“It’s very exciting,” [Lawrence] Provenzano, 54, said Saturday night, though he added “there’s kind of a bittersweetness to all this.”
“There’s a sadness. Longmeadow’s been home for over 14 years,” said Provenzano, who will remain at St. Andrew’s until at least summer. He became pastor in January 1995.
Because the election falls within 120 days of the General Convention, Provenzano must receive the consent of the General Convention (the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops).
With closed eyes, 12 men and women sat in a circle of mismatched high-backed couches and chairs, listening as the soft musical voice of Mother Julia Anne Fritts led them in meditation.
“Now, actually breathe — something we adults often forget to do,” Fritts, the newly ordained priest at St. John’s Episcopal Church, said just loud enough over the recorded sounds of Gregorian chants.
She pushed her long, straight, silver hair off her shoulders as she looked around the quiet circle.
Pleased by the attendance, the church opened the Tuesday night meetings, called “Got Peace?” to people outside the parish.
“In the midst of an economic crisis, we hope this will catch people’s attention,” said the Rev. Jim Wheeler, rector of the Main Street church.
(For some important background on this please read further here as well as there)–KSH.
The following notice appears under the heading “Interfaith Celebration” in the most recent Saint Mark’s Cathedral Newsletter in Seattle:
“…being made new…”
Thursday, March 26, 2009, 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. Town Hall Seattle, 1119 Eighth Avenue (Seneca Street entrance)Please join in the celebration of the publication of Out of Darkness Into Light: Spiritual Guidance in the Quran with Reflections from Jewish and Christian Sources, co-authored by The Rev. Ann Holmes-Redding, Jamal Rahman and Kate Elias. The evening will also observe the 25th anniversary of Ann’s ordination to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church and her movement into the next phase of ministry as both Christian and Muslim. The evening will begin with a book reading at 5:30 p.m., followed at 6:30 p.m. by a book signing and food. Then, at 7:15 p.m, there will be a talk, panel discussion, music, conversation, and more!
Tickets cost $20 and are available at www.brownpapertickets.com; The Cathedral Shop; and at the door. A limited number of subsidized tickets are available.
Proceeds will benefit Abrahamic Reunion West.
(Hat tip: BKITNW)
(Paul Greenwood served as treasurer at St. James Episcopal Church in North Salem, New York and his wife was at one time a Sunday school teacher there also)–KSH.
Here in this tiny town of horse farms and rambling historic houses, town supervisor Paul Greenwood shared his wealth and was turning around the town, by some accounts.
But on Wednesday, the 61-year-old horse aficionado was arrested for an alleged investment scam, giving this small, elite town north of New York City a first-hand taste of the financial scandals rocking the country.
Mr. Greenwood and a partner at Westridge Capital Management, Stephen Walsh, were charged with conspiracy and wire fraud for an alleged scheme that may have cost investors at least $553 million. They are free on $7 million bond.
They also were sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Prosecutors allege that client money was used for horses, homes, collectible teddy bears and other luxuries.
One friend told her, “Run away and run quickly.”
But the Rev. Sarah E. Gordy decided not to retreat from the intriguing task of establishing a new Episcopal congregation in the church building of her youth ”” a sanctuary that a thriving congregation packed up and left slightly more than a month ago.
On Sunday, Gordy, an Episcopal priest, will celebrate her first liturgy as vicar of Holy Apostle Episcopal Church in the Town of Tonawanda.
The mission parish was created by the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York following last month’s departure of most members of the former St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, a large, conservative congregation that had been at odds for years with the direction of the national church.
Since the days of the founding of this Republic, Episcopalians have prayed each inauguration day that “Rulers may have grace, wisdom and understanding to execute justice and to maintain truth.”
In keeping with a tradition of more than 230 years, some 40 people attended a prayer service at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church of Waco this morning to request heaven’s aid to guide incoming President Barack Obama.
Although Psalm 146 advises “Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, for there is no help in them. When they breathe their last, they return to earth and in that day their thoughts perish,” the faithful nonetheless asked God to bless the President of the United States and all those in authority to make them ever mindful of their calling to serve the people.
“Grant them wisdom and strength to know and to do your will,” said the Rev. Jeff Fisher, rector of St. Alban’s.
“Through you, may God bless America in a way that we are a blessing to the whole world,” one of the first speakers, Pastor Joel Hunter, told Obama.
Bishop T.D. Jakes, a senior pastor from Houston, used Scripture to offer the incoming president four lessons for his administration. “In time of crisis, good men must stand up,” Jakes said. “God always sends the best men into the worst times.” He also told the worshipers, “This is not a time for politeness or correctness; this is a time for people to confront issues and bring about change. . . . You cannot enjoy the light without enduring the heat.”
Looking directly at Obama, Jakes said, “The problems are mighty and the solutions are not simple, and everywhere you turn there will be a critic waiting to attack every decision that you make. But you are all fired up, sir, and you are ready to go. And this nation goes with you. God goes with you.”
