Dear Friends, This is the last letter from Bishop Spong, as he has decided to discontinue the column due to health and energy issues related to his recovering from his 9/16 stroke. New writers will be doing the column in the future. I will be evaluating whether to continue subscribing. Ellie ☺ elliestock@aol.com Sent: Thu, Jan 12, 2017 04:00 AM Subject: A Letter from Bishop Spong <div id="AOLMsgPart_2_20a57d3d-cb0a-41b3-b62d-926ee0b26a4d"> <style type="text/css" scoped="">#AOLMsgPart_2_20a57d3d-cb0a-41b3-b62d-926ee0b26a4d td{color: black;} .aolReplacedBody #aolmail_outlook a{ padding:0; } .aolReplacedBody { width:100% !important; } .aolReplacedBody { -webkit-text-size-adjust:none; } .aolReplacedBody { margin:0; padding:0; } .aolReplacedBody img{ border:none; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; height:auto; line-height:100%; outline:none; text-decoration:none; text-transform:capitalize; } .aolReplacedBody #aolmail_backgroundTable{ height:100% !important; margin:0; padding:0; width:100% !important; } .aolReplacedBody ,.aolReplacedBody #aolmail_backgroundTable{ background-color:#FAFAFA; } .aolReplacedBody #aolmail_templateContainer{ border:1px solid #4487cf; } .aolReplacedBody h1,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_h1{ color:#202020; display:block; font-family:Arial; font-size:34px; font-weight:bold; line-height:100%; margin-top:0; margin-right:0; margin-bottom:10px; margin-left:0; text-align:left; } .aolReplacedBody h2,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_h2{ color:#202020; display:block; font-family:Arial; font-size:30px; font-weight:bold; line-height:100%; margin-top:0; margin-right:0; margin-bottom:10px; margin-left:0; text-align:left; } .aolReplacedBody h3,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_h3{ color:#202020; display:block; font-family:Arial; font-size:26px; font-weight:bold; line-height:100%; margin-top:0; margin-right:0; margin-bottom:10px; margin-left:0; text-align:left; } .aolReplacedBody h4,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_h4{ color:#202020; display:block; font-family:Arial; font-size:22px; font-weight:bold; line-height:100%; margin-top:0; margin-right:0; margin-bottom:10px; margin-left:0; text-align:left; } .aolReplacedBody h5,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_h5{ color:#202020; display:block; font-family:Arial; font-size:12px; font-weight:bold; line-height:100%; margin-top:15px; margin-right:0; margin-bottom:10px; margin-left:0; text-align:left; text-transform:uppercase; } .aolReplacedBody #aolmail_templatePreheader{ background-color:#ffffff; } .aolReplacedBody .aolmail_preheaderContent div{ color:#505050; font-family:Arial; font-size:10px; line-height:100%; text-align:left; } .aolReplacedBody .aolmail_preheaderContent div a:link,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_preheaderContent div a:visited{ color:#336699; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:underline; } .aolReplacedBody #aolmail_templateHeader{ background-color:#D8E2EA; border-bottom:0; } .aolReplacedBody .aolmail_headerContent{ color:#202020; font-family:Arial; font-size:34px; font-weight:bold; line-height:100%; padding:0; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; } .aolReplacedBody .aolmail_headerContent a:link,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_headerContent a:visited{ color:#336699; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:underline; } .aolReplacedBody #aolmail_headerImage{ height:auto; max-width:600px !important; } .aolReplacedBody #aolmail_templateContainer,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_bodyContent{ background-color:#FDFDFD; } .aolReplacedBody .aolmail_bodyContent div{ color:#000000; font-family:Georgia; font-size:16px; line-height:150%; text-align:left; } .aolReplacedBody .aolmail_bodyContent div a:link,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_bodyContent div a:visited{ color:#336699; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:underline; } .aolReplacedBody .aolmail_bodyContent img{ display:inline; height:auto; } .aolReplacedBody #aolmail_templateFooter{ background-color:#FDFDFD; border-top:0; } .aolReplacedBody .aolmail_footerContent div{ color:#707070; font-family:Arial; font-size:12px; line-height:125%; text-align:left; } .aolReplacedBody .aolmail_footerContent div a:link,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_footerContent div a:visited{ color:#336699; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:underline; } .aolReplacedBody .aolmail_footerContent img{ display:inline; } .aolReplacedBody #aolmail_social{ background-color:#FAFAFA; border:0; } .aolReplacedBody #aolmail_social div{ text-align:center; } .aolReplacedBody #aolmail_utility{ background-color:#FDFDFD; border:1px dashed #d3d3d3; } .aolReplacedBody #aolmail_utility div{ text-align:center; } .aolReplacedBody #aolmail_monkeyRewards img{ max-width:190px; } .aolReplacedBody ,.aolReplacedBody #aolmail_backgroundTable{ background-color:#ffffff; } .aolReplacedBody