Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie

"A Look Ahead to the Year 2006"

Religion and Ethics Newsweekly reports:

With the war in Iraq, the death of Pope John Paul II, Hurricane Katrina and changes within the U.S. Supreme Court dominating the news of 2005, what major stories are expected to garner national attention in 2006? WASHINGTON POST columnist E.J. Dionne, Barbara Bradley Hagerty of NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, and Kim Lawton, managing editor for RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY, join host Bob Abernethy to discuss their predictions for those topics predicted to make headlines in 2006 including: the implications of the Iraq war on the American political landscape, particularly in regard to the 2006 elections; religious leaders' response to the Bush administration's positions on Iraq and domestic policy; the impact that Judge Alito, if confirmed, will have on the abortion issue and other Supreme Court decisions; the interlocking issues of race and poverty raised by the rebuilding of New Orleans; and the changes in religious leadership within the Protestant community.

Click here for the full story.

'Living Wage Days' events to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dream

From the National Council of Churches:

Faith and community groups will be joined by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) to honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during "Let Justice Roll Living Wage Days" worship services, rallies and other events being planned for the weekend of his birthday, January 14-16, 2006. Sponsored by the Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign, "Living Wage Days" events are being organized to inspire, educate and mobilize congregations and community organizations to support and act for raising the minimum wage at the federal and state levels. "Dr. King was fully committed to low wage working people and their families. There is no better way to celebrate his birthday than to advocate for a raise in the minimum wage so that, in the words of the prophet Amos, justice will roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream," said Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry, coordinator of the LJR Living Wage Campaign.

Click here for more.

Related Link:  Podcast Interview With Bob Edgar: The National Council Of Churches Urges An Increase in The Minimum Wage

Top Religion News Stories Of 2005

Religion Newswriters Association has ranked the top twenty religious news stories of 2005.

The top stories, in order, are:

1. The world mourns the death of Pope John Paul II after his eventful reign of 26 1/2 years. His attitude toward death inspires many. The movement begins for his canonization, and major biographies reach TV screens.

2. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, top aide to John Paul II, is elected by the cardinals to succeed him as Benedict XVI as the world looks on. Vatican watchers see conflicting signs as to what his papacy will bring.

3. Terri Schiavo dies in a Florida nursing home after her feeding tube is finally removed. Many demonstrators stage high-visibility protests for weeks before her death, as Congress and the Legislature join faith-based groups in the debate over the right to die.

4. Churches and faith-based agencies respond to Hurricane Katrina disaster in Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as damage from lesser hurricanes. Earlier they had responded to the tsunami in Southeast Asia, and later to the earthquake in Pakistan. The hurricanes also spur discussions about the roles of God and of environmental shortcomings in such disasters.

5. Debate over homosexuality continues to roil mainline denominations. Episcopal Church and Canadian Anglicans officially absent themselves from Anglican Consultative Council, as exodus of some Episcopal churches continues. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America defeats recommendation for ordination of gays. United Methodist Supreme Court reaffirms the defrocking of a lesbian pastor, and reinstates a pastor removed for barring a gay from membership. Pacific Southwest churches take first steps toward leaving American Baptist Churches.

6. Debate on evolution vs. intelligent design heats up, especially in Kansas and Dover, Pa. Decision is awaited in Dover case, but the school board that favored ID inclusion is voted out. In Kansas, the board of education approves standards that cast doubt on evolution.

7. U.S. Supreme Court approves posting of Ten Commandments outside state capitol in Texas and disapproves their posting inside courthouses in Kentucky, both by 5-4. The high court also upholds the rights of prisoners to practice their religion and municipalities to take private property for public benefit. The court hears arguments on two abortion cases and Oregon euthanasia law. Meanwhile, a federal judge reinstates ban on "under God" in Pledge of Allegiance in three California school districts; case is expected to return to the Supreme Court.

8. Faith-based groups speak out on Bush's three nominees to the Supreme Court; evangelicals help to derail Harriet Miers. Earlier they weighed in on both sides of the question of filibustering judicial appointments; a compromise was eventually reached.

9. Vatican releases long-awaited statement on homosexuality, the first major instruction issued by Benedict XVI. It bars from seminaries those who are actively homosexual, have deeply rooted tendencies toward it or support gay subculture. Reaction is predictably mixed.

10. Billy Graham holds his farewell evangelistic campaign in New York City.

Click here to read the final ten on their list.

Sickbed Reading

Good for the soul.

Progressive Christians Will Gather This March In DC

Coming this March 10-13, 2006:

Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice began in 2003 as a gathering of 400 religious advocates concerned about U.S. foreign policy in Africa and the Middle East. In the second year, 2004, over 600 religious activists from 41 states and 15 countries came together to build bridges across issues faced by the poor and disenfranchised in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The 2005 Advocacy Days (March 11-14, 2005) added a fifth region, the United States, and also broadened to cover Economic Justice, Environmental Justice, and Global Security issues. Over 850 grassroots advocates, policy experts, politicians, theologians, organizers, and students gathered to shape a new positive, progressive religious vision for U.S. foreign policy. The 2006 conference “Challenging Disparity: The Promise of God – The Power of Solidarity” will be the largest national gathering of U.S. grassroots progressive religious activists focused on the broad spectrum of international and domestic policies.

Visit the Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice web site for more information.

Getting Better All The Time

Good morning. I hope that this Christmas has been a merry one for you, your friends, and your families. Some of our family will be gathering today in Portland to celebrate the holiday and my release from the hospital.

The surgery by all accounts was a success. I have all the usual post-surgical complaints but the people at Oregon Health Sciences University have been taking great care of me over the last month as we’ve made decisions on how to best advance my care. I owe them a great deal of thanks.

It will take a couple of weeks to fully recover – and I won’t do a lot of writing during this time (keep visiting Street Prophets for all the latest) but my health should return to normal with no long term problems in a fairly short period of time. Don’t count me out of the game for long.

My thanks also go out to everyone who has written an e-mail, sent a card, or made a call over the last few weeks. I apologize for not writing a response to everyone (or even worse- only sending out an auto response) just yet. The sites Salt, A Religious Liberal Blog, and The American Street all asked their readers for prayers and I wanted to say how much I appreciated that. I know that churches in South Carolina, Missouri, North Dakota, and Oregon have offered prayers for my recovery during their worship services.  The e-mails and cards and the great support offered by the Eden community have just been tremendous.  This love that we share through Christ is a sustaining love and your prayers have kept me lifted up.

