A Powerful Video

Watch this!  And talk with your youth/young adults...

A Thought on Prayer

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Rom. 8:12-17)

In The Word is Very Near You, Martin Smith says,

"Even quite experienced Christians who are hard-working and caring people balk at prayer as yet another demand on top of everything else. Here is another quota to fulfill, this time from a supernatural boss, or another person to satisfy, a super-parent.

What if God does not demand prayer as much as gives prayer? What if God wants prayer in order to satisfy us? What if prayer is a means of God nourishing, restoring, healing, converting us? Suppose prayer is primarily allowing ourselves to be loved, addressed and claimed by God.

It is one thing to say that prayer is a conversation with God. It is another to say that God begins the conversation. But it is yet something else to say that God is a conversation. In God love ever flows between the Father and the Son in the Spirit....Our prayer is not making conversation with God. It is joining a conversation that is already going on in God. It is being invited to participate in the relationships of intimacy between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is an eternal dance already in full swing, and we are caught up in it."

Thanks to the Center for Biblical Studies for the quote.

Fall Bible Study: American Saints Weeks Three - Six

Week Three of American Saints - Martyrs

PETER the ALEUT (1815) – Russian Orthodox
SISTER CONSTANCE AND HER COMPANIONS - "The Martyrs of Memphis" (1878) – Episcopalian
CLARA LOUISE MAASS (1876 – 1901) - Lutheran
JOSEPH and MICHAEL HOFER (1918) – Hutterian Brethern

JONATHAN MYRICK DANIELS (1939 - 1965) – Episcopalian

Week Four of American Saints – In Service to Others

HERMAN of ALASKA (1756 - 1837) – Russian Orthodox
THOMAS GALLAUDET (1822 - 1902) – Episcopalian
GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER (1864 – 1943) - Methodist
BERNARD FRANCIS ”SOLANUS” CASEY (1870 - 1957) – Roman Catholic

Week Five - ADVOCATES FOR CIVIL RIGHTS

John Woolman (1720 - 1772) - Quaker who led fight against the slave trade among American Quakers.
Absalom Jones (1746-1818) - 1st black Episcopal priest, born as a slave, founder of St. Thomas in Phil.
John Quincy Adams (1767 - 1848) - Congregational president of the US and civil rights advocate.
Mary McCIoud Bethune (1875 - 1955) -Methodist teacher and first black woman to head a federal agency.

Week Six - ADVOCATES FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS

Lucretia Coffin Mott (1793 - 1880) - Quaker minister who led fight for women's rights and abolition.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815 - 1902) - An Episcopalian who worked for women's suffrage.
Georgia Harkness (1891 - 1974) - Methodist who became first woman professor.
Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977) - Voting and civil rights activist; Baptist.
Barbara Andrews (1935 - 1978) - First woman ordained in the American Lutheran Church.

You are the ethicist!

This article from the ethicist is good and I agree to a point but as Christians we expect flawed people to do good things and we accept that. I think of St. Paul who was Saul before his conversion. So how would you answer this question about Lance Armstrong & Livestrong?

It was recently demonstrated by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that Lance Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs during the seven years when he won the Tour de France. During the same period, Armstrong started Livestrong, a cancer-support organization known for its ubiquitous yellow bracelets. Is the unethical nature of Lance’s doping offset by the fact that his Livestrong organization has touched many lives in a positive way? Is it even right to consider Livestrong in our ethical analysis of Armstrong’s doping?

Here is how the ethicist answered.
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Fall Bible Study: Week Two of American Saints

NATIVE AMERICAN SAINTS

Samson Occom (1723 - 1792)
Presbyterian clergyman and member of the Mohegan nation near New London, CT.

Chief Seattle (1780 - 1866)
Roman Catholic and chief of the Duwamish. Seattle, WA named after him.

Enmegahbowh (1807 - 1902)
First Native American Episcopal Priest.

Ephesians 2:4-10

2 'But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ''and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 'Tor by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 'not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

Romans 12:9-21

9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; "love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. ' 'Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.* 'Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. ! Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. "'Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly;* do not claim to be wiser than you are. ! Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. wlf it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. '"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.' "No, 'if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.' "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Leviticus

You must keep my decrees and my laws.... And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you. (Leviticus 18:26, 28)

Fall Bible Study: Week One of American Saints

Opening Scripture

Ecclesiasticus 44:1-11 - Now allow us to praise famous people and our ancestors, generation by generation. The Lord created great glory, his majesty from eternity. They ruled in their kingdoms, and made a name with their power, some giving counsel by their intelligence; some making pronouncements in prophecies; some leading the people by their deliberations, and by their understanding of the people’s learning, giving wise words in their instruction; others devising musical melodies, and composing poems; rich people endowed with strength, living in peace in their dwellings—all of these were honored in their generation, a source of pride in their time. Some of them left behind a name so that their praises might be told. For some there is no memory, and they perished as though they hadn’t existed. These have become as though they hadn’t been born, they and even their children after them. But these were compassionate people whose righteous deeds haven’t been forgotten. This will persist with their children; their descendants will be a good legacy.

