A Message from the Bishop - September 2022A
In these days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles” (Luke 6:12–13).
As we draw near to the election of our next bishop, there is quite naturally both excitement and uncertainty in our life together as a diocese. We know that Jesus is on the throne, he is the head of the Church, and he has promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against his Church (Matthew 16:18).
Yet we know that we must pray for his promised blessings to be fulfilled in our lives. Jesus teaches us in the Lord’s Prayer not to be fatalistic, but to pray for his will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” There is no ground for a smug complacency, thinking that it really doesn’t matter if we pray. We must pray to discern God’s will and then pray for his will to be fulfilled.
Next week, our clergy and lay delegates will attend question and answer sessions with our three nominees for bishop and their wives: the Rev. David Hanke and his wife, Laurel; the Rev. Patrick Ware and his wife, Jordan; and the Rev. Chris Warner and his wife, Catherine. While those evenings are open only to delegates, they will be recorded and the videos posted online for all to see. So also the Electing Synod on October 15 is for clergy and lay delegates only, but it will be live-streamed so everyone can watch the election as it happens.
But we are all called to pray. On Friday evening, October 14, there will be an evening of prayer for the election that is open to everyone in our Diocese. It will be held at All Saints’ Church, 14851 Gideon Drive, Woodbridge, VA from 7-8:30 p.m. We’ll gather and unite in prayer for the nominees and their families and churches, for the delegates as they prepare to cast their ballots, and for all of us as we continue through this important transition in our life together.
Before Jesus chose his twelve apostles, he spent the entire night in prayer. Let’s all intensify our prayers as our Diocese seeks to discern whom the Lord is calling to be our next bishop.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. John A. M. Guernsey