July 2018 Connections

Connections ideas • news • events July 2018

Issue 4 Vol. 5

Pop Culture

The Ultimate Quest A few months back, “church geek” that I am, I was perusing through some parish newsletters from around the diocese when I came across an article mentioning a book titled, The Ultimate Quest: A Geek’s Guide to (The Episcopal) Church. (h/t to the Rev. Christopher Richardson at St. Mark’s, Columbus) With this issue focusing on pop culture approaching, I thought this might be a good book to check out.

The basic premise of the book, at least according to the title, is to introduce the Episcopal Church to those who consider themselves a part of “geek culture,” or in this case the enthusiasts obsessed with the adventure, fantasy and gaming world. The author makes a case that elements of the Episcopal tradition match up well with those of that culture; vestments = cosplay, orders of ministry = classes, General Convention = Comic Con. And our whole list of rules (Book of Common Prayer) is akin to the player’s guide in Dungeons and Dragons.

Now while I’ll admit to playing a little D&D in college, I don’t really consider myself a part of the gaming culture, so it would be easy for me to dismiss this book as irreverent or kitschy. But as I read on, I found some really great explanations of elements of our tradition in easy to read, everyday language. Overall, I was quite impressed that the author used this element of popular culture to draw in potential churchgoers from a particular subset of the population, and then delivered the goods.

So there is a lesson to be learned here. How can we, using familiar language and notions of our popular culture, introduce the Episcopal Church to people we are sure would find it fulfilling if they just knew about it? Or maybe not just the Episcopal Church, but simply the love of God, if we take our responsibility for the Great Commission seriously. How can we deliver the goods?

Musicians have utilized the popular culture for years to draw attention to causes they support. Create a narrative about whatever topic you want to highlight, write a catchy tune to go along with it, and suddenly everyone is aware of and sending money to support the plight of farmers. Or poverty in Africa, or hurricane relief. You get the point.

Those who have delved into the Fresh Expressions movement of the church understand this. Bringing people into relationship with God takes going out and meeting people where they are, and not dismissing it as kitschy or irreverant. So that could be in a D&D group. Or asking a coworker if they happened to watch the royal wedding. Or if they enjoyed the latest

episode of Doctor Who. As you’ll see from some of the articles presented in this issue, a conversation about your favorite television show can turn into one about the Christian values you hold dear.

Creating a program that capitalizes on the fascination in our society for a certain teen-aged wizard who conquered evil can introduce people to another “one who lived” (and died and rose again) through the power that is love.

It all boils down to this: The Great Commission is our Ultimate Quest. We need to stop worrying about Average Sunday Attendance and reports proclaiming the demise of religion and set out with a mission to introduce as many as we can to the love of God. Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations. And don’t be afraid to take The Doctor or Harry or Michael Curry with you.

Connections editor Julie Murray serves as Associate Director of Communication for the Diocese of Southern Ohio. Connect with her at jmurray@diosohio.org.

3

"We are set apart to be totally not apart"

Embracing the culture that shapes us

As you may know by now, the diocesan Big Read for 20182019 will be the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.

This is a fitting sequel to the Big Read we just concluded on Exodus, since Acts recapitulates Exodus in many ways. As Part 2 of Luke’s Gospel, Acts is the New Testament account of God’s continuing formation of a new people called to witness to God’s mercy.

In Exodus, this new people is formed out of the Hebrews who have escaped their slavery in Egypt. In their long wilderness journey, they learn how to trust God and to live out God’s insistence on care for family and stranger alike. In Acts, this people comes to include all humankind, without distinction.

This enlargement of the scope of God’s people is grounded in the teaching and ministry of Jesus, as these find vindication in his resurrection and ascension, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Everyone is gathered in! This is how Acts is different from Exodus. Rather than the creation of a people set apart, there is an expansion into a people anyone can belong to.

Note an apparent contradiction here, however. 1 Peter is pretty clear that we are a people set apart (1 Peter 2:9). But what sets us apart (or should set us apart) is our very willingness to be turned inside out, to be totally open to the neighbors that surround us, and to welcome strangers – not by inviting them in, but by asking them to let us be their guests. In other words, we abandon our own turf in order to share a wider, common terrain with others. We are set apart to be totally not apart.

This may sound like a paradox, but it isn’t. Certainly, most human communities, from the smallest to the greatest, from families to nations, set themselves apart from others, defining themselves by those whom they exclude. But Acts tells the story of the early church as a community that is driven, cajoled and encouraged by the Holy Spirit to define itself by utter openness to anyone who embraces mercy as a way of life in imitation of Jesus. It’s not about being invited in but invited out.

This is what brings Acts back into the orbit of Exodus.

Throughout Acts, the gathering of the whole world into the arms of Christ plays out as the scattering of the growing church. After the stoning of Stephen, the post-Pentecost converts move out in all directions, fleeing persecution but also welcoming opportunities to sweep new friends up into their scatteredness. This is a new exodus from in to out, from temple to street, from sanctuary to open ground.

This is what Acts is all about: the initial spread of the Gospel by ordinary people who gave up whatever they had to

bring Christ to the world. Acts recounts this Christian exodus with robust humor, grandiloquent speeches, cloak-and-dagger plots and epic adventures. Paul preaches so long that a boy dozes and falls out of a high-story window, only to be healed by the long-winded preacher. Paul and his sidekick Barnabas are mistaken for the Greek gods Zeus and Hermès. Paul escapes from numerous attempts to kill him, only to end up as a prisoner of the emperor in Rome, and this only after sea storm and shipwreck.

This may be our link to the theme of this edition of Connections, which is about popular culture. Acts is best understood as a presentation of the church as a body embracing popular culture at every turn. The book persistently engages the popular themes and attitudes of the ancient Greco-Roman world, sometimes critiquing them, sometimes laughing at them, and sometimes identifying what is already holy in them. In so doing it not only opens us out as a church to what is all around us — turnOur Big Read of Luke/Acts ing us inside out, as it were will begin on the First Sunday — but challenges us to become of Advent, December 2. For good readers and hearers of the congregation's formation planculture(s) which shape us. ning purposes, resources will After all, popular culture be available in early August at means the culture of the people. dsoBigRead.org.

If we are to be the people of God, we must be a people first.

That means being aware that we have a culture, for good or ill.

We must look critically at the habits and tastes of all our communities through the lens of Christ’s teaching. At the same time, we must not seek to disconnect ourselves from what has shaped us. If each of us claims who we really are — race, gender, ethnicity, orientation, economic status, education, home — then we can move boldly into exodus, knowing who we are, and ready to be changed by who we meet.

This is what Martin Luther King meant when he talked about committing ourselves to the beloved community. By this he meant a community that is our “Yes!” to non-exclusive and (thus) expansive community worldwide. If that is popular culture, we should embrace it.

The Rt. Rev. Thomas E. Breidenthal serves as Bishop of the Diocese of Southern Ohio. Connect with him at tbreidenthal@diosohio.org.

5

"We are set apart to be totally not apart"

Embracing the culture that shapes us

As you may know by now, the diocesan Big Read for 20182019 will be the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.

This is a fitting sequel to the Big Read we just concluded on Exodus, since Acts recapitulates Exodus in many ways. As Part 2 of Luke’s Gospel, Acts is the New Testament account of God’s continuing formation of a new people called to witness to God’s mercy.

In Exodus, this new people is formed out of the Hebrews who have escaped their slavery in Egypt. In their long wilderness journey, they learn how to trust God and to live out God’s insistence on care for family and stranger alike. In Acts, this people comes to include all humankind, without distinction.

This enlargement of the scope of God’s people is grounded in the teaching and ministry of Jesus, as these find vindication in his resurrection and ascension, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Everyone is gathered in! This is how Acts is different from Exodus. Rather than the creation of a people set apart, there is an expansion into a people anyone can belong to.

Note an apparent contradiction here, however. 1 Peter is pretty clear that we are a people set apart (1 Peter 2:9). But what sets us apart (or should set us apart) is our very willingness to be turned inside out, to be totally open to the neighbors that surround us, and to welcome strangers – not by inviting them in, but by asking them to let us be their guests. In other words, we abandon our own turf in order to share a wider, common terrain with others. We are set apart to be totally not apart.

This may sound like a paradox, but it isn’t. Certainly, most human communities, from the smallest to the greatest, from families to nations, set themselves apart from others, defining themselves by those whom they exclude. But Acts tells the story of the early church as a community that is driven, cajoled and encouraged by the Holy Spirit to define itself by utter openness to anyone who embraces mercy as a way of life in imitation of Jesus. It’s not about being invited in but invited out.

This is what brings Acts back into the orbit of Exodus.

Throughout Acts, the gathering of the whole world into the arms of Christ plays out as the scattering of the growing church. After the stoning of Stephen, the post-Pentecost converts move out in all directions, fleeing persecution but also welcoming opportunities to sweep new friends up into their scatteredness. This is a new exodus from in to out, from temple to street, from sanctuary to open ground.

This is what Acts is all about: the initial spread of the Gospel by ordinary people who gave up whatever they had to

bring Christ to the world. Acts recounts this Christian exodus with robust humor, grandiloquent speeches, cloak-and-dagger plots and epic adventures. Paul preaches so long that a boy dozes and falls out of a high-story window, only to be healed by the long-winded preacher. Paul and his sidekick Barnabas are mistaken for the Greek gods Zeus and Hermès. Paul escapes from numerous attempts to kill him, only to end up as a prisoner of the emperor in Rome, and this only after sea storm and shipwreck.

This may be our link to the theme of this edition of Connections, which is about popular culture. Acts is best understood as a presentation of the church as a body embracing popular culture at every turn. The book persistently engages the popular themes and attitudes of the ancient Greco-Roman world, sometimes critiquing them, sometimes laughing at them, and sometimes identifying what is already holy in them. In so doing it not only opens us out as a church to what is all around us — turnOur Big Read of Luke/Acts ing us inside out, as it were will begin on the First Sunday — but challenges us to become of Advent, December 2. For good readers and hearers of the congregation's formation planculture(s) which shape us. ning purposes, resources will After all, popular culture be available in early August at means the culture of the people. dsoBigRead.org.

If we are to be the people of God, we must be a people first.

That means being aware that we have a culture, for good or ill.

We must look critically at the habits and tastes of all our communities through the lens of Christ’s teaching. At the same time, we must not seek to disconnect ourselves from what has shaped us. If each of us claims who we really are — race, gender, ethnicity, orientation, economic status, education, home — then we can move boldly into exodus, knowing who we are, and ready to be changed by who we meet.

This is what Martin Luther King meant when he talked about committing ourselves to the beloved community. By this he meant a community that is our “Yes!” to non-exclusive and (thus) expansive community worldwide. If that is popular culture, we should embrace it.

The Rt. Rev. Thomas E. Breidenthal serves as Bishop of the Diocese of Southern Ohio. Connect with him at tbreidenthal@diosohio.org.

5

A Pop Culture Miracle

Doesn’t Jesus turning water into wine feel like a pop culture miracle? Is there any other miracle where it’s just about having a good time at a party? You’ve been there. At a party and someone needs to make a beer run, or in this case, a “wine run,” and the person who draws the short straw goes.

The problem is that this is 1st century Cana and there aren’t many convenience stores right around the corner.

So, if you can’t make a wine run, then what do you do? I suppose the party usually starts to wind down.

But the point is, they ran out of wine and instead of someone making a wine run Jesus just changed the water into wine. It's his first recorded miracle and he’s not healing the sick, raising the dead, or feeding the hungry.

He’s just making sure the party doesn’t end. You can almost picture him listening to Robert Earl Keen on his iPod, "... the road goes on forever and the party never ends ...".

I also like this story because Jesus seems so real. When they run out of wine, his mother Mary comes up to him and says, “They have no wine.” And then Jesus says to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me?

My hour has not yet come.” Then Mary basically walks away and says, “Do whatever he tells you.” Some fun family dynamics are going on here if you read in between the lines. After Jesus reproaches her, you could just picture her walking away, basically saying, “Fine! Just do whatever he wants.” Then after that statement, Jesus goes ahead and does what his mom wanted him to do despite what he said earlier.

IN-LAWS band is late

I think it is also easy to be a little hard on Jesus here. His response, “Woman, what does this have to do with me?” seems kind of harsh. But if we take the incarnation seriously and remember that the divine nature was united with the human nature then it’s easier to understand. It has probably been a very long day. The wine is gone and that means everyone has probably been drinking heavily, including Jesus. He’s reclining with his friends and here comes his mom, asking him to do something. His response is almost like, “Mom, it’s not my day to take out the trash.”

I wonder what happened next? Why did Jesus decide to change the water into wine after this interchange with his mother? Was it because of their family dynamics, sort of a roll of the eyes and a “fine!” Or did it finally dawn on him, “Hey, we’re out of wine!” It could be some other reason, but I like these two the best because they are the funniest.

I wonder if this pop culture miracle occurred at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to tell us early on that everything was going to be different with this guy? That he was going to be unpredictable, exciting and eventually completely transformative.

David Dreisbach serves as Director of Communications for the Diocese of Southern Ohio. Connect with him at ddreisbach@diosohio.org.

A Pop Culture Miracle

Doesn’t Jesus turning water into wine feel like a pop culture miracle? Is there any other miracle where it’s just about having a good time at a party? You’ve been there. At a party and someone needs to make a beer run, or in this case, a “wine run,” and the person who draws the short straw goes.

The problem is that this is 1st century Cana and there aren’t many convenience stores right around the corner.

So, if you can’t make a wine run, then what do you do? I suppose the party usually starts to wind down.

But the point is, they ran out of wine and instead of someone making a wine run Jesus just changed the water into wine. It's his first recorded miracle and he’s not healing the sick, raising the dead, or feeding the hungry.

He’s just making sure the party doesn’t end. You can almost picture him listening to Robert Earl Keen on his iPod, "... the road goes on forever and the party never ends ...".

I also like this story because Jesus seems so real. When they run out of wine, his mother Mary comes up to him and says, “They have no wine.” And then Jesus says to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me?

My hour has not yet come.” Then Mary basically walks away and says, “Do whatever he tells you.” Some fun family dynamics are going on here if you read in between the lines. After Jesus reproaches her, you could just picture her walking away, basically saying, “Fine! Just do whatever he wants.” Then after that statement, Jesus goes ahead and does what his mom wanted him to do despite what he said earlier.

IN-LAWS band is late

I think it is also easy to be a little hard on Jesus here. His response, “Woman, what does this have to do with me?” seems kind of harsh. But if we take the incarnation seriously and remember that the divine nature was united with the human nature then it’s easier to understand. It has probably been a very long day. The wine is gone and that means everyone has probably been drinking heavily, including Jesus. He’s reclining with his friends and here comes his mom, asking him to do something. His response is almost like, “Mom, it’s not my day to take out the trash.”

I wonder what happened next? Why did Jesus decide to change the water into wine after this interchange with his mother? Was it because of their family dynamics, sort of a roll of the eyes and a “fine!” Or did it finally dawn on him, “Hey, we’re out of wine!” It could be some other reason, but I like these two the best because they are the funniest.

I wonder if this pop culture miracle occurred at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to tell us early on that everything was going to be different with this guy? That he was going to be unpredictable, exciting and eventually completely transformative.

David Dreisbach serves as Director of Communications for the Diocese of Southern Ohio. Connect with him at ddreisbach@diosohio.org.

Presiding Bishop Curry and pop culture celebrity Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry gives an address during the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, Britain, May 19, 2018. Owen Humphreys/Pool via REUTERS having a message that is worthy of the hearing,” Curry told Episcopal News Service in a phone interview May 31, recapping the whirlwind of his past few weeks. “And this has nothing to do with Michael Curry. Jesus figured this out. Jesus was right. This way of love is the only way of life. That’s it.”

This story is excerpted from “After royal wedding media blitz, Presiding Bishop spurs Episcopalians to spread message of Jesus’ love,” Episcopal News Service, June 1, 2018.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle listen to an address by Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle during their wedding service in Windsor, Britain, May 19, 2018. Owen Humphreys/Pool via REUTERS

On May 19, nearly 30 million people in the United States watched Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s sermon on the power of God’s love at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Since then, Curry has been interviewed or profiled by seemingly every major media outlet, from the BBC to ABC’s “The View” to the celebrity gossip site TMZ. Curry did his part to seize this opportunity for evangelism, deliberately turning the conversations in interviews back to Jesus’ message of love’s power to change the world. Days after the royal wedding, in a bit of scheduling serendipity, he joined other ecumenical Christian leaders for a “Reclaiming Jesus”

church service, procession and candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C. Though planned long before he was asked to preach at Windsor Castle, those events drew additional news coverage due to Curry’s sudden star power.

Of course, news cycles don’t last forever. If Curry was granted his Warholian 15 minutes of international fame, he succeeded in extending it by several days, weeks even. But he, the church and Episcopalians now are faced with the question, what’s next?

“Part of evangelism is helping the church to be more visible, just as a practical matter, and the other part of it is the church

In the weeks after the royal wedding, Bishop Curry appeared on a number of media outlets (TMZ, Good Morning America, The View and the Today Show).

He was even asked to send a blessing to the contestants on Britain's Got Talent (below)

Presiding Bishop Curry and pop culture celebrity Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry gives an address during the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, Britain, May 19, 2018. Owen Humphreys/Pool via REUTERS having a message that is worthy of the hearing,” Curry told Episcopal News Service in a phone interview May 31, recapping the whirlwind of his past few weeks. “And this has nothing to do with Michael Curry. Jesus figured this out. Jesus was right. This way of love is the only way of life. That’s it.”

This story is excerpted from “After royal wedding media blitz, Presiding Bishop spurs Episcopalians to spread message of Jesus’ love,” Episcopal News Service, June 1, 2018.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle listen to an address by Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle during their wedding service in Windsor, Britain, May 19, 2018. Owen Humphreys/Pool via REUTERS

On May 19, nearly 30 million people in the United States watched Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s sermon on the power of God’s love at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Since then, Curry has been interviewed or profiled by seemingly every major media outlet, from the BBC to ABC’s “The View” to the celebrity gossip site TMZ. Curry did his part to seize this opportunity for evangelism, deliberately turning the conversations in interviews back to Jesus’ message of love’s power to change the world. Days after the royal wedding, in a bit of scheduling serendipity, he joined other ecumenical Christian leaders for a “Reclaiming Jesus”

church service, procession and candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C. Though planned long before he was asked to preach at Windsor Castle, those events drew additional news coverage due to Curry’s sudden star power.

Of course, news cycles don’t last forever. If Curry was granted his Warholian 15 minutes of international fame, he succeeded in extending it by several days, weeks even. But he, the church and Episcopalians now are faced with the question, what’s next?

“Part of evangelism is helping the church to be more visible, just as a practical matter, and the other part of it is the church

In the weeks after the royal wedding, Bishop Curry appeared on a number of media outlets (TMZ, Good Morning America, The View and the Today Show).

He was even asked to send a blessing to the contestants on Britain's Got Talent (below)

What Would Buffy Do?

The Gospel According to Bob Dylan.

In the beginning, there was Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley. Even before these innovators of rock and roll, there were other voices calling out in the wilderness. Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Jimmie Rodgers. Out of the Mississippi delta grew a blend of sounds, maybe unmatched in their breadth and diversity even to this day. Blues, jazz, country, ragtime and gospel all started to coalesce into what would eventually be called rock & roll.

When Elvis hit the stage and brought this music to the young white masses, detractors labeled it pejoratively as “n-word” music. In a backhanded way, these haters were giving Africans credit for creating a musical style that would sweep the globe and start a revolution. However, that label did not tell the whole story about this music.

It was too narrow of a definition. It wasn't just music from Africa. It was music brought to America by people of color from all over the world.

From Africa, New Guinea, the Caribbean, and Jamaica to name just a few. This music was blended with white country music to create a sound all its own.

Rock & roll was a rhythm. A feeling. An attitude. It was about love, loss, desire, and hope. Rock & roll started to expand in popularity, to move into mainstream society and diversify.

Taking rock & roll to the youth of mainstream America were the likes of Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and, of course, Elvis.

