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Losing our fear

February 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Our Savior Wordle

For the last four weeks, the world has been transfixed by the events taking place in North Africa and the Middle East. After 23 years in Tunisia and 31 years in Egypt, the people rose up and through mostly peaceful but still costly protests overthrew their leaders. In Libya, 42 years of oppression have brought about more protests, ones that have turned brutally violent, in an attempt to overthrow their own leader, Col. Moammar Khadafy. Protests are also taking place in Bahrain, Morocco, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Oman and Jordan. In Syria, President Bashar al-Assad is making changes to avoid the … [Read more...]

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Living with the poor

February 26, 2011 By 2 Comments
Fortunate Ntawoyangire, left, wife of Theophile Manayiragaba, center, and Ben Llewellyn Jones, right, the UK High Commissioner, sharing a light moment with his hosts. (By D Umutesi of the New Times of Kigali)

This morning brought an e-mail from a former bishop in Rwanda, The Rt. Rev. Venuste Mutiganda, of a marvelous article published today in the New Times of Kigali. The article tells the story of two British diplomats - the High Commissioner to Rwanda, Ben Llewellyn Jones, and the Director of the Department for international Development (DfID), Elizabeth Carriere - who spent three days living with rural families in Rwanda. Why? So they could experience "firsthand what it means to live off less than one dollar a day." The article, found here, explores how these two high-ranking … [Read more...]

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It is past time to listen to God

February 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8) In just one week, the U.S. government could come to a crashing halt. Really. All because our Senators and Representatives have not bothered to do their jobs. Since receiving, in January 2010 - more than a year ago, mind you - President Obama's proposed budget, Congress has managed to pass no spending bills. That's right. Not one. All our representatives have managed to do is pass continuing resolutions, leaving … [Read more...]

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Good news/bad news on missionaries

February 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
EPISCOPAL SHIELD

Titus Presler has an excellent commentary on the good and bad news about Episcopal missionaries. The good news: We, the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, have missionaries in the field (yeah!). The bad news: Not so many, and the ones we have and are not well-supported. As World Mission Sunday approaches (6 March), take a look at what Titus has to say, and think about what it means for The Episcopal Church to be a missionary society. The column can be found here. … [Read more...]

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The art of the possible

February 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
All things possible

“Politics,” I said to a 20-something friend recently, “is the art of the possible. It is not evil. It is about how we work together to do the most good for the greatest number of people at any given time.” The 20-something was surprised. “What did you say ‘politics’ is?” she asked. “It is the art of the possible,” I told her. “I may not get everything I want, and you may not get everything you want, but in the end, if it is done correctly, if we are faithful, together we achieve the best result possible at that moment.” The 20-something was excited to learn … [Read more...]

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Going Beyond the Law … to Love

February 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
lawbooks

Matthew 5:21-37 “You have heard that it was said … but I say to you …” Welcome to Let’s-Get-Legal Sunday. At least, that’s what it sounds like, doesn’t it? Jesus is still preaching his magnificent Sermon on the Mount, that marvelous sermon in which he blesses those who have been labeled outcasts, and challenges the people to be God’s salt and light in the world. And suddenly, he goes all legal on us and jacks up the intensity of an already detailed, already limiting, already very, very serious Law … that’s “Law” with a capital “L.” “You have … [Read more...]

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Salt and light. Precious and bright. Necessary and powerful.

February 14, 2011 By 1 Comment
salt_of_the_earth

Matthew 5:13-20 Last Monday, the U.S. government[1] issued new guidelines for how much salt we Americans should consume on any given day. The new recommendations are far more restrictive than they have been in the past, because of our country’s battle with obesity and heart disease, cutting us back to less than 1 teaspoon of salt per day. In essence, the government is saying, quite bluntly: Stop eating so much salt! It is killing us! And then we come to church this morning and we hear Jesus tell us that we are the salt of the earth! So what exactly are we supposed to do? Cut … [Read more...]

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How to do your part in Haïti

February 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Last weekend, I participated in the 92nd Council of the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, where I did a presentation on Haïti and how we can be involved in partnerships there. At the presentation, I showed a movie I have made, Bondye di ou: Fè pa ou, m'a fè p'am ("God says to you: You do your part, I'll do mine). It is a 12-minute video on the history of the Diocese of Haïti, and how that Diocese is leading the way in helping the nation recover from the devastating earthquake of 12 January 2010. It also describes the ways in which parishes, other institutions and organizations can … [Read more...]

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