June 2013

Shared Governance, A Collection of Essays Prepared by the [Episcopal] House of Deputies Special Study Committee on Church Governance and Polity

The founder of the Episcopal Church U.S.A., William White, was the chaplain of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, in the early days of the American Republic. Both the U.S. Constitution, with its divisions of authority, and the governing body of the Episcopal Church were established between 1784 and 1792 by many of the same founding fathers. (See Robert Prichard, A History of the Episcopal Church, p. 84-97. ) It is helpful to remember this common origin when reading Shared Governance, A Collection of Essays Prepared by the [Episcopal] House of Deputies Special Study Committee on Church Governance and Polity, Call Number262.0373 Sha 2012. The essays in Shared Governance focus on White’s intent that the governing bodies of the Episcopal Church have equal roles for bishops, clergy and laity, as well as his proposal that state and local churches be organized into a national body on a “federal” basis. One of the essay writers, Katherine Tyler Scott, argues that this division of authority is essential to the active role of the laity in church governance and that “any erosion of the role and authority of the House of Deputies would fundamentally change the identity and character of the church.” Shared Governance, p. 28.

Division of authority is a form of governance which has worked for United States political governments, as well as for the Episcopal Church. This book will help parishioners understand how it works in the context of the church.

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This month, a number of St. Michael’s parish authors have contributed a copy of their new books to the Library. Other works of fiction by parishioners will be added to the Library in the next few months.

Kathryn Ravenwood, How to Create Sacred Water: A Guide to Rituals and Practices

Kathryn W. Ravenwood, How to Create Sacred Water : A Guide to Rituals and Practices, Call Number 203.7 Rav 2012, draws on Native American and Egyptian traditions to create sacred water altars to bring healing to the planet and transformation of ourselves. The author also shares her early life and personal spiritual journey to enhance the reader’s understanding. This is a well-written and beautiful book.

Fred Bales, Our Sheltered Lives

Fred Bales, Our Sheltered Lives, Call Number 362.5 Bal 2013, is a lively account of the author’s adventures as a volunteer for Albuquerque Opportunity Center, a service center for homeless men operated “under the aegis”of the city’s Metropolitan Homelessness Project. As driver of the “Gray Ghost,” a vehicle used to transport residents to medical appointments and social service agencies, the author provides an entertaining and thought-provoking view of the world of contemporary homeless people in the city.