Bishop’s Office
A Message from Bishop Michel…
January, 2010 – Dear Friends in Christ, Nearly one hundred fifty years ago, Abraham Lincoln wrote: “I have been driven to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.” The Great Emancipator was President of a divided nation, in the midst of a monumental civil war, and had his own personal and family losses and problems, and while he was not known for being a person of great faith, this statement indicates that he knew His Creator and had a deeply spiritual life in the midst of all his fame and glory.
As Christians we are often driven to our knees and our prayer bones are exercised because of personal situations, conflicts or divisions within the household of faith or for a myriad of other reasons. But as people of faith we know that being driven to our knees can call forth new strength and wisdom that we did not know we had, even though kneeling may not be our favorite posture. One of my current mantras is “the will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.” I am certain that most of us have experienced that and know it to be true, but living it may be another matter.
Sometimes the challenges of the Diocese of Pennsylvania seem overwhelming but we remember that this is God’s Church and we [all of us] are pilgrims on the journey and stewards of the Church and its mysteries. God asks merely that we be faithful and hold on to the promises of our faith with stubborn hope. And the Grace of God will see us through. As we begin a new year I hope that we can have new eyes and spirits for doing the work of the kingdom ecumenically. There are many worthy works that can be accomplished with our sisters and brothers in faith from other parts of the Christian family, and we must not forget the larger family of the Abrahamic religions with whom we share so much and with whom we can accomplish so much to address the miseries of the world and those in it. I urge you to make this your prayer and look for opportunities to do good and worthy works with other people of faith as we help alleviate some of the world’s suffering and pain.
Remember the Psalmist’s prayer, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” That reality holds true as we rely on our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier to take us to our knees and get us off our knees and back in the race for God and for truth. Have a most blessed and wonderful new year as we work together for God’s glory and the building up of the kingdom here in this part of God’s vineyard.
Faithfully,
+Rodney
