Episcopal Life Daily January 4, 2008
Episcopal Life Online is available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife.
Today's Episcopal Life Daily includes:
* TOP STORY - In Kenya, Desmond Tutu joins church-backed bid to end violence * TOP STORY - In San Joaquin, Episcopal Church 'alive and well' * DIOCESAN DIGEST - LONG ISLAND: Fire destroys historic Episcopal church * WORLD REPORT - INDIA: Christians in Orissa state demand protection after killings * WORLD REPORT - NIGERIA: Church, government leaders seek commitment to God and good governance * WORLD REPORT - PHILIPPINES: Church leaders plan for continued activism in 2008 * MISSION - Episcopal Urban Caucus assembly set for February 13-16 in Oakland, California * MULTIMEDIA - Brazil Primate Mauricio Andrade * OPINION - COMMENTARY: The ghosts of atheism past, present and future * ARTS - 'Second Life' offers Anglican online worship with a virtual art exhibit * DAYBOOK - Monday, January 7: Today in Scripture, Prayer, History * CATALYST - Catalyst: Pilgrim Road: A Benedictine Journey Through Lent
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TOP STORIES
In Kenya, Desmond Tutu joins church-backed bid to end violence
By Fredrick Nzwili
[Ecumenical News International] Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Desmond Tutu has arrived in Kenya to assist in a church-backed bid aimed at stemming the violent reaction to the country's presidential election results and reaching a peaceful outcome to the political crisis.
"I appeal to both leaders to meet and talk about points of disagreement," said Tutu on his arrival in Nairobi from South Africa on January 3.
Tutu said he was responding to a call by Mvume Dandala, a former leader of South Africa's Methodist Church and now general secretary of the Nairobi-based All Africa Conference of Churches who is among church leaders seeking to play a peacemaking role. Violence erupted after it was announced that President Mwai Kibaki had won in what was seen as a close vote in the election for president held on December 27.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_93344_ENG_HTM.htm
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In San Joaquin, Episcopal Church 'alive and well' Clergy, laity report new hope, signs of growth, plan for January 26 meeting
By Pat McCaughan
The Rev. Martin Frisard has planted five churches during 50 years of ministry and on January 6-Epiphany Sunday-the 82-year-old priest will begin a sixth, in a Sonora senior citizen center, even though "I've never done this without a bishop," he says.
From Sonora to Bakersfield, from Stockton to Fresno, a growing number of
remaining Episcopalians-those who opposed a December vote to realign the Central California Valley Diocese of San Joaquin with the Argentina-based Anglican Province of the Southern Cone-are meeting in homes, community centers and other churches, excited to be "moving on" to evangelism, mission and Gospel good news.
Fed up with years of rancor over the ordination of women and gays, they say healing is emerging after initial grief and loss over the split. So are new congregations. "They are preparing to reconstitute the diocese; it's heartwarming because it's been a long haul for them," said the Rev. Canon Robert Moore, appointed by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori as a pastoral presence in the interim.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_93356_ENG_HTM.htm
More Top Stories: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife
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DIOCESAN DIGEST
LONG ISLAND: Fire destroys historic Episcopal church http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_93349_ENG_HTM.htm
More Diocesan news: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_ENG_HTM.htm
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WORLD REPORT
INDIA: Christians in Orissa state demand protection after killings http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_93345_ENG_HTM.htm
NIGERIA: Church, government leaders seek commitment to God and good governance http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_93346_ENG_HTM.htm
PHILIPPINES: Church leaders plan for continued activism in 2008 http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_93347_ENG_HTM.htm
More World news: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_ENG_HTM.htm
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MISSION
Episcopal Urban Caucus assembly set for February 13-16 in Oakland, California
[ENS] The Episcopal Urban Caucus (EUC) 2008 Assembly is set to meet February 13-16 at the Hilton Oakland Airport Hotel in Oakland, California. This year's theme is "The Road to Peace."
Committed to advocacy, strategy, and action, EUC serves as a network bringing into relationship individuals and organizations that promote the progressive agenda of the Church through an annual Assembly with focused workshops, dynamic speakers and preachers, site visits to exemplary models of urban ministry and learning tracks that effect positive change.