This new sound made its way across the Atlantic to the UK’s burgeoning Skiffle movement. Skiffle was a musical genre that came out of the Mississippi delta. Skiffle caught fire in the UK combining jazz, blues and several types of folk.

These are the sounds that influenced The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Who, to name just a few of the now famous British invasion bands.

Then something unexpected happened. Robert Zimmerman, a skinny kid from Hibbing, Minnesota (almost literally at the other end of the mighty Mississippi) hitch-hiked to New York City and ended up in the Greenwich Village folk scene. He walked into a folk club for a job and when they asked what his name was, he simply said Bob Dylan. Robert Zimmerman was gone for good.

The first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is unforgettable to all Buffy fans. It’s sort of like “Where were you when JFK was shot?” The first show opens at night with a young couple breaking into a closed and empty high school. He’s a little older than she is and a bit of a hoodlum. It’s obviously the first date and she doesn’t want to be breaking into the school. He assures her that the view from the roof is worth it. As they walk down the hall and make their way toward the staircase, she hears something.

She’s terrified. She’s afraid that something dangerous is in the school.

He assures her that they are alone. She says, “good” and instantly grows fangs and drinks the blood of this macho hoodlum. And so begins Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A show about good versus evil, enduring friendships and above all else, powerful women.

Although he started in the folk genre, Dylan’s music quickly attracted a pop music following. Then, in 1965, he went electric. He plugged in and released “Like a Rolling Stone.” With its drums, guitar, wailin’ Hammond B-3 organ and smart lyrics, it changed pop music forever. Some say “Like a Rolling Stone” was a line drawn in the sand. Rock & Roll sounded one way before it and another way after it.

In her book, What Would Buffy Do? The Vampire Slayer as Spiritual Guide, Jana Riess says of the the show, “Buffy is a classic medieval morality play – only with skimpier clothes, wittier dialogue, and cuttingedge alternative music. During its seven-season run from March 1997 to May 2003, it was easily one of the most moralistic programs on TV, depicting a world in which evil never goes unpunished and doing good is its own reward.” (Riess is also the author of the hilarious, The Twible: All the Chapters of the Bible in 140 Characters or Less.)

This change had been building within Bob Dylan since the beginning (1962). When Dylan hit the scene, pop music was not complex. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back.

For the great “girl groups” of the early 60’s, it was just the opposite. The Ronettes were singing, for example, “Be My, Be My Baby.” The Shirelles’ plaintive “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” Elvis Presley’s, “since my baby left me, I found a new place to dwell, down at the end of Lonely Street at Heartbreak Hotel.” Even The Beatles hadn't matured yet, for they were still all about, “She Loves You Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.”

Buffy is not just about good vs. evil. It's about the power of relationships and community. Buffy is strong and beautiful, and she makes the most popular girl in school jealous. Yet she surrounds herself with the unpopular kids. The misfits. It is in these friendships that Buffy finds strength. “In Buffy’s world, the most powerful individuals are those with a strong support system – friends and family members who share responsibility and heartache and who encourage one another to fight the good fight,” says Riess.

In the midst of this teenaged love, loss, and angst, Bob Dylan stepped on stage with his acoustic guitar and sang, “Come gather 'round people, wherever you roam. And admit that the waters around you have grown and accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone. If your time to you is worth savin' then you better start swimmin', or you'll sink like a stone. For the times they are a-changin'.”

He saw a country that was changing. He saw the plight of people of color in the United States. He wrote, “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol,” about a rich tobacco farmer name William Zanzinger who beat a domestic named Hattie Carrol to death with his walking stick. And of course, “Blowin’ in the Wind” motivated young people all over America to get involved in civil rights. When Dylan sang, “How many roads must a man walk down before you’ll call him a man,” he inspired Sam Cook to write “A Change is Gonna Come.”

There’s always been a debate about whether the music of Bob Dylan changed the world in the 60s or if Bob Dylan’s music simply reflected the change that he saw happening around him. Regardless, a young kid from Hibbing, Minnesota, made a mark in music that will be felt for generations to come.

– David Dreisbach

For all things Jana Riess go to: JanaRiess.com

Created by Joss Whedon, Buffy is filled with myth, allegory and cultural references. “As a result,” writes Katharine Schwab in an article for The Atlantic, “hundreds of scholarly books and articles have been written about Buffy’s deeper themes, and an entire academic journal and conference series – appropriately called Slayage – is devoted to using the show and other Whedon works to discuss subjects such as philosophy and cultural theory. Buffy as an allegorical spectacle of postmodern life? Check. Buffy as a progressive, feminist challenge to gender hierarchy? Check. Buffy as a philosophical examination of subjectivity and truth? Check. In fact, in a 2012 study by Slate, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was named the most studied pop culture work by academics, with more than 200 papers, essays, and books devoted to the series.”

Buffy isn’t just about killing vampires. It’s also about forgiveness and redemption. It's about love and loss. It’s about confidence and insecurity.

It's about life and death. Ultimately, Buffy is about redemption and selfsacrifice. Not bad for a TV show.

– David Dreisbach

What Would Buffy Do?

The Gospel According to Bob Dylan.

In the beginning, there was Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley. Even before these innovators of rock and roll, there were other voices calling out in the wilderness. Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Jimmie Rodgers. Out of the Mississippi delta grew a blend of sounds, maybe unmatched in their breadth and diversity even to this day. Blues, jazz, country, ragtime and gospel all started to coalesce into what would eventually be called rock & roll.

When Elvis hit the stage and brought this music to the young white masses, detractors labeled it pejoratively as “n-word” music. In a backhanded way, these haters were giving Africans credit for creating a musical style that would sweep the globe and start a revolution. However, that label did not tell the whole story about this music.

It was too narrow of a definition. It wasn't just music from Africa. It was music brought to America by people of color from all over the world.

From Africa, New Guinea, the Caribbean, and Jamaica to name just a few. This music was blended with white country music to create a sound all its own.

Rock & roll was a rhythm. A feeling. An attitude. It was about love, loss, desire, and hope. Rock & roll started to expand in popularity, to move into mainstream society and diversify.

Taking rock & roll to the youth of mainstream America were the likes of Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and, of course, Elvis.

This new sound made its way across the Atlantic to the UK’s burgeoning Skiffle movement. Skiffle was a musical genre that came out of the Mississippi delta. Skiffle caught fire in the UK combining jazz, blues and several types of folk.

These are the sounds that influenced The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Who, to name just a few of the now famous British invasion bands.

Then something unexpected happened. Robert Zimmerman, a skinny kid from Hibbing, Minnesota (almost literally at the other end of the mighty Mississippi) hitch-hiked to New York City and ended up in the Greenwich Village folk scene. He walked into a folk club for a job and when they asked what his name was, he simply said Bob Dylan. Robert Zimmerman was gone for good.

The first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is unforgettable to all Buffy fans. It’s sort of like “Where were you when JFK was shot?” The first show opens at night with a young couple breaking into a closed and empty high school. He’s a little older than she is and a bit of a hoodlum. It’s obviously the first date and she doesn’t want to be breaking into the school. He assures her that the view from the roof is worth it. As they walk down the hall and make their way toward the staircase, she hears something.

She’s terrified. She’s afraid that something dangerous is in the school.

He assures her that they are alone. She says, “good” and instantly grows fangs and drinks the blood of this macho hoodlum. And so begins Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A show about good versus evil, enduring friendships and above all else, powerful women.

Although he started in the folk genre, Dylan’s music quickly attracted a pop music following. Then, in 1965, he went electric. He plugged in and released “Like a Rolling Stone.” With its drums, guitar, wailin’ Hammond B-3 organ and smart lyrics, it changed pop music forever. Some say “Like a Rolling Stone” was a line drawn in the sand. Rock & Roll sounded one way before it and another way after it.

In her book, What Would Buffy Do? The Vampire Slayer as Spiritual Guide, Jana Riess says of the the show, “Buffy is a classic medieval morality play – only with skimpier clothes, wittier dialogue, and cuttingedge alternative music. During its seven-season run from March 1997 to May 2003, it was easily one of the most moralistic programs on TV, depicting a world in which evil never goes unpunished and doing good is its own reward.” (Riess is also the author of the hilarious, The Twible: All the Chapters of the Bible in 140 Characters or Less.)

This change had been building within Bob Dylan since the beginning (1962). When Dylan hit the scene, pop music was not complex. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back.

For the great “girl groups” of the early 60’s, it was just the opposite. The Ronettes were singing, for example, “Be My, Be My Baby.” The Shirelles’ plaintive “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” Elvis Presley’s, “since my baby left me, I found a new place to dwell, down at the end of Lonely Street at Heartbreak Hotel.” Even The Beatles hadn't matured yet, for they were still all about, “She Loves You Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.”

Buffy is not just about good vs. evil. It's about the power of relationships and community. Buffy is strong and beautiful, and she makes the most popular girl in school jealous. Yet she surrounds herself with the unpopular kids. The misfits. It is in these friendships that Buffy finds strength. “In Buffy’s world, the most powerful individuals are those with a strong support system – friends and family members who share responsibility and heartache and who encourage one another to fight the good fight,” says Riess.

In the midst of this teenaged love, loss, and angst, Bob Dylan stepped on stage with his acoustic guitar and sang, “Come gather 'round people, wherever you roam. And admit that the waters around you have grown and accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone. If your time to you is worth savin' then you better start swimmin', or you'll sink like a stone. For the times they are a-changin'.”

He saw a country that was changing. He saw the plight of people of color in the United States. He wrote, “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol,” about a rich tobacco farmer name William Zanzinger who beat a domestic named Hattie Carrol to death with his walking stick. And of course, “Blowin’ in the Wind” motivated young people all over America to get involved in civil rights. When Dylan sang, “How many roads must a man walk down before you’ll call him a man,” he inspired Sam Cook to write “A Change is Gonna Come.”

There’s always been a debate about whether the music of Bob Dylan changed the world in the 60s or if Bob Dylan’s music simply reflected the change that he saw happening around him. Regardless, a young kid from Hibbing, Minnesota, made a mark in music that will be felt for generations to come.

– David Dreisbach

For all things Jana Riess go to: JanaRiess.com

Created by Joss Whedon, Buffy is filled with myth, allegory and cultural references. “As a result,” writes Katharine Schwab in an article for The Atlantic, “hundreds of scholarly books and articles have been written about Buffy’s deeper themes, and an entire academic journal and conference series – appropriately called Slayage – is devoted to using the show and other Whedon works to discuss subjects such as philosophy and cultural theory. Buffy as an allegorical spectacle of postmodern life? Check. Buffy as a progressive, feminist challenge to gender hierarchy? Check. Buffy as a philosophical examination of subjectivity and truth? Check. In fact, in a 2012 study by Slate, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was named the most studied pop culture work by academics, with more than 200 papers, essays, and books devoted to the series.”

Buffy isn’t just about killing vampires. It’s also about forgiveness and redemption. It's about love and loss. It’s about confidence and insecurity.

It's about life and death. Ultimately, Buffy is about redemption and selfsacrifice. Not bad for a TV show.

– David Dreisbach

POP MUSIC INTERSECTING WITH ISSUES PETE SEEGER

Musical artist Bruce Springsteen is quoted as citing singer and social activist Pete Seeger's "If I Had a Hammer" and "Where Have All the Flower's Gone?" as examples of musical pieces “directly aimed at socially, politically conscious people and are important in the same way hymns are important in church. It makes us stronger in our beliefs. And in a certain moment, the right song can start a fire," he said.

Seeger was one of the folk singers responsible for popularizing the spiritual "We Shall Pete Overcome," Seeger. that became Image an anthem of courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

the Civil Rights Movement. Seeger stated it was he who changed the lyric from the traditional "We will overcome" to the more sing-able "We shall overcome".

BOB DYLAN

In the 1960s, Bob Dylan became the “voice of a generation,” when his most celebrated works, like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” became anthems for both the Civil Rights and the anti-war movements.

Singer Mavis Staples once expressed astonishment on first hearing “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and said she could not understand how a young white man could write something that captured the frustration and aspirations of black people so powerfully.

The most commercially successful version of “Blowin’ in the Wind,” was recorded by folk artists Peter, Paul and Mary.

SAM COOKE

In Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke, biographer Peter Guralnick

states that the R&B singer was motivated to write his civil rights anthem “A Change is Gonna Come,” after hearing Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind.”

“He was so carried away with the message, and the fact that a white boy had written it, that... he was almost ashamed not to have written something like that himself.”

Cooke quickly added the song to his own performance repertoire.

with influential politicians, church leaders and other philanthropists to bring about change.

the service to charities benefiting the Millennium Development Goals.

LADY GAGA

BONO

U2CHARIST

A class at a nearby theological seminary titled, “Beyoncé and the Hebrew Bible,” inspired organizers at San Francisco’s Grace Episcopal Cathedral to host its first-ever “Beyoncé Mass,” featuring the singer’s music and social philosophies.

Secular headlines suggested that people were coming to church to worship “Queen Bey,” and others dismissed it as a publicity stunt to get people to come back to church.

But the April 25 service, part of a three-part series at Grace called “Speaking Truth: The Power of Story in Community,” centered around preaching that spotlighted the voices of the oppressed and celebrated the achievements of black women.

The service drew over 900 participants and garnered rave reviews by those in attendance.

The National Journal named Bono, lead singer and songwriter for the Irish rock band U2, the most politically effective celebrity of all time in 2011. His lyrics are known for their social and political themes, and for their religious imagery inspired by his Christian beliefs.

The imagery found in several of U2’s songs served as inspiration for the U2Charist, a communion service accompanied by the music of U2.

Bono has extensively campaigned for third-world debt relief and raising awareness of extreme poverty and the AIDS pandemic in Africa. He leverages his celebrity as an opportunity to meet

Lady Gaga is widely known for her philanthropic work and social activism, including LGBTQ rights. Her nonprofit organization, the Born This Way Foundation, named after her 2011 hit song and launched in 2012, focuses on promoting youth empowerment and combating bullying. She has also donated extensively to disaster relief efforts and the fight against HIV/AIDS. The U2Charist was born in the Episcopal Church. First developed by Sarah Dylan Breuer in 2003, a U2Charist is a Eucharist service accompanied by the music of the rock band U2 instead of traditional hymns. The first U2Charist was first conducted in Baltimore, Maryland, in April 2004. With its messages of global reconciliation and justice for the poor and oppressed, the U2Charist has since spread worldwide.

Churches who hold the U2charist do not have to pay licensing fees for using U2's music on the condition that the church donates any money raised by

BEYONCÉ MASS

AND THE CHURCH

Lady Gaga. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

POP MUSIC INTERSECTING WITH ISSUES PETE SEEGER

Musical artist Bruce Springsteen is quoted as citing singer and social activist Pete Seeger's "If I Had a Hammer" and "Where Have All the Flower's Gone?" as examples of musical pieces “directly aimed at socially, politically conscious people and are important in the same way hymns are important in church. It makes us stronger in our beliefs. And in a certain moment, the right song can start a fire," he said.

Seeger was one of the folk singers responsible for popularizing the spiritual "We Shall Pete Overcome," Seeger. that became Image an anthem of courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

the Civil Rights Movement. Seeger stated it was he who changed the lyric from the traditional "We will overcome" to the more sing-able "We shall overcome".

BOB DYLAN

In the 1960s, Bob Dylan became the “voice of a generation,” when his most celebrated works, like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” became anthems for both the Civil Rights and the anti-war movements.

Singer Mavis Staples once expressed astonishment on first hearing “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and said she could not understand how a young white man could write something that captured the frustration and aspirations of black people so powerfully.

The most commercially successful version of “Blowin’ in the Wind,” was recorded by folk artists Peter, Paul and Mary.

SAM COOKE

In Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke, biographer Peter Guralnick

states that the R&B singer was motivated to write his civil rights anthem “A Change is Gonna Come,” after hearing Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind.”

“He was so carried away with the message, and the fact that a white boy had written it, that... he was almost ashamed not to have written something like that himself.”

Cooke quickly added the song to his own performance repertoire.

with influential politicians, church leaders and other philanthropists to bring about change.

the service to charities benefiting the Millennium Development Goals.

LADY GAGA

BONO

U2CHARIST

A class at a nearby theological seminary titled, “Beyoncé and the Hebrew Bible,” inspired organizers at San Francisco’s Grace Episcopal Cathedral to host its first-ever “Beyoncé Mass,” featuring the singer’s music and social philosophies.

Secular headlines suggested that people were coming to church to worship “Queen Bey,” and others dismissed it as a publicity stunt to get people to come back to church.

But the April 25 service, part of a three-part series at Grace called “Speaking Truth: The Power of Story in Community,” centered around preaching that spotlighted the voices of the oppressed and celebrated the achievements of black women.

The service drew over 900 participants and garnered rave reviews by those in attendance.

The National Journal named Bono, lead singer and songwriter for the Irish rock band U2, the most politically effective celebrity of all time in 2011. His lyrics are known for their social and political themes, and for their religious imagery inspired by his Christian beliefs.

The imagery found in several of U2’s songs served as inspiration for the U2Charist, a communion service accompanied by the music of U2.

Bono has extensively campaigned for third-world debt relief and raising awareness of extreme poverty and the AIDS pandemic in Africa. He leverages his celebrity as an opportunity to meet

Lady Gaga is widely known for her philanthropic work and social activism, including LGBTQ rights. Her nonprofit organization, the Born This Way Foundation, named after her 2011 hit song and launched in 2012, focuses on promoting youth empowerment and combating bullying. She has also donated extensively to disaster relief efforts and the fight against HIV/AIDS. The U2Charist was born in the Episcopal Church. First developed by Sarah Dylan Breuer in 2003, a U2Charist is a Eucharist service accompanied by the music of the rock band U2 instead of traditional hymns. The first U2Charist was first conducted in Baltimore, Maryland, in April 2004. With its messages of global reconciliation and justice for the poor and oppressed, the U2Charist has since spread worldwide.

Churches who hold the U2charist do not have to pay licensing fees for using U2's music on the condition that the church donates any money raised by

BEYONCÉ MASS

AND THE CHURCH

Lady Gaga. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Gospel According to

Doctor Who “You know, it seems to me that there is so much more to the world than the average eye is allowed to see. I believe if you look hard, there are more wonders than you could have dreamed of.” – The Doctor When I was growing up, one way I could tell if something was significant or important was if my parents let me stay up past my bedtime so I could experience or see it. A thing like watching fireworks on the 4th of July, or staying later at my great-grandma’s house when family was visiting. Or being allowed to stay up and watch TV when something was happening in the world that we could only see on television, like a space shuttle launch or a royal wedding.

One of the things my parents deemed worthy of overriding bedtime was watching reruns of the BBC science fiction television show Doctor Who, which aired on the local PBS channel at unusual times. During those after hours, I met the most extraordinary character: an alien called a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, who instead of wanting to harm the earth was enthusiastically invested in protecting it. The Doctor seemed to care deeply about the residents of earth, as he often chose humans to accompany him in his T.A.R.D.I.S – a time machine capable of traveling through both time and space. Which meant with the Doctor, you could go anywhere at any time, and it was always amazing. And I was all too eager to join The Doctor on any adventure.

Long after I’d grown up and been ordained a priest, BBC brought back Doctor Who after many years on hiatus. While a bit skeptical at first, I only had to watch one new episode to recognize The Doctor was back and remember why I enjoyed watching Doctor Who. The Doctor is a different kind of hero; often flawed, sometimes

Ministry with my favorite Time Lord

14

fails, but never gives up, is clever, kind and has a deep respect for life and its diversity. However, as I watched the newer episodes, I noticed something in Doctor Who I hadn’t before: Christian themes.

When I moved to Dayton for my previous cure, I noticed quite a few cars sporting “MY OTHER CAR IS A T.A.R.D.I.S” bumper stickers and found myself talking about Doctor Who at stores and coffee shops with all kinds of folks. It was energizing sharing my love for Doctor Who with others and hearing their take on the show, so I decided to host a conversation around the Christian themes in Doctor Who at the church. I called it “The Gospel According to Doctor Who” and promised each conversation would feature an entire episode.