One more thank you before I close: The Rev. Dr. Arvin Luchs from Portland's First United Methodist Church and The Rev. Dr. Pat Ross from Portland's First Congregational United Church of Christ both provided excellent pastoral care to me through out this episode and I am deeply grateful. 

On an unrelated note, the site Bloggam ran an interview with me a couple of weeks back. Talk to Action’s Fredrick Clarkson read the interview and posted a few nice things about what he enjoys about this site. Check it out.

Thanks again.  Now I'm going back to bed.

Luke 2:1-20: The Birth of Jesus

2In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah,* the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,* praising God and saying,

14‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ 16So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

(New Revised Standard Version)

Christmas Message From The National Council Of Churches USA

Why did he come?

In his own words:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim
release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
(Luke 4:18-19, NRSV)

As we rejoice this Christmas at the coming of the Christ Child, may we also reflect on God's gentle reminder:
There are still poor.
There are still captives.
There are still blind.
There are still oppressed.
And for millions, no year of the Lord's favor has come to forgive the crushing burden of debt and poverty.

Exult with us as we celebrate the Child in the manger, who came that we might have abundant life.

And pray with us as we remember how much there is still to do.

Warmest blessings to you at Christmas.

National Council of Churches USA

“Intelligent Design Theory” Declared Farce By Judge

An important victory for the Constitution was reached today by a federal judge who has ruled against teaching “Intelligent Design” as an alternative scientific theory to evolution in the public schools. The AP reports:

HARRISBURG, Pa. - "Intelligent design" is "a religious alternative masquerading as a scientific theory" and cannot be mentioned in biology classes in a Pennsylvania public school district, a federal judge said Tuesday, ruling in one of the biggest courtroom clashes on evolution since the 1925 Scopes trial.

Dover Area School Board members violated the Constitution when they ordered that its biology curriculum must include the notion that life on Earth was produced by an unidentified intelligent cause, U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III said.

“We find that the secular purposes claimed by the Board amount to a pretext for the Board’s real purpose, which was to promote religion in the public school classroom,” he wrote in his 139-page opinion. “The citizens of the Dover area were poorly served by the members of the Board who voted for the ID Policy,” Jones wrote, adding that several members repeatedly lied to cover their motives even while professing religious beliefs….

“We conclude that the religious nature of ID would be readily apparent to an objective observer, adult or child," Jones said.

This fall voters in Dover kicked out of office the school board members that had been pushing ‘Intelligent Design.”

Public schools should be teaching science and leave theological interpretations of the world to our churches and other religious bodies.

A big thank you to the voters and the courts for upholding the Constitution!

2005 Christmas Message from the General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ

The Rev. John H. Thomas, UCC General Minister and President, offers his 2005 Christmas Letter to members and friends of the United Church of Christ.

In 1936, amid the gathering clouds of holocaust and war that would turn much of Europe and Asia to wilderness, children’s author E. B. White penned this note in The New Yorker:

Shopping in Woolworth’s in the turbulent days, we saw a little boy put his hand inquiringly on a ten-cent Christ child, part of a creche. “What is this?” he asked his mother, who had him by the hand. “C’mon, c’mon,” replied the harassed woman, “you don’t want that ” She dragged him grimly away, a Woolworth Madonna, her mind dark with gift-thoughts, following a star of her own devising.

This has been a turbulent year for the United Church of Christ, a year we have felt the tug of Woolworth Madonnas within and without and have struggled to know whether the stars we follow are of our own devising, or of God’s. We move through this Advent season weary from the year that is passed, both amazed and unsettled. Turbulent.

Leadership transitions, some planned and gratefully acknowledged, others abrupt and painful, have challenged us. Intense debates about our commitments to Palestinians in the Middle East and to the Jewish community here, or about marriage equality, have at times led us to question one another’s faithfulness and good will. The financial requirements for our enormously ambitious Stillspeaking Initiative, for Our Church’s Wider Mission, for the needs of people around the world devastated by war and flood, have left many congregations feeling overwhelmed, perhaps even confused by multiple and urgent invitations to give. Turbulent.

Months of uncertainty over the viability of our UCC property and liability insurance program, the UCCIB. caused high anxiety and stretched our understanding of covenant. The loss of over twenty congregations following this summer’s General Synod votes diminished us, not just financially, but also spiritually as communities with rich traditions of faithful ministry left us. Inquiries from non-UCC congregations about membership in the United Church of Christ are welcomed, but also raise challenging questions around identity and ecumenical commitment. Heightened media visibility following our commercial in December and March and our whimsical embrace of Spongebob have offered new opportunities for public witness and evangelism, but also challenge us with new responsibilities for which we do not always feel prepared. It has been a turbulent year.

Yet beneath this turbulence there is another current, steady and constant, flowing from the rich reservoirs of our reach for an extravagant welcome and call to evangelical courage. In her novel Gilead Pulitzer Prize winning author Marilyn Robinson, a member of the United Church of Christ, points to this current in her narrator’s description of baptism. It is, he says, “to touch another with the pure intention of blessing,” a blessing that does not “enhance sacredness, but acknowledges it.” Amid the turbulent chapters of life this past year, the real narrative flowing through it all has been one of extraordinary efforts to bless.

Delegates and visitors to General Synod in Atlanta this past summer noted the holiness of liturgy, community, and discernment, and the sacredness of location and history in a place marked by the touch of the American Missionary Association in the 19th century and the courage of the Civil Rights movement of the 20th century. While faithful people across the United Church of Christ struggle with integrity over the vote on Marriage Equality, for millions in the UCC and beyond, this historic decision was experienced as blessing, as the acknowledgment of sacredness. There has been much turbulence. But there has been profound blessing as well.

While every setting of the church has fretted over finances this year, members of the United Church of Christ have demonstrated amazing, record breaking generosity. By the end of this year we will have received nearly $9 million in special gifts for victims of the tsunami in southern Asia and east Africa, of Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, of violence in Darfur and the Sudan, of the earthquake in Pakistan and Kashmir, and for vulnerable people struggling globally with hunger and HIV/AIDS. Few had the opportunity, as I did in southern India last February, to physically touch survivors with a hand and a prayer of blessing. But hundreds have now entered into a “Covenant of Compassion” so that we might bless in sustained and disciplined ways.