h1,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_h1{ color:#003d4a; font-family:Georgia; font-weight:normal; } .aolReplacedBody h2,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_h2{ color:#4487cf; font-family:Georgia; font-weight:normal; } .aolReplacedBody h3,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_h3{ color:#4487cf; font-family:Georgia; font-weight:normal; } .aolReplacedBody h4,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_h4{ color:#4487cf; font-family:Georgia; font-weight:normal; } .aolReplacedBody .aolmail_preheaderContent div a:link,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_preheaderContent div a:visited{ color:#4487cf; text-decoration:none; } .aolReplacedBody .aolmail_headerNavigation div a:link,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_headerNavigation div a:visited{ color:#4487cf; text-decoration:none; } .aolReplacedBody .aolmail_headerContent a:link,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_headerContent a:visited{ text-decoration:none; } .aolReplacedBody #aolmail_templateContainer,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_bodyContent{ background-color:#ffffff; } .aolReplacedBody .aolmail_bodyContent div a:link,.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_bodyContent div a:visited{ color:#4487cf; }</style><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none;margin: 0;padding: 0;background-color: #ffffff;width: 100% !important;" class="aolReplacedBody"> <center> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="100%" width="100%" id="aolmail_backgroundTable" style="margin: 0;padding: 0;background-color: #ffffff;height: 100% !important;width: 100% !important;"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center" valign="top"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="600" id="aolmail_templatePreheader" style="background-color: #ffffff;"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" class="aolmail_preheaderContent"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top"><div style="color: #505050;font-family: Arial;font-size: 10px;line-height: 100%;text-align: left;"> </div></td> <td valign="top" width="190"> <div style="color: #505050;font-family: Arial;font-size: 10px;line-height: 100%;text-align: left;"><a target="_blank" style="color: #4487cf;font-weight: normal;text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://johnshelbyspong.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=ff3f9203fb&e=db34daa597"><img style="border: none;font-size: 14px;font-weight: bold;height: auto;line-height: 100%;outline: none;text-decoration: none;text-transform: capitalize;" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/b51b9cf441b059bb232418480/images/print.png"></a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="600" id="aolmail_templateContainer" style="border: 1px solid #4487cf;background-color: #ffffff;"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center" valign="top"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="600" id="aolmail_templateHeader" style="background-color: #D8E2EA;border-bottom: 0;"> <tbody><tr> <td class="aolmail_headerContent" style="color: #202020;font-family: Arial;font-size: 34px;font-weight: bold;line-height: 100%;padding: 0;text-align: center;vertical-align: middle;"> <img alt="" border="0" style="margin: 0;padding: 0;max-width: 600px;border: none;font-size: 14px;font-weight: bold;height: auto;line-height: 100%;outline: none;text-decoration: none;text-transform: capitalize;" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/b51b9cf441b059bb232418480/images/newsletter_header.png"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" class="aolmail_headerNavigation"> <h5 style="color: #202020;display: block;font-family: Arial;font-size: 12px;font-weight: bold;line-height: 100%;margin-top: 15px;margin-right: 0;margin-bottom: 10px;margin-left: 0;text-align: left;text-transform: uppercase;"> <a style="color: #4487cf;text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://johnshelbyspong.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=320b85208e&e=db34daa597">Homepage</a> <a style="color: #4487cf;text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://johnshelbyspong.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=f42fa43af2&e=db34daa597">My Profile</a> <a style="color: #4487cf;text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://johnshelbyspong.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=0d182ab9a1&e=db34daa597">Essay Archive</a> <a style="color: #4487cf;text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://johnshelbyspong.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=fb4987b282&e=db34daa597">Message Boards</a> <a style="color: #4487cf;text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://johnshelbyspong.