Farewell to Bishop Sisk - Episcopal Diocese of New York

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THE EPISCOPAL NEW YORKER THE OFFICIAL NEWS PUBLICATION OF THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF NEW YORK www.episcopalnewyorker.com PUBLISHER The Rt. Rev. Mark S. Sisk EDITOR Nicholas Richardson Art Director Charles Brucaliere EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Laura Saunders, Chair Carole Everett Anne Nelson The Rev. Yamily Bass-Choate Robert Pennoyer Mark Risinger The Rev. Robert J. Fitzpatrick STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The purpose of The Episcopal New Yorker is to unify the Episcopal Diocese of New York so that people may know and live out the Gospel. It does this by freely communicating the news of the diocese, its parishes, and the Worldwide Anglican Communion in a way that is relevant to the lives of its readers. SUBMISSIONS POLICY Letters to the Editor in response to articles in The Episcopal New Yorker are welcomed. Unsolicited articles, stories and pictures may also be submitted; however, this does not guarantee publication. We reserve the right to select and edit submissions for publication. All letters must include name, address and phone or e-mail for verification. Letters and columns appearing in The Episcopal New Yorker do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Episcopal New Yorker or the Episcopal Diocese of New York. ADVERTISING The Episcopal New Yorker reaches over 31,000 households in the metropolitan New York City area. To request an advertising rate sheet and insertion order, please call (212) 316-7520, or via e-mail to eny@dioceseny.org. Rates are available for profit and non-profit organizations. We reserve the right to refuse any advertising. SUBSCRIPTIONS The Episcopal New Yorker is sent to all current members of congregations in the diocese. If you are not receiving your copy, please call or email the editor at the contact information listed below. Subscriptions are available for people outside the diocese for $15 annually. Send checks payable to”The Episcopal Diocese of New York” at the address listed below. THE EPISCOPAL NEW YORKER 1047 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10025 (212) 316-7520 (voice) (212) 316-7404 (fax) eny@dioceseny.org CONTENTS Winter 2013 Vol. 88 No. 4 www.episcopalnewyorker.com 4 | An interview with Bishop Sisk As he approaches retirement, the Rt. Rev. Mark S. Sisk offers some reflections on his time as XV Bishop of New York. 8 | Photos from the Service of Celebration of Bishop Sisk’s Episcopacy 10 | Diocesan Convention Call for Bishop Suffragan; 2nd Assistant Bishop approved and named; Bishop Dietsche announces Internal Indaba 11 | Bishop’s Crosses The Rev. Bertram Bennett, Jr. and the Rev. Canon Petero Sabune received them at the Convention; Vice Chancellors Yurke and Vandenberg in January. 13 | Response to Gun Violence Following the Newtown, CT shootings the Bishops issue a pastoral letter and promulgate a petition to ban assault weapons. 16 | Evangelism Part 1 of a 2-part article calling us back to evangelism, by the Rev. Claire Woodley. 20 | Hildegard of Bingen By Mary Sharratt, author of the recent acclaimed novel, Illuminations. CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE Mary Sharratt is an author of four critically-acclaimed novels, and most recently of Illuminations, a Novel of Hildegard von Bingen. Please email subs@episcopalnewyorker.com or call (212) 316-7520 with address changes or if you are receiving duplicate copies of the ENY. All parishioners of Diocese of New York churches are entitled to a free subscription of the ENY, and non-members are asked to pay The Rt. Rev. Mark S. Sisk is the XV Bishop of New York. The Rev. Claire Woodley is rector of St. Mary’s Church, Mohegan Lake. a $15 subscription fee. However, if you are a parishioner and you would like to help pay for the cost of publishing the ENY, please send your donation to Editor, The Episcopal New Yorker, 1047 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10025. 2 THE EPISCOPAL NEW YORKER Winter 2013 www.episcopalnewyorker.com
Perhaps the most remarkable of the many privileges I have enjoyed as the Bishop of New York has been exercising the episcopal duty of oversight. I know that people generally think that episcopal oversight pretty much means being the boss: the manager who oversees her or his employees, or a production process of some sort. Of course this is part, but I would say, effectively speaking, a very small part of its meaning. Being the boss is not the point. The point is having the perspective—and giving that perspective expression. Having the perspective that oversight offers and requires means having—or getting—a larger picture, a broader vision of what is, or should be going on. It is the acquisition and development of that larger vision that I have found most deeply rewarding. To put it succinctly: These years as your Bishop have allowed me to see things from a vantage point that few have the luxury of sharing. One of the things that that broadened perspective has allowed me to see is just how remarkable you all are. The parishes of this diocese are more diverse than any of you can imagine. And in that diversity you offer yourselves to the service of Almighty God. And you do so with a quiet elegance you are rarely in a position to recognize in yourselves. But I have seen you work. I have seen you work day in and day out, year in and year out, in courageous service. You are so close to your work, and see its challenges so sharply, that it’s easy for you to overlook, or