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A Word from our Diocesan Bishop Steve Wood
“Go”
“Wait”
Two simple words which cause us so much trouble!
Go
Jesus told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Lk 10. 2-3
Wait
Jesus gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 4-5
Why is it so hard to do what Jesus commands us to do? Why do we think we know better? Part of the “going” and “waiting”, for Jesus, involved teaching (presuming we’ve first learned ourselves) others to obey (Mt 28.20). Another word we don’t like! But there it is, 4 times from the lips of the Lord in ten short verses (Jn. 14.15-24) culminating with: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”
Going and waiting are hard. Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh. Jonah wanted Judgment.
Peter found himself in slightly different circumstances.
Speaking to a confused church, which apparently wanted God to get on with the judging and were frustrated with waiting, the Apostle penned these words: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3.9)
God does not view time and circumstance as we do. He calls us to go to a broken world (from which we want to run) and to wait in the midst of the sadness and ugliness and pain of human brokenness. This waiting, though, is not a passive waiting. It’s a waiting that brings with it the power of the Spirit which empowers our proclamation and demonstration that the Kingdom of God is at hand and that the only appropriate response to the presence of God’s Kingdom is repentance and believe (Mk. 1.15). The Lord’s seeming delay in bringing about the consummation of all things is not a result of His indifference but of His patience – a waiting for all who will come to repentance.
How utterly unlike Him I am.
It is uncomfortable to live in a sinful world.
And the truth is, I’d rather be comfortable.
I wonder how you’re doing in regard to going and waiting? I wonder to whom the Lord has said for you to “go” but you're waiting? I wonder how many circumstances you find your patience being tried because you are so ready to go – and yet the Lord seems to have said, “wait”?
Do you have a heart that is content with going and waiting as the Lord leads?
Jesus never intended for the faith to be lived out in the imaginary realm of supposition and make believe. Instead you and I are called to fully live in the present, sometimes hard pressed, sometimes perplexed, sometimes knocked down, but never crushed or abandoned - always carrying within our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed. Always accompanied by and filled with the Spirit
Go.
Wait.
Two very difficult words.
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A Re-cap of the
Diocesan Clergy Retreat and Synod
by Dr. Sharon Pullen
Even in the mild and temperate climate of the Carolinas, more than one synod has been threatened by extreme weather events from ice storms to hurricanes. But fair weather prevailed all around the diocese in March as clergy and delegates representing 27 churches gathered in Raleigh, N.C. for the Fifth Annual Synod of The Diocese of the Carolinas.
The four previous synods were hosted by St. Andrews in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. This year, however, Holy Trinity Church in downtown Raleigh provided a respite for St. Andrews by graciously welcoming and accommodating those attending the retreat and synod.
Prior to the synod, 47 clergy along with 21 spouses gathered for the annual clergy retreat. At a relaxed but elegant dinner on Thursday evening, clergy from around the diocese were able to catch up and share news from their respective parishes.
At a workshop on Friday, the Rev. John Yates II, rector of The Falls Church Anglican near Washington, D.C., and his wife, author and speaker Susan Yates, spent the morning ...
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All Saints Celebrates 250 Years of Hope & Healing
by Jody Godby
All Saints Church, Pawleys Island, SC, has had a long and fulfilling history that began even before the birth of this nation. In 1767, All Saints Parish became independent from the mother parish, Prince George, Winyah, Georgetown. Accordingly, this year marks the 250th anniversary of our parish and the 100th anniversary of the present “Old Church.” Those of us here today are a part of this long history—building on what faithful believers have done before and rejoicing for the fresh work that God is doing now in and through the All Saints family.
In looking back, we offer heartfelt thanks for the vital contributions made by the saints who have preceded us. Since the beginning of this anniversary year, we have celebrated our collective history by inviting former All Saints clergy and associates to return to our pulpit. The list of those who have previously served at All Saints and have recently returned to preach the word has included, the Rev. Thomas “T” Brown, Rector of St. Paul’s Greenville; the Rt. Rev. Fitz Allison, retired Bishop of South Carolina; the Rt. Rev. David C. Bryan, Suffragan Bishop of the Carolinas; and the Very Rev. John Barr, retired Rector of Holy Comforter, Sumter. Among those who are still to come are Van Arrington, Pastor of The Father’s House; the Rev. Canon Dr. Jon Shuler, founder of NAMS Global Network; Bishop TJ Johnston, Rector of St. Peter’s Church, Mount, Pleasant, SC; Bishop Terrell Glenn, former Rector of All Saints, and the Rt. Rev. Steve Wood, Bishop of the Diocese of the Carolinas.
As a highlight of our 250th year, we will be celebrating with an Anniversary Gala for the All Saints family on November 3 rd, the Friday closest to All Saints Day. Everyone who has been a part of the All Saints family is encouraged to come.
Looking forward, the youth will be creating and burying a Time Capsule to be opened at a distant date by believers still to come, connecting the present All Saints with its future.
During this 250 th year, if you are visiting the area, we ask you to increase our joy by worshiping with us. We also invite everyone to participate by sending in stories of hope and healing experienced by members and friends of our All Saints at any time during our 250 year history, stories connected in some way to the people and place that is All Saints Church. If you have a personal story that we may share via email with the larger All Saints family, you may send it to us by clicking this link or emailing info@allsaintspawleys.org.
In his annual report in January, Rector Rob Grafe summarized our 250 years of hope and healing in these words: “We have survived every manner of famine, nakedness and sword. We have rebuilt after devastating fires, remained resolute through catastrophic floods. We have weathered every manner of storm, mourned and buried our dead through every manner of war. We have seen entire industries come and go; our nation’s economy ebb and flow. And, through it all, we have remained steadfast in our hope and in the sure and certain knowledge that Jesus is Lord and our Redeemer lives. 250 years of hope & healing means that we have been faithful, but much more profoundly than this, it means that He has been faithful.... It really is always all about Him!”
