Sesquicentennial Organ Concert

The following information was inadvertently left out of the last issue of eRISEN:

Sesquicentennial Organ Concert
When: November 18, 2007, 3 p.m.
Where: Saint John's Episcopal Church (Ashton), 1505 Mendon Road, Cumberland, RI
Additional Info: As part of our Sesquicentennial Celebration, this concert will feature Mr. Jack Cook, Saint John’s Organist and Music Director, performing on the church’s recently-restored 1919 Austin organ. Also appearing will be Mr. Paul Pelletier, violinist, and, for the first-time ever in concert, the Saint John’s Choir. Admission is free. Please join us for a delightful afternoon of music. Doors open at 2:15 p.m.
Contact: Paul Bousquet, 401-658-4591, pbousquet@cox.net

2007 Convention Address

217th Convention of the Diocese of Rhode Island
27 October 2007
Address to Convention
The Right Reverend Geralyn Wolf

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

So sang the Blessed Virgin Mary in response to the greeting from her cousin Elizabeth. Mary was filled with joy and praised God from a full and generous heart. So, I join with Mary in singing a song of joy in thanksgiving to God who brought Thomas Bair into my life, and for all of you who have showered us with your blessings and best wishes. However, unlike Elizabeth I’m happy to say, there is no babe-a-leaping!

The theme for this convention is about living a life of hope, a life rooted in Jesus’ death and resurrection. The community of his followers has gathered with elation and thanksgiving, celebrating the mystery of the Pascha for almost two thousand years.

The story of Mary and Elizabeth, liturgically known as the Feast of the Visitation, and the Story of Easter contain elements that are beyond our comprehension. To our way of thinking Mary could not have become pregnant, and like Thomas, some doubt the resurrection. As people formed in a scientific, technological age when something is beyond our grasp, it is easy to question its authenticity. However, Scripture reminds us that with God all things are possible.

Yitzak Perelman, the great violinist, had just begun to play a solo piece when one of the strings of his violin broke. Since it occurred at the beginning of the performance, he could have stopped and put on a new string but he decided to keep playing with the three strings that remained. At the end the audience applauded with gusto. Perelman raised his bow to signal for quiet. “You know,” he said, “sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much beautiful music you can make with what you have left.” Instead of focusing on the broken string, he mesmerized his listeners by using the three that remained. What a gift, to make the very best of what you have, with who you are.

Unlike Perelman, vestries often spend endless hours focusing on what is missing. Hope asks us to claim what is ours, even if it’s broken and inadequate, and to offer it faithfully for God’s mission.

Imagine Jesus looking at the 5,000 hungry, tired people and then seeing the meager offerings of two fish and five loaves of bread; not a promising situation. Instead of sending the people away he gave thanks for what he had, broke it in many pieces, and fed them all. When we give our gifts to God and for his purposes, we discover that the impossible is achievable and that hope is revealed through apparent insufficiency.

Michael Ramsey, former Archbishop of Canterbury said, “[The Church] exists to teach men and women to die to self and to trust in a resurrection to new life…”. That is our mission: to break the bread we have, to give it away, and to die to selfish aims and harmful ambitions as we trust in a resurrection to new life. Our diocesan vision statement is, “Live in Christ: Transform the world.” All the parables, all the stories and events portrayed in the Bible, direct us to the breathtaking power of God to transform people and events.

The heart of evangelism is sharing with others how God has been your agent of transformation. Because we are human, it is a story of brokenness leading to healing, of despair finding grace, of going astray and discovering a way home, of losing hope and receiving a new and inspired life. In spite of terrible sins there is forgiveness, and in the depths of heartache, love reaches out and prevails.

There is an old Orthodox legend that says that the Angel Gabriel had been appearing to young women throughout the millennia, serving as God’s messenger, seeking someone to give birth to God’s Word. Gabriel visited hundreds and thousands of young women, and Mary was the first to say “yes.”

The mission of the Church is to give everyone in every condition and culture the opportunity to say “Yes!” Gabriel is the messenger of messengers asking us to join him in proclaiming the glory of God in a culture where many say “No.” Our challenge is to have as much trust in God as Gabriel did, undeterred by negativity, and pressing on to the “yes” of life. Our message is about the transforming power of the Risen Christ to lead people from spiritual fear and defeat to an abundant and confident way of living.

There are many disciplines that assist the seeker in discovering a deeper spirituality. Their common characteristics are that the seeker acknowledges serious personal flaws and shortcomings, better known as sins, recognizes the need for God, and willingly surrenders to God’s care and direction. Congregations need spiritual discipline as well.

My friends, this is what we are talking about: Church as a place for difficult, challenging, growth in the Holy Spirit.

One of the primary ministries of many churches is to create an atmosphere of welcome and hospitality, where everyone is included. I heartily agree. However, our mission goes further. We gather to discover authentic life through the engagement of God’s authentic Word. Everyone is invited into the gathering, but our goal is to be transformed into the way of Jesus. As Christians, we witness to a particular Person, not just any person; to Jesus, the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, in whom is found salvation and grace, forgiveness and love, and everlasting life. Indeed, we welcome people just as they are, but we don’t expect them to stay that way. In trust we say, “Glory to God whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.”

As you review your church budgets and stewardship programs, there may be moments of anxiety. Some of you will try to figure out ways of getting new members to support rising costs. Others will have fund-raisers. I admit that I enjoy immensely parish yard sales (or any yard sale for that matter), bake sales, spaghetti dinners, and May breakfasts. However, many of us are looking for new members in all the old familiar places. In truth we don’t attract many new members through these projects, and we don’t raise much money by today’s standards.

Want to know how to fill up our churches? Begin by letting God set your hearts on fire. “Were not our hearts on fire,” said the apostles on their way to Emmaus. They knew what it was to be in Jesus’ presence even if it took them a little while to figure it out. Has your congregation really known what it means to be in Jesus’ company, and to experience your whole life turned upside down? What would you need in order to step out and take a bold leap of faith in your church? I’ve seen people in our diocese receive a renewed passion for Jesus’ presence: our young adults who visit Taizé each year, people working in missions in Latin America, those who attend conferences with other Christians, the Credo program, and many others who through the complexities of life have come to know the depths of Jesus’ love.

What’s the purpose of your church? Do you know your spiritual goal? Are you able to articulate your mission and ministry and maintain a healthy flexibility? We fool ourselves if we think that our churches are growing across the diocese. The hand-full of our parishes that are growing are those who have embraced significant changes in attitude and outlook. It takes faith and discipline to move the focus from the budget to the Gospel, from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance, from being spiritually sluggish to being alive in the Lord.

When your hearts are on fire and passion is rekindled, people will want to know what makes you tic. When you exhibit the flame of hope that passes human understanding, people will want to know what’s happening. Lives change through encounters with the God of Hope, shared in the company of others. Through hard, committed work, through passion and joy we become extraordinary witnesses to the gospel and, like Mary, are compelled to run and tell someone.

The fire of the Holy Spirit builds confidence, which leads to a deepening sense of purpose, and a willingness to make sacrifices. It is a flame of passion that does not consume but redirects our whole outlook on life. Ah, but your basket has only five loaves and two fish, what are they amongst so many. The violin has only three strings and you had hoped for four. It really didn’t matter to Jesus, or to Yitzak Perelman, because through their confidence and attitude they had all that was necessary.

Each parish and mission has gifted and wise parishioners, and every church has a special charism. Can you name something in your Church that brings the hope that leads to and transform? Imagine choosing one thing that you do well and exploiting it; discovering every opportunity and technique to reveal the one gift so that it is large and visible, attractive to those who are seeking an authentic Christian community! The primary goal is not to raise money or to increase membership, but to rekindle the spiritual fires you already possess.