The Stillspeaking Initiative has entered our life with creative, disruptive energy. Our commercial, uncomfortable for some among us, was a gift to hundreds of thousands who came to our website looking for this unexpected source of blessing. Our red and black banners and our welcoming congregations discovered that in each of our communities there are the left alone, left out, left behind yearning for community with Christ. We have been blessed with a new commitment to evangelism, and we are actively planning for how that commitment can be a blessing in parts of the country where we have been hard to find. Designated gifts to TSI have topped $1.5 million and while there was disappointment at not being able to show our new commercial in Advent, we are confident that we will move forward with an arresting - and delightfully whimsical - message of hope and invitation at Easter. Blessing.

Our prophetic witness focused this year on the poor amid a nation preoccupied by the agony of death and the vain deceptions of war in Iraq The needs of hungry people lifted up at a large Bread for the World sponsored convocation in May, the desperate need to move the minimum wage to a living wage and to support the rights of workers in low paying jobs, the devastating proposals for the Federal budget are not political questions of the left or the right, but profoundly moral issues increasingly being embraced by mainline Protestant, Catholic, and evangelical Christians together. They are about blessing the poor, acknowledging sacredness with justice and helping all to imagine that another world is possible.Blessing.

This fall’s celebration in Berlin of 25 years of Kirchengemeinschaft - church fellowship - with the Union of Evangelical Churches in Germany reminded us of global partnerships, whether in Germany or Palestine, that break down dividing walls where walls are both disturbing memories and oppressive living realities. Closer to home, persistent efforts by conferences and national boards to restore stability to the UCCIB is really about restoring health to flood, wind, and fire ravaged congregations seeking once again to be blessings in their communities.

Our touch of blessing is not always marked by pure intentions. We do not always resist the lure of stars of our own devising. Such has been the case for the United Church of Christ, and for your leaders. Yet the yearning to bless has been at the center of our life as the currents of baptism have buoyed us amid the turbulent days. Now as we approach Christmas still in the grip of Woolworth Madonnas and dark gift thoughts, may we pause long enough to reach toward the images of Christ all around us, sighting a star that can lead us to the place where our own sacredness is acknowledged. May this be at the heart of Christmas for you.

Church World Service Emergency Response Appeal

EMERGENCY APPEAL UPDATE:
SOUTHEAST ASIA TSUNAMI AND EARTHQUAKE
YEAR-TWO RESPONSE (2006)

Appeal Number: 6970
Appeal Goal Amount: $15.23 million

December 12, 2005

(This revised appeal outlines a continuation of CWS activities through 2006, year two of its response to the SE Asia Tsunami and Nias Earthquake.) 

Situation Re-Cap:

The massive earthquake and resulting tsunami that was centered near the northwestern coast of Sumatra, Indonesia in December 2004, affected over a dozen countries on the Indian Ocean. Hardest hit was Indonesia's Aceh province, with 130,000 confirmed dead, more than 37,000 missing/presumed dead, more than 500,000 persons displaced--150,000 of which still reside in tents.  Also badly hit -- Sri Lanka, with 30,957 confirmed dead, 5,637 missing, and more than 400,000 displaced; and India, with 10,749 confirmed dead, 5,646 missing, and more than 300,000 displaced.  Further, in March 2005 a strong earthquake occurred that had devastating impact on Nias Island, Indonesia.

The impact on coastal fishing communities and fisherfolk, some of the poorest people in the region, has been devastating with widespread loss of income, boats and fishing gear.  Damage to infrastructure and destruction to agriculture is also an overriding factor.  In some areas, family and community wells, water treatment facilities and pipe networks will take years to restore.

The emotional and psychological trauma experienced by many of the survivors, especially women and children, and those who lost loved ones is overwhelming.

Emergency Appeal:

In response to this disaster and the additional impact of the March 2005 earthquake that rocked Nias Island, the CWS Indonesia office, in collaboration with other local non-governmental organizations, continues its commitment to addressing basic needs (food, shelter, water, medicine) and now begins implementing its post-crisis work with long-term reconstruction, rehabilitation, and capacity building projects already underway and planned throughout 2006.

CWS will also be providing additional financial support for the post-crisis work of partner organizations and Action by Churches Together (ACT) members Churches Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) in India, and the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka (NCCSL).

Indonesia

A key component of the overall Church World Service response to the Southeast Asia Earthquake and Tsunami is the work of its Indonesia program.  Since 1964, CWS has implemented emergency and long-term rehabilitation projects in cooperation and collaboration with both faith-based and secular organizations throughout Indonesia.

CWS's second-phase response to the Southeast Asia Earthquake and Tsunami continues through 2006 targeting the most vulnerable households in the regions of Banda Aceh (including Aceh Besar and Pidie), Meulaboh (including Aceh Barat, Aceh Jaya, and Nagan Raya), and Nias.

On-going work of CWS Indonesia through 2006 includes program implementation in the following categories:

(Funds still needed: $11,239,000 -- reflects program costs, equipment, labor, storage, and transportation)

• Health and Nutrition: Includes on-going provision of health services, rehabilitation of permanent health posts, supplementary feeding for 2,000 children under five years-old, distribution of basic medicines, medical equipment, training and education, and provision of CWS "Gift of the Heart" Health kits, Baby kits.  Approximate number targeted combined beneficiaries (children and adults): 7,500. 
• Non-Food Item Distribution: Includes distribution of kitchen utensils, blankets, mosquito nets, CWS "Gift of the Heart" kits,
• Shelter:  921 permanent houses (approx. $3,615 per house) will be built; 2,800 family tents will be distributed, and provision of household items such as mattresses, sheets, and other miscellaneous items.   
• Livelihood recovery and capacity building:  Targeting 3,700 households (18,500 people) for small business grants, training, agricultural rehabilitation, seeds and tools, fishing equipment and boats, as well as construction of community centers, community organizing, training, and development programs emphasizing local micro-enterprise ownership.
• Psychosocial support and child development programs, including recreational materials and activities, building of 36 children's centers; and distribution of CWS "Gift of the Heart" School Kits and Kids Kits.  Target beneficiaries: 6,000 persons. 
• Water and Sanitation: CWS, in a collaborative effort with Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) is targeting approximately 75,000 persons for access to clean water and sanitation facilities; on-going activities include rebuilding/repairing water supply systems (springs, pipes, wells, surface water treatment) and sanitation facilities; and continued trucking of water using water tankers.   *Currently more than 10,000 people in the Meulaboh area depend on CWS/NCA-procured/installed water purification units for their daily water needs. 

