April 2008
This is written as we enter Holy Week and look toward the wonderful liturgies of the Church that contribute so much to this particular time within our Lord's life - the institution of the Last Supper, his loneliness in the Garden of Gethsemane, the betrayal, crucifixion and the fulfillment of the promise that he would rise from the dead ... and then the proclamation as we say "Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia."
Lent has been full for many, and I trust it has also been rewarding for many during this important spiritual journey shared.
Over the past weeks Susan and I have been blessed with the opportunity of being in a myriad of settings as we shared in visitations, special worship services, or Lenten programs at Grace, Monroe; St. Paul's, Abbeville; St. Thomas, Monroe; St. James, Alexandria; and Ascension, Lafayette. A visit was also made to Ascension Episcopal Day School, Lafayette where headmaster Patrick Dickens shared an overview of the new upper school campus and the construction currently underway. This new facility will contribute much to the important ministry that is already being provided by the school to this community.
A break in the midst of this was taken while I attended the House of Bishops meeting at Camp Allen in Navasota, Texas, where for the first time in my almost nine years in the House, I left early in order to return to the diocese to address a pastoral matter. With regard to the meeting, the majority of time was taken up with conversation and preparation for Lambeth Conference 2008. The business portion of the meeting fell on the last day, and addressed some of the issues facing the larger Church, and this included the deposition of two bishops, the Rt. Rev'd John-David Schofield and the Rt. Rev'd William J. Cox, an action that I find personally disheartening. (See separate article in this issue of ALIVE!)
The sesquicentennial anniversary of the acquisition on March 15, 1858 of Mount Olivet Cemetery by the vestry of St. James, Alexandria was recognized with a special service on the 150th anniversary, March 15, 2008. The event included a simple worship service in the cemetery yard led by the Rev'd Fred H. Tinsley, rector at St. James Parish, and I presided over the dedication of a new historical marker on the site. A number of people, including local community leaders and historical preservation leadership, and descendants of the original purchasers of the property, joined with members of St. James for this historic occasion.
On a sadder note, the diocese lost a dear friend and faithful disciple with the death this past month of Edward Randolph Hensley of St. Paul's, Shreveport, following a long and courageous battle with cancer. It was my privilege to preside and celebrate at his Requiem Eucharist, and was assisted by the Rev'd Guido F. Verbeck, III, rector of St. Paul's. The Rev'd Paul D. Martin, assistant at the parish, preached. "May his soul, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen."
And with the assurance of the words found in Psalm 23, I close with the following -
Friends, the Good Shepherd calls us.
We need
to listen to his voice and follow him.
He will lead us beside waters of rest;
He will restore our souls;
He will show us the paths of justice.
With joy let us praise the God of shepherding care!
[drawn
and adapted from All the Seasons of Mercy]