Advent Letter From Bishop Jenkins

From Churchwork, the publication of the Diocese of Louisiana, from The Rt. Rev. Charles E. Jenkins:

"Do we think that God participates in the life of the world? Do we believe that God has taken flesh in the person of Jesus Christ? The revelation of God in Holy Scripture is that God has become one of us, taking human nature from the Blessed Virgin Mary and at the very same time maintaining the Divine nature. This is the incredible good news for which we both prepare during Advent and celebrate in Christmas. In the testimony of the fourth Gospel we read, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." And the Good News continues, for God's taking of humanity, though done once and for all, is not the end of God's dealing with us. The Holy Spirit has been given and is given to us for the salvation of the world.

"There is an unmistakable and necessary moral and social implication to the Incarnation that is sometimes lost in the rush of holiday festivity. In the Incarnation, God did not simply "come down" but has also "raised up" humanity to the Divine. This action of God, known in the New Testament and in classical theology as theosis, is one of the foundational truths upon which rests the baptismal affirmation of the dignity of every human being. The missio dei, or "mission of God," with which we are engaged is not simply about us only, but about all humanity. Indeed, we who are of the Faith continue the journey of sanctification (holiness) nourished by the Sacraments, encouraged in Community, guided by the Holy Spirit, grounded in Holy Scripture. and assured in Christ's one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Our journey to holiness of necessity includes the missio dei which is the perfect goal of our ministry. There is nothing selfish about the missio dei, for it is instead about the generosity of self-offering.

"The ministry of our diocese has changed greatly over the last two years. The generosity of others has enabled our self-offering in this ministry. We should all know of our common work in feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, caring for the sick, seeking quality education for all children, cleaning up the destroyed homes, and even rebuilding those homes. Yet there is another quality to our ministry which I think also speaks to the missio dei. We are involved in a ministry of advocacy for those who have no one else to speak with them and for them. This ministry is not associated with any political theory, movement or party as such. Instead, our work of advocacy for the dignity of every person is based in Scripture, theology and common prayer.

"I cannot come to the altar for my Christmas Communion without a lively sense of this ministry of advocacy. As others advocate for us so, must we take up and continue that ministry on behalf of the world.

"You will find Christ and be found by Him in your Christmas Communion. You will be nourished with the bread of angels. Let us not leave God's altar unchanged and uncritically accepting of the social situation in which we live. May the blessings of the "Word made flesh" be yours this Christmas and for all time, and may we be a blessing to the world in which we minister.

+Charles E. Jenkins"

Amen. May the blessings of the "Word made flesh" be also with you, Bishop Jenkins.