India

Long-time CWS partner and ACT member CASA has been responding with emergency relief aid in hard hit Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andrha Pradesh throughout 2005.  In year-two of its response, CASA will focus on reconstruction, livelihood rehabilitation, food or cash for work programs, community organizing and capacity building, in those three regions, as well as in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, -- targeting 50,000 families (approx. 300,000 people) in 70 villages. 

CASA activities planned throughout 2006 that CWS will be supporting:

• Construction of 4,024 houses (2,824 in South India and1,200 in Andaman and Nicobar)
• Furnishing 485 new fully equipped boats supporting livelihoods of 1,940 families (approx. 11,640 people)
• Construction of 26 school buildings with provision of school supplies, books, and uniforms to 2,400 children
• Constructing 20 community centers, including capacity building and community organizing initiatives
• Reconstruction/rehabilitation of 12 health stations, includes education and training workshops and materials

Based on income for this appeal, CWS is targeting $3 million in support of CASA's total request of $26 million.

Sri Lanka

NCCSL is responding to the disaster through its member churches and local partners throughout the affected areas of the island.  Through 2006, planned post-crisis interventions are being implemented under the NCCSL secretariat’s umbrella encompassing coordination and project/financial management support in the following regions: 

• Northern and Peninsular Coasts (including Jaffna Peninsula, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts)
• East: Batticaloa, Ampara, Trincomalee districts
• Southern Coasts: Galle, Matara, Hambantota districts
• Western Regions: Colombo, Kalutara, and Gampaha districts

Approximately 50,000 of the most vulnerable people are targeted for assistance through NCCSL funded programs that will provide:

• Fishing gears, boats, nets, engines to 2,896 fisherfolk, and rehabilitation of boat docks (Vaadi)
• Income generation opportunities for 8,620 people, including small business promotion, micro-credit program, agricultural inputs, and training
• Special needs assistance, including supplementary feeding for 41 children orphaned or disabled in the north and 86 widows in the village of Hambantotan in the south
• Assistance to 11,218 school-age children with school supplies, fees, and books
• 357 permanent shelters and 500 housing repairs to shelters
• Psychosocial support and health education for 7,101 people, including health center construction, mobile clinics, and health and nutrition awareness programs
• Protection, human rights, and peace building trainings for 5,591 people
• Water and sanitation services targeting 14,347 people

Based on income for this appeal, CWS is targeting $1 million in support of NCCSL total request of $7.2 million.

CWS is issuing SE Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Recovery Revision Two - 2006 in the amount of $15.23 million.  Contributions to support these efforts may be sent to your denomination or directly to Church World Service.  Please note the country in which your contribution should be applied -- Indonesia, India, or Sri Lanka. 

Contributions to support CWS Tsunami Recovery efforts may be sent to your denomination or directly to:

Church World Service
Tsunami Recovery (Acct. #6970)
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515

Contributions may also be made by credit card by calling: (800) 297-1516, ext. 222, or online. 

Photo gallery: Tsunami Recovery -- One Year After

Christmas Message 2005 from the World Council of Churches general secretary

"This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger."
Luke 2:12

It was in the midst of last year's Christmas season that the December 26th tsunami killed thousands of people on the shores of the Indian Ocean. Who can forget the images of the killer waves, the many victims and traumatized survivors on the shores of Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and even Somalia? All around the world, these images prompted an unprecedented response to appeals for emergency relief, an extraordinary expression of solidarity with the victims by people from all walks of life.

The year that followed has renewed our awe of nature's power, with an unusual frequency of violent storms, floods and hurricanes such as Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico, and the terrible earthquake that devastated whole villages and cities in Kashmir. In Brazil, where the World Council of Churches will hold its 9th Assembly in February 2006, the national weather service recently used the term "hurricane" for the first time following an unprecedented storm in 2004. Vast areas of the country suffer from a terrible drought, as if our physical environment will no longer tolerate the careless and merciless attack on its integrity, demonstrating its power to humanity and reminding us of our vulnerability. Repeatedly, it has been the poor and marginalized who were most vulnerable and, thus, the most severely hit. The gap between rich and poor, the traces of racism and casteism, the ills dividing humanity were exposed in these situations of crisis.

As we prepare ourselves again to celebrate Christmas, the story of the birth of Christ speaks in new ways against the background of this experience. We see before us the image of a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger that was, according to the tradition of the early church, hewn into the rock of a cave in Bethlehem. Throughout history, this image has comforted victims of oppression and violence in many parts of the world. It has led humans to realize that Jesus was one of us, indeed: someone down-to-earth. It has encouraged some to believe that God's presence with us in Jesus is powerful enough to transform this earth. It has motivated others to accept their own responsibility and to stand in solidarity with all who work for change and alternatives to existing conditions. Through Jesus Christ, the incarnation of the divine, God has invested love in humanity. God became a human being, born of a woman, who suffered as we suffer and died as we shall die.

"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:5-11). Dare we invest less in humanity than God has done? Dare we invest less in ourselves than God has deemed appropriate?

When we pray in the words of the theme of the forthcoming WCC Assembly, God, in your grace, transform the world, we confess our readiness to proclaim the good news that the Triune God has acted to dignify humanity through God's incarnation in Jesus Christ and to begin the transformation of a world that knows little of grace and mercy. With the birth of the child in Bethlehem, God is at work within creation to bring about needed change through grace. Churches and their members world-wide stand on the side of the poor; this is especially true of Christians in Brazil who engage in struggles for the landless, the right to water for all, and the care of creation. Brazilian churches are working together, in the power of the Holy Spirit, with the hope of overcoming violence and helping to establish justice and accountability in politics.

When we ask you this Christmas to draw nearer to the suffering and marginalized in your thoughts, prayers and deeds, we ask you to pray especially for the people and churches in Brazil. Called to be co-workers with God, our participation in God's mission begins where we live, yet our common responsibility leads us to work together for the sake of the whole world.

May the blessings of Christmas bring you peace and joy.

Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia
World Council of Churches general secretary
December 2005

Photo: Praying hands during a church service in Qianjiang County, China 2005, © WCC/Peter Williams, Used with permission

St. Louis Weather For Portland

The scene outside our NE Portland home this afternoon:

We thought we'd left all this behind in St. Louis....

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 AM PST TUESDAY FOR THE COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON...THE GREATER PORTLAND AND VANCOUVER METRO AREA AND INTERIOR PORTIONS   OF SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON...AND THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 AM PST TUESDAY.

