Anglican Communion News Service

Weekly Review 26 Nov - 2 Dec, 2011

Posted On : December 2, 2011 4:31 PM | Posted By : Admin ACO
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Weekly Review 26 Nov - 2 Dec, 2011

A weekly roundup of Anglican Communion news plus opinion, reviews, photos, profiles and other things of interest from across the Anglican/Episcopal world.

This edition includes...

  • This week's Anglican Communion news
  • Anglican Life - Let us help you to protest, St Paul’s tells campers
  • Anglican Life - City of God Bible Art Mural Project (Phase 2)
  • Angican Life - "Everyone, everywhere" Conference
  • Anglican Life - Breaking down barriers
  • Anglican Life - Ordination in Iraq - Baghdad Celebrations
  • Anglican Life - Stand up women - never give up!
  • Anglican Life - Installation of Canon Gregory Dunstan
  • Comment - Celebrating the Feast of St Andrew
  • Christmas letter -From the Bishop of Jerusalem
  • Digital Communion - The Wau Diocese website
  • Bookshelf - Church Times' top ten religious books
  • The coming week's Anglican Cycle of Prayer.
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ANGLICAN NEWS

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ANGLICAN LIFE

Let us help you to protest, St Paul’s tells campers

by Ed Thornton, Church Times newspaper

[England] St Paul’s Cathedral has suggested a number of ways in which it could accommodate the protest outside, in the hope that the Occupy camp will disband before the High Court takes action later this month.

At a private meeting with Occupy protes­ters on Tuesday, members of the Chapter offered:• to allow an information tent to remain out­side for a limited period;

  • To permit General Assembly meetings to take place on the cathedral steps;
  • To provide space inside the cathedral for symbolic acts of worship, works of art, or a single tent such as that erected in York Mins­ter to bear witness to the situation in the Middle East;
  • For members of the camp to help organise, for a period of time, the St Paul’s Institute programme; and
  • Fo help the protesters identify a church in the City of London that would be willing to host events and meetings for the camp.

It is understood that the Chapter did not present the proposals as a bargaining tool or ultimatum, but as a way in which the cath­edral and the Occupy camp could work together to avoid legal action brought by the City of London Corporation, which begins in the High Court on 19 December. It is also understood that, whatever the High Court rules, the offers will remain.

A spokesman for Occupy London said on Wednesday: “Any offer from the cathedral will be taken very seriously. It is up to the General Assembly, the governing body of Occupy London, to decide the future of the camp.”

The Chapter of St Paul’s has been meeting protesters regularly since the cathedral de­cided not to back legal action. The meetings have been attended by a multifaith “clergy liaison group”, consisting of a retired An­glican cleric, the Revd Dennis Nadin, Sheikh Dr Muhammad Al-Hussaini, a Muslim scholar, and Rabbi Jeffrey Newman. Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Nadin said that the discussions were “making progress”, and that the cathedral was “responding to the concerns of the camp, rather than just their own concerns, which is a dramatic move”. He reported that there was “much good will to­wards the cathedral from the camp”.Dr Al-Hussaini said that he had urged the protesters to treat the cathedral with respect.

On Monday, the general secretary of the World Council of Churches, Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, visited the Occupy camp, and heard from Mr Nadin about a proposal that churches take part in a a day of “repentance, prayer and action” on New Year’s Day. Mr Nadin has urged the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and all diocesan and suffragan bishops, to support the idea.

“My concern is that parish churches should have the opportunity to follow this up if they so wish in their own way,” he said. “It is not prescriptive. . . That may take the form of special services or acts of Christian hospitality. A day of prayer would show the camp they’ve had an impact and the camp needs to know they have had an impact. They are not going to pack up without a clear signal that their message is being taken up.”

The Contextual Theology Centre has pub­lished a pack to help churches start “community conversations” on ethics and finance. It contains “a summary of Christian ideas on the economic crisis . . . alongside summary of the initial aims of the Occupy protesters . . . and guidance on host­ing a community conversation”

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City of God Bible Art Mural Project (Phase 2)

[Brazil] The Anglican Parish of Christ the King in the City of God in Rio de Janeiro has joined forces with international mural artist Joel Bergner to produce three murals for its boundary walls. Last year saw the production of the Garden of Eden and Last Supper murals. Now Phase 2 of the project brings together church members and four neighbourhood organisations to produce a third artwork, the backdrop for a new community garden. Follow the adventure here over the coming weeks...


