Santa in shackles shocks Dubai

From the "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Department (Dubai Division)

A distasteful and sickening campaign. That’s how many residents here described a Dubai hotel’s promotion showing jolly St Nick kidnapped and in chains.

The hotel running the campaign stated: “[We] kidnapped Santa and we ain’t letting him go... unless you make a festive booking soon, he’s not coming back.” A YouTube video which is part of the campaign shows ‘Saint Nick’ saying: “If they [hotel outlets] fill up on time, they say they’ll release me on the 24th… just think of all the kiddies and the grannies.”

The hotel also sent out ransom notes with Santa’s hat as proof they have him.

But Dubai residents are not amused. “Santa Claus is a universal icon representing Father Christmas to children in most parts of the world,” said a Mexican resident. “I think they ran out of ideas. It’s an unfortunate and offensive trick to grab attention.”

Mustafa Mahdi, head of publication relations at MasterMind Business Consultancy, said “It is very important to consider all factors that can impact the brand as a result of the publicity stunt, which can sometimes backfire.”

More here-

http://gulfnews.com/about-gulf-news/al-nisr-portfolio/xpress/santa-in-shackles-shocks-dubai-1.1121277

While shepherds watched

From The Economist-

ON THE third Sunday of Advent the worshippers at St Matthew’s, Brixton, were bracing themselves for the annual Christmas influx of unbelievers. “Help us persuade a few of them”, they prayed, “to keep coming.”

Like many London churches, St Matthew’s is enjoying a slight revival. Over the past decade its weekly congregation has doubled—to 65 on this Advent Sunday. That is chiefly because of an influx of young middle-class families, driven to one of London’s poorer parishes by high house prices and to church in the hope of winning coveted places at the local Church of England primary school. “I recognise their self-interest,” says the church’s vicar, the Rev Stephen Sichel, wearily.

Yet secularism has not spared St Matthew’s. The church is a south London landmark, a vast neo-classical monument with room for 1,800 worshippers, built in 1822 to commemorate the victory at Waterloo. Since the mid-1970s, however, when plunging congregations made it unaffordable, the church has operated from a small portion of the building. Some of the rest was leased out as a nightclub, “Mass”, which became well-known for hosting bondage parties. “The walls aren’t insulated so there was a lot of noise,” recalls one parishioner. Now the nightclub has closed; some of the building is being turned into a pub.

More here-

http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21568723-age-old-ties-between-church-and-state-are-gradually-coming-asunder-while-shepherds-watched

Churches battle for control of property

From Nigeria-

Three churches are locked in a court battle for control of a two-acre piece of land in Lavington, Nairobi.

The Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA), the Anglican and Methodist churches jointly acquired the land for interdenominational services.

The PCEA, through its St Andrews Church however, went to court saying the Methodist Church wanted to sub-divide and dispose of some the land on which the Lavington United Church is built.

St Andrews obtained orders barring the Methodists from sub-dividing the land or selling it until the suit is heard and determined.

The Anglican Church, through its Mombasa Diocese, joined the suit, saying it was part of the deal that gave birth to the Lavington church and the Methodists could not dispose of the property without its consent.

More here-

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Churches-battle-for--control-of-property/-/1056/1648040/-/w343t0z/-/index.html

CDF prefect prods English Catholics to embrace Anglican ordinariate

From Catholic World News (England)

In an interview with England’s Catholic Herald, the new prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said that the Catholics of Britain should “wholeheartedly” welcome former Anglicans who have joined the ordinariate of Our Lady of Walshingham.

Archbishop Gerhard Müller seemed to be prodding English Catholic leaders, who have been slow to embrace the Anglican ordinariate, when he pointed out: “Many of those [Anglicans] entered into full communion through the ordinariates have sacrificed a great deal in order to be true to their consciences. They should be welcomed wholeheartedly by the Catholic community – not as prodigals but as brothers and sisters in Christ who bring with them into the Church a worthy patrimony of worship and spirituality.”

The archbishop also spoke in the interview about talks between the Vatican and the Society of St. Pius X, saying that the traditionalist group must “distinguish between the true teaching of the Second Vatican Council and specific abuses that occurred after the Council, but which are not founded in the Council’s documents.”

