Central Florida Episcopalian Newspaper March-April, 2020

Central Florida

CFE EPISCOPALIAN

DENTRO: ¡El boletín de noticias español está de vuelta! Por favor, consulte las paginas 19-22.

Volume 122, No. 2 / March / April 2020

D O T HIS

for the

R EMEMBRANCE of M E

CONTENTS BISHOP BREWER

Lambeth 2020: Why?....................................................................................................................... 3

CANON HOLCOMBE

When Conflict Happens................................................................................................................... 4

MINISTRIES

Canterbury Welcomes Spring With Upgrades, Easter Events............................................................ 4 New Director, New Program Set to Raise Camp Wingmann Attendance........................................... 5 Cursillo Weekends Offer Life-Changing Renewal............................................................................. 9 Brotherhood of St. Andrew Poised for Growth.................................................................................. 9

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Canon Chris Russell Emphasizes Prayer as Key to Evangelism

POST-CONVENTION NEWS

Bishop Brewer Celebrates Diocese’s Calling as Salt and Light.......................................................... 6 Canon Russell’s Message Emphasizes ‘You Are’............................................................................... 7 Prayer Key to Evangelism................................................................................................................. 7 Diverse Group to Represent Diocese at General Convention............................................................ 8

PEOPLE & EVENTS

Fresh Expressions Reaches Unchurched......................................................................................... 10 Holy Trinity Episcopal School Offers Alternative for Students With Learning Differences................ 11 Brewer Urges Support for Assistant Bishop in South Sudan........................................................... 11 St. David’s by-the-Sea, Cocoa Beach, Receives Public Service Award............................................... 12 St. James Offers Food-Choice Pantry to Community Members in Need.......................................... 12

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In the Company of Saintss

EASTER

The Reality of the Resurrection...................................................................................................... 13 Salt and Light at Easter................................................................................................................... 14 In the Company of Saints............................................................................................................... 16

SPOTLIGHT

From Missionary Kid to the Priesthood.......................................................................................... 17

WORSHIP

Taizé Worship Offers Refreshment, Renewal.................................................................................. 18

CFE EN ESPAÑOL

Obispo Brewer: Lambeth 2020. ¿Por qué?..................................................................................... 19 Mensaje de Russell Enfatiza en ‘Tú Eres’........................................................................................ 20 La Realidad de la Resurrección....................................................................................................... 21

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St. James Hosts Traveling IconInspired Exhibit

OUR ANGLICAN HERITAGE

Historical Background of the Nicene Creed.................................................................................... 22

DIOCESAN CALENDAR/BISHOP BREWER’S VISITATIONS ..................... 23

Want to know what this Sunday’s Scripture readings are all about?

Well, check out Lectionary Living, the weekly online feature on CFE Online in which you can be inspired by a short devotion written by one of our local spiritual leaders and coordinated with the upcoming Sunday’s Lectionary Scripture reading.

Go to Lectionary Living on the home page of cfdiocese.org

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The Diocese of Central Florida The Right Reverend Gregory O. Brewer, Bishop Serving 15 counties through 81 churches and 30,000 members

The Episcopal Church The Most Reverend Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate An international community of 2.5 million Christians in North and South America, Europe and Taiwan

The Anglican Communion The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury A global community of more than 85 million Christians in more than 165 countries worldwide

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, Bishop The Rt. Rev. John W. Howe Retired The Rt. Rev. William H. Folwell Retired The Rev. Canon Scott Holcombe Canon to the Ordinary The Rev. Canon Dr. Justin Holcomb Canon for Vocations The Ven. Kristi Alday, Archdeacon Mr. Earl Pickett, Diocesan Administrator Mr. Erick Perez, Subscription Manager

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN is published by the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. Submissions are welcome, but are subject to editing and use at the discretion of the Central Florida Episcopalian.

Please submit event notices three months prior to the event to: Central Florida Episcopalian 1017 E. Robinson St. Orlando, FL 32801-2023 Wendy Leech, Communications Coordinator wleech@cfdiocese.org / 407-925-6008 Erick Perez, Subscription Manager eperez@cfdiocese.org / 407-423-3567 Connect with us on social media

@cfdiocese

www.cfdiocese.org

B I S H O P B R E W E R ’ S C O LU M N

Lambeth 2020: Why?

By Bishop Gregory O. Brewer

I look forward with expectation to a key event scheduled for the last two weeks of July: Lambeth 2020. This gathering of active Anglican diocesan bishops from all over the world, held approximately once every 10 years, is called the Lambeth Conference because it used to be held at Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s London residence. Due to sheer size, this gathering of bishops now meets at Canterbury Cathedral and the campus of the University of Kent in Canterbury, Kent.

Why the Anglican Communion?

You may wonder why an Episcopal bishop needs to participate in an Anglican meeting.

As part of the ordination vows I took when I was consecrated a bishop, I affirmed my call as a bishop of the entire church and not just of this diocese or of The Episcopal Church. I want to make it clear how vital it is that we remain an active part of our precious Anglican Communion. It’s a visible unity that serves as a witness to the world that following Jesus includes everyone who desires to be his follower, regardless of race, nationality, education or family background.

While there are deep divisions within the Anglican Communion, especially on matters of race, sexuality, money and the negative impact of our colonialistic past, we believe that serving together in the Anglican Communion is a gift God has given us.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has worked tirelessly, calling us to be gracious in the face of our differences for the sake of a greater good: our common witness to the world. And despite the protests of some, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry of The Episcopal Church, whom I deeply respect, is calling our active diocesan bishops to go, and I look forward to attending on your behalf. www.cfdiocese.org

Why Meet?

Lambeth gathers bishops from across our Communion to get to know one another, to study and pray together, but also to deliberate about the role our church will play in the events occurring in various countries around the world. I liken not attending the Lambeth Conference with a U.S. senator declaring that he or she is only in the role to represent a certain state and therefore is not willing to travel to Washington, D.C., to take part in the legislative work being done there.

In the United States, we have a clear separation of church and state, but many of the other countries in our Communion do not. What the bishops from these countries have to say about social issues and current events makes a tremendous difference. These leaders are expected, even encouraged, to comment on topics that impact their flocks and the wider community.

The decisions we make at Lambeth are thus heard and listened to across the globe. As far as is possible, we do our best to speak with one voice. I see this as a crucial part of being salt and light in our world.

This gives tremendous authority to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who sometimes meets directly with presidents of various countries to speak on behalf of the Anglican Communion. His intervention can have, and in fact has had, a direct impact on the course of events in those countries.

Our Lambeth meeting also encourages links between bishops across the Communion with the aim of mutual support. That’s one of the reasons we’re in a direct relationship with the Diocese of Honduras and have links with Cuba and South Sudan. That’s what a Communion does.

As we meet, we will study together the Book of 1 Peter. We will talk. We will pray. And we will examine issues such as climate change,

Bishop Greg Brewer

which is having a profound effect on many areas where our Communion is located, including the wildfires of Australia and the rising sea levels in the South Pacific. We will discuss human sexuality. And we will in some way address our ongoing struggle with racism. We may take up other issues as well.

I am going to the Lambeth Conference as a learner. I want to hear bishops from other cultures discuss the gospel. Doing so allows me to be able to think more carefully about the cultural assumptions I bring to my own hearing of the good news of Christ. I want to be sure that what I’m doing reflects the depth of the biblical witness rather than a particular cultural filter, and interacting with Christian leaders from other cultures helps me do that much more effectively.

I consider being part of the Anglican Communion a gift, and I very much look forward to attending Lambeth 2020. I covet your fervent prayers for myself, for Archbishop Welby and for the bishops in attendance from across our beautiful Communion.

Grace to You,

Bishop Gregory O. Brewer

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M I N I ST R I E S

Great things are happening at Canterbury!

When Conflict Happens

By The Rev. Canon Scott Holcombe

Canterbury Welcomes Spring with Upgrades, Easter Events

church and group gatherings as well as family reunions and weddings. We are here to serve.

By Chalmers Morse

T

he diocesan conference and retreat center, well-loved for nearly 40 years, has recently undergone changes that include everything from higher levels of service and food quality to campus improvements.

During the past 12 months, the guest rooms have been refreshed with painting, new flooring, resurfaced tubs and new furniture. The grounds have also seen improvements, with additional landscaping and a kitchen herb garden.

Architects and engineers have been busy working on a plan for the next phase: renovating the campus’ main building, the Bishop Folwell Building. This summer’s plans call for a new look for areas ranging from the dining room to all the meeting spaces, including an expanded lobby with a new reception area as well as replacing all windows, doors and air conditioning systems.

These improvements and others will allow us to better serve our guests while continuing as a tranquil, hospitable sanctuary where people can grow in their knowledge and love of the Lord.

Canterbury will remain a center for spiritual growth where visitors can enjoy the beauty of God’s creation and the glory of his presence.

Since the start of our transformation, we have seen an increase in support from numerous parishes and individuals who have experienced Canterbury firsthand and recognize its uniqueness. Let us be your welcoming resource for personal retreats,

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Easter at Canterbury

Join us for the highest and holiest celebration of the church year as we commemorate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Stations of the Cross Nature Walk

On Saturday, April 11, Canterbury offers a twist on the classic Stations of the Cross devotion, led by The Rev. Tom Phillips. Each of the 14 stations will be depicted along the “Canterbury Trail” around Lake Gem. The walk is easy; however, there may be some mobility limitations.

Easter Services

Join the members of the Church of the Incarnation at Canterbury as they celebrate Easter with beautiful Lake Gem as a backdrop, raising voices together in prayer and song. A sunrise service begins at 7 a.m. with additional services at 9 and 11 a.m. (In case of inclement weather, services will be held in St. Augustine’s Chapel.) At 10:15, a traditional Easter Egg Hunt will be held, welcoming children of all ages.

Champagne Brunch

Come enjoy a sumptuous champagne brunch with live jazz served in the Overlook Dining Room and outside deck overlooking Lake Gem from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

For weekend or brunch reservations and information, call 407-365-5571 or visit our website, www.canterburyretreat.org.

March / April 2020

As canon to the ordinary, I am often brought into situations in congregations, vestry meetings, staff meetings and even small-group gatherings where there is a significant amount of conflict. Often this conflict has festered for days, weeks, months or even years, much like pressure building within an unstable volcano. The greater the length of time and the more volatile the issues have become, the more quickly one can assess that something must be done.

