Dear Family of Good Shepherd,<\/p>\n
Yesterday we gathered as we do every Sunday, at 8 and at 10. We came together as community, drawn together by our common faith, our connection to one another, our commitment to God, the Church, the Parish, each other. We prayed for those in need, mourned the death of a beloved parishioner, celebrated our children and teens and volunteers who teach them. We prayed for our fellow Christians in the Orthodox Church who are gathering in Crete for their first Council in a thousand years. We prayed for our Muslim brothers and sister as they observe the sacred fast of Ramadan. We prayed for the people who had died in Orlando, including the person responsible. At the time we didn’t know any details, but we didn’t need details to pray for fellow human beings who are suffering. <\/p>\n
Over the last day and half, we have learned many details. Rather than write my own reflection, I am forwarding two others. <\/p>\n
The first is a request for prayer and support from our sister and brother Muslims in the community. I am not including the signature of our Muslim brother who wrote this. It saddens me, it grieves me, it hurts me to have to do this to protect his identity. <\/p>\n
The second is a letter from the Bishops of New York. This Sunday, we’ll gather with Bishop Shin to celebrate Confirmation and Reception. We’ll renew our Baptismal Vows. The Bishops’ letter discusses about what this means.<\/p>\n
The national church website news@episcopalchurch.org has additional messages from our leaders, including a video from the Presiding Bishop. <\/p>\n
Please remember the words and witness of Jesus. We practice peace, love, compassion, understanding and forgiveness in small ways … and this builds our spiritual muscles. Thus we grow strong so that we are ready when called to practice these virtues in big ways. May we ask God to help us turn away from the very human temptation to want to fight hate with hate, violence with violence. <\/p>\n
IN peace and prayer,
\nRev. Gwyneth <\/p>\n
FROM OUR MUSLIM NEIGHBORS<\/strong> While I don’t speak officially for the Hudson Valley Islamic Community Center, in light of the horrific shootings in Orlando last night, I’d like to ask you all to remind your members and attendees not to use this incident to draw conclusions about Islam or Muslims. <\/p>\n Aside from the numerous aspects of our scripture that prohibit such conduct, it should be known that, according to the Washington Post, the shooter had been mentally unstable, had a history of violent domestic abuse upon his ex-wife, and was not a practicing Muslim. <\/p>\n Meanwhile, our Muslim community is very concerned about safety and security, particularly as we have Iftar and night prayer services every night through July 5th, with children, families, elderly, etc. filling out center. Yorktown PD has already been placed on alert and are going to step up their presence at our facility. <\/p>\n We ask that you keep us and our community in your thoughts and prayers and feel free to visit with us in solidarity. <\/p>\n Thank you FROM OUR BISHOPS<\/strong><\/em> Yesterday saw one of the worst mass shootings in recent American history, when a lone gunman killed and wounded more than a hundred people at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The shock and horror of this assault has covered our nation in mourning. Yet this was actually the 15th mass shooting in America so far in June, and the 133rd in 2016. Almost as horrifying as the killings themselves is the regularity with which we awaken to such reports, and the numbing of our sensibilities promoted by that regularity. We worry as well at the language of division and distrust, of racism and homophobia and Islamophobia, and of the demonizing of the stranger at the gate, which has characterized the rhetoric of some in the current election season. It seems that something essential to our common life is slipping away; that some essential thread of the fabric of our country is unravelling. <\/p>\n The shooter in Orlando has claimed a loyalty to ISIS and international terrorism, and the investigations to come will take place in that light. But we must not lose sight of the fact that his targeting of a nightclub frequented by members of the LGBT community was deliberate, and was a direct attack on that community. This violent expression of homophobic violence will certainly be and should be characterized as a hate crime, and comes also in the week in which we remember the shooting of nine African American men and women at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston twelve months ago. Too often we see the escalating patterns of violence target those who have been historically marginalized in America. The Black Lives Matter movement has