Episcopal Life Daily May 13, 2008
Episcopal Life Online is available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife.
Today's Episcopal Life Daily includes:
* TOP STORY - May 25 bulletin insert offers an overview of the Lambeth Conference * TOP STORY - Presiding Bishop, Archbishop Tutu address University of the South commencement * TOP STORY - Episcopal Relief and Development responds to major earthquake in China * WORLD REPORT - IRELAND: Archbishop reflects on Holy Land visit, condemns car bomb attack * MULTIMEDIA - Video: Ireland Archbishop Alan Harper on the Lambeth Conference * DAYBOOK - May 14, 2008: Today in Scripture, Prayer, History * CATALYST - Evil and the Justice of God
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TOP STORIES
May 25 bulletin insert offers an overview of the Lambeth Conference
[Episcopal Life Weekly] The May 25 bulletin insert offers an overview of the 2008 Lambeth Conference of bishops, set for July 16-August 3 in Canterbury, England. This insert is the first in a nine-part series on the Lambeth Conference and the Anglican Communion.
Bulletin inserts are available at
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/95270_ENG_HTM.htm
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Presiding Bishop, Archbishop Tutu address University of the South commencement
[University of the South] The University of the South (http://www.sewanee.edu) in Sewanee, Tennessee, concluded its yearlong sesquicentennial celebration with commencement and baccalaureate ceremonies for 40 School of Theology seminarians and 346 students from the College of Arts and Sciences. The ceremonies were highlighted by addresses from Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town Desmond M. Tutu.
A video of the Presiding Bishop's address is available here (http://www.sewanee.edu/150/baccalaureate). A video of Tutu's sermon is available here (http://www.sewanee.edu/150/tutu).
Commencement weekend opened May 9 at 10 a.m. in All Saints' Chapel with the School of Theology's service of commencement, Holy Eucharist, and presentation of St. Luke's Crosses. Tutu preached and honorary degrees were awarded to the Rev. Canon James G. Callaway, deputy for grants and outreach at Parish of Trinity Church, New York City, and a 1966 Sewanee graduate; the Rev. Dr. Marion J. Hatchett, professor emeritus of liturgics and church music and the former C.K. Benedict professor of pastoral theology at the School of Theology; and the Rt. Rev. Dabney T. Smith, fifth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_97089_ENG_HTM.htm
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Episcopal Relief and Development responds to major earthquake in China
[Episcopal Relief and Development] Casualties from the massive 7.9 earthquake that struck central China yesterday have increased to at least 12,000 people, with more than 18,000 believed to be trapped in rubble. In some areas 80 percent of all buildings have collapsed and officials estimate that 3.5 million homes have been destroyed.
Heavy rainfall, power outages and impassable roads are slowing the rescue work. Doctors and other emergency workers were forced to walk to the epicenter, which they eventually reached 24 hours after the quake. Military officials have deployed approximately 50,000 troops to assist local emergency services. Trains carrying relief aid have begun to make their way to the affected areas, carrying more than 50,000 tents, fuel and numerous other relief materials.
Episcopal Relief and Development's partner in China, the Amity Foundation, an independent Chinese Christian voluntary organization, is responding to the quake. Amity has deployed staff to the affected region and is coordinating their response with local partners. With Episcopal Relief and Development's support, Amity is distributing rice, bedding and sheltering material to alleviate the suffering of 8,000 families in the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Sha'anxi.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_97077_ENG_HTM.htm
More Top Stories: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife
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WORLD REPORT
IRELAND: Archbishop reflects on Holy Land visit, condemns car bomb attack http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_97078_ENG_HTM.htm
More World news: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_ENG_HTM.htm
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MULTIMEDIA
Ireland Archbishop Alan Harper on the Lambeth Conference
[Episcopal News Service] Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland Alan Harper speaks about his hopes for this summer's Lambeth Conference, which he says is an opportunity for the bishops "to pray together, to study together, to discuss the problems and issues which are particularly current from their own perspectives and in their own backgrounds, to gain strength from one another, and to recognize in one another a Communion which goes back over many centuries."
Video: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81231_ENG_HTM.htm
More Multimedia: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80056_ENG_HTM.htm
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DAYBOOK
On May 14, 2008...
* Today in Scripture: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/82457_ENG_HTM.htm * Today in Prayer: Anglican Cycle of Prayer: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/index.cfm * Today in History: On May 14, 1759, Anglican evangelical and hymnist John Berridge preached his first outdoor sermon.
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CATALYST
"Evil and the Justice of God" from InterVarsity Press, by N. T. Wright, 176 pages, hardcover, c. 2006, $18
[InterVarsity Press] With every earthquake and war, understanding the nature of evil and the response to it becomes more urgent. Evil is no longer the concern just of ministers and theologians but also of politicians and the media.
"We hear of child abuse, ethnic cleansing, AIDS, torture and terrorism, and rightfully we are shocked. But, N. T. Wright says, we should not be surprised. For too long we have naively believed in the modern idea of human progress. In contrast, postmodern thinkers have rightly argued that evil is real, powerful and important, but they give no real clue as to what we should do about it.
"In fact, evil is more serious than either our culture or our theology has supposed. How then might Jesus' death be the culmination of the Old Testament solution to evil but on a wider and deeper scale than most imagine? Can we possibly envision a world in which we are delivered from evil? How might we work toward such a future through prayer and justice in the present?"
These are the powerful and pressing themes that N. T. Wright addresses in this book that is at once timely and timeless.
To order: Episcopal Books and Resources, online at http://www.episcopalbookstore.org, or call 800-903-5544 -- or visit your local Episcopal bookseller, http://www.episcopalbooksellers.org
More Catalyst: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/83842_ENG_HTM.htm