Live God’s love. Tell what you have seen and heard.

News from the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem, Vol. 1 No. 5, September and October 2012

For National News see:episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/ or

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Grace, Allentown's award winning worship space (continued on page 3)

BY LIBBY HOUSE

On July 16, 2012, the Rev. Dr. Patrick Malloy, former rector of Grace Church, Allentown, was informed that the church's liturgi-cal renovation has been select-ed for the 2012 Religious Art & Architecture Award by Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture, a knowledge com-munity of the American Institute of Architects. Malloy, the liturgical consultant for the project, is the recipient of the prestigious award to be conferred next June in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1978, the awards, which fall primar-ily into four categories (Religious Architecture, Liturgical/Interior

Design, Sacred Landscape, and Religious Arts), honor the best in architecture, liturgical design, and art for religious spaces. Grace Church's project has been chosen in the Liturgical/Interior Design category for the 2008-2009 reno-vation of its worship space. About a dozen awards are given interna-tionally each year.

Last February at a seminar on religious architecture the semi-nar leader, Dr. Richard Vosko, a well-known liturgical consultant who served previously as a judge on the IFRAA panel, suggested that the Grace Church project would make a good candidate for a 2012 award. This past

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LIBBY HOUSE

View of the worship space looking at the back of the church from the altar.

Seeking help for so much left undone (continued on page 3)BY JOHN MAJOR

Not long ago, I found myself stand-ing on a 21-foot ladder removing boards covering the windows of the former Nanticoke church recent-ly reborn as St. George’s Regional Disaster Recovery & Outreach Center, trying to hold onto both the ladder and a power screwdriver while duck-ing the wasps swarming out of the nest I had just disturbed. When I was safely on the ground, my assistant for this little project looked at me and asked, “Did they have a class for this when you went to seminary?”

If they did, I was absent that day. Maybe I was absent a lot more than I thought, because in my 25 years of priestly ministry, there have been many instances where the work before me was not something I was prepared for by any training. The biggest example is the flood recov-ery work suddenly thrust on so many in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011.

What prepares you for seeing water lapping at the doors of homes just a block from your church? Where do you begin to help when one third of your neighbors and hundreds more in nearby towns are piling all their mud soaked belong-ings at the curb? How do you even think about slowing down on efforts to help when the sounds of ham-mers and saws still ring out a full year later as so many try to put their lives back together?

How can you not ask what you can do to be better prepared next time when experts say it’s not a matter of if there is another flood—but when, or when you see nearly daily accounts of tornados, wild-fires, prolonged power outages, and other disasters? These are ques-tions that I can’t stop asking.

Looking back on this past year, the people of Trinity West Pittston and the Diocese of Bethlehem can be proud of the way we lived out our

Christian calling to care for those in need. Unprepared though we were, the response was wonderful and con-tinues to this day. On September 8, just one day after the one year anniversary of the flood, Trinity West Pittston will host our neighbors in an outdoor celebration of Holy Eucharist followed by a complimentary cook-out. We want our neighbors to know that we, and the Episcopal Church, are still there for them.

That same week will mark the 25 anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. As I consider this ministry I find that instead of think-ing about what has been done in the past, I see so much more that must be done, especially in my new-est ministry as Episcopal Relief & Development representative for the Diocese of Bethlehem. Reflecting on how unprepared so many were, I see a great need to step up our efforts to be prepared at all levels across the diocese, and I invite you to mark

your calendar now for our next disaster preparedness plan training on October 27. And I would like

Inside Diocesan LifeRising above envy is liberation 2

Diocesan Health Ministry grant has unexpected results 2

Focusing on mission: the Mutual Ministry Review 3

"What God starts, God finishes" 4

Senior High mission trip makes impact on lives 5

Renewal Assembly VI 5

Congregational Renewal grants 5

Diocesan Convention 5

General Convention encourages renewed focus on mission 6

Reflections on General Convention 2012 6

What's happening 7

2 Diocesan Life September/October 2012

Live God’s love: tell what you have seen and heard www.diobeth.org

THE ANGLICAN COMMUNIONA freely chosen global fellowship of churches in communion with one another and with the See of Canterbury in England, some 80 million people in 38 self-governing churches in more than 160 countries.www.anglicancommunion.org

Archbishop of Canterbury The Most Rev. Rowan WilliamsLambeth PalaceLondon, England SE1 7JUEpiscopal Seat: Canterbury Cathedralwww.archbishopofcanterbury.org

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH One of 38 self-governing national churches within the worldwide Anglican Communion, 2.4 million members in 7,679 congregations in 110 dioceses in the U.S. (95), Mexico and Central America. www.epis-copalchurch.org

Presiding BishopThe Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts SchoriEpiscopal Church Center815 Second Avenue • New York, NY 10017 212-716-6000 • 800-334-7626Episcopal Seat:The Washington National Cathedralwww.episcopalchurch.org/pb

THE DIOCESE OF BETHLEHEMThe Episcopal Church in eastern and northeast-

ern PA, 63 churches in 14 counties: Berks, Brad-ford, Carbon, Lackawanna, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming. www.diobeth.org

BishopThe Rt. Rev. Paul V. Marshall bpoffi ce@diobeth.orgAssistant BishopThe Rt. Rev. John P. CronebergerArchdeaconThe Ven. Howard Stringfellow archdeacon@diobeth.org 333 Wyandotte St. • Bethlehem, 18015610-691-5655 • 800-358-5655

DIOCESAN LIFEDiocesan Life is an independent newspaper of

the Episcopal Church. Copy deadline is the fi rst Monday of the preceding month. Opinions ex-pressed do not necessarily represent those of the Bishop or the Diocese of Bethlehem. Send articles and letters to the editor. Editor: Kat Lehman, klehman@diobeth.org

Application to mail at Non-Profi t Standard Postage Prices is held at Towanda PA and additional mailing offi ces. Di-ocesan Life is published 6 times a year by the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem, 333 Wyandotte Street, Bethlehem PA 18015. Postmaster send address changes to: Diocesan Life, 333 Wyandotte St., Bethlehem, PA 18015.