More here-

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=16580

Zimbabwe: Forgiveness Key in Anglican Saga

From Zimbabwe-

"I appeal to you brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarrelling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, 'I follow Paul,' or 'I follow Apollos,' or 'I follow Cephas,' or 'I follow Christ'. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptised in the name of Paul?" (I Corinthians 1:10-13)

In light of the above quotation from the bible, one wonders if the two archbishops from the Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa and the Church of the Province of Zimbabwe have ever read this passage written by Paul to the Corinthians.

The raging dispute is now an over drummed issue. The discourse over who should pull the shorts between defrocked Archbishop Nolbert Kunonga and Chad Gandiya has been dominating news headlines of many newspapers. For the past five years several newspapers have been kept on their toes as they pursued an issue that has threatened to throw the church into a religious tinderbox.

More here-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201212200686.html

A Muslim Convention in a Church? You Better Believe It

From California-

On Saturday, the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) held their 12th annual convention at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, Calif. It was a historic moment that generated significant controversy over the church's decision to host a Muslim organization's convention. Multiple news media outlets including the LA Times and New York Times covered the debate in the days leading up to the convention. I wasn't quite sure what to expect as I headed to the church that morning, but I guessed I might run into a few protestors there. Sure enough, they were there to greet me when I arrived.

Just outside the front doors stood several men holding signs that insulted the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). They had planted themselves there several hours prior to the start of the convention and were making it quite clear that they were vehemently opposed to Islam and any Christians who associated with its followers. Interestingly enough, though, these men weren't engaging Muslims convention-goers in this debate. They were actually yelling at peace protesters who showed up to support the Muslims! I was floored at this wonderful gesture of solidarity.

More here-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wardah-khalid/muslim-convention-in-a-church-you-better-believe-it_b_2318802.htmlv

An African and an American Success Story

From New York-


A decade ago, the future looked bleak for Williamson Taylor’s New York City congregation. With just 20 parishioners, the church in a Bronx mall was struggling. Taylor (STH’84,’89), 4,300 miles from his homeland and newly installed as the church’s pastor, had his work cut out for him.

Born and raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Taylor stood in front of his sparse congregation at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church and told them not to despair. They did at least have a sanctuary, even if many in the borough didn’t know it was there.

“I come from Africa,” he remembers telling them, “where we sometimes worship God under a tree because we do not have a building. It’s not the building that is the church; it’s the people, the living, breathing church.”

More here-

http://www.bu.edu/today/2012/an-african-and-an-american-success-story/

Study finds 84 percent of world has religious affiliation

From Catholic News Agency-

More than 80 percent of people around the world – about 5.8 billion individuals – identify with a religious group, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center.

“Christians number 2.2 billion, or about one-in-three” of the 6.9 billion people in the world in 2010, the study found, adding that about “half of all Christians are Catholic.”

Released Dec. 18, the study examined censuses, surveys and population registers to determine the size, geographical distribution and age of the world’s major religions.

As of 2012, the world contained about 1.6 billion Muslims, 1 billion Hindus, almost 500 million Buddhists and 14 million Jews, the analysis said.

Furthermore, over 400 million people, or six percent of the global population, adhere to folk or religious traditions. Less than one percent – about 58 million people – belong to other religions, including Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, Wicca and the Baha’i faith.

More here-

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/study-finds-84-percent-of-world-has-religious-affiliation/

New Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will miss North East

From The BBC-

Justin Welby, the Bishop of Durham, is set to become the Archbishop of Canterbury early next year and admits he will be "hugely disappointed" to leave the region behind.

Bishop Welby only joined the Diocese of Durham in November 2011 but has been struck by the warmth of the people.

He said there was a "real sense of sadness" about moving.

Bishop Welby has praised the efforts of everyone he has worked with since coming to the north-east.

"Together as the Diocese of Durham we've managed to find a new direction," he said.

"We've taken some brave steps on finance, we've confirmed existing directions of travel and given them real content and solidity."

Ex-oil executive
The Bishop highlighted the issue of Auckland Castle - its future now secure after it was bought and passed to a charitable trust - as evidence of difficult situations that had been "happily resolved".

He said his experiences at Durham would help him when he becomes the leader of the Anglican Church.

