January 1, 2012 Scriptures, Open Their Mouths, and Call the NEWS Faithful Into Closer Communion with God
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That'll Preach THE THE LIVING CHURCHpublishes some form of persuasive writing in each issue, whether it's an [IVING essay, an editorial, or some other sounding on our Catholic Voices page. We do not often publish sermons, but we consider preaching among the highest forms of persuasive CHURCH communication. Week after week, hundreds of thousands of preachers break open the THIS ISSUE I January 1, 2012 Scriptures, open their mouths, and call the NEWS faithful into closer communion with God. In this 4 LeMarquand to Serve Region He Loves issue, theologian Joseph Mangina offers his insights - in clear, brisk prose - on this FEATURES daunting task. 8 Churches Reclaim Their Role in Healing by Lauren Anderson ON THE COVER: Staff and volunteers at Siloam Family Health Center in Nashville, Tennessee, pray together at the 13 Getting People into the Story beginning of a clinic shift. Debbie Barnett photo by Joseph Mangina 17 OUR UNITY IN CHRIST series Covenants and Fragments by Ephraim Radner GU EST CO LUMN 30 Star Trek, or Couples' Club? by Lawrence N. Crumb BOOKS 20 From Midterms to Ministry by Allan Hugh Cole, Jr. Review by V.R.T. Heard 20 Lay Ecclesial Ministry by Zeni Fox Review by Charles Cassini 21 The Tale of Two Churches 19 by William Floyd Dopp Review by Bruce Robison 24 On the Human Condition and On Social Justice by St. Basil the Great Review by Peter Eaton CULTURES 19 Icons from an Urban Engineer CATHOLIC VOICES 28 Un-silent Nights in Bethlehem By O.C. Edwards, Jr. OTHER DEPARTMENTS A LIVING C HURCH Sponso r 32 Letters to the Editor This issue is sponso red by St. David's Episcopal 34 Sunday's Readings Church, Wayne, Pennsylvania [page 35]. 38 People & Places The Living Church is published by the Living Church Foundation . Our historic mission in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion is to support and promote the Catholic and evangelical faith of the one Church, to the end of visible Christian unity throughout the world. Jan uary 1, 2012 • THE LIVING CHURCH 3 NEWS January 1, 2012 LeMarquandto Serve Region He Loves The Rev. Grant LeMarquand was in Egypt last year, preparing for a retreat at a monastery, when the Most Rev. Mouneer D. Anis invited him out for coffee. The bishop asked his friend a life-changing question: Would he con sider being appointed an assistant bishop serving the Hom of Africa? LeMarquand, professor of biblical studies and mission at Trinity School for Ministry, spent the next week and a half wrestling with the bishop's question while on retreat. As part of his later discernment, LeMarquand met with a committee in London, including Archbishop John Trinit y School for Ministry photo Sentamu and retired Archbishop LeMarquand: "I'm hoping the next bishop will be from the Horn of Africa." Maurice Sinclair, that advises Bishop Mouneer. The bishop announced He felt drawn to Africa ever since "I'm hoping the next bishop will LeMarquand's appointment Dec. 8 in studying alongside a Kenyan while be from the Hom of Africa," he said. a letter to the Episcopal/Anglican in seminary . The LeMarquands ini Orthodoxy's presence in Ethiopia Diocese of Egypt. tia lly were appointed to serve in dates to the time of St. Athanasius LeMarquand, a Canadian who Sudan, but the church changed their and the work of two former slaves, earned graduate degrees from assignment because of that nation's Frumentius and Aedesius. When McGill University, Montreal Dioc e political turmoil. In Kenya they Frumentius traveled to Alexandria san Theological College and Wycliffe served near the border with Sudan. to ask Athanasius for a bishop, College, has taught at Trinity since The LeMarquands had approached Athanasius consecrated him and 1999. Trinity's website offers a col the Canadian chur ch to ask about sent him home. lection of his extensive essays and missionary service, he said. He had The church's presen ce in Ethiopia speeches on Christianity in Africa become a Christian through the "affects everything from what peo (is.gd/LeMarquand). Jesus movement of the early 1970s, ple eat to the calendar," since the LeMarquand has visited the dio and "it was clear to most of us in nation marks the year by Gregorian cese twice before and his wife - that movement that you went where standards. Wendy Jane LeMarquand, who is a God wanted you to go." LeMarquand said he will work in a physician - has visited