wfn.org | [ELD] Communion Partners push covenant actions

["Matthew Davies" <mdavies@episcopalchurch.org>]

>Episcopal Life Daily
>April 29, 2009

Episcopal Life Online is available at  http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife.

>Today's Episcopal Life Daily includes:

* TOP STORY - Communion Partners push covenant actions
* WORLD REPORT - CANADA: Anglican Network to be diocese in Anglican
Church in North America
* EDUCATION - Episcopal Studies program to launch at Brite Divinity  School
* OPINION - Time to switch vessels: Seekers care about connecting with
God, not church 'brand'
* CALENDAR - Upcoming special events and services
* SPIRITUAL REFLECTION - May 3 - Fourth Sunday of Easter - Year B
* DAYBOOK - April 30, 2009: Today in Scripture, Prayer, History
* CATALYST - What Am I Doing Here? A Beginner's Guide to Church

>_____________________

>TOP STORIES

>Communion Partners push covenant actions

>By Mary Frances Schjonberg

[Episcopal News Service] The spokesman for a group of Episcopal Church
bishops and clergy who released an April 22 statement challenging the
polity of the church pledged the group's commitment to remaining in
the Episcopal Church, but said that his diocese would consider signing
onto a proposed Anglican Covenant if General Convention did not agree
to do so.

Meanwhile, an expert on Episcopal Church polity labeled as "bizarre"
the idea that individual bishops or dioceses could take that step, and
questioned what meaning it would have in the wider Episcopal Church or
Anglican Communion.

Diocese of Western Louisiana Bishop D. Bruce MacPherson told ENS April
28 that "one common thing [the Communion Partners bishops and rectors
who signed the statement] have, and this has been shared from the
beginning with the Presiding Bishop, [is that] we are committed to
remaining a part of the Episcopal Church as opposed to some of the
other directions that have been taken by others."

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_107165_ENG_HTM.htm

More Top Stories: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife

>_____________________

>WORLD REPORT

CANADA: Anglican Network to be diocese in Anglican Church in North  America

>By Leigh Anne Williams

The Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) has been approved as one of 28
dioceses and dioceses-in-formation in the Anglican Church in North
America (ACNA), which is comprised of 12 church organizations that
have broken with the Anglican Church of Canada and The Episcopal
Church over theological differences on issues such as human sexuality.

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_107164_ENG_HTM.htm

More World news: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_ENG_HTM.htm

>_____________________

>EDUCATION

Episcopal Studies program to launch at Brite Divinity School

>By Lisa B. Hamilton

[Episcopal News Service] Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian
University in Fort Worth, Texas, has announced it will begin offering
an Episcopal Studies Program this fall, to be funded by individual
donors.

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/78650_107166_ENG_HTM.htm

More Education: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80263_93222_ENG_HTM.htm

>_____________________

>OPINION

>Time to switch vessels

Seekers care about connecting with God, not church 'brand'

>By Mark D. W. Edington

[Episcopal Life] Not long ago, I attended a clergy conference in my
diocese and left feeling as though the organizers - or perhaps the
clergy association - should have included Dramamine with the
registration packet.

Despite an agenda that held out two central topics for conversation,
the Conversation We Have Resolutely Avoided suddenly became the
Conversation That Would Not Be Refused. Are we on a sinking ship? Are
we indeed rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic?

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80050_107137_ENG_HTM.htm

More Opinion: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80050_ENG_HTM.htm

>_____________________

>CALENDAR

A round-up of upcoming special events, services, concerts and diocesan
conventions taking place throughout the Episcopal Church is available
at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/calendar.htm

>_____________________

>SPIRITUAL REFLECTIONS

>May 3 - Fourth Sunday of Easter - Year B

(RCL) Acts 4:5-12; Psalm 23; 1 John 3:16-24; John 10:11-18

>By the Rev. Kirk Alan Kubicek

[Sermons That Work] As is often the case, what is not included in our
lessons may be of utmost importance in our hearing what is going on in
these lessons.

For instance, in Acts, a lame man has been healed, and Peter and John
have been hauled before some sort of ecclesiastical court to explain
why the lame man is not still lame. And our gospel narrative begins
way back in Chapter 8 where Jesus is accused of being possessed by a
demon, then in Chapter 9 he heals the blind man by the Pool of Siloam.

Full reflection:

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/sermons_that_work_107022_ENG_HTM.htm

More Spiritual Reflections:  http://www.episcopalchurch.org/82457_ENG_HTM.htm

>_____________________

>DAYBOOK

>On April 30, 2009...

* 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 April 30, 418, Roman Emperor Honorius (384-423)
issued a decree against Pelagianism, a teaching that a person can take
the initial and fundamental steps toward salvation by one's own
efforts, apart from divine grace.

>_____________________

>CATALYST

"What Am I Doing Here? A Beginner's Guide to Church" from Church House
Publishing, by Hilary Brand, with cartoons by Dave Walker, 74 pages,
paperback, $10

[Church House Publishing] Have you ever wondered what church is all
about? Ever found yourself in a service wondering what on earth is
going on, and what the point of it all is? Whether you're completely
new to church or have been coming to church for a while, this little
book will help you. With a down-to-earth style and subtle humor, the
author takes you through an Anglican Holy Communion service,
demystifying what happens and why.

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

>_____________________

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