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CHI RHO
CONNECTION |
Vol. VI, No. 18
2.
Acceptance, Tolerance, Intolerance, and Bigotry
4.
Have you started your Christmas shopping?
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This
issue's Quotes: "Idolatry is committed not merely by setting up false
gods, but also by setting up false devils." G. K. Chesterton "Beware lest we mistake our prejudices for our
convictions." Harry A. Ironside
***** 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. Direct all other e-mail to
Adam@ChiRhoPress.com. -------------------------------------------------- The 2005-2006 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary, Year
B is now on the Chi Rho Press Web site. You may view it and order it at this
link:
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLiturgicalCa05_06.html The 2005-2006 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary sells
for 11.95 each, $9.50 each for six or more copies, plus shipping and handling. The Lectionary in the Liturgical Calendar is 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 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, a former
Roman Catholic priest (before her transition). 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). As a special added section, we have included
alternative readings for the four Sundays of Pride-Tide (June) prepared by the
Rev. Gordon McCoy. The four sets of readings for Pride-Tide may be used at any
time in the year that the faith community celebrates LGBT Pride. The standard
Revised Common Lectionary readings are included for the four Sundays in June as
well. The 2005-2006 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. We think you will like this new Liturgical Calendar. Order the 2006 Calendar at this new link:
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLiturgicalCa05_06.html The 2006 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary sells for $11.95 each, $9.50 each for six or more copies, plus
shipping and handling.
Return to table of contents
2.
Acceptance, Tolerance, Intolerance, and Bigotry Our friend Ninure Saunders from Chicago, Illinois,
USA, sent this recently. We think it is a good illustration of the differences
between acceptance, tolerance, intolerance, and bigotry. What do you think? We
share it with you with Ninure's kind permission. Acceptance: There are peas on my plate. Peas are not
my first choice to eat when I am hungry, but I eat them. Tolerance: There are peas on my plate. I don't care
for peas, I am not that hungry, so I leave them alone. Intolerance: There are peas on my plate. I HATE peas.
I hurl the plate on the floor and jump and down on the
peas. I try to file criminal charges against the person who cooked the peas. Bigotry: There are peas on my plate. Not only do I
hate peas, I hate the people who cook them, who grow them, and anyone who likes
them. I spend a great deal of my time trying to outlaw peas, and deprive anyone
who grows or likes them of their human rights. I proclaim that anyone who has
anything to do with peas hates God, abuses children, and is a terrorist.
Return to table of contents By Adam DeBaugh [This article is the second of a series published in
the "Epi-Grams," the newsletter of the health studies area of Westat. Adam is
the editor of "Epi-Grams." Since "Epi-Grams" is only published quarterly, the
next in this series will not be available until December.] "Do you know the difference between a terrorist and an
editor? You can negotiate with a terrorist." Well, I'm back. I didn't get fired for the last
edition of Epi-Grams and the first of these very personal screeds "From the
Editor's Cave," so here we are with another one. This time I want to reflect a
bit on civility, beginning with business e-mails. I was told recently that we don't start e-mails with a
Salutation, as in "Dear Mr. DeBaugh." Since when? Oh, I suppose I can parrot all the arguments: "Dear" is too personal. E-mails are by their nature
informal. E-mails should also be short and adding a Salutation adds to the
unwanted length. Business e-mails are different from business letters. I just
don't have the time to type all that. Uh huh. Again I say, "Since when?" I react most strongly to a couple of theses notions. First, that the use of the word "Dear" in a Salutation
is too personal, even intimate. Again the refrain, "SINCE WHEN?" I'll be happy to
stipulate that should one begin an e-mail, "My Dear Adam," what follows better
be a love letter, and not one containing that old "I Love You" virus! But every
source book I know says that business letters begin with the Salutation, "Dear
Mr. DeBaugh" or the more informal "Dear Adam" (unless of course you are writing
to someone with a different name!). When used in a business letter Salutation, "Dear" is
not a personal or intimate formulation. It is common courtesy. Yes, it's rather
OLD common courtesy. I will stipulate that. But you know that I am rather old
fashioned, especially when it comes to our common language. I am the guy you may
occasionally run into in the halls darkly muttering, "Where are standards?" and
other imprecations and scowling with a forbidding look. It is possible that you were the one who made some
egregious grammatical error or are guilty of an especially annoying linguistic
tic that got my ire up. (Perhaps you said, "At the end of the day" in
conversation!) But courtesy is still courtesy, even when contained in
an e-mail. The second notion is that business e-mails are