Visit here to see more photos
 
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"Everyone, everywhere" Conference

By Martha Hoffman, from the newsletter of the Diocese of Connecticut

[USA] On October 13-16, 2011, I had the honor of representing the Diocese of Connecticut in the 2nd "Everyone, Everywhere" mission conference which was located in Estes Park, Colorado.  The conference had roughly three hundred in attendance, and all 9 provinces of the United States were represented. In addition, and unlike the first "EE" conference that was held in Baltimore, MD in 2009, many countries participating in the Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion were also present. I attended plenary sessions and workshops with friends and neighbors from the UK, Canada, Philippines, Sudan, Ghana, South Africa, Japan, China, El Salvador, India, Haiti, etc. It was truly a global village.

The program was opened with a Eucharist at which our presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, was celebrant along with the Bishop of Colorado, Robert O'Neill, welcoming us to his state. The conference was closed by a Sunday morning service at which Bishop Stacey Saul lead, the COO for the National Church. The involvement of these prominent members of the Episcopal Church demonstrated the importance placed on mission activity, and all of our individual and collective calling as God's children to serve others.

The opening and closing celebrations were just two of the numerous highlights of the weekend. The program was well planned by a dedicated team, the music both contemplative and joyful, and the conference space - beautiful. With a backdrop like Rocky Mountain National Park, it was quite easy to feel the awesome and majestic presence of God around us! Morning prayer started each day and Compline closed it with different themes such as Celtic/IONA, Ethiopian, Mishkhah, etc.; all spoken in native tongues.

There were 50 workshops offered from which attendees could choose five...not an easy task! The workshops all fit into one of five broad categories: Education and Formation, Justice Concerns, Mission Logistics and Funding, Mission Opportunities, and Mobilizing People & Assets.
Everything we did during the conference served as threads in weaving an intricate tapestry of the central theme, the importance of our relationships with our mission partners both locally and globally. Without building strong relationships with those we work with, the effective sustainability of the work is jeopardized. Relationships help us to "go and see" and for our brothers and sisters to also be welcomed into our communities so that we may continue to grow and learn from one another and knock down any potential borders that are so often built in that absence. We are all challenged to consider that maybe...just maybe...we are not the ones bearing the gifts.

Martha Hoffman, St. Andrew's, Madison,
President, http://www.calltocareUganda.org
 If you are interested in more detail on the conference, please either visit http://www.episcopalchurch.org/ee11.htm

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Breaking down barriers

From the shareit! magazine of the Church Army

Willowfield in East Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a broken community dealing with high levels of deprivation and the effects of sectarian violence. Evangelist George Newell explains how the hope of the gospel is being shared thanks to Church Army’s Centre of Mission

For the past six-and-a-half years I’ve been living and working in Willowfield – a place which is in the top 10 per cent of most disadvantaged areas in Northern Ireland. The parish borders the sectarian flashpoint of the Short Strand and troubles continue to flare up. However, despite all of this, God is clearly at work in people’s lives.

Evangelist, Richard Waller (pictured left), and Evangelist-in-Training, Gordon Lamb, work alongside me at the Willowfield Centre of Mission, where we seek to find relevant ways to reach people with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Our ministry is extremely varied and is supported by more than 100 volunteers from the local church and community. Some of the projects we help to coordinate include: youth work, Kidz Klub, lunch clubs, street outreach, English language classes for those from Eastern Europe, a fresh expressions gathering called Just 55 and community outreach events in the church.

The Archbishop of Armagh, Alan Harper, has described what we do as: “working where the spiritual and social are hardest to unite, quietly working small miracles through the grace of God.”

Street outreach is an important part of our ministry and each Saturday morning I lead a team of volunteers who offer prayer for healing on the streets using a double-decker bus as a drop-in. Two other mornings in the week, Gordon, with the help of volunteers, offers tea and coffee at the local bus stops as people are going to work. Both of these projects allow us to be a visible presence, break down barriers and build relationships with people.

