Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Join Us for International Sunday, February 8, at St. Barnabas, South Brunswick
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church will have its annual “International Sunday” celebration on Sunday, February 8, with services at 8:30 and 10:30 am. The liturgy will be drawn from Anglican Prayer Books from around the world, the music will be especially diverse, and the coffee hour following the 10:30 service will include appetizers and desserts brought in by members of the church, which includes people who were born in 24 countries on five continents. All are welcome to attend. We will have our African Praise Worship Chorus included in the music for the day and parishioners are invited to bring displays for the Fellowship Room during coffee hour with fun facts about their country of origin/heritage (whether people came to America last week or their ancestors did 100+ years ago). St. Barnabas is located at 142 Sand Hill Road, one mile from Rte. 27 and ½ mile from Rte. 1. Ample parking is available. For more information, please call 732-297-4607 or log onto www.stbarnabas-sbnj.org <http://www.stbarnabas-sbnj.org/> .
A Celebration for Black History Month
A message from the Diocese:
Dear Members and Friends of St. Augustine's,
You are cordially invited to attend, and to bring a friend, our Annual Black History Program. This is a presentation to the community, by the community, for the community, to celebrate "Black History Month" and to showcase our talents in vocal, dance, and visual arts. We hope and pray that you will enjoy this presentation as much as we enjoy bringing it to you. See you on Sunday, February 8, at 4:00 pm at St. Augustine's Church, Prospect and Atlantic Aves. in Asbury Park. Thanks again. See you there!!
Dear Members and Friends of St. Augustine's,
You are cordially invited to attend, and to bring a friend, our Annual Black History Program. This is a presentation to the community, by the community, for the community, to celebrate "Black History Month" and to showcase our talents in vocal, dance, and visual arts. We hope and pray that you will enjoy this presentation as much as we enjoy bringing it to you. See you on Sunday, February 8, at 4:00 pm at St. Augustine's Church, Prospect and Atlantic Aves. in Asbury Park. Thanks again. See you there!!
More News About Vespers at the Cathedral
Have you seen the Diocese decked out in full regalia lately? It's quite a sight! Here's your chance to see them all represented on Saturday in Trenton when you go to the Vespers service at the Cathedral. Be there at 3 pm. Here's the memo inviting everyone to show off:
Dear Friends,
It's been a while since the clergy processed in full choir vestments: Cassock, Surplice, Academic Hood, Tippet. You've now got ten days to go the dry cleaners! Preaching tabs are only for our guest, Bishop Sutton, of course. The Evensong will express our prayers through a diverse and delightful mix of musical idioms from various communities of faith around our Diocese. Please plan on gathering in the Chapel. Parish Banners (with banner bearer - non- vested) are also asked to be brought for the procession. Thanks! Right Onward PCJ Philip@churchholyspirit.org
Dear Friends,
It's been a while since the clergy processed in full choir vestments: Cassock, Surplice, Academic Hood, Tippet. You've now got ten days to go the dry cleaners! Preaching tabs are only for our guest, Bishop Sutton, of course. The Evensong will express our prayers through a diverse and delightful mix of musical idioms from various communities of faith around our Diocese. Please plan on gathering in the Chapel. Parish Banners (with banner bearer - non- vested) are also asked to be brought for the procession. Thanks! Right Onward PCJ Philip@churchholyspirit.org
A Message from the American Association of Pastoral Counselors
The Formation Committee of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, Eastern Region (NY, NJ), in conjunction with the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City, presents Jill L. McNish, PhD., pastoral theologian, Episcopal priest, attorney, author of Transforming Shame - A Pastoral Response (Howarth Press, 2004) on Saturday, February 21, 2009 at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine Cathedral House, Second Floor, Amsterdam Avenue and 112th Street, New York, NY10 AM-3 PM (Lunch is available for purchase). ADMISSION IS FREE (sponsored by Eastern Region AAPC).
