In this edition: Seven Weeks for Water, Daily Psalm & Prayer, Celebration of Black History Month, Check it Out, and Fun Fact.

Compassionate God, we trust in your mercy to receive and comfort the souls of those who have died during the current pandemic, and to console us who mourn this great loss of life. Every death diminishes us as we lose the companionship of friends, neighbors, and members of our families. Keep us ever mindful of the fragile nature of our earthly existence, and place our hope in the promise that, when our days are done, we too shall rise to your eternal glory. Amen. (written by the Rev. James M. Bimbi)

A member from Sts. Andrew and Matthew has written the first reflection, The rainbow color of the pilgrimage of water justice in North America. In this reflection, based on several instances of large-scale water contamination in many cities in the USA, Michele Roberts comes to a conclusion that lack of access to clean water in the USA is a result of systemic racism. View reflection here.

Focusing on water justice in the USA for 2021, this program is developed by the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Water Network (WCC EWN) with Susan Smith, WCC EWN representative of North America, and the National Council of Churches in the USA. It explores globally familiar places: Flint, Michigan, representative of the many American cities with drinking water contaminated by lead; Standing Rock, where the Dakota Sioux successfully fought the destruction of sacred waters by the Keystone Pipeline; and the Navajo Nation, where lack of water for hand-washing has heightened the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic in the southwestern United States. Other, less storied places from California's verdant valleys to the salmon streams of the Pacific Northwest will also be the focus of reflections by theologians and water justice activists from diverse faith traditions. More information

More information on how to sign up now for the 2021 Challenge, and check out the 2020 archive for all of last year’s challenge content!

This week (week of February 21), in our diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we hold up in prayer St. Thomas's Parish, Newark, the Rev. Dr. Howell C. Sasser, Jr., rector and the Rev. Deacon Cecily Sawyer Harmon. For the 2020-2021 diocesan Cycle of Prayer Calendar click here.

What we may expect from the new administration on the Israeli-Palestinian Occupation and US foreign policy. Hosted by Delawareans for Palestinian Human Rights. Co-sponsors: Delaware Churches for Middle East Peace; Students for Justice in Palestine, University of Delaware. Registration here.

Faith Efficiencies, administered by Delaware Interfaith Power & Light and funded by Energize Delaware, is currently providing comprehensive energy assessments to religious facilities throughout the state at no cost. Typically, these assessments cost $3,000-$4,000 and Energize Delaware covers 90% of that cost. But in light of COVID and strained economic times, they are able to provide these valuable tools at no cost through the end of June. The program includes virtual home energy presentations for members to help them lower their energy costs, increase comfort, create healthier indoor environments…and protect the planet. For more information, contact Lisa Locke, llocke@delawareipl.org.

The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations has developed a toolkit for individuals, congregations and ministries to facilitate and promote COVID-19 vaccine distribution in the United States. This toolkit promotes the ongoing work that parishes and dioceses have already been doing, shares best practices, and offers ideas for ways that communities can help U.S.-based Episcopalians to facilitate vaccination, overcome vaccine hesitancy, and find information from state and local officials. Churches and church leaders (lay and ordained) can serve as an important trusted bridge between public health officials and communities. More information in English and Spanish here.

Launched on World Mission Sunday, which was observed on the last Sunday after Epiphany, February 14, this resource is a collaboration between The Episcopal Church Office of Global Partnerships (OGP), the Global Episcopal Mission Network (GEMN), and the Standing Commission on World Mission (SCWM). This toolkit explores the Episcopal Church teaching that the mission of the church is “to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ” (BCP pg. 855) in a global context and offers resources to help Episcopalians live into this teaching. The project collaboration is supported by a generous grant from the Constable Fund. More information in English and Spanish here.

At the request of General Convention (2018-A088), The Archives of the Episcopal Church has prepared a set of recommendations for developing local policy on name and gender changes to Episcopal Church records. The Guidelines for Policy on Amending Church Records for Name and Gender Changes are available on the Archives Website with Spanish translation and supporting resources and links in English and Spanish here.