To change subscription addresses, contact: Dioc-esan Life, 333 Wyandotte St., Bethlehem, PA 18015 or klehman@diobeth.org, 610-691-5655 x235.

BY BISHOP PAUL MARSHALL

Twelve-year-old Bill was delicately making his way through the classroom on crutches, dragging a leg broken in basketball, a sport at which John was not very good. John’s foot shot out. Bill crashed to the floor.

“It was an accident,” lied John.

The truth was, John did not know why he had hurt Bill. His parents were shocked. John knew only that it “just came out of me.” The impulse came over him suddenly and irresistibly.

As we talked in the weeks following, John was able to describe the impulse to hurt his classmate. “He is so good at everything and everybody likes him…it makes me hate him.”

John eventually used the word jeal-ous, but what was going on for him was a particularly vicious form of envy. Envy is called the coldest of the deadly sins because it destroys the heart of the one caught up in it while also causing harm to others. It was devouring John.

I do not use envy here in the sense of my seeing my neighbor’s car and wish-ing I had one like that. I think of a kind of malevolent envy that sees other’s happiness or talents as somehow a per-sonal deprivation. It is as though one has been robbed because somebody else has something good, is better look-ing, or is better on the golf course.

John saw Bill’s goodness, talent, and popularity as taking away something he felt he should have but did not. He wanted to be good, gifted, and well-loved, but felt quite the opposite, so he struck out at his popular classmate.

My recalling this material is occa-sioned by the death of Gore Vidal during my deadline week. Vidal once said with some seriousness, “It is not enough to succeed—others must fail.” When other people’s success or hap-piness makes us mad, we discover why envy is the most deadly sin. It leaves us with no peace. Sadly, Vidal seems to have lived without much contentment despite his enormous achievements.

The real-life killers reported in Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood also felt that their hard-working, successful victims had somehow deprived them of some-thing. The result was mass murder. As one considers the repeated mass kill-ings of this summer, one wonders if the alienation and lack of empathy neces-sary to commit such horrifying crimes involved a degree of malignant envy.

In any event, people driven by or suffering from envy on any level are seldom happy. They usually have noth-ing good to say about anybody, and live in a world of self-imposed misery. They are stuck, like an infant, in a place of powerless rage when it senses that all good and all nurture come from the outside. Infants are said to sense that

Rising above envy is liberationthey are powerless to produce anything except the contents of their diapers, and even that is taken away from them at regular intervals. People usually out-grow this. Perhaps the envious do not.

I think there are several options to con-sider if one is being consumed by envy. The first is to try admiration. Admiration says something good about the person who does the admiring: he or she has a discerning eye and good taste.

In the film Amadeus, Salieri tor-tured himself over Mozart’s gifts. He complains bitterly that God has gifted Mozart more, and is enraged with God for making him able to understand just how gifted Mozart is. He had the option of realizing that his keen ear was a compliment to him.

Admiration allows us to value what is good in another and turn it into a model for our own behaviors or ambi-tions. I cannot emulate what I hate. I can, however, work towards becoming some of the things I admire in others. I then discover that what seems so natu-ral in them is actually a matter of very hard work, and further admire their persistence.

Admiration allows us to see others as vessels, resources, models. But it is not the only way to escape from the trap of envy. There is gratitude.

We can have gratitude that God has given such gifts at all, and that this or

that person lets that goodness show. We can have gratitude that we do not have the burden of being the person who has to bear the burden of being absolutely the best at everything. We do not have to bear the burden of being actually the master of the universe.

Rising above envy is liberation. Admiration and gratitude warm our hearts and allow us to join the human race and be content. I hope that is what happened for John.

The last prayer in the baptismal rite asks for the gift of “joy and wonder” in all of God’s work. Praying for joy and wonder and appropriating those gifts does more than deliver us from a deadly sin: it gives the world a new and delightful look.

Diocesan Health Ministries grant has unexpected results

BY DIANA MARSHALL

Patricia “Trish” Wright, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC is an Associate Professor of Nursing at the University of Scranton.

Her clinical background is in end-of-life and hospice nursing, and she con-ducts research on parental bereave-ment. She is the founder of the perinatal bereavement support group: Pushing On: Support for Moms, which meets monthly in Scranton (www.pushingon.org). She is also the Parish Nurse at Prince of Peace Church in Dallas where she provides health information, makes home visits, and organizes health-relat-ed community events.

A health ministries grant from the Diocese of Bethlehem enabled Trish to complete the Faith Community Nurse (term interchangeable with Par-ish Nurse) Training offered by Sacred Heart Health Care System in Allen-town. After the course was completed members of her class expressed an

interest in staying connected by email and planning periodic get-togethers. Trish developed a website to help them stay in touch and to share resources and has opened those resources to the greater Parish Nurse community. Trish will maintain the website and will check the email regularly for updates.

The website is https://sites.google.com/site/easternpafcns/) and is for Faith Community Nurses in Eastern Pennsylvania who are seeking resources or who wish to share resources. There are links to every county in Pennsylva-nia. Some counties have hyperlinks, and others do not. If the name of a certain county is not hyperlinked it's because Trish has not received any resources for that county. There are instructions on the site about how to submit infor-

mation. Please send Trish information about resources in your county if they are not listed.

