DioBeth newSpin

091127.newSpin.interesting, perhaps useful, news and spin

The December 2009 issue of Diocesan Life may be downloaded here.

Advent resources ... Kat Lehman's comprehensive compilation of Advent resources is on the DioBeth website.

Music for Advent ... Rorate Coeli ... Veni Veni Emmanuel ... O Come, All Ye Faithful, by Celtic Woman ... Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending, by Lichfield Cathedral Choir ... O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, by Casting Crowns ... O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, by Enya ...

To benefit Allentown and Grace Montessori School ... A project –– traditional and fine art photos taken within Allentown by aspiring local artists –– sponsored by Dan’s Camera, Allentown Brew Works, The Morning Call, and Nikon Cameras will benefit Allentown and Grace Montessori School. Read more here. You might find a special Chrstmas gift. Grace Montessori School will recieve a substantial percentage of the purchase price on all the products Dan's Camera City has produced at cost.

Diocesan Life.December 09

Download a pdf of the December 2009 issue of Diocesan Life below. It's a 2.2 MB file.

Download DioLife.0912.small.pdf

To promote Allentown and benefit Grace Montessori School

A project –– traditional and fine art photos taken within Allentown by aspiring local artists –– sponsored by Dan’s Camera, Allentown Brew Works, The Morning Call, and Nikon Cameras will benefit Allentown and Grace Montessori School. GMS, an outreach ministry of Grace Church Allentown which provides scholarships to 30% of its student body, including inner-city children, was selected by a group of local businesses and Mike Woodland, co-owner of Dan’s Camera City in Allentown, to receive a substantial donation from a project designed to promote Allentown and a specific non-profit organization.

Throughout the summer and fall, Dan’s Camera City, described in the NYTimes as "one of he most innovative camera stores in the country," had offered three six-week photo journaling classes for which the primary subject was the City of Allentown. Approximately 45 students took photographs and met with their instructor to create photographic stories of Allentown while improving their camera skills.

Products featuring the photos of Allentown donated by the students have been created by Dan’s Camera City and will be offered for sale in the community. The products include a hard cover book, a 2010 calendar, note cards and framed photos. Depending on the specific product, GMS will receive 30 to 50 percent of the sales price. Dan's Camera City has produced and is providing these at cost.

The Morning Call and the Brew Works and Grace Church are providing publicity and hospitality for various aspects of the project. Nikon is donating five SLR cameras to GMS.

A password-protected website will be made available for GMS parents. The site will contain many candid shots of the students and the school of particular interest to parents. Those shots are not featured among the other products.

Lutherans cut budget, discuss mission

Lutherans cut budget, discuss mission

According to the Salisbury Post (NC) and press releases from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA is undergoing the same difficulties as The Episcopal Church due to the economic situation and for standing with their gay, lesbian, transgender clergy and laity in leadership positions

Reporting for Episcopal Cafe, Ann Fontaine wonders: Interesting that the ELCA, though much larger than the Episcopal Church gets so little coverage of its difficulties. Why?

According to the Salisbury Post (NC) and press releases from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA is undergoing the same difficulties as The Episcopal Church due to the economic situation and for standing with their gay, lesbian, transgender clergy and laity in leadership positions

Reporting for Episcopal Cafe, Ann Fontaine wonders: Interesting that the ELCA, though much larger than the Episcopal Church gets so little coverage of its difficulties. Why?

Rorate Caeli

via www.youtube.com

Veni Veni Emmanuel

via www.youtube.com

O' Come All Ye Faithful – Celtic Woman

[Thanks to Kelly Harris of the Diocese of West Texas]

Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending – Lichfield Cathedral Choir

[Thanks to Kelly Harris of the Diocese of West Texas]

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel – Casting Crowns

[Thanks to Kelly Harris of the Diocese of West Texas]

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel – Enya

[Thanks to Kelly Harris of the Diocese of West Texas]

091124.newSpin.interesting, perhaps useful, news and spin

The Diocese of Bethlehem ...
DioBethWebsite ... newSpin Blog ... DiobethKids ...  Share the Bread ... Bakery (Get Connected) ... Audio ... Photos ... On Twitter ... On Facebook ... On YouTube ...

The Episcopal Church ... Website ... NewsLine ... News & Notices ... EpiScope ... InfoLine ... Episcopal Life Online ... I am Episcopalian ... Weekly Bulletin Inserts ... On Twitter ... On Facebook ... and on YouTube.

An Episcopal Church ad was featured in the Friday, November 20 edition of USA Today, receiving national exposure. The print ad in various sizes centering on "The Episcopal Church Welcomes You" was designed also for local and regional use. Read the story here. See the ads here.

North Parish's Thanksgiving meal ... [From Dolores Evans] Holy Apostles in North Parish (Schuylkill County) will have its annual Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, a free dinner for anyone who would like to come. This has become a community event where most of the food is donated by other churches as well as companies and people throughout North Parish. Last year almost 300 dinners were delivered to homes between 11 and 1. Approximately 50 people chose to join together for the Thanksgiving dinner at 1 p.m. This has been a great outreach program in North Parish.

Thanksgiving meal at St. John's Palmerton ... Thursday, noon to 2:00.

Thanksgiving in hard times ... a column by Charles Rice, interim rector, Trinity Mount Pocono, published by the Pocono Record Stroudsburg.

Thanks on the Threes ... a column by Bill Lewellis.

