January 6, 2021
In this edition: Call to Prayer from Bishop Brown and Presiding Bishop Curry; An Ephiphany message from Bishop Brown; COVID Update from Bishop Brown; A look back and a look ahead; Saints; Fun Fact; Did You Know?; Check it Out!; news from our parishes and community; more ...
A Call to Prayer for our Nation
from Bishop Brown and Presiding Bishop Curry
My brothers and sisters,

The images from Capitol Hill are shocking and disturbing. Earlier today, a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol with the apparent intent of disrupting our democratic processes. Tragically, a woman has died after being shot inside the Capitol.

As followers of Jesus Christ, I call us to pray now for our nation, not only for peace and concord among our citizens, but also for strength and courage in our elected leaders to do what is good, honorable, and right. I call us, too, in this hour and in the time to come to stand unabashedly in the name of love. May we resolve anew to proclaim God’s justice, peace, and mercy for this entire land. – Bishop Brown

Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Prayer for our Nation, BCP p. 258)

O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light riseth up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldest have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Guidance, BCP p. 832)
On this day of the Feast of the Epiphany, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry invites Episcopalians and people of faith to turn and pray on behalf of our nation.

Watch the video of the Presiding Bishop’s statement here. Video transcript here.
An Epiphany Message from Bishop Brown

Hello, my sisters and brothers in Delaware. Happy New Year and blessings this Epiphany season!

The season of Epiphany is a continuation of the promise offered, the promise fulfilled, and now the promise revealed. In Advent, we talk about the promises of God — about the coming of a Savior — that God would not leave us in the dark, and would not leave us comfortless. At Christmas, we celebrate the incarnation, the coming of God, God made flesh living among us. Epiphany is about the revelation of Jesus Christ among us. We will see in Epiphany how God made flesh and Jesus was manifest to us. We will see his miracles. We will hear his preaching, and we will see the healing that he brings.

It is my hope and my blessing to you, that in this Epiphany season you look and see the manifestations of Jesus Christ in the world around you. God has promised to send a Savior. God has come as that Savior, and the visible signs of Jesus are all around us.

Epiphany blessings to you, my sisters and brothers, and may the peace of Christ be with you always.

Bishop Brown
Bishop Brown's COVID-19 Update
Response #19 | Choosing a Path of Love
Beloved of God in Delaware,
 
When I wrote last month to suspend our offering of public, in-person worship (view letter here), I noted the awful surge in COVID cases and its impact on our hospitals and those who serve in them. As I am sure you are aware, the situation has only worsened since then. The statistics are clear: the serious illnesses and deaths due to the virus continue to fall most severely on our most vulnerable people: people suffering from health issues, people of color, and the elderly. The effects of this disease can be devastating, and the disease is growing. I do not know when we will regather in person. I continue to review Delaware’s data daily, and I will . . . continue reading
You can view all of Bishop Brown's COVID-19 responses on the diocesan website COVID-19 Response Page, here.
New resources added to
  • Preaching Black Lives (Matter)
  • How Can I Live Peacefully with Justice?
  • Passionate for Justice
  • Living into God's Dream
  • Godly Play — People of Color who Inspire (free download)
Understanding the Faith: Saints
by Michael Redmond
This article first appeared in the Winter edition of the Delaware Communion Magazine.
A look back at 2020
At the end of a tumultuous and sometimes overwhelming year, we look back and remember some faith leaders and religious influencers whom we lost in 2020.
... and a look ahead to 2021
"And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.'
And he replied:
'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.'
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East."
Did you know?
The First Mass was celebrated in the New World on the Feast of the Epiphany on this date in 1494
On the feast of the Epiphany on January 6, 1494 Fray Bernardo Buil, traveling with Christopher Columbus, offered the first mass on land in the New World at Isabela, Haiti, precursor of countless millions more. More information
Check it out!
In recognition of Three Kings Day
we offer a beautiful Ghanaian
rendition of We Three Kings
Of the various hymns written for the Feast of the Epiphany or Three Kings Day, perhaps the best known is We Three Kings. Here is a newly released and hauntingly beautiful version from an a capella group called The Ministers from Ghana.
Fun Fact

Question: As we recover from the possible excesses of Christmas feasting, we ask which Delaware bishop felt that a man with a squeamish stomach should not be a bishop?