A GoogleGroup link on the site al-lows Parish Nurses to post questions or comments if they have a Google account. You will also fi nd a link to the new Facebook page for Faith Commu-nity Nurses, which can be searched using under "Eastern PA FCNs" or by clicking the Facebook link on the web-site. All this information is also avail-able on the Health Ministries page of the Diocesan web site: http://www.diobeth.org/How_We_Serve/Health_and_Wellness/Health_Ministries/

If you would like more information, please contact Diana Marshall at dmarshall@ptd.net or 610-841-9325.

Trish Wright, grant recipient, created a website for parish nurses in Pennsylvania.

September/October 2012 Diocesan Life 3

www.diobeth.org Live God’s love: tell what you have seen and heard

BY ARCHDEACON HOWARD STRINGFELLOW

The telephone rang. It was a senior warden. “You need to review the per-formance of our rector. He doesn’t call on shut-ins, and his sermons aren’t very good. They’re too long, too. And you have to tell him.”

Take a long breath, Howard. You’re in a classic triangle formed by the anxiety of one person deal-ing with another. One person’s message for the other is difficult, and you simply by answering the telephone have been brought in to give that message, sparing someone of the discomfort of giving such a message and picking up the pieces.

Over the years, I have noticed that God works and has the opportunity to work when I am minding my own business more or less faithfully. And here was one of those instanc-es. God had plenty of opportunity to act and to act in “a still more excellent way,” as Saint Paul wrote to the Corinthians (I Cor. 12:31).

And that still more excellent way is the Mutual Ministry Review. In good hands, the Mutual Ministry Review (MMR) gives a parish the opportunity to focus on its mission.

In even better hands, the MMR gives a parish the opportunity to sets goals for its ministry and its mission. The best leaders of par-

ishes use the MMR in exactly these ways and find that their parish functions better, has more clear-ly defined goals, and has a more clearly understood mission. Over and over again, I see that parishes who have a mission statement and intentionally accomplish it grow and thrive. And the MMR can help to bring this about especially when a parish has a mission statement and seems to be stuck in trying to accomplish it.

The basis of the MMR is Samuel P. Magill’s Living into our Ministries, published in 2003 by the Episcopal Church Foundation. My introduc-tion to it came some years ago when a rector telephoned me and wanted me to facilitate a review for the pur-pose of setting long-term goals for the mission of the parish.

And over a number of sessions and conversations, we were able together to do that. The MMR is a structured conversation among the rector, the vestry, and the members of a parish concerning its mission, ministry, functioning, goals, and how those goals may be achieved.

The structured conversation really is “mutual”: each of the three groups reviews the other two. Here ends the triangulation: no third parties give difficult messages, and each

party delivers its own message. The conversation, also, really concerns “ministry,” or the service or func-tioning within the parish of each of the three groups. The conversation, thirdly and finally, really is a “review”: each group expresses its perception of the functioning of the other two.

There are things the structured conversation of the MMR is not. The conversation does not include, except when unavoidably necessary, obligatory responsibilities under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the national or dioc-esan canons, diocesan resolutions and policies, the parish’s bylaws, and the clergy’s ordination vows. The assumption is that these obli-gations are being accomplished as a matter of course. Fulfilling these obligations is basic to the healthy functioning of the parish. If they are not being accomplished, the inter-play of rector, vestry, and members can make the necessary corrections.

The conversation of the MMR does address how the rector, vestry, and members function to further the mission, ministry, and goals of the parish. The conversation assumes, secondly, that the ministry of each of the three groups differs from the other two. Each group has obliga-tions and ministries that belong to itself exclusively. Thirdly, the con-

versation reviews those obligations and ministries as well as the means used by each group to fulfill them.

And so the rector, the vestry, and the members function differently, but they function differently to accom-plish the mission they share. This vision of functioning in a parish com-pares to the vision of Saint Paul in the Epistle to the Ephesians (4:1-7, 11-12, and 13-16). Some are rectors, some are vestry, and some are members, but together all serve to accomplish the mission of the parish.

In future articles, I shall address the functions of the rector, the vestry, and the members of parishes. If you have ideas to share about these functions, I would be happy to hear from you.

Focusing on mission: the Mutual Ministry Review

Grace (continued from page 1)June, Libby House, senior war-den at Grace when the project was undertaken, and Dr Malloy, rector at the time of the reno-vation, made their submission. To be considered for the awards, an architect, liturgical consultant, or liturgical designer must sub-mit projects. Father Malloy, who holds a doctorate in liturgy and a doctoral minor in architecture, had the necessary credentials. Large architectural firms have submitted most winning projects which commonly cost millions of dollars. What is truly remarkable about the liturgical renovation at Grace is that the parishioners themselves did most of the work in three weeks, at a cost of less than $100,000.

The Project Description for the submission states, "Beginning in 2001 the congregation undertook intentional liturgical renewal and by 2003 had arranged the pews antiphonally, moving the presid-er's chair from the sanctuary to the midst of the assembly. The parish meant to express architec-turally what it knew theologically: It is the unified Body of Christ."

Dr. Malloy, now dean of The General Theological Seminary, said, "It is remarkable that a tiny group of people in a small inner-city parish with hardly any money could pull off such a remarkable project in only three weeks. It was an exciting time. I can remember days when there were 40 of us in the room working at once, many taking time off from their day-jobs to help. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen such focus or such dedication to a shared vision.”

Award winners will officially be announced in the Winter 2012 issue of Faith & Form the jour-nal of IFRAA, featuring a full-color spread for each project. Award-winning projects will be displayed at the June 2013 National Convention of the American Institute of Architects in Denver, where the awards pre-sentation will take place. Both Father Malloy, as the liturgical consultant, and Grace Church, as the project site, plan separate publicity campaigns and events closer to the time when the major announcement is made.