discount, just how much has been accomplished through you. Lives have been touched. I am here to tell you that in you I see the Hand of God at work. I am humbled by the work you do to the Glory of God and the betterment of humanity. One of the principle reasons that it is so easy to overlook the daily accomplishments is precisely that they are daily. The truth is that our work is almost always a matter of minute steps; steps taken along a pathway that we follow in faith. We never know the exact fruit of our work. We cannot even be certain of the exact direction of the path, though we do know its end. My experience of this enlarged perspective is that it has two quite opposite effects on me. On the one hand it creates a sense of urgency. Being aware of some of the wonderful things that others are doing intensifies a desire to do, or to see done, similar wonderful things. The other effect that this perspective gives is almost the opposite; it has a quieting effect. It says, in essence: be not anxious. Be not anxious because, over time, dedicated lives bear wonderful but often unforeseen fruit. The perspective that oversight reinforces is the heady reassurance that—whatever may befall us—ultimately all things are in God’s good hands. This final message from Bishop Sisk is an adaptation of part of the sermon that he delivered on Saturday, January 5, at the Celebration of his Episcopacy at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. El Privilegio de la Perspectiva Por el Reverendísimo Obispo Mark S. Sisk THE BISHOP’S MESSAGE The Privilege of Perspective By the Rt. Rev. Mark S. Sisk The Rt. Rev. Mark S. Sisk Quizás el más notable de los privilegios de los que yo he disfrutado como Obispo de Nueva York ha sido el ejercicio de la gestión administrativa episcopal. Yo se que generalmente la gente piensa que la gestión episcopal primordialmente significa ser el jefe: el gerente que supervisa sus empleados, o un cierto proceso de producción. Por supuesto esto forma parte de ello pero yo diría, en la práctica, es una pequeña parte de su significado. Ser el jefe no es lo importante. Lo importante es tener la perspectiva –y darle sentido a esa perspectiva. Tener la perspectiva que esa función ofrece y requiere, significa tener –u obtener- una imagen más grande, una visión más amplia de lo que es, o lo que debería estar pasando. La adquisición y desarrollo de esa extensa visión es lo que yo hallo profundamente satisfactorio. En pocas palabras: estos años siendo su Obispo, me han permitido ver las cosas desde un punto de vista ventajoso que pocos tiene el lujo de compartir. Una de las cosas que esa perspectiva ampliada me ha permitido, es justamente ver cuan extraordinarios son todos ustedes. Las parroquias de esta diócesis son más diversas de lo que ustedes pueden imaginarse. Y en esa diversidad ustedes se ofrecen al servicio del Dios Omnipotente. Y lo hacen con tal sutil distinción que no siempre están en condiciones reconocerlo en ustedes mismos. Pero yo he visto su trabajo. Yo he visto su esforzado servicio día a día, año tras año. Ustedes están tan cercanos a su trabajo y ven sus retos tan claramente que fácilmente se olvidan o no toman en cuenta, todo lo que se ha logrado a través de ustedes. Vidas han sido afectadas. Yo estoy aquí para decirles que en ustedes yo veo la Mano de Dios trabajando. Yo siento respeto por el trabajo que ustedes hacen para la Gloria de Dios y el mejoramiento de la humanidad. Una de las principales razones que hacen fácil olvidar los logros diarios es precisamente el hecho de que ellos son diarios. La verdad es que nuestro trabajo es casi siempre un asunto de pequeños pasos; pasos que llevan consigo un camino que seguimos con fe. No sabemos nunca el fruto real de nuestro trabajo. No podemos ni siquiera estar seguros de la dirección exacta del camino, sin embargo sabemos su final. (continuado en la paginacion 18) THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION A global community of 70 million Anglicans in 64,000 congregations, in 164 countries. www.anglicancommunion.org ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Rowan Williams Lambeth Palace, London, England SE1 7JU www.archbishopofcanterbury.org IN THE UNITED STATES A community of 2.4 million members in 113 dioceses in the Americas and abroad. PRESIDING BISHOP The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori Episcopal Church Center 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017 1-800-334-7626, 212-716-6000 www.episcopalchurch.org IN THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF NEW YORK A community of 199 congregations covering 4,739 square miles with approximately 600 priests and 72 deacons, with worship in 12 languages: Akan, American Sign Language, Bontoc, Chinese, Creole, English, French, Igbo, Japanese, Korean, Malayalam and Spanish. BISHOP OF NEW YORK The Rt. Rev. Mark S. Sisk BISHOP COADJUTOR The Rt. Rev. Andrew M.L. Dietsche ASSISTANT BISHOP The Rt. Rev. Andrew D. Smith ASSISTING BISHOP The Rt. Rev. Herbert A. Donovan DIOCESAN OFFICES 1047 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10025 1-800-346-6995 212-316-7400 212-316-7405 (fax) Web site: www.dioceseny.org www.episcopalnewyorker.com Winter 2013 THE EPISCOPAL NEW YORKER 3
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Page 9 and 10: The Rev. Dr. Paul Clayton leads in
Page 11 and 12: Bishop’s Crosses Bishop’s Cross
Page 13 and 14: Gun Violence Bishops Respond to New
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Farewell to Bishop Sisk - Episcopal Diocese of New York

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