Clue: He was blessed with exceedingly good health!

Answer: Here
Cycle of Prayer in the Episcopal Church in Delaware
This week (week of January 3), in our diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we hold up in prayer Christ Church, Dover, The Charles Sumner Weiss, rector and the Ven. Patricia Malcolm. For the 2020-2021 diocesan Cycle of Prayer Calendar click here.
News from the Mission Support Team
What is your diocese up to?

Here are a few things your diocese is currently engaged with:
  • Racial Justice Commission — newly formed commission begins work
  • Invite Welcome Connect work is ongoing (new webpage coming soon)
  • Safe Church programming
  • Youth Ministry
  • Fire and Formation — webpage coming soon
  • Holy Orders — your Commission on Ministry at work
  • Disaster Preparedness in the diocese — webpage coming soon
  • Providing in-depth communication across the diocese, including programming, articles, video messages, COVID resource page, resources, weekly eNews, digital magazine, worship opportunities in the diocese, social media, and much more, which can all be found on the diocesan website, here.
News from our parishes and community
SAVE THE DATE!
The finals of the MLK Voice for Youth will be livestreamed on Sunday, January 17, 2pm. More information to follow.
St. Thomas's Parish partnership with the Tarbiyah Islamic School in Newark
Who is my neighbor? In 2020 especially, we have many neighbors in need. Tarbiyah has been diligently feeding children since the pandemic closed schools where so many of our children, facing food insecurity, received their meals. Tarbiyah now provides 5,000 -7,000 meals to these children each day. They also reach out to families to help in other ways. With a structure already established in the community, St Thomas’s Parish asked how it could help support their efforts. More information
Code Purple in Winter 2020-2021
Several parishes support Friendship House (FH) in providing emergency winter shelter for the homeless in Wilmington and donating needed items. In 2020 the pandemic brought a greater need and changes in how shelter can be provided. In a bold move, New Castle County has purchased the former Sheraton Hotel, Airport Road, now named the New Castle County HOPE Center, and FH will run Code Purple out of that location. Financial and other support is greatly needed as even more people are likely to lose their homes this winter. More information
News from the Episcopal Church
The prevalence of social injustice was one of the defining themes of 2020. Racial and economic disparities have deepened over the past several months, and many of us feel called to address it. The Church Pension Group invites you to learn about investment strategies that advance socioeconomic equity, and to hear what institutions are doing to enhance diversity in the investment industry. More information and registration
From Many, One: Conversations Across Difference, January 18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
The Episcopal Church launches "From Many, One: Conversations Across Difference,” a campaign urging Episcopalians and our neighbors to engage in the spiritual practice of listening and honest conversation across the many differences that separate us, starting with four simple questions: What do you love? What have you lost? Where does it hurt? What do you dream? More information
Episcopal Church Executive Council to meet virtually January 22-25
The Executive Council of The Episcopal Church will convene a virtual meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the health and safety of all involved.
For a Time Such as This: The Church as Witness, March 3-5, 2021
The 2021 CEEP Network's Digital Annual Conference early bird registration is open. Keynote speakers include the Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby and the Most Rev. Michael Curry. More information
Gunman killed by police on steps of Saint John the Divine Cathedral Church in New York
After a sublimely beautiful outdoor concert by the cathedral choir, a gunman began shooting. Read Episcopal News Service article here.
Applications open for Episcopal Church Constable Fund Grants. Deadline February 15, 2021
The application process is now open for the Constable Fund Grants for the 2021 grant cycle. The fund provides grants to fund mission initiatives that were not provided for within the budget of the Episcopal Church, as approved by General Convention 2018, with a stated preference for work in the area of religious education. In 2020, Constable Grants ranged from $2,500 to $50,000. The 2020 grants totaled $209,500.00, distributed among nine grant recipients. More information in English; in Spanish; and in French.
News from the Anglican Communion
Bishops around the world issued Christmas messages
On the Anglican Communion webpage you may read these messages from Anglican Primates from around the world, together with a selection of other significant messages, here.
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: 2021 to 2023
A new three-year Anglican Cycle of Prayer has been published, running from January 1, 2021 to September 11, 2023: From Abu to Zululand, it is available to download as a printable document or a spreadsheet with raw data that can be incorporated into provincial and diocesan prayer cycles. You can download both versions here.
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