Houston Walk About

It has been a week since the Houston Walk About. JoAnne and I had a great time in Houston as well. We have received a lot of positive feedback. People are really feeling the spirit move within the discernment discussion.

I feel as though I have been faithful to the discussion. I know that I am out there, that I have been clear about the vision and hope for the future my ministry offers the Diocese of Texas.



I told the last group that no person wants to be elected without the diocese doing the difficult discernment God intends for us.



We are not looking for the person we like the best. We are not looking for the person who looks most like us. We are trying to discern who God is calling. We know that when we seek to understand who God is calling that we will discover what God intends for our own ministry, the ministry of our congregation, and the ministry of our diocese.



It is time for us to begin to think about a different set of questions:

We say we must be focused on Youth.
Who do you envision getting to know your teenager on a mission trip?
Who do you envision connecting with our college students via weekly pod casts?
Who do you envision bringing joy to the celebration of the Eucharist?
Who do you envision attracting the best and the brightest new/young clergy to our diocese?

We say we must be focused on Outreach.
Who do you envision inspiring our members to active participation in the gospel (by example)?
Who do you imagine will create bridges between our congregations and congregations throughout the global communion?
Who do you believe will lead us by the Holy Spirit to reach outside our congregations to those in need in our community?
Who has a vision of communion partners that changes the world around us and across the globe?

We say we must be focused on multi-cultural ministry.
Who will listen to the people doing the ministry and expand our multicultural ministries?
Who understands that we have to acknowledge our history with African American Congregations and supporting them in new mission and outreach?
Who offers a vision of African American, African, Latino, and Asian ministries?

We say we want a bishop in relationship with us.
Who do you envision teaching our congregations what it means to share in the ministry of the baptized?
Who do you envision inspiring you to become the embodiment of Christ's transforming love?
Who do you envision stopping and speaking with you one on one about your life's ministry?

Let us ask a different set of questions. Let us dare to ask questions that truly are transformative. Let us ask questions that are challenging us into ministry.

On Our Way To Houston

Thank you so much for a great time in Tyler. Those organizing and helping with the Walk About have been wonderful, kind, and generous hosts.

Tyler was a great opportunity to see so many of my good and dear friends and to have them meet JoAnne. It was great to watch you welcome her as you have for so many years welcomed me into your churches. Thank you for that kindness.

I believe the Tyler meetings went very well. Each room offered good questions. JoAnne and I both felt it was an opportunity for all of us to talk and listen about what God is hoping for in our future.

The Daughters of the King have been a wonderful companion along the journey praying and lifting up our diocesan conversation. For that JoAnne and I both are very grateful.

Tonight, JoAnne and the kids and I are going to my mom's retirement dinner! She has been a teacher and principal for 25 years.

We will see you tomorrow at the Houston Walk About. Thank you again for all of your prayers for us and all the candidates, and for your support.

On Our Way to Tyler

Today we are on our way to Tyler. We are passing by the Davis Feed Company here in Buffalo Texas. I am writing as JoAnne is once again driving us to our next stop.

We had a great night last night. I thought the first Walk About in Austin was very fun. I was energized by the folks and the questions.

We began with dinner along side the other nominees. We then went to the Seminary and prayed Evening Prayer together with all those from Austin and surrounding area who were prepared to ask us questions.

We visited six different rooms. There was real concern by those gathered that we needed to engage the multi-cultural issues and youth/young adult issues facing us. Canon Case and Ewart Jones are fantastic ministers in these areas and I would look forward to further empowering their ministry and work for the Diocese of Texas.

I am proud of my call to bishop. I take pride in the fact that so many friends and peers believe I should be the next bishop of Texas. I am eager to continue my service to the people of the Diocese. There is no greater opportunity than to serve one's brothers and sisters. At the same time I am humbled by the prospect that you would have me as your bishop and call me into a relationship with you.

Keep the prayers and good thoughts coming. If you attend a Walk About share your impressions! Let us know how we are doing.

Blessings to all of you. We couldn't do this without your support.



Keep the prayers and good thoughts coming. If you attend a walk about share your impressions! Let us know how we are doing.



Blessings to all of you. We couldn't do this without your support.

On Our Way To Austin

Good Afternoon. JoAnne and I are packed and we are now on our way to Austin for the first walkabout. JoAnne is driving and I am answering email by satellite.

Caisa and Zoe are off to spend a couple of days with Nanny and Pawpaw.

We are excited about tonight and the opportunity to begin a diocesan conversation about the future of our church.

I guess I could be nervous. But I love getting to see and visit with my friends across the Diocese of Texas.

I have spent the last five years helping and supporting Bishop Wimberly in setting his vision. Tonight I get to build on that vision by listening and sharing with you our possible future, our vision of the church: vibrant, thriving, growing, energetic, filled with life, celebrating, joyful, fun, and transformational.

On another note, we were so excited about getting to Austin we almost ran out of gas, with only half a gallon left. We rolled in to Columbus on fumes...

Quote of the day: "Remember tonight the Holy Spirit is ready to dance, and wait'n for a partner."

Are we ready to bridge the gap between our reality and God's vision?

I will never forget a very important conversation I had with my father-in-law. We were sitting around the breakfast room table having one of those conversations that happens on a lazy Saturday morning when breakfast is done and the paper has been read.



We were talking about why we go to church. Fred, my father-in-law, has been an Episcopalian since he was a boy in Hooker County Nebraska. I made the statement that the reason I go to church is to help me live a Christian life in a very challenging secular culture.



Fred said to me he had never thought of church that way. He went to church because that is what you do...you go to church. You don't have to try and live a christian life because that is what you do...you live a christian life. You attend services. You give to the church. You work outside the church on behalf of the church. You give your time. You do this because that is what Christians do. That is how Christians are.



This is the gap between where most of our folks are in our church today and where the culture is.

The folks looking to us for help on their Christian journey need us to talk to them about our journey. They need us to be ready to talk about Jesus. They believe we should be able to show them what is in the bible. They want us to be doing work out in our community, not just sending money. The truth is when we are authentically ourselves we can transform the world.

However, we have to dare to engage outside our normal patterns of being church.

I was recently visiting with a young person who was excited about starting up a prayer/bible/ worship service in a local pub. He was worried that his clergy person or people in the church might not think that was OK. He was worried it might even be an initiative that never got any help or support.

Leaders help us bridge the gap between our experience reality, our conversations, and the vision of ministry God has for us. As Paul says in Ephesians, may you be filled with the wisdom of God that you may know the hope God has for your ministry.

We have to bridge the gap by creating bridges into our community, bridges of community. We need a bishop who will understand the work and lead us into the gap and help us create opportunities for these conversations. We need a bishop who will support our initiatives and support the folks out on the front lines of ministry.