newSpin 180614

newSpin, the newsletter
June 14, 2018 – Bill Lewellis

TopSpin
• Update from Kevin Nichols, our bishop elect … O eternal God, who settest the solitary in families and fillest the hungry with good things, visit this home and family with thy grace and favor; knit them together in thy love through good times and bad, bless their comings in and their goings out, give them thankful hearts for their daily bread and for each other, and bring them at the last into thy heavenly dwelling place; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

   This favorite prayer by Robert Rodenmayer, author of "The Pastor's Prayerbook," is particularly poignant for me right now. Our home for the past 21 years is now on the market and soon we will be moving. The news of my election as bishop of Bethlehem was met with elation and pride by my family, yet the reality of leaving a beloved family home has been bittersweet for all of us--more difficult for me than I ever imagined. In hopes of easing some of the loss associated with this transition, I asked our four children and three grandchildren to share their favorite memories of our home. Of course this was done via a group text message, and the steady "dinging" signaled another memory that brought needed laughter, smiles and even a few tears. Here is some of what they shared:
   The time that we thought our brand new car was stolen from our garage.  Lo and behold a neighbor discovered it teetering on the hill in front of our house. Apparently we forgot to put on the emergency break and it rolled down the driveway! The police officer arrived and couldn't stop laughing.
   The day Lindsay received word that an organ donor was located and she needed to board an Angel Flight to Pittsburgh for a transplant!  Off she and her mom went with the prayers of so many.
   The annual Easter egg hunt - there was no mercy for the little ones or even a pregnant mom! Everyone in search of the golden egg.

As we reminisced through the many memorable moments of the last two decades, it became helpful to see that some of these are traditions that can be carried on or even re-created in some form in a new home or a new place. We were also reminded of God's many blessings. That in our "comings in" and our "goings out," God was somehow knitting us together--strengthening us for the journey that lies ahead. When we paused, we were reminded that this place, this home, provided us a safe haven where we could be ourselves whether we were at our best or not. Here we were nourished, fed and reminded how much we are loved and need each other's love.
   For me, this is not unlike the knitting together that occurs in our churches--our spiritual homes. As I prepare to say goodbye to my larger community as well, I am reminded of so many joy filled traditions that have grounded me, held me together, warmed my heart and strengthened my  soul. What would we be without our homes--spiritual and otherwise? Today I give thanks for the many people who have opened their homes for me and my family. Today I begin to let go of my hold on one home and reach out to another. I can't wait to see what God has in store.

In God's Love, Kevin

• Adem Bunkeddeko in the Ninth District … [NYTimes Editorial Board] The NYTimes Editorial Board has endorsed Adem Bunkeddeko in the June 26 primary of the Ninth Congressional District in the heart of Brooklyn. I note this because Adem and our son Stephen were friends at Haverford College (some 12 years ago). Within the past year, at Stephen's encouragement, Monica and I made a small contribution toward Adem's campaign. As Stephen said in a text to us today, "Ya never know where a young community organizer can go." Read a bit about Adem toward the end of the editorial below. Read on.

• 8 million teeter on the brink of famine. America is complicit … [WaPo Editorial Board]  While the world was focused on the U.S.-North Korea summit, two U.S. allies in the Middle East launched a reckless and potentially catastrophic military offensive in Yemen, a country already enduring the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Troops led by the United Arab Emirates and backed by Saudi Arabian warplanes are attempting to seize the port city of Hodeida, which is held by the Houthi forces who make up one side in Yemen’s civil war. Because 70 percent of Yemen’s food and aid shipments come though the port, the United Nations and every major humanitarian agency have warned of dire consequences for the 22 million Yemenis who already depend on outside assistance, including 8 million on the brink of famine. They pleaded with the Saudis and Emiratis to hold off and allow more time for a diplomatic solution.
   The attack nevertheless went ahead early Wednesday after receiving what amounted to passive assent from the Trump administration. That means the United States, which already has been supplying its two allies with intelligence, refueling and munitions, will be complicit if the result is what aid officials say it could be: starvation, epidemics and other human suffering surpassing anything the world has seen in decades. Read on. Also at NYTimes.

• Atrocities under Kim Jong-un … [NYTimes] Mr. Kim rules with extreme brutality, making his nation among the worst human rights violators in the world. In North Korea, these crimes “entail extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, forced abortions and other sexual violence, persecution on political, religious, racial and gender grounds, the forcible transfer of populations, the enforced disappearance of persons and the inhumane act of knowingly causing prolonged starvation,” concluded a 2014 United Nations report that examined North Korea. Here are some of the atrocities that have happened there. There has been no good indication that President Trump spoke with Mr. Kim about human rights violations.

• Trump's most offensive statement on North Korea … [WaPo Editorial Board] Over the past couple of days, President Trump has made a number of false statements regarding North Korea and his summit meeting with its leader, Kim Jong Un. Some of these may be harmless. Some may be justifiable in the context of a nascent diplomatic process. One, however, is obtuse, offensive and harmful. One, however, is obtuse, offensive and harmful. “His country does love him,” Mr. Trump said, speaking to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. “His people, you see the fervor. They have a great fervor.” Yes, you see the fervor, because anyone in North Korea who does not display fervor for their leader may end up in a concentration camp. No one in North Korea may criticize Mr. Kim and expect to survive. Read on.

•  How suicide quetly morphed into a public health crisis … The deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain are emblematic of a persistent and growing threat in the United States. Read on. And here and here and here and here and here.

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• A short but moving video … Church leaders drafted this statement because the soul of the nation is at stake. Here.

• Somehow weak in compassion … [The Guardian, UK] Eamon Martin, the archbishop of Armagh and primate of all Ireland, said in a homily that many people see the church as "somehow weak in compassion." Being pro-life means being alongside those whose lives are threatened by violence, and who cannot live life to the full because of economic deprivation, homelessness and marginalization, he said. Read on. Also at RNS.

• Eight million Jehovah's Witnesses don't salute the flag. 200,000 Amish don't stand for the national anthem. One Black Man kneels respectfully, and all hell breaks loose. Now you know why he's kneeling. And here and here and here.

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• A short but moving video … Church leaders drafted this statement because the soul of the nation is at stake. Here.

• DioBeth Leadership News, June 7 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, May 31 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, May 24 … Here.

********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********


Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics.
• Medicaid's Nickel-and-Dime Routine… [NYTimes Editorial Board, June 6] As a wealthy and politically powerful company gambles lives for profit, Texas officials look the other way, the Morning News reporters tell us. This is the sorry state of what passes for good-enough care for patients who depend on Medicaid, among the most vital safety nets for the American poor and disadvantaged, in the second most populous state. Elsewhere, officials are striving to make it harder for people to get Medicaid at all. Read on.

• Episcopal Church, Interfaith Leaders call for U.S. Government to end its immigration policy separating families … [ENS] Under international law, people fleeing violence and persecution have the right to request asylum. The Episcopal Church has a longstanding policy affirming the universal right to seek asylum; it recognizes the need to protect vulnerable people. Last week, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry signed an ecumenical and interfaith statement expressing concerns over a recent U.S. government policy “calling for more stringent enforcement of federal immigration laws.” A policy, they say, will likely result in an increase in family separations. Read on. NCR Editorial Board, here.

• RC Bishops call Trump's asylum rules 'immoral' … [WaPo] Leading U.S. Catholic bishops on Wednesday escalated their criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, calling new asylum-limiting rules “immoral” and rhetorically comparing the crackdown to abortion by saying it is a “a right-to-life” issue. One bishop from the U.S.-Mexico border region reportedly suggested “canonical penalties” — which could refer to withholding the sacrament of Communion — for Catholics involved in implementing the Trump policies.
   The comments came as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops — the organizing body of bishops — gathered for a biannual meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The topics of migration and asylum have long been a focus for the U.S. church; more than 50 percent of U.S. Catholics under the age of 30 are Latinos.The statements, including by the conference’s president, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, came two days after Attorney General Jeff Sessions ruled that fear of domestic violence or gang violence aren’t clear grounds for seeking asylum in the United States. Sessions said asylum claims have expanded too broadly. Read on. Also, at RNS.

• Fact-Checking President Trump … [WaPo, Glenn Kessler, June 13] Here’s a roundup of claims made by President Trump at a news conference on June 12 and in an interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News about his talks in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Read on.

• America Isolated … [NYTimes Editorial Board] When Vladimir Putin ordered his hackers to surreptitiously help Donald Trump in the presidential race, he could hardly have anticipated that once in office, Mr. Trump would so outrageously, destructively and thoroughly alienate America’s closest neighbors and allies as he did at the Group of 7 meeting in Canada. The lame explanation from Mr. Trump’s courtiers, that he needed to look tough for his meeting with Kim Jong-un, made matters worse by implying that he felt he needed to publicly kick friends aside to impress a murderous dictator. Read on.

• Scott Pruitt, who has reversed Obama era E.P.A. rules, enjoys cozy ties with a coal baron who got him a superfan experience at big Kentucky game … [NYTimes, June 2] It was one of the biggest games of the University of Kentucky basketball season, and Scott Pruitt had scored two of the best seats in the arena: a few feet from the action, in a section reserved for season-ticket holders who had donated at least $1 million to the university. The seats belonged to Joseph W. Craft III, a billionaire coal executive who has engaged in an aggressive campaign to reverse the Obama administration’s environmental crackdown on the coal industry. Read on.

• New York is suing the Trump Foundation … [NYTimes] The New York State attorney general’s office filed a scathingly worded lawsuit on Thursday taking aim at the Donald J. Trump Foundation, accusing the charity and the Trump family of sweeping violations of campaign finance laws, self-dealing and illegal coordination with the presidential campaign. The lawsuit, which seeks to dissolve the foundation and bar President Trump and three of his children from serving on the boards of nonprofits, was an extraordinary rebuke of a sitting president. Read on.

 

SpiritSpin
• Be attentive to God in your life … Daily Examen.

• Why we shouldn't try to bargain with God … [America, Valerie Schultz] Prayer is where we come face-to-face with our concept of God. Who is the God we believe in deep in our hearts? When we bargain with God, we espouse a God who keeps score, rather than the God who loves us no matter what, the God who is love, according to the first letter of John (4:8). When we offer to negotiate with God, we presume that we actually have anything that God needs, which is pretty presumptuous on our part. And when we maneuver to make a deal with God, we are in essence saying that we know better than God. Whatever crisis we are facing, we have a desirable outcome in mind, and we are going to bring God around to our way of thinking. Whatever God’s will for us may be, we have a counter-proposal. In fact, we have a list. Read on

• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.

• The Daily Examen  … [IgnatianSpirituality] is a technique of pray 

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons and reflections. Here.


Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• America can't take its salvation for granted … [Richard Cohen, WaPo] Jon Meacham is a distinguished historian, journalist and television commentator who maintains in his new book, "The Soul of America," that, as bad as things are now, we have seen worse and come out the better for it. From his lips to God’s ear, as my grandmother used to say. You could ask for no better guide through the dark times than Meacham. He is a vivid writer and he seems to have read just about everything ever written that has anything to do with American history — from James Madison to William Faulkner. He cites plenty of bad days. 1968 was an awful year — the assassinations of King and Robert Kennedy — and the McCarthy period of the early 1950s was even darker in the sense that its anti-communist frenzy was not the work of a single deranged person but a mass hysteria, condoned by significant parts of the political leadership.
   That, of course, brings us to the Trump era, which prompted Meacham’s book in the first place. But while he says, “the good news is that we have come through such darkness before,” the bad news, I would have to add, is that never before has it been a president who was blocking the sun. As bad as Joseph McCarthy was, he was a mere senator and not the self-anointed American proconsul — above the law, pardoner of the egregious, immune to subpoena, blithefully ignorant of history and as dishonest as one can be in 280 characters. President Trump is a vulgar man who would take John Winthrop’s “city upon a hill” and plunk a casino in it.

   We have a president whose rhetoric is ugly and divisive, who is appallingly not appalled by white racists and whose whims go unchecked by important figures in his own party. He does not summon Lincoln’s “better angels of our nature” but instead stokes unreasonable fear of immigrants, of change, of diversity, of government and of the press.
   Is Meacham right? Pray that he is. But act as if he isn’t. Read on.

DioBeth

• DioBeth Leadership News, June 7 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, May 31 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, May 24 … Here.


Episcopal/Anglican
• Supreme Court denies breakaway Episcopal group control of its churches … [Religion News Service] Read on.

• Some church services are a sea of iPhones … Had you noticed that Bishop Michael Curry read his royal wedding sermon from an iPad? Read on.


General Convention
• Bishop Sean and Eight Deputies from the Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.

• Overview … July 2 - 13 – The General Convention is the governing body of The Episcopal Church that meets every three years. It is a bicameral legislature that includes the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops, composed of deputies and bishops from each diocese. During its triennial meeting deputies and bishops consider a wide range of important matters facing the Church. In the interim between triennial meetings, various committees, commissions, agencies, boards and task forces created by the General Convention meet to implement the decisions and carry on the work of the General Convention. More info.  REPEAT?


Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here.
• Episcopal Asset Map … Here.

TaleSpin
• The Most Popular and Talked-About Course at Yale Teaches How To Be Happy … Professor Laurie Santos’s new course, PSYC 157: Psychology and the Good Life, is so wildly popular, with over 1,200 enrolled students, suggests that she’s on to something. “College students are much more overwhelmed, much more stressed, much more anxious, and much more depressed than they’ve ever been. I think we really have a crisis writ large at colleges in how students are doing in terms of self-care and mental health.” Then she adds, “Sadly, I don’t think it’s just in colleges.”
   Santos is right on both counts. College students aren’t happy, and neither is anyone else. According to a recent survey by the American College Health Association, 52 percent of students reported feeling hopeless, while 39 percent suffered from such severe depression that they had found it difficult to function at some point during the previous year. At the University of Pennsylvania, there’s even a slang term for the grim mask of discontent that accompanies this condition: “Penn Face.” We could go further and diagnose a national case of “USA Face,” given that America recently ranked 18th in the U.N.’s “World Happiness Report,” trailing such national bastions of well-being as Finland (No. 1), Canada (No. 7), and Australia (No. 10). Read on.

• Charles Krauthammer has terminal cancer … [WaPo] Conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer announced Friday he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. "My doctors tell me their best estimate is that I have only a few weeks left to live," he wrote in a farewell letter at The Washington Post. "This is the final verdict. My fight is over." Krauthammer, 68, thanked his medical caregivers, friends, colleagues, and readers. "I leave this life with no regrets," he said. "It was a wonderful life — full and complete with the great loves and great endeavors that make it worth living." Read on.

• 9 People Reveal a Time They Racially Stereotyped a Stranger … [NYTimes] Here.


Requiescant in pace
• Frank T. Dobias, Jr. 89  … died June 2. Frank was employed as the Director of Educational Services for WLVT Channel 39, Bethlehem, for over 20 years, retiring in 1994. Previously, he was employed as a Radio Engineer for WAEB and also as the former General Manager of Blue Ridge Cable TV. While working at WLVT Channel 39, he originated and served as Executive Director of Scholastic Scrimmage, from its origin in 1975, until his retirement in 1994. He was a member of St. John's Palmerton. Obituary.

• Anthony D. Muntone, 81 … Tony and I were close during three years in Rome and nearly 15 years working in the bishop's office of the RC Diocese of Allentown. Msgr. Muntone was a good friend, a stand-up guy. Brilliant, yet loved by common people. A model of integrity and authenticity. Good sense of humor and wit. I loved him. He died on May 30. May he rest in peace and rise in glory. Obituary.

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• Southern Baptist Leader Fired … [WaPo, Michelle Boorstein and Sarah Pulliam Bailey May 30] A major Southern Baptist seminary has fired one of the movement’s giants of the last quarter-century, Paige Patterson, after new information came to light regarding how Patterson handled a sexual abuse allegation while he led another institution, the school said in a statement Wednesday night. Read on.

• A Televangelist and his Planes … [WaPo, Cleve R. Wootson Jr. May 29]  Jesse Duplantis, saying he needs about $54 million to help him efficiently spread the gospel to as many people as possible, has asked the Lord — and hundreds of thousands of hopefully deep-pocketed followers across the world — for a Falcon 7X. Read on.


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.
 

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic

• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.

The Vatican
• Pope Francis appeals to top energy executives to care for the poor and the environment … [NCR, Joshua J. McElwee] “Civilization requires energy, but energy use must not destroy civilization,” Pope Francis told top executives of the world’s main petrol, natural gas and energy-linked investment companies when he met them in the Vatican on June 9. He appealed to them to use their “creativeness and professional expertise” in “the service of two great needs in today’s world: the care of the poor and the environment.” America here. NYTimes here.

• Pope Francis is finally starting to get it … [WaPo Editorial Board] The world has heard it again and again — heartfelt, ringing pledges by Pope Francis and his predecessors that the Vatican, at long last, has gotten the message on the global epidemic of clerical sex abuse. These often have been followed by half-measures, equivocations, inertia and even outright contempt for accusers, who in most cases were victimized as children. Here and here.

• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness
• Guide to Your Midlife Tuneup … [Jane E. Brody, NYTimes, May 21] Our health needs change with every passing decade, but the good news is that it's never too late to start taking better care of yourself. Whether you are in your 30s, 40s, 50s or beyond, the Well Midlife Tuneup will put you on a healthier path to improving your body, mind and relationships. You are only as old as you feel, and completing our tuneup will definitely help you feel young at heart. Let's get started. Here.

Film and TV
• The Fred Roger documentary feels radically subversive … [Vox] Generations of American children now have grown up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, in part because it runs on public television, something that Fred Rogers himself was instrumental in saving. Somewhere between a playmate, an affable uncle or grandpa, and a fairy godfather, Rogers’s slow and compassionate approach to children’s television ran counter to what we typically expect of TV shows for kids; there are no bright, flashy, fast-moving cartoons or slapstick humor in his neighborhood, just simple, direct conversation and storytelling. You got the feeling he cared. The main goal of Won’t You Be My Neighbor is to convince us that while kindness and empathy are in short supply today, it need not be that way. Read on.

• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.


Media, Print, Music, Tech

• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.

Websites
• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.
• Episcopal News Service … Here.


Podcasts
• The Bible for Normal People … Hosted by Peter Enns and Jared Byas.
• The Daily … How the news should sound. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, hosted by Michael Barbaro and powered by New York Times journalism.
• Invisibilia …Unseeable forces control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. Invisibilia—Latin for invisible things—fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently.
• Today, Explained … Vox's daily explainer podcast — bringing you the biggest news every day with guests, context, radio drama, and more
• Radio Atlantic … Weekly conversations with leading journalists and thinkers to make sense of the history happening all around us.
• Stay Tuned with Preet … Join former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for a podcast about justice and fairness.
• The Axe Files with David Axelrod … Revealing interviews with key figures in the political world.
• Pod Save America … Four former aides to President Obama — Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor — are joined by journalists, politicians, comedians, and activists for a freewheeling conversation about politics, the press and the challenges posed by the Trump presidency. 
• Trumpcast … A quasi-daily podcast from Slate chronicling Donald Trump's rise to the presidency and his current administration. With journalists, historians, psychiatrists, and other experts to help explain who this man is and why this is happening, right now, in the United States of America.
• Freakonomics Radio … Stephen Dubner has surprising conversations that explore the riddles of everyday life and the weird wrinkles of human nature — from cheating and crime to parenting and sports. Dubner talks with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, social scientists and entrepreneurs — and his Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt.
• Things Not Seen … is an independent radio show and podcast that features in-depth interviews with nationally recognized guests. Each week, we welcome authors, musicians, politicians, filmmakers, and more. "We take faith seriously, and our guests do, too."
• The Francis Effect … is about the real world of politics and current events, seen through the lens of Catholic teaching and spirituality. Hosts, Fr. Dan Horan and David Dault, both have doctorates in theology. Dan is a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest. David is a radio producer and Catholic convert.
• Caliphate… is a new audio series following Rukmini Callimachi of the NYTimes as she reports on the Islamic State and the fall of Mosul.


Varia

Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
BCP … Book of Common Prayer
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYM … New York Magazine
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]


Selected Posts from Past newSpin Newsletters that may still be of interest

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and the Royal Wedding
1. The Sermon … Watch it. Read it.

2. Wholly Un-British, Amazing and Necessary … [Esquire] "We really did not expect to get inspired by a Royal Wedding, but there you are. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to join the Episcopal Church."  Read on.

3. 'Almost a Sermon' … A few hours after the royal wedding, BBC repeated Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's sermon followed by this bit of curious commentary. "A pretty lively, a pretty forceful and uplifting address, almost a sermon by Bishop Michael. Maybe it’s fair to say it’s an address the likes of which hasn’t been heard at a royal wedding for quite some time, if at all, in recent years. Because he really had a message to deliver and he really did deliver it with some energy and some vigor, all about the power of Love..."

4. A Black Bishop Brings a Political Message to the Royal Wedding … [The Atlantic, Emma Green, May 21] Poverty, hunger, justice, and care for the earth aren’t typical themes for a wedding sermon. But they’re typical for Curry, who has called for a transformative “Jesus movement” and has an unapologetically fierce preaching style. He was installed as the first black presiding bishop of the Episcopal church in 2015, bringing a new voice of leadership to an extremely homogenous denomination: The Episcopal Church is 90 percent white in the U.S., according to Pew Research Center. Read on.

5. Global Praise For Presiding Bishop's Royal Wedding Sermon … [Episcopal News Service, David Paulsen] “There are some things you come to expect from royal weddings,” the Washington Post said. “One thing you don’t expect: That sermon.” The Post called Curry’s 14-minute sermon a “barnstorming address.” Canada’s CBC called it the “highlight” of the royal wedding. Vox said Curry “stole the show,” adding that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were “all but upstaged” by Curry’s “fiery sermon.” And the U.K. Guardian commentary asserted that Curry’s “royal wedding sermon will go down in history as a moment when the enduring seat of colonialism was brought before the Lord, and questioned in its own house.” Read on.

6. On the Morning Shows … [EpiscopalCafé] Watch Bishop Curry on Good Morning America, Today and The View. Here.

7. The Royal Wedding made Episcopal Bishop Michael Curry a superstar. Can the religious left translate that into political change? … [WaPo] The 65-year-old priest is now the repository of hope for progressive Christians who want to reclaim their faith from conservative evangelicals. Read on.

• For the Poor and the Neglected … [BCP] Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

• The Serenity Prayer … God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful worldas it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. Read on.

• Diocese of Bethlehem elects Canon Kevin D. Nichols, 56, as its next bishop … Nichols, who is currently, chief operating officer and canon for mission resources in the Diocese of New Hampshire, was elected on the first ballot by the clergy of the diocese and elected lay representatives during a meeting in the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
   "I am thrilled to be joining with the people of the Diocese of Bethlehem to bear witness to the power of the Resurrection in their communities," Nichols said. "The momentum there is unmistakable and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us together.
   "I see this as a moment for us as a church to recover our purpose for why we are here, to reconcile and to offer God's love and healing where there has been painful damage. The Diocese of Bethlehem in its diverse landscapes is rich and fertile ground for God's planting and pruning."
   Nichols was formerly president of the Diocese of New Hampshire's Standing Committee and a member of the churchwide Task Force to Reimagine the Episcopal Church.
   A former Roman Catholic priest who received his master of divinity degree from St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, he was received into the Episcopal priesthood in 1999 and has served as rector of St. Stephen's in Pittsfield, New Hampshire and St. Andrew's in Hopkinton, New Hampshire.
  While serving small parishes, Nichols also worked as an account manager and management trainer for Sealed Air Corporation, a packaging company. Read on,

• A prayer before anything … [Bill] Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible. Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. Let us pray: Guide us, gracious God. May we be … Attentive to our experience, to the voices and hearts of those around us, Intelligent in our interpretation of that to which we have been attentive. Reasonable in our judgments about what we have understood. Responsible in our decisions about how we will act on our judgments. And always open to inner conversion, to transformation in your truth and your love.

• A Man Called Mark … A new biography of Bishop Mark Dyer, will be published on July 17. Dyer was bishop of Bethlehem from 1982 to 1995. [Church Publishing and Leadership News] This official biography tells the compelling story of the Rt. Rev. Mark Dyer: Irish Catholic boy from New Hampshire, U.S. Navy vet, Roman Catholic then Episcopal priest, bishop, and seminary professor-and one of the most influential, beloved leaders of the American Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.
   Following a dispute with ecclesiastical authorities, Dyer left the Roman Church for the Anglican Church of Canada. Later received as priest in the Episcopal Church, his gifts as teacher, preacher, and pastor were recognized with election as Bishop of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. There, he established a new model of leadership, delegating administrative duties to concentrate on spiritual direction, pastoral care, and creating mission projects at every church in his diocese. Also renowned as a story-teller, many of his favorite stories appear here, told in his own voice. Read on.

• Reclaiming Jesus … is a confession of faith in a time of crisis signed on to by many faith leaders including Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. The following is an excerpt.
I. We believe each human being is made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:26).
Therefore, we reject the resurgence of white nationalism and racism in our nation on many fronts, including the highest levels of political leadership. We, as followers of Jesus, must clearly reject the use of racial bigotry for political gain that we have seen. In the face of such bigotry, silence is complicity.
II. We believe we are one body. In Christ, there is to be no oppression based on race, gender, identity, or class (Galatians 3:28).
Therefore, we reject misogyny, the mistreatment, violent abuse, sexual harassment, and assault of women that has been further revealed in our culture and politics, including our churches, and the oppression of any other child of God.
III. We believe how we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick, and the prisoner is how we treat Christ himself. (Matthew 25: 31-46)
Therefore, we reject the language and policies of political leaders who would debase and abandon the most vulnerable children of God. We strongly deplore the growing attacks on immigrants and refugees, who are being made into cultural and political targets, and we need to remind our churches that God makes the treatment of the “strangers” among us a test of faith (Leviticus 19:33-34).
IV. We believe that truth is morally central to our personal and public lives.
Therefore, we reject the practice and pattern of lying that is invading our political and civil life.
V. We believe that Christ’s way of leadership is servanthood, not domination. Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles (the world) lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:25-26). Therefore, we reject any moves toward autocratic political leadership and authoritarian rule. We believe authoritarian political leadership is a theological danger that threatens democracy and the common good—and we will resist it.
VI. We believe Jesus when he tells us to go into all nations making disciples (Matthew 28:18).
Therefore, we reject “America first” as a theological heresy for followers of Christ. While we share a patriotic love for our country, we reject xenophobic or ethnic nationalism that places one nation over others as a political goal. Read all of this confession of faith.

• A new comprehensive Evangelism Toolkit … is available online for congregations, dioceses, groups, and individuals to explore Evangelism.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

• Jubilate for Pentecost B … is now available at the Trinity Bethlehem website. Also, Prayers of the People may be found there. Jubilate is a resource for hymn selection. Weekly Prayers of the People may be used in place of the forms found in the Book of Common Prayer. Both are prepared by Canon Cliff Carr, priest associate. They are available in both Word (.doc) and .pdf formats. Find both here.

• Vital Practices for leading congregations … This website of the Episcopal Church Foundation seems to me to be an especially useful tool for anyone active in parish life. It covers much more than parish finances. Read on.

• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

newSpin 180531

newSpin, the newsletter
May 31, 2018 – Bill Lewellis

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and the Royal Wedding
1. The Sermon … Watch it. Read it.

2. Wholly Un-British, Amazing and Necessary … [Esquire] "We really did not expect to get inspired by a Royal Wedding, but there you are. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to join the Episcopal Church."  Read on.

3. 'Almost a Sermon' … A few hours after the royal wedding, BBC repeated Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's sermon followed by this bit of curious commentary. "A pretty lively, a pretty forceful and uplifting address, almost a sermon by Bishop Michael. Maybe it’s fair to say it’s an address the likes of which hasn’t been heard at a royal wedding for quite some time, if at all, in recent years. Because he really had a message to deliver and he really did deliver it with some energy and some vigor, all about the power of Love..."

4. A Black Bishop Brings a Political Message to the Royal Wedding … [The Atlantic, Emma Green, May 21] Poverty, hunger, justice, and care for the earth aren’t typical themes for a wedding sermon. But they’re typical for Curry, who has called for a transformative “Jesus movement” and has an unapologetically fierce preaching style. He was installed as the first black presiding bishop of the Episcopal church in 2015, bringing a new voice of leadership to an extremely homogenous denomination: The Episcopal Church is 90 percent white in the U.S., according to Pew Research Center. Read on.

5. Global Praise For Presiding Bishop's Royal Wedding Sermon … [Episcopal News Service, David Paulsen] “There are some things you come to expect from royal weddings,” the Washington Post said. “One thing you don’t expect: That sermon.” The Post called Curry’s 14-minute sermon a “barnstorming address.” Canada’s CBC called it the “highlight” of the royal wedding. Vox said Curry “stole the show,” adding that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were “all but upstaged” by Curry’s “fiery sermon.” And the U.K. Guardian commentary asserted that Curry’s “royal wedding sermon will go down in history as a moment when the enduring seat of colonialism was brought before the Lord, and questioned in its own house.” Read on.

6. On the Morning Shows … [EpiscopalCafé] Watch Bishop Curry on Good Morning America, Today and The View. Here.

7. The Royal Wedding made Episcopal Bishop Michael Curry a superstar. Can the religious left translate that into political change? … [WaPo] The 65-year-old priest is now the repository of hope for progressive Christians who want to reclaim their faith from conservative evangelicals. Read on.

TopSpin
• Michael Curry takes his message to the White House … [WaPo video, 2:41] Here.

• Puerto Rico: A Real Catastrophe … [David Leonhardt, NYTimes] When President Trump traveled to Puerto Rico last October after Hurricane Maria, he touted the storm’s low death toll as proof that his administration had done its job well. “Every death is a horror,” he said. “But if you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina … what is your death count, as of this moment? 17?” He was very wrong.
   The true death toll could exceed 4,600, according to a study published this week in The New England Journal of Medicine that appears to be the most rigorous count yet. Many of the victims likely died from delayed medical care, which is something that a competent government response could have avoided. Puerto Rico’s fatality count is now more than twice as high as the Katrina count that Trump called a “real catastrophe.” Read on.

• Stealth Reform in the Roman Catholic Church … [TheWeek, May 23] Pope Francis' stealth reform of the Roman Catholic Church shows no sign of slowing down — and may even be accelerating. Stealth is key here. If the pope had declared earlier this month that henceforth the Roman Catholic Church would authoritatively teach that homosexuals should be happy being gay, that God made them homosexual, and that God himself (along with the pope) loves them just the way they are, it would have been a massive story in the history of Catholicism — and one that quite likely would have precipitated a major schism, with conservative bishops and priests (mainly in North America and Africa) formally breaking from Rome.
   But because word of the pope saying these things comes to us second hand, in a report of a private conversation between Francis and a gay man named Juan Carlos Cruz who is also a victim of the clerical sex abuse crisis in Chile, the utterance will go down as just the latest example of the pope making unorthodox statements in settings in which he has plausible deniability and in which he can claim he was speaking as a pastor rather than as an expositor of the church's official dogmas and doctrines. Read on. Also, 'God made you this way," here.

• The Pope Opens His Eyes to Abuse … [NYTimes Editorial Board] The abuse of minors by pedophile priests has been among the most painful sagas of our time, the horror compounded by the knowledge that hierarchs could have stopped the predators if only they had not chosen for so long to cover up their actions. Now, at long last, Pope Francis seems to have glimpsed the depth of the global crisis.The catalyst was a scandal in Chile, one of Latin America’s most staunchly Catholic countries, where for years the church establishment failed to act on multiple complaints of sexual abuse against an influential priest, Fernando Karadima. On a trip to Chile in January, the pope condemned Father Karadima’s actions but then refused to meet with his victims and dismissed allegations of inaction by bishops as “slander.”
   In the outrage that followed, the pope appointed two investigators who produced a damning report confirming systematic efforts by the Chilean Catholic hierarchy to conceal clerical sexual abuse. That led to an apology by Pope Francis for the “grave errors” in Chile and an emergency meeting earlier this month with Chile’s bishops at which all 34 submitted their resignations and asked forgiveness for the “pain they caused the victims, the pope, the people of God and our country.” Read on. Also at Crux.

• A 'Heretic' in the Vatican … [Politico, May 28]  “They call me a heretic.” Not the words you’d expect to hear from the head of the Roman Catholic Church. But that’s what Pope Francis told a group of fellow Jesuits in Chile earlier this year, acknowledging the fierce pushback from arch-conservatives in the Vatican. Celebrated by progressives around the world for his push to update and liberalize aspects of church doctrine, Francis is facing fierce blowback from traditionalists who take issue with his openness to Muslim migrants, his concern for the environment and his softer tone on divorce, cohabitation and homosexuality. Opposition has become so heated that some advisers are warning him to tread carefully to avoid a “schism” in the church. Read on.

• A short but moving video … Church leaders drafted this statement because the soul of the nation is at stake. Here.

• Reclaiming Jesus … Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and the Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners have issued the following letter to church leaders about the Reclaiming Jesus Declaration. Read the letter here.

• Challenging Trump's Christian Apologists … E.J. Dionne Jr. discusses the declaration, Reclaiming Jesus, written in part by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. The document posits six theological truths and explains their political implications. Though it never mentions Donald Trump’s name, the document’s vision is an implicit rebuke to “Christians who are invoking religious arguments in apologetics for a president whose actions and policies seem antithetical to almost everything Jesus taught.” Read on.

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• A short but moving video … Church leaders drafted this statement because the soul of the nation is at stake. Here.

• Ireland votes to repeal abortion ban … [David Leonhardt, NYTimes] It was one of the world’s more restrictive abortion bans, the prime minister said. The vote swept aside generations of conservative patriarchy and dealing the latest in a series of stinging rebukes to the Roman Catholic Church. The surprising landslide cemented the nation’s liberal shift at a time when right-wing populism is on the rise in Europe and the Trump administration is imposing curbs on abortion rights in the United States. Read on.

• Somehow weak in compassion … [The Guardian, UK] Eamon Martin, the archbishop of Armagh and primate of all Ireland, said in a homily that many people see the church as "somehow weak in compassion." Being pro-life means being alongside those whose lives are threatened by violence, and who cannot live life to the full because of economic deprivation, homelessness and marginalization, he said. Read on. Also at RNS.

• Eight million Jehovah's Witnesses don't salute the flag. 200,000 Amish don't stand for the national anthem. One Black Man kneels respectfully, and all hell breaks loose. Now you know why he's kneeling. And here and here and here.

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• A short but moving video … Church leaders drafted this statement because the soul of the nation is at stake. Here.

• DioBeth General News, May 24 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, May 17 … Here.
• DioBeth Leadership News, May 10 … Here.

********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********


Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics.
• McCain's Final Message … [The Week] [John McCain still has something to say, even if a White House press aide doesn't think a dying man's thoughts matter. "I don't remember another time in my life when so many Americans considered someone's partisan affiliation a test of whether that person is entitled to respect," the Arizona senator writes in a new book. Read on.

• Trump Immigration Policy Veers from Abhorrent to Evil … [NYTimes, Nicholas Kristof, May 30] We as a nation have crossed so many ugly lines recently, yet one new policy of President Trump’s particularly haunts me. I’m speaking of the administration’s tactic of seizing children from desperate refugees at the border. “I was given only five minutes to say goodbye,” a Salvadoran woman wrote in a declaration in an A.C.L.U. lawsuit against the government, after her 4- and 10-year-old sons were taken from her. “My babies started crying when they found out we were going to be separated.”
   This mother, who for her protection is identified only by her initials, J.I.L., said that while in El Salvador she was severely beaten in front of her family by a gang, and she then fled the country to save the lives of her children. Who among us would not do the same? We as a nation should protect our borders. We must even more assiduously protect our soul. Read on.

• Immigration Changes Could Lead to Dropped Children's Health Coverage … [NCR] As many as 2 million U.S. citizen children could drop health coverage through Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), despite remaining eligible, if proposed changes to immigration policy go into effect. "When kids don't have access to health care they are not getting the preventative services that they need. When they are sick they're not going to the doctor, so you have an increase of emergency room visits," said Laura Peralta-Schulte, senior government relations advocate for Network, the Catholic social justice lobby. "There's just a myriad of problems presented when people can't access health."
   Since the first draft was leaked in February of new Department of Homeland Security guidelines to determine if immigrants in the U.S. seeking permanent residence could become a "public charge," advocates have worried that the changes could lead immigrants and their family members to drop out of public benefits programs in order to increase their chances of gaining a green card. Read on.

• Donald Trump's Guide to Presidential Etiquette … [NYTimes Editorial Board, May 25] For the fourth time in a year, we’ve compiled a list of Mr. Trump’s more egregious transgressions. These items don’t represent disputes about policy, over which reasonable people may disagree. They simply serve to catalog what Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and all the other Trump-supporting Republicans in Congress and across America, through their silence, have now blessed as behavior befitting a president of the United States.
   We find this guide a helpful way to avoid growing numb to what is so abnormal about this presidency, and to remind ourselves that a day may yet come when dignity and decency will matter again, even, perhaps, to Mr. McConnell and his fellow hypocrites. Read on.

• Nixon had his 'Enemies List' – If Trump has one, Amazon might be near the top … [WaPo] President Trump has personally pushed U.S. Postmaster General Megan Brennan to double the rate the Postal Service charges Amazon.com and other firms to ship packages, according to three people familiar with their conversations, a dramatic move that probably would cost these companies billions of dollars. [Some reading here may know that Postmaster General Brennan is from Pottsville, Schuylkill County]
   Brennan has so far resisted Trump’s demand, explaining in multiple conversations occurring this year and last that these arrangements are bound by contracts and must be reviewed by a regulatory commission, the three people said. She has told the president that the Amazon relationship is beneficial for the Postal Service and gave him a set of slides that showed the variety of companies, in addition to Amazon, that also partner for deliveries.
   Few U.S. companies have drawn Trump’s ire as much as Amazon, which has rapidly grown to be the second-largest U.S. company in terms of market capitalization. For more than three years, Trump has fumed publicly and privately about the giant commerce and services company and its founder Jeffrey P. Bezos, who is also the owner of The Washington Post. Read on.

• Because He Says So … [NYTimes] As a candidate, Donald J. Trump claimed that the United States government had known in advance about the Sept. 11 attacks. He hinted that Antonin Scalia, a Supreme Court justice who died in his sleep two years ago, had been murdered. And for years, Mr. Trump pushed the notion that President Barack Obama had been born in Kenya rather than Honolulu, making him ineligible for the presidency. None of that was true.
   Last week, President Trump promoted new, unconfirmed accusations to suit his political narrative: that a “criminal deep state” element within Mr. Obama’s government planted a spy deep inside his presidential campaign to help his rival, Hillary Clinton, win — a scheme he branded “Spygate.” It was the latest indication that a president who has for decades trafficked in conspiracy theories has brought them from the fringes of public discourse to the Oval Office.
   Now that he is president, Mr. Trump’s baseless stories of secret plots by powerful interests appear to be having a distinct effect. Among critics, they have fanned fears that he is eroding public trust in institutions, undermining the idea of objective truth and sowing widespread suspicions about the government and news media that mirror his own.
   “The effect on the life of the nation of a president inventing conspiracy theories in order to distract attention from legitimate investigations or other things he dislikes is corrosive,” said Jon Meacham, a presidential historian and biographer. “The diabolical brilliance of the Trump strategy of disinformation is that many people are simply going to hear the charges and countercharges, and decide that there must be something to them because the president of the United States is saying them.” Read on.

• "He has sold us a whole way of accepting a narrative that has so many layers of unaccountable, unsubstantiated content that you can't possibly peel it all back." [Gwenda Blair, a Trump biographer, on the president's fixation on conspiracy theories.]

• No Blocking … [NYTimes, May 23] President Trump’s practice of blocking Twitter users who are critical of him from seeing his posts on the social media platform violates the First Amendment, a federal judge in Manhattan ruled. The ruling came in a case brought by seven Twitter users who had been blocked by the @realDonaldTrump account after they criticized the president. Read on.

 

SpiritSpin
• Would that be political or biblical? … [An op-ed by Bill Lewellis, published in The Morning Call, Sunday, May 27] There is power in love," Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry preached at the recent royal wedding. He was quoting Martin Luther King Jr. "If humanity ever captures the energy of love, it will be the second time in history that we have discovered fire," he continued, quoting French Jesuit Teillard de Chardin. Think about an American Episcopal bishop quoting a Baptist minister and a Roman Catholic theologian at an Anglican royal wedding. I owe that quip to Wilkes-Barre City Council President Tony Brooks.
   "There are some things you come to expect from royal weddings," the Washington Post said. "One thing you don't expect: That sermon." Commentary in the U.K. Guardian asserted that Curry's 14-minute "royal wedding sermon will go down in history as a moment when the enduring seat of colonialism was brought before the Lord, and questioned in its own house." Some would criticize that sermon as political. Read on.

• Less Clouded By Irrelevance … [Bill Lewellis, The Morning Call, May 20] A spiritual journey is a relationship. It’s a metaphor. No two journeys are the same. No authentic journey begins before God somehow speaks. "In the beginning was the Word..." (John 1:1). Read on.

• Oscar Romero … [Except for four new paragraphs at the beginning, this is a slightly revised excerpt from a sermon preached by Bill Lewellis in 2010] Almost a year before I left the Roman Catholic Church, Oscar Romero became one of my heroes. Onetime Archbishop of El Salvador, he was assassinated at the altar on March 24, 1980. Read on. An interview with Noam Chomsky, here.

• A Clear Turnabout … [NCR] After a 38-year-wait, it is now official. Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero, murdered in 1980 for speaking out against military oppression, will be made a saint. His canonization while expected in recent months, nonetheless represents the culmination of one of the clearest turnabouts of Francis' nearly five-year papacy. The cause for Romero had languished for decades under Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, who expressed unease with his connection to liberation theology and his vocal denunciations of government killings and kidnappings. Read on.

• Trinity – A Glimpse into the Mystery of God … [A slightly revised excerpt from a 2001 sermon preached by Bill Lewellis on Trinity Sunday] Religion is about relationship because that is what God is about. God is three-in-one, being-in-relationship, being-in-community. That is what we celebrate on Trinity Sunday. Read on. Find another Trinity Sunday sermon, At the Heart of Reality, here.

• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.

• The Daily Examen  … [IgnatianSpirituality] is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us. The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience. The method presented here is adapted from a technique described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. St. Ignatius thought that the Examen was a gift that came directly from God, and that God wanted it to be shared as widely as possible. One of the few rules of prayer that Ignatius made for the Jesuit order was the requirement that Jesuits practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. It’s a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day.
   [Bill] When I was in college seminary in Philadelphia, those responsible for mentoring our spirituality put this into our nighttime community prayer as an examination of conscience (recalling our sins of the day) rather than an examination of consciousness (discerning God's presence in our day). What an awful misunderstanding of the Daily Examen! Worse yet, it may have been intentional in the RC seminary culture of those days. Read on.

 

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons and reflections. Here.


Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin

DioBeth
• Jubilate for Pentecost B … is now available at the Trinity Bethlehem website. Also, Prayers of the People may be found there. Jubilate is a resource for hymn selection. Weekly Prayers of the People may be used in place of the forms found in the Book of Common Prayer. Both are prepared by Canon Cliff Carr, priest associate. They are available in both Word (.doc) and .pdf formats. Find both here.

• Diocese of Bethlehem elects Canon Kevin D. Nichols, 56, as its next bishop … Nichols, who is currently, chief operating officer and canon for mission resources in the Diocese of New Hampshire, was elected on the first ballot by the clergy of the diocese and elected lay representatives during a meeting in the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
   "I am thrilled to be joining with the people of the Diocese of Bethlehem to bear witness to the power of the Resurrection in their communities," Nichols said. "The momentum there is unmistakable and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us together.
   "I see this as a moment for us as a church to recover our purpose for why we are here, to reconcile and to offer God's love and healing where there has been painful damage. The Diocese of Bethlehem in its diverse landscapes is rich and fertile ground for God's planting and pruning."
   Nichols was formerly president of the Diocese of New Hampshire's Standing Committee and a member of the churchwide Task Force to Reimagine the Episcopal Church.
   A former Roman Catholic priest who received his master of divinity degree from St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, he was received into the Episcopal priesthood in 1999 and has served as rector of St. Stephen's in Pittsfield, New Hampshire and St. Andrew's in Hopkinton, New Hampshire.
  While serving small parishes, Nichols also worked as an account manager and management trainer for Sealed Air Corporation, a packaging company. Read on,

• On preserving favorable tax treatment of clergy housing allowances … [Forbes, May 6] The big trouble makers in this are are the Freedom From Religion Foundation and its officers. They think that allowing "ministers of the gospel" to receive cash housing allowances tax free is a violation of the Establishment Clause. Read on.

• Ties with Royalty in Jim Thorpe … [WFMZ-TV] While the world was focused on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the focus of Jim Thorpe's Mary Shorten was aimed at the scene directly in front of the couple. "I was concentrating more on the reredos trying to see theirs. My personal thought was ours is nicer," said Shorten, a sexton of St. Mark's Episcopal Church. The sculpture behind the altar at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Jim Thorpe is a replica of the one in Saint George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. "It's pretty cool. I think ours stands out more because the way our wall is versus the way the wall was at St. George," she added. In 1880 Queen Victoria gave the church the green light to make it. So how does one get an in with the Queen of England? Read on.

• DioBeth General News, May 24 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, May 17 … Here.
• DioBeth Leadership News, May 10 … Here.


Episcopal/Anglican
• House of Bishops' pastoral response to #MeToo will focus on listening, liturgy and steps for healing … [The Episcopal Church, Public Affairs Office] In an open letter to the Episcopal Church, an invitation is extended to share reflections on sexual harassment, abuse, and exploitation. A selection of the reflections will be read at a special listening session during General Convention 2018. The House of Bishop’s Pastoral Response will be a sacred space for listening and further reconciliation on Wednesday, July 4, 5:15 pm to 7 pm Central (6:15 pm Eastern/4:15 pm Mountain/3:15 pm Pacific). Those at General Convention 2018 in Austin, TX, are welcome to attend; those not in Austin will be able to participate remotely via a live webcast. Read on.

• The Episcopal Asset Map … unveils redesigned site, invites full participation across church. It's an online platform showing the location and ministries of Episcopal churches, schools and other communities. It has been revamped and refreshed with more-detailed information, easier access and ease of navigation. If your congregation or appropriate info about your congregation is not included, that means info has not been supplied. Read on.

• Alexa, when did the Church of England become so tech savvy? … [The Guardian UK, Andrew Brown] Thomas Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer was well ahead of its time when in 1549 it addressed “Almighty God, unto whom all hearts be opened, all desires known, and no secrets hid” – but it would take nearly five centuries for the church to turn this vision into technology. For now there is a Church of England “skill” – a set of canned responses – on Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant which can give its answer to 30 religious questions. It doesn’t answer the interesting ones though. “Alexa, ask the Church of England how can I be saved?” produces a silence easily interpreted as baffled, and I don’t think this is because the Church of England long ago decided that I couldn’t be. Read on.


General Convention
• House of Deputies … May newsletter.

• Overview … July 2 - 13 – The General Convention is the governing body of The Episcopal Church that meets every three years. It is a bicameral legislature that includes the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops, composed of deputies and bishops from each diocese. During its triennial meeting deputies and bishops consider a wide range of important matters facing the Church. In the interim between triennial meetings, various committees, commissions, agencies, boards and task forces created by the General Convention meet to implement the decisions and carry on the work of the General Convention. More info.


Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here.
• Episcopal Asset Map … Here.

TaleSpin
• The Complicated Task of Covering John McCain's Final Days … [Columbia Journalism Review, May 21] As a war hero, former presidential candidate, influential voice in the Senate, and ready quote, John McCain has been a constant presence in the public eye for decades. His final book, The Restless Wave, is out today. McCain’s brain cancer diagnosis provides the opportunity for a slow motion, living eulogy, and the press has responded with a steady drumbeat of coverage. Read on.

• Australian Archbishop Convicted of Covering Up Child Sex Abuse … [IAP] An Australian archbishop on Tuesday became the most senior Roman Catholic cleric in the world convicted of covering up child sex abuse and faces a potential two years in prison when he is sentenced next month. Read on.

•  The 10-Point … The Wall Street Journal will send you any of many newsletters and alerts, even if you are not a subscriber. I have found Gerard Baker's "The 10-Point: My Guide to the Day's Top News" (in the Journal) to be useful. If you are not a subscriber, of course, links will not take you to the full story, but the summaries are usually helpful. Here.

• Migrant in Paris Scales Building to Save Child … [NYTimes] Even by the   The 4-year-old boy seemed to be suspended from a balcony. An adult standing on a nearby balcony seemed powerless to help. Disaster seemed the only possible outcome. Read on.


Requiescant in pace
• Hildegarde Mahala Singles Buratti 96, retired executive director of the Bethlehem YWCA, died on May 27. Hildegarde and her husband Ralph (deceased) were longtime members of the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem. She was regular in worship until age and illness prevented her. Obituary.

• June D. (Beckman) Hayes, 93 … died May 25. Born in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, she and her family moved to Dallas in 1956. City girl turned country, she learned to love the area and its people; especially her neighbors and friends, who were many. She loved her position at the Dallas Dry Cleaners. which gave her the opportunity to meet people and make many new friends. She was very proud of the years she spent as a Dallas Borough election officer; one of only three people registered as a Democrat in the borough in those days. She was a member of the Prince of Peace Episcopal Church. She loved all creatures great and small.
   In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make generosity a way of life through every day simple actions — thought, word and deed; kindness, take some time to visit neighbors, volunteer, help a stranger, forgive, make a charitable donation. Let us know what you are doing by posting your kind deeds on June Hayes Sr. Facebook page, or write us a note. Obituary.

• Ralph E. Trumbower, 95 … died May 24. He was the husband of Charlotte M. (Schlicher) Trumbower for 52 years. He served with the US Marine Corps. in the Central Pacific during WWII. Ralph was a member of Grace Episcopal Church, Allentown. He retired as a conductor for Conrail and the former Bethlehem Steel PBNE railroad, and retired as a courier for the Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. Obituary

• Winifred D. Swick, 96 … died May 23.  Winifred was a registered nurse. She attended Temple University and graduated from the School of Nursing of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She had also been a volunteer at Warren Hospital for 40 years. She was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Easton and a former choir member. She was a member and past president of the Rotary Ann Club of Phillipsburg. In 2006 she was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Club. Obituary.  

• Richard K. Kulasinsky, 61 … died May 23. He was a very devoted member of Christ Episcopal Church, Forest City, where he was a member of the vestry and an active volunteer. Obituary.

• George Councell, 68 … 11th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey, died May 21. He retired as bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey in the fall of 2013, five years after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. After his diagnosis, he was determined not to let the disease hold him back, and he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2008. Read on.

• Philip Roth, 85 … One of the most prolific and celebrated writers of his generation, Philip Roth died May 22. Between his first collection of stories, Goodbye, Columbus (1959), and his final novel, 2010's Nemesis, Roth won two National Book Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, the Man Booker International Prize, two National Book Critics Circle awards, and three PEN/Faulkner Awards. He is best known for 1969's Portnoy's Complaint, and his literary explorations of sex and life as an American, a Jew, and a man. Many of his protagonists were thinly veiled versions of himself — Nathan Zuckerman, Alexander Portnoy, David Kepesh — and his work explored and blurred the lines between truth and fiction. Read on.

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• Employees quit American Bible Society over sex and marriage rules … [RNS] One of the oldest nonprofit organizations dedicated to distributing Bibles around the world will soon require all employees to adhere to orthodox Christian beliefs and heed a conservative code of sexual ethics. Employees are resigning in protest of the new policy, which will effectively prohibit sexually active LGBT people and couples in cohabitating relationships from working for the American Bible Society. But the organization stands by it as a measure intended to bring “unity and clarity.” Read on.


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.
 

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• As Fear Permeates Immigrant Communities, U.S. Roman Catholic Bishops' Responses Vary … [NCR, Peter Feuerherd] Many immigrants are Catholic, but many white Catholics voted for Trump and his anti-immigrant platform. And in the middle of the immigration crisis stand more than 400 American Catholic bishops. While they stand together, bishops retain their individuality. They differ on strategies, approaches and how much of a priority they put on the issue of immigration. Read on.

• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.

The Vatican
• Francis names 14 cardinals … [NCR, Joshua J. McElwee] Pope Francis named fourteen new Catholic cardinals May 20, again diversifying representation in the most elite body of church prelates with selections from places as far-flung as Iraq, Pakistan and Japan and solidifying his influence on the group that will one day elect his successor. Read on.

• Stealth Reform in the Roman Catholic Church … See above, under TopSpin.
• The Pope Opens His Eyes to Abuse … See above, under TopSpin.
• A 'Heretic' in the Vatican … See above, under TopSpin.

• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness
• The NYTimes Magazine Health Issue … Here.

• How to Age Well and Stay in Your Home … [Jane E. Brody, NYTimes, May 21] What will it take to age well in place, in the surroundings we’ve long cherished that bring us physical, social and emotional comfort? What adaptations are needed to assure our safety and comfort and relieve our children’s legitimate concerns for our welfare?
   For those of you with concerns about aging family members and friends, I recommend a very helpful, comprehensive yet not overwhelming book, “Age in Place: A Guide to Modifying, Organizing, and Decluttering Mom and Dad’s Home,” by Lynda G. Shrager, an occupational therapist for the last 37 years who has worked with seniors in their homes for more than 13 years. Ms. Shrager has good reasons to believe that addressing the challenges of independent living can help keep seniors safe and their kids sane.
   “It’s cheaper to stay in your home, even if you have to make some renovations and get an aide a few days a week to help,” Ms. Shrager said in an interview. “It’s money well spent and a lot cheaper than assisted living. But it’s important not to wait until there’s a crisis — a parent falls and breaks her hip.” Read on.


Film and TV
• Wild, Wild Country … [America] The Netflix documentary series “Wild Wild Country,” directed by brothers Chapman Way and Maclain Way,details Rajneeshpuram’s downward spiral; the scandals that plague the community include immigration fraud, biochemical attacks, arson, assassination attempts, the recruitment of homeless individuals to sway an election and the drugging of those same folks after their presence threatens the commune’s peace. The documentary features a wealth of archival footage, from the nascency of Rajneesh’s public life in India to the dissolution of the Oregon experiment. There are extensive interviews with key former members of Rajneeshpuram, including Sheela herself. The combination of intimate footage and candid confessions makes “Wild Wild Country” a worthwhile watch.
   It also presents the opportunity for a worthwhile discussion. Sometimes the best way to understand a serious phenomenon is to look at its parody. In this case, the serious phenomenon is religion, and its parody, a modern attempt at inventing one. The incursion of the “orange people” into Wasco County ignited a religious freedom debate that spread across Oregon in a not-so-predictable fashion. Their presence presented the problem of relating to the “other,” whether that “other” was a retired rancher or a spiritualist in red. One could also ask how Rajneesh managed to exploit the logic of global capitalism along with a certain market for spirituality among Westerners. Read on.

• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.


Media, Print, Music, Tech
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.

• Unprediictability is a trait, not a strategy … [From Madeleine Albright's new book, Fascism: A Warning] The course I teach at Georgetown is about the tools of foreign policy and how to use them. From what I’ve seen, the president would have a hard time passing it. He considers himself a master at bluster and bluff, which can be an effective tactic, when applied sparingly. During the Cold War, Henry Kissinger tried to pry concessions out of the Soviets by suggesting that Nixon was a little crazy and that there was no telling what he might do if he didn’t get his way. Given Trump’s undisciplined style, a similar strategy now would certainly have the advantage of credibility. Trump can seem unhinged. But unpredictability is a trait, not a strategy. The question is whether the president’s penchant for insults and off-the-wall threats is linked to a plan for making progress toward specific national security objectives. Read on.

• The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels, by Jon Meacham …I hear that Bishop Curry is reading this. He probably has a signed copy. Jon Meacham is an Episcopalian. Here. NYTimes review.

• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.

Websites
• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.
• Episcopal News Service … Here.


Podcasts
• The Bible for Normal People … Hosted by Peter Enns and Jared Byas.
• The Daily … How the news should sound. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, hosted by Michael Barbaro and powered by New York Times journalism.
• Invisibilia …Unseeable forces control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. Invisibilia—Latin for invisible things—fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently.
• Today, Explained … Vox's daily explainer podcast — bringing you the biggest news every day with guests, context, radio drama, and more
• Radio Atlantic … Weekly conversations with leading journalists and thinkers to make sense of the history happening all around us.
• Stay Tuned with Preet … Join former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for a podcast about justice and fairness.
• The Axe Files with David Axelrod … Revealing interviews with key figures in the political world.
• Pod Save America … Four former aides to President Obama — Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor — are joined by journalists, politicians, comedians, and activists for a freewheeling conversation about politics, the press and the challenges posed by the Trump presidency. 
• Trumpcast … A quasi-daily podcast from Slate chronicling Donald Trump's rise to the presidency and his current administration. With journalists, historians, psychiatrists, and other experts to help explain who this man is and why this is happening, right now, in the United States of America.
• Freakonomics Radio … Stephen Dubner has surprising conversations that explore the riddles of everyday life and the weird wrinkles of human nature — from cheating and crime to parenting and sports. Dubner talks with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, social scientists and entrepreneurs — and his Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt.
• Things Not Seen … is an independent radio show and podcast that features in-depth interviews with nationally recognized guests. Each week, we welcome authors, musicians, politicians, filmmakers, and more. "We take faith seriously, and our guests do, too."
• The Francis Effect … is about the real world of politics and current events, seen through the lens of Catholic teaching and spirituality. Hosts, Fr. Dan Horan and David Dault, both have doctorates in theology. Dan is a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest. David is a radio producer and Catholic convert.
• Caliphate… is a new audio series following Rukmini Callimachi of the NYTimes as she reports on the Islamic State and the fall of Mosul.


Varia

Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
BCP … Book of Common Prayer
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYM … New York Magazine
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]


Selected Posts from Past newSpin Newsletters that may still be of interest
• For the Poor and the Neglected … [BCP] Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

• The Serenity Prayer … God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful worldas it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. Read on.

• A prayer before anything … [Bill] Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible. Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. Let us pray: Guide us, gracious God. May we be … Attentive to our experience, to the voices and hearts of those around us, Intelligent in our interpretation of that to which we have been attentive. Reasonable in our judgments about what we have understood. Responsible in our decisions about how we will act on our judgments. And always open to inner conversion, to transformation in your truth and your love.

• A Man Called Mark … A new biography of Bishop Mark Dyer, will be published on July 17. Dyer was bishop of Bethlehem from 1982 to 1995. [Church Publishing and Leadership News] This official biography tells the compelling story of the Rt. Rev. Mark Dyer: Irish Catholic boy from New Hampshire, U.S. Navy vet, Roman Catholic then Episcopal priest, bishop, and seminary professor-and one of the most influential, beloved leaders of the American Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.
   Following a dispute with ecclesiastical authorities, Dyer left the Roman Church for the Anglican Church of Canada. Later received as priest in the Episcopal Church, his gifts as teacher, preacher, and pastor were recognized with election as Bishop of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. There, he established a new model of leadership, delegating administrative duties to concentrate on spiritual direction, pastoral care, and creating mission projects at every church in his diocese. Also renowned as a story-teller, many of his favorite stories appear here, told in his own voice. Read on.

• Reclaiming Jesus … is a confession of faith in a time of crisis signed on to by many faith leaders including Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. The following is an excerpt.
I. We believe each human being is made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:26).
Therefore, we reject the resurgence of white nationalism and racism in our nation on many fronts, including the highest levels of political leadership. We, as followers of Jesus, must clearly reject the use of racial bigotry for political gain that we have seen. In the face of such bigotry, silence is complicity.
II. We believe we are one body. In Christ, there is to be no oppression based on race, gender, identity, or class (Galatians 3:28).
Therefore, we reject misogyny, the mistreatment, violent abuse, sexual harassment, and assault of women that has been further revealed in our culture and politics, including our churches, and the oppression of any other child of God.
III. We believe how we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick, and the prisoner is how we treat Christ himself. (Matthew 25: 31-46)
Therefore, we reject the language and policies of political leaders who would debase and abandon the most vulnerable children of God. We strongly deplore the growing attacks on immigrants and refugees, who are being made into cultural and political targets, and we need to remind our churches that God makes the treatment of the “strangers” among us a test of faith (Leviticus 19:33-34).
IV. We believe that truth is morally central to our personal and public lives.
Therefore, we reject the practice and pattern of lying that is invading our political and civil life.
V. We believe that Christ’s way of leadership is servanthood, not domination. Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles (the world) lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:25-26). Therefore, we reject any moves toward autocratic political leadership and authoritarian rule. We believe authoritarian political leadership is a theological danger that threatens democracy and the common good—and we will resist it.
VI. We believe Jesus when he tells us to go into all nations making disciples (Matthew 28:18).
Therefore, we reject “America first” as a theological heresy for followers of Christ. While we share a patriotic love for our country, we reject xenophobic or ethnic nationalism that places one nation over others as a political goal. Read all of this confession of faith.

• A new comprehensive Evangelism Toolkit … is available online for congregations, dioceses, groups, and individuals to explore Evangelism.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

• Vital Practices for leading congregations … This website of the Episcopal Church Foundation seems to me to be an especially useful tool for anyone active in parish life. It covers much more than parish finances. Read on.

• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

 

 

 

newSpin 180517

newSpin, the newsletter
May 17, 2018 – Bill Lewellis

TopSpin
• Bishop Sean's ministry could expand to Western New York … [Times-News staff, May 7] he Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania and the Diocese of Western New York could begin sharing Bishop Sean Rowe in 2019. Erie’s Episcopal bishop will wrap up his work in the Diocese of Bethlehem but could then head to the Diocese of Western New York.
   The Right Rev. Sean Rowe, bishop of the Erie-based Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania, will end his duties as provisional bishop in Bethlehem when its newly elected bishop is consecrated Sept. 15. Rowe became bishop in Erie in 2007 and took on the temporary Bethlehem job in 2014 after the bishop there retired. In 2019, he could resume the job of provisional bishop, this time in Western New York following the retirement of Bishop William Franklin.
   Rowe, 43, the youngest bishop in the Episcopal Church, leads an Erie-based diocese of 33 congregations that officials say has more than 3,000 members in 13 counties. The Diocese of Western New York, based about 100 miles from Erie in Tonawanda, New York, has 57 parishes with almost 8,500 members. Read on

• Jubilate for Pentecost B … is now available at the Trinity Bethlehem website. Also, Prayers of the People may be found there. Jubilate is a resource for hymn selection. Weekly Prayers of the People may be used in place of the forms found in the Book of Common Prayer. Both are prepared by Canon Cliff Carr, priest associate. They are available in both Word (.doc) and .pdf formats. Find both here.

• Michael Curry will preach at the royal wedding … [NYT] Bishop Michael Curry, the first African American to preside over the Episcopal Church, will deliver a sermon at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19. Read on. Also at Newsweek.

• A short but moving video … Church leaders drafted this statement because the soul of the nation is at stake. Here.

• Reclaiming Jesus … Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and the Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners have issued the following letter to church leaders about the Reclaiming Jesus Declaration. Read the letter here.

• Great Sermon! Now, how about my carburetor? … Most everybody in Moscow, PA knows Father Earl Trygar. At some point or another, he's probably had his head under the hood of one of their car. Plus, about 40 of them hear him preach and sing the Eucharist at St. Mark's Church every Sunday morning. It makes for interesting conversation. “People will stop on the way out of church and say, ‘Nice sermon! By the way, my inspection sticker expires at the end of the month. Can you get me in?’” And Trygar always can. Trygar’s Auto Center, which he opened in 1977, is the only garage in town, and it’s conveniently located about 100 yards from St. Mark’s Church, where Trygar has served as rector since 2003. During the years leading to his 2002 ordination to the priesthood, more than a few church leaders urged him to consider ordained ministry. Not that they wanted him to give up being a car mechanic; they just thought he should do both. Read on.

• Four different news stories over 24 hours – how they connect … [David Leonhardt, NYTimes] The president is going to keep lying, and his allies are going to keep covering for him. The rest of us need to remember that a lie is still a lie, even when it’s coming from the president. #4: Pro-Trump media outlets, many of which have little regard for truth, are spreading. They include Salem Radio Sinclair Broadcasting, Fox News and local websites promoting Republican candidates that are intentionally framed to look like real news websites. Read on.

• DioBeth Leadership News, May 10 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, May 3 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, April 26 … Here.

********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********

Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics.
• We'll separate you from your children … That’s the message from Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday to people who cross U.S. borders without documentation. Sessions said 700 kids already have been taken away from their parents by U.S. officials since July.That’s the message from Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday to people who cross U.S. borders without documentation. Sessions said 700 kids already have been taken away from their parents by U.S. officials since July. Read on.

• On preserving favorable tax treatment of clergy housing allowances … [Forbes, May 6] The big trouble makers in this are are the Freedom From Religion Foundation and its officers. They think that allowing "ministers of the gospel" to receive cash housing allowances tax free is a violation of the Establishment Clause. Read on.

• Ben Carson vs. The Fair Housing ACT … [NYTimes Editorial Board, May 13] The contempt of the housing and urban development secretary, Ben Carson, for the Fair Housing Act of 1968 has blinded him to policies that are in the nation’s best interest, and made him a prime target for lawsuits and court intervention. Read on.

• Protecting Religious Liberty … [Bernard Prusak, Commonweal] Why should religious beliefs warrant accommodation when they conflict with other people’s interests? Here.

• In rebuke of Trump, Tillerson says lies are a threat to democracy … [NYTimes] In his address, he cut to the heart of the most significant criticisms of the president, that Mr. Trump exaggerates and constructs his own truths and that he has undermined ethical standards in Washington. “If we do not as Americans confront the crisis of ethics and integrity in our society and among our leaders in both the public and private sector — and regrettably at times even the nonprofit sector — then American democracy as we know it is entering its twilight years,” Mr. Tillerson warned. Read on.

• Trump's Failure in Jerusalem … [NYTimes Editorial Board] The day the United States opened its embassy in Jerusalem is a day the world has longed for, because of what it was supposed to represent: the end of a seemingly endless conflict, a blood-soaked tragedy with justice and cruelty on both sides. Israelis and Palestinians have envisioned a capital in Jerusalem, and for generations the Americans, the honest brokers in seeking peace, withheld recognition of either side’s claims, pending a treaty that through hard compromise would resolve all competing demands.
   But on Monday President Trump delivered the embassy as a gift without concession or condition to the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu, and as a blow to the Palestinians. The world did not witness a new dawn of peace and security for two peoples who have dreamed of both for so long. Instead, it watched as Israeli soldiers shot and killed scores of Palestinian protesters, and wounded thousands more, along Israel’s boundary with the Gaza Strip. Read on.

 

SpiritSpin
• Isn't this a good thing we are doing? … [A 1987 column by Bill Lewellis published in a local daily newspaper] There's a good story about that awful distinction described as "ministers minister and congregations congregate." I'd like to supply appropriate attribution, but I can't remember where I heard the following parable about ministry.

• Faith, Fear and Certainty … [A slightly edited version of a 2003 column by Bill Lewellis, published in The Morning Call] When the religious certains have been many, they have harassed, persecuted, even killed the few. When the certains are few, they simply bore others to death with an ironic accomplishment: replacing the joy and richness of relationship with God with a drab and tedious version of being right. Read on

• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.

• What are your defining moments?  … [A slightly edited version of a column by Bill Lewellis, published in 1998] A three-story perspective casts a little light for me on God’s continuing visitations in our lives. Read on.

• The Daily Examen  … [IgnatianSpirituality] is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us. The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience. The method presented here is adapted from a technique described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. St. Ignatius thought that the Examen was a gift that came directly from God, and that God wanted it to be shared as widely as possible. One of the few rules of prayer that Ignatius made for the Jesuit order was the requirement that Jesuits practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. It’s a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day.
   [Bill] When I was in college seminary in Philadelphia, those responsible for mentoring our spirituality put this into our nighttime community prayer as an examination of conscience (recalling our sins of the day) rather than an examination of consciousness (discerning God's presence in our day). What an awful misunderstanding of the Daily Examen! Worse yet, it may have been intentional in the RC seminary culture of those days. Read on.

