Archives: July 2006

Rector's Reflections

“The poor are fed, the good news is preached, those who are ostracized in prison are set free, the blind receive their sight.”

One of those invited to address the recent General Convention was former Senator and Episcopal priest, The Rev. John Danforth. At one point in his speech he said, “The question I believe that the Episcopal Church should be addressing is whether we as an Episcopal Church intend to be a part of the problem, or whether we intend to be part of the answer, and that is the question that I want to ask you to think about during this General Convention and to talk about, not only in public forums but among yourselves when you are sitting at the table sharing a cup of coffee or a bite to eat: to talk about whether our church intends to be a part of the problem or a part of the answer.”

The bishops and the deputies passed a resolution supporting as a major mission and evangelism emphasis the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG's). The resolution urges congregations to work for their implementation. The core of the resolutions is the eradication of hunger by 2015.

The Millennium Development Goals are:

•  Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

•  Achieve universal primary education

•  Promote gender equality and empower women

•  Reduce child mortality

•  Improve maternal health

•  Combat HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases

•  Ensure environmental sustainability

•  Create a global partnership for development with a focus on debt, aid, and trade.

The resolution also urged each diocese, congregation, and parishioner to give 0.7 percent toward the MDG by 07/07/07 . It also designated the Last Sunday after Pentecost as a special day of prayer, fasting, and giving towards global reconciliation and the MDG.

I truly believe we can achieve the MDG's by working together and in our Episcopal way use our time and energy to refocus our attention away from our internal turmoil to something that will make a difference in the world. It is a massive undertaking that we Episcopalians can do.

One of the hallmarks of our church is the way we pray together. I believe that the first step for us at St. Theodore's is to begin praying every day for the MDG. All we have to do to visit the poor is to get into our cars and travel in any direction 20 miles or less and you will encounter extreme poverty, and the poverty we have in Benton County is not as extreme as it is in many places on this planet Earth.

It is once again time for us to become a part of the solution to those who need us, the Episcopal Church, to emerge from our cocoons and the help our brothers and sisters in need. Outreach is our middle name at St. Theodore's.

 

Fr. Ken †