A lady who we have come to know through these ministries summed up what we are trying to do. After receiving prayer for a family member, she said: “Praise the Lord for our church.”  What is so remarkable about that statement is that she does not attend Willowfield Parish Church, but through the care she has received on the streets she has met with God through the team and sees herself as part of the church.

We also help to run a Food Store Ministry which distributes home-cooked freezer meals, non-perishable items and Christmas hampers to families experiencing difficulties. This has become increasingly important as the effects of the recession impact upon people’s everyday lives. Practical projects such as this enable us to gain respect in the community and to have a voice that is listened to.

Alongside this practical mission, I have a responsibility for training Gordon as he works towards a Foundation Degree in Evangelism with Church Army, which is a four-year course. He is now in his third year of training and it has been a real privilege to see him grow in his faith as he seeks God’s will for his future.

Gordon said: “It is so exciting and an immense privilege to be part of Church Army’s training programme. Here at Willowfield I am learning not just how to live within a new culture but also how to listen and to be obedient to God’s calling on my life.”  

So, as a team, we give thanks to God for all that He is doing in Willowfield and the way He is changing the lives of those who are hurting, broken and marginalised. May Jesus Christ be at the heart of everything we do.

To read more about the Willowfield Centre of Mission please visit http://www.churcharmy.org.uk/pub/action/com/WillowfieldCOMweb.aspx

How can I help?

Please pray for George, Richard and Gordon as they reach out to thousands of people each year in East Belfast who have never heard the gospel. May people’s lives be transformed by Jesus Christ and the community restored.

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Ordination in Iraq - Baghdad Celebrations

From Bible Lands the magazine of the Jerusalem and the Middle East Church Association

Sunday September 11th was a great day for the congregation of St George’s Anglican Church Baghdad. The bishop, the Rt Revd Michael Lewis, was present to ordain the Revd Faiz Jerjes who became the first Iraqi Anglican priest at the church. Together with his wife Nawal, Faiz has been largely responsible for the day to day work of the chaplaincy during the last year, as a deacon. Prior to that, he was a Lector at the church. He was welcomed by a congregation of several hundred which included the British ambassador and other civic figures alongside Christian and Muslim religious leaders.

The Chaplaincy serves the area in which it is set, one of the most badly damaged during the war. Security is still a huge issue and during the last couple of years there have been outrages which have claimed many lives. In the face of this the church runs a clinic with four doctors and three dentists, treating around 200 patients a day. It organizes a food relief programme through its Mothers Union that provides 500 food parcels weekly to the poor of the district. It is soon to open a church primary school for 150 pupils. It has an extensive youth programme, and works for peace and justice at a number of levels.

 

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Stand up women - never give up!

From The Frontier News, the newsletter of the Diocese of Peshawar, the Church of Pakistan

The 13th Triennial Women Synodical, Church of Pakistan was held on 27 – 29 October, 2011, at Peshawar. The women delegates from all the Dioceses of the Church of Pakistan participated in this meeting. The Diocese of Peshawar had the honour to host this Synodical meeting. The theme of this Synodical was “Never give up! Christ is our Hope”.

The women Synodical is a valuable forum of women in Church of Pakistan, which also enjoys representation in the Synod, CoP. This platform raises its voice against discriminative attitude of the society against women. It also addresses issues concerning, education, equal rights, legislation, and socio-economic development of the women.

The Inauguration ceremony of this Synodical meeting and Opening worship was held at Elizabeth High School, Peshawar. The ceremony was led by the Rt. Revd. Samuel R. Azariah, Moderator, CoP and The Rt. Revd. Humphrey. S. Peters, Bishop of Peshawar. The Bishop of Peshawar also welcomed the delegates to the land of hospitality, i.e. Peshawar & DoP. At this occasion, the Moderator, CoP in his address, encouraged the women leadership to carry on the good work, whereas, Dr. Rebecca Reginald, President Women Synodical, in her speech said that, “We need to come forward to help the wounded, hungry & the homeless”. At this occasion, launching ceremony of a Song book, “Khawateen ki Geet” was also held, which is intended to facilitate women worship meetings and fellowships.

