DioBeth newSpin

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In Flanders Fields the poppies blow ... between the crosses row on row. YouTube video here.

With God on our side ... Lyrics and YouTube video.

The self-trivializing Anglican Communion ... [By Jim Naughton, writing on Episcopal Cafe] In attempting to ram through a covenant that marginalizes the laity and centralizes authority in fewer hands, Rowan Williams has unwittingly made it clear that the governance of the Communion is as nothing compared to the relationships within the Communion, and the relationships are beyond his control. More here.

Housing allowance for clergy challenged in court ... A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the long-standing federal and state tax exemptions for housing allowances provided by churches and religious institutions to members of the clergy has been allowed to proceed in federal court. Read more here. [H/T to Andrew Gerns]

The trial of Pope Benedict XVI ... [Time Magazine, May 27, 2010] A 42-year-old Catholic theologian in 1969, amid the turmoil of that year of radicalism and barricades, envisioned a post-imperial papacy, shorn of wealth and pretenses of earthly power. "From today's crisis, a church will emerge tomorrow that will have lost a great deal. She will be small and, to a large extent, will have to start from the beginning. She will no longer be able to fill many of the buildings created in her period of great splendor. Because of the smaller number of her followers, she will lose many of her privileges in society. Contrary to what has happened until now, she will present herself much more as a community of volunteers ... As a small community, she will demand much more from the initiative of each of her members and she will certainly also acknowledge new forms of ministry and will raise up to the priesthood proven Christians who have other jobs ... It will make her poor and a church of the little people ... All this will require time. The process will be slow and painful." The theologian was Joseph Ratzinger. And his vision from 40 years ago may now unfold in ways he could never have imagined. Read Time Magazine cover story here.

Concert Video features New York's Grace Episcopal Church choirs ... [Episcopal Church Office of Communication] The Men and Boys Choir and the Girls' Choir of Grace Episcopal Church in New York City is featured in a new video produced by the Office of Communication, available here. The hour-long program, a blend of the classical and the modern, with selections ranging from Bach and Mozart to the Beatles and Carly Simon, was taped at a live April 23 performance of the choirs' 10th Annual Spring Concert.

Under the direction of Patrick Allen, organist and master of choristers, the music presented by the combined choirs was: Ave verum by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Missa brevis Sti. Joannis de Deo by Franz Joseph Haydn; Love's endeavor, Love's expense by Barry Rose; Insanae et vanae curae by Franz Joseph Haydn; Sheep may safely graze by Johann Sebastian Bach; Ego sum panis vivus, Sicut cervus and Super flumina by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina; There shall a star from Jacob come forth by Felix Mendelssohn; Let it be by John Lennon and Paul McCartney; The Rose by Amanda McBroom; The Wall Street Hymn by Carly Simon; When I survey the wondrous cross by Isaac Watts.

June Diocesan Life ... Download it here.

Summer Diocesan Events ... Something for everyone. Share Save Spend on June 12 in Whitehall, Communication Workshop, June 26 in Bethlehem, The Gospel according to Dr. Seuss (Bishop's Day for Kids) July 10 in Scranton, and Middle School Mission Trip, August 5-8 in Bethlehem. More info here and on page 8 of the June Diocesan Life.

Corpus Christi celebration ... June 3, 7:00 p.m., at Holy Cross, Wilkes-Barre. Bishop Paul will preside.

Share Save Spend Stewardship Workshop ... June 12, 9:00 to 4:00 at St. Stephen's Whitehall. Registration will close June 1.

A Communication Workshop will be held June 26 at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, 8:30 to 3:00. Cost is $10.00 and includes lunch. Open to anyone interested in communication as ministry. Topics include: eNewsletters on ChurchPost, print publications, social networking using Facebook and Twitter, blogging, and communication as ministry. Registration is open online here. Download a brochure here. Register online here.

Brian Pavlac will be ordained to the priesthood on June 29, 7:00 p.m., at St Stephen's Wilkes-Barre. A reception will follow.

Bishop's Day for Kids ... The Gospel according to Dr Seuss, July 10 at Good Shepherd Scranton. More info here. Register online here.

Middle School Mission Trip ... Bethlehem. Contact Kim Rowles for more info. Online registration will open June 10.

The dogmatic mind ... [By Marilynne Robinson, On Faith, Washington Post] It is naive, and it is not at all humane, to treat the great questions as if they were, or could be, closed. Read more here.

What is good theology? .. As good theologians know, the word "God" does not refer to anything that the human mind can comprehend, so theological language has at its heart an all-pervasive mystery which haunts human consciousness. The task of theology is like Penelope weaving her shroud – what we weave during the day we must unravel by night. That is why theology is derided by those who insist that all claims to knowledge must be rooted in rationality and factual evidence. Read more here.

In Episcopal Life Weekly bulletin insert for June 6 ... Bonnie Anderson, president of the House of Deputies of General Convention, describes the Episcopal Church's "circle of ministries." Inserts available in English and Spanish here.

Find earlier issues of the newSpin newsletter here.

Please send this notice to friends you think may be interested ... newSpin is an electronic newsletter that includes news, information and commentary related to the Diocese of Bethlehem, the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion and the world of religion ... with some spin, of course, from the editor. It is edited by retired communication minister Bill Lewellis and ordinarily published twice weekly, on Mondays and Thursdays. To have it emailed to you, you may subscribe at the "Get Connected" box on the right column of www.diobeth.org. Select newSpin under the groups. The Diocese of Bethlehem also has a newSpin blog (www.diobeth.typepad.com) where you may find samples of the newSpin newsletter.

