The newSpin Newsletter, March 19, 2012
By Bill Lewellis
Published Monday, occasionally also on Thursday
TopSpin
• ABC Rowan Williams stepping down at year's end ... [Episcopal Café] Here and Here and Here and Here. His decision comes after 10 years as ABC and after accepting the position of Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, where, the college said he “has the capacity and vision to guide the College in a time of unprecedented change in higher education.” He will be returning to what he always said was his primary calling as a liberal theologian, leaving behind the tangled church politics that require the archbishop of Canterbury to have, as he said Friday, “the hide of a rhinoceros and the constitution of an ox.” More at ENS, AP, RNS, and the NYTimes.
• Agonies of an Archbishop ... [Ross Douthat, NYTimes Op-Ed] Rowan Williams has borne some of the same burdens as Pope Benedict XVI. The outgoing archbishop of Canterbury and the former Joseph Ratzinger differ theologically and in the scope of their ecclesiastical authority. But both men are European academics trying to speak to Western audiences while leading an increasingly global and post-European church. Both have confronted the same issues (Islam, secularism, sexuality) and both have stumbled into public controversies when their soft-spoken styles collided with intractable challenges. These challenges won’t go away, but within a few decades it won’t be elderly Bavarians or Welsh academics who are confronting them. This is probably the last era in which the public face of the world’s major Christian bodies will look the way it did in 1780, or even 1950. The next pope could well be Latin American or African; if not in the next election, then it’s only a matter of time. And one of the favorites to succeed Rowan Williams as archbishop of Canterbury is John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu, the Ugandan-born archbishop of York, whose biography makes a bridge between the old Christendom and the new. A hundred years ago, the idea that one of Western Europe’s most ancient religious offices could be occupied by a black man born in Africa would have seemed like something out of science fiction. By the end of this century, in a globalized Anglicanism and Catholicism alike, it will probably seem like the most normal and necessary thing in the world. More here.
• As Rowan Williams retires, speculation turns to successor ... [RNS] Here.
• Sheltering the homeless ... Below, under ParishSpin.
• Diocesan Training Day: Saturday, March 24 at St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral in Wilkes-Barre ... The annual Diocesan Training Day is now open for online registration. Twelve workshops from a variety of ministries. Registration and more info here. Vestry members and Finance Commission members are especially encouraged to attend the Wardens/Vestry 101 Workshop led by Bishop Paul and Archdeacon Stringfellow: An introduction for new wardens and vestry members, or a refresher for experienced vestry members to the roles, responsibilities, and realities of parish leadership. We will look at canons, models, strategies, and resources to assist the elected leaders of parishes.
• Chrism Mass: March 29 ... [Bishop Paul] See below, under DioBethSpin
• Draft rite for Same-Sex Blessings and supporting documents released ... [Episcopal Café, Andrew Gerns] The Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music has released excerpts from its “I Will Bless You, and You Will Be a Blessing: Resources for Blessing Same-Gender Relationships,” report, including the text of its proposed rite of blessing. Excerpts from the commission’s report to General Convention are now available for study online. More here.
• Diocesan Life, March/April ... Here.
• Chrism Mass: March 29 at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity Bethlehem ... A professional choir, a new organ stop, and music by Haydn, Palestrina, Byrd, and…Wagner? And a free lunch. Reverent, moving, and just a hint of fun. More here.
• Joy or Control? Let the Joy Happen ... [Bishop Paul] Sermon at Clergy Day, March 15. Here.
• Trinity West Pittston Flood Care Project ... Tomorrow (Tuesday, March 20) Clergy from Districts 6 and 7 will meet with Bishop Paul at Trinity West Pittston to hear presentations on (1) Episcopal Relief & Development News: A Great Friend and Resource, (2) Introduction to Preparedness for Parishes, (3) Trinity Flood Care Project Update. That will be followed by a tour of areas flooded in September 2011 (West Pittston to Port Blanchard to Plains to West Pittston) led by Trinity rector John Major.
• Christophany registration is open ... More here.
• High School Mission Trip ... Here.
• Diocesan Events for 2012 ... Here.
• A Resource for Christian/Muslim Dialogue ... Here.
• DioBeth Website ... newSpin Blog ... Re:Create blog for youth and young adults ... Twitter.DioBeth ... Twitter.Kat Lehman ... Facebook.DioBeth ... Flickr, search under dio_beth
• 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.