Dr. McNish will be presenting her book's analysis of the transformative power of shame. As Dr. Donald Capps (Princeton Seminary) states in his reflections on this book, "McNish brings clarity and depth of understanding to a dimension of our human experience whose very ubiquity tends to impede such illumination and insight. Our formal religious rites and practices provide resources for the guilty to confess and experience forgiveness, but leave the shamed stranded, bereft of comfort and lost in their own self-condemnation. Instead she testifies to the various ways ministers may 'make space' through informal acts of attention to care for those whose shame has become an unbearable burden. "This book is also an amazing compendium of interdisciplinary research enlisting the insights of Freud, Jung, Horney, Miller, Kohut, Rank, and Erickson. It constructs a portrait of the shame of Jesus as a father lesson in first century Palestine, employing insights of social-scientific studies on honor and shame systems in first century Mediterranean culture.Please come and enjoy a day of learning, insight, and reflection. This gathering is also a chance for those engaged in doing Pastoral Counseling and/or Psychotherapy or those interested in its study to partake of a thoughtful analysis of an important aspect of this work.For purposes of planning food and seating needs, please RSVP at http://us.mc635.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=hlavengood@aol.com or call 609-744-4204. Hope to see you on Feb.21st!
Hennie Brandt Lavengood D.Min., Chair, AAPC Eastern Region Formation Committee.
Dr. McNish will be presenting her book's analysis of the transformative power of shame. As Dr. Donald Capps (Princeton Seminary) states in his reflections on this book, "McNish brings clarity and depth of understanding to a dimension of our human experience whose very ubiquity tends to impede such illumination and insight. Our formal religious rites and practices provide resources for the guilty to confess and experience forgiveness, but leave the shamed stranded, bereft of comfort and lost in their own self-condemnation. Instead she testifies to the various ways ministers may 'make space' through informal acts of attention to care for those whose shame has become an unbearable burden. "This book is also an amazing compendium of interdisciplinary research enlisting the insights of Freud, Jung, Horney, Miller, Kohut, Rank, and Erickson. It constructs a portrait of the shame of Jesus as a father lesson in first century Palestine, employing insights of social-scientific studies on honor and shame systems in first century Mediterranean culture.Please come and enjoy a day of learning, insight, and reflection. This gathering is also a chance for those engaged in doing Pastoral Counseling and/or Psychotherapy or those interested in its study to partake of a thoughtful analysis of an important aspect of this work.For purposes of planning food and seating needs, please RSVP at http://us.mc635.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=hlavengood@aol.com or call 609-744-4204. Hope to see you on Feb.21st!
Hennie Brandt Lavengood D.Min., Chair, AAPC Eastern Region Formation Committee.
Friday, January 23, 2009
An Invitation from Bishop Councell
We received this email from the Diocese today:
Dear Friends in Christ,
I would love to see you at Vespers at the Cathedral next Saturday, January31st, at 3:00 p.m. The Rt. Rev. Eugene Sutton, Bishop of Maryland will be our preacher at this diocesan gathering. Our purpose is "to praise, to proclaim, to celebrate and to claim the Vision which is ours by the gift of the Holy Spirit, by the victory of Christ and by the will of God." Please see the more detailed information below. For all rectors, vicars, and clergy in charge of congregations, I ask that you make an announcement of this gathering at all services this Sunday.Please take note of the challenge for each congregation to send at least a tithe of its average Sunday attendance. Let's rally and let's rock the walls and raise the roof with our prayers and praises so that we may go Right Onward. May our Lord continue to bless and uphold you in His service. Faithfully yours,
The Rt. Rev. George E. Councell
We are inviting you to a Right Onward Worship dedicated for 31 January 2009 at 3 pm and being offered at Trinity Cathedral. Our preacher will be the Rt. Rev. Eugene T. Sutton who was elected the 14th Bishop of Maryland on 29 March 2008 and also served as assistant to the bishop in the Diocese of New Jersey among his many endeavors.We are entering a second year of our Right Onward experience. For the previous twelve months, we have shared ideas and experiences of welcoming and including ministries. We are applying these experiences and insights as we move forward to celebrating a common vision as citizens of the Kingdom of God.One of the primary items learned from a two-year listening process was a yearning for common worship-gatherings of the whole Body of our Diocese. Diocesan Convention liturgies are always a blessing even within the context of annual meeting format. This service is something other. Our purpose is to praise, to proclaim, to celebrate, and this year, to claim the Vision which is ours by the gift of the Holy Spirit, by the victory of Christ and by the will of God.We offer an occasion of worship with an expectation and essential enthusiasm that God is working His purpose out in our midst. Bring those who, when inspired, can pass that enthusiasm on to your local community of faith.We believe this will be of such blessing that we will be calling round to invite each church's clergy, wardens, musicians and others. Spread the word with us.
