DioBeth newSpin

Calendar of Events updated September 30, 2011

Here is the latest Calendar of Events for events throughout the Diocese of Bethlehem. Remember, if you have an event, please let Kat Lehman know and she will add it to this list. As we transition to a new web site (YES, we are revamping our main web presence) we will be moving to a real-time calendar on www.diobeth.org. We wil let you know more as we move forward. in the meantime, we will continue to post the calendar here in Word format for you to download.

Download 110930calendarofevents

West Pittston Flood update

Bishop Paul has designated the Diocesan Convention offering to go toward flood relief. Christ Church, Towanda sustained six to eight feet of flooding in their parish basement and Trinity, West Pittston was spared by one block from being overwhelmed with water. Sayre and Athens were also hard hit from the flooding. As we know more, we will be updating you. Many churches are already helping and as we gather information on the best way to proceed with donations, we will let you know what is needed and where to take it. Right now, funds are the best method of helping so that gift cards can be purchased for food and household goods. You can send funds payable to The Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem, memo line: FLOOD RELIEF, 333 Wyandotte St., Bethlehem, PA 18015

By Janine Ungvarsky, pictures by John Major

“Let your loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, as we have put our trust in you.” [Psalm 33]
 
“Blessed be the Lord for evermore! Amen, I say Amen.” [Psalm 89]
 
On September 7 and 8, 2011, a number of communities along the Susquehanna River in Luzerne County were hit with the worst flooding these areas have ever seen. While the levee system thankfully protected larger cities like Wilkes-Barre and Kingston, West Pittston and other nearby small towns including Duryea, Exeter Township and Plains suffered significant damage.  As of the most recent figures available from the Emergency Management Agency, well over 2000 homes and more than 100 businesses throughout Luzerne County were damaged.
 
In West Pittston alone, 880 of the 2,381 residential structures received damage, including 230 that had flooding on the first floor and about 20 where water reached the second floor.  Fifty buildings had structural damage and a number of those have been or will be demolished as a result of the flood.  Many were not considered to be in the flood zone and were not insured for the damage.
 
Over 1,500 of the homes in West Pittston are more than 70 years old, and many of these larger, older residences have been subdivided into apartments, resulting in multiple families being left homeless by flood damage to one building.  In many cases, these tenants did not have insurance on their belongings.  And because more than two dozen businesses were also flooded, some residents lost not only their homes but their income as well.  Restaurants, gas stations and medical offices were all flooded, some severely, and it will take many of them months to rebuild.
 
As West Pittston started to dig out, those who would often be on the scene to help were also struggling.  The local National Guard armory and the Salvation Army were in the worst hit areas, and while both did respond to the disaster, their efforts were hampered by their own devastation.   Several churches were flooded, the local library suffered extensive damage, and the elementary school suffered damage to a number of lower level classrooms and the gymnasium.  Trinity Episcopal Church and rectory were spared, but many of its neighbors and a number of parishioners were directly affected by the flooding.
 
Similar situations exist in neighboring towns, including the Jenkins Township section of Plains and an area of Exeter Township known as Harding, where a combined total of about 150 structures were damaged, many of them in trailer parks and lower income areas; and Duryea, where 340 homes and businesses as well as the Roman Catholic elementary school were affected by up to seven feet of water on the first floor.  Duryea Borough officials estimated property owners in the small town of about 4,600 residents have sustained more than $7 million in damage.
 
As a result of hauling away mud soaked debris ranging from furniture and clothing to ruined carpets and drywall, Duryea officials expect the town’s landfill bill to soar from the usual monthly fee of $1,500 to more than $70,000, and this in a town where the entire 2011 budget is $1,202,603.  Since all of these hard-hit areas are small towns with very limited resources, each community faces similar situations, and they are relying heavily on outside agencies and organizations for assistance.
 
This assistance has been forthcoming in the form of some government emergency relief funding as well as practical help with everyday needs such as meals, flood clean up kits, medical care and clothing provided by local churches and civic organizations.  Some businesses are also stepping up to help with discounts on furniture and other necessities; a few are even making free items available to those who suffered flood damage and loss.  All of this helps with the immediate needs of those affected by the September flooding, but so much more remains to be done.
 
Most of those whose homes were flooded remain displaced, waiting for contractors to become available or unable to afford the work needed to fix their homes.  Even as they try to prepare to rebuild their lives, they find themselves battling mold and other potentially toxic contaminants.  Some renters are struggling to come up with deposits for new apartments and, in some cases, the funds to refurnish an apartment when they find one.  Others whose homes were not flooded are housing neighbors or family members, straining financial resources to feed and support those affected by the flood.  The aftermath of this flood will continue to impact the people of these small towns for a very long time, far longer than most outside agencies and organizations will remain on the scene.  In an area already facing an unemployment rate that has inched back up to 10 percent—higher than both the state and national rates -- recovery could take months, if not years.
 
Trinity West Pittston and the other Episcopal Churches of Luzerne County have pledged to be there as long as our neighbors need us.  Even before the river receded, parishioners in the Luzerne County churches were helping each other and our neighbors meet urgent needs for housing, food and volunteer labor.  We are currently in the process of speaking to flood victims to determine what needs aren’t being met by others or what needs may arise in the future, and will then work together within and between congregations to meet those needs.  For example, some services under consideration include counseling for those affected and childcare to allow parents uninterrupted time to work on their homes.  And since the increased need of residents displaced and/or unemployed because of the flood has left local food pantries with bare shelves, the area’s Episcopal Churches are stepping up efforts to restock those shelves.
 
Some cooperative flood recovery projects between congregations are already underway as well.  For example, through the efforts of The Rev. Daniel Gunn, Rector at St. Stephen’s Pro-Cathedral in Wilkes-Barre, a local hotel undergoing renovations has donated rooms full of furniture, and a team organized by The Rev. John Major, Rector at Trinity West Pittston, will seek donations of other household goods like bedding, towels, dishes, etc., and coordinate a distribution to local flood victims.  However, even using donated items and volunteer labor, efforts like this will require funds for warehouse space and trucks to transport and store the items.  Local congregations are already contributing time, talent and treasure to flood recovery efforts and seek help to let our neighbors know the Episcopal Church is there for them.

St. Andrew's Allentown/Bethlehem Fall Festival

newSpin 110929

The newSpin newsletter, September 29, 2011
By Bill Lewellis
Published Monday, occasionally also on Thursday

