Episcopal Greetings for Easter 2014 Jesus said, “Mary.” Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, “ Rabboni! ” meaning “Teacher!” (John 20:16 MSG) Dear Pastors of the Western Episcopal District and the North Carolina Conference; Greetings in the only Name that eternally matters! You will stand tomorrow to proclaim the most important message that humanity has ever heard; JESUS LIVES!!! As you do so, my heart and prayers are with you. Yours is such a vital ministry because you make a difference in the lives of the people you serve. The pastoral ministry must never be taken for granted or diminished. While Im crystal clear that the Lord has called me to this episcopal ministry and I am where He has purposed me to be during this season, I must confess that the aspect of the pastoral ministry that I miss the most is speaking directly into the lives of a specific community of believers whom I have had the privilege of serving with all year, experiencing with them lifes joys, pains, triumphs, defeats, births, and loss. That is both the blessing and burden of the pastoral vocation. The sermon every Easter for me during thirty years of pastoral ministry was one that I always approached with what Gardner Taylor called; agonizing ecstasy. Yes, every time we preach, it matters, but I was always both thrilled and terrorized by the opportunity given this one day of the year. Please know that your bishop is earnestly praying specifically for you. More importantly, the living Lord is standing up in you and speaking through you. Mary was weeping, worried, and weary as she approached the tomb that morning more than two thousand years ago, but her Lord called her by name, got her attention, and caused her to turn around and face Him. That is still what Jesus is doing. He knows each of us by name, knows every issue we are anxious about, understands our fears of abandonment and disillusionment and calls us to see His face. Mary was invited to CONVERSION. But Mary was also invited into CONVERSATION with the Lord. Both conversion and conversation come from the same root word in Latin and have to do with association. Mary was invited into a continuing association with the resurrected Lord. She didnt get all of her questions answered immediately, she still had much to learn from her Teacher, but life had suddenly and unexpectedly taken a turn towards the glorious. As with Mary, so be it with us. Hallelujah! Pastors, preach with purpose and power in the morning because JESUS LIVES!!! Your Chief Servant, W. Darin Moore, Presiding Bishop Western Episcopal District and the North Carolina Conference The AME Zion Church
Posted on: Sun, 20 Apr 2014 00:18:53 +0000
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