Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie

This Sunday On 60 Minutes: 'Bumfight' Videos Inspired Joy-Killing

Help the National Coalition for the Homeless end violence against homeless people.

One of the most despicable entertainment videos on the market - Bumfights - is the subject of a 60 Minutes story this Sunday.

(CBS) He is now a repentant inmate serving 35 years, but 19-year-old Jeffrey Spurgeon looks back on the night he and friends beat a homeless man to death in Holly Hill, Fla., and says they did it "for fun" as they emulated scenes from "bum-rushing videos" like "Bumfights," a commercial video of homeless men performing degrading acts.

Spurgeon speaks to Ed Bradley about the disturbing trend of violence against the homeless this Sunday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Spurgeon says he is haunted by the voice of the victim, Michael Roberts. "The main thing...I keep thinking about 24/7 is Michael...screaming for help," he tells Bradley.

He and three other teens, including Chris Scamahorn, ran across Roberts in the woods where they were smoking pot. "Chris woke the guy up and started hitting him with a stick. So we all rushed in on him and then I hit him with the stick," Spurgeon recalls. "And the third time when we come back, that's when Chris had brought a two-by-four with a nail through it and hit the guy on top of the head with it," he tells Bradley. "Why did you do all this?" asks Bradley. "I guess for fun," responds Spurgeon.

"We were just...trying to mock a show," he says. One of the "shows" Spurgeon refers to is "Bumfights," a series of videos in which homeless men, given a few dollars or some alcohol, fight each other or are subjected to degrading acts. The videos have sold 300,000 copies. "That was [his friends'] favorite thing to do, was watch those videos and mock whatever was on it," says Spurgeon. "How is that fun?" asks Bradley. Says Spurgeon, "I don't know, just exciting, I guess."

A deeply remorseful Spurgeon has a message for teens who would find fun in assaulting the homeless. "Look at me now, though. You still have a chance. Look at me," he says.

The National Coalition for the Homeless says 182 homeless people have been killed and more than 500 attacked since 1999, victims of random violence that includes beatings, stabbings, shootings and even victims being set on fire. Brian Levin, a criminologist at California State University and an expert on hate crimes says, "Most hate offenses are not committed by hard-core hate mongers. They're often associations of young males...looking for some thrill...and a target they think is vulnerable," says Levin. He believes the trend is being fueled by the "Bumfights" videos. "Most recently there have been a series of films, horrible, horrible, brutal films that dehumanize and degrade the homeless," he tells Bradley. "It is really hard to overstate the kind of terrible influence this has on young people," says Levin.

Some of the attackers have even videotaped themselves assaulting homeless people; some actually say the words "Bumfights" on their tapes.

Ryan McPherson, who created "Bumfights" and who, with two partners, sold its rights for $1.5 million, sees the connection from his work to the criminal acts, but he fails to acknowledge any responsibility. He blames the drugs the perpetrators often are on when they commit their crimes. "I'm not hopped up on drugs. I'm a kid with a video camera, just shooting stuff," he tells Bradley.

Bumfights has been sold to teenagers at stores such as Tower Records and Borders. 

Tune in to 60 Minutes this Sunday for more.

One Christian View Against Oregon’s Measure 43

This post has been updated

As a Christian minister, I stand opposed to Oregon’s Measure 43.

The initiative would require parental notification for minors seeking to obtain an abortion.

Requiring parental notification for a medical procedure would seem like a logical position.  Unfortunately, the reality is more complex. Dr. Elizabeth Pirruccello Newhall recently wrote in The Oregonian about her experiences providing teen-agers with medical care:

Nothing would make me happier than to have all my patients in loving communication with their parents.

But what about the girl who watched her sister get pummeled and kicked out of her home when her dad found out she was pregnant? Or the 16-year-old who showed up in labor not sure where to turn? Her 16-year-old boyfriend was trying to find housing, her mom was an unavailable addict on the streets, and her dad in California "doesn't want her."

These young women are real. They're my patients. Where do I go for parents?

I was the doctor waiting to treat Spring Adams. Remember her? She was the Idaho girl whose father shot her dead in 1989 on learning of her intended trip to Portland to abort a pregnancy resulting from his repeated rape.

Oregon voters and the Oregon Legislature have rejected attempts to require parental notification or consent before because of the deep concern shared by most Oregonians for the welfare young women.

Measure 43, an extreme law, makes no exceptions for rape or incest. Young women would be placed at serious risk.

Leaders in the Religious Right see parental notification / consent as an opening in their campaign to outlaw all abortions. Measure 43 is supported by some of the most politically extremist right-wing groups and leaders in Oregon.  We cannot allow them to win this fight.

Support for reproductive rights is consistent with Christian ethics. As the United Church of Christ has stated:

God has given us life, and life is sacred and good. God has also given us the responsibility to make decisions which reflect a reverence for life in circumstances when conflicting realities are present. Jesus affirmed women as full partners in the faith, capable of making decisions that affect their lives.

If the full range of options available to women concerning reproductive health are compromised, then women’s moral agency and ability to make decisions consistent with their faith are compromised. Furthermore, poor women should have equal access to full reproductive health services, including abortion and information on family planning.