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 ... InfoLine ... Episcopal Life Online ... AtoZ Directory ... Natl Ep Health Ministries ... FastFacts ... Calendar ... Presiding Bishop ... General Convention ... President, House of Deputies ... Episcopal Church Center ... I am Episcopalian ... Episcopal Public Policy Network ... Episcopal Peace Fellowship ... Weekly Bulletin Inserts ... Episcopal Communicators ... Episcopal Relief&Development ... On Twitter ... On Facebook ... and on YouTube.

About the newSpin newsletter ... Composed at least weekly (usually twice a week) by Bill Lewellis, the newSpin newsletter appears as a post within the newSpin blog, but newsletter and blog are not identical. The newsletter currently goes to some 1,000 email addresses on a separate list. The views expressed, seemingly implied, or inferred in items or links contained in the newsletter or the blog do not represent the official view of the Diocese of Bethlehem unless expressed by or forwarded from the Bishop or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments may be addressed to Bill. 

Bill Lewellis, Blog, Email (c)610-393-1833
Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible.
Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. [Bernard Lonergan]

Bill Lewellis, Blog, Email (c)610-393-1833
Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible.
Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. [Bernard Lonergan]

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Trinity Easton receives $25,000 UTO grant ... Trinity Church in Easton was awarded a grant by the United Thank Offering of the Episcopal Church for kitchen equipment to support the parish’s weekly Ark Soup Kitchen and other ministries housed there. The award was announced last week in a letter to Bishop Paul. Read more here.

A lesson from the Gulf Coast: We are all connected ... [A Huffington Post column by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.] The original peoples of the North American continent understand that we are all connected, and that harm to one part of the sacred circle of life harms the whole. Scientists, both the ecological and physical sorts, know the same reality, expressed in different terms. The Abrahamic traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) also charge human beings with care for the whole of creation, because it is God's good gift to humanity. Another way of saying this is that we are all connected and there is no escape; our common future depends on how we care for the rest of the natural world, not just the square feet of soil we may call "our own." We breathe the same air, our food comes from the same ground and seas, and the water we have to share cycles through the same airshed, watershed, and terra firma. The still-unfolding disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is good evidence of the interconnectedness of the whole. Read it all here. [H/T to Neva Rae Fox's Daily Scan]

Denominations choosing different strategies in Arizona ... Every major Christian denomination in the State of Arizona has expressed deep concern regarding the new law enacted which makes it a state crime to be in the state without proper documentation. But while everyone agrees that the law is troubling because of fears of how it will be enforced, there are significant differences between denominations about how to proceed next. Read more here. [H/T to Nick Knisely, writing at Episcopal Cafe]

Spirituality Every Day ... Many resources at explorefaith.org.

A few Reasoned Responses to the New Atheism ... Find them here.

June Diocesan Life ... Download it here.

Summer Diocesan Events ... Something for everyone. Share Save Spend on June 12 in Whitehall, Communication Workshop, June 26 in Bethlehem, The Gospel according to Dr. Seuss (Bishop's Day for Kids) July 10 in Scranton, and Middle School Mission Trip, August 5-8 in Bethlehem. More info here and on page 8 of the June Diocesan Life.

Bishop's Day for Kids ... The Gospel according to Dr Seuss, July 10 in Scranton. More info here.

A new name for your next child ... Trying to set DioBeth as our Facebook username, Kat Lehman said: "Believe it or not, someone named their child Diobeth and took that username." So our Facebook username is DioceseOfBehlehem. Find our Facebook page here.

Pray for our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families … Adam L. Perkins, 27; John M. McHugh, 46; Paul R. Bartz, 43; Thomas P. Belkofer, 44; Richard J. Tieman, 28; Joshua A. Tomlinson, 24; Patrick Xavier Jr., 24; Shane S. Barnard, 38; Billy G. Anderson, 20; Philip P. Clark, 19; Jason  D. Fingar, 24; Stanley J. Sokolowski, III, 26; Amilcar H. Gonzalez, 26; ... 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.

Prayers of the People ... for Trinity Sunday. To receive a weekly email of Prayers of the People, subscribe at the "Get Connected" box on the right column of the DioBeth website. If you do not already do so, consider adding the above "Pray for" item to your Prayers of the People. It is sent weekly to parish administrators, usually on Tuesday.

Managing the Body of Christ ... Leading a congregation is one of those things that's hard to prepare to do. Seminary only briefly touches on the sort of work that fills the day of most parish priests. Most clergy get thrown into the deep end of their first parish and struggle to stay afloat. The Alban Institute has an article that lists specific areas that can make a difference between success and failure when working on managing the life of a congregation. Read more here.

Home Heating Equipment Rebate Funds Still Available ... Pennsylvania's Home Heating Equipment Rebate Program still has an estimated 89% of its funds waiting to be claimed. Almost half of a home's energy consumption goes toward heating and water heating - more than any other appliance or fixture. Beginning in April 2010, Pennsylvania began offering an incentive for homeowners to upgrade heating equipment for energy cost savings. Rebates ranging from $100 to $500 are being offered on qualifying non-electric Energy Star water heaters, furnaces and boilers. Funded by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Pennsylvania Home Heating Equipment Rebate Program offers rebates to Pennsylvania residents in existing single-family homes to encourage energy efficient product purchases and save energy throughout the state. Details on qualifying products and obtaining rebates are available here. [H/T to Sandy Strauss of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches]

What are bishops reading? ... Because the House of Bishops has its own regular meeting, and its own College for Bishops, it's not surprising to learn that many bishops read the same books over a given year. And it's always interesting to find out what's on the reading list, because the ideas tend to surface. A few bishops mentioned to people this spring that the book of the season is a series of reflections written following the most recent Lambeth Conference. The book is called Christ and Culture: Communion after Lambeth and is part of the Canterbury Studies in Anglicanism series. Read more here. [H/T to Nick Knisely, writing at Episcopal Cafe]

In Episcopal Life Weekly bulletin insert for June 6 ... Bonnie Anderson, president of the House of Deputies of General Convention, describes the Episcopal Church's "circle of ministries." Inserts available in English and Spanish here.