The ‘Formal Business’ sessions and intensive workshops continued for three days, in which reports of the women fellowships of various dioceses were presented, and the future plans were also discussed. Special awareness sessions about Maternal health were held, and Preventive measures against the dengue virus were also discussed. During the Conference, participants were divided into different working groups, and were required to work on various assignments, regarding issues confronted in every day life by the women.

In the end, Elections for the new office-bearers of the executive body, Women Synodical were held, and the new office-bearers took the oath. The Office-bearer are: Mrs. Beulha Shahir (President), Mrs. Beena Yousaf (Vice President), Mrs. Reena Patrick (Secretary), Mrs. Shamim Massey (Treasurer).

The out come of this workshop was very positive, as ways/methods to address issues regarding women social and spiritual uplift, equal rights & empowerment, plus socio-economic development were identified. The Synodical was ended with Holy Communion celebrated by
Bishop Humphrey.

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Installation of Canon Gregory Dunstan as New Dean of Armagh

From the Church of Ireland Press Office

Canon Gregory Dunstan will be installed as the next Dean of Armagh at a service of Evensong in St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh on Sunday 4 December 2011 at 3.15pm. The Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Alan Harper, OBE, will preside at the service and the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Revd Alan Abernethy, will give the address.

The new Dean succeeds the Rt Revd Patrick Rooke, who is now Bishop of Tuam, Killala and Achonry. Canon Dunstan was rector of St Matthew’s, Shankill, Belfast from 1993 to earlier this year and was elected to the chapter canonry of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin in 2007. He has been chairman of the Down and Dromore & Connor Organ Scholarship Management Board since 2005.

On his appointment by the Archbishop of Armagh as Dean of Armagh in September this year, Canon Dunstan said: ‘As one of the historic centres of Christianity in Ireland, Armagh has enormous resonance for people throughout the island. I look forward to ministry with the whole Cathedral community in Armagh, to the developing partnership with the Catholic Cathedral, and to the contribution both cathedrals make to the life of the city.’

In his address on Sunday, Bishop Abernethy will commend the new Dean by saying: ‘Gregory is a holy man with a pastoral heart.’ Focusing on the Advent season, he will go on to say, ‘Advent allows us to focus on how while God can be way beyond our understanding yet we receive His presence among us, at the same time distant yet so close.’

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Church members demonstrate in Rio to support trolley service

By ENInews Staff

Rio de Janeiro, 30 November (ENInews)--Church members brought an ecumenical presence to a demonstration in Rio de Janeiro's Santa Teresa neighborhood on 27 November that protested government neglect of a transportation system that is a lifeline for the residents.

The state government's lack of attention to the trolley system has caused 8 deaths and injured 50 in the last three months, according to report from the Latin American and Caribbean Communication Agency (ALC).

Representatives of the Anglican, Lutheran, United Presbyterian and Baptist Churches, and the Koinonia Ecumenical Presence and Service organization, took part in the protest.

It began with a procession that left St. Paul Church and gathered people on its way to Curvelo, a few meters away from the crossing of the Arches da Lapa, a cultural landmark in the center of the city, said the ALC report. The trolley system has operated for 115 years and is not only a tourist attraction, but also a means of transportation for the residents and a basic sustenance of the economic life of the neighborhood.

Judicial orders for recovery of the service date back to 2008, but the state government has not complied with the orders. The state government replaced the trolleys with light transportation vehicles.

The churches and Koinonia held the demands of the Santa Teresa neighborhood to be just, as it now suffers as a result of a low quality public transportation system, said the ALC report.

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COMMENT

A homily for the Anglican Communion Office's celebration of the Feast of St Andrew

Isaiah 52.7-10; Romans 10.12-18; Matthew 4.18-22

‘And immediately they left their nets and followed him’

Celebrations are important in our personal lives, and in the lives of communities. They remind us of who we are, our rootedness in family and friends, our shared commitments and interests, our common loyalties. Celebrations give us opportunities for affirming one another, time for feasting, even sometimes license for excess – not that there will be excess in our partying together tonight…. will there?  Neither  snow storms last year, nor threatened strikes this year, could put an end to our celebrating this feast.