The parishes and missions who have chosen to merge with one another often began the project thinking that they did not have enough. Yet in every case they experienced a renewed sense of vitality and mission. Instead of business as usual, they took the risk of putting ministry and mission above security and survival. They learned that church was people and not buildings. They understood their work to be of God’s kingdom and not their own. Instead of losing people, as some feared, these churches have grown.

St. Michael and Grace, Rumford, and St. Martin’s, Pawtucket have become the new Church of the Epiphany. St. George’s Newport, and St. Mary’s, Portsmouth are one in the parish named for St. Mary.

These parishes moved beyond themselves to see the gift instead of the broken string, the blessing within the heartache, the way forward in the midst of distress, the truth that Rhode Islanders can drive an extra mile or two to attend church, and the revelation that you don’t have to sit in the same pew. These faithful people are the ones who reveal to us the power of Christian Hope.

Each of us will have deficiencies until the day we die. Even with a heart of thanksgiving for all that Jesus means to us, we won’t be able to obscure our shortcomings, or the troubles in our churches. We are made in the image of God but we are still human. Our fears and hesitancy will revisit, discord will rear its ugly head, interpersonal struggles will still exist, but we must not focus so heavily upon what is wrong that we miss all the good that counterbalances it. Mistakes are inevitable, but they are healed through forgiveness and love. Christians who are open and honest, who are committed to reconciliation at every turn, become a church that can take faithful risks and endure failure, and begin again.

Our goal is to be better equipped and more intentionally formed in the faith we profess. We have to learn the language of faith intersecting with culture, so that we will proclaim the message of hope with increasing confidence, in an increasingly secular society and global community.

Brian McLaren, in his book Generous Orthodoxy, said, “I seek to better understand Scripture not just for my own sake, but so I’ll be better equipped to serve God and my neighbors.” (p. 119)

As we gather today, members of The Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion are praying for the unity that seems to elude us. This is not the first time that the Church has lost its equilibrium, though it is probably the most dramatic since the Reformation. I pray earnestly for the unity of The Episcopal Church and The Anglican Communion with the hope that we will discover a way to be different together, claiming our essential bonds of unity, and the limits of our autonomy. If my invitation to Lambeth stands, I plan to attend, working for unity in the tension of claiming traditional faith and its contemporary expression.

Hail Mary full of Grace the Lord is with you. Hail Sudanese children, hail governors and senators, and day workers, and immigrants, and teachers; hail to all of you for you are all full of grace. To every corner of the world and in times and places of despair, we must know that in God’s eyes all are full of grace, even the most desperate among us. Today, Gabriel wanders about the universe, seeking people who say “Yes,” to God’s call. It is the poor who are answering “yes” with generous vitality. It is the hungry and destitute who have found the grace of faith. So many in our country seem to be saying, “No”, so let us join courageously with Gabriel the great archangel, reaching out to people everywhere creating opportunity to encounter the living Christ.

In summary, my friends, focus on what you do well, knowing that no one person or group can do everything. Witness from your strengths, it will restore your energy. Open your heart to hope and gratitude and overcome the pettiness that is so detrimental to Christian life. Move from familiar responses to a fresh and vivid way of being Church.

None of us can do these things alone. We need each other to reveal the love of God. Use your diocesan staff as a resource. Call upon parishes in the diocese to help you. Contact churches that have come through challenging times and discover how they did it. Join with one another knowing that you are not as different as you may think, and discover the uniting bonds of our brother Jesus.

I am so grateful for the good spirit that is evident in our diocese; the increasing collegiality amongst our clergy, the success of parish mergers, the young adults who are being considered for diocesan positions here at this convention; these gifts bring hope to all of us. I am grateful for Canon Bob Vanderau, for his gentle and dedicated service, and for Jim Segovis whose term as Vice-President of Diocesan Council brought new directions to our common life. I look forward to a new configuration of my wonderful staff, and in welcoming Liz Crawley to take her part as my new Executive Assistant. I’m grateful to Ty Creason and Betsy Fornal for their wholehearted willingness to take on new and expanded ministries. Their competence and dedication are a blessing to all of us.

In just a few minutes we will offer and give thanks for ordinary creatures of bread and wine, and through God’s grace, they will become our spiritual food and drink: Christ’s Real and Sacred Presence. So, we approach this Gift with profound reverence and thanksgiving for the One who forgives our sins and meets us in complete, sacrificial love. And in that love our souls join with Mary and magnify the greatness of the Lord.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury to be in RI

The Most Rev'd George Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury, will be coming to St. Paul’s, Wickford, October 19 – 23. You’re welcome to join him for these events.

Saturday, October 20
5:15 pm – Informal Eucharist – Sermon: “What in the World Does God Want From Us Anyway?” @ St. Paul’s Church, N. Kingstown

7: 30 pm -- Speech: “How to be Spiritual Without Necessarily Being Very Religious” @ St. Paul’s Church, N. Kingstown

Sunday, October 21
8:30 & 11:00 a.m. Eucharist – Sermon: “What in the World Does God Want from Us Anyway?” @ St. Paul’s Church, N. Kingstown

10 – 11 am -- Speech: “What in the World is God up to these Days?” @ St. Paul’s Parish Hall
(What seems to be happening in the world these days and how is God involved? How does God want us to be involved?)

Evening –Talk at St. Matthew’s Church Jamestown Island (Kevin Lloyd, Rector) – “Are Islam and Christian Destined to be in Conflict” St. Matthew’s, Jamestown

Monday, October 22
7:30 pm – Talk: “How to be Infectious Christians in a Culture Immunized Against It?” @ St. Paul’s Parish Hall

For further information contact St. Paul’s Church: 401-294-4357.

Bishop Wolf on the House of Bishops' Meeting

Dear Friends,

By now you may have read the various web-site and media reports regarding the House of Bishops' meeting in New Orleans. When read as a whole they portray a rich glimpse of our deliberations.

The highlights of the meeting, for me, were the reflections of Archbishop Rowan, the addresses from the four members of the Joint Standing Committee, the presentation by Bishop Jeffrey Steenson on his renunciation of orders, and our work day in the city.

The addresses from our Anglican partners were at times painful to hear. As they shared the spiritual and political shape of their dioceses, a sobering spirit descended upon the room. Each in turn, expressed sincere gratitude for the gifts that we have shared in Communion, and the continuing generosity of our Province. On several occasions we were reminded, "Your country and your Church have so much, and to those to whom much has been given, much is expected."

On more than one occasion we were reminded of our political power in the world arena, and how we wield it with little concern for others. One person reminded us that we infiltrate long-standing cultural norms through television, movies, internet, fast food restaurants, cigarettes; securing profits while compromising the fabric of other societies. Many contend that The Episcopal Church is doing the same.

Most of us were humbled by the comments, others thought they were too accusatory.

The process for addressing the issues before us: consent to non-celibate gays and lesbians to the episcopate, and the blessing of same-sex unions, was challenging in its own right. We tried to by-pass legislative action on resolutions, saving a vote for the final message from the House. It's a good idea in theory, but was quite cumbersome in practice.

The democratic process in which majorities make the ultimate decisions, was called into question when dealing with theology and global relationships. The call to honor dissident voices was strong, as I suspect that at times each one thought that their position was in the minority.

Most would agree that the final result was the best that we could do as a group.

Please come and share your thoughts, concerns, questions, Saturday morning, 9-11AM at the Cathedral. Your friends and parishioners are invited, as well. This will help me in hearing the mood of the diocese, and clarifying concerns you may have, to the best of my ability. Doors open at 8:30, with light breakfast offerings.

Thank you for all your prayers, and for the very civilized manner in which we have been able to discuss these concerns over the years. By the grace of God there is respect and kindness, sadness mixed with joy, and a secure, safe place to engage with each other. It only happens because all of you make it so. I am very grateful.