Digital immigrants, i.e., those of us born in the era of rotary telephones and manual typewriters, catching up with digital natives, i.e., those who have always had desktop and palm-sized computers. Being a luddite isn't really an option anymore. Nick Knisely, writing at Episcopal Cafe, points us to a quick-start quide for anyone who's looking to enter the new promised land.

Shades of grey in a world of apparent absolutes ... [By Thomas P. Doyle, National Catholic Reporter] Though the case of the Phoenix religious sister who was directly involved in the decision making process to terminate an 11 week pregnancy in order to save the mother's life has been reported in Catholic and secular media as a clear cut case of excommunication, the case isn't that simple. Read more here.

A reforming tradition struggles with change ... At the end of last summer the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted to amend its ordination policies to include gay and lesbian clergy who are in committed, monogamous, lifelong, publicly accountable relationships. The assembly also voted to recommend a process whereby those pastors who had either left the ELCA or been forced out for violating the now-defunct ordination policies could be reinstated to the active clergy roster. For progressives in the ELCA, the wider Christian church and society at large, the vote was a thrilling victory after decades of struggle and setback. For conservatives, the vote signaled a decisive break with scripture and tradition and called the orthodoxy and orthopraxy of the this denomination into question. Almost one year later, we can take a step back to consider what happened in Minneapolis and to map some of the trajectories of this historic vote. Read more here.

Nonviolence, like lightning from east to west ... [A column by John Dead SJ] “One person who can express nonviolence in life exercises a force superior to all the forces of brutality,” Mahatma Gandhi wrote. “My optimism rests on my belief in the infinite possibilities of the individual to develop nonviolence. The more you develop it in your own being, the more infectious it becomes till it overwhelms your surroundings and by and by might oversweep the world.” Read more here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-merritt/will-atheism-replace-reli_b_587152.html

Gentrification and decline ... [RNS Quote of the Day] "Every week the treasurer shows me the checks that go out and the income that comes in, and all that we can do is praise God that we are actually able to pay our bills. But there's nothing left over." [Ann Mayfield, senior warden of All Souls Episcopal Church in Harlem, on the church's declining numbers as the historically black New York City neighborhood slowly gentrifies. She was quoted by The New York Times.]

Please send this notice to friends you think may be interested ... newSpin is an electronic newsletter that includes news, information and commentary related to the Diocese of Bethlehem, the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion and the world of religion ... with some spin, of course, from the editor. It is edited by retired communication minister Bill Lewellis and ordinarily published twice weekly, on Mondays and Thursdays. To have it emailed to you, you may subscribe at the "Get Connected" box on the right column of www.diobeth.org. Select newSpin under the groups. The Diocese of Bethlehem also has a newSpin blog (www.diobeth.typepad.com) where you may find samples of the newSpin newsletter.

Diocesan Events ... May 22 to Nov. 12. For corrections or additions: Kat Lehman.

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 ... InfoLine ... Episcopal Life Online ... AtoZ Directory ... Natl Ep Health Ministries ... FastFacts ... Calendar ... Presiding Bishop ... General Convention ... President, House of Deputies ... Episcopal Church Center ... I am Episcopalian ... Episcopal Public Policy Network ... Episcopal Peace Fellowship ... Weekly Bulletin Inserts ... Episcopal Communicators ... Episcopal Relief&Development ... On Twitter ... On Facebook ... and on YouTube.

About the newSpin newsletter ... Composed at least weekly (usually twice a week) by Bill Lewellis, the newSpin newsletter appears as a post within the newSpin blog, but newsletter and blog are not identical. The newsletter currently goes to some 1,000 email addresses on a separate list. The views expressed, seemingly implied, or inferred in items or links contained in the newsletter or the blog do not represent the official view of the Diocese of Bethlehem unless expressed by or forwarded from the Bishop or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments may be addressed to Bill. 

Bill Lewellis, Blog, Email (c)610-393-1833
Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible.
Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. [Bernard Lonergan]

Bill Lewellis, Blog, Email (c)610-393-1833
Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible.
Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. [Bernard Lonergan]

Trinity Easton receives $25,000 UTO grant

For Ark Soup Kitchen ministry

Trinity Easton receives $25,000 UTO grant

Trinity Episcopal Church in Easton was awarded a grant by the United Thank Offering of the Episcopal Church for kitchen equipment to support the parish’s weekly Ark Soup Kitchen and other ministries housed there.

The $25,000 award was announced in a letter to the Rt. Rev. Paul V. Marshall, Bishop of Bethlehem, on May 19, 2010 is to be used between June 1, 2010 and May 31, 2011.

"I am happy to see Trinity's ministry recognized at the national level.” Bishop Paul said. “The grant is both a material support to the parish, and also an enormous encouragement to all who labor to make our churches effective witnesses of God's love."

The United Thank Offering is known to many Episcopalians through the famous “blue-boxes” into which people put in loose change as offering for anything about which we are thankful. Trinity, Easton has supported the work of the United Thank Offering since its inception and the UTO is now one of Trinity’s “Mission of the Month” offerings.

Pray For...

Pray for our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families … Adam L. Perkins, 27; John M. McHugh, 46; Paul R. Bartz, 43; Thomas P. Belkofer, 44; Richard J. Tieman, 28; Joshua A. Tomlinson, 24; Patrick Xavier Jr., 24; Shane S. Barnard, 38; Billy G. Anderson, 20; Philip P. Clark, 19; Jason  D.  Fingar, 24; Stanley J. Sokolowski, III, 26; Amilcar H. Gonzalez, 26;  ... 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.

