Episcopalians dive into local voter mobilization efforts leading up to November elections

By David Paulsen

Although Episcopalians may be motivated by personal political beliefs, their church-based election efforts are necessarily nonpartisan. Those efforts also are grounded in church policies established by General Convention, which just last month passed additional resolutions calling Episcopalians to greater political engagement. That engagement has the continued support of the church’s Office of Government Relations in Washington, D.C.

For the entire article, click here: 

Daily Dig for July 21

Johann Christoph Blumhardt

We must believe that the Lord can do anything if he wants to. Yet in the garden of Gethsemane, the Lord prayed, “Not my will, but your will be done.” Even though Jesus knew he had to drink the cup of suffering, he nevertheless prayed to be spared. And then the angel strengthened him. Likewise, if we pray earnestly, it may be that an angel will quietly strengthen us so that we may bear whatever is laid on us. And, as is so often the case, the Lord may even provide more than what we need, beyond our expectation. If we pray with unceasing, childlike faith, and if it is God’s will, the Lord will let us see his glory revealed in deed and miracle. “If you are willing, you can do it” is the prayer of all those who fear him. And in his great wisdom, the Lord will say, “I am willing.”

Source: The God Who Heals

Presiding Bishop Introduces "The Way Of Love"

The Way of Love
In a sermon to the 79th annual General Convention of The Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry invited the Church into a new three-year initiative called The Way of Love, which centers on the seven practices for cultivating a Jesus-centered life by providing these seven practices: Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go, and Rest. 

Turn: Pause, listen, and choose to follow Jesus
As Jesus was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. – Mark 2:14
Like the disciples, we are called by Jesus to follow the Way of Love. With God’s help, we can turn from the powers of sin, hatred, fear, injustice, and oppression toward the way of truth, love, hope, justice, and freedom. In turning, we reorient our lives to Jesus Christ, falling in love again, again, and again.

Learn: Reflect on Scripture each day, especially on Jesus’ life and teachings
“Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” – John 14:23
By reading and reflecting on Scripture, especially the life and teachings of Jesus, we draw near to God and God’s word dwells in us. When we open our minds and hearts to Scripture, we learn to see God’s story and God’s activity in everyday life.

Pray: Dwell intentionally with God each day
He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” – Luke 11:1
Jesus teaches us to come before God with humble hearts, boldly offering our thanksgivings and concerns to God or simply listening for God’s voice in our lives and in the world. Whether in thought, word or deed, individually or corporately, when we pray we invite and dwell in God’s loving presence.

Worship: Gather in community weekly to thank, praise, and dwell with God
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. – Luke 24:30-31
When we worship, we gather with others before God. We hear the Good News of Jesus Christ, give thanks, confess, and offer the brokenness of the world to God. As we break bread, our eyes are opened to the presence of Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are made one body, the body of Christ sent to live the Way of Love.

Bless: Share faith and unselfishly give and serve
“Freely you have received; freely give.” – Matthew 10:8
Jesus called his disciples to give, forgive, teach, and heal in his name. We are empowered by the Spirit to bless everyone we meet, practicing generosity and compassion, and proclaiming the Good News of God in Christ with hopeful words and selfless actions. We can share our stories of blessing and invite others to the Way of Love.

Go: Cross boundaries, listen deeply and live like Jesus
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” – John 20:21
As Jesus went to the highways and byways, he sends us beyond our circles and comfort, to witness to the love, justice, and truth of God with our lips and with our lives. We go to listen with humility and to join God in healing a hurting world. We go to become Beloved Community, a people reconciled in love with God and one another.

Rest: Receive the gift of God’s grace, peace, and restoration
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27
From the beginning of creation, God has established the sacred pattern of going and returning, labor and rest. Especially today, God invites us to dedicate time for restoration and wholeness - within our bodies, minds, and souls, and within our communities and institutions. By resting, we place our trust in God, the primary actor who brings all things to their fullness.

More News From The Convocation:

Episcopal leaders, shooting victim parents rally against gun violence

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Episcopal leaders and parents of Parkland shooting victims rallied in downtown Austin Sunday morning to protest gun violence.

A group of more than 70 Episcopal bishops called Bishops United Against Gun Violence gathered at Austin's Brush Square Park.

They protested during the church’s 79th General Convention. 

Speakers included Philip and April Schentrup, whose daughter was killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida last February. The parents say the church should advocate against gun violence for a more peaceful nation. 

Another speaker included Abigail Zimmerman, who helped lead a school walkout in March to remember the victims of the Parkland shooting. She's a member of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church and is part of the youth group there. 