More here-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20692356

The new chief rabbi and archbishop face strikingly similar problems

From The Guardian-

There are intriguing parallels between Monday's announcement of the appointment of Ephraim Mirvis as the new chief rabbi and the recent appointment of Justin Welby as the new archbishop of Canterbury. The chief rabbinate, an institution that not all Jewish communities today and throughout history have seen as necessary, was closely modelled in Britain on the Church of England. British chief rabbis, from the 18th century onwards, sought to demonstrate the decorum and responsibility of British Jews by modelling their office on the established church.

Both Mirvis and Welby are stepping into the shoes of predecessors known for their intellectual ability. Outgoing chief rabbi Jonathan Sacks and outgoing archbishop Rowan Williams were two of the finest minds ever to hold those offices. Their successors, while certainly substantial, are not public intellectuals.

Both Mirvis and Welby are patently decent, well-liked people. They are consensual figures. While Mirvis is South African-born and has served as chief rabbi of Ireland, he is principally known in the British Jewish community for the vibrancy he has nurtured at Finchley United Synagogue, one of the flagship communities of Anglo-Jewry.

More here-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2012/dec/19/chief-rabbi-archbishop-problems

Archbishop of Canterbury's BBC Radio 2 'Pause for Thought' message

From ACNS

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has spoken on BBC Radio 2’s Pause for Thought programme about the positive effects that social media can offer to small initiatives by bringing them to a larger audience:  “In the aftermath of the earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand, one student, Sam Johnson, put out a call through Twitter for help in clearing up after the earthquake and doing some basic rescue work.  Thousands of students from all the way across New Zealand turned up and spent weeks and months in Christchurch doing essential work and getting a community on its feet again.”

“When I visited Christchurch a few weeks ago, I met Sam and some of the others involved – and actually got to speak at a rock concert that had been laid on free of charge to celebrate all this achievement.  Rock concerts and archbishops are at least as unlikely a combination as Twitter and the Pope, I realise.  But what an occasion – a real witness to what small initiatives can turn into.”
“Well, Christmas is God’s small initiative – a single baby, whose destiny is to change the entire world.”

The full text of the Archbishop's message is below:

Everyone seems to be amazed that the Pope is tweeting – and there was a news story the other day about bishops in England using Twitter for their Christmas messages.  The surprise reminds me of the way people pretend to be astonished when clergy admit to having heard the occasional rude word (never mind clergy actually using them…) or having watched a soap.  It’s taken for granted that we’re far too unworldly for all this.

More here-

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/digest/index.cfm/2012/12/18/Archbishop-of-Canterburys-BBC-Radio-2-Pause-for-Thought-message

Staten Island priest featured in Mayor Bloomberg's gun violence campaign

From New York-

To highlight the suffering caused by gun violence,  Mayors Against Illegal Guns -- the group co-chaired by Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- released 34 videos Monday detailing the stories of victims of mass shootings in Aurora, Colo., Oak Creek, Wis., Tucson, Ariz., and Virginia Tech, as well as those affected by less-publicized incidents.

The story of Rev. Kevin Fisher, the rector of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in West Brighton, was included in the campaign.

Rev. Fisher's uncle was killed with his own handgun when an intruder turned it on him in 1985. A decade later, Rev. Fisher's mother, Beatrice, then 68, was killed with a shotgun by William Bartlett Fisher, her husband and Rev. Fisher's father.

More here-

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/12/staten_island_rev_featured_in.html

Student-led fundraiser produces $8,000 worth of food for needy families

From Maine-

 “Would you like a carton of half and half?” asked a volunteer who was handing out free food to the needy on Tuesday.

“Oh my, you don’t know how long it’s been since I could afford something like that,” said the recipient.

“Would you like more than one?” asked the volunteer.

The woman considered the question for a moment before waving away a second carton. “No thanks. One will be plenty for me. Thank you so much and merry Christmas,” she said, walking away with a smile and box brimming with food.

Sometimes the simplest things can brighten a person’s day, like a quart of half and half. It’s moments like those that have helped sustain all the volunteers and donors who have kept the Bath Area Mobile Food Truck in operation for the past six years. It costs about $1,000 to fill the truck with food, which is then distributed to between 250 and 325 families on the last Tuesday of every month. That same food would cost $8,000 at a grocery store, according to Kimberly Gates, the organization’s coordinator.