• Keep thinking – It's so religious … [A slightly edited version of a 2005 column by Bill Lewellis, published in The Morning Call] A conclusion, according to Mark Twain, is the place where someone got tired of thinking. God wants us to keep thinking. That’s why we have so many parables, images and themes in the bible without one-size-fits-all conclusions. I think. Read on.

• Life within the Swirl – pointlessly purposeful … [A slightly edited 1997 column by Bill Lewellis, published in a daily newspaper] Preachers over the years have moved from the classic “three-point” sermon to one memorable point. Television has, indeed, affected our attention span. Recently, however, I heard sermon-resource guru Leonard Sweet suggest that sermons be “pointless.” His “point” was that sermons ought to invite us into further contemplation. Open-ended images and stories do that better than points. My contribution to that discussion is a “pointless” column. My image: swirls. Read on

• Today We Remember Tomorrow … [A slightly edited sermon preached at Diocesan House by Bill Lewellis, Oct. 31, 2013, Vigil of All Saints] From several of my classmates and friends and professors in Rome during the early 60s, I gained a love of good theology. But it wasn’t until some 15 years ago that I heard four words, right here, that captured the purpose of theology and the meaning of Eucharist. Today, we remember tomorrow. My mantra. Read on,

• Ability, Adaptability, Ambiguity: Living with integrity in the tension … [Bill Lewellis] A one-sided conversation took place during the late 1960s when what was to become for me a 40-year ministry on the staffs of three bishops in two denominations. Too soon was it over. My first day at the bishop’s office of the RC Diocese of Allentown was a deep-water introduction to ecclesial systems. I was 30 years old with the slight experience of three years in parish ministry, and one year of teaching in local Catholic high schools. I had earned a reputation as one who resisted the system. Well, it was the '60s.
   During that first day, the bishop’s main man gave me some advice. "You obviously have ability,” he said, “but even more important for your work here will be adaptability … and being able to deal with ambiguity."
   The veiled message spooked me. I was warned. It was a pre-emptive strike. I believed then, however, and still believe that the one giving the advice was looking out for me. One question stayed with me after I processed the advice: "How to live with integrity in the tension?" Read on.

• Oh the Places You Can Go With Metaphors … [A slightly edited excerpt from a 2006 sermon preached by Bill Lewellis]  “Like knotholes in a fence around a construction site,” it has been said, “metaphors allow the curious to peek into the realm of God.”  One cannot speak about God or about relationship with God without using images and metaphors, some helpful, some not. Read on.

• Jesus is a troublesome figure … [A 2001 published column by Bill Lewellis] Midway through The Brothers Karamazov, (New York: The Modern Library, pp. 259-266), Dostoevsky deals insightfully with the temptations Jesus rejected, temptations to carry out his mission by manipulation. He inserts in his novel the story of “The Grand Inquisitor.” Read on

 

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons and reflections. Here.


Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• Baylor's 12 Most 'Effective' English Language Preachers … [CNN] For only the second time in two decades, Baylor University has released its list of the 12 most "effective" preachers in the English language. It is among the most prestigious honors in the preaching profession -- one that has changed the lives of previous recipients. Here, Here and Here.

• No wonder there's an exodus from religion … [EJ Dionne, Jr., WaPo, May 6] Do you wonder why the proportion of Americans declaring themselves unaffiliated with organized religion has skyrocketed in recent decades? This trend is especially pronounced among adults under 30, roughly 40 percent of whom claim no connection to a religious congregation or tradition and have joined the ranks of those the pollsters call the “nones.” To understand how so many now prefer nothing to something when it comes to religion, ponder the news over the past few days. Read on.

DioBeth
• Diocese of Bethlehem elects Canon Kevin D. Nichols, 56, as its next bishop … Nichols, who is currently, chief operating officer and canon for mission resources in the Diocese of New Hampshire, was elected on the first ballot by the clergy of the diocese and elected lay representatives during a meeting in the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
   "I am thrilled to be joining with the people of the Diocese of Bethlehem to bear witness to the power of the Resurrection in their communities," Nichols said. "The momentum there is unmistakable and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us together.
   "I see this as a moment for us as a church to recover our purpose for why we are here, to reconcile and to offer God's love and healing where there has been painful damage. The Diocese of Bethlehem in its diverse landscapes is rich and fertile ground for God's planting and pruning."
   Nichols was formerly president of the Diocese of New Hampshire's Standing Committee and a member of the churchwide Task Force to Reimagine the Episcopal Church.
   A former Roman Catholic priest who received his master of divinity degree from St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, he was received into the Episcopal priesthood in 1999 and has served as rector of St. Stephen's in Pittsfield, New Hampshire and St. Andrew's in Hopkinton, New Hampshire.
  While serving small parishes, Nichols also worked as an account manager and management trainer for Sealed Air Corporation, a packaging company. Read on,

• DioBeth Leadership News, May 10 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, May 3 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, April 26 … Here.


Episcopal/Anglican
• House of Bishops' pastoral response to #MeToo will focus on listening, liturgy and steps for healing … [The Episcopal Church, Public Affairs Office] In an open letter to the Episcopal Church, an invitation is extended to share reflections on sexual harassment, abuse, and exploitation. A selection of the reflections will be read at a special listening session during General Convention 2018. The House of Bishop’s Pastoral Response will be a sacred space for listening and further reconciliation on Wednesday, July 4, 5:15 pm to 7 pm Central (6:15 pm Eastern/4:15 pm Mountain/3:15 pm Pacific). Those at General Convention 2018 in Austin, TX, are welcome to attend; those not in Austin will be able to participate remotely via a live webcast. Read on.

• The Episcopal Asset Map … unveils redesigned site, invites full participation across church. It's an online platform showing the location and ministries of Episcopal churches, schools and other communities. It has been revamped and refreshed with more-detailed information, easier access and ease of navigation. If your congregation or appropriate info about your congregation is not included, that means info has not been supplied. Read on.

• House of Deputies … May newsletter.

• How the Church of England has shifted on divorce … [WaPo] When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand before the altar at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, a refuge of the British monarch for a thousand years, the Archbishop of Canterbury will tie the knot with vows from the Common Book of Prayer that read “to have and to hold . . . until death do us part.” Not so very long ago, this wedding — with this service and this officiant at this place — would have been impossible.Not because Markle is an American and a commoner, marrying a prince now sixth in line for the throne. And not because the actress is biracial, raised Episcopalian and attended Catholic school in Los Angeles. No, such a service would have been opposed by the Church of England hierarchy because Markle is divorced and her former husband is still alive. Read on.


Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here.
• Episcopal Asset Map … Here.

TaleSpin
• Question Your Answers … [The Atlantic and HBO] These days, our culture rewards strong opinions and quick-draw conclusions. In a time when every side seems convinced it has the answers, The Atlantic and HBO are partnering on a series of short films that challenge our certainties.
   Civil discourse ultimately depends on a recognition that none of us has a complete understanding of the world—and that we’re at our best when we engage with arguments that confront our deepest beliefs. This is how we, as a society, move toward a better and shared future. Read on.

• Children of the Opioid Epidemic … [Intro by Jake Silverstein of the NYTimes Magazine] This NYTimes Magazine's cover story is a masterful piece of reporting, writing and human empathy from the novelist and journalist Jennifer Egan, who spent many months documenting the lives of women who are addicted to opioids and become pregnant. This is an aspect of the opioid crisis that we haven’t heard as much about, in part, perhaps, because it seems so tragic. But Egan’s story is a vitally important one. As she explains, the number of pregnant women addicted to opioids has grown significantly in recent years; and there has been a similar increase in the number of newborns experiencing the opioid-withdrawal condition known as neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS. Egan’s story explores the complex emotional and physical struggles that these women and their children go through.
   As Egan notes, the tendency in many areas to villainize these women, to treat them as criminals (or at least criminally irresponsible), is a dangerous one, not only because it risks compounding their cycles of addiction with shame and persecution but also because it fails to recognize that a newborn baby can often become a lifeline for a woman who has struggled in vain for years to quit using drugs. Read on.

•  I am one of the lucky ones … [A Mother's Day reflection by Dean Tony Pompa of Nativity Cathedral, Bethlehem]     I realize that I am one of the lucky ones. I was fortunate to be born to a woman whose basic instinct is one of nurture, love, and compassion. I also was fortunate enough to be have a mother who was resilient and smart, though she would never come to that thought on her own. I was raised in love, protected enough from strong forces that might work against me, and because my mother lived as one who respected other's dignity, I hold that as a core value. I am so very very grateful to my mother for her sacrifice and for her example. I am also lucky to still have her in my life and that my children have grown up to know this amazing woman. Lucky. In theological terms, my mother has been a blessing to me and my siblings.
   I also know that Mother's day isn't always an easy day for some. I am aware that some have never known their mother or experienced the good fortune I have. I am aware that some relationships get strained, and that not all those who have given birth have had the resources or emotional capacity to love their children in ways some might hope for. I am aware that some relationships are abusive and that those scars remain a lifetime. I am aware that some have lost their mothers in death, sometimes tragically, and that pain often stings while folk like me enjoy the good fortune of a living and loving mother. I am also aware that some mother's among us have lost children prematurely, and that the hole left in their hearts by this is deep and sometimes dark.
   I suppose on such a day I will offer my thanks and share my gratitude and love with my mom. At the same time I offer my respect for the fragility of the day for those whose pain I am aware of, and walk a care filled path so that I might not step on the feelings of those whose pain I may not be aware. Perhaps a psalm that might be written or sung is to the great nurturer who is our God. A psalm that is able to mix a spirit of thanksgiving for love received with a balm of healing for love lost and longed for.

• A secretary quietly amassed a fortune, then gave most of it to scholarships … [NYTimes, May 6] Even by the dizzying standards of New York City philanthropy, a recent $6.24 million donation to the Henry Street Settlement on the Lower East Side was a whopper — the largest single gift from an individual to the social service group in its 125-year history.
   It was not donated by some billionaire benefactor, but by a frugal legal secretary from Brooklyn who toiled for the same law firm for 67 years until she retired at age 96 and died not long afterward in 2016.
   Her name was Sylvia Bloom and even her closest friends and relatives had no idea she had amassed a fortune over the decades. She did this by shrewdly observing the investments made by the lawyers she served.
   “She was a secretary in an era when they ran their boss’s lives, including their personal investments,” recalled her niece Jane Lockshin. “So when the boss would buy a stock, she would make the purchase for him, and then buy the same stock for herself, but in a smaller amount because she was on a secretary’s salary.” Read on.

• Surest way to face marijuana charges in New York: Be Black or Hispanic … [NYTimes, May 14] The police explanation that more black and Hispanic people are arrested on marijuana charges because complaints are high in their neighborhoods doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Read on.

• The 9 Minutes that Almost Changed America … [BuzzFeed, h/t NYTimes] A riveting reconstruction of last year’s shooting at a congressional baseball practice, which was very nearly a ‘deadly, mass political assassination.’ Detailed and haunting, it will remind readers of an awful day that, if not for a group of brave people, could have been even worse. But it also underscores how our hyper-charged news cycle has already pushed even this mass shooting to the edges of memory. Read on.

• A Different Age … [NYTimes] Viewing Eleanor Roosevelt’s tenure as first lady through the acrid smoke of Hillary Clinton’s history as political wife, senator, secretary of state and failed presidential candidate is like trying to picture a loved one before she suffered a devastating injury: There is no way to un-see that wreckage, to reimagine her whole. But there was once a highly educated, independent American wife and mother who transformed the role of first lady, worked tirelessly for social justice and served as a strategic helpmate to her charismatic, philandering husband — while retaiof course, and yet she was awarded — by a still moderately respectful press and not least by Franklin D. Roosevelt himself — a measure of personal freedom to nurture close emotional ties with others. One of the most significant of these was the A.P. journalist Lorena Hickok (known as Hick), who left her job after becoming tooning her dignity, and even some measure of privacy, in that exposed position. It was a different time.
   Eleanor Roosevelt had legions of detractors as well as acolytes, close to her subject, worked for the Roosevelt administration and later lived at the White House. In July 1933, just a few months after her husband took office, Eleanor and Hick set out for a vacation in New England and Canada, driving off in Eleanor’s sporty blue convertible, unaccompanied by the Secret Service, staying together in hotels and farmhouses. Today it’s unthinkable that such a holiday could go undocumented — or unpunished. Read on,


Requiescant in pace
 • Gabrielle (Gaby) Whittier … died April 29. Gaby was a faithful parishioner and long-time parish administrator at Trinity Bethlehem.

• Louis J. Falzone, 87 … died May 11. He was a member of Holy Cross Episcopal Church, Wilkes-Barre, and had been a member of the choir for many years. Obituary.

• Loren Mead, 88 … died peacefully under hospice care at his home, in Falls Church, Virginia, on May 5. He was a congregational studies pioneer. "The Episcopal Church has lost a visionary pioneer and leader in congregation wellness and mission," Archdeacon Rick Cluett writes "I have lost an old friend. I am grateful for him. I have known him since the late 1960s. He was very important in my early ordained ministry and later inspired the church to see that God may be doing - and needing - new things as the Church moves into this era. I am grateful to him." Obituary.

• Tom Wolfe, 88 … died on May 14. The white-suited wizard of “New Journalism” who exuberantly chronicled American culture from the Merry Pranksters through the space race before turning his satiric wit to such novels as “The Bonfire of the Vanities” and “A Man in Full,” died of an infection in a NYC hospital. AP, NYTimes, Poynter, Master of the Long Sentence, and Poynter, How Tom Wolfe made me feel better about the semicolon.

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• St. Paul's Lutheran in Allentown in Danger of Closing … [Column, May 6, by Pastor Steve Shussett] Over the past few weeks, many people have learned about the precarious situation in which St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Allentown finds itself. Like many inner city mainline churches, its membership, though faithful, has declined for a variety of reasons. Generosity through the ages has carried the congregation far, but those resources cannot last forever. And so, like many churches, it faces the prospect of closing. Vital, if not sustainable, it remains a beautiful, worshipful place.
   But unlike most churches, St. Paul's has become known as ground zero for ministry to the homeless and marginalized in Pennsylvania’s third largest city. From colleagues in community and government to Christian, Jewish and Muslim, and other faith partners, those in need knew they could come to St. Paul's for an array of services for body, mind and spirit. Regrettably, that soon may come to an end. We are hopeful, we are trying, but we are also realistic. We are trusting in God’s resurrecting power: that the God who raised Jesus from the dead can take this dire situation and bring new life. Read on.

• The elusive phenomenon of churches without God … [The Economist] When a group sings, talks and bonds like a religion but may not be one. Like many similar clubs across the Western world, this “atheist church” aims to offer some features of a religious congregation (fellowship, collective enjoyment, a stimulus to moral behaviour) while eschewing any belief in a deity or the supernatural. Ruth Walther, the founder of the Seattle community, sums up its ethos by drawing a contrast with a Christian hymn, “God moves in a mysterious way”. At her church, she says, “We believe in good because good works in non-mysterious ways.” Read on.

• Is Jerusalem embassy part of God's grand plan? Why some evangelicals love Israel … [RNS] Evangelicals' influence on the decision to move the Israel embassy suggests that United States policy in the Middle East is now heavily influenced by dispensational theology. Read on. And, The new American emassys messianic moment.


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• In historic votes, Lutherans elect two African-American women bishops … [RNS] A synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America made history Saturday (May 5) by electing the denomination’s first female African-American bishop. One day later, a synod 900 miles away elected the second. Read on,

• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.
 

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.

The Vatican

• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness
• The value of a doctor-patient relationship … [NYTimes Magazine] In its push for profits, the U.S. health care system has made it difficult for patients to get personal attention from doctors. But what if hands-on medicine actually saves money — and lives? Read on.

• The NYTimes Magazine Health Issue … Here.

• All about ticks and mosquitoes … [NYTimes] Here.


Film and TV

• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.


Media, Print, Music, Tech
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.

• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.

Websites
• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.
• Episcopal News Service … Here.


Podcasts
• The Bible for Normal People … Hosted by Peter Enns and Jared Byas.
• The Daily … How the news should sound. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, hosted by Michael Barbaro and powered by New York Times journalism.
• Invisibilia …Unseeable forces control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. Invisibilia—Latin for invisible things—fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently.
• Today, Explained … Vox's daily explainer podcast — bringing you the biggest news every day with guests, context, radio drama, and more
• Radio Atlantic … Weekly conversations with leading journalists and thinkers to make sense of the history happening all around us.
• Stay Tuned with Preet … Join former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for a podcast about justice and fairness.
• The Axe Files with David Axelrod … Revealing interviews with key figures in the political world.
• Pod Save America … Four former aides to President Obama — Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor — are joined by journalists, politicians, comedians, and activists for a freewheeling conversation about politics, the press and the challenges posed by the Trump presidency. 
• Trumpcast … A quasi-daily podcast from Slate chronicling Donald Trump's rise to the presidency and his current administration. With journalists, historians, psychiatrists, and other experts to help explain who this man is and why this is happening, right now, in the United States of America.
• Freakonomics Radio … Stephen Dubner has surprising conversations that explore the riddles of everyday life and the weird wrinkles of human nature — from cheating and crime to parenting and sports. Dubner talks with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, social scientists and entrepreneurs — and his Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt.
• Things Not Seen … is an independent radio show and podcast that features in-depth interviews with nationally recognized guests. Each week, we welcome authors, musicians, politicians, filmmakers, and more. "We take faith seriously, and our guests do, too."
• The Francis Effect … is about the real world of politics and current events, seen through the lens of Catholic teaching and spirituality. Hosts, Fr. Dan Horan and David Dault, both have doctorates in theology. Dan is a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest. David is a radio producer and Catholic convert.
• Caliphate… is a new audio series following Rukmini Callimachi of the NYTimes as she reports on the Islamic State and the fall of Mosul.


Varia
• Ukrainian Sushi … Here.

Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
BCP … Book of Common Prayer
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYM … New York Magazine
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]


Selected Posts from Past newSpin Newsletters that may still be of interest
• For the Poor and the Neglected … [BCP] Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

• The Serenity Prayer … God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful worldas it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. Read on.

• A prayer before anything … [Bill] Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible. Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. Let us pray: Guide us, gracious God. May we be … Attentive to our experience, to the voices and hearts of those around us, Intelligent in our interpretation of that to which we have been attentive. Reasonable in our judgments about what we have understood. Responsible in our decisions about how we will act on our judgments. And always open to inner conversion, to transformation in your truth and your love.

• A Man Called Mark … A new biography of Bishop Mark Dyer, will be published on July 17. Dyer was bishop of Bethlehem from 1982 to 1995. [Church Publishing and Leadership News] This official biography tells the compelling story of the Rt. Rev. Mark Dyer: Irish Catholic boy from New Hampshire, U.S. Navy vet, Roman Catholic then Episcopal priest, bishop, and seminary professor-and one of the most influential, beloved leaders of the American Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.
   Following a dispute with ecclesiastical authorities, Dyer left the Roman Church for the Anglican Church of Canada. Later received as priest in the Episcopal Church, his gifts as teacher, preacher, and pastor were recognized with election as Bishop of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. There, he established a new model of leadership, delegating administrative duties to concentrate on spiritual direction, pastoral care, and creating mission projects at every church in his diocese. Also renowned as a story-teller, many of his favorite stories appear here, told in his own voice. Read on.

• Reclaiming Jesus … is a confession of faith in a time of crisis signed on to by many faith leaders including Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. The following is an excerpt.
I. We believe each human being is made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:26).
Therefore, we reject the resurgence of white nationalism and racism in our nation on many fronts, including the highest levels of political leadership. We, as followers of Jesus, must clearly reject the use of racial bigotry for political gain that we have seen. In the face of such bigotry, silence is complicity.
II. We believe we are one body. In Christ, there is to be no oppression based on race, gender, identity, or class (Galatians 3:28).
Therefore, we reject misogyny, the mistreatment, violent abuse, sexual harassment, and assault of women that has been further revealed in our culture and politics, including our churches, and the oppression of any other child of God.
III. We believe how we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick, and the prisoner is how we treat Christ himself. (Matthew 25: 31-46)
Therefore, we reject the language and policies of political leaders who would debase and abandon the most vulnerable children of God. We strongly deplore the growing attacks on immigrants and refugees, who are being made into cultural and political targets, and we need to remind our churches that God makes the treatment of the “strangers” among us a test of faith (Leviticus 19:33-34).
IV. We believe that truth is morally central to our personal and public lives.
Therefore, we reject the practice and pattern of lying that is invading our political and civil life.
V. We believe that Christ’s way of leadership is servanthood, not domination. Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles (the world) lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:25-26). Therefore, we reject any moves toward autocratic political leadership and authoritarian rule. We believe authoritarian political leadership is a theological danger that threatens democracy and the common good—and we will resist it.
VI. We believe Jesus when he tells us to go into all nations making disciples (Matthew 28:18).
Therefore, we reject “America first” as a theological heresy for followers of Christ. While we share a patriotic love for our country, we reject xenophobic or ethnic nationalism that places one nation over others as a political goal. Read all of this confession of faith.

• A new comprehensive Evangelism Toolkit … is available online for congregations, dioceses, groups, and individuals to explore Evangelism.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

• Vital Practices for leading congregations … This website of the Episcopal Church Foundation seems to me to be an especially useful tool for anyone active in parish life. It covers much more than parish finances. Read on.

• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

 

 

 

newSpin 180503

newSpin, the newsletter
May 3, 2018 – Bill Lewellis

TopSpin
• Diocese of Bethlehem elects Canon Kevin D. Nichols, 56, as its next bishop … Nichols, who is currently, chief operating officer and canon for mission resources in the Diocese of New Hampshire, was elected on the first ballot by the clergy of the diocese and elected lay representatives during a meeting in the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
   "I am thrilled to be joining with the people of the Diocese of Bethlehem to bear witness to the power of the Resurrection in their communities," Nichols said. "The momentum there is unmistakable and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us together.
   "I see this as a moment for us as a church to recover our purpose for why we are here, to reconcile and to offer God's love and healing where there has been painful damage. The Diocese of Bethlehem in its diverse landscapes is rich and fertile ground for God's planting and pruning."
   Nichols was formerly president of the Diocese of New Hampshire's Standing Committee and a member of the churchwide Task Force to Reimagine the Episcopal Church.
   A former Roman Catholic priest who received his master of divinity degree from St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, he was received into the Episcopal priesthood in 1999 and has served as rector of St. Stephen's in Pittsfield, New Hampshire and St. Andrew's in Hopkinton, New Hampshire.
   While serving small parishes, Nichols also worked as an account manager and management trainer for Sealed Air Corporation, a packaging company. Read on,

• Bishop Sean's Farewell Event, May 12 … Say thank you and farewell to Bishop Sean Rowe, and his family. This event includes Eucharist at St. Stephen’s Pro-Cathedral (12:30) followed by a light hors d’oeuvres reception at the Genetti Hotel & Conference Center, Wilkes-Barre. This is a free event, however registration is required by April 23:  Register here. In lieu of gifts for Bishop Sean, we will be collecting donations for Grace Montessori School, now a diocesan school. If you would like to make a donation in Bishop Sean’s honor, it can be sent to the Diocesan Office. Checks should be made payable to: The Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem and mailed to:  333 Wyandotte Street, Bethlehem, PA  18015. Please be sure to include “Bishop Farewell Gift” in the memo line.

• A. Theodore Eastman, 89 … 12th bishop of Maryland, retired, died April 26. Bishop Eastman was rector of the Church of the Mediator, Allentown,1969-73. More below, under "Requiescant."

• A Lynching Memorial … [NYT] The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which opens Thursday on a six-acre site overlooking the Alabama State Capitol, is dedicated to the victims of American white supremacy. And it demands a reckoning with one of the nation’s least recognized atrocities: the lynching of thousands of black people in a decades-long campaign of racist terror. Read on.

• The Waiting Game … [ProPublica, April 23] The U.S. is supposed to be a safe haven for people fleeing persecution. But asylum-seekers face years of uncertainty when they arrive.
   Like any piece of journalism, The Waiting Game presents true stories in each of the game’s five narratives. They’re based on detailed records and accounts from five real asylum seekers, as well as interviews with people who worked directly with them, and with experts who work with asylum seekers on a regular basis. The places, major events and people in our narratives are real, as are the reasons each person sought asylum and the results of their asylum requests. We have omitted details to protect the identity of the asylum seekers. Read on.

• These are the 12 most 'effective' preachers in the English language … [CNN] For only the second time in two decades, Baylor University has released its list of the 12 most "effective" preachers in the English language. It is among the most prestigious honors in the preaching profession -- one that has changed the lives of previous recipients. Read on. View/hear the sermons that put these 12 preachers on Baylor's list, here.

• DioBeth General News, April 26 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, April 19 … Here.
• DioBeth Leadership News, April 12 … Here.

********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********

Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics.
• Trump blasts 'breeding' in Sanctuary Cities. That's a racist term … [Analysis by Z. Byron Wolf, CNN, April 18] '"Breeding’ as a concept has an animalistic connotation. Dogs and horses are bred. So (Trump’s) use of it is, at best, dehumanizing to the immigrants he appears to be referring to," writes CNN’s Z. Byron Wolf. The network’s political director notes that “fear of immigrants from certain countries ‘breeding’ has been a staple of nativist thought for hundreds of years. The ‘breeding’ fear has been affixed to Jews from Eastern Europe, Catholics from Ireland and Italy, Chinese and, now, Latinos, Filipinos, Africans and Haitians.” Apparently excepted from Trump’s rhetoric: Germany and Scotland, where his immigrant grandfather and mother were born. Read on.

• NJ Court rules churches can't receive county's historic preservation money … [Episcopal News Service, David Paulsen, April 19] It was an offer too good for a congregation to refuse. Need your church tower preserved? Your roof replaced? Your parish house restored? Morris County, New Jersey, was ready to help, with a historic preservation grant program offering hundreds of thousands of dollars in upkeep assistance for a range of properties, including houses of worship. The problem: Such direct taxpayer assistance to churches violated the state constitution, the New Jersey Supreme Court has concluded, ruling April 18 against a list of defendants that includes 12 churches, three of them Episcopal churches.
   The potential financial ramifications for Morris County churches are significant. The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Morristown, as one prominent example, received a $294,000 grant in 2013 to restore its 1926 parish house and an additional $272,000 in 2015 to restore the church’s slate roof. The court did not require Church of the Redeemer and the other 11 churches named in the lawsuit to repay the $4.6 million they received over four years, but the county is barred from awarding money to churches in the future. Read on.

• Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest? Why did Paul Ryan dismiss the House chaplain? … [WaPo, Greg Sargent] House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) has dismissed the House chaplain, outraging Catholics in the lower chamber, and this morning’s speculation has centered on a prayer offered by the chaplain that was critical of the GOP tax law. In that prayer, Rev. Patrick J. Conroy urged members of the House to ensure that “there are not winners and losers” under the new law, but rather “benefits balanced and shared by all Americans.”
   In an interview this morning, Democratic Rep. Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia said that Conroy told him he thought this prayer was a cause of his dismissal. “He speculated that this might be the reason,” Connolly told me. Conroy has publicly made similar suggestions elsewhere, and Ryan’s office has refused to explain the decision.
   “A Catholic priest, a Jesuit like the Pope, committed to the social justice doctrine of the church, mildly encouraged members to keep fairness in mind as we contemplated the tax bill,” Connolly told me. “It reminds me of the line in Henry II, ‘Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?'” Read on. Also here and here.

• What Mueller wants to ask Trump about obstruction, and what it means … The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, recently provided President Trump’s lawyers a list of questions he wants answered in an interview. The New York Times obtained the list, and published it with the context and significance of each. The questions fall into categories based on four broad subjects. Read on.

• Is the Christian Right driving Americans away from religion? … New research finds that, when evangelical organizations raise their profile by sponsoring a high-profile political campaign, a backlash ensues. Read on.

• Frequently and Shamelessly … [David Leonhardt, Op-Ed Columnist, NYTimes, May 1] Throughout his business and political careers, Donald Trump has had an important advantage: He is willing to lie, frequently and shamelessly. Most other people in public life view reality as a limitation. Trump does not. If telling falsehoods is more convenient or helpful to him than telling the truth, he tells falsehoods. It’s worked out very well for him — making his business look more successful than it was, helping him land a prime time television show and, of course, allowing him to win the most powerful political office on earth. In his 15-plus months as president, Trump has added a second bit of shamelessness to his approach. In addition to lying, he has also been willing to obstruct justice.  Read on,

• A Sad Track … President Trump has made 3,001 documented false or misleading claims since he has been in office — and he's making them more frequently in recent months, according to an updated count by Washington Post fact-checkers. "Seventy-two times, the president has falsely claimed he passed the biggest tax cut in history — when in fact it ranks in eighth place," the fact-checkers write. "Fifty-three times, the president has made some variation of the claim that the Russia probe is a made-up controversy." Read on,

• Proposed cuts to food program are immoral … [Editorial, National Catholic Reporter, April 29] Sometimes it feels hard to keep up with the myriad scandals swirling around the Trump White House. From alleged payoffs to a porn star and ongoing inquiries into Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election, the headlines come at a dizzying pace. The lurid spectacle of it all should not blind us to actual policy scandals that make a mockery of the administration's laughable claim to being "pro-life."
   While cable pundits are buzzing about Stormy Daniels, the most vulnerable Americans now face the prospect of losing critical nutrition support for their families. Under a 2018 farm bill proposal in the House Agriculture Committee supported by the White House, a reckless change to the nation's food stamp program, officially known as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), ties critical food support to work requirements (see Page 3).
   More than 2 million people who rely on the program, including parents raising children and people with disabilities, would be affected by the plan. This partisan, punitive measure breaks with a long history of bipartisan commitment to alleviating hunger as a matter of basic human dignity.
   The details are sobering and unacceptable. The bill cuts SNAP benefits by more than $20 billion over 10 years, diverting much of that money to sweeping new work programs with unforgiving penalties. Read on.

SpiritSpin
• Pope Francis, spiritual guide … [RNS, Thomas Reese] Before he was pope, before he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis spent much of his Jesuit life as a spiritual guide to young Jesuits. He was not a great theologian, although he was well read in theology. Nor was he the president of one of the order’s universities. Rather his job was to introduce young men to the Jesuits and help form them in their spiritual lives. He was the director of novices and rector of the community where young Jesuits studied philosophy and theology.
   This background and experience helped make Francis the person he is today. It also explains why he naturally felt impelled to write “Gaudete et Exsultate,” his recently released apostolic exhortation on the call to holiness. For Francis, all Christians, not just religious and priests, are called to holiness. But as an experienced spiritual guide, he knows that most people are confused about what holiness really is and therefore can easily get lost on their spiritual quest.
   Francis’ goal was not to write an abstract theological treatise on holiness but to present a practical way to holiness for our time. He does this with a simple style that is full of spiritual wisdom that can enrich any reader, whether a beginner or experienced practitioner of the spiritual life. Read on. Read Gaudete et Exsultate.

• The Template of Reality … [Richard Rohr] The basic template of reality is Trinitarian, it’s relational. God is relationship. The energy in the universe is not in the planets or in the protons or neutrons, but in the relationship between them. Not in the particles but in the space between them. Not in the cells of organisms but in the way the cells feed and give feedback to one another. Not in any precise definition of the three persons of the Trinity as much as in the relationship between the Three! This is where all the power for infinite renewal is at work: The loving relationship between them. The infinite love flowing between them. The dance itself. Read on.

• At the Heart of Reality  … [Sermon by Bill Lewellis, Trinity Sunday, 2004] Clues to the most profound mysteries of life – who we are, why we are, where we are going, how we are meant to live – may be embedded in our DNA… that double-helix spiral staircase that has inspired scientists and artists and theologians over the past half century. Read on.

• Not to Win but To Be One … [A slightly edited excerpt from a 1991 column by Bill Lewellis, published in a local paper] Despite my reservations about activities that nurture the competitive over the cooperative and empathic tendencies of children, our 14-year-old son plays ice hockey and our two younger sons, ages 6 and 8, play Little League baseball. Fortunately, the younger ones have coaches who love children more than the score.
   One Saturday morning in May, I wasn’t able to be at my six-year-old’s game. “How’d it go?” I asked Stephen later. “O.K.,” he said. “I got two hits and scored two runs — one for us and one for them.”
   “One for us and one for them?” “Yes,” he said. “Some of the kids on the other team had church and couldn’t play today. So our coach made some of us play sometimes for us and sometimes for them.”
   That was church of its own. Jesus didn’t say we ought to win. He prayed only that we might be one. One for us and one for them

• Celebrate Life … [A slightly edited 1987 column by Bill Lewellis, published in a daily newspaper] Our spiritual journey is a relationship. No two are the same. Still, a reasonable construct which draws on the experiences of many, including St. Paul and St. John, suggests God is not only the end of the journey but also its beginning. The journey begins when God speaks. "In the beginning was the Word..." (John 1: 1). Read on.

• Creativity and the Cross … [Hillary Raining interviews Charles "Ty" Welles] Charles “Ty” Welles is a fourth generation lawyer from Scranton, PA, with degrees from Yale and Harvard. He has served as the Chancellor of Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem, and, perhaps surprisingly, a sculptor, who primarily carves marble. He has been carving for more than twenty-five years and has exhibited and studied throughout the northeastern United States as well as regionally. In this episode, Ty will talk about his 13-piece installation of the Stations of the Cross as well as his creative process. This is a discussion (Season 1, Episode 5) about the power of creativity and spirituality in every life. Listen.
   This podcast appears on The Hive, a website created by Hillary Raining, rector of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Gladwyne and known to many in the Diocese of Bethlehem where she was ordained. "Based on a model of community and support found in the hive of the honey bee," Hillary writes, "this wellness and spirituality website is for you in your quest to change the world." Here.

• Jesus' Farewell … [Bill] In the Gospel according to John, just before John’s account of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, there are five chapters — 13 through 17 — that make up an especially powerful read. Read the entire section reflectively, perhaps today or tomorrow, and you will understand. John put that section together to be Jesus’ Farewell. Read on,

• Be in Love Transformed … [Bill Lewellis, column published in The Morning Call, May 2003] My next to last step when preparing a sermon plays out on Saturday morning at a local diner where I browse through my notes while having breakfast and much coffee. I glance randomly at the faces of strangers. Might anything I’ve written be useful to anyone in this place? Something good always happens. I almost always discard cute phrases to which I was wedded a few days earlier. Ernest Hemingway, I believe, called this “killing your darlings?” *
   Something else happened a few weeks ago. Seeing that my coffee cup was full, the waitress on refill duty said, “You’re good.” Lose the notes, I chuckled. Anne gave you the sermon. This is your waitress. Listen to her. Read on.

• 'Religion' in Opposition to 'Ideology' … [Interview: America Magazine with Jordan Peterson] In your lectures, you define “religion” in opposition to “ideology.” Could you explain the difference between the two?
   To me, ideology is corrupt; it’s a parasite on religious structures. To be an ideologue is to have all of the terrible things that are associated with religious certainty and none of the utility. If you’re an ideologue you believe everything that you think. If you’re religious there’s a mystery left there. The mystery is whatever God is. That mystery has the possibility of keeping you humble. You’re not the ultimate authority, and you’re accountable in some ultimate sense.
   Now, you might say that doesn’t translate directly into proof for God, and obviously it doesn’t. But I think you could make a very compelling case that people are ultimately responsible, and if they don’t act that way. all hell breaks loose. Plus, religious thinking is a human universal that’s biologically instantiated. There’s every bit of evidence that capacity for religious thinking and experience evolve. Read on.

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons and reflections. Here.


Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• Good Shepherd Sunday sermon by Winnie Varghese at Trinity Wall Street.

DioBeth
• A Man Called Mark … A new biography of Bishop Mark Dyer, will be published on July 17. Dyer was bishop of Bethlehem from 1982 to 1995. [Church Publishing and Leadership News] This official biography tells the compelling story of the Rt. Rev. Mark Dyer: Irish Catholic boy from New Hampshire, U.S. Navy vet, Roman Catholic then Episcopal priest, bishop, and seminary professor-and one of the most influential, beloved leaders of the American Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.
   Following a dispute with ecclesiastical authorities, Dyer left the Roman Church for the Anglican Church of Canada. Later received as priest in the Episcopal Church, his gifts as teacher, preacher, and pastor were recognized with election as Bishop of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. There, he established a new model of leadership, delegating administrative duties to concentrate on spiritual direction, pastoral care, and creating mission projects at every church in his diocese. Also renowned as a story-teller, many of his favorite stories appear here, told in his own voice. Read on.

• Herding Cats in the Kingdom of God … [A sermon preached by Canon Andrew Gerns at the celebration of new ministry of the Rev. Rebecca Parsons Cancelliere at St. Mark and St. John Episcopal Church in Jim Thorpe, PA on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year B, April 22, 2018.] If you were to ask me to choose the 100 best TV commercials of all time, do you know what would be at the very top of my list? It would be an ad that first appeared in Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000.
   Picture tough, dust-caked cowboys riding the range. They are on a drive through the desolate, wild, open prairie. From their horses they shout, whistle and use their lariats to bring their herd home. The ad opens with a young cowboy standing next to a Conestoga wagon, holding up a picture. “This is my grandfather,” he says. “He started herding cats when he was 15.”
   Yes, these cowboys are herding cats. “Anyone can herd cattle,” one of these cowboys says. “But keeping ten thousand half-wild short hairs together… is about the hardest work a man can do.” This ad works because it takes a time honored image that we all know and with wonderful details like a little yarn, a sneeze, and a lint roller---not to mention dozens and dozen of cats--and turns it all upside down.
   Sort of like taking an historic parish founded by a famous industrialist located in a town re-named for a famous athlete and then raising up for that parish an all-female leadership team. Read on.

• Charlie Barebo … has been appointed Diocese of Bethlehem missioner for stewardship and development. Barebo, who has resigned from his role as treasurer to take on this non-stipendiary position, will share his expertise with parishes that request support in annual giving, stewardship, and other fundraising programs. "I am grateful for the service of Charlie Barebo as diocesan treasurer over the last four years," Bishop Rowe said. "He was instrumental in implementing a new accounting system, improving internal controls, reorienting the DIT [Diocesan Investment Trust], and setting a sustainable and mission driven financial strategy."

 

• Libby House … former member of the Standing Committee and current Finance Committee and Diocesan Council member, has been appointed the new treasurer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. "I am pleased that Libby House accepted the appointment as diocesan treasurer," said Bishop Rowe. "She has a depth of experience in non-profit finance, most recently as the director of the Grace Montessori School in Allentown, and has served on the Standing Committee during our time of transition."  

• Michelle Moyer … canon for family and faith formation at Nativity Cathedral Bethlehem has accepted a full-time position as chaplain to the independent and assisted living residence of the Phoebe Home Allentown.

• DioBeth General News, April 26 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, April 19 … Here.
• DioBeth Leadership News, April 12 … Here.


Episcopal/Anglican
• Video series invites Episcopalians to revisit slave trade, share truths about race today … [The Episcopal Church, Public Affairs Office] "Door of Return: Racial Truth and Reconciliation Pilgrimage to Ghana" is a series of three powerful, short films and discussion tools that open conversation about race, faith and the path toward healing. The videos and discussion guide are available for viewing or download at no fee. Read on.

• We went to 'Beyoncé Mass' and it was glorious … [Mother Jones] San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral, an historic episcopal church known for its commitment to social justice, hosted its “Beyonce Mass” as part of a weekly worship series intended to uplift the experiences of women and appeal to young worshippers. The unconventional service featured a sermon about liberation struggle, readings from a speech by civil rights leader Ella Baker, scripture readings by black women, a traditional communion, and of course, the singing of Beyoncé songs. A gospel soloist backed by a choir and live band performed Beyonce’s songs “Listen,” “Freedom,” “Flaws and All,” and “I Was Here,” as well as “Survivor,” a hit by Beyonce’s original girl group Destiny’s Child.
   News of the planned service appeared in more than two dozen local and national news outlets—including the New York Times. Not surprisingly, the church was mobbed. Ushers estimated there were about 900 people in attendance—Grace’s Wednesday night service normally attracts 50 or so. Read on. Also here.

• Vital Practices for leading congregations … This website of the Episcopal Church Foundation seems to me to be an especially useful tool for anyone active in parish life. It covers much more than parish finances. Read on.


Evangelism
• A new comprehensive Evangelism Toolkit … is available online for congregations, dioceses, groups, and individuals to explore Evangelism.


Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here.
• Episcopal Asset Map … Here.

TaleSpin
• She spoke to the soul … Years ago, after having sufficiently experienced the ether, I ventured to say that online conversation would enable us to know people we might never meet. Ann Fontaine died this morning April 19). Though she was known personally to many across the Episcopal Church, she was known also to many more who never met her. Count me among those. Andrew Gerns of Trinity Easton has served for many years as an editor of Episcopal Café, as had Ann. Yet, they never did meet. Andrew wrote a tribute to Ann today that begins: "It seems strange to me, but I am grieving the death of a friend whom I have never seen in real life, at the same time we have 'spoken' as many as a dozen times a day as we worked together on the Episcopal Café over the past decade."
   "Maybe the reign of God is like this," Andrew also wrote. "We have dear friends knit together by bonds that defy space and time but are intimately connected by the love of God in relationship to Jesus in the power of the Spirit. Ann communicated Jesus in strikingly powerful and ordinary ways. When she told us that she had been admitted to hospice, she wrote in a way that was real, reassuring (to us), and reflective. She told us she was okay. And she was." Read Andrew's tribute.

• The Life She Deserves … [Brookings] When Jennifer Collins was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy, the drugs prescribed to stop her seizures made her angry, suicidal, and interrupted her ability to live a normal life. Desperate to help their daughter, Jennifer’s parents sought out alternative treatments, and learned about the success of cannabis oil in treating epilepsy. There was just one problem: marijuana wasn’t legal where they lived, even for medical purposes. Watch the rest of Jennifer’s story in the short film online now
   What if you had to choose between suffering from a debilitating illness and breaking the law? A new documentary short film from Brookings sheds light on the challenges American patients and their families face when navigating the outdated laws and lack of research around medical marijuana. Read on

•  How religion is coming to terms with modern fertility methods… [WaPo, April 27] Forty years ago this July, the world’s first “test tube” baby was born at a British hospital in the industrial city of Oldham, heralding a radical change in the creation of human life. Until Louise Joy Brown arrived, hopeful parents had been at the mercy of fate, and a barren marriage could feel like divine punishment.
   Since then, in vitro fertilization, or IVF, and related technologies have produced some 7 million babies who might never have existed — roughly the combined population of Paris, Nairobi and Kyoto — and the world’s fertility clinics have blossomed into a $17 billion business.
   The procedures have amplified profound questions for the world’s theologians: When does life begin? If it begins at conception, is it a sin to destroy a fertilized egg? What defines a parent? Is the mother the woman who provides the egg or the woman who gives birth? What defines a marriage? If a man’s sperm fertilizes an egg from a woman who is not his wife, does that constitute adultery?
   The moral questions are rapidly becoming more complex. Researchers are working to advance gene-editing tools that would allow parents to choose or “correct for” certain preferred characteristics; to create artificial wombs that could incubate fetuses outside the body for nine months; and to perfect techniques to produce “three-parent” babies who share genetic material from more than two people. Read on.

• It's about the music … [Bill Lewellis] In April 1999, Bishop Paul preached to the deacons and priests of the Diocese of Bethlehem at the Chrism Mass, the Eucharist wherein Holy Oils are blessed and ordination vows renewed. He spoke about how ordained ministry is so much more than role and function. “When I took organ lessons,” he said, “I was a bit too concerned at one point with technique and with hitting the right notes. My. teacher said, ‘Paul, I could get a monkey to play the right notes. What I want to hear from you is music.’" Read on.

 

• Same-sex marriage garners support among most American religious groups … [RNS, Janet Riess, May 1] Most religious groups now support the legalization of same-sex marriage, according to a study released Tuesday (May 1) from the Public Religion Research Institute. The survey, which was based on more than 40,000 responses collected during 2017, finds that twice as many Americans now support same-sex marriage as oppose it, 61 percent to 30 percent.
   What is more surprising is how quickly support for same-sex marriage has grown among religious groups that are more politically diverse. Two-thirds of Catholics, Orthodox Christians and white mainline Protestants now say they are in favor.
   What’s more, majority support now includes African-Americans, whose support for same-sex marriage has increased from 41 percent in 2013 to 52 percent today. Hispanic Americans also saw double-digit increases, with support rising from 51 percent in 2013 to 61 percent today. Majorities of Americans in most states support same-sex marriage, with the exceptions all located in the South. Even in the handful of states that do not have more than 50 percent support for same-sex marriage, they also don’t have 50 percent opposition; Alabama is now the only state where a majority of residents say they oppose same-sex marriage. Read on.

• I give you a new commandment … A few decades ago on a National Public Radio program, someone spoke about an experiment she did with her kindergarten class. The occasion for her experiment was her dismay over the five-year-olds who would constantly exclude: "You can't play with us." "You can't sit in here with us." And so on.
   So the teacher sat down with the children and told them there was a new rule now. Everyone can play with everyone else and sit with everyone else. She reported that the children were relieved. I can’t think of her name, but the teacher wrote a book entitled: You Can’t Say You Can’t Play.
   A new rule. Everyone can play with everyone else and sit with everyone else. The story reminded me of the beginning of Jesus’ farewell: "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another." (Jn. 13:34)

Requiescant in pace
• Louise "Petey" D. Perkins, 92 … died April 23. She was a member of the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, since 1955 and President of Talbot Hall, the Episcopal Diocese's onetime home for teenage girls. Since 1980 she served as an Associate Chaplain with the Pastoral Care Department of St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem. Obituary.

• David R. Brackenbury, 39 … of Bethlehem tragically lost his long battle with bipolar disorder on April 20. Obituary.

• Barbara Ann (Wamsher) McCord, 84 … died on April 6. She was a member of St. Thomas Morgantown. Obituary.

 • Paul R. Neff, 84 … died April 3. He was a vestry member and senior warden of Trinity West Pittston. He recently held several positions, including choir and vestry member, at Saint Peter's Tunkhannock. Obituary

• A. Theodore Eastman, 89 … 12th bishop of Maryland, retired, died April 26. Bishop Eastman was rector of the Church of the Mediator, Allentown,1969-73. Washington Post obituary here. Also, Baltimore Sun.

• James H. Cone, 79 … The Rev. Dr. James H. Cone, a central figure in the development of black liberation theology in the 1960s and ’70s who argued for racial justice and an interpretation of the Christian Gospel that elevated the voices of the oppressed, died April 28 in Manhattan. Read on. Also, here and here. His theology is easy to like and hard to live, Christian Century.

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.
 

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.

The Vatican
• Pope to Chile abuse victims: 'I was part of the problem' … [AP] The three whistleblowers in Chile’s sex abuse scandal urged Pope Francis on Wednesday to transform his apology for having discredited them into concrete action to end what they called the “epidemic” of sex abuse and cover-up in the Catholic Church.
   Juan Carlos Cruz, James Hamilton and Jose Andres Murillo spoke to reporters Wednesday after spending five days with the pope at his Vatican hotel. Their press conference was broadcast live in Chile, a sign of the unprecedented nature of their hours of meetings with the pope.
   Cruz said that during his private encounter with Francis, the pope acknowledged: “I was part of the problem. I caused this, and I apologize to you.” Read on.
   [Bill] Now there's an apology. None of this "I apologize to anyone who was offended."

• Vatican treasurer to face trial on abuse charges … [CNN, May 1] Cardinal George Pell, of Australia, is accused of abuse spanning three decades, including incidents that allegedly took place at a swimming pool in rural Victoria in the 1970s and at St. Patrick's Cathedral during his time as archbishop of Melbourne in the 1990s. Pell, who says he's innocent and has pleaded not guilty, is the most senior figure in the Catholic Church to face criminal sex abuse charges. Read on. Also, RNS.

• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness
• Infections like Lyme disease, dengue and Zika that are spread by ticks and mosquitoes are soaring, the C.D.C. says … [NYTimes] The number of people who get diseases transmitted by mosquito, tick and flea bites has more than tripled in the United States in recent years, federal health officials reported on Tuesday. Since 2004, at least nine such diseases have been newly discovered or introduced into the United States. Ticks spread Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, rabbit fever, Powassan virus and other ills, some of them only recently discovered. Read on.

• All about ticks and mosquitoes … [NYTimes] Here.

Film and TV
• Reflecting on the frightening lessons of 'The Handmaid's Tale' … [America] The Handmaid shows us that that terrible things happen when there is only one acceptable religion to practice or when there is only one way to be a woman. Read on.

• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.


Media, Print, Music, Tech
• James Comey has a story to tell. It's very persuasive … [NYTimes, April 12, Book review by Michiko Kakutani] The central themes that Comey returns to throughout this impassioned book are the toxic consequences of lying; and the corrosive effects of choosing loyalty to an individual over truth and the rule of law. Dishonesty, he writes, was central “to the entire enterprise of organized crime on both sides of the Atlantic,” and so, too, were bullying, peer pressure and groupthink — repellent traits shared by Trump and company, he suggests, and now infecting our culture. Read on,

• God and the IRS … [Book by Samuel Brunson. Reviewed for Forbes by Peter J. Reilly] Brunson's thesis is that accommodations to religious individuals have been implemented in a random, haphazard manner without any sort of overarching system. The point of Brunson's survey is to demonstrate the "ad hoc, reactive lawmaking" that has created exiting religious accommodations in the tax law. From there he goes on to suggest a rational rubric and then apply that rubric to a number of situations that might call for accommodation. I have a sense that Brunson's quest is somewhat quixotic, but you can always hope. Over the next couple of years bright lads and lasses in law school may read Brunson's book. The brightest of them will be clerking for Supreme Court justices in a few years when the parsonage exclusion litigation now before the Seventh Circuit makes it to the big leagues. With just a little bit of luck the "Brunson Rubric" might then make its way into legal history. Read on.

• Great American Novels … Which books deserve to be described as "Great American Novels"? PBS plans to put its own spin on this much discussed question in The Great American Read, a new 8-part series, starting May 22, which will journey across the country to uncover the nation's 100 most-loved novels.

• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.

Websites
• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.
• Episcopal News Service … Here.


Podcasts
• The Bible for Normal People … Hosted by Peter Enns and Jared Byas.
• The Daily … How the news should sound. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, hosted by Michael Barbaro and powered by New York Times journalism.
• Invisibilia …Unseeable forces control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. Invisibilia—Latin for invisible things—fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently.
• Today, Explained … Vox's daily explainer podcast — bringing you the biggest news every day with guests, context, radio drama, and more
• Radio Atlantic … Weekly conversations with leading journalists and thinkers to make sense of the history happening all around us.
• Stay Tuned with Preet … Join former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for a podcast about justice and fairness.
• The Axe Files with David Axelrod … Revealing interviews with key figures in the political world.
• Pod Save America … Four former aides to President Obama — Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor — are joined by journalists, politicians, comedians, and activists for a freewheeling conversation about politics, the press and the challenges posed by the Trump presidency. 
• Trumpcast … A quasi-daily podcast from Slate chronicling Donald Trump's rise to the presidency and his current administration. With journalists, historians, psychiatrists, and other experts to help explain who this man is and why this is happening, right now, in the United States of America.
• Freakonomics Radio … Stephen Dubner has surprising conversations that explore the riddles of everyday life and the weird wrinkles of human nature — from cheating and crime to parenting and sports. Dubner talks with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, social scientists and entrepreneurs — and his Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt.
• Things Not Seen … is an independent radio show and podcast that features in-depth interviews with nationally recognized guests. Each week, we welcome authors, musicians, politicians, filmmakers, and more. "We take faith seriously, and our guests do, too."
• The Francis Effect … is about the real world of politics and current events, seen through the lens of Catholic teaching and spirituality. Hosts, Fr. Dan Horan and David Dault, both have doctorates in theology. Dan is a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest. David is a radio producer and Catholic convert.
• Caliphate… is a new audio series following Rukmini Callimachi of the NYTimes as she reports on the Islamic State and the fall of Mosul.


Varia
• Ukrainian Sushi … Here.

Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
BCP … Book of Common Prayer
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYM … New York Magazine
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]


Selected Posts from Past newSpin Newsletters that may still be of interest
• For the Poor and the Neglected … [BCP] Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

• The Serenity Prayer … God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful worldas it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. Read on.

• A prayer before anything … [Bill] Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible. Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. Let us pray: Guide us, gracious God. May we be … Attentive to our experience, to the voices and hearts of those around us, Intelligent in our interpretation of that to which we have been attentive. Reasonable in our judgments about what we have understood. Responsible in our decisions about how we will act on our judgments. And always open to inner conversion, to transformation in your truth and your love.

• Reclaiming Jesus … is a confession of faith in a time of crisis signed on to by many faith leaders including Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. The following is an excerpt.
I. We believe each human being is made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:26).
Therefore, we reject the resurgence of white nationalism and racism in our nation on many fronts, including the highest levels of political leadership. We, as followers of Jesus, must clearly reject the use of racial bigotry for political gain that we have seen. In the face of such bigotry, silence is complicity.
II. We believe we are one body. In Christ, there is to be no oppression based on race, gender, identity, or class (Galatians 3:28).
Therefore, we reject misogyny, the mistreatment, violent abuse, sexual harassment, and assault of women that has been further revealed in our culture and politics, including our churches, and the oppression of any other child of God.
III. We believe how we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick, and the prisoner is how we treat Christ himself. (Matthew 25: 31-46)
Therefore, we reject the language and policies of political leaders who would debase and abandon the most vulnerable children of God. We strongly deplore the growing attacks on immigrants and refugees, who are being made into cultural and political targets, and we need to remind our churches that God makes the treatment of the “strangers” among us a test of faith (Leviticus 19:33-34).
IV. We believe that truth is morally central to our personal and public lives.
Therefore, we reject the practice and pattern of lying that is invading our political and civil life.
V. We believe that Christ’s way of leadership is servanthood, not domination. Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles (the world) lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:25-26). Therefore, we reject any moves toward autocratic political leadership and authoritarian rule. We believe authoritarian political leadership is a theological danger that threatens democracy and the common good—and we will resist it.
VI. We believe Jesus when he tells us to go into all nations making disciples (Matthew 28:18).
Therefore, we reject “America first” as a theological heresy for followers of Christ. While we share a patriotic love for our country, we reject xenophobic or ethnic nationalism that places one nation over others as a political goal. Read all of this confession of faith.

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.  THERE'S A NEW TOOLKIT

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

 

 

 

newSpin 180405

newSpin, the newsletter
April 5, 2018 – Bill Lewellis

TopSpin
• Bishop Election Walkabouts, April 17-20 … The Rev. Canon Kevin D. Nichols, 56, chief operating officer and canon for mission resources in the Diocese of New Hampshire, and the Rev. Canon Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, 55, canon to the ordinary in the Diocese of Colorado are the nominees for IX Bishop of Bethlehem. In April, both nominees will visit the diocese for visiting sessions called "walkabouts." During the walkabouts, the bishop nominees will make introductory remarks and hold small group question-and-answer sessions. Members of the diocese are invited to attend any walkabout sessions, and may submit questions for the bishop nominees in advance via email to [email protected]. Questioners should indicate which walkabout session they plan to attend:

Tuesday, April 17 from 7-9 p.m.

St. Stephen's, Whitehall

Wednesday, April 18 from 7-9 p.
St. Alban's, Sinking Spring

Thursday, April 19 from 7-9 p.m.

St. Paul's, Montrose

This event will also be live-streamed.

Friday, April 20 from 7-9 p.m.

St. Stephen's, Wilkes-Barre

Read more about the bishop nominees on the Bishop Search and Transition website.

• Reclaiming Jesus … is as confession of faith in a time of crsis signed on to by many faith leaders incuding Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. The following is an excerpt.
I. We believe each human being is made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:26).
Therefore, we reject the resurgence of white nationalism and racism in our nation on many fronts, including the highest levels of political leadership. We, as followers of Jesus, must clearly reject the use of racial bigotry for political gain that we have seen. In the face of such bigotry, silence is complicity.
II. We believe we are one body. In Christ, there is to be no oppression based on race, gender, identity, or class (Galatians 3:28).
Therefore, we reject misogyny, the mistreatment, violent abuse, sexual harassment, and assault of women that has been further revealed in our culture and politics, including our churches, and the oppression of any other child of God.
III. We believe how we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick, and the prisoner is how we treat Christ himself. (Matthew 25: 31-46)
Therefore, we reject the language and policies of political leaders who would debase and abandon the most vulnerable children of God. We strongly deplore the growing attacks on immigrants and refugees, who are being made into cultural and political targets, and we need to remind our churches that God makes the treatment of the “strangers” among us a test of faith (Leviticus 19:33-34).
IV. We believe that truth is morally central to our personal and public lives.
Therefore, we reject the practice and pattern of lying that is invading our political and civil life.
V. We believe that Christ’s way of leadership is servanthood, not domination. Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles (the world) lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:25-26). Therefore, we reject any moves toward autocratic political leadership and authoritarian rule. We believe authoritarian political leadership is a theological danger that threatens democracy and the common good—and we will resist it.
VI. We believe Jesus when he tells us to go into all nations making disciples (Matthew 28:18).
Therefore, we reject “America first” as a theological heresy for followers of Christ. While we share a patriotic love for our country, we reject xenophobic or ethnic nationalism that places one nation over others as a political goal. Read all of this confession of faith.

• How Dr.  King lived is why he died … [Jesse Jackson, NYTimes, April 3] He mobilized mass action to win a public accommodations bill and the right to vote. He led the Montgomery bus boycott and navigated police terror in Birmingham. He got us over the bloodstained bridge in Selma and survived the rocks and bottles and hatred in Chicago. He globalized our struggle to end the war in Vietnam. How he lived is why he died. Read on. Also, The Atlantic and RNS.

• DioBeth Leadership News, March 15 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, March 22 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, March 29 … Here

********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********

Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics.
• Mike Pompeo's evangelical zeal could complicate his new diplomatic life … [The Economist, Erasmus March 20] The diplomacy practiced by a global power has to engage with the world’s messy realities. That means that it cannot pretend religion does not matter, nor can it usefully subordinate its own interests to any particular religious agenda. Expediency tends to prevail. Still, even in a Washington, DC, that is used to rude shocks, news of the president’s choice to succeed Mr. Tillerson was met with some alarm. Mike Pompeo, who has hitherto been serving the president as head of the CIA, is a zealous, evangelical Christian accused of Islamophobia.

• MLK's last Sunday sermon is as relevant today as it was in 1968 … “On some positions, cowardice asks the question: Is it expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks the question: Is it politic? Vanity asks the question: Is it popular? Conscience asks the question: Is it right?” King said. “There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right.”
  As Christians,, wrote the author of this commentary, we follow a man, Jesus, who never took the easy way out. Jesus did not censor himself for fear of retribution. He challenged the institutional oppression of his day, and calls us to confront the injustices of our own time. Read on.
   [Bill] Dr. King delivered his last sermon at the National Cathedral. I don't doubt that some – perhaps many – considered it too political.

• The Second-Most Dangerous American … [George Will] Because John Bolton is five things President Trump is not — intelligent, educated, principled, articulate and experienced — and because of Bolton’s West Wing proximity to a president responsive to the most recent thought he has heard emanating from cable television or an employee, Bolton will soon be the second-most dangerous American. On April 9, he will be the first national security adviser who, upon taking up residence down the hall from the Oval Office, will be suggesting that the United States should seriously consider embarking on war crimes. Read on

• Yes John Bolton really is that dangerous … [NYTimes Editorial Board, March 23] The good thing about John Bolton, President Trump’s new national security adviser, is that he says what he thinks. The bad thing is he says what he thinks. There are few people more likely than Mr. Bolton is to lead the country into war. His selection is a decision that is as alarming as any Mr. Trump has made. His selection, along with the nomination of the hard-line C.I.A. director, Mike Pompeo, as secretary of state, shows the degree to which Mr. Trump is indulging his worst nationalistic instincts.

• Leaked EPA memo: How to downplay climate change …  The Environmental Protection Agency recently sent employees a list of eight approved talking points on climate change from its Office of Public Affairs ― guidelines that promote a message of uncertainty about climate science and gloss over proposed cuts to key adaptation programs.

• Can churches speak? … [Andrew Jungclaus, March 20] A short history of religion, philanthropy, tax law, and political speech in the US. Here. Also, Johnson Amendment remains intact in omnibus spending bill. Here.

• Not enough deep but respectful disagreement in political debate today … [David Leonhardt, NYT, and National Review] The recent discussion between Jamie Weinstein and Ta-Nehisi Coates is a welcome exception. Read on,

SpiritSpin
• Forgiveness Sunday … [America, March 15, Julie Schumacher Cohen, director of community and government relations at the University of Scranton] On Forgiveness Sunday, we look for the best in the one we forgive and seek to give a charitable interpretation of the other’s intent—what Jesuits call the “plus sign,” in reference to Annotation 22 of St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises.
   In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the season of Lent begins with a “Forgiveness Vespers.” At the end of the service, each member of the community proceeds to the front of the church to exchange with the priest and fellow parishioners—the whole church—a plea of repentance.
  One by one, you bow to the person before you and then, coming face to face, you say: “Forgive me!” The other person responds: “God forgives. I forgive.” You then extend your hand and the kiss of peace (or two or three, depending on the parish). And so it goes until each person has asked every other person for forgiveness, and the entire church is encircling the sanctuary. Read on.

• A prayer before anything … [Bill] Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible. Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. Let us pray: Guide us, gracious God. May we be … Attentive to our experience, to the voices and hearts of those around us, Intelligent in our interpretation of that to which we have been attentive. Reasonable in our judgments about what we have understood. Responsible in our decisions about how we will act on our judgments. And always open to inner conversion, to transformation in your truth and your love.

• Choose to be kind over being right … and you'll be right every time,

• Messiah is among you … A famous monastery had fallen on hard times. Its buildings, once filled with young monks and the singing of the chant, were deserted. People no longer came to be nourished by prayer. A handful of old monks shuffled through the cloisters and praised God with heavy hearts.
   On the edge of the monastery woods, an old rabbi had built a little hut. He came there from time to time to fast and pray. No one ever spoke with him, but whenever he appeared the word was passed from monk to monk: “The rabbi walks in the woods.” And, for as long as he was there, the monks felt sustained by his prayerful presence.
  One day the abbot decided to visit the rabbi and open his heart to him. The rabbi's arms were outstretched in welcome as though he had been waiting for some time.
   In the middle of the hut was a wooden table with the Scriptures open on it. The rabbi and abbot sat there for a moment, in the presence of the Book. Then the rabbi began to cry. The abbot began to cry too. For the first time in his life, the abbot cried his heart out.
   After the tears had ceased to flow and all was quiet again, the rabbi lifted his head. “You and your brothers are serving God with heavy hearts,” he said. “You have come to ask a teaching of me. I will give you a teaching, but you can only repeat it once. After that, no one must ever say it aloud again.”
   The rabbi looked straight at the abbot and said, “Messiah is among you.” For a while, all was silent. Then the rabbi said, “Now you must go.” The abbot left without a word and without ever looking back. The next morning, he called his monks together. He told them he had received a   teaching from “the rabbi who walks in the woods” and that this teaching was never again to be spoken aloud. Then he looked at each of his brothers and said, “The rabbi said that one of us is the Messiah.” The monks were startled by this saying. “What could it mean?” they asked themselves. “Is Brother John the Messiah? Or Father Matthew? Or Brother Thomas? Am I the Messiah? What could this mean?” There were all deeply puzzled by the rabbi's teaching. But no one ever mentioned it again.
  In those days, the rabbi no longer walked in the woods. His hut had fallen into ruins. But, somehow or other, the old monks who had taken his teaching to heart still felt sustained by his prayerful presence.

• Bidden or unbidden, God is present (Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit) … Commonly attributed to Carl Gustav Jung. My understanding, however, is that Jung discovered it among the Latin writings of Desiderius Erasmus, who declared the statement had been an ancient Spartan proverb. Jung popularized it by having it inscribed over the doorway of his house and upon his tomb.

• A Failure of Empathy … This Twitter thread may make you feel differently about your day. On the way to the gym today, novelist Celeste Ng drove past an elderly lady sitting on the sidewalk. "It's 40 today and it seemed like a weird place to sit," she thought. "I told myself she was probably fine, but I also felt uneasy. So I went back."

• NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar … NBC’s live production of Jesus Christ Superstar was pitched to audiences as a “Live in Concert” version, which led some to expect a straightforward performance of the songs. It turned out to be an inventively staged production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock-and-roll gospel, so passionately imagined that it set a new standard for this type of event. Reviewer Matt Zoller Seitz said it "was one of the most impressive things I’ve seen in the 20-plus years I’ve been writing about TV." Read on.

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons and reflections. Here.


Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• The Resurrection isn't an argument – It's the Christian word for defiance … [The Guardian, Giles Fraser, March 31, 2016] The Easter story is who we are, and allows us to push back against the darkness. I know the Church of England is supposed to be dying. And there are those who want to save it with cod management theory and evangelical up-speak. But if we as a church really believe in death and resurrection, then we don’t really need any of that secular sorcery. There has been a priest in my parish continuously since the reign of King John in the early 13th century. Politicians call it resilience. I call it resurrection. Read on.

• God and her (female) clergy … [Nicholas Kristof, NYTimes, March 31] Ever since Eve bit into an apple in the Garden of Eden, God has been rough on women. Or, more precisely, the men who claim to speak on behalf of God have routinely disparaged women or discriminated against them. Male religious leaders declared menstruation ritually unclean and advised in Deuteronomy that when a girl doesn’t bleed on her wedding night “the men of her town shall stone her to death.” Saint Paul orders women to “be in submission” and adds, “It is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church” (some scholars believe that Paul didn’t write that passage, and that it was added later). Over the centuries, it was fine for women to be martyred (or, at times, to be burned as witches), but they were denied the right to become priests, rabbis or ministers. Yet a revolution is unfolding across America and the world, and countless women will be presiding this weekend over Easter and Passover celebrations. In just a few decades, women have come to dominate many seminaries and rabbinical schools and are increasingly taking over the pulpit at congregations across the country. “What we’re seeing before our very eyes is a dramatic shift; in my mind it’s as big as the Protestant Reformation,” says the Rev. Serene Jones, the first woman president of New York City’s Union Theological Seminary — where almost 60 percent of the students are now female. Read on.

DioBeth

• Special Electing Convention and Diocesan Convention Updates … A Special Electing Convention with the sole purpose of electing the IX Bishop of Bethlehem will take place April 28 at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity. The new bishop will be ordained and consecrated on September 15 at The First Presbyterian Church, Allentown.
   The Diocesan Convention, including the seating of the new bishop, will take place October 12 and 13 at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Allentown Bethlehem Center Valley. Eucharist and the seating will be held at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity. Please note the change of dates and location. The seating will be held during diocesan convention rather than the Sunday morning after the ordination and consecration so that everyone in the diocese has the opportunity to attend.
   Certificates of Election of Lay Delegates, who will serve at both the Special Electing Convention and at the Diocesan Convention, were due February 28. Certificates must be completed and sent to the diocesan office through mail, fax or to [email protected].
   Download the Certificate of Election of Lay Delegates (fillable PDF).

• Trinity Bethlehem Artist-in-Residence teaches LCCC students to fly … Aram Basmadjian, Artist-in-Residence at Trinity Bethlehem, was featured in an article in Aspire Magazine. In addition to amazing work which he does at Trinity as organist/choir director, he also serves as the Chief Flight Instructor at Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC). This is a quote from the article: “Aram Basmadjian clearly has one of the most experienced and qualified team of flight instructors that I have seen in 15 years of flying.

• DioBeth Leadership News, March 15 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, March 22 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, March 29 … Here


Episcopal/Anglican
• Interview with Justin Welby … [The Guardian, Rachel Cooke, April 1] The archbishop of Canterbury was raised by an alcoholic and answered God’s call ‘kicking and screaming’. Now, his unorthodox views are at odds with many in his church. Here he talks about his demons and his mission. Read on,

• Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's Easter Message … [The Guardian, Rachel Cooke, April 1] It is easy to overlook, and sometimes convenient to forget, that Jesus was executed, Jesus was crucified by an unholy alliance of religion, politics, and economic self-interest … Hatred does not have the last word. Violence does not have the last word. Bigotry does not have the last word. Sin, evil do not have the last word. The last word is God, and God is love. View and/or read.


