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Bishop Barbara Harris challenges women to act

By Melodie Woerman
Editor, The Harvest

Bishop Barbara Harris helped members of the Episcopal Church Women warm up for her speech by leading them in songs and accompanying the group on the piano. Photo by Melodie Woerman

Those attending the Episcopal Church Women annual meeting were challenged by the first woman Episcopal bishop to work for justice and peace in order to live out the promises of the baptismal covenant.

Bishop Barbara Harris, former suffragan bishop of Massachusetts, was the keynote speaker at the annual ECW gathering Oct. 7 at St. James’, Wichita.

Continuing Jesus’ struggle
She reminded her listeners that Jesus defined his own ministry by quoting from Isaiah’s powerful description of the reign of God: to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19).

This, she said, is what is called for in the promises of the baptismal covenant to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to strive for justice and peace among all people.

“The struggle for justice and peace is always the task for Christians,” she said. “Our struggle is a continuation of the struggle of Jesus in the desert, in the garden, on the cross. Our goal is his — the kingdom of God, justice and dignity for every human being, and peace among all nations.”

She said the objective for Christians “is to become the wounded, loving hands of Jesus in this world.” Accomplishing that requires Scriptural ears and Gospel eyes, she said, which will lead to developing the mind of Christ.

She drew chuckles when she acknowledged, “All this action is tiring,” and she said it can be difficult to seek the face of Christ in those with whom we don’t agree. “That’s when you stand with your face to the wind, as it were. It’s not easy. I don’t pretend that it’s easy.”

A danger for Christians, Bishop Harris said, is that we can lose the sense of zeal that marked Jesus’ ministry. We need to recapture the sense of being part of Jesus’ movement instead of being part of an institution, she said. Doing so leads to the peace that passes all understanding, but she noted, “We may also realize it is more important to be loving than to be right.”

While Bishop Harris was fiery in delivering her two-part address, things really got energized when she began to answer questions from the more than 90 people attending the event.

She said she was glad the authority for the church that used to rest just with bishops is becoming more dispersed. “Thank God we have a bicameral house in General Convention” so decision-making is shared, she said.

She drew applause when she suggested adding a third part to that legislative body. “I’d love to see Triennial become a third house at General Convention,” she said, referring to the national women’s meeting that takes place at the same time as General Convention.

“I think that would be wonderful, to have the majority of the members of the church be voting members of General Convention. Can you see how a vote in General Convention by Triennial could turn this church upside down?”

When asked what advice she would give to Presiding Bishop-elect Katharine Jefferts Schori, Bishop Harris offered the words given to her when she was elected a bishop — “Never forget that the power behind you is greater than the task ahead of you.”

Bishop Wolfe challenges, too
In remarks to the assembly earlier in the day, Bishop Dean Wolfe challenged members of the ECW to greater activity.

When he asked how many in the room were younger than he is at age 50, only a few hands went up. “If we are not careful,” he said, “this group will slowly start laying their burden down before the next group is here to pick it up.”

The election of a woman as the next presiding bishop also is an occasion to get more people involved. “I wouldn’t want any woman in any of our parishes to miss one moment of this,” he said. “Don’t let them miss out on what is possibly the most Spirit-filled time this church has seen in a long time.”