Seeking help (continued from page 1)to ask you all to help me as I move forward to the many tasks I still see before me after 25 years of effort. It is so clear to me how much we need places like St. George’s Regional Center, places where we can all be encouraged to put our faith to work to help the most vulnerable among us. St. George’s Regional Center needs more help to become fully functional than originally thought, and so I humbly ask that you con-sider offering a gift of $25, $250, $2,500, $25,000 or – yes, I believe in the generosity of the people of God-- even $250,000 towards disaster preparedness and future disaster recovery efforts throughout the Diocese of Bethlehem.

Some ways to help with the work still to be done at St. George’s: spon-sor the replacement of 25 square feet of mildew damaged flooring for $69.75 ($2.79 per square foot) or $52.50 for damaged ceiling tiles ($2.10 per square foot), or the cleaning of 25 square feet of sanc-tuary carpeting at $18.75 ($.75 per square foot), or one of the 25 lights/emergency lights needed at $54, or $75 for one of 25 cots for use in an emergency or to house volunteer work crews. Or perhaps you can

ask your congregation to collect quarters to be sent in as a group donation towards disaster relief and preparedness efforts. Donations in any amount to further the work of disaster preparedness and recovery throughout our diocese will be grate-fully accepted, and can be made out to Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem with the notation Fr. Major 25th/Diocesan Disaster Recovery Efforts/Episcopal Relief & Development.

Thank you for the many ways you have supported our disaster recov-ery efforts in the past, and thank you for your consideration of helping in this vitally important new ministry, helping our sisters and brothers in their time of greatest need.

PHOTO BY JOHN MAJORClean up last September in West Pittston.

4 Diocesan Life September/October 2012

Live God’s love: tell what you have seen and heard www.diobeth.org

“What God starts, God finishes”BY CHARLIE BAREBO

"What God starts, God finish-es," says Stephen Tomor, New Hope Representative to the Diocese of Kajo Keji. Five years ago we set out on an aggressive journey to love our neigh-bors at the very time when most of the country was focused on loving them-selves. We raised over $4,000,000 in the worst economy in recent history and continue to raise additional funds in the face of a five year economic disaster and we are giving every last penny to the poor. We built six schools and a college, bought books, trained and hired teachers. We fed the hungry and clothed the naked. We provided emergency shelter to those who had no roof over their heads. We comforted inmates and their families. We wel-comed newcomers to our country and done so much more.

New Hope has been a tremendous success for all involved; our diocese and its members, our brothers and sisters in Kajo Keji and in northeastern

Pennsylvania. We learned what sacri-ficial giving means and hopefully have taught it to those around us and in the Sudan. There are too many examples to list them all but let me give you a few:

• The couple who sold their Steinway

• The woman who went back to work and donated her entire pay

• The couple that sold the family silver

• The family that gave half of their chil-dren’s college fund

• Many families who tapped their retirement money

• The little girl who gave me her Teddy Bear to take to Kajo Keji

• The little boy who gave half the money in his piggy bank

At my most discouraged moment one of our most faithful donors told me he needed to “increase his spirituality” and gave New Hope a check for $100,000.

Through my tears I saw Jesus in his face. I experienced the Holy Spirit that lives in and with you as I visited your parishes and homes working with you these last five years. We have shown the world what we are made of and it is sacrificing to love our neighbors.

New Hope leaves a rich legacy for us and those with whom we have partnered. We have roughly $500,000 in outstanding pledges with over $1,200,000 in trust to support schools and grants for Northeast Pennsylvania. New Hope has been a grand slam home run in the bottom of the ninth for our diocese and for those who we were called to help. Now we are in extra innings. Fund raising will con-tinue as we finance school maintenance and support new building projects. We crafted a UTO grant to build a new office for the Diocese of Kajo Keji. New Hope funds are helping finance flood relief in the recently stricken area. Teachers’ salaries, primers, desks and chairs, scholarships and supplies are in need. We need your

prayers and support to win this game in extra innings.

I am in awe of the people I have interacted with these last five years. You have opened the gospels for me. You have taught me and hundreds of thank-ful recipients what the great command means. Hat’s off to all who helped orga-nize and fund raise. A special thanks to those on the bishop’s staff who cheer-fully added New Hope to their daily tasks and organizationally kept us mov-ing forward. We couldn’t have done it without the “Black American” Stephen Tomor who faithfully oversaw the con-struction in the Sudan. I would like to thank our Archdeacon, Bishop Jack and especially Bishop Paul for their vision, courage and leadership. It has been an honor and the opportunity of a lifetime to represent you and our Bishop. And we’ve only just begun. Stephen is right, “What God Starts, God Finishes.” See you at the finish line!

Archdeacon Howard Stringfellow officially opens the new Dwani School while Bishop Anthony, students, teachers and others look on.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CHARLE BAREBO

Students gather in front of the Helen Wagner School in Liwolo. The students uniforms are created by the tailors at the Bethlehem Tailoring Center, one of the micro industries New Hope supports.

Students and faculy gather at the Barebo-Romogi School.

Big smiles for their new classroom given in memory of Helen Vaughn.

September/October 2012 Diocesan Life 5

www.diobeth.org Live God’s love: tell what you have seen and heard

Senior High mission trip makes an impact on lives

Congregational Renewal grants available onlineBY CHARLES CESARETTI

Application forms for the 2013 Congregational Renewal Grants are now available online at www.dio-beth.org. The forms should be printed out, filled out, and returned to Charles Cesaretti at Diocesan House by, or before, Thursday, November 1, 2012.

Each year the Diocese of Bethlehem awards grants to congregations that need short-term assistance to meet their goals. These congregations may be new congregations; estab-lished parishes that demonstrate a vision and mission for new ministry

or outreach; are in a transition; or, are addressing unique or an emerg-ing need in their community. The Grants Committee, while providing for financial support for both old and new congregations, focuses on encouraging planning as well as on exploring new models for ministry.

