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Jesus repeated, ‘Peace be with you’, and ‘As the Father sent me, so I send you.’ Then he breathed on them, saying, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit!’ (John 20.21,22).
One of the books that influenced me most when I was a seminary student was The Go-Between God: The Holy Spirit and the Christian Mission. The author, John V. Taylor (1914-2001), argued that if for Jesus both his messiahship and mission were derived from his self-immersion in the floodtide of the Holy Spirit, his followers could not possibly be involved in the same mission except through the same immersion.
Taylor quotes one of his contemporaries, another bishop and theologian, Joe Fison (Bishop of Salisbury) as describing the Book of Acts as
‘. . . the stupendous missionary achievement of a community inspired by the Pentecostal Spirit . . . Against a static Church, unwilling to obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit, no ‘gates’ of any sort are needed to oppose its movement, for it does not move. But against a Church that is on the move, inspired by the Pentecostal Spirit, neither ‘the gates of hell’ nor any other gates can prevail.’
Also worth note is Bishop Taylor’s observation of man-made programs in the life of the Church:
‘I have not heard recently of committee business adjourned because those present were still awaiting the arrival of the Spirit of God. I have known projects abandoned for lack of funds, but not for lack of the gifts of the Spirit.’
The Feast of Pentecost (June 8th this year) renews in us a yearning for the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, and in the life of our Church, because we have experienced the truth proclaimed so beautifully in that ancient hymn ‘Come down, O Love divine’:
‘. . . for none can guess its grace, till he become the place wherein the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling.’
And yet, and yet, guidance is, as someone aptly reminds us, ‘an area of Christian discipleship ripe for sillinesses. Why is it, one might ask, that God always seems to guide us to do what we want to do? I remember as a sophomore in college, facing a difficult math exam. One of my classmates, a fellow Christian, failed to show up for the exam. Later, confronted by our teacher, she told him she had sat up all night and prayed about the exam and the Lord told her she didn’t need to sit it. The teacher listened politely, and after a moment’s pause, responded, ‘How interesting. The Lord spoke to me as well, and told me if you didn’t sit the exam, to fail you.’
My go-to favorite contemporary Christian author John Pritchard (another of those bishop-theologians) advises that we should carry within us the confidence that God is always wanting to communicate his love for us. The Lord works with us to make the most of the choices we have made. He doesn’t control the world through robotic formulas:
‘God has a vision for us more than a plan. Plans expect no real variation, while visions allow many routes to their fulfillment. God’s vision is that we should ‘come to . . . the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ’ (Ephesians 4.13).
Pritchard reminds, in an anecdote, that being open to God’s guidance involves both waiting and doing:
‘A bishop wrote to a vicar to offer him a new post. The vicar replied that he must go away and pray about it. The vicar’s wife went upstairs to pack. (Both are necessary.)’
A blessed summer to everyone who is reading this Newsletter.
The Spirit and the Bride say, Come. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus! Amen.
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Today we feel the wind beneath our wings
Today the hidden fountain flows and plays
Today the church draws breath at last and sings
As every flame becomes a Tongue of praise.
This is the feast of fire, air, and water
Poured out and breathed and kindled into earth.
The earth herself awakens to her maker
And is translated out of death to birth.
The right words come today in their right order
And every word spells freedom and release
Today the gospel crosses every border
All tongues are loosened by the Prince of Peace
Today the lost are found in His translation.
Whose mother tongue is Love in every nation.
----Matthew Guite, drawn from his Sounding the Seasons
| | Education for Ministry (EFM) | | |
2025 marks the fiftieth anniversary of a unique way for laypeople across the United States and indeed, in many other parts of the world, to study and gain competency in theology. It is a program designed by the School of Theology, the University of the South (Sewanee) and first introduced in 1975. Since then, EfM has over 120,000 graduates and many of those have since been called to the ordained ministry.
The Diocese of Florida has a fine history of EfM groups in our parishes. In this June edition of the Bishop’s Institute we say thank you to the retiring most recent Diocesan coordinator of EfM Margaret MacNaughton and welcome the new coordinator, Mary Kendall. I hope you enjoy reading our thank you note to Margaret and welcome interview with Mary. So grateful to them both.
Here is a "sneak peek" of the new EfM program resources. All .are available for purchase in-store or online at St. John’s Cathedral Bookstore & Gift Shop.
View EfM resources here
COLLECT
Let us pray for all of our institutions of learning, especially the School of Theology’s Education for Ministry program.