challenged our country over the lack of consequence and regard when people of color are killed or murdered, and today in our sorrow we say with the same conviction that LGBT Lives Matter, and remember the long record of violence against members of that community. Too often we are called to mind of the deeper currents in American life and history which have dehumanized and devalued our own brothers and sisters. To those who knew and loved the victims of this weekend’s violence, to the LGBT community in New York and around our country, and to a nation in mourning, we extend our deepest condolences and care, and our commitment to justice and equality, and to the right of all people to live in safety and peace. <\/p>\n President Obama has asked today what kind of country we want to be. That is a good question. In the wake of these shootings in Orlando, we your bishops made our parish visitations yesterday. As we prepared to receive candidates for confirmation, we again led the people of our churches in the renewal of our Baptismal Covenant. We renounced the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the people of God. We committed again to strive for justice and peace, and to respect the dignity of every human being. Against the background of such violence, these vows and promises carry a special poignancy, but they are in fact where the Christian life begins. It is where we declare the kind of men and women we will be, and the kind of community we intend to create and shape. It is a central tenet of our faith that people bound by such vows, accepting and embracing our redemption in Jesus, rising with Jesus into new life, may be salt and leaven and light for a suffering world in desperate need of godly transformation. <\/p>\n We commend the victims of the shootings in Orlando to your prayers and the prayers of your parish. But prayer alone is not enough. Now is the time to reach out in grace and power, and in brotherhood and sisterhood with the larger community of which our churches are a part. Let the Muslim congregations and people around you know that you refuse to characterize their whole community and people by the actions of this man. Let the LGBT community around you, and especially the great number of gay and lesbian people in our pews, know that they are beloved members of our community, and today we mourn with them the loss of their many friends, loved by us and by God. And we ask all Christian people in the Diocese of New York to re-embrace the risen life to which you have been called, to join with one another to build true inclusive community in our churches and bear witness to that before the world, to be repairers of the breach, to trust God and God’s Kingdom Come, to never forget to love neighbor and enemy, to be advocates and servants of justice for all people, and to be ever in the things you do and the things you say witnesses to the love of God for all people, witnesses to the life and love of the Prince of Peace. And as always we remain<\/p>\n Yours, ++++ 13 de Junio de 2016<\/p>\n Amados Hermanos y Hermanas,<\/p>\n Ayer tuvo lugar uno de los peores tiroteos masivos en la historia reciente de los Estados Unidos, cuando un hombre armado mat\u00f3 e hiri\u00f3 a m\u00e1s de un centenar de personas en un club nocturno en Orlando, Florida. La conmoci\u00f3n y el horror de este asalto han cubierto nuestra naci\u00f3n de luto. Sin embargo, \u00e9ste es en realidad el tiroteo masivo n\u00famero 15 en los Estados Unidos en lo que va de junio, y el 133 en el a\u00f1o 2016. Casi tan horripilante como las matanzas mismas es la regularidad con la que nos despertamos a tales informes, y el embotamiento de nuestras sensibilidades ocasionado por esa regularidad.<\/p>\n Nos preocupa tambi\u00e9n el lenguaje de la divisi\u00f3n y la desconfianza, del racismo y la homofobia y la Islam- fobia y de la demonizaci\u00f3n del forastero en la puerta, que ha caracterizado a la ret\u00f3rica de algunos en el actual per\u00edodo de elecciones. Parece que algo esencial para nuestra vida en com\u00fan se est\u00e1 escapando, que parte del hilo esencial del tejido de nuestro pa\u00eds se est\u00e1 destruyendo.<\/p>\n El hombre que dispar\u00f3 en Orlando ha declarado lealtad a ISIS y al terrorismo internacional, y las investigaciones por venir tendr\u00e1n lugar a la luz de esto. Pero, no hay que perder de vista el hecho de que deliberadamente eligi\u00f3 como blanco a un club nocturno frecuentado por miembros de la comunidad LGBT y fue un ataque directo a esa comunidad. Esta expresi\u00f3n violenta de la violencia homof\u00f3bica sin duda ser\u00e1 y debe ser caracterizado como un crimen de odio, y ocurre tambi\u00e9n en la semana en que recordamos el tiroteo de nueve hombres y mujeres afroamericanos en la Iglesia Emmanuel AME en Charleston hace doce meses atr\u00e1s. Con demasiada frecuencia vemos los patrones de la escalada de la violencia que eligen como blancos a aquellos que han sido marginados hist\u00f3ricamente en Am\u00e9rica.