Culled from various web pages, including:
U.S. Department of Defense news releases
In Remembrance, at legacy.com
Honor the Fallen, from Military Times
U.S. and Coalition Casualties, at CNN.com

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Churches and the Arizona Immigration Law ... [Bishop Kirk Smith of the Diocese of Arizona] Along with many other religious leaders I think it’s a terrible law. Legal things are important, political things are important, but people’s basic human rights are the most important thing, and that’s where the churches have an obligation, in my way of thinking, to stand up. ... The wife of one of our priests who is of Mexican [descent], she was just driving through the neighborhood and was pulled over by a sheriff’s officer, asked to see her identification—which she had, she is an American citizen and has been an American citizen for 20 years—and the sheriff said to her, “If you didn’t have these paper you’d be taking a quick trip back to Mexico.” View or read at PBS. [H/T to Neva Rae Fox, Daily Scan]

June Diocesan Life ... Download it here.

Summer Diocesan Events ... Something for everyone. Share Save Spend on June 12 in Whitehall, Communication Workshop, June 26 in Bethlehem, The Gospel according to Dr. Seuss (Bishops Day for Kids) July 10 in Scranton, and Middle School Mission Trip, August 5-8 in Bethlehem. More info here and on page 8 of the June Diocesan Life.

End of Life Issues ... Also called: Death and Dying, Terminal Care. [From Diana Marshall] Sometimes, in spite of treatment, a condition or illness will cause death. In those cases, patients can decide what they do and do not want done. They can decide whether they want aggressive treatment that might prolong life or whether they prefer to stop treatment, which could mean dying sooner but more comfortably. They may want to plan their own funeral. Advance directives can help make the patient's wishes clear to families and health care providers. Care at the end of life focuses on making patients comfortable. They still receive medicines and treatments to control pain and other symptoms. Some patients choose to die at home. Others enter a hospital or a hospice. Either way, services are available to help patients and their families deal with issues surrounding death. There is a wealth of information here.  

News and Action Summary for May 21 from the PA Council of Church. Find it here. [H/T to Diana Marshall]

Bishop Catherine Roskam, suffragan of the Diocese of New York, preached at the Pentecost Eucharist at Trinity Wall Street. The webcast is available on demand where you may view the full service or the sermon only. Bishop Roskam, many will remember, preached at the 1996 in Wilkes-Barre at the 1996 consecration of Bishop Paul.

A cover-up by a member of the CofE House of Bishops. [H/T to Andrew Gerns, reporting at Episcopal Cafe]

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Canon Jane Teter's twin brother Robert Ballantine died on Tuesday in California. Jane is at home here, and at the moment there are no funeral plans known. Please uphold Jane in your prayers and pray for the repose of Robert's soul. May his soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercies of Christ, rest in peace. [From Bishop Paul] 

Forward Life Planning Workshop ... May 22, St. Luke's Scranton, with Charles Cesaretti, Diana Marshall and Charlie Barebo. More info here.

Jubilate ... Hymnody for Pentecost to last Sunday after Pentecost (May 23 to Nov. 21), published by the Diocese of Bethlehem for our diocesan community and for free distribution to the world, may be downloaded here as an Acrobat or MSWord file. Jubilate is a service of our Liturgy and Music Commission, specifically Canon Cliff Carr who has been doing this for more than 30 years. Download Jubilate at the newSpin blog.

June Diocesan Life ... Download it here. Details of event highlights on page 8 include Share Save Spend, June 12; the Communication Workshop, June 26; The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss (Bishop's Day with Kids), July 10; and the Junior High Mission Trip, starting August 5.

A Communication Workshop will be held June 26 at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, 8:30 to 3:00. Cost is $10.00 and includes lunch. Open to anyone interested in communication as ministry. Topics include: eNewsletters on ChurchPost, print publications, social networking using Facebook and Twitter, blogging, and communication as ministry. Registration is open online here. Download a brochure here.

Communications Workshop

Diocese of Bethlehem Communication Workshop
Cathedral Church of the Nativity
321 Wyandotte Street
Bethlehem, PA 18015
Saturday, June 26th from 8:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
Communicating the Gospel is what Christians are called to do; we are called to
spread the Good News! Come learn about communication as ministry, electronic
newsletters, blogs, print publications and social networking in this one day
workshop.
Register online at www.diobeth.org
call Kat Lehman at 610-691-5655 x235 for more info.

Download the brochure for the workshop here:

Download 100626Brochure

Pray For...

Pray for our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families … Jeffery W. Johnson, 21; Kenneth B. May, Jr., 26; Donald J. Lamar II, 23; Joshua D. Desforges, 23;  Denis D. Kisseloff, 45; Nicholas D. Paradarodriguez, 29... 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.

Culled from various web pages, including:
U.S. Department of Defense news releases
In Remembrance, at legacy.com
Honor the Fallen, from Military Times
U.S. and Coalition Casualties, at CNN.com

June Diocesan Life

posted by Kat Lehman

Hot off the press (actually it REALLY goes to the presses on Thursday). Here is the latest edition of Diocesan Life. The file size is 5.2 MB. Have an event that is newsworthy? Send us photos and a story and we will consider it! Event highlights include the Share Save Spend event on June 12th, the Communication Workshop on June 26th, The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss Bishop's Day with Kids on July 10th and the Junior High Mission Trip starting August 5th. You can find out details on page 8.

Download JUNE_2010_DiocesanLifeSMALL

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Jubilate ... Hymnody for Pentecost to last Sunday after Pentecost (May 23 to Nov. 21), published by the Diocese of Bethlehem for our diocesan community and for free distribution to the world, may be downloaded here as an Acrobat or MSWord file. Jubilate is a service of our Liturgy and Music Commission, specifically Canon Cliff Carr who has been doing this for more than 30 years. Download Jubilate at the newSpin blog.