We can deal with conflict in one of three primary ways:

1. Avoid it: This involves intentionally

sidestepping the persons or situations and choosing not to deal with the problems. Those who practice avoidance maintain a Pollyanna perspective that the conflict “really isn’t that bad” and doesn’t need immediate attention.

2. Manage it: This method of dealing with

conflict includes realizing that there may be no solution. It seeks to create an environment where both sides can be heard with respect and agree to hold things in tension without avoiding them or trying to fix them.

3. Resolve it: This means of addressing conflict finds ways to resolve the issue, hopefully in a way that seems reasonable to both sides. It also means laying down the words or weapons at hand.

Church conflict can be destructive, or it can create an opportunity to bring about positive and constructive change. I have seen conflicts yield opportunities to bring in help from the diocesan office or other consultants to address systemic issues, power silos and sacred cows. I have also seen conflicts create new ministry opportunities, bring about new stewardship initiatives and generate new programs. I have seen clergy who were ready to “jump ship” and leave a congregation because of a simmering troublesome issue. With guidance and training to successfully deal with www.cfdiocese.org

M I N I ST R I E S

conflict, clergy are often able to remain in place and enjoy a long, successful pastorate.

New Director, New Program Set to Raise Camp Wingmann Attendance Holcombe

I believe the real secrets to dealing with conflict are as follows: • Listening prayerfully.

• Making sure the conflict does not become personal.

• Looking for avenues of hope in the most difficult of storms.

• Addressing the issue promptly, not procrastinating.

• Looking at ways to build bridges rather than blow them up.

• Looking for what is held in common rather than what separates.

• Agreeing to disagree.

• Remembering that grace and mercy cover a multitude of sins.

• Always considering that, to truly move on, repentance may be needed on both sides.

• Realizing that failing to deal with conflict allows it to fester and build up pressure; conflict does not simply dissipate.

• Recognizing that sometimes the best way of dealing with conflict is to invite a third party in as a mediator.

Often, what prevents churches from serving as true salt and light in their communities is an inadequate (or nonexistent) way of addressing conflict. Learning to deal with conflict properly and equipping yourself as an ambassador of reconciliation keeps you and your church as ambassadors for our King. www.cfdiocese.org

By Nina Keck

A

and what it has done in their lives.

fter three years as director of the facility’s summer camps, Joshua Joseph now serves as director of Camp Wingmann.

“Now I worry about everything associated with a nonprofit, like fundraising, the air conditioning and marketing,” Joseph said.

“We want to see if churches have Camp Wingmann scholarships in place,” McKenna said. “If they don’t, the ambassadors will help develop fundraisers to build a fund.”

He replaces The Rev. Bill Yates, who retired from the post. “Fr. Bill will still be the vicar,” Joseph said.

Joseph

Because this is the first year for the ambassadors, some things may need to be tweaked. “These kids will get to shape the program,” McKenna said.

Joseph’s overall goal is to increase the number of campers to 600. “We hope to reach that number in five years. In any year, we have between 300 and 315 kids come to camp,” he said. “Registration for summer camp opened on Jan. 1, and the mark for 2020 is between 350 and 400 campers.”

But the benefits of the Ambassador Program extend beyond Camp Wingmann.

“These young people now have the opportunity to develop leadership, speaking and fundraising skills,” McKenna said.

“These skills will serve them forever.”

This year’s camp theme is “Set Free, True Freedom in Christ.” It comes from John 8:3132 (NIV), “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

SUMMER CAMP

To help accomplish his goals, Joseph initiated the Camp Wingmann Ambassador Program, an internship launching in June.

Ten alumni from across Florida who have gone from camper to counselor will travel throughout the diocese promoting the camp.

Programs Director Meredith McKenna explained, “The youth will be in their home parish, and they will plan a Camp Sunday.”

Ambassadors will set up a little camp in each church, telling all about Camp Wingmann

High School Session 1 Jun 7-12

Session 2 Jul 5-10 Middle School Session 1 Jun 14-19

Session 2 Jul 12-17 Elementary School

Session 1 Jun 21-26 Session 2 Jul 19-24

For more information, please go to:

www.campwingmann.org

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CONVENTION 2020

Bishop Celebrates Diocese’s Calling as Salt and Light Annual address challenges, encourages hearers

By Marti Pieper

Brewer

The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer opened his Jan. 25 address at the 51st Annual Diocesan Convention of the Diocese of Central Florida with the previous Sunday’s collect, which connected directly with the Convention and 2020 theme: “Light of the World, Salt of the Earth.”

hardship, allowing us to be a servant church. “The calling to be salt and light is the opportunity that God gives us to make a difference in this profoundly hurting community,” he said.

This fall, Hurricane Dorian provided the diocese with that very opportunity, Brewer said, adding that many served and gave. Receipts now total over $264,000, sent directly to the Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas & The Turks & Caicos Islands.

“Servanthood means financial generosity,” Brewer stressed, demonstrated via a balanced 2020 diocesan budget and $50,000 surplus as 2019 ended.

Our Calling as Salt and Light Recalling The Rev. Canon Chris Russell’s sermon of the night before, Brewer reminded attendees that Christ “is also the light of the world.

And because we are in Christ, God pours that same light … into us so that God might use us as a light to draw other people to Christ.”

Brewer praised the diocese’s 50thanniversary hosting of the largestever gathering of Episcopalians in the state through the Say Yes to Jesus Revival at First Baptist, Orlando, attended by more than 4,000 people. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, Brewer said, “preached a powerful sermon, and God used that event to touch scores of people with the gospel.”

Many in the world today, Brewer said, long for those who act with dignity, confidence and poise even in times of uncertainty and

The bishop pointed to his own ministry in the diocese, on the board of the Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center, as national chaplain for the Daughters of the King and on a Communion Across Difference task force for The Bishop Brewer presents The Rev. Stephen Dass and his wife, Mary, to speak on their ministry to the abandoned and abused in São Paulo.

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Bishop Lloyd Allen of the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras, presents a handmade crozier from his diocese.

Episcopal Church. He highlighted the ordinations of The Rev. Jared Jones, held in the chapel at Holy Trinity Academy, Melbourne, and The Rev. Dr. Richard Gonzalez, jointly presided over by Brewer and The Rt. Rev. Griselda Delgado del Carpio, bishop of the Diocese of Cuba.

Our Future as Salt and Light Brewer also thanked the diocese for his recent three-month sabbatical, which God used to help him discern his call to “humility, prayer and learning to even more deeply recognize and follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit,” he said. This proved crucial in his choice of The Rev. Canon Scott T. Holcombe as canon to the ordinary, “a delightful answer to prayer.”

He also cited a deepening relationship with The Rt. Rev. Patrick Augustine, newly elected bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Bor, South Sudan, who faces multiple challenges. Plans are underway to receive donations for Augustine’s diocese and his projected three-month ministry in the Diocese of Central Florida each year for the remaining years of Brewer’s episcopacy.

Brewer recalled with gratitude “Pinderpalooza,” the recent celebration of The Rev. Canon Nelson Pinder’s 60 years of ordained ministry. He also looks forward to the gathering of bishops at Lambeth 2020. The Anglican Communion is “precious, and a visible unity that serves as a witness to the world that following Jesus includes everyone who desires to be his follower, regardless of race, nationality, education or family background,” he said.

The bishop concluded his address by thanking the diocesan staff and his wife, Laura Lee, and introducing The Rev. Matt Ainsley, missioner at diocesan church plant All Souls in Horizon West, who gave a brief report.

“As the bishop of the Diocese of Central Florida, I go into 2020 honestly a very grateful man …”

Brewer said. “I look forward to our continuing to discern together what it means to be salt and light.

I’m overjoyed that I can represent this diocese to the wider church and tell the stories of how God is blessing us with opportunities and challenges that call us to humbly rise to the occasion, confident in the mercies of God.” www.cfdiocese.org

CONENTION 2020

Russell’s Message Emphasizes ‘You Are’

D

uring his Friday night message at the Fifty-First Annual Diocesan Convention in January, The Rev. Canon Chris Russell made one point: “Let us become who we are.”

Using the Convention theme, “Light of the World, Salt of the Earth,” Russell pointed out that in Matthew 5:13-14, Jesus said, “You are.”

“He doesn’t say you ‘should be’ the light of the word, ‘could be’ the light of the world, ‘ought to be’ the light of the world,” Russell said. “There are no coulds, no shoulds, no oughts.”

Russell said. People have found other avenues to fill those needs, and the first “distinctiveness,” according to Russell, should be that the church is for others.

The church does that, he said, by being the light. And although he spoke to a contingency of clergy and laypeople, his message pertains to every believer.

“Salt doesn’t exist for itself,” Russell added. “Salt could be one centimeter away from the food that it’s supposed to be on, and it makes no difference at all. Salt only has purpose when it has contact.”

Russell, who is Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s adviser for evangelism and witness, also serves at St. Laurence’s Church in Reading, a town of nearly 200,000 about 45 miles west of London. He went on to say, “Church here in Florida, church in Reading, everything we do in the Anglican community, every church, you are … the salt of the earth, you are … the light of the world.”

“We must with great courage and relentlessness root out darkness from our community, and we must start with ourselves,” Russell said, adding, “The actual light of the world tells his followers that you are the light of the world. So we need to talk about Jesus. [He] is our light.”

And again, Russell emphasized, “Not who we ought to be … but who we are because Jesus has stated that we are the salt of the earth, the light of the world. Let us become that.”

PRAYER. Russell, keynote speaker at the 51st Annual Diocesan Convention in January, said in an exclusive interview with CFE, “The primary work in evangelism is praying for the work of God through the local church into the lives of those who don’t know Jesus.”

That explains where prayer comes in.

“What we have done is try to emphasize the task of bringing someone to faith isn’t possible for the church only,” Russell said. “Only God can open a person’s eyes to see Jesus. Only God can work in the heart of someone and lead them to a point where they are ready to give their life to Jesus.”

In the past, people relied on tracts, street-corner signs and door-to-door canvassing as ways to evangelize, but as society has changed, so must today’s methods.

To reach that point, the church had to shift its mindset.