The Saints

Ruler:  KING KAMEHAMEHA IV (1834 – 1863) & QUEEN EMMA OF HAWAII (1836 – 1885) – Episcopalian

Prophet: DOROTHY DAY (1897 – 1980) – Roman Catholic

Guide/Teacher: JOHN CLARKE (1609 – 1676) – Baptist

Music/Art: MAHALIA JACKSON (1912 – 1972) – Baptist

Closing Scripture


Hebrews 13: 1 – 7 - Keep loving each other like family. Don’t neglect to open up your homes to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it. Remember prisoners as if you were in prison with them, and people who are mistreated as if you were in their place. Marriage must be honored in every respect, with no cheating on the relationship, because God will judge the sexually immoral person and the person who commits adultery. Your way of life should be free from the love of money, and you should be content with what you have. After all, he has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. This is why we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper, and I won’t be afraid. What can people do to me? Remember your leaders who spoke God’s word to you. Imitate their faith as you consider the way their lives turned out.


Scripture is from the Common English Bible.

Helping Children Learn their Faith at Home

It is important for parents to remember that they have the greatest influence on the faith lives of their children.  As one curriculum titles it, Parents as Resident Theologians, parents are the ones who help interpret faith and culture to their children.

I found a website to help with just that!

http://www.vibrantfaithathome.org

From the website:  Studies are consistent with a simple, yet profound conclusion: parental faith has the single most powerful influence over whether or not our children and youth have faith. If it’s is important to parents, it becomes important to their children. The opposite is also true: if faith is not important to parents, it will likely not become important to their children.

When parents genuinely live their faith through the day, through the season, through the year, then they pass it along to their children. Take a look at these helpful articles and activities:

Waiting for a Cue – every child waits for a faith cue. Great article for parents of young children.
Ten Commandment Magnets – there’s more to them than do’s and don’ts. Young families will have fun and learn some faith basics with this activity.
Walking with Youth – pay attention and listen for signs of grace. Terrific guidance for parents of pre-teens and adolescents.
Images of God Today – what images of God work for you and your family. Easy, yet powerful conversation/learning activity for parents and teens.

Welcome to Vibrant Faith @ Home! This interactive resource is designed to give you unlimited access to easy-to-use tools, tips, family activities, and advice--everything you need to build a stronger, more faith-focused family.

Check out this great resource for parents & families!

You are the ethicist!

How would you answer this question?

I’m a math teacher at an international school in Mombasa, Kenya, and a woman who cleans some of the teachers’ apartments offered me her services. Here’s the problem: She is asking for only 300 Kenyan shillings, or about $3.50, for two hours of work. She will be cleaning my bathroom and my kitchen, as well as the floor and my clothing. To me, her work is worth much more than $3.50, and it feels wrong to accept without providing what I believe to be fair payment. If I pay her more, however, she might raise her prices for other customers or pressure my co-workers to pay more than they are willing. What should I do: accept the price she has offered or pay her adequately for her services?

You can read the answer by the NY Times ethicist here.

or how would you answer this?

My mother-in-law tells the server at any restaurant we’re dining at that it’s someone’s birthday so that she can receive a free piece of cake. She’s happy to pay a $500 tab, but she insists on making up that someone at the table is celebrating. Your thoughts?

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American Saints

We have studied the faith of the Founding Fathers & Mothers; we have examined the religions born in America.  This year for our Fall Bible Study we will examine...

American Saints

We will begin Wednesday, October 3 -
classes at 10:30 AM and 7:30 PM
(and continue through November 14)

Each class will look at three saints: their lives, writings, faith, connect it with Scripture and ask how they can help us with our lives today.

Stay tuned for more details!

(Source Book: A Year With American Saints by Cady and Webber)

You are the ethicist!

This week...

I recently had a party and afterward had quite a few large bottles of leftover wine (they were opened and wouldn’t keep). There is a particular corner in my neighborhood where benign “drunkards” hang out and drink. They have done so for years, and everyone accepts this as part of our neighborhood. My question is, Should I drop this mother lode of wine off on their perch for them (because who am I to judge their choices?), or pour it down the drain (which would be a “waste”)?

How would you answer?  Here is how the ethicist answered.

Last week...

My 92-year-old father has entered hospice care. He is a lifelong member of one particular political party and is always the first one in line on voting day. There’s no way I can get him to his polling place this November, and while he couldn’t begin to fill out an absentee ballot on his own, is it ethical if I fill it out for him provided he’s still alive in November?

How would you answer?  Here is how the ethicist answered.

You are the ethicist!

My on-again, off-again boyfriend of three years was on-again at the time he suffered a major illness. Before its onset, I was questioning our long-term potential and decided we were not meant to be. I do not have the caretaking responsibilities (his family assumed that role), and we live on oppositecoasts. I intend to see him through this illness from afar, plus occasional visits. My question: With a recovery time of four to six months, how and when can I let him go, ethically, for both our sakes?

How would you answer this question? How would Newt answer this question?

Here is how the ethicist answered the question.


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Helping Children on the Journey

A couple of resources for children...

