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April 22, 2010
Today is Earth Day (Isn't every day?) ... We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of earth and sky and sea; for he richness of mountains, plains and rivers; for the songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers. We praise you for these good gifts, and pray that we may safeguard them for our posterity. Grant that we may continue to grow in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation, to the honor and glory of your Name now and for ever. Amen. [Book of Common Prayer, p. 840, For the Beauty of the Earth]
Listen to Three Dog Night's classic rock song Three Dog Night: Joy to the World with the lyric "Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea." Imagine all the other gifts of God in the plant and animal kingdom that give you pleasure and fill your heart with joy ... or ... Set up a wonder table in your home or classroom. Make it a place where people can display wonders of the nature world they have found — actual examples or photographs of them. [H/T to Fred and MaryAnn Brussatt. You may find additional suggestions at their Spirituality&Practice site. H/T also to Peter Carey, reporting at Episcopal Cafe where you will find other links.]
May Diocesan Life ... Download it here.
Are you aware that you may donate online to diocesan funds or to your parish? At the DioBeth website, click on "Donate Now" to the right on the homepage. There you will be able to make a one-time or recurring donations. Should you choose to do so, especially for recurring donations, you will be able to create a profile which will enable you to set up/manage your donations and track your donation history.
Diocesan ECW annual meeting ... May 12 at Kirby House, Mountaintop, 9:30 to 3:00. Guest speaker: The Rev. Ronald Royce Miller who will discuss Messages – Obvious and Obscure – in Christian Art Throughout the Ages. Marlene Hartshorne advises that the address to send reservations has changed. Do not send to Martha Fox. Please send to Catherine Jeffery, 1839 Ulster Road, Allentown, PA 18109, Phone: 610-868-6682. Contact Catherine for more info. Cost is $12.00. Registration deadline is April 28.
At the requiem for Viola Ellison ... A homily by Archdeacon Stringfellow at St. Thomas Church, NYC, Wednesday, April 21. Read it here.
Lutheran Church
embraces LGBTQ community ...After 25 years of deliberation,
the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has abolished its
anti-gay policies, effective immediately. The ELCA will now allow people
in same-sex relationships to serve as rostered leaders. Lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) human beings are no longer
considered abominations but blessed church members with full standing.
Same-sex partners and families can now fully participate in the ELCA
Pension Plan. People who were removed from
ministry positions because they were truthful and came out of the
closet, as well as those who conducted holy unions for non-heterosexual
couples, are being reinstated. More
from Ann Fontaine, reporting at Episcopal Cafe.
Music is medicine, music is sanity ... Robert Gupta, violinist with the LA Philharmonic, talks about a violin lesson he once gave to a brilliant, schizophrenic musician -- and what he learned. Called back onstage later, Gupta plays his own transcription of the prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1. He joined the LA Philharmonic at the age of 19 -- and maintains a passionate parallel interest in neurobiology and mental health issues. View here.
Organist and Choir Director position available at Good Shepherd/St. John's Milford. This is the opportunity to work with an 18–strong choir, playing a two-year-old 25-rank Schantz Pipe Organ. Milford is the cultural center of the Tri-State Area, attracting classical musicians from all three states and the five boroughs. Music festivals, concerts and the arts abound. Population expands in the summer. This is a part-time position paying $10,000, ideal as a second job or for retiree. Contact the church office at: [email protected] or 570-296-8123.
A Tribute to St. Mark's/St.
John's Jim Thorpe and Father John Wagner from a Jewish visitor. Read it here.
A sense of the holy in the life of men and women ... by way of Episcopal Church and Visual Arts. More here.
Prayers of the People ... Easter 4C. Find them here.
Pray for our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families … Michael D. Jankiewicz, 23; Joseph T. Caron, 21; Randolph A. Sigley, 28; Michael K. Ingram Jr., 23; ... for the fallen heroes also of our coalition partners, and for the citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan who have died, unnamed and unknown to us, and for those who mourn ... and for an end to this endless war. More info here.
On music and passion ... Benjamin Zander has two infectious passions: classical music, and helping us all realize our untapped love for it -- and by extension, our untapped love for all new possibilities, new experiences, new connections. A leading interpreter of Mahler and Beethoven, Benjamin Zander is known for his charisma and unyielding energy -- and for his brilliant pre-concert talks. View here.
Who2? ... The shortest route to facts about famous people,the hard facts you're most likely looking for: birth and death dates, famous works, notorious trivia. Then, Who2 picks out the four best sites for additional detail.
A vital part of spiritual life ... Two preachers from different generations called participants in the Preaching Jesus conference at Kanuga to consider the profound effects that preaching can and should have on them and on their listeners. Lauren Winner, an assistant professor of Christian spirituality at Duke Divinity School, told the participants that sermon preparation "can be and is and actually should be a vital part of the spiritual lives of those of us who preach." More here.
Thelma Strauss does a wonderful job as communicator at St. Luke's Lebanon. If you have anything to do with parish online communication, ask Thelma to add your name to her list for a while.
