A Shepherd In The Field

A letter from the Right Reverend  Daniel G P Gutiérrez , Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. My Dear Sisters and Brothers, In a holy sanctuary, less  than five hours from our beloved diocese, families walked into the Tree of Life synagogue for a Shabbat service. Women, men and children beginning their sacred service with prayers of gratitude for life. A man filled with hate and rage, encouraged by a society that seems to worship at the altar of hate and violence, walked in and proceeded to slay the innocent. As he shouted, "all Jews must die," eleven beautiful children of a loving God were slaughtered because of hate. Many others, including first responders, were also grievously injured in this attack. Do not be misled, this is hate. As a culture we normalize violence, we rationalize explanations, we chant political slogans, and we then forget that these words have repercussions. Pray, we must, but we cannot proclaim the resolve of our prayers or the ...

In two weeks, the citizens of our country will be given the opportunity to vote.  We are asked to engage in a sacred act that will express our individual thoughts, hopes, and aspirations.  This is a declaration of who we are and will determine who we are to become as a nation.  It is a privilege and a gift that we have cherished for more than 200 years and is a gift unavailable to many throughout the world.  We should not let this opportunity pass us by. As Christians, we are called by Jesus Christ to live our faith and place that sacred following before any other identity or allegiance.  As followers of Jesus Christ we are faced with stark choices.  We must align the Gospel with our public witness and democratic rights. This is not a political statement. It is not an endorsement of any candidate or party.  Jesus compels a choice: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Luke 11:23). I ask tha...

A detailed look at the 2018 Budget.  We are making great strides.  There is great hope in our diocese. We will Know Jesus and we will Change the World.  We are Revolutionary. http://myemail.constantcontact.com/The-2019-Budget-Explained.html?soid=1112711261842&aid=UGN9MZc7RkA

This past week, my the flight path home to Philadelphia placed us over the Alps.  I sat in awe and reverence of God’s creation as the light of the setting sun blanketed the peaks.  The enormity and the majesty.  "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.... For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood forth" (Psalm 33:6, 9). As we banked toward the west, I called to mind the courage and daring of many who have stood at the base of the mountains and were determined to find a way over the mountains.  I must say, I admire courage.  JAs this beautiful view receded, I thought of Hannibal’s words “mountains? What mountains? (The attributed quote was “we I will either find a way or make one.)  People like to preach fear, timidity, safety.  Let’s be bold and cast fear to bins of history. Jesus tells us to “fear not.”  At the sight of the mountains, I thought of our beloved Diocese of Pennsylvania...what mountains? What ob...

The beloved physician St. Luke shared the poetic beauty of the Gospel of Luke and the holy fire of the early church in the Acts of the Apostles.  It inspires us to live with the message of Jesus Christ.  Touch the world with the Good News of our Savior and to move forward with the courage and the power of the early church.  The words of the Magnificat should be indelibly etched in our hearts.   Luke is the only Gentile Christian among the Gospel writers. Let us remember that Luke stayed with Paul during his imprisonment in Caesarea and accompanied Paul as a faithful companion on the dangerous journey to Rome. So let us use St. Luke as an example of faithfulness and hope in the Risen Christ.  Let us tell the same story.   I leave you with two of my favorite Gospel passages are from Luke and Acts: “In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, ...