newSpin 110815

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

This newsletter has been sent from the Church of the Redeemer, Longport NJ, where I can be reached as usual, [email protected].

TopSpin
• Churches eligible for tax credits ... Some congregations and dioceses may be eligible for a special tax credit. The deadline had passed, but the IRS has extended it because they realized that churches were not aware that they were able to apply for this special tax break. See the video made by the Diocese of North Carolina.
• The Leadership Program for Musicians ... A new initiative beginning in the Diocese this fall. The LPM is a national teaching ministry giving church musicians an increased sense of vocational awareness and the tools to help congregations sing well and participate actively in worship. If your congregation is looking for a tool for renewal, this will help. Registration is now open. Here.

DioBethSpin
• Fabric for Kajo Keji student uniforms ... [Laura I. Chegwidden] Diocesan ECW has a program to raise funds to purchase fabric for student uniforms used in Kajo Keji schools. These schools are in Romogi, Gadera, Liwolo, Sodogo and Dwani. The Bethlehem Tailor’s Training Center (BTTC) assembles the uniforms from the material purchased on the international market. Your donation of funds will help the students both male and female. Female students, in particular, develop self-esteem and a desire for studying; thus staying in school longer. Ongoing contributions are necessary to assure that current and new students have uniforms made by the BTTC. Cost of this material is $5 per meter with two meters required for each uniform. Please, consider donating $10 for one uniform or $5 for 1 meter of fabric. Checks payable to Diocesan ECW. Memo line: "Fabric for student uniforms/BTTC," Send checks to: Martha Fox, Diocesan ECW Treasurer, 4465 Farm Drive, Allentowb PA 18104.
• Pray for Graham Cliff ... [Bishop Paul, Aug. 12, Bakery] I have just spoken with Mary Jo Cliff, who tells me that Fr Graham is now fighting for his life at the U Penn hospital in Philadelphia. I ask your personal prayers, and direct that prayers be offered for him and his family at all services this weekend.  Thank you." ...  [Bishop Paul, Aug. 15, Bakery] Mary Jo thanks you all for your prayers. Graham has begun to more toward health. Please continue to support him."
A benefit concert raising funds for the Trinity Bethlehem Soup Kitchen will be held Sunday, September 11 at 4:00 p.m. The Trinity Soup Kitchen feeds and provided social services for about 150 homeless, poor and/or mentally ill people Monday through Friday all year ‘round. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Trinity Soup Kitchen. Four acts that are local favorites in the folk and traditional music scene have donated their talents for the event. Lehigh Valley family favorite Dave Fry, Bethlehem singer-songwriter Dina Hall, Celtic band Piper’s Request and the region’s first family of traditional folk music, The Druckenmillers, will perform in Trinity’s sanctuary starting at 4:00 p.m. There will be a reception following the concert. Reserve your tickets ($25.00) by calling Trinity 610-867-4741 X 308, or contact Deacon Liz Miller [email protected], or Marcie Lightwood, [email protected]
• Register for Diocesan Convention ... Here.
• In-Formation in Bethlehem ... Canon Anne Kitch's August newsletter. Here.
• Attending Penn State, main campus? ... Canon Daniel Selvage, Episcopal Chaplain at Penn State, is reminding us that the university does not provide campus ministry groups with the names of incoming or returning students ... even when students have self-identified as members of a particular faith group.  Accordingly, he is asking that you contact him with the name(s) of any students from your parish that will be attending the main campus of Penn State this fall.  Additional information including the student's email address; phone number, home and/or campus address, etc., would be greatly appreciated.  Canon Selvage may be reached by email at:[email protected] or by phone at: (814) 867-3397.
• Diocesan Life ... Read or download the July/August issue here.
• Episcopal News Weekly bulletin inserts ... Download inserts here.
• DioBeth Website and newSpin Blog
• 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.
• Become a baker in the House of Bread ... If you are interested in more news, issues, ideas, opinion and conversation related to our diocesan community, the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, you might consider becoming a baker in the House of Bread. 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 that comes up, check Bakery. Bakery, of course, is 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.

TaleSpin
• More educated tend to be more religious, by some measures ... [CNN Belief Blog] People tend to become less religious as they become more educated, right? Not necessarily, according to a new study. After analyzing data from a large national survey, University of Nebraska-Lincoln sociologist Philip Schwadel found that people actually tend to become more religious - by some definitions, at least - as they further their education. “It all falls down to what you consider to be religious,” said Schwadel, an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. More here.
• Book by DioBeth authors remains among Church Publishing best sellers ... Your Faith Your Life: An Invitation to the Episcopal Church, by Jenifer Gamber with Bill Lewellis, published in 2009 by Morehouse/Church Publishing remains among Church Publishing's best sellers, surpassed only by the BCP, hymnals and The Episcopal Handbook. It's available in paperback and on Kindle. "Not every useful book is heartfelt and not every heartfelt book is useful," wrote Barbara Crafton, "but Jenifer Gamber and Bill Lewellis's new book is both." More here.
• Changing our perspective ... [Alban Institute] I learned soon after my arrival that my primary job as a young, inexperienced, overly enthusiastic pastoral leader was to help the congregation come to terms with the idea that change could be good. At least, that’s the only thing I could think to do, as it seemed blatantly obvious to even me that there really was no other option for keeping the doors open. So, I set out to try to help redefine success, and convincing the congregation to consider an alternative perspective took most of my energy. I likened it to taking a drink of water from a fire hose…or turning an aircraft carrier. Slow, plodding, incremental... change. Here.
• A wedding in a hospital room ... [Episcopal Café] In this deeply moving article, New York Times reporter Anemona Hartocollis tells the story of Richard Townsend, 77 and Jacques Beaumont, 86, partners of 39 years, who were married this week in the hospital room in which they are both being treated for terminal illnesses. Here.