V. Thy word is a lantern unto my feet;
R. And a light unto my paths.
O God, who dost begin and sustain all progress up to thee in thy kingdom: Bless our colleges and schools, and all of our educational endeavors, that they may convey to thy people thy best gifts of truth and godliness and prepare them for the perfect citizenship alike of earth and heaven: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Thank You
To Margaret Macnaughton
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Diocese of Florida Education for Ministry (EfM) Coordinator
2021-2024
Education for Ministry, commonly called EfM, is a unique four-year distance learning program of theological education and reflection based in small group study and practice. EfM participants meet in mentored groups... in both local settings and online... that provide a framework for understanding Christian life and shaping actions.
Margaret MacNaughton stepped down as the coordinator of EfM in the Diocese of Florida at the start of this year. Margaret had decided to turn her energies to joining her husband, the Rev. Eric Kahl in his ministry as Chaplain to the Retired Clergy in our diocese.
Mary Kendall of St Mary’s Church, Green Cove Springs, has been confirmed by the Standing Committee and the School of Theology, Sewanee as the new coordinator of EfM in the diocese.
Margaret MacNaughton took over as EfM coordinator in April 2021, having just completed her four years in the program. Margaret succeeded Virginia Carpenter and Malinda Harris. At the time of her appointment, Margaret, in an interview in the Bishop’s Institute e-Newsletter, explaining her willingness to serve as coordinator based on her experience as a student in the course, wrote:
Everything about my EfM experience… the faith deepened, the relationships shared, the education encountered… made me want to let others know about the joys of EfM.
The COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020. The public health emergency of international concern ended in May 2023. Margaret MacNaughton’s leadership as EfM coordinator was tested and proved by that challenging period. COVID greatly limited and restricted in person educational gatherings and the program had to adapt to survive.
Reflecting on this challenge, Margaret reported that:
The dedication and resourcefulness of the EfM mentors and co-mentors of our diocesan groups has been amazing. Not even a pandemic could deter them from their missions. Groups adapted by meeting via Zoom. Mentors, who require 18 hours of continued education annually, adapted by going online for their training. Not ideal but they did what they had to do.
Toward the end of the pandemic, Margaret was able to report that EfM was strong and growing in the Diocese of Florida. Further, she reported:
During the pandemic, two groups based at the Cathedral in Jacksonville, three groups based at St. John’s Tallahassee, two groups based at Christ Church Ponte Vedra Beach, and the group based at St. Paul’s by-the-Sea in Jacksonville Beach continued without missing a beat. Holy Trinity Gainesville restarted their group in Fall 2021, and St. Peter’s Fernandina Beach restarted their group in January 2022. The newest EfM group in the diocese – based at St. Philip’s Jacksonville – formed October 2021.
The Diocese of Florida has been blessed by Margaret’s ministry, and we are very thankful for her on going work with the retired clergy of the diocese.
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Interview with Mary Kendall,
New Diocese of Florida Coordinator,
Education for Ministry (EFM)
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Mary Kendall is the newly appointed coordinator for the four-year Education for Ministry – EfM) course in the Diocese of Florida. She is a communicant member of St Mary’s Episcopal Church, Green Cove Springs. She has a B.S. in Biology from East Tennessee State and certification in secondary education from William and Mary. She has taught science in schools in Virginia, Maryland and Georgia. Since retiring from teaching in 2005 she has been active in her church in Green Cove Springs and in the local community. She enjoys travelling with her children and six grandchildren. She has completed the four-year EfM course twice--- as she explains below.
Mary, how did you first hear about EfM and decide that you would sign up for the course? What prompted or motivated you? How was it related to your life in the church?
I first heard about EfM in church when Janet (nee Robinson) Kardos stood up during the announcements on Sunday [at St Mary’s, Green Cove Springs] and explained that she would be forming a group to begin the study and needed 6 volunteers. She explained that the course covered 4 years, told us the cost, and outlined the topics covered during the four years (i.e. Old Testament, New Testament, History of Christianity, and Theology). I have always been interested in learning more about the Bible and thought that it sounded interesting. I did think that a four-year commitment sounded like a lot! (Janet explained that you could take one year and see if you liked it enough to continue.) I said that I would “think about it”. A close friend, Nancy Rohr, told me that she was going to take it and she convinced me to sign up with her. I thought I was signing up for an extended Bible study.
We began Year One in the fall of 2014 with 6 in our group. We continued with years 2 and 3. During Year 3 we lost 3 of our members due to various reasons. Sewanee [the School of Theology, Sewanee is the parent body of EfM] let us complete year 3 even though we no longer had the minimum required number of participants.