A not-so-conservative, women-ordaining but gay unfriendly church ... "A group of Lutherans are so angry over the ELCA's decision to allow for the inclusion of partnered gay clergy into their ranks under certain limited conditions that they want to form their own denomination," reports Andrew Gerns at Episcopal Cafe. "But these breakaway Lutherans don't want to join up with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod nor the Wisconsin Synod, because they do not allow for the ordination of women and take the Bible too literally for their tastes. So this would be a not-so-conservative, women-ordaining but gay unfriendly church." Peter Pearson notes in a comment on Andrew's report: "In twenty years when all these folks (both Lutheran and "Anglican") are gone, their kids and grandkids won't care about this issue. This break away has a shelf life of about twenty years and then what? Imagine a group of folks who may have formed a church around segregation. How would that look today? Pretty sad and not at all Christian."

Evensong and healing the world ... Mark Guydish, writing in The Times Leader of Northeastern Pennsylvania, reflects on Evensong and the Presiding Bishop's clear message of mission.

The Presiding Bishop – An Appreciation and Reminder for Parish Leaders ... During her visit to the Diocese of Bethlehem, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was attentive, appreciative, and evocative. She gave feedback. She was encouraging. She could, when necessary change. She maintained a non-anxious presence and she stayed connected. –– [The Bishop's column, accessible here, will appear in the December issue of Diocesan Life.]During her November 9-12 visit, Bishop Katharine preached at Evensongs and responded to questions at open forums in Bethlehem, Lebanon and Wilkes-Barre. She visited Grace Church and Grace Montessori School in Allentown; toured New Bethany Ministries and Trinity Soup Kitchen in Bethlehem; met with Moravians in Bethlehem; met with Project REACH coordinators and the youth of the diocese in Wilkes-Barre; and celebrated Eucharist with the clergy at Good Shepherd in Scranton. You can download photos of the visit here, here, here, and here. Andrew Gerns wrote a report for Episcopal Cafe on the Presiding Bishop's visit with the Moravians which you can find here. Mary Frances Schjonberg also wrote an article for Episcopal Life Online here on the Moravian-Episcopal dialogue. The Morning Call wrote an article on her visit to Bethlehem; find it here. The Lebanon Daily News wrote of her visit; find it here. The Times-Leader, Wilkes-Barre wrote several reports on the Presiding Bishop's visit to St. Stephen's, find them here and here. WNEP-TV also reported on her visit which you can find here. There was also an excellent opinion piece by Mark Guydish from the Times-Leader which you can read here.

In-Formation in Bethlehem ... If you missed the November issue of Anne's Kitch's In-Formation newsletter, take a look here. Resources for Advent, adult formation and much more. "As human beings, we are constantly being formed and shaped by all that surrounds us," Anne writes. "As people of God, our faith lives are always in formation. This eNewsletter offers resources for adult education, spiritual nurture, family faith and children’s ministries. Faith formation is a lifelong process; enjoy the journey!"

Bishop Paul will ordain three to the order of deacon on Monday, Dec. 21, 7:00 p.m., at St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral, Wilkes-Barre (15 South Franklin Street): Brian Alexander Pavlac, Christine Marie Sutton, Michelle Denise White.

Ira Houck at Fort Hood Vigil ... Many of the quotes in this Episcopal Life Online article on the Fort Hood Vigil were from Chaplain Ira Houck, a priest of the Diocese of Bethlehem, onetime assistant at the Cathedral. There's also a USA Today story that includes seven photos of Chaplain Houck on the USA Today website. Click on "Chaplains on the front line" toward the bottom of the first screen.

Living in God's Time ... Can our calendars become a source of reorientation of who we really are and whose we really are? Instead of being a taskmaster, can they point us to living in rhythm with our True Master? Can our calendars in the 21st century teach us to live in God’s time and God’s story? Read more here.

What is God's Economy ... Read the current issue of Trinity News magazine (from Trinity Wall Street) here.

Pray for our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families … Ryan L. Zorn, 35; Joseph M. Lewis, 26; Brian M. Patton, 37; John J. Cleaver, 36; Daniel A. Frazier, 25; Nicholas J. Hand, 20; Briand T. Williams, 25 ... for the fallen heroes also of our coalition partners ... and for the citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan who have died, unnamed and unknown to us, and for those who mourn ... and for an end to this endless war. [Posted on the Bakery and the newSpin blog, usually on Tuesdays, with names found over seven days.]

World AIDS Day ... Night Prayers for Hope and Healing at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 8:00 p.m. Episcopal Life Weekly bulletin inserts for Nov. 29 carry Presiding Bishop's message for World AIDS Day. "December 1 each year is World AIDS Day, an occasion both to remember the 25 million beloved children of God who have lost their lives to the pandemic over the past three decades, and to rededicate ourselves to building a future without AIDS," writes Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. She reminds Episcopalians of the need for action and advocacy so that the worldwide AIDS pandemic continues to be a priority for the Church and for the United States.

Become a baker in the House of Bread ... If you are interested in more news, issues, ideas, opinion and conversation related to our diocesan community, the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, you might consider becoming a baker in the House of Bread's new Bakery. Go to the "Get Connected" box on the right side of our diocesan website. Fill in your name and email address, and click on "My Groups." In the next window that comes up, check Bakery. Bakery, of course, is a play on Bethlehem meaning "House of Bread" in Hebrew. Subscribed to Bakery, you will receive several notes daily (perhaps two, perhaps ten when the oven is hot) and you will be able to enter the conversation by posting your own notes to the group, i.e., to the other bakers. News is fresh in the Bakery long before you see it in print in Diocesan Life. If you choose to do so, thank you for becoming a baker in the House of Bread.

