The Episcopal Diocese of Utah
Living Boldly

Connecting with each other, our communities and the world.

"Living Boldly" aims to inform, enrich and equip you to build connections to individuals and groups; to stimulate information sharing, conversation and growth opportunities in your areas of ministry.

Jan. 3, 2007

Psalm 72:6-7,12-14
He shall come down like rain upon the mown field,
like showers that water the earth.
In his time shall the righteous flourish;
there shall be abundance of peace till the moon
shall be no more.
For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress,
and the oppressed who has no helper.
He shall have pity on the lowly and poor;
He shall preserve the lives of the needy.
He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence,
and dear shall their blood be in his sight.

-- Psalm for the Feast of the Epiphany

Twelfth Night Celebration!
On Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007 at 4 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church. Lively Elizabethan music will be provided by Sine Nomine Consort with guest vocalist Marlin Haws. A dessert reception will follow the program. Free and open to the public. For information call 801-581-0380. All Saints is located at 1710 Foothill Drive in Salt Lake City.

2007 Celebrations

Help Celebrate!
Craig Wirth, Celebration Coordinator for the 140 years of the Episcopal Church in Utah campaign asks: "Do you have old film or pictures of 1940s to 1960's Utah Episcopal Church events, camps, baptisms, confirmations, parade floats, signs, potlucks, picnics? Did I miss anything? We would love to copy them for our DVD history of the 140 years of the Episcopal Church in Utah. Think of pictures of the kids playing shepherds in the Christmas service, in their choir robes, or at a youth group car wash fundraiser. Think of pictures and film you might have of decorating the church for Easter, putting up a new sign or bell, or a party in the parish hall. "We want the next DVD in our series to have lots of people in it. The second DVD covers the 1920s through 1970 in the Utah Episcopal Church. The third DVD will cover 1971 (when we became an independent diocese) until today. "It's all part of our way of celebrating 'Welcoming ALL for 140 Years.' "Please let me know what you might have in the way of pictures, scrapbooks, certificates, and especially home movies that show our lives as Episcopalians in Utah! Send an email to me, Craig Wirth, or let the Diocese know. We want this to be a fun and informative way to honor the rich history of our Church as part of Utah's history."

Lights in the Darkness

In case you missed this: "Light in the darkness" is first in a series of occasional reflections from the Presiding Bishop. The reflections are available at the Presiding Bishop's web pages. (Courtesy Episcopal News Service).

Put Compassion to Work
Families of Latino workers detained in the raids at Swift Meatpacking in Hyrum are out of work and need financial assistance to help with rent, utilities and passport fees for their U.S. born children. Without passports, these children lose their U.S. citizenship if they accompany their parents back to their parents' country of origin. The state Office of Ethnic Affairs recommends that contributions be made to a relief fund set up for these families at U.S. Bank (Acct. #153-151-319- 040). Please make checks payable to Una Mano Amiga and print the 12-digit account number on the memo line. For more information, contact Rebecca Chavez-Houck, Community Affairs Director at Centro de la Familia (and a member of All Saints Episcopal Church) at 801-521-4473.

The Save Darfur Coalition is an alliance of over 175 faith-based, advocacy and humanitarian organizations whose mission is to raise public awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and to mobilize a unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of more than two million people in the Darfur region. If you have not already done so, please consider signing a petition urging President Bush and the UN Secretary-General to take immediate steps to halt the crisis in Darfur. To sign or to learn how to make a difference, click on Save Darfur

Tuesday Jan. 9, Interfaith Power & Light – Interest Meeting at Diocesan Offices, 6:30 p.m. Be part of an ecumenical coalition of faith communities working toward a sustainable energy future. Free. Open to all interested persons of faith.

Wednesday, Jan. 10, Interfaith Power & Light/SL Interfaith Round Table, 11:30-1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11 at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Coalition of Religious Communities (CORC) legislative orientation will be held at the Capitol. Each session is the same and lasts 90 minutes. You get a chance to tour all legislative facilities and learn about issues coming up next session. For more information call Linda or Adam at 801-364-7765.

Tuesday, Jan. 23 Episcopal Day at the Legislature
Come be part of the process! Work with CORC to raise the minimum wage, regulate unfair payday lending practices, remove the sales tax on food and restore dental and vision services for the underserved. On-the-spot training and materials provided. Meet in Room 4112 of the State Office Building (grey building behind capitol) at 9:00 am - look for the CORC sign! Bring a picture i.d. and enter on plaza level. Call Linda at 801-364-7765 if you have questions or need directions.

Emerging Ministries - Youth

Retreat News! Sat.-Sun. Jan. 27-28: Junior High Youth Retreat at Camp Tuttle For full details of the fun and all the forms you'll need, including: 1) A promotional event flyer with more details - who, what, where, when, cost, etc. 2) A registration form 3) A medical release form 4) A list of What To Bring for participants and to register, go to Retreat and select "Youth programs" from the main section. While you are there, check out other youth events at the site. If you have questions, contact Karen Van Winkle or call Karen at 801- 322-4131, Ext. 344.

Special Diocesan Events

Selected Calendar Items

Saturday, Jan. 13, 11 a.m. Rite of Burial for Judy Ver Straten, spouse of the Rev. Stan Ver Straten, at St. Barnabas Center, in Tooele. May she rest in peace.

