In late May of 2009 I had the pleasure to met Katharine Jefferts-Schori, the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church a Mass in Pensacola shortly after my confirmation into the Church. She is the first woman in history to led a part of the Anglican Communion.
Yes, that experience was *THAT* awesome and one that I will not forget.
Bishop Katharine {as she wishes to be addressed} is a " second-career"clergy person with a Doctorate in Oceanography. She is also an accomplished pilot & author of several books{ all of which I have bought & read.]
It is true that some people in the Church do not admire our Presiding Bishop nd he style of leadership.Some event think that women have no place in the episcopate. :O( This saddens me, but one of the lessons I've gleaned from reading Bishop Kathrine's books is that there is room in the Church for EVERYONE. On of my favorite quotes by my Presiding Bishop speaks to this thought.
"Look for the blessing in the person that drives your crazy."
It is hard for me to follow this simple advice, especially when faced with people who subscribe to bigotry & {sometimes} downright hatred for those who are different from the majority of people. Narrow-minded people " drive me crazy" but I need to remember that all of us have life stories that contribute to our worldview . Reading all of Bishop Katharine's book has brought me to a better understanding of how I should treat those whose opinions differ greatly from mine. She's also taught me , via her books} to open my heart more towards actively participating in world mission.
No comments:
Post a Comment