‘The God Slot’ returns; Autumn ‘Search’ due out soon; To infinity and beyond; Connor Synod; Sectarian concerns over Clogher church attacks; Gender relations after Christendom; Mater ‘won’t be performing abortions’
‘The God Slot’ returns
‘The God Slot’ returns to RTE Radio 1 today Friday October 4 at 22.00, entering into the spirit of RTE Radio 1’s Big Music Week with a programme to raise the spirits and gladden the heart.
Eileen Dunne meets experts in Roman Catholic, Anglican and Jewish liturgical music, who will discuss the origins and significance of music and song in their various traditions.
Gospel Music, a musical form which is gaining in popularity in all the churches, will also be featured.
The panel is Blanaid Murphy, Dr. Melanie Brown, Jacqueline Mullen (Church of Ireland) and Florence Mutesasira.
Autumn ‘Search’ due out soon
The Autumn issue of SEARCH – A Church of Ireland Journal will be out around October 11th, offering a wide range of articles on issues demanding attention in the world at large, the Churches and society in Ireland, and Northern Ireland in one particular case.
To take the wider canvas first: much attention has been focussed this year on Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby, elected within months of each other to lead the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches respectively; and much hope is being placed in these two “new brooms”, whose style is refreshingly different from their predecessors. So we find here a close consideration of their words and deeds, both recent and less recent, in an attempt to consider the challenges that lie ahead in our two communions. Peter Admirand and Yazid Said, Roman Catholic and Palestinian Anglican theologians respectively, both teaching in Dublin at the Mater Dei Institute in Dublin, collaborate in the reflections from their own perspectives.
Moving to a narrower focus, and the deep concern at the street violence prompted by flag riots and Orange marches around Belfast over the past eighteen months: Bishop Harold Miller, who was present through some of the worst events, reflects on the lessons the Church needs to learn from them, and how we can best minister to those involved so as to go forward into a truly Christian future.
Increasing poverty at home and the threat of climate change world–wide, are two other concerns that have led to animated discussion this past year, and particularly last month. Alec Purser of the St Vincent de Paul Society and Andrew Orr of Eco–Congregations Ireland respectively offer some challenging thoughts on these two subjects. And relating to another issue, the noticeably increasing number of people of different faith traditions in Ireland north and south, Celia Kenny takes a radical look at how we read the Bible in relation to pluralism.
To complete this issue, past relationships between different cultures in Ireland get a look–in with Mark Empey’s careful study of Protestant links with Gaelic culture in the 17th century; and the historical theme continues with Samuel G Poyntz’s celebration of Bishop Jeremy Taylor, 400 year’s after the great churchman’s birth. Finally Robert MacCarthy offers an In Retrospect on an episcopal figure of more recent times, Robert Wyse Jackson. A varied crop of book reviews closes the issue.
The Good Book Shop in Belfast and “Best Sellers”, (the Bible Society shop in Dawson Street,) Dublin will both have a supply of copies, as will Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. Otherwise copies can be supplied by the subscriptions manager, Michael Denton. 10 Dun Emer Drive, Dublin 16 Email: mjsdenton3@gmail.com
Price €7.50 per copy.
To infinity and beyond
This was the inspirational title of this year’s lively Cork Schools Diocesan Service, which was held in the Church of St Peter, Bandon, to mark the beginning of the new school year .
The many schools of the Diocese gathered together to sing, worship and ring their school bells along with the Bishop and members of the clergy. It was, as ever, a truly effervescent and celebratory occasion, with processions, greetings and of course a day out of school!
Connor Synod
The annual Synod of the Diocese of Connor took place yesterday in Ballymoney Parish Centre.
