RI Episcopal Churches Experience Foul Attacks

Flamingo Attacks have been spotted all over RI and continue attacking our churches. Has your parish been attacked (yet)? Send photos to risen@episcopalri.org.

And remember to support EYE!!

EYE Delegation Fundraiser - Uno Chicago Grill
Thursday June 5th at Anytime
Uno Chicago Grill at Smithfield Crossoings Mall
You must present the flyer to have up to 20% of your bill benefit the delegation

Details: There will be a fundraiser for the RI Delegation to the Episcopal Youth Event on Thursday June 5th at Uno / Chicago Grill at Smithfield Crossing. You must bring the flyer (see link below) and up to 20% of the bill will be donated to the delegation! This is a great way for many people to support the delegation and help them get to San Antonio. Go to Facebook for more info and to get the flyer.

Prison Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island

Do you believe in the power of prayer to change your life and that of others?

Join with two or more in your parish to form a Prayer Circle for Prisoners. Your circle will receive the names of two or more prisoners at the ACI and their prayer requests. Prisoners will be chosen by their interest in increasing their relationship with Jesus Christ. Circle members will pray daily for the specific needs of their prisoners and family members and send inspirational notes, cards, and devotional material to encourage them. A required safety training will be given by the Rev. Joyce Penfield, Chaplain; supervision and coaching will be provided by Deacon Ricky Brightman. The first training session will be held in the evening on June 17. Training will also be offered in the fall BUT we wish to get this program off to a good start now.

For more information please contact Deacon Ricky Brightman at 781-9210 or deacon.ricky@stlukeseg.org.

Truth In Advertising

How pleased I was to hear that the national church has launched a series of ads in various media for this summer. Apparently, the print ad will run in the newspaper with the big color pictures this weekend, and they've somehow managed to put something on the talking boxes one sees in airport terminals. I don't know if there are any plans to put them on e-mail machines.
Aside from snarky comments about the church's lack of media saavy and sensibilities that go beyond, oh, 1956, there are other problems:

• are people supposed to bring their own carrot slicers to church, or do we provide them?


• if carrot slicing is the most inspirational thing about coming to church on a Sunday, don't we have bigger problems?


• while I'm not the biggest Jesus-pusher I know, is there a better way to connect HOW slicing carrots proclaims the Gospel? (I'm just reaching here, but maybe a word or two from the Bible might help)

What I hear time and again is that people who aren't in church don't have a problem with Jesus. They have a problem with church. So if someone were inspired enough by this ad to come to one of our churches on Sunday, what will they see? What will they expect to see? Will it fit the ad? Or will they be asked why their carrot slicer is rusty? Will they be told that carrot slicing only takes place on the fourth Sunday of months that begin in J? Will they be preached to about the price of carrots in a conservative church vs. the price in a liberal church?
If we're going to advertise the church, we'd better be clear about what we're advertising. And what we advertise better be consistent with who we are. And if we don't know that, then no amount of advertising will help us. Not even if all we're asking for is help peeling carrots.

Delay in eRISEN

We are currently experiencing "technical difficulties" with Constant Contact, the email management service for eRISEN. It should be resolved within a week and eRISEN will resume as normal.

Traces of the Trade

[From Ty Creason]

The film, "Traces of the Trade", will be shown at the Cathedral on Wednesday, June 11, at 7:30 pm. In this film, producer/director Katrina Browne tells the story of her forefathers, the largest slave-trading family in US history. Given the myth that the South is solely responsible for slavery, viewers will be surprised to learn that Browne's ancestors were Northerners. This film follows Browne and nine fellow family members on a remarkable journey, made in 2001, that brought them face-to-face with the history and legacy of this hidden enterprise.

Of interest to Rhode Islanders is the fact that from 1769 to 1820, DeWolf fathers, sons, and grandsons trafficked in human beings. They sailed their ships from Bristol, Rhode Island, to West Africa with rum to trade for African men, women, and children. Captives were taken to plantations that the DeWolf's owned in Cuba or were sold at such ports as Havana or Charleston. Sugar and molasses were then brought from Cuba to the family-owned rum distilleries in Bristol,. Over the generations, the family owned 47 ships that transported thousands of Africans across the Middle Passage into slavery. They amassed an enomous fortune. By his death in 1827, James DeWolf had been a US senator and was reportedly the second richest man in America. Another family member, James DeWolf Perry III, served as the Presaiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church from 1930-1937.

There will be much to learn and discuss with the showing of this film. This special presentation will be hosted by Dain Perry, one of the family members who made the trip back through history to confront the family slave-trading legacy. It is being sponsored by The Cathedral and the Social Justice Committee of the Diocese

Look for further announcements. If you have specific questions, please contact Dean Harry Krauss at the Cathedral or Deacon Ricky Brightman, Chair of the Social Justice Committee (deacon.ricky@stlukeseg.org).