More here-

http://bangordailynews.com/2012/12/19/news/midcoast/student-led-fundraiser-produces-8000-worth-of-food-for-needy-families/

Plans to rebuild Haiti's cathedral begin to form

From Florida-

Almost three years after an earthquake toppled the Roman Catholic and Episcopal cathedrals in Haiti's capital, visions for their resurrection have started to take shape as officials from both churches begin considering proposals to rebuild them.

A six-member panel led by the dean of the University of Miami's School of Architecture met this week in South Florida to choose the winner of a design competition that sought ideas for rebuilding the Notre Dame de l'Assomption Cathedral.

Meanwhile, Episcopal Church officials have selected a Virginia-based architectural firm to design a new Holy Trinity Cathedral.

Both cathedrals collapsed in the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake that leveled much of Port-au-Prince. Their destruction left people yearning for the comfort of public monuments, said Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat, one member of the jury that met in Coral Gables to select the winner from 134 designs submitted as part of the Notre Dame competition.

More here-

http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20121218/APN/1212180877

Auckland church billboard asks if Jesus was gay

From the "Ok, I'm Speechless" Department-

An Auckland Anglican church, St Matthew-in-the-City, that acquired notoriety last year after it depicted the Virgin Mary in a contemplative mood holding a positive pregnancy test, has now raised questions about Jesus' sexuality.

Stuff.co.nz reports that St Matthew-in-the-City has come out this Christmas season with a new controversial billboard that shows Jesus in a crib with a rainbow halo over his head and the words: "It's Christmas Time For Jesus To Come Out."

The rainbow, a symbol of the LGBT community, and the expression, "Time for Jesus to come out" are allusions to the possibility that Jesus was gay.

St. Matthew's Rev. Glynn Cardy and Rev. Clay Nelson, said in a statement published on the church's web site: “This year we invited discussion and debate on the sexual orientation of Jesus."
According to the Daily Mail, Cardy points out that there are no clear indications in the gospels about Jesus' sexual orientation. He said: "The fact is we don't know what his sexual orientation was." According to Reverend Clay Nelson, the billboard was designed to provoke discussion about the sexual orientation of the son of God.


Read more:

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/339264#ixzz2FPBPhOqA

Anglicans Reclaim Cathedral After Cleansing Ceremony

From Zimbabwe-

Parishioners and church leaders from the main Anglican Church (CPCA) gathered in Harare's Africa Unity Square on Sunday, to perform a cleansing ceremony before finally reclaiming their Cathedral from ex-communicated Bishop, Nolbert Kunonga.

The Cathedral and many other church buildings and properties in Harare province had been seized by Kunonga after he split from the CPCA in 2007. The breakaway Bishop used a favourable High Court ruling, support from the police and violent ZANU PF thugs to keep the CPCA locked out.

But after five years, Kunonga appears to have been abandoned by them all. The CPCA won a legal battle for control of the properties at the Supreme Court this month, and have proceeded to evict Kunonga's supporters and tenants.

Reverend Dzavo told SW Radio Africa that the police have actually been escorting them as they reclaim their buildings and evict Kunonga's supporters.

"For the past five years they have been on the other side helping Kunonga. We are happy that finally they are doing their work without any prejudice and it has been generally peaceful. There was some resistance at first but that has stopped, Reverebd Dzavo explained.

More here-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201212180314.html

Plight of millions prompts Anglican clergy to take water only for five weeks

From England-


Two Anglican vicars have raised more than £1,000 for charity by drinking only water for five weeks.

The Rev Jane Bell and curate the Rev Dan Pierce jointly run two churches, St John the Baptist and St James, both in Stockton-on-Teesside, part of the Diocese of Durham.

They launched the effort for Water Aid after being appalled by the plight of millions of people worldwide who do not have ready access to drinking water.

Dan said: “I had the idea when I was pouring a glass of water and thinking what an easy thing it is to do, but that 700 million people do not have safe water to drink.

“I can turn on the tap but some people have to walk miles for their water. It’s inconceivable.
I realised what a privilege it is to have water.”