+GW

Ten ways Jesus showed love

I ran across this posting over at the Creedal Christian. Here's a sample, but make sure you read the whole thing.

Jesus expressed his great love for people in ten dramatic ways. The gospels show us his immense compassion for the suffering, his attentive listening presence, and his energetic celebration of the lives around him. Here are ten ways Jesus demonstrated agape – the Greek word for unconditional, self-sacrificing love – and what we can learn from him.

1. The Way of Compassion
Jesus is depicted in the gospels as a healer who responded to the needs of the suffering even on the Sabbath and was roundly criticized for this by the authorities. He responded to those who would otherwise have been stoned to death. Compassion was perfectly captured in his parable of the Good Samaritan, a man who responded immediately and directly to a wounded man bleeding by the side of the road. Nothing could make him act in a way contrary to compassion – not a busy schedule or social stigma, as in the case of the Samaritan woman most others would not talk to. Jesus just did what compassion requires, whenever and wherever.

2. The Way of Attentive Listening
In interacting with others, Jesus was extraordinarily attentive, showing a humble willingness to respond in depth to what others had spoken. In his many healings, people cry out to him in need. Simply by listening and a touch, he offered them hope and wholeness. He listened carefully to his enemies and responded to them thoughtfully. He had immense patience with his disciples even when he had every reason to be impatient.

3. The Way of “Carefrontation”
Jesus was a master of caring confrontation. He practiced nonviolent resistance to evil, and it was his teaching and example that would inspire Gandhi and the great African-American Christian leaders of the civil rights movement. Jesus asked Peter to put down his sword; he said that those who live by the sword die by it. But he also confronted spiritual hypocrites and the many moneychangers who had set up shop in the Temple. He was constantly challenging people to think and act lovingly, and this meant that he had often to take the risk of confrontation when he saw destructive attitudes and behaviors around him.

Bishop Wolf offers resolution at the HoB meeting

Lots of resolutions will be under consideration by the House of Bishops, now meeting in New Orleans. It is reported over at Stand Firm (a conservative blog) that Bishop Wolf is among the signers of a letter and series of resolutions aimed at responding to the requests of many primates of the Anglican Communion.

Here is a sample:

RESOLVED, The House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church, mindful that it is the duty of a Bishop to order the public liturgy of the church in his or her diocese, undertakes and covenants not to authorize or permit any public Rite of Blessing for same-sex unions in our dioceses or General Convention (consistent with the resolution B020 of the 1991 General Convention and with the recommendations of the Windsor Report, and the teaching expressed in Resolution Bl0l of the 1994 General Convention,2 and in line with the standard of teaching commanding respect across the Anglican Communion, as most recently expressed in Resolution 1.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference),

RESOLVED, The House of Bishops, noting that the Executive Council in their resolution ECO1 1 accepted the report of the Communion Sub-group of the Joint Standing Committee of the Primates Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council as a helpful evaluation of the 75th General Convention’s response to the Windsor Report, concur with the conclusion of that report, that the passing of Resolution B033 of the 75th General Convention means that a candidate for episcopal orders living in a sexual relationship outside of Christian marriage shall not receive the necessary consents, unless some new consensus emerges on these matters across the Communion; be it further

RESOLVED, that, in accord with the pledge of the House of Bishops given in March 20, 2007, and affirmed by the Executive Council in June 14 2007, the House of Bishops undertake to respond pastorally and provide for those groups alienated by recent developments in the Episcopal Church in a way acceptable to them and that enables the Primates to end all interventions. We commend to the Presiding Bishop a renewed consideration of the Pastoral Scheme proposed in the Dar es Salaam communiqué.

Bishop Wolf among eight 'episcopal visitors'

As you may know, the House of Bishops meeting is underway now in New Orleans. Yesterday, Bishop Wolf made the news when she was named as one of eight 'episcopal visitors' to provide pastoral care to dioceses that may not agree with the direction of the Episcopal Church as a whole.

You can read a longer article, but here's a snippet:

[Presiding Bishop Katharine] Jefferts Schori has conferred with [Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan] Williams about the invitations, which she extended after a process of consultation with bishops in the Episcopal Church...

"All eight are true bridge-builders who empathize with the concerns and needs of dioceses that are struggling with the issues of the current time," Robertson said, adding that "while all are sympathetic to to these concerns, each is clear that the Presiding Bishop's ultimate goal is reconciliation."

The eight are active diocesan bishops Frank Brookhart of Montana, Dorsey Henderson of Upper South Carolina (based in Columbia, S.C.), John Howe of Central Florida (based in Orlando), Gary Lillibridge of West Texas (based in San Antonio), Michael Smith of North Dakota, James Stanton of Dallas, and Geralyn Wolf of Rhode Island, together with retired Connecticut Bishop Clarence Coleridge.

Robertson said all have agreed to serve as official "episcopal visitors" (the lowercase adjective referring generally to bishops and their ministries rather than the church's denomination), or to provide "Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight" (DEPO), an option provided by the House of Bishops' March 2004 statement "Caring for All the Churches" and a concept affirmed by the General Convention in 2006.

Jefferts Schori's invitation to the eight bishops seeks to delegate the first of three primary canonical duties of the Presiding Bishop, that of visiting each of the Episcopal Church's 110 dioceses during each Presiding Bishop's nine-year term. The Presiding Bishop's other two principal canonical roles are to "take order" for ordaining and consecrating bishops, and to oversee certain disciplinary actions as needed.

The Presiding Bishop's invitation to the eight bishops "offers opportunities for dioceses to have an episcopal visitor other than herself," Robertson said.

"This gives dioceses the pastoral guidance and care they need while remaining faithful and loyal members of the Episcopal Church," he said. "It is also the Presiding Bishop's hope that at some point in the future she would be invited to visit these dioceses."

Welcoming guests

One of my favorite church blogs is running a series on welcoming visitors to churches. I encourage you to check out the blog, and read the whole series (it's still in progress). Here's a sample to get you started:

...for the first time in years I was being welcomed into a church rather than welcoming people into church. Unable to shake my church-planting mentality, I was particularly sensitive to the way churches approached visitors. After visiting a few different churches, I started to realize something: many churches have forgotten what it's like to go to a church for the first time.

The reason for this seems obvious to me: pastors have been attending church for years. Before they became a pastor, most have received some sort of education while attending a church. In fact, before they even feel the call to the ministry, they have been attending church for years as well--in some cases, they even grew up going to church. All those years of faithful church attendance has groomed them to serve Christ’s church. At the same time, all those years form an insurmountable gap between now and the time they first darkened the door of a church.

Consequently, some churches make some very basic mistakes when they welcome a visitor. If they welcomed you to a dinner party like they welcome a visitor to their church you would never want to come over for dinner again. They are so glad to see you that they make an embarrassing scene. After shaking your hand they ignore you, leaving you to fend for yourself. They exclude you by talking about things you’ve never heard of. They even slip into the common jargon of their friends, leaving you out of the conversation altogether. On top of these faux pas, they forget that you are a little nervous to be there in the first place. Who would want to be at that party? Who would put themselves through that a second time?

That was from part one. Here's a snippet from part two:

What do you think is the most pressing issue for a first time visitor to your church? The doctrine? Now I am a doctrinal stickler, but I’m realistic enough to realize that most visitors don’t care much about this. The music style? Good music can give a great first impression--whether traditional or contemporary--but most visitors will just sing along with whatever you have. The sermon? While a sermon could definitely cause people to leave a church, I don’t think this is the most pressing issue for a first-time visitor. First-time visitors care most about not embarrassing themselves.