It attracted people of all ages; some were active in local parishes, some were not. Some were familiar with Doctor Who, a few had never seen an episode, and a few were such die-hard fans they brought their own sonic screwdrivers. Some were conservative, others liberal. Much like the character in the show, Doctor Who has a draw that transcends differences.

We started with an episode called “Rings of Akaten” that featured a character named Merry Galel (in whose name I heard Mary of Nazareth in Galilee), who was a young girl who knew the songs of the past and was going to sing a song to an old god. But when the old god turned out to be not so kind, Merry decided to help her people by singing a new song. A song of hope. A song that calls for awakening.

This episode helped me talk about the song Mary sang before she gave birth to Jesus, her Magnificat, how it is based on the Song of Hannah in the Old Testament and is also a new song of hope and awakening. After sharing my observation, it wasn’t long before everyone who came started participating in the conversation by sharing what themes they saw.

The delightful part for me was watching how excited people were when they made connections to their faith and life and realized that God really might be in the heart of everything we enjoy, even a TV show.

There is a new season of Doctor Who starting this fall, with a new actor playing The Doctor. This happens frequently on Doctor Who, as the character posses the ability to “regenerate”.

It has been this characteristic of The Doctor that has helped me understand change and transition, to embrace the sorrow of farewell with the hopeful curiosity of meeting the same character again. It has also helped me see how we all change as we grow as individuals.

This time the actor playing The Doctor is a woman, and the response from fans reminds me of the response of the Episcopal Church after General Convention voted to ordain women to the priesthood. Some people are shocked and offended and are threatening to stop watching, others are overjoyed; some promise that although they’ve never watched the show

The Rev. Deborah Woolsey with her friend, The Doctor. they will now, some say it’s about time, and some say its just another change to get used to.

I can’t help but wonder if this is God acting through pop culture to help us see what equality looks like. It makes The Doctor a hero on another level for me, creates a new opportunity for conversation, and shows how TV shows can be more than entertainment. Occasionally, they can be places where what we learn in church intersects with the world we live in, proving that “bidden or unbidden, God truly is Present” even in places we might not expect.

In a time when it seems many church folks lament the growing secularization of culture, the darkness of some pop culture, or the divisions that isolate us, I find it audaciously hopeful that there are still characters like The Doctor that can bridge those divides and storylines that hold more wonders than we might see at first glance.

The Rev. Deborah Woolsey serves as Priest in charge at Church of the Good Shepherd in Athens.

Gospel According to

Doctor Who “You know, it seems to me that there is so much more to the world than the average eye is allowed to see. I believe if you look hard, there are more wonders than you could have dreamed of.” – The Doctor When I was growing up, one way I could tell if something was significant or important was if my parents let me stay up past my bedtime so I could experience or see it. A thing like watching fireworks on the 4th of July, or staying later at my great-grandma’s house when family was visiting. Or being allowed to stay up and watch TV when something was happening in the world that we could only see on television, like a space shuttle launch or a royal wedding.

One of the things my parents deemed worthy of overriding bedtime was watching reruns of the BBC science fiction television show Doctor Who, which aired on the local PBS channel at unusual times. During those after hours, I met the most extraordinary character: an alien called a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, who instead of wanting to harm the earth was enthusiastically invested in protecting it. The Doctor seemed to care deeply about the residents of earth, as he often chose humans to accompany him in his T.A.R.D.I.S – a time machine capable of traveling through both time and space. Which meant with the Doctor, you could go anywhere at any time, and it was always amazing. And I was all too eager to join The Doctor on any adventure.

Long after I’d grown up and been ordained a priest, BBC brought back Doctor Who after many years on hiatus. While a bit skeptical at first, I only had to watch one new episode to recognize The Doctor was back and remember why I enjoyed watching Doctor Who. The Doctor is a different kind of hero; often flawed, sometimes

Ministry with my favorite Time Lord

14

fails, but never gives up, is clever, kind and has a deep respect for life and its diversity. However, as I watched the newer episodes, I noticed something in Doctor Who I hadn’t before: Christian themes.

When I moved to Dayton for my previous cure, I noticed quite a few cars sporting “MY OTHER CAR IS A T.A.R.D.I.S” bumper stickers and found myself talking about Doctor Who at stores and coffee shops with all kinds of folks. It was energizing sharing my love for Doctor Who with others and hearing their take on the show, so I decided to host a conversation around the Christian themes in Doctor Who at the church. I called it “The Gospel According to Doctor Who” and promised each conversation would feature an entire episode.

It attracted people of all ages; some were active in local parishes, some were not. Some were familiar with Doctor Who, a few had never seen an episode, and a few were such die-hard fans they brought their own sonic screwdrivers. Some were conservative, others liberal. Much like the character in the show, Doctor Who has a draw that transcends differences.

We started with an episode called “Rings of Akaten” that featured a character named Merry Galel (in whose name I heard Mary of Nazareth in Galilee), who was a young girl who knew the songs of the past and was going to sing a song to an old god. But when the old god turned out to be not so kind, Merry decided to help her people by singing a new song. A song of hope. A song that calls for awakening.

This episode helped me talk about the song Mary sang before she gave birth to Jesus, her Magnificat, how it is based on the Song of Hannah in the Old Testament and is also a new song of hope and awakening. After sharing my observation, it wasn’t long before everyone who came started participating in the conversation by sharing what themes they saw.

The delightful part for me was watching how excited people were when they made connections to their faith and life and realized that God really might be in the heart of everything we enjoy, even a TV show.

There is a new season of Doctor Who starting this fall, with a new actor playing The Doctor. This happens frequently on Doctor Who, as the character posses the ability to “regenerate”.

It has been this characteristic of The Doctor that has helped me understand change and transition, to embrace the sorrow of farewell with the hopeful curiosity of meeting the same character again. It has also helped me see how we all change as we grow as individuals.

This time the actor playing The Doctor is a woman, and the response from fans reminds me of the response of the Episcopal Church after General Convention voted to ordain women to the priesthood. Some people are shocked and offended and are threatening to stop watching, others are overjoyed; some promise that although they’ve never watched the show

The Rev. Deborah Woolsey with her friend, The Doctor. they will now, some say it’s about time, and some say its just another change to get used to.

I can’t help but wonder if this is God acting through pop culture to help us see what equality looks like. It makes The Doctor a hero on another level for me, creates a new opportunity for conversation, and shows how TV shows can be more than entertainment. Occasionally, they can be places where what we learn in church intersects with the world we live in, proving that “bidden or unbidden, God truly is Present” even in places we might not expect.

In a time when it seems many church folks lament the growing secularization of culture, the darkness of some pop culture, or the divisions that isolate us, I find it audaciously hopeful that there are still characters like The Doctor that can bridge those divides and storylines that hold more wonders than we might see at first glance.

The Rev. Deborah Woolsey serves as Priest in charge at Church of the Good Shepherd in Athens.

Each October, magical folk throughout eastern Columbus arrive by Floo-powder, portkey or merely apparate to the “All Saints School of Theology and Wizardry” in New Albany, Ohio. In this highly themed, imaginative setting of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, “wizards and witches” of all ages dive deep into the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the circle glasses and lightning bolt scar of Harry Potter.

“The Gospel According to Harry Potter” night has brought over 150 people, dressed in robes, House sweaters, ties and wands, to a church now decorated with House banners, owls, and even a Whomping Willow to hear one of the great modern re-tellings of the Christian faith expressed in the books of J.K Rowling. Throughout the Great Hall, Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Potions class and more, participants allow their imagination to “be baptized” for a night of fun and faith.

I came to meet Harry during my first assignment as a young priest resident. As I walked into the church offices, the parish secretary was eating lunch and slowly flipping through a book titled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I asked what exactly she was reading. Her eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning. “Oh Father, just take it and read. You will LOVE it.”

I was skeptical at first. The title seemed bizarre and I barely knew if I had the time to read it. I hesitantly took the book from her and cracked it

16

open that evening at 9 p.m. as I was winding down for the night. Ten hours later, at 7 a.m. the next morning, I was still reading, devouring page by page until it was completed. The book captivated my imagination like no other fictional book has ever accomplished. Through each page, I was pulled deeper into this epic tale of love, mystery and friendship.

But what struck me the most were the feathers of the Holy Spirit sprinkled throughout each chapter. This book oozed symbols, themes and images that have been the hallmarks of our Christian faith from its earliest days. Not only was I seeing Jesus throughout the books, I was seeing my own journey of discipleship through the characters and events developed throughout the series.

The Rev. Patricia Lyons, Canon for Evangelization for the Diocese of Washington, DC and author of the book Teaching Faith with Harry Potter states, “Harry Potter helps people find, explore, and increase their faith because JK Rowling is not asking the reader to do anything other than witness the power of love above all else, even death. Throughout the series’ more than four thousand pages, she crafts a community of contagious characters, some driven toward goodness and others toward darkness, and subjects them all to the power of love – specifically, sacrificial love that can conquer death.”

The theme of resurrection permeates each Potter

book much like the warmth of a tall glass of butterbeer permeates the soul on a cold day in Hogsmeade. From accounts of personal transformation of characters such as Neville Longbottom, to the highly mystical Resurrection Stone that Harry uses to see the “Great Cloud of Witnesses” of his closest family and friends; the symbols of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who by His death trampled upon death, are found sprinkled throughout the Potter series. These are moments in pop culture where the Holy Spirit flashes like a “Lumos” spell to enlighten our minds and open new ways for us to encounter the Risen Christ.

Each “Gospel According to Harry Potter” night at All Saints incorporates fellowship, a feast worthy of the Great Hall, handson classes for little wizards, and a “Defense Against the Dark Arts” class in which clips from the movies are shown and the theology hidden in them is revealed.

One of my favorite images in the series is that of the phoenix. This mythical bird, which at the end of its life combusts into flames to be reborn from the ashes, is the pet of Hogwarts’ headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. The phoenix not only Dumbledore (The Rev. is reborn from the ashes, but its Jason Prati) and Harry tears bring healing and it is able to (The Rev. Kevin Beesley) carry heavy loads to safe places.

Early Christians saw in this mythical creature a sign of the Resurrection. St. Clement of Rome sees the phoenix as a “wonderful sign of the Resurrection” and declares “Do we then deem it any great and wonderful thing for the Maker of all things to raise up again those who have piously served Him in the assurance of a good faith, when even by a bird He shows us the mightiness of His power to fulfil His promise?”

(First Letter to the Corinthians). Jesus Christ is our phoenix, the one who by His Resurrection has healed us and has carried the heavy load of our sins. He is the Sun of Righteousness who “shall rise, with healing in its wings.” (Mal. 4:2) One of the darkest creatures created by Rowling is that of the dementors. They are one of the foulest creatures reeking with the presence and stench of death. As Professor Lupin teaches young Harry in The Prisoner of Azakaban, the only way to fight this creature of death is with the Patronus Charm. This spell gets its power, not by a wand or words, but when the wizard recalls a memory of profound power and love.

In the story, Harry remembers the death of his parents who

The magical folk of All Saints, New Albany gave their lives for him. It is through that memory that he casts away hundreds of dementors.

Canon Lyons states, “I believe in the Patronus Charm in real life because I used it and it worked. I believe that the Christian faith trains the church in the Patronus Charm at every Eucharist.”

Each time we gather for Eucharist to fulfill Christ’s command to “Do this in remembrance of Me” we call forth a deep, powerful memory of love, the greatest act of sacrificial love in which our Lord by His Passion, Death, and Resurrection has not only cast away the “dementors” of death, but has destroyed Death itself.

The Rev. Kevin Beesley, curate at All Saints, attended his first “Gospel According to Harry Potter” night this past fall.

“I must admit, I knew very little about Harry Potter before attending this event. I was absolutely amazed to see how powerful this event is for the task of evangelism. So many people came who never have darkened the steps of a church before, but have been touched by Harry Potter. What a great way to show them Jesus through words and symbols they know and love in the Harry Potter books.”

As Canon Lyons has described, “the moral vision at the heart of JK Rowling’s great epic informs the faith and moral compass of millions of people, and its almost universal popularity makes it a shared language of teachers, pastors, parents, and godparents and those whose faith formation they guide – and for all of us seeking common ground to share our faith with roommate, sibling, spouse, or friend. This modern epic provides one of the most ubiquitous and enchanting tools of our time to awaken and baptize the imagination. Don’t put this wand away!”

The Rev. Jason Prati (Dumbledore) serves as rector at All Saints, New Albany.

Each October, magical folk throughout eastern Columbus arrive by Floo-powder, portkey or merely apparate to the “All Saints School of Theology and Wizardry” in New Albany, Ohio. In this highly themed, imaginative setting of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, “wizards and witches” of all ages dive deep into the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the circle glasses and lightning bolt scar of Harry Potter.

“The Gospel According to Harry Potter” night has brought over 150 people, dressed in robes, House sweaters, ties and wands, to a church now decorated with House banners, owls, and even a Whomping Willow to hear one of the great modern re-tellings of the Christian faith expressed in the books of J.K Rowling. Throughout the Great Hall, Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Potions class and more, participants allow their imagination to “be baptized” for a night of fun and faith.

I came to meet Harry during my first assignment as a young priest resident. As I walked into the church offices, the parish secretary was eating lunch and slowly flipping through a book titled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I asked what exactly she was reading. Her eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning. “Oh Father, just take it and read. You will LOVE it.”

I was skeptical at first. The title seemed bizarre and I barely knew if I had the time to read it. I hesitantly took the book from her and cracked it

16

open that evening at 9 p.m. as I was winding down for the night. Ten hours later, at 7 a.m. the next morning, I was still reading, devouring page by page until it was completed. The book captivated my imagination like no other fictional book has ever accomplished. Through each page, I was pulled deeper into this epic tale of love, mystery and friendship.

But what struck me the most were the feathers of the Holy Spirit sprinkled throughout each chapter. This book oozed symbols, themes and images that have been the hallmarks of our Christian faith from its earliest days. Not only was I seeing Jesus throughout the books, I was seeing my own journey of discipleship through the characters and events developed throughout the series.

The Rev. Patricia Lyons, Canon for Evangelization for the Diocese of Washington, DC and author of the book Teaching Faith with Harry Potter states, “Harry Potter helps people find, explore, and increase their faith because JK Rowling is not asking the reader to do anything other than witness the power of love above all else, even death. Throughout the series’ more than four thousand pages, she crafts a community of contagious characters, some driven toward goodness and others toward darkness, and subjects them all to the power of love – specifically, sacrificial love that can conquer death.”

The theme of resurrection permeates each Potter

book much like the warmth of a tall glass of butterbeer permeates the soul on a cold day in Hogsmeade. From accounts of personal transformation of characters such as Neville Longbottom, to the highly mystical Resurrection Stone that Harry uses to see the “Great Cloud of Witnesses” of his closest family and friends; the symbols of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who by His death trampled upon death, are found sprinkled throughout the Potter series. These are moments in pop culture where the Holy Spirit flashes like a “Lumos” spell to enlighten our minds and open new ways for us to encounter the Risen Christ.

Each “Gospel According to Harry Potter” night at All Saints incorporates fellowship, a feast worthy of the Great Hall, handson classes for little wizards, and a “Defense Against the Dark Arts” class in which clips from the movies are shown and the theology hidden in them is revealed.

One of my favorite images in the series is that of the phoenix. This mythical bird, which at the end of its life combusts into flames to be reborn from the ashes, is the pet of Hogwarts’ headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. The phoenix not only Dumbledore (The Rev. is reborn from the ashes, but its Jason Prati) and Harry tears bring healing and it is able to (The Rev. Kevin Beesley) carry heavy loads to safe places.

Early Christians saw in this mythical creature a sign of the Resurrection. St. Clement of Rome sees the phoenix as a “wonderful sign of the Resurrection” and declares “Do we then deem it any great and wonderful thing for the Maker of all things to raise up again those who have piously served Him in the assurance of a good faith, when even by a bird He shows us the mightiness of His power to fulfil His promise?”

(First Letter to the Corinthians). Jesus Christ is our phoenix, the one who by His Resurrection has healed us and has carried the heavy load of our sins. He is the Sun of Righteousness who “shall rise, with healing in its wings.” (Mal. 4:2) One of the darkest creatures created by Rowling is that of the dementors. They are one of the foulest creatures reeking with the presence and stench of death. As Professor Lupin teaches young Harry in The Prisoner of Azakaban, the only way to fight this creature of death is with the Patronus Charm. This spell gets its power, not by a wand or words, but when the wizard recalls a memory of profound power and love.

In the story, Harry remembers the death of his parents who

The magical folk of All Saints, New Albany gave their lives for him. It is through that memory that he casts away hundreds of dementors.

Canon Lyons states, “I believe in the Patronus Charm in real life because I used it and it worked. I believe that the Christian faith trains the church in the Patronus Charm at every Eucharist.”

Each time we gather for Eucharist to fulfill Christ’s command to “Do this in remembrance of Me” we call forth a deep, powerful memory of love, the greatest act of sacrificial love in which our Lord by His Passion, Death, and Resurrection has not only cast away the “dementors” of death, but has destroyed Death itself.

The Rev. Kevin Beesley, curate at All Saints, attended his first “Gospel According to Harry Potter” night this past fall.

“I must admit, I knew very little about Harry Potter before attending this event. I was absolutely amazed to see how powerful this event is for the task of evangelism. So many people came who never have darkened the steps of a church before, but have been touched by Harry Potter. What a great way to show them Jesus through words and symbols they know and love in the Harry Potter books.”

As Canon Lyons has described, “the moral vision at the heart of JK Rowling’s great epic informs the faith and moral compass of millions of people, and its almost universal popularity makes it a shared language of teachers, pastors, parents, and godparents and those whose faith formation they guide – and for all of us seeking common ground to share our faith with roommate, sibling, spouse, or friend. This modern epic provides one of the most ubiquitous and enchanting tools of our time to awaken and baptize the imagination. Don’t put this wand away!”

The Rev. Jason Prati (Dumbledore) serves as rector at All Saints, New Albany.

C.S. Lewis: Apologist and Rock Star I’m not sure if I’m right about this, but I think I am. If you thumb through “Holy Men and Holy Women,” which is, at the risk of oversimplifying, the Episcopal Church’s version of the veneration of saints (some we share with Rome and others who are uniquely ours), you’ll find that the only person in that book who was regularly stopped for his autograph is C.S. Lewis. I’m not suggesting he was the only person in that book who found fame in their lifetime. It is said that people would make pilgrimages to see Dame Julian of Norwich. However, C.S. Lewis is unique in the fact that he did book signings, was very recognizable, received fan mail and in general, achieved a sort of limited “celebrity status.” Several of the Chronicles of Narnia books have been made into major motion pictures by Disney, complete with Chronicles of Narnia action figures.

One of the interesting things we often forget about C.S. Lewis is that he was both an academic and a pop culture hero. It’s interesting that none of his academic work dealt with Christianity. Lewis’ academic expertise was in Medieval and Renaissance Literature and many of his books still hold academic relevance. His Poetry and Prose in the Sixteenth Century as a volume of The Oxford History of English Literature is still used by doctoral candidates.

And his work, A Preface to Paradise Lost is still relevant to anyone studying Milton.

For as scholarly and sophisticated as his academic writing is, he makes Christianity very accessible in his pop culture writing. Accessible, yet not simplistic. There’s a lot going on in his apologetics and I usually pick up something new each time I reread a book.

I think it’s this dichotomy that draws me to C.S. Lewis and his works. I’m fascinated that he’s read by liberals and conservatives. He’s read by low church Pentecostals as well as high church Anglicans and by people of all educational levels. Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., former director of the Human Genome Project and now director of the National Institutes of Health and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, attributes his conversion from atheism to Christianity to reading C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity. A United Methodist Minister loaned the book to him. Mere Christianity changed this brilliant man’s life, yet is accessible to a 13-year-old.

C.S. Lewis didn’t read the newspaper and he didn’t travel. He only crossed the English Channel once during the last 45 years of his life. He didn’t drive. He walked everywhere except for when he had to take the train to commute from Oxford to Cambridge.