President-elect Barack Obama will attend a private prayer service on the morning of his inauguration at the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church on Lafayette Square, according to the Presidential Inauguration Committee.
Kevin Griffis, spokesman for the inauguration committee, said yesterday that the prayer service will not be open to the public.
St. John’s, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, is known as the “Church of the Presidents.” Since James Madison, every president has worshiped there at some point during his tenure in the Oval Office. The church has kneelers embroidered in tribute to each president, and Pew 54 is traditionally assigned to the chief executives when they visit.
He’s been described by an admiring New Yorker as “God’s go-to man on Wall Street”, an energetic Australian churchman ministering to the fallen financial gurus once considered masters of the universe.
That, the Reverend John Mason says modestly, is an exaggeration. His Wall Street ministry attracts more middle-managers than corporate masters, and its reach extends to the arts, legal, media and other professions.
But, yes, it is being increasingly sought out by people who have lost well-paid jobs and, with them, financial security, status and self-esteem.
“Over and over again, I’m hearing phrases like ‘I feel such a loser’ or ‘I feel a nobody’; that’s especially true among guys who’ve lost their jobs,” said MrMason, Anglican rector of StClement’s, Mosman, for 16 years before he accepted an invitation from the Redeemer Church in New York to set up new ministries in lower Manhattan.
And I said to [the congregation], “Think for a minute. Ninety percent of us do not need one more thing.” And so we have to find ways of rediscovering what it means to celebrate the season of light, you know, with Hannukah or, you know, the Christmas season, to find ways of being generous, being with each other. And I am certainly encouraging the congregation, you know, to give yourself. Open up your heart. Be present to someone. Be there. And I also want to remind them that, you know, what we celebrate as a Christian people when we come together around Christmas is really the celebration of a poor, humble family. A child who was helpless, born on the outskirts of society. And who through love from his parents and those around him became a human force to be reckoned with. And so much of our society today resembles that manger. We’re stripped down. We’ve lost a lot. We’re worried. We’re fearful. But, you know, all is not lost. The light will shine in the darkness. And the best is yet to come.
Read or listen to it all. I certainly appreciated the effort here, and a number of the themes hit were the right ones, but this simply was not Christocentric enough for me. I would be interested to hear what you think–KSH.
My list of blogs you should check out keeps getting longer and longer, and I rarely get to it these days. But tonight I do want to draw your attention to the blog of Rob Sturdy. Rob is the rector of Trinty, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and he is energetic, passionate and inspiring. Give it a look when you get a chance–KSH.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church long has been known as the historic Capitol Square church with a socially relevant ministry.
In time, it also will be known for “doing brave, bold things,” said the Rev. Canon D. Wallace Adams-Riley, the church’s new rector.
The church has a rich legacy of “real flesh-and-blood ministries that stretch back to the 19th century with the orphanage. It’s always been a part of who we are and there’s a sense we want it to be even more so,” said Adams-Riley, 37.
He will be formally installed tomorrow as the 15th rector in the church’s more than 160 years. The Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, will preside over the service.
The church sits on 22 acres of former farmland, with a creek and about 12 acres of bottomland perfect for agriculture. While most of the Karen refugees now work at the Tyson poultry processing plant in Shelbyville, they had been farmers in Myanmar.
At the time, the All Saints property was for sale, and Spurlock told Win the timing was wrong for planting gardens. He feared the property might be sold before the refugees could harvest their crops. Still, the idea stuck with him.
One day in May, while working on a plan to restart the church, he took a walk on the church property, and the idea of starting a farm finally dawned on him. “God gave us this land for a purpose,” he said.
Longtime church member Mark Orr agreed. He and his wife, Landra, have been attending All Saints since its organizational meeting about 12 years ago.
“I’m ashamed to say it, but we had to wait until God slapped us on the head, and said, ‘I gave this land to you, put it to work.’ ”
The Very Rev. James A. Kowalski has been dean of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine for nearly seven years. In all that time, he has never heard its great organ played during a worship service.
On Sunday, he will finally have his chance.
So will countless congregants and visitors as the Episcopal cathedral is formally rededicated. Everyone is invited to the 11 a.m. service, though the cathedral advises the public to arrive at least an hour early to claim passes for unreserved seats. At least 3,000 people are expected to attend.
The rededication signifies the return of the whole cathedral ”” all 601 feet of it ”” to useful life.
The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in Upper Manhattan will be open from end to end for the first time since its restoration following a devastating fire that damaged ancient tapestries and a 8,500-pipe organ.
A celebratory rededication is planned for Sunday at the Gothic Episcopal church, called the largest cathedral in the world.
The entire length of the 601-foot-long building will be open. A temporary wall had halved the cathedral, concealing the scaffolding set up for the restoration work. The fire originated in the gift shop on Dec. 18, 2001.