He and Jane decided that the best way to help was to drink only water until they had raised £1000 in sponsorship. They continued to eat normally.

More here-

http://www.inspiremagazine.org.uk/Stories/Local?storyaction=view&storyid=238

Actors and Preachers

A sermon by Flemming Rutledge (From The Living Church)

The moment I heard about the massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary School yesterday, I called Jack. A black pall has been cast over his momentous day, and we all acknowledge that. As Jack said on the phone, the problem of how to conduct an ordination in the face of an atrocity in the very next town is as nothing compared to the anguish of the parents and families who have lost their precious little ones. The lament of Jeremiah comes to mind:
 
Why is my pain unceasing,
my wound incurable,
refusing to be healed?
(Jeremiah 15:18)

In the church, this is the season of Advent. It’s superficially understood as a time to get ready for Christmas, but in truth it’s the season for contemplating the judgment of God. Advent is the season that, when properly understood, does not flinch from the darkness that stalks us all in this world. Advent begins in the dark and moves toward the light — but the season should not move too quickly or too glibly, lest we fail to acknowledge the depth of the darkness. As our Lord Jesus tells us, unless we see the light of God clearly, what we call light is actually darkness: “how great is that darkness!” (Matt. 6:23) Advent bids us take a fearless inventory of the darkness without and the darkness within.

More here-

http://www.livingchurch.org/actors-and-preachers

Deacons respond to Hurricane Sandy

From Central PA-

Deacons in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania answered a request made by Bishop Nathan D. Baxter to reach out to their fellow deacons in the diocese of New Jersey in response to Hurricane Sandy.

“When our bishop wished for the diocese to make a response to the victims of Superstorm Sandy, the deacons were eager to meet the challenge,” said Archdeacon Molly Solbak, St. James’ Episcopal Church, Lancaster, and archdeacon for deacons for the diocese. “I recruited a deacon to set the program in motion in each of our seven convocations,” said Solbak. The bishop asked for personal hygiene items and small stuffed animals.

The deacons quickly rose to the occasion by phoning every parish in their respective convocation, asking for each parish to collect and bag personal hygiene items and new stuffed toys.  Many of the parishes participated even though some already had other emergency storm responses in the works. Solbak made contact with the Diocese of New Jersey’s Deacon Carmen Viola who helped her make connections for help in receiving the items that were gathered.

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2012/12/17/central-pennsylvania-deacons-respond-to-hurricane-sandy/

Anglican priest completes journey to Catholicism

From Canada-

It’s been a remarkable week for Rev. Peter D. Wilkinson.

Last Saturday, the former Anglican bishop, 72, was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest by Victoria Bishop Richard Gagnon — only the third such priest in Canada to have taken the step, along with about 25 from the U.S.

On Friday, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal during a private ceremony with Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon at Government House.

Wilkinson was nominated for the medal by the Canadian Royal Heritage Trust for his long standing efforts “to keep Canada’s royal heritage a living one,” said William Mears, the trust’s Vancouver Island chairman. He was the only Victoria resident nominated by the trust out of 250 across Canada, all of whom received it.

On Monday, seven South Island MLAs are hosting a celebration for 28 medal recipients selected by community leaders from each constituency. The names of all 60,000 Diamond Jubilee Medal recipients will not be made public until the program closes in February 2013.

Wilkinson became Roman Catholic last April and currently leads a sung Catholic mass using liturgy based upon the traditional Anglican liturgy Sundays at St. Columba’s Church in View Royal.

More here-

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/anglican-priest-completes-journey-to-catholicism-1.29232

Anglican Bishop, Gandiya holds cleansing ceremony

From Zimbabwe-

THE head of the Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa (CPCA), Bishop Chad Gandiya, yesterday held a cleansing ceremony at the St Mary’s Cathedral in Harare following his takeover of all church properties that had been seized by his rival, Bishop Nolbert Kunonga.

According to church members, the cleansing ceremony, which consisted of burning incense and sprinkling holy water inside the church building, was meant to exorcise the building following reports that Kunonga and his followers had defiled the holy temples with some members allegedly fornicating inside the buildings.

Gandiya retained the church properties last month after the Supreme Court ruled in his favour, ending a five-year legal battle over ownership of the properties.