A MOIST PACIFIC WEATHER SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO OUR AREA THIS EVENING INTO MONDAY AND OVERRUN A COLD AIR MASS BRINGING FREEZING RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW TO COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE...NORTHERN WILLAMETTE VALLEY...CLARK COUNTY...LOWER COLUMBIA IN COWLITZ COUNTY AND PARTS OF THE NORTH OREGON COAST RANGE.

THE PRECIPITATION MAY BEGIN AS SNOW IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE AND EASTERN MULTNOMAH COUNTY BEFORE CHANGING OVER TO FREEZING RAIN. ELSEWHERE...PRECIPITATION SHOULD FALL AS SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN. TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO MODERATE LATE MONDAY NIGHT IN MOST PLACES AND TURN THE PRECIPITATION TO ALL RAIN...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE AND EASTERN MULTNOMAH COUNTY NEAR THE COLUMBIA RIVER WHERE FREEZING RAIN WILL PERSIST INTO TUESDAY.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW... SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.  THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

How I'm Spending My Christmas

This post has been updated

During a routine visit to my primary care physician an increase in my blood pressure resulted in the need for additional tests. Those tests revealed a tumor on my left adrenal gland and it has a name: Pheochromocytoma.

Pheochromocytomas are tumors of the adrenal gland which produce excess adrenaline. Pheochromocytomas arise from the central portion of the adrenal gland which is called the adrenal medulla. The adrenal medulla is responsible for the normal production of adrenaline which our body requires to help maintain blood pressure and to help cope with stressful situations. A tumor which arises from the adrenal medulla and overproduces adrenaline can be a deadly tumor because of the severe elevation in blood pressure it causes. - http://www.endocrineweb.com/pheo.html

What are the symptoms of such a tumor?

Headaches (severe)

Excess sweating (generalized)

Racing heart (tachycardia and palpitations)

Anxiety / nervousness (feelings of impending death)

Nervous shaking (tremors)

Pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen Nausea (with or without nausea)

Weight loss

Heat intolerance

I’ve been scheduled for surgery here in Portland for later this week.

Unfortunately, before the surgery can proceed the tumor needs to be addressed medically before it can be removed surgically. So we've had to wait a bit.

We decided to bump our move up to Portland from St. Louis so that we’d have the benefits of family and friends to help us through this period. I’ve been at the hospital almost every day since we arrived in Oregon and it is so comforting to have people around to help out in a time like this.

I’ve been told time and time again that many people have died because of this tumor and never knew they had it. That is why I’m writing this post. Do you have these symptoms? If so, talk with your physician. It is worth checking out.

Your prayers and good thoughts are appreciated. My blog will go on hiatus later this week and I encourage everyone to go over and visit Street Prophets until I'm back and all better.

UPDATE:  A reader over at Street Prophets read this post and remembered that he had read something about the same type of tumor in The New York Times.  Click the hyperlink to read that article:

Download NYTArticle.pdf

The Real Christmas Scandal: Bush Budget Will Hurt The Least Of These

If you listen to right-wing talk radio or receive information from any of the numerous right-wing “Christian” groups you’ll get one message over and over again this holiday season: There is an assault on Christmas. It’s a lie, of course, cooked up by fund raisers for the political right who know that fear brings in cash to line their pocket books.

From the Family Research Council: 

As the abyss of political correctness engulfs our nation, it seems that not even Christmas is safe from being sucked into the abyss of political correctness. Across the U.S., nativity scenes and Christmas displays with Christian themes are now taboo. Phrases such as "Merry Christmas" are considered "humbug," and even Jesus is being excluded from the navitity scene. Library officials in Memphis, Tennessee believe that having Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and the wise men in a navitity scene is 'inappropriate.' A nativity scene without Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and the wise men? If this continues, soon we won't be able refer to Christmas as Christmas, but as the "Nondenominational Winter Holiday." Target retail stores have kicked the Salvation Army to the curb, as bell ringing to raise funds for the poor seems to be in "poor taste" and not political correct. So much for the Christmas phrase "good will and cheer to men." Even the Christmas Carol "Silent Night" is in trouble. In Wisconsin, an elementary school changed the lyrics, and is calling the song "Cold in the Night." So what are Christians to do as they face the prospect of Christmas becoming an "endangered holiday?" Say "Merry Christmas" and order your Christmas Pamphlet from the Alliance Defense Fund, so you can learn how to protect your rights to celebrate Christmas.

Here’s a prime example of how the religious right claims war is being wagged against Christmas: Target no longer uses the word “Christmas” in their holiday advertising campaign. Yep. A retailer no longer tries to make cash by exploiting Jesus. That sounds like good news to me. Christmas shouldn’t be a marketing tool. Christians should be praising Target instead of threatening to boycott them.

But you can’t raise good money if you don’t have a good villain. The religious right knows that better than anyone.

The Rev. Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners Magazine, says there is actually a scandal this Christmas but it isn’t the one being talked about by the religious right:

There is a Christmas scandal this year, but it's not the controversy at shopping malls and retail stores about whether their displays say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays." The real Christmas scandal is the budget proposed by the House of Representatives that cuts food stamps, health care, child support, and educational assistance to low-income families - while further lowering taxes for the wealthiest Americans and increasing the deficit for all of our grandchildren.

That was the message we brought to the steps of the House office buildings yesterday. The day was cold but the message was clear, as hundreds of religious leaders and faith-based organizers who daily serve the poor joined for what became a revival and prayer meeting in the United States capital.

This was the culmination of a yearlong effort by people of faith to teach our nation's political leaders that "a budget is a moral document." I was proud to be one of the 115 pastors and leaders out of that group who were arrested for kneeling in prayer. In the final stages of the budget process this week, after praying and making our best arguments from afar, we decided to take our prayers and presence to the steps of the Cannon House Office Building.

After some powerful preaching on the steps and a press conference that was more like a revival, we continued our praying and singing in front of the entrance, symbolizing the denial of access to Congress for low-income people. "Come walk with us!" we said as we invited members of Congress into our neighborhoods to meet the people who will be most impacted by their votes on a budget that virtually assaults low-income families. We sounded like a choir (and a good one at that) as we sang Christmas carols while being arrested, handcuffed, put into buses, and taken to a large holding cell roughly a mile away.