informal creatures and not subject to the basic norms of politeness and
civility. Well. Why is that? Why do we sink to the lowest common denominator
with our language and our manners simply because we are communicating via
electronic mail? Why has e-mail been relegated to the realm of the
excruciatingly informal, the casual, the flip, and the semi-literate? Why do our
standards slip simply because we are using a rather instantaneous communication
devise? My great fear is that our standards have not slipped
at all, but this is the level of written communication to which our culture and
our society has sunken. If that is the case, to quote Mr. Thomas Jefferson,
"Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just." Yes, e-mail
is fast: fast to write, fast to send, fast to receive. And I am too often guilty
of not proof reading more carefully before hitting the Send key, or being more
sloppy than usual with my grammar, or making the mistake of letting Mr. Gates'
pernicious Spell Check take over and decide what my e-mails should say. But is that the people we want to be? Is that the kind
of culture we wants to promulgate? Is that who we are, as individuals, as
professionals, as a company? So I am sorry, but e-mails begin, as do all polite
business communications, with a properly worded Salutation. And for e-mails sent
outside of Westat, "Hi Adam" does not qualify. Nor do we immediately launch into
the body of our communication. It's like not saying "Good morning" when you
first see a co-worker. But wait, we do that as well! Here's the bottom line for me: it really doesn't take
that much time to type "Dear Adam," or to say, "Good morning," or even to ask
about each other's health, or how the weekend was. Oh yes, I know, I can hear
some of you saying, "I'm too busy for that." Yes, too busy for a few seconds of
the niceties, a bare moment of politeness, a shred of basic human concern. You
are SO important, SO busy. I understand. I really do. (Can you feel the sarcasm dripping off the chin?) Yet I say, if you are too busy to care about your co-
workers, too busy for some basic manners, then you are simply too busy. And to
quote a wise and wonderful woman of my acquaintance, "You need to get over your
cheap self!" Informality is not a bad thing. I still bridle when
some barely literate caller from some company manages to get through my
telephonic defenses and begins by calling me "Adam" right off. I'm sorry, but do
I know you? Have you been given my permission to use my first name? Were you not
taught to address strangers by their last names, especially older people? Where
are standards? I believe that informality can and has degenerated
into a slovenliness and a lack of manners and courtesy, both in the written and
the spoken word. We are downright rude. Is that who we want to be? My concern is that the lack of civility in the little
things gradually escalates into a lack of civility in the greater things of
life, and that results in a breakdown of civil society and the body politic. Do
you think it is your right to simply cut in on a line of cars waiting patiently
at a highway exit? Is it appropriate to apply your makeup or shave your surly
face while driving to work? Is it considerate to be braying into your cell phone
while waiting at the doctor's office or on line at the Giant or in other public
spaces? (And do NOT get me started on the moral ciphers who chat away on their
cell phones while driving, zipping in and out of traffic! More and more sensible
jurisdictions are making the use of a cell phone while driving illegal.) Somehow it has become acceptable to inconvenience,
delay, and even endanger others in our quest for speed, for our own convenience,
for our own selfish ends. Is that who we want to be? My point is that the lack of civility, of common
courtesy, of simple manners does not take that much time out of our busy lives,
and improves the quality of life for those around us and for ourselves. We need
to get back to civility! You may begin by addressing your caviling e-mails of
protestation and complaint, with the Salutation, "Dear Adam." Here endeth the lesson.
Return to table of contents
4.
Have you started your Christmas shopping? What if we could point you to a store that is open 24
hours a day, seven days a week; where you can shop in your pajamas if you want;
where you can buy books, stained glass, and even stocking stuffers; and where
shipping within the United States is free for orders over $100! Of course, we
are talking about our own Web site, www.ChiRhoPress.com. Books make great gifts! Titles such as Steps to
Recovery from Bible Abuse, Living as the Beloved, Christian with a Twist, The
Bible and Homosexuality, two different Lenten studies, Come Home!, Called OUT!,
Positively Gay, My Memory Book, the new 2006 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary,
The Road to Emmaus, and Together in Love are all available and ready to ship.
Plus we have audio and video tapes, CDs, five
different stained glass designs, rainbow key chains and bracelets, and more! ***** We have designed gift certificates that can be made
out for any amount you care to give. These are not yet available on our Web site, so send
your check with a note indicating that you are buying a Gift Certificate and we
will make up an attractive Gift Certificate for the amount of your check for you
to give along with a copy of our catalog. Chi Rho Press Gift Certificates make excellent gifts!
Order some today at Chi Rho Press, P.O. Box 7864,
Gaithersburg, MD 20898. ***** Come shop at Chi Rho Press!