Let your religion be less a theory and more a love affair. ––GK Chesterton

TopSpin
• Diocesan Convention, Oct. 7-8 at the Cathedral ... Online registration deadline was Sept 26: See note from Archdeacon Stringfellow here and online registration here. Resolutions and Pre-Convention Meeting Here. Download preprint here.
• It's that time again ... [Episcopal News Service, Dan Webster] Get ready for the fund-raising season at your local congregation. Oh, you may hear it called a "stewardship" campaign. In reality most churches are trying to raise money to cover next year's budget. Very few congregations, in my experience, practice true stewardship. Many practice fundraising but call it stewardship, wrote the Rev. Dan Matthews, former rector of Trinity Church, Wall Street, who also identified four ways of giving: charity, philanthropy, fundraising and stewardship. What makes stewardship different, wrote Matthews in "Trinity News," is that it's "giving with no strings attached.  It is related to creation and my place in it." Read it all.
• Bishop Paul appeals for flood relief for northern tier parishes ... Here. Lead story in October Diocesan Life is the flood. Flooding update, with pics, here. People in 18 PA counties eligible to apply for federal aid: Adams, Bradford, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union, Wyoming and York.
• In Scranton: Good Shepherd celebrates 100 ...  [The Times Tribune] Designed by an English architect seeking to introduce neo-Gothicism in the United States, the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd is, from the outside, an example of revival. After 40 years of holding services in a railroad passenger car, a carriage house and finally a modest building on Monsey Avenue, the new structure designed by Henry Vaughan marked a new era for the church. Now, a century after its construction, the church in Scranton's Green Ridge section is still a symbol of revival - but this time, from the inside. More here and here.
• Renewal Assembly III: Finding Your Voice ... will take place in eight locations on Nov. 12. The format will be the same as the previous two with a video, prayer, discussion and lunch and will be over by 1:00 p.m. Registration (and more information) is now open online. Download the brochure here.
• Episcopal Church restructuring discussions, updated ... [Episcopal News Service] The on-going conversations about whether and how to restructure the Episcopal Church got a boost this week when the Rt. Rev. Stacy Sauls, a member of the House of Bishops who is also the church's chief operating officer, presented his fellow bishops with what he called a way of testing the "grassroots support" for such change. More here. [Episcopal Café, Jim Naughton] (1) The political context, here. (2) Assumptions about mission, here. (3) Reducing overhead, here and here.
• Hey, Bill, this is nuts ... [Bill] If anyone receives a note from Dolores Evans' old ptd address, be careful. In the note, "she" writes "Hey, Bill, this is nuts" and provides this webpage. The webpage looks on the surface like a Channel 10 (Philadelphia) page. It is not. Channel 10's real address is nbc10.com The scam is about a Catasauqua woman, Nicole Williams, making $10,900 a month from home. I have advised The Morning Call.

Renewal Assembly III: Finding Your Voice

The attached brochure concerns Renewal Assembly III. It will take place on Saturday, November 12, at eight locations around the diocese. The format will be the same as the previous two with a video, prayer, discussion and lunch and will be over by 1:00 p.m. Registration (and more information) is now open online. The event is free although there will be a "free will offering" to help the host parishes cover the food costs. Find all the information about it in the brochure you can download below in both color and b/w versions.

Download Renewal Assemly III Trifold-BW

Download Renewal Assembly III Trifold-2

Pray For...

Pray for our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families:

Pfc. Carlos A. Aparicio, 19, of San Bernadino, Calif.
Sgt. Rafael E. Bigai Baez, 28, of San Juan, Puerto Rico
Spc. Ryan J. Cook, 29, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
Spc. Robert E. Dyas, 21, of Nampa, Idaho
Sgt. Tyler N. Holtz, 22, of Dana Point, Calif.
Sgt. Andy C. Morales, 32, of Longwood, Fla.
Spc. Jakob J. Roelli, 24, of Darlington, Wis.
Sgt. Timothy D. Sayne, 31, of Reno, Nev.
Lance Cpl. Franklin N. Watson, 21, of Vonore, Tenn.
Lance Cpl. Terry C. Wright, 21, of Scio, Ohio

Pray also 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

Want to receive this in your email box? Subscribe to our "Pray For..." list via our "Get Connected" box on our web site: www.diobeth.org

newSpin 110926

The newSpin newsletter, September 26, 2011
By Bill Lewellis
Published Monday, occasionally also on Thursday

We face a choice that is starkly simple: we must change or be changed. If we fail to change for the better, then we will be changed for the worse. ––Wendell Berry

TopSpin
• Bishop Paul appeals for flood relief for northern tier parishes ... Here. Lead story in October Diocesan Life is the flood. Flooding update, with pics, here. People in 18 PA counties eligible to apply for federal aid: Adams, Bradford, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union, Wyoming and York.
• In Scranton: Good Shepherd celebrates 100 ...  [The Times Tribune] Designed by an English architect seeking to introduce neo-Gothicism in the United States, the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd is, from the outside, an example of revival. After 40 years of holding services in a railroad passenger car, a carriage house and finally a modest building on Monsey Avenue, the new structure designed by Henry Vaughan marked a new era for the church. Now, a century after its construction, the church in Scranton's Green Ridge section is still a symbol of revival - but this time, from the inside. More here and here.
• Episcopal Church restructuring discussions continue after House of Bishops meeting ... [Episcopal News Service] The on-going conversations about whether and how to restructure the Episcopal Church got a boost this week when the Rt. Rev. Stacy Sauls, a member of the House of Bishops who is also the church's chief operating officer, presented his fellow bishops with what he called a way of testing the "grassroots support" for such change. More here. The political context of the proposal ... [Episcopal Café, Jim Naughton] Here.
• Hey, Bill, this is nuts ... [Bill] If anyone receives a note from Dolores Evans' old ptd address, be careful. In the note, "she" writes "Hey, Bill, this is nuts" and provides this webpage. The webpage looks on the surface like a Channel 10 (Philadelphia) page. It is not. Channel 10's real address is nbc10.com The scam is about a Catasauqua woman, Nicole Williams, making $10,900 a month from home. I have advised The Morning Call.

Congregational Development Grants

[From Canon Jane Teter]

Congregational Development Grant applications have been mailed to those congregations who are currently receiving grants. If you are not currently receiving a grant but would like to apply, please contact me and I will get the application to you. Please read the guidelines carefully to see if your request will meet the guidelines. 

Our budget has been cut so there is limited funding available for 2012.

The absolute deadine is NOVEMBER 15, 2011.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact me.

Canon Teter

The Rev. Canon Jane B Teter
Diocese of Bethlehem
333 Wyandotte St.
Bethlehem, PA  18015
610-691-5655 ext 228

St. George's Tricky Tray Basket Give Away October 21

 

Good Shepherd to celebrate 100 years

Pray For...

Pray for our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families:

Sgt. 1st Class Danial R. Adams, 35, of Portland, Ore.
Staff Sgt. Estevan Altamirano, 30, of Edcouch, Texas
Spc. Chazray C. Clark, 24, of Ecorse, Mich.
Cpl. Michael J. Dutcher, 22, of Asheville, N.C.
Sgt. Garrick L. Eppinger Jr., 25, of Appleton, Wis.
Staff Sgt. Michael W. Hosey, 27, of Birmingham, Ala.
Sgt. Mycal L. Prince, 28, of Minco, Okla.
Sgt. Rodolfo Rodriguez Jr., 26, of Pharr, Texas
Sgt. Chester G. Stoda, 32, of Black River Falls, Wis.

Pray also 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

Want to receive this in your email box? Subscribe to our "Pray For..." list via our "Get Connected" box on our web site: www.diobeth.org

Pet food collection at Redeemer Sayre (UPDATED 21 September)

[From JoAnn Lumley, Outreach Coordinator] The Church of the Redeemer with Boy Scout Troop 4019 started to collect supplies for the Bradford County ASPCA in Ulster on Wednesday. If you will pardon the pun, they are flooded with displaced pets and are in need of cat litter, kitten chow, canned and dried cat food, canned and dried dog food and cleaning supplies. The attached photo was taken yesterday [Wednesday, Sept. 14]. Today we sent out pet food with the Athens FD for distribution for pets still at home. We will also be able to share with additional shelters. The response has been incredible and we are meeting many neighbors.The drive continues tomorrow (Friday) from 8AM to 5PM and Saturday from 8AM to Noon.

