9 Lessons Learned From 50 Years of Ministry

Bishop Gene Robinson recently marked 50 years as a priest, and he has collected some lessons that apply to both clergy and lay people.

Bishop Robinson, the retired bishop of New Hampshire and the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Communion, is a longtime friend of this Cathedral and pops in regularly to preach and lead classes. He’s been a priest for 50 years and a bishop for 20, and he spoke to the gathered clergy of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington for an annual Holy Week service to renew their vows.

Here are his top nine lessons learned, which he said can apply both to the preachers and the pews:

1. None of us is the Messiah. That already happened.
2. Each morning, in addition to asking, ‘what do I need to do today?’ I would humbly suggest to you that you ask, ‘What kind of a human being do I want to be today?’
3. Preach better than you practice.
4. If no one feeds the shepherd, the shepherd will eat the sheep.
5. Be as humble as you can.
6. Refuse to be a victim. Lay down your life willingly.
7. You have only one story to tell, and it’s the story of your own salvation.
8. Walk with your people, listen to their stories, help them understand those stories in light of the scriptures, break bread with them and then get out of their way.
9. As scripture says in Philippians chapter 4, rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say rejoice.