The Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island Blog

The Latest e-RISEN: 1/27/2012

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:06:00 +0000

You can view the latest issue of eRISEN, our biweekly email events calendar, at the link below:

eRISEN: 1/27/2012 issue

Want to subscribe to the eRISEN mailing list? Want to submit your event? Just visit eRISEN on our website.

Mission Task Force Update: Convocation 2012

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:48:00 +0000

From Risen Magazine's Winter 2012 Issue

By The Rev. Dcn. Ricky Brightman

Right now I know it’s difficult to think about MARCH but listen up – Convocation 2012 is coming and it will be different this year. There’s one unified topic – "Feeding the Hungry". We will be together for two days with an opportunity to feed our bodies and souls so that we will be better able to move out and feed others! Save the dates of March 9 and 10.

On Friday evening we will gather at St. Luke’s Church for a creative and inspiring worship service to be followed by a fabulous party and a community supper made by people in our parishes and brought together to share with everyone. Don’t leave the kids at home, they are welcome to worship and dine with us, and there will also be child care provided. As at all parties, there will be surprises. Come and enjoy.

On Saturday morning we will gather at the Marriott in Providence for worship, learning and sharing - all in a variety of different ways. Our Convocation leader will be Sara Miles, author of "Take This Bread" and "Jesus Freak: Feeding, Healing, Raising the Dead". In these books, Miles describes her own experience of attending to and serving others at her own church, St. Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco. While talking about feeding the body(ies), Sara also recounts the many ways she and others have been both host and guest in ministry. She will participate in our worship and learning in several ways.

We have also planned smaller group sessions : Planning and Offering Transcendent Worship; Feeding of the Physical Body; Radical and Intentional Hospitality; The Spiritual Feeding of Children and Youth. Some sessions will be repeated.

We hope you will put these dates on your own calendar now and save the time. Convocation is being planned this year by the Mission Task Force, a small working group that represents a diversity of churches in our diocese. We continue the work we began a year ago as we endeavored to develop a Diocesan-wide Mission Focus of "Feeding the Hungry".

Throughout this past year we have communicated with parishes about what activities they are engaged in and are doing well – soup kitchens and food pantries, as well as some new community gardens.

We know Convocation 2012 will further engage us in our efforts to feed the people we encounter in our daily lives as well as in our parishes. We hope to recognize good old ideas, explore new ones, provide a forum for sharing, and inspire us to move forward as "Episcopalians Feeding the Hungry". Look for further information on the Diocesan website or the talk-force blog, join our email list, or speak personally with a member of the Mission Task Force: Ricky Brightman (St. Luke’s EG), Buck Close (St. George’s), Bill Locke (St. Paul’s, Pawtucket), Jennifer Pedrick (Epiphany), Modesta Pellot (St. George’s), Melody Shobe (Emmanuel, Cumberland), Susan Wright (Ascension, Cranston).

What are YOU hungry for – food and shelter – understanding - companionship and community – knowledge – truth and honesty – relationship with God - a way to recognize and share your own gifts? We look forward to growing in meeting the hunger in ourself and in those whom God is inviting us to feed.

Bishop Search: Timing, Location Change for Some Transition Events

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:31:00 +0000

The Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee are announcing changes to when and where some of the upcoming transition events will occur.

The Walkabout of finalist candidates for bishop now will occur May 11 – 12 instead of May 18 – 19. The locations are still to be determined.

The June 2 Electing Convention will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Pawtucket instead of St. Luke’s, East Greenwich.

And the Celebration of Bishop Wolf’s Ministry now will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, September 23, at St. Luke’s, East Greenwich.

Jonathan Daniels House: Building the Kingdom of God with the People of S. Providence

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:52:00 +0000

From RISEN Magazine Winter 2012 issue

By The Rev. Edmund Harris

Jonathan Myrick Daniels was a 26-year-old seminarian when he heard the televised appeal of

Martin Luther King Jr. for students and clergy to join the struggle for civil rights. Inspired by the words of the Magnificat about the God who "hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meek," he knew he had to travel to Selma. Once in Alabama, he took up the work of building the Kingdom of God: integrating local Episcopal churches, registering African- American voters, tutoring children, and galvanizing relief agencies. After being released from jail for joining a picket line, Daniels was shot and killed while pushing an African-American teenage girl, Ruby Sales, out of harm’s way.