Forward Life Planning Workshop ... May 22, St. Luke's Scranton, with Charles Cesaretti, Diana Marshall and Charlie Barebo. More info here.

Free Retreat Day for charity knitters/crocheters, May 24, at St Francis Center for Renewal in Bethlehem. More here.

Diocesan Events ... May 22 to Nov. 12. For corrections or additions: Kat Lehman.

Bruce, Glasspool consecrated bishops in LA diocese ... [Episcopal News Service]  Two historic ministries were welcomed in a huge and joyous celebration May 15 as thousands witnessed Diane Jardine Bruce and Mary Douglas Glasspool being consecrated bishops suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. During the three-hour service at the Long Beach Arena, themed 'Rejoice!' Bruce and Glasspool were ordained and consecrated the 16th and 17th women bishops in the Episcopal Church. Bruce is the first woman to be elected a bishop in the Los Angeles diocese. Glasspool, elected Dec. 5, a day after Bruce, is the diocese's first—and the Episcopal Church's second—gay, partnered bishop. Read more here and here.

An easier way to evangelize? ... Warm contact evangelism. Useful tips from downunder. [H/T to Bishop Paul]

Quirky immigration law poses danger to many ... NYTimes story here. [H/T to Bishop Paul]

Sliced bread and other marketing delights ... Ideas that spread win. The video below may suggest a few ideas for marketing your church, a kind of pre-evangelism.

Jubilate Pentecost to Last Sunday after Pentecost (May 23 to November 21)

Hymnody for Pentecost to last Sunday after Pentecost (May 23 to Nov. 21), published by the Diocese of Bethlehem for our diocesan community and for free distribution to the world, may be downloaded below as an Acrobat or MSWord file. Jubilate is a service of our Liturgy and Music Commission, specifically Canon Cliff Carr who has been doing this for more than 30 years.

Download PENTEC-C  WORD

Download PENTEC-C  PDF

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Ascension Day ... a brief reflection by Archdeacon Stringfellow during Eucharist at Diocesan House. The Bear went over the Mountain? Read it here.

Pray for our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families … Austin H. Gates Benson, 19; Ralph Mena, 27; Mark W. Coleman, 40; Brandon A. Barrett, 27; Eric M. Finniginam, 26; Wade A. Slack, 21; Richard R. Penny, 21; Esau S.A. Gonzales, 30; Joshua M. Davis, 19; Christopher Rangel, 22; Kyle A. Comfort, 27; Kurt S. Shea, 21; Jeremy L. Brown, 20;  ... 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. More here.

Military suicides ... One of the young men in the "Pray for" above, Gates Benson, 19, was from Hellertown. He killed himself while stationed in Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border. Last year, military suicides exceeded the numer of those who died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a Congressional Quarterly report. Air Force officials reported 41 active-duty suicides, while 52 Marines and 48 sailors took their own lives. The Army reported 170. Find today's Morning Call story here. Obituary here.

Forward Life Planning Workshop ... May 22, St. Luke's Scranton, with Charles Cesaretti, Diana Marshall and Charlie Barebo. More info here.

Free Retreat Day for charity knitters/crocheters, May 24, at St Francis Center for Renewal in Bethlehem. More here.

Benedict XVI changes the tone ... On Tuesday, Pope Benedict XVI blamed the church's own sins for the clerical abuse scandal — not a campaign mounted by outsiders — and called for profound purification to end what he called the "greatest persecution" the church has endured. His strong comments placed responsibility for the crisis squarely on the sins of pedophile priests, repudiating the Vatican's initial response to the scandal in which it blamed the media as well as pro-choice and pro-gay marriage advocates for mounting what it called a campaign against the church and the pope. Read more here.

The Vatican's not very diplomatic ambassador in Washington ... Annie Groer of Politics Daily has a weird story about the snotty comments that the Vatican's chief diplomat in the United States has made to the sex abuse victim who has kept a longstanding vigil outside of the Vatican embassy. Read more here.

Ascension Day reflection by Archdeacon Stringfellow at Diocesan House

The Bear Went over the Mountain?
by Archdeacon Howard Stringfellow
The Eucharist at Diocesan House on Ascension Day
13 May 2010
 
In the Name of the True and Living God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
 
A senior warden of a prominent Anglo-Catholic parish in the Mid-West said to his priest that the Ascension of the Lord was a case of the bear going over the mountain to see what he could see. This charming anecdote came my way as a cautionary tale from priest to seminarian not to inquire too closely into what the lay people believe.
 
I have taken that advice but, at the same time, have held out to all people at all times that the bodily ascension of the Lord continues the Lord’s bodily resurrection to it full conclusion as St. Paul points out in the Epistle: God the Father raised Jesus from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly place, putting all things under his feet and making him head of all things for the church (Ephesians 1:20-23).
 
That to me is a lot more engaging, a lot more worthy of our worship, than a bear who went over the mountain. Somehow I think: that bear sadly disappoints. But the Lord of Life never does disappoint. The Lord of Life continually engages and delights; the Lord of Life takes us with him, and not just over the mountain. Amen.

Free Refresh/Retreat Day for Charity Knitters and Crocheters

[From Mother Laura Howell]

Greetings, all you crafty folks!

For quite  a while, some of us have been getting together in a group called "Crafting Your Prayers," where we lovingly and prayerfully
create various sorts of items. Currently, we're involved in a charity knitting and crocheting group at Knitter's Edge in Bethlehem. The St.
Francis Center for Renewal on Bridle Path Rd. in Bethlehem has offered us a quiet day, as a thank you for all that people have been doing for the needy in the community.