ParishSpin
• Sheltering the homeless ... Various churches throughout the Bethlehem Area continue to shelter the homeless. More volunteers are needed to help shuttle people in the mornings and evenings. Recently one person had to drive, Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday night, Sunday morning, Monday night, and Tuesday morning. If you can help, please sign up here.
• Allentown ... During February, 279 families were served at the Grace Allentown food pantry, including 32 seniors, 460 adults and 396 children. There were 81 new clients.
• Douglassville ... Father Paul Bresnahan has been appointed priest-in-charge at St. Gabriel's.
• Kingston ... Spring into family health and wellness with Grace Kingston, March 31. More here. Grace Kingston seeks part-time sexton. Here.
• Palmerton: Wondrous Love concert at St. John's ... A musical journey through Lent and Holy Week, Saturday March 24 at 2:00 p.m. More here.
• West Pittston: Residents still reeling from flood six months later ... [DioLife, Janine Ungvarsky] Six months have passed since the Susquehanna River overflowed its banks in early September, and it's been a long six months for the many residents of West Pittston and other areas of the Wyoming Valley who are still unable to return to their homes. More here, on page five.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral ... Lenten series, here.
• Weekly eNewsletters from parishes
Allentown, Grace Church, March 16.
Bethlehem, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, March 16.
Dallas, Prince of Peace Church, March 16.
Easton, Trinity Church, March 16.
Trexlertown, St. Anne's Church here, click on "Weekly Calendar."
There may be others. If so, please send me a link.
• Monthly Newsletters from parishes ... Most parishes publish a monthly newsletter that is mailed to parishioners. Many, if not most, of those are available at the parish websites.
• Calendar of Events ... updated Feb. 15. Here. And at Diocesan Life, page seven.
Episcopal/Anglican
• Dioceses want changes in denominational health plan ... [ENS] Concerned about the financial realities of implementing a denomination-wide health insurance plan, at least four Episcopal Church dioceses are formally asking the 77th meeting of General Convention this July to change the terms of the program that is to be implemented less than six months after convention adjourns. More here.
• Tensions at Trinity Wall Street ... [Episcopal Café] The tense relationship between the rector of Trinity Wall Street and some current and former Vestry-members. Some members have resigned in protest over Cooper's leadership. Former board members, according to the New York Post, say his dictatorial style of leadership and grandiose ambitions have fomented insurrection in the staid Episcopal community. They accuse him of undermining Trinity’s mission of good works since taking over as rector in 2004. Instead of helping the poor, Cooper’s helped himself — with demands for a $5.5 million SoHo townhouse, an allowance for his Florida condo, trips around the world including an African safari and a fat salary. More here.
• The rise of evangelicalism in the Church of England ... [The Economist] Ever since the 18th century, England’s established church has harboured a suspicion of religious enthusiasm. Anglicanism’s cosy ubiquity as a reassuring, if vestigial, presence in every English suburb and village is regarded as a defence against the sort of fanaticism that leads to social or ethnic conflict. But every so often in English church history, compromise and emollience have triggered a countervailing reaction: an upsurge in faith of a more passionate kind. Such a change may be under way now. As the number of people who are actively committed to the Church of England falls, the proportion of churchgoers who are serious about their faith—and its implications for private and public life—is growing. Peter Brierley, a collector of statistics on faith in Britain, reckons that 40% of Anglicans attend evangelical parishes these days, up from 26% in 1989. That is against a background of overall decline; he thinks the number of regular worshippers in the Church of England will have fallen to 680,000 by 2020, down from about 800,000 now and just under 1m a decade ago. The lukewarm are falling away, leaving the pews to the more fervent. A handful of big evangelically-minded parishes now exercise huge influence, far beyond their immediate patch. More here.
• Nick Knisely ... onetime rector of Trinity Bethlehem, currently dean of Trinity Cathedral Phoenix, is among the nominees for bishop of Rhode Island. More here.
• New Hampshire may repeat history ... [The Living Church, Douglas LeBlanc] The Diocese of New Hampshire, which elected the first bishop of the Episcopal Church who spoke openly of his same-sex partnership, has nominated another openly gay man to become the diocese’s 10th bishop. Reflecting changes in both the Episcopal Church and civil law since the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson’s election in 2003, the Rev. William Warwick (Bill) Rich wrote about “the love and unwavering support of my husband, Dr. Don Schiermer, now a physician at Exeter Hospital." Rich, senior associate rector for Christian formation, Trinity Church, Boston, is one of three nominees for a May 19 election, which will choose a bishop coadjutor. The coadjutor will become the bishop diocesan in January 2013. More here.