The United Church of Christ has affirmed and re-affirmed since 1971 that access to safe and legal abortion is consistent with a woman’s right to follow the dictates of her own faith and beliefs in determining when and if she should have children, and has supported comprehensive sexuality education as one measure to prevent unwanted or unplanned pregnancies. (General Synods VIII, IX, XI, XII, XIII, XVI, XVII, and XVIII)

Most mainline Christian denominations support reproductive rights in the United States.

Communities across the nation are facing the same debate and many states have already enacted parental notification and consent laws and young women suffer because of such laws. “Experience shows that teenagers who cannot involve their parents in their abortion services suffer harm in states with mandatory parental consent and notice laws. Whether they travel to other states or obtain judicial approval, the results are the same: delays that can greatly increase both the physical and emotional health risks as well as the costs,” reports Planned Parenthood.

Christians can and do come to different conclusions on the issue of abortion and I respect that.

But I don't respect legislation that would put young women at risk in Oregon.   

Help defeat Measure 43. Make a contribution to the campaign and take the pledge to vote against Measure 43 this November.

Note:  Endorsements made on this site are my own and unless otherwise stated do not reflect the opinion of any UCC congregation or related body.

50th Anniversary Nationwide Webcast Invitation

Message from the United Church of Christ

On November 5th, a nationwide, interactive UCC Webcast will launch our church's 50th anniversary celebration.

As part of this Webcast, we will also introduce a special "UCC Tube" feature -- similar to the ever-popular "YouTube" -- where individuals, groups and congregations can post short, silly, innovative, creative, meaningful "digital videos" about the UCC and what their UCC identity means to them. If you're unfamiliar with You Tube, then check it out at http://youtube.com/ (These aren't professionally produced videos... instead, they are the kind that you can produce with an ordinary digital camera or even with your cell phone!)

In preparation for the start-up of this experimental on-line theatre, we're in need of some "launch videos" in order to help jump start churches' creative juices. If this catches on, in addition to having the videos broadcast on-line, we're also envisioning some video kiosks at General Synod where people can watch some of the most creative, engaging entries.

The videos can be anything, really, as long as they are fun or meaningful to watch. Ideas might include:

• Silly take-off on a moment in UCC history or a joke about UCC identity.
• Unique, innovative rendition of "This Little Light of Mine," playing on the 50th's "Let it Shine" theme.
• New take on UCC's commercials.
• Animation or claymation.
• A monologue by a "really interesting character" in your church.
• A presentation of what makes your church so special.
• Use your imagination!

In order to get this project off the ground, we're hoping you, or a tech-oriented, creative person, or a group in your congregation might have the creative energy to get this idea rolling. Does anyone come to mind? We really need some good example videos in place, so that others around the church can catch the vision of what's possible. And the timeline is brief -- the month of October -- but doable. Remember these "mini" productions can have a home video "look" to them.

Here's how you can post your video creations:

1. First, you will need to register for YouTube at http://youtube.com using the 'sign up' link
2. Once your membership is confirmed you can learn how to upload your movie at http://youtube.com/t/help_makevideo
3. Then go to our UCC group at http://youtube.com/group/unitedchurchofchrist and click 'join this group'
4. Then just access 'my account' and click 'add videos' and you will have a list of your videos that you can add to our group
5. Once you click to add a video the UCC Webmaster will review your entry -- all entries need to be approved before appearing in our group
6. You can also use the 'invite friends' feature from within youtube to encourage their creative productions

NOTE: Please create your video at a MINIMUM resolution of 320x240 pixels or the video will be very pixilated on youtube (which displays at 425x350)

ALSO: There is a production length stipulation -- 30 to 60 seconds MAXIMUM. A lot can be conveyed in a brief time period.

Our Webmaster will be reviewing entries daily for appropriate content. We will then choose 3-5 entries for broadcast on the national Webcast on November 5. We will encourage additional You Tube entries throughout the course of the year and have a special kiosk display at General Synod in Hartford this June.

If you have general questions please feel free to contact me. If you need technical assistance please contact Dan hazard at [email protected].

Thanks for your interest in our program. Have fun... and be creative!

Cliff Aerie
Minister for Special Events, Creativity and the Arts

PS - Here are links to three You Tube presentations that capture the spirit of what we're trying to accomplish. You'll notice that they represent a wide range of production skills -- from point and shoot, to extensive editing. Use these as a guide only -- be creative and do your own thing as simple or complex as you like.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=PXLTQCDtvjY
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WJklEn95DbE
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0d534ynfeFw

O’Connor’s in Multnomah Village

O’Connor’s in Multnomah Village has been one of my favorite Portland restaurants for nearly twenty years – before it even was in Multnomah Village. The food is terrific but the owner is a classic. Steve Arel was on the board of director of Baloney Joe’s during the same period I was. Today The Oregonian profiled his restaurant and they got the story right. Instead of sending in a food critic they sent in a writer to get a flavor for who Steve Arel is.

Steve Arel grew up in the restaurant and bar business under family tutelage back when O'Connor's was downtown's last men-only establishment.

But 18 years after he took over from his dad in 1972, Arel wearied of being a tenant in the battered old Jack London Hotel, the last of three downtown O'Connor's locations. He decided to buy his own building.

