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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