Things to Keep in Mind
Over the past couple of years, an informal but growing group of wardens and clergy from around the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia have been meeting periodically to talk about how our congregations could find a way forward in light of divisive ac-tions taken by The Episcopal Church in recent years.
One of the things we have discussed is the need for a deliberate time of prayerful dis-cernment. It is my great pleasure to introduce you to the guidebook for the discernment process that has grown out of this group. We will all undertake this process together as we seek to determine God's will for our future within the Anglican Communion.
As I think about the path that has led us to this undertaking, I am struck by the magnitude of our effort. Indeed, it is tempting to be overwhelmed by this deci-sion we are making: to hear God's will for us as faithful followers of Christ in his church. But recognizing that God has frequently achieved his goals with flawed people, we can trust in his grace and mercy as we embark on this project together.
As we proceed, it seems to me that we need to keep three key ideas in mind.
First, we cannot proceed out of anger. Rather, we need to understand that, although we may profoundly disagree with the direction The Episcopal Church has taken, a decision made in anger is not likely to be a wise one. We need to pray for a humble spirit as we listen to God's Word.
Second, we need to be mindful of our own sins. Scripture reminds us that none of us is blameless, and we need to resist the temptation to cast stones at the sins of others while our own go unrecognized.
Third, we need to be truly open to God's call. While many-perhaps most-of us come into this process with an opinion, we cannot merely define discernment as "waiting until everyone else agrees with me." We can be certain that God has something greater in store for us than we can even imagine-and we need to make sure that we hear him when he speaks to us!
None of these admonitions should make us fearful. Indeed, they should give us confidence as we proceed. It comforts me to know that we are not alone in this endeavor-in fact, churches representing over 20% of the Diocese of Virginia are considering participating in this effort together. We are not alone!
We invite you to take this journey with us.
- Jim Oakes, The Virginia Wardens Group