Evangelism
• Highlights (4 minutes) of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's sermon at the Opening Eucharist of Evangelism Matters … [March 15] View here.

• A new comprehensive Evangelism Toolkit … is available online for congregations, dioceses, groups, and individuals to explore Evangelism.


Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here.
• Episcopal Asset Map … Here.

TaleSpin
• Jesus Died Only to Rise Again. Where Did the Concept of the Resurrection Come From? … [Jon Meacham, NYT, March 30] To many believers — and even to many nonbelievers — the story of Christianity seems monumental and unchanging, the stuff of oft-recited creeds and hymns. It’s essential to appreciate, however, that there was no pre-existing expectation of an atoning messianic human sacrifice in the complex Judaism of the first century. No one was looking for a savior who would suffer, die and rise again to offer redemption from sin and eternal life. On the contrary, the prevailing thought was that a militaristic Davidic figure would emerge to throw off Roman rule and inaugurate what was known as “the kingdom of God,” an era of justice marked by the defeat of evil, a general resurrection of the dead and the restoration of Israel. Before the formation of the Christian story, resurrection within Judaism was less about the rising from the dead of a specific person than about a glorified vision of a triumphant Israel. Read on.

• How the world’s best basketball player became a political force for racial justice … LeBron James is quite possibly the best basketball player who’s ever lived. He has compiled a résumé that rivals any player in the history of the NBA — up to and including Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest player in the sport’s history. But the 33-year-old James is much more than a living sports legend. He is an actor, a media mogul, and a cultural icon. He rose to the top of his sport at the same time that America was forced to confront its systematic violence against black people, especially young black men, and James has taken up that cause as one of the most famous young black men in the nation. He is perhaps the most socially and politically influential athlete since Muhammad Ali. Read on.

• Because our father does … As a Roman Catholic priest in Reading during the mid '60s, I visited a family a few blocks from the church. Mother and three children, about 5 to 15. Father wasn't home. After some introductory conversation, I mentioned that I've never seen them in church. I asked why they did not attend. "Because our father does," the 15-year-old boy said. I was silent. Then the mother said something like this. "My husband is not a good husband to me. He's not a good father to our children. But he goes to church every Sunday. You may have seen him." She asked the children to go into the adjoining room and went into sad detail. For some reason, that suddenly came to mind recently.

• Lehigh Valley agency throws Hail Mary pass to save homeless housing … Probably because we made a 2017 contribution, significant for us, in response to a plea from the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley to help Puerto Ricans flooding the Lehigh Valley, fleeing the devastation of Hurricane Maria, we were on the mailing list for an unusual appeal from CACLV's executive director Alan Jennings.
   A uestionable change in HUD regs has put the existence of long-term transitional housing programs such as CACLV's Sixth Street Shelter in Allentown in jeopardy. Jennings' letter wasn't your ordinary "give what you can" approach. Rather, it was a "Hail Mary" pass (inside-baseball talk for football fans). "We need to find that rare person who would be able and willing to contribute a substantial amount of money in order to keep this project going," he said: they needed $60,000 this year, roughly $50,000 next year and $25,000 per year for two or three years after that. "Such a commitment would give us more time to find a more permanent solution," the letter read. I read the letter on Friday and discarded it with an "I wish."
   According to Bill White's Morning Call column online, Jennings got an email from a couple who said they were in for the 60 and 50 Then a call from another offering 50 and another offering 30. "It produced a miracle," Jennings told White. "It's the kind of thing that makes you feel good about your community … And it's a pleasure to thumb our noses at HUD once again." More here.

• The Last Frontier for Gay Rights  … [WaPo, Tiffany Stanley, April 2] A powerful liberal activist, a rural conservative town and a debate that won’t end.

• The President sang Amazing Grace  … [The Atlantic] Joan Baez, the folk singer, remembers the first time she heard “The President Sang Amazing Grace.” At the time, she was driving: “I had to pull over to make sure I heard whose song it was, because I knew I had to sing it.” Watch a new animation of Baez’s rendition of the song.


Requiescant in pace
• Grover N. Keiper, 67 … died March 29. He was a member of St. Luke's Scranton. Obituary

• Sue P. Large, 95 … died Feb. 25. She was an active parishioner at St. Andrew's Allentown/Bethlehem. Obituary.

• Robert Jackson, 75 … died March 24. He was an member of St. Andrew's Allentown/Bethlehem. Obituary.

• Frances Arthofer, a former long time member of the Cathedral. She lived in a retirement care facility near Myerstown, Pennsylvania for many years. Fran was active at the Cathedral, a member of the Altar Guild and the Quilters group.

• Betty Miles, 67 … died March 26. She was an member of Trinity Easton. Obituary.

• Minnie E. White, 88 … died March 23. She was a member of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, Emmaus, where she worked as the secretary from 1964 to 1973. Obituary.

• Mary Thiel … died March 5. [Dean Tony Pompa] Mary was one of the longest living members of Nativity Cathedral who in her younger years was devoted to the mission, ministry, and life of this congregation. A true matriarch of love and faithfulness who embodied grace.

• Annamae VanDoren, 99 … died March 17. She was at one time a longtime member of Nativity Cathdral Bethlehem. Obituary.

• Linda J. Ellis, 78 … died on March 6. She was a member of St. Brigid's Nazareth. Obituary.

• P.L. Thibaut Brian, 87 … died April 2. He attended the Church of the Mediator in Allentown and the Church of the Annunciation in Bradenton, FL. Obituary.

• Stephen Hawking, 76 … [CNN March 14] may have been our era's greatest scientist. Read on. To be interred at Westminster Abbey.

• Linda Brown, 75 … died March 25. Remember Brown v. Board of Education? Read on.

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• The Church of Scientology has launched a TV channel. It's weirdly familiar. … [Vox] Scientology channel's vague "self-help" platitudes and stock-footage-laden graphics tie neatly into the intersection of capitalism and spirituality that has come to define the American religious landscape. Read on,


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.
 

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• Cute mascot? Beloved grandmother? Sister Jean reveals deeper stereotypes about nuns… [WaPo, Sarah Pulliam Bailey, March 31] In movies such as “The Sound of Music,” “Sister Act,” “Dead Man Walking” and “Doubt,” Hollywood has cycled through different portrayals of the religious figures, such as singing nuns, sexy nuns, serious nuns and lovable nuns. But even fun stereotypes are dangerous, Sullivan said, because they can diminish the many accomplishments of these women. “They’re not adorable mascots,” she said. “They’re women of experience and passion who have fought through some serious battles and emerged stronger than ever.” Read on.

• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.

The Vatican
• Lost in Transition … [Commonweal, Massimo Faggioli, April 3] Communication problems are usually not just communication problems: this is as true at the Vatican as it is anywhere else. The fiasco surrounding Benedict XVI’s letter declining an invitation to write the introduction for a series of volumes on Pope Francis’s theology was more than a PR snafu. It reveals deeper issues in the ongoing transition from the pontificate of Benedict XVI to the pontificate of Francis. Read on.

• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness
• Health and Salvation: A Parish Nurse in the basement of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Allentown … [March 20, “The Patient Body” is a monthly column by Ann Neumann about issues at the intersection of religion and medicine. This month: Parish Nursing] Deb Gilbert sits at the head of a diagonally placed folding table in a small room. She is surrounded by black garbage bags overflowing with winter coats of every color and style. Gilbert both blends in—she’s wearing head to toe purple—and stands out—she is clean, orderly and perfectly manicured. From each of her earlobes dangles a tiny snowman earring. Outside the door, about 60 homeless men and women mill about in a loose queue, waiting for lunch to be served. The basement smells like winter air, like stale alcohol, like food prepared in large quantities. And like bodies that haven’t been washed today, but maybe yesterday or the day before.
   Gilbert is a registered nurse and director of the Parish Nursing/Community Outreach Department of Sacred Heart Health Services, a Catholic hospital founded in 1912 by a monsignor and the Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart. Gilbert meets with patients in this coat-filled basement room every week to practice her version of holistic medicine, which is part first aid, part prayer, and part close listening. She is not Catholic, she tells me, so she is able to refer patients to whatever denominational services they desire. “The first question I ask,” Gilbert says of her approach to patients, “is ‘Tell me about your spiritual journey.’” Read on

• The facts about farmed salmon … [NYT] Salmon passed tuna as the most popular fish in the United States. Our doctors have told us to eat more of it; our fitness and diet regimens have put it in heavy menu rotation. The problem is not all salmon is created equal. More than 90 percent of the fresh salmon eaten in this country comes from giant fish farms, and those farms have problems. Big ones. Here are the facts about America’s favorite fish that you should know but perhaps wish you didn’t. Read on.

• Five susrprising reasons to eat more garlic … It helps control blood pressure. It eases inflammation. It makes cold season less miserable. It's good for your joints. It may help you lose weight. Read on.


Film and TV
• PBS film explores how we go gently – or kicking and screaming – into the night … [RNS] Five weeks after she receives her terminal lung cancer diagnosis, Phyllis Tickle is sitting on her porch in Tennessee, talking about death. “I’ve reared my children. I’ve buried my husband. I’ve done the work I think I came to do,” the renowned religious historian says. Then she pauses. “Now I can go.”
  81-year-old Tickle’s body was laid to rest three months later — before her longtime friend Helen Whitney, a veteran filmmaker, could interview her a second time for a documentary project. The two-hour film “Into the Night: Portraits of Life and Death,” which premieres March 26 on PBS, pushes viewers to confront their own mortality. In the film, Whitney asks nine men and women grappling with death to tell their stories. Read on,

• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.


Media, Print, Music, Tech
• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.

Websites
• The Hive … is a website created by Hillary Raining, rector of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Gladwyne and known to many in the Diocese of Bethlehem where she was ordained. "Based on a model of community and support found in the hive of the honey bee," Hillary writes, "this wellness and spirituality website is for you in your quest to change the world." Here.

• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.
• Episcopal News Service … Here.


Podcasts
• The Bible for Normal People … Hosted by Peter Enns and Jared Byas. I especially jliked Episode 4 with Richard Rohr
• The Daily … How the news should sound. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, hosted by Michael Barbaro and powered by New York Times journalism.
• Invisibilia …Unseeable forces control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. Invisibilia—Latin for invisible things—fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently.
• Today, Explained … Vox's daily explainer podcast — bringing you the biggest news every day with guests, context, radio drama, and more
• Radio Atlantic … Weekly conversations with leading journalists and thinkers to make sense of the history happening all around us.
• Stay Tuned with Preet … Join former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for a podcast about justice and fairness.
• The Axe Files with David Axelrod … Revealing interviews with key figures in the political world.
• Pod Save America … Four former aides to President Obama — Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor — are joined by journalists, politicians, comedians, and activists for a freewheeling conversation about politics, the press and the challenges posed by the Trump presidency. 
• Trumpcast … A quasi-daily podcast from Slate chronicling Donald Trump's rise to the presidency and his current administration. With journalists, historians, psychiatrists, and other experts to help explain who this man is and why this is happening, right now, in the United States of America.
• Freakonomics Radio … Stephen Dubner has surprising conversations that explore the riddles of everyday life and the weird wrinkles of human nature — from cheating and crime to parenting and sports. Dubner talks with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, social scientists and entrepreneurs — and his Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt.
• Things Not Seen … is an independent radio show and podcast that features in-depth interviews with nationally recognized guests. Each week, we welcome authors, musicians, politicians, filmmakers, and more. "We take faith seriously, and our guests do, too."
• The Francis Effect … is about the real world of politics and current events, seen through the lens of Catholic teaching and spirituality. Hosts, Fr. Dan Horan and David Dault, both have doctorates in theology. Dan is a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest. David is a radio producer and Catholic convert.


Varia



Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
BCP … Book of Common Prayer
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYM … New York Magazine
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]


Selected Posts from Past newSpin Newsletters that may still be of interest
• For the Poor and the Neglected … [BCP] Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

• The Serenity Prayer … God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful worldas it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. Read on.

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.  THERE'S A NEW TOOLKIT

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

 

 

 

newSpin 180322

newSpin, the newsletter
March 22, 2018 – Bill Lewellis

TopSpin
• Nationa Geographic confesses its own sins … [Poynter] “For Decades, Our Coverage Was Racist. To Rise Above Our Past, We Must Acknowledge It.” With that, National Geographic editor in chief Susan Goldberg announced the findings of a historian’s audit of the 130-year-old magazine’s archives. Until the 1970s, National Geographic rarely covered people of color in the United States. The magazine had used slavery-era slurs. It had portrayed “natives” elsewhere as “exotics, famously and frequently unclothed, happy hunters, noble savages,” Goldberg writes. “It hurts to share the appalling stories from the magazine’s past,” she said in an editor’s note. “But when we decided to devote our April magazine to the topic of race, we thought we should examine our own history before turning our reportorial gaze to others.” Read on.

• On Race … [Poynter and NYT] The New York Times has an extensive write-up about a study of 20 million young Americans that reveals an uncomfortable truth: Systematic racism is making it hard for black boys to achieve what their white counterparts achieve. A quote from the story: “ ‘One of the most popular liberal post-racial ideas is the idea that the fundamental problem is class and not race, and clearly this study explodes that idea,’ said Ibram Kendi, a professor and director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University. ‘But for whatever reason, we’re unwilling to stare racism in the face.’” The study was led by researchers at Stanford, Harvard and the Census Bureau. Read on.

• Face the Racist Nation … After you’ve read the NYTimes piece, it’s worth visiting this episode of WNYC’s “On the Media” titled “Face the Racist Nation.” It’s a deep dive into the media’s coverage of white supremacist groups and includes a thought-provoking observation in its final segment: Ignorant people aren’t the reason for racism; racism comes from the top. Here.
   [Stephen Lewellis] In the spirit of Maria Popova, pair this with Professor Kendi’s "Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America." Here.

• The billionnaire who gave his $8 billion away … [The Irish Times, March 3] Giving while living – It was the right thing to do, and it's a lot more fun. Read on.

• DioBeth Leadership News, March 15 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, March 8 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, March 1 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.

********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********

Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics.
• A firm with ties to the Trump campaign obtained 50 million Facebook users' data … [NYT, March 18] Lawmakers in the United States and Britain demanded on Sunday that Facebook explain how a political data firm with links to President Trump’s 2016 campaign was able to harvest private data from more than 50 million Facebook profiles without the social network alerting those whose information was taken.
  Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, went so far as to demand that Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, appear before her panel to explain “what Facebook knew about misusing data from 50 million Americans in order to target political advertising and manipulate voters.”
  The calls followed reports on Saturday in The New York Times and The Observer of London that Cambridge Analytica, a political data firm founded by Stephen K. Bannon and Robert Mercer, the wealthy Republican donor, had used the Facebook data to develop methods that it claimed could identify the personalities of individual American voters and influence their behavior. Read on.

• We're not sure why McCabe was fired. But Trump's tweet suggests the worst … [WaPo Editorial Board, March 17] More than the details of the case, President Trump’s tweet early Saturday celebrating the firing of former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe is what stands out: a marquee of bullying and unseemly behavior by a president. Mr. Trump acts like a nasty, small-minded despot, not the leader of a democracy more than two centuries old in which rule of law is a sturdy pillar. If there is doubt that the timing of Mr. McCabe’s dismissal was driven by political vengeance, Mr. Trump does everything he can to prove the worst with his own sordid words.  
This is the language of a banana republic. In nations without a strong democratic foundation, tyrants cling to power by belittling perceived enemies and insulting and coopting other institutions, such as a free press, law enforcement and the military, coercing them into subservience. Just look around the world at practices today in Azerbaijan, Cambodia and Turkey, to name a few. The banana republic playbook has no place in the United States, not in a town hall, not in a statehouse, least of all in the Oval Office. Read on.

• Trump's Bluster on the Opioid Epidemic … [NYT Editorial Board, March] In a speech this week, the president laid out a plan to address the crisis that was at turns thin on details and alarmng in content. Read on.

• President Trump's Lies, the Definitive List … [NYT] Here.

SpiritSpin
• Forgiveness Sunday … [America, March 15, Julie Schumacher Cohen, director of community and government relations at the University of Scranton] On Forgiveness Sunday, we look for the best in the one we forgive and seek to give a charitable interpretation of the other’s intent—what Jesuits call the “plus sign,” in reference to Annotation 22 of St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises.
   In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the season of Lent begins with a “Forgiveness Vespers.” At the end of the service, each member of the community proceeds to the front of the church to exchange with the priest and fellow parishioners—the whole church—a plea of repentance.
  One by one, you bow to the person before you and then, coming face to face, you say: “Forgive me!” The other person responds: “God forgives. I forgive.” You then extend your hand and the kiss of peace (or two or three, depending on the parish). And so it goes until each person has asked every other person for forgiveness, and the entire church is encircling the sanctuary. Read on.
   [Bill] It seems that when my disrespect for Donald Trump gets to the point that I could not imagine respecting him (and his office as long as he holds it) and forgiving him for daily lies and much else, I come across something like "Forgiveness Sunday" to reflect on. This morning, I've reflected on it. Though I could forgive him if what he has done affected only me. I think I don't have the right to forgive him for what he has done to so many, the US and the world. That's where I am. How can I be elsewhere? Can you help me?

• A prayer before anything … [Bill] Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible. Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. Let us pray: Guide us, gracious God. May we be … Attentive to our experience, to the voices and hearts of those around us, Intelligent in our interpretation of that to which we have been attentive. Reasonable in our judgments about what we have understood. Responsible in our decisions about how we will act on our judgments. And always open to inner conversion, to transformation in your truth and your love.

• When someone comes to you and tells you your own story … I don't remember where I found this story, decades ago, It's a bit longer than many stories, but I think you won't regret reading it to the end and considering it in an open-ended way. For example, a good friend once gave me a custom-made T-shirt with these words on the front: "My life is based on a true story." Since then, I have been aware that God comes to me occasionally to tell me my own story, Thanks. Bill

• Waiting for my spirit … In Africa, a tired old man was sitting on a roadside. A missionary asked if he wanted a ride. He declined the offer and said, "I walked a long way today. I'm sitting here waiting for my spirit to catch up with me."

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons and reflections. Here.


Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• John 3:16 needs 17 … [From the March 11, Lent 4B, of Andrew Gerns at Trinity Easton] 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son to the end that all that believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” 3:16 is the slogan-passage for many Christians, describing for them the core of Christian faith. That’s the problem with simply reading the Bible by the numbers. Because that’s not how the book was first written and the numbers tempt us to forget about the rest of the passage and its context.
  3:17 “Indeed, God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that it might be saved through him.” In other words, the whole point of the chapter in John describing Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus in the dead of night, is that God’s salvation is not about “me” but about “we.”
   Many Christians focus on the personal part of the passage: “…all that believeth in him…” part in verse 16 but the real story is at the start of the passage is that God loves the world, and in verse 17, that God’s chief goal is the reconciliation of the whole world. We have tended to reduce salvation, and everything that goes with it—sin, redemption, holiness of life—to a personal, once-and-done, relationship with God alone. But the point of salvation and the purpose of holiness is we followers of Jesus participate with God in the saving and healing of the whole world! Read on.

• We're in the midst of an Apocalypse, and that's a good thing … [Wapo, Acts of Faith, Nadia Bolz-Weber, March 15] If, when you think of an apocalypse, you picture a scary, doom-filled, punishment-from-above type of thing, you are not alone. Originally, though, apocalyptic literature — the kind that was popular around the time of Jesus — existed not to scare the bejeezus out of children so they would be good boys and girls, but to proclaim a big, hope-filled idea: that dominant powers are not ultimate powers. Empires fall. Tyrants fade. Systems die. God is still around. An apocalypse is a good thing, and I’m delighted to welcome you to this one. Read on.

• A Parable of Self-Destruction … [Nicholas Kristof, NYTimes Sunday Review, March 17] Easter Island — This remote speck in the South Pacific is famous for its colossal stone statues, nearly 1,000 of them towering over the landscape like guardians. Who built them? How did they get there? And who fitted some of them with giant red stone hats weighing up to 12 tons each? … “Easter Island’s isolation makes it the clearest example of a society that destroyed itself by over-exploiting its own resources,” Jared Diamond wrote in his 2005 book, “Collapse.” “The parallels between Easter Island and the whole modern world are chillingly obvious. Read on.

• Have guns beome our modern-day idols? … [WaPo, Acts of Faith, Adapted from a sermon by Susan Flanders, an Episcopal priest at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church in D.C. What appears immediately below is an excerpt.] Guns were so important at the time our Constitution was written. They allowed for hunting, a necessary activity for many to be able to feed their families. But beyond that, guns were important for self-defense, and sadly, for conquest of native populations as we gradually took over a new continent. And for the Founding Fathers, guns were deemed necessary to enable a militia to protect the citizens’ freedom against any who might try to reintroduce tyranny in their young democracy. Hence the Second Amendment to our Constitution protecting the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Guns started out as a kind of savior, a source of protection — like the bronze serpent.
  But, like the bronze serpent, guns have become an idol for many, and the right to have guns — of any kind, in any amount has become a near article of worship for some. The NRA and gun makers can be seen as the priesthood — elevating our guns to sacred status, equating them with a power and potency that must be maintained.
   I’m hoping that perhaps now we are in a Hezekiah moment, a time like the one so long ago when the bronze serpent was destroyed. Can we begin to see guns for what they have become, far too prevalent, too high-powered, false saviors in, too often, the wrong hands? False saviors — not only with no power to save but with horrific power to destroy. Can we recognize the worship of assault weapons as the idolatry that it is, and can we stand up to those who continue to bow down at the shrine of unfettered access to murder weapons? Read on.

• When we're not ready … [Slightly edited excerpt from a 2001 sermon by Bill Lewellis at Grace Allentown] God often meets us when we are not ready, when we have other matters on our minds: when we are busy living, working, resting, cooking, laughing, hurting… when we have not consciously invoked the divine presence. At some unlikely times and places, we find we are on holy ground.
   I heard former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold tell about rushing for a train after having given a talk to a group of clergy on the need for solitude and space in our lives (on his day off!). He took a flying leap onto the station platform and ruptured his Achilles’ Tendon. As he lay in a hospital bed awaiting surgery, he read Evening Prayer for that particular Tuesday.
  In the appointed psalm (94), he came across the verse: “As often as I said, ‘My foot has slipped,’ your love, O Lord, upheld me.”
   “That,” he said, “became the word of God – or rather unleashed the word of God to me right then and there. I burst out laughing. The circumstances of my life, the scriptural word, the word within me all came together.”
   After relaying that story, Bishop Griswold proceeded to say that in order to stay open to God’s word, to God’s visitations, to God’s presence in his life, he relies upon three sentences that help him stay grounded amid daily complexities and contradictions.
   The first is from Teilhard de Chardin’s book, The Divine Milieu. “By means of all created things without exception, the divine assails us, penetrates us, and molds us.”
   The second comes from a Russian Orthodox monk who lived in the forests of Finland. When asked what he had learned from his many years of prayer and monastic life, he replied: “The very circumstances of your life will show you the way.”
   The third sentence comes from James Finley, a disciple of Thomas Merton: “A simple openness to the next human moment brings us into union with God in Christ.”
   “I am also aware,” Bishop Griswold said, “that God’s word does not present itself fully formed. It comes to us in various ways in the ebb and flow of our lives. It comes with scars.”
   We need to live the questions that life and God’s often unformed word present to us. God’s word often presents itself to us as a question rather than an answer, as something to live and struggle with.
   “Be patient with all that is unsolved in your heart,” Rainer Maria Rilke writes in his Letters to a Young Poet. “Try to love the questions themselves… Perhaps you will gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
   By means of all created things without exception, the divine assails us, penetrates us, and molds us. Some of those created things may be crosses.
   The very circumstances of your life will show you the way. Some of those circumstances may be crosses.
   A simple openness to the next human moment brings us into union with God in Christ. That moment may be a moment of conversion, transformation, resurrection.


DioBeth
• Two nominated for IX Bishop of Bethlehem … The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem released the names of two priests who will stand for election for the ninth bishop of the diocese. They are the Rev. Canon Kevin D. Nichols, 56, chief operating officer and canon for mission resources in the Diocese of New Hampshire, and the Rev. Canon Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, 55, canon to the ordinary in the Diocese of Colorado. The search committee had chosen three nominees, but one withdrew shortly before the slate was presented to the Standing Committee, which oversees the election. More info and photos.

• Special Electing Convention and Diocesan Convention Updates … A Special Electing Convention with the sole purpose of electing the IX Bishop of Bethlehem will take place April 28 at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity. The new bishop will be ordained and consecrated on September 15 at The First Presbyterian Church, Allentown.
   The Diocesan Convention, including the seating of the new bishop, will take place October 12 and 13 at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Allentown Bethlehem Center Valley. Eucharist and the seating will be held at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity. Please note the change of dates and location. The seating will be held during diocesan convention rather than the Sunday morning after the ordination and consecration so that everyone in the diocese has the opportunity to attend.
   Certificates of Election of Lay Delegates, who will serve at both the Special Electing Convention and at the Diocesan Convention, were due February 28. Certificates must be completed and sent to the diocesan office through mail, fax or to [email protected].
   Download the Certificate of Election of Lay Delegates (fillable PDF).

• St. Stephen's W-B Says Embezzlement Could Top $10,000 … [Times Leader W-B and Citizens Voice W-B, March 13] St. Stephen’s Episcopal Pro-Cathedral is missing $10,000, and the priest in charge said an investigation is trying to determine if the amount could be even higher. In a statement, the Rev. Brian Pavlac said the South Franklin Street church discovered that a member of the parish “had systematically misappropriated pledge payments and other donations made in our offering plates.” Pavlac said the individual has admitted to embezzling $10,000 in 2017, and the church is investigating if the amount is higher and whether the embezzlement began earlier. “He (the parishioner) did admit it,” Pavlac said. “We know of $10,000 being missing. We are investigating to determine if more has been taken. We really don’t know how large the amount is.”
   Pavlac said the church’s vestry board voted to report the suspected embezzlement to Wilkes-Barre City Police, and did so on Thursday, March 8. “We believe this was a necessary step, not only to insure the proper investigation of our own case, but to alert other members of the community who may have found themselves in similar situation,” Pavlac said in the release. Pavlac identified the parishioner. The Times Leader has chosen not to identify the individual, as no charges have been filed to date.
   “We’re a church that does a lot of good work in the community,” Pavlac said in a telephone interview. “I do not know the status of the police investigation. Any further criminal charges are up to law enforcement.” He did say the individual has been offered religious support. “Despite our dismay at this situation, we will continue to pray that (the parishioner) may seek amendment of life and God’s peace, and that those who love him may be comforted. A diocesan priest is providing him with pastoral care,” Pavlac said.
   St. Stephen’s has about 200 members, said Pavlac, who has been the priest in charge since the summer of 2015. Here and Here.

• DioBeth Leadership News, March 15 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, March 8 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, March 1 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.


Episcopal/Anglican


Evangelism
• Highlights (4 minutes) of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's sermon at the Opening Eucharist of Evangelism Matters … [March 15] View here.


Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here.
• Episcopal Asset Map … Here.

People

In the Media

TaleSpin
• Telling the good news in the media … [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] ROME — If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told about your congregation, it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.

• No deathbed conversion for atheist Stephen Hawking … [RNS, Kimberly Winston, March 20]  It happens a lot after famous nonbelievers die: People claim the nonbeliever had a deathbed conversion to Christianity.And it happened again after the death last week of physicist Stephen Hawking, who, by his own account, did not believe in God … But that did not stop a Facebook page called Catholics Online from claiming that Hawking uttered “I believe” in his mechanical voice after a meeting with Pope Francis just before his death. Trouble is, it isn’t true. The investigative site Snopes called the claim and its source “disreputable” before slapping the story with its bright red “FALSE” sticker. Read on.

Christianity as default is gone: the rise of a non-Christian Europe … [The Guardian, London] Europe's march towards a post-Christian society has been starkly illustrated by research showing a majority of young people in a dozen countries do not follow a religion. Read on.

Of course, you are right … A rabbi was approached by two feuding members of a congregation and asked to mediate the dispute. He met with the first member and listened carefully. At the end he nodded and said gently, "And of course you are right."
   The other disputant came over and laid out his side of the argument and again the rabbi listened carefully and at the conclusion said, "And of course, you are right."
   His wife who had heard both conversations came up to him after the second poerson had left and said "I do not understnad. You told the first one he was right and you told the second he was right. They can't both be right!" He said gently, "And of course, you are right." [Rabbi David Wolper, Chicago Tribune]


Requiescant in pace
• Edna M. Bell, 92 … died March 14. She lived in Center Valley since 2004, at Cedarbrook/Fountain Hill, these last 3 years. She was a member of St Paul’s Episcopal in Clinton NC ere she taught Sunday school and later, Grace Episcopal Allentown. Obituary.

• Nadina P. Mattes, 90 … died March 8, a week after turning 90. She was a member of the Church of the Epiphany, Glenburn, where she was a Sunday school teacher, an acolyte leader and on the altar guild. She was also a lay minister, in addition to serving on many committees and church projects. She also volunteered for numerous charitable causes. After her retirement, Nadina fulfilled a lifelong ambition of becoming a missionary for the Episcopal Church in Haiti and 10 years later in the Dominican Republic. Obituary.

• Stephen Hawking, 76 … [CNN March 14] may have been our era's greatest scientist, but he became something of a pop star, too. The British theoretical physicist died at the age of 76. His life was, quite simply, remarkable. He overcame the debilitating disease ALS to publish a series of popular books probing the universe's mysteries. He went on to become something of a cultural icon as well, with appearances on everything from "The Simpsons" to "The Big Bang Theory." Read on,

• T. Berry Brazelton, 99 … [NYT, March 14] died March 13. He was America’s most celebrated baby doctor since Benjamin Spock and the pediatrician who revolutionized our understanding of how children develop psychologically. Read on.

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• Reassessing Religion … [The Atlantic Daily March 12] People’s connections to their religions have changed greatly over the years, but recently the spotlight has turned on evangelicals, a segment of Christians undergoing a form of identity crisis in America. In our April cover story, Michael Gerson examines the group’s relationship to Trump, a president who seemingly lives beyond many traditionally Christian principles. And a new book looks at similar themes, including how leaders in the evangelical world grapple with the different perceptions people have of their faith. Read on.


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.
 

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• Ross Douthat's Francis book is poorly sourced, inadequate journalism… [NCR, Michael Sean Winters]  You would think that someone who works for a newspaper would be able to distinguish fact from fancy, to feel some sense of authorly responsibility for getting the story correct, have a nose for propaganda and insanity. In the case of Douthat's book, these attributes are missing. As I read my review copy, a paperback with no footnotes, I kept noting in the margins, "Source?" and "How would he know this?" and "That is not how bishops talk about one another." When the hardback arrived with the footnotes, I realized in the first instance that the sources were few, or a paragraph full of assertions would have a footnote that only referenced the last of those assertions. And among the sources were Life Site News, and Catholic World Report, an essay by John Zmirak and articles mostly from Edward Pentin, Sandro Magister and John Allen. If you are unfamiliar with these "sources," check them out. The first three are lunatic fringe, and the latter three display varying degrees of anti-Francis bias …
   I cannot recommend that anyone buy this book, but if you do and you retrieve it from the non-fiction section of the bookstore, you can ask for your money back. Douthat should go write novels. The editors at The New York Times should ask why they would continue to give a man capable of such dishonest prose some of their prime real estate. Let him go be among his friends at Life Site News and Catholic World Report where this kind of nonsense is standard fare. Maybe he could be the next editor of The Wanderer. He has done a disservice not only to those who seek to understand the Catholic Church but also to those of us work hard to get the true story, who base our analysis on facts not fictions, and who grow suspicious when our theses are unbalanced, in short, a disservice to journalism. This book is a disgrace. Read on.

• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.
 

The Vatican
• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness


Film and TV
• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.


Media, Print, Music, Tech
• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.

Websites
• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.
• Episcopal News Service … Here.


Podcasts
• The Bible for Normal People … Hosted by Peter Enns and Jared Byas. I especially jliked Episode 4 with Richard Rohr
• The Daily … How the news should sound. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, hosted by Michael Barbaro and powered by New York Times journalism.
• Invisibilia …Unseeable forces control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. Invisibilia—Latin for invisible things—fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently.
• Today, Explained … Vox's daily explainer podcast — bringing you the biggest news every day with guests, context, radio drama, and more
• Radio Atlantic … Weekly conversations with leading journalists and thinkers to make sense of the history happening all around us.
• Stay Tuned with Preet … Join former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for a podcast about justice and fairness.
• The Axe Files with David Axelrod … Revealing interviews with key figures in the political world.
• Pod Save America … Four former aides to President Obama — Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor — are joined by journalists, politicians, comedians, and activists for a freewheeling conversation about politics, the press and the challenges posed by the Trump presidency. 
• Trumpcast … A quasi-daily podcast from Slate chronicling Donald Trump's rise to the presidency and his current administration. With journalists, historians, psychiatrists, and other experts to help explain who this man is and why this is happening, right now, in the United States of America. 


Varia
• You probably eat more sugar than is good for you. Here's a handy guide to cutting back without sacrificing the pleasures of eating … [NYT, David Leonhardt, March 18] Here.


Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
BCP … Book of Common Prayer
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYM … New York Magazine
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]


Selected Posts from Past newSpin Newsletters that may still be of interest
• For the Poor and the Neglected … [BCP] Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

• The Serenity Prayer … God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful worldas it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. Read on.

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

 

 

newSpin 180308

newSpin, the newsletter
March 8, 2018 – Bill Lewellis

TopSpin
• President Trump’s North Korea Gamble … [Nicholas Kristof, NYT, March 8] This is stunning: President Trump has accepted an invitation from Kim Jong-un for a summit. It’s also, I think, a dangerous gamble and a bad idea. I can’t believe I’m saying that. For many years, over several trips to North Korea, I’ve argued for direct talks between the United States and North Korea, and it’s certainly better to be engaging the North than bombing it. If the choice is talk versus missiles, I’ll go with the talk. But the proper way to hold a summit is with careful preparation to make sure that the meeting advances peace — and certainly that it serves some purpose higher than simply legitimizing Kim’s regime. Kim and Trump are both showmen with a flair for the dramatic and unexpected. That would make a summit thrilling — but creates great risks if everything turns out wrong. Read on.

•  A model settlement: The wise resolution of a church property dispute … [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Editorial Board, March 3] This week the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh and nine churches that broke away from the diocese in 2008 finally settled their differences over property rights, and they did so in a refreshingly evenhanded way. Read on. Also here.

• Publishers rejected her, Christians attacked her: The deep faith of ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ author Madeleine L’Engle … [Washington Post, Sarah Pulliam Bailey March 8] Although L’Engle did not like denominational labels, she mostly attended Episcopal churches, serving for about four decades as a librarian and writer-in-residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, an Episcopal church and one of the largest cathedrals in the world.
   “The themes that are important in Christianity permeate her writing: good and bad, light and darkness,” said the Rev. Patrick Malloy, subdean of the cathedral. “She was open to questions and to looking at new ways to say old things.”
  In the 1990s, L’Engle began attending Sunday services at All Angels Church, an Episcopal church on Manhattan’s Upper West Side known for attracting artists. She wanted the smaller community of All Angels but still attended noon prayer and evensong services at St. John the Divine. Read on.
[Patrick Malloy, ID'd in the WaPo story as "subdean," is Canon for Liturgy and the Arts at St. John the Divine. He was rector of Grace Allentown for some ten years during the first decade of this century.]

• Madeleine L’Engle’s Christianity was vital to A Wrinkle in Time. The new Disney movie has excised L’Engle’s faith. … [Vox, Tara Isabella Burton, Mar 8] Here,

• An Ignatian guide to a 'A Wrinkle in Time' … [America, Eric Sundrup, March 9] I watched “A Wrinkle in Time” sitting next to a religious sister in full habit. I was disguised in civilian garb, so it was less obvious that I was a Jesuit priest. By the end of the film, I felt a tinge of guilt. I should have been in clerics—wearing all my commitments visibly—because this film was inviting all of us to wear our hearts on our sleeves, to be honest and unabashedly earnest, to hope. It is a demanding task for adults in the age of Trump, and much to their credit, I think the children will have an easier time of it. We need to pay attention to them. Read on.

• DioBeth General News, March 1 … Here.
• DioBeth Leadership News, Feb. 15 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Feb. 22 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, Feb. 8 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.


********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********

Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics.
• In blow to Trump, Supreme Court won't hear appeal of DACA ruling … [NBC News, Pete Williams, Feb. 26] The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear the Trump administration's appeal of a federal judge's ruling that requires the government to keep the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program going. Under a lower court order that remains in effect, the Department of Homeland Security must continue to accept applications to renew DACA status from the roughly 700,000 young people, known as Dreamers, who are currently enrolled. The administration's deadline of March 5, when it intended to shut the program down, is now largely meaningless. Read on.

• Is God in this Picture? … [Editors of Commonweal, March 6] Right-wing Christians support Donald Trump in the hope that he’ll change the tide of the culture wars. Despite the president’s narcissistic and debaucherous private life and tendency toward “deception, fraud, and shameless bravado,” some Christians believe that “Trump is in the White House for a reason,” that God will use this flawed instrument to reverse what supporters insist is “the nation’s precipitous cultural decline.” But this stance “seems to confuse the political agenda of conservative Evangelical Christians with God’s will.” Contrary to what these Christians believe, “to the extent that conservative Christians bind themselves to this president, all of us will have a ‘front row seat’ on the further decline of Christian influence in America.” Read on.

• The Man behind the Trump Dossier … [The New Yorker, Jane Mayer, March 12] How the ex-spy tried to warn the world about Trump’s ties to Russia. Read on.

 

SpiritSpin
• Lent – Time for a Cool Change … If there's one thing in my life that's missing, it's the time that I spend alone. Listen.

• A prayer before anything … [Bill] Be attentive. Be intelligent. Be reasonable. Be responsible. Be in Love. And, if necessary, change. Let us pray: Guide us, gracious God. May we be … Attentive to our experience, to the voices and hearts of those around us, Intelligent in our interpretation of that to which we have been attentive. Reasonable in our judgments about what we have understood. Responsible in our decisions about how we will act on our judgments. And always open to inner conversion, to transformation in your truth and your love

• We're already in the presence of God … [Richard Rohr] What's absent is awareness.

• Nothing is more practical … than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way.
   What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.
  It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
   Fall in love, stay in love and it widecide everything.
[Origin uncertain: frequently attributed to Pedro Arrupe, S.J. (1907-1991) Superior General of the Society of Jesus 1961-1984.]

• Forgiving the others as well … [I’ve long been challenged by this story.] The elect, some who were greatly discriminated against in life, gather outside the heavenly gates, confident that their good works have secured their reservations inside. Suddenly, they become aware of a rumor spreading among them. The rumor is this: “He’s going to forgive the others as well.” Many of them are beside themselves over all the trouble they went through to secure their reservations. They become part of a storm of indignant protest. They question God’s justice. They feel that God’s receiving the others as well somehow diminishes their own suffering and good works. They become furious. They curse God. At that instant, they judge themselves, damned to a world where you get only justice, no more. Final judgment. They refused to acknowledge love.

• Saved by Faith –– Created for Good Works … [A slightly edited excerpt from a 2006 homily, Lent 4B, by Bill Lewellis, Eph. 2:4-10] There was a time I thought faith and belief were simply two words for the same reality. I no longer think that. I have come to experience faith as quite different from belief. Read on,

• How to talk about death … [Commonweal, Feb. 17] Eternity is not to be confused with perpetuity. The central Christian event is not survival but resurrection—a radical transformation at odds with the consoling continuity of “living on.” Read on.

• A Man and his Dog … A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery. It suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading. After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, the wall was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. He saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother of pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.
  He and the dog walked toward the gate. He saw someone, and called out, "Excuse me, where are we?" "This is heaven,” came the answer. "Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked. "Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."
   The gate began to open. "Can my friend come in, too?" the traveler asked. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets." The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road which led through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw someone inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
   "Excuse me!" he called to the reader. "Do you have any water?" "Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there. Come on in." "How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog. "There should be a bowl by the pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.
   When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the one who was standing by the tree waiting for them. "What do you call this place?" the traveler asked. "This is heaven," was the answer. "Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "Down the road, they said that was heaven, too." "Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell." "Doesn't it make you mad that they use your name like that?" "No. I can see how you might think so, but we're just happy that they screen out the folks who'll leave their best friends behind".

• Saying a Prayer I Don't Believe In … [NYT, Jay P. Lefkowitz, March 1] Like countless Jews before me, I am saying Kaddish, the traditional Jewish prayer of mourning. Three times a day, wherever I am in the world, I strive to find a minyan (quorum) so I can recite these ancient Aramaic verses as a last measure of devotion to my father.
   The Kaddish is probably the most famous of all Jewish prayers. Leonard Bernstein set it to music in his Third Symphony; Allen Ginsberg wrote a poem by the same name upon the passing of his mother. In Tony Kushner’s play “Angels in America,” two of the characters say the full Kaddish over Roy Cohn’s dead body. And it was chanted by Neil Diamond, playing a cantor, in “The Jazz Singer,” and by all of the workers in the factory in the last scene of “Schindler’s List.” Most improbably, it is even recited by Rocky Balboa when he mourns the passing of his beloved trainer, Mickey, in “Rocky III.”
   Yet, the Kaddish is an odd prayer to have become the centerpiece of mourning. Despite its association with death and dying, it does not mention the word death. Instead, it is an endlessly repetitive celebration of the glory of God.
   Whatever its origins, the text of the prayer leaves me cold. Each day as I say the Kaddish, I struggle with the fact that I am praising a God who, according to Jewish tradition, created the world “according to His Will.” Does God really will that the world endure the cruelty and suffering we see so often? And, on a more personal level, did God will that my father, an intellectual who suffered from dementia, would lose the ability to communicate and have the mental faculties of a 5-year-old
   The essential gift of the Kaddish is that it fosters community for a person who has just suffered a searing loss of a parent or sibling, spouse or child, even when we find ourselves far from home.
   Even if the words themselves offer little comfort, I take great satisfaction in this communal act of prayer; of hearing the voices of others respond to my own prayers; and of being welcomed and enveloped by a larger and transcendent community. And in that experience, I honor and reconnect with my father. Read on.

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• Spirit Resources
 ... way below


Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• Francis invites change, but we are the change … [Joan Chittister, NCR, March 10] Five years ago, for instance, we moved from one style of church to another. It happened quietly but it landed in the middle of the faithful like the Book of Revelation. Gone were the images of finger-waving popes, stories of theological investigations, and the public scoldings and excommunications of people who dared to question the ongoing value of old ways. Read on

• A Quiet Exodus: Why Black Worshipers Are Leaving White Evangelical Churches … [NYT, Campbell Robertson, March 9] Megachurches around the country were trying to racially integrate and finding some success. Then came the 2016 election. Read on.

DioBeth
• Two nominated for IX Bishop of Bethlehem … The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem released the names of two priests who will stand for election for the ninth bishop of the diocese. They are the Rev. Canon Kevin D. Nichols, 56, chief operating officer and canon for mission resources in the Diocese of New Hampshire, and the Rev. Canon Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, 55, canon to the ordinary in the Diocese of Colorado. The search committee had chosen three nominees, but one withdrew shortly before the slate was presented to the Standing Committee, which oversees the election. More info and photos.

• Special Electing Convention and Diocesan Convention Updates … A Special Electing Convention with the sole purpose of electing the IX Bishop of Bethlehem will take place April 28 at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity. The new bishop will be ordained and consecrated on September 15 at The First Presbyterian Church, Allentown.
   The Diocesan Convention, including the seating of the new bishop, will take place October 12 and 13 at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Allentown Bethlehem Center Valley. Eucharist and the seating will be held at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity. Please note the change of dates and location. The seating will be held during diocesan convention rather than the Sunday morning after the ordination and consecration so that everyone in the diocese has the opportunity to attend.
   Certificates of Election of Lay Delegates, who will serve at both the Special Electing Convention and at the Diocesan Convention, were due February 28. Certificates must be completed and sent to the diocesan office through mail, fax or to [email protected].
   Download the Certificate of Election of Lay Delegates (fillable PDF).

Jubilate, Lent Year B 2018 (WORD)
Jubilate, Lent Year B 2018 (PDF)

• DioBeth General News, March 1 … Here.
• DioBeth Leadership News, Feb. 15 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Feb. 22 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, Feb. 8 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here. 


Episcopal/Anglican
• GC Liturgy and Music committee offers church a plan to unscramble its calendar of saints … [Mary Frances Schjonberg, March 5] ‘Situation of great confusion’ was 10 years in the making, Read on,

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here
• Episcopal Asset Map … Here.
• Additional Resources
 ... way below

People

In the Media

TaleSpin
• In Vatican magazine exposé, nuns reveal their economic exploitation … [NYTimes, March 1] ROME — Sister Marie told of nuns who worked long hours to cook and clean for cardinals and bishops, without being asked to break bread at the same table. Sister Paule pointed out that many nuns did not have registered contracts with the bishops, schools, parishes or congregations they worked for, “so they are paid little or not at all.” Sister Cécile said that “nuns are seen as volunteers to have available at one’s calling, which gives rise to abuse of power.”
   These stories — told by sisters using pseudonyms — were revealed Thursday in an exposé about how nuns are exploited by the leaders and institutions of the Roman Catholic Church. The article, by the French journalist Marie-Lucile Kubacki, was published in the March edition of Women Church World, the monthly magazine on women distributed alongside the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano. The stories amount to a distress signal about the unfair economic and social conditions many nuns experience, as well as the psychological and spiritual challenges that many face. Read on.
   [Bill] I witnessed – at times was the unwitting beneficiary of – this exploitation, both in the U.S. and in Rome.

• The Opioid Crisis is the worst Addiction Epidemic in American History … [TIME Magazine, March 5, 2018] Drug overdoses kill more than 64,000 people per year — roughly as many as were lost in the entire Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined – and the nation’s life expectancy has fallen for two years in a row. Over the last year, photographer James Nachtwey set out to document the opioid crisis in America through the people on its front lines. Alongside TIME’s deputy director of photography, Paul Moakley, the pair traveled the country gathering stories from users, families, first responders and others at the heart of the epidemic.
  Pharmaceutical companies helped spark this epidemic by aggressively marketing opioids as low-risk solutions for long-term chronic pain. We now know that they’re anything but ­low-risk—and yet drug­makers have continued to push opioids and reward doctors who prescribe them. Attempts to crack down on prescriptions have helped, but Americans are still prescribed far more opioids than anyone else in the world—enough for almost every adult in the country to have their own bottle of pills.
  Political efforts in Washington have also been insufficient. In October, the White House declared a public-health emergency but did not grant any additional money for the crisis. The position of drug czar remains unfilled, and a limit on Medicaid reimbursements for large facilities remains in place, though the President’s own opioid commission suggested that lifting it would be “the single fastest way to increase treatment availability across the nation.”
   This issue of TIME, the first in our 95-year history devoted to the work of a single photographer, is an effort to go beyond charts and policy.
  Prescriptions gave way to cheaper, stronger alternatives. Why scrounge for a $50 pill of Percocet when a tab of heroin can be had for $5? Synthetic opioids, which have flooded into the U.S. from high-volume labs in China and Mexico, are even more potent—and a potentially fatal dose costs less than a Big Mac.
  The actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who fatally overdosed after years of battling addiction, left behind a family. “When Phil died four years ago, I was so overwhelmed, vulnerable and cracked open that anger became my protective shield, the only thing between me and collapse,” wrote Hoffman’s wife Mimi O’Donnell, in an essay for this project. “I wondered if I had talked to more people, asked for more help—screamed louder—if it would have saved his life.”
  In the absence of a major national initiative, people across the country have gone to extraordinary lengths to help where they can. They bring food, medical supplies and clean needles to kids living on the streets of San Francisco, in the shadow of the tech world’s billionaire dream factories. They work to steer people into treatment programs and out of the over­burdened and ill-equipped prison system. They adopt their own grandchildren—or foster kids whose own families can no longer care for them. They open their own homes to pregnant users, offering them a reason to believe that their life—and their child’s—can be different.
  Finding a way out will not be easy, particularly at a time of partisan division when national will is so hard to muster. But the need to act is urgent, and the map is increasingly clear: first, we need to recognize that addiction is a disease. The opioid epidemic must be seen as a public-health crisis rather than a moral failure. That means expanding access to medically assisted treatment and counseling, which is widely considered to be the most effective method of getting people off of opioids for good, yet is available to far fewer people than all those who need it. We must enhance efforts to reduce the supply, through the work of law enforcement, by regulating lawful prescriptions and by encouraging other strategies for managing pain. And, finally, we need to confront problems such as the growing economic divide, unaffordable health care and the diminished employment opportunities for those without a college degree which are helping fuel demand in the first place.
  An effort of this order will be a massive undertaking. It will require cooperation between the federal government, local officials, law enforcement and public-health leaders—and far more money than has been set aside so far. In early February, Congress allocated $6 billion to helpTi—experts in the field say the amount needs to be at least 25 times that to make a permanent dent.
  To see the faces and hear the stories of those with the most at stake is to begin to reckon with the crisis. As Nachtwey once put it: “We must look at it. We’re required to look at it. We’re required to do what we can about it. If we don’t, who will?”

[Bill] As I paged through this issue of TIME, viewing and reading most of it, in hard copy and online, I felt that a significant step toward the solution of the opioid crisis was in my hands and on my screen. This issue of TIME presents an insightful draft for a middle and high-school curriculum on the crisis. If local school boards cannot finance this, perhaps a combination of federal and state funds along with contributions from foundations and people such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffet might. In any event, we must be able to do better than the White House which in October declared a public-health emergency but did not grant any additional money for the crisis. Thanks. Page on.

How 'The Big Lebowski' Taught Judaism … [RNS, Jeffrey Salkin,  March 7] I know that you will kick yourself for not remembering, but March 6 marked the twentieth anniversary of one of the great cult films of our time, “The Big Lebowski.”
   “The Big Lebowski,” directed by the Coen brothers, is the ultimate stoner classic – the shaggy dog story of the Dude and his quest to seek revenge for a urinated-upon rug. It has a great cast: Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi (“Shut the f_____ up, Donny!”) Sam Elliott, Julianne Moore, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, and John Turturro.
   But, Jews remember the film for yet another reason – and that would be the immortal performance of John Goodman as Walter. Read on.

Requiescant in pace
• Georgia Johnson Besecker, 88 … died February 3. She was a member of Prince of Peace Dallas. Obituary.

• Martha Grace Matos, 88 … died on February 27. She was a member of Christ Church Forest City where she taught Sunday school. Obituary.

• Eleanor and John, 93, Deykes … John died on February 19. Eleanor died six days later. Married for 72 years, they were members of St. Mark's Moscow where Eleanor had served on the Altar Guild and John had been Treasurer. Obituaries.

• Kenneth E. Banzhof, 70 … died on February 24. He  was a member of Mediator Allentown. Obituary.

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.
 

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• The Scandal of Firing LGBT Catholics… [CommonweL, John Gehring, Feb. 16] Last week’s firing of a first-grade Catholic school teacher who married her same-sex partner again raises the question of whether Catholic institutions are selectively enforcing the church’s sexual ethics in ways that unfairly target gays and lesbians. As these firings become increasingly common, Catholic leaders must acknowledge the deep wounds they are causing to people who love and serve the church. A more prudent, and ultimately, more Christian, response is needed in these complex cases. Read on.

• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.
 

The Vatican
• Former president of Ireland tells pope to develop 'credible strategy' for women's inclusion … [NCR, Joshua McElwee, March 8] Vatican City –– Mary McAleese, the former president of Ireland, has called on Pope Francis to develop a "credible strategy" to include women at every level in the Catholic Church's global structure, saying their exclusion from decision-making roles "has left the church flapping about awkwardly on one wing." McAleese, speaking at the annual Voices of Faith event March 8, said the church "has long since been a primary global carrier of the virus of misogyny." "Today, we challenge Pope Francis to develop a credible strategy for the inclusion of women as equals throughout the church's root and branch infrastructure, including its decision-making," she told a packed crowd in a small hall at the Jesuit order's Rome headquarters outside the Vatican's walls but on the city-state's territory. Read on.

• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness


Film and TV
• New 'Pope' series on CNN … [America, John Anderson, March 9] Quite a few readers of America will know more going in than they will get from “Pope: The Most Powerful Man in History.” But the intent isn’t to woo scholars and theologians but rather an audience less familiar with history’s 266 pontiffs, the scope of their power, their various peccadilloes and the peculiarities of papal history. What’s the problem? That the creators of the program didn’t think their utterly fascinating subject was going to be quite fascinating enough. Read on

Media, Print, Music, Tech

Websites
• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.
• Episcopal News Service … Here.


Podcasts
• The Bible for Normal People …
• The Daily …
• Invisibilia …
• The Day Explained
• The Hive …
• Radio Atlantic …
• Stay Tuned with Preet …
• The Axe Files with David Axelrodj …
• Pod Save America …


Varia
• 14 Ways to Eat Healthy on the Cheap … [Web MD] Keep your pantry stocked with these inexpensive, nutrient-packed foods. Most cost less than 50 cents per serving. Read on,


Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
BCP … Book of Common Prayer
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYM … New York Magazine
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]


Selected Posts from Past newSpin Newsletters that may still be of interest
• For the Poor and the Neglected … [BCP] Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

• The Serenity Prayer … God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful worldas it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. Read on.

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

 

 

newSpin 180125

newSpin, the newsletter
January 25, 2018 – Bill Lewellis

TopSpin
• Special Electing Convention and Diocesan Convention Updates … A Special Electing Convention with the sole purpose of electing the IX Bishop of Bethlehem will take place April 28 at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity. The new bishop will be ordained and consecrated on September 15 at The First Presbyterian Church, Allentown.
   The Diocesan Convention, including the seating of the new bishop, will take place October 12 and 13 at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Allentown Bethlehem Center Valley. Eucharist and the seating will be held at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity. Please note the change of dates and location. The seating will be held during diocesan convention rather than the Sunday morning after the ordination and consecration so that everyone in the diocese has the opportunity to attend.
   Certificates of Election of Lay Delegates, who will serve at both the Special Electing Convention and at the Diocesan Convention, are due February 28. Certificates must be completed and sent to the diocesan office through mail, fax or to [email protected].
   Download the Certificate of Election of Lay Delegates (fillable PDF).

• The Avengers … [The cover and cover story of TIME, Jan. 29] First they marched. Now they're running. Call it payback, call it a revolution, call it the Pink Wave, inspired by marchers in their magenta hats, and the activism that followed. There is an unprecedented surge of first-time female candidates, overwhelmingly Democratic, running for offices big and small, from the U.S. Senate and state legislatures to local school boards. At least 79 women are exploring runs for governor in 2018, potentially doubling a record for female candidates set in 1994, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. The number of Democratic women likely challenging incumbents in the U.S. House of Representatives is up nearly 350% from 41 women in 2016. Roughly 900 women contacted Emily’s List, which recruits and trains pro-choice Democratic women, about running for office from 2015 to 2016; since President Trump’s election, more than 26,000 women have reached out about launching a campaign. The group had to knock down a wall in its Washington office to make room for more staff. Read on.

• Letter to the Episcopal Church from the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies  [Jan. 22] In recent weeks, compelling testimony from women who have been sexually harassed and assaulted by powerful men has turned our minds to a particularly difficult passage of holy scripture: the story of the rape of King David’s daughter Tamar by her half-brother Amnon (2 Samuel 13: 1-22). It is a passage in which a conspiracy of men plots the exploitation and rape of a young woman. She is stripped of the power to speak or act, her father ignores the crime, and the fate of the rapist, not the victim, is mourned. It is a Bible story devoid of justice.
  For more than two decades, African women from marginalized communities have studied this passage of scripture using a method called contextual Bible study to explore and speak about the trauma of sexual assault in their own lives. Using a manual published by the Tamar Campaign they ask, “What can the Church do to break the silence against gender-based violence?” Read on.

• The church that thrives in a ghost town … [BBC] In Pennsylvania's coal-mining mountains, there's an empty grid where a town once lived. Once, there were homes and gardens. Now there are weeds. Before Centralia started burning from below, more than a thousand people lived here. At the last count, there were six. The town of Centralia, Pennsylvania, has been left to die -- but its last remaining church is thriving. Read on.

• DioBeth Leadership News, Jan. 18 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Jan. 11 … Here.  
• DioBeth General News, Jan. 4 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.

********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********

Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics.
• Trump’s words may have been shocking, but they can’t be seen as surprising … [Columbia Journalism Review, Peter Vernon, Jan. 12] Meeting with lawmakers Jan. 11 in the Oval Office, President Trump expressed his displeasure with the bipartisan immigration deal being discussed. “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Trump asked, referencing immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations. The Washington Post’s Josh Dawsey broke the story, reporting that Trump next suggested the US should instead prioritize people from countries such as Norway.
  Trump’s words may have been shocking, but they can’t be seen as surprising. His history of racist comments stretches back decades, and it was only weeks ago that The New York Times reported that the president, again in an Oval Office meeting, said Haitian immigrants "all have AIDS" and Nigerians who visit the US would never "go back to their huts." Yesterday’s comments were nothing new for a man who launched his political profile on the lie that Barack Obama wasn’t a true American. Read on. Also here.

• 'An assault on the body of the Church' … [The Atlantic, Emma Green, Jan. 22] Catholic parishes have been hit hard by President Trump’s decision to suspend Temporary Protected Status for Salvadorans. – A woman fled El Salvador in fear of violence, just months before a deadly series of earthquakes destroyed many Salvadorans’ lives and homes. She settled in Maryland with her husband’s family and started to build a life. She worked first in hotel housekeeping, then as a teaching assistant at a neighborhood school. She had four children, who excelled in school. She invested deeply in her local Catholic church, serving as a catechist and usher, working with kids on Sunday mornings, and hosting a small prayer group in her home.
   Now, after nearly two decades in the United States, the Trump administration may be sending her back to El Salvador, a country that still suffers from one of the world’s highest homicide rates, destabilizing gang activity, and a stalled economy. Many immigration advocates have pushed back on the decision, but perhaps none more strongly than the U.S. Catholic Church. Catholic leaders see these deportations not as a left-right political issue, but as threat to the families that make up the heart of their communities. As one local priest told me, “I see it as an assault on the body of the Church.” Read on.

• Deportation in America … [The New Yorker Radio Hour podcast with David Remnick, Jan. 12] A tougher stance on immigration is the signature position of the Trump Administration, and the President’s first year in office has been marked by sharply increased numbers of arrests of unauthorized immigrants. In this hour, we explore immigration and deportation from the perspective of a Wisconsin dairy farm, a conservative Washington think tank, the mother of a deportee, and a sanctuary church where a woman is hiding in plain sight from immigration enforcement.
  In the first segment, about 8 minutes, Amanda Morales Guerra, fleeing deportation, is hiding from ICE, and its officers know exactly where: at the Holyrood Episcopal Church in Washington Heights NYC, where the congregation has given her sanctuary. Listen.

• Salvadorans at risk of losing immigration status find support in churches … [RNS, Jan. 17] When German Fernandez learned last week that the Trump administration plans to end Temporary Protected Status for him and around 200,000 other immigrants from El Salvador, it was a nightmare come true. “When I saw the news, I could express no words,” he said. “TPS has protected me for 18 years.”
   When the program allowing undocumented Salvadoran immigrants to live and work in the United States ends next year, many will be at risk of deportation to a country that is racked by horrific gang violence. But rather than succumb to despair, many Salvadorans — who are overwhelmingly Christian — are finding hope, support and empowerment in churches that are working with advocacy groups and faith-based coalitions to offer assistance. Fernandez, who has been sending money he makes in the U.S. back to his family in El Salvador, has found support at St. Matthew’s Parish, an Episcopal church in the Washington suburb of Hyattsville, Md., where about 40 percent of the congregation’s roughly 800 members are Salvadoran TPS holders. Read on.

• Joan Chittister calls for formal censure of President Trump … [NCR, Jan. 18] Martin Luther King Jr. wrote once, "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." It's the congressional silence in the face of President Donald Trump's unpresidential, international insult of black countries that is bothering me right now. It is difficult to decide which is worse: A president unworthy of the office or a Congress unworthy of their power and place in American society. A Congress that stands by meekly — silently — while the standards of the presidency and the character of the nation deteriorate from the top down also betray us. Congress and its leaders say not an official word of public censure about the racism that has been exposed in relation to our immigration policies. The silence in this case is not virtue. By saying nothing about the racism that underlies the president's attack on black countries, Congress abdicates its responsibility to the nature of American democracy. Read on.

• The Republican's Guide to Presidential Etiquette … [NYTimes Editorial Board, Jan. 20] When the editorial board published the first edition of the Republican’s Guide to Presidential Etiquette last May, we hoped to provide a helpful reminder to those morally upright members of the G.O.P. who were once so concerned about upholding standards of presidential decorum. Remember the hand-wringing when Barack Obama wore a tan suit or tossed a football in the Oval Office? Yet even as the current occupant of the White House continues to find new and shocking ways to defile his office, congressional Republicans have only lashed themselves more tightly to him. The examples come so fast that it’s easy to forget that the last one happened just four days ago, or just this morning.
  As part of our continuing effort to resist the exhausting and numbing effects of living under a relentlessly abusive and degrading president, we present, for the third time in nine months, an updated guide to what Republicans now consider to be acceptable behavior from the commander in chief. As before, these examples, drawn from incidents or disclosures in the last three-plus months, do not concern policy decisions — only the president’s words and actions. And no, we’re not even opening that Michael Wolff book. Read on.

• Lawmaker gets Sunday-shooled over botched religious reference … A GOP congressman called thousands of missing FBI text messages “the greatest coincidence since the Immaculate Conception,” then struggled to explain just what he meant. Here

SpiritSpin
• For the Poor and the Neglected … [BCP] Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

• The Serenity Prayer … God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful worldas it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. Read on.

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• Spirit Resources
 ... way below


Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• Are we there yet? Imagine that! … [Bill Lewellis, The Morning Call, Jan. 21] Are we there yet? You may remember saying that. You may remember how slowly time moved. Your fullness of life was ahead of you. You perceived your days as plodding on. Toward fullness. That perception was your reality. Fullness came. Too busy to notice? You became used to time’s movement, perceived usually as neither slow nor fast. Now in my 81st year, time flies. In two-week increments. Read on. Also here.

DioBeth
• Jubilate, Advent 2017 to Last Epiphany 2018, and weekly Prayers of the People … Linked here from Trinity Bethlehem.
Under "More Resources" way below.

• Data and Analysis from the 2016 Parochial Reports … of the Episcopal Church are available here.

• DioBeth Leadership News, Jan. 18 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Jan. 11 … Here.  
• DioBeth General News, Jan. 4 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.


Episcopal/Anglican
• House of Deputies newsletter … [January] Here.

• England's cathedrals face financial crisis as running costs soar … [The (London) Guardian] A significant number of England's 42 historic Anglican cathedrals are at "severe financial risk" and some have ineffective and under-resourced management, an investigation set up by the archbishops of Canterbury and York has found. Read on.

• The Good Book Club … [ENS]  Resources now available. Here. Also, Join the Journey 30-minute webinar, Jan. 31, 3:30pm here.

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD

• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here
• Episcopal Asset Map … Here.
• Additional Resources
 ... way below


People
• Mother Laura Howell … On January 7, Trinity Bethlehem held a special celebration to give thanks for the ministry of the Rev. Canon Laura Howell upon her retirement. Emeritus Archdeacon Rick Cluett delivered the sermon at the Eucharist. Find the text here. Retirement? "You are sending me off to assist St. Margaret’s in Emmaus and St. Barnabas in Kutztown, two small parishes which are in need of clergy," Mother Laura said during her own reflection at Eucharist. "The spiritual formation and experience which I gained working with you will now be shared with yet more people in your name."

• Dr. James Day, son of Canon Ginny and the Rev. Charles Day, was selected to be director of the Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College. Read on.


In the Media


TaleSpin
• Inside one of America's last pencil factories … [NYTimes Magazine] Interesting story. Great photography.
  A pencil is a little wonder-wand: a stick of wood that traces the tiniest motions of your hand as it moves across a surface. I am using one now, making weird little loops and slashes to write these words. As a tool, it is admirably sensitive. The lines it makes can be fat or thin, screams or whispers, blocks of concrete or blades of grass, all depending on changes of pressure so subtle that we would hardly notice them in any other context. (The difference in force between a bold line and nothing at all would hardly tip a domino.) And while a pencil is sophisticated enough to track every gradation of the human hand, it is also simple enough for a toddler to use.
  Such radical simplicity is surprisingly complicated to produShe was active both locally and nationally in the Episcopal Church, having been appointed to the Governing Board of the National Council of Churches in New York. As a member of the Church of the Mediator, Allentown, Anne served as a representative to the Episcopal Church of the United States. Her past service included being a member of the executive committee of the Lehigh County Conference of Churches, as well as a lay delegate to the Pennsylvania Council of Churches. Anne is credited with developing the clergy dialogues and instrumental in developing Consultation on Church Union. She was passionate about finding common points of intersece. Since 1889, the General Pencil Company has been converting huge quantities of raw materials (wax, paint, cedar planks, graphite) into products you can find, neatly boxed and labeled, in art and office-supply stores across the nation: watercolor pencils, editing pencils, sticks of charcoal, pastel chalks. Even as other factories have chased higher profit margins overseas, General Pencil has stayed put, cranking out thousands upon thousands of writing instruments in the middle of Jersey City. Read on.

• 1 Son, 4 Overdoses, 6 Hours … [NYT Jan. 21] The first time Patrick Griffin overdosed one afternoon in May, he was still breathing when his father and sister found him on the floor around 1:30. When he came to, he was in a foul mood and began arguing with his father, who was fed up with his son’s heroin and fentanyl habit. The torrent of people who have died in the opioid crisis has transfixed and horrified the nation, with overdose now the leading cause of death for Americans under 50.
   Patrick, 34, feeling morose and nauseated, lashed out. He sliced a love seat with a knife, smashed a glass bowl, kicked and broke a side table and threatened to kill himself. Shortly after 3, he darted into the bathroom, where he shot up and overdosed again. He fell limp, turned blue and lost consciousness. His family called 911. Emergency medical workers revived him with Narcan, the antidote that reverses opioid overdoses.
   Throughout the afternoon his parents, who are divorced, tried to persuade Patrick to go into treatment. His father told him he could not live with him anymore, setting off another shouting match. Around 4, Patrick slipped away and shot up a third time. He overdosed again, and emergency workers came back and revived him again. They took him to a hospital, but Patrick checked himself out.
   Back at his mother’s house and anxious to stave off withdrawal, he shot up again around 7:30, overdosing a fourth time in just six hours. His mother, frantic, tried pumping his chest, to no avail, and feared he was dead. Rescue workers returned and administered three doses of Narcan to bring him back. At that point, an ambulance took him to the hospital under a police escort and his parents — terrified, angry and wrung out — had him involuntarily admitted.
   Most drug users do not die. Far more, like Patrick, are snared for years in a consuming, grinding, unending cycle of addiction. Read on.

• The Promise … [The Guardian, Tom McCarthy] After a year of interviews in Northampton County, which voted twice for Obama before supporting Trump, the Guardian’s project ends at the closed-down furnaces of Bethlehem Steel. It has become clear that Trump has lost a critical measure of support in the county, though his base remains strong. Read on


Requiescant in pace
• Anne C. Shire, 89 … died on January 15. She had been a member of the Episcopal Church of the Mediator, Allentown. She was active both locally and nationally in the Episcopal Church, having been appointed to the Governing Board of the National Council of Churches in New York. As a member of the Church of the Mediator, Allentown, Anne served as a representative to the Episcopal Church of the United States. Her past service included being a member of the executive committee of the Lehigh County Conference of Churches, as well as a lay delegate to the Pennsylvania Council of Churches. Anne is credited with developing the clergy dialogues and instrumental in developing Consultation on Church Union. She was passionate about finding common points of intersection of different faiths. Obituary.

• June Weidner Holt, 92 … died on January 22. She was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Mediator, Allentown. Obituary.

• F. Jean Ebling, 84 … a member of Trinity Pottsville, died on January 20. Obituary.

• Garson W. Wunderlich Jr, 89 … died on January 11. He was a member of St. Gabriel's Douglasville where he served on the vestry and as junior warden. Obituary.