A Province I task force has issued “a pastoral resource for Province I Episcopal clergy ministering to same-sex couples.” The document is the first of its kind in the Episcopal Church.
The report was accepted at the Province I synod held November 21 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Concord, New Hampshire with a resolution stating that its “use is to be determined by diocesan bishops.”
The document consists of four parts: an historical and theological overview of same-gender unions; an exploration of issues specific to same-gender couples and their congregations; a statement of legalities, which vary from state-to-state; and a framework for counseling same-gender couples who desire a public commitment. An appendix of websites, books, documents and other resources is also included in the report.
Tough economic times are forcing more people than ever to seek help with their Thanksgiving meal, creating such demand at local food pantries that many will likely be disappointed this year.
Martha Reed, coordinator of the food pantry at Grace Episcopal Church, said the church had begun to turn people away Monday.
“A woman came this morning with six children. I was able to give her a couple of good-sized chickens, but there are a lot more people looking,” she said.
Thanksgiving came early this year for residents of Johns and Wadmalaw islands.
Nineteen churches pulled together Saturday to host “Feeding the Multitude,” which included a free Thanksgiving meal, entertainment and Christian fellowship.
Although Sunday mornings have been called one of the most segregated times in America, black, white and Hispanic volunteers contributed food, time and talent to serve their neighbors Saturday afternoon.
The event was held at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Johns Island, and organizers hope it will become an annual event.
Washington National Cathedral will eliminate 30 jobs, drastically scale back the Cathedral College of Preachers and cut $8 million from its current budget because of the global financial downturn.
In a November 19 news release, the Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III, the cathedral’s dean, said the cuts are “financially prudent” and are “necessary to protect our important work in the city and the nation.
“Like many other institutions around the world, Washington National Cathedral has been affected by the current downturn in the financial market,” said Lloyd. “And this is having a serious impact on invested funds that we have used to support our mission.”
“The reality is that the cathedral serves as a sacred space for the nation,” says Sam Lloyd, dean of the cathedral. “A place the nation looks to in critical times.”
Washington National Cathedral also transcends politics and even the separation of religions. Though nominally an Episcopal church, it welcomes everyone. It is at once deeply Christian and deeply interfaith. The Episcopal Church has a long history of inclusiveness. The first black bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, John Walker, presided there. Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, the first female presiding bishop in the Episcopal Church, was inducted there. And Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson of the Diocese of New Hampshire was the first openly gay bishop in Christendom.
“We are a place that welcomes people of all faiths and no faith,” says Lloyd, echoing Barack Obama’s words of two years ago. “Whatever we once were,” Obama said then, “we’re no longer just a Christian nation. At least not just. We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation and a Buddhist nation and a Hindu nation and a nation of nonbelievers.”
If the hallowed grounds of the Old Churchyard cemetery at the Parish Church of St. Helena (Episcopal) could talk, they would tell the long, storied history of not only the church but of Beaufort itself.
In the 1987 publication, “Old Churchyard: St. Helena’s Episcopal Church,” Lawrence Rowland, associate professor of history at the University of South Carolina Beaufort, called the cemetery “one of the most historic graveyards in America.”
Bob Barrett, the church’s archivist and member, and chair of the Old Churchyard Committee, couldn’t agree more. The cemetery was founded in 1724 — 12 years after the church’s founding and 13 after Beaufort was founded.
A vote this weekend will determine where Wichita Falls’ Episcopalians sit in church Sunday.
Disagreements that have been festering for years in the Episcopal Church will be addressed today and Saturday at the annual convention of the Diocese of Fort Worth at St. Vincent’s Cathedral in Bedford, Texas.
The published agenda includes a vote on a constitutional amendment that would remove the Fort Worth diocese ”” including its church property in the diocese ”” from the Episcopal Church and tuck it under the South American-based Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, a realignment under the branch of the church that is headquartered in Argentina.
Who will own the actual buildings in Wichita Falls ”” All Saints Episcopal at 2606 Southwest Parkway, Church of the Good Shepherd at 1007 Burnett, and St. Stephen’s Episocopal Church at 5023 Lindale Drive near Rider High School ”” is in question and may require a court to decide, officials say.
An Episcopal church in the New York suburbs is hoping that the removal of two dozen pews from the sanctuary will make the church feel less empty and more inviting.
St. Bartholomew’s Church in White Plains, an 80-year-old congregation that like many mainline Protestant churches has experienced shrinking membership, hatched the plan as part of an effort to create a more intimate space for worship that could appeal to visitors.
“When people visited before, it seemed like a museum,” said the Rev. Gawain de Leeuw, rector of St. Bart’s for five years. “The church seemed empty. Each person could have had their own pew. Changing our sanctuary space immediately changed the way people feel in the church. It’s an important start.”
This was a long time in coming, and was the source of a joy-filled celebration today. It is a great testimony to the faithfulness of apparently ordinary people slugging it out in the trenches for Jesus and somehow, through the work of the Holy Spirit, able to do extraordinary things.