During a morning session for clergy only, the Rev Canon Phil Potter from Liverpool Diocese gave a talk entitled ‘Out of the boat, lying on the beach.’ Following a service of Holy Communion the business of Synod began at 4pm with the first session continuing until 6pm. This session included the address of the President, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, Bishop of Connor, and the Report of the Diocesan Council and Associated Notices of Motion. The second session heard Phil Potter , along with Avril Chisnal who give a talk entitled ‘Dancing the TANGO.’ Connor Parish Development Officer Trevor Douglas led a question and answer session and there was also an update on the implementation of the diocesan Vision Strategy. The Rev Barry Forde chaired a series of short stories from the Archdeaconries and these will included parish mission in Ballintoy and Dunseverick, work with the elderly in Glenavy and the Energise youth project.
Sectarian concerns over Clogher church attacks
Fermanagh Herald – A spate of attacks on Protestant churches in predominately nationalist areas has sparked fears of a return to sectarian hate crime. Both Belleek Parish Church of Ireland and Lisnaskea Presbyterian Church have been targeted in the last two weeks and there are fears that both attacks were motivated by sectarianism.
The two churches sustained broken windows and police are currently investigating both incidents.
These are not the first instances of Protestant churches being the target of criminal damage and sectarian hate crime. The Holy Trinity Church, also in Lisnaskea was targeted in May when a leaded glass window was broken and lewd sectarian graffiti chalked on the driveway
And it is thought that an attack on St Patrick’s Church of Ireland at Castle Archdale was also sectarian in nature – anti-Protestant graffiti was sprayed on the doors of the walls and church.
Roslea-based UUP councillor Harold Andrews said it would be a cause for concern if the spate of attacks were to continue, but he was confident most people were appalled by such actions.
“There is certainly an amount of sectarian element in it, but I I would like to think people are not supportive of such behaviour. It is a deplorable state of affairs when you’re attacking someone’s place of worship.”
And DUP councillor Paul Robinson, admitted that should these latest attacks prove to have sectarian roots it could be worrying for community relations within the county.
“It is very worrying that these sort of actions are still going on. A church is a sacred place and should never be touched regardless of what religion it is. I don’t wish to see any place of worship damaged it is not right at all. “It would be a real concern if this behaviour began starting again, I thought we were passed that and that we had moved into a new era.”
In Belleek a 3 x 3 window was broken at the church. It is thought the incident occurred sometime between the evening of September 20th and 3pm.
Reverend Ngozi Njoku, Minister in the Slavin, Belleek, Kiltyclogher and Garrison parishes admitted her frustration at the attack. “I honestly have no clue of the details, I think it may have been a stone. It is frustrating, but I don’t exactly know where to pin it down to. I will leave it to the police,” she said.
Anyone who can help police with their enquiries is asked to contact them on 0845 600 8000.
http://fermanaghherald.com/2013/10/sectarian-concerns-over-church-attacks/#sthash.sLBHjyFB.dpuf
Gender relations after Christendom
Contemporary Christianity’s series “In conversation with…” continues. Dr Fran Porter is a freelance social and theological researcher, writer and teacher.
Fran has carried out two research projects for the Centre for Contemporary Christianity in Ireland, published as Changing Women, Changing Worlds: Evangelical Women in Church, Community and Politics (2002), and Faith in A Plural Society: The Values, Attitudes and Practices of Churches in Protecting Minority Participation (2008). She is now living in the Midlands, England where she is a Research Scholar at The Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Foundation in Birmingham and an Associate at Coventry University’s Applied Research Centre in Sustainable Regeneration. Fran is currently writing Women and Men After Christendom for Paternoster
After Christendom series. October 8 @ 7.30 pm – Contemporary Christianity | 21 Ormeau Avenue | Belfast | BT2 8HD | United Kingdom
Mater ‘won’t be performing abortions’
Irish Times – One of two nuns on the board of the Mater hospital in Dublin has stressed it “won’t be performing abortions” following the introduction of the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Act.
Sr Eugene Nolan, nurse tutor at the hospital, described as “a tragedy” and “huge loss” the resignation of another religious director of the institution, Fr Kevin Doran, over the hospital’s plans to comply with the new legislation.
She said yesterday evening she was still considering her response to the decision by the hospital to comply with the Act.
More at – http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/mater-won-t-be-performing-abortions-religious-board-member-stresses-1.1548764