• Ralph H. "Jim" Imschweiler Jr, 90 … died on January 9. He was a member of Trinity Pottsville. Obituary.

• Angelina Ciervo Burkhart, 88 … died on January 11. She was a member of St. Alban's Sinking Spring. Obituary.  

• Walter R. Weaver Jr, 71 … died on January 11. He was a member of St. Anne's Trexlertown. Obituary.

• Gloria J. Palmisano, 86 … died on January 23. She was a member of St. Mary's Wind Gap where she served on the Altar Guild, and was instrumental in starting and running St. Mary's Hoagies fund raiser. Obituary.
 

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.

•Evangelical chaplain's suspension intensifies ECC's marriage debate  … [RNS, Adelle Banks, Jan. 11] The suspension of a popular evangelical university chaplain has highlighted tensions over same-sex marriage in a growing Protestant denomination that forbids it but also takes pride in its willingness to allow congregants to hold opinions contrary to church doctrine. The Rev. Judy Peterson, ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church and pastor at its flagship North Park University in Chicago, presided at the wedding of two men in April. That act resulted in her suspension and then a petition drive calling on ECC leaders to place a moratorium on their guidelines forbidding clergy to officiate at same-sex weddings. The petition had more than 4,270 signatures as of Thursday (Jan. 11). Members of the ECC — which has more than 850 churches in North America, with about 225,000 weekly attenders — have grappled with the issue much as have other Protestant denominations. Other ECC pastors also face disciplinary action for taking part in the nuptials of gay couples or affirming them in other ways. Read on.

• Why so many Americans think Buddhism is just a philosophy … [The Conversation, Jan. 22] Traditional Buddhism does in fact have many deities, doctrines and rituals, as well as sacred texts, ordained priests, ethics, sectarian developments and other elements that one would typically associate with any organized religion. But at the 1893 World Parliament, the Buddhist masters favorably presented their meditative tradition to modern America only as a practical philosophy, not a religion. This perception of Buddhism persists in America to this day. The Buddhists did not deliberately misrepresent their tradition or just tell the Americans what they wanted to hear. They were genuine in their attempt to make a 2500-year old tradition relevant to the late 19th century. But in the end they only transplanted but a few branches of Buddhism’s much larger tree into American soil. Only a few cuttings of Buddhist philosophy, art and meditation came into America, while many other traditional elements of the Buddhist religion remained behind in Asia.
   The popular construction of nonreligious Buddhism has contributed much to the contemporary “spiritual but not religious” phenomenon, as well as to the secularized and commodified mindfulness movement in America. We may have only transplanted a fraction of the larger bodhi tree of religious Buddhism in America, but our cutting has adapted and taken root in our secular, scientific and highly commercialized age. For better and for worse, it’s Buddhism, American-style. Read on.

• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.  

• The Protestant Reformation …  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation



Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.
 

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• Study asks: Why are young Catholics going, going, gone? … [NCR, Julie Bourbon, Jan. 22] A new report on young adults who no longer identify as Catholic is attempting to understand why so many have "disaffiliated" from the faith they were born into. It comes at a time when more young people than ever before are leaving the church, even as those losses are being offset by Hispanic immigration to the U.S. Whether it's feelings of being judged by religious leaders who don't know or understand them, or being forced by their parents to attend church, or witnessing the sexual abuse scandal and the hypocrisy of church hierarchy, young people are expressing a desire both to break free from organized religion and to be part of a community. Read on

• 'An assault on the body of the Church' … [The Atlantic, Emma Green, Jan. 22] Catholic parishes have been hit hard by President Trump’s decision to suspend Temporary Protected Status for Salvadorans. ” Read on.

• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.

The Vatican
• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness
• The surprising predictors of a long, healthy life … Read on.


Media/Print/Films/TV/Music/Tech
• Two new Netflix original documentary series … Dirty Money, premiering Jan. 26, takes on corporate greed. Six episodes from Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions feature multiple directors tackling various subjects related to scandal and corruption in the world of business. Says Netflix, “Using first-hand accounts from perpetrators and their victims, combined with rarely-seen video footage, this addictive series keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.”
   Rotten began Jan. 5. Six episodes tackle food biz corruption. From the team behind Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown and The Mind of a Chef, Rotten, as Netflix describes, “gives food the true crime treatment, diving deep into the food production underworld to expose the corruption, waste and real dangers behind your everyday eating habits. In a world where huge global supply-chains are increasingly intertwined and consolidated, this series starts on your dinner plate… and follows the money to the shocking consequences—intended or not—of regulation, innovation and greed.” Read on.

Websites, Podcasts and Blogs
• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.
• Episcopal News Service … Here. Story here.

• The Axe Files with David Axelrod … This podcast includes revealing interviews with key figures in the political world. David Axelrod is the founder and director of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. Recent interviews with Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich (especially good), Preet Bharara, Steve Kerr, Frank Bruni, Kathleen Seebelius, Donna Brazile, Tony Blair, Christiane Amanpour, Susan Rice, Ta-Nehisi Coates.

• The Daily … Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, hosted by Michael Barbaro and powered by New York Times journalism. An especially good one recently was the December 19 edition wherein Catherine Porter, a New York Times reporter, talked to the heroes of Burial Road, the men who tend to the unclaimed bodies of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Here.


Varia

Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
BCP … Book of Common Prayer
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYM … New York Magazine
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]

 

newSpin 180111

newSpin, the newsletter
January 11, 2018 – Bill Lewellis

TopSpin
• In Haiti, the heroes of burial road … [NYT, 'The Daily' podcast] For some Haitians, death is harder t'o afford than life. The men who tend to the bodies of the unclaimed dead told their stories to a New York Times reporter. So coincidetally, as I was listening to the podcast, my son Stephen suggested it to me as a follow-up meditation on an earlier post of mine about "where everybody is somebody." Listen.

• Where everybody is somebody … The late Bishop Mark Dyer's description of the Kingdom of God.

• Until evacuated itself, CA Episcopal church served as shelter from mudslides  [Episcopal Café] Mudslides in southern California have killed at least 13 as storms hit soil left bare by last year’s wildfires. Montecito has been particularly hard hit. Read on.

• How would Jesus drive? … [David Brooks, NYT, Jan. 4] Over the past several years we have done an outstanding job of putting total sleazoids at the top of our society: Trump, Bannon, Ailes, Weinstein, Cosby, etc. So it was good to get a reminder, from Pope Francis in his New Year’s Eve homily, that the people who have the most influence on society are actually the normal folks, through their normal, everyday gestures being kind in public places, attentive to the elderly. The pope called such people, in a beautiful phrase, “the artisans of the common good.” Read on.

• Joe Biden on what helped him deal with grief … [PBS News Hour, Jan. 4] The day will come when the memory of the person you lost brings a smile to your lip before a tear to your eye. View.

• Boston. Racism. Image. Reality … [Boston Globe, Spotlight] The median net worth of non-immigrant African-American households in the Boston area is just $8, the lowest in a five-city study of wealth disparities. It’s hard to ignore the dramatic contrast to the $247,500 net worth for white households in the Boston area. That borders on insane and absurd. The disparity in Boston just transcends everything, said William A. Darity Jr., a professor of public policy at Duke University who was one of the lead investigators of that study, which involved the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. It’s just staggering. And when it comes to income alone, the imbalance looks like this: For every one black household earning more than $75,000 in the metro region, there are about 21 white ones. Read on

• The Episcopal Café's top magazine posts during 2017 … Here.

• Sexuality, Race and Gender … [RNS, Jonathan Merritt, Dec. 29] Three explosive insights about America’s 100 largest churches. 1. None of America’s 100 largest churches are LGBTQ-affirming. 2. 93% of America’s 100 largest churches are led by a white pastor. 3. Only 1 of America’s 100 largest churches has a female pastor. Read on.

• Cardinal Laws complex role in the contemporary history of clergy sexual abuse … [NCR, Thomas Doyle, Dec. 28] Public awareness of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy actually dates from 1984. It was triggered by the public exposure of widespread sexual violation of children by a single priest in the Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana, and its systemic cover-up by the church's leadership that lasted well over a decade. Cardinal Bernard Law, who went from in 1974 being bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to in 1984 being named archbishop of Boston, became the most powerful and influential Catholic bishop in the United States. This all came to a screeching halt in 2002. In one day Law became the face of hierarchical treachery and dishonesty when The Boston Globe revealed the systemic cover-up of widespread sexual abuse by Boston priests, most of it his doing. He remained the face of the hierarchy's disgraceful attitude towards the violation of minors and the vulnerable. Even in death – Dec. 15 in Rome – he remains the focal point of the anger and rage of countless victims of sexual abuse by clergy — certainly Boston victims, but also others worldwide. Read on. Also, by NCR staff, here.

• DioBeth Leadership News, Dec. 21 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Dec. 14 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, Dec. 7 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.

********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********

Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics.
• Republicans in Congress are failing America's children … [NYT, Editorial Board, Jan. 8] Children from lower-income families could soon lose access to affordable health care because the Republican leaders in Congress have failed to renew the Children’s Health Insurance Program. This is a travesty. Read on.

• Trump's increasing unfitness … [TNY, David Remnick, Jan. 15 issue] Scandal envelops the President. Obstruction of justice, money-laundering, untoward contacts with foreign governments—it is unclear where the special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation will land and what might eventually rouse the attention of the U.S. Senate. Clearly, Trump senses the danger. A former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, has been indicted. A former national-security adviser, Michael Flynn, has admitted to lying to the F.B.I. and has become a coöperating witness. The President sees one West Wing satrap and Cabinet official after another finding a distance from him. “Where is my Roy Cohn?” he asked his aides angrily, according to the Times, when his Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, defied his wishes and recused himself from the Russia investigation.
   In the meantime, there is little doubt about who Donald Trump is, the harm he has done already, and the greater harm he threatens. He is unfit to hold any public office, much less the highest in the land. This is not merely an orthodoxy of the opposition; his panicked courtiers have been leaking word of it from his first weeks in office. The President of the United States has become a leading security threat to the United States. Read on.

• Nearly 200,000 people from El Salvador …[NYT, Jan. 8] who have been allowed to live in the United States for more than a decade must leave the country, two government officials familiar with the decision said on Monday. It is the Trump administration’s latest reversal of years of immigration policies and one of the most consequential to date. Homeland security officials said that they were ending a humanitarian program, known as Temporary Protected Status, for Salvadorans who have been allowed to live and work legally in the United States since a pair of devastating earthquakes struck their country in 2001.  Read on. Also, NYT Editorial Board, Jan. 9, here.

• President Trump has made 1,950 false or misleading claims over 347 days … [WaPo, Glenn Kessler, Meg Kelly and Nicole Lewis, Jan 2] An update on The Fact Checker's year-long project analyzing, categorizing and tracking every false or misleading claim by President Trump. Read on.


SpiritSpin
• When the carols have been stilled … [Howard Thurman] Here.

• Why won't Ivanka become the Pharoah's daughter? … Here.

• Bishop John Spong: Hell was invented by the church … Here.

• For the Poor and the Neglected … [BCP] Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• Spirit Resources
 ... way below


Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin

 

DioBeth
• Jubilate, Advent 2017 to Last Epiphany 2018, and weekly Prayers of the People … Linked here from Trinity Bethlehem.
Under "More Resources" way below.

• DioBeth Leadership News, Dec. 21 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Dec. 14 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, Dec. 7 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.


DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
Under "More Resources" way below.


Episcopal/Anglican
• 2018 likely to be another tough year for the ABC  … [RNS, Dec. 20] If 2017 was a tough year for Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby keeping the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion together, 2018 promises to be tougher still. Read on.

• The Good Book Club … [ENS]  Resources now available. Here.

• The Toolkit of the Public Affairs Office … Way down, under "More Resources," at "Episcopal/Anglican."
• Sermons that work, Weekly bulletin inserts and more … Way down, under "More Resources," at "Episcopal/Anglican."

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD

• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here
• Episcopal Asset Map … Here.
• Additional Resources
 ... way below


People
• The Rev. Charley Day … [Rick Cluett] shown here with his beloved Ginny, was ordained to the sacred order of Priest on December 20, 50 years ago. He has enriched our lives in this diocese for a good number of those years and to me is a model for life long learning and curiosity. In his retirement, he has exercised his ministry as a consummate chaplain and pastor. Congratulations, Charley, on God’s holy calling well lived out. (And I bet you won’t like this public notice!)


In the Media
• St. Peter's Tunkhannock supports Young People in Recovery … [Wyoming County Examiner] For the second year in a row, Young People in Recovery rang in the New Year at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Tunkhannock. Read on

• Abington-area parishes to share priest … [Abington Journal, Clarks Summit, Dec. 26] St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Tunkhannock, and Church of the Epiphany, Glenburn will begin a new ministry relationship in January, 2018. Rev. Lou Divis will remain as the pastor of St. Peter’s and become the pastor of Church of the Epiphany. Both positions are part-time. This is a new era in The Episcopal Church as people become more involved in various ministerial activities with pastoral oversight. Read on.

• St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral holds annual vigil for homeless … [Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Dec. 22, Patrick Kernan] After the brief prayer service — which fittingly ended with a rendition of “Amazing Grace” — the congregation went into the church’s courtyard for a candlelight vigil. Standing in a circle, the congregation read the names of area homeless people who have died since 2001. As each individual read the names on the card they were given, they blew out their candle … The Rev. Brian Pavlac, priest-in-charge at St. Stephen’s, said helping with homelessness is something important to the South Franklin Street church. “It’s something the church has really committed itself to,” Pavlac said, adding there are renovations being made to the church, especially to the bathrooms, to help the homeless community. Pavlac said there is a need in the area for a permanent shelter. But until then, St. Stephen’s is happy to house the traveling homeless shelter run by Catholic Social Services. He said St. Stephen’s houses the shelter more frequently than other local churches. “If one or two things go wrong, anyone could be there,” Pavlac said. “It’s often through no fault of their own. But even if it is, these people still need help.” Read on.

TaleSpin
• A simple question saved their marriage … For years, novelist Richard Paul Evans and his wife Keri struggled with their marriage. Then, one day, they learned to ask each other a simple question: “How can I make your day better?” The question, which Evans wrote about in a viral blog post, saved their marriage. Read on.


Requiescant in pace
• Elizabeth Coken, 98 … a longtime member of Nativity Cathdral, Bethlehem, died on Jan. 6. Obituary.

• Katherine Johnson, 77 … a member and choir member of Trinity Bethlehem, died on Dec. 7. Obituary.

• George Oxenreider, 88 … a member of St. Alban's, Sinking Spring, where he served on the vestry for several years, died December 15. Obituary.

• Jonathan Demme and many more … Several times at the close of the year, I've watched in silent attention the photos and brief videos cable networks collected on entertainment celebrities who died during 2017. Some whose good work and deeds were obvious; others, whose weren't, but not necessarily non-existent. Pray for them. One of those was Jonathan Demme, Oscar-winning filmmaker who observed emphatically American characters with a discerning eye, a social conscience and a rock ’n’ roll heart, achieving especially wide acclaim with “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Philadelphia,”
  I remember Demme best of all for his direction of a 1992 documentary, "Cousin Bobby," about his cousin Robert Castle, a white Episcopal priest who had served an inner-city church in Harlem for many years, and who died in 2012 at 83. Castle was fairly conventional at an earlier stage of his life. Then came the 1960s and social upheaval, and, for him, a crucial and influential friendship with Isaiah Rowley, a Black Panther leader in Jersey City, N.J. At a time when the Panthers were feared and hated, Castle found Rowley to be a natural leader, sane and inspirational, and gradually the white priest was drawn into circles that were alarming to many members of his congregation.
   Castle once spoke at an AIDS Memorial at Nativity Cathedral in Bethlehem. View.

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem: Breakaway group seeks new home … [TMC, Dec. 27] The conservative leaders of the fractured First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, who recently lost a court battle for ownership of the sprawling property on Center Street, intend to find a new home, possibly taking a majority of the church’s members with them. In June 2016, a majority of the congregation voted to split from the church’s national denomination, the increasingly progressive Presbyterian Church USA that recognizes gay marriage and allows gay ministers to be ordained. The majority joined the Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, or ECO. Read on. Also here.

• More Resources
 ... way below


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• Father Gregory Boyle… Sarah Silverman sits down with Father Gregory Boyle to talk about his work with Homeboy Industries. View.

• Monsignor who stole $500K sentenced to federal prison … [PhillyNews, Jan. 3] The church has forgiven Msgr. William Dombrow for embezzling a half-million dollars meant to fund the care of aging and retired priests. The federal justice system, however, showed Wednesday that it was not so ready to absolve him. Read on.

• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.
 

The Vatican
• Pope upbraids Vatican Bureaucracy: Serve the world, not 'degraded logic of small cliques … [NCR, Dec. 21] Pope Francis again upbraided the high-level Catholic prelates who run the Vatican bureaucracy in an annual pre-Christmas speech Dec. 21, telling them to get beyond what he termed an "unbalanced and degraded logic of plots and small cliques" in order to better serve him, the global church and the world at large. Francis told the cardinals and bishops who run the bureaucracy to not "let themselves be bribed by their ambition" in search for higher office but rather to act simply as antennae that listen for the "cries, joys and tears of the churches of the world" and relay what they hear to him. Most of all, the pope told the prelates the Vatican is not designed to be closed in on itself but to be at the service of the world, especially local bishops, "for whose good it operates and acts." Speaking in the apostolic palace's 16th-century Clementine Hall in his colorful style, Francis warned: "A curia closed up in itself would betray the objective of its existence and would fall into self-centeredness, condemning itself to self-destruction." The pope was speaking Dec. 21 in an annual meeting that under previous pontiffs had simply been a polite encounter to exchange greetings before the holidays. Read on.

• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness
• Forgetfulness and aging: What's normal? … Here.

• Flu shots … Read on.

• More Resources… below.


Media/Print/Films/TV/Music/Tech
• Three Billboards … [Jeffrey Salkin, RNS, Jan. 8] 
The story one of the most religious tales that you will see on the silver screen, and for this alone, it merits your attention. Simply put: The movie is about sin, forgiveness, and redemption. Or, as one of my colleagues said, it was deeply Christian. Yes — but it is also deeply Jewish. Read on.

• Cue the religion scholar! … [RNS, Cathy Lynn Grossman, Dec. 1] Representing faith on the big and small screen. You try boiling down 400 years of religious history into a few seconds. Read on.

• Your Faith, Your Life  … [Church Publishing, Revised Edition of the 2009 book by Jenifer Gamber and Bill Lewellis, Nov. 2017] The everything-you-need to know adult guide to the Episcopal Church that is easy to read but with substance for newcomers, adult formation groups, and lifelong Episcopalians who desire to know more about their church. The language of worship, theology, church structure, sacraments, and discipleship offers a framework to explore the meaning and practice of being an Episcopalian and follower of Jesus. Not just a book of information, but a book for transformation. Read on.
   "Jenifer Gamber and Bill Lewellis have completed a generous update of the 2009 instant classic Your Faith, Your Life, presenting orthodoxy for the 21st century. It's not rewriting orthodoxy to include 21st century ideals, its showing that orthodoxy always included these ideals. New textbooks on physics aren't created because the immutable laws of physics have changed. New discoveries illuminate what was already there: quarks, gluons, earth-like planets. These don't change our view of Newton's laws of gravity, or the 2nd law of thermodynamics. Likewise, Gamber and Lewellis have brought the "new" discoveries of the gospel of inclusion, the Jesus Movement, and the modern Church to a new guidebook of Episcopal identity. Your Faith, Your Life will be the new must have for Confirmation classes, adult education, college ministry, and other formation needs. It offers a simple guide through what it means to be an Episcopal disciple in the 21st century." –– Bill Campbell, Executive Director of Forma 

Websites, Podcasts and Blogs
• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.
• Episcopal News Service … Here. Story here.

• The Axe Files with David Axelrod … This podcast includes revealing interviews with key figures in the political world. David Axelrod is the founder and director of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. Recent interviews with Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich (especially good), Preet Bharara, Steve Kerr, Frank Bruni, Kathleen Seebelius, Donna Brazile, Tony Blair, Christiane Amanpour, Susan Rice, Ta-Nehisi Coates.

• The Daily … Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, hosted by Michael Barbaro and powered by New York Times journalism. An especially good one recently was the December 19 edition wherein Catherine Porter, a New York Times reporter, talked to the heroes of Burial Road, the men who tend to the unclaimed bodies of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Here.


Varia
• The Five People … [Podcaster Tim Ferriss] You are the average of the five people you most associate with.

• Oprah's Golden Gloves speech … [NYT, Jan. 7] Oprah Winfrey accepted the Golden Globes’ Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement with a rousing acceptance speech that began as a personal reflection and ended as a call to arms. Read on.

Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
BCP … Book of Common Prayer
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYM … New York Magazine
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]

More Resources

DioBeth
• Look online every Thursday for a Diocese of Bethlehem newsletter or for newSpin … Every Thursday in the following rotation: (1) The Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) The General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. The Leadership News and the General News are official publications of the Diocese of Bethlehem. They include news, info, features and events relating to our diocese and parishes. The newSpin newsletter you are now reading is not an official publication – and will usually not duplicate news, info and features relating to our diocese and parish as found in the official newsletters. It is a relatively lengthy eclectic sampling of items related to religion – at times not, at times not so clearly – that the editor thinks readers might find to be of interest. It has been a kind of hobby of a onetime communication minister, the work of a volunteer who in retirement enjoys and dedicates time to do the research required. The newSpin newsletter is always posted on the newSpin blog. If you wish to receive it by email, please send a note to [email protected]

• Jubilate, Advent 2017 to Last Epiphany 2018, and weekly Prayers of the People … Linked here from Trinity Bethlehem are Jubilate, a resource for hymn selection, and weekly Prayers of the People which may be used in place of the forms found in the Book of Common Prayer. Both are prepared by Canon Cliff Carr, priest associate. They are available in Word (.doc) and .pdf formats.

• Look online … for the Diocese of Bethlehem Facebook Page, Facebook Group (Bethlehem Episcopalians) and Twitter feed.

• Bethlehem Episcopalians … is a Facebook group for conversations about mission, spirituality, Christian formation, and more that has replaced the old Bakery email list. Bethlehem Episcopalians is an open group. Anyone can join and items that you post can be shared by group members on their own Facebook pages. This offers each of us the opportunity to reach a larger audience with news and conversations about what God is doing in our diocese." Join the Facebook group. Includes more than 425 members

• DioBeth website
• Stumbling into the Sacred ... [Reflections on seeing God in the everyday by Canon Anne E. Kitch]
• newSpin blog ... including the newSpin weekly by Bill Lewellis.
• Facebook Page  … Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem
• Facebook Group … Bethlehem Episcopalians
• Twitter …
• Flickr
• YouTube
• Vimeo
• LinkedIn

Center for Congregations ... The "Using Resources" series of publications by the Center for Congregations is designed to help congregations make the most effective use of capital funds, consultants, architects, contractors, books, congregation management software, and more.
• Congregational Consulting ...  More information on how to contact the consultants can be found here and at http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/ .
• Church locators ... Here.
• ECF Vital Practices ... Here.
• The Chalice, a publication created by Joan DeAcetis for older adults and caretakers. Download issues here.
• Weekly Bulletin Inserts from the Episcopal Church ... Here.
• Calendar of events in our parishes ... Here.

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
• Allentown: Episcopal House … Here.
• Allentown: Grace … Here.
• Allentown: Grace Montessori School … Here.
• Allentown: Mediator … Here. Refugee Community Center … Here.
• Allentown/Bethlehem: St. Andrew … Here.
• Athens: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Nativity Cathedral … Here. Emergency Shelter … Here.
• Bethlehem: New Bethany Ministries … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Carbondale: St. James-St. George … Here.
• Clarks Summit/Glenburn: Epiphany … Here.
• Dallas: Prince of Peace … Here.
• Douglassville: St. Gabriel … Here.
• Easton: Trinity … Here.  ARK Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Emmaus: St. Margaret … Here.
• Forest City: Christ Church … Here.
• Hazleton: St. Peter … Here.
• Hamlin: St. John … Here.
• Hellertown: St. George … Here.
• Honesdale: Grace … Here.
• Jermyn: St. James/St. George … Here.
• Jim Thorpe: St. Mark/St. John … Here.
• Kingston: Grace … Here.
• Lebanon: St. Luke … Here.
• Lehighton: All Saints … Here.
• Milford: Good Shepherd … Here.
• Montrose: St. Paul … Here.
• Morgantown: St. Thomas … Here.
• Moscow: St. Mark … Here.
• Mountain Top: St. Martin-in-the-Fields … Here.
• Mount Pocono: … Here.
• Nanticoke/Alden Station: St. Andrew … Here.
• Nazareth: St. Brigid … Here.
• Palmerton: St. John … Here.
• Pen Argyl: St. Joseph … Here.
• Pottsville: Trinity … Here.
• Reading: Christ Church … Here.  SPARK … Here.
• Reading: St. Mary: … Here.
• Sayre: Redeemer: … Here.
• Schuylkill County: North Parish … Here.
• Scranton: St. Luke: … Here.
• Sinking Spring: St. Alban … Here.
• Stroudsburg: Christ Church … Here.
• Towanda: Christ Church … Here.
• Trexlertown: St. Anne … Here.
• Tunkhannock: St. Peter … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen School … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Clement/St. Peter … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Stephen … Here.
• West Pittston: Trinity … Here.
• Wind Gap: St. Mary … Here.
[Bill] Please let me know if your website is not listed above. Also, let me know if you would like me to highlight something on your site. Please note, also, that a few of the websites need to be updated. Thanks.]

• Data and Analysis from the 2016 Parochial Reports … of the Episcopal Church are available here.

Episcopal/Anglican
• The Episcopal Church website, news service, news service blog,
• Episcopal Café
• AngicansOnline website and news centre.
• The Living Church
• The Anglican Communion website and news service.
• The Daily Scan: Contact [email protected] to add subscribers for news releases, notices, statements, or Daily Scan.
• Free weekly bulletin inserts provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Find the inserts here.
• Updated Episcopal Church canons and constitution ... Here.
• Forward Movement ... Here.
• Episcopal Web Radio ... Here.
• Episcopal Church Event Calendar ... Here

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

Ecumenical/Interfaith Relations
• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.  
• Protestant Reformation…  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.   MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

• Protestant Reformation …  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation  MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

SpiritSpin
• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• The Imitation of Christ ... Available free online.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.


Bible&Worship
• The Lectionary ... A collection of Lectionary resources for the Episcopal Church, updated Sunday night. Here.
• Lectionary Page ... A liturgical calendar for upcoming weeks, with links to readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), as adapted for use in Episcopal worship. Here.
• Revised Common Lectionary ... Here.
• The Liturgical Calendar ... BCP, Lesser Feasts and Fasts, HWHM ... Here.
• Oremus Bible Browser ... Here.
• Celebrating the Eucharist, by Patrick Malloy. Google Book
• Enriching our Worship, 1 to 5 ... Free download here.
• The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant: Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships [Extracted from Liturgical Resources 1: I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing] Here.
• Collection of worship resources at Diobeth.org ... Including Diocesan Cycles of Prayer for weekly worship, Holy Women Holy Men, and The Text This Week. Here.

Health and Wellness
• Resources for caregivers ... Here.
• Medline Plus ... Here. 
• WebMD ... Here.
• Alzheimers.gov ... For people helping people with Alzheimers. Here.
• Three Free Apps for getting qualified medical advice... [Techlicious] Urgent Care, HealthTap and First Aid. Info and links.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Center for Disease Control - Healthy Living
•Church Health Reader
• Eastern Pennsylvania Faith Community Nurses
• Episcopal Mental Illness Network
• Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH
• National Episcopal Health Ministries
• NEHM Wellness Resource Page 
•Let's Move

News/info/commentary
• Religion News Service Daily Roundup ... here.
• Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project: Daily Religion Headlines ... here.
• Religious Freedom Blog ... a weekly look back at the top stories and developments on religious liberty around the world. Here.
• National Catholic Reporter ... here.
• BBC News Online ... here.
• BBC Religion & Ethics ... here.
• Faith in Public Life ... Here.
• Religion&Ethics News Weekly (PBS) ... Here.
• Religion Research Hub ... ARDA, Association of Religion Data Archives, an especially useful site.
• Back issues of the newSpin newsletter ... here.

Media/Film/TV/Books/Podcasts/Music/Tech
• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.
• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks  and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told about your congregation, it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.

Varia
• Insights into Religion ... Here.
• The Alban Institute ... Here.

 

 

newSpin 171214

newSpin, the newsletter
December 14, 2017 – Bill Lewellis

TopSpin
• Puerto Rico's hurricane death toll is much higher than the government has reported … [NYT, Dec. 8] It may be over 1,000, not 62. Officially, just 62 people died as a result of Hurricane Maria, which ravaged the island with nearly 150-mile-an-hour winds, cutting off power to 3.4 million Puerto Ricans. But The Times found that in the 42 days after the storm made landfall, 1,052 more people than usual died across the island. The analysis compared the number of deaths for each day in 2017 with the average of the number of deaths for the same days in 2015 and 2016. Read on.

• Nativity Cathedral hosting family of six from Puerto Rico … [Dean Tony Pompa] The Cathedral community is responding to the crisis in Puerto Rico following the devastation of recent hurricane by providing short term housing to a family of 6. This family has endured much over the last year and now their home in Puerto Rico has met with complete devastation. Three adults and three children have been given refuge in an apartment on Cathedral grounds. One of the children is in need of medical treatment that cannot be provided in Puerto Rico. We are working closely with the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley who are providing a great deal of support. One member of this family is a social worker looking for employment. Read on.

• Influx of people from hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico straining Lehigh Valley agencies … [TMC] Community groups are feeling the strain of helping people flee hurricane-damaged Puerto Rico, and are pleading for cash donations to aid families settling in the Lehigh Valley. Nonprofit leaders said their agencies have received an abundance of clothes and food. But now the urgent need is affordable housing and transportation costs. “We’re feeling that we’re not able to help enough,” said Mary Colon, interim executive director of the Hispanic Center in south Bethlehem. “We just want to do more for our folks.”
  The call for help was made at a press conference Tuesday held by officials from the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, nonprofits involved in helping the victims of Hurricane Maria and community leaders. The Hispanic Center and Casa Guadalupe in Allentown have already helped more than 60 families each from Puerto Rico.
  Many leaving Puerto Rico have come to the Lehigh Valley because they have family here. The most recent U.S. Census figures showed about 64,000 people of Puerto Rican heritage live in Lehigh and Northampton counties. Unlike Texas and New York, Pennsylvania has not been designated a host state for Hurricane Maria survivors by the federal government, a designation that would bring federal money. That means nonprofits and community groups must use their own small budgets to help victims.
  Alan Jennings, executive director of the CACLV, said efforts to help Puerto Ricans coming to the Valley are putting a strain on nonprofits. Among the problems is charities don’t have enough staff to meet the demand. “These are nonprofits that struggle in the best of times,” he said. “Now we’ve got arguably the worst of times.” CACLV will collect monetary donations and disperse them among the groups. Donations can be made on CACLV’s website. Read on.

• The Silence Breakers … [Person of the Year 2017, TIME Magazine] Taylor Swift says she was made to feel bad about the consequences that her harasser faced. After she complained about a Denver radio DJ named David Mueller, who reached under her skirt and grabbed her rear end, Mueller was fired. He sued Swift for millions in damages. She countersued for a symbolic $1 and then testified about the incident in August. Mueller's lawyer asked her, on the witness stand, whether she felt bad that she'd gotten him fired. "I'm not going to let you or your client make me feel in any way that this is my fault," she told the lawyer. "I'm being blamed for the unfortunate events of his life that are a product of his decisions. Not mine." (Mueller said he would appeal.)
   In an interview with TIME, Swift says that moment on the stand fueled her indignation. "I figured that if he would be brazen enough to assault me under these risky circumstances," she says, "imagine what he might do to a vulnerable, young artist if given the chance." Like the five women gathered at that echoing soundstage in San Francisco, and like all of the dozens, then hundreds, then millions of women who came forward with their own stories of harassment, she was done feeling intimidated. Actors and writers and journalists and dishwashers and fruit pickers alike: they'd had enough. What had manifested as shame exploded into outrage. Fear became fury.
   This was the great unleashing that turned the #MeToo hashtag into a rallying cry. The phrase was first used more than a decade ago by social activist Tarana Burke as part of her work building solidarity among young survivors of harassment and assault. A friend of the actor Alyssa Milano sent her a screenshot of the phrase, and Milano, almost on a whim, tweeted it out on Oct. 15. "If you've been sexually harassed or assaulted write 'me too' as a reply to this tweet," she wrote, and then went to sleep. She woke up the next day to find that more than 30,000 people had used #MeToo. Milano burst into tears. Read on.

• Default must be to trust the victim … [NCR Editorial Staff, Dec. 12] In our legal system, we presume an accused person to be innocent until someone can prove otherwise. In the case of sexual assault, violence or harassment, that means the burden is on victims to prove their trustworthiness. Often, in those cases, we are asked to choose sides based on the stories of the only two people involved — the accuser and the accused. In the post-Weinstein milieu we are now experiencing, one is a woman and the other a man who holds some level of power. In a different conversation, the victims have been children and the powerful accused have been priests … Women, children, anyone who has been abused or who has felt some sexual pressure by a person in power must be shown the respect of our trust. They must feel confident that if they tell their stories, people will listen. Moreover, they must be able to draw from that sense of public trust in finding the strength to push back when faced with an ugly situation. Read on.

•  Boston. Racism. Image. Reality … [Boston Globe, Spotlight] The median net worth of non-immigrant African-American households in the Boston area is just $8, the lowest in a five-city study of wealth disparities. It’s hard to ignore the dramatic contrast to the $247,500 net worth for white households in the Boston area. That borders on insane and absurd. The disparity in Boston just transcends everything, said William A. Darity Jr., a professor of public policy at Duke University who was one of the lead investigators of that study, which involved the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. It’s just staggering. And when it comes to income alone, the imbalance looks like this: For every one black household earning more than $75,000 in the metro region, there are about 21 white ones. Read on. Read on.

• First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem property belongs to national denomination … [MC, Sarah M. Wojcik, Dec 12] A Northampton County judge on Tuesday ruled in favor of the congregants of the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem who’ve remained loyal to the national denomination in a court case over who keeps the sprawling church property on Center Street. In a 42-page ruling, President Judge Stephen Baratta declared that the 31.5-acre property was held in trust for the national denomination, Presbyterian Church USA, and was not the property of the church members to do with what they pleased.
  Opposing the national body was a majority of the congregation that had joined with a more conservative branch of the church which, among other things, opposes gay marriage and gay ordination. Read on.

• Study ranks RC dioceses' online financial transparency … [NCR, Peter Feuerherd, Dec. 7] Separated by a continent, the dioceses of Sacramento, California, and Camden, New Jersey, are also divided by degrees of financial transparency. Parishioners in Sacramento can find out where their donations go with the click of a button on the diocesan website. Those in the Diocese of Camden, which covers southern New Jersey, will have a more difficult time. That is a takeaway from a study on financial transparency undertaken recently by Voice of the Faithful, a church watchdog group. The study surveyed dioceses and archdioceses across the country, rating them from most transparent to most opaque. The study was based on how much financial information is accessible on diocesan websites. Read on. Also here.

• DioBeth General News, Dec. 7 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Nov. 30 … Here.
• DioBeth Leadership News, Nov. 22 … Here. 
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.

********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********

Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics.
• The Republican war on children … [NYT, Paul Krugman, Dec 7] Let me ask you a question; take your time in answering it. Would you be willing to take health care away from a thousand children with the bad luck to have been born into low-income families so that you could give millions of extra dollars to just one wealthy heir? Read on.

• Fight the tax plan and the coming budget cuts …[NCR Editorial Staff, Dec. 8] What is truly wrong with this plan, however, is that is just the first step of a two-step process that will accelerate the decades-long conservative agenda to shrink government and reduce social investments that aid all Americans.
  Numerous analyses have shown the Republican messaging on this tax plan to be a lie. The plan does not favor the middle class. We have yet to see a final reconciliation bill, but what we have seen in the Senate and House versions are tax cuts that flow overwhelmingly to the richest households and to profitable corporations. The Senate bill would leave 13 million Americans without health insurance and severely undermine confidence in the health care market.
  Numerous studies, even those done by government offices, say these plans will add a trillion dollars and probably more to the deficit. These studies, too, refute Republican claims that giving more money to the wealthy and large corporations will stimulate economic growth and generate enough revenues to offset the cuts. Read on.


SpiritSpin
• Questions … [Brian Greene, The Elegant Universe] Sometimes attaining the deepest familiarity with a question is our best substitute for actually having the answer.”

• No word …One degree of separation. During a conversation yesterday with a friend of the mother of a young woman who was shot and killed recently, I mentioned that while a young child who has lost her parents is called an orphan, a wife who loses her husband is referred to as a widow, and a husband who loses his wife is a widower … there is no word for a parent who loses her child. "It's too terrible to name," she said. "It's not meant to happen."

• Finding and losing … [Thomas Merton] Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.

• Lost in translation? … [NYT, Dec. 8] It has been a question of theological debate and liturgical interpretation for years, and now Pope Francis has joined the discussion: Does the Lord’s Prayer, Christendom’s resonant petition to the Almighty, need an update? Read on.

• The truth about the war on Christmas … [Mic video] A Jesuit priest explains the truth about the "War on Christmas" — and it's really not what you think. Here.

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• Spirit Resources
 ... way below


Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spi

 

DioBeth
• Jubilate, Advent 2017 to Last Epiphany 2018, and weekly Prayers of the People … Linked here from Trinity Bethlehem are Jubilate, a resource for hymn selection, and weekly Prayers of the People which may be used in place of the forms found in the Book of Common Prayer. Both are prepared by Canon Cliff Carr, priest associate. They are available in Word (.doc) and .pdf formats.

• DioBeth General News, Dec. 7 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Nov. 30 … Here.
• DioBeth Leadership News, Nov. 22 … Here. 
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
Under "More Resources" way below.


Episcopal/Anglican
• Presiding Bishop Curry's Christmas Message 2017 … Video and Transcript.

• House of Bishops, Alaska meeting … Three videos. Here.

• Your Faith, Your Life  … [Church Publishing, Revised Edition of the 2009 book by Jenifer Gamber and Bill Lewellis, Nov. 2017] The everything-you-need to know adult guide to the Episcopal Church that is easy to read but with substance for newcomers, adult formation groups, and lifelong Episcopalians who desire to know more about their church. The language of worship, theology, church structure, sacraments, and discipleship offers a framework to explore the meaning and practice of being an Episcopalian and follower of Jesus. Not just a book of information, but a book for transformation. Read on.
   "Jenifer Gamber and Bill Lewellis have completed a generous update of the 2009 instant classic Your Faith, Your Life, presenting orthodoxy for the 21st century. It's not rewriting orthodoxy to include 21st century ideals, its showing that orthodoxy always included these ideals. New textbooks on physics aren't created because the immutable laws of physics have changed. New discoveries illuminate what was already there: quarks, gluons, earth-like planets. These don't change our view of Newton's laws of gravity, or the 2nd law of thermodynamics. Likewise, Gamber and Lewellis have brought the "new" discoveries of the gospel of inclusion, the Jesus Movement, and the modern Church to a new guidebook of Episcopal identity. Your Faith, Your Life will be the new must have for Confirmation classes, adult education, college ministry, and other formation needs. It offers a simple guide through what it means to be an Episcopal disciple in the 21st century." ––Bill Campbell, Executive Director of Forma 

• The Good Book Club … [ENS]  Resources now available. Here.

• The Toolkit of the Public Affairs Office … Way down, under "More Resources," at "Episcopal/Anglican."
• Sermons that work, Weekly bulletin inserts and more … Way down, under "More Resources," at "Episcopal/Anglican."

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Charity Navigator…maintains lists of charities and offers advice on how to pick a charity. Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) is highly rated, above American Red Cross. Read on.

• An ethical guide to responsible giving … [The Conversation] Before you reach for that checkbook or give to a charity online, pause to think about what makes a cause good in the first place. Read on.

• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here
• Episcopal Asset Map … Here.
• Additional Resources
 ... way below


People


In the Media


TaleSpin
• Tom Roberts … [NCR, Dec. 8] Tom Roberts, who has served the mission and readers of NCR for nearly 24 years, is retiring. The official record will note that Roberts joined NCR in January 1994 serving as managing editor, editor and editor at large. The simplicity of those words do not convey the true meaning of what Roberts has done for this news organization and for those of us who have had the privilege, honor and pleasure to have worked with him. Read on.
   [Bill] During my early years on the staff of the bishop of Allentown, as press liaison and communication minister, Tom was a young reporter at the old Bethlehem Globe under John Strohmeyer. We became good friends. His gifts, integrity and professionalism have been a blessing to journalism, especially along the religion landscape. Tom was one of three local journalists who left a deep impression on me. I remember his affection for Dan Berrigan and the story of the teenage Jesus he wove into a column, a story he heard from Berrigan. That story, with attribution, appeared in several of my own columns and sermons over the years. I suggested to Tom that his dream job might be with the National Catholic Reporter. He applied. NCR offered him a job in Washington, but the money wasn’t what he needed at the time. He then went to and saved “Religious” News Service – and happily changed its name. Ultimately, he became editor at the NCR. Tom was a progressive Roman Catholic thoughout his life. The RC Church in the U.S. owes Tom big time for the many time he kept that institution honest.

• Marketing stories, news and spotlights … [The Mission] Seth Godin: “Great stories are trusted. Trust is the scarcest resource we’ve got left. No one trusts anyone. People don’t trust the beautiful women ordering vodka at the corner bar (they’re getting paid by the liquor company). People don’t trust the spokespeople on commercials (who exactly is Rula Lenska?). And they certainly don’t trust the companies that make pharmaceuticals (Vioxx, apparently, can kill you). As a result, no marketer succeeds in telling a story unless he has earned the credibility to tell that story.” Read on.

• The nature and power of fiction … [AM, Liam Callanan, Oct. 31] Good nonfiction may teach us what to believe, but fiction teaches us how. Read on.


Requiescant in pace
• Robert Hugh Nourse, 84 … died on Dec. 4. He was a member of Trinity Easton. Obituary.

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• The evangelical slippery slope, from Ronald Reagan to Roy Moore … [LATimes, Randall Balmer, Dec. 11] I left the evangelical subculture, more or less, at the end of the 1970s. Little did I know that evangelicals were then stepping onto their own slippery slope that would lead to Donald Trump and now Roy Moore. To say that I left the evangelical subculture is not quite accurate — and not only because evangelicalism is so stamped into my DNA that it is impossible to leave entirely. Evangelicalism really left me more than I left it. The religious tradition that shaped me was part of a long and noble movement that, in earlier generations of American life, took the part of those on the margins of society. Evangelicals, especially in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, sought to educate those on the bottom rungs of society so they would have a better life. They worked for the abolition of slavery and advocated equal rights, including voting rights for women.
   By the late 1970s, however, leaders of the religious right were preparing to abandon that legacy, and their first step onto the slippery slope was their embrace of Ronald Reagan. Read on.

• The real danger of religious lies …  [CNN, Daniel Burke, Dec. 2] Earlier this week, a Russian Orthodox cleric investigating the 1918 assassination of Czar Nicholas II and his family raised the possibilityt hat it was a "ritual murder." To many observers, that statement might sound strange, but more or less inoffensive. To Jews, however, it raised the haunting specter of "blood libel," a pernicious and long-lasting lie about Jews murdering Christian children and using their blood in religious rituals. Used for hundreds of years as a pretext to torture, imprison and kill Jews, the "blood libel" myth may be the worst religious lie in circulation, but it is far from the only one. Read on.

• For unto (some of) us a child is born … [Religion Dispatches, Peter Laarman, Dec. 3] This is the season when choral music aficionados will argue the merits of various renderings of G. F. Handel’s masterwork while pretty much ignoring the peculiar theology of the Charles Jennens libretto for Messiah—60 percent of which was stitched together from bits of the Hebrew Bible as viewed through the lens of Christian triumphalism. But attention should be paid to the theology, especially to the question of who exactly is the “us” in in Part 1, No. 12: “For unto us a child is born.” Read on.

• More Resources
 ... way below


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• Fomer Salvadoran official extradited, to stand trial for murder of Jesuits … [NCR, Nov. 29] A 9-year legal battle has ended with U.S. officials handing over custody of Inocente Orlando Montano, a former Salvadoran army colonel, to Spanish authorities who have indicted him for "terrorist" murder in connection with the 1989 Jesuit massacre in El Salvador. Read on.

• Policing the Communion line … [Commonweal, Cathleen Kaveny, Nov. 29] Why sacramental rigorism backfires. Read on.

• How a group of California nuns challenged the Catholic Church … [The Conversation, Diane Winston, Dec. 6] California in the 1960s was the epicenter for spiritual experimentation. Indian gurus and New Age prophets, Jesus freaks and Scientologists all found followings in the Golden State. But among those looking for personal and social transformation, the unlikeliest seekers may have been a small community of Roman Catholic religious: the Immaculate Heart Sisters. Theirs was, as I discovered in my research on the order, a compelling spiritual saga, culminating in a showdown with the Catholic hierarchy. The story of that conflict spotlights the impact of the California dream on a Church in transition. Read on.

• NY Catholic archdiocese pays $40 million to sex abuse victimss … [AP, Dec. 7] Just over $40 million in compensation has been paid to 189 people who identified themselves as victims of clergy sex abuse, the Archdiocese of New York said in a report released Thursday. The archdiocese noted that the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program ended Nov. 30, but some additional claims are still being processed. Money for the payouts came through a long-term loan.Mediators Ken Feinberg and Camille Biros evaluated victim claims and determined compensation. Archdiocese spokesman Joseph Zwilling said he did not have a specific breakdown of how much each recipient received; some of the victims’ claims date back decades. The payouts averaged $211,600. Read on.

• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.
 

The Vatican
• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness
• Forgetfulness and aging: What's normal? … Here.

• Flu shots … Got mine. Got yours? Read on.

• More Resources… below.


Media/Print/Films/TV/Music/Tech
• A mess without adult supervision … [Kevin Roose, NYTimes, Dec. 11] 
If you’ve lost sleep worrying about the growing power of the alt-right — that shadowy coalition that includes white nationalists, anti-feminists, far-right reactionaries and meme-sharing trolls — I may have found a cure for your anxiety. Just try using its websites. Read on.

• Not So Great Escape … [Rand Richards Cooper, Commonweal, Nov. 29] Cooper looks at Novitiate, writer-director Margaret Betts’s new film, set in 1964, about life among young cloistered nuns. “One can’t help but warm to the luminous performance of Margaret Qualley as Sister Cathleen,” Cooper writes. “But the religious life as Betts depicts it is little more than a stifling regimen of deprivation … Novitiate sets its sights not on eternity, but pathology.” Read on.

• Cue the religion scholar! … [RNS, Cathy Lynn Grossman, Dec. 1] Representing faith on the big and small screen. You try boiling down 400 years of religious history into a few seconds. Read on.

Websites, Podcasts and Blogs
• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.
• Episcopal News Service … Here. Story here.

• Radiolab … is a radio show and podcast about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience.
• The Axe Files with David Axelrod … is a series of revealing interviews with key figures in the political world. David Axelrod is the founder and director of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.
• The Daily … This is how the news should sound. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, hosted by Michael Barbaro and powered by New York Times journalism.
• Vox's The Weeds … is a semiweekly policy podcast hosted by Ezra Klein, Sarah Kliff, and Matthew Yglesias.

Varia
• The Five People … [Podcaster Tim Ferriss] You are the average of the five people you most associate with.

• A murmuration of starlings … [Aeon] The flight of a starling flock at dusk, known as a murmuration, is one of nature’s most beguiling sights. Blurring the line between the individual and the group, murmurations involve synchronised swooping patterns to ward off predators and exchange information in a manner that’s still something of a mystery to scientists. Read on.

• Why you need to touch your keys to believe they're in your bag … [Aeon] An important aspect of touch is often missed: touching is more psychologically reassuring than seeing. Touch does not always make us experience things better, but it certainly makes us feel better about what we experience. Even when we can see that the keys are in our bags, we are much more certain that they are once we’ve touched them. What might seem almost superstitious at first could however have deeper reasons. The assurance that touch gives us makes it rather special in our epistemic life. René Descartes came close to this diagnosis when he noted that the evidence we got from touch was somewhat harder to discard: ‘Of all our senses,’ he wrote in The World (1633), ‘touch is the one considered least deceptive and the most secure.’ We have perhaps to remember the biblical story of doubting Thomas to understand the privilege of touch: Thomas had to touch Christ’s wounds to be convinced the person in front of him was Jesus.
  The story of Thomas tells us something important. Touching ‘to be sure’ is especially relevant when our other senses or beliefs create a situation of high uncertainty. Individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder keep touching the objects of their anxiety, even though they can look at them: they return to turn off the tap, even when they can see or hear that no water is dripping. Research also shows that people experience apprehension when interacting with graphical user interfaces that display objects that cannot be touched. Touching reassures; knowing that things can’t be touched can create anxiety. Now why would touch bring us more certainty? Read on

Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP …ple Associated Press
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYM … New York Magazine
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]

More Resources

DioBeth
• Look online every Thursday for a Diocese of Bethlehem newsletter or for newSpin … Every Thursday in the following rotation: (1) The Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) The General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. The Leadership News and the General News are official publications of the Diocese of Bethlehem. They include news, info, features and events relating to our diocese and parishes. The newSpin newsletter you are now reading is not an official publication – and will usually not duplicate news, info and features relating to our diocese and parish as found in the official newsletters. It is a relatively lengthy eclectic sampling of items related to religion – at times not, at times not so clearly – that the editor thinks readers might find to be of interest. It has been a kind of hobby of a onetime communication minister, the work of a volunteer who in retirement enjoys and dedicates time to do the research required. The newSpin newsletter is always posted on the newSpin blog. If you wish to receive it by email, please send a note to [email protected]

• Look online … for the Diocese of Bethlehem Facebook Page, Facebook Group (Bethlehem Episcopalians) and Twitter feed.

• Bethlehem Episcopalians … is a Facebook group for conversations about mission, spirituality, Christian formation, and more that has replaced the old Bakery email list. Bethlehem Episcopalians is an open group. Anyone can join and items that you post can be shared by group members on their own Facebook pages. This offers each of us the opportunity to reach a larger audience with news and conversations about what God is doing in our diocese." Join the Facebook group. Includes more than 425 members

• DioBeth website
• Stumbling into the Sacred ... [Reflections on seeing God in the everyday by Canon Anne E. Kitch]
• newSpin blog ... including the newSpin weekly by Bill Lewellis.
• Facebook Page  … Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem
• Facebook Group … Bethlehem Episcopalians
• Twitter …
• Flickr
• YouTube
• Vimeo
• LinkedIn

Center for Congregations ... The "Using Resources" series of publications by the Center for Congregations is designed to help congregations make the most effective use of capital funds, consultants, architects, contractors, books, congregation management software, and more.
• Congregational Consulting ...  More information on how to contact the consultants can be found here and at http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/ .
• Church locators ... Here.
• ECF Vital Practices ... Here.
• The Chalice, a publication created by Joan DeAcetis for older adults and caretakers. Download issues here.
• Weekly Bulletin Inserts from the Episcopal Church ... Here.
• Calendar of events in our parishes ... Here.

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
• Allentown: Episcopal House … Here.
• Allentown: Grace … Here.
• Allentown: Grace Montessori School … Here.
• Allentown: Mediator … Here. Refugee Community Center … Here.
• Allentown/Bethlehem: St. Andrew … Here.
• Athens: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Nativity Cathedral … Here. Emergency Shelter … Here.
• Bethlehem: New Bethany Ministries … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Carbondale: St. James-St. George … Here.
• Clarks Summit/Glenburn: Epiphany … Here.
• Dallas: Prince of Peace … Here.
• Douglassville: St. Gabriel … Here.
• Easton: Trinity … Here.  ARK Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Emmaus: St. Margaret … Here.
• Forest City: Christ Church … Here.
• Hazleton: St. Peter … Here.
• Hamlin: St. John … Here.
• Hellertown: St. George … Here.
• Honesdale: Grace … Here.
• Jermyn: St. James/St. George … Here.
• Jim Thorpe: St. Mark/St. John … Here.
• Kingston: Grace … Here.
• Lebanon: St. Luke … Here.
• Lehighton: All Saints … Here.
• Milford: Good Shepherd … Here.
• Montrose: St. Paul … Here.
• Morgantown: St. Thomas … Here.
• Moscow: St. Mark … Here.
• Mountain Top: St. Martin-in-the-Fields … Here.
• Mount Pocono: … Here.
• Nanticoke/Alden Station: St. Andrew … Here.
• Nazareth: St. Brigid … Here.
• Palmerton: St. John … Here.
• Pen Argyl: St. Joseph … Here.
• Pottsville: Trinity … Here.
• Reading: Christ Church … Here.  SPARK … Here.
• Reading: St. Mary: … Here.
• Sayre: Redeemer: … Here.
• Schuylkill County: North Parish … Here.
• Scranton: St. Luke: … Here.
• Sinking Spring: St. Alban … Here.
• Stroudsburg: Christ Church … Here.
• Towanda: Christ Church … Here.
• Trexlertown: St. Anne … Here.
• Tunkhannock: St. Peter … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen School … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Clement/St. Peter … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Stephen … Here.
• West Pittston: Trinity … Here.
• Wind Gap: St. Mary … Here.
[Bill] Please let me know if your website is not listed above. Also, let me know if you would like me to highlight something on your site. Please note, also, that a few of the websites need to be updated. Thanks.]

• Data and Analysis from the 2016 Parochial Reports … of the Episcopal Church are available here.

Episcopal/Anglican
• The Episcopal Church website, news service, news service blog,
• Episcopal Café
• AngicansOnline website and news centre.
• The Living Church
• The Anglican Communion website and news service.
• The Daily Scan: Contact [email protected] to add subscribers for news releases, notices, statements, or Daily Scan.
• Free weekly bulletin inserts provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Find the inserts here.
• Updated Episcopal Church canons and constitution ... Here.
• Forward Movement ... Here.
• Episcopal Web Radio ... Here.
• Episcopal Church Event Calendar ... Here

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

Ecumenical/Interfaith Relations
• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.  
• Protestant Reformation…  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.   MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

• Protestant Reformation …  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation  MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

SpiritSpin
• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• The Imitation of Christ ... Available free online.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.


Bible&Worship
• The Lectionary ... A collection of Lectionary resources for the Episcopal Church, updated Sunday night. Here.
• Lectionary Page ... A liturgical calendar for upcoming weeks, with links to readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), as adapted for use in Episcopal worship. Here.
• Revised Common Lectionary ... Here.
• The Liturgical Calendar ... BCP, Lesser Feasts and Fasts, HWHM ... Here.
• Oremus Bible Browser ... Here.
• Celebrating the Eucharist, by Patrick Malloy. Google Book
• Enriching our Worship, 1 to 5 ... Free download here.
• The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant: Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships [Extracted from Liturgical Resources 1: I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing] Here.
• Collection of worship resources at Diobeth.org ... Including Diocesan Cycles of Prayer for weekly worship, Holy Women Holy Men, and The Text This Week. Here.

Health and Wellness
• Resources for caregivers ... Here.
• Medline Plus ... Here. 
• WebMD ... Here.
• Alzheimers.gov ... For people helping people with Alzheimers. Here.
• Three Free Apps for getting qualified medical advice... [Techlicious] Urgent Care, HealthTap and First Aid. Info and links.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Center for Disease Control - Healthy Living
•Church Health Reader
• Eastern Pennsylvania Faith Community Nurses
• Episcopal Mental Illness Network
• Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH
• National Episcopal Health Ministries
• NEHM Wellness Resource Page 
•Let's Move

News/info/commentary
• Religion News Service Daily Roundup ... here.
• Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project: Daily Religion Headlines ... here.
• Religious Freedom Blog ... a weekly look back at the top stories and developments on religious liberty around the world. Here.
• National Catholic Reporter ... here.
• BBC News Online ... here.
• BBC Religion & Ethics ... here.
• Faith in Public Life ... Here.
• Religion&Ethics News Weekly (PBS) ... Here.
• Religion Research Hub ... ARDA, Association of Religion Data Archives, an especially useful site.
• Back issues of the newSpin newsletter ... here.

Media/Film/TV/Books/Podcasts/Music/Tech
• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.
• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks  and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told about your congregation, it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.

Varia
• Insights into Religion ... Here.
• The Alban Institute ... Here.

 

 

newSpin 171130

newSpin, the newsletter
November 30, 2017 – Bill Lewellis

TopSpin
• A great migration from Puerto Rico is set to transform Orlando … [NYT, Nov. 17] Ten intolerable days after Hurricane Maria trounced Puerto Rico, Sahria Garcia finally got a call from her brother on the island. The call lasted three minutes and the news shook her: Her family had lost everything — jobs, houses, possessions, cars — and had spent days foraging for food, ice and water. Ms. Garcia, who lives in a small Orlando apartment with her three children, did not hesitate: “Don’t even ask,” Ms. Garcia said she told her brother during their conversation. “This is your house.”
  Last week, they arrived — two brothers, their wives and their four children — and plopped onto newly bought bunk beds. The family is one small part of a sudden exodus of tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans racing to Florida after Hurricane Maria, a migration so large it rivals those from New Orleans to Houston after Hurricane Katrina and from Cuba to Miami during the Mariel boatlift. The scale is larger than any previous movement of Puerto Ricans to the mainland. Read on.

• Nativity Cathedral hosting family of six from Puerto Rico … [Dean Tony Pompa] The Cathedral community is responding to the crisis in Puerto Rico following the devastation of recent hurricane by providing short term housing to a family of 6. This family has endured much over the last year and now their home in Puerto Rico has met with complete devastation. Three adults and three children have been given refuge in an apartment on Cathedral grounds. One of the children is in need of medical treatment that cannot be provided in Puerto Rico. We are working closely with the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley who are providing a great deal of support. One member of this family is a social worker looking for employment. Read on.

• Influx of people from hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico training Lehigh Valley agencies … [TMC] Community groups are feeling the strain of helping people flee hurricane-damaged Puerto Rico, and are pleading for cash donations to aid families settling in the Lehigh Valley. Nonprofit leaders said their agencies have received an abundance of clothes and food. But now the urgent need is affordable housing and transportation costs. “We’re feeling that we’re not able to help enough,” said Mary Colon, interim executive director of the Hispanic Center in south Bethlehem. “We just want to do more for our folks.”
  The call for help was made at a press conference Tuesday held by officials from the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, nonprofits involved in helping the victims of Hurricane Maria and community leaders. The Hispanic Center and Casa Guadalupe in Allentown have already helped more than 60 families each from Puerto Rico.
  Many leaving Puerto Rico have come to the Lehigh Valley because they have family here. The most recent U.S. Census figures showed about 64,000 people of Puerto Rican heritage live in Lehigh and Northampton counties. Unlike Texas and New York, Pennsylvania has not been designated a host state for Hurricane Maria survivors by the federal government, a designation that would bring federal money. That means nonprofits and community groups must use their own small budgets to help victims.
  Alan Jennings, executive director of the CACLV, said efforts to help Puerto Ricans coming to the Valley are putting a strain on nonprofits. Among the problems is charities don’t have enough staff to meet the demand. “These are nonprofits that struggle in the best of times,” he said. “Now we’ve got arguably the worst of times.” CACLV will collect monetary donations and disperse them among the groups. Donations can be made on CACLV’s website. Read on.

• Trinity Soup Kitchen in Bethlehem welcomed and served 250 guests on Thanksgiving … Thanks to the generous service and ministry of 30+ volunteers. See a 2015 report on Trinity Soup Kitchen here.

• Don't be the one without coverage … The Trump administration has cut funding for advertising during the enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act medical insurance. A Los Angeles graphic design firm responded to that situation by offering a set of free downloadable advertisements that any congregation or organization can use in encouraging enrollment. Find the material here.

• Texting while driving – Tragic all around … [Morning Call] A 21-year-old Palmer Township man was formally charged Wednesday with homicide by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter in the crash that killed 12-year-old Emma Raymondo. Authorities say Dylan T. Groff was texting while driving on Sept. 22 when he hit Emma along Route 248 near her home.
   A crying woman, who identified herself as Groff’s mother, told [District Judge Jackie] Taschher that her son “is the most honest and trustworthy human being you will ever find.” Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said Groff was neither drunk or speeding the day of the crash. But, he said, Groff’s decision to use his cellphone while driving proved just as dangerous and sparked a tragedy when he drifted onto the shoulder of Route 248 and hit Emma, who was walking home with her younger siblings after buying ice cream at a nearby convenience store. Groff stayed at the scene after the crash and cooperated with investigators, authorities said. Pennsylvania court records show no prior criminal history. Read on.

•  A free workshop on domestic violence… [Turning Point] Join us Wednesday, Dec. 6, from 9 to 10 AM, for an educational presentation for pastors and laity at Dubbs Memorial Community Center (457 W. Allen St., Allentown). Topics include the dynamics of an abusive relationship, how a person takes power and control over the life of another, the cycle of abuse, and the effects of abuse on the victim, the children, and the community. We will also discuss how you can recognize, support, respond, and refer victims of domestic abuse to supportive services. To confirm your attendance, call Miriam Rivera of Turning Point Lehigh Valley at 610-797-0530 ext. *226 or email Rev. Larry Pickens. All spiritual leaders are welcome to attend.

• Fifty years later, religious progressives launch a new Poor People's Campaign … [Religion and Politics, Nov. 27] In the past 18 months Bishop William Barber, the longtime president of the North Carolina NAACP and leader of the state’s Moral Mondays movement, has given a blockbuster speech at the Democratic National Convention, appeared on the cover of the Sunday New York Times, helped topple a Republican governor, received attention from major Democratic funders, and otherwise established himself as a rising star of progressive politics. But when, in May, Barber announced that he was stepping down from his North Carolina positions to launch a national campaign, he didn’t join a big progressive organization. Instead, Barber announced that he would partner with the Kairos Center—a little-known anti-poverty organization housed at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Read on.

• Jubilate, Advent 2017 to Last Epiphany 2018, and weekly Prayers of the People … Linked here from Trinity Bethlehem are Jubilate, a resource for hymn selection, and weekly Prayers of the People which may be used in place of the forms found in the Book of Common Prayer. Both are prepared by Canon Cliff Carr, priest associate. They are available in Word (.doc) and .pdf formats.

• DioBeth Leadership News, Nov. 22 … Here. 
• The newSpin Newsletter, Nov. 16 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, Nov. 9… Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.

********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********

Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics.
• It started as a tax cut. Now it could change American life … [NYT, Peter . Goodman and Patricia Cohennov, Nov. 29] The tax plan has been marketed by President Trump and Republican leaders as a straightforward if enormous rebate for the masses, a $1.5 trillion package of cuts to spur hiring and economic growth. But as the bill has been rushed through Congress with scant debate, its far broader ramifications have come into focus, revealing a catchall legislative creation that could reshape major areas of American life, from education to health care.
  Some of this re-engineering is straight out of the traditional Republican playbook. Corporate taxes, along with those on wealthy Americans, would be slashed on the presumption that when people in penthouses get relief, the benefits flow down to basement tenements. Some measures are barely connected to the realm of taxation, such as the lifting of a 1954 ban on political activism by churches and the conferring of a new legal right for fetuses in the House bill — both on the wish list of the evangelical right.
   With a potentially far-reaching dimension, elements in both the House and Senate bills could constrain the ability of states and local governments to levy their own taxes, pressuring them to limit spending on health care, education, public transportation and social services. In their longstanding battle to shrink government, Republicans have found in the tax bill a vehicle to broaden the fight beyond Washington. The result is a behemoth piece of legislation that could widen American economic inequality while diminishing the power of local communities to marshal relief for vulnerable people — especially in high-tax states like California and New York, which, not coincidentally, tend to vote Democratic. All of this is taking shape at such extraordinary velocity, absent the usual analyses and hearings, that even the most savvy Washington lobbyist cannot be fully certain of the implications. Read on.

• GOP 'war' on Johnson Amendment turns serious …[RNS, Spiritual Politics, Mark Silk, Nov. 19] When last we visited Republican meddling with the Johnson Amendment, it was (according to me) much ado about very little. With passage of the tax bill in the House of Representatives, it has turned into something serious.   Read on.  Update … Killing the Johnson Amendment about more than religion. Read on.

• We're on the verge of a profligate arms race … [NCR Editorial, Nov. 30] Pope Francis' condemnation of nuclear weapons, "the threat of their use, as well as their very possession," has come at a crucial time, perhaps in the nick of time. The possibility that nuclear weapons could actually be used and the cataclysm their use would wreak on the planet has never been greater than right now.
   Just days after Donald Trump became president, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the hands of its doomsday clock to two and half minutes to midnight. Reasons cited for the push included North Korea's testing of nuclear weapons, tensions between the United States and Russia, "a rise in strident nationalism worldwide … including in a US presidential campaign," and Trump's disturbing comments about the use and proliferation of nuclear weapons. We know all too well how these trends have deepened and darkened through this year. Read on.

• Truthfeed spreads pro-Trump propaganda … The website has connections to the president’s camp—and white supremacists. Read on.

• Trump retweets video critical of Muslims … President Donald Trump retweeted a series of inflammatory videos Wednesday (Nov. 29) purporting to show violence being committed by Muslims. Trump retweeted them from Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First, a small fringe group whose profile was elevated by Trump’s attention. The group’s tweets read: “VIDEO: Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!” and “VIDEO: Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!” and “VIDEO: Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!” Read on. Also, The British prime minister's office said President Trump was 'wrong' to share anti-Muslim videos by U.K. nationalists, a rare rebuke by an ally. Here. Also here. And here.

• The Russia Investigation's spectacular accumulation of lies … [WaPo, Michael Gerson, Nov. 16] There is a spectacular accumulation of lies. Lies on disclosure forms. Lies at confirmation hearings. Lies on Twitter. Lies in the White House briefing room. Lies to the FBI. Self- ­protective lies by the attorney general. Blocking and tackling lies by Vice President Pence. This is, with a few exceptions, a group of people for whom truth, political honor, ethics and integrity mean nothing. The implications of all this are not only legal and political. We are witnessing what happens when right-wing politics becomes untethered from morality and religion. Read on.

• The Nationalist's Delusion … [The Atlantic] One hundred thirty-nine years since Reconstruction, and half a century since the tail end of the civil-rights movement, a majority of white voters backed a candidate who explicitly pledged to use the power of the state against people of color and religious minorities, and stood by him as that pledge has been among the few to survive the first year of his presidency. Their support was enough to win the White House, and has solidified a return to a politics of white identity that has been one of the most destructive forces in American history. This all occurred before the eyes of a disbelieving press and political class, who plunged into fierce denial about how and why this had happened. That is the story of the 2016 election. Read on.


SpiritSpin
• Imagining a new America … [Krista Tippett of "On Being" interviews Ta-Nehisi Coates] He is a national correspondent for The Atlantic. His books include The Beautiful Struggle: A Memoir, Between the World and Me, and most recently, We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy. Listen to or read the transcript.

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• Spirit Resources
 ... way below


Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• The Da Vinci Lode … [NYT Editorial Board, Nov. 16] The sale of Leonardo's "Salvator Mundi" for almost a half-billion dollars says more about grotesque financial inequality than about art. Read on

DioBeth

• DioBeth Leadership News, Nov. 22 … Here. 
• The newSpin Newsletter, Nov. 16 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, Nov. 9… Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
Under "More Resources" way below.


Episcopal/Anglican
• Our moral opportunity on climate change … [NYT, archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Nov. 3] As a global family of churches, the Anglican Communion has stood alongside other faiths in prayerful solidarity and compassion with victims and survivors of the recent extreme weather in many places around the world. Read on.

• House of Bishops, meeting in Alaska … Three videos. Here.