TailSpin
• Rick Perry's unanswered prayer ... [NYTimes Opinionator] A few months ago, with Texas aflame from more than 8,000 wildfires brought on by extreme drought, a man who hopes to be the next president took pen in hand and went to work: “Now, therefore, I, Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes of the State of Texas, do hereby proclaim the three-day period from Friday, April 22, 2011, to Sunday, April 24, 2011, as Days of Prayer for Rain in the State of Texas.” In the four months since Perry’s request for divine intervention, his state has taken a dramatic turn for the worse.  Nearly all of Texas  is now in “extreme or exceptional” drought, as classified by federal meteorologists, the worst in Texas history. More here.
• Neighbors draw on power of church ... [Episcopal Café, John Chilton] “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Here.

Pray  
• The Daily Office ... with the Mission St. Clare.
• With The Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• For Father Graham Cliff ... See above, under DioBeth.
• 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.
• For military personnel who died in Afghan helicopter attack ... [NYTimes] The Pentagon released the names of the 30 American military personnel, including 22 members of the Navy Seals, killed when the Taliban shot down a Chinook transport helicopter in eastern Afghanistan, the largest loss of life in a single day during the decade-long war. See photos here.

Commentary
• Stop coddling the super-rich ... [Warren Buffett, NYTimes Op-Ed, Aug. 14] Our leaders have asked for “shared sacrifice.” But when they did the asking, they spared me. I checked with my mega-rich friends to learn what pain they were expecting. They, too, were left untouched. While the poor and middle class fight for us in Afghanistan, and while most Americans struggle to make ends meet, we mega-rich continue to get our extraordinary tax breaks. Some of us are investment managers who earn billions from our daily labors but are allowed to classify our income as “carried interest,” thereby getting a bargain 15 percent tax rate. Others own stock index futures for 10 minutes and have 60 percent of their gain taxed at 15 percent, as if they’d been long-term investors. These and other blessings are showered upon us by legislators in Washington who feel compelled to protect us, much as if we were spotted owls or some other endangered species. It’s nice to have friends in high places. More here.
• Why churches prefer loving mercy rather than doing justice ... [Episcopal Café] Marilyn Sewell writing for the Huffington Post touches on a familiar, but nagging question. Why do churches feel more comfortable asking their members to give to charity than to advocate for change. Here.

Episcopal/Anglican
• On the role of the Church after the riots ... [Episcopal Café, Andrew Gerns] Andrew Brown comments on the Archbishop of Canterbury's address to the House of Lords and says that the "Church of England is demonstrating its value as a social body.
• Episcopal News Service on Twitter.
• Anglican Communion News Service ... on Facebook. Weekly review, Aug. 6-12.

Moravian
• Fall Continuing Education offerings at Moravian Theological Seminary ... Here.
• Crossroads Lay Courses at Moravian Theological Seminary ... Here.
• 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.
• UMC News Service ... Here. 
• UMC Communication ... The United Methodist Church has long been a leader in providing useful resources for church communicators. Start here.
• Communication newsletter ... Communication tips and tools. Here.
• Eastern PA Conference of the UMC website ... Here.
• Facebook ... Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• The Rev. Roy Bourgeois ... [The Times-Picayune] is fighting his expulsion from the Maryknoll order after being told to stop pushing for women's ordination or leave. Here.
• The California Diocese of Orange boosted its bid for Crystal Cathedral from $50 million to $53.6 million, and the bankrupt cathedral's creditors say it better darn well take the offer.
• Bishop in Missouri waited months to report priest ... [NYTimes, Laurie Goodstein, Aug. 14] In the annals of the sexual abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church, most of the cases that have come to light happened years before to children and teenagers who have long since grown into adults. But a painfully fresh case is devastating Catholics in Kansas City, Mo., where a priest, who was arrested in May, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of taking indecent photographs of young girls, most recently during an Easter egg hunt just four months ago. ... Bishop Finn, who was appointed in 2005, alienated many of his priests and parishioners, and won praise from others, when he remade the diocese to conform with his traditionalist theological views. He is one of few bishops affiliated with the conservative movement Opus Dei. ... Father Ratigan, 45, was also an outspoken conservative, according to a profile in The Kansas City Star. More here.
• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... 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.
• 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, July 12. Download here. Find weekly updates on the DioBeth Facebook page. Also here.
• Episcopal Church Calendar ... Here.

Be there
• Sept. 11 ... 9/11 Service of Remembrance and Reconciliation , 5pm, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem. Bishop Paul will preach.
• Oct. 7-8 ... Diocesan Convention , Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem
• Oct. 22 ... J2A Training , 8:30 - 3:00, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem
• Nov. 12 ... Renewal Assembly III, Various locations across the diocese

Follow
• The Diocese of Bethlehem on Twitter ... http://twitter.com/#!/Diobeth
• The Diocese of Bethlehem on Facebook ... 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.
• Diocese of Bethlehem
(1) The DioBeth newSpin blog
(2) The DioBeth website
(3) Twitter.DioBeth
(4) Twitter.Kat Lehman
(5) Facebook.DioBeth
(6) 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.
• Episcopal/Anglican
(1) NewsLine
(2) News & Notices
(3) Infoline
(4) Episcopal News Service
(5) Episcopal Church website
(6) Twitter
(7) Facebook
(8) YouTube
(9) The Lead, Episcopal Cafe
(10) Daily Episcopalian, Episcopal Cafe
(11) AngicansOnline.
(12) AnglicansOnline News Centre.
(13) Anglican Communion website.
(14) Anglican Communion News Service.

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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]