Webmaster's Note: Bishop Mathes has given permission to print his notes to the clergy of his diocese. The Bishop writes regularly to his clergy in order to inform, to teach, to share his joys and sorrows, and to encourage the clergy to likewise share with him. We are grateful to Bishop Mathes for allowing us to share these notes with you.

All Saints' Day

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Many of you may have seen an article in the San Diego Union Tribune about All Saints', Vista, St. Anne's, Oceanside, and St. John's, Fallbrook. St. Anne's and St. John's are temporarily enjoying the hospitality of All Saints' in the wake of the departure of their rectors and a significant portion of their congregations from the Episcopal Church. These departures complicate matters as this former leadership maintains a claim on the church property.

Since this past Sunday was my regular visitation for St. John's, Fallbrook, I presided and preached at the service for all three. What we experienced together was a gathering of a joyful and vital representation of three communities. I am in awe of how these faithful Episcopalians are finding unity in the midst of diversity. As Michael Battle suggested to us at our recent Clergy Conference, this is a prerequisite for the work of the Holy Spirit. In this one in three congregation, we felt God's holiness and spirit of new life.

The gospel for the day was the story of the healing of the blind man, Bartimaeus. In my sermon, I drew a distinction between the blind man healed by Jesus at Bethsaida, who initially is only partially able to see, "I see men but as trees walking." As we know, Bartimaeus recognizes Jesus as "Son of David," the Messiah, and because of his faith is completely healed and follows Jesus in the way. I am afraid that too often the Union Tribune and others see partially, "men as trees walking." And so rather than seeing the joy and unity of those gathered, the paper reported a false picture. The story's headline, "A Fractured Church," is consistent with the paper's continued blindness.

In a sense though, this headline tells a truth, albeit a different truth from the one that the paper suggests. We are a fractured church in the sense that we hold at the center of all that we do the bread of Eucharist, which we raise and break as a sign and symbol of Christ's sacrifice and our own brokenness. For in a very real sense, where we are broken is the point at which we let God into our lives. Where we are broken is the place that we come together and are made one.

Today, as we celebrate All Saints' Day and remember that great cloud of witness that have gone before us, let us celebrate a broken savior who called us to be a broken church. For in the end, only this broken and resurrected savior can lead a broken church to reconcile a broken world. Our fraction is Eucharist. It is light into darkness. It is the sight of faith that comes out of blindness and gives us the vision to follow Jesus in the Way.

Faithfully,



The Rt. Rev. James R. Mathes
Bishop

A Fractured Church (SD Union-Tribune, October 30, 2006)