Here's the scoop of what was collected:

In three and a half days and with a minimum of effort we collected: 501.21 lbs of dry cat food, 44.5 lbs of kitten food, 48 pouches and 259 cans of moist cat food (for the senior felines) and 407 pounds of cat litter.  For our canine friends we received 650.5 lbs of the requested Pedigree dry food,  590.5 pounds of other brand dog food,  243 cans of Pedigree moist food, 40 lbs of dog treats, 15 gallons of bleach, bags of bedding and monetary donations of $434.02.  Thank you to all who helped to make this such a amazing success.

At noon on Saturday Mother Andrea Baldyga and Scout leader John Johnson and the Boy Scouts from troop number 4019 helped to truck the bulk of the food to the Bradford County ASPCA and to Stray Haven Humane Society. The smaller bags of food were taken to the Athens Fire Department to be shared with local friends and family sheltering displaced pets.

Flooding Update

Please check our front page article on Diocesan Life which was posted yesterday here. After we ran that story, we received the following information. Larry Gehring reports that Christ Church, Towanda had about 6 to 8 feet of water in their basement with damage to their boiler and water heaters. They also sustained rood leakage from the rain. Fortunately they did have flood insurance and because the basement had always been slightly damp they didn't lose anything since they don't use it for storage. You can check out the other flooding photos from around the diocese on our Flickr site under the flood collection. If you have more to add, just email them to me and I'll put them up there too. I do need the photographer's name to put on them though.

Here's the link to the flood collection: 2011 Flood from Tropical Storm Lee

Diocesan Life for October 2011

Open publication - Free publishing - More 9-11

You can download the 2.4 MB .pdf here: Download October2011_DiocesanLife_SMALL

Magic Numbers

By Howard Stringfellow
newSpin sportsWriter

At this time of year every year as the fall and seasonable rains begin, my thoughts turn to Baseball's Magic Number, that integer indicating the number of wins a first-place team needs as well as the number of losses a first-place team needs from the second-place team in order for the first-place team to win the Division.

My father's formula was unnecessarily complex, a bit showy, and he used a slide rule to compute it.  He had a real routine unlike me.  I offer this fully accurate simplification:

Magic Number = 163 - W1 - L2, where W1 equals the number of wins of the first-place team and where L2 equals the number of losses of the second-place team.  Allow me to demonstrate this with the most-watched Division in Baseball, the American League East.

The Yankees' Magic Number = 163 - 92 [Yankee wins] - 66 [Red Sox losses]

The Yankees' Magic Number = 5

Phillies' fans need not to know how to do this: they've already won their Division.  They won it so early that they never gave a moment's thought to the Magic Number.  They don't teach it anyway in the Montgomery County schools anymore.

On another day with more time, I'd like to discuss the transmogrification and transmutation of the Magic Number into Major League Baseball's "Elimination Number."  Something for another day when I am not round-tripping to the Northern Kingdom.  Perhaps when the Phillies' are actually counting and living hand-to-mouth.

REMINDER: Vendor "booth" registration for Diocesan Convention closes September 30th

[From Cindy Bakos]

2011 DIOCESAN CONVENTION Exhibitor “Booth” Request Form is attached.

Deadline: September 30, 2011

There is a $35.00 registration fee per table for all outside members. Please complete this form and return it to the address below along with your check made payable to “The Diocese of Bethlehem”. Space is limited. Table requests will be filled as received. There is the expectation that you will arrive at the exhibit area with all you need to set up your display. (Don’t forget to bring tablecloth, extension cords, scissors, tape, magic markers, pencils, etc.)

The exhibit hall will be available from 10:00 a.m. on Friday, October 7, 2011, until after the Eucharist on Saturday, October 8, 2011. All exhibits must be removed by 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. With this in mind, please complete the following form and return it to:

CINDY BAKOS
THE DIOCESE OF BETHLEHEM
333 WYANDOTTE STREET
BETHLEHEM, PA 18015

WE WILL NOT TAKE BOOTH RESERVATIONS OVER THE TELEPHONE. REQUEST FORM REQUIRED.
Download 110907 BOOTH REQUEST FORM 2011-Fill In

newSpin 110919

The newSpin newsletter, September 19, 2011
By Bill Lewellis
Published Monday, occasionally also on Thursday

Biblical illiteracy and Pelagianism are now so epidemic that you could announce your Good Friday sermon text as the Eighth Word of the Cross – “I did it my way” – even sing it – and get away with it. -Kim Fabricius

TopSpin
• A table-turning experience ... [Canon Andrew Gerns] I have now had the experience of a family choosing not to come to my church based, at least in part, on my gender. But there is a difference: They didn't hiss at me, spit at me, claw my hands during communion, or tell me that my orders weren't real--as my sister clergy experienced in my seminary days and beyond. But the tables were indeed turned, and it was a blessing. Read it at Andrew Plus, the blog of Andrew Gerns.
• Robbery at Trinity Bethlehem ... [Laura Howell, rector, on Bakery] On Wednesday, Sept. 14, one of our groups discovered that someone had broken into their locked cabinet (literally broken into--the lock was still locked and pulled right through the front of the cabinet), ripped the handle off the top of their cash box and reached in the hole to take their money.  Approximately $250-$300 was taken. The robber had to be incredibly strong. In addition, about two weeks ago, another person's wallet fell out of his pocket, and when he came back to look for it, it had disappeared. We did make a report to the police, of course. And we would like to let churches around here know, since it's common for there to be strings of robberies. Just a reminder to all that this is the city, and the city comes into the church. Being gentle as doves is a good thing.  But being wise as serpents (with a fang or two?) was also recommended by Jesus.
• Bishop Paul appeals for flood relief for northern tier parishes ... Below, under DioBethSpin.
• ABC resignation likely ...  Times of London religion correspondent says Rowan Williams' resignation is likely. More here.