Poetry and the sciences are connected in deep and surprising ways. Both the poet and the scientist engage reality through the imagination. In in this five-part online seminar series with Brian Volck and special guests, you are invited to explore imagination as a way of knowing within the two disciplines. Each hour-long session will have a distinct focus and feature the insight of a wide array of poets, scientists, philosophers, and theologians.These seminars are made possible by a grant from the estate of Madeleine L’Engle and are inspired by three characteristics of her life and work:

More information and registration here.

Join the most influential thought leaders in the Church today. Keynote Speakers include the Most Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop, and the Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. More information and registration here.

The March 14 deadline is approaching to apply for Conant Grants from the Episcopal Church for the 2021-2022 academic year. More information here.

The Episcopal Church’s Task Force on Church Planting and Congregational Redevelopment announced that its sixth set of grants are now available for Episcopal dioceses and mission developers who are envisioning, planning, or growing new worshipping communities and missional enterprises throughout the church. The grants are part of a $2,500,000 initiative funded by the General Convention in 2018 that seeks to celebrate and strategically support emerging communities in The Episcopal Church and that builds partnerships within and beyond the church, expands our language of ministry, and creates new ways for the church to engage the people of God. More information in English and Spanish here.

The Presiding Officers' Advisory Group on Beloved Community Implementation is pleased to announce the availability of grants to catalyze the church’s work of racial healing, reconciliation and justice. Allocated by the 79^th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, the intent for this funding is to build capacity and increase Episcopal engagement in four primary fields: telling the truth about our churches and race, proclaiming the dream of Beloved Community, practicing Jesus’ way of healing and reconciliation, and repairing the breach in institutions and society. More information in English and Spanish here.

Project Resource Offers Spring Stewardship Training, 6 consecutive Sundays, April 18 to May 23 (begins two weeks after Easter) 5 - 6:30pm, via Zoom

Project Resource is the stewardship formation offering of the College for Bishops. At a time when many of our resources, both denominational and ecumenical, in this area are contracting, Project Resource has proven success in being an effective and enduring set of practices for changing the culture of giving in congregations. Being good stewards of the bounty God has placed in our hands has been our struggle from the earliest days of the Church. But if we have learned anything from the past year, it is that we cannot continue to do what we have done before. We must learn contextually appropriate strategies that reflect the diversity of our beloved community. We must learn to do a new thing. Project Resource is that new thing. More information here.

Sovereign Lord Jesus Christ, who took human form and broke down the walls that divide;

We seek your forgiveness for not living out the truth that all are one in Christ, for the sin of racism.

We pray for all those affected by the marginalization of prejudice and the violence of racist words and actions.

We pray that we might uproot its cancerous and systemic hold on our own institutions.

We pray that we might recognize in reverence your divine image and likeness in our neighbor,

And find joy in the resemblance.

We pray in your name and seeking your glory. Amen.

The First Epistle of Peter, a text that speaks to “immediate pastoral problems” while also “rais[ing] an utterly compelling and inspiring vision of the call of God” will serve as the Biblical focus of the 2022 Lambeth Conference, says Archbishop Justin Welby in a video introduction launched in early February on the conference’s website. The book, Welby says, helps the Church grapple with “real life” issues like “climate change, conflict, gender, identity, modern slavery, poverty.” He continued, “Many of our sisters and brothers experience these pressures on a daily basis. And when we meet in Canterbury, we must listen to the voices, to the testimonies, to each other.” You may see video here.

The official statutory consultation with the staff about the restructuring of the ACO has been extended to the end of this week. On February 12, it was announced that a new Deputy Secretary General, the Rev. Canon Will Adam, had been appointed. Will, who had been part time Director of Unity, Faith and Order (in a post held alongside his role as Ecumenical Adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury) now becomes full time. He is one of four directors in a new Core Group who are responsible for operational matters at the ACO. In addition, it was also announced last week that the work of gender justice will continue. Links to press releases containing further details of both announcements can be found here.