Brian McLaren: The Episcopal Moment
Must-See TV for Episcopalians

Episcopal Cafe reports on The Episcopal Moment, Brian McLaren's outstanding keynote presentation to the annual convention of the Diocese of Washington, delivered on Saturday, January 31, 2009. This truly is must-see TV for all Episcopalians.

Episcopal Cafe is correct in declaring, "If you have any interest in helping our Church find a way forward in its effort to improve its evangelism, please make the time to watch." Brian McLaren's offering, in its entirety, may be found here. Please watch it all.

Click here to view in Windows Media Player format

Click here to view in Quicktime format

Brian also gave a plenary presentation at the Lambeth Conference, on July 21 , 2008. Although there is no transcript of the session, his notes and powerpoint slides are available.

The Five Marks of Mission
The Mission of the Church is the Mission of Christ

It is good from time to time for Episcopopcorners to remember what we are to be about as a Church. The "Five Marks of Mission" as developed by the Anglican Consultative Council between 1984 and 1990 is a good place to start. These marks are as follows:

1. To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
2. To teach, baptize and nurture new believers
3. To respond to human need by loving service
4. To seek to transform unjust structures of society, and
5. To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth

(Bonds of Affection-1984 ACC-6 p49, Mission in a Broken World-1990 ACC-8 p101)

Being True to Yourself
John C. N. Hall

I am reading the latest edition of a magazine that claims to be "An Independent Weekly Supporting Catholic Anglicanism." Again, this week, as in countless previous editions, this magazine is painful reading as it outlines the "current state of The Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion" and its many perceived woes.

I am so tired of it -- so tired of the folks who spout gloom and doom for The Episcopal Church because of its honesty.

I say, "Hooray for the folks who are honest in the Church. Bravo for all, regardless of their theological leanings. Three cheers for the ones who beat as the heart of The Episcopal Church." It is time to be real with each other and to love all in the Church! It is never the time to anathematize the other.

Parker J. Palmer, in his wonderful, little book entitled Let Your Life Speak, writes,

"The punishment imposed on us for claiming true self can never be worse than the punishment we impose on ourselves by failing to make that claim. And the converse is true as well: no reward anyone might give us could possibly be greater than the reward that comes from living by our own best lights."

Thanks be to God for all in The Episcopal Church who are claiming true self. God bless us in our journey and guide us into living by our own best light -- the light of Christ.

Stephen Colbert reports on The Lambeth Conference