“Before Archbishop Justin [Welby], I think you would have heard quite a bit of skepticism about evangelism,” Russell said of the “high-currency word.”

“Salt doesn’t exist for itself,” Russell added. “Salt could be one centimeter away from the food that it’s supposed to be on, and it makes no difference at all. Salt only has purpose when it has contact.”

www.cfdiocese.org

The word “evangelism” frightens many believers. But The Canon Chris Russell suggests something that may help those paralyzed by the thought of telling others about Jesus.

“All the research in the U.K. says that coming to faith is a journey of discovery,” Russell said. “So things that help people on that journey are essential. I think there are a whole load of tools. Lots of courses. But research shows that there’s no one course that is better than another. But for certain, [people] don’t like to be preached at. They want to explore, have the ability to ask questions.”

Weaving in stories about his daughter Hope, Welby and a man in England named Harvey during his 28-minute message, Russell explained that being the salt of the world means Christians must have contact with the world.

Without that, people won’t hear the good news of Jesus. “Proclaiming of the distinct news of Jesus Christ is our calling,” he said.

Contact with the world can be a challenge in a day and age when society doesn’t rely on the church for a “place of meeting, the place of gathering, of learning, of reading, of hearing,”

Prayer: Key to Evangelism

“There was a lot of pushback when he became archbishop to use the word ‘evangelism,’” Russell said. “He was very clear that he didn’t just want to use the word ‘mission,’ but I am happy to use [it].

And evangelism is a mission, but not all missions are evangelism.”

Russell

And as Russell emphasized, prayer is the key to unlock the door to evangelism.

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CONVENTION 2020

• Diverse Group to Represent Diocese at General Convention •

D

iversity among the deputies headed to the General Convention next year highlighted the recently elected officers at the Fifty-First Annual Diocesan Convention.

Parish Life administrator, Church of the Good Shepherd, Maitland

The Rev. Canon Dr. Justin Holcomb

DIOCESAN BOARD

The Rev. José Rodriguez, first alternate

Clerical Order

Four deputies in both the clerical and lay orders will head to Baltimore to represent Central Florida at the General Convention of The Episcopal Church. Three alternates were selected for the clergy and three for the lay order. The group consists of a mix of Hispanic, African American and Caucasian, as well as a broad age range that includes one teenager.

The Rev. Jose Rodriguez, vicar of Iglesia Episcopal Jesús de Nazaret, one of the alternate deputies, said, “Our deputation represents not only the diversity of worshippers in our churches but the diversity of the greater Central Florida community. I am excited about the inclusion of young adults in our deputation and the balance of voices across age groups.”

“Serving on the deputation to General Convention is a great way to raise up new people into the life of our diocese,” said The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, diocesan bishop. “We look forward to seeing the people on our deputation take their place within the councils of the church, where they will provide a much-needed, additional voice to the 2021 General Convention.”

The Rev. John Gullet, one-year term

Rector, St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Auburndale

The Rev. Kay Mueller, three-year term Deacon, Church of Our Saviour, Okeechobee

DIOCESAN BOARD Lay Order

Susan Burley, three-year term

Vestry member and treasurer, Church of the Good Shepherd, Maitland

Terri Sims, three-year term

Financial administrator, Church of the Good Shepherd, Maitland

Canon for Vocations, the Diocese of Central Florida

Vicar, Iglesia Episcopal Jesús de Nazaret, Orlando

The Rev. Tracy Dugger, second alternate Rector, Church of the Nativity, Port St. Lucie

The Rev. Kay Mueller, third alternate Deacon, Church of Our Saviour, Okeechobee

GENERAL CONVENTION DEPUTIES AND ALTERNATES, Lay Order

Thomas G. Alday III

Co-chairman, Diocesan Real Estate Commission

Krisita Jackson

TRUSTEE

National president of The Order of the Daughters of the King, The Episcopal Church of St. John-theBaptist, Orlando

The Rev. Gene Reuman, three-year term

Heather Rodriguez

GENERAL CONVENTION DEPUTIES AND ALTERNATES,

Erick Perez

University of the South, Clerical Order

Also at the Diocesan Convention in late January, eight other positions were filled during voting that took place Friday night and Saturday. The complete list of those elected is below.

Rector, St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Inverness

STANDING COMMITTEE

Clerical Order

Parish administrator, Church of the Good Shepherd, Maitland

Church of the Good Shepherd, Maitland

Clerical Order

The Rev. Phyllis Bartle

La Nora Holcombe, first alternate

Rector, Grace Episcopal Church, Ocala

The Rev. Dr. James A. Sorvillo Sr.

Eric LeBron, second alternate

The Rev. Canon Scott Holcombe

Mason Kozac, third alternate

The Rev. Jonathan French, four-year term

Rector, St. Jude’s Episcopal Church, Orange City

STANDING COMMITTEE

Rector, Church of the Ascension, Orlando

Heather Rodriguez, three-year term

Canon to the Ordinary, the Diocese of Central Florida

Lay Order

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St. David’s by-the-Sea, Cocoa Beach

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, College Park

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Fort Pierce

www.cfdiocese.org

M I N I ST R I E S

Cursillo weekends offer life-changing renewal

Brotherhood of St. Andrew Poised for Growth

By Jim Lott, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Orlando

By Nina Keck

An Episcopal ministry called Cursillo is helping people discover the many ways of living out their baptismal covenant. The first step is to attend a Cursillo weekend, either a men’s, women’s, coed or Spanish retreat. These weekends offer fun, fellowship, food, music, discussion groups, speakers, daily Eucharist, short talks and guided meditations.

everyone to find the weekend that’s right for you and submit an application to reserve your spot.

Attending my Cursillo weekend retreat was a true mountaintop experience that renewed my faith and changed my life forever. I still can’t put it all into words; you’ll have to attend and get a taste of it for yourself.

Applications for upcoming weekends are now being accepted.

Find them on the Cursillo website,

The Rev. Ed Bartle, diocesan coordinator and vice president of the Province for the Brotherhood of St. Andrew (BSA), hopes to start chapters in every church.

“The greatest challenge is convincing men that this is more than a men’s club. It is an international ministry with resources to support a chapter’s projects,” Bartle said.

Some 11 years later, I’m now serving my third year on the Cursillo Commission. I was recently asked to chair a men’s Cursillo group that supports men’s participation in the weekend retreats and facilitates them forming small reunion groups in each parish or joining existing reunion groups.

There are many great reasons to sign up now! One of the best is that all four weekend retreats take place in the beautiful, secluded setting of the Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center. I invite

Men, we don’t want you to miss out, and you only have a little time left to sign up. The upcoming men-only retreat runs from the evening of Friday, April 17 through Sunday, April 19. Please join us; you’ll be glad you did!

www.cfepiscopalcursillo.org.

All 2020 Cursillo retreats will be two-day weekends:

Life Member and Presiding Bishop Michael Curry chats with BSA Executive Director Tom Welch during the recent Rooted in Jesus Conference in Atlanta.

The diocese currently has 12 BSA chapters. “Our newest chapters are St. Mark’s, Haines City, and Church of the Holy Child, Ormond Beach,” Bartle said.

Apr 17-19

BSA’s mission focus includes restorative justice, scouting, veterans, discipleship/mentoring, racial reconciliation, recovery and human trafficking.

Women’s Weekend:

In addition to the ministries of BSA, chapters support outreach events. “The chapter at St. Mary’s, Belleview, hosts a golf tournament every year, and the proceeds go to scholarships to Camp Wingmann,” Bartle said. “The chapter at St. George, The Villages, sponsors a soup kitchen.”

Men’s Weekend: John Pfeiffer, lay rector jcpe25@gmail.com

Apr 24-26

Joann Hodges, lay rectora joannhodges003@gmail.com

Coed Weekend: Oct 9-11

Paula Reumann, lay rector apsreuman@gmail.com

Bartle is optimistic about new chapters forming because one of BSA’s most prominent supporters is Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. “With the presiding bishop on your side, you can’t help but succeed,” he said.​

For more information, visit: www.brothersandrew.net

For more information or to have your name added to the Cursillo email list, please contact: • Phil Phillips.........strumminguy55@yahoo.com

• Karen Stout......... 4karenjs@gmail.com

• Kim McMaster......kmcmaster1@cfl.rr.com You can access the diocesan Cursillo website at:

www.cfepiscopalcursillo.org Cursillo Commission members for 2020

www.cfdiocese.org

Join the Central Florida Cursillo Facebook page @ CentralFloridaCursilloGroup.

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

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March / April 2020

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

Fresh Expressions Reaches Unchurched

By Marti Pieper

How can we live out our biblical calling as salt and light?

Fresh Expressions seemed like a natural place to look for answers. According to its website, www.freshexpressionsus. org, “Fresh Expressions is a movement that is cultivating new forms of church alongside existing congregations in order to reach a changing world.”

On Feb. 15, The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist, Orlando, hosted Vision Day to introduce Fresh Expressions and provide tools for its outworking. The church’s rector, The Rev. Charles Myers, explained the movement this way: “Fresh Expressions in The Episcopal Church context can allow the established churches to plant Eucharistic communities that contextualize our tradition and reach out to the community with the kingdom.”

Although innovative, the movement is not new to our country or our diocese. Begun in England in 2004, Fresh Expressions spread to the U.S. in 2010.

The Rev. John Motis, diocesan coordinator for the movement and deacon at The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Wales, has lived out Fresh Expressions for more than five years. The men’s Bible study group he attends weekly at a local restaurant includes both churched and unchurched members and “has been part of the blessing of several men giving their lives to Christ,”

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Motis said. “Fresh Expressions is expressly for reaching out to the unchurched: people who know Jesus and those who do not. …

Fresh Expressions groups are a community where they can come, be a part and grow without the stigma of ‘church.’”

The Rev. Jon Davis, who held several positions in the Diocese of Central Florida and now serves on the Fresh Expressions staff, provided additional insights.

“Fresh Expressions is very incarnational, very relational. It’s being with people the way Jesus was with people,” he said.

Davis cited a biweekly healing service he leads at the Oviedo Medical Center as one example.

“We end up praying for the staff, for the hospital … that Jesus would make his healing presence known.

It’s being present in a secular space,” he said.