First Affirmations Event of 2007: Saturday, Jan. 20, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church, 1710 Foothill Dr., SLC

What Richard Hooker Has to Say to Today's Church
Richard Hooker is to Anglicanism what Aquinas is to Roman Catholicism, Luther is to Lutheranism, and Calvin is to the Reformed tradition. Hooker’s writings may be less accessible, but they lay the foundations of Anglican self-understanding of the via media, needed more than ever in today's Church. You do not need prior acquaintance with Hooker to enjoy this lively, interactive discussion. For workshop content, contact Adam Linton at 801-392-8168. To sign up, contact Jessica Hatch or call 801-322-4131, Ext. 362. $15 covers materials and lunch.

Saturday, Jan. 20, at 4 p.m. God willing and the people consenting, Lyn Zill Briggs will be ordained priest at St. Paul's Church, 261 South 900 East in SLC. Clergy, red stoles. Reception follows.

Priestly Ordination on Saturday, Feb. 10 (TBA) God willing and the people consenting, Isabel Gonzalez will be ordained priest in Christ's Church at San Esteban, 4615 So. 3200 W., West Valley City.

About those Annual Meetings and Parochial Reports: In next week's mail expect a packet requesting information about new vestry members and wardens resulting from your Annual Meetings. Please complete and return these forms to Leesa Kramer or mail to Leesa at PO Box 3090, SLC 84110-3090 no later than March 1st. Parochial reports for 2006 are also due March 1st. Please email them to Kay Tracy or mail them to Kay's attention at the above address. Your promptness is greatly appreciated.

2007 Story and Photo Deadlines for The Dialogue
Friday, January 12 for the February edition Friday,
February 9 for the March edition
Friday, March 9 for the April edition
Friday, April 6 for the May edition
Friday, May 11 for the June edition
Friday, June 15 for the July-August edition
Friday, August 10 for the September edition
Friday, September 7 for the October edition
Friday, October 12 for the November edition
Friday, November 2 for the December edition
Friday, December 7 for the January 2008 edition

Submit copy via email to Dialogue Editor Richard Snyder or Editor. Mailing address: 217 East 600 South, Brigham City, UT 84302; or diocesan offices. To contact Richard by phone, call 435-723-5561 in Brigham City or 801-595- 5367 in Salt Lake City.

Education & Spiritual Formation

Things to See & Do!

February 2-4, 2007 Marcus Borg in Salt Lake City, "Christianity for the Heart and the Head." Go to Christ United Methodist Church, and expand the page to full screen to print out a brochure and registration form. Marcus Borg is one of the best known and most respected New Testament scholars in America today. His books are translated into seven languages. Space is limited. Admission is by pre- purchased tickets only. To inquire about scholarship assistance email Mary June Nestler.

Friday, Feb. 9, 9 a.m.-3:15 p.m., Salt Palace, SLC: "Couples We Fail: Working With Couples In Stepfamilies And Those On The Brink Of Divorce," for faith leaders and professional counselors. Participants will learn how to:

• Identify the unique challenges of couples in stepfamilies
• Articulate special strategies for helping couples in stepfamilies
• Identify the unique challenges of working with couples considering divorce
• Recognize the values we bring to working with couples on the brink of divorce
• Articulate a protocol for working with couples who are ambivalent about trying to save their marriage

Presenter: William J. Doherty, Ph.D. is a licensed marriage and family therapist and psychologist with 30 years of clinical experience. He is Professor of Family Social Science and Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at the University of Minnesota. Bill has authored eight books, including Soul Searching and Take Back Your Marriage. He is Past-President of the National Council of Family Relations.

Seminar Registration fee is $40 which includes lunch. To register, contact the Utah Commission on Marriage, PO Box 140608, Salt Lake City UT 84114-0608 or call: (801) 526-9317. Endorsed by the Interfaith Roundtable and sponsored by The Utah Commission On Marriage and the Utah Department of Workforce Services.

January 22-24, 37th Trinity Institute, "God's Unfinished Future: why it matters now," in New York City. Register online at Trinity Wall Street. Registration: $400 Keynoters include Jurgen Moltmann and Peter J. Gomes.

January 25, 26 & 27: 2nd Annual Great Church Conference, All Saints' Beverly Hills, CA. Plenaries and workshops focus on taking advantage of the best in the Anglican tradition for those seeking Christian community. For information or to register online, click on All Saints Association or by calling 310-278- 6305.

Best Books of 2006? What have you read in 2006 that you'd like to recommend to others? Send in title, author and your 50-75 word reader's recommendation to Living Boldly.

2007 Recommendations: What's on Your List?

Postscript

Pageant Perspective

The children's Christmas concert at my friend's church was titled "The Star of Bethlehem", and the performance was to open with some of the children carrying letters to spell the title. Backstage was a frantic scene of activity getting everyone in the right order. As the curtain went up and the children appeared on stage, the audience broke into laughter: The four children carrying the letters for "S-T-A-R" had come in reverse order. -- Courtesy of Steve Hutchinson.

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The Rev. Jessica Hatch
Education and Resource Office
801-322-4131 Ext. 362 jhatch@episcopal-ut.org

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