Arel, who grew up in Southwest Portland and graduated from Wilson High School, found a place on a street he'd bicycled countless times as a kid. It was a tavern at 7850 S.W. Capitol Highway.

In 1991, Arel transformed it into the new home of O'Connor's. Besides a full bar and a moderately priced menu of eclectic Tex-Mex-Southern-style food, the restaurant has become home away from home for many regulars, and Arel has planted himself firmly as a Multnomah Village asset.

"Steve is probably the most generous business owner in the village," says Luna Jaffe, president of the Multnomah Village Business Association. Jaffe works nearby and eats often at O'Connor's. "He has donated an endless amount of food and beverages to a wide range of events, in addition to operating a consistently well-run restaurant."

Arel upped his community ante four years ago when he bought an adjoining storefront that housed the Multnomah Bank when he was a kid.

The annex, which Arel also calls the Vault, is a music venue at night and can be rented for evening parties. During the day, Arel makes it available at no cost for community groups, including the business association.

"I don't use it a lot during the day," Arel says. "I've been in the community a long time. It's a way of giving back."

That isn’t the only way he gives back to the community. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked Steve to help with a fund raiser and there has never been a time when has turned me down.

We tried to go there just last week but they hadn’t opened up yet (I guess unlike our twins most people don’t think 5:45 am is an appropriate breakfast time). It was a big loss for us. Where else in town can you get food that good from a business owner so committed to his town?

Watch "The Ground Truth" In Portland

Parkrose Community United Church of Christ (4715 NE 106th Ave) will host a special screening of the new film THE GROUND TRUTH on Thursday, October 12th at 7 pm and we are extending an invitation to other churches and people in the community to join us. Please pass this invitation around to those in your congregations and to other friends.

“THE GROUND TRUTH stunned filmgoers at the 2006 Sundance and Nantucket Film Festivals.

Hailed as "powerful" and "quietly unflinching," Patricia Foulkrod's searing documentary feature includes exclusive footage that will stir audiences.  The filmmaker's subjects are patriotic young Americans - ordinary men and women who heeded the call for military service in Iraq - as they experience recruitment and training, combat, homecoming, and the struggle to reintegrate with families and communities. The terrible conflict in Iraq, depicted with ferocious honesty in the film, is a prelude for the even more challenging battles fought by the soldiers returning home – with personal demons, an uncomprehending public, and an indifferent government. As these battles take shape, each soldier becomes a new kind of hero, bearing witness and giving support to other veterans, and learning to fearlessly wield the most powerful weapon of all - the truth.”

To RSVP for the film please click here.

Or call 503-253-5457.

To see a preview of the film visit: http://www.thegroundtruth.net/

A discussion will follow the screening.

The screening of this film is co-sponsored by the offices of the United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries. Visit www.ucctakeaction.org to learn more about their work.

Parkrose Community United Church of Christ is a neighborhood church. Worship services are held on Sunday mornings at 10 am. All are welcome.

"Senate Bill Turns Houses of Worship into Political Convention Halls"

Republicans in Congress are keeping up their attempts to shred the Constitutional principle of the separation of church and state. The Interfaith Alliance reports:

(Washington, D.C.) Today Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), in an election-year appeal to the Religious Right, introduced a bill that would compromise the sanctity of religion. The bill, S. 3957, would amend the IRS Code to allow houses of worship to endorse candidates from the pulpit and engage in partisan political activity without harming their tax-exempt status.

“Senator Inhofe wants to turn houses of worship into political convention halls,” said Interfaith Alliance President, the Reverend Welton Gaddy. “This bill would allow politicians to exploit the moral authority of the pulpit to advance a partisan agenda. When religious leaders endorse candidates for office, they compromise their prophetic voice. The very sanctity of religion is at stake in this debate,” he said.

Inhofe’s bill is similar a H.R. 235, introduced in the House by Representative Walter Jones (R-NC). At last weekend's Family Research Council's Values Voter Summit in Washington, Senator Inhofe spoke in favor of the Jones bill and promised action on the Senate floor before Congress adjourned to home for the November elections. The Interfaith Alliance has been successful in bottling up the Jones bill through the dedicated grassroots efforts of its 185,000 members.

In addition to endorsements of candidates, Inhofe’s bill would also allow houses of worship to make political contributions to candidates and political parties.

The House bill has been opposed by the National Council of Churches USA (representing over 45 million Christians in the U.S.) and interfaith leaders. Only extremists in the Religious Right – a group that routinely confuses the Republican Party Platform for the Gospel teachings – support the legislation advanced by Jones and Inhofe.

Don’t let them turn our churches into Republican Party chapters.

Christianity for the Rest of Us

I'd write something tonight but I'm engrossed in Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith.  Pick up a copy.

Urge Congress to Reject Torture Compromise

United Church of Christ Justice & Witness Ministries Action Alert

This week promises a flurry of last-minute legislative activity as members of Congress prepare to wrap up their work before recessing until after the November elections.  Late last week, White House and Senate leaders reached a seriously flawed compromise agreement on military tribunals and the treatment of detainees.  Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) is now poised to move that compromise to the Senate floor for approval this week.

