 |
CHI RHO
CONNECTION The eNewsletter of Chi Rho Press, Your LGBT Christian Publishing House |
Vol. V, No. 16 ************************* Contents:
30 September 2004
1. 2004-2005 Liturgical
Calendar Published!
2. Church Bookstore Starter Kit
3. "Christian with a Twist"
4. Sanctoral Cycle
5. Adam's Last Word
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This Issue's Quotes:
"Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our
potential."
-- Sir Winston Churchill
"There are no menial jobs, only menial attitudes."
-- William John Bennett
*****
Welcome once again to the Chi Rho Connection, the electronic newsletter of Chi
Rho Press. Thank you for passing this Chi Rho Connection on to others.
To join our list, send an e-mail message to ChiRhoPress-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
To remove yourself from this list send an e-mail to ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Please visit our Web site at http://www.chirhopress.com to see our entire lines
of books, handouts, videos, tapes, tchochkas, and stained glass.
Direct all other e-mail to Adam@ChiRhoPress.com.
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Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary, Year A, November
2004 through November 2005, compiled by Raye-Anne Dorn and the Rev. Clay Witt.
$11.95 each, six or more copies, $9.50 each, plus shipping and handling.
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/devotionals.html#Calendar2005
Chi Rho Press is pleased to announce a brand new Liturgical Calendar for the
coming 2004-2005 church year. The Liturgical Calendar features readings from the
Revised Common Lectionary, widely used as the ecumenical consensus on readings
for each Sunday and holy day in the three-year cycle. Our Liturgical Calendar is
packed with useful information for planning worship and preaching in the local
church for each Sunday and Holy Day of the Church Year.
It is intended for use by pastors, musicians, altar guilds, teachers,
theological students, and anyone using the Church Year as a basis for worship or
education. The Liturgical Calendar is spiral bound so it can lie flat for easy
use, in the popular 8 ½"
x 11" format.
Featured in this new Liturgical Calendar are these
sections: A Heading that identifies the day in the church year (for example, the
first Sunday of Advent, or Proper 20) with alternative descriptions where
appropriate. The Revised Common Lectionary readings, including a brief summary
of each reading. (These are intended as only a very brief overview to identify
general themes as an aid to worship planning. We do not represent them as
anything approaching a thorough
exegesis.) The First Reading is usually from the Hebrew Testament, but there are
exceptions, such as the use of readings from Acts during the Easter season.
These are sometimes selected thematically to fit the Liturgical Calendar, but
often are simply being read through key passages over a series of weeks. This is
followed by a Response, usually a Psalm. The Epistle Reading is next, like the
Hebrew Testament Reading typically a series of key passages from the same book
being read over a number of weeks. Finally the Gospel Reading follows the story
of Jesus through the Christmas and Easter cycles, plus the teachings of Jesus
the rest of the year.
Next is a section on Worship Planning, including the liturgical Color of the
day, Symbols and decorations that can be used to enhance the worship experience,
and Special Events and secular and Jewish holidays for the week which the
congregation may want to remember and commemorate on Sunday.
Rev. Witt has added lots of Notes in the Worship Planning section which serve to
explain in more detail information about the time of the church year, provide
resources for further study and information, and develop liturgical themes to
make your worship experience more rich and meaningful.
The last section for each Sunday is called Following God's Footprints and is the
unique contribution of Raye-Anne Dorn. For every day of the year, Raye-Anne
gives us a traditional saint, with a brief overview of an important theme for
which the saint is remembered and what that particular saint can teach us. Some
Diversity Dates are also included, special occasions for celebrations of
diversity, such as special celebration days for specific cultures (e.g., Cinco
de Mayo) and special days for the GLBT community (e.g., a day of remembrance for
Matthew Shepard).
The 2004-2005 Liturgical Calendar will be a helpful aid for anyone involved in
planning worship, as well as a useful resource for all who want to know more
about the Church year and the rich liturgical life of the Church Universal.
*****
How to order: you may now order the 2004-2005 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary
on the Chi Rho Press Web site at this link:
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/devotionals.html#Calendar2005
You may also order by sending your order, along with your name, address,
telephone, and credit card name and expiration date by e-mail (to Orders@ChiRhoPress.com),
snail mail (to Chi Rho Press, P.O. Box 7864, Gaithersburg, MD 20898), or
telephone or fax (at 301/926-1208). Or if you prefer you may send a check or
money order to our post office box.
The Liturgical Calendar is $11.95 each, six or more copies are $9.50 each, plus
shipping and handling.
