Bishop's Blog

It began with a time of reflection and repentance. Which led into a season of fasting  and feasting – letting go and taking on. It finished in an emotional culmination with a triumphant entrance, a last meal, a lesson in love and service,  a time of great suffering and darkness, and finally a flame that provided the first light of hope.

Then, that light burst forth the next morning across the land and the world shouted, “Alleluia Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!”

Now, as long-time radio Paul Harvery commentator would say, “Here is the rest of the story…”

The rest of the story is up to us.

Will we take what we learned and experienced with Jesus on our Lenten journey and not only transform our lives but the world around? Will it be an event or an occasion or truly life changing? Will those around us know that our new life glow is more than a one Sunday show?

We are resurrection people 24-7-365. Called not just to manifest, but to embody the light of Christ. To truly be the  light bearers to the darkest of places, hope to the greatest despair, and new life to that which believes it has taken its last breath.

Alleluia Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!  It’s more than a proclamation, it is our way, our life, our truth…ours to be lived, ours to share.

As followers of Jesus there is nothing quite so powerful as walking with Him in our faith communities from Palm Sunday through Easter morning. It is a journey of incredible highs and devastating lows, culminating in nothing short of transformation.

This week, as has been our practice in the Episcopal Church in Minnesota, I will meet in three separate occasions and locations with our clergy to reaffirm our ordination vows. For me, it is always a powerful service of  affirming and supporting our shared call to love and serve God’s people.

As you walk with Jesus this week, I hope The Summons from John L. Bell, that I shared as part of my reflection with the clergy, will speak to you as well.

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

Will you love the “you” you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I’ll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I’ll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

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Sitting in a circle in this outdoor classroom, all embracing some type of percussion instrument with the local instructor clapping a new rhythm, the students from Breck  School were totally engaged.  Yet they were not the only ones.  All around the perimeter were young and old, cathedral workers and neighborhood children, the Dean and visiting clergy, all enjoying both the music lesson and these strange young creatures from Minnesota who had come to Cuba.

20 young people and 4 adults (of which I was one) had come to both learn and experience the religion, music, culture and customs of Cuba.  The Dean, the Bishop of the Episcopal Church of Cuba, the Rt. Rev. Griselda Delgado Del Carpio, and I spent time explaining both the history of the Episcopal Church in Cuba but also it’s relationship to the Episcopal Church in Minnesota.  The group also had the opportunity to travel outside of Havana and to learn about other Cuban religious traditions.

Those who attended last year’s Convention would be familiar with these young people as the Bato Bato marimba group from Breck that played at our Friday night dinner.  This group has grown very popular in the Twin Cities especially among local artists. Through these connections they were able to make arrangements with musicians in Cuba to spend time each day teaching them Cuban music. Potentially the most memorable was a session with a conservatory for young musicians a half hour out of Havana where they jammed with students 8-19 years old.

The students also had plenty of opportunity to explore and learn about the political history and natural resources of Cuba – even spending one day at a swamp where they saw three species of birds not known to be anywhere else in the world. It never hurts to have a Breck teacher with Phd in biology who is fluent in Spanish along to interpret on lots of levels!

Unquestionably these young people’s lives were deeply enriched by this experience. Yet, also was the Episcopal Church in Minnesota’s, by being able to broaden our growing relationship with the Episcopal Church in Cuba and by exposing our young people at Breck to part of both our history and our future.