The compromise agreement allows for interrogation tactics that have drawn criticism from Senators on both sides of the aisle, as well as retired military leaders and former government officials.  It also allows for detainees to be held in secret locations without the right to trial.

Due process and the fair treatment of all are fundamental principles upon which this nation was founded.  The compromise agreement on military tribunals and interrogation contradicts these principles.  Such a policy will only serve to undermine U.S. support for human rights around the world and will likely fuel anti-American sentiment abroad.

President Bush is pressuring the Senate to act on the compromise agreement this week, citing the need for intelligence gathering to maintain strong national security.  As people of faith, we are called to stand against policies and practices that violate fundamental human dignity.  True national security cannot be achieved through inhuman, degrading and unjust treatment of others.

Click http://www.ucctakeaction.org/torture to contact your senators and urge them to reject the compromise agreement on military tribunals and detention.

Related Link:  "Disappointing Compromise Weak on Enforcement, Eliminates Access to Courts for Victims of Abuse" - Human Rights Watch 

Oregon Gets D+ For How We Treat Kids

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski has said that children are his number one priority and just yesterday proposed “increasing cigarette taxes by nearly 85 cents Monday to give health coverage to thousands of uninsured Oregon children,” according to The Oregonian.

But the truth is that few politicians of either party are taking the needs of children seriously and a new report confirms that.

September 26, 2006 – Oregon earned a grade of “D+” in overall child well-being in the Children First for Oregon annual Report Card on the Status of Children issued today. As the state passes another target year for benchmarks set by the Oregon Progress Board, the data show downward trends and sluggish progress in several areas, resulting in another year of disappointing grades. Modest improvements since last year in the Family Financial Stability category are encouraging, but stronger political and public will are needed to move the state in the right direction.

“If your children continued to bring home C’s and D’s on their report cards, wouldn’t you do something?” asked Robin Christian, Executive Director of Children First. “Wishful thinking won’t improve these grades – it’s time to act and step up our investments in programs that work.”

The ongoing decrease in the teen pregnancy rate and improvements in reading and math scores among 3rd graders are bright spots, but grades in three of the five categories – Health, Early Care & Education, and Child Welfare – continue to languish. Oregon is held back by its failures, which include: 117,000 uninsured children; nearly 6,400 eligible 3 and 4-year-olds unable to access Head Start; and 11,255 known victims of child abuse or neglect.

“Candidates running for office should look at this report card and ask themselves what they can do to get us to an “A” grade, and voters need to pay close attention to what they propose” said Christian. “A lack of solutions isn’t the problem. We know what we need to do. What we lack is the courage to act.”

FIVE STEPS TO HELP GET OREGON TO AN “A” GRADE:

1. Protect Our Investments: Defeat Measures 41 and 48 at the ballot in November.

2. Stabilize State Revenue: Convert the corporate kicker tax refund into a “rainy day” fund.

3. Increase Access to Health Care: Enroll all children currently eligible for the Oregon Health Plan (approximately 67,000 of the 117,000 uninsured children).

4. Improve Outcomes for Abused and Neglected Children: Increase supports to foster families, including relatives, and expand the availability of proven substance abuse prevention and treatment programs.

5. Invest in Early Childhood: Fully fund Head Start/Oregon Prekindergarten and strengthen the state’s child care subsidy program for working families.

SUMMARY OF 2006 GRADES:

Overall Grade:D+

Family Financial Stability: C

Health: D+

Early Care and Education: D-

Youth Development and Education: C

Child Welfare: D

Click here to learn more.

If the governor wants to campaign on being a children’s advocate he will need to more forcefully address the issues raised by this report. His plan to increase health care for children is the kind of bold step needed (one sadly rejected by his opponent). 

The candidates will have the chance to debate children's issues this Thursday.

Related Post:  Oregon Candidates For Governor Address Poverty (Sort Of)

A Podcast Sermon On Mark 9:30-37: What Does It Mean To Be Great?

My sermon this Sunday was on Mark 9:30-37.

Use the below link to download the podcast of this sermon for your iPod or personal computer.

Download ParkroseD.m4a

(click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose "Save Target As" and save to your desktop or other folder - once downloaded click on the file to listen).

Sunday Offertory

All people shall give as they are able, according to the blessings which God has given them.1 

In a world filled with hunger we are called to offer hope.

Bread for the World is a nationwide Christian movement that seeks justice for the world's hungry people by lobbying our nation's decision makers.

In October 1972, a small group of Catholics and Protestants met to reflect on how persons of faith could be mobilized to influence U.S. policies that address the causes of hunger. Under the leadership of the Reverend Arthur Simon, the group began to test the idea in the spring of 1974. By year's end, more than 500 people had joined the ranks of Bread for the World as citizen advocates for hungry people. This small group has grown to a nationwide movement of more than 56,000 members. In September 1991, the Reverend David Beckmann succeeded Simon as president.

Give what you can and become a member of this important organization.

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship

Don't Exploit Churches For Partisan Campaigns

Harold Ford, the democratic nominee for U.S. Senate from Tennessee, made a commercial inside his church (scroll down) proclaiming how his religion helps define his views on public policy.  It is illegal for campaign commercials to be filmed in churches.