That day will be May 24, from 10:00-3:00. In the morning, we will gather to learn a new knitting or crocheting technique (the items will
be made for Turning Point Shelter). After a break for lunch, the afternoon session will have some spiritual/meditative reading and reflection while we work on our handcrafts.

The Retreat Day is free, but I do need to have you register, so we know how many rooms we need. Send a note to lauramh@gmail.com.

The Renewal Center has also offered to make lunch for us at a cost of $10. The chef wants to give us a special lunch (I can tell you that
when he says special, he means it!), but we need to let him know numbers in advance so he can order food. If you would like to attend
the day and share lunch, please let me know no later than Sunday, May 16. Later than that, check with me.

Hope to see some of you there.

Thank you to all of you who have made chemo caps, caps for the homeless, baby blankets, hats and scarves for seafarers, and so many
other things that bring comfort into difficult lives.

Peace,

Laura

(The Rev.) Laura Thomas Howell, Obl.S.B.
lauramh@gmail.com
Trinity Episcopal Church
http://trinitybeth.org

“We have what we seek. We don’t have to rush after it. It was there all the time, and if we give it time it will make itself known to us.”
T. Merton

Pray For...

Pray for our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families … Austin H. Gates Benson, 19; Ralph Mena, 27; Mark W. Coleman, 40; Brandon A. Barrett, 27; Eric M. Finniginam, 26; Wade A. Slack, 21; Richard R. Penny, 21; Esau S.A. Gonzales, 30; Joshua M. Davis, 19; Christopher Rangel, 22; Kyle A. Comfort, 27; Kurt S. Shea, 21; Jeremy L. Brown, 20;  ... 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.

Culled from various web pages, including:
U.S. Department of Defense news releases
In Remembrance, at legacy.com
Honor the Fallen, from Military Times
U.S. and Coalition Casualties, at CNN.com

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Forward Life Planning Workshop ... May 22, St. Luke's Scranton, with Charles Cesaretti, Diana Marshall and Charlie Barebo. More info here.

Share Save Spend Workshop, June 12 in Whitehall ... [From Dan Charney, Diocesan Stewardship Missioner]The Diocesan Stewardship Commission is pleased to offer you the opportunity to hear and learn from a leader in the field. On June 12 at St. Stephen's in Whitehall, Nathan Dungan, President of Share Save Spend will offer some of his 20 years experience helping youth and adults link their money decisions to their values. Read more here.

News and Action Summary from the Pennsylvania Council of Churches. [H/T to Diana Marshall]

Child Care subsidies available for eligible families ... Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning and the Child Care Information Service agencies were able to provide the Child Care Works subsidy to every family on the waiting list. With the help of the federal stimulus ARRA funds, the Child Care Works waiting list was cleared for the first time since 2003. Now is the time to encourage eligible families who may have been deterred by the long waiting lists last year to sign up for Child Care Works assistance as we expect immediate service or short waiting time. Families can apply online here, or visit their local CCIS agency. A listing of CCIS agencies is available on the DPW website. [H/T to Sandy Strauss, director of public advocacy, Pennsylvania Council of Churches]

National Cathedral audio/video lectures and forums are available on demand. Sunday forum archives, back to October 2007, are available here. In a recent adult forum, Cathedral Dean Samuel T. Lloyd III and author Greg Garrett examine expressions of Christianity in popular culture, from movies to the music of U2, how is Christian faith being articulated through popular culture, what messages are getting across? Listen, watch or download here. Expanding lecture archive, including multimedia offerings back to 2001, available here.

Twenty Episcopalians who shaped the 20th century ... The Anglican Examiner has begun posting The New York Anglicans: 20 Who Shaped the 20th Century, a project funded in part by the Historical Society of the Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Women's History Project. [H/T to Andrew Gerns, reporting at Episcopal Cafe]. Editor Donn Mitchell began worshiping in the Episcopal Church in the 1960s at St. Barnabas Mission in Kutztown in the fall of his freshman year at Kutztown State College. During this time, he served on the editorial board of the Bethlehem Churchman, the newspaper of the Diocese of Bethlehem and produced a nightly newscast for the college radio station. More about Donn here.

News from the world ... Watch essayist, farmer, poet, and conservationist Wendell Berry, whose work often reflects religious and moral ideals and who spoke on May 4 at the Arlington Public Library in Virginia. Here (4'39") he responds to a question about cheap oil and how it allows us to live. He says the issue is one of ignoring limits, and he calls the recent Gulf of Mexico oil spill “news from the world” in noisy response to the way we have gone after oil and mineral resources.

St. Monica, holy nagging, and the ongoing complexity of motherhood ... [By Pamela Dolan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch] I do believe that motherhood is a calling, and that it can be one of the greatest schools of holiness known to humankind.  For some of us, the level of nurturing and patience and humility that is required to be even a “good enough” mother calls us out of ourselves; the experience of mothering becomes a kind of refining fire for our spirits, burning away the inconsequential and the merely convenient and forcing us to focus  on the essentials–things like the importance of touch, the delicate balance between toughness and gentleness, or the daily need for forgiveness and gratitude.  And I believe too that some of the people best equipped to pass faith along to the uninitiated are mothers and grandmothers and godmothers. Our calendar of saints offers a delightful example of this. Read more here.

Celebrate: Save a Mother ... NYTimes op-ed, May 8, by Nicholas Kristof. Read it here.

My Mother, Her Secrets ... [NYTimes op-ed, May 8, by Jasmin Darznik] It’s difficult to imagine our mothers as women with stories and selves that exist separately from ours. So firmly do we hold onto the mothers of our memories that even as adults faced with some irrefutable proof of their lives before and apart from us, we still insist on our own versions of their lives. Read it all here.