There are all sorts of things that can embarrass a church visitor. They might have dressed inappropriately--too formal or too casual. Their children might not know how to act “appropriately” in a church and end up embarrassing their parents. They might be put on the spot as an offering plate is passed to them by a stranger, who they feel is pressuring them to give. They might stand up at the wrong time in the service. They might sing out during the wrong part of a song because the church has a different arrangement than they are used to. The most detrimental embarrassing situation can come from a bad welcome, destroying an otherwise great first impression

Some churches work hard to make people feel welcome, but they undermine their efforts by making it impersonal. Some churches make all their visitors stand up in the middle of the service--a terrible choice considering how much most people fear standing up in front of crowds. I once visited a large church that apparently realized how awkward this made their visitors feel so they did the opposite and asked their members to stand. There I sat, surrounded by towering members in this intimidating church, each hanging over me as they offered me an obligatory welcome and handshake.

Bishop Wolf on the House of Bishops meeting

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I write to you out of deep prayer for the life of our Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion.

The House of Bishops' meeting begins on Wednesday evening, September 19th, with the first two days spent in the honored company of Archbishop Rowan Williams, Primates from the Joint Standing Committee, and other invited guests.

Primarily, we are being called to offer a response to the Windsor Report (including an Anglican covenant), and the Primates' Communiqué from Dar es Salaam. Once the meeting adjourns, the Archbishop is to consult with other Primates to consider a response to our deliberations and resolutions, after which they will give us a timely response. In addition, we will discuss the MDG's, spend a day working in New Orleans, and visit neighboring parishes on Sunday morning.

On Wednesday, September 26th, I will arrive home about two hours before the regularly scheduled meeting of Diocesan Council, and will communicate with you as soon as I am able.

Please pray for me and all our bishops. I leave for this meeting with a deep sense of anxiety, and my prayers have been for wisdom and humility at a time when there seems to be growing entrenchment and self-righteousness. May we honor one another in the honor and glory that is God's gift through Jesus Christ.

May God bless all of us.

+Geralyn Wolf

You are Invited

The Right Reverend Geralyn Wolf,
XII Bishop of Rhode Island,

invites you to attend the

Seating of the Dean and the Installation of the Chapter and the Canons

The Very Reverend Harry E. Krauss, III
will be seated on
Sunday, September 16th
4:00 PM
Cathedral of St. John, Providence

The Reverend Canon John G. B. Andrew D.D., O.B.E., Rector Emeritus of Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue New York, will preach.

Reception in Synod Hall

How long is your Sunday service? Does it matter?

Anglicans Online has this:

Of late, we've noticed a new trend on church signboards and websites; some now indicate the time at which a service begins and the time at which it ends. A few examples: 'Most of the time the service lasts about 57 minutes'. 'Our service lasts 75 minutes'; 'Our worship takes about 40 minutes'. Others have firm start and stop times.

It is understandable that people should like to know when they'll be able to breakfast after communion or join friends for brunch. Others are keen to use what remains of Sunday to get on with some form of recreation: walking in the park or on the beach, finishing or starting a livre du jour, helping children with an essay due soon, or taking part in one of that most hallowed Sunday custom, the early afternoon post-church-and-paper nap. A clue about when a service will finish, as well as when it will start, can be undeniably helpful.

And yet we prefer to see just the starting times of services on signboards and websites. The time we give to Divine Worship is too important to be circumscribed by calculations after the manner of railway departures and arrivals. In this all-too-human world, a sermon inevitably goes longer or shorter than planned; a hymn takes longer to sing than one thought; a baby wails to the point of delaying a baptism for several minutes. The variables in worship are at least as great as those in automobile traffic.

For our part, we're unable to treat time spent in bookshops, museums, churchyards, or fleamarkets as anything but open-ended. In what Kathleen Norris has called 'quotidian mysteries', we enter a kind of supra-chronological time that can't be measured — much less planned — on a clock. This richly textured, expanding, refreshing time is magnified in worship beyond even the loveliness of occasions outside church walls when we browse and meander without recourse to our watches.

What do you think? Is it good or bad to post service lengths? I for one think it's helpful to give first-time guests an idea of what they're in for. That said, I have little patience when people complain that "church was five minutes too long."

Grants available

I just got word of several grants that are available to congregations and clergy. I hope this is useful.

Louisville Institute Offers Sabbatical Grant Program for Pastoral Leaders

Through the Sabbatical Grant for Pastoral Leaders, the Louisville Institute offers pastoral leaders a chance to step out and step back from the pace and pressures of ministry through its Sabbatical Grant for Pastoral Leaders program. The program is designed to provide clergy with the opportunity for personal renewal, study, and reflection. The Louisville Institute will award up to forty grants for eight-week ($10,000) and twelve-week ($15,000) sabbaticals. Recipients must be released from all pastoral duties during the entire grant period. Recipients are free to use the grant award at their discretion. Previous grantees have used their awards for the purchase of books, research material and equipment, conference and seminary expenses, salary replacement, travel, etc. There are no residency or travel requirements or expectations, except for attendance at the preparation consultation in Louisville February 18-20, 2008. All expenses for that consultation are covered by the institute, over and above the grant award. Recipients of a 2007 Sabbatical Grant for Pastoral Leaders shall take this sabbatical between March 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009. The program is open to Christian clergy, church staff members, denominational staff, and others employed in recognized positions of pastoral leadership, ordained and lay. Seminary administrators and faculty members are not eligible for this grant program. In past years, most successful applicants have at least five years of pastoral experience, and anticipate five or more years of active ministry after the sabbatical. The program is open to pastoral leaders in the United States and Canada. Visit the Louisville Institute Web site for complete program and application information. Deadline: September 17, 2007


Fund for Theological Education Invites Congregations to Apply for Grants

The Fund for Theological Education is a national advocate for excellence and diversity in Christian ministry and theological scholarship. To help congregations identify and nurture the next generation of leaders for the church, the fund is offering competitive grants for grassroots programs that cultivate a sense of Christian vocation and the call to ministry among youth.

The grants are awarded through the fund’s Calling Congregations initiative, a national ecumenical effort to encourage and equip churches to play a leading role in the vocational discernment of young men and women and to increase the number of gifted young people considering ordained ministry as a profession. The Lilly Endowment, Inc. funds the initiative.

Grants are made to congregations and are intended to support the "culture of call" within congregations. However, grants may include support for activities that foster partnerships between the congregation and campus ministries, theological schools, camps, denominational bodies, and other congregations in strengthening the congregation’s capacity to nurture vocation and the call to ministry.

FTE will award $200,000 in total grants over three years, beginning in 2007. Grants will range from $5,000 to $12,000 each.

Program information and application forms are available at the fund's Web site. Deadline: October 15, 2007


Wolcott Family Foundation Offers Support for Social Change and Environmental Stewardship

The Wolcott Family Foundation focuses its funding in the areas of social change and environmental stewardship, with emphasis on supporting grassroots organizations for which a small grant can make a real contribution.

Priority is given to organizations that empower individuals and communities to organize for social change; seek to strengthen civil liberties and civil rights issues; build community development that seeks to break the cycle of poverty, create economic opportunity, and build effective leadership in distressed communities; and demonstrate linkages and interdependence of ecosystems and economics with win-win solutions and collaborative approaches.

Consideration will be given to projects that emphasize environmental preservation, advocacy, and community involvement aimed at root causes of societal problems.

Eligible groups are tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations. Organizations based in Colorado are given preference. The foundation does not fund groups with annual budgets over $350,000. Requests will be considered for either general support or specific project support. Grants are for one year and will generally range from $1,000 to $7,500 each. Visit the foundation's Web site for complete program information.

A wing, a prayer, and a new airline?

I've been saying for some time now that we need a diocesan helicopter. You know, to save us from traffic angst before "important" meetings. Plus, think how the local news would love it when a purple helicopter landed in your church parking lot and our bishop emerged for the visitation. It's not only cool, it's evangelistic.