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Church Spotlight:
Christ the Redeemer Clemson, SC
by The Rev. Luke Rasmussen
A few years ago, with a small group, and a lot of prayer Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church was planted in the Clemson area. From the very beginning we knew that if we are going to be a faithful church in the Clemson area we could not ignore the 20,000-person mission field in our backyard, that is Clemson University.
We prayed about how to faithfully reach out to the students at Clemson and God lead us to Justin Hare. Justin Hare, along with his wife Molly and two children Graceanna and Law, will be coming to start an Anglican Collegiate Ministry (ACM) at Clemson University. Justin recently graduated from Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia and is currently raising support so that he and his family can move down to Clemson in November.
ACM will fill a much-needed gap at Clemson University. While we love the work that other are doing on campus, God is calling us to something unique and exciting. First, ACM will be unique because it will be Anglican. Our Anglican way of discipleship has been forged throughout the entirety of Christianity, going back to Jesus Christ and the early Church enabling ACM to have a historically rooted and Christ-centered ministry. Second, ACM will be connected to Christ the Redeemer. Justin Hare will be Christ the Redeemer’s full-time representative to campus. Instead of taking a four-or-more-year hiatus from the church, students involved with ACM will find themselves integrally involved in the life Christ the Redeemer, preparing them for the lifelong journey of following Christ. Third, ACM will reach those who do not yet know Christ. Justin and ACM will be a ministry of the Coalition for Christian Outreach, a campus ministry that has shown fruitfulness on universities for over 40 years. Lastly, ACM will be a leadership pipeline for the Anglican Church. College students are often making decisions over their four years in school that will impact the rest of their lives, and those students who are nurtured in ACM will be poised to be the next clergy and vestry men and women of our churches.
We are excited to see the Hare’s move down to Clemson soon. We have many students already involved at Christ the Redeemer, and last year we baptized a student who came to faith in Christ. We are eager to begin ACM so that more students might come to know Christ and the students of our church and our diocese might have a pastor shepherd them through some of the most decisive moments in their life. Learn more here. |
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Soul Care for Pastors and Saints
by the Rt. Rev. Thaddeus Barnum
Is that you, dear Christian friend – performance driven?
It’s not our gospel, is it? We know we are saved by grace -- the gift of God -- “not as a result of works” (Eph 2:8-9) We say: His grace is sufficient; His “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9); and, apart from Him we “can do nothing” (Jn 15:6).
It makes for a great sermon.
But there’s another sermon ringing in our ears.
It declares: We can. We can do all things. We can do all things through the power, wisdom, and ability that’s inside us. We are the “Little Engine that Could.” No mountain too high. No enemy too big. No battle too strong. We say: “I think I can, I think I can” and we can. Nothing is impossible for us. Hard work. Determination. Perseverance. We are people of power. We make ourselves. We save ourselves.
It’s the devil’s taunting sermon since the day we left Eden.
It’s not until we find ourselves at the end of ourselves and say what we never thought we’d ever say – “I can’t” that life with God begins. When life is too big; the devil too strong; our sin, guilt, and shame too real; we cry that ancient cry for a Savior: “O our God…We are powerless…We do not know what to do…our eyes are on you” (2 Chron 20:12).
This is where new life in Christ begins. We confess: “We can’t. Apart from Him we can do nothing.”
Do you still believe that?
Or do you have the devil’s sermon too deeply rooted in your soul? We were shaped by it. We got our approval needs met by performance. Our identity in this world -- who we are -- is based on what we do, what we’ve accomplished. Our name, our reputation, is defined by our education, wealth, advancements at work, successes in life. We are – in this fallen world -- performance-driven
Who is it that can say: “Not me. That’s not my sermon anymore. My identity is found in ‘the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord’” (Phil 3:8)? Is that you? Is He everything to you? Or are you finding yourself caught between two worlds: the grace-driven life which gives Him all the praise or the performance-driven life where we’re still trying to get the praise?
It’s hard – especially for pastors and saints in ministry. Performance today is everything. Success is defined by numbers (how many come?) and finance (how big the budget?). It’s no longer defined by obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is where soul care begins.
We get our eyes back on Jesus. We start at the beginning of the gospel: Not what we do for Christ but who we are in Christ. We all need it – a safe place to go where grace can infuse our soul once again.
Bishop Thaddeus Barnum is a Bishop Championing Soul Care for the Diocese of the Carolinas
www.call2disciple.com
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A Diocesan Vision for Church Planting
by the Rev. Dr. Winfield Bevins
North America is the new mission field. In the United States alone there are over 130 million unchurched people, making it the largest mission field in the Western hemisphere and the fifth largest mission field on earth. With over 337 languages, the US has become the most multicultural and multilingual nation on earth. How will we reach the unchurched with the gospel of Jesus Christ? Dr. C. Peter Wagner said, “Church planting is the single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven.”
The Diocese of the Carolinas is committed to do its part through church planting! In many ways, the diocese of the Carolinas is a picture of a church-planting diocese in the Anglican Church in North America. What does it look like to be a diocese that is committed to church planting?
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Do you have a story to share? We know wonderful stories of God working through his people are an inspiration to others. You, your parish and its ministry partner are a vital part of the Diocese of the Carolinas and God's greater Kingdom. Is God calling you to share it with others.
Send us the storiy of what God is doing in and through your parish to
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The Diocese of the Carolinas partners with ARDF.
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ANGLICAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Drawing Anglicans from across North America and the world.
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NEW BUILDING DEDICATION
All Saints Anglican Church
June 25, 2017
Charlotte, NC
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