• Your Faith, Your Life  … [Church Publishing, Revised Edition of the 2009 book by Jenifer Gamber and Bill Lewellis, Nov. 2017] The everything-you-need to know adult guide to the Episcopal Church that is easy to read but with substance for newcomers, adult formation groups, and lifelong Episcopalians who desire to know more about their church. The language of worship, theology, church structure, sacraments, and discipleship offers a framework to explore the meaning and practice of being an Episcopalian and follower of Jesus. Not just a book of information, but a book for transformation. Read on.
   "Jenifer Gamber and Bill Lewellis have completed a generous update of the 2009 instant classic Your Faith, Your Life, presenting orthodoxy for the 21st century. It's not rewriting orthodoxy to include 21st century ideals, its showing that orthodoxy always included these ideals. New textbooks on physics aren't created because the immutable laws of physics have changed. New discoveries illuminate what was already there: quarks, gluons, earth-like planets. These don't change our view of Newton's laws of gravity, or the 2nd law of thermodynamics. Likewise, Gamber and Lewellis have brought the "new" discoveries of the gospel of inclusion, the Jesus Movement, and the modern Church to a new guidebook of Episcopal identity. Your Faith, Your Life will be the new must have for Confirmation classes, adult education, college ministry, and other formation needs. It offers a simple guide through what it means to be an Episcopal disciple in the 21st century." ––Bill Campbell, Executive Director of Forma

• In Conversation: Michael Curry and Barbara Harris is the first volume of Church Publishing’s new In Conversation series focusing on dialogues between leaders. Edited by Fredrica Harris Thompsett. Curry serves the Episcopal Church as its 27th presiding bishop. Harris is the first female bishop elected by the Anglican Communion (1989). Thompsett, a historian and theologian, is professor emerita of historical theology at the Episcopal Divinity School, where she also served as academic dean for fourteen years. Read on.

• Planning for Rites and Rituals: A Resource for Episcopal Worship, Year B 2017-2018 … [Church Publishing] From the introduction: A wide range of thought-provoking creative options for Sundays and holy days. Looking for ways to engage a range of ages? It's here. Looking for help "seeing" the images in each week's scripture? We've got that. Want hymns keyed to the lectionary or brief introductions to the scriptures? It's all here, in a single resource. Read an excerpt here. 

• Episcopal News Service (ENS) has launched a leading-edge new website. Visually appealing, easy-to-navigate and mobile-friendly, the new ENS website was designed to improve the overall user experience, raise awareness of the news service, and generate further interest and engagement in the life-changing ministries of the Episcopal Church. Story here.

• The Toolkit of the Public Affairs Office … Way down, under "More Resources," at "Episcopal/Anglican."
• Sermons that work, Weekly bulletin inserts and more … Way down, under "More Resources," at "Episcopal/Anglican."

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Charity Navigator…maintains lists of charities and offers advice on how to pick a charity. Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) is highly rated, above American Red Cross. Read on.

• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here
• Episcopal Asset Map … Here.
• Additional Resources
 ... way below


People


In the Media


TaleSpin
• Stop watching your local news? … The news you think is "neutral" isn't neutral at all. Read on.

• Can Time survive the Kochs? … [TNY, Jane Mayer, Nov. 26] Time magazine’s cover story from its November 6th issue was a point of pride in its twelve-person Washington bureau. It featured three swinging wrecking balls emblazoned with Donald Trump’s face and a tough-minded, fact-laden investigative report on three Trump Cabinet secretaries who were systematically dismantling protective regulations in their respective government agencies. The section on Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, was particularly critical, opening with a story from a mother from Minnesota whose eight-month-old baby appeared to have suffered brain damage from a pesticide that Pruitt’s E.P.A. had recently removed from the list of banned chemicals after meeting with executives from the company that manufactures it. (An E.P.A. spokesperson told Time that the conversation was brief and that the pesticide, chlorpyrifos, was not discussed.)
   The sale of Time Inc. earlier this week, to the Meredith Corporation—a deal made possible by an infusion of six hundred and fifty million dollars from Koch Industries’ private-equity arm—has called into question whether such independent, accountability journalism from the media company will continue. For decades, Charles and David Koch have spent a staggering amount of money from their family’s private oil, gas, and chemical fortune to attack government regulations—particularly concerning the environment, where their company has a history of record-breaking violations. The brothers even helped sponsor Pruitt’s political career. As the New York Times reported, political operatives working for the Kochs also wrote the early blueprint for the Trump Administration’s rollback of Obama-era regulations, a corporate wish list called, “A Roadmap to Repeal.” And, as I reported, Pruitt placed Patrick Traylor, a lawyer for Koch Industries and other fossil-fuel companies, in charge of the E.P.A.’s enforcement of key anti-pollution laws. In other words, the Kochs are directly invested in promoting policies and politicians that the publications they now partly own would ordinarily cover.
   Despite their long and deep involvement in trying to align American politics with their conservative libertarian views, spokesmen for the Kochs insist that the multibillionaire brothers have no plans to play any role in running or shaping the editorial content of the Time Inc. publications. In addition to Time magazine, the company publishes Fortune, People, Sports Illustrated, Money, and several other previously iconic national weeklies. Instead, spokesmen for the Kochs and for Meredith say that the brothers intend to act merely as “passive” investors. They and their underlings will have no seat on the merged company’s board of directors, and play no managerial role other than meeting on a quarterly basis with senior management to discuss “financial and strategic matters.” According to an eighty-page agreement on the merger filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Kochs do, however, reserve the right to send an emissary to attend board meetings if Meredith fails to make good on its hefty 8.5-per-cent interest payments to the Kochs. But the brothers’ motive for financing such a large chunk of the $2.8 billion merger, according to those close to the deal, is purely financial, akin to the role that Carlos Slim Helú, the Mexican telecom tycoon, has played at the Times, where he is the single largest investor.
   Those familiar with the Kochs’ history, however, have reason to be skeptical about their professed passivity.  Read on.

• Jay-Z spoke with the NYT's top editor about therapy, politics, marriage, the state of rap and being a black man in Trump's America … [NYT, Dean  Baquet, Nov. 29] Watch and/or read.

• A teacher's perspective on Wonder … Last night, my family went to see the movie Wonder. I hoped my two, young sons would watch the movie and leave with a renewed understanding of what it means to be kind, but I wasn’t prepared for the lesson it had for me.
   It is November. The season of darkness and paperwork. By November, teachers are run down. The September honeymoon has worn off, and students, co-workers, administrators and parents are all showing their true colors. Feeling constantly behind and exhausted, we are trying to remember why we ever wanted to do this job in the first place. We feel defeated and discouraged. We know it is far too early in the year to feel this overwhelmed, and we wonder if we even have what it takes.
   Wonder is the story of Auggie Pullman, a 5^th grade boy with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a condition that can cause extreme facial difference. Auggie’s disability is obvious. It is a constant reminder of the struggles he faces. Read on.

• Unmistakable goodness … Sometimes the Universe goes out of its way to remind you of unmistakable goodness. Read on. 


Requiescant in pace
• Marion L. Gavern … died on Nov. 23. She was a member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Scranton, and until her illness, St. Luke's was a very big part of her life. She was a Sunday school teacher, served in the choir, Altar Guild, all fundraisers, especially the baking of Welsh Cookies. Obituary.

• Mary Capone, 97 … died on Nov. 20. She was a lifelong member of St. Mary's in Wind Gap where she taught Sunday School, and was a former member of the ECW. Obituary.

• Della Reese, 86 … died on Nov. 19. A onetime gospel singer, minister and groundbreaking African-American talk show host, she was later known for her lead role in the TV series “Touched by an Angel." Read on.

• Joseph Gwilym Morris Jr, 88 … died on Nov. 26. Dr. Morris was a member of St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral, Wilkes-Barre. Obituary.

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• More Resources
 ... way below


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• Fomer Salvadoran official extradited, to stand trial for murder of Jesuits … [NCR, Nov. 29] A 9-year legal battle has ended with U.S. officials handing over custody of Inocente Orlando Montano, a former Salvadoran army colonel, to Spanish authorities who have indicted him for "terrorist" murder in connection with the 1989 Jesuit massacre in El Salvador.

• RC priests raped children in Philadelphia, but the wrong people went to jail … [Newsweek, Ralph Cipriano, Nov. 30] Philadelphia Detective Joe Walsh was admired by peers and prosecutors, but he is most proud of the fact that he never locked up an innocent person. Then he got sucked into a massive cover-up of sexual abuse by priests. [Bill] This is a lengthy, intriguing story that includes a few paragraphs on something I had not heard about, the late Philadelphia Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua's affairs with women and his lack of financial restraint in his personal life while presiding over the painful downsizing of the archdiocese. Read on.

• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.

The Vatican
• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness
• Forgetfulness and aging: What's normal? … Here.

• Flu shots … Got mine. Got yours? Read on.

• More Resources… below.


Media/Print/Films/TV/Music/Tech
• The Book of Revelation: The End of the World or Heaven on Earth? … [A free video teaching series for Advent] 
The Book of Revelation raises questions that many of us would rather not think about: Does Hell exist? Will we be separated from our loved ones when we die? What does the end of the world look like? But, what if this scripture is not about the end of times, but rather a guide to how we create Heaven on Earth, right now? To that end, Trinity Church Wall Street is delighted to offer an important new video seminar on Revelation, led by the Very Rev. Dr. Michael Battle, professor at General Theological Seminary and based on his book “Heaven on Earth: God’s Call to Community in the Book of Revelation.”
   Over five videos, Dr. Battle will guide participants through the final book of the Bible and illuminate how it reveals God’s dream for humanity and its relevance to our world today. The series is perfect for Advent, and can be used once each week, beginning with Christ the King Sunday, as we anticipate the annual celebration of the Nativity. The program is intended to be helpful in faith-formation educational settings large and small, and for individual use. This curriculum is offered to all free of charge and may be viewed online or downloaded Also available at this location in the future will be a podcast series, and a version that is not Advent-specific and thus suitable for any season of the Church year. Read on.


Websites, Podcasts and Blogs
• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.
• Episcopal News Service … Here.

• Pod Save America … is an American progressive political podcast, co-hosted by Jon Favreau, Tommy Vietor, Jon Lovett, and Daniel Pfeiffer.
• Radiolab … is a radio show and podcast about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience.
• The Axe Files with David Axelrod … is a series of revealing interviews with key figures in the political world. David Axelrod is the founder and director of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.
• The Daily … This is how the news should sound. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, hosted by Michael Barbaro and powered by New York Times journalism.
• Vox's The Weeds … is a semiweekly policy podcast hosted by Ezra Klein, Sarah Kliff, and Matthew Yglesias.

Varia
• Ten award-winning optical illusions and brain puzzles … Here.

• He was a star, now … [TNY cartoon] Here.

Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYM … New York Magazine
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]

More Resources

DioBeth
• Look online every Thursday for a Diocese of Bethlehem newsletter or for newSpin … Every Thursday in the following rotation: (1) The Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) The General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. The Leadership News and the General News are official publications of the Diocese of Bethlehem. They include news, info, features and events relating to our diocese and parishes. The newSpin newsletter you are now reading is not an official publication – and will usually not duplicate news, info and features relating to our diocese and parish as found in the official newsletters. It is a relatively lengthy eclectic sampling of items related to religion – at times not, at times not so clearly – that the editor thinks readers might find to be of interest. It has been a kind of hobby of a onetime communication minister, the work of a volunteer who in retirement enjoys and dedicates time to do the research required. The newSpin newsletter is always posted on the newSpin blog. If you wish to receive it by email, please send a note to [email protected]

• Look online … for the Diocese of Bethlehem Facebook Page, Facebook Group (Bethlehem Episcopalians) and Twitter feed.

• Bethlehem Episcopalians … is a Facebook group for conversations about mission, spirituality, Christian formation, and more that has replaced the old Bakery email list. Bethlehem Episcopalians is an open group. Anyone can join and items that you post can be shared by group members on their own Facebook pages. This offers each of us the opportunity to reach a larger audience with news and conversations about what God is doing in our diocese." Join the Facebook group. Includes more than 425 members

• DioBeth website
• Stumbling into the Sacred ... [Reflections on seeing God in the everyday by Canon Anne E. Kitch]
• newSpin blog ... including the newSpin weekly by Bill Lewellis.
• Facebook Page  … Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem
• Facebook Group … Bethlehem Episcopalians
• Twitter …
• Flickr
• YouTube
• Vimeo
• LinkedIn

Center for Congregations ... The "Using Resources" series of publications by the Center for Congregations is designed to help congregations make the most effective use of capital funds, consultants, architects, contractors, books, congregation management software, and more.
• Congregational Consulting ...  More information on how to contact the consultants can be found here and at http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/ .
• Church locators ... Here.
• ECF Vital Practices ... Here.
• The Chalice, a publication created by Joan DeAcetis for older adults and caretakers. Download issues here.
• Weekly Bulletin Inserts from the Episcopal Church ... Here.
• Calendar of events in our parishes ... Here.

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
• Allentown: Episcopal House … Here.
• Allentown: Grace … Here.
• Allentown: Grace Montessori School … Here.
• Allentown: Mediator … Here. Refugee Community Center … Here.
• Allentown/Bethlehem: St. Andrew … Here.
• Athens: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Nativity Cathedral … Here. Emergency Shelter … Here.
• Bethlehem: New Bethany Ministries … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Carbondale: St. James-St. George … Here.
• Clarks Summit/Glenburn: Epiphany … Here.
• Dallas: Prince of Peace … Here.
• Douglassville: St. Gabriel … Here.
• Easton: Trinity … Here.  ARK Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Emmaus: St. Margaret … Here.
• Forest City: Christ Church … Here.
• Hazleton: St. Peter … Here.
• Hamlin: St. John … Here.
• Hellertown: St. George … Here.
• Honesdale: Grace … Here.
• Jermyn: St. James/St. George … Here.
• Jim Thorpe: St. Mark/St. John … Here.
• Kingston: Grace … Here.
• Lebanon: St. Luke … Here.
• Lehighton: All Saints … Here.
• Milford: Good Shepherd … Here.
• Montrose: St. Paul … Here.
• Morgantown: St. Thomas … Here.
• Moscow: St. Mark … Here.
• Mountain Top: St. Martin-in-the-Fields … Here.
• Mount Pocono: … Here.
• Nanticoke/Alden Station: St. Andrew … Here.
• Nazareth: St. Brigid … Here.
• Palmerton: St. John … Here.
• Pen Argyl: St. Joseph … Here.
• Pottsville: Trinity … Here.
• Reading: Christ Church … Here.  SPARK … Here.
• Reading: St. Mary: … Here.
• Sayre: Redeemer: … Here.
• Schuylkill County: North Parish … Here.
• Scranton: St. Luke: … Here.
• Sinking Spring: St. Alban … Here.
• Stroudsburg: Christ Church … Here.
• Towanda: Christ Church … Here.
• Trexlertown: St. Anne … Here.
• Tunkhannock: St. Peter … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen School … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Clement/St. Peter … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Stephen … Here.
• West Pittston: Trinity … Here.
• Wind Gap: St. Mary … Here.
[Bill] Please let me know if your website is not listed above. Also, let me know if you would like me to highlight something on your site. Please note, also, that a few of the websites need to be updated. Thanks.]

• Data and Analysis from the 2016 Parochial Reports … of the Episcopal Church are available here.

Episcopal/Anglican
• The Episcopal Church website, news service, news service blog,
• Episcopal Café
• AngicansOnline website and news centre.
• The Living Church
• The Anglican Communion website and news service.
• The Daily Scan: Contact [email protected] to add subscribers for news releases, notices, statements, or Daily Scan.
• Free weekly bulletin inserts provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Find the inserts here.
• Updated Episcopal Church canons and constitution ... Here.
• Forward Movement ... Here.
• Episcopal Web Radio ... Here.
• Episcopal Church Event Calendar ... Here

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

Ecumenical/Interfaith Relations
• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.  
• Protestant Reformation…  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.   MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

• Protestant Reformation …  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation  MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

SpiritSpin
• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• The Imitation of Christ ... Available free online.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.


Bible&Worship
• The Lectionary ... A collection of Lectionary resources for the Episcopal Church, updated Sunday night. Here.
• Lectionary Page ... A liturgical calendar for upcoming weeks, with links to readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), as adapted for use in Episcopal worship. Here.
• Revised Common Lectionary ... Here.
• The Liturgical Calendar ... BCP, Lesser Feasts and Fasts, HWHM ... Here.
• Oremus Bible Browser ... Here.
• Celebrating the Eucharist, by Patrick Malloy. Google Book
• Enriching our Worship, 1 to 5 ... Free download here.
• The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant: Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships [Extracted from Liturgical Resources 1: I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing] Here.
• Collection of worship resources at Diobeth.org ... Including Diocesan Cycles of Prayer for weekly worship, Holy Women Holy Men, and The Text This Week. Here.

Health and Wellness
• Resources for caregivers ... Here.
• Medline Plus ... Here. 
• WebMD ... Here.
• Alzheimers.gov ... For people helping people with Alzheimers. Here.
• Three Free Apps for getting qualified medical advice... [Techlicious] Urgent Care, HealthTap and First Aid. Info and links.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Center for Disease Control - Healthy Living
•Church Health Reader
• Eastern Pennsylvania Faith Community Nurses
• Episcopal Mental Illness Network
• Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH
• National Episcopal Health Ministries
• NEHM Wellness Resource Page 
•Let's Move

News/info/commentary
• Religion News Service Daily Roundup ... here.
• Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project: Daily Religion Headlines ... here.
• Religious Freedom Blog ... a weekly look back at the top stories and developments on religious liberty around the world. Here.
• National Catholic Reporter ... here.
• BBC News Online ... here.
• BBC Religion & Ethics ... here.
• Faith in Public Life ... Here.
• Religion&Ethics News Weekly (PBS) ... Here.
• Religion Research Hub ... ARDA, Association of Religion Data Archives, an especially useful site.
• Back issues of the newSpin newsletter ... here.

Media/Film/TV/Books/Podcasts/Music/Tech
• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.
• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks  and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told about your congregation, it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.

Varia
• Insights into Religion ... Here.
• The Alban Institute ... Here.

 

 

newSpin 171116

newSpin, the newsletter
November16, 2017 – Bill Lewellis

TopSpin
• Don't be the one without coverage … The Trump administration has cut funding for advertising during the enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act medical insurance. A Los Angeles graphic design firm responded to that situation by offering a set of free downloadable advertisements that any congregation or organization can use in encouraging enrollment. Find the material here.

• How the 2nd-largest soup kitchen in the U.S. handles hunger today … [ENS, Amy Sowder] Soup kitchens like the one at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen in New York City are on the front lines of the Episcopal Church’s efforts to help combat hunger in America. Read on.

• Nativity Cathedral to host family of six from Puerto Rico … [Dean Tony Pompa] The Cathedral community is responding to the crisis in Puerto Rico following the devastation of recent hurricane by providing short term housing to a family of 6 who will be coming to Bethlehem. This family has endured much over the last year and now their home in Puerto Rico has met with complete devastation. Three adults and three children will be seeking refuge in the apartment in the Deanery. One of the children is in need of medical treatment that cannot be provided in Puerto Rico. We are working closely with the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley who are providing a great deal of support. Read on.

• Unmistakable goodness … Sometimes the Universe goes out of its way to remind you of unmistakable goodness. Read on.

• Jubilate, Advent 2017 to Last Epiphany 2018, and weekly Prayers of the People … Linked here from Trinity Bethlehem are Jubilate, a resource for hymn selection, and weekly Prayers of the People which may be used in place of the forms found in the Book of Common Prayer. Both are prepared by Canon Cliff Carr, priest associate. They are available in Word (.doc) and .pdf formats. REPEAT, MOVE BELOW

• DioBeth Leadership News, Oct. 26 … Here. 
• The newSpin Newsletter, Nov. 2 … Here. UPDATE LINK
• DioBeth General News, Nov. 9… Here.  UPDATE LINK
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.

********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********

Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics.
• Let's not pray …[Robert C Wright, Episcopal Bishop of Atlanta] As someone who convenes and commends prayer for a living, what America needs now is less prayer and more action from her elected officials. When the doers of evil are foreign born, suggestions for policy and action flow forward. When the doers of evil are Americans with automatic and semi-automatic weapons we are invited to moments of silence and prayer. Silence is what we use to hear God speak, not a place to hide from our responsibility. Prayer is not a refuge for cowards. Prayer is where we steel ourselves to partner with God for good. Please do not invite me to pray in response to the horror of Sutherland Springs Texas, unless it is to pray courage over elected officials who intend to work for the ban of automatic and semi- automatic weapons.

• Ray Moore and the moral mirror of hatred … [The Week, Jonathan Merritt, Nov. 13] Judge Roy Moore, the Republican nominee for the Alabama Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions' ascension to attorney general, has long been a purveyor of pietistic hate speech. The self-proclaimed Christian has used racial slurs in public speeches, blamed 9/11 on godlessness, and said that homosexual behavior should be illegal. But last week, The Washington Post uncovered multiple allegations that Moore had made sexual advances on teenage girls when he was in his 30s. The most egregious accusation involved a girl who claims that Moore groped and kissed her when she was only 14 years old. The Post's bombshell was painstakingly reported, and several friends and family members testify that this accuser disclosed the incident to them years ago. Court records confirm the timeline of her account. (For his part, Moore denies ever engaging in any sexual misconduct.
   Many Americans have expressed shock and dismay at the news that a public figure who presented himself as a model and guardian of Christian morality could have violated those morals in such a profound way. But it must be said: These allegations should sadden everyone but surprise no one. Read on.
   Also here: His defenders argue that not voting for Mr. Moore, and therefore losing a Republican Senate seat and possibly control of the Senate, could lead to worse outcomes for Christians than simply holding their noses and electing him to office.

• Helping needy billionaires … [NYT, Nicholas Kristof, Nov. 16] It’s so tough to be a billionaire these days, with the price of yachts and pastry chefs soaring. Fortunately, President Trump is throwing a lifeline to the wealthy with his new tax plan, which finds ways of cutting health care from the riffraff to subsidize zillionaires. Yup, my column has a satirical tone today: Read!


SpiritSpin
• The Right Questions … [Bill] It has long been my mantra that asking right questions is more important than seeking answers to what might be wrong questions. Bad questions will always lead to bad answers. This comes to mind as I weep for the families especially affected by the shooting in a Texas Baptist Church, and hear clergy attempt to provide comfort by answering questions such as why would God allow this. That's a bad question that invokes similarly bad answers such as "God knows what we do not understand … so have faith, keep praying."
  First of all, know this. GOD IS WEEPING. God weeps with each person who has lost a loved one. That's my faith. Within that trust, I pray. So what are the right questions within this tragedy? Perhaps: Why did a mentally ill shooter have access to guns? What can be done about that? What can I do? How might those affected by this tragedy be comforted, to the extent that this is possible, without suggesting bad questions? Don't put this on God. God is weeping.

• Be Attentive to what God is saying … [A Draft on a Guide on a Journey to Authenticity/Integrity by Bill Lewellis ([email protected]) and Bruce Baker ([email protected])] God acts in our lives in varied, strange, unpredictable ways. The ultimate question in discernment of spirits is “What is God saying or not saying?” One of the best guides for theological reflection, including the more specific type of theological reflection we call “discernment” and the type of theology we do as Christian Ethics or Moral Theology, is the late Jesuit scholar Bernard Lonergan. He specialized in questions of method (hunting down the truth) and, as a Jesuit, he was trained in discernment of spirits, that is, hunting down the movement of God.
   Lonergan’s method was expressed in four imperatives: (1) Be attentive, i.e., be an attentive subject, (2) Be intelligent, i.e., be an intelligently inquiring subject, (3) Be reasonable, i.e., be a rationally reflective and reasonable subject, and (4) Be responsible, i.e., be a responsibly deliberating, decisive and acting subject. This method seeks transformation in God. So, we might add (5) Be in Love transformed. Read on.

• The Lamed-Vavnik: The hidden 36 righteous ones … There is a tradition within mystical Hasidic Judaism that 36 righteous people hold the world together by their prayers, their goodness and their blamelessness before God. The tradition says that were it not for them, all of them, if even one of them was missing, the world would come to an end. They are called in Yiddish the Lamed-Vavnik. None of them knows that they are one of the 36 hidden saints. In fact, tradition has it that should a person claim to be one of the 36, that is proof positive that they are not.

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• Spirit Resources
 ... way below


Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin

DioBeth
• Data and Analysis from the 2016 Parochial Reports … of the Episcopal Church are available here.

• DioBeth Leadership News, Oct. 26 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Oct. 19 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, Oct. 12… Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.


DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
Under "More Resources" way below.


Episcopal/Anglican
• Planning for Rites and Rituals: A Resource for Episcopal Worship, Year B 2017-2018 … [Church Publishing] From the introduction: A wide range of thought-provoking creative options for Sundays and holy days. Looking for ways to engage a range of ages? It's here. Looking for help "seeing" the images in each week's scripture? We've got that. Want hymns keyed to the lectionary or brief introductions to the scriptures? It's all here, in a single resource. Read an excerpt here.

• Our moral opportunity on climate change … [NYT, archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Nov. 3] As a global family of churches, the Anglican Communion has stood alongside other faiths in prayerful solidarity and compassion with victims and survivors of the recent extreme weather in many places around the world. Read on.

• Episcopal News Service (ENS) has launched a leading-edge new website. Visually appealing, easy-to-navigate and mobile-friendly, the new ENS website was designed to improve the overall user experience, raise awareness of the news service, and generate further interest and engagement in the life-changing ministries of the Episcopal Church. Story here.

• The Toolkit of the Public Affairs Office … Way down, under "More Resources" at "Episcopal/Anglican."
• Sermons that work, Weekly bulletin inserts and more … Way down, under "More Resources" at "Episcopal/Anglican."

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Charity Navigator…maintains lists of charities and offers advice on how to pick a charity. Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) is highly rated, above American Red Cross. Read on.

• We are now the world's climate pariah … With holdouts Nicaragua and Syria having finally signed on to the Paris agreement, The New Republic’s Emily Atkins notes that the United States is now “officially the world’s climate pariah” Read on.

• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here
• Episcopal Asset Map … Here.
• Additional Resources
 ... way below


People
Oakes Fegley: Might onetime Allentown Grace Montessor School student be Oscar bound … There’s no doubt that “Wonderstruck” is Oscar-bound, including possible nominations for Haynes, Selznick, cinematographer Ed Lachman, film editor Affonso Goncalves, production designer Mark Friedberg, costume designer Sandy Powell, and composer Carter Burwell. Other music heard includes David Bowie’s masterful “Space Oddity” and Deodato’s jazz-funk interpretation of Richard Strauss’s “Also Sprach Zarathustra."
  The entire cast is outstanding. Every character is believable. Simmonds, who is deaf, is expressive beyond her years. Fegley has a sweet naturalism that he never loses. When Moore shows up as a different character in a key section of the movie, you watch in awe as she brilliantly grounds scene after scene. All three deserve Academy Award consideration. “Wonderstruck” is about dreaming to connect with another person in a complex universe. It’s wonderful. Read on.


In the Media


TaleSpin
• What good is knowing the Bible? … [JSTOR, Grant Shreve, Oct. 27] During the recent media conflagration surrounding Donald Trump’s attacks on the silent protests of black athletes against state-sponsored racial violence, American Idol winner Jordin Sparks had the unenviable task of singing the national anthem at a football game in Glendale, Arizona. As she sang, people noticed that scrawled on her hand was the cryptic message, “PROV 31:8-9.” This directed thousands of viewers to their Bibles (or, more likely, Google) to read chapter 31 of the book of Proverbs: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. / Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Sparks used the two verses as an act of protest, deploying the Bible as a cultural shorthand for resistance and demonstrating the political and rhetorical power this ancient text still commands. Read on.

• 181818 … [Bill] I share with you a peculiarity that came to a close on Nov. 1, the anniversary of my reception as an Episcopal priest. I was a Roman Catholic priest for 18 years (1963-81), an Episcopal layperson for 18 years (1981-99) and now an Episcopal priest for 18 years (1999-2017).

• The fragile generation. … [Reason Magazine, Lenore Skenazy & Jonathan Haidt from the December 2017 issue] Bad policy and paranoid parenting are making kids too safe to succeed. Read on.

• On words that don't belong to everyone … Ta-Nehisi Coates, a public intellectual on tour for his latest admirable book, "We Were Eight Years in Power," lays out a brilliant response to a white student who asks what she should do when her white friends rap along to a song with the "N-word" in it: "There's actually a lot to be learned from refraining" Video.

• Church Attendance and the Decline of Civic Spaces … This decline in religiosity has meant that fewer Americans go to church. That's worrying—not because people should necessarily believe in God, but because Americans' atrophying church attendance means that one of the oldest spaces where Americans have been able to engage with other members of their community, and even fight for various causes, doesn't have the same resonance it once did.
Churches are an example of what urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg calls a "third place." Third places are spaces where people spend time between their first and second places—home and work, respectively. Third places serve as community builders. This means that they're locations where, in the case of churches, people can share their worries, rejoice, and renew together. Read on.


Requiescant in pace

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• The Reformation: Shaping our world … Three surprising ways the Protestant Reformation did … Free Inquiry, Democracy, Limited Government. Read on. And here and here and here and here.

• 500 years later … [NYM, Ed Kilgore, Oct. 31] The 500th anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, generally considered the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, is naturally spurring rumination on the current status of Catholic-Protestant efforts to heal the breech in Western Christianity. By most measurements, an enormous amount of ecumenical progress has been made, much of it in the last 75 years. In truth, the Second Vatican Council eliminated or at least ameliorated a good deal of what troubled Luther’s conscience about the early modern Catholic Church: the insistence on Rome’s monopoly on salvation; the elevation of “works” over faith; the denial of direct access to the Bible for laypeople; the deterioration of worship from a communal experience to a clerical ritual aimed at praying people through Purgatory who could afford to pay for that privilege; and assorted other “abuses” that Catholic reformers over the centuries often criticized as well.
   But as Emma Green acknowledges at the end of a long evaluation of ecumenism, difference among Christians these days tend to break along a left-right rather than a Catholic-Protestant spectrum. Read on.

• The real story of the Reformation … [WSJournal, Eric Metaxas, Oct. 30] Martin Luther wanted to coax theologians into a debate on indulgences—not reset Christianity. [Bill] I'm with Eric. Read on.

• 'Exvangelicals': why more religious people are rejecting the evangelical label … [The Guardian] Concerned about the rightwing stereotypes linked to the term, many say they no longer identify with it -- especially after the 2016 election. Read on.

• More Resources
 ... way below


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.

The Vatican
• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness
• Don't let new blood pressure guidelines raise yours … [NYT, H. Gilbert Welch, Nov. 15] “Under New Guidelines, Millions More Americans Will Need to Lower Blood Pressure.” This is the type of headline that raises my blood pressure to dangerously high levels. For years, doctors were told to aim for a systolic blood pressure of less than 140. (The first of the two blood pressure numbers.) Then, in 2013, recommendations were relaxed to less than 150 for patients age 60 and older. Now they have been tightened, to less than 130 for anyone with at least a 10 percent risk of heart attack or stroke in the next decade. That means that nearly half of all adults in the United States are now considered to have high blood pressure …
  Focusing on the number 130 not only will involve millions of people but also will involve millions of new prescriptions and millions of dollars. And it will further distract doctors and their patients from activities that aren’t easily measured by numbers, yet are more important to health — real food, regular movement and finding meaning in life. These matter whatever your blood pressure is. Read on.

• Flu shots … Got mine. Got yours?

• More Resources… below.


Media/Print/Films/TV/Music/Tech
• The Book of Revelation: The End of the World or Heaven on Earth? … [A free video teaching series for Advent] 
The Book of Revelation raises questions that many of us would rather not think about: Does Hell exist? Will we be separated from our loved ones when we die? What does the end of the world look like? But, what if this scripture is not about the end of times, but rather a guide to how we create Heaven on Earth, right now? To that end, Trinity Church Wall Street is delighted to offer an important new video seminar on Revelation, led by the Very Rev. Dr. Michael Battle, professor at General Theological Seminary and based on his book “Heaven on Earth: God’s Call to Community in the Book of Revelation.”
   Over five videos, Dr. Battle will guide participants through the final book of the Bible and illuminate how it reveals God’s dream for humanity and its relevance to our world today. The series is perfect for Advent, and can be used once each week, beginning with Christ the King Sunday, as we anticipate the annual celebration of the Nativity. The program is intended to be helpful in faith-formation educational settings large and small, and for individual use. This curriculum is offered to all free of charge and may be viewed online or downloaded Also available at this location in the future will be a podcast series, and a version that is not Advent-specific and thus suitable for any season of the Church year. Read on.

• 100 great children's books/100 years … Great stories never grow old! Chosen by children’s librarians at The New York Public Library, these 100 inspiring tales have thrilled generations of children and their parents — and are still flying off our shelves. 100 Great Children’s Books has been published on the occasion of The New York Public Library’s acclaimed exhibition The ABC of It: Why Children’s Books Matter, on view at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Read on.

• Our embrace of narrative: Sometimes people need stories more than food to stay alive … [Frank Bruni, NYT columnist] The frantic churn of American politics right now makes me want to pull back — way back — and consider the mystery and the mess of us from a wider angle, in longer chunks of time. To that end I’m reading the Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari’s “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind.”
  It has admirers and detractors galore. Put me in the first group. I’m loving the combination of rigorous scholarship and creative interpretation with which Harari explores the evolution of our species. I’m fascinated in particular by his assertion that our embrace of narrative is what distinguishes us from other creatures. “We tell ourselves stories in order to live,” Joan Didion famously wrote, noting our need to impose shape on chaos. Harari shows that we also tell ourselves stories in order to organize, to usurp. Reading “Sapiens,” I’m reminded that those who prevail are the ones who tell the most persuasive stories. It’s a truism as crucial as any other to this tense time.
   [Bill] The following is from The Crow and the Weasel, a beautiful children's (and adult's) book by Barry Lopez that I enjoyed with our boys when they were young: "The stories people tell have a way of taking care of them. If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes people need stories more than food to stay alive. That is why we put these stories in each other’s memory."

• The Ninth Hour: Craving the spiritual in Alice McDermott's new novel … [RNS, Kimberly Winston] “Recently I’ve found that the discussion of Catholicism is more welcome than it was just a few years ago,” Alice McDermott said. “I think there is — a hunger is too strong a word — but a kind of piqued interest in talking about what we could define as religious things — faith, human suffering and how we confront it. I am hearing a much more emotional reaction from readers when talking about matters of faith, and I see that as a kind of thirst for a conversation about things of the spirit.”
   Part of this she attributes to the popularity and openness of Pope Francis, and part of it may be related to disillusionment with organized religion, but not with faith itself. “Maybe there is a loss of community, maybe we are finding it difficult to find places to gather and talk about how do we live, how do we be better, how do we confront the big issues of suffering and faith and mortality?” she said. “Outside of a religious context it is hard to have those conversations. If there is one thing that organized religion provides it’s a place and an incentive to say, ‘Consider this. Consider who we are and what it means to be human.’” Read on.


Websites, Podcasts and Blogs
• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.
• Episcopal News Service … Here.


Varia
• Ten award-winning optical illusions and brain puzzles … Here.

Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYM … New York Magazine
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]

More Resources

DioBeth
• Look online every Thursday for a Diocese of Bethlehem newsletter or for newSpin … Every Thursday in the following rotation: (1) The Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) The General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. The Leadership News and the General News are official publications of the Diocese of Bethlehem. They include news, info, features and events relating to our diocese and parishes. The newSpin newsletter you are now reading is not an official publication – and will usually not duplicate news, info and features relating to our diocese and parish as found in the official newsletters. It is a relatively lengthy eclectic sampling of items related to religion – at times not, at times not so clearly – that the editor thinks readers might find to be of interest. It has been a kind of hobby of a onetime communication minister, the work of a volunteer who in retirement enjoys and dedicates time to do the research required. The newSpin newsletter is always posted on the newSpin blog. If you wish to receive it by email, please send a note to [email protected]

• Look online … for the Diocese of Bethlehem Facebook Page, Facebook Group (Bethlehem Episcopalians) and Twitter feed.

• Bethlehem Episcopalians … is a Facebook group for conversations about mission, spirituality, Christian formation, and more that has replaced the old Bakery email list. Bethlehem Episcopalians is an open group. Anyone can join and items that you post can be shared by group members on their own Facebook pages. This offers each of us the opportunity to reach a larger audience with news and conversations about what God is doing in our diocese." Join the Facebook group. Includes more than 425 members

• DioBeth website
• Stumbling into the Sacred ... [Reflections on seeing God in the everyday by Canon Anne E. Kitch]
• newSpin blog ... including the newSpin weekly by Bill Lewellis.
• Facebook Page  … Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem
• Facebook Group … Bethlehem Episcopalians
• Twitter …
• Flickr
• YouTube
• Vimeo
• LinkedIn

Center for Congregations ... The "Using Resources" series of publications by the Center for Congregations is designed to help congregations make the most effective use of capital funds, consultants, architects, contractors, books, congregation management software, and more.
• Congregational Consulting ...  More information on how to contact the consultants can be found here and at http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/ .
• Church locators ... Here.
• ECF Vital Practices ... Here.
• The Chalice, a publication created by Joan DeAcetis for older adults and caretakers. Download issues here.
• Weekly Bulletin Inserts from the Episcopal Church ... Here.
• Calendar of events in our parishes ... Here.

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
• Allentown: Episcopal House … Here.
• Allentown: Grace … Here.
• Allentown: Grace Montessori School … Here.
• Allentown: Mediator … Here. Refugee Community Center … Here.
• Allentown/Bethlehem: St. Andrew … Here.
• Athens: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Nativity Cathedral … Here. Emergency Shelter … Here.
• Bethlehem: New Bethany Ministries … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Carbondale: St. James-St. George … Here.
• Clarks Summit/Glenburn: Epiphany … Here.
• Dallas: Prince of Peace … Here.
• Douglassville: St. Gabriel … Here.
• Easton: Trinity … Here.  ARK Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Emmaus: St. Margaret … Here.
• Forest City: Christ Church … Here.
• Hazleton: St. Peter … Here.
• Hamlin: St. John … Here.
• Hellertown: St. George … Here.
• Honesdale: Grace … Here.
• Jermyn: St. James/St. George … Here.
• Jim Thorpe: St. Mark/St. John … Here.
• Kingston: Grace … Here.
• Lebanon: St. Luke … Here.
• Lehighton: All Saints … Here.
• Milford: Good Shepherd … Here.
• Montrose: St. Paul … Here.
• Morgantown: St. Thomas … Here.
• Moscow: St. Mark … Here.
• Mountain Top: St. Martin-in-the-Fields … Here.
• Mount Pocono: … Here.
• Nanticoke/Alden Station: St. Andrew … Here.
• Nazareth: St. Brigid … Here.
• Palmerton: St. John … Here.
• Pen Argyl: St. Joseph … Here.
• Pottsville: Trinity … Here.
• Reading: Christ Church … Here.  SPARK … Here.
• Reading: St. Mary: … Here.
• Sayre: Redeemer: … Here.
• Schuylkill County: North Parish … Here.
• Scranton: St. Luke: … Here.
• Sinking Spring: St. Alban … Here.
• Stroudsburg: Christ Church … Here.
• Towanda: Christ Church … Here.
• Trexlertown: St. Anne … Here.
• Tunkhannock: St. Peter … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen School … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Clement/St. Peter … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Stephen … Here.
• West Pittston: Trinity … Here.
• Wind Gap: St. Mary … Here.
[Bill] Please let me know if your website is not listed above. Also, let me know if you would like me to highlight something on your site. Please note, also, that a few of the websites need to be updated. Thanks.]

Episcopal/Anglican
• The Episcopal Church website, news service, news service blog,
• Episcopal Café
• AngicansOnline website and news centre.
• The Living Church
• The Anglican Communion website and news service.
• The Daily Scan: Contact [email protected] to add subscribers for news releases, notices, statements, or Daily Scan.
• Free weekly bulletin inserts provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Find the inserts here.
• Updated Episcopal Church canons and constitution ... Here.
• Forward Movement ... Here.
• Episcopal Web Radio ... Here.
• Episcopal Church Event Calendar ... Here

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

Ecumenical/Interfaith Relations
• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.  
• Protestant Reformation…  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.   MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

• Protestant Reformation …  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation  MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

SpiritSpin
• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• The Imitation of Christ ... Available free online.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.


Bible&Worship
• The Lectionary ... A collection of Lectionary resources for the Episcopal Church, updated Sunday night. Here.
• Lectionary Page ... A liturgical calendar for upcoming weeks, with links to readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), as adapted for use in Episcopal worship. Here.
• Revised Common Lectionary ... Here.
• The Liturgical Calendar ... BCP, Lesser Feasts and Fasts, HWHM ... Here.
• Oremus Bible Browser ... Here.
• Celebrating the Eucharist, by Patrick Malloy. Google Book
• Enriching our Worship, 1 to 5 ... Free download here.
• The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant: Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships [Extracted from Liturgical Resources 1: I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing] Here.
• Collection of worship resources at Diobeth.org ... Including Diocesan Cycles of Prayer for weekly worship, Holy Women Holy Men, and The Text This Week. Here.

Health and Wellness
• Resources for caregivers ... Here.
• Medline Plus ... Here. 
• WebMD ... Here.
• Alzheimers.gov ... For people helping people with Alzheimers. Here.
• Three Free Apps for getting qualified medical advice... [Techlicious] Urgent Care, HealthTap and First Aid. Info and links.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Center for Disease Control - Healthy Living
•Church Health Reader
• Eastern Pennsylvania Faith Community Nurses
• Episcopal Mental Illness Network
• Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH
• National Episcopal Health Ministries
• NEHM Wellness Resource Page 
•Let's Move

News/info/commentary
• Religion News Service Daily Roundup ... here.
• Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project: Daily Religion Headlines ... here.
• Religious Freedom Blog ... a weekly look back at the top stories and developments on religious liberty around the world. Here.
• National Catholic Reporter ... here.
• BBC News Online ... here.
• BBC Religion & Ethics ... here.
• Faith in Public Life ... Here.
• Religion&Ethics News Weekly (PBS) ... Here.
• Religion Research Hub ... ARDA, Association of Religion Data Archives, an especially useful site.
• Back issues of the newSpin newsletter ... here.

Media/Film/TV/Books/Podcasts/Music/Tech
• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.
• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks  and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told about your congregation, it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.

Varia
• Insights into Religion ... Here.
• The Alban Institute ... Here.

 

 

newSpin 171102

newSpin, the newsletter
November 2, 2017 – Bill Lewellis

TopSpin
• Cut child poverty rate in half … or send $130,000 a year to every household in the top 1 percent? … [h/t David Leonardt] House Republicans approved a budget plan yesterday that’s the first step toward passing a big tax cut. More than half of the tax cut’s benefits would flow to the top 1 percent of earners — those earning at least $733,000 a year. On average, each of those households would receive an infusion of $130,000 each year.
   In related news, two Democratic senators have introduced a bill that would cut the child poverty rate almost in half, by increasing the child tax credit. The total cost of their bill happens to be similar to the cost of the tax cut flowing only to the top 1 percent — both are in the neighborhood of $100 billion a year. If anything, the anti-poverty plan would probably cost less.
  Which do you think sounds like a more urgent national priority: cutting this country’s depressingly-high child poverty rate or sending $130,000 a year to every household in the top 1 percent?
   The child credit plan, writes Dylan Matthews of Vox, is “one of the most exciting bills I’ve ever seen in my time covering Congress.” Details here.

• Powerless Puerto Rico … [NYT Editorial Board, Oct. 26] Restoring electrical power to the island’s 3.4 million American citizens remains a frustrating and mysterious process, with 75 percent of the island still without electricity. … Confidence has not been helped by the news that a two-person, two-year-old Montana electrical company with limited experience was able to land a $300 million contract for a part of the task that is far larger than any project the company has ever done. The contract is stirring suspicions of inside favoritism, prompting the financial oversight board that manages Puerto Rican affairs to consider appointment of a special monitor over the island’s power authority.
  A congressional inquiry is being promised as lawmakers look into the fact that the company, Whitefish Energy, is from the same Montana town as the secretary of the interior, Ryan Zinke, and that its chief executive knows Mr. Zinke.
……
  The aftermath of these deadly hurricanes poses the basic question of whether the government’s existing emergency response system is up to the heightened challenges of nature as climate change grows more threatening. The hyperbolic self-congratulations of President Trump only invite the federal government to look away from the continuing sufferings of Puerto Rico. Read on.

• Nativity Cathedral to host family of six from Puerto Rico … [Dean Tony Pompa] The Cathedral community is responding to the crisis in Puerto Rico following the devastation of recent hurricane by providing short term housing to a family of 6 who will be coming to Bethlehem. This family has endured much over the last year and now their home in Puerto Rico has met with complete devastation. Three adults and three children will be seeking refuge in the apartment in the Deanery. One of the children is in need of medical treatment that cannot be provided in Puerto Rico. We are working closely with the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley who are providing a great deal of support. Read on.

• Jubilate, Advent 2017 to Last Epiphany 2018, and weekly Prayers of the People … Linked here from Trinity Bethlehem are Jubilate, a resource for hymn selection, and weekly Prayers of the People which may be used in place of the forms found in the Book of Common Prayer. Both are prepared by Canon Cliff Carr, priest associate. They are available in Word (.doc) and .pdf formats.

• Explain privilege … [h/t Libby House] Something we don't often recognize. The head starts some of us have, based on nothing we ourselves have done to earn them. Read on.

• DioBeth Leadership News, Oct. 26 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Oct. 19 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, Oct. 12… Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.

********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********


Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics.
• Paul Ryan's strange Catholic values …[NYDaily News, John Gehring, Oct. 19] A former altar boy, Ryan speaks frequently about how his faith shapes his political worldview, even as his positions on immigration, health care and budgets consistently leave the poor behind and often clash with the advocacy of Catholic Church leaders. Read on.

• Adem for Congress … [h/t Stephen Lewellis] Adem Bunkeddeko and my son, Stephen, were friends at Haverford College. Adem is running for Congress in Brooklyn (NY-9). View his powerful story here.

• Trump's legacy: Damaged brains … [NYT, Nicholas Kristof] The pesticide, which belongs to a class of chemicals developed as a nerve gas made by Nazi Germany, is now found in food, air and drinking water. Human and animal studies show that it damages the brain and reduces I.Q.s while causing tremors among children. It has also been linked to lung cancer and Parkinson’s disease in adults.
   The colored parts of the image in the link below, prepared by Columbia University scientists, indicate where a child’s brain is physically altered after exposure to this pesticide
   This chemical, chlorpyrifos, is hard to pronounce, so let’s just call it Dow Chemical Company’s Nerve Gas Pesticide. Even if you haven’t heard of it, it may be inside you: One 2012 study found that it was in the umbilical cord blood of 87 percent of newborn babies tested.
   And now the Trump administration is embracing it, overturning a planned ban that had been in the works for many years.
……
   Democrats sometimes gloat that Trump hasn’t managed to pass significant legislation so far, which is true. But he has been tragically effective at dismantling environmental and health regulations — so that Trump’s most enduring legacy may be cancer, infertility and diminished I.Q.s for decades to come. Read on.


SpiritSpin
• Pope Francis admits: 'When I pray, sometimes I fall asleep' … "Eighty-year-old Argentinian pontiff, who often prays for long periods with his eyes closed, claims saints also napped while praying. Read on.

• Stop being offended … Here.

• Be kind always … Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.

• "Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day." -- Rainer Maria Rilke.

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• Spirit Resources
 ... way below

Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• The odd three days … [Andrew Gerns, Sermon for All Saints, Trinity Easton] If the period from Maundy Thursday through Good Friday to the Great Vigil of Easter can be called The Great Three Days, then maybe the series of observances from All Hallow's Eve, going through All Saints Day, and then ending with All Soul's Day (or Faithful Departed), might be The Odd Three Days. Read on.

DioBeth
• Data and Analysis from the 2016 Parochial Reports … of the Episcopal Church are available here.

• DioBeth Leadership News, Oct. 26 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Oct. 19 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, Oct. 12… Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
Under "More Resources" way below.


Episcopal/Anglican
• The money habits of a Times Square Nun … [VICE on HBO, Oct. 19] Could you leave behind your career, your salary, and all your possessions for a completely different kind of life? That’s exactly what Claudette Monica Powell did five years ago. At 46, she ended her 23-year career in advertising in L.A. and moved across the country to become an Episcopal nun. She now lives at The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in Times Square, devoting her life to prayer and helping the homeless. Read on.

• Episcopal News Service (ENS) has launched a leading-edge new website. Visually appealing, easy-to-navigate and mobile-friendly, the new ENS website was designed to improve the overall user experience, raise awareness of the news service, and generate further interest and engagement in the life-changing ministries of the Episcopal Church. Story here.

• The Toolkit of the Public Affairs Office … Way down, under "More Resources" at "Episcopal/Anglican."
• Sermons that work, Weekly bulletin inserts and more … Way down, under "More Resources" at "Episcopal/Anglican."

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Charity Navigator…maintains lists of charities and offers advice on hw to pick a charity. Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) is highly rated, above American Red Cross. Read on.

• Average Americans Are Giving Away Less Money And It’s A Big Problem … [Fast Company] As it becomes harder and harder to spare money for nonprofits, it means the pool of money being given to organizations is increasingly controlled by a small group of wealthy donors. Read on.

• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here
• Episcopal Asset Map … Here.
• Additional Resources
 ... way below


People
Dr. Anna Bender … [h/t Jane Arrington Bender] So proud of my daughter Anna Bender being included in the new blog featuring women physicians in NYC. Read on. Nice photo of Dr. Bender whom many may remember as a small child at Nativity Cathedral.

In the Media

TaleSpin
• The 'Black Monday' market crash 30 years ago … [Quartz, Oct. 19] 30 years ago, on Oct. 19, 1987, stock markets around the world suffered one of their worst days ever, in what became known as Black Monday. After a long-running rally, the crash began in Asia, picked up steam in London and ultimately ended with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down a whopping 22.6% for the day in New York. This was—and still remains—the worst day in the Dow’s history, in percentage terms. In fact, the crash was so severe that it resulted in a spike in hospital admissions. Read on.

• Some of the best opioid coverage is not where you'd expect … [Columbia Journalism Review] Austin Jonatzke of Stevensville, Michigan, didn’t live a long life, but his family wants you to know how meaningful it was. He adored his redheaded nieces and nephew. He fished, camped, and cheered for the Dallas Cowboys. He had a kind heart. His family also wants you to know that when he died at age 24 on July 2, 2017, it wasn’t for vague reasons—an unspecified “illness” or “accident.” They didn’t say he passed away “suddenly,” and leave it at that. Austin died, as they wrote in his obituary, when he lost a courageous battle with heroin addiction.
……
After Austin’s obituary was published and shared, coworkers reached out to Amanda Jonatzke, Austin’s other sister, and her husband (my brother) to tell them how their families, too, are fighting addiction. But Jill Jonatzke said that people responded only by saying, “I’m so sorry.” Nobody said to her, “I understand. I’ve been in a similar situation.” Given the numbers, she believes that’s not because their lives haven’t been touched by addiction, but because there’s still so much shame around it.
  By being transparent, even while the Jonatzkes struggle with the loss of Austin, her family hopes that his obituary—along with tens of thousands of others each year—inspires others to speak up and create the change needed to save lives. Read on.

• The secretive family making billions from the opioid crisis. … [Esquire, Christopher Glazek, Oct. 16] You’re aware America is under siege, fighting an opioid crisis that has exploded into a public-health emergency. You’ve heard of OxyContin, the pain medication to which countless patients have become addicted. But do you know that the company that makes Oxy and reaps the billions of dollars in profits it generates is owned by one family? Read on. And here and here and here and here.

• What's happening at the former Mary Immaculate Center near Northampton?. … [Morning Call, Oct. 21, Paul Muschick] Many who knew Mary Immaculate Seminary, later Center, as a place to renew our spirits might be interested in the redevelopment planned for the chapel, the building and surrounding grounds. Preliminary plans call for the seminary building to become a wedding and events center with about 40 hotel rooms. The adjacent convent would become a spa. Several new hotel buildings would be constructed in a “farm-type” style to the east of the seminary and contain about 160 rooms. Later phases would include housing, some specifically for seniors, and boutique retail space. Read on.


Requiescant in pace
• Jeffrey Weiss, 62 … a highly respected reporter and RNS columnist who chronicled his spiritual journey with brain cancer, died Oct. 25. He was diagnosed in December 2016 with glioblastoma, an extremely aggressive form of brain cancer, and devoted much of the time he had left to his RNS column, My Way to the Egress. He was a tenacious journalist, writing for the past 29 years at The Dallas Morning News, where he took on a variety of beats, including religion, education and the energy sector. He was also an avowed geek, curious about everything and willing to tackle complicated issues and write about them with precision, wit and humor. His trademark stories often examined the intersection of religious doctrine and popular culture, grappling with religious themes in superhero movies, spirituality in the Harry Potter book series and why the Westboro Baptist Church, known for attacks on gays, “inspired others to do good in response.” Read on.
  [Bill] Readers may have wondered why I had followed Jeffrey Weiss as he wrote through his impending death. Years ago, I so admired his writing when this Jewish man was the religion reporter for the Dallas Morning News when its religion section was perhaps the best around the country. I made it a point to meet him in the media room when he was covering one of our national conventions, the one in Philadelphia when Bishop Griswold was elected PB. Bless you, Jeffrey.

• Marjorie O. Schofield, 79 … died October 31. She was a faithful and active member of Trinity Carbondale. Obituary here.

• October 20 … would have been Jane Teter's birthday. Count me among many who miss her.

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• The Reformation: Shaping our world … Three surprising ways the Protestant Reformation did … Free Inquiry, Democracy, Limited Government. Read on. And here and here and here and here.

• More Resources
 ... way below


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• Madison priests get directives on funerals of LGBT people … [NCR, Heidi Schlumpf, h/t Tom Roberts] It has been said that one of the dangers of getting excited about Pope Francis is that Catholics may not find a Francis bishop or priest at home. Proof of that concern here.

• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.

The Vatican
• The war against Pope Francis … [The London Guardian] His modesty and humility have made him a popular figure around the world. But inside the church, his reforms have infuriated conservatives and sparked a revolt. Read on.

• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness
• Walk for 10 minutes daily … [CBS News, Oct. 19] If you're able to walk 10 minutes a day, you can reduce the risk of an early death, according to a recent study from the American Cancer Society. Read on.

• Flu shots … Got mine. Got yours? Read on.

• More Resources… below.


Media/Print/Films/TV/Music/Tech
• How then Shall We Live? … [Church Publishing] 
Reflective essays by priest, preacher, theologian and broadcaster Sam Wells on the salient issues of our times. “Issues on which I believe the Church should have a view,” says Wells. Read on.

• Burger King PSA tackles youth bullying … [Fortune, Oct. 18] Would you rather stand up for a damaged meal or a damaged child? According to Burger King, most would choose the former. The fast food giant rolled out a public service announcement Tuesday in honor of National Bullying Prevention Month that uses a clever social experiment to demonstrate how people often refuse to speak out against bullies. As one child says in the video, “It’s just easier to do nothing.” Read on.

• Data breaches … [The Morning Call, Watchdog, Paul Muschick, Oct. 21] They wouldn't be a big deal if we prepared better for the inevitable. The only reason more of us don’t have our identities exploited is because there aren’t enough thieves to play with all the pilfered information. Read on.

Websites, Podcasts and Blogs
• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.


Varia
• Presumably good at helping people stay alive … [h/t Dr. Michael Moncman] Here.

• The Seventy-Four Best Entries in The Devil’s Dictionary … [Anthony Madrid, The Paris Review] Admiration, n. Our polite recognition of another’s resemblance to ourselves. Read on.

Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]

More Resources

DioBeth
• Look online every Thursday for a Diocese of Bethlehem newsletter or for newSpin … Every Thursday in the following rotation: (1) The Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) The General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. The Leadership News and the General News are official publications of the Diocese of Bethlehem. They include news, info, features and events relating to our diocese and parishes. The newSpin newsletter you are now reading is not an official publication – and will usually not duplicate news, info and features relating to our diocese and parish as found in the official newsletters. It is a relatively lengthy eclectic sampling of items related to religion – at times not, at times not so clearly – that the editor thinks readers might find to be of interest. It has been a kind of hobby of a onetime communication minister, the work of a volunteer who in retirement enjoys and dedicates time to do the research required. The newSpin newsletter is always posted on the newSpin blog. If you wish to receive it by email, please send a note to [email protected]

• Look online … for the Diocese of Bethlehem Facebook Page, Facebook Group (Bethlehem Episcopalians) and Twitter feed.

• Bethlehem Episcopalians … is a Facebook group for conversations about mission, spirituality, Christian formation, and more that has replaced the old Bakery email list. Bethlehem Episcopalians is an open group. Anyone can join and items that you post can be shared by group members on their own Facebook pages. This offers each of us the opportunity to reach a larger audience with news and conversations about what God is doing in our diocese." Join the Facebook group. Includes more than 425 members

• DioBeth website
• Stumbling into the Sacred ... [Reflections on seeing God in the everyday by Canon Anne E. Kitch]
• newSpin blog ... including the newSpin weekly by Bill Lewellis.
• Facebook Page  … Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem
• Facebook Group … Bethlehem Episcopalians
• Twitter …
• Flickr
• YouTube
• Vimeo
• LinkedIn

Center for Congregations ... The "Using Resources" series of publications by the Center for Congregations is designed to help congregations make the most effective use of capital funds, consultants, architects, contractors, books, congregation management software, and more.
• Congregational Consulting ...  More information on how to contact the consultants can be found here and at http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/ .
• Church locators ... Here.
• ECF Vital Practices ... Here.
• The Chalice, a publication created by Joan DeAcetis for older adults and caretakers. Download issues here.
• Weekly Bulletin Inserts from the Episcopal Church ... Here.
• Calendar of events in our parishes ... Here.

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
• Allentown: Episcopal House … Here.
• Allentown: Grace … Here.
• Allentown: Grace Montessori School … Here.
• Allentown: Mediator … Here. Refugee Community Center … Here.
• Allentown/Bethlehem: St. Andrew … Here.
• Athens: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Nativity Cathedral … Here. Emergency Shelter … Here.
• Bethlehem: New Bethany Ministries … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Carbondale: St. James-St. George … Here.
• Clarks Summit/Glenburn: Epiphany … Here.
• Dallas: Prince of Peace … Here.
• Douglassville: St. Gabriel … Here.
• Easton: Trinity … Here.  ARK Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Emmaus: St. Margaret … Here.
• Forest City: Christ Church … Here.
• Hazleton: St. Peter … Here.
• Hamlin: St. John … Here.
• Hellertown: St. George … Here.
• Honesdale: Grace … Here.
• Jermyn: St. James/St. George … Here.
• Jim Thorpe: St. Mark/St. John … Here.
• Kingston: Grace … Here.
• Lebanon: St. Luke … Here.
• Lehighton: All Saints … Here.
• Milford: Good Shepherd … Here.
• Montrose: St. Paul … Here.
• Morgantown: St. Thomas … Here.
• Moscow: St. Mark … Here.
• Mountain Top: St. Martin-in-the-Fields … Here.
• Mount Pocono: … Here.
• Nanticoke/Alden Station: St. Andrew … Here.
• Nazareth: St. Brigid … Here.
• Palmerton: St. John … Here.
• Pen Argyl: St. Joseph … Here.
• Pottsville: Trinity … Here.
• Reading: Christ Church … Here.  SPARK … Here.
• Reading: St. Mary: … Here.
• Sayre: Redeemer: … Here.
• Schuylkill County: North Parish … Here.
• Scranton: St. Luke: … Here.
• Sinking Spring: St. Alban … Here.
• Stroudsburg: Christ Church … Here.
• Towanda: Christ Church … Here.
• Trexlertown: St. Anne … Here.
• Tunkhannock: St. Peter … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen School … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Clement/St. Peter … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Stephen … Here.
• West Pittston: Trinity … Here.
• Wind Gap: St. Mary … Here.
[Bill] Please let me know if your website is not listed above. Also, let me know if you would like me to highlight something on your site. Please note, also, that a few of the websites need to be updated. Thanks.]

Episcopal/Anglican
• The Episcopal Church website, news service, news service blog,
• Episcopal Café
• AngicansOnline website and news centre.
• The Living Church
• The Anglican Communion website and news service.
• The Daily Scan: Contact [email protected] to add subscribers for news releases, notices, statements, or Daily Scan.
• Free weekly bulletin inserts provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Find the inserts here.
• Updated Episcopal Church canons and constitution ... Here.
• Forward Movement ... Here.
• Episcopal Web Radio ... Here.
• Episcopal Church Event Calendar ... Here

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

Ecumenical/Interfaith Relations
• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.  
• Protestant Reformation…  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.   MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

• Protestant Reformation …  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation  MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

SpiritSpin
• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• The Imitation of Christ ... Available free online.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.


Bible&Worship
• The Lectionary ... A collection of Lectionary resources for the Episcopal Church, updated Sunday night. Here.
• Lectionary Page ... A liturgical calendar for upcoming weeks, with links to readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), as adapted for use in Episcopal worship. Here.
• Revised Common Lectionary ... Here.
• The Liturgical Calendar ... BCP, Lesser Feasts and Fasts, HWHM ... Here.
• Oremus Bible Browser ... Here.
• Celebrating the Eucharist, by Patrick Malloy. Google Book
• Enriching our Worship, 1 to 5 ... Free download here.
• The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant: Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships [Extracted from Liturgical Resources 1: I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing] Here.
• Collection of worship resources at Diobeth.org ... Including Diocesan Cycles of Prayer for weekly worship, Holy Women Holy Men, and The Text This Week. Here.

Health and Wellness
• Resources for caregivers ... Here.
• Medline Plus ... Here. 
• WebMD ... Here.
• Alzheimers.gov ... For people helping people with Alzheimers. Here.
• Three Free Apps for getting qualified medical advice... [Techlicious] Urgent Care, HealthTap and First Aid. Info and links.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Center for Disease Control - Healthy Living
•Church Health Reader
• Eastern Pennsylvania Faith Community Nurses
• Episcopal Mental Illness Network
• Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH
• National Episcopal Health Ministries
• NEHM Wellness Resource Page 
•Let's Move

News/info/commentary
• Religion News Service Daily Roundup ... here.
• Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project: Daily Religion Headlines ... here.
• Religious Freedom Blog ... a weekly look back at the top stories and developments on religious liberty around the world. Here.
• National Catholic Reporter ... here.
• BBC News Online ... here.
• BBC Religion & Ethics ... here.
• Faith in Public Life ... Here.
• Religion&Ethics News Weekly (PBS) ... Here.
• Religion Research Hub ... ARDA, Association of Religion Data Archives, an especially useful site.
• Back issues of the newSpin newsletter ... here.

Media/Film/TV/Books/Podcasts/Music/Tech
• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.
• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks  and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told about your congregation, it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.

Varia
• Insights into Religion ... Here.
• The Alban Institute ... Here.

 

 

newSpin 171019

newSpin, the newsletter
October 19, 2017 – Bill Lewellis

TopSpin
• Congress, End the Health Care Chaos. You Have 9 Million Kids to Protect … [NYT Editorial Board, Oct. 18] President Trump and Republicans in Congress have brought chaos to the American health care system by trying to destroy the Affordable Care Act and failing to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which, with bipartisan support for the past 20 years, has provided care for millions of children. Over the next few weeks they can choose to set things right or to destroy them. Read on.

• Federal judge strikes down tax-free housing allowance for clergy … [Crux via AP] A housing benefit that saves clergy $800 million a year in taxes has been deemed unconstitutional by a federal judge. Under the law, housing allowances paid as part of clergy salary can be subtracted from their taxable income. A clergy member can use the untaxed income to purchase a home, and then, in a practice known as “double dipping,” deduct interest paid on the mortgage and property taxes.Religious freedom advocates fear the ruling could force many churches in poor areas to close. The ruling will likely be appealed.

• North Korea in Focus at Reuters … Reuters has created a new section on its website that explores the politics, culture and crisis in North Korea. 

• ERD responds to California wildfires … Episcopal Relief & Development is partnering with the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California to provide emergency support for those impacted by deadly wildfires in California. The assistance includes food and other critical supplies, housing and the storage of belongings. “The diocese and church partners are coordinating their efforts during this challenging time. The fires have not been contained and last minute evacuations continue,” said Katie Mears, Director of Episcopal Relief & Development’s US Disaster Program. “We are in regular communication with the dioceses throughout California as they monitor the fires, assess damage and coordinate the sheltering and feeding of those affected.” Read on.

• Why are more American teenagers than ever suffering from severe anxiety? … [NYT Magazine, Benoit Denizet-Lewis, Oct. 11] Anxiety is the most common mental-health disorder in the United States, affecting nearly one-third of both adolescents and adults, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. But unlike depression, with which it routinely occurs, anxiety is often seen as a less serious problem.
  “Anxiety is easy to dismiss or overlook, partially because everyone has it to some degree,” explained Philip Kendall, director of the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic at Temple University in Philadelphia. It has an evolutionary purpose, after all; it helps us detect and avoid potentially dangerous situations. Highly anxious people, though, have an overactive fight-or-flight response that perceives threats where there often are none.
  But sometimes there are good reasons to feel anxious. For many young people, particularly those raised in abusive families or who live in neighborhoods besieged by poverty or violence, anxiety is a rational reaction to unstable, dangerous circumstances.
  Parents, therapists and schools are struggling to figure out whether helping anxious teenagers means protecting them or pushing them to face their fears. Read on.

• Charity Navigator…maintains lists of charities and offers advice on hw to pick a charity. Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) is highly rated, above American Red Cross. Read on.
 
• DioBeth General News, Oct. 12 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Oct. 5 … Here.
• DioBeth Leadership News, Sept. 28 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.

********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********


Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics.
• A post-Marino bottom line … USA Today editorializes, "In the wake of the news investigation, Marino rightly dropped out of contention Tuesday for drug czar. That job should now go to a public health expert, not a politician. Prodded by reporters, the president said he’d make a 'major announcement' about the epidemic — next week. That's about 1,200 overdose deaths from now."

• The danger of President Pence … [TNY] In 2011, Mike Pence, then a congressman from Indiana’s Sixth District who had authored not one successful bill, visited Trump Tower in Manhattan. After a brief and uncomfortable interaction, he left with a modest campaign donation from the man who would become his boss. But this was nothing compared to Pence’s growing financial backing from the ultra-right-wing billionaire élite, chief among them the Koch brothers—support that would prove decisive when the time came for Donald Trump to select a running mate. Jane Mayer tells the story of Pence’s political ascent, his remaking of the Administration in the image of the corporate right, and his Presidential ambitions. [David Remnick]  Read on.

• Desperately wanting to believe … [James Warren of Poynter] Robert Byers, executive editor of the 50-person, 40,000-circulation Charleston Gazette-Mail in West Virginia, spoke to me about the mindset of West Virginians who get lied to by President Trump (and other state politicians, both Republicans and Democrats). There's really a desperate craving to believe that coal jobs will return, which they won't, says Byers, whose paper won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting this year as a result of work on the state's opioids epidemic.
 d d"Well, I don't speak on behalf of all West Virginians. But the closer your livelihood is to the coal industry, the more you will believe that. It's important to you and your livelihood. You want to have that hope. My own father, when there was a fire at the mine he worked and it closed, held out hope because company kept saying, 'We might be able to reopen' and he might be able to get that good paying job back. There are people serious about diversification (of energy sources) and not believing such claims. But a lot of people do want to believe people like Donald Trump." Read on.

• The War on the EPA is loud and clear … [James Warren of Poynter, Oct. 11] They can now toast Scott Pruitt in coal country, perhaps with plastic flutes of toxic rain. Tuesday brought what New Yorker writer Jane Mayer has called the "triumph of the anti-environmental movement." It's a triumph you can watch on a recent installment of PBS' Frontline. Mayer is one of two prominent journalists featured in War on the EPA, a depressingly timely investigation that will surely now be edited to insert word of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's Tuesday announcement of his plan to rescind President's Obama's signature move to curb greenhouse emissions from power plants (the so-called Clean Power Plan).
  An early version of the show sent for review purposes was in and of itself convincing about what at least constitutes a giant temporary victory of Donald Trump and all those who see the environmental movement as a contrivance of wealthy and left-wing Americans who actually believe in global warming.
   This is essentially a profile of Pruitt, who was elected attorney general of Oklahoma in the 2010 Republican sweep of Congress and made his priority an unceasing battle —coordinated with other Republican attorneys general and the fossil fuels industry — against Obama's energy agenda. Its strength is on-the-record interviews with key players on both sides, ranging from bombastic Murray Energy CEO Bob Murray and Southern Company lobbyist Andrew Miller, on one side, to former top Obama aides and officials, as well as reporters Mayer and The New York Times' Eric Lipton on the other.
   Lipton won a Pulitzer Prize for astonishing disclosures about the relationship between the attorneys general, led by Pruitt, and the industry that supported them. It's as vivid a demonstration as one can find about the nexus of money and power. But, lest one get too cheery about the positive impact of great journalism, watch one Republican strategist declare that Lipton's revelations not only didn't hurt Pruitt in Oklahoma, they may have helped a man whose acts included copying energy company-crafted letters, and putting his letterhead on them, in filing protests with the EPA. And now, as Lipton says here, Pruitt "is making the regulated the regulator." Until Tuesday, the most vivid example was a September decision to gut a long-in-the-works regulation to keep toxic coal waste out of the water supply. Pruitt suspended the rule, claiming it threatened harm to the economy. He's now gone a bridge too far. Read on.