A new Children's Study Bible from CEB

Young readers are invited to join the daring crew of Asia, Kat, and Edgar as they set off to discover the Bible. Kids are sure to read, enjoy, and talk about the dynamic Common English Bible text and the navigational tools that make Bible discovery fun, meaningful, and rewarding.

The CEB Deep Blue Kids Bible is a great gift for birthdays, church events, and Sunday school promotions. It’s perfect for kids ages 7–12. Moms and dads, grandparents, pastors, and Sunday school teachers will help create a lifelong thirst for God’s timeless truth with the CEB Deep Blue Kids Bible.

The CEB Deep Blue Kids Bible uses the Common English Bible text throughout. The Common English Bible is a new Bible translation that uses words and phrases that sound natural and conversational for today’s reader. With this new children’s Bible, kids will read a Bible that sounds more like how they talk, read, and write in school, home, church, and with their friends.

You can read a sample here.



Two books of prayer for children...

A Child's First Book of Prayers by Lois Rock

Pocket Prayers for Children by Christopher Herbert

I use both with my children and they are excellent resources.

We also use a "mealtime prayer cube" to help us with our dinner prayer.

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You are the ethicist!

For a large chunk of my life, I was involved with a man who is severely ethically challenged. He is a charming narcissist — a skillful liar, capable of carrying on several romantic relationships simultaneously and financially exploitative. Thankfully, now that our daughter is grown, my interaction with him will be minimal. But I’ve always wondered if I should warn other women about him. Is reaching out with a gentle warning the moral thing to do? SHARON, NEW YORK

How would you answer this?

You can read how the NY Times Ethicist answered here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/magazine/last-known-address.html

Approaching the Bible

An excerpt from Opening the Bible by Thomas Merton - 1970

We have to be perfectly clear about what to expect in the Bible. We do not go looking for metaphysical insights into the ground of reality, moral insights into the ethics of every possible human act, still less methods of con­templative discipline or of self-transcendence by trance states and mystic illumination. Nor do we go looking for theological and philosophical systems and articulate explanations of how the uni­verse works. Those in the past who came to understand the Biblical cosmogony as a substitute for scientific knowledge ran into immense difficulties, and their errors of judgment were great enough to be a permanent humiliation for their spiritual descen­dants.

In the long run, every attempt to find in the Bible what is not clearly there leads to a one-sided reading of the sacred books and ultimately to distorted and erroneous vision. This is the kind of thing that has ended by making so many modern men and women suspicious of the Bible, so that even believers are sometimes afraid to get involved in it. But there should be fewer problems if we would simply read what is there, even with its many-sided, perhaps con­fusing, view of things. To accept the Bible in its wholeness is not easy. We are much more inclined to narrow it down to a one-track inter­pretation that actually embraces only a very limited aspect of it. And we dignify that one-track view with the term "faith." Actually it is the opposite of faith: it is an escape from the mature responsibility of faith that plunges into the many-dimensional, the paradoxical, the conflicting elements of the Bible as well as those of life itself, and finds unity not by excluding all it does not understand but by embracing and accepting things in their often disconcerting reality.

We must not therefore open the Bible with any set determina­tion to reduce it to the limits of a preconceived pattern of our own. And in reading it we must not succumb to the temptation of short­cuts and half-truths. All attempts to narrow the Bible down until it fits conveniently into the slots prepared for it by our prejudice will end with our misunderstanding the Bible and even falsifying its truth.

You are the ethicist!

If someone is (for example) a witness to murder he could have prevented without harming himself, is he as guilty as the perpetrator? I know that is a rather simplistic situation, but I believe it is apropos to situations like the recent Penn State scandal. NAME AND LOCATION WITHHELD

How would you answer this?

Here's how the NY Times Ethicist answered:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/12/magazine/a-bystanders-crime.html

You are the ethicist!

I am one of five children of two aging parents. My father, 88, is in the early stages of dementia. My mother is 83 and has macular degeneration. I’ve always enjoyed a close relationship with both parents, especially my mother. She is the most practical, intelligent person I have ever known. She is my best friend. I go to her for advice on everything, but I need help with the one thing she has turned to me for: My mother asked me to get her books on how to commit suicide, so that she can read up on it before her vision deteriorates to a point where she can no longer read at all. When pressed, she told me she does not want to commit suicide now — but that when the time comes, knowing how to end her life will give her great comfort. I love her, and I understand how she feels. Do I get her books on suicide? I also have four siblings — do I have to clear it with them? R.C., Westchester, N.Y.

How would you respond?

Here is how the NY Times Ethicist responded:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/magazine/hate-posts.html


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William Stringfellow

Stringfellow is one of my favorite theologians.  I was blessed to be in class with Bill Wylie-Kellerman teaching and Bishop McGee in attendance who taught me about William Stringfellow.

I am currently reading An Alien in a Strange Land: Theology in the Life of William Stringfellow by Anthony Dancer.  I am at the beginning but so far think the author is right on!  (A nice review of this book can be found here: http://commonwealmagazine.org/inconvenient-theology)

There is some great stuff on the web about Stringfellow:

http://prodigal.typepad.com/prodigal_kiwi/william_stringfellow/

http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2012/07/william-stringfellow-project-private.html

http://andrewgoddard.squarespace.com/william-stringfellow/

If I were to start at the beginning, the two books I would get are...