Westboro Baptist Church To Protest At All Saints Episcopal Church In Austin -- Next Sunday

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Westboro Baptist Church will be protesting ahead of a central Austin church service Sunday morning.

Earlier in the week, the pastor at the All Saints' Episcopal Church on 209 W. 27th St. wrote a Facebook message saying an Austin police lieutenant informed him about 10 members of the infamous church would be protesting from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. The Westboro Baptist Church is known for protesting a variety of people and places it considers "sinful," often using extremely controversial signs and language. 

The church's website says they will be in Austin Saturday and Sunday picketing the Episcopal Triennial Convention being held there. Father Mike Adams from All Saints' says the Westboro Baptist Church has an ongoing protest of the Episcopal Church and its acceptance of LGBTQ people. The protesters will move from that church to St. David's Episcopal church and then the convention center. 

Austin police told Adams they would have officers there and while people have offered to create a "human wall" to block the protesters, he told them it wouldn't be necessary. Still, a counter-protest is possible.

Adams said the church will respect the Westboro Baptist Church's First Amendment rights, and will likely offer them coffee, water or donuts. He doesn't expect them to accept.

All Saints' service will continue as normal at 8 a.m.

"My hope is that none of us will get into any kind of verbal sparring or confrontation with them on our way into church even though their signage and amplified verbal chants will likely invoke and seduce such a reply. Please resist that temptation," Adams wrote on Facebook. 

Adams said they will pray for the protesters during the service that God will "soften hardened hearts."

Copyright 2018 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Scenes from The Diverted Food Pantry on July 2nd:

Mary Edgecome says, "Look, there are good things over here, too!"

Plenty of sparkling water drinks, always.

 Little Miss Klatt says that she is an expert babysitter. She's probably right.

Three full refrigerators of food that would just go into the dumpster.

The Presiding Bishop and U2

[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Michael Curry met backstage this week with U2 and front man Bono at New York’s Madison Square Garden, where the Episcopal Church leader and the globally renowned rockers discussed Curry’s Reclaiming Jesus initiative.

The meeting happened in the evening June 25 just before the first of a series of U2 concerts in New York on the band’s Experience + Innocence tour. A photo released by the band shows the foursome posing with Curry.

“I know of no other group that has sung and witnessed more powerfully to the way of love than U2,” Curry said June 27 in a written statement to Episcopal News Service. “It was a real blessing to sit with them to talk about Jesus, the way of love, and changing our lives and the world. They are an extraordinary community gift to us all.”

U2, which formed in the late 1970s, has been one of the most popular rock bands in the world for more than 30 years, and Bono – among that rarefied group of musicians known globally by a single name – makes headlines these days as much for his support for humanitarian causes as for his music.

Curry, too, has become something of a minor global celebrity since his sermon on the power of love at the royal wedding on May 19. After the wedding, he was invited to discuss the sermon on a dizzying variety of media outlets, from the BBC to celebrity gossip site TMZ. Curry told ENS last month that he sees the sudden attention as a unique opportunity for evangelism, as he tries in interviews to bring the conversation around to what he often calls the “Jesus Movement.”

Reclaiming Jesus is a new initiative he spearheaded this year with the Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners to address “a dangerous crisis of moral and political leadership at the highest levels of our government and in our churches” and to affirm what it means to be followers of Jesus in today’s world.

U2 and Bono have not yet commented publicly on Reclaiming Jesus, though Curry said he spoke with them about its origins and intention.

“I shared with them our commitment to reclaim Jesus of Nazareth as the center of Christian  faith and life,” Curry said in his statement to ENS. “And this means a way of faith with love of God and Love of neighbor at the core. A love that is not sentimental but a disciplined commitment and spiritual practice infusing every aspect of life, personally, intra personally and politically.”

Curry didn’t say whether he was a fan of U2’s music, though he stayed June 25 to attend the concert at Madison Square Garden. He had at least one prior connection to the songs before this week: A sermon he delivered in 2006 at a U2charist service in Columbus, Ohio.

The U2charists were a popular trend in the Episcopal Church at that time, structured as a Eucharist that incorporates songs from the band, whose catalogue is thoroughly infused with Christian imagery.

Celebrating a U2charist also held a deeper purpose, calling attention to the push to achieve the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, such as eradicating extreme poverty, reducing child mortality and fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. The ONE Campaign, co-founded by Bono, was a key advocate for the Millennium Development Goals – U2’s megahit “One” became its rallying cry – and the Episcopal Church endorsed the organization’s work in a 2006 General Convention resolution.

