Ordination of Dcn. Nelson and Dcn. Angela

Last week, in Friday Reflection, I framed a brief advert for our July Series on Racial Reconciliation with Dain and Constance Perry.  As you will recall, I wrote that I hoped, anticipated, expected (or something around or between those three words) this to be the largest Diocesan ZOOM gathering in the history of EDSJ.  Now you might retort, we haven't been using ZOOM terribly long, too right, however, the point I was endeavoring to make was and is that this will be a significant, better said, extraordinary event and opportunity for EDSJ.

At the time of writing the aforementioned advert, we had 30-something participants who had RSVP'd.  At the time of writing this article (Wednesday morning), we have well over 100 participants.  In fact, this important and timely response has required that we boost our Diocesan ZOOM account.  

I want to express my deep and sincere appreciation for your response.  I am particularly delighted that most of our Standing Committee and Diocesan Council will be participating as well as the vast majority of our Diocesan Clergy.  And most importantly, the lay response has been amazing which brings delight to this Bishop as I originally envisaged this to be predominantly a formational experience for our laity. I also want to celebrate the wonderful "modeling response" by our Cathedral (reflective of our Mother Church responsibility) as well as many other communities who will be showing up in large numbers from up-and-down this place called EDSJ.

This, as I have said, is important work.  This is timely work.  This is, I have every confidence, some of the most essential formational work we have undertaken as a diocese. 

Here is my hope and my prayer.  I hope and pray that we will enter into this experience with open, receptive and reflective hearts and minds.  My hope and prayer is we will experience Jesus as we go deeper into our faith, our call, our reason to be.  My hope and prayer is that we will engage in holy candor with ourselves, one another and God.  My hope and prayer is that we will grow as a result of this experience of racial reconciliation.

I look forward to seeing you all each Wednesday at 5:30 throughout July as we share this work together.

Blessings EDSJ

+David 

EDSJ gathers with Constance and Dain Perry to talk about racism