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=1e58418d78&e=db34daa597">Calendar</a></h5></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="600" id="aolmail_templateBody"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" class="aolmail_bodyContent" style="background-color: #ffffff;"> <table border="0" cellpadding="20" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top"> <div style="color: #000000;font-family: Georgia;font-size: 16px;line-height: 150%;text-align: left;"><h1 style="color: #003d4a;display: block;font-family: Georgia;font-size: 34px;font-weight: normal;line-height: 100%;margin-top: 0;margin-right: 0;margin-bottom: 10px;margin-left: 0;text-align: left;">A Letter from Bishop Spong</h1> <p>Dear Friends,</p> <p>As you may have heard, while visiting in Marquette, Michigan I suffered a stroke. The date was September 10th. Since that time I have worked hard to regain my strength. I have been quite successful in that and now have no trouble walking or using my arms. It has been a learning experience. Health is a major demand of my life. I still use my running track each day for about three miles, so I feel most fortunate. The book I was writing on “Charting a New Reformation” will meet its deadline and be at Harper by the due date, the first of March, 2017. I entertained returning to my column, but as the time goes by I no longer have the strength to keep up that schedule, so I have informed Fred Plumer of ProgressiveChristianity.org that I will not be able to return to that task. I write to notify you, my readers, and to enable Fred to begin the process to choose a successor.</p> <p>That is not an easy thing to do for I have loved that column and the relationship I have had with so many of you. I realize that I can no lo longer write, edit and send a column a week out to my readers. I have written this column for sixteen years and it demands an intensity that I no longer profess. Even aided by my wife, who edited every column I ever wrote, cannot make up the difference. So we have decided to give it up.</p> <p>I want to thank you all for the many letters I have received. More than thirty thousand letters have come to me since the stroke. There was no way I could acknowledge them or even respond to them, but I read every one of them and was warmed by the experience. I am now in my 86th year of life. It has been a good life and I am proud of it all. I wish I could have finished on my schedule, but that was not to be.</p> <p>I ask you to give your attention to the following letter written with my blessing by my colleagues at ProgressiveChristianity.org about the future. I hope it will be the start of a major new contribution to religious journalism.</p> <p>Sincerely,</p> <p>John Shelby Spong</p> <p style="text-align: left;">***********************************************************************</p> <p>Dear Friends,</p> <p>Over the last few months we have had time to think about what we could do if Jack Spong could not return to writing his regular column for us. We have worked with our team to consider what we might do if this became the eventuality, and I am very excited about what we’ve been able to put together. As a subscriber to the newsletter you have been on the inside circle as we have charted this new reformation. It has been fun, challenging, and sometimes even a little scary going into these uncharted waters. I hope you have gained great value out of it.</p> <p>The next big step in the new reformation is to put what we have been talking about into widespread practice, and that’s where the next phase of this subscription newsletter comes into play. We have been able to assemble a team of some of the best and brightest authors / theologians / and movement leaders out there today who are taking these bold concepts and enlightenments and putting them into practice in the streets, pews, and on social media.</p> <p>We have a few well known national lecturers and authors such as Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox, Rev. Gretta Vosper, Rev. David Felten, and a close personal friend to Bishop Spong, Rev. Kevin Thews Forrester, who was the first person elected bishop in the Episcopal to have his election turned down by the house of Bishops since 1875 on strictly theological grounds. In addition to those veteran voices, we have some of the most compelling leaders of the social media movement out there today, such as “Science” Mike McHargue, Rev. Mark Sandlin, Cassandra Farrin, Eric Alexander, and Rev. Roger Wolsey. If you haven’t heard of any of these folks I assure you they are out there in a big way helping to lead the next generations along the new reformation. These authors will be on a regular rotating schedule to write a series of columns that will not be published anywhere else, for our new Bishop Spong inspired and endorsed series, called <em>A New Reformation</em>. We envision this series forming a virtual society around the world that serves to perpetuate and expand upon his thoughts.</p> <p>Next week we will resume the newsletter with one of our new authors and over the coming weeks you will hear more from my team about this exciting new transition, and our cast of contributors. We will continue to repost some of the Spong essays of the past and maybe even an occasional new one if that becomes possible.