Turns out I wasn't thinking big enough. Pope Benedict, in between re-writing the afterlife and restoring Latin, has decided to launch an airline. I am not making this up.

Maybe we need an Anglican airline. Heathrow and Gatwick are both fairly miserable places to fly into. Maybe we could have direct flights from the US to Canterbury or Lindisfarne. Naturally, the flight would feature good food, prayer books in the seatback pockets, and red doors on the planes. The biggest shift would be rethinking our seating preference. In airplanes, you want to sit as close to the front as possible. Do you think Episcopalians could make that shift?

Now is the perfect time. Our Presiding Bishop is just the person to lead us in this new direction.

Religion on campus?

Over at The Lead, I saw a link to this, from the Social Science Research Council:

Recent studies of college students' attitudes toward religion suggest that the academy is no longer the bastion of secularism it was once assumed to be. And these studies further reveal that the spiritual landscape on today's college campuses is virtually unrecognizable from what we've seen in the past. Evangelicalism--often in the form of extra-denominational or parachurch campus groups--has eclipsed mainstream Protestantism. Catholicism and Judaism, too, are thriving, as are other faiths.

To help make sense of these changes, the SSRC offers this online guide, which was derived from a series of essays it commissioned from leading authorities in the field of religion and higher education.

Read the online guide.

A better church website in eight steps

Over on one of my favorite blogs, a posting promises this:

These days you do not need to be an internet ‘whizz’ kid to make a website. In order to demonstrate how easy it is to make a website for a church (or any other purpose) I have made one for an imaginary church in about half an hour (perhaps an hour - but I dilly-dallied along the way) and it is here: http://churchwebsite.wordpress.com/. ... You can of course make many improvements to this by spending a little more time. There are I’m sure lots of other good ways to make a website, but for someone starting from scratch I think wordpress.com is a great option.

Read the whole post for the eight steps to make a better site.

The Gospel according to St. Arbuck

Here is a news brief about what churches could learn from "St. Arbuck's"

As he drives to church, the Rev. Greg Asimakoupoulos always notices the Sunday crowd gathered at one of his favorite sanctuaries. ...

But the key to the success of St. Arbucks, he said, is that these establishments have become what researchers refer to as "third places" for people to gather or hide -- a safe zone between home and office. For generations, bars, diners, barbershops and a host of other locations have played similar roles. This kind of hospitality has become rare in this rushed world.

Regulars at St. Arbucks are greeted by name and the baristas may have their favorite drink --Asimakoupoulos is a grande-drip purist -- ready when they reach the counter. Many modern churches have grown so large that people cannot know the names of many people with whom they are praying.

It's also crucial that these coffee sanctuaries are open to all kinds of people. At the Starbucks a short walk from his church, the pastor, people watching over the top of his laptop screen, has even seen believers reading their Bibles.

Here's another take on what we church people can learn from Starbuck's. At very least, I would hope churches could start to serve a decent cup o' java at coffee hour.

iChurch -- boosting your attendance

I saw this over on Gizmodo:

...Church by the Glades will be handing out $15 iTunes vouchers to attendees of their iThemed services. The [offer] will run for three weekends, but it looks like you have just missed the first. In return you will have to complete a connection card...

The seminar series titled, "i: Successful Living in a Self Absorbed World," sounds rather interesting... Yesterday was the first night of the service and to celebrate one lucky audience member walked home with an iPhone!

Now there's a creative way to boost attendance. Think $15 per person is too much to get someone in church? Think we shouldn't pay to get people into churches? What if the alternative is paying a few hundred dollars to heat a mostly empty church? I hope more churches will try similarly creative evangelism strategies, and I hope they'll let us all know how they work.

Faith when life gets hard

You may have heard about tragedy suffered by the Petit family recently in Cheshire, CT. Their house was broken into, and three of four family members (mom and two daughters) were murdered. Only the father escaped.

Tragedy like that does all sorts of things to people. I can't even imagine what it would be like. One thing is certain: faith makes an enormous difference in trying times. Today the Petit family issued a statement. It begins:

We are a family of faith. No one ever wants their faith tested, particularly by events such as these. When there is no ability to control your life events and you are required to deal with such great tragedy and loss, however, your faith is all the more necessary.

Although we will no longer have Jennifer, Hayley and Michaela physically present with us, and we do now and we will continue to experience an extraordinary sense of loss because of that, we firmly believe that their spirits and all of the goodness that defined their characters and beautiful personas will remain with us forever. We are committed to preserving those spirits and fulfilling their lives of promise, so tragically cut short.

Then the statement enters really extraordinary territory. Demonstrating a magnanimous nature rarely found in our culture, the family says this:

Many ask what they can do.

Care about others as a regular part of your lives, not just at times of tragedy. The feelings of connectedness and the outpouring of affection for us and our family members represent the best of human emotions, for which we are extremely grateful.

Actively support causes that exist solely for the improvement of people's lives in need.

Doing these things will be our way of saying that these senseless acts of violence did not stop the wonderful, giving spirits of our beloved family members.

The sense of generosity and compassion they manifest in this challenging time is inspiring. Imagine if our world were like that -- seeking compassion and not revenge, mercy and not justice. I'm sure the Petit family must at times wish horrible things upon their attackers (that's human nature), but their deeper, public wishes are something we should all notice.

As we live in times that are increasingly shrill, filled with calls for revenge, justice, and fear, we need to take notice of rare moments of boundless love when it shines forth.

Reggae joins hip-hop and U2

From the Anglican Communion News Service:

Songs by late reggae legends Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, both devout Rastafarians, will be included in a new collection of Anglican church hymnals in Jamaica.

Marley's ‘One Love’ and Tosh's ‘Psalm 27’ will be the first reggae tunes to appear in songbooks alongside traditional worship music on the island that gave birth to reggae, said church leaders preparing a new collection of hymns.

The Revd Ernle Gordon, a church spokesman, said Friday that members of the Anglican Church of Jamaica were enthusiastic about including the reggae musicians' music in the hymnals, despite their sometimes vocal opposition to Christianity.

Many will scoff at the inclusion of popular music in an official hymnal. From my perspective, this is just continuing a venerable tradition. The music of the Reformation was rooted in popular culture, and some of the best "church" music ever since has had origins or deep connections with the world outside church.

As some will point out, there is a real danger of losing the church's identity if we "sell out" to wider culture. However, there is an even greater danger of losing our very existence if we do not engage the culture. From the Biblical period to the present, it's been a challenge: how are we related to our culture -- and how are we not related to our culture. Let's celebrate another attempt to figure this out, this time involving some great music from Jamaica.

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend on Stephen Colbert's show

Last night, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, author of Failing America's Faithful, was on the Colbert Report. If you haven't seen the show, Stephen Colbert satirizes the yelling talking heads that clog our television news channels.

Anyway, the interview is humorous, and they make some good points about Christianity and contemporary issues. (You might see an ad before the video plays.)

The Gospel shows up in Springfield and at Hogwarts

Here in the blogosphere, we like to ride the waves of popular culture. Never one to miss a Big Thing, I hereby post notice of two new resources from the Church of England. (Who said they were stodgy back in the Mother Country?)

First, there's Pottermania:

A new resource guide published today by the Church of England suggests youth leaders should use the popular Harry Potter series of books and films as a launch pad for exploring Christian themes within church youth groups or Sunday schools. The first six of J K Rowling’s Harry Potter books have sold more than 325 million copies in 200 countries. On the eve of the launch of the seventh book in the series, the resource – published by Church House Publishing - enables youth leaders to use extracts from the books and films to draw parallels with daily life and help young people discuss ‘big issues’.

Second, I present something fresh from Springfield:

The exploits of Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Marge and Homer Simpson - alongside the other animated residents of Springfield - are being used to encourage children to reflect on the big issues in life in a new book from the Church of England. On the eve of the launch of the Simpsons’ first feature film, Mixing it up with The Simpsons suggests screening extracts from episodes of the hit show to invigorate church youth group programmes, as part of a new series providing contemporary material for youth workers to use in mid-week groups or ‘Sunday School’ settings.