Motis may have said it best: “If we live our faith as a ‘Sunday morning Christian,’ we are missing what I believe to be our responsibility in the world.”

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March / April 2020

Vision Day, at The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist in Orlando, introduced Fresh Expressions to local churches.

www.cfdiocese.org

PEOPLE & EVENTS

Holy Trinity Episcopal School Offers Alternative for Students With Learning Differences

Brewer Urges Support for Assistant Bishop in South Sudan

By Nina Keck

By DeWayne Hamby

A recent graduate rejoices with underclassmen.

Middle school and high school students The Class of with learning differences sometimes 2019 had encounter harsh treatment in public 100% college schools: being bullied, ridiculed or left out. acceptance.

Holy Trinity Episcopal School (HTES), That fit has helped senior Jayson Fruitland Park, offers these students a Goodridge take the first step toward his better school experience. “We find out career goals. “Jayson has been at HTES the students’ passion and direct them since sixth grade,” McCallister said. “He toward that goal after graduation,” is dual enrolled at HTES and Lake Tech Interim Headmaster Justin McCallister in the welding program.” In June, Jayson said. “The students tell me that they are will receive his first welding certification.​ grateful to be here and to have friends.” ​

HTES is a mission of Holy Trinity parish, Fruitland Park. “The church helps with payroll, electric bills and anything else that comes up,” McCallister said. “They are gracious in their donations and passionate about the school.” In addition, eight parishioners volunteer as tutors.

“Jayson is highly motivated, and his success has motivated other students to think toward the future,” said McCallister. The school partners with Vocational Rehab in Leesburg, which helps students find jobs and get work experience.​

The students, who come from lowincome families, receive McKay, Step Up and Gardiner grants. The school’s rigorous academic program meets Florida state standards, and the studentteacher ratio is 5 to 1. ​

McCallister also teaches entrepreneurship and senior projects, in which students put everything in place to start a business. They create a company, develop a business plan and acquire financial support. “If you give them a chance, it’s amazing how far they can go!”​ McCallister said.

Most of the students attend a public high school first and are referred to HTES by guidance counselors or parents of HTES students. “We interview them to see if HTES is a good fit,” McCallister said. ​

If you’d like to enroll your child or help the school, visit www. htepiscopalschool.org.

Photos courtesy of HTES

The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer is calling on members of the Diocese of Central Florida to support The Rt. Rev. Patrick Augustine, formerly of La Crosse, Wisconsin, who has accepted a call to serve as assistant bishop of the Diocese of Bor in South Sudan. Augustine made 14 ministry visits there prior to his June 2019 appointment. ​ uring his 2020 D Convention address, Brewer outlined a plan to further support the South Sudanese diocese. Augustine would visit churches in the Diocese of Central Florida as Brewer’s official guest, “able to preach, celebrate and confirm.”

Please pray about your support of Bishop Augustine.

Brewer hopes to raise approximately $150,000 to be used over the remaining three years of his episcopacy to cover Augustine’s travel expenses, plus provide additional funds for programs in the Diocese of Bor. “Because of the war, no one in Sudan really has much money to do any building for any sort of relief effort,” Brewer said at the Convention.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s 2019 agreement allows Augustine to serve in South Sudan thrice annually ‘’for four to six weeks at a time … to help the country rebuild after its 2011 independence from Sudan and

The student-teacher ratio at HTES is 5 to 1. This year, the school has 31 students.

www.cfdiocese.org

bridge communication and create relationships between South Sudan and the U.S.,” Augustine told The La Crosse Tribune. Augustine’s plans also include “creating vegetable gardens, helping families acquire chickens, starting and stocking a library and installing solar panels in the schools,” he told the Tribune.

“[Augustine] has an infectious love for Jesus,” Bishop Brewer said. “He is an enthusiastic preacher and is the very definition of a Spirit-filled servant.” ​ he Rev. Jonathan French, rector T of Grace Episcopal Church in Ocala, is the point person for fundraising for Augustine. The Rev. Dan Smith, priest-in-charge of Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Sanford, and his wife, Evelyn, have also volunteered to pray for and stand with Augustine and to coordinate any support the Diocese of Central Florida may provide.

Photo Peter Thomson / La Crosse Tribune

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

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March / April 2020

11

PEOPLE & EVENTS

St. David’s by-the-Sea, Cocoa Beach, Receives Public Service Award

St. James Offers Food-Choice Pantry to Community Members

More than 1,000 people attended the fourth annual Space Coast Public Service Awards and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Jan. 11 at the Radisson at Port Canaveral in Cape Canaveral. This year, St. David’s by-the-Sea, Cocoa Beach, received an award in the Making a Difference category.

St. James, Ormond Beach, has made a positive change in the way people in need within its community receive food assistance.

For many years, the church Susan Marella, Monique Marcella, Deacon Teri Malia, has partnered with Halifax Lola, Jean Dwyer, Pheona, Fr. Jesse Lassiter Urban Ministries and its St. James opens its pantry on Feed-a-Family program. Originally Fridays. Due to the program’s designed to offer bags of food that success, the pantry will now open included meat and prescribed, nutrione Saturday a month for those tionally sound staples, the program guests who cannot visit on Friday provided one bag of food each month because of employment. Halifax for enrolled guests. Though effective, Urban Ministries provides the it neglected special dietary needs and staple foods and meat, and the personal preferences. One volunteer congregation at St. James provides commented, “Just because you’re additional choices, donating a variety poor doesn’t mean you don’t have of requested foods. Each guest has special likes and dislikes.” a volunteer escort to assist them in In June 2018, the St. James Feedselecting food and another to help a-Family volunteers converted the move the grocery bag to their mode “bag” program to a food-choice of transportation. pantry program that provides the

By The Rev. Hazel Kundinger

Each year, Sheriff Wayne Ivey partners with Space Coast Daily to make sure volunteers of exceptional accomplishment gain recognition.

The 2020 ceremony included 129 awards given in categories ranging from individuals to companies and organizations that embody service to others.

The citation for St. David’s reads in part: “This relatively small congregation of less than 110 members has provided an amazingly diverse and impactful ministry to hundreds of people, especially children, veterans and the elderly in Brevard County. Last year a record of over $40,000 was raised, and church members donated several thousand more to special projects.”

St. David’s outreach committee, chaired by Ellie Yelle, uses two major events in the fall (goods and services live auction) and winter (flea market) to raise the bulk of funds needed to carry out its growing number of missions. The committee focuses on providing aid throughout Brevard County to include food and school supplies for at-risk children; homemade meals for the elderly and infirm; hurricane relief in Puerto Rico and the Florida Panhandle; Christmas gifts to Anchor House in Auburndale; emergency funds for near-homeless veterans; a Four Immortal and All Chaplains monument at the Veterans Memorial Center on Merritt Island; overseas missions in Bolivia and Brazil to combat child trafficking and homelessness; and many more.

Through the outreach committee and a caring congregation, St. David’s by-the-Sea strives to meet needs when urgent situations arise whether via large shipments of diapers, toys for the community Angel Tree or food for children during summer and other school breaks. The church lives out the calling of its namesake, sixth-century patron St. David of Wales, who said in his final sermon, “Be joyful and keep your faith and your creed; and do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about.”

Sherrif Ivey (center) presents award to St. David’s-by-the-Sea representatives (l-r) Butch Kundinger, Jean Lapoint, Ellie Yelle, Pastor Hazel Kundinger, Senior Warden Skip LaPoint, Jeanne Weaver, Courtney Yelle.

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March / April 2020

By Anne Evans, St. James Episcopal Church, Ormond Beach

same nutritionally sound food but offers choices. The church’s pantry space is limited to four wire shelves, but volunteers found cupboard space for extra inventory. They categorize food by type and available choices in each category.

The dedicated, talented volunteers include one fluent in both Spanish and American Sign Language and others who are licensed counselors.

In addition, the team offers referrals to other local services. The program now provides food to over 75 guests every month and continues to grow.

One regular guest, a single mother with four children, recently visited the pantry to proudly announce that after two years, her family was moving to a permanent home. The food-choice pantry at St. James was a valuable resource during her time of need.

Fr. Roy Allison, Shari Johnson, Margaret Jobson, Maritza Patterson

“For I was hungry and you gave me food” (Matt. 25:35a). www.cfdiocese.org

The Reality of the Resurrection

By Erik Guzman

I

tilted the rearview mirror to see the reflection of my three elementary-age kids in the back seat, enjoying our few minutes together before dropping them off at school. I smiled and turned up the Mumford & Sons song playing through the car’s sound system.

“Roll away your stone and I’ll roll away mine,” Marcus Mumford sang. It was almost Easter. I thought about the empty tomb and the hope that one day I too will be resurrected and welcomed into my Father’s house. The thought stirred my heart.

I turned the volume down and, hoping to touch my children’s hearts as well, said, “Isn’t it amazing? Our heavenly Father loves us so much that when we rejected him and ran away, he moved heaven and earth to bring his children back home. He sent Jesus to rescue us, to live and die as one of us, but death couldn’t conquer the source of all life. He rose from the dead and ascended to the Father to prepare a place for us!”

My 8-year-old daughter replied, “Who made this stuff up?”

Who indeed?

Have you ever struggled with the reality of Christ’s resurrection? If so, you’re not alone. Even Jesus’

disciples struggled to believe. The Central Florida Episcopalian reached out to a number of priests in the Diocese of Central Florida to get their thoughts.

The Rev. Cameron MacMillan, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Maitland, pointed out that the Bible’s inclusion of the apostles’ doubts—which would seem to undercut their reliability as witnesses—actually makes a good argument for the reliability of the scriptural accounts of the resurrection.

“In these resurrection accounts, if they were fabricated to formulate a mythology to divinize Christ, then why would the people who wrote them include embarrassing details about the closest followers of Jesus and their weaknesses and unbelief?” MacMillan said. “But the Gospel accounts of the resurrection are just messy; none of the disciples even believe at first.”

MacMillan continued, “Even the disciples who struggled, they came to believe, and Thomas, who was the greatest doubter of all, ends up falling before Jesus and saying, ‘My Lord and my God’” (see John 20:28).

