Grace St. Luke's Tiffany windows one of largest collections in the country

From Memphis-

During the 1950s and early ‘60s, a one-of-a-kind, priceless piece of art hung in a multi-purpose of Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church — behind a basketball hoop, protected by chicken wire and poorly secured.

“We were one rock away from losing a Tiffany,” said Grace-St. Luke’s member Dan Conaway of one of the church’s recently restored stained-glass windows by renowned American artist Louis Comfort Tiffany. “The church knew what they had, but (at the time) it didn’t have much value.

That piece of sacred art, now protected by “bullet-proof glass,” depicts robed Jesus holding a shining lantern in stunning, meticulous detail — a Tiffany trademark — and is one of seven windows Tiffany composed for Grace Church at the corner of Vance and Lauderdale before it joined St. Luke’s in 1940. The church’s collection of original Tiffany windows is one of the largest in the country.

“These are very finite, like a Picasso,” said Conaway. “There’s no real way to determine their value. They’re irreplaceable”

More here-

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/jun/12/grace-st-lukes-tiffany-windows-one-largest-collect/

Church honors saint by establishing Christian hunters group

From Memphis-

The story of Saint Hubert, as told by Father John Sewell, Rector of St. John's Episcopal Church, goes like this:

In the late 600s A.D., a "party boy" named Hubert had given himself to the vanities of life, and was obsessed with hunting. Once, he chose to pursue his sport on Good Friday, "a real no-no in that time," and received an unexpected wake-up call from above.

During his hunt that morning, a vision of the crucifix appeared to Hubert between the antlers of a great stag. Through the creature, God spoke to him and said, "Hubert, if you don't get your act together, you're going to hell."

Sewell and his church celebrated the patron saint of hunters and hunting dogs during Sunday morning's services by blessing hunters, their dogs and establishing the Guild of Saint Hubert, a Christian hunters group that promotes spirituality, safety and respect in the hunt.

"I'm convinced that hunting is actually a spiritual exercise," said Sewell, who explained how hunting can be used as a metaphor for spiritual salvation in his sermon.

"(Hubert) went hunting and got more than he thought he would," he said. "Not only do we go hunting, but God hunts for us."

More here-

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/oct/25/hunt-for-spirituality/

St. John's Episcopal Church advocates 'ScreamFree' philosophy for life

From Memphis-

Father John Sewell wants people in Memphis to stop screaming.

From St. John's Episcopal Church, where he is rector, he is spreading a message that Central Avenue motorists can see.

In front of the church, a sign reads "ScreamFree Zone."

Screaming is not always about people raising their voice, Sewell said, "Sometimes they scream by drinking, sometimes they scream by getting depressed. It's really about how we relate to one another."

The aim of "ScreamFree Living" is to teach people how to stay calm before reacting, he said.

"How would the city of Memphis change if we did that?" Sewell said.

To get there, the rector has been handing out copies of the book "ScreamFree Parenting" by Hal Edward Runkel.

The author runs the Georgia-based ScreamFree Institute, a nonprofit that focuses on ScreamFree Living, and trains people to break the habit of reacting from unchecked emotions and instead create relationships based on calm interaction.

More here-

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/oct/11/quiet-please/