The Crowd at the Foot of the Cross

... Until recent times, executions almost always drew a crowd. That was part of the point. For a long time, executions were specifically designed for maximum public effect...

 

One of the ironies of the current legal practice of capital punishment is that it has gone strangely private. If Jesus were on death row today, Mary and the beloved disciple could not get close to him

	The Crucifixion, 1538 by Lucas Cranach the Elder

even if they tried. Witnesses to these spectacles are few, and getting fewer.

I don't know whether you have been following the stories out of Arkansas. It seems that starting on Monday, Arkansas intended to execute eight convicted criminals, two a day, by chemical injection. They are in a hurry because the supply of midazolam, one of the three lethal chemicals used in such executions, expires on April 30, and drug makers have pretty much cut off any further supply... The law requires that at least "six respectable citizens" must view the executions to confirm that they "are conducted in the manner required by law." But they were having trouble finding the 48 witnesses they needed. The director of the department even paid a visit to the regular meeting of the Little Rock Rotary Club to find volunteers. The Rotary Club president told NBC that at first there was a little laugh from the audience, because they thought she was kidding. It quickly became obvious that she wasn't...

We, too, gather here as witnesses, but not the kind of witnesses that the authorities in Little Rock are trying so desperately to gather. We gather here as witnesses willing to testify to the richness of God's mercy, to the depth of God's compassion-a compassion revealed in the broken body of the crucified one, a broken body that gives hope to all the broken bodies of this world: to those who suffer, to the oppressed, to the hungry and thirsty, to the exiled and the refugee, to all who live in fear in this city, to all those for whom our prayers have been requested, for all those intentions that we will now lay at the foot of the cross...  

 

Complete sermon here

We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of response to our spring Annual Fund appeal last month. There is still work to do before we will achieve the targets we set for this fiscal year, but with your help we have made great progress! Your gifts help us bridge the gap between tuition and the full cost of theological studies, and help us offer scholarships based solely on need.

CONTRIBUTE ONLINE

JOIN US Wednesday, April 26, 2 to 7 p.m., at St. James Commons, 65 E. Huron, Chicago for "Bending for Justice" -- free and open to the public.

Our Chicago Convocation 2017 is an opportunity to learn from -- and be challenged by -- leaders who are on the front lines of criminal justice reform; solidarity and resistance with the Standing Rock Nation and other Native Peoples defending sacred ground and the environment; and the struggle for racial, ethnic, and LGBTQ rights.

Please join us and feel free to invite a colleague or friend. REGISTER HERE

2:00 PM |  What I Am Still Learning, presented by President Ferlo
3:00 PM |  After Standing Rock by John Floberg, responses from Gayle Fisher-Stewart, Kenji Kuramitsu, moderated by President Ferlo
4:00 PM | Beyond the Walls Keynote Address by Gayle Fisher-Stewart
5:30 PM | Evensong in St. James Cathedral and awarding of honorary degree to Bexley Hall alum John Floberg
FOLLOWING EVENSONG | Reception with refreshments

MORE HERE about our guest faculty
L-R: Gayle Fisher-Stewart, John Floberg (baptizing), Kenji Kuramitsu

REGISTER HERE

Who in your circle has emerged as a promising congregational leader? Can anyone you know take advantage of these opportunities?

• St. Marina Scholarship
  Thanks to the generosity of two anonymous donors, we have been awarded a grant for three FULL 3-year MDiv scholarships, one each for the next three academic years, for LGBTQ leaders committed to social justice ministry in the Episcopal Church. We will soon evaluate St. Marina Scholar candidates who will begin their MDiv studies in September 2017 -- applications due June 30. More here
• Baptismal Ecclesiology Course This new course, beginning September 2017, will consider the implications of the Episcopal Church having moved baptism to the center of the Christian life, providing a new basis for ecumenical reconciliation and shared mission. All congregational leaders, lay and ordained are welcome to register for academic credit, continuing education or audit/no credit. The course is the first offering of our new Diaconal Enrichment program, created to help dioceses offer new training options for new and experienced deacons.
• Master of Divinity and Anglican Studies program candidates for 2017-2018 and beyond

Please send your suggestions by email to Jaime Briceno or phone Jaime at 773-380-7045 -- or ask your referrals to contact Jaime directly.

Ministries of support and healing are essential to congregational life. But how do we get there?

Our June 2017 term will include a new 5-day intensive, "Community Based Wellness Ministries: Reimagining Pastoral Care with Congregations and Their Surrounding Communities" led by Scott Stoner. The course provides a proactive, strength-based approach to supporting individuals, couples, and families who want to cultivate wholeness and wellness. The course will also show participants how a modified approach can be offered to people beyond church walls to strengthen relationships with neighboring organizations and create new possibilities.

READING LIST, SYLLABUS, HOW TO REGISTER