The Interfaith Alliance has sent a letter to the heads of the DNC and RNC asking that they refrain from exploiting religion during this election cycle.

The recent rush of candidates/political parties- and their often aggressive tactics - to reach out to "people of faith" lures religious organizations and religious leaders into dangerous legal territory.

I write you today out of concern for religion and what the manipulation of religion for partisan gain is doing to Americans of all faith traditions.  A partnership between religion and government should preserve the autonomy of houses of worship and ensure that religious institutions are not held hostage to the priorities and interests of federal, state, or local governments. Religion's powerful healing force will be severely compromised if America's shared values are replaced by values that advance only one particular sectarian interest.

Houses of worship are permitted by the IRS, and encouraged by The Interfaith Alliance to provide nonpartisan information to worshippers on a broad range of issues and to encourage civic participation and hold non-partisan voter registrations.   The Interfaith Alliance and its 185,000 members from over 75 faith traditions believe it is important that religious leaders encourage their worshipers to cast informed votes this November.  Yet when candidates and their supporters use the language of faith to advance partisan interests, or when they seek to emphasize their beliefs as the only truth, Americans and our houses of worship become deeply divided.

For the sake of religion's prophetic voice, The Interfaith Alliance urges you to carefully consider and advise your respective state parties and/or political candidates to:

Refrain from speaking from the pulpit, bema or lectern;
Refrain from using sanctuaries or houses of worship as backdrops for campaign ads;
Refrain from collecting and/or using congregational membership directories;
Refrain from organizing congregants inside a house of worship or distributing partisan material on behalf of a candidate.

The Interfaith Alliance does not mean to suggest that religious leaders should refrain from discussing the important issues of the day with their congregations.

We firmly believe religious leaders can and should encourage an open dialogue about issues important to the country, the communities, and the congregations.  Many historians contend that no other form of discourse has held the place of importance in this nation's life as that of preaching. Those of us who deliver meditations, homilies, and sermons have a responsibility to seize teachable moments in our national life -moments like those involved in a national election -as opportunities for talking with people about the basic values that emerge from our sacred scriptures and oral traditions and how those values impact and shape our civic involvement.

If we omit politics from the subjects to which we turn in those moments, people will assume either that politics is not important enough to be included in discussions of matters of faith or, worse still, that religion has nothing to say about politics.  Truly great preaching -or any form of religious discourse -can no more ignore the great issues of the day than it can ignore the great texts and truths of the scriptures of the tradition within which it is done.  Congregations look to their religious leaders for guidance - spiritual, moral, and otherwise - not manipulation on behalf of political organizations with a partisan agenda.

Our nation can benefit from a recovery of a real, vital, and viable partnership between religion, politics, and government in which each treats the other realms with appreciation and respect without seeking to confuse them or join forces with them. 

The core values of the nation's religions ultimately will lend strong support for the core values of our democracy.  And our democracy will continue with vitality by allowing religion to remain independent as a contributor to the public's conscience, a facilitator of healing, an advocate for the weakest and poorest among us, and as a community of prophets, priests, and care-givers.

I also point you to our election year guides for political candidates located online at InterfaithAlliance.org/Elections.  This resource helps political candidates to draw the distinctions between: Reaching out to religion for personal strength; Respecting all religions publicly; Misusing religion for partisan political purposes; and Misusing religion as a strategy for winning.  These guides have been mailed to your respective organizations but we are happy to send you additional copies.

I also make myself or any member of The Interfaith Alliance available to you for further discussion on these important matters.

Warm Regards,

Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy
President, The Interfaith Alliance
Pastor for Preaching and Worship, Northminster (Baptist) Church (Monroe, LA)

Harold Ford is a good guy but his campaign made a terrible mistake.  Republicans and Democrats alike are crossing the line and turing houses of worship into centers for partisan political campaigns.  As leaders of religious communities, we cannot allow them to do that. 

Fire HUD's Alphonso Jackson

A brewing scandal in Washington, D.C. shows just how much the president of the United States and his administration disregard the needs of those living in poverty. The Washington Post reports:

An inspector general's report charges that top U.S. housing official Alphonso Jackson urged staff members to favor friends of President Bush when awarding Department of Housing and Urban Development contracts. But investigators so far have found no direct proof that Jackson's staff obeyed.

His chief of staff told investigators that Jackson, the HUD secretary, "personally intervened with contractors whom he did not like . . . these contractors had Democratic political affiliations," says the report, a copy of which was made available to The Washington Post….

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg has called on Jackson to resign.

"The President should not tolerate this type of activity by a member of his Cabinet," Lautenberg said in a statement yesterday. "Given the allegations made by very credible witnesses in the Inspector General's report, the Department of Justice needs to get involved."

We’ve already watched this president preside over year after year of increases in poverty. Now we know his top aide assigned to fight poverty has been trying to use what little money is available to reward Bush cronies for their support.

Jackson shouldn’t be allowed to resign.

He should be fired.