Tonight we are triply blessed – three celebrations brought together in this our Eucharist of praise and thanksgiving.

First, we celebrate Andrew –  his Greek name meaning, ‘ manly’. I remember Pope Benedict once  reflecting that Andrew’s Jewish parents must have had a certain cultural openness to have given their child a Greek name, an openness to other cultures which was then lived out in Andrew’s own ministry to the Greek world. Andrew, so tradition has it, was crucified in Greece and, like his brother Peter, who believing himself unworthy to be crucified as his master Jesus was, was crucified upside down. Similarly, Andrew was crucified on a diagonal cross. Have you seen that lovely  El Greco painting of the gentle looking man embracing and cradling his diagonal cross? El Greco gets it so right.

In our short Gospel reading we heard the call of the fishermen, Simon and Andrew his brother.  When Jesus calls them, ‘immediately’ , Matthew tells us, they leave their nets and follow him. What always strikes me is that little word, ‘immediately’. No ifs or buts. No –‘ let me go and bury my father, let me go and marry a wife, let me go and tell my family’. Just simply, ‘immediately’, they leave everything and follow him. They follow him into a pioneer ministry, a ministry in which they will be made ‘fishers of people’. That little word, ‘immediately’, judges me in my own discipleship. When there’s prayers to be said, people to visit, witness to be given to Jesus Christ crucified and risen, all those delaying tactics, all those excuses, all that prevarication.

St Matthew  gives such a short  account of Andrew’s call but a powerful one, one that judges us and our faltering response.  St John’s account is rather different. Andrew seems to have been a disciple of John the Baptist. That might mean he was a member, or on the edge of, the Dead Sea Qumran community – a community of searchers for the hope of Israel. Andrew was, perhaps, one of those searchers for Israel’s hope. He overhears John the Baptist calling Jesus, ‘Lamb of God’ and straight away he goes and stays where Jesus was staying and lives with him that day. But then Andrew goes to his brother Simon – ‘We have found the messiah’. His apostolic ministry, his missionary task, has begun.  It’s Andrew who brings his brother Simon to Jesus. That’s why Andrew is celebrated in the Byzantine church as ‘protoketos’ – the ‘first called’ of all Jesus’ disciples.

So, the Andrew we celebrate tonight teaches us to follow Jesus immediately with no excuses, no delaying tactics, no yes but first I must… we can go on saying that all our lives until it’s too late. Andrew didn’t. And secondly, Andrew teaches us to speak enthusiastically, with clarity, conviction and excitement about Jesus, as Andrew spoke to his brother - ‘we have seen the Messiah’. Not I think I might have seen the Messiah, but I have seen the Messiah; and, thirdly, he teaches us to be ready to go where Jesus leads even to walk the way of the cross – whatever the cross might mean for each of us. So,  Andrew -is a disciple worth celebrating,  a man worth holding as a role model of apostolic ministry. That’s our first celebration tonight.

And there’s a second celebration – it’s 150 years tomorrow since the founding of the Community of St Andrew by Elizabeth Ferard , the first woman in England to be made a deaconess, the first woman to be ordained a deaconess in the Anglican Communion. Isn’t that something to celebrate too?  It’s special for me to be in this House celebrating the contribution of this Community of St Andrew to the development of women’s ministry – another pioneer ministry like Andrew’s pioneer ministry – apostolic too in its fidelity to the apostles’ teaching and mission. It’s special for me because the first working party I ever sat on, almost 50 years ago, was a fact finding gathering together of the different ministries carried out then by women in the Church of England. Can you imagine it, the women on the group sitting around the table wearing hats! And the one thing we weren’t allowed to utter was, ‘ordination of women to the priesthood’ – or at least not until the last meeting. But what I do remember was coming to meet the sisters here, praying with them in this chapel, and listening to them talk about their ministry: how Elizabeth Ferard and those who joined the Community responded to that same call, ‘follow me’, and got on with a pioneer ministry while Lambeth Conferences, for several decades, debated their status - were they in holy orders –the bishops first came to the view that they were ‘the one and only order of ministry for women - but then a decade later called it a sui generis order, not the equivalent of male deacons, thus not legally clergy. Were the deaconesses themselves ever consulted? You will have to ask Sister Teresa. Oh we Anglicans are so good at that sort of holy muddle aren’t we –that baffle our ecumenical partners. But holy muddle,  where we continue to think the best of one another while disagreeing, does sometimes mean we can stay together until the truth of the matter becomes clear, just  as the deaconesses got on with their pastoral ministry of nursing, visiting and caring for destitute girls, nurturing -  a pioneer ministry of women against all the odds. And I was here at the feast after the first ordinations of women as deacons in St Paul’s cathedral in 1987, among them Teresa, Denzil, Lillian and Donella. That was a pioneer ministry too, giving a new wholeness, a new holiness, to the ordained apostolic ministry that goes back to Andrew and the 12 around Jesus.  

