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Presiding bishop sends letter in advance of diocesan convention
[Episcopal News Service] Expressing concern for his health
and "evident sense of isolation," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori urged Bishop John-David M. Schofield of the
Diocese of San Joaquin to "reconsider and draw back" from
efforts to withdraw his diocese from the Episcopal Church.
As with previous letters to other disaffected bishops, the
correspondence with Schofield notified him that such a step
would force Jefferts Schori to act to bring the diocese and its
leadership into line with the mandates of the national Church. .
. .
The first of the letters was sent to Bishop Robert Duncan of the Diocese of Pittsburgh on October 31. A second letter was sent to Bishop Jack Leo Iker of Fort Worth on November 8. . . .
If the canonical changes [proposed at diocesan conventions to support departure from the Episcopal Church] go forward, the presiding bishop could ask the Title IV Review Committee to consider whether the bishops who have proposed and supported them have abandoned the communion of the Episcopal Church. . . .
Appointed to the 2007-2009 Title IV Review Committee are Bishop Dorsey Henderson of Upper South Carolina (president), Bishop Suffragan Bavi E. Rivera of Olympia, Bishop Suffragan David C. Jones of Virginia, Bishop C. Wallis Ohl Jr. of Northwest Texas, the Rev. Carolyn Kuhr of Montana, the Very Rev. Scott Kirby of Eau Claire, J.P. Causey Jr. of Virginia and Deborah J. Stokes of Southern Ohio.
The complete story, including text of the letter, is online at www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_92311_ENG_HTM.htm.
By Jan Nunley and Mary Frances Schjonberg
[Episcopal News Service] An interim report issued by the House of Deputies Committee on the State of the Church says the Episcopal Church needs "a plan for action" to address concerns related to its identity, mission and organization.
"Who are we?" the report asks. "What does it mean to be an Episcopalian? What are our core values? How are we differentiated from other Christian faith traditions? What are our strengths and weaknesses? Where are our opportunities?"
Described as a "brief assessment of facts and trends," the report points out that "marvelous work goes forward at all levels of our church, often understated, and not fully appreciated, but truly transforming in nature." The report is available online at www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/11-2007_StateOfTheChurchFinal.pdf.
The report notes that the Episcopal Church's experience of declining membership and attendance is "similar to other mainline Protestant denominations in the United States." Declining membership and attendance levels mean "we need a plan for action at all of our organizational levels—parish and diocese, as well as the Episcopal Church Center."
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At the first Ridge Spring unity gathering are Archdeacon Byrd (second from left) and (to his left) the Rev. Janet Tarbox, vicar of the Church of the Ridge. |
On November 8, with Archdeacon Fred Byrd and Ridge Spring mayor Ms. Patsy Asbill as co-hosts, the the first unity gathering of local town council members and pastors took place at Juniper Restaurant in Ridge Spring. Churches represented were Yound Second Baptist, Ridge Hill Baptish, Ridge Spring Baptist, and our own Church of the Ridge, where the Rev. Janet Tarbox serves as vicar.
The meeting opened with pa prayer by Archdeacon Byrd and included discussion about concerns in the Ridge Spring community and how to help draw everyone together. Communication, emergency networks, and other issues were discussed.
The Right Reverend
Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr.,
Bishop of Upper South Carolina,
will institute
The Reverend Dimitrula Henson
as the 16th rector of
St. Timothy's Episcopal Church,
Columbia, South Carolina,
Thursday, the 13th of December,
Two Thousand and Seven,
The Feast of St. Lucy,
at 7:00 p.m.
Reception will follow. Your prayers and presence are requested.
Clergy: Red stoles.
Have you paid for college textbooks recently either for
yourself or your children? Then, you know how incredibly
expensive they are! Our Diocesan
seminarians face this costly dilemma every semester and unlike
most students, are unable to sell them back at the end of the
course. These are books which
they will use not only in their seminary studies but also
throughout their careers as they preach, teach, and pastor among
us! The DUSC has three seminarians: two second-year students at
Virginia and General Theological seminarians and a first-year
part-time student beginning at the Lutheran Theological
Seminary. The Episcopal Church Women collect donations all
during the year so that at the beginning of each semester we can
send our seminarians funds for these important and vital
purchases. Every dollar collected is disbursed to the
seminarians!