Controversial new title from UCC's Pilgrim Press tackles black-church homophobia

Reprinted from United Church News

Written by J. Bennett Guess

Friday, 22 September 2006

Attempting to break “hundreds of years of silence,” a new, controversial book argues that pervasive homophobia in the historically black church has reached “crisis” proportion. Horace L. Griffin, author of 'Their Own Receive Them Not' (The Pilgrim Press) “The black church’s teaching that homosexuality is immoral has created a crisis for lesbian and gay Christians in black churches,” the Rev. Horace L. Griffin, an Episcopal priest, writes in the preface of his new book, “Their Own Receive Them Not: African American Lesbians and Gays in Black Churches.” (The Pilgrim Press, 2006) “This black-church-sanctioned homophobia produces a lot of twisted black people,” he writes. Griffin, who is black and gay, grew up in a Missionary Baptist church. Based on his life and church experience, he has witnessed how “black church leaders and congregants have been resistant and even closed in treating gay and heterosexual congregants equally or, in many cases, of simply offering compassion to gay people.” In his 240-page book, he now attempts to deconstruct the history and legacy of homophobia in the black church using a sociological, theological and biblical lens. Comparing the plight of black gays and lesbians to “a game of Russian roulette,” where the children of the church are no longer welcomed by the church, black lesbian and gay Christians find themselves in “no-win situations,” he says. The end result robs them of “their soul, if not their integrity, family and lives.” Griffin, who teaches pastoral theology and directs field education at The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in New York City, says black church leaders use the bible to oppress gays and lesbians in a similar fashion to the approach once used by white church leaders to oppress blacks during slavery and segregation. The black church’s “sexual secrets,” says Griffin, have led to tragic outcomes, including a quiet complicity with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. “Even after two decades of AIDS research … African American ministers, for the most part, display almost no change in their attitudes that AIDS is God’s retribution on the ‘sinful,’” he writes. Griffin also believes the church’s “secrets” have led to less-than-honest sexual practices among its members. “Until black church leaders adopt different Christian approaches, ‘Down Low’ practices will continue,” Griffin writes in reference to closeted, sexual activities of some black men with other men. Available October 15, the hardcover book is being published by The Pilgrim Press, the publishing arm of the UCC. The book’s arrival on bookstore shelves comes at a time when the worldwide Anglican Communion is facing schism over issues related to homosexuality. The divide has pitted the largely-white Episcopal Church in the United States against the more-conservative and growing Anglican churches in Africa. Griffin says the black church often “rewards” its gay and lesbian ministers and members for staying in the closet. “Everyone within black churches realizes that there is reward and acceptance for those presenting themselves as heterosexual, while [out] gays and lesbians encounter ridicule and condemnation,” Griffin writes. “Even in churches where it is ‘known’ that the pastor is gay, black church Christians are content to remain in the church if the pastor is willing to present himself as heterosexual with a wife and children.” “Their Own Receive Them Not” is available for $24 (hardcover) from The Pilgrim Press at <thepilgrimpress.com> or by calling 800/537-3394.

The Ground Truth

The United Church of Christ is partnering with others across the nation to premiere The Ground Truth, a new film that tells the stories of American soldiers returning from Iraq.

The Ground Truth stunned filmgoers at the 2006 Sundance and Nantucket Film Festivals. Hailed as "powerful" and "quietly unflinching," Patricia Foulkrod's searing documentary feature includes exclusive footage that will stir audiences. The filmmaker's subjects are patriotic young Americans - ordinary men and women who heeded the call for military service in Iraq - as they experience recruitment and training, combat, homecoming, and the struggle to reintegrate with families and communities. The terrible conflict in Iraq, depicted with ferocious honesty in the film, is a prelude for the even more challenging battles fought by the soldiers returning home – with personal demons, an uncomprehending public, and an indifferent government. As these battles take shape, each soldier becomes a new kind of hero, bearing witness and giving support to other veterans, and learning to fearlessly wield the most powerful weapon of all - the truth.

Learn more about the film here.

"New minister hopes for balance in world"

Today in The Oregonian:

Chuck Currie worked for 17 years as an outspoken advocate for the homeless in Portland. Three years ago, he and his wife, children's advocate Liz C. Smith, moved to St. Louis. At Eden Theological Seminary, Currie earned his master's of divinity. His wife gave birth to twins Katherine and Frances. Now the family has returned to Portland. On the eve of his ordination, which was Sunday, Currie, 37, reflected on his career, his faith and a broader call to action:

Click here for more.

A Brick From Baloney Joe's

Not a lot of people get a brick as a gift when they're ordained into ministry.  But that is just what my friends Erik Sten and Bob Durston got me.  The brick was taken from the rubble of Baloney Joe's after it was demolished while I was in St. Louis.  Baloney Joe's was perhaps one of most famous agencies in Portland history.  For many years it was the last refuge for the "least of these" in Portland.  Over 150 men slept there each night and the shelter provided a medical clinic, jobs program and counseling.  This was the first shelter that I ever worked at (I was on the board).  But Baloney Joe's was much more than just another social service agency.  We served as the neighborhood association for the Burnside / Old Town area, engaged in community organizing and those that worked and lived there served as steadfast advocates for people experiencing homelessness and poverty in our city.  Baloney Joe's closed in the early 1990s after we tried to move the shelter into Old Town and business developers objected.  Controversy over our leadership erupted.  Those who lived in Portland will remember what we endured.  The building sat empty for many years afterwards on the east end of the Burnside Bridge.  I walked away from my four years there - a place I sometimes call the University of Baloney Joe's - with great friends who are still with me today and with the belief that no matter the odds we can still change the world - even if it is sometimes only one life at a time.   