The Moral Life of Babies ... [By Paul Bloom, NYTimes Sunday Magazine[ Not long ago, a team of researchers watched a 1-year-old boy take justice into his own hands. The boy had just seen a puppet show in which one puppet played with a ball while interacting with two other puppets. The center puppet would slide the ball to the puppet on the right, who would pass it back. And the center puppet would slide the ball to the puppet on the left . . . who would run away with it. Then the two puppets on the ends were brought down from the stage and set before the toddler. Each was placed next to a pile of treats. At this point, the toddler was asked to take a treat away from one puppet. Like most children in this situation, the boy took it from the pile of the “naughty” one. But this punishment wasn’t enough — he then leaned over and smacked the puppet in the head. Read more here.

Calendar of Events ... Updated May 3. Download it here. All known events around the diocese. Email Kat Lehman with event details if you would like an event added to the calendar. Kat updates this one on the newSpin blog monthly, and sends out a weekly update, usually Monday or Tuesday, on Facebook.

In-Formation in the Diocese of Bethlehem ... Read the May issue of Canon Anne Kitch's faith formation newsletter here.

Should we be growing? ... [By Alice Mann, from the Alban Institute] We believe in a God to whom "all hearts are open, all desires known." Sometimes we have a lot of work to do--uncovering the desires of our own hearts--before we can hear clearly what God may desire for us. An incarnational spirituality requires that we engage in prayerful dialogue with our own longings. As you ponder your congregation's call regarding size and numerical growth, you may find it helpful to map out the yearnings that are imbedded in this choice. Read more here. [H/T to Anne Kitch]

Rearrange Your Head: An Interview with American Muslim Convert and Memoirist G. Willow Wilson [By Haroon Moghul, May 9, in Religion Dispatches] 

Pray to Your God For Us: Christians on Jacksonville City Council Stir Anti-Muslim Sentiments. [ByJulie Ingersoll, May 7, in Religion Dispatches] After Jacksonville, Florida Mayor John Peyton nominated a Muslim professor, Parvez Ahmed, to the city's Human Rights Commission, some Christian members of the City Council showed the ugly face of anti-Muslim bias.

Looking for news and releases from The Episcopal Church?  Check News & Notices here. 

Educating the Laity ... Bonnie Anderson, President of the House of Deputies, has written an essay on theological education for the laity for Seabury Western Seminary. [H/T to Jim Naughton]

Join an Episcopal Church online Bible study ... The Episcopal Church invites online visitors into a Bible study by posting comments and thoughts on each week’s Sunday readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The complete weekly readings are posted along with study questions and reader comments here. ENS Weekly bulletin inserts for May 9 outline this service and invite all church members and others to join in the online discussion. Inserts available in English and Spanish here.

Christmas-at-Sea ... [From Canon Jane Teter] Summer is upon us and many of us are planning vacations.  Don't forget to take along some yarn and knitting needles or a crochet hook to make an item for mariners on the high seas who cannot be home for Christmas. We will collect these items at our Convention in October. Items may also be dropped off at Diocesan House anytime. Find patterns here. Go to "how you can help." There are  few new patterns for those who like to crochet and for knitters as well. I am going to try the new "Oliver's Cap" for a change of pace. Happy vacation and happy knitting (or crocheting!).

The plural form of e-mail is e-mails, even though there's no corresponding plural of mail as mails. This mismatch has rankled seekers of grammatical consistency over the years, but it has nonetheless settled into standard usage. More here.

Finding information ... The Diobeth website and newSpin blog work hand in hand. If you can't find the info you seek at the website, please search at the newSpin blog.

For daily news, info and commentary, visit the newSpin blog, the Episcopal Cafe and Episcopal Life Online.

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 ... InfoLine ... Episcopal Life Online ... FastFacts ... Calendar ... I am Episcopalian ... Weekly Bulletin Inserts ... On Twitter ... On Facebook ... and on YouTube.

Bakery ... The best place by far to post news or information about your parish is on the interactive list of the Diocese of Bethlehem (the House of Bread) called the Bakery. In order to post there, however, you have to be joined to the list. Join at the "Get Connected" page at the DioBeth website. Bakery includes some 200 addresses. If you post something about your parish on Bakery, however, I will most likely include it also on the twice-weekly newSpin newsletter which goes to some 1,000 addresses. And Kat may pick it up for use in Diocesan Life.

Find earlier issues of the newSpin newsletter here.

Do you wonder at times why you are not reading anything in the newSpin newsletter, the newSpin blog, the DioBeth website or Diocesan Life about your parish or your committee or your sermon? Try Occam's Razor. The simple answer, usually the correct one, is that nothing has been sent to Bill or Kat. Send. Send. Send. Preferably online.

About the newSpin newsletter ... Written at least weekly (usually twice a week) by Bill Lewellis, the newSpin newsletter appears as a post within the newSpin blog, but newsletter and blog are not identical. The newsletter currently goes to some 1,000 email addresses on a separate list. The views expressed, seemingly implied, or inferred in items or links contained in the newsletter or the blog do not represent the official view of the Diocese of Bethlehem unless expressed by or forwarded from the Bishop or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments may be addressed to Bill.

Bill Lewellis, Blog, Email (c)610-393-1833
Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible.
Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. [Bernard Lonergan]

Bill Lewellis, Blog, Email (c)610-393-1833
Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible.
Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. [Bernard Lonergan]

Share Save Spend Workshop, June 12 in Whitehall

[From Dan Charney, Diocesan Stewardship Missioner]

God's Way or My Way?  Which path will be best...? How can we best manage our money for God's purposes?  

