In February, the Standing Committee and Bishop Gutiérrez met for a second sacred retreat. We shared meals and the Holy Eucharist. We shared personal stories, prayer, laughter, reflection, and a period of discernment. This meeting was transformational. We realized that we are living into our prayer of seeing one another as brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. It was a time of blessing, hope, and renewal.
In August of 2016, we met for our first retreat and entered into a covenantal relationship. In 2017, we firmly and joyfully recommitted to supporting and sustaining one another. Ours is a sacred ministry that will be known by its transparency, openness to broad and differing points of view, and a radical inclusion to everyone and anyone seeking Jesus Christ. We invite all members of the Diocese to participate in these new and renewed ministries. We will strive to create a place where everyone belongs, and all voices are heard. We are inviting the world to come and s
ee the faithful work in the vineyard of our diocese.
As part of our time together we celebrated the achievement of our hopeful and stated goal from the August retreat. At that time, we committed to work collaboratively to create a Congregational Life and Redevelopment Team. This team would be set up to empower all congregations to grow, dream, envision and plant the seeds of ministry. That team is now a reality and utilizes the enormous talents and gifts of the clergy and laity of the Diocese. They will be embarking on their first retreat and from there will begin their mission to identify churches and missions that might benefit from their assistance.
We also spent time discerning the sacred stories of hope and engagement from the Come and See Pilgrimage. We also shared how the pilgrimage is forming our Episcopacy through prayer, proclamation, and peace. We also envisioned how we could continue to expand our ministries to include, engage and empower in the name Jesus Christ.
Finally, in leaving the February 2017 retreat, we are united and hopeful. We wanted to share some of the items we discussed and agreed upon.
Proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ through our interactions, actions, and communications. We will uplift and empower one another through His message and life.
A recommitment to our communal life together based on the love of Jesus Christ. This includes support, kindness, forgiveness, sharing and love.
After spending time discerning the sacred stories of hope and engagement from the Come and See Pilgrimage we seek even greater paths for relationships both with one another and the world. We will continue to strengthen and encourage each of the clergy, laity, and congregations.
Going deeper as a people and diocese in prayer and relationships.
Proclaiming and embodying a "theology of hope and abundance" regarding ministries, congregational development, support, service to others.
Reaffirming and supporting the work of the new "Congregational Life and Development Team."
Continued modeling of healthy, authentic, transparent, and respectful interactions and communications.
Discern how we as a diocese can address the pain of the world and share the hope of Jesus Christ as it is lived in the Diocese of Pennsylvania.
Provide a home in the name of Jesus Christ for those who are lost and seeking.
Discern with one another what will mark us as a community of faith.
Discern what God is calling us to do in the world.
Seek to become a diocese that is a light to Christianity and the world. How do we adapt, renew, model, envision, dream, inspire? How can we live creatively, expansively, joyfully, and spiritually?
Pray, live, hope and be Jesus Christ to the world and one another.
We are blessed to serve you and be part of this new and holy work. We are confident of the future of the Diocese of Pennsylvania because of our faith and hope in Jesus Christ. Let us love God and love one another.
In Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Daniel G.P. Gutiérrez
The Standing Committee Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
Norman M. McCausland Debora K. Brown Patricia Cousins Smith Rev. Deirdre Whitfield Rev. Hillary Raining Rev. Sean E. Mullen Rev. Elizabeth W. Colton George Vosburgh Rev. Kirk T. Berlenbach Eric Rabe