If you are interested in making a donation, please send to Penny Hayne, DSBF Chairman, 719 Shadowbrook Drive, Columbia, SC 29210. This would be a wonderful project for a Sunday School class, a prayer circle, a book study group, or just an individual interested in assisting our seminarians through the "printed word."
From Jackie Williams, Christ Church
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The first picture shows the beautiful fabric art of Priscilla Hair of Easley which hangs in the Bon Sauveur church at Cange. It represents Cange as the spiritual center of Haiti's Central Plateau reaching out in all directions.. The second photo shows Je Je, manager of Cange complex, attaching three more "points of light" (with the artist's permission of course!) to the fabric to represent the rural missions Fr. Fritz Lafontant has established. Our diocese is adopting these missions, one by one. Fr. Lafontant intends for each mission to have a church, a school, and at least a closet for medical supplies. I want each one to have a treadle sewing machine.
Our ministry in Haiti is a wonderful opportunity for Upper South Carolinians to honor the Millennium Development Goals and to address directly the problem of world poverty. Incredible advancement in the lives of our Haitian brothers and sisters is possible under the leadership of Father Lafontant.
Call for staffers, camp registration begins
Camp Gravatt is
now hiring for summer 2008. Being a part of the summer camp
staff at Gravatt is a positive, life-changing experience. Camp
counselors serve as Christian role models for campers and make a
lasting impression in the lives of the children they serve. If
you have something to gain, and a lot to give, please consider
applying. Applications for counselors, junior counselors,
kitchen staff, and program staff are now available online at
www.bishopgravatt.org
or by calling 803.648.1817.
Camp Gravatt registration is online. Brochures will be mailed to last year's campers and to churches in January. There are some new program highlights this summer—Family Camp, a shorter session for younger campers, a Counselor-in-Training program for rising 10th graders, and an all-ages session so that parents can send all their children to camp at one time. Campers will also be able to participate in the new Gravatt Environmental Education Program. There are multi-sibling and multi-session discounts. There are also discounts for early-bird registration. Details are available on the Gravatt Web site, www.bishopgravatt.org. Families wishing to host a "Camp Gravatt Party" in their home are eligible for extra discounts when new friends sign up to attend camp.
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Representatives from Heathwood accept theOutstanding Youth Fundraising Group award on behalf of the Intermediate/Middle School. |
Student representatives from Heathwood Hall’s
Intermediate/Middle School accepted the Outstanding Youth
Fundraising Group award November 15 from the Central Carolina
Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
The United Way of the Midlands nominated Heathwood Hall for the honor in
recognition of students’ service during the annual United Way Day of Caring
and to highlight the remarkable fundraising success of the
Intermediate/Middle School’s Turkey Trot-athon.
Each fall semester, Heathwood 8th graders have pitched in as United Way
volunteers with the Day of Caring. This year,students did yard work at the
Ronald McDonald House, assisted classroom teachers at the Arthurtown Child
Development Center, planted flowers at the Babcock Center, and helped
organize supplies at the Home Works warehouse. This year’s event raised
$8,000 for Columbia’s Harvest Hope Food Bank.
On
Saturday, December 8, St. Matthew's in Spartanburg.will
host an Advent quiet day, from 11 a.m. till 4 p.m. The day will
offer readings on the hour and a noon-day prayer service. For
more information, please contact Melinda McDonald, 864.948.9406,
melindamcdonald07@gmail.com.
At the St. James Center for Spiritual Development at St. James,
Greenville, the January 4-6, 2008, Epiphany event will feature
the Rev. Howard Storm, author of My Descent into Death: A
Second Chance at Life, who will speak about his
near-death experience and how it affected him.
The event will begin on Friday night, January 4, at 7:00 in the
church.
