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CHI RHO
CONNECTION The eNewsletter of Chi Rho Press, Your LGBT Christian Publishing House |
Vol. VII, No. 15
18 November 2006
1.
2007 Liturgical Calendar
2. Stained Glass for Christmas!
3. Step Number
7: "Find Positive Supportive Scripture"
4. May We Suggest Easy
Christmas Shopping?
5. The Order of Saint Luke
6. Adam's Last Word
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"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
Dr. Seuss
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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 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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The 2006-2007 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary Year C 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/BookRevLiturgicalCa06_07.html
The 2006-2007 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 2006-2007 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 2007 Calendar at this new link:
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLiturgicalCa06_07.html
The 2007 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary sells for $11.95 each, $9.50 each for six or more copies, plus shipping and handling.
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2. Stained Glass for Christmas!
Like books, stained glass makes wonderful holiday gifts. The stained glass elf has been busy in the Chi Rho Press workshop (or should that be stained glass bear?).
Check out the stained glass section of our Web page at http://www.chirhopress.com/products/stainedglass.html.
There are pictures of all five stained glass pieces:
The clear cross (usually with a red center) for $12.00;
The LGBT rainbow flag for $18.00;
The red AIDS ribbon for $7.50;
The rainbow cross for $18.00;
And the rainbow Star of David for $18.00, all plus shipping and handling.
Use our handy shopping cart and pay with your credit card!
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/stainedglass.html
Put the stained glass bear to work!
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3. Step Number 7 "Find Positive Supportive Scripture"
Step Number 7 in the "Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse," by the Rev. Dr. Rembert Truluck, is to "Find Positive Supportive Scripture." Here is the introductory material from chapter 12 of "Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse," in which Dr. Truluck outlines the seventh step needed to recover from Bible abuse.
The Seventh Step: Find Positive Supportive Scripture.
Make a list of the Bible passages that especially speak to you and give you hope and encouragement.
John 3:16-17 is a good beginning, "God so loved the world [YOU] that God gave God's only begotten child, Jesus, that whosoever [YOU] believes in Jesus shouldn't perish [throw away your life], but have eternal life. For God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Jesus should be set free [saved]."
See also Psalm 100; the Book of Ruth; the story of David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 18:1 through 20:42 and 2 Samuel 1:1-27; John 14 through 17; Matthew 28:1-20; Galatians 3 through 6; 1 Peter 3 through 5; Romans 5:1-11; 8:1-4, 14-39; 15:1-7; and all of Romans 5 through 8.
Many other Bible passages are helpful and encouraging to people who are abused, misunderstood, outcasts, and oppressed. Discuss the Bible in your group and encourage people to suggest Bible passages that have helped them.
Buy the complete book, "Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse," on the Chi Rho Press Web site, at this link:
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevStepsToRecovery.html
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4. May We Suggest East 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, music, 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, http://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 2007 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!
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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.
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Come shop at Chi Rho Press!
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In October I was privileged to attend the Annual Retreat of the Order of Saint Luke near Pittsburgh, PA. There I professed by vows as a Brother in the Order before the Brother Abbott Mark Stamm. (Brother Abbott Stamm is a liturgy professor at Perkins School of Theology in Texas.)
The Order of Saint Luke is dedicated to sacramental and liturgical scholarship, teaching, and practice. As a religious order, we are a dispersed community in diaspora, made up of women and men, lay and clergy, from many different denominations, who are seeking to live a sacramental life. The Order is Wesleyan and Lukan in its spirituality, Methodist in its origins, sacramental in its practice, and ecumenical in its outlook. Please explore our Web site at http://www.saint-luke.org.
This year we celebrate our 60th anniversary, having begun in 1946. There are over 750 members of the Order scattered in 43 of the US states and in a number of other countries. Sixty-nine brothers and sisters gathered for the Annual Retreat this weekend, beginning on the Feast of St. Luke on October 18th. I was one of three people professing vows for the first time. My pastor, the Rev. Dr. Rob Taylor, was with me this weekend as I professed my initial vows. He is a long time member of OSL.