Although Daniels is recognized as a martyr of the Civil Rights Movement, few people know that he spent time ministering in South Providence before traveling south. Sheila Conway, who grew up in the Roger Williams Public Housing complex and attended Christ Church on the lower South Side, got to know Daniels when he worked at Church House, which offered programming for neighborhood youth. Conway vividly remembers the last time she saw Daniels. "Daniels was in town to say goodbye to friends and my family could not attend the gathering because a family member was ill. He made a point of stopping by our apartment to pray for healing," she recalled. "There was such a sense of calm." In August of 1965, a college student involved with Church House knocked on the door to personally tell them that Daniels had been killed.

Conway is now part of a new initiative in the Diocese to establish Jonathan Daniels House, a residential service community for young adults. As part of the Episcopal Service Corps, an expanding network of over twenty service communities for young adults in cities across the country, Jonathan Daniels House will welcome 4-8 young adults to South Providence, hopefully in the fall of 2013. Participants in Episcopal Service Corps communities live intentionally in Christian community, work alongside service agencies embedded in local communities, and engage in vocational and spiritual discernment for a period of 9-11 months. They receive a modest stipend to cover living expenses as well as health insurance, and are supported by a program director and mentors.

The idea of Jonathan Daniels House is the fruit of a yearlong study conducted by the South Providence Task Force. The Task Force considered how the Episcopal Church could maintain an active presence in South Providence following the closure of Church of the Epiphany there in 2009. As the Task Force considered how vital ministry of the Episcopal Church might emerge from the needs and hopes of communities in South Providence, including ways the Diocese might partner with existing organizations there, the possibilities for collaboration crystallized around the idea of planting a residential service community for young adults.

As members of the Task Force shared with Diocesan Council in June, a community like Jonathan Daniels House would have a wide-reaching impact in South Providence, forming diverse new communities of people, and expanding the reach of existing organizations and programs. Such a community would also have a significant impact on the life of the Diocese, nourishing a regular young adult presence, galvanizing parishes and diocesan organizations to become involved, and connecting the Diocese to the wider Church in service. "We can think of no better way to continue the work of justice and reconciliation for which Daniels lived and died," they said.



For more information on Jonathan Daniels House, including how you or your church might become involved, contact The Rev’d Edmund Harris at Edmund@epiphanyep.org or 401-434-5012

Search Process: Reflections and Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:44:00 +0000

Today’s post is another in a series of reflections and impressions from members of the Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee. This post is from the Rev. Canon Jonathan Huyck, rector of Grace Church in Providence and a member of the Search & Nomination Committee. Visit www.episcopalrisearch.org for more information

I’ve been serving as a member of the Bishop Search & Nomination Committee for our diocese for the last six months, and each phase the committee has gone through has been like a new chapter. As I write this, members of the committee are fanning out across the country to visit our candidates in their home churches and to meet with the people with whom they work closely. At the same time as these visits, we’ve also gone further than the initial three recommendations the candidates initially submitted and are engaging in what we on the committee call “deep referencing.” We’re speaking one-on-one with the candidates’ current and former associate rectors, former rectors, current and former bishops, etc. We know that nothing can tell us more about how someone would act as a bishop in the future than how they’ve been as a priest in the past. How did they treat that associate rector they supervised in the ‘90s? How helpful were they to their rectors when these candidates were themselves associate rectors in the ‘80s?

At the same time that we are trying to learn all we can about these candidates by talking with current and former colleagues, they are themselves in deep discernment. It may be easy enough to put in an application, but when the chances are 50-50 that you’ll actually end up on the slate for election to be the Bishop of Rhode Island, you start to discern a little harder! I have no doubt that our “quarterfinalists” are doing their own prayerful reflection as well as even deeper research into who we are here in Rhode Island and whether our diocese would be a good fit for their skills and interests.

If you’re wondering where it was that I went on my visit, the answer is that I went nowhere. Nowhere, because just two weeks before I was to fly west for an interview, the candidate in question withdrew from the race. And then there were nine. This happens often in bishop searches, and is, in fact, a sign of the deep discernment our candidates are doing just as we do our “deep referencing.” Although I was disappointed to see a strong candidate go (they’re all strong, at this point), I’m glad he had the wisdom to see now rather than later that he was not called to be the Bishop of Rhode Island at this time.