More than 700 attended the U2charist in Columbus in 2006. Curry, the bishop of North Carolina at the time, preached in support of the Millennium Development Goals and the ONE Campaign, telling those gathered to “be a witness” for Christ. He called the goals “a way for us to discover life again as a Church … a compelling vision of the world God intended from the beginning,” according to an ENS report on the service.

It wasn’t clear whether Curry referenced U2’s music directly in the sermon, though in one unconfirmed transcription of the sermon he is quoted as referring to the band’s leader as “Brother Bono.”

– David Paulsen is an editor and reporter for the Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

Bishop Andy Doyle's Statement on Separating Children from Parents at Border

THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF TEXAS·MONDAY, JUNE 18, 2018

"Families are the bedrock of American society and our government has the discretion to ensure that young children are not separated from their mothers and fathers and exposed to irreparable harm and trauma. Separating babies from their mothers is not only unconscionable, it is immoral.

Superior orders will not be an ethical defense for the legacy of pain being inflicted upon these children or the violence to families being woven into the fabric of our future. These actions do irreparable harm, are not proportional to the crime, betray our covenant with God in both the Old and New Testaments, subvert American family values, and are patently inhumane.

Our government leaders have the ability to uphold our laws, protect our borders, and ensure that families are not separated.

Yet, these families—who are in crisis in their native lands—now face even more uncertainty because those in power are not taking the responsibility of leadership. Our society’s actions reveal not only what our government values, but America’s values. How we handle this crisis reveals if we are the great and civilized society our immigrant founding fathers dreamed or if that dream is over. This is a defining moment for America.”

- The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas

From Fr. Richard Rohr

"Note that Jesus reserves his most damning and dualistic statements for matters of social justice where power is most resistant: 'You cannot serve both God and mammon' (Matthew 6:24); 'It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God' (Matthew 19:24); or the clear dichotomy in Matthew 25 between sheep (who feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit the imprisoned) and goats (who don’t). The context is important. Jesus’ foundational and even dualistic bias is against false power and in favor of the powerless. If you do not make such points absolutely clear (and even if you do, as Jesus did), history shows that humans will almost always compromise on issues of justice, power, money, and inclusion.

Let’s bring it home: The United States always has all the money it needs for war, weapons, and bailing out banks, but never enough for good schools, low cost housing, universal health care, or welcoming refugees. Has this not become obvious? No wonder Jesus dared to be dualistic and dramatic first! He offers clear, contrasting statements about issues of ultimate significance and calls us to decide between them. His point is always transformation.

Unfortunately, Christians have managed to avoid most of what Jesus taught so unequivocally: nonviolence, sharing, simplicity, loving our enemies. Thankfully many Christians are returning to Jesus’ foundational messages and seeking to follow his example. They are not shying away from the embarrassments and evils of our churches, politics, and economy and the ways we each contribute to and are complicit in them."

- Richard Rohr

ART: Lateral door in the Church of Saint John the Baptist, Coyoacán, Mexico City, México. 

Presiding Bishop Curry to participate in May 24 procession, vigil to the White House Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs Posted 4 hours ago

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Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will join other faith leaders and elders in Washington, DC to launch the Reclaiming Jesus Declaration at a church service followed by a silent candlelight vigil to the White House on Thursday, May 24.

All are invited to attend the event, beginning at 7 pm Eastern at the National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW, Washington DC. At the Church Service, Presiding Bishop Curry will join 10 other faith leaders and elders in prayer and preaching.

Following the church service, at 8:30 pm an estimated crowd of more than 1000 will follow Presiding Bishop Curry and the faith leaders and elders as they process from National City Christian Church to the White House.

“The church service, the procession to the White House, and silent candlelight vigil is planned in response to the moral and political crises at the highest levels of political leadership that are putting both the soul of the nation and the integrity of Christian faith at stake,” noted the Rev. Jim Wallis, President and Founder, Sojourners. “The elders call upon all Christians to remember that our identity in Jesus precedes every other identity.”

The Reclaiming Jesus Declaration is located here.

The Episcopal Church Office of Communications will livestream the church service, procession and silent vigil.  The livestream is available here.

Schedule
The service at the National City Christian Church begins at 7 pm Eastern. The procession to the White House begins at 8:30 pm Eastern. The silent candlelight vigil is expected to begin at 8:45 pm to 10 pm Eastern.

Religious Leaders and Elders
The religious leaders and elders represent many Christian traditions – evangelical, mainline Protestant, Roman Catholic, and African-American churches.

