Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori

The picture seen above is from a June 11 article that appeared in the Las Vegas Review Journal.

This Saturday, November 4, marks the investiture of Katharine Jefferts Schori as the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. The ceremony will be viewable via webcast. In a bulletin insert is going out for use at services this Sunday, Katharine writes, in part:

The Episcopal Church adopted a set of mission priorities at its General Convention in June. First among them is justice and peace work, framed by the Millennium Development Goals. We understand this work as a visible sign of the work of building the Reign of God. A vision of the Reign of God lies behind the ancient Hebrew concept of shalom, which means far more than simply peace. Shalom has to do with the restoration of all creation to right relationship with God, so that the hungry are fed, the grieving comforted, the ill are healed, and prisoners set free. The mission of the church, according to our Catechism, is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ (Book of Common Prayer, page 855). That work of restoration and reconciliation frames all our ministry as Christians, whether we are students, parents, legislators, or farmers. We cannot be at one with our neighbors if some are starving or living in slums. The work of achieving the Millennium Development Goals is intimately wrapped up in the promises we make in the baptismal covenant to engage in God’s mission.

Katharine Jefferts Schori's official web page as the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church is now online.

She also has a book coming out in February: A Wing and a Prayer: A Message of Faith and Hope

Of course, I know that most of us are really focussed on the election that is just a few days away, and maybe this doesn't seem like that important an event if you're not Episcopalian. But it is kind of a big deal. Not just because she is a woman "breaking the stained glass ceiling", but because of her leadership style of reconciling, reaching out, listening...

We need more of that in our leaders, you know? Anyway, it's a good thing.

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