• Episcopal News Weekly bulletin inserts ... Download inserts here.
• Episcopal Church new website ... complete transformation and redesign, launched December 28, efficient and user friendly. Read about it here. ... Episcopal News Service ... ENS blog ... Episcopal Church on Facebook ... Episcopal Church on YouTube ... Anglican Communion website ... Anglican Communion News Service. ... Anglican Communion News Service on Facebook.
TaleSpin
• Book by Elizabeth Geitz of Good Shepherd Milford on Nun's struggles helping Cameroon orphans ... [Pocono Record] Babies often arrive in taxis at the Good Shepherd Home for Orphans in Cameroon these days, sent by relatives or by anyone who finds them. But the boy who sparked the idea for the orphanage was found sleeping on the street in Yaounde, Cameroon's capital by Sister Jane Mankaa. She was recently at the Artery Gallery in Milford for a gathering to celebrate a book about her founding of the orphanage — "I Am That Child" by Elizabeth Geitz. The author is an associate priest at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Milford. When Mankaa talked to the homeless boy and several others in similar straits, she found they were alone after their parents died of AIDS. Relatives had fed them meagerly and beat them. At the time she was an Episcopalian contemplative nun, and gathering funds to start an orphanage was challenging, she says, as many worried about corruption in Africa. But she persisted. The orphanage that Mankaa began in 2003 is now self-sustaining, guided to success by several failures, which is detailed in Geitz's book. More here.
• Denying Communion: A priest and a lesbian set off a Catholic culture clash ... [WaPo] The moment was fleeting. Barbara Johnson reached out to receive Holy Communion at her mother’s funeral Mass last month at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Gaithersburg. The Rev. Marcel Guarnizo, standing before her, placed his hand over the offering bowl, denying her the sacrament. Those mere seconds between Johnson, no ordinary Catholic, and Guarnizo, no ordinary priest, have touched off a heated controversy among Catholics across the country — another battle in the seemingly endless cultural wars that have invaded nearly every corner of daily life, even funerals. Conservatives have accused Johnson, an openly gay woman, of promoting a liberal political agenda at her mother’s funeral, of all places. The Archdiocese of Washington has accused Guarnizo, a Russian-ordained traditionalist with powerful friends, of intimidating parish staff after the incident and suspended him from his priestly duties. He, in turn, has essentially accused church officials of lying. What’s clear, amid all the dissension, is that distinctly different beliefs about Catholicism turned a random meeting of a grieving woman and priest into a theological collision.
• Boy Scouts are from Mars, Girl Scouts from Venus ... [The Atlantic] Behind the khaki uniforms and the merit badges, the two organizations have vastly different political leanings. More here.
• Inspiration Networks increases CEO's pay to $2.5 million ... [Charlotte Observer] Inspiration Networks, a nonprofit Christian broadcaster based near Charlotte, paid chief executive David Cerullo nearly $2.5 million in total compensation in 2010, newly released IRS returns show. His pay increase since 2008: 47 percent. Operating from a 92-acre campus in Indian Land, S.C, the cable television network has become one of the world's largest Christian broadcasters, bringing religious programming to more than 120 countries. With a budget of more than $95 million, it has raised much of its money by telling viewers that God brings financial favor to those who donate. Televangelists tell viewers to expect miracles if they send money. More here.
• Homeless Hotspots: Exploitation or Innovation? ... [NPR] An advertising agency sparked controversy at the South by Southwest technology conference when it hired homeless people in Austin to act as "Homeless Hotspots." Critics charge that it exploits the homeless. But Megan Garber, a staff writer for The Atlantic, sees some good in the project. More here.
• Viral video, vicious warlord ... [NYTimes Op-Ed, Ncholas Kristof] I’d like to thank the makers of the “Kony 2012” video for goading me to write about Joseph Kony. With about 100 million views, it is now one of the most viral videos of all time. My starting point is a “bravo” for film-makers for galvanizing young Americans to look up from their iPhones and seek to make a difference for villagers in central Africa who continue to be murdered, raped and mutilated by Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army. Just in the last two months, the Lord’s Resistance Army has mounted 20 raids in Congo alone. But nobody fights more wickedly than humanitarians, so there have been a series of attacks on the video. Let me try to address some of the criticisms. More here.