Listening Hearts ... [From Dolores Evans] Everywhere around us there are people who need to make important decisions in their lives. Some may want to discern a call to the ministry, others may be concerned about a job change, while others may have concerns about personal relationships. Listening Hearts is a program that can help individuals and/or groups discover what God is calling them to do. Through our relationships with others, God reaches out to us. [Read more here.]

Fight the flu with facts  ... See the comprehensive flu.gov website.

12 Days of Christmas for Kajo Keji ... Our World Mission Committee is again sponsoring the 12 Days of Christmas for Kajo Keji. Here's a bulletin insert. Your support was so critical last year. Instead of giving Aunt Mildred a sweater she doesn't want, why not give a gift in her honor to those really in need? Items range in price from $5 to $250. Deadline is December 15. Call Jo Trepagnier, 610-434-0155, if you have any questions. Similar info appears on the back cover of the November issue of Diocesan Life.

Rowan tweaks Benedict ... [ Andrew Gerns reporting at Episcopal Cafe] Reuters and the New York Times read the speech that the Most Rev. Rowan Williams gave at the Vatican last week as both a defense of the Anglican Communion and a mild rebuke of the Roman Catholic approach to ecumenism. The Times of London thinks that the Archbishop could do a little more tweaking. Bishop Alan Wilson says that Williams speech signals another kind of unity, not a juridical unity and not a homogenized church but something deeper. [More here]

Yes, Virginia, there is a future for Anglican/Catholic ties ... [John Allen, writing at his National Catholic Reporter blog, Nov. 23] Pope Benedict XVI and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, held a brief tête-à-tête in Rome on Saturday, amid the latest in a seemingly endless series of crises in relations between the Catholic church and the Anglican Communion. This time, the issue was the Vatican’s decision to create special structures for traditionalist Anglicans wishing to become Catholics. In the main, both Benedict and Williams reaffirmed their commitment to good ties, even if Williams did gently chide the pontiff for what Williams saw as a failure to consult Anglican leaders more thoroughly in advance of the recent move. (In an address at the Jesuit-run Gregorian University, Williams also defended the ordination of women and suggested that differences over such matters “may not be as fundamentally church-dividing as our Roman Catholic friends generally assume.”) This weekend’s encounter provides an opportunity to step back and contemplate the state of things between Anglicans and Catholics. To be sure, Catholicism isn’t General Motors or Microsoft – but if it were, a bean-counter in Rome might put down his eyeshade to ask: Why do we bother? Read more.

The Episcopal Church pushes back ... in an op-ed piece, an ad and a letter to the editor. More here.

40 Berks youngsters get a taste of homelessness ... Read the Reading Eagle story here and the Pottstown Mercury story here.

The Advent Conspiracy ... Mediator Allentown (1620 Turner Street) will host a four-part series during the Adult Forum hour (9:00 a.m. on Sundays) called The Advent Conspiracy. How did Christmas become about spending money, traffic jams and stress? Learn to refocus preparation for Christmas in four ways: Worship Fully (11/29), Spend Less (12/6), Give More (12/13), Love All (12/20).

Applications for UTO Grants for 2010 are due in the Bishop's office by December 31, 2009. If you need an application, please contact Jane Teter asap.

Small is Beautiful ... by Wendy McCormick ... Statisticians tell us that while the majority of church members in the U.S. attend a large church, the majority of congregations are small. Many of these congregations provide an anchoring presence in the rural or small town communities they call home, and some offer services and programs to benefit the community at large and not just "their own." Most small congregations enjoy much higher percentages of their members in worship and ministry than do their larger counterparts, and many make generous contributions to mission in the community and the wider world, especially in proportion to their size. [Read more here. H/T to Anne Kitch]

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity ... January 18-25. Find resources here.

21 Ways to Pray ... Some ways for everyone.

The Atlantic magazine takes on the "prosperity gospel"

Find earlier issues of the newSpin newsletter here.

Bill Lewellis, Communication Minister/Editor (1986), Canon Theologian (1998)
Diocese of Bethlehem, 333 Wyandotte Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Website, Blog, Email (c)610-216-2726, (w)610-691-5655x229, (h)610-820-7673
Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible.
Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. [Bernard Lonergan]

Bill Lewellis, Communication Minister/Editor (1986), Canon Theologian (1998)
Diocese of Bethlehem, 333 Wyandotte Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Website, Blog, Email (c)610-216-2726, (w)610-691-5655x229, (h)610-820-7673
Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible.
Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. [Bernard Lonergan]

Thanks on the Threes

By Bill Lewellis

[This is a slight revision of a column published in The Morning Call in 2007.]

Near the southern end of the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, when New Jersey by way of the Walt Whitman Bridge is my destination, I listen to a Philadelphia radio station at 2, 12, 22, 32, 42 and 52 minutes after the hour. KYW promotes this minute as Traffic on the Twos. Listening helps me determine whether the Schuylkill Expressway or the Blue Route and I-95 North might be the better, or at least the less harrowing, way to my destination.

My occasional Traffic on the Twos practice has suggested another practice I've devised to help with a daily journey.

I give thanks for some happening or relationship of the preceding three hours as I reflect for a few seconds at 9:00 a.m., noon, and 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. Thanks on the Threes.

It helps, often in unexpected ways. When I'm inclined to complain, I search between the threes for something or someone to be thankful for.