It wasn’t that he just didn’t drive. He was almost offended by the notion of getting someplace too fast. He thought a modern-day person could travel a hundred miles and not get the satisfaction that his/her grandparent got by traveling 10 miles.

To dramatize this point, C.S. Lewis attended Holy Trinity in Headington Quarry, Oxford. He always walked to church. He usually attended the 8:00 (no music) service because of his lifelong disdain of organ music (his words, not mine). One Sunday in 1940, he wasn’t feeling well so he slept in and attended the 11 a.m. service. He didn’t like the current rector nor his preaching and as already mentioned, didn’t like the music. His mind started to wander during the service and he started to put together an outline for a new book. He continued to contemplate this outline on the walk home. By the time he arrived home, he had almost the complete outline for The Screwtape Letters formed in his mind.

Can you imagine if C.S Lewis hadn’t allowed himself to engage in popular culture? If he had stuck to Medieval literature and had never attempted to write for the rest of us? Can you imagine a world without The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, or Mere Christianity? If I ever make it to the Eagle and Child, the pub in Oxford where he and the rest of the Inklings hung out, then I will certainly raise a glass to C.S. Lewis and his courage to write for the rest of us.

David Dreisbach

C.S. Lewis: Apologist and Rock Star I’m not sure if I’m right about this, but I think I am. If you thumb through “Holy Men and Holy Women,” which is, at the risk of oversimplifying, the Episcopal Church’s version of the veneration of saints (some we share with Rome and others who are uniquely ours), you’ll find that the only person in that book who was regularly stopped for his autograph is C.S. Lewis. I’m not suggesting he was the only person in that book who found fame in their lifetime. It is said that people would make pilgrimages to see Dame Julian of Norwich. However, C.S. Lewis is unique in the fact that he did book signings, was very recognizable, received fan mail and in general, achieved a sort of limited “celebrity status.” Several of the Chronicles of Narnia books have been made into major motion pictures by Disney, complete with Chronicles of Narnia action figures.

One of the interesting things we often forget about C.S. Lewis is that he was both an academic and a pop culture hero. It’s interesting that none of his academic work dealt with Christianity. Lewis’ academic expertise was in Medieval and Renaissance Literature and many of his books still hold academic relevance. His Poetry and Prose in the Sixteenth Century as a volume of The Oxford History of English Literature is still used by doctoral candidates.

And his work, A Preface to Paradise Lost is still relevant to anyone studying Milton.

For as scholarly and sophisticated as his academic writing is, he makes Christianity very accessible in his pop culture writing. Accessible, yet not simplistic. There’s a lot going on in his apologetics and I usually pick up something new each time I reread a book.

I think it’s this dichotomy that draws me to C.S. Lewis and his works. I’m fascinated that he’s read by liberals and conservatives. He’s read by low church Pentecostals as well as high church Anglicans and by people of all educational levels. Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., former director of the Human Genome Project and now director of the National Institutes of Health and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, attributes his conversion from atheism to Christianity to reading C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity. A United Methodist Minister loaned the book to him. Mere Christianity changed this brilliant man’s life, yet is accessible to a 13-year-old.

C.S. Lewis didn’t read the newspaper and he didn’t travel. He only crossed the English Channel once during the last 45 years of his life. He didn’t drive. He walked everywhere except for when he had to take the train to commute from Oxford to Cambridge.

It wasn’t that he just didn’t drive. He was almost offended by the notion of getting someplace too fast. He thought a modern-day person could travel a hundred miles and not get the satisfaction that his/her grandparent got by traveling 10 miles.

To dramatize this point, C.S. Lewis attended Holy Trinity in Headington Quarry, Oxford. He always walked to church. He usually attended the 8:00 (no music) service because of his lifelong disdain of organ music (his words, not mine). One Sunday in 1940, he wasn’t feeling well so he slept in and attended the 11 a.m. service. He didn’t like the current rector nor his preaching and as already mentioned, didn’t like the music. His mind started to wander during the service and he started to put together an outline for a new book. He continued to contemplate this outline on the walk home. By the time he arrived home, he had almost the complete outline for The Screwtape Letters formed in his mind.

Can you imagine if C.S Lewis hadn’t allowed himself to engage in popular culture? If he had stuck to Medieval literature and had never attempted to write for the rest of us? Can you imagine a world without The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, or Mere Christianity? If I ever make it to the Eagle and Child, the pub in Oxford where he and the rest of the Inklings hung out, then I will certainly raise a glass to C.S. Lewis and his courage to write for the rest of us.

David Dreisbach

Get to know your deputies

79TH GENERAL CONVENTION OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH The 79th General Convention of The Episcopal Church will take place July 5-13 at the Austin Convention Center in downtown Austin, Texas.

What is General Convention?

The General Convention is the governing body of the Episcopal Church. The Convention is a bicameral legislature that includes the House of Deputies, which has more than 800 members, and the House of Bishops, which is comprised of nearly 300 active and retired bishops. The Convention meets every three years. You can learn more about the make-up and processes of the General Convention from an informative graphic booklet created by the Diocese of Texas. (pages 24-37)

How is Southern Ohio represented at General Convention?

20

At our diocesan convention in 2016, we elected four clergy and four lay deputies who, along with Bishops Breidenthal, Price and Rivera will travel to Austin as voting members of the General Convention. One lay and two clergy deputies will also accompany the deputation and be available to take our deputies’ place on the floor of the House if they need a break from the grueling schedule. You can learn more about the members of our deputation on pages 21-23.

Why should I care about General Convention? How does the actions of the Convention affect my church?

The General Convention has the authority to amend the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church; adopt the budget for the church for the next three years; authorize liturgical texts and amend the Book of Common Prayer; adopt communions and covenants with other churches; set qualifications for orders of ministry and office-holders; elect officers of the General Convention, the Executive Council, and members of boards; and delegate responsibilities to the interim bodies of the Episcopal Church.

Here are some of the “hot” topics that will come before this General Convention: Salary for the President of the House of Deputies Episcopal Church-United Methodist Dialogue The Episcopal Church in Cuba Designing a New Parochial Report Revision of the Book of Common Prayer Trial Use of Marriage Liturgies Authorizing Rites to Bless Relationships

How can I follow along with what is happening at General Convention?

All deputies and bishops are issued a “virtual binder” on an electronic tablet when they arrive at the Convention. This virtual binder replaces the hundreds of pages of resolutions, agendas, committee reports and communications that voting members are responsible for tracking. Since all the information is now online, you can follow along with legislation (including resolutions proposed by our diocese) updated in real time at www.vbinder.net.

You can also watch live streaming of the legislative sessions at the General Convention Media Hub: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/general-convention-2018-media-hub Watch your inbox – We will send regular e-mail communication from General Convention, with summaries of the daily proceedings, videos, reflections from the bishop and deputies and more. You will also be able to find all of this information at dsoconnections.org.

The 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church begins July 5 in Austin TX, and your deputation from the Diocese of Southern Ohio has worked hard to get ready! Your deputies were elected in 2016 by Diocesan Convention and charged with the responsibility of considering the work of the church from the time of their election to the time that the next deputation is elected. We are also charged with reporting back to our home diocese the events of the GC and of making ourselves available to discuss and answer questions with the members of the church.

So as General Convention begins, we wanted to send out a quick hello and invite you to communicate with us throughout the process and beyond!

We asked each member of the deputation to answer a few brief questions that will help the diocese get to know them better.

1. Give us a quick tour of your experiences within the Church 2. What Committee (if any) are you following or serving on at GC79?

3. What is something you're really looking forward to about GC79?

4. What do you think will be the most lively debate at GC79?

5. What else do you want the diocese to know about you?

6. What's your favorite hymn?

The Rev. Canon Scott Gunn, Clergy Deputy C1, Deputation Chair Christ Church Cathedral, Cincinnati

1. I've been a deputy three times (2009, 2012, 2015), a parish priest, active in diocesan leadership in two dioceses, and I serve at Forward Movement, a ministry of the wider Episcopal Church.

2. Evangelism and Church Planting 3. Enjoying our church in greater diversity, all united in discerning how we are called to make disciples in our time and our place.

4. Issues around the budget and liturgical revisions, including same-sex marriage provision 5. I hope people will feel free to contact me with questions or comments before, during, or after General Convention. That, and I blog about most of the General Convention resolutions (www.sevenwholedays.org) 6. I bind unto myself today (Hymn 370)

Debby Stokes, Lay Deputy L4, Deputation Co-Chair St. Philip’s, Columbus

1. Current chair of the Racism Task Force in Southern Ohio, served on several Standing Commissions for the Episcopal Church, Lay Licensed Preacher for the Diocese of Southern Ohio, Lay Eucharistic Minister and Visitor, Altar Guild member, choir member, Deputy to General Convention for a number of years.

2. Legislative Committee on reviewing the past resolution on the Prayer Book and Marriage resolutions 3. Seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Conversations that will be held on tough issues.

6. His Eye is on the Sparrow

Meghan Western, Lay Deputy L2 St. James, Clintonville (Columbus)

1. I am a cradle Episcopalian from the Diocese of SW Florida, and since moving to Columbus in 1998, I have attended St. Stephen’s and St. James, which is to say I’ve lived many sides of the liturgical coin! I have been an choir member and an altar server/thurifer since childhood, have served on Vestry, and currently serve on Diocesan Council. This is my first time as a Deputy to General Convention.

2. Hoping to follow Social Justice and US Policy 3. I'm looking forward to meeting people from across TEC and the world as a member of the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement.

4. I anticipate that the Prayer Book Revision discussions will be quite rousing.

5. I am a performing artist by trade, a wife and mother by love and God's will, and a loudmouth when it comes to situations of importance! I’m tweeting the CG experience @littledeputydso 6. Picardy (Let All Mortal Flesh)

21

Get to know your deputies

79TH GENERAL CONVENTION OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH The 79th General Convention of The Episcopal Church will take place July 5-13 at the Austin Convention Center in downtown Austin, Texas.

What is General Convention?

The General Convention is the governing body of the Episcopal Church. The Convention is a bicameral legislature that includes the House of Deputies, which has more than 800 members, and the House of Bishops, which is comprised of nearly 300 active and retired bishops. The Convention meets every three years. You can learn more about the make-up and processes of the General Convention from an informative graphic booklet created by the Diocese of Texas. (pages 24-37)

How is Southern Ohio represented at General Convention?

20

At our diocesan convention in 2016, we elected four clergy and four lay deputies who, along with Bishops Breidenthal, Price and Rivera will travel to Austin as voting members of the General Convention. One lay and two clergy deputies will also accompany the deputation and be available to take our deputies’ place on the floor of the House if they need a break from the grueling schedule. You can learn more about the members of our deputation on pages 21-23.

Why should I care about General Convention? How does the actions of the Convention affect my church?

The General Convention has the authority to amend the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church; adopt the budget for the church for the next three years; authorize liturgical texts and amend the Book of Common Prayer; adopt communions and covenants with other churches; set qualifications for orders of ministry and office-holders; elect officers of the General Convention, the Executive Council, and members of boards; and delegate responsibilities to the interim bodies of the Episcopal Church.

Here are some of the “hot” topics that will come before this General Convention: Salary for the President of the House of Deputies Episcopal Church-United Methodist Dialogue The Episcopal Church in Cuba Designing a New Parochial Report Revision of the Book of Common Prayer Trial Use of Marriage Liturgies Authorizing Rites to Bless Relationships

How can I follow along with what is happening at General Convention?

All deputies and bishops are issued a “virtual binder” on an electronic tablet when they arrive at the Convention. This virtual binder replaces the hundreds of pages of resolutions, agendas, committee reports and communications that voting members are responsible for tracking. Since all the information is now online, you can follow along with legislation (including resolutions proposed by our diocese) updated in real time at www.vbinder.net.

You can also watch live streaming of the legislative sessions at the General Convention Media Hub: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/general-convention-2018-media-hub Watch your inbox – We will send regular e-mail communication from General Convention, with summaries of the daily proceedings, videos, reflections from the bishop and deputies and more. You will also be able to find all of this information at dsoconnections.org.

The 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church begins July 5 in Austin TX, and your deputation from the Diocese of Southern Ohio has worked hard to get ready! Your deputies were elected in 2016 by Diocesan Convention and charged with the responsibility of considering the work of the church from the time of their election to the time that the next deputation is elected. We are also charged with reporting back to our home diocese the events of the GC and of making ourselves available to discuss and answer questions with the members of the church.

So as General Convention begins, we wanted to send out a quick hello and invite you to communicate with us throughout the process and beyond!

We asked each member of the deputation to answer a few brief questions that will help the diocese get to know them better.

1. Give us a quick tour of your experiences within the Church 2. What Committee (if any) are you following or serving on at GC79?

3. What is something you're really looking forward to about GC79?

4. What do you think will be the most lively debate at GC79?

5. What else do you want the diocese to know about you?

6. What's your favorite hymn?

The Rev. Canon Scott Gunn, Clergy Deputy C1, Deputation Chair Christ Church Cathedral, Cincinnati

1. I've been a deputy three times (2009, 2012, 2015), a parish priest, active in diocesan leadership in two dioceses, and I serve at Forward Movement, a ministry of the wider Episcopal Church.

2. Evangelism and Church Planting 3. Enjoying our church in greater diversity, all united in discerning how we are called to make disciples in our time and our place.

4. Issues around the budget and liturgical revisions, including same-sex marriage provision 5. I hope people will feel free to contact me with questions or comments before, during, or after General Convention. That, and I blog about most of the General Convention resolutions (www.sevenwholedays.org) 6. I bind unto myself today (Hymn 370)

Debby Stokes, Lay Deputy L4, Deputation Co-Chair St. Philip’s, Columbus

1. Current chair of the Racism Task Force in Southern Ohio, served on several Standing Commissions for the Episcopal Church, Lay Licensed Preacher for the Diocese of Southern Ohio, Lay Eucharistic Minister and Visitor, Altar Guild member, choir member, Deputy to General Convention for a number of years.

2. Legislative Committee on reviewing the past resolution on the Prayer Book and Marriage resolutions 3. Seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Conversations that will be held on tough issues.

6. His Eye is on the Sparrow

Meghan Western, Lay Deputy L2 St. James, Clintonville (Columbus)

1. I am a cradle Episcopalian from the Diocese of SW Florida, and since moving to Columbus in 1998, I have attended St. Stephen’s and St. James, which is to say I’ve lived many sides of the liturgical coin! I have been an choir member and an altar server/thurifer since childhood, have served on Vestry, and currently serve on Diocesan Council. This is my first time as a Deputy to General Convention.

2. Hoping to follow Social Justice and US Policy 3. I'm looking forward to meeting people from across TEC and the world as a member of the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement.

4. I anticipate that the Prayer Book Revision discussions will be quite rousing.

5. I am a performing artist by trade, a wife and mother by love and God's will, and a loudmouth when it comes to situations of importance! I’m tweeting the CG experience @littledeputydso 6. Picardy (Let All Mortal Flesh)

21

Cathy Bagot, Lay Deputy L1 Trinity, Newark

1. Vestry, Licensed Worship Leader, Commission on Ministry (retired), Commission on Congregational Life, Standing Committee, Bexley Seabury Seminary Trustee (retired) 2. Following Formation and Diocesan and Congregational Health 3. Participating in discussions and decisions that will help people experience the love of God and follow Jesus in our current world, focusing on the kingdom in our midst.

4. All things liturgical 5. I'm a "connector" so I'm really looking forward to meeting people from around the church 6. So many hymns ... so little time ...

The Rev. Canon Manoj M. Zacharia, Clergy Deputy C2 Christ Church Cathedral, Cincinnati

22

1. As a cradle Anglican, my memory of faith began as a seven year old acolyte at Grace Episcopal Church (Orange County, New York.)

Subsequently, we began becoming more active at the St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church (which was consecrated by The Rt. Rev. Paul Moore, Bishop of New York.) My discernment for ordained ministry occurred in a context of prayer following stints on Congressional staff and Wall Street. My theological training was at the Mar Thoma Seminary, India, and The General Theological Seminary.

I have served as as a cleric in four (4) churches in communion with the See of Canterbury (Mar Thoma, Church of South India, Anglican Church of Canada, The Episcopal Church.) Prior to coming to the Diocese of Southern Ohio, I was rector of a flourishing multi-cultural congregation in the Diocese of Newark. I have served on the Board of the World Student Christian Federation, Staten Island Council of Churches, Canadian Council of Churches, Budget and Finance (Newark,) Diocesan Council (Newark), Constitution and Canons Committee (Newark), The Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Inter-religious relations (2012-2015), and EIRC (Southern Ohio.)

2. Ecumenical and Inter-religious 3. Engaging in the deliberate and prayerful process of embracing

and living into the Jesus movement!

4. That depends on where one wants to focus. I am passionate about global mission and ecumenical matters.

5. I love Southern Ohio!

6. Strengthen for service, Lord (312)

5. I plan to continue my practice of posting a brief bilingual note each night of Convention-- check my FaceBook page or the FB Group of Church of Our Saviour/La Iglesia de Nuestro Salvador.

6) Two favs: Lift Every Voice/Levanten Cada Voz, and I Bind Unto Myself/Me Ato a Mí

Harold Patrick, Lay Alternate 1 St. Matthew’s, Westerville

The Rev. John Agbaje, Clergy Alternate 2 St. Andrew’s, Cincinnati

1. I am a cradle Episcopalian and have been a member of nine different dioceses in eight different states. I am a member of the vestry, Chair of Partners in Ministry in Liberia, Co-Chair Refugee Outreach Committee, Delegate to Diocesan Convention, Member of Diocesan Council, Chair of Budget Committee, Member of Blended Congregations Task Force, and Alternate Deputy to General Convention.

2. Racial Justice and Reconciliation 3. Seeing how we each individually respond to the call of the same Spirit.

4. Racism 5. I am joined in Holy Matrimony with God and Cherie.

6. I am the bread of life. It is a tradition in our family and will be the last hymn that I will not hear.

The Rev. Paula M. Jackson, Clergy Deputy C3 Church of Our Saviour/La Iglesia de Nuestro Salvador, Cincinnati

1. Fifth term as GC alternate or deputy for DSO. Have served in DioKY and DSO with Commissions/ Departments on Youth/YAdults, Education, Liturgy, Sexuality, Latino Ministry, Social Justice.

2. Social Justice & US Policy, Social Justice for Women 3. Working with the Committees to help TEC articulate our best witness in today's world 4. There are always lively and respectful conversations on many topics. One to which I look forward is the ongoing necessary evolution of our common worship in a multicultural and multilingual society.

1. Rector of St. Andrew's, Cincinnati, deputy to General Convention in Anaheim, CA. Deputy alternate in Indianapolis, Dean of Convocation in the Diocese of VA. 2. Liturgy 3. Representing the diocese and learning about how the Church works when we all gather together.

4. I will wait and see.

5.That I am a team player and that I will bring back my experience to the group and to St. Andrew's 6. Blessed Assurance

The Rev. Richard ‘Dick’ Burnett, Clergy Alternate 1 Trinity, Columbus

1. Ordained a priest for 35 years, rector of Trinity, Columbus for 20 years, active in community ministry and ecumenical/Interreligious relations in Columbus, and state/nationally.

2. Ecumenical & Interreligious Relations 3. Work related to #MeToo justice and racial truth-telling & reconciliation 4. Prayer Book revision/renewal 5. Naturally an Owl (night worker and socializer) but with GC legislative committee work and hearings I also become a Lark for two weeks!

6. All my hope on God us founded #665

Compiled by Meghan Western, Lay deputy L2 from St. James, Clintonville

The Rev. Jason Prati, Clergy Deputy C4 All Saints, New Albany

1. I have been a priest for over 16 years being ordained in the Roman Church. I was received as an Episcopal priest in 2013. I am currently serving as the Rector of All Saints Church in New Albany, OH. I am member of the Commission on Ministry, the Liturgy and Music Commission as well as the "Big Read" Committee. I am also a co-founder of a new intentional community called The Community of Mary, Mother of the Redeemer.