• Blair supports same-sex marriage, churches push back ... [America Magazine] One of Britian’s most well-known Catholics has expressed his support for a proposed same-sex marriage law. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who converted to Catholicism, joining the faith of his wife and children, said he “strongly supports” same-sex marriage. The Vatican isn't happy. More here. [h/t RNS Daily Roundup]
TailSpin
• Just a slice of America? ... [House Speaker John Boehner to Peggy Noonan] “We got some of the smartest people in the country who serve here, [in Congress] and some of the dumbest,” Boehner said. “We got some of the best people you'd ever meet, and some of the raunchiest.”
• The Doonesbury cartoon controversy ... [WaPo/The Morning Call/Reuters] Only once in the long history of “Doonesbury” has Garry Trudeau’s syndicate ever intensely objected to one of his story arcs. It was 1985, and the subject was abortion. Starting last Monday (March 12), amid heated debate about pre-termination ultrasound and sonogram bills in Virginia and Texas, Trudeau, whose comic strip has about 1,400 clients, began tackle the politically sensitive issue of abortion head-on. More here. Which Doonesbury appeared in your newspaper last week? Was it a hard-edged look at the demeaning, mean-spirited ultrasound law? If it was two guys staring at their smartphones, your paper kept something from you. The Morning Call did not run the abortion strip on Monday and Tuesday. Then, on Wednesday, decided to pick up all three days on its editorial pages while staying with the guys and their smartphones on the comics page. Story here. Strips here. Doonesbury website here.
• The battle over Jim Thorp (the body) in Jim Thorpe (the town) ... [WaPo] Here.
• An eau de cologne especially and exclusively for you ... [The Guardian, UK] Well, if you're Madonna or Sting. Or B16? He is picky about his robes and his red shoes are tailor-made, but Pope Benedict has taken the meaning of bespoke to a whole new level by ordering a custom-blended eau de cologne just for him. More here.
• In search of the civilized in today's anonymous culture ... [Sister Joan Chittister, NCR] "Free speech" has reached a new low. The question is, Whose fault is that, really? And the answer is that there are culprits aplenty, it seems. Anonymity is surely a factor ... Group size itself, as well as mobility, masks identification even when people appear to be operating in public ... The Internet itself is now a factor, as well. Under cover of false IDs, the Internet has become the dark alley of contemporary communication ... The sinking level of public professionalism in journalism is itself in question. No newsmagazine or newspaper would publish as letters to the editor what now passes for commentary on the best of websites. More here.
• Belgian Trappists brew best ... [CNS, US Catholic] A hearty dark brown beer produced at a Trappist monastery in Belgium has been rated the world's best brew by an online community of beer lovers. More here.
• Just when you thought he was history ... [Alabama online] Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore -- who famously defied a federal court order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state courthouse a decade ago -- has roared back from the brink of political oblivion to the cusp of getting his old job back. More here.
Resources
• The Problem Trap ... [Alban Institute] One of the primary kinds of stories that takes hold in congregations and makes change difficult is what is known in narrative therapy as the "problem-saturated story," or one in which the focus is on who or what is or has been wrong. More here.
• John Lewis, a Congressman from Georgia, former civil rights leader (veteran of the push to desegregate lunch counters in Nashville in 1960, leader of the march across the Pettus Bridge in Selma in 1965, chairman for some years of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, etc.) will speak at Prosser Auditorium, Moravian College, at 8:00 pm on Thursday, 29 March. The event is open to the public. [h/t Addison Bross of Grace Allentown and Co-Chair, Diocesan Peace Commission]
• Holy Women, Holy Men ... Download Holy Women, Holy Men as a .pdf file.
• In-Formation in Bethlehem ... Canon Anne Kitch's March newsletter.
• Congregational Resource Guide ... Here.
• Do you know who your neighbors are? ... Here. Enter an address, up comes a map of the area with a list of phone numbers.
• NYTimes accused of Catholic bashing, double standard on religion ... [Fox News] The New York Times is being accused of having a double standard when it comes to questioning religion, after it ran an ad calling on Catholics to leave their church, but nixed an ad making the same plea to Muslims. More here.