Rethink Every Action

This from “The New France” by Andrew Jefford, talking about how French wine-growers are learning from New World (i.e. South America, North America, Australia): “A spell in South Africa, Chile or Australia is now an essential part of the education of many young French wine-growers. What they tend to learn…are the best lessons of New World winemaking. Rethink every action; do nothing for precedent’s sake alone; understand as much as possible; and practice your vocation with absolute commitment.”
He goes on to say that the lesson they don’t bring back to France is that winemaking “can be a brand-driven industry like any other…and that marketing strategies are more important than scent and flavour in selling wine.”
What would the church look like if we rethought everything we did, and everything we did had a purpose that was in step with our vocation and mission? What would it be like if we did nothing for precedent’s sake, but understood the “scent and flavour” of our liturgy completely? What would Sundays look like?

Built to Last

My mom gave me a subscription to The Week, a collection of tidbits from the US and international press on the goings-on of the world. There's usually a cartoon picture of a very sour looking Hillary Clinton on the cover. It's a good read for those of us who are too wrapped up in the NHL playoffs and sermonating to actually, y'know, know what's going on in the world.

In last week's issue, there was a piece from the magazine Fortune, which oddly enough I do not subscribe to, concerning the fate of great businesses. See if you can find the church analogy. Jim Collins wrote a book called "Built to Last" about how businesses adapt during times of flux. He considers Wal-Mart (boooooo) and Ames (wistful sigh; I grew up with one in Oneonta), which were very similar in the 70's and 80's. Well, you know why we booooo Wal-Mart now-a-days--they are everything we hate about the megastore. What about Ames? Who? What? Why did one thrive and one fail to survive? Collins writes "Wal-Mart opted for steady growth consistent with its strategy. Ames pursued 'wild growth' through acquisition. Wal-Mart created its own success, and Ames caused its own death."

Myanmar (Burma) Crisis

I am sure you have all been as horrified as I have been watching the events unfold in Burma. The government there is literally twiddling their thumbs, letting people die, watching people suffer and rebuking outside assistance due to their isolationist nationalist political agenda. The government in "Myanmar" is a military dictatorship that is not recognized as legitimate by most of the world powers. Their democratically elected leader (Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi or "The Lady" as she is fondly called) remains under house arrest for at least 12 of the last 19 years.

The government of Myanmar does not represent the people of Burma. My husband (Rev. Alan Gates) spent a month in Burma about 4 years ago. He went for a program supporting the Anglican Church in the country. Of course, the government knew that he was a "religious" person but he had to apply for entry as a "teacher" in order to be granted access. The Anglican Church is not sanctioned by the Myanmar government. His small group was followed, documented, photographed and regularly put through extra steps requiring bribes and flattery to move forward. The government would have the lights and power shut off to areas he traveled, often leading to preaching in the dark. The group was not deterred, everyone continued as though it was perfectly normal. The country did (and does not) have a communications infrastructure, so there were no telephone calls or emails to let me know that he was ok. At one point he was horribly ill - but the people of Burma took wonderful care of him. He can share the details of his adventure far better than I can, but the agency he was most taken with was World Vision. The big dogs from UNICEF were living life large with giant homes, staff and luxuries whereas the people of World Vision were out in the field, orphanages and villages - completely committed to the people they were working for. Since then, World Vision has been a favorite go-to charity for my family. They are already in Burma. They know how the system works. You can be sure they are working as hard as they can to provide the maximum amount of assistance and relief to devastated areas and families.

As of this morning (5/12/08) the government has finally allowed one US shipment of assistance in to the country. Hopefully it will not go the way of prior efforts (the government confiscated aid so they could relabel it with the names of local generals, adding days to the rescue efforts). Their airport is small but is only handling about 4-5 incoming flights per day when they should be allowing at least one per hour. They should be doing many things. Should, but won't. It is painful to stand by and watch this happen. Certainly reminds me of my feelings of outrage during and after Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. And we should still have outrage for our own culture of corruption in the continued rebuilding efforts in our own country.

Any able country that refuses to reasonably mobilize or accept aid in the wake of a disaster should be subjected to strict international scrutiny, sanctions and held to a criminal court. But what does an international community do when the country in question is so extremely isolated and removed from the world at large? Where no system is in place to feel the pressure of sanctions or threats? Or where sanctions only hurt the people of the country more than help? North Korea - the archetype of isolationism - has more international ties than Myanmar. Ideally, you want to see the people rise up and fight against the corruption and fight against dictatorship ... but that is a very Western thought. The people of Burma are peaceable, the national religion is Buddhism and there is a strong belief in nonviolence. Unfortunately, it is not a belief their own government holds dear. Pray for the people of Burma.