The Episcopal
Church-related Seamen's Church Institute has become involved
in efforts to block the
operations of Somali pirates.
Read more here.
Join an online Bible study group ... The Episcopal Church invites online visitors into a Bible study by posting comments and thoughts on each week’s Sunday readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The complete weekly readings are posted along with study questions and reader comments here.
Polarization or
Homogenization? What's your bias? Do you
believe the Internet reinforces polarization? If the Internet
doesn't polarize, should we fear the opposite?
Does it homogenize
cultures or imperialize the dominant culture? [H/T to John B.
Chilton, reporting at Episcopal Cafe]
Dive In: A Day Exploring Baptism ... Saturday, May 8. St. Luke's Scranton. 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? This day of Christian Formation will offer resources for parents, Christian educators, clergy, and anyone seeking a deeper life in Christ. More info here.
Forward Life Planning Workshop ... May 22, St. Luke's Scranton, with Charles Cesaretti, Diana Marshall and Charlie Barebo. More info here.
St. Brigid's Sixth Annual Golf Tournament will be held June 19 at the Wedgewood Golf Course. A registration form may be downloaded at St. Brigid's website.
Beware of unsolicited email you receive from "Twitter Support." Don't click on the link.
Finding information ... The Diobeth website and newSpin blog work hand in hand. If you can't find the info you seek at the website, please search at the newSpin blog.
For daily news, info and commentary, visit the newSpin blog, the Episcopal Cafe and Episcopal Life Online.
The Diocese of Bethlehem ... DioBethWebsite ... newSpin Blog ... DiobethKids ... Share the Bread ... Bakery (Get Connected) ... Audio ... Photos ... On Twitter ... On Facebook ... On YouTube ...
The Episcopal Church ... Website ... NewsLine ... News & Notices ... InfoLine ... Episcopal Life Online ... FastFacts ... Calendar ... I am Episcopalian ... Weekly Bulletin Inserts ... On Twitter ... On Facebook ... and on YouTube.
What's happening?... Calendar of diocesan events. updated April 7. If you would like an event posted, please email Kat Lehman; she will put it on the next version, posted monthly. Also, weekly, we post What's Happening...on Facebook.
Fifty years of faithful service ... [From Grace Kingston] A celebration and "roast" for Joanne Herron who recently completed 50 years of faithful service in support of the music program at Grace Kingston will take place on Saturday, May 1, at 2:00 p.m. Joanne has had a profound, positive effect on how Grace has grown and become a vital part of our community. Her rich talent as organist/choirmaster and her majestic mezzo-soprano voice has inspired many over the years.
Five myths about the child rape scandal in
the RC Church ... David Gibson, one of the best journalists
on the Catholic beat wrote a perceptive
essay for The Washington Post's Outlook section yesterday
enumerating five myths about the child rape scandal in the church. These
include that Pope Benedict XVI is the primary culprit, that gay priests
are to blame and that journalists are biased against the church. The
article is pointed, yet evenhanded, and well worth a read. More
here. [H/T to Jim Naughton, reporting at Episcopal Cafe]
The Other Catholic Church ... [By Nicholas Kristof, NYTimes] My Sunday column is about the other Catholic Church, the one I have learned to admire for its work among the poorest people around the globe. It has tended to be the bishops and cardinals who have gotten the church in trouble, while it’s the amazing priests, nuns and lay-workers who do extraordinary work at home and around the world. And as I note in the column, I’ve learned from meeting nuns in Africa, Asia and Latin America that the coolest and toughest people in the world are nuns. Their orphanages, hospitals and schools keep the world going. [Continue reading Kristof's blog post here. Read his column, A Church Mary Can Love, here.]
Bakery ... The best place by far to post news or information about your parish is on the interactive list of the Diocese of Bethlehem (the House of Bread) called the Bakery. In order to post there, however, you have to be joined to the list. Join at the "Get Connected" page at the DioBeth website. Bakery includes some 200 addresses. If you post something about your parish on Bakery, however, I will most likely include it also on the twice-weekly newSpin newsletter which goes to some 1,000 addresses. And Kat may pick it up for use in Diocesan Life.
Find earlier issues of the newSpin newsletter here.
Do you wonder at times why you are not reading anything in the newSpin newsletter, the newSpin blog, the DioBeth website or Diocesan Life about your parish or your committee or your sermon? Try Occam's Razor. The simple answer, usually the correct one, is that nothing has been sent to Bill or Kat. Send. Send. Send. Preferably online.
About the newSpin newsletter ... Written at least weekly (usually twice a week) by Bill Lewellis, the newsletter appears as a post within the newSpin blog, but newsletter and blog are not identical. The newsletter currently goes to some 1,000 email addresses. The views expressed, seemingly implied, or inferred in items or links contained in the newsletter or the blog do not represent the official view of the Diocese of Bethlehem unless expressed by or forwarded from the Bishop or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments may be addressed to Bill.
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