 |
3 Mar 01
|
Chi Rho Press eNewsletter
Vol. II, No. 7
3 March 2001
*************************
New Promissory Notes Are Now Available. See Article Below.
*************************
Welcome once again
to the Chi Rho Press eNewsletter. Thank you for passing
this eNewsletter on to others.
To join our list, send an e-mail message to ChiRhoPress-subscribe@egroups.com.
Please visit our
Web site at http://www.chirhopress.com/ to
see our entire
lines of books, Handouts, tchochkas, and stained glass.
Direct all other
e-mail to Adam@ChiRhoPress.com.
See the end of this
eNewsletter for a complete list of e-mail addresses at ChiRhoPress.com.
--------------------------------------------------
Contents:
1. Author
Bio: Dr. Rembert Truluck
2. New Book by Nancy Wilson in the Works
3. Reflections on Lent, by Adam DeBaugh
4. Stained Glass Available!
5. My Memory Book
6. New Promissory Notes
7. Adam's Last Word: A Busy Week
--------------------------------------------------
1. Author Bio: Dr. Rembert Truluck
Dr. Rembert Truluck
is the author of “Steps to Recovery from
Bible Abuse,” the
fastest selling book Chi Rho Press has published. We are almost completely
out of “Steps” and have begun a second printing this week.
Dr. Truluck has a
Doctor of Theology from The Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, 1968. He was a Southern Baptist pastor
from
1953 to 1973; Professor of Religion at Baptist College of Charleston,
South
Carolina, from 1973 to 1981; and writer of Southern Baptist Sunday School
Lessons from 1973 to 1979.
He joined First Metropolitan
Community Church (MCC) of Atlanta in 1981 and
served as Bible teacher, writer, and preacher. He then served as Senior
Pastor at Golden Gate MCC, San Francisco, and at MCC Nashville, Tennessee.
Dr. Truluck now lives
in the San Francisco Bay area where he is active as a
writer, teacher, and counselor. His web site, www.truluck.com,
has become
incredibly popular as a source of information about Christianity and the
lesbian/gay community and the steps to recovery from Bible abuse. The
Web
site debuted in September 1997 and had over two million visits in the
first two
years.
Dr. Truluck’s
book, “Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse,”
is available from
Chi Rho Press for $24.95 each, or $18.75 each for six or more copies,
plus
shipping and handling. It may be ordered through our Web site.
--------------------------------------------------
2.
New Book by Nancy Wilson in the Works
Kevin Fries and Adam
DeBaugh had a very productive breakfast meeting with the
Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson recently and discussed plans for the production
of her
new book, tentatively titled “Outing the Bible.”
Elder Wilson has
just stepped down after 15 years as pastor of the
Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles (MCC’s “Mother
Church”). She remains Vice Moderator of the Board of Elders of the
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches.
Alamo Square Press
has reissued, in 2000, Elder Wilson’s book “Our Tribe:
Queer Folks, God, Jesus, and the Bible,” originally published in
1995 by
HarperSanFrancisco. There were extensive parts of the original “Our
Tribe”
that Alamo did not want to include, parts in which Elder Wilson outlined
her
extensive exegesis on LGBT people in the Bible. The publisher at Alamo,
Bert
Herrman, refers to Elder Wilson’s “expansive vision of Bible
interpretation.”
Nancy has offered
her that “expansive vision,” now much expanded, to Chi Rho
Press, and of course we jumped at the chance to publish it. Tentatively
called “Outing the Bible,” Nancy Wilson is finishing her manuscript
in March and we are looking at publication possibly this year.
Nancy Wilson is also
the editor, with Father Malcolm Boyd, of “Amazing Grace:
Stories of Lesbian and Gay Faith,” published in 1991 by the Crossing
Press.
We are very pleased
to have Elder Nancy Wilson join our growing and
distinguished group of authors. Watch this eNewsletter for information
about
the publication of her “Outing the Bible.”
--------------------------------------------------
3. Reflections on Lent by Adam DeBaugh
It has been a week
filled with religious significance and observance. Tuesday
was Mardi Gras, of course, and Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, so Lent has
begun. Traditionally in many churches that keep Lent, the faithful are
encouraged to “give something up for Lent.” This notion of “redemptive
suffering” is one with which I have some problems.
I don’t believe
that God really enjoys our suffering, nor that our suffering
gives glory to God. It’s as if I said to my best friend, “I
care about you so
much. And to show you and the world that I care, I will poke myself in
the
eye! How would you like that?”
I would hope that
my best friend would not find such a demonstration of my
love edifying or useful.
My image of God is
not one of a deity who sits around getting jollies from our
pain. I think God rejoices with our joy, and only grieves with our suffering,
sacrifice, and pain. The reality is that people tend to give up things
for
Lent that they should perhaps give up anyway smoking, drinking, eating
meat,
chocolate. Not many people talk about giving up injustice, intolerance,
bigotry, or hatred for Lent.
So my discipline
is not to give something up for Lent, but rather to take
something on. Some years it is taking on a weekly donation to a homeless
shelter or feeding program. Some times it is giving clothing to a worthy
cause. It has occasionally been financial giving, or hours of service,
or the
gift of some of my talents and skills.
What ever I take
on I hope glorifies God a lot more than going on a diet for
the 40 days of Lent. Of course, the fact is, I would have to diet a lot
longer than 40 days!
During Lent this
year, my home church, Holy Redeemer MCC in College Park,
Maryland, is raising money for the Heifer Project International
(www.heifer.org), an international
organization that combats hunger,
alleviates poverty, and restores the environment by providing livestock,
training, and related services to small scale farmers worldwide.
Each recipient must
pass on to others some of the offspring of the farm
animals they receive. “Passing the gift” assures that the recipients
become donors
themselves, enhancing their dignity and helping communities to become
self-sustaining.