Opinion/Commentary
• Why he's quitting Goldman Sachs ... [NYTimes] In an op-ed that's already generating conversation and even parody, Greg Smith, an executive director at Goldman Sachs, quit his job in the pages of The New York Times. "I believe I have worked here long enough to understand the trajectory of its culture, its people and its identity. And I can honestly say that the environment now is as toxic and destructive as I have ever seen it. To put the problem in the simplest terms, the interests of the client continue to be sidelined in the way the firm operates and thinks about making money," he writes. He describes how the culture has changed in his 12 years there to prioritize profit over the client's interests, and he argues that if those habits keep up, clients will eventually stop trusting or using the firm. "Weed out the morally bankrupt people, no matter how much money they make for the firm. And get the culture right again," he preaches. More here. [h/t Atlantic Wire and Addison Bross] "I'm no Wall Streeter," says Earl of Moscow [Father Earl Trygar, rector of St. Mark's and owner of Trygar's Auto Center] "but 35 years of business experience has shown me that if any business looks only at the bottom line, seeing customers or employees only as 'human resources,' it will be found out. It might take a while, but folks will discover that they are being used and they will move on. In the end it is about real people who come to you with real needs. Failure to meet these needs will result in your own failure. It all boils down to respecting the dignity of every human being." • Public rebuke of culture at Goldman opens debate ... [NYTimes] Here. • Felix Salmon in Reuters ... says that though Smith "declared a moral purpose," we must wait and see whether he joins a rival firm or keeps up the crusade before we get a sense of his real motivations. "Which is not to say that Smith doesn't make important points," Salmon says. Still, Goldman's board of directors, he says, will never provide solutions to the problems Smith pointed out. "The real muppets, in this story, are Goldman’s board members, who have never had any real control over how the company is run. And, frankly, never will," he argues. More here. [h/t The Atlantic Wire] • Finally, see Goldman Sachs and the Shaming Sermon at Episcopal Café.
• Forget the money, follow the sacredness ... [NYTimes Op-Ed, Jonathan Haidt] Despite what you might have learned in Economics 101, people aren’t always selfish. In politics, they’re more often groupish. When people feel that a group they value — be it racial, religious, regional or ideological — is under attack, they rally to its defense, even at some cost to themselves. We evolved to be tribal, and politics is a competition among coalitions of tribes. The key to understanding tribal behavior is not money, it’s sacredness. The great trick that humans developed at some point in the last few hundred thousand years is the ability to circle around a tree, rock, ancestor, flag, book or god, and then treat that thing as sacred. People who worship the same idol can trust one another, work as a team and prevail over less cohesive groups. So if you want to understand politics, and especially our divisive culture wars, you must follow the sacredness. A good way to follow the sacredness is to listen to the stories that each tribe tells about itself and the larger nation. More here.
Moravian
• Moravian Church in North America website. Moravian Church Northern Province website. Moravian Theological Seminary website.
Evangelical Lutheran
• 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
• Church puts legal pressure on abuse victims' group ... [NYTimes, Laurie Goodstein, March 12] Turning the tables on an advocacy group that has long supported victims of pedophile priests, lawyers for the Roman Catholic Church and priests accused of sexual abuse in two Missouri cases have gone to court to compel the group to disclose more than two decades of e-mails that could include correspondence with victims, lawyers, whistle-blowers, witnesses, the police, prosecutors and journalists. The group, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP, is neither a plaintiff nor a defendant in the litigation. But the group has been subpoenaed five times in recent months in Kansas City and St. Louis, and its national director, David Clohessy, was questioned by a battery of lawyers for more than six hours this year. A judge in Kansas City ruled that the network must comply because it “almost certainly” had information relevant to the case. The network and its allies say the legal action is part of a campaign by the church to cripple an organization that has been the most visible defender of victims, and a relentless adversary, for more than two decades. “If there is one group that the higher-ups, the bishops, would like to see silenced,” said Marci A. Hamilton, a law professor at Yeshiva University and an advocate for victims of clergy sex crimes, “it definitely would be SNAP. And that’s what they’re going after. They’re trying to find a way to silence SNAP.” More here. Commentary by Thomas Doyle at NCR: SNAP, the bishops and a lesson in ecclesiology. "The attacks on SNAP and the overall campaign to discredit and intimidate victims are a sure sign that an important part of the church has gone off the rails. It is a sign of a radically distorted ecclesiology. One way or the other, however, SNAP, its leadership, its members, those it helps and above all its spirit, will not be snuffed out no matter how vehement the attacks from the hierarchy, their supporters and their cheerleaders. Why? Because SNAP is people. Not just any people, but a true expression of the People of God."