Refreshments will be served after this part of the program. On
Saturday, we will come together again at 9:30 for a day of
reflection during which Mr. Storm will continue his story, and participants will be able to gather in small groups to reflect
on what he has shared. Lunch will be provided, and we will
end at 3:00. On Sunday, January 6, Mr. Storm will be the guest preacher at all
three services at St. James.
Cost of this weekend event is $45. Please make
your checks payable to St. James Episcopal Church. Registration
for the Epiphany event can be completed by
calling the church office at 864.244.6358 or by e-mailing
retreats@stjamesgreenville.org.
Questions? Please
contact Janet Atkins at St. James, 864-244-6358.
"Arts at the Advent," with a focus on exploring Christian spirituality through music and art, will be held January 11-12, 2008, at Church of the Advent, Spartanburg. This groundbreaking conference will explore how an engagement in and with the arts is a means of encountering the “Holy in the ordinary.” Keynoted by former Upper South Carolinian the Rev. Michael Sullivan, now rector of St. John's Episcopal Church, Lynchburg, Virginia., the conference will feature the 40-member Davidson College Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble, and offer eight workshops led by local artists to include past and present Advent clergy.
For more information, contact the Rev. Roy Cole at Advent, 864.585.2268.
A registration form, including a complete conference schedule, is online at www.churchofadvent.org. Cost for the entire conference, $60… Saturday only, $40 …Friday night only, $20.
December 21-January 1—Christmastide:
Join us for a peaceful respite during all or part of the
holidays.
New Year's Eve Celebration—"This Fragile Earth, Our Island Home"
The convent's 5th annual celebration!
Monday, December 31,
10:30 p.m. with refreshments following.
Lessons, music, meditations, dance, stories, and new surprises!
January 11-13—Father/Son Weekend,
with Mark Shaver, Ernest Mensah, and Sr Rosina, OSH.
In January, the sisters are doing a new thing and inviting
fathers of all
ages and their sons of all ages for a guys' get-away. Our
"brother"
facilitators reside in Atlanta, with Ernest Mensah originally
from Ghana, West
Africa. They will be assisted by Mark Shaver's sons, 17-year-old Dan
and
25-year-old Stephen, an Episcopal priest. This interesting group
of men
will share perspectives on father-son relationships from the
points of view
of two cultures and will explore with you ways to create and
strengthen the
bond between a father and son, regardless of their ages. Open to
fathers and
sons, close male friends, and men attending solo.
$160 full weekend program, meals, lodging; $80 commuters, unless
specified.
Pre-registration and deposit required; some scholarship funding
available.
For more
information, contact the Episcopal Convent of St Helena by phone at
706.798.5201, e-mail
augustaconvent@comcast.net. Online at
www.osh.org.
An
experiential retreat entitled "Discovering ‘Thin Places’ During
Lent" will be hosted by The Snail’s Pace in Saluda, North
Carolina, January 25-26, 2008.
In Celtic Christian spirituality a “thin place” is when and where the veil between the sacred and the secular is so thin, it often disappears! This overnight retreat will get you “up and running” with the resources of Celtic spirituality for connecting with the Living Christ in daily living.
The format will include brief presentations followed by practice of various pathways for enabling your faith and discipleship to come alive. One key pathway will be lectio divina with scriptures for the upcoming Lenten season. Likewise, in the Celtic perspective we will practice lectio divina with nature as a way of meeting the redemptive Christ through meditation and contemplation with a bird, bush, squirrel, tree and/or landscape that may “seek you out” as an occasion for being in a “thin place”.
The retreat leader, Fred Macon, has made multiple trips and pilgrimages to Christian Celtic areas and with spirituality leaders in Ireland, Wales and Scotland. He is on the Intentional Growth Center’s Adjunct Faculty in Spiritual Direction and Spirituality at Lake Junaluska and has been through the two year Upper Room Academy for Spiritual Formation and the two year Shalem Guidance Program. His retreat leadership has taken him to South Africa, the Netherlands and Maine. In addition to Celtic spirituality, he is especially involved in centering prayer and meeting God in the present moment.
The cost is $95 per person, meals included. This retreat will be limited, so make your reservation by sending $25 to The Snail’s Pace, P. O. Box 593, Saluda, NC 29773. Visit The Snail's Pace at www.thesnailspace.org.
