Episcopal Life Online Newslink September 12, 2007
Episcopal Life Online is available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife.
Today's ELO Newslink includes:
* TOP STORY - United Nations community affirmed in September 11 prayer service * TOP STORY - Communication program restructured at Church Center * DIOCESAN DIGEST - CHICAGO: Diocese, West Chicago parish part ways gracefully * DIOCESAN DIGEST - NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA: Sean W. Rowe consecrated youngest member of the House of Bishops * DIOCESAN DIGEST - OKLAHOMA: New bishop to be consecrated September 15 * DIOCESAN DIGEST - OLYMPIA: Bishop-elect Gregory H. Rickel to be ordained and consecrated * DIOCESAN DIGEST - PITTSBURGH, QUINCY: Leaders want to 'align' outside of Episcopal Church * WORLD REPORT - ENGLAND: On 9/11 anniversary, Williams makes plea for suspected terrorists * SPIRITUAL REFLECTION - Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 19) - Year C [RCL]
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TOP STORIES
United Nations community affirmed in September 11 prayer service Volunteers commissioned; Presiding Bishop preaches in liturgy co-sponsored by Office of Anglican Observer at the U.N.
[Episcopal News Service] Members of the United Nations community were welcomed to the Episcopal Church Center for a September 11 evening prayer service co-sponsored by the Office of the Anglican Observer at the U.N.
Anglican Communion Secretary General Kenneth Kearon; Bishop John Paterson of Auckland, New Zealand, chair of the Anglican Consultative Council; and Bishop Alexander John Malik of Lahore, moderator of the Church of Pakistan, were among Anglican Communion leaders welcomed to the gathering by Hellen Wangusa, Anglican Observer at the U.N.
During the liturgy, volunteers in the Observer's Office were commissioned for service by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, who also preached the homily.
Full story and Presiding Bishop's homily:
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_89962_ENG_HTM.htm
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Communication program restructured at Church Center New public affairs unit, 'Episcopal Life Media' group launched
[Episcopal News Service] Communication resources serving Episcopalians, seekers, and media professionals in diverse geographic regions are newly strengthened by reorganization of work based at the Episcopal Church Center.
New collaboration with dioceses in each of the Episcopal Church's nine geographic provinces is integral to the reorganization, which also launches a new public affairs unit to coordinate media relations, and reconfigures current online, print and video communication programs into one integrated media group.
This approach "offers greater flexibility for in-reach to the church and outreach to the world," said Linda E. Watt, the Episcopal Church's chief operating officer, in announcing the new structure, which includes the possibility of basing some operations at a satellite office in Los Angeles while other functions continue at the Church Center in New York City.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_89957_ENG_HTM.htm
More Top Stories: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife
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DIOCESAN DIGEST
CHICAGO: Diocese, West Chicago parish part ways gracefully http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_89940_ENG_HTM.htm
NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA: Sean W. Rowe consecrated youngest member of the House of Bishops http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_89964_ENG_HTM.htm
OKLAHOMA: New bishop to be consecrated September 15 http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_89960_ENG_HTM.htm
OLYMPIA: Bishop-elect Gregory H. Rickel to be ordained and consecrated http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_89937_ENG_HTM.htm
PITTSBURGH, QUINCY: Leaders want to 'align' outside of Episcopal Church http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_89966_ENG_HTM.htm
More Diocesan news: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_ENG_HTM.htm
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WORLD REPORT
ENGLAND: On 9/11 anniversary, Williams makes plea for suspected terrorists http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_89954_ENG_HTM.htm
More World news: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_ENG_HTM.htm
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SPIRITUAL REFLECTION
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 19) - Year C [RCL] Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 or Exodus 32:7-14; Psalm 14 or 51:1-10; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10
By Amy Richter
[Sermons That Work] God is deeply in love with each of us. Not just humanity in general, but each and every person. To make this truth about God plain, Jesus tells two parables, about a lost sheep and a lost coin, and about how their owners searched and searched until they found even just one that was missing.
A true story: A little girl was looking at the things in her mother's jewelry box. One item particularly fascinated her - an opal that had once been set in a ring, but had come loose from its finding. The little girl liked the opal a lot. She liked how it sparkled, how its iridescence gave it different colors depending on how she held it and in what kind of light. She liked looking at this opal so much that she took it out of the box and carried it around, until she became more interested in something else and she lost the small stone.
When she told her mother, her mother began the most thorough search of their house the girl had ever seen. Her mother looked under rugs and between the sofa cushions. She swept. She looked everywhere. She was so energetic in her search that the little girl knew that what was lost must truly be precious. The little girl had no idea her mother owned such a treasure. Did her mother own precious gems? Was she really the daughter of royalty?
Full reflection: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/82457_89842_ENG_HTM.htm
More Spiritual Reflections: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/82457_ENG_HTM.htm