So it’s a blessing for us that tonight in Eucharist that we give thanks for Andrew and thanks for the Community of St Andrew. And there’s a third celebration,  the celebration of the ministry of our Anglican Communion, supported and enabled by the ministry of all of you who work in this House and in Lambeth Palace. When the Anglican Communion Office  moved from Waterloo there were those who said ‘oh dear it’s too far from Lambeth Palace, too far from Parliament, too far from Church House’. Others clearly thought that this was rather a good thing.  But what strikes me this evening is not the rightness or wrongness of those arguments but just how wonderfully appropriate it is that the Anglican Communion Office should be based in a place rooted in the apostolic tradition of the Apostle Andrew, in a place hallowed by the prayers of the Community of St Andrew. To be encircled by the tradition of Andrew is to remind you of your task to help keep the Anglican Communion faithful to the apostolic teaching and mission, and also to remind you that  Jesus calls each of us, as he called Andrew, as he called Elizabeth Ferard –  ‘follow me, immediately, no looking back’. It is Jesus’ call to follow him that makes sense of your work – the tedious and the exciting bits, the difficult and the painful bits,

 So, there’s so much to celebrate tonight. St Andrew and his pioneer ministry; the Community of St Andrew and their pioneering women’s ministry; and your pioneer ministry building up the interdependent life and faithful witness of our Anglican Communion: three celebrations of pioneer ministry – What Thomas Traherne would surely have called,  ‘our collision of joys’ . So, for Andrew, the first called; for the Community of St Andrew and their building up of women’s ministry; and for your ministry in and for our beloved Anglican Communion – ‘thanks be to God’.  Amen

Mary Tanner       November  2011                                                                                                 

[Bio from www.oikoumene.org ] Dr Mary Tanner, of the Church of England, has contributed to the ecumenical movement in a variety of ways throughout the years. She has been a member of the WCC Faith and Order Commission since 1974, serving as its moderator from 1991 to 1998. She has also been a member of the Special Commission on Orthodox Participation in the WCC since its inception in 1991. Dr Tanner has been involved in various ecumenical conversations on behalf of her church, including the Anglican-Roman conversation. From 1982 to 1998 she was active within the Church of England body which ultimately became the Council for Christian Unity, serving as its general secretary from 1991 to 1998. Tanner was named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the Worldwide Anglican Church on New Year 2008.

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CHRISTMAS LETTER

Bishop’s Christmas Letter 2011

From the Bishop of Jerusalem

Glory to God in the Highest and Peace to His People on Earth!

And so we begin our Christmas celebration, with the glorious news of the birth of a baby and the hope that this holds for the world.

In all things we are told to give ‘thanks to God’ and in all we do ‘give the Glory to God’. With this in mind we look back upon a year filled with thanksgiving and look forward to the wonder and splendor that God has in store for us.

I am thankful for the productive Annual Majma that was held in Amman, Jordan this past November. Our theme for this Majma was ‘Serving to the Glory of God’. We focused on our institutions and the work we do to the Glory of God and in the service of our communities. Our schools, healthcare institutions and churches glorify God through the educating and teaching of our future generations, the caring for the sick and the needy, the elderly and the marginalized. We give glory to God through the example of our Christian principles and moral values, which are rooted in our faith. We look forward to working together to build future programs and projects that will benefit all people, both physically and spiritually. In Christ we are called to alleviate the suffering of our people, our friends and neighbours without regard to race, religion, gender or politics.

