The Episcopal Church of the United States, like the Church of Ireland, is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and has four instruments of unity. People from all over our world are part of the Anglican Communion, bound together by a Book of Common Prayer. Bishops, or apostles like St. Paul, are symbols of our unity in Christ’s one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. As one bishop once said, “It takes the whole world to tell the whole gospel story.”

As the mother of two children, I am fond of a very old and well-known joke. One Sunday morning, a mother began to waken her son. “George, it’s time to wake up.” George replied, “I don’t want to get up. I’m tired!” “But Georgie, you have to get up; it’s Sunday, and we don’t want to be late for Church.” He replied: “I don’t want to go to Church!” “Oh George, it’s Sunday, and you have to go to Church.” “I don’t want to go,” he said again.

“But why not?” his mother asked.  read more