• Birth control mandate: women's health or religious liberty issue? … [NCR] Whether the Trump administration's expansion of exemptions to the federal mandate that requires contraception to be included in health insurance coverage is cause for celebration or hand-wringing depends primarily on whether the years-long controversy is seen as a religious liberty issue or a women's health one. The U.S. bishops and other Catholic leaders say it's the former, while many Catholic advocates for women and the poor argue it's the latter.
   Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh, who sued the government over the mandate, says a "cornerstone principle" of the First Amendment has been re-established, "that freedom of religion means freedom to practice our faith in daily life, not just in worship and prayer." But Patricia Miller, author of a book on the history of Catholic teaching on sexuality and American politics, said, "This is a 'ginned up' religious liberty issue. It's a long-term tactic by the Catholic bishops, joined by evangelicals, to turn this issue of contraception into a religious liberty issue for political purposes."
   The new interim rules that expand the type of employers who are exempt from the mandate for religious or moral reasons were released Oct. 6 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). On the same day, Attorney General Jeff Sessions released a memo summarizing principles of religious freedom, including the right of religious employers to hire only people who share the organization's beliefs and conduct. The new HHS mandate rules send the message that birth control is "not normal health care that's covered by insurance," said Miller, author of Good Catholics: The Battle over Abortion in the Catholic Church. "There is no other health service, period, that is treated this way." A recent Gallup poll found that nine out of 10 Americans find birth control morally acceptable. Read on. See also, Trump rolls back. The Trump administration has allowed virtually any employer to claim a religious or moral objection to Obamacare's birth control coverage mandate under a sweeping rollback. Read on.
  
• Roy Moore's compensation from religious-themed charity includes $540,000 mortgage … [AP, Oct. 12] Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore had a deal to collect $180,000 in annual salary for part-time work from the legal charity he founded and ended up with a half-million-dollar stake in the group’s headquarters, records and interviews show. Property, charity and tax records reviewed by The Associated Press show that the state’s former chief justice received direct payment of $448,000 over the six years he served as president of the Foundation for Moral Law and was given a $540,000 mortgage on the charity’s building when the group said it couldn’t afford to pay his salary. Moore is the leading candidate to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the U.S. Senate, and his pay from the religious-themed charity has become an issue in the race. Read on.

• Koch, Turkson speak at Catholic University's 'Good Profit' conference … [Tom Roberts] The path of the Catholic Church's social justice teaching normally weaves through places like soup kitchens and refugee centers, settling often among society's poor and marginalized, far from the centers of commerce and power. But a luxury suite version of the teaching was under construction recently, during a three-day conference at the Catholic University of America. The talk was all about money -- good money -- in the form of "Good Profit," the theme of the Oct. 4-6 gathering co-sponsored by the university's Busch School of Business and Economics and the Napa Institute. Read on.

• The list of Trump scandals keeps growing … [NYT, Updated Oct. 11, David Leonhardt]  Here.

• How Russia harvested American rage to reshape U.S. politics … [NYTimes, Oct. 9] YouTube videos of police beatings on American streets. A widely circulated internet hoax about Muslim men in Michigan collecting welfare for multiple wives. A local news story about two veterans brutally mugged on a freezing winter night. All of these were recorded, posted or written by Americans. Yet all ended up becoming grist for a network of Facebook pages linked to a shadowy Russian company that has carried out propaganda campaigns for the Kremlin, and which is now believed to bee at the center of a far-reaching Russian program to influence the 2016 presidential election.
  A New York Times examination of hundreds of those posts shows that on of the most powerful weapons that Russian agents used to reshape American politics was the anger, passion and misinformation that real Americans were broadcasting across social media platforms.
   The Russian pages — with names like “Being Patriotic,” “Secured Borders” and “Blacktivist” — cribbed complaints about federal agents from one conservative website, and a gauzy article about a veteran who became an entrepreneur from People magazine. They took descriptions and videos of police beatings from genuine YouTube and Facebook accounts and reposted them, sometimes lightly edited for maximum effect.


SpiritSpin
• The final true interpretation? … "One of my favorite Talmudic passages concerns Moses asking God for the final true interpretation of law," Brother Tobias Haller commented on his Facebook page. "God says there is no final true interpretation, but only the interim decisions of the wisest in the present day. This is one reason Rabbinic Judaism has the opposite view to Tradition that Christians often seem to take: it is the most recent authoritative interpretation of halakah that is binding, not the most ancient!"

• Alan Jacobs' antidote to Christian anti-intellectualism … [Jonathan Merritt, RNS, Oct. 11] Conservative theologian J.P. Moreland once wrote, “The contemporary Christian mind is starved, and as a result we have small, impoverished souls.” Indeed, Western Christianity, particularly in its evangelical Protestant expressions has often been accused of anti-intellectualism by the secular academy.
   Enter Alan Jacobs–both a Christian and distinguished professor of humanities at Baylor University–and his newest book, “How to Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds.” He argues that in a world of “alternative facts” and “truthiness,” most of us are not as good at thinking as we assume. But all is not lost, Jacobs says, because it is possible to reclaim our mental lives without sacrificing our inner lives. Here we discussed via email the common intellectual pitfalls of American Christians and how they can learn to better love God with their minds. Read on.

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• Spirit Resources
 ... way below

Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• "Objective reality exists, truth matters, and we have to pursue them with purpose and without fear. … [Peter Wehner in the New York Times] But in our present moment, truth, including truth that unsettles us, has far too often become subordinate to justifying and defending at all costs our own, often unsound, preconceptions. You can see that in others. But can you see it in yourself?” [Jim Naughton] With purpose, without fear, but with humility born of the understanding that the truth we can perceive is probably partial. [Bill Lewellis] I recall the quip of one of my Jesuit professors in Rome, some 55 years ago: "Yes, objective reality exists … but never in this world will you know it." That may have been the beginning of my road ahead to becoming a progressive/liberal.

•  Good without God? More Americans say amen to that … [RNS] For the first time, a majority of Americans — 56 percent — say it is possible to be a good person without a religious belief, according to a new Pew study. Read on.

• The older have learned to ever expect it … President Abraham Lincoln wrote this touching letter of condolence to the daughter of his long-time friend, William McCullough, Decembr 23, 1862: Dear Fanny, It is with deep grief that I learn of the death of your kind and brave Father; and, especially, that it is affecting your young heart beyond what is common in such cases. In this sad world of ours, sorrow comes to all; and, to the young, it comes with bitterest agony, because it takes them unawares. The older have learned to ever expect it. I am anxious to afford some alleviation of your present distress. Perfect relief is not possible, except with time. You can not now realize that you will ever feel better. Is not this so? And yet it is a mistake. You are sure to be happy again. To know this, which is certainly true, will make you some less miserable now. I have had experience enough to know what I say; and you need only to believe it, to feel better at once. The memory of your dear Father, instead of an agony, will yet be a sad sweet feeling in your heart, of a purer and holier sort than you have known before. Please present my kind regards to your afflicted mother. Your sincere friend, A. Lincoln Read on.

DioBeth
• Data and Analysis from the 2016 Parochial Reports … of the Episcopal Church are available here.
 
• DioBeth General News, Oct. 12 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Oct. 5 …Here.
• DioBeth Leadership News, Sept. 28 …Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website …Here.

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
Under "More Resources" way below.


Episcopal/Anglican
• Undocumented: What do faith communities need to now? … Saturday, October 28, 10am-1pm, Trinity Church (Broadway at Wall Street, NYC). A half-day teach-in for people of faith to learn about current issues related to immigration, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), temporary protected status, and sanctuary. The lectures and panel discussion (10-11:30am) will be webcast live and available on demand after the event. Read on.

• The Toolkit of the Public Affairs Office … Way down, under "More Resources" at "Episcopal/Anglican."
• Sermons that work, Weekly bulletin inserts and more … Way down, under "More Resources" at "Episcopal/Anglican."

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Everything … Two Welsh countrymen sat in a pub discussing the recent death of one of their neighbors. "How much did he leave?" asked one of them. The other lifted an eyebrow and replied, "Everything!"

• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here
• Episcopal Asset Map … Here.
• Additional Resources
 ... way below


People

In the Media

TaleSpin
• Why we contradict ouselves and confound each other … With his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman emerged as one of the most intriguing voices on the complexity of human thought and behavior. He is a psychologist who won the Nobel Prize in economics for helping to create the field of behavioral economics. He is a self-described “constant worrier.” And it’s fun, helpful, and more than a little unnerving to apply his insights into why we think and act the way we do in this moment of social and political tumult. Read on.

• Is health care a right? … [TNY, Atul Gawande, Oct. 2] It's a question that divides Americans, including those from my home town, Athens Ohio. But it's possible to find common ground … A right doesn’t distinguish between the deserving and the undeserving, and, for many in my Ohio home town, that rankled.  Read on.

• Death in Somalia, Yawns in U.S. … [James Warren of Poynter] The recent very deadly attack in Mogadishu, Somalia, resulted in more than 300 deaths. Al Jazeera has a wealth of coverage, including local and international reactions, and a tale of the city's ambulance director ("Within a few minutes, the sky was covered with very dark smoke that covered even the sunlight"). By comparison, "Trump & Friends" was declaring this a "Mitch McConnell Monday," as he plans to see President Trump, while CNN's "New Day" and MSNBC's "Morning Joe" were heavy on Trump-related politics, including last week's news on the Iran deal and Obamacare.
  Indeed, there was greater interest among the cable folks in jobless quarterback Colin Kaepernick filing a collusion grievance against the NFL than there was in all those dead people in Africa. At least CNN got to the story eventually, albeit after discussing Kaepernick's case and chances for regaining employment. But if one doubted any U.S. national self-interest, The Washington Post opened, "The death toll from two truck bombs in Somalia’s capital reached 300 on Monday, as the deadliest attack in the country’s decade-long war with Islamist extremists signaled that the insurgency is far from defeated, despite years of U.S. counterterrorism operations." Read on.


Requiescant in pace
• Geraldine Smith, 86 … died September 30. She was a onetime member of  Trinity Easton and served in principal positions at the Easton Drop-In Center and the Community Development Corporation of the Lehigh Valley. Obituary.

• Joan Reese Dix, 83 … died October 5. She was a longtime member of St. James Schuylkill Haven where, years ago, she served on the vestry. Obituary.

• Susanna Wolfe, 90 … died October 6. She was a longtime member of Trinity Bethlehem.

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• Reformations Yesterday and Tomorrow … Tuesday, October 31 (Reformation Day) at Moravian Seminary, from 9:00-1:30, will be sponsored by the Diocese of Bethlehem along with the ELCA Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod, the Eastern District of the Northern Province of the Moravian Church, and the Center for Moravian Studies. The event is free and includes a joint Eucharist and lunch (free will offering). There is no charge but registration is required. Read on. 

• A Reformation anniversary reading list … [RNS, Emily McFarlan Miller and Kimberly Winston] Just as printing presses rushed to distribute copies of the 95 Theses that Luther reportedly nailed to a church door on Oct. 31, 1517, publishers have released a number of books in the past year on Luther, his fellow Reformers and the lasting impact of his action, which ultimately led to the schism in Christianity between Catholics and Protestants. In alphabetical order by author, are 10 of note.

• More Resources
 ... way below


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• 23 women accuse former Queens priest of abusing them as children … [NYT, Oct. 11] A former teacher at a Catholic school in Queens who said she had reported the sexual abuse of seven female students by a priest in 1991 now claims that the Diocese of Brooklyn covered it up for more than a decade, allowing more girls to be abuseThe teacher, Linda Porcaro, said on Wednesday that she is coming forward now because the victims, on whose behalf she was speaking, are ready to seek justice. Over the last two months, 23 women who said they were abused by the former priest, Adam Prochaski, have become clients of the lawyer, Mitchell Garabedian, who was portrayed in the Oscar-winning film “Spotlight,” about clergy sex abuse. Most of the women’s claims have been referred to the police. Mr. Prochaski was based at Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in Maspeth for nearly 25 years. He is accused of abusing the girls between 1972 and 1994, when they were between the ages 5 and 16. Read on.

• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.

The Vatican
• Callista Gingrich confirmed as ambassador to Vatican … [NPR, Oct. 16] Callista Gingrich, the wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, has been confirmed as the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican in a 70-23 Senate vote that included backing from key Democrats. She is the CEO of Gingrich Productions, an author, filmmaker and former congressional aide. She is the third wife of Newt Gingrich. Read on.

• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness
• Flu shots … Got mine. Got yours? Read on.

• More Resources… below.


Media/Print/Films/TV/Music/Tech
• Thurgood Marshall gets the superhero treatment in a new biopic … [AM, Oct. 12]  If you amble over to “Marshall” thinking it’s going to be a western, that would wrong. But an adventure story is what the director Reginald Hudlin had in mind with this frisky, fact-based take on the early career of Thurgood Marshall. It is sexy, jazzy, even film-noirish, with heroes, villains and a very dramatic showdown. The last time a Supreme Court justice got this treatment was never.
  The action—there is more than a little—begins in 1941, with Marshall crisscrossing the country as the most prominent lawyer working for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. (He also appears to be the only lawyer working for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.) He rides into town, faces down injustice and moves on to the next case, leaving a dusty trail of bigots in his wake. He might not win. He might get a shotgun escort when he leaves town (on a train, of course). But he is the Lone Ranger of civil rights. Read on.

• Pauli Murray: Refusing restrictions of society and law … [NCR, Book Review by Diana L. Hayes] I thought I knew Pauli Murray, or at least knew something about her. Jane Crow: The Life of Pauli Murray, Rosalind Rosenberg's incredibly detailed and in-depth biography, reveals that I was wrong. No one, including many of her closest friends, knew Anna Pauline Murray (1910-85) in her fullness. Rosenberg has done the world an immense favor by presenting, in all its triumph and pathos, the life (or perhaps "lives" is more accurate) of this brilliant and defiant African-American. Read on.

• The Story of Us – Morgan Freeman explores the human condition … [RNS, Aysha Khan, Oct. 11] Morgan Freeman wanted to understand how people who have lived through conflict can make peace. So last May, the Academy Award-winning actor visited Rwanda’s Kigali Genocide Memorial, which commemorates the country’s brutal civil war between the Tutsi and Hutu ethnic groups. Sitting across from him were a Tutsi woman who lost her family – and the Hutu man who had killed them during a genocide that left around 800,000 people dead. And seated next to them was the bishop who had introduced the pair, as part of an ambitious reconciliation program ……
   The six-part docuseries The Story of Us explores big-picture questions about life and the human condition. Each hourlong episode zooms in on one topic: freedom, peace, love, division, power and rebellion. The first episode aired Wednesday (Oct. 11) on the National Geographic Channel, with the others to follow weekly ……
   In an episode exploring the world’s increasing polarization, Freeman meets a granddaughter of Westboro Baptist Church’s founder. Megan Phelps-Roper was an outspoken member of what the Southern Poverty Law Center calls “arguably the most obnoxious and rabid hate group in America.” But she left in 2012 — thanks to educational dialogue with strangers she met on Twitter. Read on.

• Styron's Nat Turner turns 50, gets religion … [M. Cooper Harriss, Sightings, Oct. 12] Fifty years ago this month, William Styron published The Confessions of Nat Turner—an historical novel that became a flashpoint for arguments about race and representation during a particularly trying period of U.S. history. Styron, a white Virginian reared in the vicinity of Nat Turner’s 1831 uprising—the bloodiest revolt in U.S. slavery—deployed Nat’s voice in a vivid first-person interior narrative that owed less to overt strains of regional black vernacular than to the King James Bible. Early reviews deemed Styron’s novelistic venture inside the mind of an enslaved black man largely successful. Alfred Kazin described Styron’s “luxurious imagination” in the Chicago Tribune. Wilfrid Sheed in the New York Times claimed, “no historical novel has ever done more.” James Baldwin (a black writer who wrote white characters in the first person) lived with Styron during the novel’s composition and encouraged the project, claiming later that “He has begun the common history—ours.” Wilberforce University honored Styron that November, and the novel won the Pulitzer Prize in the spring of 1968—well on its way to becoming a contemporary classic. Or so it seemed. Read on.

Websites, Podcasts and Blogs
• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.


Varia
• The 'Black Monday' market crash 30 years ago today, on Oct. 19, 1987, was so bad hospital admissions spiked … [Quartz, Oct. 19] Precisely 30 years ago today, on Oct. 19, 1987, stock markets around the world suffered one of their worst days ever, in what became known as Black Monday. After a long-running rally, the crash began in Asia, picked up steam in London and ultimately ended with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down a whopping 22.6% for the day in New York. This was—and still remains—the worst day in the Dow’s history, in percentage terms. In fact, the crash was so severe that it resulted in a spike in hospital admissions. Read on.

Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]

More Resources

DioBeth
• Look online every Thursday for a Diocese of Bethlehem newsletter or for newSpin … Every Thursday in the following rotation: (1) The Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) The General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. The Leadership News and the General News are official publications of the Diocese of Bethlehem. They include news, info, features and events relating to our diocese and parishes. The newSpin newsletter you are now reading is not an official publication – and will usually not duplicate news, info and features relating to our diocese and parish as found in the official newsletters. It is a relatively lengthy eclectic sampling of items related to religion – at times not, at times not so clearly – that the editor thinks readers might find to be of interest. It has been a kind of hobby of a onetime communication minister, the work of a volunteer who in retirement enjoys and dedicates time to do the research required. The newSpin newsletter is always posted on the newSpin blog. If you wish to receive it by email, please send a note to [email protected]

• Look online … for the Diocese of Bethlehem Facebook Page, Facebook Group (Bethlehem Episcopalians) and Twitter feed.

• Bethlehem Episcopalians … is a Facebook group for conversations about mission, spirituality, Christian formation, and more that has replaced the old Bakery email list. Bethlehem Episcopalians is an open group. Anyone can join and items that you post can be shared by group members on their own Facebook pages. This offers each of us the opportunity to reach a larger audience with news and conversations about what God is doing in our diocese." Join the Facebook group. Includes more than 425 members

• DioBeth website
• Stumbling into the Sacred ... [Reflections on seeing God in the everyday by Canon Anne E. Kitch]
• newSpin blog ... including the newSpin weekly by Bill Lewellis.
• Facebook Page  … Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem
• Facebook Group … Bethlehem Episcopalians
• Twitter …
• Flickr
• YouTube
• Vimeo
• LinkedIn

Center for Congregations ... The "Using Resources" series of publications by the Center for Congregations is designed to help congregations make the most effective use of capital funds, consultants, architects, contractors, books, congregation management software, and more.
• Congregational Consulting ...  More information on how to contact the consultants can be found here and at http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/ .
• Church locators ... Here.
• ECF Vital Practices ... Here.
• The Chalice, a publication created by Joan DeAcetis for older adults and caretakers. Download issues here.
• Weekly Bulletin Inserts from the Episcopal Church ... Here.
• Calendar of events in our parishes ... Here.

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
• Allentown: Episcopal House … Here.
• Allentown: Grace … Here.
• Allentown: Grace Montessori School … Here.
• Allentown: Mediator … Here. Refugee Community Center … Here.
• Allentown/Bethlehem: St. Andrew … Here.
• Athens: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Nativity Cathedral … Here. Emergency Shelter … Here.
• Bethlehem: New Bethany Ministries … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Carbondale: St. James-St. George … Here.
• Clarks Summit/Glenburn: Epiphany … Here.
• Dallas: Prince of Peace … Here.
• Douglassville: St. Gabriel … Here.
• Easton: Trinity … Here.  ARK Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Emmaus: St. Margaret … Here.
• Forest City: Christ Church … Here.
• Hazleton: St. Peter … Here.
• Hamlin: St. John … Here.
• Hellertown: St. George … Here.
• Honesdale: Grace … Here.
• Jermyn: St. James/St. George … Here.
• Jim Thorpe: St. Mark/St. John … Here.
• Kingston: Grace … Here.
• Lebanon: St. Luke … Here.
• Lehighton: All Saints … Here.
• Milford: Good Shepherd … Here.
• Montrose: St. Paul … Here.
• Morgantown: St. Thomas … Here.
• Moscow: St. Mark … Here.
• Mountain Top: St. Martin-in-the-Fields … Here.
• Mount Pocono: … Here.
• Nanticoke/Alden Station: St. Andrew … Here.
• Nazareth: St. Brigid … Here.
• Palmerton: St. John … Here.
• Pen Argyl: St. Joseph … Here.
• Pottsville: Trinity … Here.
• Reading: Christ Church … Here.  SPARK … Here.
• Reading: St. Mary: … Here.
• Sayre: Redeemer: … Here.
• Schuylkill County: North Parish … Here.
• Scranton: St. Luke: … Here.
• Sinking Spring: St. Alban … Here.
• Stroudsburg: Christ Church … Here.
• Towanda: Christ Church … Here.
• Trexlertown: St. Anne … Here.
• Tunkhannock: St. Peter … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen School … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Clement/St. Peter … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Stephen … Here.
• West Pittston: Trinity … Here.
• Wind Gap: St. Mary … Here.
[Bill] Please let me know if your website is not listed above. Also, let me know if you would like me to highlight something on your site. Please note, also, that a few of the websites need to be updated. Thanks.]

Episcopal/Anglican
• The Episcopal Church website, news service, news service blog,
• Episcopal Café
• AngicansOnline website and news centre.
• The Living Church
• The Anglican Communion website and news service.
• The Daily Scan: Contact [email protected] to add subscribers for news releases, notices, statements, or Daily Scan.
• Free weekly bulletin inserts provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Find the inserts here.
• Updated Episcopal Church canons and constitution ... Here.
• Forward Movement ... Here.
• Episcopal Web Radio ... Here.
• Episcopal Church Event Calendar ... Here

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

Ecumenical/Interfaith Relations
• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.  
• Protestant Reformation…  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.   MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

• Protestant Reformation …  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation  MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

SpiritSpin
• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• The Imitation of Christ ... Available free online.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.


Bible&Worship
• The Lectionary ... A collection of Lectionary resources for the Episcopal Church, updated Sunday night. Here.
• Lectionary Page ... A liturgical calendar for upcoming weeks, with links to readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), as adapted for use in Episcopal worship. Here.
• Revised Common Lectionary ... Here.
• The Liturgical Calendar ... BCP, Lesser Feasts and Fasts, HWHM ... Here.
• Oremus Bible Browser ... Here.
• Celebrating the Eucharist, by Patrick Malloy. Google Book
• Enriching our Worship, 1 to 5 ... Free download here.
• The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant: Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships [Extracted from Liturgical Resources 1: I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing] Here.
• Collection of worship resources at Diobeth.org ... Including Diocesan Cycles of Prayer for weekly worship, Holy Women Holy Men, and The Text This Week. Here.

Health and Wellness
• Resources for caregivers ... Here.
• Medline Plus ... Here. 
• WebMD ... Here.
• Alzheimers.gov ... For people helping people with Alzheimers. Here.
• Three Free Apps for getting qualified medical advice... [Techlicious] Urgent Care, HealthTap and First Aid. Info and links.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Center for Disease Control - Healthy Living
•Church Health Reader
• Eastern Pennsylvania Faith Community Nurses
• Episcopal Mental Illness Network
• Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH
• National Episcopal Health Ministries
• NEHM Wellness Resource Page 
•Let's Move

News/info/commentary
• Religion News Service Daily Roundup ... here.
• Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project: Daily Religion Headlines ... here.
• Religious Freedom Blog ... a weekly look back at the top stories and developments on religious liberty around the world. Here.
• National Catholic Reporter ... here.
• BBC News Online ... here.
• BBC Religion & Ethics ... here.
• Faith in Public Life ... Here.
• Religion&Ethics News Weekly (PBS) ... Here.
• Religion Research Hub ... ARDA, Association of Religion Data Archives, an especially useful site.
• Back issues of the newSpin newsletter ... here.

Media/Film/TV/Books/Podcasts/Music/Tech
• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.
• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks  and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told about your congregation, it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.

Varia
• Insights into Religion ... Here.
• The Alban Institute ... Here.

 

 

newSpin 171005

newSpin, the newsletter
October 5, 2017 – Bill Lewellis

TopSpin
• There is a justice issue at the heart of these hurricanes … [NCR, Michael Sean Winter, Sept. 25] After such devastation, more than charity is needed and more than charity is warranted. There is a justice issue, as well as an eye, at the heart of these hurricanes. Hurricanes strengthen when they hover over warm water. The warmer the water, the stronger the hurricane will get. This is not in doubt. Nor is there any doubt that the oceans are warming as a result of human activity. The crucible in which the Caribbean finds itself was only partly made by nature. Nature got a helping hand from the addiction of the wealthy countries of the North to fossil fuels.
  We in the U.S. did not create the hurricane, but we have created the conditions to make hurricanes more frequent and more powerful. For this, we must pay. The first payment is due to those affected by the hurricanes. Standard relief efforts will not suffice. We must rebuild the infrastructure of these islands, and build in such a way that it is less susceptible to damage from future storms. Read on.

• Lehigh Valley must be ready to help Puerto Rico hurricane victims … [MC, Alan Jennings, Oct. 4] About 30 percent of our employees at Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley are Puerto Rican. Every single one to whom I have spoken tells me they have family on the island — not just distant cousins, but moms and dads, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren. And every single one of them expects some of them to leave the island. Every single one of them expects their homes to be host — some temporarily, some permanently — to those loved ones in desperate need. God bless them for loving them and for accepting their responsibility to be there for them when they are needed.
   Puerto Ricans are Americans. They are us. They have the same freedom to move around as any other America does. How many will join the diaspora? There are tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans here in the Lehigh Valley. Do the math — if every one of them expects visitors, if not permanent guests, the Lehigh Valley will not be the same. Imagine the implications: The kids need to enroll in the public and parochial schools; the parents will need jobs, the families housing. The health care system will surely be tested. Demand-pull inflation (too much demand chasing too few goods) will drive up the price of just about everything. Some won't speak the language, some won't have driver's licenses, most will need help, challenging an already underfunded human services system. Read on.

• Don't let anyone intimidate you from talking about gun safety now … [NYTimes, Opinion Today, David Leonhardt, Oct. 3] If you are heartbroken about the latest mass shooting and tired of how frequent such shootings have become, don’t let anyone intimidate you from talking about gun safety now. It’s the right time to do so, and it will remain the right time until we’ve made progress in dealing with this problem. It’s entirely possible to do so. Read on.

• Preventing mass shootings … [NYTimes, Nicholas Kristof, Oct. 2] After the horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas, the impulse of politicians will be to lower flags, offer moments of silence, and lead a national mourning. Yet what we need most of all isn’t mourning, but action to lower the toll of guns in America.We don’t need to simply acquiesce to this kind of slaughter. When Australia suffered a mass shooting in 1996, the country united behind tougher laws on firearms. As a result, the gun homicide rate was almost halved, and the gun suicide rate dropped by half, according to the Journal of Public Health Policy.
   Skeptics will say that there are no magic wands and that laws can’t make the carnage go away. To some extent, they’re right. Some criminals will always be able to obtain guns, especially in a country like America that is awash with 300 million firearms. We are always likely to have higher gun death rates than Europe. But the scale is staggering. Since 1970, more Americans have died from guns (including suicides, murders and accidents) than the sum total of all the Americans who died in all the wars in American history, back to the American Revolution. Every day, some 92 Americans die from guns, and American kids are 14 times as likely to die from guns as children in other developed countries, according to David Hemenway of Harvard. Read on.

• America's worst mass shooting, until the next one … [Com, Rand Richards Cooper, Oct. 2] I never feel as gloomy about America as I do in the aftermath of a mass shooting, when again and again we confront our failure even to try to do something to prevent it. One thing we can be sure of is that the next mass shooting is already locked and loaded. Read on.

• Charity Navigator …maintains lists of charities and offers advice on hw to pick a charity. Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) is highly rated, above American Red Cross. Read on.

• DioBeth Leadership News, Sept. 28 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Sept. 21 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, Sept. 14 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.

********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********


Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics
• President Trump, this is no time for prayer … [RNS, Jeffrey Salkin] About that ubiquitous phrase: “our thoughts and prayers …” I believe that “thoughts and prayers” have their proper place. But, quite often, I do funerals for people who have died of terrible diseases. Their loved ones request donations to organizations that work on curing those diseases. “Thoughts and prayers” are good. “Action?” In this American moment — far, far better. Read on.

• When thoughts and prayers are more than just thoughts and prayers … [Andrew Gerns] I reflect on the phrase "thoughts and prayers" and wonder what it might take to lift that beyond mere platitude. As a parish priest, I am in the business of “thoughts and prayers.” We hear that phrase gets tossed around a lot. Especially after a mass casualty incident, whether it’s a hurricane that decimates Puerto Rico or one perpetrated by a man with as many guns as he can buy and modify and who kills nearly five dozen people in just a few minutes. And we’ve heard many people rage in frustration that all our leaders seem to be able to offer are “thoughts and prayers.” I have heard many people rightly dismiss that phrase as nothing more than an empty, distracting platitude. The popular mind has a point. It’s not just annoying. The misuse of “thoughts and prayers” does real harm to both thought and prayer. Read on.

• Would you buy a Condo from the Trumps? … [NYT Editorial Board, Oct. 5] Until their father’s personal lawyer intervened, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. were under criminal investigation by Manhattan prosecutors for possibly defrauding buyers of units in the Trump SoHo development, according to an investigation by ProPublica, WNYC and The New Yorker. An email showed the siblings “discussed how to coordinate false information they had given to prospective buyers,” according to the report.
  The Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr., acknowledged that he dropped the case after a visit from President Trump’s lawyer Marc Kasowitz, who has contributed to Mr. Vance’s political campaign, but said he did so because it was the right thing to do.
  Perhaps it was, and perhaps the president’s son and daughter did nothing criminal. But the deceptive behavior at the heart of the case would be familiar to anyone who’s observed Mr. Trump’s business career. The hustler is in the White House now, and the young members of the Trump family, with the cloud of suspicion that now constantly surrounds them, are top advisers. Read on.

• The list of Trump scandals keeps growing … [NYT, Opinion Today, Oct. 5, David Leonhardt]  Here.

SpiritSpin
• The final true interpretation? … "One of my favorite Talmudic passages concerns Moses asking God for the final true interpretation of law," Brother Tobias Haller commented on his Facebook page. "God says there is no final true interpretation, but only the interim decisions of the wisest in the present day. This is one reason Rabbinic Judaism has the opposite view to Tradition that Christians often seem to take: it is the most recent authoritative interpretation of halakah that is binding, not the most ancient!"

• Welcome to the banquet … [Matt Lewellis] My son, Matthew, shared this thought on our family list about the Las Vegas shooting. "As a music fan, I think God took Tom Petty to make up to those poor souls in Vegas for just a bad, bad concert experience: 'welcome to the banquet,' said God, 'we have a great headliner' "

• The Las Vegas version of a flag at half-staff … [Jim Lewellis] My son James posted the following on his FB page within a day of the Las Vegas shooting, while on business travel during a layover at Las Vegas airport: "I'm here on a layover en route to Burbank. The mood here is striking. Lots of blank stares and crying in an airport usually characterized by joviality. The slot machines are still plugged in, but the audio has been turned off in the Vegas version of a flag at half-staff. In its unnerving and out-of-place quiet, it reminds me a little of NYC in the wake of 9/11. The quiet is occasionally shattered by the alarm of an emergency communication intercom accompanied by inaudible chatter. Each time it happens, a few people who had managed to pull their shit together proceed to lose it again. Everyone just wants to get out. Standby lists are as long as they get. Prayers to all of the affected."

 

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• Spirit Resources
 ... way below

Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• Government cannot govern. Leaders cannot lead … [Rick Cluett, Sermon, Nativity Cathedral, Sept. 24] Terrorists and mentally ill people with guns make going to the grocery store or restaurant or a sporting event or a public gathering of any kind, or simply getting on an airplane, a potentially life-threatening activity. Government cannot govern, Leaders cannot lead.
  We are living in a world, not of discord but of hate where whole groups of people have become the objects of the hate of other groups of people. Someone posted onlinethe other day, 'We can remove flags and statues all day, but until we figure out how to remove the hate in our hearts, nothing will change.' Clearly, we are not ready for that change yet.
   A friend recently suggested to me that stress and dis-stress are so extreme and so constant, that many of us are walking around with undiagnosed PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome — except it is not Post-. It is ever present; for some, present every minute of every day. People, to quote Thoreau, “… lead lives of quiet desperation.” Or they violently rage, rage against unknown, unseen powers of oppression. Read on.

• Sermon for Romero Centenary … [Rowan Williams, Westminster Abbey, Independent Catholic News, Sept. 23] A true story. Two Welsh countrymen sat in a pub discussing the recent death of one of their neighbours. ‘How much did he leave?’, asked one of them. The other lifted an eyebrow and replied, ‘Everything!’
  Almost exactly forty years ago, on the 25 September 1977, Archbishop Oscar Romero in his weekly mass homily provided an extended and more theological version of that comment. He reflected in this homily on the biblical notion of property. Property, he said, in Jewish and Christian Scripture, was something that was lent to the user. Never absolutely given. Always to be used, rented from God. And so, he says, the truth is that the rich pay to the poor the rent for the land whose use they are given for a time. In a just world, that is how we should conceive property. We are given something through which we are set free to discharge our debt to the poor. Because if our God is with the poor, then when we serve the poor, we serve God. When we recognise our indebtedness to the poor, we pay our rent to God for the land we use. And in that perspective, he goes on to say, we are all of us beggars together. No one simply owns at another’s expense. Everyone is caught up in exchange. Those who are wealthy – in this world’s terms – are those who have been given the privilege of using the things of the world for the flourishing of their neighbour. Beggars together we become rich together. And we are delivered from the imprisoning falsehood of supposing that the world is something we can own, whether as individuals, as societies, or even as the human race collectively.
  What is given is given to be given.
  What did he leave? Everything. Nothing can be stored against that final reckoning. And we should get used now to the call of God to serve, to pay our debt to the needy.
  It’s an unexpected echo of one of the great insights of that father of the English Reformation, William Tyndale, who spoke in his own reflection on the gospels of the debt that the wealthy owe to the wretched. We live in a world where it seems that the wretched are reminded constantly of their debt to those who are already wealthy. But, as Jesus says in the gospel about the use of power and resource, it shall not be so among you.
  And the gospel promises liberation from that myth of ownership and control, that apparently relentless pattern of accumulating resources and not sharing. Read on.

• The myth of women's empowerment … [NYT, Rafia Zakaria, Oct. 5] It’s time for a change to the “empowerment” conversation. Development organizations’ programs must be evaluated on the basis of whether they enable women to increase their potential for political mobilization, such that they can create sustainable gender equality.
   On the global stage, a return to this original model of empowerment requires a moratorium on reducing non-Western women to the circumstances of their victimhood — the rape survivor, the war widow, the child bride. The idea that development goals and agendas should be apolitical must be discarded.
   The concept of women’s empowerment needs an immediate and urgent rescue from the clutches of the would-be saviors in the development industry. At the heart of women’s empowerment lies the demand for a more robust global sisterhood, one in which no women are relegated to passivity and silence, their choices limited to sewing machines and chickens. Read on.

DioBeth
• Data and Analysis from the 2016 Parochial Reports … of the Episcopal Church are available here.
 
• DioBeth Leadership News, Sept. 28 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Sept. 21 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, Sept. 14 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website… Here.

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
Under "More Resources" way below.


Episcopal/Anglican
• This New York priest is on a mission to help children trapped in sex-trafficking at hotels … [ENS, Amy Sowder, Sept. 21] She strode through midtown Manhattan with purpose, her black tote bag held close as she dropped a dollar into the jangling coffee can of a street person stationed on a corner. Weaving around the city sidewalks in her flowered pencil skirt, black flats and black tank with a clerical collar, the Rev. Adrian Dannhauser had four destinations on her list that evening — all upscale hotels where she hopes her efforts make a dent in revealing the horrific secret right under everyone’s noses.
  Child sex trafficking happens at pretty much every hotel, whether it’s glitzy or seedy, Dannhauser and survivors say. The average age a child is forced into prostitution is 13. Human trafficking, for labor or sex, is the second-leading crime in the world, including the United States, according to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). And one in three children is solicited for sex within 48 hours of running away or becoming homeless.
  A mother of a daughter who’s almost 9, Dannhauser wants every hotel employee to be trained to recognize the signs and know what to do about it. She wants the children, usually girls, forced by threats, violence and drugs to have sex with countless men behind the hotel room doors, to find a soap in the hotel bathroom with a sticker on the wrapper providing a toll-free hotline to call for help.
  “We’re ‘soaping up’ midtown,” Dannhauser said as she led the way to the next hotel, carrying bags that each contained 100 hotel-sized labeled soaps and folders full of information. “I’ve talked to hotel staff who said they did see something ‘off’ and didn’t know what to do.”
The associate rector of Church of the Incarnation on Madison Avenue brought along parishioner Nathalie Abejero, also a mother, for the hotel visits. They, along with the rest of her parish’s anti-trafficking committee of seven to 10 people, have visited close to 40 hotels in the past year.Read on.

• Scottish Episcopal Church sanctioned over same-sex marriage … [BBC, Oct. 3] The Scottish Episcopal Church is to be excluded from ecumenical and leadership roles in the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said. The decision follows the SEC's vote to begin marrying same-sex couples.The Most Rev Justin Welby set out the decision in a news conference mid-way through a week-long meeting of Anglican primates in Canterbury. Responding to news of the sanctions, the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Rt Rev Mark Strange, said: "We will continue to play our part in the Anglican Communion we helped to establish, and I will do all I can to rebuild relationships, but that will be done from the position our Church has now reached in accordance with its synodical processes and in the belief that love means love." Read on.
   [Bill] Other news sources clarified that no vote was taken against the Scottish Anglicans by the primates, but there was a “consensus.

• Justin Welby unable to give 'straight answer' on whether gay sex is sinful … [The Guardian] Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has said he struggles with the question of whether gay sex is a sin and acknowledged that the gulf between conservative and liberal Anglicans on the issue is "irreconcilable". Read on.

• The Toolkit of the Public Affairs Office … Here. Among the items there are: Topics (topics of interest and dates of importance). Catalog (a list of importnt topics along with actions taken by the Episcopal Church and General Convention). Getting started (an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media release, op-eds, etc.).

• Sermons that work, Weekly bulletin inserts and more … Way down, under "More Resources" at "Episcopal/Anglican."

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Stewardship Missioner Dan Charney … has compiled a list of resources for congregations preparing for fall stewardship campaigns. Here.

• Becoming Beloved Community: The Episcopal Church’s Long-term Commitment to Racial Healing, Reconciliation and Justice, available here, is designed as a strategic path through distinct phases that lead to personal and structural transformation.  More information here. The on-demand of the recent webinar is here and features Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, President of the House of Deputies the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings and the Rev. Canon Michael Barlowe, Executive Officer of the General Convention.

• Evangelism Initiatives … available here, provides an array of evangelism resources.

• Stewardship of Creation and Eco-Justice … Here.
• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here
• Episcopal Asset Map … Here.
• Additional Resources
 ... way below


People
• Libby House writes grants to help at-risk children … [Bill] Big Picture has spent the last 20 years attempting to reinvent public education around the country, specifically targeting communities that suffer from severe academic underachievement. The model uses a student-centered approach and individualized project-based learning. Libby House of Allentown, who has been active in parish and diocesan programs across the Diocese of Bethlehem, writes grants for El Centro des Estudiantes, a project of Big Picture Philadelphia. El Centro is an accelerated and alternative school that caters to Kensington’s predominantly Latino population and helps kids who had disengaged from high school earn their diplomas. Libby's daughter, Laura, writes grants for Vaux High School, a new project of Big Picture Philadelphia. An especially successful grant writer over the years, Libby writes grants also for Grace Montessori School in the Diocese of Bethlehem so at-risk children around Allentown can receive a Montessori education. Read on.

In the Media

TaleSpin
• What would Thomas Merton make of Trump, climate change and Twitter? … [AM, Andrew Lenoir, Oct. 3] A few days after the U.S. presidential election in November 2016, a record 77 percent of Americans told Gallup they felt the country was divided. Throughout 2016, as hate crimes rose 20 percent across the country, headlines from The Huffington Post, Forbes, Newsweek and The Federalist asked readers if they were reliving the infamous political and social strife of 1968. Comparisons to Nixon and Watergate were made on either side of the aisle, as were more apocalyptic terms like the warning we were facing “the end of the world.”
   In his inauguration speech in January of this year, President Trump promised to end the “American carnage.” On the same day, ABC commentator Matthew Dowd described a nation more divided than it had been since the start of the Civil War in 1861. Nearly eight months of partisan infighting and insinuations followed, and tensions boiled over into bloodshed in Charlottesville, Va., this summer. A rally to “Unite the Right” turned divisive as the debate around a statue of Robert E. Lee, a Confederate general, turned into chaos on American television screens. Anti-Semites marched with torches and Nazi flags, and open fighting broke out in the streets. It culminated in an act of terrorism as a young man drove his car into a crowd of peaceful protestors.
   In an aftermath characterized by increasingly heated press conferences, mixed messaging and anger, people on many sides have been left to openly wonder: “Is this really happening in America?”
   As if anticipating this collective dark night of the soul, in his 2015 speech to the U.S. Congress, Pope Francis listed four American exemplars of Christian morality for us to learn from, two of whom died in 1968. The first was the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The second was the Trappist monk Thomas Merton. Read on.

• Is health care a right? … [TNY, Atul Gawande, Oct. 2] It's a question that divides Americans, including those from my home town, Athens Ohio. But it's possible to find common ground … A right doesn’t distinguish between the deserving and the undeserving, and, for many in my Ohio home town, that rankled.
  Eight years after the passage of the Vaccine Act of 1813, a terrible mistake occurred. The Agent accidentally sent to North Carolina samples containing smallpox, instead of cowpox, causing an outbreak around the town of Tarboro that, in the next few months, claimed ten lives. The outrage over the “Tarboro Tragedy” spurred Congress to repeal the program, rather than to repair it, despite its considerable success. As a consequence, the United States probably lost hundreds of thousands of lives to a disease that several European programs had made vanishingly rare. It was eighty years before Congress again acted to insure safe, effective supplies of smallpox vaccine.
  When I told this story to people in Athens, everyone took the repeal to be a clear mistake. But some could understand how such things happen. One conservative thought that the people in North Carolina might wonder whether the reports of lives saved by the vaccine were fake news. They saw the lives lost from the supposed accident. They knew the victims’ names. As for the lives supposedly saved because of outbreaks that didn’t occur—if you don’t trust the government’s vaccines, you don’t necessarily trust the government’s statistics, either.
  These days, trust in our major professions—in politicians, journalists, business leaders—is at a low ebb. Members of the medical profession are an exception; they still command relatively high levels of trust. It does not seem a coincidence that medical centers are commonly the most culturally, politically, economically, and racially diverse institutions you will find in a community. These are places devoted to making sure that all lives have equal worth. But they also pride themselves on having some of the hardest-working, best-trained, and most innovative people in society. This isn’t to say that doctors, nurses, and others in health care fully live up to the values they profess. We can be condescending and heedless of the costs we impose on patients’ lives and bank accounts. We still often fail in our commitment to treating equally everyone who comes through our doors. But we’re embarrassed by this. We are expected to do better every day.
  The repeal of the Vaccine Act of 1813 represented a basic failure of government to deliver on its duty to protect the life and liberty of all. But the fact that public vaccination programs eventually became ubiquitous (even if it took generations) might tell us something about the ultimate direction of our history—the direction in which we are still slowly, fitfully creeping. Read on.


Requiescant in pace
• Sandra Hoffman … died September 30. She was a member of St. Thomas Morgantown where she served many times on Vestry. Obituary.

• Rose Caesar Hofschild, 90 … died September 26. She was a member of St. Brigid's Nazareth. Obituary.

• Charles McGehee Isaacs, 63 … died suddenly September 23 in Ohio. He was a onetime member of Nativity Cathedral Bethlehem. Dean Tony Pompa wrote: "McGehee and his wife Betty are woven into the fabric of this Cathedral community, as they for many years offered their considerable passion for our Lord and their gifts for ministry for the good of our mission. McGehee and Betty moved to Ohio as a result of a job transfer for McGehee." Obituary.

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• Reformations Yesterday and Tomorrow … Tuesday, October 31 (Reformation Day) at Moravian Seminary, from 9:00-1:30, will be sponsored by the Diocese of Bethlehem along with the ELCA Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod, the Eastern District of the Northern Province of the Moravian Church, and the Center for Moravian Studies. The event is free and includes a joint Eucharist and lunch (free will offering). There is no charge but registration is required. Read on.

• How Catholic-Lutheran ecumenical efforts have borne fruit in past 50 years … [AM via CNS, Sept. 18] Catholic-Lutheran ecumenical efforts have borne fruit over the past 50 years, noted two speakers in a joint address Sept. 15 during Georgetown University's "1517-2017: Lutherans and Catholics: Then and Now" conference.
  Kathryn Johnson, director of ecumenical and interreligious relations for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest U.S. Lutheran body, said she rejects the concept of "ecumenical winter" as if to describe a stall in ecumenism. "There are signs of change that we're seeing around us," she said, adding "autumn" may be a better description and noting that Christians will have to decide "what to do with the harvest." Johnson said there exists a "deep misunderstanding we have of each other still," which needs a "hermeneutic of generosity" to overcome despite 50 years of dialogue. "There are no easy thanksgivings or cheap repentances," she added during the presentation, "Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue: Accomplishments and Challenges." She cited the 1999 Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, which "changed the teaching of each church," as a watershed moment. The declaration -- which stated that Christians are redeemed by "grace alone ... while calling and equipping us to do good works" -- has since been affirmed at least in part by the World Methodist Council, the Anglican Communion and the World Communion of Reformed Churches. Read on.
 
• More Resources
 ... way below


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• The rise of the Catholic cyber-bullies … [ReligionDispatches, Patricia Miller, Sept. 29] There was a time in the Catholic Church when supporters of doctrinal orthodoxy could count on the Vatican to do their policing for them. But the advent of a pope who sees his role as less about policing orthodoxy and more about creating dialogue, coupled with the decentralizing forces of the internet and a free-floating populist–conservative anger, has given rise to the same sort of vicious cyber-bullying that has characterized attacks on feminists and others who challenge the right. Read on.

• Stop censoring, have a civil discussion … [NCR, Editorial, Sept. 29] In September, NCR and GSR have reported on three tales of Catholic thinkers censored — Jesuit Fr. James Martin; Boston College theology professor M. Shawn Copeland; and Rebecca Bratten Weiss, co-founder of the New Pro-Life Movement. The excruciating irony of these tales begins with the fact that it no longer requires an edict from the Holy Office or a word of disapproval from the local bishop to silence thought and to pronounce someone persona non grata.
   The mechanics have gone digital for sidelining someone like Martin, whose rather mild suggestions in his latest book, Building a Bridge, which urges a kinder church approach to the LGBT community, have stirred the hornet's nest of homophobia. Bratten Weiss was branded as insufficiently pro-life for suggesting the life agenda can and should include issues of women's rights, health care and violence. Word from Madonna University is the decision for Copeland not to speak was mutual, out of fear the situation would get "uglier."
   It no longer takes the time it once did for tiny minorities to derail careers by slandering anyone who asks inconvenient questions. Once upon a time, such groups at least had to make the effort to send actual letters to faraway offices in Rome. They at least had to have some pull with officials there who would mistakenly construe a few dozen missives to mean the Catholic population of an entire country was up in arms.
  Way back in the mid- to late-20th century, it took time for the wheels of censure to begin turning — and there was at least the appearance of a process. All it takes now is the gangs of cyberbullies with laptops, email lists and Twitter feeds, acting in the anonymity of the ether, to execute campaigns of hate in the flash of nanoseconds. Make no mistake, however, the antecedents were well-set in those plodding bureaucracies of a previous age. Read on.

• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.

The Vatican
• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness
• Flu shots … Got mine. Got yours? Read on.

• More Resources… below.


Media/Print/Films/TV/Music/Tech
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' down a dream …The story of how a singer-songwriter and a few of his friends became one of the biggest rock bands of the 1970s and beyond. Watch on Netflix.

Websites, Podcasts and Blogs
• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.


Varia

Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]

More Resources

DioBeth
• Look online every Thursday for a Diocese of Bethlehem newsletter or for newSpin … Every Thursday in the following rotation: (1) The Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) The General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. The Leadership News and the General News are official publications of the Diocese of Bethlehem. They include news, info, features and events relating to our diocese and parishes. The newSpin newsletter you are now reading is not an official publication – and will usually not duplicate news, info and features relating to our diocese and parish as found in the official newsletters. It is a relatively lengthy eclectic sampling of items related to religion – at times not, at times not so clearly – that the editor thinks readers might find to be of interest. It has been a kind of hobby of a onetime communication minister, the work of a volunteer who in retirement enjoys and dedicates time to do the research required. The newSpin newsletter is always posted on the newSpin blog. If you wish to receive it by email, please send a note to [email protected]

• Look online … for the Diocese of Bethlehem Facebook Page, Facebook Group (Bethlehem Episcopalians) and Twitter feed.

• Bethlehem Episcopalians … is a Facebook group for conversations about mission, spirituality, Christian formation, and more that has replaced the old Bakery email list. Bethlehem Episcopalians is an open group. Anyone can join and items that you post can be shared by group members on their own Facebook pages. This offers each of us the opportunity to reach a larger audience with news and conversations about what God is doing in our diocese." Join the Facebook group. Includes more than 425 members

• DioBeth website
• Stumbling into the Sacred ... [Reflections on seeing God in the everyday by Canon Anne E. Kitch]
• newSpin blog ... including the newSpin weekly by Bill Lewellis.
• Facebook Page  … Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem
• Facebook Group … Bethlehem Episcopalians
• Twitter …
• Flickr
• YouTube
• Vimeo
• LinkedIn

Center for Congregations ... The "Using Resources" series of publications by the Center for Congregations is designed to help congregations make the most effective use of capital funds, consultants, architects, contractors, books, congregation management software, and more.
• Congregational Consulting ...  More information on how to contact the consultants can be found here and at http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/ .
• Church locators ... Here.
• ECF Vital Practices ... Here.
• The Chalice, a publication created by Joan DeAcetis for older adults and caretakers. Download issues here.
• Weekly Bulletin Inserts from the Episcopal Church ... Here.
• Calendar of events in our parishes ... Here.

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
• Allentown: Episcopal House … Here.
• Allentown: Grace … Here.
• Allentown: Grace Montessori School … Here.
• Allentown: Mediator … Here. Refugee Community Center … Here.
• Allentown/Bethlehem: St. Andrew … Here.
• Athens: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Nativity Cathedral … Here. Emergency Shelter … Here.
• Bethlehem: New Bethany Ministries … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Carbondale: St. James-St. George … Here.
• Clarks Summit/Glenburn: Epiphany … Here.
• Dallas: Prince of Peace … Here.
• Douglassville: St. Gabriel … Here.
• Easton: Trinity … Here.  ARK Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Emmaus: St. Margaret … Here.
• Forest City: Christ Church … Here.
• Hazleton: St. Peter … Here.
• Hamlin: St. John … Here.
• Hellertown: St. George … Here.
• Honesdale: Grace … Here.
• Jermyn: St. James/St. George … Here.
• Jim Thorpe: St. Mark/St. John … Here.
• Kingston: Grace … Here.
• Lebanon: St. Luke … Here.
• Lehighton: All Saints … Here.
• Milford: Good Shepherd … Here.
• Montrose: St. Paul … Here.
• Morgantown: St. Thomas … Here.
• Moscow: St. Mark … Here.
• Mountain Top: St. Martin-in-the-Fields … Here.
• Mount Pocono: … Here.
• Nanticoke/Alden Station: St. Andrew … Here.
• Nazareth: St. Brigid … Here.
• Palmerton: St. John … Here.
• Pen Argyl: St. Joseph … Here.
• Pottsville: Trinity … Here.
• Reading: Christ Church … Here.  SPARK … Here.
• Reading: St. Mary: … Here.
• Sayre: Redeemer: … Here.
• Schuylkill County: North Parish … Here.
• Scranton: St. Luke: … Here.
• Sinking Spring: St. Alban … Here.
• Stroudsburg: Christ Church … Here.
• Towanda: Christ Church … Here.
• Trexlertown: St. Anne … Here.
• Tunkhannock: St. Peter … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen School … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Clement/St. Peter … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Stephen … Here.
• West Pittston: Trinity … Here.
• Wind Gap: St. Mary … Here.
[Bill] Please let me know if your website is not listed above. Also, let me know if you would like me to highlight something on your site. Please note, also, that a few of the websites need to be updated. Thanks.]

Episcopal/Anglican
• The Episcopal Church website, news service, news service blog,
• Episcopal Café
• AngicansOnline website and news centre.
• The Living Church
• The Anglican Communion website and news service.
• The Daily Scan: Contact [email protected] to add subscribers for news releases, notices, statements, or Daily Scan.
• Free weekly bulletin inserts provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Find the inserts here.
• Updated Episcopal Church canons and constitution ... Here.
• Forward Movement ... Here.
• Episcopal Web Radio ... Here.
• Episcopal Church Event Calendar ... Here

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

Ecumenical/Interfaith Relations
• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.  
• Protestant Reformation…  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.   MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

• Protestant Reformation …  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation  MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

SpiritSpin
• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• The Imitation of Christ ... Available free online.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.


Bible&Worship
• The Lectionary ... A collection of Lectionary resources for the Episcopal Church, updated Sunday night. Here.
• Lectionary Page ... A liturgical calendar for upcoming weeks, with links to readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), as adapted for use in Episcopal worship. Here.
• Revised Common Lectionary ... Here.
• The Liturgical Calendar ... BCP, Lesser Feasts and Fasts, HWHM ... Here.
• Oremus Bible Browser ... Here.
• Celebrating the Eucharist, by Patrick Malloy. Google Book
• Enriching our Worship, 1 to 5 ... Free download here.
• The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant: Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships [Extracted from Liturgical Resources 1: I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing] Here.
• Collection of worship resources at Diobeth.org ... Including Diocesan Cycles of Prayer for weekly worship, Holy Women Holy Men, and The Text This Week. Here.

Health and Wellness
• Resources for caregivers ... Here.
• Medline Plus ... Here. 
• WebMD ... Here.
• Alzheimers.gov ... For people helping people with Alzheimers. Here.
• Three Free Apps for getting qualified medical advice... [Techlicious] Urgent Care, HealthTap and First Aid. Info and links.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Center for Disease Control - Healthy Living
•Church Health Reader
• Eastern Pennsylvania Faith Community Nurses
• Episcopal Mental Illness Network
• Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH
• National Episcopal Health Ministries
• NEHM Wellness Resource Page 
•Let's Move

News/info/commentary
• Religion News Service Daily Roundup ... here.
• Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project: Daily Religion Headlines ... here.
• Religious Freedom Blog ... a weekly look back at the top stories and developments on religious liberty around the world. Here.
• National Catholic Reporter ... here.
• BBC News Online ... here.
• BBC Religion & Ethics ... here.
• Faith in Public Life ... Here.
• Religion&Ethics News Weekly (PBS) ... Here.
• Religion Research Hub ... ARDA, Association of Religion Data Archives, an especially useful site.
• Back issues of the newSpin newsletter ... here.

Media/Film/TV/Books/Podcasts/Music/Tech
• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.
• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks  and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told about your congregation, it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.

Varia
• Insights into Religion ... Here.
• The Alban Institute ... Here.

 

 

newSpin 170921

newSpin, the newsletter
September 21, 2017 – Bill Lewellis

TopSpin
• Mexico Earthquake Kills Hundreds, Trapping Many Under Rubble … [NYT, Sept. 20] A powerful earthquake struck Mexico on Tuesday (Sept. 19) afternoon, toppling buildings, killing children in a school that collapsed, rattling the capital and sending people flooding into the streets for the second time in just two weeks. Early Wednesday, the director of Mexico’s civil protection agency, Luis Felipe Puente, said on Twitter that 216 people had been killed, revising an earlier toll of 248. Ninety-four people were confirmed dead in Mexico City, officials said. Rescuers were frantically digging out people trapped under rubble, including the children buried beneath their school, volunteers at the scene said Tuesday night. At least 21 students were believed to have been killed in the collapse of the school. Read on.

• Hurricane Maria: Puerto Rico suffers a direct hit, with worries of floods … [NYT, Sept. 20] Hurricane Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico as a powerful Category 4 storm early Wednesday (Sept. 20), cutting electricity and phone lines, sending thousands of people into shelters and raising the prospect of deadly floods. The storm was bringingSept. new misery to a region that has seen two other powerful hurricanes, Irma and Jose, in recent weeks. As of 11 a.m., Maria’s core was moving over Puerto Rico with 140 m.p.h. winds, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm was expected to produce “life-threatening flooding,” with 12 to 18 inches of rain falling in Puerto Rico through Friday and an additional five to 10 inches of rain in the Virgin islands. Read on. Update: All of Puerto Rico is without power.

• Remembering hurricane and earthquake victims … Here.

• Seeing Jesus' face at Trinity Carbondale … [DoB] During its 185-year history, Trinity Church, Carbondale, has suffered floods, furnace glitches and financial hardship. Through it all, with clergy and without, the gritty congregation has continued to gather for worship and faithfully minister to the community. This month, the entire diocese can see for itself. The 146th Convention of the Diocese of Bethlehem will be held in Carbondale from September 29-30, with the Friday evening Eucharist held at Trinity Church. Just a few years ago Trinity, which seats around 360, had seen its Sunday attendance dwindle to 12. It’s been a tough journey, but thanks to committed lay leaders, its ministry has continued, Sunday attendance has climbed back to around 40, with about 60 pledging members. Read on.

• Sacred Heart Hospital to merge with St. Luke's … [TMC, Binghui Huang, Sept. 19] Sacred Heart Hospital, the downtown Allentown Catholic hospital that has cared for some of the poorest patients in the region for more than 100 years, will become part of the growing St. Luke's University Health Network, the two hospital systems announced on September 19. Read on.

• Could Father Mychal Judge be the first gay saint? … [Slate, Ruth Graham, Sept. 11] Inside the fractious campaign to canonize the 9/11 icon. As of now, there are no Catholic saints who are known to be gay. But Mychal Judge would not be the first saint who could be described plausibly as LGBTQ. There’s Joan of Arc, who dressed as a male soldier to do battle in the Hundred Years’ War, and the early martyrs Sergius and Bacchus, who some historians say had a romantic relationship. The 19th-century British Cardinal John Henry Newman, beatified in 2010, left explicit instructions that he was to be buried in the same grave as his lifelong companion, a fellow priest. (As Newman progressed toward sainthood, the church ordered his body exhumed, purportedly to move him to a more accessible location. It had disintegrated too much to move.) The hints of queerness in their stories are cherished by some Catholics and hotly debated by others. “The sad thing is when you bring this up, it’s as if you’re casting aspersions,” said Martin, the author of a recent book on the relationship between the church and the LGBTQ community. “It’s not an insult to a saint to say he or she was attracted to the same sex and still lived celibately or chastely. Why can’t an LGBT person be considered holy?” But the question for the Catholic Church is not whether an LGBTQ person could be considered holy in a general sense. It’s whether Catholicism is ready for a saint whose sexuality could not be ignored or dismissed as a matter of historical interpretation—a modern gay man who, as Sapienza put it, loved being gay and loved being Catholic. Read on.

• DioBeth General News, Sept. 14 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Sept. 7 … Here.
• DioBeth Leadership News, Aug. 31 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.
• Diocesan September 29/30 Convention info … Here.

• Infallible … Some reported that Pope Francis fell during his trip to Colombia. Not true. The pope is in-fall-ible.

********  [A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected] ********


Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics
• The apotheosis of the religious right … [RNS] Alabamans will go to the polls next week and, indications are, make Roy Moore the odds-on favorite to become their next U.S. senator. Somewhere, Jerry Falwell, Sr. is smiling, Mark Silk says.

• The Promise: A Guardian series about presidential politics in Northampton County … [The Guardian, Tom McCarthy in Northampton County, Sept. 21] In a county that flipped Trump’s way, the departure of a moderate congressman offers the first real test of the maverick president’s popularity. Trump's big test: will his swing voters stay loyal. Read on.

• The Senate's rush to vote … [NYTimes, David Leonhardt, Sept. 20] The most cynical part of the Senate’s rush to vote on the Graham-Cassidy health care bill is its refusal to wait for the Congressional Budget Office to estimate how many people would lose health insurance under the plan. The ploy is obvious. Graham-Cassidy is likely to cause millions to lose coverage, given its similarities to an earlier bill. The C.B.O. estimated that earlier bill would create an additional 22 million uninsured within a decade. A C.B.O. analysis of Graham-Cassidy would immediately make it harder for members of Congress to vote for the bill — because it’s not good politics to make people’s lives worse. That’s why Senate leaders are hurrying to vote before the C.B.O.’s cautious professionals have the time they need to finish a state-by-state study. Congress has never before passed such an important bill with this degree of secrecy. “The rush job proposed,” writes The Times’s Editorial Board, “leaves other lawmakers with little time to understand what’s in the bill.” Aren’t there at least three Republican senators — all that are needed to stop it — who will insist on knowing what they’re actually voting on?
   Related: The American Medical Association yesterday came out against the bill, saying that it “would result in millions of Americans losing their health insurance.” Read on.

SpiritSpin
• How would you describe your relationship with Jesus? … Jenifer Gamber posted recently on her Facebook page that she was in a conversation in which this question was posed, "Describe your relationship with Jesus." She thought we in the Episcopal church didn't ask this question of one another often enough. She didn't recall being asked the question recently. She said she was not practiced in answering it, and, on the fly, not sure she answered it in a way that reflects the richness of her lived experience. She wrote, "Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Indeed the One who has redeemed all creation, is real and lives today, calling, nudging, correcting, and loving me, and the world, into our fullness." Of course, she said, there's much more to say, but that's the crux. "So, I invite you to join me in answering this question too. How would you describe your relationship with Jesus?"
  This was my reply to an intimate challenge:  "Someone once asked me if I was more in love with God or with what I write about God. That question helps me to respond to Jenifer’s question with a minimum of words. God, therefore Jesus, to me is one who invites. i.e. “Follow me.” I accept/follow – or not. If I accept/follow, I do so with gratitude. Simply, my relationship with Jesus is one of acceptance, gratitude and response – whether I feel the gratitude or not. Perhaps the theology in my head diminishes imagination and feeling. At times, I wish it did not. It would be more comforting."

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• Spirit Resources
 ... way below

Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• 'Enough already,' said God … [Nicholas Kristof, NYT, Sept. 17] Did you see that Jim Bakker, the disgraced former televangelist who is now out of prison and back to preaching on television, warned recently that if President Trump is impeached, Christians will start a civil war? I’ve been fuming about that and decided that the best way to respond would be by publishing the secret transcript of a conversation between God and Bakker. Let’s just say that I have divine sources.

• The Pope's shrink and Catholicism's uneasy relationship with Freud … [James Carroll, The New Yorker, Sept. 8] "Pope Francis Sought Psychoanalysis at 42,” the Times headline read. Other outlets treated the news more salaciously—“Pope Reveals,” “Pope Admits.” Some noted that the psychoanalyst in question was Jewish, or that she was a woman. Below the headlines, though, the stories were the same: a French sociologist named Dominique Wolton had published a book of interviews with the Pope, and, buried on page 385, amid discussions of the migrant crisis and the clash with Islam, America’s wars and Europe’s malaise, was the four-decade-old scoop that had made editors sit up. “I consulted a Jewish psychoanalyst,” Francis told WoltGood religion is humble.on. “For six months, I went to her home once a week to clarify certain things. She was very good. She was very professional as a doctor and a psychoanalyst, but she always knew her place.”
  Almost immediately, the news drew venom from the Pope’s detractors. A writer for the Web site Novus Ordo Watch, a mouthpiece of the ultra-conservative Catholic fringe—its slogan is “Unmasking the Modernist Vatican II Church”—insisted that Francis’s treatment by a “female Jewish Freudian” was “a really big smoking gun,” incontrovertible evidence that his “mind is saturated with Jewish ideas.” This reaction, and others like it, were a useful reminder that the Catholic Church was for many decades a bulwark against the great cresting wave that Freud set flowing from Berggasse 19, in Vienna. Rome’s enmity was partly a reaction to the doctor’s own fierce hostility to religion, including his infamous denigration of faith in God as an infantile father projection. To Catholics and other believers, Freudianism—the caricatured version of it that they saw, anyway—epitomized the scientific materialism that elevated the unconscious over conscience, compulsion over free will, and sex obsession over transcendental longing. Even into the nineteen-sixties, lay Catholics were discouraged, and clergy were forbidden, from undergoing psychoanalysis. Read on.

• Good religion … [Slate] Here's what William Saletan learned from Michael Cromartie: Good religion is sensible about science. Good religion has integrity. Good religion pursues justice. Good religion is humble. Good religion is more about questions than about answers. Read on.


DioBeth
• Diocesan September 29/30 Convention info … Here.

• DioBeth General News, Sept. 14 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Sept. 7 … Here.
• DioBeth Leadership News, Aug. 31 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
Under "More Resources" way below.

• New Bethany Ministries … September newsletter, Here.


Episcopal/Anglican
• It may be that we cannot solve everything … [Presiding Bishop Michael Curry] and we cannot do everything. But we can do something, no matter what. Read on.

• House of Deputies … September newsletter and new website.

• The Toolkit, Sermons that work, Weekly bulletin inserts and more … Way down, under "More Resources" at "Episcopal/Anglican."

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
•Stewardship Missioner Dan Charney … has compiled a list of resources for congregations preparing for fall stewardship campaigns. Here.

• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (SERD) … Here
• Additional Resources
 ... way below

In the Media
• Time includes former PB Jefferts Schori in series on women changing the world … [ENS staff, Sept. 7] Time magazine’s new multimedia project, Firsts: Women Who Are Changing the World, features the Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, 26th presiding bishop, as one of 46 profiled women. Read on.

• St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral: Two centuries strong in Wilkes-Barre … [Citizens Voice, Wilkes-Barre, Sept. 10] The Episcopal congregation of St. Stephen’s originally worshiped at Old Ship Zion, a common town church on Public Square in downtown Wilkes-Barre, which was used by several Protestant denominations — Baptist, Congregational, Episcopal, Methodist and Presbyterian traditions, Hedden said. Those religious groups paid subscriptions to use Old Ship Zion church for their respective worship services. It was a disagreement over holiday decorations that prompted the Episcopal congregation to establish its own church in the early 1800s. The Episcopal congregation decorated the Old Ship Zion church with evergreens for the holidays and the Puritans in the Congregational and Episcopal bodies objected. Read on.

• Join together for inclusion, community progress … [Rabbi Daniel Swartz, The Rev. Rebecca Barnes of St. Luke's Scranton and Rabbi Marjorie Berman, Sept. 10] Letter to the Editor, Scranton Times-Tribune] Here.