This stage is hard work, but it’s also great fun. We are getting to know some wonderful priests across the country, but what’s more, we’re getting to know each other on the committee in a more meaningful way. As one of our members said recently, “This is the most fun I’ve had in the diocese in years!” As someone still relatively new to the diocese (18 months), it has been wonderful for me to get to know my fellow Episcopalians – both lay and ordained – through this intensive process. There is a palpable excitement within our committee and a spirit of cooperation and mutual affection that augurs well (I rarely get to say “augur”) for the future of our diocese, hopefully with a wonderful bishop to channel that positive energy for the building up of the Kingdom of God here in Rhode Island!

The Latest eRISEN- January 17th 2012

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:16:00 +0000

You can view the latest issue of eRISEN, our biweekly email events calendar, at the link below:

eRISEN: 1/17/2012 issue

Want to subscribe to the eRISEN mailing list? Want to submit your event? Just visit eRISEN on our website.

Trinity, Cranston Earns Press for Turning $100 in Gift Cards Into $4,000

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:33:00 +0000

In the Warwick Beacon
12/28/11

Trinity Church makes Christmas special with $4,000 in donations
By Meg Fraser

At a Diocesan Conference, Trinity Church in Pawtuxet Village was given five $20 Stop & Shop gift cards. The Bishop issued a challenge for the parish to triple it, to distribute $300 worth of food to families in need.

By the end of mass the following Sunday, Trinity had collected $650 to distribute. By the end of the week, it was up to $900. And by the time Christmas rolled around, the Episcopal church had given out more than $4,000 worth of food and money... click here for full Warwick Beacon article

Bishop Wolf's Christmas Letter

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:31:00 +0000

Christmas 2011

Many years ago, on a sparkling clear Christmas Eve, a friend and I stood beneath the stars on a very cold and silent winter’s night. Our parents and siblings were having dinner inside the house, celebrating one of the eight days of Hanukah. Wrapped in a warm, jacket, barely audible from behind a large scarf, Mark lifted his head to the sky and said, “I don’t know about Jesus, or about what we’re supposed to believe about this night, but I know that something very special has occurred.”

Like Mark, some people will come to our churches this Feast of the Nativity, unsure of what they believe, but knowing deeply within their hearts that something special has occurred.

“Christmas is a time of coming to terms with God’s all embracing and redemptive love for us,” said the Archbishop of Canterbury. Perhaps what my friend Mark described as “special,” was a glimpse of God’s love and embrace, a mysterious “surrounding” for which he had no words.

God’s Word, spoken through a human voice and amplified by a divine heart, is for our well-being and fulfillment. He announces a truth from which we cannot hide, and through our persistent engagement with its message, we discover a new life has been born within. Through Jesus, God holds us and loves us with a loyalty that inspires us to reach out and hold the human family.

In these times of economic insecurity and grave uncertainty, the most important gift that we can give is ourselves; our steadfastness with others, our loyalty to the promises of God’s kingdom, our generosity in stilling the anxiety of others, our capacity to forgive and set free those living in the bondage of shame. The light of God leads us to peoples in whose heart Christ has already found a home, and from which we will discover anew the gift of God’s profound love.

With the pains of poverty or near poverty facing over 40% of our population and the persecution of Christians prevalent in so many countries in the world—we can learn much from the grace and faithfulness revealed through the deep heartache of these, our sisters and brothers, who are so rich in the spirit of Christ.

We may feel powerless to help, but I assure you that they are strengthened by the knowledge that their plight is not forgotten, and that the prayers of others unite us across otherwise insurmountable boundaries. So, we pray for all for whom Christ entered this world and died for its redemption. We pray, and we write letters; we share financial resources, and we spend time in listening. We give and we receive, a hundred fold. Through the power of the Word enfleshed, the Father’s love is born into the world, and into each of us. It is our joy to receive this gift as invitation and opportunity as we join in the long line of saints through whose lives others have experienced forgiveness and liberty.

To my priests and deacons, I know how challenging it is to focus on the word of God, when many look to you to attend to pastoral and liturgical details. May this holy season of the Nativity give you time for stillness in the face of such awesome responsibilities, and a deep knowledge of God’s devotion to you who have chosen to follow him in such a wondrous and generous calling.

May you have a Blessed Christmas, a joyous celebration of the Holy Name and the Feast of the Epiphany, and a season that reveals Jesus’ all encompassing love for you.