Return to table of contents Here is 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 the late
William Gaston. "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/product_details/BookRevChristianWithATwist.htm
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 entitled "Demons" from the
Ordinary Time section of "Christian with a Twist." Please read Luke 8:26-39 Jesus could walk into any major city in our society
and quickly run into men and women similar to the demoniac in today's scripture
passage. Some of them have had the experience of being bound or shut away, and
are afraid of those who would dare to approach to help them. The institutions
where we used to lock them away have been largely emptied, but the people remain
now scattered throughout our cities with their shopping carts of belongings. Our street people are rarely naked, but they are often
clothed in filthy rags. They smell, they urinate out in public, and they
frighten us. Are we afraid that the demons that dwell in them might come into
our own herd? Demons do have a way of affecting the masses. As Christians and good people we desire to help, but
not to get too close. Our own leaders, shepherds, and swineherds offer programs,
even faith-based ones, to funnel our tax dollars to help these poor souls; after
a part of the surplus is returned to us, of course. We want to help, but we do not want our Jesus
associating too closely with these people. We are not comfortable seeing them
sitting at his feet. We do not really want them in our sanctuaries church
basements and weekdays are better times and places for our faith-based
initiatives. But not to worry. Jesus has not come by in awhile, and few if any
of our street people are going about proclaiming the blessings they have
received from his followers.
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevChristianWithATwist.htm
Return to table of contents As a regular feature in the Chi Rho Connection, we are
offering up traditional saints listed in the 2005 Liturgical Calendar and
Lectionary from today until our next scheduled electronic newsletter. ***** Mon., Oct. 31, St. Bademus. Fear: There can be no
peace or happiness except in the service of God; those who desert this blessed
service open the floodgates of misery. "What benefit did you reap at that time
from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!" (Romans
6:21). Tues., Nov. 1, All Saints Day. Remembrance of the
dead: The feast celebrated today is one of the greatest of
the church's festivals. "Let us turn to the martyrs and saints and call upon
them to be our protectors not only on their festivals but at other times; for
they can be bolder of speech in death than when they lived, since they now bear
in their bodies the marks of Jesus Christ," St. John Chrysostom. Diversity Date: November is Native American Heritage
Month. November is also National Diabetes Awareness Month. Wed., Nov. 2, St. Martin de Porres (Patron saint:
beauticians, African Americans, racial harmony). Charity and kindness: St. Martin is the first of the
African American saints. The example of Martin's life is ample evidence that we
can strive for holiness and salvation as Christ Jesus has shown us: first, by
loving God "with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind; and
second, by loving your neighbor as yourself." Diversity Date: November 2 is All Souls Day Thurs., Nov. 3, St. Malachy of Armagh. Pray for those
who have gone before us: St. Malachy teaches us that we must remember in our
prayers not only our own needs and those we know who have died and the departed
faithful, but all the dead whenever, where ever: these are the multitudes who
have no one to remember them. Fri., Nov. 4, St. Charles Borromeo (Patron saint:
seminarians). Daily renewal: Daily resolutions to fulfill, come what ever may,
every duty asked by God, is the lesson taught by St. Charles. It is a lesson we
must learn if we are to overcome our weaknesses and lead upright lives. Sat., Nov. 5, St. Albert the Great (Patron saint:
medical technicians). The material creation: The material creation is God's
handiwork no less than the immaterial creation. God may be known in the beauty,
order, and wonders of all nature, which glorifies God and can lead us to God.