TaleSpin
• The David Carr generation … [TA, Mikaela Frak, Sept. 14] At the time of his death in early 2015, David Carr was a prominent media columnist for The New York Times. He edited the alt-weekly Washington City Paper in the mid-1990s, where he cultivated some of the great journalistic talent of our day. He was both a blunt and colorful writer, with a gift for similes that would make readers snigger with pleasure. “To call something the most popular podcast might seem a little like identifying the tallest leprechaun,” he wrote in one of his Media Equation columns for the Times.
   Carr got his start in journalism at the Twin Cities Reader, where he eventually became editor. He then went on to edit the Washington City Paper. Years earlier, he’d struggled with addictions to crack and alcohol, and he eventually turned those rank memories into a bestselling memoir. Along with his duties as a columnist, Carr taught a course on new media at Boston University, where I was his graduate teaching assistant. Amid his kaleidoscope of accomplishments and obligations, Carr still found the time to guide dozens of young people in the arduous process of shaping careers of their own. He did it for me: Carr set me up with the interview that would turn into my first real job in journalism. He died just two weeks before I got my offer letter.
   Carr had an unusual gift for recognizing young talent, and an equally unusual willingness to pull that talent up the ladder with him. He hired us for internships and jobs, edited our stories, sent out emails on our behalf, invited us to meetings we were really too junior to be a part of, and introduced us to his most successful and famous friends. But most important of all was this: He told us again and again that we had something special. We were smart, he told us. We were worthy. And we believed him, because he was the best guy we knew.
   For The Atlantic’s series on mentorship, “On the Shoulders of Giants,” I spoke with over a dozen of the writers, thinkers, artists, and family members who benefited from Carr’s guidance. What follows are their stories about when Carr acted as their champion, and what he taught them about being a mentor. Read on.

• Filter Fish … [TNY, Oliver Sacks] In what are (barring a miracle) my last weeks of life—so queasy that I am averse to almost every food, with difficulty swallowing anything except liquids or jellylike solids—I have rediscovered the joys of gefilte fish. I cannot eat more than two or three ounces at a time, but an aliquot of gefilte fish every waking hour nourishes me with much needed protein. (Gefilte-fish jelly, like calf’s-foot jelly, was always valued as an invalid’s food.) Read on.

• Rembert Browne of Bleacher Report on Colin Kaepernick … The NFL won't hire him but the controversial quarterback who protested the treatment of African-Americans by refusing to stand during the national anthem is working full-time as a symbol. This writer visited Kaepernick's hometown and came away with a complicated portrait of the former football star who some think of as a hero, and others as a traitor. Read on.

Requiescant in pace
• Marcia C. Faye, 73 … died September 17. She was a member of Trinity Bethlehem. Obituary.

• Carol A. Greiner, 64 … died September 17. She was a member of Trinity Pottsville. Obituary.

• Martha O'Brien Barnett, 92 … died August 31. She was a member of Trinity Easton. Obituary.

• Alice M. Hoover, 94 … died August 27. She was the mother of the Rev. Mary Lou Divis, rector of St. Peter's Tunkhannock. Obituary.

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• Reformations Yesterday and Tomorrow … Tuesday, October 31 (Reformation Day) at Moravian Seminary, from 9:00-1:30, will be sponsored by the Diocese of Bethlehem along with the ELCA Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod, the Eastern District of the Northern Province of the Moravian Church, and the Center for Moravian Studies. The event is free and includes a joint Eucharist and lunch (free will offering). There is no charge but registration is required. Read on.

• How Catholic-Lutheran ecumenical efforts have borne fruit in past 50 years … [AM via CNS, Sept. 18] Catholic-Lutheran ecumenical efforts have borne fruit over the past 50 years, noted two speakers in a joint address Sept. 15 during Georgetown University's "1517-2017: Lutherans and Catholics: Then and Now" conference.
  Kathryn Johnson, director of ecumenical and interreligious relations for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest U.S. Lutheran body, said she rejects the concept of "ecumenical winter" as if to describe a stall in ecumenism. "There are signs of change that we're seeing around us," she said, adding "autumn" may be a better description and noting that Christians will have to decide "what to do with the harvest." Johnson said there exists a "deep misunderstanding we have of each other still," which needs a "hermeneutic of generosity" to overcome despite 50 years of dialogue. "There are no easy thanksgivings or cheap repentances," she added during the presentation, "Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue: Accomplishments and Challenges." She cited the 1999 Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, which "changed the teaching of each church," as a watershed moment. The declaration -- which stated that Christians are redeemed by "grace alone ... while calling and equipping us to do good works" -- has since been affirmed at least in part by the World Methodist Council, the Anglican Communion and the World Communion of Reformed Churches. Read on.

• Worship resources for the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation … Here.
 
• More Resources
 ... way below


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• Jesuit priest stands up for gay Catholics, then faces backlash … [NYT, David Gonzalez, Sept. 16] The Rev. James Martin knew his latest book – which urges a dialogue between the Catholic Church and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Catholics who feel estranged from it – would be provocative. Even though the book was approved by his Jesuit superior as being in line with church teachings and was endorsed by several cardinals, he did not expect everyone to agree. That’s fine, he said. That’s why dialogue was needed.
  His public position on this hot-button issue – most recently in the book, “Building a Bridge,” but also in speeches, articles and social media – has earned him the gratitude of parents of gay children or adults who feel unwelcome at church because of their sexual orientation. But his stance has also led to “joking” threats of violence and insults against him. Conservative Catholics have called him “effeminate,” a “homosexualist,” “pansified” and guilty of “leading young men to perdition.” In recent weeks, campaigns by people opposed to him have prompted three high-profile Catholic groups to disinvite him from events where he was to be the featured speaker.
  On Friday, Theological College, the national seminary at the Catholic University of America in Washington, withdrew its invitation to Father Martin, who was scheduled to deliver a speech on Jesus in early October. The seminary said in a statement that the decision was made after “increasing negative attacks” on social media. And while seminary officials “in no way” agreed with the critics, the college wanted to avoid “distractions” during centennial events, the statement said.
  John Garvey, the university’s president, made it clear in a statement released Saturday that it did not support the decision to disinvite Father Martin. He also lamented how attempts to stop “the civil exchange of ideas” on campuses nationwide apply to both ends of the political spectrum. “It is problematic that individuals and groups within our Church demonstrate the same inability to make distinctions and to exercise charity,” he said.
  Of his critics, Father Martin said that even an invitation to listen to L.G.B.T. people has “unleashed this torrent of hatred.” Read on.
  Also at Commonweal, by John Gehring: When a group of zealots who show no sense of Christian decency have more sway over a seminary than the cardinals who endorsed James Martin’s book, something is wrong. Here.


• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.
• Allentown Diocese priest jailed over child porn … [Crux via AP] A Catholic priest in Pennsylvania caught with child pornography by someone helping with his computer is going to jail. The Morning Call of Allentown reported 67-year-old Monsignor John S. Mraz apologized and was sentenced 14 to six to 23 months. He pleaded guilty in June to possessing child pornography and related offenses, but had asked for probation or house arrest due to health issues, including diabetes and a heart condition. Judge Maria L. Dantos rejected this request, but did make a point of clarifying Mraz had not been accused of child molestation. Read on.

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.

The Vatican
• A Pope with 'both feet in history' … [Commonweal, Massimo Faggioli, Sept. 14] Book-length interviews of the pope are a new literary phenomenon that Catholics, along with theologians and church historians, are learning how to deal with (until Paul VI, papal interviews of any length were a rarity). They’re not simply an outgrowth of the “media-industry” complex surrounding the modern papacy, but rather a way for the bishop of Rome to reach out to the broad audience in his pastoral care—including intellectuals, secularists, atheists, and religious and political leaders. Francis’s ecclesiology in particular is shaped by this understanding of just what the pope is and who constitutes the people. He has made the long interview a feature of his media-friendly papacy, from the one in La Civiltà Cattolica with Antonio Spadaro in 2013 to the one on mercy with Andrea Tornielli in January 2016.
  But the latest interview, with Dominique Wolton, is different. Wolton is not a Catholic journalist but a sociologist who specializes in the relationship between democracy, technology, and the economy, along lines similar to the encyclical Laudato Si’. He conducted twelve conversations with Francis over a year-long period from February 2016 to February 2017, a time during which Brexit, the election of Donald Trump, and other events changed the international political situation. At more than four hundred pages, it is much longer than the other interviews, though it also includes extensive excerpts of Francis’s speeches on social and political matters. The well-publicized portion dealing with Francis’s therapy sessions with a Jewish psychoanalyst when he was a forty-two-year-old Jesuit in Argentina during the Dirty War is not the most important part. The focus is on the social and political engagement of the Catholic Church; Wolton gets it, right from the beginning, when he calls Francis “the first pope of mondialisation,” a rough French equivalent to “globalization” but with a more positive connotation, writing that the pope has “both feet in history.” Read on

• Pope calls new bishops to avoid 'nostalgia' for one-size-fits-all answers… [Crux] Here.

• Francis shifts power from Rome … [NYT, Jason Horowitz, Sept. 9] Pope Francis, who has used his absolute authority in the Vatican to decentralize power from Rome, made a widespread change Saturday to the ways, and words, in which Roman Catholics worship by amending Vatican law to give national bishop conferences greater authority in translating liturgical language. “It’s hugely important,” said Rita Ferrone, a specialist in Catholic liturgy who writes for Commonweal, a liberal Catholic magazine. She said that by loosening Rome’s grip on the language of prayers, Francis had restored the intention of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council and erased some of the rollbacks of his predecessor, Benedict XVI. “It was especially astute that he put it into canon law because it makes it official.”
   Francis has not been shy in efforts to reform the church and has tread on some of its most delicate subjects, from challenging the Roman bureaucracy that runs the church to emphasizing acceptance of gays and the divorced.
   On Sept. 9 he stepped squarely onto the battlefield of the so-called Liturgy Wars, which, especially in the English-speaking church, have divided liberals and conservatives for decades. With “Magnum Principium,” a papal Motu Proprio — or a document issued under the pope’s own legal authority – Francis altered a key 2001 instruction by Pope John Paul II that empowered Vatican officials in Rome to ensure local translations adhered to the standard Latin. Read on.

• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness
• Choosing ethical medical treatments as the options narrow … [RNS, Sept. 8] Jeffrey Weiss is “a bit worse from glioblastoma than I was a month or so ago.” Should he feel like any experiment is good enough for him? Read on. [Bill] Readers may wonder why I have been following Jeffrey Weiss as he writes about his impending death. Years ago, I so admired his writing when this Jewish man was the religion reporter for the Dallas Morning News when its religion section was perhaps the best around the country. I made it a point to meet him in the media room when he was covering one of our national conventions, the one in Philadelphia when Bishop Griswold was elected PB. Bless you, Jeffrey.

• Ask Well … [NYT, Sept. 20] Are smoothies better for you than fruit juice? Why does my dentist give so many X-rays? What are the health benefits of meditation? In Ask Well, experts answer your questions about health and wellness. Submit a question or vote on someone else’s question. When the answer is published, it will be emailed directly to you. Read on.

• More Resources… below.


Media/Print/Films/TV/Music/Tech
• Religion News Association names winners of 2017 Awards for Excellence in Religion Reporting… [RNS, Sept. 15] Here.

• 'The Vietnam War' weaves a narrative of human calamity … [NCR] Former NCR editor and publisher Tom Fox, who spent five years in Vietnam during the war, looks at Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's new documentary. Airing on PBS – it began Sunday, Sept. 17 – "The Vietnam War" is an important contribution to the examination of both the Vietnam War and the unconscionably deadly impact of war in general. Read on.


Websites, Podcasts and Blogs
• More Perfect … [Radiolab] Supreme Court decisions shape everything from marriage and money to public safety and sex. We know these are very important decisions we should all pay attention to – but they often feel untouchable and even unknowable. Radiolab's first ever spin-off series, More Perfect, connects you to the decisions made inside the court's hallowed halls, and explains what those rulings mean for "we the people" who exist far from the bench. More Perfect bypasses the wonkiness and tells stories behind some of the court’s biggest rulings. Season 2 launches October 2, 2017. Season 1 Podcasts.

• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.


Varia
• Etymologies and design rationale behind common mathematical symbols … [Latif Nasser of Radiolab] After this tweet and the thread it started about the obscure etymologies and design rationales behind common mathematical symbols, I will never look at a division sign the same way. 

 

Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
COM … Commonweal
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TA … The Atlantic
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]

More Resources

DioBeth
• Look online every Thursday for a Diocese of Bethlehem newsletter or for newSpin … Every Thursday in the following rotation: (1) The Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) The General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. The Leadership News and the General News are official publications of the Diocese of Bethlehem. They include news, info, features and events relating to our diocese and parishes. The newSpin newsletter you are now reading is not an official publication – and will usually not duplicate news, info and features relating to our diocese and parish as found in the official newsletters. It is a relatively lengthy eclectic sampling of items related to religion – at times not, at times not so clearly – that the editor thinks readers might find to be of interest. It has been a kind of hobby of a onetime communication minister, the work of a volunteer who in retirement enjoys and dedicates time to do the research required. The newSpin newsletter is always posted on the newSpin blog. If you wish to receive it by email, please send a note to [email protected]

• Look online … for the Diocese of Bethlehem Facebook Page, Facebook Group (Bethlehem Episcopalians) and Twitter feed.

• Bethlehem Episcopalians … is a Facebook group for conversations about mission, spirituality, Christian formation, and more that has replaced the old Bakery email list. Bethlehem Episcopalians is an open group. Anyone can join and items that you post can be shared by group members on their own Facebook pages. This offers each of us the opportunity to reach a larger audience with news and conversations about what God is doing in our diocese." Join the Facebook group. Includes more than 425 members

• DioBeth website
• Stumbling into the Sacred ... [Reflections on seeing God in the everyday by Canon Anne E. Kitch]
• newSpin blog ... including the newSpin weekly by Bill Lewellis.
• Facebook Page  … Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem
• Facebook Group … Bethlehem Episcopalians
• Twitter …
• Flickr
• YouTube
• Vimeo
• LinkedIn

Center for Congregations ... The "Using Resources" series of publications by the Center for Congregations is designed to help congregations make the most effective use of capital funds, consultants, architects, contractors, books, congregation management software, and more.
• Congregational Consulting ...  More information on how to contact the consultants can be found here and at http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/ .
• Church locators ... Here.
• ECF Vital Practices ... Here.
• The Chalice, a publication created by Joan DeAcetis for older adults and caretakers. Download issues here.
• Weekly Bulletin Inserts from the Episcopal Church ... Here.
• Calendar of events in our parishes ... Here.

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
• Allentown: Episcopal House … Here.
• Allentown: Grace … Here.
• Allentown: Grace Montessori School … Here.
• Allentown: Mediator … Here. Refugee Community Center … Here.
• Allentown/Bethlehem: St. Andrew … Here.
• Athens: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Nativity Cathedral … Here. Emergency Shelter … Here.
• Bethlehem: New Bethany Ministries … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Carbondale: St. James-St. George … Here.
• Clarks Summit/Glenburn: Epiphany … Here.
• Dallas: Prince of Peace … Here.
• Douglassville: St. Gabriel … Here.
• Easton: Trinity … Here.  ARK Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Emmaus: St. Margaret … Here.
• Forest City: Christ Church … Here.
• Hazleton: St. Peter … Here.
• Hamlin: St. John … Here.
• Hellertown: St. George … Here.
• Honesdale: Grace … Here.
• Jermyn: St. James/St. George … Here.
• Jim Thorpe: St. Mark/St. John … Here.
• Kingston: Grace … Here.
• Lebanon: St. Luke … Here.
• Lehighton: All Saints … Here.
• Milford: Good Shepherd … Here.
• Montrose: St. Paul … Here.
• Morgantown: St. Thomas … Here.
• Moscow: St. Mark … Here.
• Mountain Top: St. Martin-in-the-Fields … Here.
• Mount Pocono: … Here.
• Nanticoke/Alden Station: St. Andrew … Here.
• Nazareth: St. Brigid … Here.
• Palmerton: St. John … Here.
• Pen Argyl: St. Joseph … Here.
• Pottsville: Trinity … Here.
• Reading: Christ Church … Here.  SPARK … Here.
• Reading: St. Mary: … Here.
• Sayre: Redeemer: … Here.
• Schuylkill County: North Parish … Here.
• Scranton: St. Luke: … Here.
• Sinking Spring: St. Alban … Here.
• Stroudsburg: Christ Church … Here.
• Towanda: Christ Church … Here.
• Trexlertown: St. Anne … Here.
• Tunkhannock: St. Peter … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen School … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Clement/St. Peter … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Stephen … Here.
• West Pittston: Trinity … Here.
• Wind Gap: St. Mary … Here.
[Bill] Please let me know if your website is not listed above. Also, let me know if you would like me to highlight something on your site. Please note, also, that a few of the websites need to be updated. Thanks.]

Episcopal/Anglican
• The Episcopal Church website, news service, news service blog,
• Episcopal Café
• AngicansOnline website and news centre.
• The Living Church
• The Anglican Communion website and news service.
• The Daily Scan: Contact [email protected] to add subscribers for news releases, notices, statements, or Daily Scan.
• Free weekly bulletin inserts provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Find the inserts here.
• Updated Episcopal Church canons and constitution ... Here.
• Forward Movement ... Here.
• Episcopal Web Radio ... Here.
• Episcopal Church Event Calendar ... Here

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or on'e-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

Ecumenical/Interfaith Relations
• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.  
• Protestant Reformation…  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.   MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

• Protestant Reformation …  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation  MOVE UNDER 'MORE RESOURCES'

SpiritSpin
• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• The Imitation of Christ ... Available free online.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.


Bible&Worship
• The Lectionary ... A collection of Lectionary resources for the Episcopal Church, updated Sunday night. Here.
• Lectionary Page ... A liturgical calendar for upcoming weeks, with links to readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), as adapted for use in Episcopal worship. Here.
• Revised Common Lectionary ... Here.
• The Liturgical Calendar ... BCP, Lesser Feasts and Fasts, HWHM ... Here.
• Oremus Bible Browser ... Here.
• Celebrating the Eucharist, by Patrick Malloy. Google Book
• Enriching our Worship, 1 to 5 ... Free download here.
• The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant: Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships [Extracted from Liturgical Resources 1: I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing] Here.
• Collection of worship resources at Diobeth.org ... Including Diocesan Cycles of Prayer for weekly worship, Holy Women Holy Men, and The Text This Week. Here.

Health and Wellness
• Resources for caregivers ... Here.
• Medline Plus ... Here. 
• WebMD ... Here.
• Alzheimers.gov ... For people helping people with Alzheimers. Here.
• Three Free Apps for getting qualified medical advice... [Techlicious] Urgent Care, HealthTap and First Aid. Info and links.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Center for Disease Control - Healthy Living
•Church Health Reader
• Eastern Pennsylvania Faith Community Nurses
• Episcopal Mental Illness Network
• Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH
• National Episcopal Health Ministries
• NEHM Wellness Resource Page 
•Let's Move

News/info/commentary
• Religion News Service Daily Roundup ... here.
• Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project: Daily Religion Headlines ... here.
• Religious Freedom Blog ... a weekly look back at the top stories and developments on religious liberty around the world. Here.
• National Catholic Reporter ... here.
• BBC News Online ... here.
• BBC Religion & Ethics ... here.
• Faith in Public Life ... Here.
• Religion&Ethics News Weekly (PBS) ... Here.
• Religion Research Hub ... ARDA, Association of Religion Data Archives, an especially useful site.
• Back issues of the newSpin newsletter ... here.

Media/Film/TV/Books/Podcasts/Music/Tech
• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.
• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks  and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told about your congregation, it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.

Varia
• Insights into Religion ... Here.
• The Alban Institute ... Here.

 

 

newSpin 170907

newSpin, the newsletter
September 7, 2017 – Bill Lewellis

[A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected]]

TopSpin
• People with Boats … Many of us watched with overwhelming sadness the destruction by wind in places where Hurricane Harvey hit shore and by water in Houston. In most tragedies, we see some light through the heroes. Many of the heroes today, as Monica said to me, are simply "people with boats." Fred (Mr.) Rogers said that when he was a boy scared by news, [h/t Melodie Woerman] his mother would say, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” Lord, have mercy. Pray for Texas.

• Remembering Hurricane Harvey victims … [ERD] Our hearts go out to the victims of Hurricane Harvey, as well as their families, during this tragic time. Episcopal Relief & Development info here. Donate here.

• Hurricane Irma … keeps gaining strength and looks terrifying. “I am at a complete and utter loss for words looking at Irma’s appearance on satellite imagery,” said Taylor Trogdon, a senior scientist at the National Hurricane Center. Eric Holthaus, a meteorologist who writes for Grist, called it “stronger than Andrew or Katrina.”

• Covering Irma's wrath … [CJR, The Media Today, Sept. 7] Here.
   Also, NYT, "One of the most powerful hurricanes in history roars across Caribean," Here.

• One million acres gone in Montana … [James Warren, Poynter Morning MediaWire, Sept. 7] Amid the media's understandable shift from Hurricanes Harvey to Irma, there are awful fires out in the Northern Rockies, especially Montana, bad even by the standards of a region accustomed to them. As of today, more than 1 million acres have burned, with 4,000 firefighters involved and two of them killed doing their job in a state nearly out of money to deal with them. (KRTV) Glacier National Park is hit hard. Entire towns have been evacuated. Entire towns.The total number of wildfires so far this year is 1,687. Of those, 748 were lightning-sparked, and 939 were caused by people/vehicles. And if media want to personalize the pain, just read how "The wildfire that ran roughshod through West Kootenai west of Eureka on Saturday evening wreaked havoc on Montana’s oldest Amish community." Yes, the Amish waited too long, then had to scramble as fires encircled the area. Homes were ruined as they got out alive, with school for the kids relocated to a barn in another town. (The Missoulian) Read of their utter fear as fires came straight down a mountain toward them. And fast.
   The enormity can't compare with what's wrought by Hurricane Harvey and possibly Irma. But it's bad and not getting much national notice. And, Trump might have noticed (if he read much), a Gazette editorialthat notes that the climate change he denies is a factor. "Forests and money aren't the only things going up in smoke in Montana. So too are the excuses for many who would deny climate change as most of the West, especially Montana, is literally in flames." Finding apparent rhetorical inspiration in James Taylor, it cites the simultaneity of hurricanes and fires — "we've indeed seen fire and we've seen rain" — and notes the many elements at play but how "We have also been pointing out for years that climate scientists have warned that as part of global warming, weather patterns would intensify, not just warm. In other words, fire season would get longer and hotter."
   "We haven't just burned through the money here in Montana as we've fought fires, we have also burned through the question of whether something is happening to our environment. Clearly, the best science — and the best scientists — agree that humankind's impact is contributing to these changes."

• Bishop Search Committee now accepting nominations/applications for 9th bishop of Bethlehem … The search committee for the IX Bishop of the Diocese of Bethlehem is pleased to announce that our profile is complete and we are now accepting nominations and applications. Please visit www.bishopsearchdiobeth.org to view the profile, make nominations, or make application. Deadline for nominations is September 11, 2017. Deadline for applications is September 18.

• Diocesan September 29/30 Convention info … Here.

• The Dreamers … [TEC, Sept. 6 statement of th Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies] Standing with the Dreamers and doing all we can to support them. Today our hearts are with those known as the Dreamers—those young women and men who were brought to this country as children, who were raised here and whose primary cultural and country identity is American. We believe that these young people are children of God and deserve a chance to live full lives, free from fear of deportation to countries that they may have never known and whose languages they may not speak. As people of faith, our obligation is first to the most vulnerable, especially to children. In this moment, we are called by God to protect Dreamers from being punished for something they had no agency in doing. Read on.

• DioBeth Leadership News, Aug. 31 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Aug. 24 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, Aug. 18 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.

Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics
• Donald Trump's cowardice on 'Dreamers' … [NYT Editorial Board, Sept. 5] President Trump didn’t even have the guts to do the job himself. Instead, he hid in the shadows and sent his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to do the dirty work of telling the country that the administration would no longer shield from deportation 800,000 young undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children.
  Mr. Sessions, a longtime anti-immigrant hard-liner, was more than up to the task. In a short, disingenuous speech, he said a program set up by President Barack Obama in 2012 — known as DACA, for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — was a lawless policy that “yielded terrible humanitarian consequences” and denied jobs to hundreds of thousands of American citizens. (Mr. Trump echoed these claims in a statement released by the White House.) Mr. Sessions called DACA “an unconstitutional exercise of authority” and said “failure to enforce the laws in the past has put our nation at risk of crime, violence and terrorism.
  False, false, false and false. Here.

• The RC bishops honeymoon with Trump is over … [RNS, Thomas Reese SJ, Aug 24] The bishops are exhibiting all the signs of a potential breakup with Trump. The honeymoon is over. Corporate America is already distancing itself from Trump as if he were a lame duck with no future. Even Republican members of Congress are grumbling. Since in the bishops’ minds this marriage never took place, it may be easy for them to quietly climb out of bed and disappear into the night. They have gotten most of what they wanted out of the liaison; it is time to move on before it is too late. Read on.

• As Artificial Inteligence advances, what are its religious implications? … [Religion&Politics, Aug. 29]  Artificial intelligence is already pervasive. It’s embedded in iPhone’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, which are apps designed to answer questions (albeit in a limited way). It powers the code that translates Facebook posts into multiple languages. It’s part of the algorithm that allows Amazon to suggest products to specific users. The AI that is enmeshed in current technology is task-based, or “weak AI.” It is code written to help humans do specific jobs, using a machine as an intermediary; it’s intelligent because it can improve how it performs tasks, collecting data on its interactions. This often imperceptible process, known as machine learning, is what affords existing technologies the AI moniker.
  The sensationalizing of AI is not a product of weak AI. It is, instead, a fear of “strong AI,” or what AI could someday become: artificial intelligence that is not task-based, but rather replicates human intelligence in a machine. Read on.
   Also at ReligionLink.

• The cheap prosperity gospel of Trump and Osteen … [NYT, Aug. 30, Anthea Butler] Mr. Trump and Mr. Osteen are mirrors of each other. Both enjoy enormous support among evangelicals, yet they lack a command of biblical scripture. Both are among the 1 percent. Natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey are the worst kind of crises for people like Mr. Trump and Mr. Osteen, who purvey their own versions of the prosperity gospel. This is a belief that says if you think positively and make affirmations, God will reward you with financial success and good health. If you don’t, you may face unemployment, poverty or sickness. (Mr. Trump in particular always speaks in laudatory terms about himself and his companies.) But the problem is that it’s hard to promote “Your Best Life Now” or “The Art of the Deal” to people whose houses have flooded or been blown away, or to evacuees who have only the clothes on their backs. Read on.

• The False Promises in President Trump's Tax Plan … [NYT, Sunday Review, Editorial, Sept. 2] Mr. Trump says that all Americans will win big from tax cuts on businesses and the wealthy. It's a tough sell because it's not true. Read on.

• Flashback on immigration … [NYT, David Leonhardt] In a 1980 Repuglican primary debate, an attendee asked George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan about "illegal aliens." The responses are pretty uplifting, given today’s immigrant-bashing administration. “We’re creating a whole society of really honorable, decent, family-loving people that are in violation of the law,” Bush said. He spoke of “six- and eight-year-old kids” who were made to feel as if “they’re living outside the law.” He concluded: “These are good people, strong people.” Reagan, for his part, took a swipe at the idea of “putting up a fence” and said the country should find a way to let the immigrants work here, earn money and pay taxes. The excerpt lasts only about two minutes and is worth watching.

SpiritSpin
• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• Spirit Resources
 ... way below

Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• He asked me about suicide … [Bill Lewellis, to be published in The Morning Call on Sunday, Sept. 10] I saw someone fishing from the bay wall in the giveaway posture of one depressed. I walked up to him, a few feet away and said, “Tell me you’ve caught a bag full of fish.” He didn’t answer. Didn’t even look at me. I stayed. Quietly.
  He looked around after a few minutes and asked abruptly if I had a family here. I suspected if I said yes, that his next words were going to be self-pity. He was lonely. I told him I was the visiting priest at the church across the street. “Does God forgive someone who commits suicide?” he asked. I said God is all about forgiving. I asked if someone in his family had committed suicide. “No, he said, but I was taught that anyone who commits suicide goes to hell.” I asked Michael why he was wondering about that. He said he was going to commit suicide and wanted to know if God would forgive him. Read on.

• Memorize that poem … [The NYTimes Sunday Review, Molly Worthen, Aug. 26] Is it difficult to learn a poem by heart? Of course. But it is mainly a matter of diligent practice, with many pathways to success. Do you struggle with the printed page? The Poetry Foundation’s website will recite poems to you over and over again, and YouTube is packed with fearless souls declaiming to the internet. Do you dread the thought of speaking up spontaneously? You might find a memorized text empowering. Read on.

• To be, or not to be … [Hamlet, Act III, Scene I, Poets.org] That is the question. Read on.


DioBeth
• Diocesan September 29/30 Convention info … Here.

• Bishop Search Committee now accepting nominations/applications for 9th bishop of Bethlehem …Please see above, under TopSpin.

• DioBeth Leadership News, Aug. 31 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Aug. 24 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, Aug. 18 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee website … Here.

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
Under "More Resources" way below.


Episcopal/Anglican
• Evensong sees a surge even as British church attendance declines … [RNS] Evensong sees a surge even as British church attendance declines
Religion News Service: In Britain, where churchgoing is mostly in decline, what has drawn the crowd on a late afternoon in August is evensong, the hymn-heavy evening service taken from the Book of Common Prayer. Read on.

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or one-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

• More Resources … way below.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Stewardship Missioner Dan Charney … has compiled a list of resources for congregations preparing for fall stewardship campaigns. Here.

• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here
• Additional Resources
 ... way below

In the Media


TaleSpin
• The complicated life and death of Hideki Irabu … [Sports Illustrated] How did a Yankees pitcher once hailed as “the Japanese Nolan Ryan” end up hanging himself in a suburban house, alone and all but forgotten? Ben Reiter takes readers inside the devastating story of cultural collisions and desolation Hideki Irabu experienced after being signed for more than $12 million and hailed as a future face of the franchise in 1997. Here.

• Fauxtography … [RNS] Did the solar eclipse create a cross in the heavens? Nope. Read on.

• How modern technology helped me teach theology to uninterested college students … [AM, Ellen Koneck, Aug. 24] Theology is impotent and irrelevant when simply presented as a set of ideas, doctrines or conclusions to be passively internalized. Read on.


Requiescant in pace
• Edwin Strohl, 92 … died August 25. Ed and his wife Connie have been members of the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem for nearly 69 years. Obituary.

• Michael Cromartie, 67 … died August 28. He shepherded a generation of journalists toward more informed coverage of religion’s evolving junction with politics and public policy. A former conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, he became an influential evangelical thinker in Washington. Read on at NYT. Also "Apostle to the Media" by Ross Douthat, here.

• Jerry Lewis, 91 … comedian, actor and filmmaker who was adored by many, disdained by others, but unquestionably a defining figure of American entertainment in the 20th century, died Aug. 20. Read on.

[Rectors, senior wardens or family members who would like the death of a parishioner noted here may point me to published obits, or send their own notice.]

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• Worship resources for the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation … Here.
 
• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.  
• Protestant Reformation …  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation

• More Resources
 ... way below


Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem property dispute could clarify law … [Morning Call, Sarah Wojcik, Aug. 28] After splintering last summer, the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem is seeking judgment of who owns the massive church property in a bench trial that could eventually help clarify Pennsylvania’s murky church property law. Northampton County President Judge Stephen Baratta presided over a full courtroom, packed with congregants from both sides of the theological divide as well as current and former leaders of the storied church, founded in 1877. Read on.

• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.

• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.
• Alfred Schlert becomes fifth bishop of the Diocese of Allentown … [MC, Daniel Sheehan, Aug. 31] Bishop Alfred Schlert ascended to the episcopacy during a remarkable moment in the life of an unassuming Lehigh Valley native who has quietly served God as a priest for 30 years. In an elaborate Mass at the Cathedral of St. Catharine in Allentown, Schlert, 56, became the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Allentown, and the first priest ordained in the diocese to be named to the position. Read on.

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.

The Vatican
• Vatican II reform of the liturgy is irreversible … [America, Aug. 24] Seeking to put an end to various attempts to roll back the reform of the liturgy introduced by the Second Vatican Council, Pope Francis this morning stated unequivocally that “the reform of the liturgy is irreversible.” He declared this in a major address for National Liturgical Week in Italy, marking the 70th anniversary of Center for Liturgical Action. A source close to the pontiff told America magazine the remarks were intended not only for the Italian liturgists present but the church worldwide. Read on.

• Pope Francis offers 4 points to guide the world's response to refugees … [America, Aug. 21] Pope Francis has offered concrete proposals for world leaders to consider when drafting two forthcoming United Nations' agreements, saying that "our shared response may be articulated by four verbs: to welcome, to protect, to promote and to integrate" migrants and refugees. Read on.

• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.


Health and Wellness
• A good night's sleep … [NYT, Sept. 6] Being well rested for your well-being. Here.

• More Resources… below.


Media/Print/Films/TV/Music/Tech
• Ken. Burns's American Canon … [The New Yorker Ian Parker, Sept. 4 issue] Even in a fractious era, the filmmaker still believes that his documentaries can bring every viewer in. His 10-part, 18-hour series on the history of the Vietnam War premieres on PBS September 17 at 8:00 ET. Read on.

• Martin Luther: The idea that changed the world … Premieres Sept. 12 on PBS. Follow the dramatic story of Martin Luther's life: the massive lightning storm that nearly killed him, the bleak self-punishment of his time in the monastery, the corruption that unleashed his anger, his trial before the most powerful man in Europe, and the staged kidnapping that helped him escape the death penalty. Read on.
.
• Your Faith, Your Life: An Invitation to the Episcopal Church … Revised edition of the 2009 book by Jenifer Gamber and Bill Lewellis will be published in November. Read on.

• The institutional church has stolen the Gospel … [From The Jesus Heist: Recovering the Gospel from the Church by C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop of Texas] by reading her indispensability into the Scriptures and into the hearts and minds of her people. Our task in this book is to understand this hermeneutical act and to offer as an alternative the ecclesia of Jesus. The church is not a means to salvation … The problem with viewing the church as a means to salvation is that the only means to salvation is through God in Christ Jesus and his work upon the cross. The Jesus Heist.

• In praise of Barbara Pym … [NYT, Books, Aug. 24] The midcentury English novelist, is forever being forgotten, and forever revived. Her novels sketch a circumscribed scene whose anchors were the church and the vicarage, and the busy, decent Englishmen and -women (more women) who shuffled between the two. Read on.

• The Online Books Page … Listing over 2 million free books on the Web - Updated Friday, August 18, 2017. Here.


Websites, Podcasts and Blogs
• The Daily … [The New Yorker, Rebecca Mead, Aug. 21] In Michael Barbaro’s podcast, the New York Times becomes conversational and intimate, instead of inky and cumbersome. It’s a twenty-minute update murmured in your ear by a well-informed, sensitive, funny, modest friend—the kind of person who has as many questions as answers? Read on.

• NCR's new website … Here.

• Frontline's new podcast … [James Warren @ Poynter] The Frontline Dispatch will be unveiled Sept. 14 "with an exploration into child marriage in America. New episodes on second chances for juvenile lifers, a community divided over oil drilling and earthquakes, and more will be released biweekly on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic and other podcast apps, and at pbs.org/frontlinedispatch. Jay Allison, the creator of The Moth Radio Hour, is senior editor and creative director." The podcast universe is crazy competitive, with precious few turning a buck. But the quantities of high-quality work (and crap) are huge. Here's a bit more about the effort, which given its lineage should be worth a listen.

• Nocturne, the Podcast That Explores the Night … essay radio – a hybrid form of audio storytelling that blends elements of documentary, fiction and sound-art, hosted and produced by the independent Bay Area producer Vanessa Lowe. Lowe co-created the show with her husband, Kent Sparling, who works in film sound and who composes much of the show’s evocative music. A recent episode is about a Scottish surfer who survives more than thirty-two hours at sea. Read on.

• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.


Varia
• Free courses from top universities … [Techlicious] You can continue your education with some amazing and free online resources available from top universities. These institutions offer many of their courses in the form of video lectures, audio transcripts and online quizzes. And, some universities give you access to the professor and let you interact with other students taking the class. Want to give these free online courses a try? Here are the online education offerings from the top U.S. universities that we think are worth checking out. Read on.

$13 a pack … Effective next June, the minimum price of cigarettes in NYC will be $13 a pack, according to a law recently signed by the mayor. Whoa! When I quit smoking @1970, cold turkey, after some 15 years, cigarettes were 20 cents a pack. I'm grateful today not to have that burden, and pray for those who have.

Abbreviations of Sources
AM … America Magazine
AO … Anglicans Online
AP … Associated Press
CJR … Columbia Journalism Review
CN… Crux Now
CNS … Catholic News Service
DoB… Diocese of Bethlehem
EC … Episcopal Café
ENS … Episcopal News Service
ERD … Episcopal Relief & Development
MC … Morning Call, Allentown
NCR … National Catholic Reporter
NYT … New York Times
R&P … Religion&Politics
RNS … Religion News Service
TEC … The Episcopal Church
TLC … The Living Church
TNY … The New Yorker
WaPo … Washington Post
WSJ … Wall Street Journal

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]

More Resources

DioBeth
• Look online every Thursday for a Diocese of Bethlehem newsletter or for newSpin … Every Thursday in the following rotation: (1) The Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) The General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. The Leadership News and the General News are official publications of the Diocese of Bethlehem. They include news, info, features and events relating to our diocese and parishes. The newSpin newsletter you are now reading is not an official publication – and will usually not duplicate news, info and features relating to our diocese and parish as found in the official newsletters. It is a relatively lengthy eclectic sampling of items related to religion – at times not, at times not so clearly – that the editor thinks readers might find to be of interest. It has been a kind of hobby of a onetime communication minister, the work of a volunteer who in retirement enjoys and dedicates time to do the research required. The newSpin newsletter is always posted on the newSpin blog. If you wish to receive it by email, please send a note to [email protected]

• Look online … for the Diocese of Bethlehem Facebook Page, Facebook Group (Bethlehem Episcopalians) and Twitter feed.

• Bethlehem Episcopalians … is a Facebook group for conversations about mission, spirituality, Christian formation, and more that has replaced the old Bakery email list. Bethlehem Episcopalians is an open group. Anyone can join and items that you post can be shared by group members on their own Facebook pages. This offers each of us the opportunity to reach a larger audience with news and conversations about what God is doing in our diocese." Join the Facebook group. Includes more than 425 members.

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
• Allentown: Episcopal House … Here.
• Allentown: Grace … Here.
• Allentown: Grace Montessori School … Here.
• Allentown: Mediator … Here. Refugee Community Center … Here.
• Allentown/Bethlehem: St. Andrew … Here.
• Athens: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Nativity Cathedral … Here. Emergency Shelter … Here.
• Bethlehem: New Bethany Ministries … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Carbondale: St. James-St. George … Here.
• Clarks Summit/Glenburn: Epiphany … Here.
• Dallas: Prince of Peace … Here.
• Douglassville: St. Gabriel … Here.
• Easton: Trinity … Here.  ARK Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Emmaus: St. Margaret … Here.
• Forest City: Christ Church … Here.
• Hazleton: St. Peter … Here.
• Hamlin: St. John … Here.
• Hellertown: St. George … Here.
• Honesdale: Grace … Here.
• Jermyn: St. James/St. George … Here.
• Jim Thorpe: St. Mark/St. John … Here.
• Kingston: Grace … Here.
• Lebanon: St. Luke … Here.
• Lehighton: All Saints … Here.
• Milford: Good Shepherd … Here.
• Montrose: St. Paul … Here.
• Morgantown: St. Thomas … Here.
• Moscow: St. Mark … Here.
• Mountain Top: St. Martin-in-the-Fields … Here.
• Mount Pocono: … Here.
• Nanticoke/Alden Station: St. Andrew … Here.
• Nazareth: St. Brigid … Here.
• Palmerton: St. John … Here.
• Pen Argyl: St. Joseph … Here.
• Pottsville: Trinity … Here.
• Reading: Christ Church … Here.  SPARK … Here.
• Reading: St. Mary: … Here.
• Sayre: Redeemer: … Here.
• Schuylkill County: North Parish … Here.
• Scranton: St. Luke: … Here.
• Sinking Spring: St. Alban … Here.
• Stroudsburg: Christ Church … Here.
• Towanda: Christ Church … Here.
• Trexlertown: St. Anne … Here.
• Tunkhannock: St. Peter … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen School … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Clement/St. Peter … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Stephen … Here.
• West Pittston: Trinity … Here.
• Wind Gap: St. Mary … Here.
[Bill] Please let me know if your website is not listed above. Also, let me know if you would like me to highlight something on your site. Please note, also, that a few of the websites need to be updated. Thanks.]


• DioBeth website
• Stumbling into the Sacred ... [Reflections on seeing God in the everyday by Canon Anne E. Kitch]
• newSpin blog ... including the newSpin weekly by Bill Lewellis.
• Facebook Page  … Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem
• Facebook Group … Bethlehem Episcopalians
• Twitter …
• Flickr
• YouTube
• Vimeo
• LinkedIn

Center for Congregations ... The "Using Resources" series of publications by the Center for Congregations is designed to help congregations make the most effective use of capital funds, consultants, architects, contractors, books, congregation management software, and more.
• Congregational Consulting ...  More information on how to contact the consultants can be found here and at http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/ .
• Church locators ... Here.
• ECF Vital Practices ... Here.
• The Chalice, a publication created by Joan DeAcetis for older adults and caretakers. Download issues here.
• Weekly Bulletin Inserts from the Episcopal Church ... Here.
• Calendar of events in our parishes ... Here.

Episcopal/Anglican
• The Episcopal Church website, news service, news service blog,
• Episcopal Café
• AngicansOnline website and news centre.
• The Living Church
• The Anglican Communion website and news service.
• The Daily Scan: Contact [email protected] to add subscribers for news releases, notices, statements, or Daily Scan.
• Free weekly bulletin inserts provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Find the inserts here.
• Updated Episcopal Church canons and constitution ... Here.
• Forward Movement ... Here.
• Episcopal Web Radio ... Here.
• Episcopal Church Event Calendar ... Here

Ecumenical/Interfaith Relations
• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.  
• Protestant Reformation…  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation

SpiritSpin
• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• The Imitation of Christ ... Available free online.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.

• EpiscopalShare ... Here.

Bible&Worship
• The Lectionary ... A collection of Lectionary resources for the Episcopal Church, updated Sunday night. Here.
• Lectionary Page ... A liturgical calendar for upcoming weeks, with links to readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), as adapted for use in Episcopal worship. Here.
• Revised Common Lectionary ... Here.
• The Liturgical Calendar ... BCP, Lesser Feasts and Fasts, HWHM ... Here.
• Oremus Bible Browser ... Here.
• Celebrating the Eucharist, by Patrick Malloy. Google Book
• Enriching our Worship, 1 to 5 ... Free download here.
• The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant: Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships [Extracted from Liturgical Resources 1: I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing] Here.
• Collection of worship resources at Diobeth.org ... Including Diocesan Cycles of Prayer for weekly worship, Holy Women Holy Men, and The Text This Week. Here.

Health and Wellness
• Resources for caregivers ... Here.
• Medline Plus ... Here. 
• WebMD ... Here.
• Alzheimers.gov ... For people helping people with Alzheimers. Here.
• Three Free Apps for getting qualified medical advice... [Techlicious] Urgent Care, HealthTap and First Aid. Info and links.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Center for Disease Control - Healthy Living
•Church Health Reader
• Eastern Pennsylvania Faith Community Nurses
• Episcopal Mental Illness Network
• Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH
• National Episcopal Health Ministries
• NEHM Wellness Resource Page 
•Let's Move

News/info/commentary
• Religion News Service Daily Roundup ... here.
• Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project: Daily Religion Headlines ... here.
• Religious Freedom Blog ... a weekly look back at the top stories and developments on religious liberty around the world. Here.
• National Catholic Reporter ... here.
• BBC News Online ... here.
• BBC Religion & Ethics ... here.
• Faith in Public Life ... Here.
• Religion&Ethics News Weekly (PBS) ... Here.
• Religion Research Hub ... ARDA, Association of Religion Data Archives, an especially useful site.
• Back issues of the newSpin newsletter ... here.

Media/Film/TV/Books/Podcasts/Music/Tech
• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.
• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks  and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told about your congregation, it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.

Varia
• Insights into Religion ... Here.
• The Alban Institute ... Here.

???? When I first read Margaret At­wood’s 1985 novel The Hand­maid’s Tale, I was a junior in college. The book seemed insightful the way zombie apocalypse is insightful: an outlandish parable of the desire to control women’s bodies and choices, an interesting litmus test of how far feminism had come, or how far it still had to go. Reading it again this year and watching the new Hulu television adaptation, it feels like just the story that we need right now. Not as a political allegory as much as an exploration of the inner life of resistance. Read on.

 

 

newSpin 170824

newSpin, the newsletter
August 24, 2017 – Bill Lewellis

[A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected]]

TopSpin
• Bishop Sean Rowe on the Church's Complicity in Racism and Bigotry … [The Erie Times-News, Aug. 18, Bishop Rowe is the Episcopal Bishop of Northwestern PA. Additionally, he serves as provisional Bishop of Bethlehem.] If contemporary Christians are to oppose the racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia that have asserted themselves with renewed and appalling vigor since the election of President Donald Trump, we must look beyond our self-interest. We must not be as timid as the Peter who denied Jesus on the night of his arrest, but as bold as the Peter who, after the Resurrection, proclaimed that “God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”
   The president continues to send what can be described, with an excess of charity, as mixed signals on issues of racial, religious and ethnic intolerance. The church, with a humility born of its own sins, but a boldness born of its faith in Jesus, must challenge any ambiguity with the clarity of the Gospel. It is our duty to speak out, to engage the civic organizations of our communities on behalf of those who are being persecuted, and to name evil where we see it — whether it is in our leaders, or within our own equivocating souls. Read on.

• Bishop Search Committee now accepting nominations/applications for 9th bishop of Bethlehem … The search committee for the IX Bishop of the Diocese of Bethlehem is pleased to announce that our profile is complete and we are now accepting nominations and applications. Please visit www.bishopsearchdiobeth.org to view the profile, make nominations, or make application. Deadline for nominations is September 11, 2017. Deadline for applications is September 18.

• Diocesan September 29/30 Convention info … Here.

• Trump's recklessness is a danger to the body politic … [America, The Editors, Aug. 23] The one who leads a mob—no matter how large—is a demagogue. President Trump’s reckless disregard for the truth, the rule of law and the institutions of the republic are a clear and present danger to the body politic. We the people must use all peaceful, lawful means at our disposal to check his power and limit the damage. Read on.

• DioBeth General News, Aug. 18 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Aug. 10 … Here.
• DioBeth Leadership News, Aug. 3 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee launches new website … Here.

• Fauxtography … [RNS] Did the solar eclipse create a cross in the heavens? Nope. Read on.

Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics
• Voter suppression is the civil rights issue of this era … [WaPo Editorial Board, Aug 19] Standing up to racism and intolerance is a moral imperative, and those who do, like Heather Heyer, the young woman who died as she challenged the thugs in Charlottesville last Saturday, are champions of American principles. In an era when so many bedrock values are under attack, it’s important to think strategically and prioritize the ones worth fighting for. An exemplar of such strategic thinking, Martin Luther King Jr., fought on multiple fronts but prioritized one in particular: voting rights. Today, as in the 1960s, that same fight makes sense. For in this new civil rights era, voting rights for broad swaths of Americans — minorities, the young and the old — are again imperiled and under attack. Read on.

• Trump's delivering exactly what they wanted: White Male Supremacy … [The Guardian, Tom McCarthy, a series about Northampton County Trump supporters, Aug. 17] Whatever it is that might be changing about America under Donald Trump, it seems, an improvement in the quality of political discourse in reflexively moderate places like Northampton County, Pennsylvania, is not part of it.
   Once the home of the country’s second-biggest steel manufacturer, Bethlehem is the Democratic heart of a region that may be turning more Republican – unless it isn’t. The county voted twice for Barack Obama before falling for Trump. The Guardian has been reporting from the area over the last eight months to test the political winds and to gauge whether voters here feel that the Trump presidency is living up to its promise.
   The current national turbulence, and Trump’s role in it – with his reluctance to call out white supremacists in Charlottesville and his saber-rattling over North Korea – has laid bare local divisions. Trump supporters generally cheer the president’s attack-dog instincts, while critics say Trump’s character and style have emboldened violent expression and created flare-ups of racial and ideological tensions locally. Read on.

• Thousand-minister march gains steam after Charlottesville … [RNS, Adelle Banks, Aug. 17] The Rev. Al Sharpton says his thousand-minister march is all the more urgent now than when he began planning it months ago. The Pentecostal-turned-Baptist minister says the recent violence in Charlottesville, Va., has sparked more interest and a greater need for clergy of many faiths to speak up at the march set for Aug. 28, the 54th anniversary of the March on Washington. The march will begin at the Washington memorial honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and end at Justice Department offices to protest increased hate crimes, discrimination and mass incarceration. Read on.

• Moderation is not an ideology … [David Brook, NYTimes, Aug. 22] It’s a way of coping with the complexity of the world. Moderates tend to embrace certain ideas: The truth is plural. Politics is a limited activity. Creativity is syncretistic. In politics, the lows are lower than the highs are high.Truth before justice. Beware the danger of a single identity.Partisanship is necessary but blinding. Humility is the fundamental virtue. Moderation requires courage.
   If you have elected a man who is not awed by the complexity of the world, but who filters the world to suit his own narcissism, then woe to you, because such a man is the opposite of the moderate voyager type. He will reap a whirlwind. Read on.

• Instead of a 'soul,' Donald Trump has an 'open sore.' … [Bill Moyers recently to Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC's The Last Word] View.

• White supremacy in America … [New Yorker Classics] Neo-Nazis and white supremacists are now at the forefront of American politics. Read from New Yorker classics, stories about the white-nationalist movement—its origins, its reach, and its connection to the Trump Presidency. In one of the selections, a piece from 1962 called “Letter from a Region in My Mind”—later published as part of the book “The Fire Next Time”—James Baldwin reflects on the generations of African-Americans who have fought racism, often in unnoticed, everyday ways. “I am proud of these people not because of their color but because of their intelligence and their spiritual force and their beauty,” Baldwin writes. “The country should be proud of them, too, but, alas, not many people in this country even know of their existence. And the reason for this ignorance is that a knowledge of the role these people played—and play—in American life would reveal more about America to Americans than Americans wish to know.” Read on.

• Interactive Timeline: everything we know about Russia and President Trump … [Steven Harper on billmoyers.com, Aug. 14] When it comes to Donald Trump, his campaign and their dealings with Russia past and present, sometimes it’s hard to keep track of all the players without a scorecard. We have one of sorts — a deeply comprehensive timeline detailing what actually happened and what’s still happening in the ever-changing story of the president, his inner circle and a web of Russian oligarchs, hackers and government officials. Since first launched in February 2017, the timeline has grown to more than 400 entries — and we will continue to add updates each week. What have reporters and investigators already uncovered and made public? What are the connections and patterns to be found? Review the timeline to see.

• Three branches of government … [The New Yorker Daily Cartoon, Kaamran Hafeez, Aug 23] Here.

SpiritSpin
• The Power of Vulnerability … [TED, Brené Brown] Brené Brown studies human connection -- our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to knw herself as well as to understand humanity. Twenty minutes. View.

• A bit befuddled … [Richard Rohr, Jesus as Paradox] We worshiped Jesus instead of following him on his same path. We made Jesus into a mere religion instead of a journey toward union with God and everything else. This shift made us into a religion of 'belonging and believing' instead of a religion of transformation. [Andy Doyle, The Jesus Heist] I have found in many conversations that when we ponder the reality posed in the Gospels alongside the church organization, we are all a bit befuddled. We don't really know what to do, or how to begin to unravel the gospel from the organization itself. Meanwhile, the very nature of this predicament affects all of our mission work in the most profound ways

• God's Words and Liturgy's Echo … [The Christian Century, Lauren F. Winner, Aug. 18]  The historian of liturgy Hughes Oliphant Old once observed that “prayer, particularly Christian prayer, uses biblical language. . . . The Bible contains a vast number of paradigms for prayer and a thesaurus of words to handle the unique experience of prayer.” The Book of Common Prayer is a paradigmatic instance of the use of biblical language in prayer. If you are familiar with that tradition of prayers, you know more Bible than you realize. Read on.

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• Spirit Resources
 ... way below.

Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• An intimate history of antifa … [The New Yorker, Daniel Penny, Aug. 22] On October 4, 1936, tens of thousands of Zionists, Socialists, Irish dockworkers, Communists, anarchists, and various outraged residents of London’s East End gathered to prevent Oswald Mosley and his British Union of Fascists from marching through their neighborhood. This clash would eventually be known as the Battle of Cable Street: protesters formed a blockade and beat back some three thousand Fascist Black Shirts and six thousand police officers. To stop the march, the protesters exploded homemade bombs, threw marbles at the feet of police horses, and turned over a burning lorry. They rained down a fusillade of projectiles on the marchers and the police attempting to protect them: rocks, brickbats, shaken-up lemonade bottles, and the contents of chamber pots. Mosley and his men were forced to retreat.
   In “Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook,” published last week by Melville House, the historian Mark Bray presents the Battle of Cable Street as a potent symbol of how to stop Fascism: a strong, unified coalition outnumbered and humiliated Fascists to such an extent that their movement fizzled. For many members of contemporary anti-Fascist groups, the incident remains central to their mythology, a kind of North Star in the fight against Fascism and white supremacy across Europe and, increasingly, the United States. According to Bray, antifa (pronounced an-tee-fah) “can variously be described as a kind of ideology, an identity, a tendency or milieu, or an activity of self-defense.” It’s a leaderless, horizontal movement whose roots lie in various leftist causes—Communism, anarchism, Socialism, anti-racism. The movement’s profile has surged since antifa activists engaged in a wave of property destruction during Donald Trump’s Inauguration—when one masked figure famously punched the white supremacist Richard Spencer in the face—and ahead of a planned appearance, in February, by Milo Yiannopoulos at the University of California, Berkeley, which was cancelled. At the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, a number of antifa activists, carrying sticks, blocked entrances to Emancipation Park, where white supremacists planned to gather. Fights broke out; some antifa activists reportedly sprayed chemicals and threw paint-filled balloons. Multiple clergy members credited activists with saving their lives. Fox News reported that a White House petition urging that antifa be labelled a terrorist organization had received more than a hundred thousand signatures. Read on.

DioBeth
• Diocesan September 29/30 Convention info … Here.

• DioBeth General News, Aug. 18 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, Aug. 10 … Here.
• DioBeth Leadership News, Aug. 3 … Here.
• Bishop Search Committee launches new website … Here.

• St. Brigid's seeks organist/choir director … St. Brigid’s Episcopal Church in Nazareth, PA, is seeking an organist/choir Director. This is a part-time position. Salary is commensurate with experience and educational background. The ideal candidate will be energetic, enthusiastic, and have knowledge of the Episcopal liturgy, or a willingness to learn it. Candidate will be responsible for playing for one service per weekend (Sunday at 10am) and an occasional special service (e.g. Ash Wednesday). Church is located at the corner of Washington & Madison, Nazareth PA, 18064.   Please submit resume to [email protected]  If additional information is required, please contact Christy at 610-365-2126 or 219-877-9662

DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
• Allentown: Episcopal House … Here.
• Allentown: Grace … Here.
• Allentown: Grace Montessori School … Here.
• Allentown: Mediator … Here. Refugee Community Center … Here.
• Allentown/Bethlehem: St. Andrew … Here.
• Athens: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Nativity Cathedral … Here. Emergency Shelter … Here.
• Bethlehem: New Bethany Ministries … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Carbondale: St. James-St. George … Here.
• Clarks Summit/Glenburn: Epiphany … Here.
• Dallas: Prince of Peace … Here.
• Douglassville: St. Gabriel … Here.
• Easton: Trinity … Here.  ARK Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Emmaus: St. Margaret … Here.
• Forest City: Christ Church … Here.
• Hazleton: St. Peter … Here.
• Hamlin: St. John … Here.
• Hellertown: St. George … Here.
• Honesdale: Grace … Here.
• Jermyn: St. James/St. George … Here.
• Jim Thorpe: St. Mark/St. John … Here.
• Kingston: Grace … Here.
• Lebanon: St. Luke … Here.
• Lehighton: All Saints … Here.
• Milford: Good Shepherd … Here.
• Montrose: St. Paul … Here.
• Morgantown: St. Thomas … Here.
• Moscow: St. Mark … Here.
• Mountain Top: St. Martin-in-the-Fields … Here.
• Mount Pocono: … Here.
• Nanticoke/Alden Station: St. Andrew … Here.
• Nazareth: St. Brigid … Here.
• Palmerton: St. John … Here.
• Pen Argyl: St. Joseph … Here.
• Pottsville: Trinity … Here.
• Reading: Christ Church … Here.  SPARK … Here.
• Reading: St. Mary: … Here.
• Sayre: Redeemer: … Here.
• Schuylkill County: North Parish … Here.
• Scranton: St. Luke: … Here.
• Sinking Spring: St. Alban … Here.
• Stroudsburg: Christ Church … Here.
• Towanda: Christ Church … Here.
• Trexlertown: St. Anne … Here.
• Tunkhannock: St. Peter … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen School … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Clement/St. Peter … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Stephen … Here.
• West Pittston: Trinity … Here.
• Wind Gap: St. Mary … Here.
[Bill] Please let me know if your website is not listed above. Also, let me know if you would like me to highlight something on your site. Please note, also, that a few of the websites need to be updated. Thanks.]

Episcopal/Anglican
• 'I want to be like Pauli' … [Faith and Leadership, Aug. 22] There’s a resurgence of interest in the Rev. Pauli Murray, a lawyer, writer, activist and feminist. In this audio piece, a pastor in her home state of North Carolina explains why he thinks her life and work are so important for a new generation. Pauli Murray was arrested for protesting bus segregation before Rosa Parks and led lunch counter sit-ins in the 1940s. She wrote legal arguments that inspired Thurgood Marshall and persuaded Betty Friedan to found the National Organization for Women. In 1977, Murray reached another milestone when she became the first African-American woman ordained as an Episcopal priest. In the three decades since her death, Murray has faded from the public imagination. But there has been a flurry of recent notice that has brought her to the attention of a new generation, especially in North Carolina, where she grew up. Faith & Leadership editor Sally Hicks speaks in this 6-minute audio piece with Thomas RaShad Easley, a pastor (link is external), educator (link is external)and hip hop artist (link is external) who has found inspiration in Murray’s life and work. Read/Listen on.

• NY Bishop gives 'full support' to church providing sanctuary to immigrant, child … [Episcopal Diocese of New York, Aug. 18] A statement on sanctuary by the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, the Rt. Rev. Andrew ML Dietsche, and on the Aug. 17 widely-publicized announcement that Holyrood Parish in Manhattan had provided sanctuary to an undocumented immigrant. Read on.

• A small parish hits the big screen with a story of welcome and transformation … [Episcopal Café] All Saints in Smyrna TN was very close to shutting its doors just a few years ago until a group of refugees from Burma (Myanmar) came to the vicar and asked if they might attend church there. Read on.

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or one-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

• Resources … way below.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Stewardship Missioner Dan Charney … has compiled a list of resources for congregations preparing for fall stewardship campaigns. Here.

• The Uninhabitable Earth … [David Wallace-Wells, New York Magazine] is a superior analysis of how climate change will create environmental, economic and social disarray way faster than even a lot of folks assume. It's based on many interviews and his examination of serious research will take you 20 minutes and is worth it. Very scary. Read on.

• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here
• Additional Resources
 ... way below

In the Media
• Bethlehem ready for 9th bishop … [The Living Church] Here.

TaleSpin
• Aesop's Fables … [StumbleUpon] An online collection of selected fables. Here.

Requiescant in pace
• Joseph Horvath, 84 … died August 21. He was a member of Trinity Bethlehem and the husband of the late Shirley Hovath with whom he shared 58 years of marriage until her passing in 2014. Obituary.

• Dick Gregory, 84 … died August 19. He rose to national prominence in the early 1960s as a black satirist whose audacious style of humor was biting, sulesbversive and topical, mostly centered on current events, politics and above all, racial tensions. His trademark was the searing punchline. Read on.

• Jerry Lewis, 91 … comedian, actor and filmmaker who was adored by many, disdained by others, but unquestionably a defining figure of American entertainment in the 20th century, died Aug. 20. Read on.

• Francis DiLorenzo, 75 … a former auxiliary bishop of the RC Diocese of Scranton known for his conservative values, died Aug. 17. He had garnered attention when he served as bishop of the Diocese of Richmond for 13 years and made a return to conservative values his top priority. Within a few months, he had appointed a diocesan theologian and began rolling back some of the more liberal policies put in effect by his progressive predecessor. Read on.

[Rectors, senior wardens or family members who would like the death of a parishioner noted here may point me to published obits, or send their own notice.]

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• Evangelical advisors stay with Trump as others criticize him … [AP, Aug. 19] In the midst of the criticism of President Trump from his fellow Republicans and the resignations of his advisory councils in the wake of his response to the violence in Charlottesville last week, there is one group that has stood by him. His group of evangelical advisers has lost only one member. The rest are steadfast in their support and defense. Read on.

• Under Trump, evangelicals show their true racist colors … [LATimes, Randall Balmer, Aug 23] The statistics tell one story: 81% of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump. The deafening silence from leaders of the religious right in the wake of the neo-Nazi violence in Charlottesville, Va., points to an even larger one, which places racism at the very heart of the movement. Read on. Also here.

• Enlisting SpongeBob and 'Game of Thrones' to counter anti-Sikh prejudice … [RNS] Sikhs are counting on their love of “Game of Thrones” and other elements of American popular culture to help combat misperceptions of their faith that they believe have made them targets for hatred and violence. Read on.

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.  
• Protestant Reformation …  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation

• Resources
 ... way below

Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• Oscar Romero … [America] August 15, 2017 would have been Blessed Óscar Romero’s 100th birthday. An outspoken champion for the people who were suffering during El Salvador's brutal civil war, Romero, the archbishop of San Salvador, was murdered on March 24, 1980. The editors of America have assembled a few good articles. Read on.

• Cross-burning victims to priest: Apology is not enough … [AP, Aug. 24] Phillip and Barbara Butler hadn’t given much thought to the man who burned a cross on their front lawn 40 years ago. Then they heard the startling news that the perpetrator had become a priest and was ministering to Catholics not far from their home. “I didn’t know what to say. It was unbelievable,” Phillip Butler said Wednesday at a news conference. The priest, the Rev. William Aitcheson, went public with his old Klan affiliation Monday, writing a column in the diocesan newspaper. He said his past was not a secret, but he felt compelled to make it more public after seeing images of violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville. Aitcheson, now 62, described his past actions as despicable: “To anyone who has been subjected to racism or bigotry, I am sorry. I have no excuse, but I hope you will forgive me.” For the Butlers, though, his announcement provided more questions than answers. Read on. [A WaPo story says the priest penned his essay and came forward only after a journalist's inquiry.]

• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.

• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.
• Being legally blind doesn't hinder Catholic priest … [CNS] A visitor attending Mass at St. Jane Frances de Chantal Church might not notice anything unusual about the celebrant. Father Bernard J. Ezaki walks the center aisle of the massive church in Easton. He climbs the steps leading to the altar like any other priest or liturgical minister. He recites prayers with the normal vigor and rhythm of a cleric. People might notice Father Ezaki doesn't use the Sacramentary to read the prayers, or that Father Ezaki holds a micro-cassette in his left hand, and that technology contains all the Mass prayers and readings. Read on.

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.
• Crux Now ... Here.

The Vatican
• Pope Francis offers 4 points to guide the world's response to refugees … [America, Aug. 21] Pope Francis has offered concrete proposals for world leaders to consider when drafting two forthcoming United Nations' agreements, saying that "our shared response may be articulated by four verbs: to welcome, to protect, to promote and to integrate" migrants and refugees. Read on.

• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.

Health and Wellness
• Resources … below

Media/Print/Films/TV/Music/Tech
• Dorothy Day: The World will be Saved by Beauty: An Intimate Portrait of my Grandmother … [NCR, Aug. 23, Dana Greene's review of Kate Hennessy's biography of her grandmother] Dorothy Day chastised the hierarchy for lavish living and its refusal to condemn nuclear weapons, but she was silent about its patriarchy. How does one sustain decades of social commitment to the most marginalized and simultaneously oppose societal injustice? Day not only fed, housed and cared for society’s refuse, she was a pacifist, opposed the development of nuclear weapons, fought for civil rights, and defended farm workers and the right to unionize. She was arrested for the last time when she was 76.
   Day maintained that faithfulness and perseverance were the central virtues, and she witnessed to them with her life for 50 years, even though at the end she believed she was a failure. What calmed her restlessness was reading the Psalms, prayer, and especially the Eucharist. Although bored by theology, she was nurtured by writing; she considered it a form of prayer. When the world seemed disordered, she escaped to nature, to the sea or to reading, each renewing her experience of beauty. She believed, with Dostoevsky, that it was beauty that would save the world.
   A quip that circulated at the Catholic Worker was that martyrs were those who lived with saints. As Day’s case moves through the lumbering process for sainthood, one can ask what weight should be given to the testimony of those who knew her?
   What Hennessy provides is abundant evidence of the humanness of this lay American Catholic woman. What Day teaches uniquely is a method of living that was embodied in the one-liner she offered me when I once met her at a workshop opposing nuclear weapons. My earnest query was, “What must be done next?” She replied: “First scrub the toilets.” It was a reminder that one must return again and again to the bottom where human need is greatest.
   Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved by Beauty is an accessible, provocative read that, like all good biography, leaves one confronting the ultimate mystery of the human person: Dorothy Day, full of contradiction yet exemplary in her faithfulness. Read on.

• Your Faith, Your Life: An Invitation to the Episcopal Church … Revised edition of the 2009 book by Jenifer Gamber and Bill Lewellis coming in November. Read on.

• The institutional church has stolen the Gospel … [From The Jesus Heist: Recovering the Gospel from the Church by C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop of Texas] by reading her indispensability into the Scriptures and into the hearts and minds of her people. Our task in this book is to understand this hermeneutical act and to offer as an alternative the ecclesia of Jesus. The church is not a means to salvation … The problem with viewing the church as a means to salvation is that the only means to salvation is through God in Christ Jesus and his work upon the cross. The Jesus Heist.

• This controversial beer ad is going viral … Here.

• The Online Books Page … Listing over 2 million free books on the Web - Updated Friday, August 18, 2017. Here.

Websites, Podcasts and Blogs
• The Daily … [The New Yorker, Rebecca Mead, Aug. 21] In Michael Barbaro’s podcast, the New York Times becomes conversational and intimate, instead of inky and cumbersome. It’s a twenty-minute update murmured in your ear by a well-informed, sensitive, funny, modest friend—the kind of person who has as many questions as answers? Read on.

• NCR's new website … Here. 

• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.

Varia
• Khan Academy … is now the official practice partner for Advanced Placement. Free AP videos, articles, and practice exercises are designed to build the knowledge and skills needed for AP-level courses. Teachers can use them as part of their class, and students can use them anytime for extra help. The KH team is also working to add practice exercises to every AP course and will be making them available as soon as they’re ready. AP Calculus courses already have exercises. Read on.

• Tired of Ending Your Emails With 'Regards'? Here Are 69 Other Options … [Inc.com, The Muse] Here.

newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee, the Canon to the Ordinary or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]

More Resources

DioBeth
• Look online every Thursday for a Diocese of Bethlehem newsletter or for newSpin … Every Thursday in the following rotation: (1) The Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) The General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. The Leadership News and the General News are official publications of the Diocese of Bethlehem. They include news, info, features and events relating to our diocese and parishes. The newSpin newsletter you are now reading is not an official publication – and will usually not duplicate news, info and features relating to our diocese and parish as found in the official newsletters. It is a relatively lengthy eclectic sampling of items related to religion – at times not, at times not so clearly – that the editor thinks readers might find to be of interest. It has been a kind of hobby of a onetime communication minister, the work of a volunteer who in retirement enjoys and dedicates time to do the research required. The newSpin newsletter is always posted on the newSpin blog. If you wish to receive it by email, please send a note to [email protected]

• Look online … for the Diocese of Bethlehem Facebook Page, Facebook Group (Bethlehem Episcopalians) and Twitter feed.

