ERD Lenten Devotional
Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) has published its 2008 Lenten devotional booklet, titled “Seeking to Serve: A Lenten Exploration of the Millennium Development Goals.” The devotional, by the Rev. Jay Sidebotham, rector of Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Forest, IL, features illustrations and meditations on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and offers ways for parishioners to help achieve these life-saving goals. To order the 2008 Lenten devotional and other ERD resources, call Episcopal Books and Resources at 800-903-5544 or go to http://www.er-d.org/lent. To ensure delivery by Ash Wednesday (February 6), orders for devotionals must be placed by Jan. 14. A 5 megabyte PDF version of the booklet is available here. Other ERD Lent-related resources are available for download here.
Immersed in the RCL?
H. King Oehmig, founder and editor-in-chief of Synthesis Publications, a lectionary resource, has written a book, “Understanding the Sunday Scriptures: A Companion to the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A.” It is published by Read Mark Press in Chattanooga and costs $21.95 (discounts available for group orders). Visit www.readmarkpress.com or call (800) 722-4124.
Conference on Economic Justice
A Province VIII conference on economic justice is scheduled Feb. 12-13 at the Hilton in Oakland, CA. Keynote speaker will be the Rev. Canon Carmen Guerrero on “A Vision for a Just America.” Workshops include Immigration; Community Investing; Globalization and Worker Justice; and Organizing for Economic Justice in Province VIII. For information, contact Mike Maloney at meamon@aol.com or (513) 531-8799.
Church Growth Conferences in British Columbia
The Diocese of British Columbia in Victoria, B.C. is sponsoring three conferences on church growth in March. “Church Growth for the 21st Century” is described as a practical and results-oriented approach to numerical growth that will focus on ministering effectively to Pacific Northwest culture both in Canada and the US. If you’re yearning for a trip to Vancouver Island, conferences are scheduled in St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Nanaimo, March 1; The Church of St. Mary of the Incarnation in Victoria March 8, and St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Campbell River March 15. All are from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is no registration fee, but there is a $25 charge for materials for those from outside the Diocese of British Columbia. Please register through the Synod Office (250) 386-7781.
Come to the Water
The Ministry Institute of Spokane will present four Saturday programs in the coming months – three in Spokane and one in the Tri-Cities. The Spokane programs include: “How do we dialogue with other faiths?” Jan. 26 with Dr. John Sheveland of the Gonzaga University Religious Studies Program; “Lenten Song and Silence” Feb. 23 with Shonna Bartlett of the Institute; and “God’s Presence in our Life Journey” March 1 with Sr. Mary Garvin of the Gonzaga University Religious Studies Department. The Tri-Cities event is “Holiness and Wholeness” with Sr. Celeste Crine of St. Joseph’s Family Center, on April 19. Fee for each day is $20 which includes lunch. For information or to register, call Shonna Bartlett at (509) 323-6012 or (800) 986-9585, extension 6012.
Festival of Homiletics
Tony Green shares this information about this preaching event May 19-23 in Minneapolis. It will feature Barbara Brown Taylor, Walter Bruggeman, Fred Craddock and Garrison Keillor. Registration fee is $235. For information and registration, please visit http://www.goodpreacher.com/festival/ .
Bible Map
If you want to zoom in on a map that corresponds to a particular chapter of the Bible, visit www.biblemap.org. Select a book and a chapter and the appropriate map will appear. It seems to work with most chapters.
Diploma in Lay Pastoral Ministry
Whitworth University in Spokane is offering a diploma in Lay Pastoral Ministry for those serving in non-ordained positions of pastoral leadership. Classes are scheduled June 2-6 and June 9-13. For information contact Michelle Seefried at the Weyerhaeuser Center for Christian Faith and Learning at (509) 777-3275 or mseefried@whitworth.edu. You may also visit www.whitworth.edu/faithcenter.
Worth taking a look…
A number of Denise Levertov’s poems on religions themes have been collected into a single volume, “The Stream & the Sapphire.” This small, but exquisite volume is published by New Directions and costs $9.95.
Just for fun…
Here are a couple of fun websites that are here just because they’re fun. Nothing at all to do with church. Free access to a large range of music is available at www.pandora.com . This connects you with a variety of radio stations and other music sources. La Pulcina Piccola is Chicken Little in Italian. A cutting edge opera company that uses puppets on popsicle sticks has created fine opera in which La Pulcina Piccola plays a prominent role. To learn more about this amazing and amusing opera company and their productions (“Love’s Fowl” and “Small Fish), visit www.pulcina.org.