Including Presiding Bishop Curry, others participating in the church service and vigil will be:

• The Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggemann, Professor Emeritus, Columbia Theological Seminary
• Dr. Tony Campolo, Co-Founder, Red Letter Christians
• The Rev. Dr. James Forbes, President and Founder, Healing of the Nations Foundation and Preaching Professor at Union Theological Seminary
• The Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary Emeritus, Reformed Church in America
• The Rev. Dr. Richard Hamm, former General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
• Fr. Richard Rohr, Founder, Center for Action and Contemplation
• Dr. Ron Sider, President Emeritus, Evangelicals for Social Action
• The Rev. Jim Wallis, President and Founder, Sojourners
• The Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, Director, NCC Truth and Racial Justice Initiative
• Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, Co-Convener, National African American Clergy Network; President, Skinner Leadership Institute

Preregistration for participation in the church service, procession and vigil is not required; however, participants are encouraged to mark their attendance on Facebook here.

Response to Detonated Package at St. Stephen’s, Beaumont

C. ANDREW DOYLE·THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2018

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This morning I received word that a package bomb went off on the front steps of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Beaumont, Texas between the last service yesterday and early this morning. I have spoken with the Rev. Steven Balke, rector of the congregation, who noticed immediate damage when he arrived at the church this morning observing blown out windows, traces of the detonated package, and holes in the walls. I give thanks to God that no one was hurt in this incident.

All Saints’ Episcopal School has been evacuated and the church and the school will remain closed until further notice. The FBI is on scene and is currently investigating what happened as there was a similar event at a Beaumont Starbucks on April 27. As more information becomes known, I will be sure to update you all. Please be sure to check the EDOT website and social media pages for the latest updates.

Our main concern right now is the pastoral care needs of the congregation and school are met. We are sending Bishop Monterroso, Carol Barnwell, director of communications, and the Rev. Canon Joann Saylors to be with them in Beaumont; Bishop Fisher will be there tomorrow. In the meantime, Bishops Fisher, Harrison, Monterroso, and I ask for your prayers for Steven Balke and his family, the St. Stephen’s and All Saints’ staff, the first responders, and all those affected by this incident.

Sincerely,

The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle

IX Bishop of Texas

From Bishop Doyle:

Barbara Bush said, "Some people give time, some money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life’s blood. But everyone has something to give." This gentle, humble, and caring woman gave of herself to others. She gave herself to the nation, to school children, to her church, and to her family. From a factory during WWII, to reading programs, church groups, and the White House she has been a giver. The nation mourns her loss as it has done so for other amazing first ladies. Her Episcopal Church family mourns her loss and gathers around her family in this time. And, we find meaning in this time, shaped not by death, but by resurrection. So, we with others celebrate a life well lived punctuated by giving. And, we celebrate her inheritance with the saints in light whom we love but see no longer. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

The Presiding Bishop's Easter Message

Hello on Palm Sunday from St George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem.

There is a passage in the 27th Chapter of Matthew’s gospel where religious leaders, political leaders come together once again after Jesus has been crucified and executed, after he had been buried in the tomb. Once again they come together to seal the tomb, to make sure not even a rumor of his resurrection will happen.  And this is what some of them say:

Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may go and steal him away and tell the people he has been raised from the dead. And the last deception will be the worse than the first.

It is easy to overlook, and sometimes convenient to forget, that Jesus was executed, Jesus was crucified by an unholy alliance of religion, politics, and economic self-interest.

Politics represented in Pontius Pilate, governor of the Roman Empire, representative of that very empire and all of its power.

King Herod, who heard Jesus at one of the trials, representative of the Herodian and economic self-interest at the time.

The Chief Priest, representative of religious aristocracies who had a vested interest in the status quo.

These three powers came together – economic, religious and political – to crucify the one who taught love the lord your God, love your neighbor, and actually live that way.

The truth is the message of Jesus was unsettling to the world then as it is unsettling to the world now.  And yet that very message is the only source of hope in life for the way of the cross, the way of unselfish living, the way of sacrificial living, seeking the good, the welfare of the other before one’s own unenlightened self-interest. That way of the cross is the way of love. That is the nature of love.  And that way is the only hope for the entire human family.

The reality is the way of Jesus was a threat to the way that the world is, and hope for the way the world can and will be.

But on that third day after the crucifixion, when by the titanic power of God, by the power of the love of God, Jesus was raised from the dead.  God sent a message and declared that death does not have the last word. Hatred does not have the last word. Violence does not have the last word. Bigotry does not have the last word. Sin, evil do not have the last word. The last word is God, and God is love.

On our pilgrimage here, we stopped and spent two days in Jordan. In Amman, Jordan, we were able to spend some sacred and blessed and painful time with Iraqi Christians. These are Christians, many of whom are Anglican, who have fled their country in Iraq because of war and violence and hatred and desecration. They have given up everything, refusing to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ. And there in Jordan, with the help of the Anglican Church there and many other relief agencies, they are at least safe, hoping to find safe and permanent homes in other countries.

