Greetings, Friends –
As Episcopalians, we take our Baptisms very seriously. We celebrate Baptisms within the context of community because we know how important it is for the community to support the newly baptized. We reaffirm the Covenant at least four other times a year. As part of a Total Ministry Support Team in my congregation, I look for ways to remind everyone that the grace we receive from God at our Baptism empowers each of us for the ministries to which God calls us. Sometimes we are called to serve in our families, sometimes in our places of employment, sometimes in our communities and sometimes in God’s family but, regardless of where it is, it is all ministry if we are serving God and our neighbors as we do it. And it all starts with the waters of Baptism.
Water. Boy, here in Michigan, this has become a big issue. Just within the last few days, the Senate refused to pass a spending bill which could cause a government shutdown on October 1st if no provision was made in the bill to bring relief to the people of Flint as they continue to struggle with the aftermath of their water crisis. As of this writing, $170 million for Flint has been allocated and is expected to pass its final vote this evening (Wednesday, September 28th). As they negotiated the terms of the bill, Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, asserted: “In 2016, “No one — no one — should be afraid to drink the water that comes out of their tap” (Washington Post – https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/09/28/house-leaders-reach-deal-on-flint-aid-potentially-averting-shutdown/ )
If you have been following the news, you know that Flint isn’t the only place where residents are concerned about their water supply. The Standing Rock Sioux Nation and their allies have been protesting the construction of a pipeline to carry crude oil that is slated to pass right under their water supply and through their sacred burial grounds. They have reason to be concerned. The Dakota Access Pipeline, once built, will be run by Sunoco Logistics according to Reuters News Service. Sunoco has had more than 203 leaks from its pipelines in the last six years, more than any of its competitors. The Episcopal News Service (ENS) reported: “The tribe says the pipeline would cross treaty lands, disturb sacred sites and threaten drinking water for 8,000 members who live on the tribe’s nearly 2.3 million-acre reservation. The pipeline would cross under the Missouri River, the tribe’s water source, just outside the Standing Rocking Reservation.”
Our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry made a visit to North Dakota on September 24 and 25 to stand in solidarity with the opponents of the pipeline (they prefer to refer to themselves as “protectors”) declaring that The Episcopal Church is united with them: “Water means life for all of the children of God, human beings who are gifts of the Creator. Your struggle is not just your struggle, it is our struggle; it is the struggle of the human community” (ENS).
The day before he addressed the protectors of the land at the Oceti Sakowin Camp along the Cannonball River, Bishop Curry delivered the sermon at St James Episcopal Church in Cannon Ball, North Dakota. “If you look at the Bible very carefully, you will discover that God’s usual way of changing the world – even if it’s just inching it along a little bit – is to create a movement of people who will follow his way,” preached Bishop Curry. Today we recognize this movement as the Jesus Movement which our Church is working to live and proclaim to the world. Bishop Curry described it as “a movement of people called to practice love, justice, compassion and to try to ‘look something like Jesus.’”
What we are observing in Standing Rock does, indeed, look like the movement of God to bring reconciliation and the healing of divisions. ENS reported that this “movement” in the Dakotas has “brought together Standing Rock Indians with members and leaders of at least 250 of the recognized tribes in the United States in an unprecedented show of unity. Many non-Native people have come to join the protests, as well, including Episcopalians from other parts of the country.” You can read the full text of the article by ENS here – http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/09/27/presiding-bishop-tells-standing-rock-protectors-the-way-of-jesus-honors-the-water/
In his sermon, Bishop Curry reminded his listeners that Jesus’ last instructions were to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19 – 20a). The waters of baptism and the grace given through this sacrament enable us to “Go,” to teach, to be reconciled, to be part of a movement, to be the Jesus Movement. Jesus ends his commission with the promise “And lo, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 18:20b). He is with us. And we are not alone. He is with us in Flint. He is with us in Standing Rock. He is with us in the midst of this election cycle. We are not alone. Praise God for that!! This is the promise that I need to cling to every day.
Bishop Curry declared that the Episcopal Church is standing with Standing Rock. You can join to make this a reality by going to the Episcopal Public Policy Network page and sharing your contact information so that a letter of support will be sent to the appropriate legislators in Congress. It’s easy and will take only a couple of minutes to stand with Standing Rock in this message of unity. http://advocacy.episcopalchurch.org/app/write-a-letter?9&engagementId=249413
Water. The human body is about 60% water; our planet is about 71% water; even trees are roughly 50% water. Water is, indeed, life for all God’s creatures. And the waters of baptism bring life to all who want to follow Jesus. Together, let’s work to make sure that everyone has access to all streams of living water.
Let us pray:
In the dry wildernesses of our lives,
in the days of heat and thirst,
you offer us living water,
Thank you, gracious and generous God.
When we begin to doubt your presence,
and grumble that your love is unreliable,
you offer us living water,
Thank you, gracious and generous God.
When life’s regrets and the bad choices we have made
leave us feeling excluded and unworthy,
you offer us living water,
Thank you, gracious and generous God.
When circumstances, or the inhumanity of others,
have left us alone and wounded,
you offer us living water,
Thank you, gracious and generous God.
We thank you and praise you, O God,
that how ever we may thirst,
what ever we may need to satisfy our souls,
you offer it freely and abundantly in Christ;
So we drink deep of the living water
and, as we draw from your wells,
we seek to pass the cup to others
who, like us, are thirsty for your grace. Amen
(from John van de Laar,)
~ The Rev Judith Schellhammer, chair, Resolution Review Committee
