"Ministry is the life work of all the people of God."
By the Reverend Thomas Clark Ely, Bishop-Elect of Vermont
Mountain Echo, March 2001Do you know when and where you were baptized? I was baptized on March 30, 1952 in Grace Episcopal Church, Norwalk, Connecticut. I am fortunate that my mother is a "saver," and so I have my original baptismal certificate. It will be offered by my parents and godparents as one of the testimonials during the liturgy of consecration on April 28, 2001, at Norwich University. Over the years, my baptism anniversary has become an important date in my life, along with other anniversaries. I hope the date of your baptism is, or will be, one of your important anniversaries.
Baptism is the sacramental and liturgical action by and through which we are joined to Christ's death and resurrection and made members and ministers of the Body of Christ, the Church. The words of the Book of Common Prayer put it this way when talking about the water of Baptism: "In it we are buried with Christ in his death. By it we share in his resurrection. Through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit." Following the action of Baptism and Chrismation, the link between baptism and ministry is affirmed and proclaimed as the congregation welcomes the newly baptized with these words: "We receive you into the household of God. Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood."
For the Church, celebrating and living into the fullness of our identity as the baptized Body of Christ is a high calling, indeed. The mission of the Church, to cooperate with God in "restoring all people to unity with God and each other in Christ," is the responsibility of all members of the Body. Ministry is the life work of all the people of God. Ministry ha-pens in our gatherings as the Church and in the day-to-day living of our lives. We are all ministers!
As I join you in ministry in Vermont, I hope that the ministry of all the baptized will be a central theme of our common life in Christ. I hope that each of us will continue to grow in our understanding and practice of the common ministry we share in Christ Jesus, through baptism. I hope that the congregations and institutions of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont will truly understand themselves to be ministering communities of God's reconciling love. I hope each of us will take to heart the promises of our baptism and, with God's help, live in faithful response to God's calling in our daily lives.
There are many ways in which these themes of baptism and ministry will be celebrated in the liturgy on April 28. Let me highlight two. First, a letter has already gone out from the Transition Committee asking each congregation to make and bring to the liturgy a banner celebrating the ministry going on in each local community of faith. Second, each congregation is asked to bring a container of "local" water to the liturgy, to be poured into the large font that will sit in the midst of the assembly. The Transition Committee and I are working hard to do all we can to make the liturgy on April 28th a true celebration of the ministry of the whole people of God. Your presence will add joy and power to that gathering.
After a month and a half of saying "goodbye" in Connecticut, Ann and I are glad to finally begin saying "hello" in Vermont. Saying goodbye was a hard thing for us, and yet it was also a time of great affirmation and affection. Your prayers, notes, e-mail, and kind words over the past few months have already begun to make us feel welcome. By the time you read this, we will have moved into our new home at 11 Rock Point Circle. So many people have had a hand in making our transition to Vermont a positive experience and we are most grateful for that. We hope you'll be patient with us as we do our best to get to know you (and your names) and as we find our way around the beautiful state of Vermont.
Yours in Christ,
Tom
Copyright ® 2001, The Episcopal Diocese of Vermont. All rights Reserved.