Yours Faithfully,

+Geralyn Wolf
Bishop of Rhode Island

Bishop Search: Reflections and Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:06:00 +0000

Today’s post is another in a series of reflections and impressions from members of the Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee. This post is from the Rev. Deacon Dorothy “Ricky” Brightman, a member of the Transition Committee. Visit www.episcopalrisearch.org for more Search Process updates

My church, St. Luke’s in East Greenwich, is also in a time of transition. As we search for a new rector, a sizable group of parishioners is working diligently to define, solidify and enrich our parish ministry – and identify a new leader. The time spent on this transition process often confuses non-Episcopalians, who assume that a new priest will simply be assigned or “rotated in.” They don’t understand that this is a shared endeavor as we struggle and work to build a new church – a new diocese – built on the strengths of the past and the needs of the future. It is important that many are involved and all are knowledgeable about what is going on. When done well, this wonderful process will bring all parts of the parish (and diocese) together in a process of discernment, preparation and waiting.

We have welcomed Bishop David Joslin to our original “Transition Team,” as well as other friends throughout the diocese who have volunteered to work on specific tasks. Our geography is different as well as our worship style, size of church and past experience in diocesan programs. We all don’t sound like Rhode Islanders and certainly don’t share the same snack-food preferences. We represent all of Rhode Island and, as such, will effectively be able to welcome a new bishop into our midst and work to make the pathway straight for her or him. We have even found that it is not difficult to drive over one or two or three bridges to get to a meeting – or travel as effectively from west to east as we usually do from north to south!

Sure, it might be more efficient and easier to accept a new assigned leader or one chosen by a small group of selected and knowing individuals. But that is not the Episcopal Way — as the Rev. Casey Shobe described in his musings a couple of months ago. We are not searching for a CEO to work for and manage the diocese; just as St Luke’s is not looking for a new priest who will take over, solve all problems and move us into the future.

As we watch and wait this Advent, we sit still and listen and pray. Necessary specific tasks will be done, the Search & Nomination Committee will become more intensely involved with its work, and the Transition Committee will anticipate and plan for the fruits of its labor.

One of the blessings of the long search and transition process is the gift of time – time to develop our listening skills, time for everyone to have a chance to be heard. As we listen to others, we learn more about the diocese and also about ourselves. Soon we will learn more about our cast of candidates. It is rare in this hurried world that we have the time to listen to each other, ask real questions and share the voice of the Spirit moving among us. This process for both the parish and diocese is truly worthwhile, and the groundwork we lay down through our discussion and deliberation will build a strong future for us all.

Snapshot of our Bishop Candidates

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:34:00 +0000

The application period for candidates to be considered for the 13th Bishop of Rhode Island is over, and the Search & Nomination Committee is very pleased!
“We have attracted a wide range of very talented priests,” says Lora MacFall, chair of the Search & Nomination Committee. “From reading their application materials, it’s clear that they see the Diocese of Rhode Island as an exciting possibility for the next phase of their ministry. Everyone in the diocese should be encouraged by the response we have received in our search. Please continue to pray for the committee as it continues its work.”

In all, 40 individuals have completed the application process. Here’s a quick snapshot of the pool of candidates:

Geography: Four New England states are represented (Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine and Connecticut) as well as 14 others and the District of Columbia. Locations stretch from New England to Arizona and California and from Idaho and Utah to Georgia and Florida.
Age: From the early 40s to the early 60s, most in their 50s
Gender: The group includes 31 men and eight women.
Current positions: Parish rectors and senior associates, cathedral deans and canon pastors (associates), senior diocesan staff members and a seminary professor
Education: Candidates have master’s degrees and doctoral degrees from 14 seminaries.

The Latest e-RISEN, 12/2/11

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:00:00 +0000

You can view the latest issue of eRISEN, our biweekly email events calendar, at the link below:

eRISEN: 12/2/2011 issue

Want to subscribe to the eRISEN mailing list? Want to submit your event? Just visit eRISEN on our website.

Bishop Search: Candidate Reviews & Event Planning

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:11:00 +0000

Taken from the Bishop Search Process Blog at www.episcopalrisearch.org . Visit their site to learn more about the Bishop Search in RI

[11/30/11] November was a busy month for members of the Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee. Members of the Search & Nomination Committee began reading hundreds of documents submitted by the 40 candidates for Bishop of Rhode Island. Candidate files now include a nomination form, application form, answers to four essay questions, Office of Transition Ministry form, resume, autobiography, consent form and letters from three references.

