Water bound: Walking with Each Other Through the Hard Places

Following its meeting June 14-17 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council shared the following letter to the church. Read prior council letters to the church here . The Executive Council met in San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 14-17, for a retreat and a business meeting. The Episcopal Diocese of Puerto Rico and its bishop, Rafael Morales, a member of Executive Council, were gracious and generous hosts. They gifted us not only with glorious music for our worship service but also gave us a tour of their diocesan center and a detailed overview of their many creative ministries, followed by a fiesta in the courtyard of the cathedral. Puerto Rico is the perfect place to talk about the place in our church and in our nation for those deemed by too many as not worthy of full and complete participation. Europeans “discovered” the island of Puerto Rico on Nov. 19, 1493, when Christopher Columbus landed there, the result being an enslaved and exploited population. After the Spanish-American War in 1898, Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States, where it became a commonwealth in 1952, granting its residents U.S. citizenship but limiting their political representation—which may be one reason way too many U.S. citizens still do not understand that Puerto Rico is a part of the United States. This limited political representation situation has not changed in 74 years, even though both statehood and independence are possible options. The racism and the legacy of white supremacy so deeply rooted in the U.S. ensure that this situation most likely won’t change any time soon. Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe’s sermon reminded those gathered that worship is not confined to a particular place, but it is anywhere we gather with the spirit of God in our midst. This meeting was part retreat and part business session, as members learned more about the state of the church, heard about strategic planning, asked questions, and offered feedback and, yes, some pushback. The tone of the meeting was at once serious and yet cordial, with pointed and challenging questions raised.  The council seems to have found its footing, with growing confidence in its role as a board of directors and a firmer grasp of what information members need and desire—and a willingness to ask for it. Monday’s focus was much about money and looking ahead 15 years. Couched in the declining numbers of Episcopalians churchwide and the concentration of most of our pledge-and-plate funding in the hands of those 60 and older, the opportunity to be addressed now by Executive Council and the church is how to plan thoughtfully for a changing financial picture. The financial realities and the plans for addressing them are folded into three overarching areas of focus: (1) Christianity Worth Proclaiming (2) A Church Built to Last (3) Capacity Where It’s Needed. After the presentation, members broke into small groups to listen to one another, pray, and discuss responses. Some of the most positive responses were related to the first area of focus—that our work is Christ-centered. There also was general enthusiasm about looking for ways in which The Episcopal Church Center can be a centralized resource for dioceses, including increased resources related to Title IV. At the end of the day there was the continued focus on mission enabled by thoughtful use of money—and a recognition that there is a role some churchwide missioners play in supporting ethnic communities. Leadership and staff clearly heard the ongoing concern among council members about the fate of ethnic ministries, fed in part by staff transitions, but also by the current political climate in our country, with ethnic populations being among those most frequently targeted by the current administration. Another vulnerable part of our population was talked about in the Pride worship service on Tuesday. In his sermon, the Rev. Cameron Partridge, chaplain, talked about the Two-Spirit, transgender, and nonbinary people whose very existence is being openly threatened. He praised a powerful retreat in March supported by the Gender Justice Office at the Church Center, particularly by Aaron Scott, who heads up that office. He said it was life-affirming, generating hope and strength for the more than 50 people attending, most of whom were young adults. The highlight of the business meeting on Wednesday was the report by Larry Hitt, chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Governance and Operations, on the status of the new location for The Archives of The Episcopal Church—ground has been broken, renovation and new construction has begun, and they are anticipating a ribbon-cutting in a few months. After years of changed plans and delays, this fulfillment of a long-deferred dream was met with enthusiastic, happy applause by council members. Underlying much of the conversation across the three days was, as always, those key baptismal covenant promises—to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being. Because that is what we are supposed to be as a church—life-affirming, generating hope and strength for us all, no exceptions.