Our Mentor, Janet Robinson, got married and moved away. Before moving, however, Janet found a Zoom group that we could join for Year 4. The three of us felt somewhat intimidated about trying Zoom…after all, we had been in an in-person group for 3 years. Not one of us felt comfortable jumping into an existing Zoom platform. We met in the church office on Monday evenings to participate in the Zoom group together. We found it to be very interesting. Our Mentor was Ken Kimsey, an ex-pat living in Panama. The group had members from all four years. (This was new to us because we had gone through the first 3 years together with no other years attending.) We had a policeman from New York City, a nuclear scientist from Woods Hole National Laboratory, a nurse from Indiana, a woman undergoing discernment for becoming a Deacon, and an Air Force dependent who was stationed in Germany, and of course, the 3 of us (a retired teacher, a retired civil servant, and a retired nurse).
To continue reading, please click here.
To learn more about EfM as it operates within the churches in our Diocese or from its parent base at Sewanee, the University of the South, you can contact Mary Kendall by email: eerie-lily01@att.net or https://theology.sewanee.edu/education-for-ministry/program/ .
| | June Books List Highlight | | |
An excerpt from Pope Francis’ A Stranger and You Welcomed Me: A Call to Mercy and Solidarity with Migrants and Refugees, 2018
A collection of the writings and sermons of Pope Francis edited by Robert Ellsberg
General Audience, St Peter’s Square, October 26, 2016
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today let us concentrate on these words of Jesus: “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me, I was naked, and you clothed me” (Mt. 25. 35-36.) In our time, charitable action regarding foreigners is more relevant than ever. The economic crisis, armed conflicts, and climate change have forced many people to emigrate. However, migration is not a new phenomenon; it is part of the history of humanity. It is a lack of historical memory to think that this phenomenon has arisen only in recent years. . .
Several days ago, a little story unfolded in the city. There was a refugee who was looking for a street and a lady approached him and said: “Are you looking for something?” That refugee had no shoes, and he said: “I would like to go to Saint Peter’s to enter the Holy Door. And the lady thought: “But he has no shoes, how will he manage to walk there?” So, she called a taxi. But the migrant, that refugee, had a disagreeable odor and the taxi driver at first didn’t want him to get in the car, but in the end he relented. And the lady, sitting next to the refugee during the ride, asked him a little about his history as a migrant: it took ten minutes to get here to Saint Peter’s. This man told his story of suffering, of war, of hunger because he had fled from his homeland in order to migrate.
When they arrived at their destination, the lady opened her purse to pay the taxi driver --- who at first had not wanted this immigrant in his cab because he smelled– told her: “No ma’am, I should be paying you because you made me listen to a story that has changed my heart.” This lady understood what a migrant’s pain is because she was of Armenian descent and knew the suffering of her people. When we do something like this, at first, we refuse because it causes us a little inconvenience, “But… he smells…” In the end, the episode gives fragrance to our soul and changes us. Let us think about this story and consider what we can do for refugees…
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Lamorna Ash. Don't Forget We're Here Forever: A New Generation's Search for Religion Hardcover – July 8, 2025.
In Don't Forget We're Here Forever, Ash embarks on a journey across Britain to meet those wrestling with Christianity today. Through interviews and her own deeply personal journey with religion, and from Evangelical youth festivals to Quaker meetings, a silent Jesuit retreat along the Welsh coastline to a monastic community in the Inner Hebrides, she investigates what is driving Gen Z today to embrace Christianity. --- Amazon review.
'A book of rare quality. Ash is a writer of exceptional grace and energy' Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury
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Christopher Bryan. Mary of Nazareth: The Mother of Jesus as Remembered by the Earliest Christians Paperback – November 5, 2024.
‘Christopher Bryan's book on Mary is of a piece with his other works: historically critical, the result of wide scholarly research, and the work of a wise Anglican catholic spirit. It is written for a wide audience, far beyond the guild, and I for one am deeply glad to have been part of that world.’― William S. Stafford, Emeritus Dean of The School of Theology, The University of the South
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Pope Francis (author) and Robert Ellsberg (editor). A Stranger and You Welcomed Me: A Call to Mercy and Solidarity with Migrants and Refugees Paperback – September 20, 2018.
Concern for the plight of migrants and refugees was a constant concern to Pope Francis as reflected in many sermons and writings collected in this book edited by Robert Ellsberg. This collection includes the address Pope Francis made to a joint session of the U.S. Congress United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. September 24, 2015.