2. Credentials Committee 3. I am really looking forward to seeing the diversity and catholicity of our Communion alive and vibrant at GC as well as getting to know my sisters and brothers from all walks of life and places who are excited about the Jesus Revolution!

4. My deepest hope is that we will have a lively discussion on Evangelism as we continue to allow the Holy Spirit to set us on fire in bringing the message of the redemptive love of Jesus Christ to the world.

5. I am a full-fledged Harry Potter fan! Evangelizing through the imagination is a powerful tool in bringing others in to the Jesus Movement: this Revolution of Love that conquers death! Accio awesomeness!

6. Alleluia, Sing to Jesus

Elizabeth (Lissa) Barker, Lay Deputy L3 St. Patrick’s, Dublin

1. Lay Reader, Lay Eucharistic Minister, Choir, Stephen Minister, Parish Nurse, Diocesan Council (1st VP) Lay Deputy(Salt Lake City) Lay Deputy Alternate (Indianapolis), EFM Mentor, Vestry (former) 2. Committee 5 World Mission 3. Meeting people from other Dioceses and seeing the vitality of this church 4. US Constitutional Amendment 2 debate; Relationship with the Anglican Church worldwide 5. I have done mission work all over the world, I am a fierce advocate of health and wellness education, I am a Family Nurse Practitioner, I am a veteran of 36 years in the United State Navy, a Professor of Clinical Nursing (emeritus) of The Ohio State University College of Nursing 6. Amazing Grace

23

Cathy Bagot, Lay Deputy L1 Trinity, Newark

1. Vestry, Licensed Worship Leader, Commission on Ministry (retired), Commission on Congregational Life, Standing Committee, Bexley Seabury Seminary Trustee (retired) 2. Following Formation and Diocesan and Congregational Health 3. Participating in discussions and decisions that will help people experience the love of God and follow Jesus in our current world, focusing on the kingdom in our midst.

4. All things liturgical 5. I'm a "connector" so I'm really looking forward to meeting people from around the church 6. So many hymns ... so little time ...

The Rev. Canon Manoj M. Zacharia, Clergy Deputy C2 Christ Church Cathedral, Cincinnati

22

1. As a cradle Anglican, my memory of faith began as a seven year old acolyte at Grace Episcopal Church (Orange County, New York.)

Subsequently, we began becoming more active at the St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church (which was consecrated by The Rt. Rev. Paul Moore, Bishop of New York.) My discernment for ordained ministry occurred in a context of prayer following stints on Congressional staff and Wall Street. My theological training was at the Mar Thoma Seminary, India, and The General Theological Seminary.

I have served as as a cleric in four (4) churches in communion with the See of Canterbury (Mar Thoma, Church of South India, Anglican Church of Canada, The Episcopal Church.) Prior to coming to the Diocese of Southern Ohio, I was rector of a flourishing multi-cultural congregation in the Diocese of Newark. I have served on the Board of the World Student Christian Federation, Staten Island Council of Churches, Canadian Council of Churches, Budget and Finance (Newark,) Diocesan Council (Newark), Constitution and Canons Committee (Newark), The Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Inter-religious relations (2012-2015), and EIRC (Southern Ohio.)

2. Ecumenical and Inter-religious 3. Engaging in the deliberate and prayerful process of embracing

and living into the Jesus movement!

4. That depends on where one wants to focus. I am passionate about global mission and ecumenical matters.

5. I love Southern Ohio!

6. Strengthen for service, Lord (312)

5. I plan to continue my practice of posting a brief bilingual note each night of Convention-- check my FaceBook page or the FB Group of Church of Our Saviour/La Iglesia de Nuestro Salvador.

6) Two favs: Lift Every Voice/Levanten Cada Voz, and I Bind Unto Myself/Me Ato a Mí

Harold Patrick, Lay Alternate 1 St. Matthew’s, Westerville

The Rev. John Agbaje, Clergy Alternate 2 St. Andrew’s, Cincinnati

1. I am a cradle Episcopalian and have been a member of nine different dioceses in eight different states. I am a member of the vestry, Chair of Partners in Ministry in Liberia, Co-Chair Refugee Outreach Committee, Delegate to Diocesan Convention, Member of Diocesan Council, Chair of Budget Committee, Member of Blended Congregations Task Force, and Alternate Deputy to General Convention.

2. Racial Justice and Reconciliation 3. Seeing how we each individually respond to the call of the same Spirit.

4. Racism 5. I am joined in Holy Matrimony with God and Cherie.

6. I am the bread of life. It is a tradition in our family and will be the last hymn that I will not hear.

The Rev. Paula M. Jackson, Clergy Deputy C3 Church of Our Saviour/La Iglesia de Nuestro Salvador, Cincinnati

1. Fifth term as GC alternate or deputy for DSO. Have served in DioKY and DSO with Commissions/ Departments on Youth/YAdults, Education, Liturgy, Sexuality, Latino Ministry, Social Justice.

2. Social Justice & US Policy, Social Justice for Women 3. Working with the Committees to help TEC articulate our best witness in today's world 4. There are always lively and respectful conversations on many topics. One to which I look forward is the ongoing necessary evolution of our common worship in a multicultural and multilingual society.

1. Rector of St. Andrew's, Cincinnati, deputy to General Convention in Anaheim, CA. Deputy alternate in Indianapolis, Dean of Convocation in the Diocese of VA. 2. Liturgy 3. Representing the diocese and learning about how the Church works when we all gather together.

4. I will wait and see.

5.That I am a team player and that I will bring back my experience to the group and to St. Andrew's 6. Blessed Assurance

The Rev. Richard ‘Dick’ Burnett, Clergy Alternate 1 Trinity, Columbus

1. Ordained a priest for 35 years, rector of Trinity, Columbus for 20 years, active in community ministry and ecumenical/Interreligious relations in Columbus, and state/nationally.

2. Ecumenical & Interreligious Relations 3. Work related to #MeToo justice and racial truth-telling & reconciliation 4. Prayer Book revision/renewal 5. Naturally an Owl (night worker and socializer) but with GC legislative committee work and hearings I also become a Lark for two weeks!

6. All my hope on God us founded #665

Compiled by Meghan Western, Lay deputy L2 from St. James, Clintonville

The Rev. Jason Prati, Clergy Deputy C4 All Saints, New Albany

1. I have been a priest for over 16 years being ordained in the Roman Church. I was received as an Episcopal priest in 2013. I am currently serving as the Rector of All Saints Church in New Albany, OH. I am member of the Commission on Ministry, the Liturgy and Music Commission as well as the "Big Read" Committee. I am also a co-founder of a new intentional community called The Community of Mary, Mother of the Redeemer.

2. Credentials Committee 3. I am really looking forward to seeing the diversity and catholicity of our Communion alive and vibrant at GC as well as getting to know my sisters and brothers from all walks of life and places who are excited about the Jesus Revolution!

4. My deepest hope is that we will have a lively discussion on Evangelism as we continue to allow the Holy Spirit to set us on fire in bringing the message of the redemptive love of Jesus Christ to the world.

5. I am a full-fledged Harry Potter fan! Evangelizing through the imagination is a powerful tool in bringing others in to the Jesus Movement: this Revolution of Love that conquers death! Accio awesomeness!

6. Alleluia, Sing to Jesus

Elizabeth (Lissa) Barker, Lay Deputy L3 St. Patrick’s, Dublin

1. Lay Reader, Lay Eucharistic Minister, Choir, Stephen Minister, Parish Nurse, Diocesan Council (1st VP) Lay Deputy(Salt Lake City) Lay Deputy Alternate (Indianapolis), EFM Mentor, Vestry (former) 2. Committee 5 World Mission 3. Meeting people from other Dioceses and seeing the vitality of this church 4. US Constitutional Amendment 2 debate; Relationship with the Anglican Church worldwide 5. I have done mission work all over the world, I am a fierce advocate of health and wellness education, I am a Family Nurse Practitioner, I am a veteran of 36 years in the United State Navy, a Professor of Clinical Nursing (emeritus) of The Ohio State University College of Nursing 6. Amazing Grace

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The Rev. Emmanuel Tuyishime shares a blessing and a hug after the service.

The newest priests of the Diocese of Southern Ohio: The Rev. Emmanuel Tuyishime, the Rev. Devin Rodgers and the Rev. Charles Graves IV.

The Rev. Devin Rodgers offers a blessing to his mother shortly after the service.

Photos by Julie Murray Clergy of the diocese lay hands upon the Rev. Devin Rodgers as Bishop Breidenthal ordains him to the priesthood.

ORDINATIONS On Saturday, June 2, Bishop Thomas E. Breidenthal ordained the Revs. Charles Cornelius Graves IV, James Devin Rodgers and Emmanuel Tuyishime to the Sacred Order of Priests during a celebration of the Eucharist at Christ Church Cathedral. The three new priests will continue on with their two-year residency placements: Graves is serving at Church of the Advent, Cincinnati; Rodgers is serving at St. Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco; and Tuyishime is serving at St. George’s, Dayton.

The following week, on June 9, Bishop Breidenthal ordained Jason Daniel Oden to the Sacred Order of Deacons.

As a transitional deacon, Oden will begin a two-year residency placement at St. Barnabas, Montgomery, and God willing, will be ordained to the priesthood in June 2019.

38

Right: The Rev. Charles Graves IV receives a congratulatory hug after the service.

Left: Jason Oden is examined by the Bishop prior to being ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons Below: Newly ordained deacon, the Rev. Jason Oden.

The Rev. Emmanuel Tuyishime shares a blessing and a hug after the service.

The newest priests of the Diocese of Southern Ohio: The Rev. Emmanuel Tuyishime, the Rev. Devin Rodgers and the Rev. Charles Graves IV.

The Rev. Devin Rodgers offers a blessing to his mother shortly after the service.

Photos by Julie Murray Clergy of the diocese lay hands upon the Rev. Devin Rodgers as Bishop Breidenthal ordains him to the priesthood.

ORDINATIONS On Saturday, June 2, Bishop Thomas E. Breidenthal ordained the Revs. Charles Cornelius Graves IV, James Devin Rodgers and Emmanuel Tuyishime to the Sacred Order of Priests during a celebration of the Eucharist at Christ Church Cathedral. The three new priests will continue on with their two-year residency placements: Graves is serving at Church of the Advent, Cincinnati; Rodgers is serving at St. Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco; and Tuyishime is serving at St. George’s, Dayton.

The following week, on June 9, Bishop Breidenthal ordained Jason Daniel Oden to the Sacred Order of Deacons.

As a transitional deacon, Oden will begin a two-year residency placement at St. Barnabas, Montgomery, and God willing, will be ordained to the priesthood in June 2019.

38

Right: The Rev. Charles Graves IV receives a congratulatory hug after the service.

Left: Jason Oden is examined by the Bishop prior to being ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons Below: Newly ordained deacon, the Rev. Jason Oden.

St. Mark’s and St. Margaret’s Celebrating 10 years of worshiping together

Over a half century ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lamented that 11 o’clock on Sunday morning might be the most segregated hour of the week. Some within the church who work to address racial divisions today have asserted that even predominantly black and predominantly white congregations within the same denomination do not worship together. Apparently, they were not at St. Margaret’s in Trotwood on March 4 or at St. Mark’s in Riverside on April 29, as the two parishes celebrated ten years of worshiping together.

At one time, the churches of what was then the Dayton Deanery participated in an annual “clergy swap.” On a designated Sunday, the priest serving each congregation would instead preside and preach at another area church. The practice enabled the clergy to get to know better the members of other congregations, and vice versa.

As changing circumstances made that practice more complicated and enthusiasm for it waned, the parish leaders at St. Mark’s began to discuss a more radical idea. Instead of just

the priests in two churches changing places for the day, what if the entire congregation from St. Mark’s joined the congregation from another church for worship?

Since the parish wanted also to do something about the racial divide in the greater-Dayton area and in society in general, they decided to pursue the suggestion of worshiping together with St. Margaret’s Church. St. Margaret’s is a predominantly (though not exclusively) African-American congregation and is the western-most Episcopal Church in Montgomery County. St. Mark’s is a predominantly (though not exclusively) Caucasian congregation and is the easternmost Episcopal Church in the county.

St. Mark’s rector, the Rev. Mike Kreutzer, approached his counterpart at St. Margaret’s, the Rev. Ben Speare-Hardy, and explained the proposal. Fr. Ben, in turn, discussed it with the other leaders of his parish, and together the churches came up with a plan. On the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the people of St. Margaret’s came to St. Mark’s, joining in the celebration of The combined choirs of St. Margaret's and St. Mark's, Dayton, at this year's combined service.

Members of both congregations share fellowship with their brother and sister Episcopalians the Holy Eucharist and staying for lunch. Then, on the Third Sunday of Easter, St. Mark’s traveled to St. Margaret’s for worship and fellowship.

Over the past ten years, the two congregations have worshiped and enjoyed a meal together as one church, once each year in Lent and once in the Easter season. They alternate the season during which each one serves as host. Each church celebrates the Eucharist according to its own customs, while working to ensure that those who are visiting can also participate fully. One notable highlight of each celebration is the contribution of a combined choir from the two parishes.

Some of their joint Sunday mornings have included special celebrations. One year, for example, a family from St. Mark’s had arranged for their extended family to come to Dayton for their son’s baptism, not realizing that their congregation would be visiting St. Margaret’s that day. No problem. We simply included the baptism as part of our combined Holy Eucharist at our sister parish. Even though we were in a different location than we had planned, we rejoiced that even more members of our one church were present to promise to do all in their power to support that child in his life in Christ.

The bonds established by our decade of shared worship and fellowship have extended beyond those two Sundays a year.

Members of the two congregations have come to know and relate to one another as members of one church in the neighborhoods where they live, in the places where they work, in the stores where they shop, and in various diocesan meetings, committees and initiatives. They have called upon one another when opportunities for shared service have arisen or when they have recognized that someone in the other church has

experience and gifts that can benefit the wider community.

They have also built on their relationship to help, at least in some small way, to heal the divides within the community; entering repeatedly into each other’s church home and coming to know one another as sisters and brothers. They look for other opportunities to further those bonds as well. Several years ago, for example, when many churches in the diocese were viewing and discussing the movie “Traces of the Trade,” St. Mark’s chose not to schedule its own viewing. Instead, they arranged for interested members of the parish to view and discuss it together with the people of St. Margaret’s to enable everyone to gain insights from one another.

When they gather for shared worship, the host priest presides at the Eucharist, while his visiting colleague provides the sermon. This spring, the two congregations concluded ten years of this unique relationship by worshiping together at St. Mark’s. In his sermon that day, Fr. Ben gave thanks for the bonds of love that have joined them together. But, at the same time, he challenged those in attendance to continue to go out and put the love of Christ into action by extending it to those in need in our community and in our world. “Where is the love?” he asked them, in the society and world in which we live?

For ten years – and counting! – these two congregations have experienced that love of God in Christ, a love that joins us together as one church. And it is that same love that impels us to go out together in Christ’s name to heal a hurting world.

The Rev. Mike Kreutzer serves as rector at St. Mark’s, Dayton.

Below: Members of St. Mark's and St. Margaret's enjoy a luncheon following their combined Eucharist.

St. Mark’s and St. Margaret’s Celebrating 10 years of worshiping together

Over a half century ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lamented that 11 o’clock on Sunday morning might be the most segregated hour of the week. Some within the church who work to address racial divisions today have asserted that even predominantly black and predominantly white congregations within the same denomination do not worship together. Apparently, they were not at St. Margaret’s in Trotwood on March 4 or at St. Mark’s in Riverside on April 29, as the two parishes celebrated ten years of worshiping together.

At one time, the churches of what was then the Dayton Deanery participated in an annual “clergy swap.” On a designated Sunday, the priest serving each congregation would instead preside and preach at another area church. The practice enabled the clergy to get to know better the members of other congregations, and vice versa.

As changing circumstances made that practice more complicated and enthusiasm for it waned, the parish leaders at St. Mark’s began to discuss a more radical idea. Instead of just

the priests in two churches changing places for the day, what if the entire congregation from St. Mark’s joined the congregation from another church for worship?

Since the parish wanted also to do something about the racial divide in the greater-Dayton area and in society in general, they decided to pursue the suggestion of worshiping together with St. Margaret’s Church. St. Margaret’s is a predominantly (though not exclusively) African-American congregation and is the western-most Episcopal Church in Montgomery County. St. Mark’s is a predominantly (though not exclusively) Caucasian congregation and is the easternmost Episcopal Church in the county.

St. Mark’s rector, the Rev. Mike Kreutzer, approached his counterpart at St. Margaret’s, the Rev. Ben Speare-Hardy, and explained the proposal. Fr. Ben, in turn, discussed it with the other leaders of his parish, and together the churches came up with a plan. On the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the people of St. Margaret’s came to St. Mark’s, joining in the celebration of The combined choirs of St. Margaret's and St. Mark's, Dayton, at this year's combined service.

Members of both congregations share fellowship with their brother and sister Episcopalians the Holy Eucharist and staying for lunch. Then, on the Third Sunday of Easter, St. Mark’s traveled to St. Margaret’s for worship and fellowship.

Over the past ten years, the two congregations have worshiped and enjoyed a meal together as one church, once each year in Lent and once in the Easter season. They alternate the season during which each one serves as host. Each church celebrates the Eucharist according to its own customs, while working to ensure that those who are visiting can also participate fully. One notable highlight of each celebration is the contribution of a combined choir from the two parishes.

Some of their joint Sunday mornings have included special celebrations. One year, for example, a family from St. Mark’s had arranged for their extended family to come to Dayton for their son’s baptism, not realizing that their congregation would be visiting St. Margaret’s that day. No problem. We simply included the baptism as part of our combined Holy Eucharist at our sister parish. Even though we were in a different location than we had planned, we rejoiced that even more members of our one church were present to promise to do all in their power to support that child in his life in Christ.

The bonds established by our decade of shared worship and fellowship have extended beyond those two Sundays a year.

Members of the two congregations have come to know and relate to one another as members of one church in the neighborhoods where they live, in the places where they work, in the stores where they shop, and in various diocesan meetings, committees and initiatives. They have called upon one another when opportunities for shared service have arisen or when they have recognized that someone in the other church has

experience and gifts that can benefit the wider community.

They have also built on their relationship to help, at least in some small way, to heal the divides within the community; entering repeatedly into each other’s church home and coming to know one another as sisters and brothers. They look for other opportunities to further those bonds as well. Several years ago, for example, when many churches in the diocese were viewing and discussing the movie “Traces of the Trade,” St. Mark’s chose not to schedule its own viewing. Instead, they arranged for interested members of the parish to view and discuss it together with the people of St. Margaret’s to enable everyone to gain insights from one another.

When they gather for shared worship, the host priest presides at the Eucharist, while his visiting colleague provides the sermon. This spring, the two congregations concluded ten years of this unique relationship by worshiping together at St. Mark’s. In his sermon that day, Fr. Ben gave thanks for the bonds of love that have joined them together. But, at the same time, he challenged those in attendance to continue to go out and put the love of Christ into action by extending it to those in need in our community and in our world. “Where is the love?” he asked them, in the society and world in which we live?

For ten years – and counting! – these two congregations have experienced that love of God in Christ, a love that joins us together as one church. And it is that same love that impels us to go out together in Christ’s name to heal a hurting world.

The Rev. Mike Kreutzer serves as rector at St. Mark’s, Dayton.

Below: Members of St. Mark's and St. Margaret's enjoy a luncheon following their combined Eucharist.

Mother Abby and other members of the delegation along with some of the PIMIL beneficiary students on their recent trip to Liberia.

The “yeast” of Partners-in-Ministry-in-Liberia

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Jesus’ “Parable of the Yeast” (Matthew 13:33) informs us of the nature of the yeast used in baking. When some of the yeast is mixed with flour, the yeast rises until the whole batch of dough rises. This parable significantly applies to the story of Partners-in-Ministry-in-Liberia (PIMIL) and its ministry in the United States and in Liberia.