The Friends of St. Benedict have announced an upcoming
Benedictine Experience, February 7-10, 2008, at the Marywood Center
for Spirituality and Ministry in Jacksonville Florida. This retreat
is co-sponsored by the Friends and The Cathedral Center for
Spirituality of St. John's Cathedral, Jacksonville, Florida.
A Benedictine Experience is a time spent in community designed for
those who wish to nurture and strengthen their daily lives through
prayer and spiritual companionship. Participants follow the
Benedictine practice in an ordered day of prayer, study, work and
holy leisure. For this Experience, Sister Carolyn Gorny-Kopkowski,
OSB, will lead reflections on Sister Joan Chittister's classic book
on following the Rule, Wisdom Distilled from the Daily.
For more information.please contact Gail Larsen, 904.642.5394.
The Joint Standing Nominating Committee of General Convention is seeking applications from persons willing to be nominated for five elections that will take place at General Convention 2009, to be held in Anaheim, California, July 8-17. Applications must be received on or before February 1st, 2008. The elections include:
To learn more about what is expected for each assignment, to learn how to apply, and to get a copy of the application form required, visit the Committee's Web site at http://tinyurl.com/2dv9fr. The site is available in French, Spanish and English.
Contact Louie Crew, lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu, secretary of the committee, or The Rev. Ed Godden, egodden@comcast.net, chair, with questions, comments or concerns.
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Is there really a human race? Is it going on all over the
place? If I get off track when I take the wrong turn, Do I make my way back from mistakes, do I learn? Is it a sprint? A dash to the end? Am I aware of the time that I spend? And why do I do it, this zillion-yard dash? If we don’t help each other, we’re all going to crash. Sometimes it’s better not to go fast. There are beautiful sights to be seen when you’re last. Shouldn’t it be that you just try your best? And that’s more important than beating the rest? Shouldn’t it be looking back at the end That you judge your own race by the help that you lend? So take what’s inside you and make big, bold choices, And for those who can’t speak for themselves, use bold voices. And make friends and love well, bring art to this place. And make the world better for the whole human race. — Jamie Lee Curtis |
This poem is part of the text of a children’s book entitled, Is There Really a
Human Race? that was given to me for my birthday. I collect children’s books and
use them, mostly, to teach adults. The good books usually have some wonderful
symbolism, often deeply spiritual, and usually a reminder of something important
in life.
We don’t have to work hard to find the deeper message in this one. Almost
everyone I know, including myself, is racing around. I keep thinking the world
itself must be spinning faster or buzzing at some current that we’ve never
buzzed at before. We could speculate about the reasons for this, and I’m sure
various experts would offer up different reasons. Mostly, though, I think it is
really a spiritual dis-ease, all this buzzing around. It is really bad theology,
coupled with social pressure and technological assault.
What do we as Episcopalians believe about our “human race”? In the catechism in
The Book of Common Prayer (p. 845), it says that we are created in the image of
God and that we are free to make choices: to love, to create, to reason, and to
live in harmony with creation and with God. It then says that the reason we
don’t do this is because we put ourselves in the place of God and therefore
misuse our freedom.
Is it possible that we are putting ourselves in the place of God when we are
buzzing around at warp speed? How can we possibly be free to love and create and
live in harmony if we are moving so quickly we barely have time to breathe or
think or act? Even more basically, within all of that buzzing, do we make time
to listen to God so that we can align ourselves with God’s will and not our own?
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(photo: Gkuchera/Dreamstime.com) |
This book ends with a wonderful suggestion. “So take what’s inside you and make
big, bold choices. / And for those who can’t speak for themselves, use bold
voices. / And make friends and love well, bring art to this place. / And make
the world better for the whole human race.” Racing around in any form is
probably never good. I don’t recall any stories of Jesus buzzing around at warp
speed. But if we must race around, as it seems our culture is destined to have
us do, doing more of the things mentioned above would at least serve the higher
good.
©Copyright Amy Sander Montanez, 2007