The hope of the church is in Christ Jesus. Through Him we are working toward a stronger unity, greater love, and deeper faithfulness in our mission and ministry among all Christians and non-Christians. And so, just as Jesus embraces the world, so too does our community embrace the world. Living in the land of the Holy One, we open wide our doors to welcome the world into our midst. Our churches regularly greet the pilgrims who come to visit, see and learn of the work Jesus continues to do through us. As they come to Bethlehem to kneel at the foot of the manger, so too do we gaze upon the Christ child, small, vulnerable and innocent.

In this land of so many passionate commitments and conflicts, we celebrate again Jesus’ ministry of reconciliation. It is through the courage and strength of the Holy Spirit that we can continue to serve to the Glory of God.

It is with great honour and profound humility that I minister among you as your Bishop here. All I do is in the service and Glory to God. I pray that as you celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, this Christmastide, be full of the joy and deep peace that comes in knowing that you are dearly loved by our God who so loved the world that He gave us his only Son.

Merry Christmas.
Bishop Suheil Dawani
Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem

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DIGITAL COMMUNION

Why not check out an diocesan website in South Sudan: The Wau Diocese: http://www.wau.anglican.org/  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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BOOKSHELF

Church Times top ten religious books http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=121275 

(previous month’s position in brackets)

1 Space for Advent and the Christmas Season by the Irish Jesuits (Ave Maria Press, £2.50) (-)

2 Stations of the Nativity, the Cross and the Resurrec­tion by Raymond Chapman (Canterbury Press, £12.99) (-)

3 Lectionary Reflections: Years A, B and C by Jane Williams (SPCK, £16.99) (7)

4 Landscapes of Prayer: Finding God in your world and your life by Margaret Silf (Lion, £9.99) (-)

5 Heaven by Paula Gooder – (SPCK, £9.99) (1)

6 A Sunlit Absence by Martin Laird (OUP, £11.99) (5)

7 10 Second Sermons by Milton Jones (DLT, £5.99) (4)

8 Simply Jesus by Tom Wright (SPCK, £9.99) (-)

9 The Incredible Journey by Steve Brady (BRF, £7.99) (-)

10 Speaking Christian by Marcus J. Borg (SPCK, £9.99) (-)

Participating bookshops: Church House Bookshop, London; St Denys’ Bookshop, Manchester; Cornerstone Bookshop, Edinburgh; and Sarum Books, Salisbury.

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ANGLICAN CYCLE OF PRAYER Click here for the full ACP

Friday 02-Dec-2011
Psalm: 27: 1-4,13,14 Col. 1: 21-29
West Texas - (VII, The Episcopal Church) The Rt Revd Gary Lillibridge
Suffragan Bishop of West Texas - (VII, The Episcopal Church)The Rt Revd David Reed

Saturday 03-Dec-2011
Psalm: 146: 4-11 Col. 2: 1-7
Western Izon - (Bendel, Nigeria) The Rt Revd Edafe Emamezi

Sunday 04-Dec-2011 Advent 2
Psalm: 126 I Kgs 19: 1-9a
Western Kansas - (VII, The Episcopal Church) The Rt Revd Michael Milliken

Monday 05-Dec-2011
Psalm: 25 I Kgs 19: 9b-18
Western Louisiana - (VII, The Episcopal Church) The Rt Revd David MacPherson

Tuesday 06-Dec-2011
Psalm: 34: 1-6,21,22 I Kgs 19: 19-21
Western Massachusetts - (I, The Episcopal Church) The Rt Revd Gordon Scruton

Wednesday 07-Dec-2011
Psalm: 85: 7-13 I Kgs 21: 1-7
Western Mexico - (Mexico)The Rt Revd Lino Rodriguez-Amaro

Thursday 08-Dec-2011 The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Psalm: 30: 1-5,11,12 I Kgs 21: 8-16
Western Michigan - (V, The Episcopal Church) The Rt Revd Robert Gepert


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