The Rev. Lisa Wimmer, rector of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Belleview, experienced Jesus’ resurrection power in a tangible way during a 2006 trip to Israel. “I was baptized when I was 8

E A ST E R years old but decided to get baptized in the Jordan River because I wanted to say, ‘Jesus, I will follow you all the days of my life.’ The same water, the same dust, the same air—I experienced Jesus’ humanity in a way I never could have anywhere else on the planet. I swam in the Dead Sea and was miraculously healed of a frozen shoulder that I suffered from for over a year before the trip.”

The Rev. Jonathan French, rector of Grace Episcopal Church, Ocala, pointed out that God graciously gives us surprising encounters with the reality of the Resurrection. His most recent such encounter occurred in South Korea outside a Buddhist monastery. Convicted by conscience and scripture, he felt he shouldn’t go in as he observed a service with many of the same sounds one would hear in a church and kneeling similar to Christian ecclesiastical practice.

French recounted what happened as he watched the Buddhists venerating an enlightened man.

“His enlightenment, his achievement for the way in which he lived in this world, was that he broke the wheel of life; he ascended and he was forever gone from this place. And it just hit me like a lightning bolt how that’s exactly the opposite of what Jesus did. Jesus chose to come back among us. That’s the most amazing stroke of love, to come back and offer forgiveness to the very people who just rejected you.”

He is risen, indeed!

You can’t make this stuff up.

He is Risen www.cfdiocese.org

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

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March / April 2020

13

Salt &Light at Easter E A ST E R

St Jude’s Easter cross in downtown DeLand, courtesy of Roger and Sue Schilling.

Many churches through the Diocese of Central Florida have special traditions that allow them to reach out to their communities during Lent and Holy Week. A few shared their Easter ideas with the Central Florida Episcopalian.

St. Jude’s Episcopal Church, Orange City

Praying through the Stations of the Cross in Flagler Park

By The Rev. Phyllis Bartle As a way of being salt and light for our community, St. Jude’s, Orange City, begins and ends our celebration of Holy Week outside. On April 5, Palm Sunday, we will start both services in our front yard, with a procession of palms to lead off our worship.

Church of Our Savior, Okeechobee

By The Rev. Kay Mueller, deacon

Church of Our Saviour in Okeechobee offers Stations of the Cross annually during the afternoon of Good Friday. We hold the event in Flagler Park in the middle of the downtown business district and advertise it through the local newspaper along with radio station and ministerial association announcements.

In addition, in 2019 we promoted a Lenten program of “40 Items in 40 Days,” asking people to give up items from their closet, kitchen and garage to lessen worldly clutter and diversions. We followed this with a post-Easter yard sale,

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donating a portion of our proceeds to Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center.

On April 9, Maundy Thursday, we will gather for a foot-washing service followed by an agape meal. After that, we will return to the sanctuary to witness the stripping of the altar, followed by a one-hour quiet time of watching with Christ.

Our Good Friday service begins at noon on April 10 with Stations of the Cross, followed by meditations on Jesus’ seven last words and closing with the Good Friday liturgy.

On Saturday afternoon, April 11, several of our parishioners will head to DeLand to join many others in flowering crosses to be displayed throughout Easter.

We will begin Easter Sunday, April 12, with an Easter vigil at 6 a.m., followed by services at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Our final event will be an Easter Egg Hunt held on the front lawn, the same place our week of celebration began.

On Ash Wednesday this year, parishioners will receive a Lenten prayer along with 2-inch nails representing the spikes driven into Jesus’ hands and feet. We will encourage everyone to keep the nail in their pocket or purse as a reminder of Jesus’ death for our sins as well as Lenten sacrifices and meditation prayers, promoting the pillars of Lent: prayer, penance and almsgiving.

St Jude’s Easter cross in downtown DeLand, courtesy of Roger and Sue Schilling.

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March / April 2020

www.cfdiocese.org

E A ST E R

St. Francis Episcopal Church, Bushnell

Easter morning egg hunt after services

By The Rev. Becky Chapman, deacon St. Francis Episcopal Church in Bushnell believes in living out our faith traditions in full view of the community at large. The season from Shrove Tuesday to Easter is no exception. Our church is blessed to have a beautiful, welcoming front yard, and we enjoy bringing our traditions outside whenever we can as a part of our local outreach.

On Shrove Tuesday, we place the palms from the prior year’s Palm Sunday service on a pedestal in our front yard and burn them to make ashes for our Ash Wednesday service. On Palm Sunday, we begin our services outside, again using the pedestal to hold the bundle of fresh green palm branches. The presider joyfully tosses the greenery in the air, and the children collect the scattered palms and gleefully distribute them to the congregation before we process in.

We again gather at the pedestal to light the new Paschal fire at the Easter vigil on Saturday evening. The next morning, the shouts of local children from the Refuge at Jumper Creek (a local shelter for homeless families) can be heard as they join the St. Francis children in a community Easter Egg Hunt after our Easter service. For St. Francis, our front yard is the place where it all happens and where the community sees us live out our liturgical traditions.

www.cfdiocese.org

The Easter Bunny is none other than Sister Jacoba Clare, a Franciscan nun, third order. St. Francis Episcopal is blessed to have Sister Jacoba Clare and her husband, Brother Peter, as members.

Bishop Gregory O. Brewer beginning our Palm Sunday service (after the palms were tossed).

Making ashes for Ash Wednesday

Preparing to burn the palms on Shrove Tuesday

Lighting the palms Easter vigil, lighting the new Paschal flame

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E A ST E R

In the Company of Saints Hospice chaplain shares living lessons

By Don Hires, Grace Episcopal Church, Ocala

I

n the 30 years I served as a hospice chaplain, I was privileged, humbled and honored to serve hundreds of saints who taught me about living and dying in the presence of God. They came from all walks of life; all ethnicities; all economic levels, some rich, some poor; and all faith backgrounds.

out of her bedroom when she called me back to say, “I think tonight’s the night. I’m ready to go.” A few hours later, Abbie joined the company of the saints in heaven.

Tony was 81 when we met. His wife, Anna, had died several years earlier, and pancreatic cancer had forced him to move in with his daughter. He had the most piercing blue eyes I have ever seen, and as I introduced myself, I felt he could see right through me.

Instead of shaking my hand, Tony held up one finger and said, “I have one question for you.”

As I deal with my own mortality, I’ve taken time to look back at some of the saints who invited me into their lives and deaths. I want to share the stories of three who made a profound impact.

“What do you want to know?” I asked.

“Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?”

Abbie, 93, was my first hospice patient. I had no idea what to say to her, but two questions entered my mind: “Don, what have you gotten yourself into?” and “What am I going to say to this lady whose life is coming to an end?”

“As a matter of fact, I do.”

Tony smiled, took my hand and said, “You are going on a journey with me.”

When we met, Abbie asked, “Would it be OK if I prayed for you?” By the time I left that day, I knew without a doubt that I was where God wanted me to be.

Abbie and I met every Friday evening, and she would let me know when it was time to end the visit. She would always say, “Now give me a kiss and a prayer and go home to Mary, but don’t forget to come back next week.”

One evening, several weeks into our visits, Abbie told me she planned to ask God to reserve the room beside her in heaven for me. I laughed and told her of my love for all kinds of music, “and I like it loud,” I said.

“I don’t care. I want you in the room next to me,” Abbie said. One Friday evening, I was on my way

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I soon learned that Tony and Anna had owned one of the largest apple orchards in northern Illinois, and over the years, they had turned it into a lucrative business. At harvest time each year, Tony employed dozens of local migrant workers.

Hires

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He called me one morning and asked if I could stop by that afternoon. “I have something I want to tell you,” he said.

When I arrived, Tony seemed happier than he had on previous visits. We chatted aimlessly until I pressed him about the reason for his call. He then shared Jesus’ familiar parable of the rich young ruler. I listened but wondered where this would lead.

“Don, I was like that man. I had everything I thought I needed, but my life was so empty after Anna died,” Tony told me. “Then I found out what I was missing: It was Jesus. I wanted to follow him, but my wealth kept getting in the way.”

March / April 2020

Tony told me he had sold everything he owned

and set up a scholarship fund for migrant children. Through tears, he said, “It was then that I could follow Jesus.”

One day, Tony told me, “It’s been a great journey, and we’ll continue our conversation in heaven.”

Three days later, he followed Jesus there.

Carrie was a 5-year-old girl with an inoperable brain tumor. I confess that at first, I was hoping her family wouldn’t request a visit from me. But the time I spent with this precocious, animated, bubbly, joyful little drama queen was easier than I had imagined. Surprisingly, she knew everything about her condition, and would go to great lengths to explain what the doctors did and said.

One day, Carrie, who had lost all her hair due to radiation, got up, put her hands on my bald head, and said, “Mr. Don, you look just like me.”

Throughout our time together, I kept praying that God would give me the strength and courage to approach the subject of death with Carrie. One morning, she said, “Mr. Don, you know I’m dying.”

“Tell me about it.”

Carrie stood up, put her hands on her hips and said, “Well, it’s going to be like this. I’m going to die and go to heaven. I will be there for a long time until my mom gets old; then she will die and come to heaven, and we will wait for my dad to come be with us. One day, a long, long time from now, Jimmy (her older brother) will finally die, and we will all be a family again.”

She then got serious and said, “And Mr. Don, one day, you’ll die, and I’ll show you around heaven.”

Carrie passed away about two weeks later, and her father allowed me to take home a photo from among the many he had taken of his precious daughter. I chose one of the two of us with our look-alike bald heads.

These three incomparable saints taught me so much about what it really means to say yes to Jesus and to experience the Holy Spirit. As I live into my own death, I don’t face it with dread or fear. After all, Abbie has reserved my room, Tony is waiting to continue our unfinished conversation and Carrie will show me around heaven.

And Mary? She’ll say what she always said when I was late: “What took you so long? I was getting worried.” www.cfdiocese.org

SPOTLIGHT

From Missionary Kid to the Priesthood

T

hough born in Wilmington, North Carolina, The Rev. Peter Tepper of Orlando’s Cathedral Church of St. Luke didn’t have a typical Southern upbringing – unless Mexico counts.

A missionary kid, the transitional deacon, who, God willing and the people consenting, will be ordained to the priesthood in June, spent most of his first 18 years outside of the United States.

“It was one of those fun experiences of growing up as a third culture kid, where my parents’ culture and the host culture were very different,” Tepper said. “It was a very enriching and challenging experience.”

