Bill Lewellis, Communication Minister/Editor (1986), Canon Theologian (1998)
Diocese of Bethlehem, 333 Wyandotte Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Blog, Email (c)610-393-1833, (h)610-820-7673
Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible.
Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. [Bernard Lonergan]
newSpin 100108
January 08, 2010
Sudan ... On Monday Daniel Deng, archbishop of the Episcopal Church of Sudan and ABC Rowan Williams will meet with Gordon Brown on Monday to discuss the growing crisis in the Sudan. [H/T to John B. Chilton, reporting at Episcopal Cafe]
Diocesan Life ... The most recently published issue you received and which is also available online was December. A January issue will not be published. Diocesan Life will resume with the February issue. Beginning then, the national print insert, Episcopal Life, will be replaced by Episcopal News Monthly (ENM) which will continue to offer in-depth reporting and analysis of local, regional, national and international news compiled from Episcopal News Service. ENM will replace Episcopal Life as the officially sponsored monthly newspaper of the Episcopal Church published for Episcopalians and others interested in the church's mission and ministry. For daily news and information, visit Episcopal Life Online and the Diocese of Bethlehem's newSpin blog.
Communicate ... Your Ministry ... Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori discusses the new communication strategies and how they relate to one of our primary ministries of evangelism, mentions the Diocese of Bethlehem ("Does your congregation or your diocese have an evangelism commission? If you want to start one and don't quite know how the Diocese of Bethlehem has a well-functioning team you might learn from, www.diobeth.org/Ministries/Evangelism/evangelism.html. In turn, Canon Andrew Gerns tells about how how communication and evangelism work together. [H/T to Ann Fontaine, reporting at Episcopal Cafe]
Episcorific ... a 'zine for and by the 20s and 30s of the episcopal church. [H/T to Canon Anne Kitch]
A “Reunion of Baptismal Vows” at Trinity, Easton ... This Sunday. Read more here.
A reflection on the Baptism of Our Lord in the gospels for Epiphany I ... by Archdeacon Stringfellow. Read it here.
Dive In! A Day Exploring Baptism ... This day of Christian Formation
will offer resources for parents, Christian educators, clergy, and
anyone seeking a deeper life in Christ. What does it mean to be
baptized and to live a baptized life? How can you nurture your life in
Christ? How can your congregation live more deeply into baptismal
ministry? Saturday, February 27, 2010 from 9:30 am until 3:30 pm at
Church of the Good Shepherd in Scranton. More info here.
Before you gossip, ask yourself ... Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary? Read the WSJournal column by Jeffrey Zaslow. [H/T to Neva Rae Fox, public affairs officer for the Episcopal Church]
Bill's new cell phone number is 610-393-1833. Thanks.
Recent columns, sermons, reflections by Bishop Paul ... • Redeem the gift card, a Christmas sermon ... • Are church leaders getting it, at last ... • The Presiding Bishop - An appreciation and reminders for parish leaders ... • Pastoral Provision for same-sex couples ... • Remembering Loved Ones ... • Address to 2009 Diocesan Convention ... • The Spirituality of Integrity ... • Mother Jones - More than a magazine ... • Don't confuse being valuable with being right ...
Recent reflections by Archdeacon Stringfellow ... • A reflection on the Baptism of Our Lord in the gospels for Epiphany I ... • His heart and his $80 million treasure ... • A New Year's Reflection on the Miracle of Compound Interest ... • A reflection on Matthew's Infancy Narrative ... • Bridging Ideas and Things, a reflection on John's prologue ... • Friends in low places, A Christmas reflection ... • We don't help people, we help them help themselves ... • Jesus' birth exalts the poor ... • Sudan –– U.S. Policy and New Hope ... • The Religious Sports Fan: the boundaries blur, the boundaries clarify ... • A prophet with a new message, but he's not the Savior ... • Revelation gives hope ...
Nigeria ... Akinola turns his wrath on corrupt politicians and the media. [H/T to John B. Chilton, reporting at Episcopal Cafe]
Got a question? Need some info? InfoLine can help you find answers and make connections to churchwide ministries, events and activities.
Medicating and medicalizing dissent [By Jerry Lembcke, Commentary, National Catholic Reporter] The military is using diagnostic categories to manage the tensions created by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's a nasty strategy with the potential to stigmatize the soldiers and veterans opposed to war. Read more.