Yours in Christ, The Right Onward Committee
1 January 2009
Dear Friends in Christ,
I am writing to you on my first day back from a sabbatical leave. In my time away I have enjoyed physical exercise and adventure travel; time for prayer and study, for reflection and renewal; and a Christmas holiday season spent with family but without church responsibilities-the only one in 33 years of ordained ministry. I am enormously grateful to the Diocese of New Jersey for this extraordinary gift and privilege. I thank God for Bishop Romero and the diocesan staff and for all of the diocesan leaders who labored while I rested. I am blessed.The great blessing of this time, however, is to feel again the joy and delight of being a bishop here and now in the Diocese of New Jersey. As grateful as I am for a sabbatical, I am all the more grateful to be your bishop and to feel ready and eager to engage our "Right Onward!" vision together even (especially) in the face of many daunting challenges. I love Jesus and I love Jersey and I love the work that lies before us. In a word that I learned while growing up among surfers near the beaches of Southern California, I am stoked. According to my dictionary, the word stoked means, "to stir up and feed amply." It seems clear enough that our beloved Church and all our people need to be stirred up and amply fed in order to be revived for our mission in the world. So, it strikes me as an amazing grace that, upon my return to this ministry, the first diocesan event is a rally where we may be stirred and stoked and strengthened for the living of our vision. On Saturday, January 31st, at 3:00 pm at Trinity Cathedral, 801 West State Street in Trenton our Diocese will gather in a celebration of that vision. Our preacher will be the Rt. Rev. Eugene T. Sutton-the 14th Bishop of Maryland and a son of this Diocese. In a setting of beauty, with creative and imaginative liturgy well suited to the theme of mission we shall rally for Jesus and be stoked for His mission. Here, in the "bleak, mid-winter," come and be warmed in the fire of the Holy Spirit. I appeal to you, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that every one of our 158 congregations send a deputation to attend this service. As a goal, let each church send at least a tithe of its average Sunday attendance. That is a challenge, but mission is challenging. We need a strong, empowering, joyous and uplifting rally so that we may be lifted up and encouraged. Come, let us rejoice and give thanks for the gift and challenge of doing mission together. We need the Spirit and we need each other. I will hope to see our Cathedral filled on the 31st. In the name of Christ, let us go forth in peace and stoked with the fire of the Spirit. Right Onward!
The Rt. Rev. George E. Councell
XI Bishop of New Jersey
Here is a link from our website where you can download a flyer about this event: <http://newjersey.anglican.org/MI/Spring2009/Visionserviceflyer.pdf%3Ehttp://newjersey.anglican.org/MI/Spring2009/Visionserviceflyer.pdfhttp://newjersey.anglican.org/MI/Spring2009/Visionserviceflyer.pdf
Please prayerfully consider making this pilgrimage to Trenton on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009. We can carpool for even more fun! See you then.