      

Click on the photo for a better look

Happy Birthday, Street Prophets!

Tomorrow is International Day of Prayer for Peace (see prayer below this post) but today is the one year anniversary of when Street Prophets (the other site I write for) was launched.  Join the party!  

International Day of Prayer for Peace, 21 September 2006

A Prayer from the World Council of Churches

God of all goodness,
You have been our refuge from generation to generation.
Your will is that peace should shine on all people everywhere.

With your spirit, guide the efforts of humankind to bring peace and
justice to the nations of the earth, and give strength to rulers and all
who work to establish peace and justice in the world.

Inspire those who come together in search of ways to bring about
peace, and through your word, change the hearts of all people so that
we shall strive for:

Peace, and not war,

The Common Good, rather than individual wellbeing,

Your Justice, instead of our own glory.

You have given us your peace. Enable us to share that peace with those
around us, so that love and harmony may be always present in our lives,
that all the world may know happiness, that we may live with dignity as
brothers and sisters, and that all may rejoice in your presence. United in
diversity, we call upon your infinite grace, humbly asking you to receive
our prayer and make us instruments of your peace.

Amen.

"According to the beliefs of your religion, what sorts of electronic materials should not be found on the Internet?"

This morning I was on the campus of UCC-related Pacific University to take part in a panel discussion on the internet.  Panelists - all from different religious backgrounds - were asked this question:

"According to the beliefs of your religion, what sorts of electronic materials should not be found on the Internet?"

Here's how I answered the question:

A generation ago the United Church of Christ successfully challenged the license renewal of several televisions in the South which refused to provide coverage of the civil rights movement.  Can you imagine?  Television stations owned and operated by whites hoped to starve the civil rights movement of publicity and thus ensure its defeat.  They failed, of course, thankfully in part to those Christians who heeded the call of God to seek justice.   

Today the United Church of Christ- through our Office of Communication - continues to be a "leading force in the struggle to ensure that women, persons of color and low-income persons have equal access to ownership, production, employment, and decision making in media."

I suppose as a Christian that I am expected to rail about all the obscenity in the media today - particularly the internet.  In fact, I'm disgusted by much of it.  Too often the internet is used by those seeking to exploit people for profit.  Violence and the exploitation of women have become increasingly mainstream and our society is worse off for it. 

Some religious leaders have in recent years blamed the internet for spreading sexual immorality.  In large part they are reacting to societal changes that have propelled the cause of civil rights for gays and lesbians - and for women.  Those in the United Church of Christ - whose history includes the first ordination of a woman and later of a gay man - largely applaud this development in our history - and reject the narrow interpretations of Scripture used to justify continued oppression of people based on gender and orientation.

It would be a mistake to over regulate the internet so that ideas and causes become suppressed.  Every effort should be made to protect children from the content of what is published on the web.  But the danger in restricting our freedom - our First Amendment rights - is that in doing so to protect people we might in fact oppress people.

For example, many fundamentalists - including the Southern Baptist Convention - have called for economic boycotts and federal intervention against media outlets that show gay and lesbian couples in positive situations - such as loving relationships.  This is little difference between these actions and those of the Southern television stations which tried to shut down and ignore the historic struggle for racial equality.

When the United Church of Christ attempted to air television commercials that depicted a church welcoming all people - even gays - the networks banned the message as being too controversial.  Our denomination turned to the internet to get the message out.   

As a minister, I see the internet as a powerful tool for spreading the Gospel message and remain convinced - as our Founding Fathers and Mothers were - that efforts to suppress the freedom to speak will impact my freedom to worship.

How would you have answered the question?

Read the comments on this post from Street Prophets

Honoring 'Unbreakable Covenant' Between Christians And Jews, United Church Of Christ Leader Acknowledges 'Vulnerable,' 'Volatile' Relations

Press Release from the United Church of Christ

CLEVELAND -- In a major address on Sept. 19, the leader of the 1.2-milion-member United Church of Christ spoke forcefully about the importance of Christian-Jewish relations, in the face of criticism from some Jewish groups and conservative Christians that the UCC General  Synod has abandoned its long-held pro-Jewish positions and has sided, instead, with Arab Palestinians.

"Jews and Christians remain, even in moments of deepest tension, inextricably linked to one another by the God whose covenants with each community have not been and cannot be broken," said the Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC's general minister and president, even as he emphasized that the church was not backing away from its long-standing commitment to the rights of Palestinians and to opposition to the Israeli Occupation.

Speaking at the fall convocation at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, one of the UCC's seven closely related theological schools, Thomas used the occasion to give a significant theological address on Christian-Jewish relations.

"From time to time a new shipment of history arrives," Thomas said, quoting a line by Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai. Thomas spoke to the ever-changing societal contexts, but irreversible bonds, that characterize relationships between Christians and Jews today.