A Keeper of the Word: Selected Writings of William Stringfellow by Bill Wylie-Kellerman

and
Instead of Death by William Stringfellow


and then I would continue to read Stringfellow's books!

Jesus is in the Bible

saw this online...

A litany by Br. Paul of the Capuchin Franciscans

Jesus Christ is in every book of the Bible…
In Genesis Jesus is...
“The Seed of the Woman”

In Exodus He is…
“The Passover Lamb”

In Leviticus He is…
“The Priest, the Altar & the Sacrifice”

In Numbers He is…
“The Pillar of Cloud by Day and the Pillar of Fire by Night”

In Deuteronomy Jesus is…
“The Prophet Like Moses”

Come and kneel before Him now

In Joshua Jesus is…
“The Captain of Our Salvation”

In Judges He is…
“Our Judge and Lawgiver”

In Ruth He is…
“Our Kinsman-Redeemer“

In I & II Samuel He is…
“Our Trusted Prophet”

In Kings & Chronicles He is…
“Our Reigning King”

In Ezra He is…
“The Rebuilder of the Broken-Down Walls of Human Life”

Come and kneel before Him now

In Nehemiah Jesus is…
“Our Restorer”

In Esther He is…
“Our Advocate”

In Job Jesus is…
“Our Ever-Living Redeemer”

In Psalms He is…
“Our Shepherd”

In Proverbs He is…
“Our Wisdom”

In Ecclesiastes He is…
“Our Hope of Resurrection”

In the Song of Songs He is…
“Our Loving Bridegroom”

Come and kneel before Him now

In Isaiah Jesus is…
“The Suffering Servant”

In Jeremiah He is…
“The Righteous Branch”

In Lamentations He is…
“Our Weeping Prophet”

In Ezekiel He is…
“The One With the Right To Rule”

In Daniel Jesus is...
“The Fourth Man in the Firey Furnace”

Come and kneel before Him now

In Hosea Jesus is…
“The Faithful Husband Forever Married to the Sinner”

In Joel He is…
“The One who Baptises with the Holy Spirit and Fire”

In Amos He is…
“The Restorer of Justice”

In Obadiah He is…
“Mighty to Save”

In Jonah He is…
“Our Great Foreign Missionary”

In Micah Jesus is…
“The Feet of One Who Brings Good News”

Come and kneel before Him now

In Nahum Jesus is…
“Our Stronghold in the Day of Trouble”

In Habakkuk He is…
“God My Saviour”

In Zephaniah He is…
“The King of Israel”

In Haggai He is…
“The Signet Ring”

In Zechariah He is…
“Our Humble King Riding on a Colt”

In Malachi Jesus is…
“The Sun of Righteousness”


In Ecclesiasticus Jesus is…
“Our Security”

In Wisdom He is…
“The Emanation of God’s Thought”

In Tobit He is…
“The Messenger of New Life”

In Judith He is…
“Weakness Turned into Victory”


In I & II Maccabees He is…
“The Leader Who Dies for God’s Law”


In Baruch He is…
“The Mercy From the Eternal One”

Come and kneel before Him now

In Matthew Jesus is…
“God with us”

In Mark He is…
“The Son of God”

In Luke He is…
“The Son of Mary – feeling what you feel”

In John He is…
“The Bread of Life”

In Acts Jesus is…
“The Savior of the world”

Come and kneel before Him now

In Romans Jesus is…
“The Righteousness of God”

In I Corinthians He is…
“The Resurrection”

In II Corinthians He is…
“The God of All Comfort”

In Galatians He is…
“Your Liberty. He sets you free.”

In Ephesians Jesus is…
“The Head of the Church”

Come and kneel before Him now

In Philippians Jesus is…
“Your joy”

In Colossians He is…
“Your completeness”

In I & II Thessalonians He is…
“Your hope”

In I Timothy He is…
“Your faith”

In II Timothy Jesus is…
“Your stability”

Come and kneel before Him now

In Titus Jesus is…
“Truth”

In Philemon He is…
“Your benefactor “

In Hebrews He is…
“Your perfection”

In James He is…
“The power behind your faith”

In I Peter He is…
“Your example”

In II Peter Jesus is…
“Your purity”

Come and kneel before Him now

In I John Jesus is…
“Your life”

In II John He is…
“Your pattern”

In III John He is…
“Your motivation”

In Jude He is…
“The foundation of your faith”

In Revelation Jesus is…
“Your coming King.”

He is…
the first and the last;
the beginning and the end.
He is the keeper of creation and the creator of all.
He is the architect of the universe and the manager of all time.
He always was, He always is and He always will be
unmoved, unchanged, undefeated and never undone.

He was bruised and brought healing,
He was pierced and eased pain,
He was persecuted and brought freedom,
He was dead and brought life,
He is risen and brings power,
He reigns and brings peace.