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Matthew Guite. Sounding the Seasons Enlarged Edition: One Hundred and Ten Sonnets for the Christian Year Paperback – August 30, 2024.
In Sounding the Seasons, Cambridge poet and priest Malcolm Guite transforms lectionary readings into lucid, inspiring poems, for use in regular worship, seasonal services, meditative reading or on retreat. Amazon review
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Esau McCaulley, Janette H. Ok (editors). The New Testament in Color: A Multiethnic Bible Commentary Hardcover – August 6, 2024.
The New Testament in Color is a one-volume commentary on the New Testament written by a multiethnic team of scholars holding orthodox Christian beliefs. Esau McCaulley is a professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. --- from Amazon review
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Viet Thank Nguyen. The Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives Paperback – Illustrated, April 16, 2019.
Today the world faces an enormous refugee crisis: 68.5 million people fleeing persecution and conflict from Myanmar to South Sudan and Syria, a figure worse than the flight of Jewish and other Europeans during World War II and beyond anything the world has seen in this generation.
Viet Nguyen’s chosen refugee contributors are from Mexico, Bosnia, Iran, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Hungary, Chile, Ethiopia, and elsewhere. They are all formidable in their own right, MacArthur Genius grant recipients, National Book Award and National Book Critics Circle Award finalists, filmmakers, speakers, lawyers, professors. . . ---- from Amazon review.
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Jake Owensby. A Full-Hearted Life Paperback – December 3, 2024.
This recent book by the Bishop of Western Louisiana and Chancellor of Sewanee: The University of the South is less an apology or defense of Christian faith and more a testimony of how putting faith in Jesus centers a person’s life and provides a perspective from which to understand our purpose in being here and where life is heading.
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Molly Williams, Jessica Roux. Jane Austen's Garden: A Botanical Tour of the Classic Novels Hardcover – March 11, 2025.
A lovely book for garden lovers in 2025 that marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth.
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Jennifer Worth. In the Midst of Life Paperback – January 1, 2011. [Out of print but easy to access good used copies via Amazon.]
Reflections on death and dying by Jennifer Worth, the author of Call the Midwife, the series of stories of nursing and midwifery in the 1950s East End of London. Jennifer Worth died in 1911, a year after the first edition of In the Midst of Life.
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Rob James (author) and Amanda Ruston (illustrator). Fifty New Testament Stories for Storytellers Hardcover – December 17, 2024.
In this new children's bible, Anglican priest and biblical scholar Rob James offers adaptations of fifty stories of Jesus’ life and ministry, as well as the experience of the early Church, designed for oral storytelling. . . Each story is beautifully and diversely illustrated by Anglican priest and artist Amanda Ruston, offering visual inspiration to readers and listeners alike. Amazon review.
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Batter my heart, three-person'd God
Batter my heart, three-person'd God, for you
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend
Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurp'd town to another due,
Labor to admit you, but oh, to no end;
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captiv'd, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be lov'd fain,
But am betroth'd unto your enemy;
Divorce me, untie or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.
John Donne (1572-1631)
| | Women's Retreat at St. John's Cathedral | | |
Join St. John's Cathedral, Jacksonville, on Saturday, June 28, for a day of reflection and discovery inspired by Cinderella and Her Sisters: The Envied and the Envying, a thought-provoking book by Ann and Barry Ulanov (1983).
During this retreat, you'll delve into the dynamics of envy and power among the familiar fairy tale characters, and consider the often-overlooked role of godmothers—fairy or otherwise—in shaping our stories.
Led by Elizabeth Gibson and Linda Privitera, this retreat will take place in the Center for Wellbeing (third floor) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: $20 per person. Please pay when registering.
Bring a bag lunch—and your faith in happy endings.
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From the St. John's Cathedral:
Book Club Selections and Cathedral Staff Recomendation
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NEW CATHEDRAL STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR JUNE
Catching Whimsy: 365 Days of Possibility is the perfect under 3 minute a day devotion. Bob Goff, well-known author of Love Does, has written my new favorite devotional book.
I have been so impressed with how each day’s devotion feels so incredibly fitting for the day and season of life. Bob writes in a way that makes it easy for anyone to relate to the story, before tying it all back to the verse and a question or statement to let you ponder throughout the day.
This book would be a lovely gift for youth, but equally as nice for adults of any age.
Marissa Lingaitis
Interim Assistant to the Clergy
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