the ministry priorities we envision in that “ideal” diocese. And, we will think about the kind of support that will most enhance our vision for this diocese five years from now. Have fun with these questions. Take them seriously and with an appropriate dose of New England realism and practicality in mind. Over the next few months, the process of gathering this information from you will begin, facilitated by members of the Steering Committee and Diocesan Council. Expect to hear more soon.
Rock Point Board strategic planning
The other initiative underway is also exciting. Last year Convention authorized a new Canon 29 C for the oversight of Rock Point. The new Rock Point Board went right to work strengthening its internal functioning and addressing many of the issues, concerns and opportunities for ministry at Rock Point. They are a hard working, well-organized Board with lots of opportunity for others who want to be part of the action. The Board is now engaged in a process of strategic planning for the future. That process begins with some mapping of the property and defining of the core values that will direct and shape the future of Rock Point. Again, we will want to hear from many voices throughout the diocese. When the opportunity comes for you to participate, I urge you to do so fully.
Wading more deeply into the water
Well, for a crew of advanced beginners we sure do seem to have a lot going on. Wading more deeply into the water of baptismal living with you is an exciting prospect for me. I hope the same is true for you. As I thought about all this in the context of the two Bible readings we heard tonight, I was struck by two great truths that emerge for me from those readings. I leave them with you as my concluding thought.
The first is from John’s Gospel, where Jesus says, “my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work.” The truth here is that we have received the fruit of Christ’s work. It is called salvation —communion and community with God. We share in it now, even as we anticipate sharing in it more fully. Sharing in salvation, sharing in communion and community with God, means that we share in the joy and new life of God’s reconciling love. Baptismal living, wading deeper and deeper into the water of life, is all about appropriating that salvation for ourselves and for the world. It is about our day-in and day-out living as the sacramental Body of Christ. What a joy to share in that redeeming fruit! What a joy to wade into the water of that new life!
The second great truth that emerged for me is from that wonderful story in the book of Numbers. It is this. Collegiality, shared leadership, mutual ministry, is a very powerful and effective model for the community of God’s people. In fact, it is God’s practical solution to the beleaguered Moses when he felt weighed down by his attempt to do it all himself. “Would that all God’s people were prophets.” I say, would that all God’s people share fully their gifts for ministry for the building up of the community of faith and the living out of our covenant with God. I think it is an especially good model for advanced beginners.
Thank you for your prayers, your love, your support, but most of all for your witness. Sunday after Sunday, I am privileged to be in one or another of our congregations where I share in your worship life and hear and experience the joys and challenges of your local ministries. It is truly the best and most sacred part of this ministry. Thanks for helping this advanced beginner get his feet wet and for wading together as baptized sisters and brothers in Christ into the deep and cleansing water of God’s love and grace.
+Thomas
Copyright ® 2002, The Episcopal Diocese of Vermont. All rights Reserved.