<\/p>\n El movimiento Las Vidas Negras Importan ha desafiado a nuestro pa\u00eds por la falta de consecuencia y sentido cuando las personas de color son muertos o asesinados, y hoy d\u00eda en nuestro dolor decimos con la misma convicci\u00f3n de que las Vidas LGBT Importan, y recordamos el largo historial de violencia contra los miembros de esa comunidad. A quienes conoc\u00edan y amaban a las v\u00edctimas de la violencia de este fin de semana, a la comunidad LGBT en Nueva York y en todo nuestro pa\u00eds, y a una naci\u00f3n de luto, extendemos nuestras condolencias m\u00e1s profundas y nuestra preocupaci\u00f3n, y nuestro compromiso con la justicia y la igualdad, y el derecho de todas las personas a vivir en condiciones de seguridad y de paz.<\/p>\n El presidente Obama ha preguntado hoy, qu\u00e9 tipo de pa\u00eds que queremos ser. Esa es una buena pregunta.<\/p>\n En la estela de estos tiroteos en Orlando, nosotros, sus obispos hicimos nuestras visitas parroquiales ayer. Mientras nos prepar\u00e1bamos para recibir candidatos para la confirmaci\u00f3n, otra vez condujimos a la gente de nuestras iglesias en la renovaci\u00f3n de nuestro Pacto Bautismal. Renunciamos a los poderes malignos de este mundo que corrompen y destruyen al pueblo de Dios. Nos comprometimos una vez m\u00e1s a luchar por la justicia y la paz, y por el respeto a la dignidad de cada ser humano<\/p>\n En el contexto de este tipo de violencia, estos votos y promesas tienen una intensidad especial, pero son, de hecho, donde comienza la vida cristiana. Es donde declaramos la clase de hombres y mujeres que seremos, y el tipo de comunidad que queremos crear y formar.<\/p>\n Un principio central de nuestra fe es que las personas obligadas por tales votos, aceptan y abrazan nuestra redenci\u00f3n en Jes\u00fas, resucitan con Jes\u00fas a una nueva vida, pueden ser sal y fermento y luz para un mundo que sufre una urgente necesidad de la transformaci\u00f3n divina.<\/p>\n Encomendamos a las v\u00edctimas de los tiroteos en Orlando a sus oraciones y a las oraciones de su parroquia. Pero, la oraci\u00f3n por s\u00ed sola no es suficiente. Ahora es el momento de llegar en hermandad, gracia y poder a la comunidad m\u00e1s grande de la cual nuestras iglesias forman parte.<\/p>\n H\u00e1ganle saber a las congregaciones musulmanas y a la gente a su alrededor, que usted se niega a caracterizar a toda su comunidad y a las personas por las acciones de este hombre.<\/p>\n H\u00e1ganle saber a la comunidad LGBT alrededor suyo, y sobre todo al gran n\u00famero de personas homosexuales y lesbianas en nuestros bancos de las iglesias, que son amados miembros de nuestra comunidad, y hoy lloramos con ellos la p\u00e9rdida de sus muchos amigos, amados por nosotros y por Dios.<\/p>\n Y les pedimos a todos los cristianos de la Di\u00f3cesis de Nueva York que vuelvan a abrazar la vida resucitada a la que han sido llamados, a unirse entre s\u00ed para construir una verdadera comunidad inclusiva en nuestras iglesias y den testimonio de esto ante el mundo, a ser reparadores de la brecha, a confiar en Dios y en el Venidero Reino de Dios, nunca olvidar amar al vecino y al enemigo, para ser defensores y servidores de la justicia para todas las personas, y para ser siempre testigos del amor de Dios por todas las personas en las cosas que haces y que dices, ser testigos de la vida y del amor del Pr\u00edncipe de la Paz. Dear Family of Good Shepherd, Yesterday we gathered as we do every Sunday, at 8 and at 10. 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\nDear friends,<\/p>\n
\nYours in faith,
\n(Signature of a member of the HVICC)\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\nOrlando: Prayer Alone is Not Enough
\nJune 13, 2016
\nOur dear Brothers and Sisters,<\/p>\n
\n The Right Reverend Andrew M.L. Dietsche
\nBishop of New York
\nThe Right Reverend Allen K. Shin
\nBishop Suffragan
\nThe Right Reverend Mary D. Glasspool
\nBishop Assistant<\/p>\n
\nespLos Obispos sobre Orlando: “La Oraci\u00f3n no es Suficiente”<\/p>\n
\nCon demasiada frecuencia se nos llama a ocuparnos de las corrientes m\u00e1s profundas en la vida americana y la historia que han deshumanizado y devaluado a nuestros propios hermanos y hermanas.<\/p>\n
\nY como siempre quedamos de ustedes
\nSuyos,
\n Dietsche sig
\n El Reverend\u00edsimo Obispo Andrew M.L. Dietsche
\nObispo de Nueva York
\nEl Reverend\u00edsimo Obispo Allen K Shin
\nObispo Sufrag\u00e1neo
\nLa Reverend\u00edsima Obispa Mary D Glasspool
\nObispo Auxiliar<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"