The world can’t understand him;
the armies can’t defeat him;
schools can’t explain him;
and the leaders can’t ignore him.
Herod couldn’t kill him;
the Pharisees couldn’t confuse him;
the people couldn’t hold him;
Nero couldn’t crush him;
Hitler couldn’t silence him;
the new age can’t replace him.

He is life, love, longevity & Lord.
He is goodness, kindness, gentleness and God.
He is holy, righteous, mighty, powerful, pure.
His ways are right, His words eternal, His rules unchanging,
and His mind… is on me.
He is my redeemer.
He is my savior.
He is my God.
He is my Priest.
He is my Joy.
He is my Comfort.
He is my Lord
and He rules my life.

You are the ethicist!

How would you answer this?

Five years ago, my dear friend A. was caught by surprise when her husband asked for a divorce. She was shaken, crying and in disbelief for months. Now, just a few months after her divorce was finalized, she has met an old boyfriend who is married to another woman, B. The women know each other, and A. has now told me that she will be married to this old boyfriend within the year. She told me that this man has made plans to announce to his wife that he wants a divorce. B., who is an acquaintance of mine, is completely unaware of the impending disaster; she thinks her marriage is fine.

I can think of several roads to travel here: One is to confront A. and remind her of her pain and incomprehension. Another option is warning B. about the brewing storm (and I imagine she will take actions to save her marriage). A third is to keep my mouth shut and record the disaster as a morality play. Am I ethically obligated to admonish A. or warn B.?

You can read the Ethicist's response here.

Helping Youth on the Journey

Here are a couple of resources to help youth on their faith journey:
Call on Me: A Prayer Book for Young People

This first exclusively Episcopal prayer book for young people offers over 100 original prayers rooted in Episcopal theology and language for events in the daily lives of teens. Divided into three parts--Common Prayer, Kinds of Prayer, and Personal Prayer--topics include daily devotion, prayers of the people, faith, praying through the day, week and year, self, milestones, friends and family, school and work, and community. Youth will find prayers to celebrate personal achievements and address personal and world concerns, including thanksgiving for a driver's license and graduating, when a friend needs help, blessing of a relationship, and applying for a job and more. Youth leaders will find this to be an essential resource for camp, retreats and other youth gatherings.

Common English Bible (CEB) with the Apocrypha

The Common English Bible is not simply a revision or update of an existing translation. It is a bold new translation designed to meet the needs of Christians as they work to build a strong and meaningful relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
A key goal of the CEB translation team is to make the Bible accessible to a broad range of people; it’s written at a comfortable level for over half of all English readers. Easy readability can enhance church worship and participation, and personal Bible study. It also encourages children and youth to discover the Bible for themselves, perhaps for the very first time.

The examen is a Jesuit resource, and I am convinced we need to help youth reflect on their lives, so this is one way that is good for all Christians:




You can find the examen here.

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Going on Retreat - to listen

There was a great article in The NY Times, ON RELIGION, A Refuge Silent Enough to Hear God’s Whisper.

A short excerpt:

Either he was getting to court late because he had to drop off his daughter at preschool, or he was leaving her in his law office during afternoon meetings with clients, or he was staying up for hours after reading her bedtime stories to prepare the next day’s litigation.

So Mr. Fleming arranged for his parents to care for his daughter for a couple of days and he made an announcement: he was going to spend 48 hours, as much time as he could spare, in a monastery. “It scared a lot of people,” Mr. Fleming recently recalled. “Friends of mine said, ‘Are you going to be a monk? That’s going in pretty deep.’ ”

While he did not, in fact, become a monk, he did begin a personal tradition of annual visits to the monastery run by the Episcopal brothers of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist. And if there was an unlikely element to a high-powered lawyer seeking the contemplative climate of a monastery, then there was an equally improbable aspect to this particular monastery./

Read the whole article here.

Learn more about SSJE here. (I have been on retreat there and I do recommend it!)

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You are the ethicist!

"When a dear friend’s teenage daughter was killed in a car accident, she understandably could not bring herself to erase her daughter’s message from the family phone. That was seven years ago. My friend still hasn’t changed the message, and I find it very discomforting to hear the deceased girl’s voice every time I call. My friend says, ‘‘It’s all I have left.’’ I want to be supportive, but I worry that preserving her daughter’s voice for every caller — be it a friend or a plumber — is unhealthy. Should I say something?"

How would you answer this? How do you support a grieving friend?

Here is how the ethicist answered:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/magazine/a-message-from-beyond.html

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You are the ethicist!

While walking my dog on a country lane, I encountered a chicken that had escaped from a neighbor’s property. I looked for the owners but could not see them (I have a nodding acquaintance with them). Several hours later, while walking on the same lane with my friend and her dog, we encountered the same chicken. Her dog attacked the chicken, killing it. Both of us were horrified, but we continued walking. Should I have stopped the first time and searched for the owners? Should my friend have gone immediately to their house to report the incident? I don’t think she did anything, because this morning she suggested we take an alternate route on our walk. Should I press her to take responsibility for what her dog did? J. ROOSE, DARNIUS, SPAIN

How would you respond?

Here is how the ethicist responded:

http://nyti.ms/N1iR7F

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Oops!