St. Paul encourages us to "pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances." Alice Walker advises us to "live frugally on surprise." Brother David Steindl-Rast asks if we've ever noticed how our eyes open a bit wider when we are surprised. Surprise is the beginning of living with a clue.

Be surprised, obviously grateful, as you walk thrugh a supermarket brimming with the gifts of God and the labor of people you'll never know.

Be surprised when your car starts tomorrow morning.

As a "high-use, low-tech" person, I'm surprised when my computer works, even though it works 99% of the time.

I'm surprised when I'm able to connect so quickly with somene by email, post something on a blog, download a podcast, lay out a newspaper with a computer program and convert the page files to specs required by a distant printer.

Using computer technology has been part of my job for many years, but I'm still surprised when it works. And I'm grateful for the Info/Tech person who fixes it when it doesn't.

When I sit with my laptop to write a column or sermon, I'm surprised to see paragraphs begin to appear on the screen, even though my head has been playing with the topic one way or another for days.

Someday, the words will not come. I will not chance putting thoughts together for public scrutiny. Someday, my sight and reflexes will not allow me to chance the drive to the bridge. Someday, my legs won't tolerate the elliptical workout I need to take time to do.

This Thanksgiving I will remember how good I have felt over the past month, after having experienced some six months of ill health earlier this year.

I hope I will continue to enjoy being surprised, continue to thank God on the threes, continue to be grateful that the whole of my life is greater than the sum of its parts.

"For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea ... For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, our friends ... For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve. For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity ... For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty and justice ... We thank you, Lord. (From A Litany of Thanksgiving in the Book of Common Prayer)

[Bill Lewellis has been communication minister for the Diocese of Bethlehem, the Episcopal Church in 14 counties of eastern and northeastern ennsylvania, since 1986, and canon theologian since 1998.]

Father Abraham and Gandhian peace work

On Saturday afternoon, November 14, ten persons from around the Diocese of Bethlehem came together at St. John's, Palmerton, to listen to Father Abraham Valiath tell the story of his very active involvement in Gandhian peace work in his home country of India. Gandhi, who based much of his thought on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, embraced the concept of ahimsa or nonviolence which, Father Abraham pointed out, is a spiritual and moral force Gandhi applied to affect social change.

Father Abraham's early work involved publishing literature opposing the actions of the government and social institutions that violated people's civil and social rights, particularly the poor. Later he affected significant land reform, arranging for poor people to finally be granted ownership of land they had been working for generations

His inspiration and effectiveness through all this has been his Christian faith and his life of active prayer. “Peace comes first from within –– in the silence and quietness –– and from developing our inner [person] by exercising that discipline everyday in everything we do,” he said. And this is not just a personal venture, but rather “peace is the responsibility of all Christian people.”

The newSpin newsletter archived

Find earlier issues of the newSpin newsletter (updated August 9, 2010)  ... 100927 ... 100923  ... 100916 ... 100913 ... 100909 ... 100906 ... 100902 ... 100830 ... 100826 ... 100823 ... 100819 .... 100816 ... 100812 ... 100809 ,,, 100805 ... 100802 ...100729 ... 100726 ... 100720 ... 100715 ... 100712 ... 100708 ... 100705 ... 100701 ... 100628 ... 100624 ... 100621 ... 100617 ... 100614 ... 100610 ... 100607 ... 100603 ... 100531 ... 100527 ... 100524 ... 100520 ... 100517 ... 100513 ... 100510 ... 100506 ... 100504 ... 100429 ... 100426 ... 100422 ... 100419 ... 100415 ... 100408 ... 100405 ... 100401 ... 100329 ... 100325 ... 100322 ... 100318 ... 100315 ... 100311 ... 100308 ... 100304 ... 100301 ... 100225 ... 100218 ... 100215 ... 100211 ... 100208 ... 100204 ... 100201 .. 100128 ... 100125 ... 100121 ... 100117 ... 100111 ... 100108 ... 100104 ... 100101 ... 091229 ... 091221 ... 091218 ... 091215 ... 091211 ... 091208 ... 091204 ... 091201 ... 091127 ... 091124 ... 091118 ... 091110 ... 091108 ... 091104 ... 091031 ... 091027 ... 091023 ... 091020 ... 091016 ... 091013 ... 091006 ... 090929 .. 090923 ... 090901 ... There are more.

Rethinking the Catholic 'box score'

By John L Allen Jr
Created Nov 20, 2009
John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter begins this column with a reference to Moneyball (2003) by Michael Lewis. Serious baseball fans recognize that Lewis' booki "exposed a dirty little secret that baseball's best minds already understood: the categories that shape judgments about the game are often badly flawed."

He then suggests that "a Catholic version of Moneyball might offer two challenges to the ecclesiastical box score: (1) Thinking not just in local or national terms, but globally. (2) Focusing not just on controversy, scandal, and newspaper headlines, but where ordinary Catholics actually invest their time and treasure.

"Ministry to the deaf," Allen continues, "is a relatively new pastoral category, [that has] emerged as creative impulses usually do, from ordinary Catholics seeing a need and trying to meet it. Officialdom is simply ratifying something already bubbling at the grassroots. If you want a measure of how over-emphasis on a limited set of categories distorts perceptions, consider this: Barrels of ink have been spilled dissecting the Vatican's outreach to disgruntled Anglicans, which, realistically, might bring a few thousand new members into the church worldwide. Here [in ministry to the deaf] you have an effort to integrate 1.3 million folks more thoroughly into the church, and it flies below radar -- because, of course, ministry to the deaf doesn't open a new front in the culture wars, which is a category we in the West take very seriously indeed." ...