PIMIL had its genesis in 1998 at St. Matthew’s, Westerville, as a response to a need to support economically challenged families in Liberia to send their children to school. A Civil War of 14 years (1989 - 2003) had interrupted the operation of schools, destroyed infrastructures and disrupted public services. With other congregations, families and friends joining the efforts of St. Matthew’s, the ministry gathered $3,900 and sponsored 33 students.

In 2014, another crisis, the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Liberia and in the neighboring countries of Sierra Leone and the Republic of Guinea, led PIMIL to extend its mission to include the educational needs of the orphans of the aftermath of the deadly disease. In Liberia, 2,000 children were left orphans.

As of the 2017 - 2018 academic year, with a budget of $30,000 yearly, PIMIL is sponsoring 150 students, 71 of whom are Ebola orphans.

It has long been the desire of supporters of PIMIL in the United States to visit the students they sponsor and to interact with their parents and the guardians, church members and community leaders of their school environments. That desire became a reality in April 2018 when a five-member delegation, sponsored through St. Matthew’s, made a historic mission trip to Liberia to meet, greet and to learn from the PIMIL families of Liberia.

The ten-day trip took the delegation to three of the eight counties where PIMIL is sponsoring students: Montserrado, Cape Mount and Bong Counties, covering a total of about 420 miles. The theme of the trip was “Building Relationships.” That theme was realized in various ways; in the setting of workshops, interacting with one another, at meals, at presenting school supplies to the schools, and receiving beautiful clothing from students, parents and leaders of the community, all in mutual appreciation and gratitude of the ministry.

Former students now employed and making valuable contributions to society and to PIMIL, said when introducing themselves, “I am a beneficiary of the PIMIL scholarship assistance program.”

One member of the delegation was delighted to know of the extent and impact that PIMIL has made in the lives of the students over

the years and called for a reunion of PIMIL students at the next mission. More of such “epiphanies” were extolled when another member of the delegation found out that for three years, PIMIL had supported the daughter of one of the priests who was escorting us on the trip. That daughter is now in college.

The purpose of the workshops was to provide the opportunity for members of the delegation and the students, parents, guardians, liaisons, church and community leaders to better understand the PIMIL program, in order that a better response to the ministry’s guidelines might flow between Liberia and the United States. The workshops reviewed several aspects of the ministry, such as PIMIL’s mission, history, organization, governance, operation and funding.

At the end of the workshops the delegation received appeals from current and new parents and guardians to include their children in the PIMIL program. Surprisingly, an appeal was also received from a hotel worker at the Corina Hotel in Monrovia where the delegation was lodging, when the hotel worker heard about the delegation’s mission in Liberia. One can understand this national compassionate cry for financial assistance, even in the workplace, when recognizing Liberia’s rating by the United Nations Development Program puts the health index of Liberia in the low human development category – positioning it at 177 out of 188 countries and territories.

PIMIL receives appeals through the year and currently has 30 applications requesting financial assistance. Let me share a few with you: “This is to kindly appeal to this humble body of Good Christians who over the years [have deemed] it necessary that Liberian children get better education through their support.

PIMIL has made significant history in Liberia by giving assistance to low income earners, especially Episcopalians. Your humanitarian gesture has spread through the Episcopal Church of Liberia and this has moved me to ask for assistance for my daughter, Roselyn Gray. Roselyn is eight (8) years old and [is] a smart first grade student. … Please see … her first grade marking period result [and her photo]. I would be very pleased were you to assist me in paying her tuition.”

“I have prayed to God to speak to you during this event that my daughter becomes a beneficiary of PIMIL because God has blessed this Fundraising Event. Your efforts and financial support for Liberian children has spread all through the Community of Monrovia/Liberia. May God richest blessings be upon this fundraising event of PIMIL Council as they continue to spread Jesus Ministry here on earth through your financial support to less fortunate family here in Liberia.”

“My two children are Emmanuel T. Davowa, age 9, in the 2nd grade and Allieu S. Davowa, 14 years in the 8th grade respectively attending the Vine Yard K. Academy Junior High School in Caldwell, Liberia. Having observed PIMIL humanitarian finan-

cial assistance to parents with low-income salary and others who have benefitted from your financial assistance, I pray that God will touch your hearts to grant my children this blessing.

Emmanuel want to be a Pastor and his hobbits is reading; Allieu want to be an Engineer and his hobbits is also reading.”

May God many many blessings be upon the PIMIL Council as you promote Christ’s ministry here in Liberia.”

The delegation returned to the United States more determined to work for the PIMIL program, having seen the tremendous difference this “shoestring” and “grassroots” ministry is making in transforming the lives of students in Liberia – like yeast.

The ninth annual PIMIL International Luncheon and Silent Auction Fundraising will be held on Saturday, July 21 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at St. Philip’s, Columbus. I hope that you and your family will join us – you will not regret it! All the activities

are fabulous – the children will have the opportunity to interact with the “talking drums” of Liberia and you will hear the presentations of the delegates that went to Liberia. Women will experience the activity of the head wrap. There will be wonderful bidding items at the silent auction, and a galore of wonderful jewelry at the “Make An Offer” booth. There will also be intercultural activity and lots of delicious food of both American and Liberian cuisine, an international cookies table, and much more!

If you cannot join us but wish to make a donation to this vital ministry, send a check to: St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 30 East College Avenue, Westerville, OH 43081. Gifts of any amount are appreciated. And we invite you to visit the PIMIL website (pimil.org) for more information.

The Rev. Abby Flemister is a retired priest at St. Matthew’s, Westerville. She also serves as PIML Director. Connect with her at aflemister@insight.rr.com.

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Mother Abby and other members of the delegation along with some of the PIMIL beneficiary students on their recent trip to Liberia.

The “yeast” of Partners-in-Ministry-in-Liberia

42

Jesus’ “Parable of the Yeast” (Matthew 13:33) informs us of the nature of the yeast used in baking. When some of the yeast is mixed with flour, the yeast rises until the whole batch of dough rises. This parable significantly applies to the story of Partners-in-Ministry-in-Liberia (PIMIL) and its ministry in the United States and in Liberia.

PIMIL had its genesis in 1998 at St. Matthew’s, Westerville, as a response to a need to support economically challenged families in Liberia to send their children to school. A Civil War of 14 years (1989 - 2003) had interrupted the operation of schools, destroyed infrastructures and disrupted public services. With other congregations, families and friends joining the efforts of St. Matthew’s, the ministry gathered $3,900 and sponsored 33 students.

In 2014, another crisis, the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Liberia and in the neighboring countries of Sierra Leone and the Republic of Guinea, led PIMIL to extend its mission to include the educational needs of the orphans of the aftermath of the deadly disease. In Liberia, 2,000 children were left orphans.

As of the 2017 - 2018 academic year, with a budget of $30,000 yearly, PIMIL is sponsoring 150 students, 71 of whom are Ebola orphans.

It has long been the desire of supporters of PIMIL in the United States to visit the students they sponsor and to interact with their parents and the guardians, church members and community leaders of their school environments. That desire became a reality in April 2018 when a five-member delegation, sponsored through St. Matthew’s, made a historic mission trip to Liberia to meet, greet and to learn from the PIMIL families of Liberia.

The ten-day trip took the delegation to three of the eight counties where PIMIL is sponsoring students: Montserrado, Cape Mount and Bong Counties, covering a total of about 420 miles. The theme of the trip was “Building Relationships.” That theme was realized in various ways; in the setting of workshops, interacting with one another, at meals, at presenting school supplies to the schools, and receiving beautiful clothing from students, parents and leaders of the community, all in mutual appreciation and gratitude of the ministry.

Former students now employed and making valuable contributions to society and to PIMIL, said when introducing themselves, “I am a beneficiary of the PIMIL scholarship assistance program.”

One member of the delegation was delighted to know of the extent and impact that PIMIL has made in the lives of the students over

the years and called for a reunion of PIMIL students at the next mission. More of such “epiphanies” were extolled when another member of the delegation found out that for three years, PIMIL had supported the daughter of one of the priests who was escorting us on the trip. That daughter is now in college.

The purpose of the workshops was to provide the opportunity for members of the delegation and the students, parents, guardians, liaisons, church and community leaders to better understand the PIMIL program, in order that a better response to the ministry’s guidelines might flow between Liberia and the United States. The workshops reviewed several aspects of the ministry, such as PIMIL’s mission, history, organization, governance, operation and funding.

At the end of the workshops the delegation received appeals from current and new parents and guardians to include their children in the PIMIL program. Surprisingly, an appeal was also received from a hotel worker at the Corina Hotel in Monrovia where the delegation was lodging, when the hotel worker heard about the delegation’s mission in Liberia. One can understand this national compassionate cry for financial assistance, even in the workplace, when recognizing Liberia’s rating by the United Nations Development Program puts the health index of Liberia in the low human development category – positioning it at 177 out of 188 countries and territories.

PIMIL receives appeals through the year and currently has 30 applications requesting financial assistance. Let me share a few with you: “This is to kindly appeal to this humble body of Good Christians who over the years [have deemed] it necessary that Liberian children get better education through their support.

PIMIL has made significant history in Liberia by giving assistance to low income earners, especially Episcopalians. Your humanitarian gesture has spread through the Episcopal Church of Liberia and this has moved me to ask for assistance for my daughter, Roselyn Gray. Roselyn is eight (8) years old and [is] a smart first grade student. … Please see … her first grade marking period result [and her photo]. I would be very pleased were you to assist me in paying her tuition.”

“I have prayed to God to speak to you during this event that my daughter becomes a beneficiary of PIMIL because God has blessed this Fundraising Event. Your efforts and financial support for Liberian children has spread all through the Community of Monrovia/Liberia. May God richest blessings be upon this fundraising event of PIMIL Council as they continue to spread Jesus Ministry here on earth through your financial support to less fortunate family here in Liberia.”

“My two children are Emmanuel T. Davowa, age 9, in the 2nd grade and Allieu S. Davowa, 14 years in the 8th grade respectively attending the Vine Yard K. Academy Junior High School in Caldwell, Liberia. Having observed PIMIL humanitarian finan-

cial assistance to parents with low-income salary and others who have benefitted from your financial assistance, I pray that God will touch your hearts to grant my children this blessing.

Emmanuel want to be a Pastor and his hobbits is reading; Allieu want to be an Engineer and his hobbits is also reading.”

May God many many blessings be upon the PIMIL Council as you promote Christ’s ministry here in Liberia.”

The delegation returned to the United States more determined to work for the PIMIL program, having seen the tremendous difference this “shoestring” and “grassroots” ministry is making in transforming the lives of students in Liberia – like yeast.

The ninth annual PIMIL International Luncheon and Silent Auction Fundraising will be held on Saturday, July 21 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at St. Philip’s, Columbus. I hope that you and your family will join us – you will not regret it! All the activities

are fabulous – the children will have the opportunity to interact with the “talking drums” of Liberia and you will hear the presentations of the delegates that went to Liberia. Women will experience the activity of the head wrap. There will be wonderful bidding items at the silent auction, and a galore of wonderful jewelry at the “Make An Offer” booth. There will also be intercultural activity and lots of delicious food of both American and Liberian cuisine, an international cookies table, and much more!

If you cannot join us but wish to make a donation to this vital ministry, send a check to: St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 30 East College Avenue, Westerville, OH 43081. Gifts of any amount are appreciated. And we invite you to visit the PIMIL website (pimil.org) for more information.

The Rev. Abby Flemister is a retired priest at St. Matthew’s, Westerville. She also serves as PIML Director. Connect with her at aflemister@insight.rr.com.

43

The Journey Toward Our Future

Earlier this year, the congregation of Trinity, Newark, began the painful process of demolishing their 125-year-old sanctuary, auditorium and chapel due to structural damage. In an ongoing e-Connections’ series, “The Journey Toward Our Future,” the people of Trinity shared the story of how they came to this impossible decision and the journey to their new future as the Episcopal Church in Newark, Ohio.

PROLOGUE

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With over 190 years since its founding in 1826, Trinity Episcopal Church in Newark, Ohio, has a rich history of faithful worship and service to God in our community. That commitment to worship and service has never wavered. The names of clergy and members are etched in our hearts. The generosity of many throughout the years allowed us to have our beautiful worship space for many years. We are thankful for that witness and generosity.

For many years, Trinity was a thriving parish, active in the community and diocese. There were large Sunday school classes for children as well as a youth choir. The outstanding

music program was known throughout the city. A number of women’s guilds supported the ministry of the parish and a number of community programs began at Trinity.

Nationwide church attendance began changing in the 1960s with weekly Sunday attendance by families becoming less common. Trinity saw its membership and active participation decline as well. By 2000, average Sunday attendance hovered around 90. That number declined further through the years, with our average Sunday attendance in 2017 being 43. Through the years and in spite of the decline, the Trinity family has continued to worship and learn together as well as reaching out to support our community, embodying our motto: Love God and show that love to others.

In late 2011 we got bad news – really bad news. An architec-

tural and engineering study of the buildings revealed serious structural issues with our historic buildings. The estimated cost to repair the buildings exceeded $1M. That is a lot of zeros for a small congregation. But we believed we could raise the funds to pay for the necessary repairs, so we set out to do just that! We worked very hard; we gave generously and sacrificially. We turned over every rock we could think of to raise funds and we have every right to be proud of our efforts.

We were fortunate to have the opportunity to participate over the last two years with the first group of congregations in the diocese using the Episcopal Building Fund‘s Recasting of Assets Program, sponsored by the diocesan Commission on Congregational Life.

The program gave us the opportunity to explore and learn tools to help us have difficult conversations and eventually make gut-wrenching decisions.

Unfortunately, in the face of continued deterioration of the primary worship space, we came to the very difficult, emotional decision to stop raising funds, to look for ways to liquidate our beloved assets, and disassemble the buildings with the dignity they deserve. So that is where we are now. Our historic buildings are gone and we have established a sacred space in Simpson Hall (the parish hall) in which we worship. Trinity is alive and we are looking for ways to be a faithful, vital, thriving presence of Christ in our community. The motto recently adopted by the vestry is “Listen.

Pray. Act.” I recently read that as Christians we can be one of three things: risk-takers, caretakers or undertakers. I believe we’ve decided to be risk-takers. I think that is some of what the Rev. Jack Baker (previous, longtime Trinity rector) meant when he exhorted us in his dismissal to “Be the Church”. Alleluia!

Submitted by Cathy Bagot

The Ascending Christ window

DEMOLITION For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1.

Our journey toward demolition at Trinity began with the painful realization that our only path forward meant saying goodbye to our sacred and beloved sanctuary, chapel and Baker Auditorium, so aptly named after a former rector, the late Rev. Jack Baker, whose dismissal every Sunday was “keep the faith, be the Church, Alleluia.”

As we began the process, I was tasked with researching information from liturgical and ecclesiastical companies that performed demolition and/or salvage of buildings and their old and treasured contents. From August through September 2017, I spoke with 11 demolition and salvage companies, as well as a television production company.

My family has five consecutive generations, baptized and confirmed, “cradleto-grave” members at Trinity, beginning with my grandfather at age ten in 1906.

On many of the calls I was able to state my name, but as I began to state my purpose for the call my voice would quiver and crack, and at times I could not hold back the tears with total strangers on the other end. All were patient, many offered compassion and sympathy, and some, after a period of silence said, “we know about your church.”

We met with a company from Pennsylvania at the end of September and they offered us a proposal whereby they purchased our Tiffany “Ascending Christ” window for a price that equaled the cost of the demolition. The company would salvage and sell the remaining contents and windows with a percentage of the sales coming back to Trinity. After eight revisions, we signed the proposal in early December; and so began a new season.

The crew flawlessly removed the Tiffany window and, once repaired, it will be on display in a museum in Evanston, Illinois. Members of the congregation were given the opportunity to purchase items, and we did. One parishioner purchased some of the wormy chestnut paneling from the chapel and is now making beautiful crosses out of it, donating the money back to the church for a mission yet to be determined. The slate from the roof went to the state of Delaware. The seasoned wooden beams, paneling, flooring and lathe were carefully disassembled and the nails painstakingly removed before it was loaded onto trucks to be re-purposed in construction elsewhere. Some of the stone was purchased locally for use in yards and gardens.

As the work was being done, we endured the indignant wrath of some passersby who asked, “How dare you tear down this historical landmark?” While their words deepened the dagger, we

45

The Journey Toward Our Future

Earlier this year, the congregation of Trinity, Newark, began the painful process of demolishing their 125-year-old sanctuary, auditorium and chapel due to structural damage. In an ongoing e-Connections’ series, “The Journey Toward Our Future,” the people of Trinity shared the story of how they came to this impossible decision and the journey to their new future as the Episcopal Church in Newark, Ohio.

PROLOGUE

44

With over 190 years since its founding in 1826, Trinity Episcopal Church in Newark, Ohio, has a rich history of faithful worship and service to God in our community. That commitment to worship and service has never wavered. The names of clergy and members are etched in our hearts. The generosity of many throughout the years allowed us to have our beautiful worship space for many years. We are thankful for that witness and generosity.

For many years, Trinity was a thriving parish, active in the community and diocese. There were large Sunday school classes for children as well as a youth choir. The outstanding

music program was known throughout the city. A number of women’s guilds supported the ministry of the parish and a number of community programs began at Trinity.

Nationwide church attendance began changing in the 1960s with weekly Sunday attendance by families becoming less common. Trinity saw its membership and active participation decline as well. By 2000, average Sunday attendance hovered around 90. That number declined further through the years, with our average Sunday attendance in 2017 being 43. Through the years and in spite of the decline, the Trinity family has continued to worship and learn together as well as reaching out to support our community, embodying our motto: Love God and show that love to others.

In late 2011 we got bad news – really bad news. An architec-

tural and engineering study of the buildings revealed serious structural issues with our historic buildings. The estimated cost to repair the buildings exceeded $1M. That is a lot of zeros for a small congregation. But we believed we could raise the funds to pay for the necessary repairs, so we set out to do just that! We worked very hard; we gave generously and sacrificially. We turned over every rock we could think of to raise funds and we have every right to be proud of our efforts.

We were fortunate to have the opportunity to participate over the last two years with the first group of congregations in the diocese using the Episcopal Building Fund‘s Recasting of Assets Program, sponsored by the diocesan Commission on Congregational Life.

The program gave us the opportunity to explore and learn tools to help us have difficult conversations and eventually make gut-wrenching decisions.

Unfortunately, in the face of continued deterioration of the primary worship space, we came to the very difficult, emotional decision to stop raising funds, to look for ways to liquidate our beloved assets, and disassemble the buildings with the dignity they deserve. So that is where we are now. Our historic buildings are gone and we have established a sacred space in Simpson Hall (the parish hall) in which we worship. Trinity is alive and we are looking for ways to be a faithful, vital, thriving presence of Christ in our community. The motto recently adopted by the vestry is “Listen.

Pray. Act.” I recently read that as Christians we can be one of three things: risk-takers, caretakers or undertakers. I believe we’ve decided to be risk-takers. I think that is some of what the Rev. Jack Baker (previous, longtime Trinity rector) meant when he exhorted us in his dismissal to “Be the Church”. Alleluia!

Submitted by Cathy Bagot

The Ascending Christ window

DEMOLITION For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1.

Our journey toward demolition at Trinity began with the painful realization that our only path forward meant saying goodbye to our sacred and beloved sanctuary, chapel and Baker Auditorium, so aptly named after a former rector, the late Rev. Jack Baker, whose dismissal every Sunday was “keep the faith, be the Church, Alleluia.”

As we began the process, I was tasked with researching information from liturgical and ecclesiastical companies that performed demolition and/or salvage of buildings and their old and treasured contents. From August through September 2017, I spoke with 11 demolition and salvage companies, as well as a television production company.

My family has five consecutive generations, baptized and confirmed, “cradleto-grave” members at Trinity, beginning with my grandfather at age ten in 1906.

On many of the calls I was able to state my name, but as I began to state my purpose for the call my voice would quiver and crack, and at times I could not hold back the tears with total strangers on the other end. All were patient, many offered compassion and sympathy, and some, after a period of silence said, “we know about your church.”