From the New Yorker... (Kanin, Zachary)


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Mindfulness Practice

Does the day go by and you have forgotten to stop and pray?  Is life way too hectic?

My suggestion: if you have an iphone, ipad or android, download a mediation bell program.  I use insight timer for my ipad.

Set the timer for a 12 hour period of your day (or longer).

Set a bell to go off periodically, at least every hour but I would say every 15 or 20 minutes would be better.

When the bell goes off.  Stop, still yourself and say a prayer of thanksgiving to God (or help).

Then continue on.  It will seem a bit odd at first but then you will find yourself in rhytum where you are much more mindful of what is happening and more mindful of your relationship with God.

Try it out.  Let me know how it goes.

Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to thee, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly thine, utterly dedicated unto thee; and then use us, we pray thee, as thou wilt, and always to thy glory and the welfare of thy people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Summer Bible Challenge

The Bible Challenge began in 2011 when over 180 members of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania and over 90 friends from beyond committed to read the entire Bible in a year. One year later, St. Peter’s Church joined them in The Bible Challenge 2012.

The Bible is a wonderfully life-changing book. You will never regret reading it. That is why I want to invite you to join the Bible Challenge 2012 if you haven’t done so already. You can read the entire Bible in a year or select another Bible reading options...

Here are some Bible Challenge options for 2012:

· Read the entire Bible
· Read the New Testament
· Read the Gospel or one Gospel during the Summer
· Read the Psalter (150 Psalms) during the Summer
· Read the Gospel of Mark in a slow, meditative fashion during the Summer

You can download the Bible on your iPhone, iPad, Kindle, Nook or listen to it on CD or tape from our Parish Library. Invite members of your book club, colleagues, friends, neighbors and family to join you in The Bible Challenge.

Questions? Come talk to me.

I recommend the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) - it is what we use on Sundays or the CEB (Common English Bible) which is brand new and worth using as your translation of the Bible.

You are the ethicist!

I’m a lifelong atheist and have recently taken an interest in Christianity, but from an intellectual, historical and cultural perspective. I would like to join a Bible-study group to gain a deeper understanding of the Bible, but I’m not sure if I have an ethical obligation to let the group know I’m not a believer and explain the reasons for my wanting to join (and hope they still accept me).

How would you answer?

This s how the ethicist answered:

http://nyti.ms/KPHndO

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You are the ethicist!

My father recently died. His daughter from his first marriage (which ended several years before his marriage to my mother) has made efforts to stay in touch with me since his death. I have never had a direct relationship with my half sister. She has had a difficult life, missing out on many of the advantages my sister and I enjoyed. I want to be sympathetic to her struggles, but though I’ve tried, I’ve never felt an attachment to her. She has been an intermittent presence and not always a pleasant one. Is it ethical to decide not to carry on this relationship? Or does someone else’s desire for connection, which perhaps comes out of a strong wish to be part of a family, outweigh my personal preference? J.G., NEW JERSEY

How would you handle this question?

Read here to find what the ethicist said:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/10/magazine/halfhearted-half-brother.html

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You are the ethicist!

How would you answer this?

I’m married and recently had an emotional affair. As a result of the frequent phone contact with my paramour, I went way over my minute usage allowance. My wife and I have a shared plan, and the bill is automatically paid from her checking account. That overage brought attention to these conversations. My wife insists I reimburse her for this portion of the bill. She is the primary breadwinner, and I am the primary caretaker of our son; my small income comes from my unemployment insurance. While I freely admit the emotional affair was a breach on a number of levels, am I responsible for reimbursing her? NAME WITHHELD

You can read the NY Times ethicist response here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/magazine/costly-conversations.html

You are the ethicist!

How would you answer this question?

My younger brother, who is now 40, began drinking heavily and using drugs in high school and was in a car accident that left him with brain damage. The last 25 years have been a cycle of rehab, jail, institutionalization and halfway houses, and he is now in such bad shape that he needs a guardian. My parents, who have health problems of their own, have asked me to take this on. I have no relationship with my brother. I am a single mother with a demanding job, and I live about a seven-hour drive away. I do not want my brother near my house or my daughter. Do I need to take on the responsibility of his guardianship?

From the NY Times, the Ethicist.
Answer in the comments section.

The Ethicist's answer is here.

I will comment later...

The Bible & the Newspaper

As a clergy friend once said, "It is difficult to hear some Bible readings in church and think of them as the Good News of God.  Some are very frightening and apocalyptic."

Life, however, can be frightening and apocalyptic.  A glance at the newspaper reminds us of nuclear weapons, oil spills, toxic chemicals, terrorism, plane crashes, political corruption, pedophile clergy and the outrageous worldwide proliferation of weapons.

Our world is a lot like the world of the entire Bible, not the sanitized and censored Bible read in worship or found in the Daily Lectionary.  The Bible can be raw and shocking.

I was recently reminded of this while reading I Kings: 15-16, which tells how Baasha son of Ahijah killed Nadab son of Jeroboam, king of Israel.  Baasha took Ahijah's place immediately exterminated Jeroboam's entire family to secure the throne.  