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2. Church Bookstore Starter Kit
The Board of Directors of Chi Rho Press announces a new way for local churches
to start their own church bookstore, our Church Bookstore Starter Kit. Chi Rho
Press would certainly be only one of a number of publishing houses that a local
church might want to purchase books from for resale. In order to make the
process a little easier, we offer an easy to deal with starter kit of books on
consignment for the first six months to serve as the nucleus for a new local
church bookstore.
Here are the terms for this opportunity:
You look through our on-line catalog at http://www.ChiRhoPress.com and select
books or other items you think you would want in your new bookstore.
About Us at StoreStart@ChiRhoPress.com with the titles you are interested in
and the numbers of your initial order. We require a ten book minimum for this
offer, but you may mix titles to make the ten book minimum (you can start as low
as two copies of each of five titles, for instance). Send us the name, address,
telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address of your congregation; your
pastor's name, and the name of your bookstore manager for verification purposes.
Chi Rho Press offers a 30% discount off the list price on books purchased for
this special program.
(Commercial bookstores, with resale licenses, customarily receive a 40% discount
with a minimum order of six books, and a 20% discount for an order of fewer than
six books.)
Unfortunately, because of the wear and tear common with church bookstores, we
can not accept returns.
All sales are final.
You will be sent an invoice for the actual shipping costs of your initial
bookstore order, which is due upon receipt.
You will also receive a second invoice for the books you have ordered, which
will include your new church bookstore's 30% discount. We leave the books with
you on consignment for the first six months. During those first six months of
your new bookstore, all we ask is that you send a written itemized accounting
each month, enumerating the number of Chi Rho Press books you have sold and
including a check for those sales only. Upon the receipt of each month report,
we will send an amended invoice.
After the initial six month consignment period, the full balance of the invoice
is due to Chi Rho Press, payable within 30 days of the end of the initial six
month period.
Of course, if any of the titles you order for the initial six month consignment
period sell out, we will be glad to fill and invoice you for new orders at any
time. New orders will not be invoiced under these terms for the "Church
Bookstore Starter Kit,"
but under our regular discount and payment will be due within 30 days of the
invoice.
Please write StoreStart@ChiRhoPress.com for more information or to place an
order for your new church bookstore.
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3. "Christian with a Twist"
Because we have published two books of reflections and meditations on Scripture
this year, we want to be able to share samples of both with you. The weekly Chi
Rho Reflection, e-mailed every Sunday, features the meditation of the day taken
from our first major book this year, "Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time,"
by the Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok. "Living as the Beloved"
(http://www.chirhopress.com/products/devotionals.html#Bochonok)
and is available for $20.95 each, six or more copies for $15.75 each, plus
shipping and handling.
Not wanting to short change our readers, we have decided to include a selection
from our second major book of reflections, "Christian with a Twist:
Reflections on Scripture that are a bit more inclusive, a bit more relevant, and
with a bit of a bite," by William Gaston, in each of the Chi Rho Connections,
published twice a month.
"Christian with a Twist" is available for $19.95 each,
$14.95 each for six or more copies, plus shipping and handling. You can read
more about it and order it at http://www.chirhopress.com/products/devotionals.html#ChristianWithTwist.
Bill Gaston wrote these reflections each Sunday over a three year period for
publication in the church bulletin and newsletter of MCC of Washington DC.
Bill's reflections are based on one or more of the Lectionary readings for the
Sunday and his work pretty much covers the three year cycle of the Lectionary.
As the subtitle suggests, Bill's writing has a bit of a bite, and we believe you
will enjoy his sharp, but loving take on Scripture, life, and faith.
Here is a selection from the Ordinary Time section of "Christian with a Twist."
Please read Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
I love today's passage. It gives me a chance to vent about one of my pet peeves. Oh no, not again, you may be thinking. But seriously, I think that wisdom and understanding are too much ignored and even sometimes discouraged in our religious lives. Many people seem to park their brains outside the church door, and I wonder sometimes if they remember to pick them up on their way out.
That is harsh and negative, I know, but so much talk of religion these days is negative. Our religious institutions have to accept some of the responsibility for that. I do not understand the conflict between science and religion. What better way is there to honor God's Creation than to study the intricacies of it? And does not each new thing that we discover lead to even more awe and wonder about the complexity of what God has done?
Today's passage says that God created wisdom at the very beginning of Creation, that wisdom was there when each and every thing came into being. Of course we can never understand it all, but it is all real and all of it is knowable, if only to God. There is a bit of God in each of us and we are each a part of all that is.
We consist of body, mind, and spirit. We have hospitals and health clubs to maintain our bodies. We have schools and libraries to enrich our minds. We have churches and scripture to support our spirits. We would not think of accepting the level of health care or education of Jesus' time, but somehow we think that the level of spiritual development that was good enough then should be good enough now.
