QUOTE OF THE DAY
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“If little labour, little are our gaines: Man’s fortunes are according to his paines.”
— Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
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UPCOMING: Pentecost 15, Annual Picnic, 124th CONVENTION
Sept. 22: The Unjust Steward
This Sunday is Pentecost 15, Proper 20, Year C.
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The gospel reading this Sunday contains the rather puzzling passage: “...for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of the light.” One commentator explains the parable as follows: The unjust steward saw his master’s resources as a means for his own personal enjoyment and advancement, even after being caught. In spite of this, or because of this, the master was amazed at the steward’s bold shrewdness in the face of financial ruin (remember that both were corrupt). English Reformer William Tyndale emphasizes the consistency of this parable with the doctrine of justification by faith by pointing out that the steward was not praised by Jesus for his conduct, but was provided as an example of wisdom and diligence so that “we with righteousness should be as diligent to provide for our souls as he with unrighteousness provided for his body.” — gotquestions.org, wikipedia.com
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IMAGE: The Dishonest Steward by Jacob Adrianensz.
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The lector this Sunday is Hope and the altar guild is Darlene. See the vestment colors, the altar colors, the Bible readings and the liturgical calendar by clicking HERE and selecting the date. Note that a date’s color is the vestment and altar color for the day.
Sept. 29: Annual Picnic
Advent’s annual picnic will be at the home of Shirley Roberts on Sept. 29, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. We will have a church service and Eucharist, and then a potluck lunch. All welcome! The address is 2010 Cynthiana Rd., Cynthiana, KY 41031. After crossing the bridge from Harrison County into Bourbon County on U.S. 27 South, Shirley and Robbie are the fourth house on the left going toward Paris. It’s blue.
Nov. 1 & 2, 2019: Convention
The 124th Diocesan Convention is set for Nov. 1 and 2, 2019, at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 2410 Lexington Road, Winchester. The convention begins at 1 p.m. on Nov. 1, with business sessions from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and is followed by a catered dinner with guest speaker Scott Gunn of Forward Movement. On Nov. 2 the schedule runs from 8:30 a.m. to about 3:30 p.m., with lunch provided. It is predicted, and hoped by most, that Mark Van Koevering, our bishop provisional, will be voted in as our permanent diocesan bishop. The total cost for convention is $50 per person, which includes the meals.
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At this convention our delegates for the Episcopal Church’s General Convention in 2021 in Baltimore will be chosen. If you wish to be considered (and voted on) as a GC delegate, you must apply by Sept. 30.
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The shift from spring conventions to fall conventions is driven in part by the need to approve diocesan budgets before the upcoming year begins.
IN THE NEWS: POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT
Workshop Guides Priests Grappling with Confederate Symbols in Their Parishes
Should Confederate symbols remain in churches at a time when the nation is increasingly alert to racial issues? With statues, plaques, artwork and other representations of Confederate figures found in some Episcopal churches across the country, how should a parish priest respond? This is not just a historical question or a question of the political moment, but these are questions of theological issues that all Episcopal churches face in one way or another. Read the full story by clicking HERE.
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PHOTO: Stained glass fabricator Dieter Goldkuhle, who worked with his late father to install many of the stained glass windows at Washington National Cathedral, replaces an image of the Confederate battle flag after cathedral leaders decided in 2016 that the symbol of racial supremacy had no place inside the cathedral. A year later, the cathedral also removed depictions of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Credit: Danielle E. Thomas/Washington National Cathedral.
Episcopal Task Force Educates on What’s at Stake in Decriminalizing Prostitution
At least three U.S. states and the District of Columbia have introduced legislation that would decriminalize the buying and selling of sex, forcing a long-simmering debate on prostitution into the national dialogue.
Legalization proponents, religious or not, often cite biblical references to prostitution dating back to ancient Israel, telling the Genesis story of Judah and Tamar. Read the full story by clicking HERE.
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PHOTO: The Port Authority Bus Terminal served as the first station on April 6, 2019, for Stations of the Cross for Sex Trafficking Survivors, an event of the Episcopal Diocese of New York Task Force Against Human Trafficking. The task force is now working to educate the public on a bill introduced in the New York State Assembly that would decriminalize prostitution. Credit: Episcopal News Service.
Episcopal Church and Alaska Natives Step Up Fight Against Arctic Drilling
A coalition of Gwich’in indigenous peoples, Episcopalians and conservationists is fighting to prevent industrial development from disrupting the ecology of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s most sensitive area. The Gwich’in Steering Committee, which calls itself “the unified voice of the Gwich’in Nation” is speaking out to protect the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from the oil industry. Read the full story HERE.
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PHOTO: The Porcupine Caribou herd roams the 1002 area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain, with the Brooks Range mountains in the distance to the south. Credit: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
In the News: Immigrants, prisoners
Episcopal Dioceses, Organizations Join Lawsuit Against Trump’s Border Wall
The dioceses of Long Island and Western Massachusetts, as well as Trinity Church Wall Street and Boston-based Episcopal City Mission, have joined a lawsuit that seeks to stop President Donald Trump from redirecting federal funds to build a wall on the U.S.’s southern border. They and 71 other religious organizations entered an amici curiae (or “friends of the court”) brief dated Aug. 22 in support of the lawsuit, which was filed in February by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the Sierra Club and the Southern Border Communities. Read the full story HERE.
“Walking with Immigrants,” A Video from The Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church continues to respond to the complex array of challenges facing immigrants across the U.S., including support for children and other people seeking asylum at the U.S. southern border, assisting immigrants who are undocumented, advocating for comprehensive immigration reform and resettling refugees through Episcopal Migration Ministries. In a new video, The Episcopal Church: Walking with Immigrants, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry introduces five bishops whose dioceses are actively engaged in immigrant welcome. Each bishop shares ways individuals or groups can support this work. Read the full story and see the video by clicking HERE.
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For a story about a Congolese asylum-seeker who had been separated on the U.S. border from his wife and seven children, and who was supported by an Episcopal congregation, click HERE.
Prayer Book for Prisoners Published with Contributions from Episcopal Priest
A prayer book that was developed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ECLA) with contributions from an Episcopal priest aims to bring hope and spiritual guidance to inmates in jail and prison. “Hear My Voice” was introduced in August at the ELCA’s Churchwide Assembly in Milwaukee, Wis., with a written endorsement from Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. The pocket-size resource contains prayers for a range of scenarios behind bars, from celebrating Easter to asking God to console a prisoner’s victims. Read the full story by clicking HERE. Order the book HERE.
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PHOTO: The Rev. Elizabeth Bingham is associate rector at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Royal Oak, Mich. She wrote two of the prayer book’s sections. Credit: St. John’s Episcopal Church.
What does “Episcopal” mean?
The Episcopal Church is “Protestant, yet Catholic.” Episcopal means “of bishops.” The Episcopal Church traces its bishops (its ministers and clergy) and its origins back to the Apostles (the early followers of Jesus) via holy orders, which are a direct line of succession back to the time of Jesus.
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