CPCA diocesan secretary Clifford Dzawo said they were going to carry out similar cleansing ceremonies throughout the country to make churches usable following their alleged defilement during the Kunonga era.


More here-


http://www.newsday.co.zw/2012/12/17/anglican-bishop-gandiya-holds-cleansing-ceremony/

In wake of school massacre, National Cathedral dean, Episcopal bishop preach about gun control

From The Washington Post-

The Episcopal bishop of Washington and the dean of the Washington National Cathedral are calling for stricter gun control in their Sunday sermons.

The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal bishop, says the children and teachers who were gunned down in a Connecticut school shouldn’t die in vain. She says “if we only pray and do not act, we are complicit” in allowing such crimes to occur.

Budde preached at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Washington. She says civilians shouldn’t own assault weapons.

The Very Rev. Gary Hall, the National Cathedral dean, said in his sermon that Christians can no longer tolerate gun violence and that they have a moral obligation to work to end it.

Hall says the cathedral should become a focal point for advocating gun control.

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/in-wake-of-school-massacre-national-cathedral-dean-episcopal-bishop-preach-about-gun-control/2012/12/16/5e1dc372-47cd-11e2-8af9-9b50cb4605a7_story.html

Shocked and Overwhelmed

From Conn-

We are shocked and overwhelmed by the horrendous tragedy of the school shooting in Sandy Hook. We hold the victims, their families, and all who are affected by the shooting in our thoughts and prayers for healing and strength. We pray that those who have died will be held in the arms of our loving God whose heart aches for those affected by this tragedy.

We bishops have been in touch with the Rev. Mark Moore, the rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Sandy Hook, which is adjacent to the school were the shooting took place. We have also communicated with the leadership of Trinity Church, Newtown, and we understand that the Rev. Kathie Adams-Shepherd, rector of Trinity Church, is on the scene ministering to the bereaved.

We are departing immediately for Newtown/Sandy Hook to be of whatever assistance we can. We will be in contact when we have additional information.

More here-

http://www.livingchurch.org/shocked-and-overwhelmed

Episcopal minister Christopher Carlisle uses technology to knit together small communities of faith

From Western Massachusetts -

A new ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts is described as "an eclectic expression of church that is as cutting edge as the moment and as ancient as first-century Palestine."

The ministry, Clearstory Collective, says it seeks to reach out to college students and other young adults, homeless and otherwise marginalized people of faith who have become disaffected by the institutional church and who seek informal and often spontaneous faith communities. It is doing so through technology.

However, the collective is conceived to be more than email communication. Containing blogs, descriptions of the various communities comprised of photographs, video clips and radio interviews as well as key people and community contacts, the churched and unchurched alike can become and remain connected to these communities and their members.

More here-

http://www.masslive.com/living/index.ssf/2012/12/episcopal_minister_christopher_carlisle_uses_technology_to_create_knit_together_small_communities_of.html

Adetiloye, Former Anglican Primate Dies At 83

From Nigeria-

Retired Archbishop and Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye, 83, is dead. He died yesterday afternoon in his country home in Odo-Owa, in Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

He was survived by his wife, Titilayo and two children, Adeola and Adedoyin. Adeola confirmed the death of his father to newsmen yesterday evening via telephone.

The last public function the late cleric attended was during the recent commissioning of the Odo Owa-Oke Ila Road by the Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, as part of his administration's second year anniversary.

During the ceremony, late Adetiloye prayed for Fayemi for the honour done to him by making the road passable in his lifetime.

His younger brother, Sunday while giving an account of his last minutes, said late Adetiloye had at about 6pm on Thursday suddenly developed high temperature, and a physician was contacted to attend to him.

More here-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201212150211.html

Recovering homeless reflect on their changing lives

From Houston-

When Eunice Dewhart saw the ironing board, she knew it had to be for her.

Dewhart, who got an apartment last month after bouts of being homeless for years, spent Saturday morning celebrating at the Lord of the Streets Christmas party.

The Episcopal ministry in Midtown provides basic services to the homeless. In the last few years, the program hired a case manager to guide the most dedicated off the streets into homes as they pursue better lives.