DioBethSpin 
• Diocesan Convention, Oct. 7-8 at the Cathedral ... Register by Sept 26: See note from Archdeacn Stringfellow here and online registration here. Resolutions and Pre-Convention Meeting Here. Vendor booth registration here.
• Sermon at Interfaith Service of Remembrance and Hope ... [Bishop Paul, Sept. 11] There have been, as there always are, people who wish to mitigate the evil of 9/11 through a version of “understanding” the perpetrators. I find that abhorrent. The idea that if one has suffered enough one has license to be a monster must be rejected out of hand. What moral authority organized religion has left must, I think, say that clearly. The sad truth that concerns us as religious people is that 9/11 happened because an evil man used religious language to foster in alienated and angry people a hatred cold, vicious, and refined enough for them to murder three thousand human beings without warning or opportunity to defend themselves. We who uphold spiritual values must confront in our fellow believers such a misuse of religion if there is to be hope for the world. It is for each of us to ask how much and how often we have confronted the extremists in our own communities. How often do we give bad behavior a pass because we do not wish to be seen as critical of our own side—and the others are looking? More here.
• Bishop Paul appeals for flood relief for northern tier parishes ... Here. Also see story and video from the NYTimes, Susquehanna floodwaters recede, but threat remains here. Also, people in 18 PA counties eligible to apply for federal aid: Adams, Bradford, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union, Wyoming and York.
• Pet food collection at Redeemer Sayre ... [JoAnn Lumley, outreach coordinator] The Church of the Redeemer with Boy Scout Troop 4019 started to collect supplies for the Bradford County ASPCA in Ulster on Wednesday, Sept. 14. If you will pardon the pun, they are flooded with displaced pets and are in need of cat litter, kitten chow, canned and dried cat food, canned and dried dog food and cleaning supplies. On Thursday, we sent out pet food with the Athens FD for distribution for pets still at home. We will also be able to share with additional shelters. The response has been incredible and we are meeting many neighbors.The drive continued Friday and Saturday. Photo here.
• UTO Grant Applications ... [Canon Jane Teter] The deadlines for applications for United Thank Offering Grants is Dec. 15. Applications must be in the Bishop's office by that date in order to be considered. The online applications should be available on October 1 at the UTO website. For further information please contact me.
• Bishop Paul appoints priest-in-charge at Trinity Mt. Pocono ... Here.
• Free clothing at Trinity Athens ... [Barbara Cameron Caum, Trinity Athens, on Bakery] Trinity's semi-
• Diocesan Life, September, a 12-page edition, is available here.
• Renewal III Assembly ... Renewal Assembly III, Finding Your Voice, will take place in eight locations Nov. 12. See Renewal Assembly II video, Connecting the Dots, here.
• Episcopal News Weekly bulletin inserts ... Download inserts here. September 4/Pent 12: "Episcopal Generations" Project from Formation and Vocation Ministries Team. September 11/Pent 13: Presiding Bishop Calls for Commitment to Peace on 10th Anniversary of 9/11
• DioBeth Website and newSpin Blog ... Re:Create blog – for youth and young adults ... Twitter.DioBeth ... Twitter.Kat Lehman ... Facebook.DioBeth
• Public news and info lists ... At the Diobeth website , enter your name and email in the "Get Connected" box on the right hand side. You are welcome to subscribe to any or all of these. "Bakery" is our diocesan interactive list.

TaleSpin
• Converts vs Cradles ... [WSJournal, David Gibson] Are believers-by-birth less motivated witnesses? ... Do converts to the faith make better evangelists than "cradle Catholics"? Pope Benedict XVI seems to think so. Christians since childhood should "ask forgiveness," the pope told a group of his former theological students recently, "because we bring so little of the light of [Christ's] face to others, and emanate so feebly the certainty that he is, he is present and he is the great and complete reality that we are all awaiting." Yet conversion is a double-edged sword. The zeal of newfound faith can be little more than a superficial emotionalism that makes for great theater—especially in today's reality-television culture—but does not endure. Or zeal can tip into fanaticism, as we have seen all too often, undermining a faith (and its public image) by overreaching. Conversions can also be routine, and Americans today are switching religions so often that the coin of conversion may have become devalued. ... The truth is, as the sociologist of religion Peter Berger has long noted, that religion today is a choice, and we are all converts to one degree or another, choosing among a variety of religious experiences rather than having them given to us, as in days of old. Whether converts do that better than "cradle Catholics"—or whether, as is often the case, that is a distinction without a difference—both categories of believers are bound by the same vocation. Both are as responsible for the success or failure of the church's witness. More here. [h/t Deacon Larry Holman]
• A man of God and technology, trying to steady Libya ... [NYTimes, Saturday profile] Aref Nayed, a Muslim theologian who has also run a technology company, is the Transitional National Council's coordinator for the stabilization of Libya. More here. [h/t Deacon Larry Holman] 
• Bishop Walter C. Righter ... [NYTimes, Sept 17] Walter C. Righter, an Episcopal bishop who in 1996 was brought to trial and absolved of a charge of heresy for having ordained an actively gay man as a deacon, died on Sept. 11 at his home outside Pittsburgh. He was 87. Here. He was a co-consecrator when Bishop Paul was consecrated as Eighth Bishop of Bethlehem.
• The 83-year-old money tree ... [NYTimes, Sunday Magazine] Aside from being a nurse on the island for the past 53 years, the 5-foot-2 mother of seven is the sole administrator of the Mary D. Fund, a charity meant to help the 1,000 or so residents who call Block Island their year-round home. They’re a different breed from the upper-crusters who flood the island in May and take off around Labor Day. Many are paid under the table during the busy months and then struggle to live off that through the winter. The unemployment rate can reach 27 percent in the off-season. As one year-round establishment explains on the front of its T-shirt: “We’re all here because we’re not all there.” Last year, thanks to donations and fund-raisers like the annual Mary D. Ball, Donnelly distributed about $50,000. She estimates that she has helped close to 30 percent of the island’s families over the past few years. More here.

TailSpin
• A table-turning experience ... [Canon Andrew Gerns] I have now had the experience of a family choosing not to come to my church based, at least in part, on my gender. But there is a difference: They didn't hiss at me, spit at me, claw my hands during communion, or tell me that my orders weren't real--as my sister clergy experienced in my seminary days and beyond. But the tables were indeed turned, and it was a blessing. Read it at Andrew Plus, the blog of Andrew Gerns.
• What if the secret to success is failure?. ... [NYTimes, Sunday Magazine cover feature] Dominic Randolph can seem a little out of place at Riverdale Country School — which is odd, because he’s the headmaster. Riverdale is one of New York City’s most prestigious private schools, with a 104-year-old campus that looks down grandly on Van Cortlandt Park from the top of a steep hill in the richest part of the Bronx. On the discussion boards of UrbanBaby.com, worked-up moms from the Upper East Side argue over whether Riverdale sends enough seniors to Harvard, Yale and Princeton to be considered truly “TT” (top-tier, in UrbanBabyese), or whether it is more accurately labeled “2T” (second-tier), but it is, certainly, part of the city’s private-school elite, a place members of the establishment send their kids to learn to be members of the establishment. Tuition starts at $38,500 a year, and that’s for prekindergarten. More here.

Pray  
• The Daily Office ... with the Mission St. Clare. Now available for iPhone and iPad.
• With The Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• For our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families ... Check the newSpin blog for an update. Better still, at 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, check "Pray for." Then, you will receive the weekly update by email.