You can learn more by clicking the links are reading the relevant news articles. This reminds me, the Church of England news feed is something worth keeping an eye on. Some good stuff shows up there now and again.

RISEN - Teen & Young Adult Issue

The latest issue of RISEN is on stands. Somehow a series of edits did not get implemented and you might notice Eastertide 2006 or Christmastide 2007 in the labeling that went to press. It is the Summer 2007 issue. Also, the ECC article was written by Sue Hurn – not Sue Hunn.

We do our best to catch all mistakes prior to publication and appreciate you overlooking the errors. I hope you enjoy this issue of RISEN and the many young voices that contributed to it.

Jedi and Jesus, Harry and the Holy Spirit

It is often very difficult for young people to connect with the message of the Church. But, religious leaders are becoming more creative. A few years ago I was given a book titled "Christian Wisdom for the Jedi Masters." It was Jedi and Jesus. Looking at the teachings of Christ and the ministry of His apostles and how they aren't that different than Yoda and the work of the Jedi.

Well it took a while, but Christian leaders are finally coming around on Harry Potter. When the first of seven books came out, many Christian leaders demonized the series - saying Potter was "the king of darkness" and "evil". But, now they are using the adventures of Harry and his friends to translate the Christian message to today's youth.

Read more here

Jonathan Daniels: local saint

As you may know, Jonathan Myrick Daniels is commemorated in our church calendar on August 14. He was a seminary student in Cambridge, MA, and he spent some time in Rhode Island. Every year there is a Holy Eucharist at Church of the Epiphany in Providence to mark his feast day. Many years have included a street procession. This year's observance will be a Holy Eucharist at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 14. A reception will follow.

Here's a snippet from a recent release from Episcopal News Service on Daniels and an annual pilgrimage in Alabama.

The ninth annual Jonathan Myrick Daniels and Martyrs of Alabama Pilgrimage honoring Daniels and others, who lost their lives during the civil rights movement, will take place August 11 in Hayneville, Alabama.

Daniels was the 26-year-old Episcopal seminarian who answered the call of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to help register African-American voters in Alabama, only to be shot and killed months later, on August 20, 1965, while shielding a then 16-year-old Ruby Sales from the shotgun fired as she attempted to enter a store to buy something to drink.

The pilgrimage...will go to the old county jail where Daniels and Sales were among those detained for a week and then on to the old Cash Grocery Store where Daniels was murdered. Prayers and hymns will be offered at the place of martyrdom. The procession will then return to the square and the monument placed by Virginia Military Institute in Daniels' honor. The pilgrimage will end in the Courthouse where a service of Holy Communion will take place in the courtroom and Stewart will speak. For further information call the Rev. William King at 205-715-2060 ext. 317 or e-mail bking@dioala.org.

If you can't get to Alabama, please visit Epiphany on August 14. You can also read what Dee Tavolaro experienced last year when she attended this celebration.

Online resources for fun and enrichment

If you don't know about it, the Episcopal Cafe is one of the best places to keep up with what's going on in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. It's also chock full of great resources for inspiration and spiritual growth. They've just launched a video section, which will feature something new every Monday. I recommend the whole site, whether you're looking for prose or video.

Tobias Haller writes one of the most thoughtful blogs out there, and it's always worth reading. Not too long ago, he posted a tithing catechism. If you're looking for a resource on tithing, you'd be hard-pressed to find something better than this.

These days, there are lots of news stories on the Episcopal Church, often full of distortion and gross error. If you see something in the news, check out epiScope, the quasi-official blog of the Episcopal Church. Jan Nunley (formerly of Rhode Island) posts media roundups regularly, and she sets the record straight when that's required. For example, if you saw the article in yesterday's New York Times article about the porn-star-becoming-priest, you could check out epiScope for the real story.

Lastly, if you're in need of a laugh, look no further than the Cartoon Blog, part of the Cartoon Church empire. Some of the humor (or should I say "humour") is of a peculiarly British bent, but I think you'll like what you see. Dave Walker will license his cartoons for use in congregational publications, should you wish to bring some laughter to your community.

How does your church look?

We often do our usual thing on Sunday mornings without a why we do it that way, how it looks to first-time guests, and what it means. Today one of my new favorite bloggers visited a church in Indiana. Read his impressions of the place, which contain some praise, some criticism, and some questions.

Must of what he observes as "wrong" strikes me as spot on, and these are symptoms -- often found in the US -- of sloppy liturgy and shoddy theology. How would your congregation look to this kind of critic? Does it matter?

Bishop Wolf on the Rev'd Ann Holmes Redding

It's been widely covered in the blogosphere already, but for readers of this blog who may have missed it, here is a letter Bishop Wolf sent to clergy and diocesan leaders last week.

To: Clergy, Members of Diocesan Council and Standing Committee
From: The Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf
Re: The Rev. Dr. Ann Holmes Redding

As many of you know, The Rev. Dr. Ann Holmes Redding is an Episcopal priest who has recently professed her faith in Islam. Dr. Redding is canonically resident in the Diocese of Rhode Island, though she has not served here for over twenty years.

After meeting with her I issued a Pastoral Direction giving her the opportunity to reflect on the doctrines of the Christian faith, her vocation as a priest, and what I see as the conflicts inherent in professing both Christianity and Islam. During the next year she is not to exercise any of the responsibilities and privileges of an Episcopal priest or deacon. Other aspects of the Pastoral Direction will remain private.

I am sending this e-mail to you because the continued web-site coverage suggests that I be as clear as possible with those exercising leadership in our diocese.

Here is the story, for those who missed it.

MDG Resource from the Diocese of Texas

Here is a gem of information from my counterparts in Texas. They did a great job creating a central hub for info and it is worth sharing. The MDG's are very important to this Diocese and it is nice to see work being done in other Dioceses as well.

July 8th has been designated Millennium Development Goals Sunday in the Episcopal Church celebrating the mid-point of the UN's MDG goal to reduce extreme poverty in the world by 2015.

Materials to celebrate a special Millennium Development Goals Sunday include a complete worship service with sermon and prayers of the people, bulletin inserts and background information. Curriculum for children and youth are also included with PowerPoint presentations of MDGs and another with an MDG atlas from the World Bank. God's Mission in the World, a study guide provided by the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations was used for adult curriculum.

These materials are available for your use on July 8 or at any other time. They were prepared by the Diocese of Texas and are available at:

http://www.epicenter.org/images/edot/MGD/MDGContents.pdf

Vatican issues 10 Commandments for Driving

Ordinarily, I don't pay too much attention to proclamations emanating from Rome, but a fresh announcement made today caught my attention. It seems that the Vatican has offered some theological reflection on driving. As it happens some, of this is also compatible with that all-too-rarely-observed phenomenon, Right of Way. As someone who grew up in a part of the country with, shall we say, less problematic driving, I commend this latest Vatican announcement to you, dear reader -- especially if you are reading this from Rhode Island.

Here are the commandments:

You shall not kill.

The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.

Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.

Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.

Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.

Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.

Support the families of accident victims.

Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.

On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.

Feel responsible toward others.

I'm not going to swim the Tiber, but I can certainly agree with Their Eminences on this one. (BBC photo from here)

This day in history

Today we remember June 18, 2006. It was a day where the Episcopal Church gave the Boys Club (a.k.a the Primates) the greatest Father's Day gift of all. It was on this day just one year ago, that the House of Bishops elected The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori as the first female Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. It has been an interesting year. Congrats to her and to us for all we have achieved. But, there are many more things to come we shall see what another year will.

