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February 14, 2020
Terry March, Postulant to the Diaconate
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“Called to be…leaders”
The world’s way of leadership is about power and manipulation, achieving goals by bending others to your will, and forcing desired outcomes. As Christians, we have remarkable examples of leadership that turns the worldly system of leadership upside down. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, tells us there is a better way. Jesus personifies all the virtues and attributes of leadership and not only tells us, through scripture, how to lead, but more importantly shows us the true actions of leadership.
Jesus talked about the worldly model of leadership when the disciples were squabbling about who would be the greatest. Jesus tells them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the one who serves.” [1] Jesus calls us to be different and tells us that godly leadership is about serving others. When we serve by coming along side others, helping them reach their goals, what we are really doing is loving them. Jesus was not afraid to challenge those he led and out of love saw the potential of those whom he called to be leaders. If we had been there when Jesus called the apostles to follow Him, we may have only seen them as fishermen, tax collectors, zealots or thieves. Jesus looked beyond what they were and instead saw what they could become. Jesus believed in his followers, gave them important things to do and inspired them to experience the world with love to develop their souls to new achievements.
Because of His great and perfect love, Jesus was patient with others and followed the prompts of God. During the arrest of Jesus, one of His worried disciples drew a sword, struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off the slave’s right ear. Without anger, Jesus said, “No more of this!” [2] Jesus’ admonishment of the disciple’s action was kind, yet firm. Jesus then quietly touched and healed the servant’s ear. A leader shows love to others and can give corrective feedback in a calm, loving and helpful manner when mistakes are made. Leading like Jesus is a simple concept in principle but sometimes difficult to live out in our daily lives. We must remember that the people we meet in our churches, marketplaces, workplaces, and elsewhere in the world are all God’s people and are our brothers and sisters. We are called to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves, striving for justice and peace, and respecting the dignity of every human being. God knows we are not perfect leaders like Jesus but God has given us the perfect example by which to lead. And we are called to grow into greater leadership, primarily because a leader was willing to invest love, patience, kindness, time and effort to lead us.
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Did you know that SJRAISE, Our Immigration Commission, has a new monthly newsletter? You can check it out HERE and subscribe at the bottom, or email Deacon Angela at [email protected] to be added!
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Recharge/Renew Youth Retreat at ECCO
Youth ages 13-18 are invited May 1-3 to the Episcopal Conference Center in Oakhurst for a weekend of fun activities, great food, and a chance to learn more about the Episcopal Church and what it means to be a Christian. If you’ve ever wanted to know how to talk to your friends about church, are interested in Social Justice, or just want to know why we do the things we do on Sunday mornings, this is the retreat to attend! You’ll have a choice of classes taught by both clergy and lay people ranging from Church History, to Music, to Creation Care and Social Justice. Bishop David Rice, Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin, will lead Evening prayer one night and Sunday morning Eucharist.
Registration will open in late February.
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All articles and special news can be submitted to the Diocesan Office at:
All submissions are due MONDAY for the following Friday Reflection.
Submission requirements:
pictures -JPEG format
articles- word document
document to link- PDF
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Participation and Prayers
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Diocesan Events
Joint Diocesan Council & Standing Committee Meeting
February 28-29
ECCO
Diocesan Recharge/Renew Youth Retreat
May 1-3
ECCO
Spanish Immersion Week
July 12-19
ECCO
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Events Around the Diocese
Public House Night
St. Anne’s, Stockton
February 21-22 | 6:00 – 8:30 pm
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A letter from Bishop David to St. James Cathedral regarding Dean Ryan Newman
February 11, 2020
Sisters and Brothers of St. James, Cathedral,
I trust by now most of you have heard the news regarding the health of our Cathedral Dean, Ryan Newman. If you are unaware, Ryan fell ill last week at the close of our Clergy Conference at ECCO. Fortunately, Erin, Ryan’s wife was with him. Ryan was admitted at Clovis Community Hospital on Saturday with concerns of a heart attack. Since then he has been diagnosed with Myocarditis which is an inflammation of the heart muscle and potentially leads to a high risk of heart failure. As you would hope and expect, hospital staff is monitoring Ryan quite closely. I write this “pastoral letter” on Tuesday and every indication to date is that Ryan will remain in hospital through the week. Additionally, Ryan will need time away from his “deanship” responsibilities in order to recover.
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CUT YOUR SHOWER BY 5 MINUTES
Cut five minutes off your shower to save water. According to a study done by Harvard the average american shower uses 2.5 gallons per minute. You will save 12.5 gallons of water if you shorten by just 5 minutes. Or, consider turning the water off while you lather up and only turn it on to rinse.
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