Later, Elah son of Baasha succeeded his father as king.  One of his military chiefs, Zimri, murdered Baasha, claimed the throne and killed all of Baasha's family to secure his rule.

As I read this, it seemed like little has changed in much of the Middle East.  Syria's despotic President Assad, an optometrist by training, has spent years like his father crushing political opposition.

In waging war upon his own citizens, Assad embodies evil in our modern world dressed in fine western attire with a wife who enjoys European shopping sprees while her husband tortures and exterminates their fellow citizens.

The Swiss theologian Karl Barth encouraged every minister and priest to preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.  It would be wise for Christians to read the Bible and the newspaper each day and read from the entire Bible, not just selections from it.  Reading the entire Bible provokes much deeper theological wrestling.

It forces us to grapple with God and evil, what theologians have called "theodicy."  If you wonder about the relationship between God and violence and wish to comprehend it better, join us on Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to noon in MacColl Auditorium at St. Thomas Church for what may be the most stimulating lecture of the year.  

In our Forum Professors Walter Brueggemann, Carolyn Sharp and Pete Enns will address God in Recovery: An Examination of the God of the Old Testament and the Relationship between Religion, Righteousness, Violence and God. 

They will focus on some of the Bible's most challenging stories.  What are Christians, Jews and others to make of these terrifying texts?  Where is God when bad things happen to people?  Why does God permit evil to occur?  Is God ever the instigator of violence?
 

If you cannot attend our Forum, then visit the Center for Biblical Studies website at: thecenterforbiblicalstudies.org   Under articles you will find a great short essay entitled "God in Recovery" that we asked Dr. Brueggemann to write for lay persons to address issues of God and violence in the Bible.

Dr. Brueggemann has also written a fine article about the differing natures of God in the Old and New Testament, entitled "The Biblical God who goes to and fro on the Earth."  Both articles make for excellent reading and are very thought-provoking.

If you haven't signed up for this weekend's incredible Bible conference, walks-in are welcome.  You are welcome to join us.  Dr. Brueggemann will preach at the 4:30 p.m. Choral Evensong on Sunday.  He is one of America's finest preachers.  Don't miss it!

With Easter blessings,

The Rev. Marek P. Zabriskie
Rector of St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
Founder and Executive Director of The Bible Challenge and The Center for Biblical Studies

Some Bible Challenge thoughts...

One of the great things about The Bible Challenge is that you can participate on your own and when it suits your schedule. It is said that 23% of Americans have a work conflict that makes it difficult for them to attend church on Sunday morning. Fortunately, there is not set time when you must participate in The Bible Challenge. You can read the Bible in the morning, afternoon or evening. One thing is vital. You and I need to participate four, five or six times a week to make true progress in your Bible reading. This is what President John Adams, our second President of the United States, did every year during his adult life. Adams read the entire Bible each year from cover to cover. He studied the Scriptures every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning.

Unlike John Adams, who could read the Bible only in a printed form, we can listen to the Bible on CDs, MP3 or on Pandora or read it on a mobile device such as an iPad, iPhone, Kindle, Nook or Blackberry. The genius of The Bible Challenge is to give the Bible back to people. Yes, the Bible is the Church's book, but more importantly it is your book. The Bible is God's Word intended for you to read like a love letter from God written directly to you.

Bibles studies are not daunting. Everyone in them is an amateur. All of us are learning. Each person had to start out somewhere and begin reading and studying together for the first time. Most Bible studies love to see someone new join them. Please let me know if I can personally help you with this. All of our Bible studies are open to you to join them. There is no secret pass code or no level of education or Bible understanding that you must have reached before you can join, visit or inquire about participating.

The Bible is meant to be read and studied in a community. Jesus says, "Whenever two or more of you gather together in my name, I will be in the midst of you." The implication is that when we come together to study God's Word, to learn from God's wisdom and to discuss and share what we hear and see that God has revealed for us in the Word, then Jesus will truly be present with us. (words borrowed from St. Thomas Church, Whitemarsh)
We will have a Bible 201 class on March 4 and you are invited to share how you are doing with your own Bible Challenge!

Film & Food ~ Saturday Nights

Please join Ann Robinson for Film & Food Saturday Nights at St. Peter’s

6 PM ~ Memorial Room

“A Mature (or not) Perspective on Life”

March 3
Autumn Spring
(Czech)

March 24
Autumn Sun
(Argentina)

April 14
Away from Her
(Canada)

from our Bible 101 Forum

This what we covered in Bible 101:

Opening Prayer:

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (from the BCP)

Bible Challenge:

Information taken from the website of St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania (Center for Biblical Studies).

This year I have decided to join others in the Bible Challenge, to read the Bible every day. It is so fruitful that I want to encourage you to do this as well! Here are some of the Bible Challenge options for 2012:

• Read the entire Bible (cover to cover) 
• Read the New Testament or Apocrypha
• Read the Psalter (150 Psalms) during Lent
• Read the Gospel of Mark in a slow, meditative fashion
• Use the CT Bible Society Daily Bible Reading Guide for those who want to join me in reading the bible every day.