To access the Congregational Renewal Grant applications, go to www.diobeth.org. The pathway is to click on “How We Work;” “administration;” and then “grants.” As you look for the Renewal Grants, scan the list of granting opportuni-ties for other potential grants.

Renewal Assembly VI scheduled for November 17thBY CHARLES CESARETTI

A respondent to a survey about the Renewal Assemblies of the Diocese of Bethlehem wrote: “The most helpful thing was that we got to bond with other churches and their members. We got ideas from the other churches and we realized we are all one big family. So, we become a community.”

Registrations for the next assem-bly, Renewal Assembly VI, which will be held on Saturday, November 17 at various locations across the diocese, will be open on September 19 on the diocesan website www.diobeth.org. The assembly is open to all members of the diocese.

The Rev. Canon Gary Hall, the newly appointed dean of Washington National Cathedral, recently wrote:

Those of us who love the tradi-tions (and habits) of institutional

Christianity might feel somewhat wounded by the seeming disinterest in the practices we have come to live by. But if the Episcopal Church is to thrive in the 21st century, it must do three things. It must develop a clear, missional identity. It must project that identity outward and invite people into it. And it must take seriously the needs and con-cerns of those who come toward us and adapt to the new life and energy they bring.

Missional identity, invitational outreach, and new life and joy of community are the goals of renewal in the Church. They are the marks of the Renewal Assemblies of the Diocese of Bethlehem.

Mark Saturday, November 17 on your calendar, recruit members of your vestry and congregation, register on www.diobeth.com for Renewal Assembly VI.

Reflections from the high school mission trip:

“I learned that this trip was not just about building a ramp or fixing a floor, it was about the impact we could have on the family and the family can have on us.” - Megan

“I was also way out of my com-fort zone. Living and working under those conditions was made easier when I compared it to what our host family had to deal with every day. We lived and worked for just five days. Anyone can deal with five days knowing that conditions for us would be back to our normal by Sunday.” – Brian

“I've fallen in love with the little things in life and seeing something

that reminds me of the mission trip floods my mind with so many memories and feelings” – Jennifer

“We live with so many benefits compared to them and we com-plain so much more.” - Matt

“This trip to Logan County, West Virginia had the 9 of us (6 youth and 3 adults) building a free-stand-ing wheelchair ramp for a gentle-man with one leg and his two adults sons. In addition to building the ramp we finished the flooring in Simon's bedroom. After putting all the furniture back into his room, Simon was then able to have his bedroom back after about 6 weeks of renovations. Simon was previ-ously staying in the living room, a

The Senior High mission trip poses for the camera with Simon (in the middle on crutches) and one of his sons (second from left). The group repaired floors and built a wheelchair ramp during their recent trip to West Virginia.

PHOTO PROVIDED BYELLYN SIFTAR

The finished ramp built by our mission team. PHOTO PROVIDED BYELLYN SIFTAR

cramped space for his king sized bed. However, one of the most memorable moments for me was Simon seeing his bedroom for the first time. His comment was not "It looks beautiful. Thanks". He said in his southern drawl, "Where's my headboard?". Knowing Simon, that comment was not an ungrate-ful gesture. The unique spirit that Simon possesses causes him to like to bust on people as a means of expressing his love and appre-ciation. After all, it is awkward for someone who is living in poverty to have a new group of people coming into their home to do free labor. These are people from all walks

of life. Just when Simon would get used to a group, they'd leave when their week was finished. A new group would then come stroll-ing in on Monday. How would you express your appreciation? I truly believe that his appreciation was expressed in the picture of Jesus on a belt that he wore every day that we were there. In his head, I do believe he realized that our work was part of a bigger picture, a bigger expe-rience, and a greater love than the hammering and drilling our human bodies are capable of.” - Anna

Read more about it at: http://diobeth.typepad.com/recreate/

Diocesan ConventionOctober 5-6, Good Shepherd, ScrantonRegister online now www.diobeth.org

6 Diocesan Life September/October 2012

Live God’s love: tell what you have seen and heard www.diobeth.org

General Convention encourages renewed focus on missionBY CANON ANNE KITCH

Members of the Diocese of Bethlehem will be gratified to know that your eight Deputies to General Convention returned enlightened, hopeful, and with the satisfaction of time well spent accomplishing important work. I believe we served well—in legislative committees, speaking on the floor of the House of Deputies, and engaging faithfully in worship and dialogue with our Episcopal sisters and brothers from around the world.

We are reporting back to the diocese through various formats including the Diobeth GC Deputies blog (http://dio-beth.typepad.com/diobeth_gc_depu-ties_blog/), an electronic newsletter available on Bakery, brief presenta-

tions at our upcoming pre-convention meetings, and speaking engagements hosted by parishes and diocesan organizations.

I am encouraged that our church is engaged in doing God’s work in the world as evidenced by what I experienced at general Convention:

The Episcopal Church is firm-ly oriented in the Gospel. Daily Eucharist, Christian fellowship and prayerful deliberation framed our legislative work.

We are a church of mission. Almost no resolution was presented without noting how it helps us meet the Five Marks of Mission adopted in 2009 at the 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church.

As a church, we put our money in areas that matter. The budget we adopted is an ethical document firm-ly grounded in mission. As depu-ties proposed and debated legislation that had budget implications, careful thought was given to how any expen-diture spoke to our common mission and the work of the Gospel.

We are a church willing to make dif-ficult decisions concerning our struc-ture so that as an institution we can be more flexible and responsive to the Word of God and to act for mission.

I commend to you the cogent reflections of Deputy Libby House which not only convey a taste of what your deputation experienced in Indianapolis, but also a sense of the importance of General Convention in

our lives and the lives of those we serve. As always, your deputies are available to come and speak to parish and diocesan groups.