Myanmar Crisis - Episcopal Relief & Development

[Episcopal Relief and Development]

With estimates of as many as 100,000 people dead in Myanmar, and fears of disease and food shortages on the way, Cyclone Nargis has created a major humanitarian crisis.

Episcopal Relief and Development is responding to this disaster with our Anglican and ecumenical partners. Please find below more information about our response, how you can help, and resources available for churches.

What is Episcopal Relief and Development doing to help?
We are working with Anglican and ecumenical partners to meet the immediate needs of victims by providing food, water and shelter. We have provided monetary support to our partners to obtain and distribute the necessary resources they need to assist victims.

We are reaching people in three affected areas: a suburban area of Yangon (Rangoon) and two areas in the Irrawaddy Division (East Delta and West Delta regions).

What has been accomplished so far?
Because our partners live and work in the affected communities, they were able to respond immediately to the disaster. One partner has already sent three assessment teams to assist and determine needs in the hard hit areas. They have established a relief committee to review the assessments and response required.

Episcopal Relief and Development’s assistance thus far has been to provide financial support to help our partners purchase critical goods and supplies. We know that financial support is crucial at this point so that our partners can secure and distribute emergency assistance.

We are confident that our church partners are reaching people in the affected areas, and will effectively distribute resources to those who need it most.

Has Episcopal Relief and Development been in communication with anyone in Myanmar?
As a result of the damage to infrastructure from the cyclone, it is difficult to count on normal communications at present. At this point, we are in limited communication with our church partner. However, we know from recent correspondence that our outreach work is profoundly appreciated. We will have more specific information about the situation in the hardest hit regions of the country later next week when our partner’s assessment teams return.

Will Episcopal Relief and Development staff be going to Myanmar soon?
We plan to send staff to Myanmar in the next few weeks. During this trip, staff will assist our partner in designing a long-term recovery plan based on the needs evident from the assessment. We also will provide ongoing support for those affected while the long-term recovery plan is being developed.

How long has Episcopal Relief and Development been working in Myanmar?
We have been working in Myanmar since 2006. Our programs have helped people achieve economic stability through education, vocational training, and micro-finance initiatives. We have also provided tools and training to improve the food supply and access to clean water.

What kind of accountability system do you have?
Since we have an established relationship with our local church partner in Myanmar, we have mechanisms for planning, reporting and accounting.

Will Episcopal Relief and Development be involved in long-term recovery and rehabilitation in Myanmar?
One of the most important features of our disaster relief work is the commitment to long-term recovery. After the first three to six months of a disaster, Episcopal Relief and Development stays in-country when most organizations leave. It generally takes five to eight years for a community to recover from a disaster on the scale of Cyclone Nargis.

We always follow the lead of our local partners in planning response and recovery activities in order to respect unique local context of the country in which we are working.

How can I help?
You can help victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.

• Give online at http://www.er-d.org/
  
• Call 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129 (Monday- Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EDT)
  
• Mail gifts to: Episcopal Relief and Development “Myanmar and Cyclone Response Fund” P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058.

Please be sure to designate all gifts to Episcopal Relief and Development’s “Myanmar and Cyclone Response Fund”

If you would like to make a donation outside of our normal business hours of 9:00am – 5:00pm EDT (Monday – Friday), please visit our website: http://www.er-d.org/ and designate your donation toward the Myanmar and Cyclone Response Fund. You also can mail contributions to our address listed above.

Do you have any resources my church can use to let people know how to help?
Episcopal Relief and Development has a downloadable bulletin insert available for churches to copy and place in their Sunday service leaflets. Please ask your clergy to consider using this on May 11 or May 18.

Confirmation

I have spent much of this year serving as the interim chaplain at the St. George's School in Newport, RI. It has been a great experience working and preaching with 300+ students. One of the neatest pieces of my role has been hearing seniors give chapel talks. I also enjoyed preparing a group for Confirmation.

This past week was Bishop Wolf's visit. I was a little nervous. It was a big service and there were lots of participants to coordinate.

Bishop Wolf preached a very good sermon about finding your passion. The confirmands were great. Everything fell right into place.

In my mind, the great moment in the service happened at the Fraction. As Bishop Wolf broke the bread, she started to spontaneously sing a fraction anthem. She sang in a hushed tone, the mic quietly amplified. The alleluias slowly wafted through the enormous chapel. All fidgeting ceased. It became very quiet except for the alleluias washing over all. It was quite a moving moment of the pronounced presence of the Holy Spirit.

For me, it was a moment signifying hope. It was a moment that showed just how open young people are to transcendence. The Church is always talking about how to reach younger people. We are always looking for innovative ways to accomplish this. Yet, in the midst of a very normal Confirmation, it happened. Maybe, it is less about us, and more about the Spirit.

The Rev'd Chris Epperson