The committee is holding multiple meetings in early December, where they will together begin prayerful discussions of each candidate’s strengths, skills and experiences to determine which individuals best match the priorities outlined in the Diocesan Profile. Based on those discussions, committee members will interview selected candidates using computer-to-computer video technology (Skype).

“Committee members are excited about the quality of talent and experience we are seeing,” says Lora MacFall, chair of the Search & Nomination Committee. “We know it will be a difficult task to reduce the number of individuals being considered and discern which candidates to visit early in 2012, but we also know that the presence of the Holy Spirit in our process will help us.”

Meanwhile, the Transition Committee is making additional progress on planning details of the walkabout with the final candidates next May and finalizing a site for the consecration service in November 2012. Committee members interviewed four priests and laypeople in Rhode Island who have experienced walkabouts in other dioceses. They also conducted an exercise to “imagine” their hopes for the consecration service and then started identifying details that will need to be planned to achieve that imagined outcome.

“The committee clearly wanted to find a single venue big enough for everyone who wants to be there and hopes to announce that location in the next few weeks,” says Cathy Iacobucci, Transition Committee chair. “We also want to have a webcast available for those who can’t be with us, and then make that webcast available through the diocesan website afterward.”

As Christmas and the end of 2011 approach, committee members will continue work on those events as well as the June 2 electing convention and a celebration of Bishop Wolf’s ministry that will occur in late April.

Bishop Wolf's 2011 Convention Address Video

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:16:00 +0000

The Latest eRISEN- 11/23/2011

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:59:00 +0000

You can view the latest issue of eRISEN, our biweekly email events calendar, at the link below:

eRISEN: 11/23/2011 issue

Want to subscribe to the eRISEN mailing list? Want to submit your event? Just visit eRISEN on our website.

The Latest eRISEN- 11/3/11 & Convention Registration Reminder

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:15:00 +0000

You can view the latest issue of eRISEN, our biweekly email events calendar, at the link below:

eRISEN: 11/3/2011 issue

Want to subscribe to the eRISEN mailing list? Want to submit your event? Just visit eRISEN our website.

Bishop Search: Election Site Announced as Nominations are Processed

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:41:00 +0000

Progress is accelerating in the search for the 13th bishop of Rhode Island.

The Transition Committee has arranged to hold the special Diocesan Convention to elect the next bishop at St. Luke’s, East Greenwich, on Saturday, June 2, 2012. Registration for the convention will begin at 8 a.m., followed by Eucharist at 9 a.m. Balloting will take place in the church beginning at 10:30 a.m. If necessary, additional ballots will follow until a candidate achieves the required majorities in both the lay and clerical orders. Bishop Wolf convenes and chairs the electing convention. More details will be communicated closer to the event.

Cathy Iacobucci, chair of the Transition Committee, says the committee also is making good progress in selecting a site for the ordination service for the 13th Bishop of Rhode Island, which will take place Nov. 17, 2012.

While the Transition Committee is finalizing site details, the Search & Nomination Committee is preparing to begin considering potential candidates for bishop.

“I am very encouraged by the quality and quantity of nominations,” says Lora MacFall, chair of the Search & Nomination Committee. “We received more than 40 nominations, from all over the country — including our diocese. We don’t know if all of those individuals will complete the application process and ultimately be considered by the committee, but so far it appears to be a very strong group. We have received a diverse group of names — men and women, from many locations, with various kinds of experience, etc. Now we await their materials and continue to pray that we discern what God has in mind for our diocese.”

Once the committee received a nomination, that triggered an e-mail response confirming receipt and requesting that the individual who was nominated complete and return several specific items:

Application Form, with complete contact information and answers to four short-essay questions developed by the committee.
Up-to-date curriculum vitae or resume.
Names and contact information for three references: one member of the clergy of the Episcopal Church, one lay member of the Episcopal Church and any other individual who is not a spouse, relative, under the nominee’s direct supervision or nominator. The committee will contact those references and ask for specific comments.
Up-to-date Office of Transition Ministry (OTM) form — multipage form from the national church that details an individual’s work history, compensation expectations, additional reference information and answers to nine short-essay questions.
Signed Consent and Authorization form to confirm that individual’s interest and to obtain consents and releases concerning actions or events that may develop during the nomination and election process.
A 500-word autobiographical statement.