We met with a company from Pennsylvania at the end of September and they offered us a proposal whereby they purchased our Tiffany “Ascending Christ” window for a price that equaled the cost of the demolition. The company would salvage and sell the remaining contents and windows with a percentage of the sales coming back to Trinity. After eight revisions, we signed the proposal in early December; and so began a new season.

The crew flawlessly removed the Tiffany window and, once repaired, it will be on display in a museum in Evanston, Illinois. Members of the congregation were given the opportunity to purchase items, and we did. One parishioner purchased some of the wormy chestnut paneling from the chapel and is now making beautiful crosses out of it, donating the money back to the church for a mission yet to be determined. The slate from the roof went to the state of Delaware. The seasoned wooden beams, paneling, flooring and lathe were carefully disassembled and the nails painstakingly removed before it was loaded onto trucks to be re-purposed in construction elsewhere. Some of the stone was purchased locally for use in yards and gardens.

As the work was being done, we endured the indignant wrath of some passersby who asked, “How dare you tear down this historical landmark?” While their words deepened the dagger, we

45

GOD’S BLESSING UPON TRINITY

Demolition of the former buildings at Trinity, Newark gracefully thanked them for their interest and asked for their prayers. Others stopped to share memories of Trinity’s presence in downtown Newark, marveled at “the courage it must have taken for you to make this decision,” and offered their prayers.

The work crew handled our possessions with dignity and respect, and we embraced them. Most of us, at one time or another during this “season” stood in our former sanctuary amidst the dust and demolition, in tears, recalling our precious memories and occasions spent here. The workers always stopped, listened patiently and offered support. They helped us load our purchases and even delivered them for some. They left for a week at Easter, returning to complete the demo in mid-April. They had become like family and we will never forget their kindness.

And so ended that season. We now have a beautiful worship space in Simpson Hall, our previous fellowship area. We continue to serve the community with meals, reading, hosting meetings, and housing an Alcoholics Anonymous group. We take solace and pride in knowing that small (and large) pieces of Trinity, which God so graciously granted us stewardship for nearly 126 years, will now be enjoyed by others around the country.

Our small but mighty congregation strives to “keep the faith and be the Church,” as we begin to discern new missions and to vision our journey forward. And yes, the tears still flow freely at times when I stand on what our Recasting Priest, the Rev. Joseph Kovitch, calls our “field of dreams,” where our proud and grand old church once stood. I find comfort in the words from the Eighth Station of the Cross on Good Friday: “Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy.”

46

Submitted by Cynthia Johnson

Trinity’s Recasting priest, the Rev. Joseph Kovitch, suggested that parishioners write reflections during their journey, which are shared with the congregation in their weekly bulletin. In one such article, Junior Warden Jim Ford reflected on an event one day during the demolition.

One day in March, while watching the Amish workers from Dayton remove the slate from the old sanctuary at Trinity, a worker from our demolition crew tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if the bird flying around the church roof was a pigeon. After further observation, we both said at the same time, that’s a dove! It wasn’t just any dove; it was a pure white dove.

The dove flew over the sanctuary in a figure eight flight pattern several times, then entered through the opening where the large round stained-glass window on the west side of the sanctuary used to be. The dove disappeared for a while then came flying out and flew the figure eight pattern again over the roof and the auditorium; it was a beautiful sight. Once again, the dove entered the large round opening and disappeared.

The guys went back to work, and I stood there for the longest time to see if the dove would reappear. It did not, it disappeared! I do believe that the Holy Spirit descended upon Trinity Episcopal Church that day in the form of a pure white dove to show me that the building is just that – a building – not the Church. And we, God’s children, will survive and flourish in this mourning phase we are going through.

Submitted by Jim Ford, Junior Warden

HOW RECASTING HELPED US PLOT OUR COURSE After participating in the Episcopal Church Building Fund’s Recasting of Assets Program (provided by our diocesan Commission on Congregational Life) and assessing our assets, the team from Trinity, Newark evaluated the best path forward for our congregation. The choices were 1. Live and Thrive 2. Sustain with Minimal Changes 3. Death It was evident that our small but mighty church did not

have to “die” even though our sanctuary had outlived its structural health. We chose to work toward sustainability with the ultimate goal of thriving. Our true assets are by far our members – energetic, devoted, and passionate; our location – in the heart of a revitalized downtown; our property – half of a city block with a reasonably useful education building; and financial reserves. We set out to determine what vital role our church could play in our community, modeling Bishop Breidenthal’s observation that the peace of Christ is about engaging with our neighbors.

With a COCL grant and an invitation from St. Matthew’s, Westerville to learn from their building woes and transformation, the Rev. Joseph Kovitch was hired as our Recasting Priest, dedicating 15 hours each week to help the parish build relationships to better determine where and whom Trinity should serve. His outreach includes the method that was useful for St. Matthew’s – networking with passersby at the local coffee shop, attending city council meetings, meeting with leaders from various social services and other congregations to simultaneously support and empower the core of the congregation as well as to share our story with the greater community.

We view Recasting as an evolutionary process, one that continues without end, yet keeps five foundational elements in focus: our congregation, our community, a priestly presence, our facility, and interaction and support from the diocese. Our shared vision of reimagining the church with St. Matthew’s has brought both vestries together for consultation, exploration, and collaboration to ensure our separate congregational sustainability. “The key to our success will be that we allow it to evolve, be evolutionary, so that we continue to adapt,” said Kovitch.

Trinity has continued to show God’s love to the world by being a lively center for ministry to the Downtown Newark community: sponsoring the 4th Sunday Community Dinner, partnering with the Market Street Food Pantry, reading with children at our neighborhood elementary school, and by providing supplies to the YES afterschool clubhouse. Being faithful servants, in 2018, Trinity also invested over $60,000 to refurbish our basement to comfortably house the county’s Alcoholics Anonymous program. With Father Joe’s outreach, Trinity has become the host of monthly community meetings to address public transportation needs of the county, as well as offering food, children’s entertainment, and compline services at the downtown’s “Final Fridays” events, just to name a few.

Recasting is always happening. It is a constant and continual process of checks and balances, moving forward into new and changing relationships with God and our community. The biggest change so far is that the narrative of our dilemma has changed. For so long, outsiders thought of us as the church with a roof problem, and worse, the church that destroyed a

The new worship space in Simpson Hall ‘lovely historical building,” regardless of the years of diligent research, outreach, and fundraising. Now, we are charting our own course in service to others. We are the authors of our story and as such, for Trinity, ‘building’ is no longer a noun, but rather a verb. Our focus is now on building relationships, building ministries, and building membership.

Contributed by Stacy Geller

REIMAGINING TRINITY The demolition of our beautiful and memory-filled 1890 sanctuary is complete. Our new worship space in Trinity’s former education building is bright, warm, and right-sized. The empty and tranquil lot where the sanctuary formerly stood is now our ‘Field of Dreams’. We have adopted a new logo: interlocking trinity circles that include the words ‘Listen. Pray.

Act.’. We have a renewed focus on relationships and communication. Sadness over the demolition is changing to excitement for the future: to reimagine Trinity Episcopal Newark and what it might become!

So what is our plan? Under the guidance of our Recasting priest Fr. Joseph Kovitch, and partnership with St. Matthew’s, Westerville, we have identified five foundational elements for our journey to the future: Community, Congregation, Facility, Priest, and Diocese. For the next few months, we will be researching needs for each element and visioning their possibilities. In September we will pull the information together and discover the beginning of our new narrative; to determine

47

GOD’S BLESSING UPON TRINITY

Demolition of the former buildings at Trinity, Newark gracefully thanked them for their interest and asked for their prayers. Others stopped to share memories of Trinity’s presence in downtown Newark, marveled at “the courage it must have taken for you to make this decision,” and offered their prayers.

The work crew handled our possessions with dignity and respect, and we embraced them. Most of us, at one time or another during this “season” stood in our former sanctuary amidst the dust and demolition, in tears, recalling our precious memories and occasions spent here. The workers always stopped, listened patiently and offered support. They helped us load our purchases and even delivered them for some. They left for a week at Easter, returning to complete the demo in mid-April. They had become like family and we will never forget their kindness.

And so ended that season. We now have a beautiful worship space in Simpson Hall, our previous fellowship area. We continue to serve the community with meals, reading, hosting meetings, and housing an Alcoholics Anonymous group. We take solace and pride in knowing that small (and large) pieces of Trinity, which God so graciously granted us stewardship for nearly 126 years, will now be enjoyed by others around the country.

Our small but mighty congregation strives to “keep the faith and be the Church,” as we begin to discern new missions and to vision our journey forward. And yes, the tears still flow freely at times when I stand on what our Recasting Priest, the Rev. Joseph Kovitch, calls our “field of dreams,” where our proud and grand old church once stood. I find comfort in the words from the Eighth Station of the Cross on Good Friday: “Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy.”

46

Submitted by Cynthia Johnson

Trinity’s Recasting priest, the Rev. Joseph Kovitch, suggested that parishioners write reflections during their journey, which are shared with the congregation in their weekly bulletin. In one such article, Junior Warden Jim Ford reflected on an event one day during the demolition.

One day in March, while watching the Amish workers from Dayton remove the slate from the old sanctuary at Trinity, a worker from our demolition crew tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if the bird flying around the church roof was a pigeon. After further observation, we both said at the same time, that’s a dove! It wasn’t just any dove; it was a pure white dove.

The dove flew over the sanctuary in a figure eight flight pattern several times, then entered through the opening where the large round stained-glass window on the west side of the sanctuary used to be. The dove disappeared for a while then came flying out and flew the figure eight pattern again over the roof and the auditorium; it was a beautiful sight. Once again, the dove entered the large round opening and disappeared.

The guys went back to work, and I stood there for the longest time to see if the dove would reappear. It did not, it disappeared! I do believe that the Holy Spirit descended upon Trinity Episcopal Church that day in the form of a pure white dove to show me that the building is just that – a building – not the Church. And we, God’s children, will survive and flourish in this mourning phase we are going through.

Submitted by Jim Ford, Junior Warden

HOW RECASTING HELPED US PLOT OUR COURSE After participating in the Episcopal Church Building Fund’s Recasting of Assets Program (provided by our diocesan Commission on Congregational Life) and assessing our assets, the team from Trinity, Newark evaluated the best path forward for our congregation. The choices were 1. Live and Thrive 2. Sustain with Minimal Changes 3. Death It was evident that our small but mighty church did not

have to “die” even though our sanctuary had outlived its structural health. We chose to work toward sustainability with the ultimate goal of thriving. Our true assets are by far our members – energetic, devoted, and passionate; our location – in the heart of a revitalized downtown; our property – half of a city block with a reasonably useful education building; and financial reserves. We set out to determine what vital role our church could play in our community, modeling Bishop Breidenthal’s observation that the peace of Christ is about engaging with our neighbors.

With a COCL grant and an invitation from St. Matthew’s, Westerville to learn from their building woes and transformation, the Rev. Joseph Kovitch was hired as our Recasting Priest, dedicating 15 hours each week to help the parish build relationships to better determine where and whom Trinity should serve. His outreach includes the method that was useful for St. Matthew’s – networking with passersby at the local coffee shop, attending city council meetings, meeting with leaders from various social services and other congregations to simultaneously support and empower the core of the congregation as well as to share our story with the greater community.

We view Recasting as an evolutionary process, one that continues without end, yet keeps five foundational elements in focus: our congregation, our community, a priestly presence, our facility, and interaction and support from the diocese. Our shared vision of reimagining the church with St. Matthew’s has brought both vestries together for consultation, exploration, and collaboration to ensure our separate congregational sustainability. “The key to our success will be that we allow it to evolve, be evolutionary, so that we continue to adapt,” said Kovitch.

Trinity has continued to show God’s love to the world by being a lively center for ministry to the Downtown Newark community: sponsoring the 4th Sunday Community Dinner, partnering with the Market Street Food Pantry, reading with children at our neighborhood elementary school, and by providing supplies to the YES afterschool clubhouse. Being faithful servants, in 2018, Trinity also invested over $60,000 to refurbish our basement to comfortably house the county’s Alcoholics Anonymous program. With Father Joe’s outreach, Trinity has become the host of monthly community meetings to address public transportation needs of the county, as well as offering food, children’s entertainment, and compline services at the downtown’s “Final Fridays” events, just to name a few.

Recasting is always happening. It is a constant and continual process of checks and balances, moving forward into new and changing relationships with God and our community. The biggest change so far is that the narrative of our dilemma has changed. For so long, outsiders thought of us as the church with a roof problem, and worse, the church that destroyed a

The new worship space in Simpson Hall ‘lovely historical building,” regardless of the years of diligent research, outreach, and fundraising. Now, we are charting our own course in service to others. We are the authors of our story and as such, for Trinity, ‘building’ is no longer a noun, but rather a verb. Our focus is now on building relationships, building ministries, and building membership.

Contributed by Stacy Geller

REIMAGINING TRINITY The demolition of our beautiful and memory-filled 1890 sanctuary is complete. Our new worship space in Trinity’s former education building is bright, warm, and right-sized. The empty and tranquil lot where the sanctuary formerly stood is now our ‘Field of Dreams’. We have adopted a new logo: interlocking trinity circles that include the words ‘Listen. Pray.

Act.’. We have a renewed focus on relationships and communication. Sadness over the demolition is changing to excitement for the future: to reimagine Trinity Episcopal Newark and what it might become!

So what is our plan? Under the guidance of our Recasting priest Fr. Joseph Kovitch, and partnership with St. Matthew’s, Westerville, we have identified five foundational elements for our journey to the future: Community, Congregation, Facility, Priest, and Diocese. For the next few months, we will be researching needs for each element and visioning their possibilities. In September we will pull the information together and discover the beginning of our new narrative; to determine

47

FINALE

The Field of Dreams at Trinity, Newark

48

the WHY, the WHAT’s, and the HOW for our journey. Our research includes: Community – where is Christ calling us to serve? We are in conversations with United Way, Salvation Army, and other agencies to identify service gaps in Newark. We have also established stronger relationships with community leaders, including the mayor.

Congregation – how can we take better care of each other?

A care umbrella called Trinity Loving Care (TLC) has been created to determine and address the needs of our flock. Foyer groups have restarted. The Prayer Team has refocused.

Facility – as we discern community and congregational needs, what type of facility might best serve those needs? We are currently taking road trips to get ideas and collect data for items such as exterior design and material, size, flexibility, and insurance/utility costs.

Priest – Trinity currently has only supply priests. What type of priest would best serve the congregation and the community? What are the costs?

The Diocese of Southern Ohio provides us support via Fr. Joseph, the Rev. Jason Leo (Missioner of Congregational

Vitality), and the Commission on Congregational Life (CoCL).

And with the diocese’s blessing, Fr. Joseph has created our partnership with St Matthew’s, Westerville, his home church.

Trinity, Newark is ALIVE! Our soil is fertile, waiting to be planted for the future. We do not yet know where our journey will take us, but we have faith that we will not get lost if we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. Each Sunday we pray this Collect, written by members of Trinity. Will you pray with us?

Gracious God, you are present at all times and in all places and, because you are with us, you remind us not to be afraid.

We thank you for sending your Holy Spirit upon Trinity Parish. Help us accept the gifts, wisdom, strength and courage you have given us to be witnesses for Christ in our lives and in our community. As we continue our pilgrimage to recognize and live in your Kingdom, open our hearts to hear where the Spirit is leading. Show us how you want us to be a witness for Christ in our community. Help us make our life and work together a revelation of your love. With grateful hearts we ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Submitted by Janet Bickle, Senior Warden

Necessity is the mother of invention. I hear this a lot, it may be true. But I also think the Holy Spirit has a lot to do with invention. When the building at Trinity, Newark, needed to come down and the congregation decided that it would continue to be a Christian presence in Newark, there was a lot of discussion about how to move forward. And a lot of uncertainty and anxiety as well.

One of the gifts of the Recasting program sponsored by the Commission on Congregational Life (COCL) was that new relationships and friendships were formed. The Rev. Joseph Kovitch from St. Matthew’s, Westerville, was the COCL liaison to Trinity. His engaging personality and his contagious optimism was immediately embraced by the people in Newark. Throw in his first hand experience of a community saying goodbye to a building and redefining purpose and mission in the neighborhood, and a partnership was unavoidable. The Spirit was surely at work, and today Fr. Joseph moves from one congregation to the other.

Leadership is discerning shared gifts continually exploring collaboration. Hope abounds.

From where I sit, Trinity, Newark and St. Matthew’s, Westerville currently embrace one of the most exciting and innovative partnerships in the diocese. There is huge potential for their approach and journey into the future, becoming a model and resource for others. “Our building is falling down.” “We can’t afford a full-time priest.” Well here are two congregations that faced both of those realities and are moving forward with faith and confidence…… and in some strange way both are closer to the kingdom than they could have ever imagined.

Trinity Newark and St. Matthew’s Westerville. This is a story unfolding by God’s grace, a story to tell, and a story for us all to hear.

Submitted by the Rev. Canon Jason Leo, Missioner for Congregational Vitality

FINALE

The Field of Dreams at Trinity, Newark

48

the WHY, the WHAT’s, and the HOW for our journey. Our research includes: Community – where is Christ calling us to serve? We are in conversations with United Way, Salvation Army, and other agencies to identify service gaps in Newark. We have also established stronger relationships with community leaders, including the mayor.

Congregation – how can we take better care of each other?

A care umbrella called Trinity Loving Care (TLC) has been created to determine and address the needs of our flock. Foyer groups have restarted. The Prayer Team has refocused.

Facility – as we discern community and congregational needs, what type of facility might best serve those needs? We are currently taking road trips to get ideas and collect data for items such as exterior design and material, size, flexibility, and insurance/utility costs.

Priest – Trinity currently has only supply priests. What type of priest would best serve the congregation and the community? What are the costs?

The Diocese of Southern Ohio provides us support via Fr. Joseph, the Rev. Jason Leo (Missioner of Congregational

Vitality), and the Commission on Congregational Life (CoCL).

And with the diocese’s blessing, Fr. Joseph has created our partnership with St Matthew’s, Westerville, his home church.

Trinity, Newark is ALIVE! Our soil is fertile, waiting to be planted for the future. We do not yet know where our journey will take us, but we have faith that we will not get lost if we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. Each Sunday we pray this Collect, written by members of Trinity. Will you pray with us?

Gracious God, you are present at all times and in all places and, because you are with us, you remind us not to be afraid.

We thank you for sending your Holy Spirit upon Trinity Parish. Help us accept the gifts, wisdom, strength and courage you have given us to be witnesses for Christ in our lives and in our community. As we continue our pilgrimage to recognize and live in your Kingdom, open our hearts to hear where the Spirit is leading. Show us how you want us to be a witness for Christ in our community. Help us make our life and work together a revelation of your love. With grateful hearts we ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Submitted by Janet Bickle, Senior Warden

Necessity is the mother of invention. I hear this a lot, it may be true. But I also think the Holy Spirit has a lot to do with invention. When the building at Trinity, Newark, needed to come down and the congregation decided that it would continue to be a Christian presence in Newark, there was a lot of discussion about how to move forward. And a lot of uncertainty and anxiety as well.

One of the gifts of the Recasting program sponsored by the Commission on Congregational Life (COCL) was that new relationships and friendships were formed. The Rev. Joseph Kovitch from St. Matthew’s, Westerville, was the COCL liaison to Trinity. His engaging personality and his contagious optimism was immediately embraced by the people in Newark. Throw in his first hand experience of a community saying goodbye to a building and redefining purpose and mission in the neighborhood, and a partnership was unavoidable. The Spirit was surely at work, and today Fr. Joseph moves from one congregation to the other.

Leadership is discerning shared gifts continually exploring collaboration. Hope abounds.

From where I sit, Trinity, Newark and St. Matthew’s, Westerville currently embrace one of the most exciting and innovative partnerships in the diocese. There is huge potential for their approach and journey into the future, becoming a model and resource for others. “Our building is falling down.” “We can’t afford a full-time priest.” Well here are two congregations that faced both of those realities and are moving forward with faith and confidence…… and in some strange way both are closer to the kingdom than they could have ever imagined.

