Bishop Bechwith's Address at the 136th Annual Convention
By The Rt. Rev. Mark M. Beckwith, Bishop of Newark
Jan 29, 2010
Go deeper, Jesus tells
Peter in the 5th chapter of Luke’s Gospel. Peter
doesn’t want to go deeper. He thought he had already gone deep
enough the previous night on the water and hadn’t brought back a thing.
Not a minnow, not a mussel -- nothing. He figured he would hear some
razzing from his colleagues and some complaining from his wife – but
from Jesus? He is a carpenter now moonlighting as a rabbi; who may
understand life, hope and freedom in a new and inspiring way – but
doesn’t know squat about fish.
Go out again, Jesus tells him. And either out of duty or fatigue, Peter does go out again – deeper this time, and comes back with an abundance he didn’t think was possible.
One of my first visitations as bishop was to Christ Church, Budd Lake, a small rural congregation in Morris County. When I first sat down with the Vestry nearly two years ago they claimed an abundance of faith, but a scarcity of purpose and direction. They were stuck in the hydraulic of poor attendance and not enough money. I mentioned a billboard I had seen on the way in, announcing a community walk to respond to the growing incidence of autism – especially in New Jersey. The treasurer said he knew a lot about that, given that his two kids were autistic. He said that there were very few places where families with special needs kids could go – without it becoming a problem for either the kids or their parents or whatever assembly they happened to be in. The Vestry talked about developing a service for these families. The congregation pondered and prayed – and planned a service, and then practiced carrying it out. Christ Church threw their nets out again – into deeper and different water.
When I visited Christ Church again last October, things had changed. The visible difference was that more people were coming to church – but the more profound difference was that the All God’s Children ministry was not a program; it was a mission. Everyone was gathered up in the Spirit of it – whether or not they had special needs kids. The sense of mission not only defined the congregation; it shaped the people who were a part of it. Everyone was being transformed by this risk to go deeper. Including me.