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Bishop's Notebook
27 February (Flight from Okinawa via Osaka to Korea)
We
left the door open looking out over a stormy South China Sea as
the Baptism-Confirmation Service began. About 30 persons attended
and followed up the event with a celebratory brunch. CH Jere Hinson
has worked hard to build a congregation over his nearly three years
at these Marine installations and his presence is praised by parishioners
and command. The challenge on Okinawa is significant because in
addition to the counseling and support of young adults (which is
the bulk of military chaplaincy) the relations with the Okinawan
population travels on two simultaneous tracks: one, a full, welcomed,
consuming partner in the economy and, two, a resentment of the military,
aggravated by awkward official statements and isolated felonious
acts. Considering that 75% of the military presence in Japan is
there it was described to me as, "living under a microscope".
An immediate practical problem for Jere is coverage for St.Michael's
while he is away in Australia on an eight week deployment. We talked
about some options. Of equal acclaim and challenge is Jere's wife
Ruth. She maintains a household with three very energetic kids under
the age of eight and teaches English at home. My last night there
we had dinner in their cozy apartment in one of Camp Kinser's "towers."
This was a thoroughly enjoyable time for me when life in the chaplaincy
is brought right to the dinner table. The ministry for the Hinsons
is good but it is isolated. They have wonderful friends in the apartment
housing but family is far away. In our esoteric moments, we may
wrestle with "Episcopal Identity" but the thankfulness for this
kind of service in a foreign land should be our very next thought.
+gep
Bishop's Notebook
Stopover in Hawaii, 16 February
I
completed a year in the Episcopacy some days ago and was surprised
by a party at home with some friends both from the office and other
places. Brook called, coordinated and cooked this event into being.
God bless her.
Anniversaries are the times one summarizes and offers perspective
but it is too early to do that, I think you'll agree. It was more
symbolic to observe that all three areas of our ministry were highlighted
on the front page of the newspaper that morning: President Bush
proposed a series of benefits for the military at three successive
installations, the HMO bureaucracy was being called before Congress
for unresponsiveness, and the prison population had modestly deceased
in some key states.
Earlier in the week we received news from CH George Clifford at
Cherry Point, NC that MAJ Todd Denson and CPT Jason Meiners had
lost their lives in a crash of their Harrier aircraft. A few days
passed and the USS Greenville collision tragedy occurred, with an
unrelated 25th Division helicopter accident with six lost in Hawaii
soon after that. Now that we have touched down here in Hawaii, you
can imagine the local stories give even more intimate portraits
of those who died in both tragedies. (I'm trying to get to the Memorial
Service before my plane leaves for Guam.)
During the aftermath of such occurrences I always appreciate a nearby
chaplain giving us the names of the persons who have been affected.
It's important to do. Once, I was riding with some people in a car
on the way to a funeral and the conversation drifted to other persons
in need and how it was important to pray for them. "What are their
names?", someone asked quietly. That statement took our intentions
to the heart of why we discussed others with concern, and I may
say, gave it some integrity.
We may be a far-flung family but intercessions for each other--and
thanksgivings too---with the specifics of a name, calls us to organize
our prayer life with the serious intention and care God has passed
on through Christ's Body. Asking for more information for prayerful
intention is the exercise of care, a leaning forward into the situation,
which characterizes the Good Samaritan story.
When we receive names they are placed in the prayer journal for
that day's Holy Eucharist at the Episcopal Church Center. Eventually
we'll post them on the Website. More later. Okinawa and Korea ahead.
+gep
Bishop's Notebook
The
Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, 2 February 2001
The
Presiding Bishop set aside time to prepare for today's feast day.
Page 16 of the BCP makes special reference, and, following the tradition
established so many centuries ago, it brings the observance of the
Nativity to a close. Yet Brook was commenting just this morning
about why so many Christmas decorations lingered in our neighborhood.
I don't think it's because of liturgical sensitivity that makes
local Yuletide lights stay around.
I think it's winter and everything being cold and gray; anything
to add brightness to the days. We're taking care of my daughter's
dog which means I'm out in the park at 5:30 am coaxing the pooch
to vote (as John Steinbeck used to say). It is only by 6:30 am that
the waters over Long Island Sound bear the barest hint of sunrise.
That's dreary.
I have been out of contact with this column for awhile because of
the rush of my travel schedule. There is irony in how much substance
is coming through so few days.
An anchor, a way to set something aside, is what our senior chaplains
achieved at the College of Preachers, 17-19 January. That "Declaration"
is below and I hope you get a chance to review it. It rained off
and on as we met over the Confession of Saint Peter, reviewing draft
after draft and charting goals for the next few years. With the
Cathedral floodlights just turning on, and the evening mist rising,
the weather cleared long enough for us to enter Memorial Chapel
for the Holy Eucharist. In our intercessions we asked God to help
us discern the rich meaning of the Episcopal presence in the military.
Currently
I'm reading "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by
Joseph J. Ellis. It's a history of the formative days of our country
and particularly how eight persons, Thomas Jefferson. James Madison,
Alexander Hamilton, et al. treated each other as colleagues in this
great experiment of creating the largest democratic republic on
earth. They intended to impose their will on the 1790's so that
a greater good would emerge. Gray, uncertain days, became the time
to step forward.
But
in a trip to the field one senses all parts of this varied family
already know the importance of what the "Declaration" reveals as
new: Active and Guard/Reserves in Hilton Head, at coffee with Bishop
Clarence and Nell Hobgood in Charlotte, around Susan and CH George
Clifford's table at Cherry Point, with CH Jeff and Jennie Seiler
and the Confirmands at Camp Lejeune, or toasting Dianne and CH John
Kulp into their retirement at Ft. Bragg.
The
"Washington Declaration" merely states something obvious about us.
Is it the preciousness of fellowship, or, the unique things that
bring us together as Anglicans, or is it that when we are fully
ourselves in the Lord identity makes us generous and truly ready
for mission?
We
are people of ritual and in all that surrounds us God asks that
we make something of our time, consecrating it for action in Jesus'
Name. +gep
Click here for the Declaration
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