In a new series for the parish website, I hope to highlight online resources and websites that some of our members may not know about. One of the best is the Daily Office Blog, which is published online and includes Morning and Evening Prayer and the collect for every day, plus occasional images from the news that act as focal points for prayer. Today’s includes a photo of the terrible fire that took Emmanuel Temple AME Church in Chicago, followed by an excerpt of the full entry.

The Daily Office

Something horrible: Emmanuel Temple AME Church on fire on the west side of Chicago. (Chicago Tribune)

I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. Isaiah 49:6b

INVITATORY & PSALTER

Lord, open our lips,
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him…

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for The Daily Office Blog by using a “feed aggregator,” such as Bloglines or Googlenews.

Bishop unwavering in face of challenges — Page 1 — Times Union – Albany NY

For a woman sitting on a very warm seat, Katharine Jefferts Schori, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, seems remarkably cool.Even those who disagree with her progressive leadership agree the 53-year-old remains unflappable under duress.

“She’s centered and intense,” said the Rev. Kendall Harmon, a well-regarded conservative theologian from South Carolina. “You get a sense when she answers a question that she’s trying to channel all her passion in one place.”

Since Jefferts Schori’s installation slightly more than a year ago, she’s had plenty of opportunities to test her poise. The presiding bishop, who serves a nine-year term, is chief pastor and executive of the 2.2 million-member Episcopal Church.

“It’s been a year of a steep learning curve,” she said in an interview Wednesday. “But it’s been a delightful privilege to travel around and see the ways the church is fully engaged in its mission.”

Part of that mission, Jefferts Schori said, is demonstrating how a diverse community can “value the person and positions of others who disagree with us.”

This is one of the things that energizes us at St Nicks; that even though we’re small, we’re becoming fully engaged in our mission, which we see as service to children and families in need, welcoming and incorporating the marginalized and the person stuck “in the doorway,” and support for the elderly and shut-ins.

We are looking forward to meeting Bishop ++Katharine with open arms, and we’re planning on providing a comfortable seat (not too hot or cold) too!