PB on Bill Moyers

If you have a few minutes, make sure to watch Bishop Katharine on Bill Moyers' Journal. There is a lengthy interview in this program, which aired this weekend on many stations across the country. If you are anti-video, you can read the transcript.

There's lots of great stuff in the interview. Here's a teaser:

BILL MOYERS: So you would concede that as people like you want to modernize the Canon, the tradition and the Scripture, the traditionalists who look back and say, "This is our sacred tradition," would not-- want to come along on that journey.

BISHOP KATHARINE JEFFERTS SCHORI: Absolutely. But I would take them back into that tradition to see within it far more complexity than they've been willing to admit.

BILL MOYERS: But can there be compromise and conciliation within the church when the positions are so fixed and the feelings are so strong?

BISHOP KATHARINE JEFFERTS SCHORI: I think if we're willing to hold our positions a little more lightly. To say, "Yes, this is where we come to as a conclusion out of faithfulness. We understand you may come to a different conclusion, also out of faithfulness. Perhaps we don't have to decide one way or the other immediately." If we're willing to live in that place of a little more humility, yes, we can live together.

Going away to learn more about home, about life

Today's Projo has a column about a recent mission trip by youth from Grace Church, Providence. They attended the Toward Effective Anglican Mission (TEAM) conference in South Africa. This was a gathering of people from around the global Anglican Communion. The trip clearly had a profound impact:

"When we came back it was a big culture shock seeing Providence and the way we live," said Liz Wagner. "It would be so easy to come back here and just forget."

But they can't do that. There was just too much in their week in South Africa. There are lasting images that won't go away, conversations that changed them in ways they're still figuring out. And there's no way to be sure, of course, but there's a very good chance that there are people in South Africa and beyond who understand America a little better because the young people from Grace Church decided to take that trip.

Read the whole article to find out more about this life-changing trip. This is exactly why every parish should engage in mission work, whether it's in Africa or around the corner. These ministries change lives, and that's exactly why the church exists. Mission should not be an afterthought, but an essential part of every Christian communion and of every Christian's life.

A tragic loss

I'd like to echo the requests of Scott, in asking your prayers for the repose of the soul of Bishop James Kelsey, his family, and his diocese.

photo courtesy of http://walkingwithintegrity.blogspot.com/

Rest in Peace Bishop Kelsey, you will be missed.

Bishop James Kelsey, RIP

No connection to Rhode Island that I know of, but let us pray for our sisters and brothers in Northern Michigan in what will be a difficult time. Keep Bishop Kelsey's family and the Diocese of Northen Michigan in your prayers.

ENS] Bishop James Kelsey of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan was killed in a road accident at around 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 3, while returning to Marquette from a parish visitation, Jane Cisluycis, diocesan operations coordinator confirmed.

Kelsey was traveling alone, but it is unclear at this time whether any other vehicles were involved in the incident.

"The Episcopal Church has today lost one of its bright lights," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said."We will be less without the easy grace of Bishop James Kelsey -- Jim to most of us -- and we shall miss his humor, insight, and passion for the ministry of all. He gave us much. We pray for the repose of his soul, and for his family. We pray also for the Diocese of Northern Michigan. All of us have lost a friend. May he rest in peace and rise in glory."

Born in 1952 in Baltimore, Maryland, Kelsey graduated from Ithaca College in 1974, and from General Theological Seminary in New York City in 1977. In 1985, Kelsey moved with his family to Oklahoma, where he served for four years as canon missioner for Cluster Ministries. In 1989, he was called to the Diocese of Northern Michigan, where he served for 10 years as ministry development coordinator before being elected bishop in 1999.

Kelsey will be remembered as a welcoming and open person who always endeavored to include others, Cisluycis said. "It is hard to imagine the hole he will leave behind," she said.

Time to rearrange the furniture?

Our church buildings in the Diocese are from earlier generations. There have been no new Episcopal Church buildings in the current generation, and very few congregations have even undertaken a significant renovation of the church space (other than polishing what's already there). Yet, if we look at church history, we can see that the interior of our worship spaces have evolved greatly. Previous generations were willing to rethink the way they inhabited sacred space.

Perhaps it's time for us too. Here's a slideshow from St. Paul's Chapel in New York City. It's well worth watching. It's about the issues that surrounded a re-ordering of worship space, including pastoral and theological matters.

Watch the slideshow. And then ask yourself some questions. What does your church space say about your understanding of community and of ministry? What would someone understand about your congregation from your space, if they had never been to your church before? Why do get new furniture at home, but not at church? Why do we expect our malls to stay fresh looking, but not our churches?

(Thanks to Karen Fraioli+ for alerting me to this slideshow. By the way, if you want to see some great re-ordered worship space, visit Karen and Church of the Epiphany in Providence.)

Lambeth Conference invitations

By now you may have heard that the invitations have been issued to the Lambeth Conference, to be held in the summer of 2008 in England. This meeting, held every 10 years or so, is an opportunity for bishops from throughout the Anglican Communion to gather for prayer, fellowship, and discussion.

Some people had expected that due to present controversies in the church, bishops from the US and Canada might not be invited. As Lambeth Palace announced a couple of days ago, nearly all bishops have been invited, including Bishop Wolf. (She'll be making her second trip there, having attended the 1998 meeting -- among the first group of women bishops at the Conference.) Many commentators are unhappy because Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire and Bishop Martyn Minns of CANA are not invited as of yet.

You can read up on all the news here. Or you can simply enjoy this pictorial representation of the situation, courtesy of Dave Walker and the CartoonChurch blog.

Successor to the U2charist?

What's next for the church, after the terribly trendy U2charist runs its course? Sarah Dylan Breuer isn't sure, but she does hold forth with "10 rejected alternative worship themes." At least we know what's not coming next.

Anglican Communion Sunday

Today is Anglican Communion Sunday, which is observed on the Sunday after the Ascension (or at some other convenient time, in case you missed it). I encourage you to have a look at the Anglican Communion website today. Do some reading or exploring.

For your reading pleasure (or something), here is the sermon I preached today at St. Matthew's, Westminster in London.

A teaser:

St. John speaks of the consummation of history, but I think this might apply well to a more imminent coming of Jesus. If we invite him, we can receive Jesus Christ into our hearts, into our lives. In the sacraments, and in our mundane lives, we can see Jesus revealed, whether in bread or in the face of a stranger.

This invitation is not for some, it is not for a chosen view. Hear the vision: "Let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift." Every minute we spend on discord and division within the church is a moment we could be inviting God into our own lives and offering God's love to a world that is thirsty for hope, for meaning, and for reconciliation.

Thirty-something elected bishop

From ENS:

The Rev. Sean W. Rowe was elected May 19 on the first ballot to be the next bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania. Rowe, 32, is rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Franklin, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Northwestern PA.

Rowe was elected on the first ballot from a slate of four candidates. He was elected with 64 lay votes and 29 clergy votes. An election on that ballot required 51 votes of 101 cast in the lay order and 24 of 47 votes cast in the clergy order. The election took place at Cathedral of Saint Paul in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Under the canons the Episcopal Church (III.11.4), a majority of bishops exercising jurisdiction and diocesan Standing Committees must consent to Rowe’s election and ordination as bishop.

If consented, Rowe will be the youngest member of the House of Bishops. The consecration is scheduled for September 8.

PB: An exciting time to be an Episcopalian

Watch Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori as she addresses the Church Club in New York City. Here's a teaser from ENS:

"This is one of the most exciting times in history to be an Episcopalian and an Anglican, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said during a May 9 presentation to the Church Club of New York, a 120-year-old layperson's group.

"The Communion is moving, in what some people see as seismic kinds of ways, but it's moving. It's not a dead and dormant thing," she said to applause.

