Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Do not be daunted


Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that

“Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. 
We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love...
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. 
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” 
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Joyce Feinberg 75
Richard Gotfried 65
Rose Malinger 97

Jerry Rabinowitz 66
Cesil Rosenthal 59
David Rosenthal (brothers) 54
Bernice Simon 84
Sylvan Simon (a married couple) 86
Daniel Stein 71
Melvin Wax 88
Irving Youngner 69

‏זכרונם לברכה
May their memories be a blessing.

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Addressing the sin of violence


My Dear Sisters and Brothers,
 
In a holy sanctuary, less than five hours from our beloved diocese, families walked into the Tree of Life synagogue for a Shabbat service. Women, men and children beginning their sacred service with prayers of gratitude for life. A man filled with hate and rage, encouraged by a society that seems to worship at the altar of hate and violence, walked in and proceeded to slay the innocent. As he shouted, "all Jews must die," eleven beautiful children of a loving God were slaughtered because of hate. Many others, including first responders, were also grievously injured in this attack. Do not be misled, this is hate.
 
As a culture we normalize violence, we rationalize explanations, we chant political slogans, and we then forget that these words have repercussions. Pray, we must, but we cannot proclaim the resolve of our prayers or the determination of our efforts if we are not willing to live the same.
 
We must tire of being tired; we must transform anger that merely manifests itself on social media. Our Lord is all-powerful, and yet we cannot turn away our sight or our lives to avoid the sight of the slaughter.
 
We must address this in our own diocese.
 
There is a sickness that is overtaking our society. And we know that only by standing by the foot of the cross can we see the hope of the resurrection. My brothers and sisters, the blood of Christ is falling upon our heads. We can no longer sit idly nor give in to rage. After our tears have been expended, let us rise to action.
 
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called his followers to a different kind of life. A life that understands that the condition of the heart is a precursor to our actions in this world. Just as we can borrow one another's faith and bear one another's burdens, we can seek change and "approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
 
Outrage at the sin of others not followed by action in our own lives is the counterfeit gospel of our modern time. Let us cry out to God to stir up within us amendment of life, energy for holy action, and the courage to make a difference. The courage to risk at the cost of our own lives.
 
I invite each of our 134 churches in the Diocese of Pennsylvania to devote the first Sunday in November to preaching, teaching, and sharing on the violence in the community. This includes congregational discussions on methods to address violence through the lens of Jesus Christ.
 
I ask that over the next two months, each congregation invite leaders of either the Jewish and Muslim communities to address hate within their own specific context. More importantly, how we as members of the three Abrahamic faith traditions collectively join to address the sin of violence.
 
I will ask that our Diocesan Convention prioritize by resolution the resolve of this Diocese to fund anti-violence initiatives for congregations within our Diocese of Pennsylvania.
 
At the same convention, I ask for a resolution designating the Diocese of Pennsylvania as a place of peace.   For those seeking peace within our community, they will find a place of solace and safety within all our congregations without regard of religion, status, or affiliation.
 
To the Jewish communities across the world - we share your pain, and we offer our love. To all those who suffer from violence around the world - in Jewish communities, Muslim communities, minority communities, we will carry your pain with you. Today, be it known that death will no longer reign supreme - let our lives and life in Jesus Christ show the way.
 
I close with a reading from Daniel:
 
"Listen as I plead for your desolate sanctuary. Lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair as our city lies in ruins. We make this plea not because we deserve help but because of your mercy. O Lord, hear, forgive and act. For your own sake, do not delay." (9-10)
 
Let our church be the voice, the hands, and the feet of Jesus Christ.
 
In peace,


The Rt. Rev. Daniel G. P. Gutiérrez
XVI Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania


 

Saturday, October 20, 2018

News from the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania

Please subscribe to this newsletter and other diocesan mailings here.

Have an event that you want us to promote? Please fill this out.
Infrastructure Grants Available
The application period is open for churches looking for money to address infrastructure issues that get in the way of ministry. This is the second year of the $1.5M program. Each year, 10 churches can receive up to $30K. Read more.



Understanding the Budget
Bishop Gutiérrez outlines the 2019 budget and the Finance Committee, Budget Committee and the Treasurer weigh in with more details. "I rejoice in the fact that after our first two years together, people no longer ask whether I am going to close or sell their church. Instead, people envision 'how can we grow together?'" Read it now.


Dr. Meeks/Racial Healing (Phila. Cathedral, 11/3)
Dr. Catherine Meeks, Executive Director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing in Atlanta will be our guest speaker for a conference designed to help youth and young adult leaders have a greater understanding of the importance of their voice and actions as advocates for racial healing. For more details.


A day of ideas and experiences of the state of black Episcopal churches in Philadelphia. Guest speaker is Rev. Canon Ronald Charles Byrd Missioner for Black Ministries The Episcopal Church. More details here.

Faith with a Twist (St. Christopher's, 11/17)
Are you interested in starting a yoga class at your church? Faith With A Twist is a special training workshop to get that going. More details.





Healing Ceremony & Mass for Veterans (St. Luke's Germantown, 11/11)
This is a healing service for veterans to share their stories. Service with Eucharist to follow. For more details.





Becca Stevens from Thistle Farms will be the featured speakers. (In 2019, the conference will take place in April.) Register for November now.For more details.




Know Jesus. Change the World.

Friday, October 19, 2018

Bishop Gutierrez Part of Delegation of Episcopal Bishops in Rome for Canonization of Archbishop Romero

Bishop Gutierrez Part of Delegation of Episcopal Bishops in Rome for Canonization of Archbishop Romero

Bishop Daniel G. P. Gutiérrez was in Rome over the weekend as part of a delegation of Episcopal priests to witness elevating El Salvadoran Archbishop Óscar Romero to sainthood.
Romero was a beloved priest and advocate against social and economic injustice.  In his last homily, on March 23, 1980, he called on Salvadoran soldiers and police to stop following orders to kill civilians, and stop the repression. “The peasants you kill are your own brothers and sisters,” preached Romero. “When you hear a man telling you to kill, remember God’s words, ‘Thou shalt not kill.” The next day, Romero was gunned down while he was celebrating Mass.
“Romero is my patron saint,” said Gutiérrez at a prayer celebration for Romero earlier in the year. “The violence that took his life still exists today.  But, there is always hope in the young people that are fighting for peace and we want to pray for all of them as well. Let us not tire of preaching love; it is the force that will overcome the world.”
Along with meeting Pope Francis, the Bishop was in the company of many others from the Anglican community including Dr. Rowan Williams (pictured), the former Archbishop of Canterbury.
Before traveling to Rome, the Bishop had meetings with the Compass Rose Society in London and was able to spend some time with Archbishop Justin Welby and his wife Caroline.  The Compass Rose Society is a group of international Anglicans/Episcopalians who seek to support the ministry of the Archbishop of Canterbury. While in London he also visited the Priory of the Venerable Order of St. John, of which is a member.

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Wise words from Seth Godin:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Learning without doing

It’s certainly possible.

But it’s unlikely you could learn to ride a bike by watching a lot of videos about it.

Or teach a toddler to walk.

In fact, it’s unlikely that you could learn to sell, to design useful objects or to solve interesting problems either.

You can try to learn without doing.

But why?

Sunday, October 7, 2018

Happy St. Francis Feast Day ~ Blessing of the Animals

We did not allow a little rainy weather to disrupt the wonderful Blessing of the Animals!