wfn.org | [ENS] Out of Deep Waters: Hurricane-hit diocese begins to discern its

["Matthew Davies" <mdavies@episcopalchurch.org>]

Monday, October 3, 2005

Out of Deep Waters: Hurricane-hit diocese begins to discern its future

By Mary Frances Schjonberg

ENS 100305-3

[SOURCE: Diocese of Louisiana] Bishop Charles Jenkins issued a call
October
3 for the Diocese of Louisiana to spend a month in prayer and
discernment.

"In this last month we have prayed and worked to survive. God has
blessed us
with tremendous fortitude and heroic courage undergirded by love,"
Jenkins
wrote to the clergy and people of the diocese.

"As we continue to recover, we are calling on the Diocese to help us
discern
what God is calling us to do as we rebuild," Jenkins wrote.

Jenkins called for a 24-hour diocesan vigil to be held in homes and
churches
between sunset October 22 and sunset October 23. His letter offered
prayer
and meditation resources for congregations and their members including
Scripture, prayers, poems and other readings. He suggested that parishes
and
institutions might have a dinner gathering with breakout groups for
reflection, conversation, grief sharing and prayer on the nights of the
vigil.

Jenkins's letter also offered other activities that congregations and
their
members could use during the month. These included creating a task force
to
consider where the organization and the diocese stand now in relation to
disaster response, designing and implementing the month of prayer and
discernment, and communicating information about the plans for the
month.
Jenkins also suggested using "as icons and aids to prayer and
reflection"
new Katrina videos and DVDs made available by the Episcopal Church and
"encouraging each of your members to sit in prayer for 10 minutes each
day
to listen for God's direction through the power of the Holy Spirit."

"As God speaks to you through the Spirit, listen, then share your ideas
with
the Office of Disaster Response," Jenkins asked. He said that the ideas
will
be given to his office to be communicated to the diocese and to be used
in a
strategic-planning session scheduled for November 15.

Jenkins reported that the diocese has established and staffed an Office
of
Disaster Response, completed an assessment of the needs of the diocese's
churches, institutions and people, and has received an initial grant
from
Episcopal Relief and Development. The diocese has also drafted a three
phase
strategic plan for the next 12 months.

-- Mary Frances Schjonberg is national correspondent for the Episcopal
News
Service.

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