once, so they LeMarquand has visited Sudanese region heavily affected by desertifi both kn ew what challenges they refugee camps and stood on the tar cation (be cause of climate change would face . After LeMarquand's con mac of the Khartoum airport, but a and over-harvesting forests) , border secration April 25, the couple will be longer stay in Sudan has so far wars, and a literacy rate of 40 percent based in Gambe lla, Ethiopia. The eluded him. ( and 20 percent for women). He wel capital city, Addis Ababa, is more He will serve in a population comes those cha llenges, though, than 700 kilometers away - a short that's about 60 percent Christian because he believes evangelism, flight but a two-day drive. The horn and 30 percent Muslim, with a con mercy and justice work together. comprises the nations of Djibouti, siderable presence of Sudanese "Bishop Mouneer has a real Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia. refugees. The Anglican pres ence in vision, like most bishops in the For the LeMarquands a move to the Horn of Africa is relatively Globa l South, for holistic mission," Africa was not a new idea. They young and priests have little resi he said. "To think that I'll be encour were Anglican Church of Canada dential theological training. LeMar aging people to come to know Christ missionaries to Kenya in 1987-89. quand, who will teach in the dioce and teaching peop le how to purify "I've been back to Africa nearly san seminary in Egypt a few times a water so they can prevent malaria - every year since then," LeMarquand year, wants to improve the clergy's that makes a lot of sens e to me ." told THELIVING CHUR CH. access to theo logical training. Douglas LeBlan c 4 THE LIVING CHURCH • Janu ary 1. 20 12 Visit livingchurch.org for daily reports of news about the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. QuitclaimDeeds in South CarolinaQuestioned One week after a disciplinary ops' meeting (Nov. 29-Dec. 1) that law, whether the dioces e's standing board dismissed allegations against Bishop Lawrence had authorized committee agreed to the decision, the Bishop of South Carolina, the distributing quitclaim deeds to and whether he would provide a bishops of Province IV have asked parishes in his diocese. sample quitclaim deed. to meet with him on another matter "Since we have had no direct com- By issuing quitclaim deeds, the Dio that could lead to a new case. munication from you regard- cese of South Carolina has relin Province IV comprises 20 dio- ing these report ed actions, quished any interest in filing property ceses in the states of Ala- we determined that it is our lawsuits against congregations that bama, Florida, Georgia, Ken- duty as bishops of this choose to leave the diocese. The deci tucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, province to address these sion questions the constitutionality North Carolina, South Car- concerns in direct communi- of the Dennis Canon, which says: "All olina, and Tennessee. cat ion with you, as Jesus real and personal property held by or The Rt. Rev. Clifton Daniel Daniel exhorts his followers in for the benefit of any Parish, Mission II, Bishop of East Carolina and vice Matthew's Gospel (18:15-20), and in or Congregation is held in trust for president of Province IV, released a accord with our ordination vows this Church and the Diocese thereof letter, dated Dec. 5, that he wrote to regarding the unity and governance in which such Parish, Mission or Con the Rt. Rev. Mark J. Lawrence in of the churc h," Daniel wrote on gregation is located." seeking the meeting . behalf of the bishops. Daniel spoke with Lawrence by Bishop Daniel's letter expressed a The bishops asked Bishop Law- phone and then released his letter to collective concern by those who rence what canonical authority he news outlets of the Episcopal attended Province IV's annual bish- had to make the decision by canon (Continued on page 7) Resources for Vestries from Church Publishing Inc. The Vestry Handbook ~MIIP' Humble and Strong Third Revised Edition Mutuall y Account able leaders hip CHRISTOPHER L. WEBBER in the Church Revised and updated to reflect changes GERALD W. KEUCHER in canon law and to include discussion "Practical and wise. Reading this book is of additional subjects such as sexual like sitting down with a seasoned mentor misconduct and safe-church training. and talking about what the church is really 978-0-8192-2439-2 I $16.oo like and what it could become . 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