Opinion/Reflection
• Our history of fear started way before 9/11 ... [Miami Herald Op-Ed, Leonard Pitts] Along the way, union leaders, alleged Communists, Mexicans, gays, peace activists and African Americans all take their turns in the barrel, all get brutalized, detained, fired, illegally searched or killed outright because they, we are told, are the people we should fear. As a nation, we seem to need that, seem to need a people to fear. But fear interdicts intelligence. It is almost impossible to reason and fear at the same time. More here.
• On overestimating government's power ... [NYTimes Op-Ed, David Brooks, Summary by The Atlantic Wire] In his New York Times column, David Brooks writes about the planning fallacy, a theory developed by Nobel-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman. The fallacy is in overrating one's "own abilities and exaggerate [one's] capacity to shape the future," and it's one the United States has been committing for the past three years in its expectations for the economic recovery, Brooks says. "Countries that are afflicted with these crises typically experience several years of high unemployment. They go deep into debt to end the stagnation, but the turnaround takes a while." Instead of recognizing this, politicians say the economy is "sick" and needs to be "healed." "The Democrats, besotted by the myth that the New Deal ended the Great Depression, have consistently overestimated their ability to turn the economy around ... Republicans, who should know better, also have an inflated sense of the power of government. In the presidential debates, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman argue about which one oversaw the most job creation during his term as governor, as if governors have an immediate and definable impact on employers' hiring decisions." In truth, the economy is not a "sick patient." "It is a zillion, zillion interactions." Democrats should remember when creating social policy that it is difficult to reform very complex systems. "Republicans should be reflecting on the fact that if a Republican president were in office right now, and even if he or she did sensible things, the economy would still be in the dumps. It would be Republicans losing 'safe' Congressional seats in special elections." While a president can fund infrastructure and hire teachers, doing some good, it is unlikely he can overhaul an entire economic situation. "Many voters seem to think that government has the power to protect them from the consequences of their sins. Then they get angry and cynical when it turns out that it can't."
• American politics is fundamentally about different moral visions ... [NYTimes Op-Ed, Paul Krugman] CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked Representative Ron Paul what we should do if a 30-year-old man who chose not to purchase health insurance suddenly found himself in need of six months of intensive care. Mr. Paul replied, 'That's what freedom is all about taking your own risks.' Mr. Blitzer pressed him again, asking whether 'society should just let him die.' And the crowd erupted with cheers and shouts of 'Yeah!'" The incident highlighted something that I don’t think most political commentators have fully absorbed: at this point, American politics is fundamentally about different moral visions. More here.
• Learning From Hammarskjold ... [NYTimes Op-Ed, Brian Urquhart] The second secretary general of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjold, died 50 years ago this weekend on a mission to the Congo, when his plane crashed on its landing approach to Ndola, now in Zambia, then Northern Rhodesia. In his eight years at the United Nations, he brought vitality to the world organization and established its secretary general as a major player in global affairs. ... When Hammarskjold arrived at the United Nations in April 1953, most of the members of the Security Council were under the impression that they had voted for a competent Swedish civil servant who would not rock the boat or be particularly active or independent. The next eight years were quite a surprise. ... Of all the people I have known, Hammarskjold was by far the most successful in organizing his public life and his widespread intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic interests into an integrated and self-sustaining pattern. Literature in three or four languages, music, the visual arts and nature were his beloved companions, and his posthumously published diary, Markings, showed that he was developing his own version of mysticism. More here. Bishop Paul noted on Bakery that Markings is one of his spiritual resources.

Resources
• Pennsylvania Council of Churches ... Ministry of Public Advocacy. Here. News and Action Summary for Friday, Sept. 16. Here. [h/t Diana Marshall]
• MegaVote ... Track your Senators' and Representative's votes by email. Each week Congress is in session, you will receive: Key votes by your two Senators and U.S. Representative; Links to send email to your members of Congress using pre-addressed forms, Upcoming votes for your review and a chance to offer email input before they vote. Use this weekly vote monitor to track the decisions made by your elected officils on key issues.
• Progressive Punch ... a non-partisan searchable database of Congressional voting records, from a Progressive perspective.

Episcopal/Anglican
• Episcopal Church website ... Episcopal Church on Twitter ...  Episcopal News Service ... ENS on Twitter ... NewsLine ... News & Notices ... Infoline ... Episcopal Church on Facebook ... Episcopal Church on YouTube ... Anglican Communion website ... Anglican Communion News Service. ... Anglican Communion News Service on Facebook.

Moravian
• Moravian Church in North America website.  Moravian Church Northern Province website.  Moravian Theological Seminary website.

Evangelical Lutheran
• NEPA Synod E-News ... Sept. 16. Here.  NEPA Synod website ... Here.  ELCA website ... Here.  ELCA News Service ... Here.  ELCA's blogs may be found here. See especially "Web and Multimedia Development."

United Methodist  
• UMC website Here. News Service Here. Communication Resources Start here. Communication newsletter (tips and tools) Here. Eastern PA Conference website  Here. Facebook Here. Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Roman Catholic
• Take abuse cases out of clercal hands ... [An NCR Editorial] If the recently released report of the investigation of the Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., diocese were reduced to its core, it would read: Diocesan officials -- priests and bishops -- should never investigate accusations of other priests. That point might seem glaringly obvious, and one that has been made repeatedly in other circumstances. Nonetheless it is helpful to see it once again in writing as a central conclusion to an elaborate study. “Our most important recommendation,” say the report writers, “is that the vicar general and diocesan counsel not serve, either by design or by the force of circumstance, as the gatekeeper for the investigation and review process.” More here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.  Diocese of Scranton ... Here.  United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here.  Catholic News Service ... Here.  Vatican website ... Here.  Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.  Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.

WordSpin
• The Daily Office from MissionStClare. Now available for iPhone and iPad.
• The Lectionary Page ...  Here. This is a new URL. Update your bookmarks or favorites.
• The Lectionary ... Here.
• Oremus Bible Browser ... Here.
• Revised Common Lectionary ... Vanderbilt.

DaySpin     
• Diocese of Bethlehem Events Calendar ... Updated monthly, September 7. Here. Find weekly updates on the DioBeth Facebook page. Also here.
• Episcopal Church Calendar ... Here.

Be there
• Oct. 7-8 ... Diocesan Convention, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem.
• Oct. 18 ... Souper Day for New Bethany at Candlelight Inn, Bethlehem, Noon.
• Oct. 22 ... J2A Training , 8:30 - 3:00, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem.
• Oct. 22 ... Daughters of the King Assembly, St.Luke's, Scranton 9:30 to 3:00
• Nov. 1 ... Deacon Ordination, St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral, Wilkes-Barre 7:00 p.m.
• Nov. 6 ... Joint Episcopal and Methodist Service, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem 4:00 p.m.
• Nov. 11-13 ... Happening Retreat by Youth for Youth, grades 9-12, at Kirby House.
• Nov. 12 ... Renewal Assembly III, at eight locations, 9 to 1:30.
• January 6 ... Ordination, St. Stephen's, Wilkes-Barre 7:00 p.m.
• Jan. 21 ... Bishop's Day with Youth, grades 6-12.
• March 24 ... Diocesan Training Day, St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral, Wilkes-Barre 9:00 to 3:00.
• March 29 ,,, Chrism Mass, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem 11:00 a.m.
• April 20-22 ... Christophany Retreat, grades 6-12, at Pocono Plateau Retreat, Cresco.
• May 16 ... Episcopal Church Women Annual Meeting, Kirby House 9:00 to 2:30.
• May 20 ... St. Matthew's Society Gathering, Lehigh Country Club, Allentown 3:00 p.m.
• June 1-3 ... Vocare Retreat for Young Adults.
• June 30 ... Bishop's Day with Kids
• July 5-12 ... 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, Indianapolis.
• July 28 ... Bishop's Day with Kids
• Summer ... Senior High Mission Trip.

Follow
• The Diocese of Bethlehem on Twitter and Facebook ... http://twitter.com/#!/Diobeth ... https://www.facebook.com/DioceseOfBethlehem
• Kat Lehman on Twitter ... http://twitter.com/#!/KatLehman
• Episcopal News Service on Twitter ...  http://twitter.com/#!/episcopal_news

Additional sources of news/info/commentary
• Religion News Service Daily Roundup ... here.
• Faith in Public Life ... here.
• Episcopal/Anglican
(1) The Lead, Episcopal Cafe
(2) Daily Episcopalian, Episcopal Cafe
(3) AngicansOnline.
(4) AnglicansOnline News Centre.