Dear Friends in Christ,
I would love to see you at Vespers at the Cathedral next Saturday, January31st, at 3:00 p.m. The Rt. Rev. Eugene Sutton, Bishop of Maryland will be our preacher at this diocesan gathering. Our purpose is "to praise, to proclaim, to celebrate and to claim the Vision which is ours by the gift of the Holy Spirit, by the victory of Christ and by the will of God." Please see the more detailed information below. For all rectors, vicars, and clergy in charge of congregations, I ask that you make an announcement of this gathering at all services this Sunday.Please take note of the challenge for each congregation to send at least a tithe of its average Sunday attendance. Let's rally and let's rock the walls and raise the roof with our prayers and praises so that we may go Right Onward. May our Lord continue to bless and uphold you in His service. Faithfully yours,
The Rt. Rev. George E. Councell
We are inviting you to a Right Onward Worship dedicated for 31 January 2009 at 3 pm and being offered at Trinity Cathedral. Our preacher will be the Rt. Rev. Eugene T. Sutton who was elected the 14th Bishop of Maryland on 29 March 2008 and also served as assistant to the bishop in the Diocese of New Jersey among his many endeavors.We are entering a second year of our Right Onward experience. For the previous twelve months, we have shared ideas and experiences of welcoming and including ministries. We are applying these experiences and insights as we move forward to celebrating a common vision as citizens of the Kingdom of God.One of the primary items learned from a two-year listening process was a yearning for common worship-gatherings of the whole Body of our Diocese. Diocesan Convention liturgies are always a blessing even within the context of annual meeting format. This service is something other. Our purpose is to praise, to proclaim, to celebrate, and this year, to claim the Vision which is ours by the gift of the Holy Spirit, by the victory of Christ and by the will of God.We offer an occasion of worship with an expectation and essential enthusiasm that God is working His purpose out in our midst. Bring those who, when inspired, can pass that enthusiasm on to your local community of faith.We believe this will be of such blessing that we will be calling round to invite each church's clergy, wardens, musicians and others. Spread the word with us.
Yours in Christ, The Right Onward Committee
1 January 2009
Dear Friends in Christ,
I am writing to you on my first day back from a sabbatical leave. In my time away I have enjoyed physical exercise and adventure travel; time for prayer and study, for reflection and renewal; and a Christmas holiday season spent with family but without church responsibilities-the only one in 33 years of ordained ministry. I am enormously grateful to the Diocese of New Jersey for this extraordinary gift and privilege. I thank God for Bishop Romero and the diocesan staff and for all of the diocesan leaders who labored while I rested. I am blessed.The great blessing of this time, however, is to feel again the joy and delight of being a bishop here and now in the Diocese of New Jersey. As grateful as I am for a sabbatical, I am all the more grateful to be your bishop and to feel ready and eager to engage our "Right Onward!" vision together even (especially) in the face of many daunting challenges. I love Jesus and I love Jersey and I love the work that lies before us. In a word that I learned while growing up among surfers near the beaches of Southern California, I am stoked. According to my dictionary, the word stoked means, "to stir up and feed amply." It seems clear enough that our beloved Church and all our people need to be stirred up and amply fed in order to be revived for our mission in the world. So, it strikes me as an amazing grace that, upon my return to this ministry, the first diocesan event is a rally where we may be stirred and stoked and strengthened for the living of our vision. On Saturday, January 31st, at 3:00 pm at Trinity Cathedral, 801 West State Street in Trenton our Diocese will gather in a celebration of that vision. Our preacher will be the Rt. Rev. Eugene T. Sutton-the 14th Bishop of Maryland and a son of this Diocese. In a setting of beauty, with creative and imaginative liturgy well suited to the theme of mission we shall rally for Jesus and be stoked for His mission. Here, in the "bleak, mid-winter," come and be warmed in the fire of the Holy Spirit. I appeal to you, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that every one of our 158 congregations send a deputation to attend this service. As a goal, let each church send at least a tithe of its average Sunday attendance. That is a challenge, but mission is challenging. We need a strong, empowering, joyous and uplifting rally so that we may be lifted up and encouraged. Come, let us rejoice and give thanks for the gift and challenge of doing mission together. We need the Spirit and we need each other. I will hope to see our Cathedral filled on the 31st. In the name of Christ, let us go forth in peace and stoked with the fire of the Spirit. Right Onward!
The Rt. Rev. George E. Councell
XI Bishop of New Jersey
Here is a link from our website where you can download a flyer about this event: <http://newjersey.anglican.org/MI/Spring2009/Visionserviceflyer.pdf%3Ehttp://newjersey.anglican.org/MI/Spring2009/Visionserviceflyer.pdfhttp://newjersey.anglican.org/MI/Spring2009/Visionserviceflyer.pdf
Please prayerfully consider making this pilgrimage to Trenton on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009. We can carpool for even more fun! See you then.