Study and the use of the material creation, or science, is an activity highly
befitting Christians and to delight in and thank God for that creation is a
Christian obligation. Sun., Nov. 6, St. Stanislaus Kostka. Patron saints:
St. Stanislaus teaches us that in every trial life sends our way, and above all
at the hour of our death, to ask the prayers of our patron saint and to trust
fearlessly in their aid. "But the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and
God's ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the Lord is against those who
do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth" (Psalm 34:15-16). Mon., Nov. 7, St. Willibrord. Zeal: True zeal has its
roots in the love of God. It is therefore kind and tactful, not fanatical or
bigoted. It can never be idle; it must labor, toil, be up and doing. It glows
like fire, and like fire it can spread endlessly. This is the spirit that should be within us. "I have
come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" (Luke
12:49). Tues., Nov. 8, St. Oswald of Northumbria. Perseverance
in prayer: St. Oswald recovered his kingdom with the help of prayer! He
converted his subjects to Christianity and attained great holiness, all through
the power and perseverance of prayer. If we prayed more, how much more would be
given to us and what great ends we could achieve! Wed., Nov. 9, St. Theodore of Tiro. Constancy and
courage: As Christians we are all enlisted in the same service as the martyrs of
old, we fight under the same banner of the same victorious ruler; and we too
must have courage and constancy if we would be good soldiers of Christ. Let us
join with them in confessing the faith of Christ, that we too may have a part
with them in Christ's kingdom. Thurs., Nov. 10, St. Andrew Avellino. Preparation for
death: St. Andrew is one of the saints invoked against sudden death. He was able
to receive the last sacraments before he died, which many people cannot because
they have put them off until too late. A good life, the last anointing, and viaticum (last
communion prior to death) ensure a good death. Fri., Nov. 11, St. Martin of Tours. Working for
Christ: It is written that Satan once appeared to St. Martin in royal garb,
representing himself to be the son of God. "My Savior did not come in princely
state. Where are the print of the nails and the scars of the wounds?" asked the
saint. The fiend vanished. It was for Christ crucified that
Martin worked. Are you working for the same Lord? Sat., Nov. 12, St. Didacus. The gift of speech: If God is in your heart, then surely God will be on
your lips also, for Christ has said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaks." Sun., Nov. 13, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. Refusal to
be discouraged: St. Frances Cabrini is the first American to be canonized. In
the difficulties with which we have to contend we must arm ourselves with
courage, which consists not only in making the most of good things, but also of
the outfacing and overcoming of the obstacles in our way, with the help of God,
that is always at hand. Mon., Nov. 14, St. Josaphat. Suffering for the Church:
St. Josaphat Kunsevich, like St. Thomas Becket, died for Christ by dying for His
church, the one for her unity and the other for her freedom. Do we remember to
thank God that in our country the Church enjoys complete freedom, both to live
her life and to extend her membership? Tues., Nov. 15, St. Winifred. Prayers of the Saints:
"The prayers of the saints have mighty power to help
our need; but they are specially effective when we help ourselves by doing
penance, and seek to obtain what we ask by striving after better things," St.
John Chrysostom. ***** Order the 2005-2006 Liturgical Calendar and
Lectionary, complete with the entire year's Sanctoral Cycle, at this link:
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLiturgicalCa05_06.html
Return to table of contents The Installation of the Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson as
Moderator of the Metropolitan Community Churches was last Saturday. It was a
magnificent event! Our Moderator is like a Presiding Bishop and is the head of
our denomination. Nancy succeeds the Rev. Elder Troy Perry, who retired this year. She is only
the second head of communion MCC has had and one of the few, if not the only
woman to head a denomination today. The Installation took place at the Washington National
Cathedral in Washington, DC, and was an event filled with joy, reverence, and
celebration. Nancy preached from the Canterbury Pulpit, where Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. preached his last sermon and from which many notable religious leaders
have spoken over the long history of the National Cathedral. MCC clergy from all over the world processed, all
dressed in their finest vestments, a mass choir sung beautifully, backed up with
a small orchestra and the great organ of the Cathedral. There were greetings
from many different religious leaders. Of course, since we are MCC, there was communion. Nancy and the Rev. Elder Don Eastman con-celebrated
communion and over 20 communion stations distributed the Eucharist and a short
prayer to the people in the packed Cathedral. The sun pouring through the stained glass windows of
the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul added to a glorious day. Chi Rho Press adds our voice to the many who are
excited by his new ministry for Nancy Wilson, and we are keeping her and all the
MCCs around the world in prayer as we begin this new phase of the worldwide
ministry of MCC. ***** We are excited about the production of the Liturgical
Calendar and Lectionary for the 2005-2006 church year, Year B in the reckoning
of the Revised Common Lectionary. Please order your copy today!
*****
Of course, with Christmas a
little more than two months away, it is not too early to start doing your
holiday shopping at ChiRhoPress.com. We never close! ***** There are some wonderful tapes and CDs of good
Christian music available at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/tapes_CDs.html. Please visit! ***** Please check out the Chi Rho Cards! Our line of
greeting cards, by the talented New York artist Timothy Leetch, are now
available. See the descriptions of the cards on our Web site at:
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/cards.html. Order some cards today! ***** Gracia y paz, R. Adam DeBaugh, Director, Adam@ChiRhoPress.com. ****************************************** 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
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we will ship your order after receiving your check or money order. Please
always include your e-mail address, mailing address, and telephone number. 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. Some of our books are
also available through our Canadian distributor, MAP Enterprises, Mary Ann
Pearson, at her Web page,
http://www.christiangays.com. Copyright 2005, Chi Rho Press, Inc.
3 November 2005
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