Out of Deep Waters: Hurricane-Hit Diocese Begins to Discern its Future
Episcopal News Service. October 3, 2005 [100305-3]
Mary Frances Schjonberg
Bishop Charles Jenkins issued a call October 3 for the Diocese of Louisiana to spend a month in prayer and discernment.
"In this last month we have prayed and worked to survive. God has blessed us with tremendous fortitude and heroic courage undergirded by love," Jenkins wrote to the clergy and people of the diocese.
"As we continue to recover, we are calling on the Diocese to help us discern what God is calling us to do as we rebuild," Jenkins wrote.
Jenkins called for a 24-hour diocesan vigil to be held in homes and churches between sunset October 22 and sunset October 23. His letter offered prayer and meditation resources for congregations and their members including Scripture, prayers, poems and other readings. He suggested that parishes and institutions might have a dinner gathering with breakout groups for reflection, conversation, grief sharing and prayer on the nights of the vigil.
Jenkins's letter also offered other activities that congregations and their members could use during the month. These included creating a task force to consider where the organization and the diocese stand now in relation to disaster response, designing and implementing the month of prayer and discernment, and communicating information about the plans for the month. Jenkins also suggested using "as icons and aids to prayer and reflection" new Katrina videos and DVDs made available by the Episcopal Church and "encouraging each of your members to sit in prayer for 10 minutes each day to listen for God's direction through the power of the Holy Spirit."
"As God speaks to you through the Spirit, listen, then share your ideas with the Office of Disaster Response," Jenkins asked. He said that the ideas will be given to his office to be communicated to the diocese and to be used in a strategic-planning session scheduled for November 15.
Jenkins reported that the diocese has established and staffed an Office of Disaster Response, completed an assessment of the needs of the diocese's churches, institutions and people, and has received an initial grant from Episcopal Relief and Development. The diocese has also drafted a three phase strategic plan for the next 12 months.