• Bethlehem Episcopalians … is a Facebook group for conversations about mission, spirituality, Christian formation, and more that has replaced the old Bakery email list. Bethlehem Episcopalians is an open group. Anyone can join and items that you post can be shared by group members on their own Facebook pages. This offers each of us the opportunity to reach a larger audience with news and conversations about what God is doing in our diocese." Join the Facebook group. Includes more than 425 members.

• DioBeth website
• Stumbling into the Sacred ... [Reflections on seeing God in the everyday by Canon Anne E. Kitch]
• newSpin blog ... including the newSpin weekly by Bill Lewellis.
• Facebook Page  … Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem
• Facebook Group … Bethlehem Episcopalians
• Twitter …
• Flickr
• YouTube
• Vimeo
• LinkedIn

Center for Congregations ... The "Using Resources" series of publications by the Center for Congregations is designed to help congregations make the most effective use of capital funds, consultants, architects, contractors, books, congregation management software, and more.
• Congregational Consulting ...  More information on how to contact the consultants can be found here and at http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/ .
• Church locators ... Here.
• ECF Vital Practices ... Here.
• The Chalice, a publication created by Joan DeAcetis for older adults and caretakers. Download issues here.
• Weekly Bulletin Inserts from the Episcopal Church ... Here.
• Calendar of events in our parishes ... Here.

Episcopal/Anglican
• The Episcopal Church website, news service, news service blog,
• Episcopal Café
• AngicansOnline website and news centre.
• The Living Church
• The Anglican Communion website and news service.
• The Daily Scan: Contact [email protected] to add subscribers for news releases, notices, statements, or Daily Scan.
• Free weekly bulletin inserts provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Find the inserts here.
• Updated Episcopal Church canons and constitution ... Here.
• Forward Movement ... Here.
• Episcopal Web Radio ... Here.
• Episcopal Church Event Calendar ... Here

Ecumenical/Interfaith Relations
• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

• Five major world religions … Khan Academy's tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.  
• Protestant Reformation…  Khan Academy's introduction to the Protestant Reformation

SpiritSpin
• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• The Imitation of Christ ... Available free online.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.

• EpiscopalShare ... Here.

Bible&Worship
• The Lectionary ... A collection of Lectionary resources for the Episcopal Church, updated Sunday night. Here.
• Lectionary Page ... A liturgical calendar for upcoming weeks, with links to readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), as adapted for use in Episcopal worship. Here.
• Revised Common Lectionary ... Here.
• The Liturgical Calendar ... BCP, Lesser Feasts and Fasts, HWHM ... Here.
• Oremus Bible Browser ... Here.
• Celebrating the Eucharist, by Patrick Malloy. Google Book
• Enriching our Worship, 1 to 5 ... Free download here.
• The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant: Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships [Extracted from Liturgical Resources 1: I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing] Here.
• Collection of worship resources at Diobeth.org ... Including Diocesan Cycles of Prayer for weekly worship, Holy Women Holy Men, and The Text This Week. Here.

Health and Wellness
• Resources for caregivers ... Here.
• Medline Plus ... Here. 
• WebMD ... Here.
• Alzheimers.gov ... For people helping people with Alzheimers. Here.
• Three Free Apps for getting qualified medical advice... [Techlicious] Urgent Care, HealthTap and First Aid. Info and links.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Center for Disease Control - Healthy Living
•Church Health Reader
• Eastern Pennsylvania Faith Community Nurses
• Episcopal Mental Illness Network
• Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH
• National Episcopal Health Ministries
• NEHM Wellness Resource Page 
•Let's Move

News/info/commentary
• Religion News Service Daily Roundup ... here.
• Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project: Daily Religion Headlines ... here.
• Religious Freedom Blog ... a weekly look back at the top stories and developments on religious liberty around the world. Here.
• National Catholic Reporter ... here.
• BBC News Online ... here.
• BBC Religion & Ethics ... here.
• Faith in Public Life ... Here.
• Religion&Ethics News Weekly (PBS) ... Here.
• Religion Research Hub ... ARDA, Association of Religion Data Archives, an especially useful site.
• Back issues of the newSpin newsletter ... here.

Media/Film/TV/Books/Podcasts/Music/Tech
• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.
• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks  and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told about your congregation, it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.

Varia
• Insights into Religion ... Here.
• The Alban Institute ... Here.

???? When I first read Margaret At­wood’s 1985 novel The Hand­maid’s Tale, I was a junior in college. The book seemed insightful the way zombie apocalypse is insightful: an outlandish parable of the desire to control women’s bodies and choices, an interesting litmus test of how far feminism had come, or how far it still had to go. Reading it again this year and watching the new Hulu television adaptation, it feels like just the story that we need right now. Not as a political allegory as much as an exploration of the inner life of resistance. Read on.

 

 

newSpin 170810

newSpin, the newsletter
August 10, 2017 – Bill Lewellis

[A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected]]

TopSpin
• Bishop Search Committee now accepting nominations/applications for 9th bishop of Bethlehem … The search committee for the IX Bishop of the Diocese of Bethlehem is pleased to announce that our profile is complete and we are now accepting nominations and applications. Please visit www.bishopsearchdiobeth.org to view the profile, make nominations, or make application. Deadline for nominations is September 11, 2017. Deadline for applications is September 18.

• Did you ever imagine… you'd hear a Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church preach like this. Don't miss it.

• DioBeth Leadership News, Aug. 3 … Here. •Restoring the Flow: Jeff Kemmerer reflects on convention theme, •Diocesan Convention registration now open, •Bishop Search Committee launches new website
• The newSpin Newsletter, July 26 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, July 20 … Here.

• Questions for me about dying … [The New Yorker, Cory Taylor, July 31] The questions, as it turned out, were unsurprising. Did I have a bucket list, had I considered suicide, had I become religious, was I scared, was there anything good about dying, did I have any regrets, did I believe in an afterlife, had I changed my priorities in life, was I unhappy or depressed, was I likely to take more risks given that I was dying anyway, what would I miss the most, how would I like to be remembered? These were the same questions I’d been asking myself ever since I was diagnosed with cancer, back in 2005. And my answers haven’t changed since then. They are as follows. Read on.

• The Uninhabitable Earth … [David Wallace-Wells, New York Magazine] is a superior analysis of how climate change will create environmental, economic and social disarray way faster than even a lot of folks assume. It's based on many interviews and his examination of serious research will take you 20 minutes and is worth it. Very scary. Read on.

• It's not too late on North Korea … [NYTimes, Susan Rice, Aug. 10] North Korea’s substantial nuclear arsenal and improving intercontinental ballistic missile capacity pose a growing threat to America’s security. But we need not face an immediate crisis if we play our hand carefully. Given the bluster emanating from Pyongyang and Bedminster, N.J., Americans can be forgiven for feeling anxious. Read on.

• Fears of missiles, and words … [NYTimes Editorial Board, Aug. 9] Tougher sanctions, coupled with Mr. Tillerson’s continued efforts at a diplomatic solution, are the best path to a peaceful end to this conflict. That is what Mr. Trump should also be focused on. Engaging in a war of words with North Korea only makes it harder for both sides to de-escalate.

• Are Christians more than twice as likely to blame a person's poverty on lack of effort? … [WaPo, Julie Zauzmer, Aug. 3] Which is generally more often to blame if a person is poor: lack of effort on their own part, or difficult circumstances beyond their control? The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation asked 1,686 American adults to answer that question — and found that religion is a significant predictor of how Americans perceive poverty. Christians, especially white evangelical Christians, are much more likely than non-Christians to view poverty as the result of individual failings. “There’s a strong Christian impulse to understand poverty as deeply rooted in morality — often, as the Bible makes clear, in unwillingness to work, in bad financial decisions or in broken family structures,” said Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Read on.

Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics
• The 7,150 nuns who fought against Trumpcare … [E.J. Dionne Jr., WaPo, July 30] The votes from Republican Sens. Susan Collins, John McCain and Lisa Murkowski to stop their party’s repeal-Obamacare juggernaut were demonstrations of genuine courage. The appearance of this virtue in a dark time is not necessarily miraculous, but I couldn’t help noticing the striking intervention in this debate by 7,150 American nuns who called the Senate GOP’s core proposal “the most harmful legislation for American families in our lifetimes.” Read on.

• August 15 webinar focuses on refugee program updates … [Kevin Quealy, NYTimes] Episcopal Migration Ministries and the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations are hosting a one-hour free webinar, Welcome in Action: Education, Advocacy and Outreach on Tuesday, August 15 at 4 pm Eastern (3 pm Central/2 pm Mountain/1 pm Pacific/noon Alaska/11 am Hawaii). This webinar will provide the latest updates on the travel ban, refugee funding, and upcoming opportunities to engage in advocacy and outreach in support of refugee resettlement. Registration is required. The webinar will be available on-demand following the event. Read on

SpiritSpin
• The Power of Vulnerability … [TED, Brené Brown] Brené Brown studies human connection -- our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to knw herself as well as to understand humanity. Twenty minutes. View.

• Do all the good you can … [John Wesley] by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• Spirit Resources
 ... way below.

Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• Being Somebody … [An old sermon by Bill Lewellis] I read something recently that reminded me of a sermon illustration from which I have squeezed a lot of homiletic juice. The illustration follows. I've put a link to the sermon below that. Glengarry Glen Ross is a 1992 screen adaptation of David Mamet’s play about four salesmen who work in a cutthroat marketplace. Their company values them only for the leads they close. They give in to their worst instincts. To survive. GGR has been described as one of the most powerful and convincing films ever made about how the human spirit is often violated in the workplace.
   The film opens with a hot shot motivator from the home office berating three salesmen while kicking off a new, week-long contest to boost sales. The winner gets a Cadillac, he tells them. Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize: you get fired. The motivator spews more verbal abuse than, I suspect, most of us have ever experienced during one brief interval. Finally, one of the salesmen says, “Who do you think you are, talking to us like that?” Then follows the motivator’s self-definition, who he thinks he is: “You drove here in a Hyundai,” he says. “I drove here in a BMW. This watch is worth more than your car. That’s who I am!” Read the sermon and the article from National Review that brought to mind the sermon.

• The kid in the hoodie… [Tony Pompa, dean, Nativity Cathedral, Bethlehem] I watch this shadowy kid get a bit closer to my car. Head down, hood pulled far down over his eyes, walking with intention, weighed down by an over-sized back pack. He drew near now, close enough for me to see. Read on.

• How to not be offended… [The Unbounded Spirit, h/t Jennifer Bond] There is an ancient and well-kept secret to happiness which the Great Ones have known for centuries. They rarely talk about it, but they use it all the time, and it is fundamental to good mental health. This secret is called The Fine Art of Not Being Offended. Read on.

• The New Criticism … [Writer's Almanac, Paul Hostovsky, Aug. 8] "Like this is Kool, Man" says Rick Cluett. Here.

DioBeth
• Diocesan September 29/30 Convention info … Here.

• DioBeth Leadership News, Aug. 3 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, July 26 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, July 20 … Here.


DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
• Allentown: Episcopal House … Here.
• Allentown: Grace … Here.
• Allentown: Grace Montessori School … Here.
• Allentown: Mediator … Here. Refugee Community Center … Here.
• Allentown/Bethlehem: St. Andrew … Here.
• Athens: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Nativity Cathedral … Here. Emergency Shelter … Here.
• Bethlehem: New Bethany Ministries … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Carbondale: St. James-St. George … Here.
• Clarks Summit/Glenburn: Epiphany … Here.
• Dallas: Prince of Peace … Here.
• Douglassville: St. Gabriel … Here.
• Easton: Trinity … Here.  ARK Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Emmaus: St. Margaret … Here.
• Forest City: Christ Church … Here.
• Hazleton: St. Peter … Here.
• Hamlin: St. John … Here.
• Hellertown: St. George … Here.
• Honesdale: Grace … Here.
• Jermyn: St. James/St. George … Here.
• Jim Thorpe: St. Mark/St. John … Here.
• Kingston: Grace … Here.
• Lebanon: St. Luke … Here.
• Lehighton: All Saints … Here.
• Milford: Good Shepherd … Here.
• Montrose: St. Paul … Here.
• Morgantown: St. Thomas … Here.
• Moscow: St. Mark … Here.
• Mountain Top: St. Martin-in-the-Fields … Here.
• Mount Pocono: … Here.
• Nanticoke/Alden Station: St. Andrew … Here.
• Nazareth: St. Brigid … Here.
• Palmerton: St. John … Here.
• Pen Argyl: St. Joseph … Here.
• Pottsville: Trinity … Here.
• Reading: Christ Church … Here.  SPARK … Here.
• Reading: St. Mary: … Here.
• Sayre: Redeemer: … Here.
• Schuylkill County: North Parish … Here.
• Scranton: St. Luke: … Here.
• Sinking Spring: St. Alban … Here.
• Stroudsburg: Christ Church … Here.
• Towanda: Christ Church … Here.
• Trexlertown: St. Anne … Here.
• Tunkhannock: St. Peter … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen School … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Clement/St. Peter … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Stephen … Here.
• West Pittston: Trinity … Here.
• Wind Gap: St. Mary … Here.
[Bill] Please let me know if your website is not listed above. Also, let me know if you would like me to highlight something on your site. Please note, also, that a few of the websites need to be updated. Thanks.]

Episcopal/Anglican
• South Carolina Supreme Court says most local property belongs to Episcopal Church … [ENS, Mary Frances Schjonberg, Aug. 2] In a complex ruling Aug. 2 the South Carolina Supreme Court said that most but not all the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina congregations whose leaders left the Episcopal Church could not continue to hold on to the church property. Read on.

• Episcopal Church Women … Summer 2017 newsletter. Here.

• Hearing panel calls for J. Jon Bruno's suspension, return of Newport Beach congregation to its building … [ENS, Mary Frances Schjonberg, Aug. 2] The hearing panel that considered disciplinary action against Diocese of Los Angeles Bishop J. Jon Bruno issued a final order Aug. 2 reaffirming its draft recommendation that he be suspended from ordained ministry for three years because of misconduct. The hearing panel also strongly recommends to the Diocese of Los Angeles that “as a matter of justice” it immediately suspend its efforts to sell St. James the Great’s property in Newport Beach, California, that it restore the congregation and vicar to the church building, and that it reassign St. James the Great appropriate mission status. Read on.

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or one-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

• Resources … way below.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD
• Stewardship Missioner Dan Charney … has compiled a list of resources for congregations preparing for fall stewardship campaigns. Here.

• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here
• Additional Resources
 ... way below

In the Media
• Bethlehem ready for 9th bishop … [The Living Church] Here.

TaleSpin
• Is the NYTimes vs WaPo vs Trump the last great newspaper war? … [Vanity Fair, James Warren, July 30] Breaking story after story, two great American newspapers, The New York Times and The Washington Post, are resurgent, with record readerships. One has greater global reach and fifth-generation family ownership; the other has Jeff Bezos as its deep-pocketed proprietor and a technological advantage. Both, however, still face an existential foe … Damage has been done. When the Times publishes an entire page of “Trump’s Lies”—the result of meticulous research and editing—you’d hope it would move the needle. You’d have hoped the entire depressing cavalcade of stories over the past year would have moved the needle. Trump’s Gallup Poll approval rating in July was a dismally low 38 percent, but among his supporters it does not seem to have dropped much at all. The most troubling question is not whether the Times or the Post—or any other news outlet—can continue to perform to a superior standard. It is whether Trump and people like him have so degraded basic notions of fact and authority that truth no longer matters. Read on.

• How chaplains master the art of listening … [Deseret News, Kelsey Dallas, Aug. 6] Chaplains have no scripts to follow or party tricks to employ. They learn to meet tragedy with humility and an open mind, honing skills that would benefit anyone hoping to support friends and family members in need. Read on.

• Serving God by suing others: Inside the Christian conservative legal movement … [RNS, Kelsey Dallas]  Their shared commitment to splashy media campaigns and aggressive legal tactics have troubled some who work at the intersection of law and religion. Debates over religious freedom are more contentious now than they were in the past, and these organizations may help explain why. Read on.

Requiescant in pace
• Olivia Garcia, 90 … died July 26. She was a member of Trinity Bethlehem, where she had been very active and served on several committees.    Obituary.

• Beverly Heeren, 76 … died July 30. In 1995, she was one of the founding members of St Brigid's Episcopal Church in Nazareth Pa., where she served as the organist and choir director for 15 years. Obituary.

• Heather Ann Walker, 39 … died July 19 in Dalton, N.Y., following a brief battle with cancer. She was born in Carbondale, the daughter of the Rev. Paul Walker and Delene Stecker Walker Burt. Heather always had a smile on her face and a song in her heart. She loved to sing and serve on the altar in the Episcopal church and compete in Special Olympics. Heather will be remembered for her innocence, generosity, gregarious nature and her kindness. Obituary

[Rectors, senior wardens or family members who would like the death of a parishioner noted here may point me to published obits, or send their own brief notice. Thanks.]

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• A Bible study led by 92-year-old Jimmy Carter is a sight to behold … [RNS] Everyone has come for the same reason -- to see 92-year-old Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, conduct Bible study at Maranatha Baptist Church. Read on.

• The Protestant Reformation at 500: Celebration and Reflection … [ReligionLink, July 25] On Oct. 31, 1517, a dour-faced Catholic monk named Martin Luther posted a long list of grievances – 95 in all – to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. The world shifted on its axis and has never been the same since; scholars trace the development of capitalism, the rise of public education, the cult of the individual and many more aspects of the contemporary world to the ideas born in the Protestant Reformation. In terms of religion, the Reformation led to a married clergy, an emphasis on family over celibacy, the notion of divorce and, most importantly, the idea of “sola scriptura” – the idea that the Scriptures are infallible and the sole authority on spiritual matters.
   This October, millions the world over will mark the 500th anniversary of what came to be called the Protestant Reformation with worship, music, festivals, gatherings, conferences, books and more. This edition of ReligionLink aims to assist reporters in pulling out the deeper threads under the bright tapestry of the celebration. Why is mainline Protestant Christianity on the wane? What are Catholic-Protestant relations like today? Is there still such a thing as the “Protestant work ethic”? How do contemporary Protestants understand Luther’s record of misogyny and public anti-Semitism? And what of the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic reaction to Luther’s critiques? How are the changes that it brought felt in contemporary Catholicism? Read on.

•  Martin Luther's Burning Questions … [NY Review of Books, July 8 issue] On All Hallow’s Eve of 1517, Martin Luther, Augustinian friar and professor of theology, posted a broadsheet on the faculty bulletin board of tiny, provincial Wittenberg University in the German state of Saxony (which happened to be the door of the church attached to the local lord’s castle). The poster was no Halloween prank; it proclaimed, according to academic custom, his willingness to debate a series of propositions in public. Although he also sent copies of the same broadsheet to important statesmen, churchmen, and academics outside Wittenberg, no one seems to have taken up his challenge to a formal discussion. His propositions were too explosive for that; in blunt, forceful language, they questioned the basic beliefs of the church to which, as a Hermit of Saint Augustine, he had vowed his obedience.
   Luther would say that his life’s turning point came two years later, when he had a sudden revelation about the nature of Christian salvation. For his contemporaries, however, the posting of his ninety-five theses in 1517 set off the spark that ignited the Protestant Reformation, and the Reformation in turn marked a fundamental stage in the forging of a collective German identity.
   …… The Protestant Reformation took hold where it did and when it did for a variety of reasons, beginning with the blazing personality of Martin Luther himself. Strictly speaking, he was not a monk, though he is often described as one: he was a preaching friar who belonged to the largest Catholic religious order of his day, the Hermits of Saint Augustine. Rather than spending their time, as monks did, in secluded prayer in a monastery, the Augustinians lived in cities and moved from place to place. They trained to communicate the Christian message in what for the time was a revolutionary new style: borrowing techniques from the orators of classical antiquity and from contemporary preachers who gave sermons in colloquial languages rather than Latin, they appealed openly to the emotions of their hearers.
   …… What drove Friar Martin to post his theses, however, was a spiritual insight, a realization so overwhelming that it prompted him to alter his name from Martin Luder to Martinus Eleutherius—“Martin the Free.”* The Christian hope for eternal life, he had come to believe, was a divine gift that no human being, no matter how virtuous, could ever deserve—there was no penance for sin that could truly merit divine indulgence. Salvation, therefore, was not a reward, but an outright gift from God, bestowed out of the sheer abundance of his love for his creation. Read on.

• Collars on the Corner … [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Aug. 5] When the light turned red at the corner of 51st and Center streets, Deacon Kevin Stewart of the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee and four other clergymen walked into the street and handed people in cars water bottles. A couple minutes later, one of the cars returned to the intersection and told them they blessed his day and made it better. Read on.

• Resources
 ... way below

Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.

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

United Methodist Church
• United Methodists embrace TED Talks … [United Methodist News Service] TED Talks have found their way into United Methodist life. The talks influence preachers and are shown in a variety of church settings to spark discussion. Read on.

• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• Are priests Duterte's fiercest foes? … [NYTimes, Aug. 4] When the president perorates on crime and punishment, the clergy preaches empathy and compassion. To Mr. Duterte’s calls for vengeance and retribution, priests, nuns and religious leaders respond with Christianity’s narrative of redemption. By holding masses and processions with pointed political messages, or inviting testimonials from victims of the government’s drug policies, the church is forging the bonds of opposition among the faithful. Read on.

• Time for dialogue on sexual ethics … [NCR Editorial Staff, Aug. 9] The Catholic community should thank Jesuit Fr. James Martin for writing Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity. Many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Catholics have spent years on the margins of our community inviting such dialogue. This book cracks open a new door to opportunities to ask important questions about the inclusion of LGBT Catholics in the church, and those opportunities should be seized.
   Martin’s book exhorts church leaders and LGBT Catholics to come together in dialogue. Using the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, he calls both sides to treat one another with “respect, compassion, and sensitivity.” This is good advice, and those in the hierarchy who have made such outreach — Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, and Bishop Patrick McGrath of San Jose, California, to name just two — need our support.
   Until the church is willing to engage in a deep re-examination of its doctrine on sexuality and sexual relationships, any dialogue around LGBT inclusion or divorce and remarriage will only be stymied. Read on.

• Nearly 100 sex abuse suits against Catholic priests rock island of Guam … [RNS, Aug. 4] An investigation by the USA Today Network’s Pacific Daily News unearthed allegations of decades of assault, manipulation and intimidation of children reared on this remote, predominantly Catholic U.S. territory. … In June 2016, Pope Francis suspended Archbishop Anthony Apuron, who has since been accused in four lawsuits of sexually abusing four altar boys in the 1970s. The Vatican is now trying him in a secret procedure that could lead to him being dismissed from the clergy, also known as being laicized. Apuron has denied the abuse charges via statements on video and through written statements issued by the archdiocese. His attorney has filed motions to dismiss lawsuits against him. Apuron’s Vatican trial is “very, very rare, and the reason it’s rare is because the Vatican or the popes have protected the bishops,” says Dominican priest Tom Doyle, a specialist in canon, or church, law who advocates for abuse victims. Read on.

• Parishes in U.S. invited to mark Oscar Romero's 100th birthday … [America/Catholic News Service] A group of Blessed Oscar Romero devotees in the U.S. is inviting parishes around the country to mark on Aug. 15 what would have been the slain Salvadoran archbishop's 100th birthday. A tireless advocate for the poor and critic of violence and injustice in his native El Salvador, Archbishop Romero was martyred while celebrating Mass in 1980. He has become an international hero. Read on.

• The Pope's new man in Newark … [The New Yorker, James Carroll, June 27 ] “What keeps despots, dictators awake at night, what topples evil empires is the little person who goes into the square in the middle of the town in the dark of night and scrawls on the wall, ‘No!’ ” the Catholic prelate told the congregation. “And I want to say to you, we are the ‘No!’ that God scrawls on the wall.” This was at an interfaith gathering in Newark, New Jersey, in early May, to oppose the Trump Administration’s immigration and deportation policies. The speaker was Cardinal Joseph Tobin, and the meeting was in defense, as another participant, Bishop Dwayne Royster, said, of “undocumented folk,” “black folk,” “poor folk,” and “folk needing health care in this country.” Read on

• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.
• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.

The Vatican
• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.

Health and Wellness
• Dry eyes deserve attention … [NYTimes, Personal Health, Jane E. Brody, July 31] Putting carboxymethylcellulose sodium in one’s eyes two, three or more times a day may not sound like a great experience. But I can assure you that it can be. Drops of this chemical, called a topical lubricant, help to keep my eyes from burning, avoiding bright lights, becoming red and itchy, and generally feeling miserable. Like tens of millions of Americans, especially women older than 50, I have dry eye disease, medically known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca. The drops I use, an over-the-counter preservative-free product called Refresh Plus (also sold as generic store brands) that I carry with me at all times, are a crucial measure I take to keep my eyes from becoming overly dry and chronically irritated — but not the only one. Read on.

• Resources … below

Media/Print/Films/TV/Music/Tech
• The Keepers sheds light on 50-year-old murder of Nun … [WBUR] The Netflix documentary series "The Keepers" tells the story of the murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik, a Baltimore nun and Catholic school teacher who disappeared in November 1969. Her body was eventually found, but the case remains unsolved. The series follows former students of Cesnik who are trying to find out who killed her. Read on.

• How to raise a reader … [NYTimes Books] Here’s a guide that Maria Russo and Pamela Paul put together for anyone interested in encouraging young people to read. Covering infancy to adolescence, they tried to cram as many concrete tips and suggested book lists as they could into this concise guide to fostering a love for literature. Yes, Read on.

• Sweeping claims flood Chaput's 'Strange Land' … [NCR, Book Review by Michael Sean Winters, Aug. 2] Archbishop of Philadelphia Charles Chaput's new book, Strangers in a Strange Land: Living the Catholic Faith in a Post-Christian World, is strange indeed. The book leaves the reader wondering why a bishop would feel compelled to pen such a thing, reliant as it is on virtually every right-wing thread of cultural and political analysis. Read on.

Websites, Podcasts and Blogs
• NCR's new website … Here. 

• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.

Varia
• Khan Academy … is now the official practice partner for Advanced Placement. Free AP videos, articles, and practice exercises are designed to build the knowledge and skills needed for AP-level courses. Teachers can use them as part of their class, and students can use them anytime for extra help. The KH team is also working to add practice exercises to every AP course and will be making them available as soon as they’re ready. AP Calculus courses already have exercises. Read on.

******************
newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]

Resources

DioBeth
• Look online every Thursday for a Diocese of Bethlehem newsletter or for newSpin … Every Thursday in the following rotation: (1) The Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) The General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. The Leadership News and the General News are official publications of the Diocese of Bethlehem. They include news, info, features and events relating to our diocese and parishes. The newSpin newsletter you are now reading is not an official publication – and will usually not duplicate news, info and features relating to our diocese and parish as found in the official newsletters. It is a relatively lengthy eclectic sampling of items related to religion – at times not, at times not so clearly – that the editor thinks readers might find to be of interest. It has been a kind of hobby of a onetime communication minister, the work of a volunteer who in retirement enjoys and dedicates time to do the research required. The newSpin newsletter is always posted on the newSpin blog. If you wish to receive it by email, please send a note to [email protected]

• Look online … for the Diocese of Bethlehem Facebook Page, Facebook Group (Bethlehem Episcopalians) and Twitter feed.

• Bethlehem Episcopalians … is a Facebook group for conversations about mission, spirituality, Christian formation, and more that has replaced the old Bakery email list. Bethlehem Episcopalians is an open group. Anyone can join and items that you post can be shared by group members on their own Facebook pages. This offers each of us the opportunity to reach a larger audience with news and conversations about what God is doing in our diocese." Join the Facebook group. Includes more than 400 members.

• DioBeth website
• Stumbling into the Sacred ... [Reflections on seeing God in the everyday by Canon Anne E. Kitch]
• newSpin blog ... including the newSpin weekly by Bill Lewellis.
• Facebook Page  … Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem
• Facebook Group … Bethlehem Episcopalians
• Twitter …
• Flickr
• YouTube
• Vimeo
• LinkedIn

Center for Congregations ... The "Using Resources" series of publications by the Center for Congregations is designed to help congregations make the most effective use of capital funds, consultants, architects, contractors, books, congregation management software, and more.
• Congregational Consulting ...  More information on how to contact the consultants can be found here and at http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/ .
• Church locators ... Here.
• ECF Vital Practices ... Here.
• The Chalice, a publication created by Joan DeAcetis for older adults and caretakers. Download issues here.
• Weekly Bulletin Inserts from the Episcopal Church ... Here.
• Calendar of events in our parishes ... Here.

Episcopal/Anglican
• The Episcopal Church website, news service, news service blog,
• Episcopal Café
• AngicansOnline website and news centre.
• The Living Church
• The Anglican Communion website and news service.
• The Daily Scan: Contact [email protected] to add subscribers for news releases, notices, statements, or Daily Scan.
• Free weekly bulletin inserts provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Find the inserts here.
• Updated Episcopal Church canons and constitution ... Here.
• Forward Movement ... Here.
• Episcopal Web Radio ... Here.
• Episcopal Church Event Calendar ... Here

Ecumenical/Interfaith Relations
• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

• Khan Academy … a tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.  
• Khan Academy … an introduction to the Protestant Reformation

SpiritSpin
• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• The Imitation of Christ ... Available free online.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.

• EpiscopalShare ... Here.

Bible&Worship
• The Lectionary ... A collection of Lectionary resources for the Episcopal Church, updated Sunday night. Here.
• Lectionary Page ... A liturgical calendar for upcoming weeks, with links to readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), as adapted for use in Episcopal worship. Here.
• Revised Common Lectionary ... Here.
• The Liturgical Calendar ... BCP, Lesser Feasts and Fasts, HWHM ... Here.
• Oremus Bible Browser ... Here.
• Celebrating the Eucharist, by Patrick Malloy. Google Book
• Enriching our Worship, 1 to 5 ... Free download here.
• The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant: Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships [Extracted from Liturgical Resources 1: I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing] Here.
• Collection of worship resources at Diobeth.org ... Including Diocesan Cycles of Prayer for weekly worship, Holy Women Holy Men, and The Text This Week. Here.

Health and Wellness
• Resources for caregivers ... Here.
• Medline Plus ... Here. 
• WebMD ... Here.
• Alzheimers.gov ... For people helping people with Alzheimers. Here.
• Three Free Apps for getting qualified medical advice... [Techlicious] Urgent Care, HealthTap and First Aid. Info and links.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Center for Disease Control - Healthy Living
•Church Health Reader
• Eastern Pennsylvania Faith Community Nurses
• Episcopal Mental Illness Network
• Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH
• National Episcopal Health Ministries
• NEHM Wellness Resource Page 
•Let's Move

News/info/commentary
• Religion News Service Daily Roundup ... here.
• Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project: Daily Religion Headlines ... here.
• Religious Freedom Blog ... a weekly look back at the top stories and developments on religious liberty around the world. Here.
• National Catholic Reporter ... here.
• BBC News Online ... here.
• BBC Religion & Ethics ... here.
• Faith in Public Life ... Here.
• Religion&Ethics News Weekly (PBS) ... Here.
• Religion Research Hub ... ARDA, Association of Religion Data Archives, an especially useful site.
• Back issues of the newSpin newsletter ... here.

Media/Film/TV/Books/Podcasts/Music/Tech
• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.
• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks  and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told about your congregation, it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.

Varia
• Insights into Religion ... Here.
• The Alban Institute ... Here.

???? When I first read Margaret At­wood’s 1985 novel The Hand­maid’s Tale, I was a junior in college. The book seemed insightful the way zombie apocalypse is insightful: an outlandish parable of the desire to control women’s bodies and choices, an interesting litmus test of how far feminism had come, or how far it still had to go. Reading it again this year and watching the new Hulu television adaptation, it feels like just the story that we need right now. Not as a political allegory as much as an exploration of the inner life of resistance. Read on.

 

newSpin 170726

newSpin, the newsletter
July 26, 2017
Bill Lewellis

[A DioBeth newsletter (General or Leadership) or the unofficial newSpin newsletter is published online on Thursdays in the following rotation: (1) Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. If you are not receiving these newsletters by email, be in touch with Paula Lapinski (610-691-5655, [email protected]). If you find something online or in print(or if you'd like to write something) that you think might warrant inclusion in the newSpin newsletter for the sake of many, please send the link or your text to [email protected]]

newSpin is back. I missed you. Bill

TopSpin
• The Protestant Reformation at 500: Celebration and Reflection … [ReligionLink, July 25] On Oct. 31, 1517, a dour-faced Catholic monk named Martin Luther posted a long list of grievances – 95 in all – to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. The world shifted on its axis and has never been the same since; scholars trace the development of capitalism, the rise of public education, the cult of the individual and many more aspects of the contemporary world to the ideas born in the Protestant Reformation. In terms of religion, the Reformation led to a married clergy, an emphasis on family over celibacy, the notion of divorce and, most importantly, the idea of “sola scriptura” – the idea that the Scriptures are infallible and the sole authority on spiritual matters.
   This October, millions the world over will mark the 500th anniversary of what came to be called the Protestant Reformation with worship, music, festivals, gatherings, conferences, books and more. This edition of ReligionLink aims to assist reporters in pulling out the deeper threads under the bright tapestry of the celebration. Why is mainline Protestant Christianity on the wane? What are Catholic-Protestant relations like today? Is there still such a thing as the “Protestant work ethic”? How do contemporary Protestants understand Luther’s record of misogyny and public anti-Semitism? And what of the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic reaction to Luther’s critiques? How are the changes that it brought felt in contemporary Catholicism? Read on.

• McCain's Moment … [Esquire, July 28] The John McCain the country had been waiting for finally showed up early Friday morning (July 28). Read on.

• John McCain's morality, and no one else's, should guide his response to brain cancer … [RNS, Jeffrey Weiss, July 27] May McCain find his best path and be an example for others! We could use the help. Here.

• Revisiting Ayn Rand's anti-religious philosophy … [RNS/Sightings, Martin Marty] Why and how do so many Christians buy into a philosophy which is opposed to religious faith and manifestly contradicts all the stories, counsels, commands, and promises of Christianity? Read on.

• DioBeth General News, July 20 … Here. •Info regarding Diocesan Convention, •Bishop Search Committee launches new website
• DioBeth Leadership News, July 6 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, June 15 … Here.

• We are not in the business of saving souls … [Mark Dyer, bishop of the Diocese of Bethlehem, 1982-1995] We are in the business of vulnerable and compassionate presence.

• Why does U2 irk so many people? A look at their struggle for pop hits and social justice … [America, David Dark, July 17] They are indeed aging rock stars. But they are also a mass media movement of thoughtfulness, artfulness, candor and curation. In the pop music of the 1980s, there was a moral alertness afoot concerning mass starvation, the environment and nuclear proliferation, and U2 were inarguably at the heart of it. I wonder if the fact that they are still at it is too much to bear for some, that they are still wrestling out loud with and awash in the contradictions of wealth and consciousness. It is as if their urgency is an embarrassment to the rest of us somehow, an indictment to the degree that we have given up on the conspiracy of hope, or worse, consigned ourselves to the realm of naïveté or nostalgia.
   …… With great reverence, we might say, comes great responsibility. And to call it social responsibility would be a redundancy, because in U2’s vision, like that of the great commandment, the false distinction between love of neighbor and love of self is collapsed. It can be glimpsed, this essential self, this divine image within everyone, this soul. But it will not be proven or preached. It can only be shown and sung—testified to, witnessed and proffered as a way of seeing. Or as Thomas Merton puts it: “I have no program for this seeing. It is only given. But the gate of heaven is everywhere.” Read on.

Intersection: Religion, Culture, Politics
• Trump's Lies … [NYTimes, David Leonhardt and Stuart Thompson, Updated July 21] Many Americans have become accustomed to President Trump’s lies. But as regular as they have become, the country should not allow itself to become numb to them. So we have catalogued nearly every outright lie he has told publicly since taking the oath of office. Updated July 21: The president is still lying, so we've added to this list, and provided links to the facts in each case. Read on.

• Your Rabbi? Probably a Democrat. Your Baptist Pastor? Probably a Republican. Your Priest? Who Knows? … [Kevin Quealy, NYTimes] America’s pastors – the men and women a majority of Americans look to for help in finding meaning and purpose in their lives – are even more politically divided than the rest of us, according to a new data set representing the largest compilation of American religious leaders ever assembled. Read on.

• The Promise … [Bill] Tom McCarthy of The Guardian has been interviewing Trump supporters in Northampton County for his series, The Promise. "Early on," McCarthy writes, "Trump supporters were flush with his unexpected victory. Today they are angry and a bit tired: angry with the media and the "establishment" for sabotaging the president, and tired of the drip-drip-drip of bad news out of Washington.
   "None of the voters I spoke with on the last trip was bothered by news of Donald Trump Jr meeting with Russian agents or other Trump-Russia contacts. But several told me that if something 'serious' came out, it could change their minds.
   "Many Trump voters told me that corruption on Trump's part was acceptable because Hillary Clinton, in their view, would have been worse. Two voters even told me that it was OK by them if Trump had stolen the election - if that's what it took to block Clinton. The threshold beyond which those voters would no longer support Trump seems very high indeed." Read the latest installment here.

• Clergy are more partisan than their parishioners … [The Atlantic] While it’s not clear whether this translates into politicized sermons or social activism, it’s evidence that religion may be yet another area where many Americans are pulled into exclusive partisan spheres by their leaders. Read on.

• Trump's Russian Laundromat … [The New Republic, Craig Unger, July 13] How to use Trump Tower and other luxury high-rises to clean dirty money, run an international crime syndicate, and propel a failed real estate developer into the White House. Read on.

• Six months of Trump … [CNN] In six months, President Trump has tweeted 991 times, spent 40 days at Trump golf properties, and passed 0 pieces of major legislation.

• Faith in Public Life CEO chats with the NYTimes … [NYTimes, Laurie Goodstein] The Rev. Jennifer Butler led a live video chat with The New York Times on Monday, where she discussed how faith is inspiring a powerful movement for justice and equality -- especially on critical moral issues such as health care, immigration, poverty and criminal justice. Check out the interview here.

SpiritSpin
• How you are old … [Bill Lewellis] When I was a young Roman Catholic priest, I was asked to serve as toastmaster/MC at a celebration for a senior priest in Coaldale, a small Schuylkill County town. It was Father Nick Terna’s 50th year as pastor at SS Cyril and Methodius Slovak Church … and the 60th anniversary of his ordination. I was about 35 at the time, so Nick at 85 seemed ancient to me, much more than he would to me today at 80. Because I was fascinated by how well Nick was doing, impressed to see this man walking around with joy in his heart and even a spring in his step, I mentioned Nick's age, with reverence, several times.
   When it was his turn to speak, Nick stole the show with his gentle way and wisdom. And all of us who were there gained this bit of wisdom: “Monsignor Lewellis told you how old I am,” he said with a Slovak accent. “I want to tell you that what is important is not how old you are, but how you are old.”
   I've heard Nick's words many times over the past 45 years. They come to mind whenever I experience anyone being gracefully wealthy, for example, or smart … or wise … or gracefully whatever. “What matters is not how rich you are, but how you are rich. What matters is not how smart you may be, but how you are smart. What matters is not how wise you are, but how you are wise.”

• The search for spiritual meaning in Harry Potter … [The Economist, Erasmus, July 2] Finding the transcendent in tales for children. It is a commonplace among all writers about religion to say that mankind’s spiritual quest is not so much a search for true-or-false propositions as a search for meaning. And the range of places where people can find meaning is broad indeed. Read on.

• A Jesuit perspective on Harry Potter … [America, William Reiser, June 9] While it is unlikely that my students will have read the whole of the New Testament, all have read the seven Harry Potter books at least twice and some as many as eight times. For several years, I have been offering a theology seminar at the College of the Holy Cross, “Defense Against the Dark Arts,” about Harry Potter. In teaching the seminar—the name of which is taken from a class that Harry takes in the books—I ask in good Jesuit fashion: What portal have my students’ imaginations stepped through?
   Christian faith is built on a story, and stories require imagination. Getting inside the Gospels requires stepping through a magical portal, too. We call it grace; yet whether we label it grace or magic, the result is the same: “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” Read on.

• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.

• Spirit Resources
 ... way below.

Columns, Sermons, Reflections, other Spin
• Come to Me … [Bill Lewellis] He went on to review his sad, sad life, no easy yokes, no light burdens. A car accident that rendered one of his legs useless without a brace, two years of living on the streets in Philadelphia, no family but a brother who doesn’t want to see him, other people he thought were friends who always had some excuse when he asked about getting together. Read on.

• Why pastors and priests are leaving the church … [Brian McLaren] A lot of people have been talking and writing about the departure of Millennials from the ranks of the churched. I think people would be surprised to know how many pastors and priests have either left already or are thinking about leaving. Read on.

• An unexpected grief … [Brian McLaren] The Great Spiritual Migration is about three shifts or movements that many Christians are experiencing: a move away from defining our faith as a system of beliefs and toward a love-centered way of life; a move away from conceiving of God as a violent Supreme Being who favors “us” at the expense of “them” and toward a vision of God as the healing and reconciling Spirit embodied in Jesus; and a move from the church as organized religion to organizing religion—organizing spiritual activists who will work for the common good. Read on.

• Words of Wisdom: Always go to the funeral … [America, Margot Patterson, July 28] About 10 years ago National Public Radio broadcast a series of essays called “This I Believe.” Some of the essays were by famous people, others by people I had never heard of. The one I remember best was called “Always Go to the Funeral.” It was funny, moving, unexpected, with a message simple and practical. That essay often pops into my mind, usually when I am on the way to a funeral. Recently, I realized I would make one small adjustment to its pithy advice. “Do it for the family,” the essayist Deirdre Sullivan recalls her father instructing her when he dropped her 16-year-old self off at the funeral service of her fifth-grade teacher. These days I would say, “Do it for yourself.” Read on.

DioBeth
• Diocesan September 29/30 Convention info … Here.

• DioBeth Leadership News, July 6 … Here.
• DioBeth General News, July 20 … Here.
• The newSpin Newsletter, June 15 … Here.


DioBeth Parish and Agency Websites
• Allentown: Episcopal House … Here.
• Allentown: Grace … Here.
• Allentown: Grace Montessori School … Here.
• Allentown: Mediator … Here. Refugee Community Center … Here.
• Allentown/Bethlehem: St. Andrew … Here.
• Athens: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Nativity Cathedral … Here. Emergency Shelter … Here.
• Bethlehem: New Bethany Ministries … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity … Here.
• Bethlehem: Trinity Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Carbondale: St. James-St. George … Here.
• Clarks Summit/Glenburn: Epiphany … Here.
• Dallas: Prince of Peace … Here.
• Douglassville: St. Gabriel … Here.
• Easton: Trinity … Here.  ARK Soup Kitchen … Here.
• Emmaus: St. Margaret … Here.
• Forest City: Christ Church … Here.
• Hazleton: St. Peter … Here.
• Hamlin: St. John … Here.
• Hellertown: St. George … Here.
• Honesdale: Grace … Here.
• Jermyn: St. James/St. George … Here.
• Jim Thorpe: St. Mark/St. John … Here.
• Kingston: Grace … Here.
• Lebanon: St. Luke … Here.
• Lehighton: All Saints … Here.
• Milford: Good Shepherd … Here.
• Montrose: St. Paul … Here.
• Morgantown: St. Thomas … Here.
• Moscow: St. Mark … Here.
• Mountain Top: St. Martin-in-the-Fields … Here.
• Mount Pocono: … Here.
• Nanticoke/Alden Station: St. Andrew … Here.
• Nazareth: St. Brigid … Here.
• Palmerton: St. John … Here.
• Pen Argyl: St. Joseph … Here.
• Pottsville: Trinity … Here.
• Reading: Christ Church … Here.  SPARK … Here.
• Reading: St. Mary: … Here.
• Sayre: Redeemer: … Here.
• Schuylkill County: North Parish … Here.
• Scranton: St. Luke: … Here.
• Sinking Spring: St. Alban … Here.
• Stroudsburg: Christ Church … Here.
• Towanda: Christ Church … Here.
• Trexlertown: St. Anne … Here.
• Tunkhannock: St. Peter … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen … Here.
• Whitehall: St. Stephen School … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Clement/St. Peter … Here.
• Wilkes-Barre: St. Stephen … Here.
• West Pittston: Trinity … Here.
• Wind Gap: St. Mary … Here.
[Bill] Please let me know if your website is not listed above. Also, let me know if you would like me to highlight something on your site. Please note, also, that a few of the websites need to be updated. Thanks.]

Episcopal/Anglican
• The Archbishop's most stressful job … [The Guardian UK] Justin Welby, the leader of the Church of England, has said the most stressful job he has done was as a parish priest, and that clergy need to be better supported. Read on.

• It's no longer Sunday best for Church of England … [RNS, July 14] After centuries of wearing flowing robes, cassocks and other vestments, Anglican priests can finally dress down. Under canon law, clergy have to wear traditional robes when holding Communion services, baptisms, weddings or funerals. But following a vote this week at a gathering in York of the General Synod, the Church of England’s ruling body, Anglican priests can now wear lay garments such as a suit instead, so long as their parochial church council agrees. Read on.

• Draft order calls for Bishop Jon Bruno to be suspended from ministry for three years … [ENS, Mary Frances Schonberg] Here.

• The Toolkit … of the Public Affairs Office is located on the Public Affairs pages of The Episcopal Church website here. Among the items are: Topics – topics of interest and dates of importance. Catalog – a list of important topics along with actions taken by The Episcopal Church and General Convention. Getting started - an easy how-to for getting started in preparing materials, media releases, op-eds, etc. For more information contact Neva Rae Fox, Public Affairs Officer, [email protected], 212-716-6080.

• Sermons that work … The Episcopal Church welcomes many different points of view, and sermons offered during an Episcopal service may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. Although there is no “typical” or one-size-fits-all sermon for Episcopal congregations, the sermons in this series are selected for their universal qualities so that they may be useful to a wide variety of small congregations without full-time priests on staff, where lay leaders often shoulder the responsibility of delivering the sermons on Sunday. To assist these small congregations, the Episcopal Church offers Sermons That Work, new sermons each week for Sundays and major feast days throughout the liturgical year. Here.

• Weekly bulletin inserts … provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Here. There's also an archive dating back to 2006.

• Resources … way below.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth/Migration/ERD

• Stewardship Missioner Dan Charney … has compiled a list of resources for congregations preparing for fall stewardship campaigns. Here.

• The Uninhabitable Earth … [David Wallace-Wells, New York Magazine]  is a superior analysis of how climate change will create environmental, economic and social disarray way faster than even a lot of folks assume. It's based on many interviews and his examination of serious research will take you 20 minutes and is worth it. Very scary. Read on.

• Episcopal Migration Ministries … Here.
• Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) … Here.
• Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) … Here

• Additional Resources
 ... way below

In the Media
• History forms backdrop for Game of Thrones … [Citizens-Voice, Wilkes-Barre, July 6] Dr. Brian Pavlac, a professor at King’s College for 25 years and priest-in-charge at St. Stephen's Wilkes-Barre, published author and book editor, recently edited and contributed to “Game of Thrones versus History: Written in Blood,” a series of essays comparing the television show to real historical events. Read on.

TaleSpin
• Convicted soul: A priest-perpetrator of child sexual abuse shares his story … [NCR, Luke Hansen, July 20] Gilbert Gustafson, ordained a priest in 1977, pled guilty in 1983 to sexual abuse and has admitted to abusing four boys between 1978 and 1982. Gustafson has been permanently removed from active priestly ministry, but he remains in the clerical state. In an interview, Gustafson talks his early experience of the church, becoming aware of his sexuality, how that was dealt with in seminary, and a frank discussion about the abuse he perpetrated and his work in recovery. Read on. 

• How did usury stop being a sin? … [Aeon]  A banker and a theologian’ sounds like the start of a bad joke. But for David Miller it’s merely a job description. After working in finance and business for 16 years, Miller turned to theology, and received his PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2003. Now he’s a professor of business ethics and the director of Princeton University’s Faith and Work Initiative, where his research focuses on Christianity, Judaism and Islam. ‘How to Succeed without Selling Your Soul’ is the students’ popular nickname for his signature course. Read on.

Requiescant in pace
• George W. Chapman, 92 … died July 18. He was a member of The Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where he was an usher, a chalice bearer, and a member of the Property Committee. George was proud to have a role in the installation of the lighting that illuminates the beautiful façade of the Cathedral every evening. Obituary.

• Lois Sheldon Stein, 102 … died July 17. She was a dedicated life-long member of the Episcopal Church of the Mediator in Allentown and a volunteer in Allentown to many organizations, including over 50 years with the American Red Cross and over 38 years with the Miller Keystone Blood Bank. In 2008, the Lehigh County Office of Aging Services honored her with the Unsung Hero's Award for her exceptional generosity with her time and talents towards enhancing the lives of others. Obituary.

• Katherine Nelson (Mooers) Van den Blink, 82 … wife of 61 years of the Rev. Dr. Arie Johannes "Han" van den Blink, died July 6. She was a member of Grace Episcopal Church in Elmira, NY before she and Han joined he Diocese of Bethlehem and St. Paul’s Church in Troy. Obituary.

• John R. Quinn, 88 … [NYTimes] who, as the archbishop of San Francisco in the 1980s and 1990s, was a leading liberal voice on social and political issues and resolutely addressed the AIDS crisis, died on June 22. In the heady days after the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, he emerged as one of the church’s bright young talents, an eloquent speaker not only on doctrine and the church hierarchy, but also on such urgent political matters as nuclear policy and social justice movements abroad. At 38, he became the youngest bishop in the United States. He was named archbishop of San Francisco in 1977. That same year, he was elected president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archbishop Quinn used his platform to criticize American military intervention in Central America and to condemn nuclear war as inherently immoral; at one point, he called on Roman Catholics serving in the armed forces to defy any order to detonate a nuclear weapon. He argued for greater openness in debating such doctrinal questions as contraception, the ordination of women and whether to allow divorced Catholics to receive the sacraments. In 1985, he appointed Sister Mary Bridget Flaherty as his chancellor, or manager of day-to-day operations. It was the highest position ever attained by a woman in a major diocese. Read on.

• Peter Berger, 88 … [NYTimes] died on June 27. He was an influential, and contrarian, Protestant theologian and sociologist who, in the face of the “God is dead” movement of the 1960s, argued that faith can indeed flourish in modern society if people learn to recognize the transcendent and supernatural in ordinary experiences. His 1969 book “A Rumor of Angels: Modern Society and the Rediscovery of the Supernatural,” was for many years required reading in college sociology and theology courses. Read on.

[Rectors, senior wardens or family members who would like the death of a parishioner noted here may point me to published obits, or send their own brief notice. Thanks.]

Ecumenism, Interfaith, Pluralism – or Not
• Resources
 ... way below

Evangelical Lutheran Church
• ELCA Website … Here.
• ELCA News Service … Here.
• ELCA Blogs … Here.

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

United Methodist Church
• News Service Here.
• Communication Resources ... Start here.
• Eastern PA Conference website  Here.
• Facebook Here.
• Bishop Peggy Johnson's blog Here.

Presbyterian Church USA
• Website ... Here.
• News & Announcements ... Here.

Roman Catholic
• Cardinals on opposite sides of the Hudson reflect two paths of Catholicism … [NYTimes, Sharon Otterman, July 16] Two very different books about being Roman Catholic and gay were released recently, each with an endorsement from a cardinal who oversees an archdiocese along the Hudson River.
   Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, endorsed “Building a Bridge,” calling it “brave, prophetic and inspiring.” The book calls on church leaders to use preferred terms like “gay” instead of “same-sex attraction,” as a sign of respect to gay Catholics.
   Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, the archbishop of New York, endorsed “Why I Don’t Call Myself Gay,” a memoir by a Catholic man who resisted his homosexual attractions and who now leads a celibate life inspired by the Gospel. Cardinal Dolan praised the book as an “honest account of the genuine struggles faced by those with same-sex attraction” that details how its author came to “understand and accept God’s loving plan for his life.”
   The simultaneous endorsements were just the latest sign that the two cardinals on opposite sides of the Hudson appeal to two very different constituencies within the Roman Catholic Church in America.
   Cardinal Tobin is emerging as a champion of progressive, center-left Catholics, who favor a church that places more emphasis on protecting immigrants and the environment than on fighting same-sex marriage. Cardinal Dolan, who was elevated to that rank in 2012, remains a favorite of center-right Catholics, taking a more conservative approach toward doctrine and focusing more on issues like the church’s opposition to abortion. Read on.

• The Pope's new man in Newark … [The New Yorker, James Carroll, June 27 ] “What keeps despots, dictators awake at night, what topples evil empires is the little person who goes into the square in the middle of the town in the dark of night and scrawls on the wall, ‘No!’ ” the Catholic prelate told the congregation. “And I want to say to you, we are the ‘No!’ that God scrawls on the wall.” This was at an interfaith gathering in Newark, New Jersey, in early May, to oppose the Trump Administration’s immigration and deportation policies. The speaker was Cardinal Joseph Tobin, and the meeting was in defense, as another participant, Bishop Dwayne Royster, said, of “undocumented folk,” “black folk,” “poor folk,” and “folk needing health care in this country.” Read on.

• The little known story behind Father Walter Ciszek's 'With God in Russia' … [America, Daniel Flaherty, June 8] Here. Father Ciszek grew up in Shenandoah PA.

• Diocese of Allentown ... Here.
• Diocese of Scranton ... Here.

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... Here. 
• Catholic News Service ... Here.

The Vatican
• Vatican Information Service blog ... Here.
• Vatican News/Info Portal ... Here.

Health and Wellness [• New item  •• Repeat]
• Fixing the five percent … [The Atlantic] “Super-users” with complex medical needs make up a small fraction of U.S. patients, but they account for half of the nation’s overall health-care spending. Now, innovative efforts are providing better care at lower costs. Read on.

• Resources … below

Media/Print/Films/TV/Music/Tech
• Why the morality in Wonder Woman matters … [Episcopal priest Rachel Kessler, June 27, HuffPost] It is probably something of an understatement to say that Wonder Woman is a film that inspired intense emotional reactions from the people who have seen it. Many of my female friends were moved to tears seeing the grace and power of the Amazonian warriors who dominated the first act of the film. Others, myself included, simply felt inspired seeing a female protagonist entrusted with the weight of a large studio superhero franchise.
   I cannot deny I loved seeing Diana, princess of the Amazons, confounding the expectations of the men around her and dominating the battlefield. That said, I found myself particularly moved by what I can only describe as the profound spiritual message at the heart of the film. This may not be an obvious connection to make, but it can be hard to turn off a priest’s brain, even at the movies. Is humanity worth fighting for, despite all of our faults and cruelty and, for lack of a better word, the collective filth that can seem to pollute our souls? Read on.

• How to raise a reader … [NYTimes Books] Here’s a guide that Maria Russo and Pamela Paul put together for anyone interested in encouraging young people to read. Covering infancy to adolescence, they tried to cram as many concrete tips and suggested book lists as they could into this concise guide to fostering a love for literature. Yes, Read on.

•  Martin Luther's Burning Questions… [NY Review of Books, July 8 issue] On All Hallow’s Eve of 1517, Martin Luther, Augustinian friar and professor of theology, posted a broadsheet on the faculty bulletin board of tiny, provincial Wittenberg University in the German state of Saxony (which happened to be the door of the church attached to the local lord’s castle). The poster was no Halloween prank; it proclaimed, according to academic custom, his willingness to debate a series of propositions in public. Although he also sent copies of the same broadsheet to important statesmen, churchmen, and academics outside Wittenberg, no one seems to have taken up his challenge to a formal discussion. His propositions were too explosive for that; in blunt, forceful language, they questioned the basic beliefs of the church to which, as a Hermit of Saint Augustine, he had vowed his obedience.
   Luther would say that his life’s turning point came two years later, when he had a sudden revelation about the nature of Christian salvation. For his contemporaries, however, the posting of his ninety-five theses in 1517 set off the spark that ignited the Protestant Reformation, and the Reformation in turn marked a fundamental stage in the forging of a collective German identity.
   …… The Protestant Reformation took hold where it did and when it did for a variety of reasons, beginning with the blazing personality of Martin Luther himself. Strictly speaking, he was not a monk, though he is often described as one: he was a preaching friar who belonged to the largest Catholic religious order of his day, the Hermits of Saint Augustine. Rather than spending their time, as monks did, in secluded prayer in a monastery, the Augustinians lived in cities and moved from place to place. They trained to communicate the Christian message in what for the time was a revolutionary new style: borrowing techniques from the orators of classical antiquity and from contemporary preachers who gave sermons in colloquial languages rather than Latin, they appealed openly to the emotions of their hearers.
   …… What drove Friar Martin to post his theses, however, was a spiritual insight, a realization so overwhelming that it prompted him to alter his name from Martin Luder to Martinus Eleutherius—“Martin the Free.”* The Christian hope for eternal life, he had come to believe, was a divine gift that no human being, no matter how virtuous, could ever deserve—there was no penance for sin that could truly merit divine indulgence. Salvation, therefore, was not a reward, but an outright gift from God, bestowed out of the sheer abundance of his love for his creation. Read on.

• The Big Sick, South Asian identity and me … [NYTimes, Sopan Deb, July 23] Crossing the cultural divide can be lonely, particularly when you’re growing up in a mostly white town. Especially when few television shows and films tell stories of people who look like you. “The Big Sick” is a welcome exception. The romantic complications of South Asian children who grow up here have rarely been displayed as vividly as in this film, which tells the story of a Pakistani comic and Uber driver in a relationship with a grad student, who is white. Starring and co-written by Kumail Nanjiani, who was born in Karachi, it explores the South Asian identity in depth, and speaks to conflicts that many of us face growing up in America. Read on.

Websites, Podcasts and Blogs
• The stupidest thing you can do with your money … [Freakonomics Podcast, Stephen Dubner, July 26] Listen or Read.

• Altering Reality: Taking fake news to a whole new level … [RadioLab, Breaking News] In this RadioLab podcast, Simon Adler takes us down a technological rabbit hole of strangely contorted faces and words made out of thin air. And a wonderland full of computer scientists, journalists, and digital detectives forces us to rethink even the things we see (and hear) with our very own eyes (and ears). 

• The Episcopal Café … Here.
• AnglicansOnline … Here.
• Diocese of Bethlehem … Here.
• The Episcopal Church … Here.

Varia
• Will a young man from Whitehall-Coplay lead Penn State to a national football title? … [Sports Illustrated, Pete Thamel, July 19, h/t Matt Lewellis] Saquon’s success has presented a new set of problems. Tonya says she gets at least one call or Facebook message a day from agents and financial planners. She also had to figure out how to buy an insurance policy for Saquon and decide on the coverage. She ended up getting multimillion-dollar policies for permanent and total disability or loss of value, but the process was time-consuming and confusing. Read on.

• Recycle your fridge … PPL will make it easy for you to dispose of your inefficient old fridge, and even pay you $35. Schedule online for a free pickup of your refrigerator or freezer. Some conditions apply. Read on.

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newSpin? … I decided years ago to call this newsletter and its related blog newSpin. The "S" in the middle suggests that some items are newS; others, Spin; others, both. Items I include as well as how and how often I present them are clues to my leanings. I think all of us spin. There's a lot more spin in the world of news than most editors own up to. Watch out for that upper case S in the middle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul might be said to have spun "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1]. We continue to spin that good news, as we experience and dance with the Risen Lord.
   The newSpin newsletter is uploaded to the newSpin blog and posted on a newSpin list of some 2,000 addresses every other Thursday. Many recipients forward it to others. It 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, the Standing Committee or the Archdeacon as an official communication. Comments are welcome on Bethlehem Episcopalians (if you have joined that interactive FaceBook group).

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]

Resources

DioBeth
• Look online every Thursday for a Diocese of Bethlehem newsletter or for newSpin … Every Thursday in the following rotation: (1) The Leadership News, (2) The newSpin newsletter, (3) The General News, (4) The newSpin newsletter. The Leadership News and the General News are official publications of the Diocese of Bethlehem. They include news, info, features and events relating to our diocese and parishes. The newSpin newsletter you are now reading is not an official publication – and will usually not duplicate news, info and features relating to our diocese and parish as found in the official newsletters. It is a relatively lengthy eclectic sampling of items related to religion – at times not, at times not so clearly – that the editor thinks readers might find to be of interest. It has been a kind of hobby of a onetime communication minister, the work of a volunteer who in retirement enjoys and dedicates time to do the research required. The newSpin newsletter is always posted on the newSpin blog. If you wish to receive it by email, please send a note to [email protected]

• Look online … for the Diocese of Bethlehem Facebook Page, Facebook Group (Bethlehem Episcopalians) and Twitter feed.

• Bethlehem Episcopalians … is a Facebook group for conversations about mission, spirituality, Christian formation, and more that has replaced the old Bakery email list. Bethlehem Episcopalians is an open group. Anyone can join and items that you post can be shared by group members on their own Facebook pages. This offers each of us the opportunity to reach a larger audience with news and conversations about what God is doing in our diocese." Join the Facebook group. Includes more than 400 members.

• DioBeth website
• Stumbling into the Sacred ... [Reflections on seeing God in the everyday by Canon Anne E. Kitch]
• newSpin blog ... including the newSpin weekly by Bill Lewellis.
• Facebook Page  … Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem
• Facebook Group … Bethlehem Episcopalians
• Twitter …
• Flickr
• YouTube
• Vimeo
• LinkedIn

Center for Congregations ... The "Using Resources" series of publications by the Center for Congregations is designed to help congregations make the most effective use of capital funds, consultants, architects, contractors, books, congregation management software, and more.
• Congregational Consulting ...  More information on how to contact the consultants can be found here and at http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/ .
• Church locators ... Here.
• ECF Vital Practices ... Here.
• The Chalice, a publication created by Joan DeAcetis for older adults and caretakers. Download issues here.
• Weekly Bulletin Inserts from the Episcopal Church ... Here.
• Calendar of events in our parishes ... Here.

Episcopal/Anglican
• The Episcopal Church website, news service, news service blog,
• Episcopal Café
• AngicansOnline website and news centre.
• The Living Church
• The Anglican Communion website and news service.
• The Daily Scan: Contact [email protected] to add subscribers for news releases, notices, statements, or Daily Scan.
• Free weekly bulletin inserts provide information about the history, music, liturgy, mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. Find the inserts here.
• Updated Episcopal Church canons and constitution ... Here.
• Forward Movement ... Here.
• Episcopal Web Radio ... Here.
• Episcopal Church Event Calendar ... Here

Ecumenical/Interfaith Relations
• The Episcopal Church … is currently in full communion relationship with the following churches: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India. Coordinating committees support the implementation of some of these relationships, which involve full mutual recognition of ministries and sacraments. Clergy of these churches may serve in Episcopal churches, and vice versa. We also have warm relationships with the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
   The Episcopal Church is in active dialogue with three traditions: the Roman Catholic Church through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Methodist Church. Our dialogues meet regularly to discuss matters of common concern, doctrinal agreements and disagreements, and possibilities for the emergence of full communion relationships. Each diocese of The Episcopal Church has a designated officer responsible for promoting ecumenical and interreligious conversations on the local level. Canon Maria Tjeltveit of the Church of the Mediator in Allentown is the designated officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Read on.

• Khan Academy … a tour through five major world religions.  • Buddhism,  • Christianity,  • Hinduism,  • Islam,  • Judaism.  
• Khan Academy … an introduction to the Protestant Reformation.

Franklin Graham had a revelation. On Friday, Graham said it has “dawned” on him on how to “fight the tide of moral decay that is being crammed down our throats by big business, the media, and the gay & lesbian community.”

His solution: stop doing business with LGBT-friendly companies.

- See more at: http://elielcruz.religionnews.com/2015/06/07/franklin-graham-calls-on-christians-to-blacklist-lgbt-friendly-companies/?email=blewellis%40diobeth.org#sthash.WI32aUeD.dpuf

SpiritSpin
• The Book of Common Prayer ... every edition from 1549 to 1979. Here.
• Prayers and Thanksgivings from the BCP ... Here.
• The (Online) Book of Common Prayer ... Here.
• The Daily Office ... can be read online in Rite I, Rite II or the New Zealand Prayer Book versions. At Mission St. Clare.
• The Daily Office ... from the Diocese of Indianapolis. Here.
• The Prayer Site ... a resource of Forward Movement. Here.
• Speaking to the Soul ... Episcopal Café blog. Sermons, reflections, multimedia meditations and excerpts from books on spirituality. Here.
• The Imitation of Christ ... Available free online.

Evangelism/Stewardship/Church Growth
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.

• EpiscopalShare ... Here.

Bible&Worship
• The Lectionary ... A collection of Lectionary resources for the Episcopal Church, updated Sunday night. Here.
• Lectionary Page ... A liturgical calendar for upcoming weeks, with links to readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), as adapted for use in Episcopal worship. Here.
• Revised Common Lectionary ... Here.
• The Liturgical Calendar ... BCP, Lesser Feasts and Fasts, HWHM ... Here.
• Oremus Bible Browser ... Here.
• Celebrating the Eucharist, by Patrick Malloy. Google Book
• Enriching our Worship, 1 to 5 ... Free download here.
• The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant: Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Sex Relationships [Extracted from Liturgical Resources 1: I Will Bless You and You Will Be a Blessing] Here.
• Collection of worship resources at Diobeth.org ... Including Diocesan Cycles of Prayer for weekly worship, Holy Women Holy Men, and The Text This Week. Here.

Health and Wellness
• Resources for caregivers ... Here.
• Medline Plus ... Here. 
• WebMD ... Here.
• Alzheimers.gov ... For people helping people with Alzheimers. Here.
• Three Free Apps for getting qualified medical advice... [Techlicious] Urgent Care, HealthTap and First Aid. Info and links.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Center for Disease Control - Healthy Living
•Church Health Reader
• Eastern Pennsylvania Faith Community Nurses
• Episcopal Mental Illness Network
• Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH
• National Episcopal Health Ministries
• NEHM Wellness Resource Page 
•Let's Move

News/info/commentary
• Religion News Service Daily Roundup ... here.
• Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project: Daily Religion Headlines ... here.
• Religious Freedom Blog ... a weekly look back at the top stories and developments on religious liberty around the world. Here.
• National Catholic Reporter ... here.
• BBC News Online ... here.
• BBC Religion & Ethics ... here.
• Faith in Public Life ... Here.
• Religion&Ethics News Weekly (PBS) ... Here.
• Religion Research Hub ... ARDA, Association of Religion Data Archives, an especially useful site.
• Back issues of the newSpin newsletter ... here.

Media/Film/TV/Books/Podcasts/Music/Tech
• Spirituality & Film ... Here.
• Spirituality on DVD ... Here.
• Books for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Audios for Spiritual Journeys ... Here.
• Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg  ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks from LibriVox ... Here. 
• Free Audiobooks and eBooks ... Here and Here.
• Google Books ... Millions of books you can preview or read free. Here. 
• The Online Books Page ... from UPenn. Here.
• More free eBooks  and Audiobooks ... [Techlicious] Here.
• Telling the good news, in the media ... [Jim Naughton and Rebecca Wilson] If the media isn’t telling the stories you want told about your congregation, it is possible (we say very gently) that those stories aren’t interesting or significant enough to warrant coverage. Or, it is possible that you are not presenting them to the media in a way that catches their attention. Or perhaps you have not presented stories to the media at all. It isn’t easy to get your congregation, diocese, conference, or other sort of Christian organization into the newspaper or in online media outlets unless something has gone significantly wrong. It is even harder to get it on television or the radio. But it is possible if you absorb these 10 simple tips. Read on.
• Communicate … Your Ministry, including Bill's Communication Biases and Communication-Evangelism. Here.

Varia
• Insights into Religion ... Here.
• The Alban Institute ... Here.

When I first read Margaret At­wood’s 1985 novel The Hand­maid’s Tale, I was a junior in college. The book seemed insightful the way zombie apocalypse is insightful: an outlandish parable of the desire to control women’s bodies and choices, an interesting litmus test of how far feminism had come, or how far it still had to go. Reading it again this year and watching the new Hulu television adaptation, it feels like just the story that we need right now. Not as a political allegory as much as an exploration of the inner life of resistance. Read on.hen I first read Margaret At­wood’s 1985 novel The Hand­maid’s Tale, I was a junior in college. The book seemed insightful the way zombie apocalypse is insightful: an outlandish parable of the desire to control women’s bodies and choices, an interesting litmus test of how far feminism had come, or how far it still had to go.