Archbishop Shane Mackinlay was installed last week as the eighth shepherd for the Church in south-east Queensland. It was a moment of great joy and significance for our local Church. For those who could not be present or who would like to relive the occasion, we invite you to view this highlights video. Please continue to keep Archbishop Shane in your prayers as he begins this sacred ministry, trusting that the Holy Spirit will guide him and all of us as we enter this new chapter together.
Transcript
Whenever we gather as Christians, we gather as part of the one Church of Jesus Christ. As parts of His body into which each of us has been baptised and as which we have together been entrusted with His mission. One of the main focuses for a bishop’s ministry is to strengthen and make visible our participation in that broader communion of the Church. Thereby building up the way we together belong to the body of Christ. From my earliest years in the seminary, I’ve been conscious of the gifts of the Church of Brisbane that have been shared with the broader Australian Church. This is a vibrant community of faith that lives out its commitment to carrying on in our own time the mission that Jesus entrusted to us. The second reading and the gospel that we have heard, which are the ones that happen to be set for today in the lectionary, both speak of Christian love. That radical love is a profound challenge to our human tendency, to think first of our own immediate needs and inclinations. It calls us instead to look beyond ourselves to those who we are least likely to notice. As Christians, we’re called to strive to make Jesus’ radical commitment real in our world today, which is never easy. But is even more important at this present time when the trend in so many communities is to turn inwards and withdraw from concern for the broader human family. A study earlier this year found that only 19% of Australians feel hopeful about the next few years. Interestingly, that study also found that the three most significant factors in improving people’s sense of hope are religious faith, connection to others, and being involved in shared action. It’s in those three dimensions of our Christian identity that we are called to show the radical love we see in Jesus and to carry on His mission of service in the world that is evoked in my Episcopal motto, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full”. Leaders matter of course, but it is only together as a community that we can live out the mission that has been entrusted to us. God’s word continues to be proclaimed amongst us. And as we heard in the first reading, God promises that his word will not return without succeeding in what it was sent to do, bringing life and nourishment in our world. I look forward to serving the Church of Brisbane as we develop our response to God’s word in our place and our time. Taking the next steps on our journey as God’s people by living out Jesus’ example of radical love and placing our hope in what God continues to do amongst us.