"Perhaps all this could be the basis of a new "box score" for the church, meaning a better set of categories for thinking about what really matters. If Sabermetrics [Lewis' box score] can help the Red Sox break the Bambino's curse (and I say this as a diehard Yankees fan), its potential for generating winning strategies in Catholic life may well be almost unlimited."

Allen's column is accessible here.

Consider how badly flawed are some categories that shape judgments about religion.

091118.newSpin.interesting, perhaps useful, news and spin

Bishop Paul offers interim measures for same-gender blessings ... In accordance with the General Convention 2009 observation that "the discernment of The Episcopal Church is that there are no theological barriers to blessing ... same-sex relationships that are based on love, fidelity and lifelong commitment ..." I offer the following interim measures ... [Download the document here. Read the Episcopal Life Online story here. Read The Living Church story here.] "Your thoughts are welcome," Bishop Paul said. "Your rector is probably the best place to express them."

The Presiding Bishop – An Appreciation and Reminder for Parish Leaders ... During her visit to the Diocese of Bethlehem, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was attentive, appreciative, and evocative. She gave feedback. She was encouraging. She could, when necessary change. She maintained a non-anxious presence and she stayed connected. –– [The Bishop's column, accessible here, will appear in the December issue of Diocesan Life.]

During her November 9-12 visit, Bishop Katharine preached at Evensongs and responded to questions at open forums in Bethlehem, Lebanon and Wilkes-Barre. She visited Grace Church and Grace Montessori School in Allentown; toured New Bethany Ministries and Trinity Soup Kitchen in Bethlehem; met with Moravians in Bethlehem; met with Project REACH coordinators and the youth of the diocese in Wilkes-Barre; and celebrated Eucharist with the clergy at Good Shepherd in Scranton. You can download photos of the visit here, here, here, and here. Andrew Gerns wrote a report for Episcopal Cafe on the Presiding Bishop's visit with the Moravians which you can find here. Mary Frances Schjonberg also wrote an article for Episcopal Life Online here on the Moravian-Episcopal dialogue. The Morning Call wrote an article on her visit to Bethlehem; find it here. The Lebanon Daily News wrote of her visit; find it here. The Times-Leader, Wilkes-Barre wrote several reports on the Presiding Bishop's visit to St. Stephen's, find them here and here. WNEP-TV also reported on her visit which you can find here. There was also an excellent opinion piece by Mark Guydish from the Times-Leader which you can read here.

Bishop Paul will ordain three deacons on Monday, Dec. 21, 7:00 p.m., at St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral, Wilkes-Barre (15 South Franklin Street): Brian Alexander Pavlac, Christine Marie Sutton, Michelle Denise White.

Hunger amid plenty ... The land of plenty has plenty of people experiencing hunger. If your church operates a food bank or soup kitchen, these days before Thanksgiving provide an opportunity to "tell what you have seen and heard" to your local media. Do you have statistics that show an increase in the number of clients? Do you have any human interest ideas arising from your local experience? This link might suggest something you can build on.

In-Formation in Behlehem ... Find the November issue here. Resources for Advent, adult formation and much more.

Broadcast, the Episcopal Newsletter for Young Adults. Find the November issue here.

Edgy Ad? The Episcopal churches of Bucks County are pooling funds to buy this ad in local newspapers: Come for Christmas…and come as you are. • Are you tired of being judged? • Are you divorced? • Are you GLBT? • Have you had an abortion? • Have you been wounded by religious folks? • Do you disagree with your church’s conditional love? • Are you hungry for acceptance? • Are you a sinner who’s just longing for God? • So are we. The Episcopal Church Welcomes YOU! R.S.V.P. The Episcopal Churches of Bucks County [Read more here.]

Episcopal Peace Witness ... Find the Fall issue here.

A Modern Day story of Job ... "By now moviegoers are used to the fresh perspective and ethically rich dramas of Joel and Ethan Coen," Frederic and MaryAnn Brussat write. "A Serious Man stands as one of their most original works since The Big Lebowski, which is one of our favorite films. A Serious Man is a modern day Job story that brings us into a close encounter with suffering and loss, the ancient and universal questions about why good men often get the shaft while evil doers thrive, and the difficult questions we have about the nature of God and the meaning of our lives." Read the Brussat review here, and many more reviews here.

Got questions about the Episcopal Church? Try InfoLine. Don't miss the FAQ.

Pray for our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families … Charles I. Cartwright, 26; Mathew C. Heffelfinger, 29; Earl R. Scott III, 24; Justin J. Swanson, 21; Shawn P. Hefner, 22; Stephen L. Murphy, 36; Christopher J. Coffland, 43 ... for the fallen heroes also of our coalition partners ... and for the citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan who have died, unnamed and unknown to us, and for those who mourn ... and for an end to this endless war. [Posted on the Bakery and the newSpin blog, usually on Tuesdays, with names found over seven days.]

The Vatican's "invitation" ... Bishop Christopher Epting, Deputy for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations of The Episcopal Church, has issued this statement on the Vatican’s Apostolic Constitution.

