Our presiding bishop’s sermon, reflecting on the reading from Mark’s Gospel, was that of a woman about to be free. In four months, Katharine Jefferts Schori hands off the office of presiding bishop to Michael Curry and moves into a well-deserved retirement.
She spoke with a vigor I haven’t heard before – and I’ve heard some excellent sermons from her.
Sunday, she spoke very forcefully about the gospel lesson – the two healings by Jesus: one of a 12-year-old and one of the woman suffering from hemorrhage. In response to the healing of Jairus’ dead daughter, Bishop Katharine reminded me what may have been said was “Get up! You’re not dead!” I translated that to mean, “Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, get up – you are not dead! We need to get out there and be about what Christ has called us to do.”
Her words to the church were powerful words. There has been enough of the finger pointing, finger wagging about our church from within and outside, and it is now time to look at life as new territory and crossing old boundaries to do God’s ministry, just as Jesus did in each of His healings.
“Get up, girl! You’re not dead yet!”
+Rayford
Some images from worship on Sunday
