Transcript:
Greetings, beloved in Christ. I hope that you are well on this day. Lately, I’ve been asked a lot about Episcopal identity and what it means. And if you’ve been around the Episcopal Church for any amount of time, I’m sure you have heard reference to a three-legged stool, scripture, reason and tradition.
When we say scripture, we are talking about the canon of scripture. And we’re not just talking about dead words on a page. We are talking about how the living word speaks to us through these ancient texts, how they have formed, and reformed, and transformed Christian community.
Reason, the idea that each of us have been endowed by our creator with intellect, with the ability to explore and to understand the world around us in its fullness and mystery.
And finally, tradition. That is the idea that we are connected to a past and we are connected to a future. From those pillars. I feel that Episcopal identity centers around values of curiosity, of compassion, of humility, and of community. These are values that we offer and we can share with those around us, the recognition that we are in relationship with The Divine, a loving parent that calls us into communion and community.
This is the ethos that I see blooming all around me when I talk to youth who are part of the Episcopal Church of Colorado. And that is why I am so excited that these youth are going to Alaska, not because we chose Alaska, but because Alaska chose us. They saw the ministry that was bearing fruits, the work that our young people have done around the country, and invited us to come, and to serve, and to be a part of that community.
Our youth are so looking forward to their mission trip to Alaska this summer. And I am asking you, as the Episcopal Church in Colorado, wherever you are, to support them. First, I ask you to pray for them, pray for their hearts, and for their work, and for the people that they will interact with. And I ask, if you are able, to give your financial support. You can send that support to the Episcopal Church in Colorado, here in Denver. And all of those gifts will go towards helping make this trip happen.
We are called to be of service, to be in community, to be humble, to be compassionate, and to be curious about the mystery of the divine. Our God through Christ Jesus calls us to these things. And I, for one, am deeply, deeply grateful that I have this Episcopal church.
Blessings.