RC Bishops ... Gathered in Baltimore for their semi-annual meeting, the U.S. RC Bishops, responding to scientific advances and widespread "confusion" among their flocks, issued detailed guidelines on marriage, reproductive technologies and health care for severely brain-damaged patients. They also heard a preliminary report on the "causes and contexts" of the clergy sexual abuse scandal that resulted in some 14,000 abuse claims and cost the church $2.6 billion since 1950. More here.

What We Do in Advent - An Anglican Kids' Activity Book from Church Publishing, Inc., text by Anne E. Kitch, illustrated by Dorothy Thompson Perez, 48 pages, paperback, c. 2006, $8. Fun-filled activity book for kids ages 4 to 7 shows how to make an Advent wreath, help Mary and Joseph find their way to Bethlehem, and count the gifts the Magi bring to the Christ Child. Filled with mazes, crossword puzzles, connect-the-dots, and word searches. A great way for kids and their parents to focus on the true meaning of the Advent and Christmas seasons. An invaluable resource for families and Christian formation teams alike.

World AIDS Day ... Night Prayers for Hope and Healing at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 8:00 p.m.

Become a baker in the House of Bread ... If you are interested in more news, issues, ideas, opinion and conversation related to our diocesan community, the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, you might consider becoming a baker in the House of Bread's new Bakery. Go to the "Get Connected" box on the right side of our diocesan website. Fill in your name and email address, and click on "My Groups." In the next window that comes up, check Bakery. Bakery, of course, is a play on Bethlehem meaning "House of Bread" in Hebrew. Subscribed to Bakery, you will receive several notes daily (perhaps two, perhaps ten when the oven is hot) and you will be able to enter the conversation by posting your own notes to the group, i.e., to the other bakers. News is fresh in the Bakery long before you see it in print in Diocesan Life. If you choose to do so, thank you for becoming a baker in the House of Bread.

Christmas at Sea ... [From Canon Jane Teter] A great big thank you to all who donated knitted and crocheted items to Christmas at Sea. Once again, we collected the hats and scarfs and vests at our Diocesan Convention. We shipped six big cartons a week or so ago to the Seamens Institute to be sent to ships at sea all over the world. Many thanks to all of you. I know the items will be appreciated by those on the high seas at Christmas. Please keep knitting and crocheting. Items may be dropped off at Diocesan House during the year. Blessings to you all.

Listening Hearts ... [From Dolores Evans] Everywhere around us there are people who need to make important decisions in their lives. Some may want to discern a call to the ministry, others may be concerned about a job change, while others may have concerns about personal relationships. Listening Hearts is a program that can help individuals and/or groups discover what God is calling them to do. Through our relationships with others, God reaches out to us. [Read more here.]

The Evolution of the God gene ... "Religion has the hallmarks of an evolved behavior," according to a recent NYTimes column by Nicholas Wade, "meaning that it exists because it was favored by natural selection. It is universal because it was wired into our neural circuitry before the ancestral human population dispersed from its African homeland." Read it here.

Fight the flu with facts  ... See the comprehensive flu.gov website.

12 Days of Christmas for Kajo Keji ... Our Wold Mission Committee is again sponsoring the 12 Days of Christmas for Kajo Keji. Here's a bulletin insert. Your support was so critical last year. Instead of giving Aunt Mildred a sweater she doesn't want, why not give a gift in her honor to those really in need? Items range in price from $5 to $250. Deadline is December 15. Call Jo Trepagnier, 610-434-0155, if you have any questions. Similar info appears on the back cover of the November issue of Diocesan Life.

Managing anxiety in times of stress ... Mark Twain said, "I've had many troubles in my life and most of them never happened." Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life ... Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?" Matthew 6:25) If this is true, then why eid God create his creatures great and small to constantly anticipate danger in preparation for fight or flight? [Read Margaret M. Treadwell's reflection here.]

Earlier issues of the newSpin newsletter may be found at the newSpin blog. Search the left column.

The Episcopal Church ... Website ... NewsLine ... News & Notices ... EpiScope ... InfoLine ... Episcopal Life Online ... I am Episcopalian ... Weekly Bulletin Inserts ... On Twitter ... On Facebook ... and on YouTube.

Bill Lewellis, Communication Minister/Editor (1986), Canon Theologian (1998)
Diocese of Bethlehem, 333 Wyandotte Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Website, Blog, Email (c)610-216-2726, (w)610-691-5655x229, (h)610-820-7673
Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible.
Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. [Bernard Lonergan]

Bill Lewellis, Communication Minister/Editor (1986), Canon Theologian (1998)
Diocese of Bethlehem, 333 Wyandotte Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Website, Blog, Email (c)610-216-2726, (w)610-691-5655x229, (h)610-820-7673
Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible.
Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. [Bernard Lonergan]

Listening Hearts

From Dolores Evans] Everywhere around us there are people who need to make important decisions in their lives. Some may want to discern a call to the ministry, others may be concerned about a job change, while others may have concerns about personal relationships.

Listening Hearts is a program that can help individuals and/or groups discover what God is calling them to do. Through our relationships with others, God reaches out to us.

Listening Hearts was formed in 1989 and has become a ministry recognized across the country for its work in making spiritual discernment understandable and accessible. It can help people open their hearts and minds to the guiding presence of God through prayerful listening, scripture and careful signs of the Holy Spirit.

The goal of Listening Hearts Spiritual Discernment is to receive God’s guidance.

“It begins with a conscious committed act of listening: listening to hear the voice of God. Spiritual discernment is best understood as a process. For an individual or in a group setting, the emphasis is on identifying and understanding the signs of the Spirit.”