Bible 101:

from The Thoughtful Christian

Old Testament (Hebrew), Apocrypha, New Testament (Greek)

• The Bible as Anthology, not as “one” book.
• OT: Law (Torah), History, Poetry & Prophecy.
• NT: Gospels, History, Epistles, Apocalyptic Writing

Purpose: describe the nature of God & the will of God.

Hermeneutics – principles of interpretation (tools & approaches we use when we study the Bible.)

There are three handouts from the meeting:

• Bible 101
• Teaching your Child about the Bible
• The Bible & the Episcopal Church

additional copies available in the Undercroft.

Quotes about the Bible

“I'm looking for loopholes!”
(Said when caught reading the Bible.)
~ W. C. Fields

“I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me . . they're cramming for their final exam.” ~ George Carlin

“It is a mistake to look to the Bible to close a discussion; the Bible seeks to open one.” ~ William Sloane Coffin

“I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this Book that you can by reason and the balance by faith, and you will live and die a better man. It is the best Book which God has given to man.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

“The Bible is the cradle wherein Christ is laid.” ~ Martin Luther

“When you read God's Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, ‘It is talking to me, and about me.’” ~ Soren Kierkegaard

“Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.” ~ Mark Twain

Bible Resources

Some resources to help you in your choice for reading the bible.

Bible Reading Resources:

The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha
New Revised Standard Version, Fourth Edition
available at www.amazon.com; www.bn.com

Common English Bible & The Message are two other Bibles that may be helpful.
available at www.amazon.com; www.bn.com

Online/Mobile Resources:

www.youversion.com
This site offers numerous bible reading plans from read a bible in a year to plans on exploring faith, love, etc. The site includes downloads of mobile apps where you can do the same plans on your smart phone ipad, Blackberry and Android phones.

www.oneyearbibleonline.com
One Year Bible Online a reading plan divided into daily readings containing a passage from the Old Testament, the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs.

www.Biblegateway.com
is a great searchable bible with multiple options for finding just what you need.

www.amazon.com books and downloads available for Kindles, smart phones, Blackberry and Android Phones, NIV Audio Bible Dramatized CD [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD] Zondervan Publishing (Author)

www.BN.com books and downloads available for Nook Readers, Smart phones, Android Phones.

www.bibleresources.bible.com & www.bible.com are two other sites with great resources.

Our parish library also has resources (books, CDs, Cassette Tapes).

Bible Challenge Invitation

Dear Friends & Parishioners of St. Peter’s Church:

John Adams, our second President of the United States, used to read the entire Bible each year from cover to cover. He studied the Scriptures every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth President, called the Bible “the best gift God has ever given to man…But for it we could not know right from wrong.” Woodrow Wilson, our twenty-eighth President, once noted, “The Bible is the Word of life. I beg that you will read it and find this out for yourself.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower, our thirty-fourth President, and his family used the Bible each day during family devotions with each family member taking his or her turn in reading a passage. Jimmy Carter, our thirty-ninth President, reads the Bible daily and has taught a Sunday school class for over three decades.

This year I have decided to join others in the Bible Challenge, to read the Bible every day. Some are taking on the challenge of reading the Bible cover to cover, others are trying to get through the Gospels or the entire New Testament. It is so fruitful that I want to encourage you to do this as well!

Here are the Bible Challenge options for 2012:

• Read the entire Bible
• Read the New Testament
• Read the Psalter (150 Psalms) during Lent 
• Read the Gospel of Mark in a slow, meditative fashion
• Read the bible everyday

I suggest using the New Oxford Annotated Bible printed by Oxford University Press (NRSV). It is the translation we use on Sundays. Another possibility is the Common English Bible, which is a fine new translation. “The Common English Bible is written in contemporary idiom at the same reading level as the newspaper USA TODAY—using language that’s comfortable and accessible for today’s English readers.” (from their website) We have CEB New testaments available for you to use.

Other possibilities: Use The Message by Eugene Petersen – a wonderful rendering of the Bible in ordinary language or The Story by Zondervan – a seamless collection of Bible stories that reads like a gripping novel. We also have some books of the bible in Graphic Novel format in the parish library. Families with children are encouraged to read The DK Children’s Illustrated Bible or The Big Picture Story Bible.

If you decide to read the entire Bible, I invite you to use the “Read the Bible in a Year” reading plan found on the Center for Biblical Studies website, which lists what chapters of the Bible to read each day. I have copies of the CT Bible Society Daily Bible Reading Guide for those who want to join me in reading the bible every day! There are lots of good bible apps for iphone, ipad, and android. You can download bibles to your Kindle and Nook. We also have The Message on CDs and Cassette Tapes.

I believe that taking time to read the Bible each day will transform our lives and our families. It will help us to be better parents, spouses, brothers or sisters, neighbors, Christians, workers and citizens. It will help keep our head and our heart in the right place and prepare us for eternity with God. I hope that you will accept the Bible challenge as together we seek to lead more ethical, loving and connected lives.

Please let me know if you will join me in the Bible Challenge!

~ Rev. Kurt ~

Information taken from the website of St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.