In his first message to the Episcopal Church, newly installed presiding bishop, the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, says, "We are the Episcopal branch of the Jesus movement."
“Now is our time to go. To go into the world, let the world know that there is a God who loves us, a God who will not let us go, and that that love can set us all free,” Curry says.
Watch his video message here, and find the transcript, in English and Spanish, below.
Curry was installed as the Episcopal Church's 27th presiding bishop on Sunday, Nov. 1 at Washington National Cathedral. Find full coverage, including video links, here, and view a photo gallery, here. On-demand video of the service is available here.
Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry
A Word to the Church
God came among us in the person of Jesus of Nazareth to show us the Way. He came to show us
Episcopal News Service: Mary Frances Schjonberg
Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry on the steps of Washington National Cathedral following his Nov. 1 installation as presiding bishop.
the Way to life, the Way to love. He came to show us the Way beyond what often can be the nightmares of our own devisings and into the dream of God’s intending. That’s why, when Jesus called his first followers he did it with the simple words “Follow me.”
“Follow me,” he said, “and I will make you fish for people.”
Follow me and love will show you how to become more than you ever dreamed you could be.
Follow me and I will help you change the world from the nightmare it often is into the dream that God intends. Jesus came and started a movement and we are the Episcopal branch of the Jesus movement.
Near the end of Matthew’s Gospel story of the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead, Mary Magdalene and some of the women go to the tomb to anoint his body. When they get there they find that the tomb is empty, the stone has been rolled away and there is no body there. Then they see and hear an angel who says to them, “This Jesus of Nazareth whom you seek, he is not here, he has been raised as he said he would be and he has now gone ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him. It is in Galilee that the Risen Lord will be found and seen for he has gone ahead of us.”
Galilee. Which is a way of talking about the world.
Galilee. In the streets of the city.
Galilee. In our rural communities. Galilee in our hospitals. Galilee in our office places. Galilee where God’s children live and dwell there.
In Galilee you will meet the living Christ for He has already gone ahead of you.
A few years ago I was in a coffee shop in Raleigh, North Carolina, just a few blocks away from our Diocesan House there. While in line I started a conversation with a gentleman who turned out to be a Mennonite pastor. He had been sent to Raleigh to organize a church in the community on the streets without walls. As we were talking over our coffee, he said something to me that I have not forgotten. He said the Mennonite community asked him to do this because they believed that in this environment in which we live, the church can no longer wait for its congregation to come to it, the church must go where the congregation is.
Now is our time to go. To go into the world to share the good news of God and Jesus Christ. To go into the world and help to be agents and instruments of God’s reconciliation. To go into the world, let the world know that there is a God who loves us, a God who will not let us go, and that that love can set us all free.
This is the Jesus Movement, and we are the Episcopal Church, the Episcopal branch of Jesus' movement in this world. God bless you, and keep the faith.
Obispo primado Michael B. Curry
Una palabra a la Iglesia
Dios vino [a habitar] entre nosotros en la persona de Jesús de Nazaret para mostrarnos el Camino. Él vino a mostrarnos el Camino a la vida, el Camino al amor. Vino a mostrarnos el Camino más allá de lo que con frecuencia pueden ser las pesadillas de nuestras propias concepciones y a convertirlas en el sueño del propósito de Dios. Es por eso que cuando Jesús llamó a sus primeros seguidores lo hizo con una simple palabra: “síganme”.
“Síganme”, dijo “y les haré pescadores de hombres”.
El seguirme y el amor les mostrará cómo llegar a ser más de lo que jamás soñaron que podían ser. Síganme y les ayudaré a cambiar el mundo de pesadilla, que con frecuencia es, al sueño de lo que Dios tiene pensado. Jesús vino y comenzó un movimiento y nosotros somos la rama episcopal del movimiento de Jesús.
En el relato de la resurrección de Jesús de los muertos, casi al final del evangelio de Mateo, María Magdalena y algunas mujeres van a la tumba a ungir su cadáver. Cuando llegan allí encuentran que la tumba está vacía, que han descorrido la piedra y que no hay ningún cuerpo. Luego ven y oyen a un ángel que le dicen: “Este Jesús de Nazaret, a quien buscan, no está aquí, ha resucitado tal como dijo y va delante de ustedes a Galilea. Allí le verán”. Es en Galilea donde encontraremos y veremos al Señor Resucitado que ha ido delante de nosotros.
Galilea. Que es una manera de referirse al mundo.
Galilea. En las calles de la ciudad.
Galilea. En nuestras comunidades rurales. Galilea en nuestros hospitales. Galilea en nuestras oficinas. Galilea donde los hijos de Dios viven y moran.
In Galilea encontrarán al Cristo vivo porque ya él ya ha marchado delante de ustedes.
Hace unos pocos años, estaba en una cafetería en Raleigh, Carolina del Norte, a unas pocas cuadras de nuestra Casa Diocesana. Mientras hacía la cola comencé a conversar con un señor que resultó ser un pastor menonita. Lo habían enviado a Raleigh para organizar una comunidad religiosa sin muros, en las calles. Me dijo que la comunidad menonita le había pedido hacer esto porque creían que, en este ambiente en que vivimos, la Iglesia ya no puede esperar a que su congregación acuda a ella, sino que la Iglesia debe ir allí donde se encuentra la congregación.
Ahora es nuestro momento de salir. De ir al mundo a compartir las buenas de Dios en Jesucristo.
De ir al mundo y ayudar a ser agentes e instrumentos de la reconciliación de Dios. Ir al mundo, para que el mundo sepa que hay un Dios que nos ama, un Dios que no nos desamparará, y que ese amor puede liberarnos a todos.
Este es el Movimiento de Jesús, y nosotros somos la Iglesia Episcopal, la rama episcopal del Movimiento de Jesús en el mundo.
Dios les bendiga y les guarde en la fe.