St. James - Music by the Bridge

Music by the Bridge - 2008 Series:

St. James Church presents The Early Music Ensemble from Rhode Island College on Friday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m.Friday evening, May 30^th at 7:30 p.m. members of the Early Music Ensemble from Rhode Island College will present a concert in the St. James Episcopal auditorium, 24 Hamlet Avenue.  Musicians include Erin Ferenbaugh, Candace Christiansen, Kristina Marsland, vocalists, and Chris Sadlers on bass.  A free will offering will be taken and refreshments will be served following the concert.

Walk for LIfe - Team Grace Church

Millennium Development Goal #6 - Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis

Join Team GRACE CHURCH - rain or shine - at the carousel in Roger Williams Park in Providence on Sunday morning June 8th at 10 AM for the 21st Annual 'WALK for LIFE' to benefit AIDS Project Rhode Island.

In past years, Team GRACE CHURCH has been one of the top fundraisers for this event. In these financially difficult times, no donation is to be considered too small and will be gratefully appreciated to help Team GRACE CHURCH achieve its goal of $1500. Please consider your donation and participation prayerfully.

For additional information or to donate online please visit the Team GRACE CHURCH webpage at:

www.firstgiving.com/teamgracechurch or contact Christopher Utter by telephone at 401 351 6510 or by E-mail at ajax-golden@cox.net. Donations may also be mailed directly to Grace Church at 175 Mathewson Street, Providence, RI 02903-3499, or delivered by hand to the church receptionist Carolina Boyle. The envelope should be marked APRI 'Walk for Life'. Checks should be made payable to AIDS Project Rhode Island.

St. Paul's, North Kingstown (Wickford) Celebrates Parish Rectory

Something fun is in the works at St Paul’s… A tribute to our lovely rectory is being planned and you are invited to help us celebrate its rich history. The merriment will span Friday and Saturday, June 20^th  & 21^st  and will include antiques, tours, lectures and of course, an elegant St. Paul’s reception.

Starting on Friday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., ticketed guests will tour the historic rector’s home, which will be decorated with exquisite antiques available for purchase.   There will be a starlit wine and finger food reception as well as musical entertainment for your enjoyment. 

House tours and the antique sale will continue from noon to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. At 1 o’clock David Zaltzman will conduct a church tour and lecture about the church’s exquisite stained glass windows while musical entertainment will be featured in the church garden.  St. Paul’s 300^th anniversary items will be available for purchase.

Tickets may be purchased at the Church office, between services or by calling Carol Palmer @ 885-2374. The cost is $10.00 for each calendar day.

More information is available by calling the church office at 294-4357.  

Episcopalian & Fabulous: LGVT & Friends Alliance of Grace Church, Providence

Episcopalian & Fabulous

Gay Pride Calendar at Grace Church in Providence

Sunday 15 June – Interfaith Service

Beneficent Congregational Church at 300 Weybosset Street in Dowcnity

4PM with reception in Abbott Park Place to follow

Saturday 21 June – 2008 Pride Marketplace

NOON. Come Visit the Grace Church information and welcome table

Saturday 21 June – 2008 Pride Parade

EVENING. Join the LGBT & Friends Alliance of Grace Church

Sunday 22 June – Sunday Worship at Grace Church in Providence

Corner of Westminster and Mathewson Streets in Downcity

Worship with Grace Church in Providence at 8AM and 10AM

Hospitality following the 10AM service courtesy the LGBT & Friends

Alliance of Grace Church

Parish Administrator Annual Luncheon

The parish administrators had their annual Luncheon at Trinity Episcopal Church in
Newport hosted by Marie Maguire. This picture was taken by a tourist walking up the street past Trinity Church. When we asked if she would take a picture of the group and told her that we were parish administrators, she replied: "I'm a parish administrator in New Jersey!"

Linda Gorman and Diane Papineau from Christ Church in Lincoln graciously volunteered to host the luncheon in 2009!

Rev. Dr. Libby Nestor named Woman Physician of the Year

Photo credit: Dr. Gary Bubly

[Lifespan.org Press Release]

Elizabeth “Libby” Nestor, MD, MDIV, FACEP, an emergency medicine doctor at Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital, has been named by the RI Women’s Medical Association (RIMWA) as the 2008 RIMWA Woman Physician of the Year. The award is given annually to a local female physician who has demonstrated excellence and a high level of commitment to medicine, family and the community.

Nestor was the first full-time female faculty member in the department of emergency medicine at Rhode Island Hospital. Prior to medical school at Northwestern University, Nestor received her master’s in divinity from Yale Divinity School. Today, she still practices as a minister at the Rhode Island Episcopal Church.

Nestor is well known for her mentorship to junior faculty, residents, and medical students. She received the Teaching Recognition Award from Brown Medical School in 2006 and the Teaching Excellence Award in 2008, volunteers her time for the Doctoring Program at Brown Medical School, acts as a faculty advisor for EM residents, gives lectures on ethics and serves on the Ethics Committee. She also has a role in interviewing incoming residents for the emergency medicine residency and serves as a National Oral Board Examiner for her specialty. Nestor, with three other EM physicians, has been the recipient of a Center of Excellence in Women’s Health Grant to study the effectiveness of training gender differences in emergency medicine residencies.