Tepper’s parents organized a church in Puebla at Universidad de las Américas (UDLA) before transitioning to Madrid and working with drug addicts in the crime-ridden metropolitan area of San Blas. The Teppers began a ministry called Betel, which has grown to 90 residences in 22 countries.

God’s call came to Tepper at the end of a successful career in the U.S. Army, where he was an active member of the Officers’ Christian Fellowship. He initially assumed that call would translate into the role of an army chaplain, but God had another plan.

“Sometimes, God uses our desires and then funnels them in even more incredible ways than we could imagine,” he said. “I thought I sensed a call to chaplaincy, and God intended a different type of www.cfdiocese.org

chaplaincy. As always, God is in the business of surprises.”

After finishing his studies at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, Tepper received a commission as a second lieutenant in the infantry. He was stationed at Fort Drum, New York, as a lieutenant and rifle platoon leader and then Camp Casey, South Korea, as a captain and battalion adjutant.

Tepper attended seminary from 2004-2006 at Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford, an evangelical Anglican training college and permanent private hall of Oxford.

During that time, he met Michelle, who would later become his wife.

“She was studying apologetics, the art of engaging difficult questions about life and faith from a Christian perspective, and I was studying theology,” Tepper said.

Tepper has admired the way St. Luke’s Cathedral reaches out to the downtown community with Christ’s love. He looks forward to his ordination to the priesthood this summer.

“It will be an amazing privilege to be minister of Word and sacrament, to help people hear from God and connect with God, to discover the wonder and beauty of who Jesus is and all he accomplished for us on the cross,” he said. “I long to see people connect with Jesus.”

Tepper enjoys running, listening to music, going to the beach with his family and reading. He’s currently enjoying both The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes, onetime vicar of

Tepper Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge, and Sober Intoxication of the Spirit

by The Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa.

“Richard Sibbes’ book speaks tenderly about the loving, gentle, but challenging ministry of the suffering servant, Jesus. … Cantalamessa’s book is an invitation to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to understand, enjoy and savor who God is and how to make Jesus known in the world.”

state,” Tepper said. “It is only in self-sacrifice that Simon Pegg can change his fate. He goes from being a thoughtless protagonist to a selfless, mindful character.”

He also sees a deeper meaning in the most recent film he saw, Terry Jones’ Absolutely Anything starring Simon Pegg.

“I’d love to continue to be part of a church that is sharing the good news of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit,” he said. “It would be an honor and a privilege to play a small part in re-evangelizing wherever God would place me.”

“It is a tale of metaphysical second chances and gives a humorous critique of our self-centered human

For the future, Tepper trusts the one who has opened doors both here and abroad. He’s thankful for the opportunity at St. Luke’s and hopes to continue touching people with the transformational power of Christ.

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

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O U R A N G L I CA N H E R I TA G E / WO R S H I P

Historical Background of the Nicene Creed

Taizé Worship Offers Refreshment, Renewal

By DeWayne Hamby

By The Rev. Canon Dr. Justin S. Holcomb

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is an

excerpt from Know the Creeds and Councils by Justin S. Holcomb (Zondervan, 2014), chapter 2, “Council of Nicaea and the Nicene Creed.”

Used by permission. The Nicene Creed, used in The Episcopal Church at Communion, can be found in the Book of Common Prayer, available online at www.bcponline.org .

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hat we call the Nicene Creed is actually the product of two ecumenical councils – one in Nicaea (present-day Iznik, Turkey) in A.D. 325 and one in Constantinople (now Istanbul) in A.D. 381 – and a century of debate over the nature of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

In A.D. 324, Constantine reunited the Roman Empire under a single throne. Constantine was himself a recent convert to Christianity, having (temporarily) ended all persecution by decree in A.D. 313 after he claimed that he won a battle by calling out to the Christian God. It was Constantine who convened the first ecumenical, fully representative, universally recognized council of the Christian church. While it is common today to overemphasize Constantine’s role and authority in influencing the shape of Christianity as we know it (he did not declare that Jesus is God or decide the books of the New Testament…) there is no doubt that this was one of the critical turning points in Christianity.

The council was summoned to resolve a problem that had sprung up seven years earlier and had left the Christian church fiercely divided. In Alexandria in A.D. 318, a presbyter (elder) named Arius began publicly proclaiming his theory that Jesus was not God at all, only a celestial servant of the true Most

Continued Page 22

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T

hough birthed 80 years ago from a small community in France devoted to spiritual renewal, Taizé worship, known for chants of brief phrases in a variety of languages, is alive and has spread to churches around the world.

The movement began when Roger Louis SchutzMarsauche, a Protestant monastic known as Brother Roger, envisioned a refuge for those escaping the horrors of World War II, a place for all to worship together regardless of denominational affiliation.

Today, pilgrims from around the world join the Taizé community in prayer three times a day along the themes of Holy Week: the suffering, passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Forgoing longer hymns, Taizé is accompanied by short chants in various languages that appeal to international travelers.

The Rev. C. Dawn McDonald has seen her parishioners respond to the Taizé services at her church, Holy Presence in DeLand. Candles are lit in a darkened sanctuary, “reminding us of the light of Christ in himself, and in each of us in this dark world,” she said, and each service includes chants as well as moments of silence.

“The service can be both simply beautiful and mesmerizing,” McDonald said. “For just a brief period … we seek to push our hectic lives aside and rest in God’s presence to listen to him.”

The Rev. Bob Johnson, music minister at Church of the Ascension, Orlando, said Taizé worship is particularly suited for the sacrament of Communion.

“The simple, repetitive nature can be used effectively during the distribution of Holy Communion or as a basis for a special service of prayer or healing,” he said. “The congregation’s part is easily learned without printed music and can be supplemented by verses sung by a cantor and obligato instrumental parts. The repeated chant allows the worshippers to focus heart and mind on the Lord while the cantor and instrumental parts add additional words and musical texture.”

March / April 2020

Andrew Walker, musician at St. Michael’s, Orlando, noted that replicating the correct Taizé atmosphere is challenging for smaller congregations with fewer members and limited voices.

“With anything that is done using only Taizé music, even if within a very familiar Rite II Eucharist, the building, the lighting, the skills of the musicians who are leading the singing and the establishing of an appropriate ambience all must be considered if this beautiful and contemplative style is to allow members of the congregation to meet Christ in the liturgy,” Walker explained.

In view of the busy world surrounding her congregants, McDonald believes the Taizé services offer moments of peace and rest to those who need a “spiritual recharging.”

“It gives us a refuge from our hectic lives, a contemplative time and place, and an opportunity to just sit still in the presence of God,” she said. “For us, it has become such a valuable time for recharging our spiritual batteries. The emphasis is not on doing but on just being. We have found that it has become a very meaningful and moving time for those young people who come to our Taizé nights from the greater community.”

Often, the stillness, beauty and simplicity of the worship will move congregants to tears, McDonald said. Some of these songs include “Kyrie” (“Lord Have Mercy”), “Gloria” (“Glory to God”), “Sanctus” (“Holy, Holy, Holy”) and “Agnus Dei” (“Lamb of God”).

“We sing simple yet beautiful songs that are beautiful prayers in themselves repeatedly, often with words taken right out of the Scriptures,” McDonald explained. “And as we sing the words, hum to the music or just listen to others singing (no one must sing), the words minister to our spirits, and the prayers become ours. As we contemplate in silence in the presence of the Lord and gaze into the lights emitted from the candles, we find ourselves drawn into the inner world where we meet God. Everyone’s experience is different, but many have been moved to tears in its simple beauty.” www.cfdiocese.org

CFE EPISCOPALIAN Central Florida

EN ESPAÑOL

Lambeth 2020. ¿Por qué?

Por Obispo Gregory O. Brewer

Espero con expectación un evento clave pautado para las últimas dos semanas de julio: Lambeth 2020. La reunión de obispos activos de la diócesis anglicana de todas partes del mundo que se lleva a cabo aproximadamente una vez cada diez años, se llama la Conferencia Lambeth, ya que se solía llevar a cabo en el palacio Lambeth, la residencia del arzobispo de Canterbury en Londres. Debido a su tamaño ahora esta conferencia se realiza en la Catedral de Canterbury y en el campus de la Universidad de Kent en Canterbury, Kent.

¿Por qué la comunión anglicana?

Se preguntará por qué un obispo episcopal necesita participar en una reunión anglicana.

Como parte de los votos de la ordinación que acepté cuando fui consagrado como obispo, afirmé mi llamado como obispo de toda la iglesia y no solo de esta diócesis o de la Iglesia episcopal. Quiero dejar claro lo vital que es que nos mantengamos como una parte activa de nuestra preciada comunión anglicana.

Es nuestra visible unión lo que sirve para testificarle al mundo que seguir a Jesús incluye a todo aquel que desea ser su seguidor, independientemente de su raza, nacionalidad, educación e historial familiar.

Mientras existen profundas divisiones dentro de la comunión anglicana, especialmente en asuntos de raza, sexualidad, dinero y el impacto negativo de nuestro pasado colonialista, creemos que servir juntos en la comunión anglicana es un regalo que Dios nos ha dado.

El arzobispo de Canterbury, Justin Welby ha trabajado diligentemente llamándonos a ser misericordiosos ante nuestras diferencias por www.cfdiocese.org

el bienestar de un bien mayor: ser testigos en común para el mundo. A pesar de las protestas de algunos, el obispo presidente Michael Curry de la Iglesia episcopal, a quien respeto mucho, está llamando a nuestra activa diócesis de obispos a asistir y estoy deseoso de ir en nombre de ustedes.

Canterbury, quien en ocasiones se reúne directamente con presidentes de varios países para dialogar a nombre de la comunión anglicana.

Su intervención puede y de hecho tiene un impacto directo en el desarrollo de eventos en esos países.

Nuestra reunión Lambeth también conecta a los obispos de toda la comunión para motivar el apoyo mutuo. Esa es una de las razones por las que estamos en directa relación con la Diócesis de Honduras y tenemos relaciones con la de Cuba y Sudán del Sur. Eso es lo que hace una comunión.

Cuando nos reunamos estudiaremos 1 Pedro. Dialogaremos. Oraremos.

