We are a people called Episcopalians because we are a church led by bishops. In Biblical Greek, they are called the Episkopoi. We are a church that believes bishops are not merely a good, yet possibly dispensable, way to organize our church, but that bishops are essential to being the church. This was the opinion of the ancient church as read in this statement from Saint Ignatius of Antioch, d, 108 AD, who wrote “Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be.” The church is the community gathered around the bishop who stands in the line of bishops tracing their episcopal office back to the apostles who were anointed by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Many consider Pentecost as the birth of the church.
That Pentecost moment is remembered in the attire worn by a bishop, in particular the mitre, the hat a bishop wears that is shaped like the flame of a candle. It is a reminder that the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles to empower them for doing the ministry of God’s Kingdom on earth. That same Pentecost Spirit has been handed on from bishop to bishop since those early days by the laying on of hands. On April 7, Bishop José will bring that Spirit to Good Shepherd. It is the same Spirit that hovered over the chaos at the beginning of creation. It is the same Spirit that anointed and fortified Jesus for his ministry. It is the same Spirit that Jesus breathed upon his disciples to give them peace and courage. It is the same Spirit of God that breathed life into the first humans, that brought dry bones back to life, and still does.
Bishop José will be with us on April 7 to lay hands upon those being confirmed, received, and who are reaffirming their confirmation vows. The presence of the Spirit in these saints will be affirmed and strengthened. And as my former Bishop Ed Salmon once encouraged me, when the bishop comes we will ask him to be the bishop who brings the holy fire of God. We have a gracious plenty of saints among us who are tired, suffering, or needing a renewal of their spirits. I have asked Bishop José to bless all who would come forward for a blessing and he will do that for us. Prepare yourselves. As we were coming out of our Covid restrictions and could gather as the clergy of the diocese, Bishop José called us forth one-by-one for a blessing. It was powerful and it was needed.
If possible, please join us on April 7 at 10:00 AM for Bishop José’s visitation and come receive a blessing from our chief pastor and the one who carries the fire of the Holy Spirit to bless, to heal, and give new life.
Come Holy Spirit,
Fr. Bill+