Another of today's suggested readings is John 16:12-15 in which Jesus promises to send to us the Spirit of Truth that will teach us what he could not in his time and place. I think that the Spirit of Truth that Jesus promised is not unrelated to the Wisdom spoken of in Proverbs. I think that God desires that all of Creation be alive and growing, certainly our part of it which God created in God's own image.
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4. Sanctoral Cycle
As a regular feature in the Chi Rho Connection, we are offering up traditional
and modern saints and various holy days and holidays listed in the 2004
Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary from today until our next scheduled
electronic newsletter.
*****
Thu. Sep. 30 (sunset) Tue. Oct. 5, Sukkot (Jewish).
The Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths) is a harvest festival and a remembrance of
the journey of Israel through the Sinai desert living in tents.
Mon. Oct. 4, St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226). Friar and founder of the
Franciscan order. Likely the most popular and admired of all the saints, and
also the least imitated; Francis was completely devoted to the poor and the
suffering of Christ. Born into a wealthy family, he sought glory as a young
knight, but instead ended up seriously ill and in prison. Encounters with
beggars and lepers touched him so deeply he embraced a life of poverty. Late in
his life he became the first to receive the stigmata, or wounds of Christ in his
hands, feet, and side. Because of his deep love for them, his feast day is often
celebrated by blessing animals. He reminds us of the radical simplicity of the
gospel and the sacramentality of creation.
Wed. Oct. 6, Founding of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community
Churches (1968). Anniversary of the first service held by Rev. Elder Troy Perry.
A former Pentecostal minister from Florida who had been thrown out of his church
for being gay, Troy Perry knew that his experience was not unusual.
Called by God to start a church where GLBT people would be welcome, he held the
first service in his living room near Los Angeles. Twelve men and women joined
him for the first service of what became MCC LA, the Mother Church of UFMCC, now
the largest religious organization in the world for GLBT people.
Thu. Oct. 7, Sts. Sergius and Bacchus (d. 290).
Martyrs in death and lovers in life. These two saints were tortured for refusing
to compromise
their faith by making a sacrifice to Jupiter.
They were officers in the Roman army and lovers.
After their arrest they were paraded through the streets in women's clothing,
which was meant to humiliate them. Bacchus died first and came to Sergius in a
vision, telling him not to lose heart, they would soon be together for eternity.
They later became patron saints of the Byzantine army, and are still honored
among certain Arab nomads. Early Christian writings show that the Church has not
always had a negative view of homosexuality.
Thu. Oct. 7 Fri. Oct. 8, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (Jewish). Celebrates
reading of the Torah (Law). Features readings, processions, and blessing of
children.
Mon. Oct. 11, Columbus Day (U.S.A.). Federal holiday, can also be designated
Peoples of the Americas Day.
Mon. Oct. 11, National Coming Out Day. Anniversary of the National March on
Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. This day has been marked yearly in the
GLBT community since 1987. In this powerful personal act of liberation and
rebirth we can experience the reality of Jesus' words, "the truth will set you
free."
Because equality cannot be achieved by staying in the closet, it is important
for each of us to come out to our friends and family. When people know a gay or
lesbian individual personally, they are far less likely to maintain negative
stereotypes and prejudices. Coming out is not a one time event, but is rather a
life long process. Whatever it may be, take the next step toward living your own
life with integrity.
Mon. Oct. 11, Thanksgiving Day (Canada).
Tue. Oct. 12, Matthew Shepherd (1976-1998). Victim of hate crime. A 21 year old
freshman at the University of Wyoming, Matthew was abducted, tied to a fence,
and beaten into a coma by two young men.
His murder gave a face to the tragedy of gay bashing.
He is remembered not for any particular achievements in his brief life, but as a
symbol of the violence that is bred by homophobia and the rhetoric of hate.
Tue. Oct. 12, Day of the Race (Mexico). Traditional date for Columbus Day.
Fri. Oct. 15 (approximately, it depends on the sighting of the moon), Ramadan
(Islamic). Holy month of Islam that commemorates revelation of Qur'an to
Mohammed.
Begins when new moon of the ninth month is sighted in Saudi Arabia. Strict
fasting is observed daily from sunrise to sunset. (All Islamic holidays begin at
sunset the preceding evening. The actual dates sometimes may vary from this
calendar, as the day is based on the actual sighting of the moon.)
Fri. Oct. 15, St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582). Mystic and Doctor of the church.
Raised in a wealthy Spanish family, Teresa became a Carmelite nun. In an age in
which women's voices went unheard, she became a towering figure, author of four
books, religious reformer, founder of 17 convents. As a woman who based her
authority on mystical visions, she fell under the suspicion of the Inquisition.