“Today, in the midst of life’s clutter and confusion, it is often difficult to recognize when, or even if, God is calling to us. But God is always reaching out to us, inviting us to develop a deeper, fuller relationship with Him.”

“We are all called to be the Body of Christ here on earth. God expects each of us, as Disciples of Christ, to play an active ongoing role in furthering His kingdom. The question we must ask, both individually and collectively – and keep asking as our lives and organizations evolve – is how can we perceive the path God has prepared for us?”

If you feel a need for help in discerning where or what God is calling you to do, please consider the Listening Hearts ministry.

We are also looking to train individuals in the Listening Hearts Program.

Three individuals in our diocese have been trained in the Listening Hearts ministry – they are: Rev. John Francis, Rev. Dolores Evans and Connie Fegley. They are available to train people or to help individuals discern where God is calling them.

Material quoted is used by permission from Listening Hearts Ministries.

The Presiding Bishop –– An Appreciation and Reminders for Parish Leaders

By Bishop Paul Marshall

[During her visit to the Diocese of Bethlehem, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was attentive, appreciative, and evocative. She gave feedback. She was encouraging. She could, when necessary change. She maintained a non-anxious presence and she stayed connected. –– The Bishop's column below will appear in the December issue of Diocesan Life.]

November was a banner month for our diocese. For the first time in more than two decades we were honored by a visit from the chief pastor of The Episcopal Church, the Presiding Bishop.

I designed the visit as carefully as I could to insure that she saw our best efforts, our most innovative efforts, along with our challenges and deficits. Bishop Jack and I also individually spent private car time with her so that she would know what the episcopate is like in this diocese.

Pastoral Provision for Same-Sex Couples

Nov. 16, 2009
Bishop Paul V. Marshall
To Clergy of the Diocese of Bethlehem

In accordance with General Convention 2009 observation that that “the discernment of The Episcopal Church is that there are no theological barriers to blessing … same-sex relationships that are based on love, fidelity and lifelong commitment …” I offer the following interim measures ...

Download below "Pastoral Provision for Same-Sex Couples" issued by Bishop Paul Marshall.

Download Same sex provisions-2.doc

091110.newSpin.interesting, perhaps useful, news and spin

Meet Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori in Wilkes-Barre ... Plan to come to Evensong (6:00 p.m.) at which Bishop Katharine will preach and, immediately afterwards, to a reception and open forum at which you may dialogue with her at St. Stephen's Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Some 250/300 attended choral evensong at the Bethehem Cathedral on Nov. 9. Read more here. See The Morning Call story. Photo here. Over 200 attended evensong at St. Luke's Lebanon on Nov. 10.

Another way of giving ... [From Laura I. Chegwidden] Once again, new sweat shirts and pants along with underwear and socks were among the donations presented at Diocesan Convention. Over 600 items were collected in response to the Diocesan Episcopal Church Women's appeal for these items. Recently the donations of new clothing were given to the diocesan programs for distribution. Two of the organizations that benefited were St. Stephen's Wilkes Barre's REACH program and New Bethany Ministries in Bethlehem. Cathie Shollenberger,  New Bethany's Transitional Housing Project Director, after receiving a share the contribution of clothing, wrote: "Thank you so much for keeping New Bethany Ministries in your heart and thank you for sharing year after year." Since 1997 the ECW has organized a project that unified the Diocese of Bethlehem in a diocesan-wide effort of outreach. This year the exact total of garments is unknown because not all collection forms were returned at Convention. However, the response was wonderful, and the organizations who received the garments were most grateful. Thanks be to God and thank you to all of the parishes for your support.

Samuel Seabury ... Each year on Nov. 14 the Episcopal Church remembers the consecration and ordination in 1784 of Samuel Seabury as the first bishop of Connecticut and first Episcopal Church bishop in the newly formed United States of America. Episcopal Life Weekly bulletin inserts for Nov. 15 mark Seabury's feast day with a brief history of his life and ministry, carried out as the Episcopal Church established itself after the Revolutionary War. Bishop Paul Marshall has written One, Catholic and Apostolic: Samuel Seabury and the Early Episcopal Church, Church Publishing, 2004, the authoritative source on Seabury, a fascinating story of the first bishop in the Episcopal Church. It explores the complex personalities, motivations, loyalties and prejudices that went into the formation of the Episcopal Church and the creation of its liturgy. Using Bishop Samuel Seabury’s persona and thought as central themes, Bishop Paul argues that history cannot be understood simply by studying texts. “Marshall does what few scholars ever really do,” Peter Eaton, dean of St. John’s Cathedral, Denver, said in his review in The Anglican, October 2005. “He tells us things that are both new and true, and he does this with authority, and not as the scribes. No one who wants truly to understand this crucial period of our history can do without this book.”

Got questions about the Episcopal Church? Try InfoLine. Don't miss the FAQ.

Pray for our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families … Cesar B. Ruiz, 26; Jonathon M. Sylvestre, 21; Julian L. Berisford, 25; Amy C. Tirador, 29; Tony Carrasco Jr., 25; Aaron S. Aamot, 22; Gary L. Gooch Jr., 22 ... for the fallen heroes also of our coalition partners ... and for the citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan who have died, unnamed and unknown to us, and for those who mourn ... and for an end to this endless war. [Posted on the Bakery and the newSpin blog, usually on Tuesdays, with names found over seven days.]

