Acceptance Speech

With deep joy and profound gratitude
I accept your call.
The sad part of today is that you were not able
to extend this call to five other candidates – each with much to offer.
I want to acknowledge that,
to say it has been a privilege travel this journey with them,
and to say to their supporters,
I respect your support for my friends and fellow candidates.
They are good people – every one.

The Diocese of Nevada is known and honored
far and wide
for innovation, creativity, and boldness to do a new thing for God.
To serve as a minister in this diocese
is the most exciting mission opportunity I can imagine.
I did not say "to serve as bishop" but "to serve as minister."
We are all minsters, lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons, alike.
Today, we are all called together into a shared mission.

My special joy this day is being invited to join you
in the ministry you are already doing so well.
It will take time for me to learn my way,
and you are the only ones who can teach me.
I will do my best to be a good student,
and I know you will be faithful teachers.
I hope that, as you show me the lay of your land,
you will deepen your knowledge of yourselves and each other,
that you will sharpen the focus of your vision for this diocese,
and that you will enjoy, savor, and celebrate
God's gift of this holy human church in the West.

I know that sometimes, some members of the diocese
have felt discouraged by the seeming scarcity of resources,
and by conflicts – especially conflicts over resources.
Feeling discouraged now and then goes with the turf of doing mission.
Elijah felt that way at times. So did Jesus. So did St. Paul.
But underneath those feelings which come and go like the clouds,
we have an abiding bedrock of faith.
Faith says: God has already given each community the resources
it needs to do its mission.//
It doesn't always look that way, but that's how it is.
I've seen it happen over and over as a priest.
If God gives us five loaves and two fish,
then we bless, break, and share them.
God makes it enough.

As for conflict, we don't have to be afraid of that either.
Nevada is diverse enough to generate a lot of different ideas.
The people of Nevada are feisty enough to express those ideas
with some emphasis.
That's part of what makes this an exciting diocese.
We can afford to have our differences.
God is big enough to supply the unity.
As long as we keep focused on God's mission,
we can work out the details.


Nothing would please me more
than to take the next plane to be with you tomorrow.
But I have a congregation here who are going to need me
to look them in the eye to say I'm leaving after 14 years.
They don't need to read this in the newspaper and find me gone.
But I will be coming to you as soon as I can.
I will begin meeting with some of you right away.
Don't think the people I see first are necessarily the most important people.
Everyone in this diocese is important.
I will be seeing first the people who know about the issues that are most urgent.
After that, I will be making my way around the diocese
learning your stories.

Bishop Kiminjari said, "The stories of the people are the wings of the Gospel."
Your stories will make the Gospel fly over Nevada like a Coopers Hawk.
I cannot wait to hear them.
God bless you and keep you.
God make his face to shine upon you
God give you peace and empower you for mission.