We all noted how full of faith the day was for those involved. Many of those who took part in the prayerful and nonviolent civil disobedience were from groups such as the Christian Community Development Association, whose member organizations around the country live and work alongside poor people every day. Their founder, John Perkins - who at 75 was one of the oldest people arrested - inspired us all as he has for 40 years of faithful ministry among the poor.

The text we kept repeating at the Capitol Christmas vigil was from the book of Luke - the best words ever about the true meaning of the coming of the Christ child. Mary, the mother of Jesus, herself a poor woman from an oppressed race and an occupied country, prophesied in her powerful prayer of thanksgiving - the Magnificat - about the Messiah whom she carried in her womb.

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty."

Though today on Capitol Hill Mary would be accused of class warfare for uttering such words, they still bear the true meaning of Christmas. And the budget and tax cuts being proposed by House leaders directly reverse the priorities of Mary. For instead of filling the hungry with good things and sending the rich away empty, this budget would fill the rich with good things and send the hungry away empty!

So yesterday, on the House office steps, we tried to put Christ back into Christmas. Thursday morning, The Chicago Tribune led with the headline "Christmas Scandal Outcry!" and the story of the faith-inspired action in Washington was in dozens of newspapers around the country.

Yesterday the faith community across the country stood up and spoke up. Our vigil in Washington was followed by more than 70 vigils in more than 30 states. We prayed for a change of heart in our Washington leaders, we prayed for the poor families we serve, and we prayed that those elected to represent us act to protect the common good in ways consistent with the Christmas message of hope.

The bipartisan Senate budget bill, in contrast, protects low-income families, and yesterday senators passed resolutions vowing not to cut food stamps and Medicaid in the final budget negotiations with the House. They should be thanked and urged to stand firm.

So I have already received my Christmas present this year - the chance to participate in a faithful and powerful witness to the real meaning of the child who is born again to us this season. See the pictures and podcast of the event, and read the testimonies of others - and you will also receive the gift. Merry Christmas.

Why isn't the religious right talking about these issues?  They're too busy singing Silent Night and doing their real job: advancing a partisan Republican agenda.

You can send Congress a message by clicking here.  Tell them what Christmas is really about.

Related Post:  Would Jesus Pass Tax Cuts For The Rich And Leave The Least Of These Behind?

Related Post:  New Tax Breaks For Millionaires Set To Occur In January As Bush Economic Policies Drive Up Poverty And Deficits

Related Post:  Poverty Continues To Increase Under Bush Policies

John Spencer

People told me for years that I’d love The West Wing but I couldn’t be bothered with another television show to get sucked into. But it finally happened. Late one night a rerun came on and I was hooked.

My wife would call it more an obsession than being hooked. But what wasn’t to love?

John Spencer, the actor who played the White House chief of staff and this season has been the democratic nominee for vice-president, died last night. He was a fine actor and his portrayal as the calm voice in storm after storm of controversy helped make the show. His character was so central to this season’s story line – the final season – that it is hard to imagine how the show will continue.

That, of course, doesn’t really matter now. I pray for Mr. Spencer and his friends and family at their loss today. I’ll miss seeing him every week.

Related Post:  Martin Sheen & Howard Dean

Religious Leaders Condemn Iranian Statements Concerning Holocaust, Israel

Recently the Iranian president has made inconceivable statements denying the Holocaust against the Jews and threatening the very existence of Israel.

The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism issued a statement this week in reaction:

We condemn this latest onset of radical statements made this week by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a speech to thousands of people in the Iranian city of Zahedan questioning the reality of the genocide against the Jews in the Holocaust. To once again distort history by suggesting that the Holocaust is merely a "myth" promulgated by the West used to create the state of Israel is to dishonor the memory of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust and is a direct threat aimed at the Jewish people. This is more than an insult to the Jewish victims of Nazi genocide; it is a tragic reminder of the hateful lies about Jews that continue to be spread and accepted around the world.

That sentiment was echoed by the National Council of Churches USA:

The National Council of Churches USA condemns the comments of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calling for the obliteration or relocation of the State of Israel.

The State of Israel has embodied the hopes and dreams of Jews worldwide for decades, especially since the Holocaust that occurred during World War II.  President Ahmadinejad's invective that the Holocaust never happened is a sobering reminder of the corrosive power of ignorance, desperation, and hatred. 

It is no accident that among the first protests of the Iranian president's statement were those of German leaders, whose parents were witnesses of the horrible reality of the Holocaust.  Anti-Semitism's most vociferous manifestation is the "Big Lie" now coming from Tehran.   

In opposition to such incomprehensible hatred, all people of faith and good will must stand firm in their rejection of Mr. Ahmadinejad's views.  We at the National Council of Churches USA deplore these views.

In the face of Mr. Ahmadinejad's call for the obliteration of Israel, the National Council of Churches USA reaffirms its support for the security of the State of Israel, alongside a viable Palestinian State.  We also reaffirm our respect for Judaism and our friendship with the Jewish people.

Iran is a complex country, rich in history, much of its recent history marred by difficult relations with the international community.  Most recently these difficulties are over nuclear issues.  The Iranian president's comments only serve to threaten Iran itself with further isolation from the world.

Just a few years ago the former president of Iran encouraged the "Dialogue Among Civilizations."  By spewing forth hatred for Israel, Judaism and the Jewish people, President Ahmadinejad is ensuring that this dialogue will go on without Iran.  How unfortunate this is for the Iranian people, most of whom do not share their president's views.

Click here for more from NCC.

Many Muslim groups have also condemned the Iranian leader's sickening views.

Bush Finally Agrees Torture Is Bad

It's a Christmas Miracle.

Any chance they'll actually follow the law?

And doesn't it just make you sick that our White House is run by people who have to be forced into declaring torture to be illegal?

Well, of course it does (unless you're some inhuman monster incapable of understanding right from wrong - someone like the vice president). 

Bush keeps claiming that he seeks to be like Ronald Reagan but there is no question his real role model is Pontius Pilate (a person that might also have been Reagan's role model - come to think of it).

Thank you, Senator McCain, for forcing us on the right path on this issue.       

Related Post:  Jesus Wouldn't Torture: Tell the President

Related Link: Dr. Russ Dondero’s McCAIN 1, BUSH 0 (a more thoughtful version than my rants)

Jesus Wouldn’t Torture: Tell the President

Many Republicans joined the majority of Democrats in the US House today in adopting a resolution calling on the United States not to torture.  A similar measure, sponsored by Republican John McCain, has passed the Senate but is opposed by the Bush White House. 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives on Wednesday gave overwhelming support to a measure requiring the humane treatment of prisoners in U.S. custody, piling pressure on President George W. Bush to agree to put into law a ban on the torture of detainees.

