In Communion

No one is an island No one is alone, each happiness is from all And also the sadnesses We need each otherEach one for the other For which we shall defend Each man as a brother I saw the people reunited I heard the peole commenting And the song that they were murmuring Was beginning to sound like this: No one is an island..... This is pretty poetry. It is in a certain sense a trace of action of the influence that the Holy Spirit lets us recognize in His acting ultimately for all of us. Without doubt 2007 has been a tremendous year for all of us since God has permitted us to begin anew and to separate anew. That's to say, we are returning to the way.And I say this because it has a true theological relevance, Christologically to be more precise. How can a good academic touch lightly on this point? He returns to position us as a "note" or theological place - "The Way."
....some disciples were walking there "by the way" and "in the way" they recognized the Lord. Paul "in the way" discovered that the Lord Himself spoke to him. We are a community of "travellers." We are the community of the way. Possibly many other communities of "travellers like us" exist. Lutheran travellers; Presbyterian travellers, as well as Pentecostal, Baptists, Anglicans.
I do not believe that we are better than the other communities "of the way," we are only that - travellers.
.My perspective, if you follow me a little, from Chile is everything is seen towards above. Effectively we find ourselves finally moving up in the planisphere in a manner that I am obligated by a geographical situation to see you "towards above." Like when one desires to see a star, he should be obligated to raise his eyes.It is a good perspective. It is not the only perspective, but it is a good perspective, in the whole order of things. Our beloved AICW is a rich example of diversity and intimate love for its peoples and for the diverse stories of ways and travellers.
We all have a journey and many stories along the way. Glory to God. Thank you Lord for them all.
Now, curiously, we continue journeying. This time we do it all together like an original note. We take perhaps as the first time many and good partners of way.
It is a gift that the child God offers us of nativity scene for this Christmas. Many partners of way.

The entire AICW recognizes a North towards which it journeys. "The Kingdom of God," to promote it, recognize it, to make it tangible and believable today for every country, city, in each congregation and mission. The Kingdom of God is a Utopia that is made believable and possible in our midst and circumstances. It is begun within us when we become converted to the God of the Bible, which passes necessarily by the structures of our Church and transcends all of our society in order to become perfect and complete in the ultimate reality of God when He is All in All.
So if we have a compass that shows us this way, we fear nothing. We cannot miss the objective, nor to mistake the direction.

WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR OUR JOURNEY
The master of Nazareth teaches us..."don't take anything for the journey, neither clothes, nor food, nor two pairs of shoes..."Do not take thought about what you eat, nor where you sleep, nor even what you will speak..." Our journey does not require ANYTHING.
It is a promise of Christ. Nothing else is necessary for OUR JOURNEY, since it is a journey of faith. Of a patriarchal faith, the faith and the promise of Abraham our father. If we have already seen in these fews months the Glory of God by way of prodigies, just let us imagine dear brothers what God will do now. Marvellous.
It's not a matter of money, although it is important.
It's not a matter of many or few dioceses.
It's not a matter of many or few bishops.
It is not a matter of many or few congregations.
It is not a matter assured by numbers.
It is a question of the POWER OF GOD.
It is a question of faith.
That is what is necessary for our journey. FAITH and the Power of God.

We are a portion of the Catholic Church of Christ, a portion that has faith and posesses the power of God for its mission. The evil one and that which is evil shall not prevail against the Church of Chirst. There is so much and so much good amongst ourselves that I do not cease giving God thanks.

THE ROUTE OF THE JOURNEY FOR 2008
Two axis make our planet to remain in the place that God has assigned it. One turns on itself and allows us to have day and night, and the other turns the a major star, the Sun, and provides us with the four seasons of the years. Marvellous. Perfect within the perfect plan of God. Each day that dawns and then becomes night is a miracle in the creative plan of God. Each season of the year is a demonstration of the marvellous works of God. Marvellous. The same happens with our Province. Two axis. One for ourselves and our provinces that give us the day and the night. The other for our many brothers in the journey that give us four seasons.


THE AXIS OF DAY AND NIGHT
Our Dioceses are small lanterns shining in the midst of the night. God has allowed them to be there. Glory to God for them - they are a most beautiful bouquet of colored flowers. Each one of them is trying to be faithful to its specific calling. It is necessary to recognize to what God has added in each diocese, ministers and congregations. Nevertheless it is necessary to establish boundaries to seed-time. We should not hope that our dioceses ONLY arrive at ministers already formed from other Christian bodies with experience and included congregation; that was the VISION of the AICW, to capture congregations already formed, almost like multitudinous televangelistic (methods) to make the Body of Christ grow without ANY EFFORT of planting seeds, like a type of pastoral PARASITE, in order to make an organization big with the least amount of its own effort, without making progress in what we find along the journey (of faith).

This happened in the AICW - that brought about as a logical consequence that that Christian body you have it one day and then on the other it leaves because one is not disposed to walk together with it; its distinct purpose within the Body is not understood and I do not give anything to it because ultimately it is not mine. It is a PERVERSE logic far from the vision of God. We should be capable of planting more missions with the human resources that we possess. If there is not a sufficient number of clergy, God will utilize the laity close to us.
That multiplication has permanence in time. Those are and will be the true companions on the journey for the day of tomorrow. That is a permanent task for each Diocese of our Province - to grow with what we plant. But if it is not possible to have one's own church, a place is able to be rented, the homes and schools can be utilized, with creativity we can in the face of challenges cause to have effectively gatherings each week for the People of God. Our multiplied effect is explosive if we utilize the same process as the disciples of Christ.

Each Diocese should at least one time each year each meet in Synod, all laity and clergy and Bishop, to discover themselves, love themselves, celebrate the common faith, to relate with each other, to acknowledge each other. The same happens with the Provincial HOB - it is a privileged instance for God to assure all the paths in one journey, for the moment two times annually is sufficient given the geographic consideration of each diocese.
THE AXIS OF FOUR SEASONS
The marvel of having four seasons is a sign of the magnificent attributed of God, so that this second axis allows us as a Province to corrobborate, help, serve the rest of the travellers and all the communities of the way in the whole Universe.
Our relations with the other Christian bodies, the Vatican, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Seat of Canterbury, the World Lutheran Federation, etc. Between many other Christian bodies they wait for our company and our voice. God hopes that we accompany them in this hour and that we know hoe to serve them adequately. They shall see within our many responsibilities that we should result in this other matter" TO BE LIGHT for so many others who hid they own light under a bushel.
The master asks us to go on the journey from the other. We are an example of the Good Samaritan, those who detain us where some necessity exists, we accompany them, even without being invited. It is true that it is inconvenient and absolutely outside of Episcopal "Protocol," let us say, "offer" the invitated where they have not called us. Thus our perspective changes.
We almost do not have enough money for ourselves and nevertheless we should help and give our cloak to whomever asks us for fellowship. It is a ministry of faith. All are pleased to have ourselves close. There and also here. What is the characteristic, a true love and not feigned. A demonstrative love and a love obliged. Each one of us possesses a calling, a particular gift, which united and added to the whole province has enormous potential for us. Regardless of the constancy of our personal weaknesses.
I have a terrible problem with letters, which I would desire that they be brief, but always they are extended and expand greater than what I would desire. I am so sorry about this my brothers.
I see finally a AICW founded upon love, tolerance, and diversity.
I see a AICW correspondingly entailed for the rest of the Christianity, for official links and permanent ministries.
I see our word seasoned with salt to speak to and bless many persons and also to proclaim and testify on behalf of our God His salvific will for this last Kairos of which we form a part.
My heart for all,
+ Patricio