l)\l.ritig tbe cbaOS £ cbristio-as 0 ■ ■ reo1 c e From Church Publishing Inc. comes these wonderful books for Advent and Christmas. And there are lots more! Advent with Evelyn Underhill A Year with American Saints Editor Christopher L. Webber's Co-authors G. Scott Cady and carefully selected inspirational Christopher Webber present passages from Underhill 's most biographical vignettes of 365 significant wo rks provide American pilgrims of the faith readings for every day of Advent from all major Christian faith and Christmas . Share the traditions and periods of timeless treasure of Underhill 's America 's history. spiritual vision. Church Publishing 0-898 69-530-9 $30.00 Morehouse Publishing 0-8192 -2221-6 $12.95 The Breath of God What We Do in Advent: Nancy Roth brings together An Anglican Kids' Activity Book WhatWe Do ir /\dl.er,t simple instructions in basic Anne E. Kitch's fun-filled activity Christian prayer forms - book for kids is a great way to contemplation , reflection , focus on the true meaning of verbal prayer, and the prayer Advent and Christmas. Includes of activism - with a theology making an Advent wreath, mazes, that makes prayer as natural crossword puzzles, more. as breathing . Ame E Kitch Morehouse Publishing 0-8192-2195-3 $6.95 -~~--~",,~~ .. A Seabury Book 1-59627-032-2 $12.00 Waiting in Joyful Hope: Simple Prayers for Daily Reflections for Advent Complicated Uves 51/Jli'LEPJt:l'/£/l'.j ~DVEN_;r. &: Ht n ■ ,ucan, uus and Christmas 2006 - 2007 CHRISTMAS_ Jennifer Phillips offers unusual Jcn 11u r111.11n Katherine L. Howard offers brief contemporary prayers on daily meditations and prayers for topics not found in traditional each day of Advent and Christmas. collections , such as booting Booklet 's low price makes it a up the computer, check writing , great stock ing stuffer and attractive :'\ . ·'~· #;.'- and after a robbery. Prayers thank you gift for churches to order .. - { are short enough for taping on in bulk to present to parishioners . fridge , mirror, dashboard . Morehouse Publishing 0-8192-2252-6 $2.00 A Seabury Book 1-59627-029-2 $12.00 To purchase these books, visit your local bookseller. Or you can order directly: Morehouse Publishing Church Publishing and Seabury Books Phone: (800) 877-0012 Phone: (800) 242-1918 www.morehousepublishing.org www.churchpublishing.org Church PublishingInc. Morehouse Publishing + Church Publishing + Seabury Books + Living the Good News 445 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10 016 The objective of THE LI VING CHURCH maga z ine is to build up the body of Christ, by describing how God is mo ving in his Church; by reporting news of the Chu rch in an unbiased manner; and by presenting di verse points of view. THIS WEEK _________ _ 15 The Cover 20 Features News 11 Best of the Web 12 Princeto n Chaplain Elected Buy Nothing Christmas Bishop of Southern Ohio BY RICHARDJ. MAMMANA, JR. 13 Chaoti c Pennsylvania Meeting Opinion OtherDepartments 18 Editor's Colwnn 4 Sunday's Readings A Female Apostle? 5 Books 19 Editorials 8 Short & Sharp The Kingdom is Near 10 Music 20 Reader 's Viewpoint 28 People & Places Advent: The Strangest Seaso n BY ICHOLASM. BEASLEY 22 Letters Disqualifying Statements D[CE~ II\ERJ . 2006 · TI il I IVING Cl lllRCII 3 8'7tid O~l SUNDAY'SREADINGS CHOIR CHAIR GreatHope in the Dayof Fear 'Our God will come' (Psalm 50:3) TheFirst Sunday of Advent(Year C), Dec.3, 2006 BCP:Zech. 14:4-9; Psalm 50 or 50: 1-6; 1 Thess. 3:9-13; Luke 21 :25-31 //// ~ RCL:Jer . 33: 14-16; Psalm 25:1-9 ; 1 Thess. 3:9-13; Luke 21 :25-36 Some of the most shocking, troubling accompanying these lessons of fear and words that Jesus said are, "I have not destruction are the encouragements for come to bring peace but a sword." He the faithful. Accompanying the Lord in goes on to describe that even families the prophecy of Zechariah are "the holy themselves will be divided, to the point ones." Jesus exhorts his followers to that some will have others put to death raise their heads when these signs of for their faith in Jesus. Hard words from terror appear, for they herald the time one known as the Prince of Peace. of their redemption. The lessons for today, however, are The lesson from 1 Thessalonians about judgment. In a culture that values speaks of building up faith, abounding with FIBRE RUSH SEAT moral ambiguity and a church that in love, and establishing hearts Since 1877 prizes inclusivity, these lessons will set unblamable in holiness all up a stumbling block In Luke, Jesus anticipating "the coming of our Lord R.Geissler.l Inc. describes a day on which the judgment Jesus Christ with all his saints." 