Our Ultimate Hope is Christ - By Bishop G
Dear friends,
Last week I was blessed to spend two days with our clergy and their spouses at our annual clergy conference at Camp McDowell. We talked about our ministry together, both the challenges and the gifts. On Thursday night, we ordained four deacons and one priest. Our preacher, The Reverend Dr. Jonathan Linebaugh, reminded us that as we minister to people in trouble, fear, sickness, or pain, we would be wise to remember that our job as clergy, is not to point people seeking guidance and support toward themselves, communicating that if they try harder or live right they can fix themselves.
Even as God has created us to be wonderful, inevitably we will all face powerlessness. Our job as clergy isn’t to tell our people that ordained people have all the answers to fix their problems, if they follow our advice. Rather, our job is to point to Jesus, the One who has all power. Our work is to remind our flock God’s kingdom is coming now and eternally.
I thought about this election season and how powerful the temptation is just now to divide into two groups, “Us vs Them”. How tempting it is to see those who vote differently or believe differently as our enemies. How easy it might be to find ourselves thinking about the results of the election as ultimate, which is what the devil likes to use to undermine our mission of love and bring us down.
The outcome of any election will always be temporal and while there are certainly important implications, many of which I can’t control, I want to remember that there is One who is bringing the true Kingdom into being. Jesus has already reconciled us to God and when I focus on him as the true source of life and hope, then whatever happens, I am enabled to walk with faith. I want to remember the Ultimate source of my hope is Christ. When we worship together, and share our stories of life and faith, we find hope and love will light our path.
On Sunday in our gospel, Jesus asks Bartimaeus, “what do you want me to do for you?” “Help me see, he says,”. Jesus replies, “Go, your faith has made you well.” And then he followed Jesus. Bartimaeus reminds me of the Other, the different one, the one I think is the hardest to love, the one with nothing to offer, the wrong one, the one I overlook, Can help me see and know Jesus. My job is to look and point toward the Lord of love, the prince of peace, to cry out for help, to follow him.
Over this next week, until next Wednesday, I invite you to join me in prayers each day for a peaceful, orderly election, which we will post each day. On Election Day, many of our churches will be open for prayer, offering special prayers. May we join in prayer and remember the source of all life.
Let us pray:
“Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatred’s cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Amen