Christian Food for Thought from Anne Magierski for the Inauguration Celebration
The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose,but mosquitoes come close.- Anonymous
Going from the ridiculous to the sublime, let's look at the word “purpose” for a moment. I received a book as a Christmas gift entitled, The Purpose of Christmas. I had never read anything by Rick Warren before, and I was surprised at what an easy read it was and how he came right to the point. This was no religious treatise. He never minced words, and spoke to the average person's concept of Christmas...what, why, and when. It was directed to all persons, those of faith and those of no faith. As I read it, I found myself re-examining my own journey as a Christian, a baptised believer, who practices her faith in the Episcopalian tradition. I believe that any book that can stir the soul and conscience of an individual, as this did, and promote self-examination is worthy of discussion here. Mr. Warren has been invited to deliver the inaugural invocation on January 20. Some of his views are controversial in the Christian world, so I will be listening intently to the words of his prayer to Almighty God on behalf of the President-Elect and the United States as a whole. Today's mail brought another book by Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life, which I purchased on the suggestion of a friend who told me it had changed his life. He and three of his co-workers met once a week at lunch for discussions. This man is an educated, successful Christian businessman who appeared to “have it all”, so I was intrigued by his statement. The Purpose Driven Life begins with, “This is more than a book; it is a guide to a 40-day spiritual journey that will enable you to discover the answer to life's most important question: “What on earth am I here for?” Intriguing, yes! Pastor Warren calls it a journey with purpose and strongly urges the reader to get one or more friends to join together in reading the book. “A journey is always better when it is shared.” I agree. I plan to read the 40 chapters, not day by day, but rather week by week. It took my friend and his group 40 weeks- almost a year! At the end of each chapter is a section called, “Thinking about My Purpose”. There you will find: a point to ponder, a verse to remember, a question to consider and discussion questions to share with your partner or a small group of friends. To quote Mr. Warren once more: “Real spiritual growth is never an isolated, individualistic pursuit. Maturity is produced through relationships and community.”
So now the journey begins. Chapter One: It all begins with God!
Going from the ridiculous to the sublime, let's look at the word “purpose” for a moment. I received a book as a Christmas gift entitled, The Purpose of Christmas. I had never read anything by Rick Warren before, and I was surprised at what an easy read it was and how he came right to the point. This was no religious treatise. He never minced words, and spoke to the average person's concept of Christmas...what, why, and when. It was directed to all persons, those of faith and those of no faith. As I read it, I found myself re-examining my own journey as a Christian, a baptised believer, who practices her faith in the Episcopalian tradition. I believe that any book that can stir the soul and conscience of an individual, as this did, and promote self-examination is worthy of discussion here. Mr. Warren has been invited to deliver the inaugural invocation on January 20. Some of his views are controversial in the Christian world, so I will be listening intently to the words of his prayer to Almighty God on behalf of the President-Elect and the United States as a whole. Today's mail brought another book by Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life, which I purchased on the suggestion of a friend who told me it had changed his life. He and three of his co-workers met once a week at lunch for discussions. This man is an educated, successful Christian businessman who appeared to “have it all”, so I was intrigued by his statement. The Purpose Driven Life begins with, “This is more than a book; it is a guide to a 40-day spiritual journey that will enable you to discover the answer to life's most important question: “What on earth am I here for?” Intriguing, yes! Pastor Warren calls it a journey with purpose and strongly urges the reader to get one or more friends to join together in reading the book. “A journey is always better when it is shared.” I agree. I plan to read the 40 chapters, not day by day, but rather week by week. It took my friend and his group 40 weeks- almost a year! At the end of each chapter is a section called, “Thinking about My Purpose”. There you will find: a point to ponder, a verse to remember, a question to consider and discussion questions to share with your partner or a small group of friends. To quote Mr. Warren once more: “Real spiritual growth is never an isolated, individualistic pursuit. Maturity is produced through relationships and community.”
So now the journey begins. Chapter One: It all begins with God!
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