Reflections on General Convention 2012BY LIBBY HOUSE

Attending the 77th General Convention of The Episcopal Church as a deputy was one of the most exciting, exhausting, invigo-rating, and transformative experi-ences of my life. I wish each and every Episcopalian could spend at least two days in the House of Deputies, observing or participat-ing in the work of one of our trien-nial conventions. It is an impres-sive legislative body made up of smart, committed, informed, hard-working Episcopalians who, taking their responsibilities very seriously, were attempting to make the best decisions for our church, society, and the world and trying very hard to listen to and respect one another in all our diversity and differing points of view.

There were 5000 people there,

(about 1000 of whom were either members of the House of Bishops (165) or members of the House of Deputies (over 850). At more than one thousand, we make up the largest functioning deliberative body in the world. Over eight days, we considered and acted upon 450 resolutions and passed a budget for $111,500,000. No legislation may be enacted without the consent of both houses.

The budget, as proposed and adopted, was indeed a moral document based on the church’s emphasis on the Five Marks of Mission (Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom; Teach, Baptize and Nurture New Believers; Respond to Human Need by Loving Service; Seek to Transform Unjust Structures of Society; and Strive to Safeguard the Integrity of Creation and Sustain and Renew the Life of the Earth),

each of which represents a major budget category for expenditures. Great care was taken to cut costs when possible, especially at the headquarters level, and shift the emphasis to block grants to be used by dioceses and parishes. All this is also related to the overwhelmingly-supported push for the restructuring of our church, about which a task force has been commissioned to discover ways to bring new life to the manner in which we organize ourselves and our work.

Many resolutions dealt with issues of discrimination, injustice, and exclusion. The adoption of the Rite for Same-Sex Blessings was seen as a monumental milestone for a church that continues to strive to “open our arms and open our hearts.” While we did not sign on to the Anglican Covenant, we agreed

to continue in dialog with The Anglican Communion and to work together with other mem-bers of the Communion with the hope of finding common ground. Another resolution that received a great deal of attention was one on Open Communion, offering the sac-rament of com-munion to those who are not baptized; this resolution was rejected.

I am proud to say much good work on alleviating suffering was accomplished, including support-ing scholarships for illegal aliens wanting to qualify for citizenship; supporting programs for children of the incarcerated; pushing Congress to pass regulations on Greenhouse Gasses; amending our church canons to include trans-gendered persons among those who are invited to play a full role in the life of our church; and adopting a number of resolutions effecting the poor, including A135 “Focus Mission Funding on Alleviating Poverty and Injustice” which incorpo-rated the resolution proposed by the Diocesan of Bethlehem and originat-ing from Grace Church, Allentown. Along with the House of Bishops, we consented to the election of eight new bishops, including The Right Rev. Nick Knisely, past rector of Trinity Church, Bethlehem. We also nominated and voted for representatives to serve on a task force to select candidates for the office of Presiding Bishop, to be elect-ed at our next convention in 2015.

The Official Youth Presence of the church, 16 -19 year-olds from all over the country who are committed to the flourishing of The Episcopal Church, spotlighted well informed, articulate, and energetic young peo-ple taking their place in the coun-cils of the church. These young people, along with the sense that we are truly a remarkable group of Christians dedicated to the ancient traditions and living out the Gospel promise of loving God’s people in an ever expanding circle of inclusion, gives me hope for the church we pass on to future generations.

It was an honor and a privilege for serve as deputy to this convention, an experience I will never forget. Deputies (from left to right) Jane Bender, Libby House, Mark Laubach, Anne Kitch, Tony Pompa, Scott Allen and Barbara

Caum display their Diobeth spirit in the House of Deputies with Bishop Paul

PHOTO BY JIM TURRELL

September/October 2012 Diocesan Life 7

www.diobeth.org Live God’s love: tell what you have seen and heard

What’s happening...SEPTEMBER

Sept. 1: Giant Yard Sale, Trinity, West Pittston 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. Proceeds benefit FLOODCare and the relief efforts in the West Pittston area.

Sept. 4: Clergy Bible Study 6, Holy Cross, Wilkes-Barre 2:00 P.M.

Sept. 4: Archdeacon's Visit, Christ, Forest City 6:00 P.M.

Sept. 6: Clergy Bible Study 1, Nativity, Bethlehem 2:00 P.M.

Sept. 8: Bishop's School, St. Stephen's, Whitehall 9:00 A.M.

Sept. 8: Commission on Ministry Meeting, Trinity, Mt. Pocono 10:00 A.M.

Sept. 9: Bishop Paul, Trinity, Carbondale

Sept. 9: Bishop Jack, Christ, Forest City

Sept. 11: Clergy Bible Study 7, St. Mark's Moscow 2:00 P.M.

Sept. 11: Archdeacon's Visit, St. John, Hamlin 6:00 P.M.

Sept. 13: Clergy Bible Study 2&4, St. Stephen's, Whitehall 2:00 P.M.

Sept. 14 - 15: The Eucharist Workshop, St. Stephen's, Pro-Cathedral, Wilkes-Barre. Featuring William L. Ryon, Jr. from Washington D.C. Cost: $15.00 per person. Reservation accepted with check only! Firm Deadline: Friday, August 31st. Please put in the memo sec-tion of your check your preference of either ham, tuna, turkey or egg salad for Saturday's lunch. At the conclusion of Friday night's session a potluck will be served.

Sept. 15: Bishop's School, St. Stephen's, Whitehall 9:00 A.M.

Sept. 15: Fresh Start, Grace, Kingston 9:30 A.M.

Sept. 16: Bishop Paul, St. Gabriel's, Douglassville

Sept. 16: Bishop Jack, St. John, Hamlin

Sept. 16: Peace Commission meet via conference call 2:00 P.M.

