Disciple: Transition and Transformation

By The Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple

“I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.”

- John 14:24-29

I suppose if you are alive and growing, you are in some kind of transition. Still, there are periods during which transition seems especially noticeable. For example, for the last three years,  I’ve been in a particularly intense time of transition: from rector to bishop suffragan to bishop diocesan pro tempore; from full house to empty nest; from a short daily commute to tens of thousands of miles of travel each year; from mother of the graduate to mother of the groom; from back-of-the-hall seating at Diocesan Convention to first-row seats next to Pope Frances at St. Peter’s Square. Right now, at least, life feels like an exhilarating roller coaster ride with steep learning curves and wild descents, where about the best you can do is just hold on and enjoy.

As a diocese and as part of the worldwide Anglican Communion we are in an intense time of transition. Transition in our journey to call a new bishop for the Diocese of North Carolina. Transition as our new Presiding Bishop finds his place and voice among the other Anglican Primates. Even our beloved Old North State is exhibiting growing pains as we find ourselves an increasingly diverse collection of communities. 

I love how the Church calendar, with its changing seasons, helps us understand and participate in the expected and unexpected transitions of life. We are currently moving from Easter to Pentecost and, soon, back to what we refer to as Ordinary Time. As we follow our lectionary readings, the resurrected body of Jesus ascends into a different dimension of time and space, and the disciples find themselves changed: from fear to courage; from confusion to clarity; from timid bystanders to bold witnesses. We are transitioning into the season of the Spirit, the Advocate and the Holy Comforter.

Throughout the lectionary readings for the Easter season, the resurrected Jesus comes and goes, appears and disappears in mysterious and surprising ways. Mary Magdalene mistakes him for a gardener as she stands beside the empty tomb in the faint light before the dawn of Easter. Jesus appears and gives peace to his friends cowering behind locked doors. At a different time and place, he joins two very discouraged disciples walking home to Emmaus. To them, he is a mere stranger and a much uninformed one at that. So he starts first with deep listening and then reflects upon their experiences in the light of Holy Scripture. Then he accepts their invitation to break bread. Only after they are eating together in a very Eucharistic way are their eyes opened and they recognize Jesus. Oddly, as soon as they recognize him, he vanishes. But even this brief encounter is enough. Their lives and their journey are completely turned around. The two disciples who were just hours before walking away from religion rush back to share their faith with anyone who
will listen.

This variety of post-resurrection appearances gives us some best practices for evangelism. The disciples initially find themselves in a time of mourning for the way things used to be. They step away to some quiet place where they can be honest with grief, with confusion, with fear. After encountering the real presence of Jesus, they search Scripture, they pray, they break bread and go forth to share the same experience with friends, neighbors and perfect strangers.

We are still answering the call of Bishop Curry’s words: go deep, go speak, go do. Disciples then and now must go more deeply in Scripture and tradition, our deepest reservoirs of spiritual practices. This is especially important in times of confusion and discouragement. That is when we are most likely to encounter Jesus: at our most vulnerable places. Disciples then and now must be willing to go speak and share their own personal stories of finding faith, hope and love in Jesus Christ. Disciples then and now must go out into the world and meet our neighbors where they are: at Habitat sites; in prisons; around circles of care for those casting off the yoke of poverty; among those who are the newcomers to our communities.

When we go deep, go speak and go do, our eyes are opened to new possibilities. Our hearts are on fire with the conviction and courage to be in communion with God and with our neighbors. Our fears melt away. Our sorrow turns to joy. Our despair is replaced with hope. Our fatigue is replaced with passion.

These are not just times of transition. These are occasions of transformation. We are not just growing and evolving. In Jesus Christ, we are a new creation. Still, there is a paradox of “now” and “not yet.”  We still share a yearning with the rest of creation for a fulfillment that is yet to come. We have a taste of the Kingdom of God. We’ve been set free from sin and the fear of death, but we still have yearning. God is not done with us yet.

St. Paul knew what it was like both to accept the good news that we have been welcomed into life in Christ and to know we must press on. “Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13)

All across our diocese I see signs of healthy transition and transformation. I see us all pressing on with eager anticipation for what lies ahead. I am impressed how our various worship communities are eager to analyze the changing demography of our state and accept the challenges of mission and ministry in the 21^st century. More and more disciples are taking it to the streets: in our A Movable Feast trailer; in history days exploring the good, the bad and the hopeful in our past; in study groups taking a deep look at the sin of racism. More and more of our churches are equipping themselves for the work of evangelism through Invite.Welcome.Connect and Go Speak: Sharing our Faith.

It’s true we’re in a time of transition. But we’re also on a path to transformation.

The Rt. Rev. Anne E. Hodges-Copple is the Bishop Diocesan Pro Tempore of the Diocese of North Carolina.