Every year on June 11, Christians across the world — Anglican, Episcopal, Catholic, Orthodox, and Lutheran — celebrate St. Barnabas, the “Son of Encouragement.” In the Episcopal Church, his feast is a moveable celebration , and here in Borrego Springs we keep it on the Sunday closest to that date. It is more than a remembrance. It is a mirror. His story looks remarkably like ours. A Saint Who Loved the Church — And Reached Beyond It St. Barnabas was deeply rooted in the life of the early church. Scripture shows him as a man who loved the community of believers, supported its leaders, and strengthened its foundations. Yet he was never content to stay inside the walls. He traveled with Paul and later with Mark, planting and nurturing new Christian communities. He built bridges between Jewish Christians and those outside the Jewish world. He encouraged newcomers, defended the misunderstood, and carried the Gospel into places the church had not yet imagined going. Barnabas held two commitments at once: to care for the church he loved, and to carry that love outward into the world. A Church That Lives the Same Calling St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Borrego Springs shares that same spirit. We are committed to building up our local church family — praying together, caring for one another, and strengthening our life in Christ. But our mission does not end at our doors. Like our patron saint, we believe that the church is community, and the community is church. Our ministry stretches into Borrego Springs, into the desert neighborhoods, and outward toward the Salton Sea region. We form partnerships, build friendships, and show up where people are living their real lives. We encourage people on their journeys, whatever those journeys look like. And we remind them — gently, persistently — that God loves them right now, not because they have been “good” or “bad,” not because they have earned anything, but because love is God’s nature. A Message Worth Carrying Our mission echoes the heart of St. Barnabas himself: Encouragement over judgment Welcome over boundaries Relationship over rules Love offered freely, today, as you are We tell our neighbors: God is already here. God is already with you. God is already loving you. And we invite them — as Barnabas once did — to let God walk with them on the road ahead. Why This Feast Matters to Us When we celebrate St. Barnabas each year, we are not only honoring a saint of the early church. We are recognizing the shape of our own calling. His life is a pattern for our life. His courage is an encouragement to our courage. His outward-facing love is the same love we are trying to live in Borrego Springs and beyond. St. Barnabas once helped the early church grow into the world. St. Barnabas Episcopal Church is doing the same — right here, right now.

Following its meeting June 14-17 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council shared the following letter to the church. Read prior council letters to the church here . The Executive Council met in San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 14-17, for a retreat and a business meeting. The Episcopal Diocese of Puerto Rico and its bishop, Rafael Morales, a member of Executive Council, were gracious and generous hosts. They gifted us not only with glorious music for our worship service but also gave us a tour of their diocesan center and a detailed overview of their many creative ministries, followed by a fiesta in the courtyard of the cathedral. Puerto Rico is the perfect place to talk about the place in our church and in our nation for those deemed by too many as not worthy of full and complete participation. Europeans “discovered” the island of Puerto Rico on Nov. 19, 1493, when Christopher Columbus landed there, the result being an enslaved and exploited population. After the Spanish-American War in 1898, Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States, where it became a commonwealth in 1952, granting its residents U.S. citizenship but limiting their political representation—which may be one reason way too many U.S. citizens still do not understand that Puerto Rico is a part of the United States. This limited political representation situation has not changed in 74 years, even though both statehood and independence are possible options. The racism and the legacy of white supremacy so deeply rooted in the U.S. ensure that this situation most likely won’t change any time soon. Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe’s sermon reminded those gathered that worship is not confined to a particular place, but it is anywhere we gather with the spirit of God in our midst. This meeting was part retreat and part business session, as members learned more about the state of the church, heard about strategic planning, asked questions, and offered feedback and, yes, some pushback. The tone of the meeting was at once serious and yet cordial, with pointed and challenging questions raised.  