Trinity Newark and St. Matthew’s Westerville. This is a story unfolding by God’s grace, a story to tell, and a story for us all to hear.

Submitted by the Rev. Canon Jason Leo, Missioner for Congregational Vitality

Being the hands and feet of Jesus "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'”(Matthew 24:40, NIV) In our 2018 Lenten Hope Chest Campaign, the children of Holy Trinity, Oxford, learned about the ways they could be the hands and feet of Jesus in a troubled world.

The children chose gifts they wanted to give to those less fortunate than themselves from Episcopal Relief & Development’s Gifts for Life catalog. They selected four different gifts on which they wanted to focus their fundraising efforts. During the five Sundays in Lent, they provided information to the congregation on the ways in which the gifts would help children just like them.

We’re thrilled to report that our congregation’s generosity this year has allowed us to raise $1,266 – a 33% increase over our 2017 amount. (This brings the total raised in less than one year to over $2,200!) This highly successful cam-

paign would not have been possible without our Godly Play Coordinator, Elizabeth Taylor, who encouraged so much participation from the children, and to the children themselves, who advocated for the underprivileged.

Submitted by Chris Williams, Episcopal Relief & Development coordinator at Holy Trinity, Oxford.

Gloria Turnage 'Books Unplugged' Back To School Book Fair The Episcopal Church Women of St. Andrew’s, Cincinnati, will present their second annual back to school book and school supplies fair on Saturday, August 11. The ECW will partner with several businesses and community organizations, such as Xavier University’s Bellarmine Chapel, three Cincinnati academic academies and the Evanston Community Recreation Center to present the fair, which will be held from noon to 3 p.m. at the Evanston Recreation Center.

This book fair was dedicated last year to a past beloved and devoted member of the St. Andrew’s family, Mrs. Gloria Turnage. Mrs. Turnage dedicated herself to the students in the Evanston community by providing them with backpacks and school supplies. The ECW of St. Andrew’s honors her memory in the form of this outreach mission.

Last year, the book fair gave away more than 700 books and 250 backpacks with school supplies to students from Evanston

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and several surrounding schools. The ECW of St. Andrew’s will continue to encourage the students to enjoy reading and to become lifetime readers.

Submitted by Vicki B. Washington, St. Andrew’s, Evanston (Cincinnati)

Kids4Peace 3rd annual Interfaith Day Camp July 30-August 3, 2018

Registration for the third annual Cincinnati Kids4Peace Interfaith Day Camp is open, and we still have plenty of spaces.

Kids4Peace International is a grassroots interfaith youth movement that began in Jerusalem in 2002. In 2016, our Cincinnati Chapter was privileged to become one of the first Kids4Peace Interfaith Day Camp programs in the US. The basic core values of the organization remain constant, with a greater focus on social change, and empowering our youth to become influential leaders for peace: •Diversity in family background, political perspectives and religious practices.

•Equality among women and men, religions and cultures •Sensitivity toward the pain, struggle and risk of living together •Spirituality as a source of strength, courage, and wisdom •Connectivity across our global community •Respect for the experiences, beliefs, and choices of others including those most different The Cincinnati Interfaith Day Camp brings together Christian, Jewish and Muslim middle school kids to explore each other’s religions and cultures. The kids utilize many specific exercises and dialogue sessions to learn about other religions, equality, social justice, and the skills necessary to build peace within our local communities. During the fiveday program, kids will have the opportunity to visit a church, mosque and synagogue, as well as volunteer for a local social action organization.

Utilizing fun games, and activities of music and art, along with dialogue sessions, the kids will make new friends while developing mutual respect, listening and communication skills, and building trust. The kids will become empowered to stand with each other and bring people together to advocate for social justice.

Since our first program in 2016, our program has increased as students are able to return to each season to build on their peacemaking skills. The returning students participate in leading some of the classes for the new students. One student commented that he really liked having some of the “kids” teaching the sessions, because the kids sometimes have different ideas than the adults. Another student commented that when she comes to Kids4Peace, she feels like she has “come

home”.

The program is dependent upon building lasting friendships and has developed a year-round program of additional experiences to maintain new friendships and build on skills learned in camp. As students mature they can participate in additional Kids4Peace International programs. This season three of our older students will be attending the Kids4Peace international program in North Carolina. We are anxious to have them return and share their experience.

The camp runs daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at a variety of interesting locations. The cost is $150. Scholarships are available.

Register now at k4p.org/summer programs for this unique interfaith experience and learn to become a team of “peace builders”.

For additional information, contact our new camp director Adam Hayden at cincinnati@k4p.org. Adam will be happy to talk with you to explain the program and answer any questions or concerns.

The Chapter Lead for Kids4Peace Cincinnati is Judy A. Chamberlain RN MSN, a member Christ Church Cathedral.

Connect with Judy at cjbconsultants@fuse.net.

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Listening to Our Lives: A day of discernment for lay people

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Save the date! The diocesan Commission on Ministry (CoM) will lead Listening to Our Lives, a daylong workshop on discernment for lay people on Saturday, October 13 at the Procter Center.

How do you discern what God is calling you to do? We don’t mean the “little decisions” in life, those choices that may take time but are likely not of spiritual consequence. (Do I buy a Honda or a Ford?) We also don’t mean trying to figure out your spiritual gifts and what lay ministry is best for you. (Do I serve on the altar guild or run for vestry?) Such questions are important, but perhaps secondary to the bigger questions in life.

What we do mean is: How do we, as lay people, learn to listen for the Divine Desire in our lives and then respond? And the question is not just for each of us as individuals; discernment happens in community. How do we – as caring members of our faith communities – help others discern what God is calling them to do?

The CoM spends much of its time helping in the discernment and formation of future deacons and priests. But we

haven’t done much with the other half of our canonical mission, which is assisting in discernment for “regular folks” in the pews. To that end, the commission has spent the past two years reading and reflecting on how we can best help with lay discernment, and an outcome of those efforts is this workshop.

It will be a fun and thoughtful day of Bible study, small group discussions and activities to help you think differently about your journey of faith.

Space is limited to 50 people, so advance registration is required. Register at diosohio.org. The registration fee is $25 per person to help offset the cost of food and supplies. Scholarships are available. Also, if traveling to Procter for a 9 a.m. start is a challenge for you, we can help you with arrangements to spend Friday night at Procter, too. Contact Sherri Martin, Executive Assistant to the Canons at the diocesan office at smartin@diosohio.org or 513.421.0311 ext. 105 for assistance.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact Spencer Pugh, Chair of our diocesan Commission on Ministry at spencerpugh@twc.com.

STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS

CHAPLAINS APPOINTED

Bishop Breidenthal is pleased to announce the following staff changes: The Rev. Canon Jason Leo is now overseeing transitions as part of his work as Canon for Congregational Vitality, effectively immediately.

Jason has served on the Bishop’s staff since January 2016, previously having served as rector of Calvary, Cincinnati from 2000-2015 and as Priest-in-charge at Church of the Advent, Walnut Hills from 2014-2015. Jason also served as rector of Trinity, London from 1998-2000 and diocesan director of youth ministry and summer camp from 1994-1998.

The Rev. Dr. Lee Anne Reat has been appointed as Canon for Formation. In this halftime position, she will provide formation for lay leadership and social justice ministries. Lee Anne will remain in the Columbus area and will begin her new ministry on August 1.

Lee Anne comes to the bishop’s staff after serving as vicar of St. John’s, Columbus, for over 21 years, following a residency at St. Patrick’s, Dublin and coordinating the diocesan Education Resource Center. She grew up at St. John’s, Worthington, where she was active in youth ministry and has fond memories of Procter Camp. She has served the diocese as co-coordinator of the Lay Preaching School and School for Diaconal Ministry, and as a member of Diocesan Council and Standing Committee.

These roles were previously held by the Rev. Canon Lynn Carter-Edmands, who will become Canon to the Ordinary, effective October 1. Lynn is currently on sabbatical until September 9.

Bishop Breidenthal has appointed the Rev. Tom and Nancye Van Brunt to serve as chaplains to the retired clergy and spouses.

Nancye and Tom have been married for 49 years, and live in Cincinnati at Twin Towers Retirement Community.

Their daughter Alice is a priest in this diocese, and also lives in Cincinnati with her husband, two children and a dog. Their son, Trevor, is a medical technology specialist at the Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus.

Tom and Nancye have each earned a Ph.D. in Theatre and Drama; Nancye from the University of Georgia and Tom from Indiana University.

Nancye has worked as a theatre costumer, teacher of Public Speaking and custom picture framer. She now serves as a standardized patient for the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and a poll supervisor on election days. Tom was college professor of theatre and has served parishes in the Dioceses of Lexington, Upper South Carolina, and Indianapolis as well as Southern Ohio. He is currently serving as the Long Term Supply Priest at St. Mary Magdalene in Maineville.

COMING UP NEXT He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, a Superstar, and Just Alright. And according to our Presiding Bishop, we are members of the Episcopal branch of His movement. So for our next issue, let’s talk about Jesus!

Your submissions of reflections, feature articles and book reviews are always welcome – and encouraged. The submission deadline for the September issue is August 1, and guidelines can be found at dsoConnections.org/submission-guidelines.

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144th Annual Convention

Becoming

The 144th annual convention of the Diocese of Sothern Ohio will take place on Saturday, November 3 at Procter Center. This one-day convention is planned in response to the passing of R2017-05 at the 143rd convention, which requires the diocese to hold a one-day convention every other year.

Despite big changes in the length and type of location of convention, there are many aspects that remain the same. Lay delegates from each congregation must be elected and certified to vote at the convention. Canonical changes and resolutions will be considered. New leaders will be elected. As such, here are some requirements and deadlines that you need to know about:

CERTIFICATION OF LAY DELEGATES

Congregations are canonically required (see Canon III, Section 5) to submit a Certificate of Election of Lay Delegates as soon as possible after they have been chosen. This year, that certification process was combined with the annual reporting requested of each congregation after their annual meeting.

This reporting should be submitted to the diocese no later than August 1. The form can be found on the diocesan website under Resources for Congregations. The diocesan office will contact congregations that have not yet submitted this information during the summer.

CONSTITUTION AND CANONICAL CHANGES

The Constitution and Canons guide the governance of the diocese. A committee reviews the Constitution and Canons each year and considers whether to propose changes. Proposed amendments may come from any member of the diocese, although the committee requests an opportunity to review the proposal to make sure it abides by wider-church rules.

Proposed amendments should be submitted in writing by August 4 (90 days prior) to convention@diosohio.org. The absolute deadline to submit a proposed change is September 4 (60 days prior). Contact diocesan chancellor Joseph J. Dehner at 513.651.6949 or jdehner@fbtlaw.com with any questions.

PROPOSING RESOLUTIONS

Proposing resolutions is a key way for the people of the diocese to discuss and reflect upon issues in the church and beyond. There are a variety of types of resolutions, ranging from those that ask the diocese to take a stand on a particular issue to special observances to calls for commitment to certain ministries.

Resolutions can be submitted at dsoConvention.org. All proposed resolutions must be submitted by September 19 (45 days prior). The Resolutions Committee will meet that following week to review the resolutions.

Those submitting resolutions are expected to attend or have a representative present at all pre-convention hearings.

Contact resolutions chair Jim Heathcote at 937.446.2108 or jheathcote@earthlink.net with questions.

PRE-CONVENTION HEARINGS

QUICK LIST: CONVENTION DATES & DEADLINES August 1 • Registration opens • Deadline for reporting lay delegates on Annual Reporting Form August 4 (90 days prior) Proposed Constitution/canonical changes requested August 31 Deadline for all convention agenda items September 4 (60 days prior) Deadline for proposed Constitution/canonical changes

All lay and clergy delegates to convention are expected to attend an area pre-convention hearing. This is the only opportunity to have conversation or raise questions about resolutions and the budget. Delegates will also have the opportunity to receive their voting credentials at the meetings.

September 19 (45 days prior) Deadline for proposed resolutions

Check our convention website dsoConvention.org for a description of each office and a link to the online nomination form. The deadline for nominations that will be posted online prior to the preconvention meetings is September 28. Direct any questions to nominations chair Jon B. Boss at jbboss@fuse. net.

October 7 – St. James, Zanesville; 2 p.m.

October 17 – Christ Church, Glendale; 7 p.m. * This meeting will be live-streamed October 21 – St. Philip’s, Columbus; 2 p.m.

October 28 – St. Paul’s, Dayton; 2 p.m.

October 1 Registration closes

Budget Committee / three year term Elect 1 clergy, Class of ‘21 Diocesan Council / three year term Elect 2 clergy and 3 lay, Class of ‘21 Episcopal Community Services Foundation board / three year term Elect 3 lay, Class of ‘21 (*) Standing Committee / three year term Elect 1 clergy and 1 lay, Class of ‘21 Trustees of the Church Foundation / five year term Elect 1 clergy or lay, Class of ’23 Trustees of the Diocese / five year term Elect 1 clergy or lay, Class of ‘23 Procter Center Board of Directors / three year term Elect 1 clergy or lay, Class of ‘21

ACCOMMODATIONS

2018 OFFICES FOR NOMINATION

(*) If interested in serving on ECSF board, please contact the Rev. Theresa Thornton at revtjthornton@gmail.com prior to submitting a nomination.

Overnight accommodations at Procter and multiple area hotels for Friday or Saturday night will be available for those who need it. Room blocks will be held until October 1. Information about room availability will be posted when registration opens on August 1.

September 28 Nominations for office requested

October 15 (19 days prior) Deadline for Commission/Committee/Task Force annual reports

SAVE THE DATE! The Procter Center will host a party on Friday, November 2, from 6:30 to 10 p.m., to honor the ministry of the Rev. Jack Koepke, who retires from his position as Canon to the Ordinary Oct. 1.

Mark your calendar for fun, food and music at Procter! More information to come!

October 31 (3 days prior) •Deadline for late nominations. No nominations will be accepted from the floor.

• Necrology deadline

Find all convention information on our convention website:

dsoconvention.org.

144th Annual Convention

Becoming

The 144th annual convention of the Diocese of Sothern Ohio will take place on Saturday, November 3 at Procter Center. This one-day convention is planned in response to the passing of R2017-05 at the 143rd convention, which requires the diocese to hold a one-day convention every other year.

Despite big changes in the length and type of location of convention, there are many aspects that remain the same. Lay delegates from each congregation must be elected and certified to vote at the convention. Canonical changes and resolutions will be considered. New leaders will be elected. As such, here are some requirements and deadlines that you need to know about:

CERTIFICATION OF LAY DELEGATES

Congregations are canonically required (see Canon III, Section 5) to submit a Certificate of Election of Lay Delegates as soon as possible after they have been chosen. This year, that certification process was combined with the annual reporting requested of each congregation after their annual meeting.

This reporting should be submitted to the diocese no later than August 1. The form can be found on the diocesan website under Resources for Congregations. The diocesan office will contact congregations that have not yet submitted this information during the summer.

CONSTITUTION AND CANONICAL CHANGES

The Constitution and Canons guide the governance of the diocese. A committee reviews the Constitution and Canons each year and considers whether to propose changes. Proposed amendments may come from any member of the diocese, although the committee requests an opportunity to review the proposal to make sure it abides by wider-church rules.

Proposed amendments should be submitted in writing by August 4 (90 days prior) to convention@diosohio.org. The absolute deadline to submit a proposed change is September 4 (60 days prior). Contact diocesan chancellor Joseph J. Dehner at 513.651.6949 or jdehner@fbtlaw.com with any questions.

PROPOSING RESOLUTIONS

Proposing resolutions is a key way for the people of the diocese to discuss and reflect upon issues in the church and beyond. There are a variety of types of resolutions, ranging from those that ask the diocese to take a stand on a particular issue to special observances to calls for commitment to certain ministries.

Resolutions can be submitted at dsoConvention.org. All proposed resolutions must be submitted by September 19 (45 days prior). The Resolutions Committee will meet that following week to review the resolutions.

Those submitting resolutions are expected to attend or have a representative present at all pre-convention hearings.

Contact resolutions chair Jim Heathcote at 937.446.2108 or jheathcote@earthlink.net with questions.

PRE-CONVENTION HEARINGS

QUICK LIST: CONVENTION DATES & DEADLINES August 1 • Registration opens • Deadline for reporting lay delegates on Annual Reporting Form August 4 (90 days prior) Proposed Constitution/canonical changes requested August 31 Deadline for all convention agenda items September 4 (60 days prior) Deadline for proposed Constitution/canonical changes

All lay and clergy delegates to convention are expected to attend an area pre-convention hearing. This is the only opportunity to have conversation or raise questions about resolutions and the budget. Delegates will also have the opportunity to receive their voting credentials at the meetings.

September 19 (45 days prior) Deadline for proposed resolutions

Check our convention website dsoConvention.org for a description of each office and a link to the online nomination form. The deadline for nominations that will be posted online prior to the preconvention meetings is September 28. Direct any questions to nominations chair Jon B. Boss at jbboss@fuse. net.

October 7 – St. James, Zanesville; 2 p.m.

October 17 – Christ Church, Glendale; 7 p.m. * This meeting will be live-streamed October 21 – St. Philip’s, Columbus; 2 p.m.

October 28 – St. Paul’s, Dayton; 2 p.m.

October 1 Registration closes

Budget Committee / three year term Elect 1 clergy, Class of ‘21 Diocesan Council / three year term Elect 2 clergy and 3 lay, Class of ‘21 Episcopal Community Services Foundation board / three year term Elect 3 lay, Class of ‘21 (*) Standing Committee / three year term Elect 1 clergy and 1 lay, Class of ‘21 Trustees of the Church Foundation / five year term Elect 1 clergy or lay, Class of ’23 Trustees of the Diocese / five year term Elect 1 clergy or lay, Class of ‘23 Procter Center Board of Directors / three year term Elect 1 clergy or lay, Class of ‘21

ACCOMMODATIONS

2018 OFFICES FOR NOMINATION

(*) If interested in serving on ECSF board, please contact the Rev. Theresa Thornton at revtjthornton@gmail.com prior to submitting a nomination.

Overnight accommodations at Procter and multiple area hotels for Friday or Saturday night will be available for those who need it. Room blocks will be held until October 1. Information about room availability will be posted when registration opens on August 1.

September 28 Nominations for office requested

October 15 (19 days prior) Deadline for Commission/Committee/Task Force annual reports

SAVE THE DATE! The Procter Center will host a party on Friday, November 2, from 6:30 to 10 p.m., to honor the ministry of the Rev. Jack Koepke, who retires from his position as Canon to the Ordinary Oct. 1.

Mark your calendar for fun, food and music at Procter! More information to come!

October 31 (3 days prior) •Deadline for late nominations. No nominations will be accepted from the floor.

• Necrology deadline

Find all convention information on our convention website:

dsoconvention.org.

CONNECTIONS

The official publication of the Diocese of Southern Ohio www.diosohio.org

The Rt. Rev. Thomas E. Breidenthal, Publisher David Dreisbach, Art director Julie Murray, Editor Amy Svihlik, Designer Dave Caudill, Copy editor

Submissions: Connections encourages the submission of articles and pictures. We reserve the right to edit material offered for publication. All submissions must include name, phone and email address for verification.

Send submissions to communication@diosohio.org.

Next deadline: August 1

Connections (USPS 020933) is published bi-monthly by the Diocese of Southern Ohio, 412 Sycamore St., Cincinnati, OH 45202-4179. Periodical postage paid at Cincinnati, OH. This publication is sent to all members of Episcopal congregations in the Diocese of Southern Ohio and is funded by mission share payments to the diocesan operating budget. Other subscriptions are $10 annually.

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POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to Connections, 412 Sycamore St., Cincinnati, OH 45202-4179.

We are a people of connection. We kneel around the same table regardless of color, creed, gender, race or sexual orientation.

Connections is a publication of the Diocese of

Southern Ohio, designed to enhance these connections and help foster new ones – because we are continually looking for ways to widen our circle.

dsoConnections.org