The Diocesan Stewardship Commission is pleased to offer you the opportunity to hear and learn from a leader in the field. On June 12 at St. Stephen's in Whitehall, Nathan Dungan, President of Share Save Spend will offer some of his 20 years experience helping youth and adults link their money decisions to their values..  
 
"Nathan Dungan has a philosophy and framework for financial planning in families that redirects attention to values and makes the distinction between wants and needs....It has changed the way I've talked about money and lived about money with my children."
                                                                       Krista Tippett, host of NPR's Speaking of Faith
 
Each diocesan parish has received a brochure and poster containing seminar details.  Please speak to your priest, Sr. Warden, or parish information contact to receive a copy.
 
Whether or not you can attend the workshop, you can help us by downloading and sharing the attached poster with folks you know who would find the day important. Attached also is an article by Nathan Dungan.
 
Register online at www.diobeth.org by choosing Diocesan Event Registration.  Or call Rosie Hummel at 610-691-5655.  Registration closes June 1.

Dan Charney, Stewardship Missioner

Download 2010.ShareSaveSpend Poster.pdf

Download 2010.Dungan.ConfrontingtheConsumerCarnival.pdf

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ERD responds to flood victims in Tennessee ... here.

Your office chair is killing you ... Read it here, at Bloomberg Business Week. Makes sense from an evolutionary perspective, and makes me want to get out of this chair. [H/T to Jim Lewellis] This occasioned some good discussion and follow up on Bakery, but you had to be a member to read or take part in it. See the note near the bottom on joining Bakery.

Scapegoats, Bond Traders and Big Petroleum Companies ... An In the Lectionaries reflection by Archdeacon Stringfellow. Read it here.

Calendar of Events ... Updated May 3. Download it here. All known events around the diocese. Email Kat Lehman with event details if you would like an event added to the calendar. Kat updates this one on the newSpin blog monthly, and sends out a weekly update, usually Monday or Tuesday, on Facebook.

Don't 'Dive In' ... [From Canon Anne Kitch] Due to a number of conflicts for participants that came to light this week, we are canceling the Dive In! Seminar scheduled for Saturday, May 8. Hillary and I are hopeful we can offer this seminar at a future date.

Forward Life Planning Workshop ... May 22, St. Luke's Scranton, with Charles Cesaretti, Diana Marshall and Charlie Barebo. More info here.

In-Formation in the Diocese of Bethlehem ... Read the May issue of Canon Anne Kitch's faith formation newsletter here.

Pray for our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families … Thomas E. Rivers Jr., 22; Keith A. Coe, 30; Grant A. Wichmann, 27; Nathan P. Kennedy, 24; Salvatore S. Corma, 24;  Anthony O. Magee, 29... 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. More here.

Healing Poverty in the USA ... [Episcopal News Service – Newark, New Jersey] "Healing the worst of the poverty in this nation is intrinsically connected to restoring human beings to right relationship with the rest of creation," said Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori in a keynote address that touched on most every factor – shelter, food, environment, health care, employment and economics – that plays a role in domestic poverty. Read the ENS story here. Download a pdf of the Presiding Bishop's address here . Read about and view a Jubilee documentary here.

Volunteer opportunities and prayer for the Gulf Coast ... Info here and here.

From the Lectionaries, by Archdeacon Stringfellow

Scapegoats, Bond Traders, and Big Petroleum Companies
by Archdeacon Howard Stringfellow
Tuesday in Easter 5 (Year Two)
Leviticus 16:20-34
6 May 2010

In the First Lesson at Morning Prayer on May 4 we read: “When he has finished atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. Then Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgression, all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and sending it away into the wilderness by means of someone designated for the task. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a barren region; and the goat shall be set free in the wilderness” (Leviticus 16:20-22).

My first encounter with this selection of holy Scripture was not in church or in Sunday School; it was in a Shakespeare class when the play discussed was The Merchant of Venice. The professor’s object in introducing us to the Biblical source for scapegoats was to say that Shakespeare’s intention was to make of Shylock a scapegoat on whose head had been placed “all the iniquities of the people” of Venice before he was banished to compulsory baptism. For many reasons, the professor said, this intended effect did not “work”: “all the iniquities” of the Venetians did not fit or properly belong on his head, and we, probably like the Elizabethans, have a question or two when the subject turns to baptism against one’s will.

Volunteer opportunities and prayer for the Gulf Coast

[Fom Cindy McCrory, Director of Communications, Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast]

Volunteers are being mobilized now and already pre-cleaning the beaches. More info here.

Our Episcopal Camp is located on Weeks Bay (Beckwith Camp and Conference Center) and efforts are being made to stop the oil from
entering the estuary: more info here.

In both of these articles there are links to volunteer organizations needing people.

There are several coastal organizations/foundations that have joined together for volunteer efforts and to report news: more info here.

I am also waiting information on an offer from British Petroleum for people to be paid to do pre and post beach cleanup.  As far as supplies, we are also waiting for specifics and I will post the info as we receive it.

Meanwhile, you might wish to share with your parishes the following prayer written by the Rev. Canon Beverly Gibson,  Sub-Dean of Christ
Church Cathedral, Mobile. The last part is from the Prayer for the Conservation of Natural Resources, BCP, p. 827. The Cathedral will be
using this prayer weekly throughout the oil spill crisis.

Prayer for the Gulf of Mexico
We pray today for the preservation of our natural environment, especially the Gulf of Mexico and the lands and waters it touches: Guide those who labor to contain the oil that endangers the creatures of sea and land; Strengthen those who work to protect them; Have mercy on those whose livelihoods will suffer; Forgive us for our carelessness in using the resources of nature, and give us wisdom and reverence so to manage them in the future, that no one may suffer from our abuse of them, and that generations yet to come may continue to praise you for your bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thank you so much.

Cindy McCrory
Director of Communications
Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast