Last Saturday, May 31st, the Diocese held a celebration of the ministry of Bishop Mary Glasspool as she prepares to retire. Bp. Glasspool has been groundbreaking in many ways, not least because she was the first openly lesbian woman to be consecrated as bishop in the Anglican Communion. Mother Anna and Canon Bob and some of our parishioners were glad to be able to attend the festivities!
The Rev. Dr. Carter Heyward, who you may remember was one of the Philadelphia Eleven, preached at the service, just as she had years ago at Bp. Mary’s ordination. Dr. Heyward reminded Bp. Mary of the charge she gave her at the beginning of her ministry, and said that it was a still an excellent charge for all of us in the church to continue to carry out. I commend it to us all:
– First, remember women, and all those who are on the margins and are vulnerable in our society and our world.
– Second, DO something to make a difference, and, when possible, do it together, in community.
– Finally, have courage!
This charge is deeply connected to Jesus’ ministry in the Gospels, the mission he handed on to his disciples to carry forward. Jesus’ ministry was grounded in care for those who were most in need, those who were forgotten, and those who were victimized by others. He not only taught and preached about his values, but he did something about them − he cared for others by feeding them, healing them, and treating them as the beloved children of God that they were. And, of course, he was the epitome of courage as he faced the ultimate consequence of his actions: death at the hands of a corrupt imperial empire.
We each have different God-given gifts, so the way we carry out this charge will look different from person to person. But the Christ who is within us all will empower us to do what we can to carry out his mission, just as Bp. Mary has done. May each of us be as successful in our ministries as she has been!
Title: Healing of the Man Born Blind; Date: 1307; Artist: Duccio di Buoninsegna,(?-1319?); Building: National Gallery (Great Britain); Object/Function: Painting, panel; City/Town: London; Country: United Kingdom. Scripture: Mark 10:46-52. Notes: Duccio di Buoninsegna is thought to be one of the greatest Italian painters of the Middle Ages. He is one of the first painters to study space and depth, placing his subjects in architectural settings. His use of color and ability to make his subjects seem heavenly make his paintings breathtaking. In his work, Healing of the Man Born Blind, Jesus is placed center stage, while the blind man is shown twice. The blind man’s rod moves the viewers eyes across the piece to tell the story of his miraculous healing. Jesus first touches the blind man’s eyes and our eyes are led to the next scene where the blind man gazes upward with his sight restored as he is dropping his guiding stick. The miracle as described in John 9 comes alive in Duccio’s rendering, inspiring in the viewer a sense of awe and wonder. Permalink: https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56662 (Use this link to refer back to this image.)