While many tell her she has a "challenging job," Jefferts Schori answered: "I don't think that's a bad thing. I think we are meant to be challenged in the varieties of work and ministry in which we are engaged. If we're not challenged, we're likely bored, and that's not healthy for anyone."

Watch her whole speech.

U2charist slideshow

The Boston Globe has a nice slideshow from a recent U2charist in Massachusetts. If you haven't been able to get to a U2charist, this is a glimpse of why they're so appealing to many people.

Enjoy the show.

NY Times: Religion is alive and well on college campuses

Few young people at your congregation? It's not because of lack of interest. Here's an article from yesterday's NY Times:

Peter J. Gomes has been at Harvard University for 37 years, and says he remembers when religious people on campus felt under siege. To be seen as religious often meant being dismissed as not very bright, he said.

Peter J. Gomes, the Harvard preacher, said of the university, "There is probably more active religious life now than there has been in 100 years."

No longer. At Harvard these days, said Professor Gomes, the university preacher, "There is probably more active religious life now than there has been in 100 years."

Across the country, on secular campuses as varied as Colgate University, the University of Wisconsin and the University of California, Berkeley, chaplains, professors and administrators say students are drawn to religion and spirituality with more fervor than at any time they can remember.

More students are enrolling in religion courses, even majoring in religion; more are living in dormitories or houses where matters of faith and spirituality are a part of daily conversation; and discussion groups are being created for students to grapple with questions like what happens after death, dozens of university officials said in interviews.

Read the whole article (free registration required).

Going and coming to church

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Evangelism in 10 (or 20) easy steps!

I commend two blog postings. Ten ways to get someone to stay away from your church, and then ten ways to draw someone to your church. How does your congregation rate?

Teaching kids the Bible

Recently, the Christian Century published an essay by Nancy Ammerman on teaching kids the Bible and why it matters. It's provocative reading, and any parent or anyone who hopes for future generations in church should read Ammerman's essay. An excerpt:

Many mainline kids don't even hear sermons, since they leave for Sunday school after the opening portion of the worship service. And in many New England churches, religious education shuts down for the summer. Even a pretty regular attender in these churches is lucky to get 20 to 30 hours a year of religious exposure. Also, when children are in Sunday school, free-thinking teachers rarely ask them to memorize anything, lest they be accused of indoctrination. It seems likely that these children's reservoir of biblical memory will run dry before they ever have a chance to reach adulthood.

In some churches, this pattern is more a matter of neglect than intent, while in others it reflects a genuine ambivalence about teaching children the Bible. Is all that Bible reading and memorization a good thing? Have those biblical images embedded in our brains made us too accepting of patriarchy, too willing to trust authority, too willing to believe? Perhaps. But I am convinced that it need not be so, that when we commit something to memory, it sinks deep and often resurfaces in surprising ways to meet new situations. Biblical fragments ("knit together in my mother's womb," "her price is far above rubies," "plans for your welfare and not for harm") happily can grow with us, providing both a touchstone to the past and points of connection to new people and new meanings. We stuff our memories with so many things (lyrics to Sesame Street songs, Santa's reindeer), why worry about adding the names of the apostles and the words of Psalm 23 to the mix?

Those biblical words are, in fact, the common language we speak as Christians, part of the tool kit with which we build ourselves and our communities of faith. If nothing else, the Bible's existence means that we do not have to start from scratch in building a community of faith. And its infinitely multivocal and multiform self also means that there is plenty of material to work with as we and our communities change. Thinking again about how scripture works, I have become convinced that having a canon matters, not just because the words are uniquely inspired or holy or true, but because this is the core set of stories that we've all agreed to share and that have shaped us and our forebears in manifold ways. There are always other stories and always many interpretations, but those who have called themselves Christian for all these years have these characters and plots in common.

Spending time building up that core, then, is essential. It can later be deconstructed and reconstructed, added to or set aside, but if we don't start here, we may lose something very important.

How does your congregation do on teaching the Bible to kids? Are kids learning the sacred stories? Does your church do anything to feed kids and their inquisitive minds during the summer? (For that matter, do you offer any learning for adults in the summer?) There's much at stake, so this writer hopes Ammerman's points will be pondered in your hearts.

Hat tip to T19.

Turning chaos into shalom

[Episcopal News Service, Virginia Beach] Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori challenged a gathering of Episcopal Communicators April 25 to engage gifts such as proclamation, witness, storytelling, moviemaking, language, images to help usher in the biblical vision of shalom, of equality and justice for everyone.

"There is something gravely and sinfully wrong with a world where the division between the rich and poor continues to expand, where some still live in palaces and recline on ivory couches while others starve outside their gates," she told about 120 parish, diocesan and national church communicators from around the country.

"In our day, the prophets still speak for a world where the hungry are fed, the ill are healed, where all children are educated and no one is denied the basic necessities of life."

. . . So is incorporating chaos theory -- that very small changes in initial conditions can lead to radically different results -- into mission, she said. "Each and everyone sitting here is capable of changing the world. Somewhere, somehow each one of us has the capacity to tame the chaos around us and turn it toward the peace of shalom. So where are the prophets? Who's going to speak those words? Who's going to do that work?

Full Story

Projo on the big wedding

Here's an excerpt from the Projo's piece on the wedding of Bishop Geralyn Wolf and Mr. Thomas Bair.

The bride walked down the aisle without her usual miter and crosier, forsaking both for a cream-colored wedding dress and a garland about her hair.

In a festive ceremony yesterday that started with her walking down the aisle hand in hand with her cousin's 5-year-old son, with five young girls close behind, Episcopal Bishop Geralyn Wolf married Thomas Charles Bair Jr. before a crowd of nearly 400 at her diocese's Cathedral of St. John.

"I think it was the most spirited wedding I ever attended," said former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, a long-time friend who had baptized Wolf on her conversion from Judaism to Christianity 36 years ago and preached at her ordinations to deacon, priest and bishop.

Read the whole article (free registration required). Photo by THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL / Frieda Squire.

Photos from the wedding of Bishop Geralyn Wolf and Mr. Thomas Bair

Here are a few photos from the wedding, as a sample. You can view the whole set here.

The Bishop enters with children

The choir

The happy couple

The happy couple at the High Altar

At the reception at the Art Club, the former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold and the Bishop's mother (right).

Please note, you are welcome to use these photos for non-commercial purposes, but please credit "Photo by Scott Gunn." View the whole set.

Details for Bishop's wedding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT:
Jessica Gates, Communications Officer
Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island
jessica (at) episcopalri.org

Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island Announces Wedding Details for Bishop

PROVIDENCE, RI, April 21st, 2007- The Right Rev. Geralyn Wolf and Thomas Charles Bair Jr. will be united in holy matrimony on April 21st, 2007 at the Cathedral of St. John, Providence. The service will begin at 11 am.

An open invitation has been issued to the diocese. Public seating will begin at 9:30 am at the Great West doors of St. John’s Cathedral, and will end at 10:30 am and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Overflow seating will be provided at Synod Hall.

No unauthorized photography will be allowed. High resolution photographs will be made available to the press.

For additional information, contact Jessica Gates, Diocesan Communications Officer.

Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island - 275 North Main Street Providence RI
Cathedral of St. John - 271 North Main Street Providence, RI

- END -

In Observance of the Feast Day of Hope Springs Eternal

AKA

OPENING DAY!

For the gift of new beginnings, clean slates and new seasons;
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For the hope that springs eternal with every new at bat;
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For fresh mown grass, seventh inning stretches, hot dogs, peanuts and crackerjacks;
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For the inspiration to work collaboratively, strive for excellence and build relationships in pursuit of common goals;
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For perspective in defeat and for graciousness in victory;
We pray to you, O Lord.

Holy God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to offer our common thanks for the gift of baseball. Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions for this new season ahead as maybe best for us; granting us in the regular season success on the field and in the playoffs to come a shot at the World Series. Amen.