The Heifer Project
even has a price list of animals! $500 for a heifer, $250
for a water buffalo, $120 for a sheep, a pig, or a goat. But we can also
get a flock of geese, ducks, or chicks for $20, honeybees for $30. Or
three rabbits for $60.
What are you taking
on for Lent? Are you looking for suggestions? How
about a contribution to Chi Rho Press? Or at least an order from our Web
site!
What ever you do
to keep Lent, know that you are in my prayers as we spend
this time of reflection, penance, and preparation for the crucifixion
and
resurrection of Jesus together.
--------------------------------------------------
We have all of our stained glass items in stock and available for shipment!
Check out the stained
glass section of our Web page at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products.html and
click on the Stained Glass button
on the left. 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, and the new rainbow cross for
$18.00 and the new rainbow Star of David for $18.00, all plus shipping
and
handling.
Use our handy shopping cart and pay with your credit card!
--------------------------------------------------
The second printing
of "My Memory Book: A Journal for Grieving Children,
Second Edition" by Gretchen Gaines-Lane, LCSW-C, is selling very
well! Please visit http://www.chirhopress.com/products.html
and click on the social action button on the left to see a cover of the
book.
Though created for
children by a children's grief and bereavement specialist,
many adults are using "My Memory Book" to create memorials for
loved ones who have died. Like a panel in the AIDS quilt, a copy of "My
Memory Book" can
become an important part of the grief process after losing a beloved friend
or
relative.
The unique genius
of this book is that it is wonderful for anyone to use,
regardless of age. "My Memory Book" provides enough exercises
for readers of
any age to return to it again and again to celebrate the life of one recently
lost and of their life together. The book also includes a special section
in
the back for readers to design their own exercises.
Though many buy this
book for family members, many counselors in the
professional community have also recognized the therapeutic benefits of
"My
Memory Book" and use the book with their clients.
"My Memory Book"
is available from Chi Rho Press for $10.95 each, $8.95 each
for six or more copies, plus shipping and handling.
--------------------------------------------------
6.
New Promissory Notes
We are getting ready
for the reprinting of two of our major books. We will be
doing a second edition of “From Wounded Hearts:
Faith Stories of LGBT People
and Those Who Love Them,” compiled by Roberta Showalter Kreider,
and a second printing of Dr. Rembert Truluck’s “Steps
to Recovery from Bible Abuse.”
Capitalization is
always an issue, so we are issuing new Promissory Notes to
fund these new printings. The good news is that both books have sold well.
The bad news is that it takes money to print books!
As before, $1,000
Promissory Notes are available from Chi Rho Press, at 8%
simple interest, repaid in eight quarterly payments over a two-year period.
Write Adam@ChiRhoPress.com for
the text of the Promissory Note, and send your
check for $1,000 (or $2,000, $3,000, or even $5,000!). We will send a
signed
Note after the receipt of your check.
Thanks for your support!
--------------------------------------------------
7. Adam's Last Word: A Busy Week
We had a very successful
visit to Open Door MCC in Boyds, Maryland, last
Sunday, where Kevin and I worshipped and ran a Chi Rho Press bookstore.
Many
thanks to Interim Pastor Deana Dudley and all the saints at Open Door
MCC for
making us feel so welcome!
We celebrated Mardi
Gras this week, and Ash Wednesday. Kevin and I had lunch
on Tuesday with a co-worker from my secular job, and we went to the Ash
Wednesday service at Holy Redeemer MCC, College Park, Maryland.
We also took revisions
to “Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse”
to the printer
and the second printing is now in process! This is very exciting, since
the
first printing sold out in just a little over a year.
It is a massive book,
over 550 pages, and so printing will take about three
weeks, but we hope to have the second printing at the end of this month.
We
are having the cover laminated so that the heavy black ink won’t
rub off as
much in normal handling the things we publishers have to think about!
A second hospice
made an order for 100 copies of “My Memory
Book” this week,
which in addition to our other orders made it a productive and exciting
week
here.
So it has been a
busy week. I hope your week was joyous and productive as
well. God bless you!
--------------------------------------------------
We are glad
you are partners 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.
Grace and peace,
Adam DeBaugh, Director
---------------------------
If you've received our eNewsletter as a result of the good offices of
someone passing it along to you (which we certainly encourage) and would
like to
receive it directly from us, please follow the directions at the end of
our
eNewsletter to subscribe.
For
orders, please write to us: Orders@ChiRhoPress.com.
If you have
questions, please write to Question@ChiRhoPress.com.
For comments and
suggestions about this eNewsletter, please write eNews@ChiRhoPress.com.
For all other 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.
You may order
any of our books via snail mail, telephone, fax, or e-mail at
Orders@ChiRhoPress.com. You
may pay by credit card on our web page or we
will ship your order after receiving your check or money order. Include
your
e-mail address, mailing address, and telephone number please.
Visit our web
page at http://www.ChiRhoPress.com. We now accept
credit
cards on our web page!
Our Canadian
friends can order using credit cards on our web page or through
our Canadian distributor, MAP Enterprises, Mary Ann Pearson, Box 340,
54
Centre St., Odessa, ONT., Canada, K0H 2H0; e-mail: mapenterprises@home.com;
phone or fax: 1-613-386-5711; or toll free (leave a message) 1-877-245-9569.
Copyright 2001, Chi Rho Press, Inc.
******************************************
SUBSCRIBE:
ChiRhoPress-subscribe@egroups.com
UNSUBSCRIBE: ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@egroups.com
R. Adam DeBaugh,
Director, Adam@ChiRhoPress.com.
Kevin Stone Fries, Editor/Office Manager, Kevin@ChiRhoPress.com
Visit the Chi Rho Press Website http://www.ChiRhoPress.com