| Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Romans 12: 13, 15, 18 |
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| Episcopal Peace Fellowship lost a strong advocate this week with the death of Ronny Clemmons. Ronny was the founder of our EPF chapter at St. Paul's in Murfreesboro, TN. Ronny died on Monday after a brief illness. He was a shining example of chapter EPF leadership in his advocacy for many prisoners, spearheading local work on prison ministry and for abolition of the death penalty in Tennessee. Because of Ronny's work and witness, many men in prison had a friend on the outside sustaining them through prayer, letters, phone calls, and visits. Ronny also curated the chapter's very effective Facebook page, which I encourage you to look at and try to emulate in your own peace work. Ronny will be greatly missed by his family, his fellow parishioners, and the larger EPF community. Though I did not have the pleasure to meet him, Ronny was one of the first EPF members to reach out to me when I was hired as ED, inviting me to visit with them in TN when I am there this May. I look forward to being with his chapter and to supporting them in their ongoing efforts to create a more just world. St. Paul's, we share your grief at this unexpected loss. |
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| This week moved us westward from Fredericksburg to San Angelo, Texas. I was invited by Rev. Matt Rowe of Emmanuel Episcopal Church to meet with parishioners at an impromptu coffee hour prior to worship. Emmanuel is actively empowering their youth to answer their baptismal call by shepherding them to Navajoland to build community. I enjoyed sharing what EPF is doing with this mission driven parish and was gratified by their warm welcome and challenging questions. |
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| In the "what a small world we live in" news of the week, while worshipping at Emmanuel-San Angelo, TX, on Sunday, I met Rev. Bill Wright and his wife, Pat, who are chaplains to Retired Clergy and Spouses in the Diocese of Northwest Texas. While serving in the Diocese of Alabama a few decades ago, Fr. Bill served at Trinity-Demopolis, which included occasionally leading worship at St. Michael's-Faunsdale, my hometown, population 90. What grace to find the home team out here near the desert! |
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| From hometown to far flung, on a chance meeting in the H-E-B parking lot, Steven found new friends Dave and Robyn Klenk of Klenk Family Vineyards in Fredericksburg. The Klenks invited us to park Miranda in the vineyard and to share supper, which we did, where we enjoyed meeting Robyn's mother, Rev. Dyana Orrin, canonically resident in the Diocese of Alaska, who still preaches and celebrates occasionally at St. Barnabas-Fredericksburg. The Holy Spirit (our pace car) keeps leading us to the most lovely and gracious of people and places. |
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Get ready to Walk In Love in April! We are still working on details for our Columbine pilgrimage to commemorate that horrible massacre which happened twenty years ago, and to rededicate ourselves to eradicating gun violence. This will be our first Year of Action event for 2019. I hope all who are reading this and who are concerned about gun violence in our culture will try to attend (April 26-28 in Denver). Details and registration soon at https://give.classy.org/epfcolumbine.
Upcoming schedule:
We'll be heading to Fort Stockton, Alpine and Marfa, Texas this week as we make our way towards Big Bend National Park and the ghost town of Terlingua, which also has an Episcopal presence (Santa Inez). I'm preaching at St. Paul's-Marfa at the 10:30 Eucharist this Sunday, February 17 so please join us!
After Big Bend, we are heading to El Paso for a border visit before we move into New Mexico.
Want a visit? Let me know!
Until next time, power to the peaceful!
Melanie |
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How can we support Melanie while EPF is on the road?
- Give to EPF
- Offers of hospitality always welcome!
- Suggestions of icons of social justice, landmarks or museums she must see.
- Driveway for parking "Miranda", her home on wheels. (Home or church parking lot welcome)
- Offer of laundry facilities.
- Suggestions of coffee shops, eateries, and sports bars she should visit.
- Identify best walks and hikes in your neighborhood.
- Invite her to church!
- Prayers for safe travel.
- Favorite camp sites (with dump station, preferred).
- Visits with your pets -- she is feeling deprived!
- Home baked goodies (only if you are baking, anyway).
- Make time to see her and introduce her around!
- Favorite sites for photo ops.
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