The House voted 308-122 to instruct negotiators working on a final version of a defense spending bill to accept an amendment pushed by Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain that would bar the cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of military prisoners.

Although the House motion was not binding, it should boost the clout of McCain, who was locked in talks with the White House on a final version of his amendment.

Full story

Many Christian groups - including the National Council of Churches USA - have been critical of the president's position. 

Bush campaigns on "Christian values" but abandons those values left and right.  Torture is what the Romans did to Jesus - not what the US should do to foreigners.      

Tell that to the President. 

Related Post:  US Senate Backs Human Rights; President Promises Veto

We've Moved Back To Oregon!

We’ve made the move back to the great Northwest and are glad to be here.  Movers arrived just today with the rest of our stuff.  We’ve spent the last several days unpacking and trying to bring some sort of normalcy to our chaotic lives.   But we already feel so much more relaxed being close to so many family members and friends.  Unfortunately, there are periods in our lives when chaos seems to come in waves.  That is true for us in this moment.  It will be several more weeks before we can declare victory and fully celebrate our move back to Oregon.  But we’re very much enjoying the endless opportunities for good coffee and the love and friendship we’ve felt since coming home.

John Thomas visits site of burned UCC church in Wisconsin

Written by J. Bennett Guess, United Church News

Tuesday, 13 December 2005

UCC General Minister and President John H. Thomas met with the Rev. James Gorman and others on Dec. 10 at the site of Evangelical and Reformed UCC's burned building in Waukesha, Wis. The 115-year-old church was ravaged by fire late on Dec. 4. The blaze – which apparently began near the altar in the sanctuary – consumed most of the historic building. A local newspaper report dubbed it one of the city’s most devastating fires in recent history. Committed to rebuilding, the church is being hosted by a sister congregation, First Congregational UCC in Waukesha until other arrangements are made. A special webpage has been established to help church members cope with the traumatic fire. "Waukesha is really a small town," Gorman told The Freeman newspaper. "The support has been incredible and it is coming from everywhere." On behalf of the UCC’s five-member Collegium of Officers, Thomas presented the following letter of support:   The Third Sunday of Advent The Rev. James Gorman and Members of Evangelical and Reformed United Church of Christ 413 Wisconsin Ave. Waukesha, WI    53186 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ: Our faith reminds us that our only comfort is found in our belonging, body and soul, in life and in death, not to ourselves but to our Savior Jesus Christ.  On behalf of the wider church family of the United Church of Christ which shares in this community of belonging, we want to assure you of our prayers and embrace as you grieve the loss of your church building to a fire this week.  This cherished place holds blessed memories for so many of you.  While we know that a church is more than a building, all of us know how a sanctuary calls to our memory in vivid ways the precious passages of our lives - baptism, confirmation, marriage, ordinations, funerals, the yearly observances of holy days and festive celebrations.  More even than this, we know how the blessed communion of saints often hovers around us with particular intimacy in these sacred spaces.   So much more than a building is mourned today. The Gospel lesson for this Third Sunday of Advent presents us with the ministry of John the Baptist, testifying to the light.  The flames that destroyed your sanctuary last Sunday cast a gruesome light over your community.  For a time, the warm glow of welcome by which your church is known is extinguished.  Yet, as the carol says, “in the dark streets shineth, the everlasting light.” May Christ’s promised coming remind you that there is a light no darkness can overcome, and may that sure faith encourage you to continue to bear witness to the light that is coming into the world. Our prayer is for God’s sustaining presence, for Christ’s enduring love, and for the Spirit’s strength for the challenges of the days ahead. Yours In Christ, The Rev. John H. Thomas General Minister and President Edith A. Guffey                                                    Associate General Minister The Rev. Linda Jaramillo Executive Minister Justice and Witness Ministries The Rev. Jose A. Malayang Executive Minister Local Church Ministries The Rev. Cally Rogers-Witte Executive Minister Wider Church Ministries

Oppose Anti-Immigrant "Border Protection" Bill

Church World Service Action Alert

The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 (H.R. 4437), introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chair James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), threatens asylum seekers, non-citizens, and their families. This enforcement-only bill is a boldfaced attack on our fundamental constitutional values of due process and especially of judicial review.

The bill cleared the House Judiciary Committee December 8 and will reach the House floor for votes the week of December 12. House leadership is on a mission to pass this legislation before the December 17th adjournment. They are trying to rush this misguided and harmful proposal through with little or no debate. WE NEED TO ACT NOW to prevent its final passage!

ACTION NEEDED:

Please call AND fax your Representative. Use our Congressional Directory to look up their contact info (or visit House.gov). Urge her/him to oppose H.R. 4437. You can also enter your zipcode above to send an email.

Please urge your Senators and Representative to support a realistic, comprehensive approach to immigration reform - The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act of 2005 (H.R. 2330/S. 1033).

TALKING POINTS FOR CALLS:

I am against H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act (also referred to as the "Border Bill").

The past two decades have shown that an "enforcement alone" approach does not work to stem illegal immigration.

We need comprehensive immigration reform, such as that embodied in H.R. 2330/S. 1033.  

The "Border Bill" erodes the rights of the most vulnerable.

BACKGROUND:

Like the REAL ID Act, this bill attempts to limit access of asylum seekers to the U.S. federal courts. The "Border Bill" stacks the deck against the asylum seeker, deeming the asylum seeker's appeal automatically denied if a federal court judge does not issue a certificate allowing the appeal within 60 days. It further increases the grave risk of asylum seekers being deported back into the hands of their persecutors.

The bill also seeks to increase the detention of asylum seekers and others. Under this bill, the asylum seeker could be denied release from jail on parole even though he/she satisfies the release criteria, simply because local officials have available detention space or the asylum seeker cannot afford to pay a $5,000 bond. This makes worse an already bad situation: The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recently found that asylum seekers are jailed in inappropriate prison-like facilities and are rarely released on parole in some parts of the country.

The "Border Bill" embodies an "enforcement-only" approach to immigration reform, despite the clear evidence over the past two decades that enforcement-only policies do not work. This approach will lead only to more failure. Furthermore, the bill would allow indefinite detention of non-citizens who have finished serving their sentences in the criminal justice system but then cannot be deported (flying in the face of Supreme Court decisions limiting indefinite detention). And it would prohibit state courts from reversing or vacating convictions for even minor crimes in order to prevent non-citizens from being deported, severing them from their family and their adopted community.