*************

You are reading the newSpin newsletter. The newSpin blog, which includes the newsletter and other items, is available here. When the newsletter is completed on Mondays and occasionally, more often than not, on Thursdays as well, it is published immediately to the blog and on Bakery and on a ChurchPost list of some 1,000 addresses. Many recipients forward it to many more. Bakery and the blog are interactive. The ChurchPost list is not. The newsletter comes, of course, with some spin from the editor. The views expressed, 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. If you're wondering why you haven't seen something related to your parish or agency here, it's probably because no one has sent relevant info. Regarding items about your parish or agency as well as feedback on any other items ... send email to Bill.

Bill Lewellis, Diocese of Bethlehem, retired
Communication Minister/Editor (1986-2010), Canon Theologian (1998)
Blog , Email (c)610-393-1833
Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible.
Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. [Bernard Lonergan]

UTO Grant Applications

The deadlines for applications for United Thank Offering Grants is DECEMBER 15, 2011. Applications must be in the Bishop's office by that date in order to be considered. No late applications will be accepted.

The online applications should be available on October 1, 2011 at the UTO website.

For further information please contact Canon Jane Teter.

Pray For...

Pray for our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families:

James W. Coker, 59, of Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Spc. Koran P. Contreras, 21, of Lawndale, Calif.
Cmdr. James K. Crawford, 50, of East Concord, N.Y.
Spc. Christopher D. Horton, 26, of Collinsville, Okla.
Sgt. Bret D. Isenhower, 26, of Lamar, Okla.
Pfc. Douglas J. Jeffries Jr., 20, of Springville, Calif.
Petty Officer Brian K. Lundy, 25, of Austin, Texas
Pfc. Tony J. Potter Jr., 20, of Okmulgee, Okla.
Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Quintana, 30, of Huntington Park, Calif.
Staff Sgt. Keith F. Rudd, 36, of Winder, Ga.
Spc. Kevin R. Shumaker, 24, of Livermore, Calif.
Pfc. Brett E. Wood, 19, of Spencer, Ind.

Pray also 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

Want to receive this in your email box? Subscribe to our "Pray For..." list via our "Get Connected" box on our web site: www.diobeth.org

newSpin 110915

The newSpin newsletter, September 15, 2011
By Bill Lewellis
Published Monday, occasionally also on Thursday

There is no debt ceiling on forgiveness. –Tobias Stanislas Haller, BSG

You are reading the newSpin newsletter. Additionally, the newSpin blog, which includes the newsletter and other items, is available here. When the newsletter is completed on Mondays and occasionally, more often than not, on Thursdays as well, it is published immediately to the blog and on Bakery and on a ChurchPost list of some 1,000 addresses. Bakery and the blog are interactive. The ChurchPost list is not. If you're wondering why you haven't seen something related to your parish or agency here, it's probably because no one has sent relevant info. Regarding items about your parish or agency as well as feedback on any other items ... send email to Bill.

TopSpin
• 9/11 Sermons and more ... (1) Bishop Paul at Interfaith Service of Remembrance and Hope. (2) Presiding Bishop Katharine at St. Paul's NYC and St. John the Divine NYC. (3) Canon Gerns at Trinity Easton. (4) Sermons in music: A celebration of Bach at Trinity NYC as a counterpoise to painful memories. (5) Tom Ehrich column: Moving on from 9/11. (6) At Trinity Easton.
• Robbery at Trinity Bethlehem ... [Laura Howell, rector, on Bakery] On Wednesday, Sept. 14, one of our groups discovered that someone had broken into their locked cabinet (literally broken into--the lock was still locked and pulled right through the front of the cabinet), ripped the handle off the top of their cash box and reached in the hole to take their money.  Approximately $250-$300 was taken. The robber had to be incredibly strong. In addition, about two weeks ago, another person's wallet fell out of his pocket, and when he came back to look for it, it had disappeared. We did make a report to the police, of course. And we would like to let churches around here know, since it's common for there to be strings of robberies. Just a reminder to all that this is the city, and the city comes into the church. Being gentle as doves is a good thing.  But being wise as serpents (with a fang or two?) was also recommended by Jesus.
• Bishop Paul appeals for flood relief for northern tier parishes ... Below, under DioBethSpin.

DioBethSpin 
•• Sermon at Interfaith Service of Remembrance and Hope ... [Bishop Paul, Sept. 11] There have been, as there always are, people who wish to mitigate the evil of 9/11 through a version of “understanding” the perpetrators. I find that abhorrent. The idea that if one has suffered enough one has license to be a monster must be rejected out of hand. What moral authority organized religion has left must, I think, say that clearly. The sad truth that concerns us as religious people is that 9/11 happened because an evil man used religious language to foster in alienated and angry people a hatred cold, vicious, and refined enough for them to murder three thousand human beings without warning or opportunity to defend themselves. We who uphold spiritual values must confront in our fellow believers such a misuse of religion if there is to be hope for the world. It is for each of us to ask how much and how often we have confronted the extremists in our own communities. How often do we give bad behavior a pass because we do not wish to be seen as critical of our own side—and the others are looking? More here.
• Bishop Paul appeals for flood relief for northern tier parishes ... Here. Also see story and video from the NYTimes, Susquehanna floodwaters recede, but threat remains here. Also, people in 18 PA counties eligible to apply for federal aid: Adams, Bradford, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union, Wyoming and York.
• Media coverage of Trinity Easton's 9/11 observance ... [Canon Andrew Gerns, rector] On the blog of Trinity Easton is a summary of some of the local news coverage for our Interfaith Community Service of Remembrance and Hope on Sunday. We estimate that we had around 300-325 people...anyway, the place was packed. The event was a real success not only in terms of numbers but also pastorally. We were able to use twitter and Facebook to good effect, and the live web-cast went pretty well. We learned a lot about how to do that better. We hope to have a less-jumpy archive version, better edited, on YouTube soon. I have been fielding many e-mails and tweets, all positive, many saying simply thanks, with two people wanting to learn more about the church and the denomination that hosted this. We'll see. As for the parish, it was a new experience of putting on a public face, of putting ourselves in the community not only as a servant who feeds people but as a community that leads. We are still in the afterglow but I think it will have a positive effect on the parish's sense of mission and evangelism.
• Project: Presence at the 2011 Luzerne County Fair ... [Janine Ungvarsky, Trinity West Pittston] In the spirit of our diocesan mission to “tell what you have seen and heard,” I’d like to share some of the things seen and heard as the Luzerne County Episcopal Churches joined forces once again for Project: Presence at the 2011 Luzerne County Fair. The fair opened Wednesday with pounding rain that kept away the crowds and sent us all home early.  Thursday was even worse as flooding threatened a large section of the county and closed the fair.  I didn’t have much hope for Project: Presence as I evacuated my West Pittston apartment Thursday afternoon at 1:30, with the Susquehanna River already swollen to within two blocks of Trinity. I have to admit I was surprised when I checked the fair web site that evening and learned the fair was going to be opened on Friday “in response to numerous requests.”  This made some sense, considering that the fairgrounds are located in an area not subject to river flooding and easily accessible via the Cross Valley Expressway for many of the other areas where evacuees sought higher ground.   Though I had doubts about the turnout, I decided I would open the booth and invite volunteers who could safely do so to join me. That first evening, I was handing a helium balloon to a little boy when I noticed a tear in his mother’s eye.  The little guy was laughing big belly laughs as the balloon bobbed over his head in response to every move of his hand, and his mom said she was just so happy to see him relaxed and not crying or fussing for the first time all day.  She confided that they were forced to evacuate their home in Harding, one of the areas hit hard by the flooding, and were staying in a relative’s home crowded with other family members also fleeing the flood.  This young mother said she needed to get her rambunctious toddler out of the cramped quarters and to think about something besides what the flood was doing to her home.  She talked and I listened, until her son decided he needed to be on the move again, and I couldn’t help but smile when I saw that mom and child were both giggling over the way the balloon bounced off her shoulder as they headed away. Versions of that woman’s situation were repeated over and over again as people who hoped the levee would hold and those who already knew their homes had been devastated visited our booth. More here.
• Bishop Paul appoints priest-in-charge at Trinity Mt. Pocono ... Here.
• Free clothing at Trinity Athens ... [Barbara Cameron Caum, Trinity Athens, on Bakery] Trinity's semi-annual clothing giveaway, originally scheduled for October 1, will be held this Saturday, September 17th, from 9 to 2 in the church Parish Hall at 700 S. Main (across the street from the church). There is good clothing for all ages for both males and females. Please spread the word, especially to those who have lost so much due to the flooding. There is no cost. All clothing is free. Use the South Athens 199 entrance to avoid the downtown area.
• Diocesan Convention, Oct. 7-8 ... Registration, Here. Resolutions and Pre-Convention Meeting ... Here.
• Diocesan Life, September, a 12-page edition, is available here.
• Renewal III Assembly ... Renewal Assembly III, Finding Your Voice, will take place in eight locations Nov. 12. See Renewal Assembly II video, Connecting the Dots, here.
• Episcopal News Weekly bulletin inserts ... Download inserts here. September 4/Pent 12: "Episcopal Generations" Project from Formation and Vocation Ministries Team. September 11/Pent 13: Presiding Bishop Calls for Commitment to Peace on 10th Anniversary of 9/11
• DioBeth Website and newSpin Blog ... Re:Create blog – for youth and young adults ... Twitter.DioBeth ... Twitter.Kat Lehman ... Facebook.DioBeth
• Public news and info lists ... At the Diobeth website , enter your name and email in the "Get Connected" box on the right hand side. You are welcome to subscribe to any or all of these. "Bakery" is our diocesan interactive list.

