Our Stewardship MILE - (E)

Walking in Faith means living a life that imitates Jesus. This is not an easy or simple call but it is a way of life that brings peace, justice, and wholeness into the world.  Jesus puts it another way when He directs us to pray, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done. 

This prayer is not meant to be passive. It is not a petition to God without a willingness to act. When we pray this prayer, we are committing ourselves to walk in faith and to participate in God’s Kingdom coming, in God’s will being done.  

Our Bishop has articulated some focuses for the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area towards living out our faith using the acronym MILE. Ministry That Matters. Inhabit Our Communities (or Itineracy and Location), Lay Empowerment, and Eliminating Racism.

The E in the MILE, Eliminating Racism, might seem oddly specific. Ministry That Matters can be broad and wide. While the Bishop has asked that we specifically focus on health and housing, even those categories give us a wide breadth of ministry options. I and L also offer room for broad interpretation, each church able to discern how to live those out in their own context. But E, Eliminating Racism, is a specific focus that every church in the Greater Northwest Area is encouraged to embrace. Bishop Cedrick calls this important work that needs to be done so that our ministry has integrity. I would take this one step farther. 

Where there is racism, the Kingdom of God is not fully known here on earth. When we pray, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done, we are praying that the world will reflect God’s purposes and will.  God loves ALL people and finds ALL people worthy. ALL people are created in the image of God. Until that reality is reflected here on earth, we will be waiting to see the fullness of God’s Kingdom.

Eliminating Racism might sound challenging, and it is. But Bishop Cedrick assures us that this is a journey we will take together, with no shame or blame. Rather, this will be a journey towards self-reflection, growth, and love of all God’s people.

Let’s join together and walk in faith!