También examinaremos los asuntos de interés como el cambio climático que está teniendo un efecto profundo en muchas áreas donde está localizada Obispo Greg Brewer nuestra comunión, por ejemplo los fuegos en Australia y los aumentos en los niveles del mar en el Pacífico Sur. Discutiremos temas como la sexualidad humana. También ¿Por qué reunirnos? hablaremos sobre la continua lucha contra el Lambeth reúne obispos de toda nuestra comunión racismo. Abordaremos otros temas también. para conocernos, estudiar y orar juntos, pero Voy a la Conferencia Lambeth como alumno. también para deliberar sobre el papel que jugará Quiero escuchar a obispos de otras culturas nuestra iglesia en los eventos que están ocurriendo discutir el evangelio. Esto me permite ser más en varios países alrededor del mundo. Comparo no cuidadoso en cuanto a las suposiciones culturales asistir a la Conferencia Lambeth con un senador que llevo conmigo cuando escucho las Buenas federal que declare que su único rol es representar Nuevas de Cristo. Quiero estar seguro que lo cierto estado y por tanto no está dispuesto a viajar que hago refleja la profundidad del testimonio a Washington, DC., y formar parte del trabajo bíblico, en vez de un filtro cultural particular legislativo que allí se hace. e interactuar con líderes cristianos de otras En los Estados Unidos tenemos una clara culturas me ayuda a hacer eso más efectivamente. separación entre iglesia y estado, pero no es así en Considero que ser parte de la comunión muchos otros países de nuestra comunión. Lo que anglicana es un regalo y espero con entusiasmo los obispos de estos países tienen que decir sobre ir a Lambeth 2020. Aprecio sus fervorosas asuntos sociales y eventos actuales hace tremenda oraciones por mí, el arzobispo Welby, los obispos diferencia. De estos líderes se espera, y hasta son que asistirán desde diversas partes de nuestra animados a comentar sobre los asuntos actuales hermosa comunión. que impactan a sus rebaños y su comunidad general.

Las decisiones que tomamos en Lambeth son escuchadas alrededor de la tierra. Tan lejos como sean posibles, hacemos lo mejor por hablar a una sola voz. Veo esto como una parte crucial de ser sal y luz en el mundo.

La gracia de Dios contigo,

Esto da tremenda autoridad al arzobispo de

Obispo Gregory O. Brewer

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

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March / April 2020

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CONVENCIÓN 2020

Obispo Celebra Llamado de Diócesis a Ser Sal y Luz Discurso anual aborda retos, anima a los oyentes Por Marti Pieper El Rev. Gregory O. Brewer inició su discurso el pasado 25 de enero en la 51va Convención Anual Diocesana de la Diócesis de la Florida Central con la colecta del domingo anterior, lo cual se conectaba directamente con la Convención y el tema del 2020: “Luz del mundo, sal de la tierra”.

Nuestro llamado como sal y luz Para mencionar de nuevo el sermón del Rev. Canon Chris Russell la noche anterior, Brewer le recordó a los presentes que Cristo “es también la luz del mundo. Y debido a que estamos en Cristo, Dios derrama esa misma luz…en nosotros para que Dios nos pueda usar como luz para atraer a otros a Cristo”.

Muchos en el mundo hoy día, dijo Brewer, anhelan aquellos que actúan con dignidad, confianza y estabilidad aun en tiempos de incertidumbre y adversidad, permitiéndonos ser una iglesia que sirve. “El llamado de ser sal y luz es una oportunidad que Dios nos da para hacer la diferencia en esta comunidad profundamente herida”, dijo él.

Este otoño, el huracán Dorian le dio a la Diócesis esa oportunidad, señaló Brewer, añadiendo que muchos dieron y sirvieron. Los recibos ahora suman sobre $264,000 que fueron enviados directamente a diócesis Anglicana de las Bahamas, las islas Turcas y Caicos.

“Servidumbre significa generosidad financiera”, enfatizó Brewer, lo cual se demuestra

20 Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

a través del balance en el presupuesto diocesano del 2020 que contaba con un excedente de $50,000 al momento de finalizar el 2019.

Brewer felicitó a la Diócesis en su 50 aniversario por reunir el grupo más grande de episcopales en el estado a través del avivamiento Say Yes to Jesus (Diga sí a Jesús) en la iglesia First Baptist, en Orlando y la cual asistieron 4,000 personas. El obispo presidente Michael Curry, dijo Brewer, “predicó un poderoso mensaje y Dios usó este evento para tocar a muchas personas con el evangelio”.

El obispo señaló su propio ministerio en la diócesis, tanto en la junta del Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center, como siendo el capellán nacional de las Daughters of the King y su parte en el grupo de trabajo de la Communion Across Difference de la Iglesia episcopal. Él destacó la ordenación del Rev. Jared jones que se llevó a cabo en la capilla de la Holy Trinity Academy en Melbourne y del Rev. Richard González, presida en conjunto por Brewer y la ret. Rev. Griselda Delgado del Capio, obispa de la Diócesis de Cuba.

Nuestro futuro como sal y luz Brewer también agradeció a la diócesis por su reciente sabático de tres meses, el cual Dios usó para ayudarlo a discernir su llamado a la “humildad, a rezar y a aprender más profundamente a reconocer y seguir el liderazgo del Espíritu Santo”, manifestó. Esto fue crucial en su selección del Rev. Canon Scott T. Holcombe como el canon a lo ordinario, “una encantadora respuesta a la oración”. Él también citó una relación más estrecha con el Rt. Rev. Patrick

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March / April 2020

Augustine, el nuevo obispo de la Diócesis Anglicana de Bor, Sudán del Sur, quien enfrenta múltiples retos.

Hay planes de recibir donaciones para la diócesis de Augustine y sus tres meses de ministerio en la Diócesis de la Florida Central, cada año por el resto de los años del episcopado de Brewer.

Brewer recuerda con gratitud “Pinderpalooza”, la reciente celebración del Rev. Canon Nelson Pinder por sus 60 años de ministerio ordenado. También espera con entusiasmo la reunión de obispos en Lambeth 2020. La comunión anglicana es “preciosa y una unión visible que sirve como testigo al mundo que seguir a Jesús incluye a todo el que desea ser su seguidor independientemente de la raza, nacionalidad, educación e historial familiar”, manifestó.

El obispo concluyó su discurso agradeciendo al personal de la diócesis, a su esposa, Laura Lee, y presentando a Matt Ainsley, misionero para la plantación de iglesias diocesana All Souls en Horizon West, quien dio un breve informe.

“Como el obispo de la Diócesis de la Florida Central, comienzo el 2020 como un hombre bien agradecido…”, dijo Brewer. “Con entusiasmo espero que continuemos discerniendo juntos lo que significa ser sal y luz. Estoy encantado que puedo representar esta diócesis a toda la iglesia y contarles historias de cómo Dios nos está bendiciendo con oportunidades y retos que nos llevan a confiar humildemente en la misericordia de Dios”.

Mensaje de Russell enfatiza en “tú eres”

D

urante su mensaje el viernes en la noche en la 51va Convención Anual Diocesana el pasado enero, El Rev. Canon Chris Russell presentó un punto: “Seamos quienes somos”.

Utilizando el tema de la Convención, “Luz del mundo, sal de la tierra”, Russell señaló que en Mateo 5:13-14, Jesús dijo: “Ustedes son”. “Él no dijo ‘deben ser’ la luz del mundo, ni ‘pueden ser’ la luz del mundo”, dijo Russell. “No hay deberían ni podrían”.

Russell, quien es el consejero del arzobispo de Canterbury, Justin Welby, sobre evangelismo y testimonio, también sirve en la iglesia St. Laurence en Reading, un pueblo de alrededor de 200,000 personas a 45 millas al oeste de Londres. Prosiguió diciendo: “Iglesia aquí en Florida, Iglesia en Reading, todo lo que hacemos en la comunidad anglicana, cada iglesia, ustedes son la sal de la tierra, ustedes son la luz del mundo”.

Entre historias sobre su hija Hope, Welby y un caballero en Inglaterra llamado Harvey, durante su mensaje de 28 minutos, Russell explicó que ser la sal del mundo significa que los cristianos tienen que tener contacto con el mundo.

Sin eso la gente no escuchará las Buenas Nuevas de Jesús.

“Proclamar las buenas noticias de

Continued Page 22 www.cfdiocese.org

La Realidad de la Resurrección Por Erick Guzman

I

nclino el espejo retrovisor para ver el reflejo de mis tres hijos que van en el asiento trasero, disfrutamos de unos pocos minutos juntos antes de dejarlos en la escuela primaria.

Sonrío y subo el volumen de la canción de Mumford & Sons que escuchamos por el sistema de sonido del coche.

“Mueve tu piedra y yo muevo la mía”, canta Marcus Mamford. Ya es casi pascua de resurrección. Medité en la tumba vacía y en la esperanza que un día yo también seré resucitado y bienvenido a la casa de mi Padre. Ese pensamiento agitó mi corazón.

Bajé el volumen, y con la esperanza de también tocar el corazón de mis hijos dije: “¿No es maravilloso? Nuestro Padre nos ama tanto que cuando lo rechazamos y nos apartamos de Él, Él movió cielo y tierra para traer de nuevo sus hijos a casa. Envió a Jesús para rescatarnos, para vivir y morir como uno de nosotros, pero la muerte no pudo conquistar la fuente de toda vida. Él resucitó y ¡subió a donde el Padre para preparar un lugar para nosotros!”.

Mi hija de 8 años respondió: “¿Quién se inventó todo eso?”. ¿Quién ciertamente? ¿Alguna vez ha luchado con la realidad de la

resurrección de Cristo? Si es así, no está solo. Hasta los discípulos dudaron en creer. El Central Florida Episcopalian se acercaron a varios párrocos en la Diócesis de la Florida Central para conocer sus pensamientos.

El Rev. Cameron MacMillan, rector de la iglesia Good Shepherd en Maitland, señaló que la inclusión bíblica de las dudas de los apóstoles, lo que parece subestimar su fiabilidad como testigos, en realidad crea un buen argumento sobre la fiabilidad de los relatos bíblicos sobre la resurrección.

“En el relato de la resurrección, si fueron fabricados para crear una mitología de la divinidad de Cristo, entonces ¿por qué las personas que lo escribieron incluirían detalles vergonzosos sobre los seguidores más cercanos de Jesús, sus debilidades e incredulidad?”, dijo MacMillan. “Pero el relato del evangelio es complicado; en el principio ninguno de los discípulos lo creyeron”.

MacMillan continuó: “Hasta los discípulos que dudaron, creyeron, y Tomás, el más incrédulo de todos, terminó postrándose frente a Jesús y diciendo, ‘Señor mío y Dios mío’” (ver Juan 20:28).

La Rev. Lisa Wimmer, rectora de la iglesia St. Mary Episcopal Church en Belleview, experimentó el poder de la resurrección de Jesús de una manera tangible durante un viaje a Israel en el 2006.

“Fui bautizada cuando tenía 8 años, pero decidí

PA S C UA D E R E S U R R E C C I Ó N bautizarme en el río Jordán porque quería decir: ‘Jesús, te seguiré todos los días de mi vida’. La misma agua, el mismo polvo, el mismo aire, experimenté la humanidad de Jesús de una manera que nunca hubiese podido en ningún otro lugar del planeta. Nadé en el mar Muerto y fui sanada de un hombro congelado, una condición de la que sufrí desde hacía un año antes de ese viaje”.

El Rev. Jonathan French, rector de la iglesia Grace Episcopal Church en Ocala, señaló que Dios en su gracia nos obsequia sorprendente encuentros con la realidad de la resurrección. Su más reciente encuentro de este tipo ocurrió en Corea del Sur en la afueras de un monasterio budista. Con la convicción de las consciencia y las Escrituras, él sintió que no debía entrar a observar un servicio similar con muchos de los sonidos que uno escucha en la iglesia y la manera de arrodillarse similar a la práctica eclesiástica cristiana.

French relató lo que sucedió mientras observaba a los budistas venerando a un hombre iluminado. “Su iluminación, su logro por la manera en que había vivido en este mundo, fue que quebró la rueda de la vida; ascendió y se fue para siempre de este mundo.

Y me tocó como un rayo, pues pensé cómo eso es exactamente lo opuesto a lo que Jesús hizo. Jesús escogió vivir entre nosotros. Esa es la muestra más grande de amor, regresar y ofrecer perdón a las mismas personas que lo rechazaron”.

Ha resucitado, ¡ciertamente!

Esto no se puede inventar.

Ha resucitado www.cfdiocese.org

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

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O U R A N G L I CA N H E R I TA G E Continued From Page 20

Continued From Page 18

Jesucristo es nuestro llamado”, manifestó.

High God, who alone was almighty, transcendent, the creator and first cause of all things. After all, Jesus was prone to emotion (as opposed to the Father, who was always in control of his emotions), grew and learned (as opposed to the Father, who never changed) and died (as opposed to the Father, who is immortal). Only the Father could be considered uncreated and “timelessly self-subsistent.”

“La sal no existe para sí misma”, añadió Russell. “La sal puede estar a un centímetro de la comida en la que debe estar y no hace ninguna diferencia. La sal solo tiene propósito cuando entra en contacto”.

El contacto con el mundo puede ser un reto en estos tiempos cuando la sociedad no depende de la iglesia como “un lugar para reunirse, ir de esparcimiento, para ir a aprender, leer o escuchar”, dijo Russell. Las personas han encontrado otras maneras de llenar esas necesidades y la primera “distintiva” según Russell, debe ser que la iglesia es para otros. La iglesia hace eso, señaló, al ser luz. Y aunque le habló a un grupo de clérigos y laicos, su mensaje le pertenece a cada creyente.

“Debemos con gran coraje y persistencia sacar la oscuridad de nuestras comunidades, y debemos comenzar en nosotros mismos”, dijo Russell y añadió, “la verdadera Luz del mundo le dice a sus seguidores que son la luz del mundo. Por tanto tenemos que hablar de Jesús. Él es nuestra luz”.

De nuevo Russell enfatizó: “No lo que deberíamos

ser…sino quienes somos porque Jesús ha dicho que somos la sal de la tierra, la luz del mundo.

Convirtámonos en eso”.

Arius thought that his interpretation had good footing in the theology of the great teacher Origen of the prior century. Origen had said that the Father was due glory and reverence as God himself (autotheos) that was not due to the Son. Arius’ bishop, Alexander, disagreed, pointing out that Origen also said “Father” is an eternal attribute of God. This means two things: First, since it’s not possible to be a father without also having offspring, the fact that God is eternally a Father means that he eternally has a son.

Furthermore, Alexander pointed out, God is perfect and not subject to change, so how could God change from not being a father to being a father? In attempting to preserve the dignity of the Father, Arius was tampering with some of the crucial distinctions that separate God from humanity.

But it was not ultimately so much a debate about Origen as a debate about Scripture. At places, Jesus seems to suggest that he is subordinate to the Father (for example, John 14:28). At the same time, Scripture is equally clear that Jesus is and claimed to be both divine and equal with the Father as God (John 1:1, 5:16-18, 10:30, 14:6-14).

The question is how we can worship Jesus and worship the Father (who we know is different from Jesus) and still claim to be monotheists who worship one true God? (Many people today, such as Muslims, have particular trouble with this idea.) After years of fierce division that stretched from clergy to the common people, the ecumenical council was summoned to resolve the issue once and for all.…

By Nancy Vaughn, St. James, Ormond Beach St. James Episcopal Church, Ormond Beach, is delighted to host “Icons in Transformation,” a traveling modern-art exhibition of 100-plus contemporary works by internationally acclaimed RussianSwedish abstract expressionist Ludmila Pawlowska. The exhibit will introduce Pawlowska’s work and shed new light on this prolific and influential artist who presents traditional Russian icons as a source of inspiration for contemporary art.

This powerful and moving 12-week exhibit will include several concert events and run from Feb. 28-May 24 at 38 S. Halifax Drive, Ormond Beach.

Artist Russian émigré Ludmila Pawlowska was born in 1964 in exile.

The main difference between this creed and the Apostles’ Creed, however, is a new, expanded section on the relationship between Jesus and the Father, since the chief concern of the council was to defend the true divinity of the Son against Arius.

Russell

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St. James hosts traveling icon-inspired exhibit

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Jan / Feb 2020

www.cfdiocese.org

D I O C E S A N CA L E N D A R Following the death of her mother, she found inspiration in the Orthodox monasteries’ traditional spiritual icons. She shares her abstract expressionist masterworks using ancient icon methods and techniques.

Pawlowska continues to develop her abstract expressionism style of painting and sculpture, characterized by using many layers of paint to produce highly textured artworks. St. James welcomes the artist and her work in a variety of cross-cultural and intergenerational opportunities including docent-led tours, music performances, workshops and more. The church’s doors are open to embrace a broad community of learners and participants from throughout Volusia County and beyond – to view the art, hear expert speakers, join icon-writing workshops and enjoy concerts designed for the exhibition.

Schedule of tour availability and concert dates:

Tours: (exhibition is free and open to the public) Saturdays: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sundays: 1-4 p.m. (adjacent to our regular 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. worship services) Wednesdays: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. (12:15-12:45 Mass) Fridays: 12-4 p.m.

Docent-led tours for private groups can be scheduled during the above hours. This is a great opportunity for a group, families or an individual to spend time in meditation, contemplation or quiet viewing in a sacred environment. To schedule, contact Marcia Allison at m.allison0408@gmail.com.

CONCERT SERIES

Feb 29 Paul Brock Band / $20 Mar 6 Sophia Pellegrino Lassiter and Stephanie A.

Emberley / suggested donation $10 Mar 20 Konstantin Soukhovetski / $15 Mar 27 Balsam Range / $30 Apr 19 Stetson University Choirs Women’s Chorale

and Stetson Men / $15 Tickets are available at this link: www.stjamesobfl.org/2019-2020-concert-tickets.html www.cfdiocese.org

BISHOP BREWER’S VISITATION SCHEDULE Sun, Mar 22

Okahumpka, Corpus Christi

Sun, Mar 29 Vero Beach, St. Augustine of Canterbury

TRANSITIONS

Sat, Apr 4 New York City, Resurrection

(Daughters of the King 135th Anniversary) Sun, Apr 5

No Visitation

Thu, Apr 9

Orlando, St. John the Baptist (Maundy Thursday)

Fri, Apr 20

Orlando, Cathedral (Good Friday)

Sun, Apr 12

Orlando, Cathedral (Easter Sunday)

Sun, Apr 19

Sebastian, St. Elizabeth’s

Sun, Apr 26 a.m. Winter Park, All Saints Sun, Apr 26 p.m. Lecanto, Shepherd of the Hills Sun, May 3

Vero Beach, Trinity

Sun, May 10

Apopka, Holy Spirit

Sun, May 17

Orlando, Ascension

Sun, May 24

No Visitation

Sun, May 31

Maitland, Good Shepherd

Sun, June 7

Lakeland, St. Stephen’s

Sun, June 14

DeLand, Holy Presence

Sun, June 21

Palm Bay, Blessed Redeemer

JULY

No visitations during due to the Lambeth Conference

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom.8:38-39).

The Reverend Jerrold "Jerry" Beaumont

deceased, Dec. 4

The Reverend Paul Jackson

deceased, Dec. 25

The Reverend Sybil Meheux deceased, Jan. 30 The Reverend Paul Kyger

deceased, Jan. 30

DEACONS The Rev. Joseph Denton Dewey The Rev. Jennifer Lynn Grady

Bishop Brewer’s visitation dates are subject to change.

Please refer to www.cfdiocese.org for the most current visitation listing.

Jan. 27

Non-Parochial

Jan. 27

St. Francis in the Fields, KY

The Rev. Elizabeth McDonald Hall

Jan. 27

St. George Episcopal Church, The Villages

The Rev. Steven Grant Heisler

Jan. 27

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Cocoa

The Rev. Jose Daniel Pinell Mendieta Jan. 27 Grace Episcopal Church, Ocala

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

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March / April 2020

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Historical Background of the Nicene Creed

Taizé Worship Offers Refreshment, Renewal

From Missionary Kid to the Priesthood

The Reality of the Resurrection

Brewer Urges Support for Assistant Bishop in South Sudan

Volume 123, No.2 / March - April 2020

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