TaleSpin
• For the dying, a chance to rewrite life ... [NPR] For several decades, psychiatrists who work with the dying have been trying to come up with new psychotherapies that can help people cope with the reality of their death. One of these therapies asks the dying to tell the story of their life, NPR reports. Called dignity therapy, this treatment was created by a psychiatrist named Harvey Chochenoff. After years of working with the dying, Chochenoff realized that what terminal patients found most annihilating was the idea that who they were would completely cease to exist after their death. So he decided to do something about it. [h/t Leadership Education at Duke Divinity]
• Alabama Bishops fight tough immigration laws ... [Episcopal Café] Odyssey Networks released an exclusive story illuminating the issues from the perspectives of both the church and the state in their video "The Immigration Debate: Alabama Bishops Unite to Fight Tough New Law." Here.
• Happiest of all ... [Christian Science Monitor] Since experts say that social interaction drives job satisfaction, it makes sense that clergy are happiest of all, according to a General Social Survey by the National Organization for Research at the University of Chicago. More here and at Episcopal Café.
• National Cathedral carried no earthquake insurance ... [David Strang, on Bakery] I've followed the construction of the National Cathedral through the decades with great interest, and have been giving a modest gift to the ministry of that great church for quite some time. I was therefore not surprised when a special mailing labeled "emergency" came this week, in which the damage was outlined and there was a request for a donation to help cover the $25 million estimated price-tag.  There was the sad statement that essentially "none of the damage is covered by insurance". I chatted with a spokesperson for the fund raiser at the Cathedral today to find out why they carried no earthquake insurance.  He said they were aware of the remote possibility of an earthquake, but "nobody in the District had earthquake insurance", and the "insurance is expensive".  They only now realize "what a mistake" they've made. Hindsight is always better than foresight, but I suspect the Cathedral will have earthquake insurance in the future.

TailSpin
• Poverty continues to rise in U.S. ... [Reuters] The number of Americans living below the poverty line rose to a record 46 million last year. Here. 27-year high. Nearly one in six are needy. More at Episcopal Cafe.
• Pardon this French ... [Bill] The most frequent Lithuanian swear word I heard during my youth was Rupūžė. Oddly enough, it means toad. I never, however, came across anything like Quebec's preferred swear words.
• An article of faith for marketers: Place no faith in articles ... [WSJournal] This is an article about articles. They're going AWOL. Sitting down to chat last year with Amazon.com Inc.'s Chief Executive Jeff Bezos, television host Charlie Rose announced that the two would discuss "the Kindle," Amazon's e-reader. But throughout the interview, Mr. Bezos repeatedly dodged the word "the," saying how "Kindle is succeeding," that "Kindle is a companion to tablet computers" and touting how many e-books are "available for Kindle." Mr. Bezos is part of a growing cadre of marketers who conscientiously object to using articles—the tiny English words "the," "a" and "an" that typically precede many nouns. More here.
• God Is Not One ... [NCR book review] Book by Stephen Prothero explores the significance of religious differences. Here.

Pray  
• The Daily Office ... with the Mission St. Clare. Now available for iPhone and iPad.
• With The Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• For our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families ... Check the newSpin blog for an update. Better still, at 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, check "Pray for." Then, you will receive the weekly update by email.

Opinion/Reflection
• More Americans tailoring religion to fit their own needs ... [USA Today, Cathy Lynn Grossman] If World War II-era warbler Kate Smith sang today, her anthem could be Gods Bless America. That's one of the key findings in newly released research that reveals America's drift from clearly defined religious denominations to faiths cut to fit personal preferences. The folks who make up God as they go are side-by-side with self-proclaimed believers who claim the Christian label but shed their ties to traditional beliefs and practices. Religion statistics expert George Barna says, with a wry hint of exaggeration, America is headed for "310 million people with 310 million religions." "We are a designer society. We want everything customized to our personal needs — our clothing, our food, our education," he says. Now it's our religion. More here.
• If it feels right ... [NYTimes Op-Ed, David Brooks] For decades, writers from different perspectives have been warning about the erosion of shared moral frameworks and the rise of an easygoing moral individualism. Allan Bloom and Gertrude Himmelfarb warned that sturdy virtues are being diluted into shallow values. Alasdair MacIntyre has written about emotivism, the idea that it’s impossible to secure moral agreement in our culture because all judgments are based on how we feel at the moment. Charles Taylor has argued that morals have become separated from moral sources. People are less likely to feel embedded on a moral landscape that transcends self. James Davison Hunter wrote a book called “The Death of Character.” Smith’s interviewees are living, breathing examples of the trends these writers have described. In most times and in most places, the group was seen to be the essential moral unit. A shared religion defined rules and practices. Cultures structured people’s imaginations and imposed moral disciplines. But now more people are led to assume that the free-floating individual is the essential moral unit. Morality was once revealed, inherited and shared, but now it’s thought of as something that emerges in the privacy of your own heart. Read it all. [h/t Deacon Larry Holman and Mrs. Libby House]

Resources
• In-Formation in Bethlehem ... Canon Kitch's September newsletter on Lifelong Christian formation resources. Here.
• MegaVote ... Track your Senators' and Representative's votes by email. Each week Congress is in session, you will receive: Key votes by your two Senators and U.S. Representative; Links to send email to your members of Congress using pre-addressed forms, Upcoming votes for your review and a chance to offer email input before they vote. Use this weekly vote monitor to track the decisions made by your elected officils on key issues.
• Progressive Punch ... a non-partisan searchable database of Congressional voting records, from a Progressive perspective.