As those materials come in, they are being posted on a secure, online site so that committee members can confidentially review them and prepare for discussions at meetings in late November. The outcome of those discussions will determine who will be selected for the first round of interviews, which will be conducted using Skype computer-to-computer video technology.

The Church at Occupy Providence

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:01:00 +0000

By The. Rev. Edmund Harris, Epiphany East Providence

Since Occupy Wall St. began, Episcopalians have wondered what the Church’s role should be in the movement. Where would Jesus be? Some, such as the “Protest Chaplains” in New York and Boston, have embraced the chance to get involved. Others have watched the protests unfold with curiosity, while attending to church business as usual: trying to grow the church by getting people to come inside the doors.

There is an ironic sign floating around the Internet that blesses this time-tested way of being church: “Occupy the Pews of Your Episcopal Church,” it proclaims. I can’t deny: this is clever marketing. But it isn’t Christian. Not only does it contradict the message of the Occupy movement, but the Gospels as well.

When did the Son of Man, who sent his disciples out in pairs with nothing but the clothes on their backs, tell his followers to “occupy the courts of the Temple?” The church is distracted these days by dwindling numbers, aging buildings, and strategies to get people to come inside to encounter Jesus rather than recognizing that Jesus is already present with the people on the streets. What if, instead, the church came out of the buildings and occupied the streets?

Last Sunday at 4 p.m. a group of laypeople and clergy from the Diocese of Rhode Island took church out the doors to hold “The Church at Occupy Providence.” With less than twenty-four hours’ notice, we gathered with the people occupying Burnside Park, preached the Gospel, shared in Christ’s Body and Blood, and experienced Christ’s presence in one another. It was a powerful witness, and there were different reactions to us.

Most expressed gratitude for church outside the walls. Some were surprised to see us there. “Is that a costume?” one woman asked me, pointing to my clerical collar. “I didn’t know churches supported things like this,” another person said. Others expressed righteous anger. “Where’ve you been?” one organizer asked me. “You’re the first group of Christians to set foot in this place. Meanwhile, we’ve been feeding hungry people and demanding justice for everyone. Aren’t these the things churches are supposed to care about?”

In the Gospel proclaimed during the service, Jesus spoke about the commandments to love

God, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus especially calls us to love our most vulnerable neighbors, the ones those of us with privilege easily overlook: those who suffer at the hands of the powerful, our sisters and brothers who have lost their homes to foreclosure, those who live and die without access to adequate health care, those who are “undocumented.”

I believe that the Church desperately needs the Occupy movement at this tender moment in

its life, and that the Holy Spirit may be working through it to call the church to something new. Like the prophets, the Occupy movement may draw the church out of its complacency, and remind us that the church too is a movement, not only an institution. We are a body, not only a building with pews. If we listen to voices of Occupy, we may indeed hear Jesus speaking to us, reminding us of the work he calls us to prioritize, and to love him in the people he called us to serve first.

So, how can you or your congregation get involved?

Be Present. Step out of your comfort zone. March and hold a placard if you wish, or sit with folks and listen to their stories. Attend a General Assembly meeting. Don’t proselytize, but do show up! The Occupy movement is fundamentally about being present in order to affect social change.
Worship. As long as Burnside Park is occupied, we will gather every Sunday at 4 p.m. for joyful, hope-filled worship, preaching shared by all, and the breaking of bread. Jesus will be present, and we hope you will too.
Feed. Now is the time to share your grandma’s lentil soup recipe! Occupy Providence feeds anyone who shows up—folks who call the streets home, folks who can’t afford a meal alongside those who can. To learn how to help, visit the Occupy Providence webpage, and check out the list of “working groups.”
If you can't support us in person, be present on The Church at Occupy Providence facebook page
Talk about Occupy Providence with your congregations, families, and friends. It will offend some and galvanize others. Good! Many people are curious. Some are wary, or ambivalent. Tell why you think it important and invite them to become a part.

Bishop Search: Reflections and Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:04:00 +0000

Today’s post is another in a series of reflections and impressions from members of the Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee. This post is from the Rev. Casey Shobe, rector of St. Peter’s by-the-Sea in Narragansett and a member of the Transition Committee.