2641 E. Greystone Ct. shall be pronounced, the day on which Hard and harsh as these lessons may Eagle, ID 83616 he, the Son of man, will come "with be, they do not provide any new Phone: (208) 938-2585 power and great glory." Just prior to teaching. From his first words to the that appearance, the earth will be first people, the Lord made it clear that convulsed with fear and foreboding, he had st:andards of moral living. He and even the cosmos itself will show commanded the people to follow them evidence of coming distress. and said there would be consequences The lesson from Zechariah similarly for disobedience . He assured the describes a catastrophic shifting of people that his commandments were familiar ground, a splitting of the Mount not arbitrary nor merely for the purpose of Olives precipitated by the coming of of showing "who was boss." On the the Lord in power. As in the gospel, contrary, he was showing the people people shall be overwhelmed with fear the way of life, joy, and love, as any and shall flee as from a massive loving parents will do for their children. earthquak e. The apocalyptic images And in giving the people full dignity, he signify a tremendous disappearance of allowed them to make their own 14kt $24 9 those things that bring evildoers choices, for only in that way could their Silver $52.95 confidence - the sky itself and the obedience be freely given and true love earth they st:and on will not only be be known. The judgment day is little unreliable but will cooperate with the more than the day when each person's Lord in his judgment against them. But choice is disclosed and granted. LookIt Up The Christians addressed in the epistle are commanded to abound in love to whom? 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NextSunday www.gallerybyzantium.com TheSecond Sunday of Advent(Year C), Dec. 1 O, 2006 l-800-798-6173 BCP:Bar . 5:1-9; Psalm 126; Phil. 1: 1-11 ; Luke 3: 1-6 D]D][l]D]D]D]D]D]D]D][I] RCL:Bar . 5:1 -9 or Mal. 3: 1-4; Canticle 4 or 16; Phil. 1:3-11 ; Luke 3:1-6 4 T H E LIV ING C H URC H · DECEMB ER 3. 2006 BOOKS OtherVoices, Other Worlds by Islam, repressed such voices so ways whether either side in the current strongly. debate has yet engaged the fundamen­ TheGlobal Church Speaks Out The essayists look at their societies' tal question from the perspec tive of onHomosexuality understandings of homosexuality from Anglican tradition. Edited by Terry Brown. Church Publishing. Pp. 341 . $25 . ISBN 0898695198. various viewpoints: biblical, theologi­ There are indeed many voices to cal, sociological, psychological, politi­ hear, and Lambeth '98 called on the Here is a collection cal, and more. Perhaps most helpful are whole church to listen. It is an English of essays from around concluding essays from Canadian, Eng­ evangelical, tracing the evolution of his the Anglican Commu­ lish and U.S. voices who ask in various own thinking , who asks the critical nion dealing with the (Continued on next page) divergence over sexual­ ·~ ity that clearly dis­ 'l.-.f. .,.... _________________,.,, ....._ _ _ unites us. The point is made in one of these essays that 'NCOUNT~alNG the 1662 Book of Com­ mon Prayer laid down three purposes of mar­ ;,.ClESIASTES riage and as that is still the official prayer book of the Church of England, A 1,00K FOR O·UR TIME still used in several other churches, and the book that shaped the theology of many Anglicans, it is hardly surprising that these purposes are still widely assumed to be normative. These stated purposes, eliminated from the first American prayer book of 1789 and therefore unknown to most Episco­ palians, were the control of human pas­ sions, the procreation of children, and the relationship in love of husband and wife. When a statement of purpose was restored to the American marriage service in 1979, the love of husband and wife was placed first and the con­ trol of human passions was not men­ "The book of Ecclesiastes requires an interpreter who is well grounded tioned. in tradition, alert to the cranky realitie s of life, able to sit hone stly in the This volume is intended to give voice darkness, free to believe against all the data of dailyness, and artistic to those in the Global South whose enough to render the mundane in a way that compels.