Sept. 18: Clergy Bible Study 3, St. Alban's, Sinking Spring 2:00 P.M.

Sept. 20: NEW HOPE 5TH ANNIVERSARY

Sept. 20: Dinner, St. Andrew's, Allentown 5:00 P.M. Cost is $7 for adults, $5 for children 12-3, under 3 are complimentary, Seconds are $4. Takeout available at the same cost.

Sept. 20: Archdeacon's Visit, St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral, Wilkes-Barre 6:00 P.M.

Sept. 22: Bishop's School, St. Stephen's, Whitehall 9:00 A.M.

Sept. 23: Bishop Paul, Christ,

Indian Orchard

Sept. 23-25: Clergy Retreat: "Vocation as a Lifelong Journey" with Sam Portaro, Jesuit Center, Wernersville. Registration will open in August at www.diobeth.org.

Sept. 23: Concert by Ravel Trio, Trinity, Pottsville 4:00 P.M.

Sept. 25: Pre-Convention Meeting, St. Alban's, Sinking Spring 7:00 P.M.

Sept. 27: Pre-Convention Meeting, Epiphany, Clarks Summit 7:00 P.M.

Sept. 29: St. Andrew's Tricky Tray Event.

Sept. 29: Bishop's School, St. Stephen's, Whitehall 9:00 A.M.

Sept. 30: Sesquicentennial Celebration for Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Lehigh University Cross Country Course, Hellertown 10:00 A.M. 5K run to benefit New Bethany and the Emergency Shelter Program.

Sept. 30: Sesquicentennial Celebration for Cathedral Church of the Nativity, William Sayre Prayer Book Reading with wine and cheese reception, Sayre Mansion Inn, Bethlehem 3:30 P.M.

OCTOBER

Oct. 1: Congregational Renewal Meeting, Grace, Kingston 7:00 P.M.

Oct. 2: Clergy Bible Study 8, Christ, Towanda 3:00 P.M.

Oct. 2: Pre-Convention Meeting, Nativity, Bethlehem 7:00 P.M.

Oct. 5-6: Diocesan Convention, The Church of the Good Shepherd, Scranton. Registration will open online in August. Please see our Diocesan Convention page under How We Work, Administration on our web site, www.diobeth.org for more details.

Oct. 6: Giant Yard Sale, Trinity, West Pittston 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. Proceeds benefit FLOODCare and the relief efforts in the West Pittston area.

Oct. 6: Rabies Clinic, St. Peter's Tunkhannock 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.

Oct. 6: Standing Committee Meeting, Good Shepherd, Scranton 12:00 P.M.

Oct. 9: Clergy Bible Study 6, Holy Cross, Wilkes-Barre 2:00 P.M.

Oct. 9: Archdeacon's Visit, Trinity, Athens 6:00 P.M.

Oct. 11: Clergy Bible Study 1, Nativity, Bethlehem 2:00 P.M.

Oct. 13: Giant Yard Sale, Prince of Peace, Dallas 8:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.

Oct. 13: Bishop's School, St. Stephen's, Whitehall 9:00 A.M.

Oct. 13: Daughters of the King Fall Assembly, St. Luke's, Scranton 9:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

Oct. 13: Fresh Start, Grace, Kingston 9:30 A.M.

Oct. 14: Bishop Paul, St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral, Wilkes-Barre

Oct. 14: Bishop Jack, St. Anne's, Trexlertown

Oct. 16: Souper Day for New Bethany, Candlelight Inn, Bethlehem 12:00 P.M.

Oct 16: Clergy Bible Study 7, St. Mark's Moscow 2:00 P.M.

Oct. 16: Archdeacon's Visit, Christ, Susquehanna 6:00 P.M.

Oct. 18: Clergy Bible Study 2&4, St. Stephen's, Whitehall 2:00 P.M.

Oct. 20: Bishop's School, St. Stephen's, Whitehall 9:00 A.M.

Oct. 20: Good News Lunch Anniversary, St. Mark's, New Milford 12:00 P.M.

Oct. 21: Bishop Paul, Trinity, Athens

Oct. 21: Bishop Jack, Christ, Susquehanna

Oct. 21: Peace Commission, Conference Call 2:00 P.M.

Oct. 22: Congregational Renewal Committee, Grace, Kingston 7:00 P.M.

Oct. 23: Clergy Bible Study 3, St. Alban's, Sinking Spring 2:00 P.M.

Oct. 25: Dinner, St. Andrew's, Allentown 5:00 P.M. Cost is $7 for adults, $5 for children 12-3, under 3 are complimentary, Seconds are $4. Takeout available at the same cost.

Oct. 26: Commission on Ministry Overnight Retreat, St. Francis Center for Renewal, Bethlehem

Oct. 28: Bishop Paul, Trinity, Bethlehem

Oct. 28: Trinity Concert Series, Trinity, Bethlehem 3:00 P.M.

Oct. 29: Congregational Renewal Meeting, Grace, Kingston 7:00 P.M.

Oct. 30: Clergy Bible Study 8, Christ, Towanda 3:00 P.M.

NOVEMBER

Nov. 1: Clergy Bible Study 1, Nativity, Bethlehem 2:00 P.M.

Nov. 1: Clergy Bible Study 2&4, St. Stephen's, Whitehall 2:00 P.M.

Nov. 2-3: Planning for Tomorrow and Enriching Your Retirement, Church Pension Group, Bethlehem, (location to be announced).

Nov. 2: Finance Committee Meeting, Diocesan House, Bethlehem 10:00 A.M.

Nov. 2: Sesquicentennial Celebration for Cathedral Church of

the Nativity, Bach Choir (at Nativity) Evensong 6:00 P.M.

Nov. 2: Sesquicentennial Celebration for Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Celebration Dinner, Lehigh University Mountaintop Campus, Bethlehem 7:15 P.M.