Episcopal/Anglican
• Episcopal Church website ... Episcopal Church on Twitter ...  Episcopal News Service ... ENS on Twitter ... NewsLine ... News & Notices ... Infoline ... Episcopal Church on Facebook ... Episcopal Church on YouTube ... Anglican Communion website ... Anglican Communion News Service. ... Anglican Communion News Service on Facebook.

Moravian
• Moravian Church in North America website.  Moravian Church Northern Province website.  Moravian Theological Seminary website.

Evangelical Lutheran
• NEPA Synod E-News ... Sept. 9. Here.  NEPA Synod website ... Here.  ELCA website ... Here.  ELCA News Service ... Here.  ELCA's blogs may be found here. See especially "Web and Multimedia Development."

United Methodist  
• UMC website Here. News Service Here. Communication Resources Start here. Communication newsletter (tips and tools) Here. Eastern PA Conference website  Here. Facebook Here. Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Roman Catholic
• Philadelphia urgently needs truth, compassion and healing ... [An NCR Editorial] Philadelphia is an archdiocese in which the people have been deeply wounded by a significant number of their priests and the last three cardinal archbishops. It is a place where children, mostly boys, have been raped and molested, in some cases repeatedly and over years. It is a place where the wounds of the priest sex abuse crisis are perhaps the most exposed of any diocese, and where, with each new revelation of testimony by former archdiocesan officials, the wounds are scored open anew. It is a place where the last three cardinal archbishops have deeply betrayed the trust of the Catholic community and that of the wider culture. They deceived the Catholic community, were complicit in hiding crimes and criminals and acted first to protect their own reputations and that of the institution to the detriment of the community’s most vulnerable. The Catholic community in Philadelphia is in desperate need of a credible example of the truth of the Incarnation that sustains us: That the divine is mediated through the human. In that context it is not God’s intent that we passively accept abuse and betrayal from our leaders, hoping that somewhere down the line we’ll understand the will of God. But that’s what the faithful of Philadelphia were told by their new archbishop, Charles Chaput, in his first homily as leader of the archdiocese. More here.
• Vatican accused at The Hague ... [Religion News Service Roundup, Wednesday]  Human rights lawyers and victims of clergy sexual abuse are asking the International Criminal Court in The Hague to prosecute Pope Benedict XVI for crimes against humanity, accusing him and other Vatican officials of abetting and covering up the sexual assault of children. Experts say the campaign has a snowball's chance, but SNAP insists it's not a publicity stunt.
• Head of Priests for Life suspended for financial mismanagement, fights suspension order ...[RNS, David Gibson] One of the highest profile anti-abortion activists in the Catholic Church in the United States says he will abide by but appeal a suspension order from his bishop following allegations of financial mismanagement. The Rev. Frank Pavone, who developed a huge following through his nationwide campaigns against abortion as head of the New York-based Priests for Life, is under investigation for mishandling his organization's budget. Pavone said Tuesday (Sept. 13) that he had appealed the suspension order issued by Bishop Patrick J. Zurek of Amarillo, Texas, but said he would return to Amarillo as Zurek ordered. Pavone is the third high-profile conservative Catholic leader this year to face charges of misconduct, following allegations leveled against two other priests in different organizations. More here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.  Diocese of Scranton ... Here.  United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here.  Catholic News Service ... Here.  Vatican website ... Here.  Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.  Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.

WordSpin
• The Daily Office from MissionStClare. Now available for iPhone and iPad.
• The Lectionary Page ...  Here. This is a new URL. Update your bookmarks or favorites.
• The Lectionary ... Here.
• Oremus Bible Browser ... Here.
• Revised Common Lectionary ... Vanderbilt.

DaySpin     
• Diocese of Bethlehem Events Calendar ... Updated monthly, September 7. Here. Find weekly updates on the DioBeth Facebook page. Also here.
• Episcopal Church Calendar ... Here.

Be there
• Oct. 7-8 ... Diocesan Convention, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem.
• Oct. 18 ... Souper Day for New Bethany at Candlelight Inn, Bethlehem, Noon.
• Oct. 22 ... J2A Training , 8:30 - 3:00, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem.
• Oct. 22 ... Daughters of the King Assembly, St.Luke's, Scranton 9:30 to 3:00
• Nov. 1 ... Deacon Ordination, St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral, Wilkes-Barre 7:00 p.m.
• Nov. 6 ... Joint Episcopal and Methodist Service, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem 4:00 p.m.
• Nov. 11-13 ... Happening Retreat by Youth for Youth, grades 9-12, at Kirby House.
• Nov. 12 ... Renewal Assembly III, at eight locations, 9 to 1:30.
• January 6 ... Ordination, St. Stephen's, Wilkes-Barre 7:00 p.m.
• Jan. 21 ... Bishop's Day with Youth, grades 6-12.
• March 24 ... Diocesan Training Day, St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral, Wilkes-Barre 9:00 to 3:00.
• March 29 ,,, Chrism Mass, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem 11:00 a.m.
• April 20-22 ... Christophany Retreat, grades 6-12, at Pocono Plateau Retreat, Cresco.
• May 16 ... Episcopal Church Women Annual Meeting, Kirby House 9:00 to 2:30.
• May 20 ... St. Matthew's Society Gathering, Lehigh Country Club, Allentown 3:00 p.m.
• June 1-3 ... Vocare Retreat for Young Adults.
• June 30 ... Bishop's Day with Kids
• July 5-12 ... 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, Indianapolis.
• July 28 ... Bishop's Day with Kids
• Summer ... Senior High Mission Trip.

Follow
• The Diocese of Bethlehem on Twitter and Facebook ... http://twitter.com/#!/Diobeth ... https://www.facebook.com/DioceseOfBethlehem
• Kat Lehman on Twitter ... http://twitter.com/#!/KatLehman
• Episcopal News Service on Twitter ...  http://twitter.com/#!/episcopal_news

Additional sources of news/info/commentary
• Religion News Service Daily Roundup ... here.
• Faith in Public Life ... here.
• Episcopal/Anglican
(1) The Lead, Episcopal Cafe
(2) Daily Episcopalian, Episcopal Cafe
(3) AngicansOnline.
(4) AnglicansOnline News Centre.

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Composed at least weekly (usually on Monday and occasionally on Thursday) by Bill Lewellis, the newSpin newsletter appears as a post within the newSpin blog. Newsletter and blog are not identical. This notice that a new newsletter has been published currently goes to some 1,200 email addresses on a separate list. Many recipients forward it to many more. The newsletter comes, of course, with some spin from the editor, but the views expressed, 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, Diocese of Bethlehem, retired
Communication Minister/Editor (1986-2010), Canon Theologian (1998)
Blog , Email (c)610-393-1833
Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible.
Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. [Bernard Lonergan]