new church life: november/december 2015
extemporaneous style connects with his listeners. (Page 594)
In a sermon on “The Magi,” the Rev. Solomon Keal reminds us of the
calling to give gifts and how the magi relate to our own spiritual journeys. The
gifts can be simple acts of kindness to one another – the gifts we ultimately
receive from the Lord and gratefully return to Him in the form of loving
others. (Page 598)
In what we hope will become a recurring feature, the Rev. Dr. Andrew M.
T. Dibb, Dean of the Bryn Athyn College Theological School, reflects on what
the experience there is like today – what it holds onto from its origins and its
past, and how it has adapted to meet new needs and challenges. (Page 602)
A wealth of Church News in this issue includes:
• Reports from the General Church Board of Directors, including
an update on strategic planning, a proposed joint meeting with the
Academy Board of Trustees, and a progress report from Bishop Brian
Keith on board-clergy communication, clarifying decision-making
streams in the General Church, and possible opening of the MDiv
program
• A complete wrap-up of the Charter Day weekend, with two pages of
photographs
• Christmas programs at Glencairn Museum, including a page of
photographs
• A program jointly sponsored by Bryn Athyn College and the
Swedenborg Foundation on last words of the dying and what clues they
may offer to the spiritual world
• A wonderful new booklet by Donnette Alfelt – Nobody Dies – offering
comfort to those who have lost a loved one
• A tribute to the late Rev. Robert H. P. Cole
• Announcement of the new Girls School Principal
• A report on this year’s Gathering Leaves conference
• High-tech outreach at the Swedenborg Foundation and with the New
Christian Bible Study Project
This end-of-year-issue also includes the Annual Report of the Secretary
of the General Church (page 636); the Clergy Directory for the Church (page
640); and the Index for 2015, beginning on page 660.
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