Nestor gave a speech entitled “The Intimate Science: 100 Years of Medical History in One RI Family” during the presentation ceremony in her honor of at the RIMWA annual meeting on May 5 at the Providence Marriott.

Dr. Cynthia Shattuck receives Honorary Doctoral Degree

I recieved this posting recently, Cynthia is a longtime member of our Diocese. Her husband is the Rev. Dr. Gardiner H. Shattuck, Jr ("Tuck") Assistant Rector of S. Stephens in Providence. Cynthia is Consulting Editor for Church Publishing, Morehouse & Seabury Books.

[EDS Press Release]

Dr. Cynthia Logan Shattuck receives Honorary Doctoral Degree
for Religious Publishing

May 25, 2008, CAMBRIDGE, MA – Episcopal Divinity School celebrated its 2008 Commencement Ceremony on May 15, 2008 at the First Church in Cambridge, Congregational, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dr. Cynthia Logan Shattuck, a lay woman, editor, and publisher, received an honorary doctorate in recognition of her outstanding contributions to theological education and literature. Her career in theological publishing began thirty years ago at Cowley Press, and she continues to expand opportunities within the realm of religious books. In full, EDS conferred 39 degrees including 20 Master of Divinity, six Master of Arts in Theological Studies, six Doctor of Ministry, and two Certificates of Theological Study.

EDS was pleased to also confer honorary degrees on four other individuals who also exhibit distinguished and faithful ministries in social justice: The Rt. Rev. John Bryson Chane, Mr. Kevin Johnson, Ms. Katie Sherrod, and Ms. Hellen Wangusa.

Dr. Shattuck was one of the five individuals recognized with the degree, doctor of divinity, honoris causa. “EDS is proud to have recognized our 2008 honorary degree recipients for their distinguished and faithful ministry in the areas of justice, compassion, and reconciliation,” said EDS President and Dean, The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston. “These principles are at the core of EDS as we work to develop leaders for Christ’s Church and the world who will serve all of God’s people. These men and woman stand with us. By bestowing the doctor of divinity degree on each of them, we celebrate five people of vision, integrity, and gospel courage.”

Dr. Shattuck was presented her honorary doctoral degree by Dr. Fredrica Harris Thompsett, “for exceptional contributions to theological publishing and scholarship.” Shattuck is passionate about her work, and an entrepreneur in the religious press business. She is also co-editor of The Oxford Guide to the Book of Common Prayer and has published the works of authors such as Barbara Brown Taylor and Edwin Friedman to wide audiences. “Several members of this faculty are indebted to you both for your editorial guidance in our own publications, as well as to for publishing other volumes frequently used in our teaching,” said Thompsett.

Jazz Mass

What is a Jazz Mass? The liturgy of the worship service framed in a musical setting with vocal interpretation of the traditional text and improvisational expression of the reverent mood.

Where is a Jazz Mass? At the Episcopal Conference Center, 872 Reservoir Road, Pascoag, RI

When is Jazz Mass? Sunday, June 8th
4:00 - Rehearsal, 5:00 - Light Supper, 6:00 Jazz Mass.

Who should attend a Jazz Mass? YOU, youth groups, those who want to have a different worship experience.

More questions? Call Sue Hurn at 568-4055.

Environmental Stewardship Task Force

[Submitted by Dee Tavolaro]

Greetings from The Environmental Stewardship Task Force of The Diocese of Rhode Island! We are a newly formed small group from around the diocese that have joined together to discuss Environmental Issues in the Diocese. Our task comes out of the resolution passed at the 2007 Diocesan Convention.

Our last meeting was held on May 15, 2008 at St. Paul’s Church in Pawtucket. Our meeting consisted of dealing with official business such as naming officers and voting on our official name. At the meeting we voted to make Zeke Olsen and Katherine Gibson – both of St. Augustine’s Kingstown – co-Chairs.

We also discussed various educational events that the Task Force could sponsor for the diocese in the fall. This is still in the brain storming stage. We also discussed conducting a diocesan-wide parish survey. Such questions as “Have you had an energy audit?”, “Have you a point person in mind for Environmental Issues?”, “What have you done?” and “What do you need?”. Plans for the survey will be finalized at our next meeting.

It was also decided that each meeting will have 10 - 15 minutes of education. Ty Creason volunteered to offer the first educational piece at our next meeting.

If you have an comments, questions, concerns, or interest in joining please contact Zeke Olsen at zfolsen@cox.net.

Our next meeting will be held at St. Mark’s Church in Warwick on June 5, 2008 at 7:00pm.

Proclaiming Good News, when the world looks for bad news

The Rev. Scott Gunn maintains a great blog over at sevenwholedays.org. Recently he wrote an article that is making the rounds on the blogosphere (it was touched upon recently over at Blogula Rasa).

"Candles and vestments were at the center of controversies that nearly tore about the Episcopal Church. In the nineteenth century, lawsuits were files, schism was threatened, and the church was distracted by fights over things that we take for granted today. Is there a lesson for us?

For much of the 1800s, the Episcopal Church in the US was consumed by internal disagreements. On one side, some people insisted that there was no biblical basis for using crosses and candles at the altar. On the other side, some people insisted that these adornments added dignity and reverence to the liturgy, and were justified based on church tradition. People left the church, and efforts at evangelism suffered. Rather than rooting itself in mission and evangelism, the church used its energy to fight about things that today seem unimportant."

I encourage you to check it out.