Her best known work, "The Interior Castle," describes the soul as a castle, and
the journey of prayer that leads from meditation to mystical union with Christ.
Sat. Oct. 16, Thomas Cranmer (d. 1556). Creator of the Book of Common Prayer.
During a time of political and religious turmoil, as Archbishop of Canterbury
Cranmer was instrumental in the English Reformation and the institution of the
Church of England. Under Queen Mary, a devout Catholic, he was declared a
heretic and burned at the stake. His legacy is carried in the Book of Common
Prayer, the beauty of its liturgical language and its influence on Christian
prayer and worship even to our own time.
Sat. Oct. 16, National Boss Day (U.S.A.).
*****
Order the brand new 2004-2005 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary, complete with
the entire year's Sanctoral Cycle. See the end of article number one in this
issue of the Chi Rho Connection for ordering information.
Return to table of contents
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5. Adam's Last Word
Order your 2004-2005 Liturgical Calendar now. I look forward to hearing your
reaction to the new edition.
*****
We hope you will offer your assistance to the Spanish Translation Task Force. If
you do not speak Spanish, perhaps you can help with your financial gifts. But
certainly keep us in your prayers.
We are also looking for grant writers to help us identify and apply for
foundation grants. If this is a gift you have, please contact Director Adam
DeBaugh at Adam@ChiRhoPress.com.
If you are moved to help in any way, or if you have any questions or insights
into this exciting project, please write Adam@ChiRhoPress.com.
*****
Please join Chi Rho Press as a partner in ministry with Dr. Rembert Truluck. You
may buy his wonderful and inspiring book, "Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse,"
on line at http://www.chirhopress.com/products/gayandchristian.html#Truluck.
Or make a fully tax-deductible contribution by making your gift check out to Chi
Rho Press, designate that it is "For Dr. Truluck" in the memo line, and send it
to Chi Rho Press, P.O. Box 7864, Gaithersburg, MD 20898, USA. If you prefer, you
may make your contribution on line at this link: http://www.chirhopress.com/sponsor.html.
Just note in the "Special Instructions and Comments" that your contribution is
designated "For Dr. Truluck" and we will make sure he receives your generous
gift.
*****
Please keep the Chi Rho Press board of Directors in your prayers. We meet this
Sunday afternoon (after church and brunch, of course!).
*****
Chi Rho Press has a new Treasurer! Mr. Steve Barchers, of Front Royal, Virginia,
a long time member of the Chi Rho Press board of directors, has been unanimously
elected Treasurer of the Press. Steve has already begun work and is moving ahead
like gang busters! As the board tells me, I am a Word Guy, not a Numbers Guy.
<sigh> I hope they mean that kindly! Steve's assistance is invaluable to me and
to your Press.
*****
Another staff change to announce is the addition of the
Rev. Clay Witt as Web minister for Chi Rho Press. Our
long term Web minister (who prefers to remain anonymous)
has performed amazing service to the Press for a number
of years. She will continue doing some work, with Clay
taking over primary responsibilities for design and
implementation of the Web site. Watch the Web site for
a new look, and some new features.
http://www.ChiRhoPress.com
*****
Speaking of the Web site, it is not too early to think
about your holiday shopping! Christmas is less than
three months away. Chi Rho Press never closes at
least our Web site never closes and is available for
your shopping needs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
(366 days this year!). If you intend to order stained
glass, it would be a good idea to place those orders as
soon as possible, so our Stained Glass Elf has plenty
of time to create your pieces in plenty of time for
Christmas. We hope you will consider doing at least
some of your holiday shopping at Chi Rho Press.
Gracia y paz,
R. Adam DeBaugh, Director, Adam@ChiRhoPress.com.
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******************************************
We are glad you are partners in ministry with us here at
Chi Rho Press. We are eager for your comments, your
suggestions, your assistance with selling our books,
and your own purchases! And of course, we covet your
prayers for this ministry.
If you've received the Chi Rho Connection as a result of
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order. Please always include your e-mail address,
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For all e-mail correspondence, please write
Adam@ChiRhoPress.com.
Our snail mail address is:
Chi Rho Press, Inc.
P.O. Box 7864
Gaithersburg, MD 20898
Our telephone and fax number is 301/926-1208.
Customers outside the U.S. and especially our Canadian
friends can order using credit cards on our Web page or
through our Canadian distributor, MAP Enterprises, Mary
Ann Pearson, at her Web page, http://www.christiangays.com.
Copyright 2004, Chi Rho Press, Inc.