• Bishop urges change in church teaching concerning all sexual relationships ... [NCR] At the Seventh National Symposium on Catholicism and Homosexuality, retired Australian Bishop Geoffrey Robinson called Friday for "a new study of everything to do with sexuality" -- a kind of study that he predicted "would have a profound influence on church teaching concerning all sexual relationships, both heterosexual and homosexual." "If [church] teaching on homosexual acts is ever to change, the basic teaching governing all sexual acts must change," he said. Robinson, a priest since 1960 and auxiliary bishop of Sydney from 1984 until his retirement for health reasons in 2004, told the Baltimore symposium, sponsored by New Ways Ministry, that "because sex is so vital a way of expressing love, sex is always serious." That view, espoused by the church, stands in contrast to the general perception of modern society, which "appears to be saying more and more that sex is not in itself serious," he said. For the church to deal with sex seriously, however, does not in itself mean that the church must continue to accept uncritically its traditional understandings of sexual morality, he said. More here.
• Northampton DA investigates Diocese of Allentown priest's relationship with teen ... Morning Call and Express-Times.
• Vatican takes hard stance against ultra-traditionalists ... [NCR] 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.
Health
• Study: All red meat linked to premature death ... [Slate.com] A new long-term study published online this week from the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that eating any type of red meat significantly ups one’s risk of premature death. And contrary to what the researchers had hypothesized at the outset, processed meat isn’t the only culprit—unprocessed meat appears to increase the risk, as well. The Los Angeles Times reports that eating a 3-ounce steak—roughly the size of a deck of cards—once per day upped the chances of dying during the study by 13 percent. Replace that serving with processed red meat, like a hot dog or two slices of bacon, and the risk shoots up to 20 percent. More here.
Media/Films/DVD/TV/Books/Music/Tech
• US War-culture, Sacrifice and Salvation: Religion and Violence ... That's the title of a new book by Kelly Denton-Borhaug, associate professor at Moravian, Lutheran minister and member of Grace Episcopal in Allentown. How's that for a denominational trinity? Kelly's webpage.
• Wandering Thoughts ... a recent book by Trinity Mt. Pocono parishioner Rob McMahon, is available online from the publisher and at Amazon.
• Book by Elizabeth Geitz of Good Shepherd Milford, See above, under TaleSpiin.
• The Consortium for Media Literacy ... addresses the role of global media through the advocacy, research and design of media literacy education for youth, educators and parents. The Consortium focuses on K-12 grade youth and their parents and communities. The research efforts include nutrition and health education, body image/sexuality, safety and responsibility in media by consumers and creators of products. The Consortium is building a body of research, interventions and communication that demonstrate scientifically that media literacy is an effective intervention strategy in addressing critical issues for youth. More here.
• PBS Online Film Festival ... Continues to March 30. More here.
• Khan Academy ... [Bill] I've promoted Khan Academy on Bakery and newSpin for several years. "With a library of over 3,000 videos covering everything from arithmetic to physics, finance, and history and 311 practice exercises, it's on a mission to help you learn what you want, when you want, at your own pace." And it's free. In a 60 Minutes segment last night (March 12), Sanjay Gupta interviewed Khan Academy creator and former hedge-fund trader Sal Khan. Watch it here. It was praised last year by Bill Gates as an "unbelievable" resource he uses with his kids It's a great tutorial for students. Perhaps also a tool for seventy/eighty-somethings to build better brains. Caveat: If you click on it, you may become addicted to learning. More on Khan Academy here.
• Church Publishing offers eHymnals in Tablet Editions via Apple iBookstore ... Here.
WordSpin
• Daily Office ... Lectionary Page ... Lectionary ... Oremus Bible Browser ... Revised Common Lectionary.
Calendar of Events ... updated Feb. 15. Here.
Diocesan Events for 2012 ... Here.
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
Additional sources of news/info/commentary
• Religion News Service Daily Roundup ... here.
• Faith in Public Life ... here.
• Episcopal/Anglican
(1) The Episcopal Church
(2) Episcopal News Service
(3) Episcopal Café
(4) AngicansOnline.
(5) AnglicansOnline News Centre.
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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 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. 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]
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