Nov. 3: Sesquicentennial Celebration for Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Cathedral Choir Performs Mozart's Requiem (at Nativity) 5:00 P.M.

Nov. 4: Sesquicentennial Celebration for Cathedral Church of the Nativity, All Cathedral service with Breakfast 10:00 A.M.

Nov. 4: Bishop Jack, St. James' and St. George's, Jermyn

Nov. 6: Clergy Bible Study 6, Holy Cross, Wilkes-Barre 2:00 P.M.

Nov. 8: Clergy Day (location to be announced)

Nov. 9-11: Happening, Kirby House, Mountain Top.

Nov. 9: Incorporated Trustees Meeting, Nativity, Bethlehem 10:00 A.M.

Nov. 10: Bishop's School, St. Stephen's, Whitehall 9:00 A.M.

Nov. 10: Fresh Start, Grace, Kingston 9:30 A.M.

Nov. 10: Fall Bazaar, Trinity, Easton 10:00 A.M.

Nov. 11: Joint Eucharist with United Methodist Church, Asbury United Methodist Church, 1533 Springhouse Road, Allentown, 4:00 P.M.

Nov. 13: Clergy Bible Study 7, St. Mark's Moscow 2:00 P.M.

Nov. 17: Bishop's School, St. Stephen's, Whitehall 9:00 A.M.

Nov. 17: Renewal Assembly VI, various locations around the dio-cese 9:30 A.M. See details in this month's Diocesan Life.

Nov. 18: Bishop Jack, North Parish, Church of St. John, Ashland

Nov. 18: Peace Commission, Conference Call 2:00 P.M.

Nov. 18: Concert by Stephen Williams, organ and Nora Suggs, Flute, Trinity, Pottsville 4:00 P.M.

Nov. 20: Clergy Bible Study 3, St. Alban's, Sinking Spring 2:00 P.M.

Nov. 20: Archdeacon's Visit, St. Andrew, Allentown 6:00 P.M.

Nov. 22: THANKSGIVING

Nov. 26: Congregational Renewal Committee, Grace, Kingston 7:00 P.M.

Nov. 27: Clergy Bible Study 8, Christ, Towanda 3:00 P.M.

Nov. 27: Archdeacon's Visit, Grace, Allentown 6:00 P.M.

8 Diocesan Life September/October 2012

Live God’s love: tell what you have seen and heard www.diobeth.org

Diocese of Bethlehemwww.diobeth.org

September 2: St. Mark’s, New Milford: The Rev. Charles Warwick, Priest-in-Charge

Christ, Susquehanna

September 9: St. John’s, Palmerton: The Rev. Abraham Valiath, Priest-in-Charge

Health Ministries

September 16: St. Joseph’s, Pen Argyl and St. Mary’s, Wind Gap: The Rev. Joel Atkinson, Supply

September 23: Trinity, Pottsville: The Rev. James Rinehart, Rector

New Hope Campaign

September 30: Christ, Reading: The Rev. John R. Francis, Rector

Ministry to Older Adults

October 7: St. Mary’s, Reading

Liturgy and Music Commission

October 14: Redeemer, Sayre: The Rev. Andrea Baldyga, Priest-in-Charge

Pennsylvania Council of Churches

October 21: St. James’, Schuylkill Haven

Personnel Committee

October 21: Good Shepherd, Scranton: The Rev. Peter Pearson, Rector

Provincial Synod

October 28: St. Luke’s, Scranton

Recovery Commission

Anglican Communionwww.anglicancommunion.org

September 2: The Episcopal Church of the Sudan: The Most Rev. Dr. Daniel Deng Bul Yak Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan & Bishop of Juba

September 9: The Anglican Church of Tanzania: The Most Rev. Valentino Mokiwa Archbishop of Tanzania & Bishop of Dar-es-Salaam

September 16: The Church of the Province of Uganda: The Most Rev. Henry Orombi Archbishop of Uganda & and Bishop of Kampala

September 23: The Episcopal Church in the USA: The Rt. Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church

September 30: The Church in Wales: The Most Rev. Dr. Barry Morgan Archbishop of Wales & Bishop of Llandaff

October 7: The Church of the Province of West Africa: The Most Rev. Dr. Justice Akrofi Archbishop of West Africa & Bishop of Accra

October 14: The Church in the Province of the West Indies: The Most Rev. & The Hon. Dr. John Holder Archbishop of West Indies & Bishop of Barbados

October 21: The Church of Ceylon (Extra-Provincial to the Archbishop of Canterbury)

October 28: Iglesia Episcopal de Cuba

Diocese of Kajo Kejiwww.kajokeji.anglican.org

September 2: Dwani: The Rev. Estere Kojo and Deacon Gedion Wani

September 9: Akuboro: The Rev. Stanley Rumbe Lubai

September 16: Sonder: The Rev. Henry Puji

September 23: Kinyiba: The Rev. Scopas Wani

September 30: Kasurak: The Rev. Paul Geri

October 7: Longira: The Rev. Emmanuel Yongo

October 14: Beliak: The Rev. Elikana Lodu

October 21: St. Joseph, Lire: The Ven. Emmanuel Kenyi and The Rev. Anjelo Taban

October 28: Bajur: The Rev. Openi Sakor

PHOTO BY STEPHEN TOMOR

Pray for... Bishop’s Day with Kids: We All Live in a Yellow Submarine

Kids and their families from around the Diocese enjoyed a fantastical ride on the Yellow Submarine with Bishop Paul at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Scranton in June. Singing, storytelling, dancing, and creative crafts were relished by all while learning about Baptism and the love of God, and experiencing Christian Community at its joyful best. Everyone loved the line dancing!

PHOTO BY ANNA FRENCH