In the course of our conversations, and listening to them, at one point I found myself quoting a hymn, a song that many folk have heard around Easter, certainly in our country.  And I didn’t expect a response. You probably know how it goes – it says,“because he lives,” referring to Jesus and his resurrection, “because he lives, I can face tomorrow.” When I quoted that song, those who have lost their homes, people who have lost everything except life itself, those who have lost loved ones, actually responded to the words of that song. When I said,“Because He lives I can face tomorrow.” When I said Jesus is alive, He’s been raised from the dead, I saw them lift up their heads and respond with the words amen, hallelujah.

My brothers and sisters, evil could not stop him. Death could not stop him. Violence could not stop him.  For the love of God, the heart of God, the reality of God is stronger than anything else.  And Jesus really rose from the dead on that first resurrection morning.

God love you.  God bless you. And, may this Easter season be the first day of the rest of our lives.

Amen.

The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church

Presiding Bishop, others begin campaign to ‘reclaim Jesus in US culture

[Episcopal News Service] A group of Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders, including Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, have begun what they call a campaign to “reclaim Jesus” from those who they believe are using Christian theology for political gain.

“We are living through perilous and polarizing times as a nation, with a dangerous crisis of moral and political leadership at the highest levels of our government and in our churches,” say the 23 signers of the statement. “We believe the soul of the nation and the integrity of faith are now at stake.”

The group says the church’s role is to change the world through the life and love of Jesus Christ, while the government should serve the common good by protecting justice and peace, rewarding good behavior while restraining bad behavior. “When that role is undermined by political leadership, faith leaders must stand up and speak out,” the signers say, citing the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who said the church is the conscience of the state, not its master or its servant.

“Reclaiming Jesus: A Confession of Faith in a Time of Crisis” offers six “affirmations” of what the group, currently 23 strong, believes, “and the resulting rejections of practices and policies by political leaders which dangerously corrode the soul of the nation and deeply threaten the public integrity of our faith.

“We pray that we, as followers of Jesus, will find the depth of faith to match the danger of our political crisis.”

In summary, the signers, in their the affirmations and rejections, said they believe:

• Each human being is made in God’s image and likeness, and therefore, “we reject the resurgence of white nationalism and racism in our nation on many fronts, including the highest levels of political leadership.”
• We are one body and, therefore, “we reject misogyny, the mistreatment, violent abuse, sexual harassment, and assault of women that has been further revealed in our culture and politics, including our churches, and the oppression of any other child of God.”
• “How we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick, and the prisoner is how we treat Christ himself,” and, therefore, “we reject the language and policies of political leaders who would debase and abandon the most vulnerable children of God.”
• “Truth is morally central to our personal and public lives,” and, therefore, they reject “the practice and pattern of lying that is invading our political and civil life.”
• Christ’s way of leadership is servanthood, not domination, and, therefore, “we reject any moves toward autocratic political leadership and authoritarian rule… raise deeper concerns about political idolatry, accompanied by false and unconstitutional notions of authority.”
• Jesus “tells us to go into all nations making disciples,” and, therefore, they reject “‘America first’ as a theological heresy for followers of Christ.”

The statement says in its conclusion that “our urgent need, in a time of moral and political crisis, is to recover the power of confessing our faith. Lament, repent, and then repair.”

The Rev. Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners, and Curry began talking earlier this year about the need for such a statement. The signers agreed to the wording of the statement at an Ash Wednesday retreat that Curry hosted at the Episcopal Church Center in New York.

“I joined with other Christian church leaders on this confession of what faith in times like these require,” Curry said March 22 in a statement to Episcopal News Service. “When faced with social issues, our Church has not been silent and we will continue to strive for justice and peace. Our role is one of moral leadership for our nation, for our church, for ourselves.”

The “Reclaiming Jesus” message, Wallis said in a March 22 commentary on the Sojourners website, needed to be “something that would be much more than just another statement to sign and then file away.

“Rather, with a shared humble spirit, we felt called to act as elders for a time such as this and to commend our message to the churches for a process of prayer, study, reflection, and action.”

Wallis called his commentary “Reclaiming Jesus: How Confessing Faith Can Respond to a Moral and Constitutional Crisis.”

The signers have set up a website, Reclaiming Jesus, where the statement and a one-page summary can be downloaded. There is also due to be a collection of resources in addition to a five-week “civil discourse curriculum” that already has been released.

Click Here To View The Signers