November 2013 @ Mercer

Dear Friends, 

Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation

Around these parts the month of November is notable in at least two ways: the Diocese of Long Island’s annual Convention takes place (this year on the 15th and 16th), and we all pause for a day of Thanksgiving. At Convention, Mercer School will have a display table. If you are present as a delegate or visitor, please stop by and say hello. Among other things, you’ll be able to get information there about second semester offerings and plans for Mercer’s future. You’ll be able to learn about upcoming revisions to our Safe Church Training and the renewal of anti-racism training in our Racism Awareness Program. We will also be sharing a new brochure about the vocational diaconate, asking whether that might in fact be your call.

Prior to Convention, our Preaching the Lectionary series continues on Wednesday, November 13th. We are delighted to welcome Professor C. Clifton Black of Princeton Theological Seminary who will lead us in considering the preaching task for the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany this year. We continue this series in happy collaboration with our brothers and sisters of the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Again, registration online is available through the Upcoming Events Mercer calendar. There is still space. If you are a preacher, do yourself a favor for the upcoming seasons and register to join us on November 13th. 

Mercer’s new Vision Wall of art’s first exhibit, “Living Ubuntu,” featuring photos by the Reverend Wilfredo Benitez is ending this month. We will be sharing news soon about the new exhibit. The photos of “Living Ubuntu” are available for purchase at $125.00, all of which benefits Mercer School programming. Just come by the Mercer offices if you are interested. We are grateful to Father Benitez for helping us transform a blank wall to something much richer and beautiful.

Note the new section of the Mercer website called “Safe Church.” Here, fully revised and new guidelines will be made available to you after Convention has concluded. These will be must reading for all parish leaders and for everyone committed to a Church in which all, including the most vulnerable among us, are safe and valued.

All of the above, and everything on this site, on our Facebook page and on our Twitter feed is meant to say this: we are a service organization here at Mercer. We serve you so that you can better serve where you are? What is your call to service? And how can we help?

Finally, all the best to our alumni, students, instructors, families and all the people of the diocese for a happy celebration of all we have been given, on Thanksgiving Day! 

Sincerely in Christ,

John McGinty+