Catholics for Faithful Citizenship: Catholic Charities Under Attack By Right Wing

News today from Catholics for Faithful Citizenship: 

Catholic Charities of Boston has recently come under attack by right wing dissidents who object to the appearance of the Mayor of Boston at the group's annual Christmas dinner. The protestors also object to the policy of Catholic Charities that applies to assistance to same sex couples adopting troubled foster children.  They of course overlook that Catholic Charities is simply being a good citizen of Massachusetts by following state law that requires them to work with same sex couples. It is clear that the intent of Catholic Charities is to comply with the law rather than to disagree with Church teachings.

In a recent letter to his email list, Republican Catholic surrogate and attack dog, Deal Hudson stated, "It is time to put 'Catholic' beliefs and teachings back into Catholic Charities of Boston."  Apparently in RCIA class, Hudson missed the vast section concerning the Catholic beliefs and teachings that are the core of Catholic Charities. 

Catholic Charities certainly lives up to the teachings of the Catholic Church by providing basic needs and services to more than 150,000 people each year. These services include food and fuel assistance, which is of greater concern this year than ever before due to the recent immoral budget cuts passed by Hudson's GOP friends in the House of Representatives.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that a society that wishes and intends to remain at the service of the human being at every level is a society that has the common good, the good of all people and the whole person as its primary goal.

Hudson and other right wing Catholic dissidents should focus less on their narrow issues and focus more on the common good of all. Catholic Charities of Boston is a living example of the Catholic Social Tradition and their actions this Christmas season will be a beacon of hope for those who are the least among us.

You can read the statement put out by Catholic Charities by clicking here.

Eugene McCarthy

Eugene McCarthy, the former United States Senator and a 1968 democratic presidential candidate, died today. McCarthy was a champion of civil rights and public education during his tenure in the Senate. In 1968, he became the first democrat to openly challenge Lyndon Johnson for the presidency. McCarthy broke with Johnson over the conflict in Vietnam. His bravery in challenging an incumbent president – in a year that later saw the assassinations of The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy – changed the political landscape. Johnson was forced from the race after McCarthy’s strong showing in New Hampshire.

In 1992, I had the opportunity to spend some time with the former senator during a visit he made to Portland. He was gracious with his time and with his stories of the senate and the 1968 campaign. He will long be remembered as a patriot.

This Sunday: CBS special shows 'After the Storm' work of Church World Service

From the National Council of Churches USA:

Natural disasters of a magnitude not seen in decades came in 2005. . .a deadly tsunami in Asia, an earthquake in Pakistan, hurricanes in the southern U.S.  Faith groups are often the first to respond, and they have their hands full this fall.  After the Storm, a 30-minute special scheduled for this Sunday, December 11, produced by CBS in collaboration with National Council of Churches and its interfaith partners, tracks the relief work of Church World Service, Catholic Charities, a mosque and an Episcopal church in the wake of the storms that ravaged New Orleans and the Gulf coast. Check local listings.

Pray For Four From Christian Peacemakers Team Held In Iraq

Four Christian peace workers have been taken hostage in Iraq.  FaithfulAmerica.org reports:

Four members of the Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) in Baghdad were taken last Sunday in Iraq. Those responsible have cited Thursday as a pivotal day, unless all prisoners in US and Iraqi detention centers are released. These four are in addition to others also taken.

CPT is an ecumenical peacemaking agency associated with the Church of the Brethren, Mennonites and Quakers. Its members are deeply committed to non-violent peacemaking and are willing to put their lives on the line to make it happen.

News reports this morning suggest that their captors have extended the deadline another 48 hours.

Religious leaders - including both Christians and Muslims - have released a statement calling for their release:

Open Letter from Religious Leaders Calling for Release of CPT Workers
December 7, 2005

To those who are holding the Christian Peacemakers Team in Iraq, and to people everywhere of all Traditions of Faith and Peace:

We who write you affirm what all the traditions teach that trace their spiritual origin to Abraham:

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all teach explicitly that to kill even one human being -- even more strongly one who is doing no harm, most especially one who is seeking peace and nurturing human bodies and communities -- is to destroy a world. All other religious traditions agree about the holiness of human lives.

This teaching applies to all innocent Iraqis and foreigners who have been killed or taken away in Iraq out of anger against the US occupation - and it applies with special clarity and strength to the members of the Christian Peacemakers Team who are being held in Iraq.
Like us, they too opposed the US attack. They came to serve the Iraqi people. They came not only to urge peace but also to live peace.

We who have opposed the US invasion and occupation of Iraq call on all who live in Iraq to seek the release of these people into safety and freedom. And we call on all people of good will everywhere to join in this call.

No doubt, those who planned and executed the US invasion and occupation of Iraq will cite this capture as evidence for the rightness of their action. We utterly reject this logic, and affirm that the war undertaken by the US has multiplied the violence it pretended to oppose.

We hold morally responsible for the lives of these Christian Peacemakers both those in Iraq who have taken them, and those who have brought about the deaths of thousands of Iraqis and Americans by pursuing this war.

Once again, we call for a swift end to the US occupation of Iraq and for peaceful action by the entire human community to assist Iraqis to achieve their own self-government.
And we send our loving prayers to those who have become victims of their own loving commitment to peace, justice, and healing.

Signed:
Dr. Sayeed Syeed, head of the Islamic Society of North America
Sheila Musaji, editor of The American Muslim
Abdul Malik Mujahid, chair of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago
that Council as a body
Anwar N. Haddam, elected Member of Parliament of Algeria (Dec 1991), chairman, board of trustees, Education for Life, Northern Virginia, and member, executive committee, Coordinating Council of Muslim Organizations of Greater Washington Area (CCMO)
Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad of Bethesda, MD
Muhammad Ali-Salaam of Boston
Abdul Cader Asmal, MD, PhD
Rev. Robert Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches
Rev. Osagefyo Sekou, Director of Clergy and Laity Concerned about Iraq
Rev. Peter Laarman of Progressive Christians Uniting in California
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Rabbinic Director of The Shalom Center.

Over 10,000 others have added their names to this letter.  I'm one of them.  Click here to read the full list of endorsers and / or to add your name to the list.

Christian Peacemakers Team is one of the organizations I deeply respect and I pray for the immediate release of the hostages.

Related Post:  Christian Peacemakers Team In Iraq