At the intergenerational gathering, Eva Jefferson Patterson, president and founder of the Equal Justice Society, will deliver the keynote address and Ethan Vesely-Flad, editor of "Fellowship" magazine will speak at the Episcopal Peace Fellowship (EPF) luncheon.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81799_93350_ENG_HTM.htm
More Mission: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81831_ENG_HTM.htm
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MULTIMEDIA
Brazil Primate Mauricio Andrade
The Most Rev. Maurício José Araújo de Andrade, Primate of the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil and Bishop of Brasilia, speaks about the covenant relationship his province shares with the Episcopal Church. Andrade speaks in Portuguese with English interpretation.
A video stream of Andrade's interview is available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81231_ENG_HTM.htm
More Multimedia: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80056_ENG_HTM.htm
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OPINION
COMMENTARY: The ghosts of atheism past, present and future
By Dick Staub
[Religion News Service] And lo, I awakened from a dream during this most blessed Christmas season.
Three Wise Men named Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion), Sam Harris (The End of Faith) and Christopher Hitchens (God Is Not Great) traveled from afar to announce their tidings of great joy -- there is no God, no king to rule over us, there is only us.
And suddenly, there was a bright light from the East, telling a tale from the wintry north, announcing this same good news to children. There is a world beyond this one, a world where free will reigns and everyone does what is right in his or her own eyes. There is no dark, sinister authoritarian Magisterium to dictate belief, nor are we ruled by parents or religious zealots.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80050_93351_ENG_HTM.htm
More Opinion: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80050_ENG_HTM.htm
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ARTS
'Second Life' offers Anglican online worship with a virtual art exhibit
By Richelle Thompson
[Diocese of Southern Ohio] Mary Wanamaker spends most of her time in real life. She works at Columbus State Community College in the mathematics department and is a member of Trinity Episcopal Church, a newly restored Gothic Revival building in Capitol Square in the heart of Columbus, Ohio's capital and largest city.
At Trinity, Wanamaker serves on the vestry, chairs the hospitality and newcomer committee, and manages the church's website.
But in her downtime, this 49-year-old engages in "Second Life" (http://secondlife.com) -- an online, 3-D virtual world created by its residents. Here, she's a member of the Anglicans in Second Life and participates in virtual worship services at the Anglican cathedral on Epiphany Island, a "virtual cathedral" where the first worship service was held July 2007. So far it has developed into a congregation of 271 people from across the world. It features traditional Anglican architecture, with vaulted gothic ceilings and beautiful stained glass windows. But its construction is revolutionary -- it took only four months to build.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81827_93353_ENG_HTM.htm
More Arts: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81827_ENG_HTM.htm
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DAYBOOK
On Monday, January 7, 2008...
* Today in Scripture: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/82457_ENG_HTM.htm * Today in Prayer: Anglican Cycle of Prayer: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/index.cfm * Today in History: On this day in 1536, Catherine of Aragon, whose divorce from Henry VIII was the catalyst for the English Reformation, died.
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CATALYST
Catalyst: "Pilgrim Road: A Benedictine Journey Through Lent" from Church Publishing, Inc., by Albert Holtz, O.S.B., 175 pages, paperback, c. 2006, $10.95
[Source: Church Publishing, Inc.] In the view of St. Benedict of Nursia, the Lenten journey is an inner pilgrimage with Christ into the deepest parts of people's lives, to be marked not so much by external observances such as fasting and self-denial as by a deepening of one's relationship with God.
Benedictine monk Albert Holtz develops that journey theme through meditations written on a 15-country pilgrimage during a sabbatical year. At the heart of each reflection is the lesson it teaches about the inner spiritual journey.
By applying Benedict's monastic wisdom to the everyday concerns and aspirations of modern Christians, Pilgrim Road helps contemporary spiritual seekers keep Lent as a positive, meaningful, and fruitful experience.
To order: Episcopal Books and Resources, online at http://www.episcopalbookstore.org, or call 800-903-5544 -- or visit your local Episcopal bookseller, http://www.episcopalbooksellers.org
More Catalyst: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/83842_ENG_HTM.htm