Volunteers from St. Francis Episcopal Church arrived early to set up for the party at Trinity Episcopal Church, just a block from Lord of the Streets. About 180 children and adults selected as "success stories" gathered to eat, chat and collect donated gifts.

More here-

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Recovering-homeless-reflect-on-their-changing-4121536.php

Newtown School Vigil: 'These Parents Lost Their Hearts Today'

From Conn.-

St. Rose was one of many area churches marking the tragedy. Another memorial service was held at Trinity Episcopal Church, where at least one family of parishioners lost a child, according to Bishop Ian T. Douglas, leader of the Connecticut Episcopal diocese. Dozens more candlelight vigils and prayer services across the state are scheduled for the weekend.

The rector at Trinity, the Rev. Kathleen Adams-Shepherd, arrived early at the scene of the shooting and counseled parents as they learned of their childrens' fates, Douglas said.

"Kathy has been in many ways a rock for those families," Douglas said.

Outside St. Rose with a group of friends was Michael Eisele, 15-year-old who was holding up better than his parents.

His 10-year-old sister had hid in a gym locker during the rampage. His sister in kindergarten stayed home sick today. Their close call unleashed emotions he didn't know his parents possessed.
More here-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/newtown-school-vigil-_n_2305056.html

New Episcopal bishop believes 'God's table is big enough for all of us'

From Kentucky-

Doug Hahn, the bishop-elect for the Episcopal Church's district in Central and Eastern Kentucky, believes in reflecting the diversity that his new territory includes: everything from downtown Lexington to rural Lee County, from Harlan to Harrodsburg.

That's why his ordination service Saturday will include high formal church music, Bluegrass, Appalachian folk tunes and Shaker music.

"All of that will reflect that God acts in many diverse ways," Hahn said. "It makes for a rich community."

Hahn replaced Stacy Sauls, who became the chief operating officer of the national Episcopal Church.

Hahn, 60, who came to Lexington from Georgia, where he was rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Hamilton and dean of the Chattahoochee Valley Episcopal Convocation, has some surprising roots: He grew up a Southern Baptist and graduated from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville in 1977.

"What I appreciated about growing up Baptist was the deep commitment to mission and the deep commitment to Scripture ... and the commitment that each person has to serving in the place where God wants them to be," Hahn said.



Read more here:

http://www.kentucky.com/2012/12/15/2444362/new-episcopal-bishop-believes.html

'Jedi Knight' Most Followed Alternative Religion in UK, Says Survey

From the "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Department-

Census figures taken from respondents in England and Wales showed the most popular alternative religion were people who identified themselves as "Jedi Knights."

The census figures revealed that 176,632 people in England and Wales thought of themselves as Jedi Knights, which made it the seventh most popular faith overall and the highest followed faith encompassed by the option of "Other Religions."

The Star Wars devotees were squarely behind other religious such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism and Buddhism in the number of people who follow and identify with a particular religion.

The results do mirror a larger social trend that has seen a decline in membership from longstanding religions and an increase in secularism and alternative faiths.

Read more at

http://global.christianpost.com/news/jedi-knight-most-followed-alternative-religion-in-uk-says-survey-86588/#MgTsyvtSMiHlGK6j.99

Church Opens Arms to Muslim Group, and Is Taken to Task

From The New York Times-

When the Muslim Public Affairs Council arranged to hold its annual convention at All Saints Church in Pasadena, Calif., this Saturday, leaders of both organizations believed it would be a bold demonstration of progress in interfaith relations.

But now the organizers of the convention have had to call in the local police department and private security guards after a conservative Christian group posted an article accusing All Saints, an Episcopal church, of harboring Muslim extremists, and the church received a barrage of hate mail.

“I’ve been called names all my life from the ultraconservative reactionary position,” the church’s rector, the Rev. J. Edwin Bacon Jr., said in an interview on Thursday, “but this is a level of demeaning that I’ve not seen before. Demeaning not just of me, but of the Muslim faith, of this organization, the Prophet Muhammad and the Koran. It tells me that there’s a culture of fear in America, a perversion of Christianity which has turned it into the religion of fear, which it of course is not.”

More here-

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/14/us/pasadena-church-criticized-for-hosting-muslim-convention.html?_r=0