The Rule of the Order of Saint Luke is simple, yet profound.
We affirm the apostolic hope;
We live for the Church of Jesus Christ;
We seek the sacramental life;
We promote the corporate worship of the Church;
We magnify the sacraments;
We accept the call to service.
I am very pleased to have joined this ecumenical Order and invite you to review the Web site, and to celebrate with me on this important step in my spiritual path. For those of you who are more sacramental in your liturgical preferences, I strongly encourage you to join the Order, which you can do by e-mail. Please let me know if you are interested in doing this, so I can assist you to become a member. Write me at Adam@ChiRhoPress.com.
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We have been remiss in getting out new issues of the Chi Rho Connection for the past little while, for which I apologize. There is a lot going on and I am eager to get fully back in the saddle at Chi Rho Press.
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We have a couple of needs, and perhaps some of our readers will be able to help.
Our exemplary volunteer Web minister, the Rev. Clay Witt, is really and truly retiring and wants to lay down those duties by the end of the year. So we are looking for a new volunteer Web minister. If you have those skills and gifts and would like to take on this role, please contact me at Adam@ChiRhoPress.com.
If you are in the Washington DC area, we also would benefit by a couple of volunteer office workers to help get things better organized here in my home office. Since I work a full-time secular job, I am looking for volunteers in the evening and on weekends. Write me at Adam@ChiRhoPress.com if you are interested.
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I have recently been elected one of the two lay delegates at my home congregation, Open Door MCC, Boyds, MD (Website: http://www.opendoormcc.com). This is a great honor for me and I look forward to representing my congregation at international and regional conferences of MCC over the next two years. I also serve on the altar guild, one of the worship teams, head the HIV Support Group, and am chair of the Outreach Committee.
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Shipping and Handling Tip: When you are ordering from the Chi Rho Press Web site, be sure to tell us your preferred shipping method. The way the shopping cart is set up, the shipping method defaults to United Parcel Service. This is NOT the most economical way to ship for orders under seven pounds. If you want the most inexpensive shipping (within the United States) it is usually best to pick USPS (United States Postal Service Domestic Parcel Post) for packages weighing under seven pounds. UPS (United Parcel Service) Ground is more economical for packages heavier than seven pounds. The shopping cart will tell you how much your order weighs in the box right next to your order amount and price. There is a link there to change your shipping method as well.
When I order one copy of the Liturgical Calendar and allow the default UPS Ground shipping method, the shipping cost is almost as much as the book, $10.11!
But if I change the shipping method to USPS Parcel Post shipping is only $6.28, and it is $6.46 for USPS Priority Mail.
Also do not forget that shipping from Chi Rho Press is FREE for orders over $100. Sometimes all you need do is add another book or two to get free shipping, saving even more money.
Be smart shoppers and choose your shipping options carefully to avoid paying too much!
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I am very happy to be a brother in the Order of Saint Luke and I encourage you to explore joining the Order as well. Check out the Web site at http://www.saint-luke.org.
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I really encourage you all to become Guardian Angels of Chi Rho Press. This will help us a lot as we prepare our next books for publication. Just $150 for a year will make you an important participant in this ministry.
Thank you!
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Finally, as the holidays approach, please know that I wish you a very blessed holiday season. Thanksgiving (here in the US), Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, and New Years all bring with them great opportunities for joy, but also much sadness for many people in the LGBT community.
Suicides and suicide attempts increase during the holiday season, especially for many LGBT people whose families have deserted them or who are single and alone. Please remember those who are alone this holiday season and try to include them in your festivities. Even a card, a small gift (from Chi Rho Press, of course!), or an invitation to dinner or a party, can mean so much to someone for whom the holidays are not always filled with blessings and joy.
And please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers as we move through the stately dance of thanksgiving to the birth of our Savior and the coming new year. May you be filled with every good thing now and always.
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Gracia y paz,
Brother R. Adam DeBaugh, OSL
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.
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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.
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 2006, Chi Rho Press, Inc.
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