Bishops' Messages
Faith as Creative Insecurity
By The Rt. Rev. Mary D. Glasspool
One of my all-time favorite cartoon series is “Peanuts” by the late Charles Schulz. I grew up with Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, and that wonderful dog who could be anybody’s pet, Snoopy. In one episode, Linus is characteristically sitting with his beloved blanket in one hand, and his thumb in his mouth. He is suddenly…
Doubt: We Need It
By The Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin
The Bible story about doubt that most readily comes to my mind is that of the doubting Thomas in John, chapter 20. When his companion disciples told him that they had seen the risen Jesus, Thomas said, “unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark…
No Belief Without Doubt
By The Rt. Rev. Andrew ML Dietsche
There is a stream that runs through the Christian tradition that disparages doubt as an expression of unfaith. The gospels themselves extol those who “believe without seeing.” The most famous or familiar examination of doubt in the Bible occurs after Jesus’ resurrection, when Jesus made an appearance among the disciples in the upper room, but Thomas was…
On Being – And Ceasing to Be – Your Bishop
By The Rt. Rev. Andrew ML Dietsche
At the annual convention of the Diocese of New York last month I called for the election of a Bishop Coadjutor, by which I also announced my intention to retire. That announcement sets in motion periods of transition both for the Diocese of New York and for Margaret and me and our family. These transitions are now…
Hope as a Prophetic Act
By The Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin
Hope is an important spiritual and theological motive in the Christian faith. It is not wishing or optimism: To the prophets, the martyrs, the saints and indeed to all Christians, hope is a prophetic act, profoundly inspired and led by the Spirit of God. Hope gives us agency to participate in God’s grace. Interestingly, the…
Beginning Again
By The Rt. Rev. Mary D. Glasspool
During one of my last semesters in seminary, two of the courses I took were God and the Problem of Evil, largely based on the writings of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel and taught by the Rev. Dr. Carter Heyward; and The Life of Prayer, taught by the Very Rev. Harvey Guthrie, then Dean of Episcopal…
A Child and a Miracle
By The Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin
Children and youth in our church have the gift and the power of the Spirit to make a difference, a miraculous difference, in the church today.
Make Space to Let the Children Lead Us
By The Rt. Rev. Andrew ML Dietsche
If the ideas and stories to which we introduce our children are smart and sacred and funny and moving and troubling and challenging, our children will become smart and sacred and funny and moving and troubling and challenging, too.
Back to School!
By The Rt. Rev. Mary D. Glasspool
Young people today are facing challenges I never dreamed of when I was young and thinking about that has put young people everywhere on my heart and in my prayers as they return or adapt to new ways of learning. Will they be able to make friends and develop necessary social skills? Will they be safe and healthy as the adults argue over face masks and vaccines? Will they have teachers who really care about teaching and about them?
Challenges and Opportunities
By The Rt. Rev. Andrew ML Dietsche
It might be that we are at a moment of profound opportunity in the world and in the church.
After the Pandemic
By The Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin
When we stopped in-person worship a year ago, I, like others, adapted to working from home and learned to use new technology. Before the pandemic, I had never heard of Zoom; now it has taken over my daily life, and I dread it, while being thankful for how it enables me to stay connected with…
Re-Envisioning the Parochial Report
By The Rt. Rev. Mary D. Glasspool
The covid-era parochial report may be big and burdensome, but it is actually capable of being a force for positive change.
The Living Water of Justice
By The Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin
When the COVID pandemic began, my wife and I took up daily walks in the park to keep us sane from being locked down at home and from the exhausting schedule of Zoom meetings. One day we saw a young White man riding his bike towards us. As he passed by, he swerved at us…
A Lesson from John Lewis
By The Rt. Rev. Andrew ML Dietsche
Four years ago, when I had the honor of awarding the Bishop’s Cross to Nell Gibson, I referenced a passage in her memoir Too Proud to Bend in which she reflected on the long struggle of her generation of Civil Rights soldiers, now as that generation has begun to pass on with so much of…
At the Intersection of Racism and COVID
By The Rt. Rev. Mary D. Glasspool
So much has happened in the past six months, so much has changed and keeps on changing, there is so much uncertainty and unpredictability, that it’s difficult to focus on the things that are truly important. Before anyone on this planet knew about COVID-19, before it had even received a name, the Diocese of New…