Episcopal Life Daily March 7, 2008
Episcopal Life Online is available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife.
Today's Episcopal Life Daily includes:
* TOP STORY - EPPN urges support of U.S. foreign-policy changes to empower women * TOP STORY - National Muslim-Christian Initiative in North America launched * DIOCESAN DIGEST - ALABAMA: Environmental stewardship focus of diocesan convention * DIOCESAN DIGEST - CHICAGO: National Workshop on Christian Unity set for April * WORLD REPORT - INDIA: Orissa religious violence spotlights caste tensions and evangelists * WORLD REPORT - KENYA: Church leaders vow not to leave country to politicians alone * PEOPLE - Henry D.W. Burt to succeed Patrick Getlein as Virginia diocesan secretary * TEACHING - Addiction and adolescents focus of three-part workshop in Massachusetts parishes * OPINION - Communion at last: College student finds her way home to Episcopal Church * ARTS - Welsh student singers and actors wow Episcopalians * DAYBOOK - March 10, 2008: Today in Scripture, Prayer, History * CATALYST - The Power of Forgiveness
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TOP STORIES
EPPN urges support of U.S. foreign-policy changes to empower women
Episcopal Relief and Development commemorates International Women's Day
[Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) is calling on Episcopalians to mark International Women's Day March 8 by contacting their United States senators and representatives to urge them to support the bipartisan Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive (GROWTH) Act.
An EPPN alert, which is emailed to more than 21,000 Episcopalians and religious advocates, said the legislation H.R.2965 and S.2069, "would reshape U.S. foreign aid and trade policy" because the act would: provide funds to help women start and grow their own business; provide training and education to women to improve their wages and working conditions; ensure that U.S. trade policy is beneficial to women and families living in poverty; and enhance women's land and property rights by prompting U.S. development agencies to work with women and organizations in the developing world addressing these disparities.
"Investing in women is the surest way to end global poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)," the EPPN release said. "The GROWTH Act puts U.S. foreign policy on the right track toward exactly the kind of change that's needed to achieve the MDGs."
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_95522_ENG_HTM.htm
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National Muslim-Christian Initiative in North America launched
[Episcopal News Service] Representatives of several Muslim organizations and Christian denominations launched a National Muslim-Christian Initiative in North America at a meeting this week near Washington, D.C.
The work is partially sponsored by the Interfaith Relations Commission of the National Council of Churches of Christ.
Mohamed Elsanousi, director of communications and community outreach of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), and the Rev. Dr. Gwynne Guibord, consultant for interfaith relations for the Episcopal Church, coordinated the meeting, which was convened as the result of consultations between Muslim and Christian organizations and leaders in the recent past.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_95519_ENG_HTM.htm
More Top Stories: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife
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DIOCESAN DIGEST
ALABAMA: Environmental stewardship focus of diocesan convention http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_95521_ENG_HTM.htm
CHICAGO: National Workshop on Christian Unity set for April http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_95525_ENG_HTM.htm
More Diocesan news: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_ENG_HTM.htm
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WORLD REPORT
INDIA: Orissa religious violence spotlights caste tensions and evangelists http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_95518_ENG_HTM.htm
KENYA: Church leaders vow not to leave country to politicians alone http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_95517_ENG_HTM.htm
More World news: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_ENG_HTM.htm
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PEOPLE
Henry D.W. Burt to succeed Patrick Getlein as Virginia diocesan secretary
[Diocese of Virginia] Patrick Getlein, secretary of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia since 2002, is leaving his post to join the staff of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.
Getlein will become the center's director for strategic communications, according to the organization's website. In addition, he will focus on the expansion of health care in Virginia and initiate several strategic developments as envisioned by the center's board of directors.
He will be succeeded by Henry D.W. Burt, a former member of the diocesan staff. Burt will join the staff on March 17 to provide a time of transition. Getlein is scheduled to leave his diocesan post on April 1.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81831_95514_ENG_HTM.htm
More People: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81831_ENG_HTM.htm
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TEACHING
Addiction and adolescents focus of three-part workshop in Massachusetts parishes
By Lisa B. Hamilton
[Episcopal News Service] A three-part workshop on the relationship between addiction and spiritual life for adolescents will be held March 13 and 15 at two Diocese of Massachusetts parishes -- Church of St. Andrew in Marblehead and at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Lynn.
According to organizer Kevin Cross, chaplain at North Shore Medical Center and Episcopal Divinity School student, "Addiction is in part a spiritual disease. A healthy spiritual life is critical to avoidance and recovery.
The goal of the conference, he said, "is to provide spiritual caregivers, families and youth with an understanding of addiction, the spiritual dimensions of the illness and recovery, and what can be done to help adolescents and their families affected by addiction recover and heal."
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/78650_95526_ENG_HTM.htm
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OPINION
Communion at last
College student finds her way home to Episcopal Church
By Claudia Bradley
[Episcopal Life] Gretchen Scherzinger, a freshman at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana, joined two campus Christian ministries this fall: InterVarsity and RealLife Christian fellowships. In September and October, she went to various churches with her friends, including the Community Christian, the Baptist and the Methodist churches. She called her mom a few weeks ago and said, "I keep waiting for them to have Communion. Why don't they have the Eucharist?"
Well, Gretchen's parents thought they had prepared their daughter pretty well for college by teaching her about relationships, money and drugs and alcohol, but this question caught them off guard.
"Uh...I stuttered and giggled like a mother whose child has just asked, 'Where babies come from?'" said her mom. "I guess I neglected a part of her education."
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81840_95523_ENG_HTM.htm
More Opinion: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80050_ENG_HTM.htm
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ARTS
Welsh student singers and actors wow Episcopalians
By Jerry Hames
[Episcopal Life] A group of talented students from Trinity College, Wales, visited New York during Wales Week from February 25 to March 1 to give concert performances as members of a 15-voice chamber choir and perform an original play, New Worlds, at the off-Broadway Producer's Club 2.
The Wales in New York celebrations, organized by the Welsh Assembly Government, comprised a series of events to emphasize Welsh art, culture and business.
It was the second visit to New York in the last two years by members of the troupe, ranging in ages from 18 to 21, some of whom are spending this semester studying at the University of the Rio Grande in Ohio. Following the New York premier of New Worlds, plans were made to perform the play at several communities in Ohio.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81827_95515_ENG_HTM.htm
More Arts: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81827_ENG_HTM.htm
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DAYBOOK
On March 10, 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 March 10, 1748, John Newton, captain of a slave ship, was converted to Christianity during a huge storm at sea. After becoming an Anglican priest, Newton became a zealous abolitionist and wrote the famous hymn "Amazing Grace."
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CATALYST
"The Power of Forgiveness" from Augsburg Fortress, by Kenneth Briggs, based on a film by Martin Doblmeier, 203 pages, paperback, c. 2008, $25
[Source: Augsburg Fortress] This volume, a companion to the PBS documentary of the same title from Journey Films, examines the mysterious force of forgiveness at work in the world. Focusing on real people going through real struggles and faced with betrayal, loss, grief, and confusion, the film includes an honest look at the intensity of anger and grief and shows how recent research has shown how powerfully forgiveness and reconciliation can transform the personal, social, political, and cultural scripts that plague us.
Included are stories of remarkable instances of forgiveness as well as compelling interviews with ordinary people and luminaries such as Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, Sr. Helen Prejean, Rabbi David Wolpe, Islamicist Azim Khamisa, Pastor James Forbes, Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, Azim Khamisa, and acclaimed spiritual writer Thomas Moore. Full-color photographs from the film are included.
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