U2 the rock'n roll "Book of Common Prayer"? ... The Guardian (UK) offers an interesting theological reflection upon
Bono and the band U2 and their Christian roots and even their Christian
evangelism through their music and advocacy for social justice. More here. [H/T to Peter Carey, reporting at Episcopal Cafe]
Plan Ahead ...Jan. 10: Organ Birthday Recital, Cathedral Bethlehem, 4:00 P.M. For more information, contact
Russell Jackson, 610-865-0727. •••
Jan. 16: Bishop's School begins. Courses for the spring session will be Planning and Leading Liturgy taught by The Reverend Raymond Harbort, and Pastoral Care taught by The Reverend Canon Andrew Gerns. More info here. Jan 18-25: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity ... Resources here. Suggestions from Canon Maria Tjeltveit here. ••• Jan. 23: St. Paul's Montrose will celebrate the new ministry of the congregation with Father Paul Walker as their rector, 4:00 p.m. ••• Jan. 23: Lay Worship Leaders Training, formerly Lay Readers, will take place Jan. 23 at Trinity Mount Pocono. More info here. ••• Jan. 27-29: Trinity Institute, Building an Ethical Economy, at Zion’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Old Zionsville, PA, $35. More info or to register, call 610-966-3834 or or email [email protected]. ••• Jan. 28: Diocesan Council, Grace Kingston 6:30 p.m. ••• Jan 29/30: Bishop's Bakery, Coffee House and Open Mic Night for Youth ... Friday, Jan. 29 (6:00pm) - Saturday, Jan. 30 (9:00am) at Good Shepherd Scranton. Poster and info here. Online registration is now open. Get more info and register online. ••• Jan. 30: Lay Eucharistic Visitors Training, St. Brigid's Nazareth, 9:00 to noon. More info here. ••• Feb. 6: Grace Kingston will celebrate the new ministry of the congregation with Father John Hartman as their rector on February 6 at 4:00 p.m. ••• Feb. 17: Ash Wednesday ••• Feb. 27: Dive In: A Day Exploring Christian Baptism will be held Saturday, February 27, at Good Shepherd Scranton. This day of Christian Formation will offer
resources for parents, Christian educators, clergy, and anyone seeking
a deeper life in Christ. More info here. ••• March 25: Chrism Mass at the Cathedral, Bethlehem, 11:00 a.m. ••• April 16-18: Christophany, more TK ••• April 24: Diocesan Training for MInistry will be held on Saturday, April 24 at St. Stephen's Wilkes-Barre. Details will be available here when online registration opens on February 20. ••• April 30-Mary 2: Creating a Culture of Peace at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem. ••• July 10: Bishop's Day with Kids at Good Shepherd Scranton. [If you have a brief announcement you'd like listed in this PlanAhead, send it to Bill. Please keep it brief.]
The Diocese of Bethlehem ... DioBethWebsite ... newSpin Blog ... DiobethKids ... Share the Bread ... Bakery (Get Connected) ... Audio ... Photos ... On Twitter ... On Facebook ... On YouTube ...
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Did you know? ... Sony played this video at its shareholders' meeting this year. It's incredible.
Become a baker in the House of Bread ... Interested in more news, issues, ideas, opinion and conversation related to our diocesan community, the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion? Become a baker in the House of Bread's new Bakery. Go to the "Get Connected" box on the right side of our diocesan website. Fill in your name and email address, and click on "My Groups." In the next window, check Bakery, a play on Bethlehem meaning "House of Bread" in Hebrew. Subscribed to Bakery, you will receive several notes daily (perhaps two, perhaps ten when the oven is hot) and you will be able to enter the conversation by posting your own notes to the group, i.e., to the other bakers. News is fresh in the Bakery long before you see it in print in Diocesan Life.
Find earlier issues of the newSpin newsletter here.
Conversion/Transformation
is the experience by which one becomes an authentic human being.
[Bernard Lonergan] ... Be attentive, be intelligent, be reasonable
(seek the true – intellectual conversion); be responsible (seek the good – moral
conversion); be in love (seek God – religious conversion). It's a
lifelong process. Many conversions, many transformations. Only those
who work on their own transformation have the power to transform
others. A blessed 2010 to you all. I'm looking
forward to a year better than 2009 was for me. I hope your 2010 will be
blessed with love for one another and many transformations toward human authenticity. Thanks.
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