One of my favorite questions to ask participants in newcomer classes is “what does the word ‘Episcopal’ mean? Actually, it’s a question that I like to ask people who aren’t newcomers, too, because most don’t know the answer. Episcopal comes from the Greek word episcopos, meaning “bishop.” We are called the Episcopal Church because we are organized and guided by bishops. Bishops are how we trace our history to the apostles. Bishops are who we entrust to preserve the teaching of Christ through the Church. Bishops are the ones who confirm the faith of new Christians, and ordain new priests and deacons to serve our churches and communities. We are the Episcopal Church because bishops are fundamentally important to who we are and what we’re about.

That little lesson in etymology is important as we search for our new bishop because it reminds us of our identity. In many conversations recently, I have heard people wonder why we need bishops at all. Couldn’t we just have a part-time bishop? Or borrow a bishop from some neighboring diocese whenever “we need one”? Or yoke our bishop to a church to do double-duty and save us some money? I’ve also heard people describe the way that only the churches know what’s good for them, that they are the true deposits of the faith.
We are not a congregational church. We are the Episcopal Church. We are organized and guided by bishops. Our churches do not exist as islands unto themselves, but are held together because of their relationship with our bishop. I do not welcome the bishop to St. Peter’s as a guest; I welcome her to her church. Whoever we elect will not be some sort of institutional CEO, but will be a symbol and instrument of our entire community and the faith we share.

This is humbling to consider, both from our perspective, and from the perspective of whomever we call to this role. But the good news is that we are not electing a savior. Whatever happens in our churches, whatever struggles we face as a diocese, we follow a Lord who reigns supreme, who conquered death, and who even now is working with us to make all things new.

RISEN Magazine Fall 2011, "The Convention Issue"

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:55:00 +0000

The latest issue of RISEN Magazine, "The Convention Issue" has been printed and mailed so keep an eye on your mailboxes. Can't wait? you can view it in a fun e-book gadget at the bottom of this page or on our website

RISEN Magazine is The Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island's award winning News and special interest magazine. Each issue of RISEN centers on a timely theme and features articles that aim to inform, enlighten and inspire. It is published quarterly and has a circulation of around 9,000 with an estimated readership of 23,000.

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The Latest eRISEN: October 17, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:30:00 +0000

You can view the latest issue of eRISEN, our biweekly email events calendar, at the link below:

eRISEN: October 17th, 2011 issue

Want to subscribe to the eRISEN mailing list? Want to submit your event? Just visit eRISEN our website

This Weekend: S. Sudanese Bishop Abraham Yel Nhial to visit RI Parishes

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:21:00 +0000

The Rt. Rev. Abraham Yel Nhial, Bishop of the Diocese of Aweil and Abuei in the South Sudan, will be visiting a few Rhode Island Parishes this weekend, October 21-23, 2011.

Bishop Nhial is the author of Lost Boy No More, A True Story of Survival and Salvation with DiAnn Mills.

“As a nine year old child, Abraham found himself orphaned as civil war in his homeland of Sudan ravaged his entire village because they refused to embrace Islam. His journey is one of a perilous walk, along with 35,000 lost boys of Sudan, who fled to Ethiopia. Abraham and others like him made it to the border, but hard times were not over as he endured the refugee camps of Ethiopia. Abraham becomes a lost boy no more when he discovers real salvation through Jesus Christ.” From the back cover: Lost Boy No More A true story of survival and salvation by Abraham Nhial and DiAnn Mills

You are invited to meet and greet him at one of the following gatherings:

Grace Episcopal Church
When: Friday October 21, 2011 6:00pm
Where: 175 Mathewson Street Providence, RI 02903
Description: Come to Meet Bishop Abraham, Reception with light refreshments in Grace Church followed by a brief presentation by Bishop Abraham

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
When: Saturday October 22, 2011 7:30pm
Where: 325 East Main Road Portsmouth, Rhode Island 02871
Description: Brief Presentation and Conversation with Bishop Abraham

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
When: Sunday October 23, 2011 9:30 am Holy Eucharist Followed by Educational Forum
Where: 55 Main Street, Wickford, RI 02852
Description: Bishop Abraham will preach at the 9:30 service and offer a brief presentation and the opportunity for conversation at the educational forum.

