by The Rt. Rev. Cathleen Chittenden Bascom
Since the time of Shakespeare, the idea of “Walking the Talk” or acting on what you say, has been in the consciousness of English speakers. Christians and those who observe Christians take the idea particularly to heart asking do we/they just preach the Gospel, or do they also live it?
As I said at our last Diocesan Convention, I think that many Episcopalians in Kansas have truly been living the Gospel but that many of us are more reticent to speak about it. I say that this is likely due to the amount of judgment contained in some evangelism that does not fit our sense of Jesus’ Way of Love combined with Kansas-nice.
As members of the Jesus Movement, it is important that we not only “walk the talk” but that we begin to “talk the walk,” giving words to our actions and choices and being ready to share with others the reasons we choose to live as we do.
I am very excited that we can welcome the Rev. Dr. Sam Wells and his team from St. Martin in the Fields, London to Kansas this May for our Tocher Educational Event.
Many of us have been reading Wells’ book Humbler Faith, Bigger God this Lent. In it, Wells describes what he has heard as he listens to 21st-century U.S.-Euro. People. He hears their complaints and their questions. From a better understanding of our culture’s concerns about God, Religion, and the Church I believe this year’s Tocher event with Wells and his team will truly empower us to move into our neighborhoods to Talk-the-Walk and will make our congregations more vibrant. See below for how you can be a part of this great opportunity!
I am delighted to announce that this year’s Tocher Event is for all members of the diocese and will focus on the themes of evangelism, community and parish development, and the Church’s role in God’s Future. The Rev. Dr. Sam Wells is the Vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, and will be keynoting the 2024 Tocher Lecture on May 15-16 at St. Michael and All Angels, Mission. The entire event runs from noon on Wednesday through 4 p.m. on Thursday. Specific details of the schedule are found on the Diocese of Kansas website.
St. Martin-in-the-Fields is located in the heart of London on Trafalgar Square. Just blocks from the Houses of Parliament and adjacent to the National Gallery, this popular destination for tourists sees nearly fifteen million visitors per year. Amid all this hustle and bustle, St. Martin-in-the-Fields has become a church “for the neighborhood.” While most of our Kansas neighborhoods are quite different from central London, we have much to learn from how this community of faith welcomes waves of visitors to their church! They offer special concerts, art exhibits, and a cozy coffee shop in the church’s undercroft. Moreover, the congregation is equally adept at caring for its own members as it is at welcoming newcomers. This year’s Tocher Event will be an exciting opportunity to learn about congregational vitality from a truly vital congregation and its leadership.
Samuel+ Wells is the author of over forty books and his Tocher topics are: Beyond Atonement: Reconceiving the Identity of Christ, Living God’s Future Now: The Calling of Christians Today
as well as a session on ideas advocated in his recent book Humbler Faith: Bigger God.
St. Martin’s-in-the-Field music leaders are joining us too! Local music leaders, choir members, and musicians from our region are especially invited as several seminars will focus on the role of musicians in the parish-neighborhood relationship. Their part in worship at the event will provide us all the rich experience of how the St. Martin’s Voices are an integral part of evangelism and welcome. Funded through the generosity of the Diocese of Kansas’ Tocher Fund for Clergy Education and the St. Michael and All Angels Foundation, this is a formation event for the clergy, musicians, and other lay leaders of parishes and institutions in the six Bishop Kemper School for Ministry partner dioceses: Kansas, Western Kansas, Nebraska, West Missouri, Missouri, and Iowa. It is an exciting formation endeavor augmenting the programs offered directly by BKSM.
I strongly encourage you and the leaders of your parish to attend. You can register and find more information on the diocesan website.
835 SW Polk St.