</p> <p>From here I welcome you to grow with us through our next phase as I believe it will be greatly valuable and entertaining to you; and also because I know your support will be <strong>essential</strong> in growing our message exponentially around the world from here on out. You will be supporting the infinitely important work that Bishop Spong has shared with our world and you will have exclusive access to Bishop Spong's Essay Archives. These hundreds of essays, written by John Spong exclusively for this site over a 16 year period are excellent for use in research, in churches, study groups, and education. We will continue to repost some of the Spong Q & As of the past and maybe even an occasional new one if that becomes possible. This is also an opportunity for you to let us know what you would like to see on this column, moving forward — which authors are inspiring you these days or what topics you would like to see discussed and we invite you to send us those suggestions, as well as your questions that you would like our authors to respond to. Let me close by saying that working with Bishop Spong and his wife, Christine, to produce the Bishop Spong column over the last six years, has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I knew of Jack since my seminary days in the early 1980s. I even had brief contact with him several times at various conferences. But admittedly, I had some concerns about entering into a financial relationship with this famous theologian, a giant by most standards. Jack put those concerns to bed very quickly and we forged, not only an excellent working relationship, but he has become a wonderful and respected friend as has his wonderful wife. I will miss our regular contact, especially those around our kitchen bar top, more than most people could understand. So let me say from all of us, thank you Jack and Christine. And thank you our devoted readers.</p> <p>Sincerely,</p> <p>Fed C. Plumer</p> <p>Read online <a target="_blank" style="color: #4487cf;font-weight: normal;text-decoration: underline;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://johnshelbyspong.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=b51b9cf441b059bb232418480&id=829d4723d0&e=db34daa597">here</a>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img align="none" height="186" style="width: 400px;height: 186px;margin: 0px;border: none;font-size: 14px;font-weight: bold;line-height: 100%;outline: none;text-decoration: none;text-transform: capitalize;display: inline;" width="400" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/b51b9cf441b059bb232418480/images/e65e5470-faf3-4da4-a989-4e5e4dc5d674.jpg"></p> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table border="0" cellpadding="20" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top"> <div style="color: #000000;font-family: Georgia;font-size: 16px;line-height: 150%;text-align: left;"></div> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table border="0" cellpadding="20" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top"> <div style="color: #000000;font-family: Georgia;font-size: 16px;line-height: 150%;text-align: left;"></div> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top"> <table border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" width="600" id="aolmail_templateFooter" style="background-color: #FDFDFD;border-top: 0;"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" class="aolmail_footerContent"> <table border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" valign="middle" id="aolmail_social" style="background-color: #FAFAFA;border: 0;"> <div style="color: #707070;font-family: Arial;font-size: 12px;line-height: 125%;text-align: center;"></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" valign="middle" id="aolmail_utility" style="background-color: #FDFDFD;border: 1px dashed #d3d3d3;"><div style="color: #707070;font-family: Arial;font-size: 12px;line-height: 125%;text-align: center;"><div class="aolmail_vcard"><div class="aolmail_adr"><div class="aolmail_street-address"></div></div></div></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" valign="middle" id="aolmail_utility"><div style="color: #707070;font-family: Arial;font-size: 12px;line-height: 125%;text-align: left;"></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></center><center><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" id="aolmail_canspamBarWrapper" style="background-color:#FFFFFF; border-top:1px solid #E5E5E5;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" valign="top" style="padding-top:20px; padding-bottom:20px;"> </td></tr></tbody></table></center></div> </div> <style type="text/css">#AOLMsgPart_2_20a57d3d-cb0a-41b3-b62d-926ee0b26a4d td{color: black;} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .aolReplacedBody table#aolmail_canspamBar td{font-size:14px !important;} .aolReplacedBody table#aolmail_canspamBar td a{display:block !important; margin-top:10px !important;} } </style>