2011-12 Discernment Program Intro

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:34:00 +0000

The Commission on Ministry in the Diocese of Rhode Island offers an in-depth discernment process for all who are seeking to explore their baptismal vocation, all who want to discern a call to either Lay Ministry or Ordained Ministry in the Episcopal Church.

It is a ten month program consisting of monthly meetings on topics such as the mystery of prayer, adventures in awareness, framing the question, and the faces of ministry. The program is designed to help participants discern what God is calling them to at this time in their life. With the support of participants' parishes and priests, they will be led through a structured program that will teach them the tools of discernment. This process is also a requirement for all who may be called to Ordained Ministry.

The Introductory Session of this year’s process will be held on Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 9:30 to 11:30 am at the Diocesan Annex next to the Diocesan office building, 275 North Main Street in Providence. Anyone who is interested in the Discernment Process is invited to attend this session, along with the people who will support the discerner spiritually during their journey; his/her spouse or partner and the Rector or Senior Warden. To ensure that we can offer the discernment program this year at least four persons must register at this session for the 2011-2012 program. All interested are asked to respond to: The Rev. Alcide Barnaby, Jr. by Friday, November 4, 2011

Outline of Discernment Process in the Diocese of RI

Introductory Session Saturday, November 19, 2011:
One Saturday a month December 2011 – June 2012

The process builds using many spiritual and self-reflective tools for discernment. Participants will be asked to read some books, including Listening Hearts, by Susanne Farnham and Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer along with reprints of articles and materials that will be distributed at various sessions.
Participants will prepare a spiritual autobiography and put together a Discernment Team. (A Discernment Team is in no way an evaluation measure; it is meant to provide a deep safe place and people with whom a discerner can explore concerns that may come up in the process of Discernment.)

Summer 2012 – Discernment continues

Participants are asked to spend the months of July and August exploring. They may want to visit churches other and different from their own and reflect on the experience. They may want to meet with a priest, deacon and/or lay minister and have conversation about vocation and call, as well as the practical aspects of the various callings and ministries.
At the end of the summer each discerner is asked to write a reflection paper on this experience.

September 2012

A closing dinner is a way for the participants in the Discernment Process to reflect on the Process with their spouses / partners, rectors and the members of the Commission on Ministry.

Bishop Search: Diocesan Profile is Up and Nominations Open

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:17:00 +0000

The profile in the search for the 13th Bishop of Rhode Island is complete and posted below as well as at http://www.episcopalrisearch.org/profile .

The Search & Nomination Committee, chaired by Lora MacFall, a member at St. Andrew's in Little Compton, used survey responses from laity and clergy throughout the diocese as well as input from a series of listening sessions to develop the profile. The document outlines the diocese's strengths, challenges, and hopes for the future as well as specific strengths and skills the committee will look for in candidates to become our next bishop.

Nominations are open now through October 28. Interested individuals may nominate themselves or others as candidates. On our website here you'll find an e-Nomination Form and a PDF version for downloading and printing.

The Diocese of Rhode Island will elect its next bishop at a special convention June 2, 2012. The ordination service for the 13th Bishop of Rhode Island will occur November 17, 2012.

The Latest eRISEN - September 28th 2011

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:19:00 +0000

You can view the latest issue of eRISEN, our biweekly email events calendar, at the link below:

eRISEN: September 28th, 2011 issue

Want to subscribe to the eRISEN mailing list? Want to submit your event? Just visit eRISEN our website

Bishop Search: Reflections and Impressions for September

noreply@blogger.com (The Episcopal Diocese of RI) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:38:00 +0000

Today’s post is another in a series of reflections and impressions from members of the Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee. This post is from the Rev. Bob Brooks, a retired priest in the diocese and a member of the Search & Nomination Committee.

I’ve served on several search and calling committees over the years. There’s always a distinct and logical set of tasks and steps the group must accomplish, but in this particular search there is also an interesting and important process going on at the same time that’s more subtle and less obvious. That process is informed and empowered by the Spirit, forming and shaping the group, informing and guiding our work.

We’re fortunate to have a group of chaplains from the Bethany House of Prayer in Massachusetts working with us. Their ministry with and for us is sacramental. They provide a quiet and prayerful context for each of our meetings. They encourage us to pause, to reflect, and to be attentive and aware of ourselves and of God’s presence with us. To me, the work we do with our chaplains makes serving on this committee a powerful and joyful experience. I am convinced that the outcome of our work will be immeasurably improved as a result.