Out in the Silence at Stroudsburg High School ... The Stroudsburg High School Student Diversity Council’s Gay-Straight Alliance will screen the PBS documentary Out in the Silence on Thursday, November 12, in the high school auditorium. Out in the Silence (57 minutes) chronicles the controversy that began after the announcement of filmmaker Joe Wilson’s wedding to another man ignited a firestorm of controversy and a quest for change in the small Pennsylvania hometown he had left long ago. Drawn back by a plea for help from the mother of a gay teen being tormented at school, Wilson takes viewers on an exhilarating journey through love, hate, and understanding in rural America. The documentary explores the struggle of being a gay teen in a small Pennsylvania town and the bullying, controversy and challenges that he experienced. It challenges viewers to rethink their values and helps close the gaps that divide communities. Read more here.

Bethlehem/Kajo Keji Companion Relationship ... To see a beautifully-designed poster with text and photos based on info and photos published on our online venues and in Diocesan Life, click here, then on "Diocese of Bethlehem" in the left column. 

Become a baker in the House of Bread ... If you are interested in more news, issues, ideas, opinion and conversation related to our diocesan community, the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, you might consider becoming a baker in the House of Bread's new Bakery. Go to the "Get Connected" box on the right side of our diocesan website. Fill in your name and email address, and click on "My Groups." In the next window that comes up, check Bakery. Bakery, of course, is a play on Bethlehem meaning "House of Bread" in Hebrew. Subscribed to Bakery, you will receive several notes daily (perhaps two, perhaps ten when the oven is hot) and you will be able to enter the conversation by posting your own notes to the group, i.e., to the other bakers. News is fresh in the Bakery long before you see it in print in Diocesan Life. If you choose to do so, thank you for becoming a baker in the House of Bread.

Evensong at Trinity Bethlehem ... [From Mother Laura Howell] The Choir at Trinity Episcopal Church, Bethlehem, will sing a service of Choral Evensong on Sunday, November 15 at 4 p.m. The service is offered in thanksgiving for the many gifts God has given us all. Evensong is an ancient cathedral office sung at the close of the day and includes Canticles, Psalms, Hymns and Prayers. The choir will sing music of Josef Haydn, a Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by George Dyson, a wonderful Victorian English composer, and Psalm 65, set to Anglican Chant by John Turle. The Rev. Canon Cliff Carr will officiate and Dr. Timothy Smith will be at the organ. A dessert potluck follows.  All are cordially invited.

Fort Hood Vigil ... Many of the quotes in this Episcopal Life Online article was Chaplain Ira Houck, a priest of the Diocese of Bethlehem.

Bishop's Bakery and Open Mic Night ... [From Kim Rowles, Youth Ministry Coordinator] The 2010 Bishop's Day with Youth. Friday January 29 to Saturday January 30 at Good Shepherd Scranton. All-Night. Open Mic Night. Local Christian Worship/Praise Band. Midnight Eucharist. No Lights Out. Doors Open at 6:30 pm. Open Mic from 7- 9 sign up for 10-minute slots; play your own music, cover songs (church appropriate no profane language or sexually explicit lyrics), read your own poetry, perform a dance routine, or a skit from your favorite comedy show. Band is on from 9:30 - 10:30. Eucharist from 11- 12. Games and Activities in the main hall for the remainder of the night, through the morning. Baked goods, coffee and snacks will be provided as well as breakfast on Saturday morning. Pick up at 9 am on Saturday. More information will be available online.

Fight the flu with facts  ... See the comprehensive flu.gov website.

12 Days of Christmas for Kajo Keji ... Our Wold Mission Committee is again sponsoring the 12 Days of Christmas for Kajo Keji. Here's a bulletin insert. Your support was so critical last year. Instead of giving Aunt Mildred a sweater she doesn't want, why not give a gift in her honor to those really in need? Items range in price from $5 to $250. Deadline is December 15. Call Jo Trepagnier, 610-434-0155, if you have any questions. Similar info appears on the back cover of the November issue of Diocesan Life.

Children to children ... [From Jo Trepagnier] The children and teachers of the Church of the Mediator have set a goal this Christmas of buying soccer uniforms for a school team in Kajo Keji. During November, coins of all kinds are being collected from the children and the congregation and a bake sale is scheduled for one Sunday. We have been particularly pleased to find parishioners’ coin collections added to our goal: a bag of nickels, a suitcase of pennies. Almost all of our children have some experience with soccer, being on a team, team pictures, practice, new cleats, and orange slices. They are captivated by the idea of collected coins so that their friends in Kajo Keji may enjoy soccer as well. Our ultimate goal is to engage even the littlest child in knowing that they can make a difference in the life of a child who has so little. We're having fun.

Earlier issues of the newSpin newsletter may be found at the newSpin blog. Search the left column.

The Episcopal Church ... News & Notices ... EpiScope ... Episcopal Life Online ... Weekly Bulletin Inserts ... On Twitter ... On Facebook ... and on YouTube.

Bill Lewellis, Communication Minister/Editor (1986), Canon Theologian (1998)
Diocese of Bethlehem, 333 Wyandotte Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Website, Blog, Email (c)610-216-2726, (w)610-691-5655x229, (h)610-820-7673
Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible.
Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. [Bernard Lonergan]

Bill Lewellis, Communication Minister/Editor (1986), Canon Theologian (1998)
Diocese of Bethlehem, 333 Wyandotte Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Website, Blog, Email (c)610-216-2726, (w)610-691-5655x229, (h)610-820-7673
Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible.
Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. [Bernard Lonergan]