The council seems to have found its footing, with growing confidence in its role as a board of directors and a firmer grasp of what information members need and desire—and a willingness to ask for it. Monday’s focus was much about money and looking ahead 15 years. Couched in the declining numbers of Episcopalians churchwide and the concentration of most of our pledge-and-plate funding in the hands of those 60 and older, the opportunity to be addressed now by Executive Council and the church is how to plan thoughtfully for a changing financial picture. The financial realities and the plans for addressing them are folded into three overarching areas of focus: (1) Christianity Worth Proclaiming (2) A Church Built to Last (3) Capacity Where It’s Needed. After the presentation, members broke into small groups to listen to one another, pray, and discuss responses. Some of the most positive responses were related to the first area of focus—that our work is Christ-centered. There also was general enthusiasm about looking for ways in which The Episcopal Church Center can be a centralized resource for dioceses, including increased resources related to Title IV. At the end of the day there was the continued focus on mission enabled by thoughtful use of money—and a recognition that there is a role some churchwide missioners play in supporting ethnic communities. Leadership and staff clearly heard the ongoing concern among council members about the fate of ethnic ministries, fed in part by staff transitions, but also by the current political climate in our country, with ethnic populations being among those most frequently targeted by the current administration. Another vulnerable part of our population was talked about in the Pride worship service on Tuesday. In his sermon, the Rev. Cameron Partridge, chaplain, talked about the Two-Spirit, transgender, and nonbinary people whose very existence is being openly threatened. He praised a powerful retreat in March supported by the Gender Justice Office at the Church Center, particularly by Aaron Scott, who heads up that office. He said it was life-affirming, generating hope and strength for the more than 50 people attending, most of whom were young adults. The highlight of the business meeting on Wednesday was the report by Larry Hitt, chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Governance and Operations, on the status of the new location for The Archives of The Episcopal Church—ground has been broken, renovation and new construction has begun, and they are anticipating a ribbon-cutting in a few months. After years of changed plans and delays, this fulfillment of a long-deferred dream was met with enthusiastic, happy applause by council members. Underlying much of the conversation across the three days was, as always, those key baptismal covenant promises—to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being. Because that is what we are supposed to be as a church—life-affirming, generating hope and strength for us all, no exceptions.

Every year on June 11, Christians across the world — Anglican, Episcopal, Catholic, Orthodox, and Lutheran — celebrate St. Barnabas, the “Son of Encouragement.” In the Episcopal Church, his feast is a moveable celebration , and here in Borrego Springs we keep it on the Sunday closest to that date. It is more than a remembrance. It is a mirror. His story looks remarkably like ours. A Saint Who Loved the Church — And Reached Beyond It St. Barnabas was deeply rooted in the life of the early church. Scripture shows him as a man who loved the community of believers, supported its leaders, and strengthened its foundations. Yet he was never content to stay inside the walls. He traveled with Paul and later with Mark, planting and nurturing new Christian communities. He built bridges between Jewish Christians and those outside the Jewish world. He encouraged newcomers, defended the misunderstood, and carried the Gospel into places the church had not yet imagined going. Barnabas held two commitments at once: to care for the church he loved, and to carry that love outward into the world. A Church That Lives the Same Calling St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Borrego Springs shares that same spirit. We are committed to building up our local church family — praying together, caring for one another, and strengthening our life in Christ. But our mission does not end at our doors. Like our patron saint, we believe that the church is community, and the community is church. Our ministry stretches into Borrego Springs, into the desert neighborhoods, and outward toward the Salton Sea region. We form partnerships, build friendships, and show up where people are living their real lives. We encourage people on their journeys, whatever those journeys look like. And we remind them — gently, persistently — that God loves them right now, not because they have been “good” or “bad,” not because they have earned anything, but because love is God’s nature. A Message Worth Carrying Our mission echoes the heart of St. Barnabas himself: Encouragement over judgment Welcome over boundaries Relationship over rules Love offered freely, today, as you are We tell our neighbors: God is already here. God is already with you. God is already loving you. And we invite them — as Barnabas once did — to let God walk with them on the road ahead. Why This Feast Matters to Us When we celebrate St. Barnabas each year, we are not only honoring a saint of the early church. We are recognizing the shape of our own calling. His life is a pattern for our life. His courage is an encouragement to our courage. His outward-facing love is the same love we are trying to live in Borrego Springs and beyond. St. Barnabas once helped the early church grow into the world. St. Barnabas Episcopal Church is doing the same — right here, right now.