Thomas, who serves as the principal spokesperson for the denomination's biennial General Synod, recalled how the UCC, in 1987, was groundbreaking in its call for more than mere "tolerance" and "friendship" between Christians and Jews, but for "a theological and biblical grounding that placed the relationship within the very faithfulness and providence of God."

The UCC was among the earliest Christian denominations to refute any characterization of Christianity as a "superseding" faith to Judaism.

"Judaism has not been superseded by Christianity," he said, quoting from the 1987 General Synod text. "Christianity is not to be understood as the successor religion to Judaism. God's covenant with the Jewish people has not been abrogated."

Thomas said the 1987 statement remains "the official position of the General Synod and its officers."

"Its implications have found their way into seminary curricula, into the pedagogy of the church, into the liturgies and lectionaries of the church, and into the way the vast majority of members and ministers in the United Church of Christ relate to their Jewish neighbors, co-workers, and in many cases, family members," he said.

In July 2005, the General Synod, meeting in Atlanta, approved a resolution calling for the church's use of "economic leverage" to promote peace in the Middle East, including the possibility of divestment from companies that profit from Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands. Delegates also approved a resolution calling on Israel to tear down a massive separation wall built on Palestinian territory that has reportedly forced many Palestinians from their homes and livelihoods.

Despite the Synod's reaffirmation of Israel's right to "safe and secure existence within internationally recognized borders," the Synod statements were received by some in the Jewish community, including the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, as "functionally anti-Semitic."

Thomas, however, sought to explain and reiterate the UCC General Synod's long-standing policy on Israel and Palestine: "Two viable states with secure and internationally recognized borders," he said. "Two people living if not in harmony, at least at peace and with dignity. Two nations and three religions sharing a capital that is sacred to each."

"This remains the only viable future for the children of Israel and Palestine, the only way these children will be able to live," Thomas said.

Even as he condemned all terrorist bombings and kidnappings, Thomas said Israel's occupation and militarization of Palestinian lands have led to "growing frustration and despair" among Palestinians, leading to desperate, violent responses. Thomas also said Israel's "devastating" military recourse, increasing restrictions on Palestinian life, and the construction of the separation barrier have "led to an intensifying of rhetoric and to
the sharpening of advocacy positions that leaves Jewish -Christian relationships in a very vulnerable, even volatile place, far from achieving the hopes of 20 years ago."

"The current state of our relationship, stretched almost to breaking by the dilemmas of the Middle East and the depressing regularity of new shipments of history, does not offer an encouraging atmosphere within which to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 1987 General Synod's groundbreaking theological affirmations," Thomas concluded. "Yet it is those very affirmations that offer the promise that this precious relationship cannot ultimately be broken and impels us, amid all of today's challenge and confrontation to find ways to embody the unbreakable covenants that bear witness to the faithfulness of God."

The United Church of Christ, formed in 1957 with the union of the Congregational Christian Churches in America and the Evangelical and Reformed Church, has 5,600 congregations throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

###

The full text of Thomas' speech can be found at:

http://www.ucc.org/news/jthomas_thechurch.pdf

Photos from the Ordination

Laying On Of Hands

My friend Larisa Zimmerman made a video recording of the ordination service held yesterday.  These photos are captures from her work.  Above is a photo of the "Laying On of Hands."  The Rev. John Gantt is leading the service in this moment.  More photos are below the fold.

Podcast Interview: The Rev. Bob Edgar On "Middle Church"

This morning I was joined on the phone by The Rev. Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, to discuss his new book Middle Church and the work of the council. We touched on a range of issues: the place of Scripture in driving our public policy advocacy, environmentalism and the new energy on that issue from conservative evangelicals, living wage campaigns, biotechnology and how we mentor new leaders.

Use the below link to download the podcast of this interview for your iPod or personal computer.

Download MiddleChurch.m4a

(click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose "Save Target As" and save to your desktop or other folder - once downloaded click on the file to listen).

Make sure you also visit Rev. Edgar's new blog.

Jim Wallis Has A New Blog

God's Politics with Jim Wallis and Friends

Wallis is the editor of Sojourners Magazine.  We've had the opportunity to work together on issues of homelessness and over the years it has been my privilege to host him at events both in Portland and St. Louis.

Check out the new site. 

Ordination Day

Thank you to my many friends and family who took this afternoon to attend my ordination.  It was a wonderful occasion.  I would particularly like to thank all the participants.   

From the program:

Participants

The Rev. Dr. Patricia Ross, senior minister of Portland's First Congregational United Church, is Chuck's pastor and friend.

Ms. Heather Currie Medders, Chuck's sister.

Master Dylan Medders, Chuck's nephew.

Master Devin Medders, Chuck's nephew.

Ms. Jennifer Currie, Chuck's sister.

Master Ian Bertrand, Chuck's nephew.

Ms. Judith F. Bright, CNM, Chuck's mother.

Ms. Blair Loudat is the moderator at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ where Chuck has been called as the interim minister.

Ms. Wendy Marsh worked with Chuck at Baloney Joe's in the 1980s and now serves as an executive with a health care foundation in Seattle.

The Rev. Dana Brown is a United Methodist minister and friend of Chuck's who has been a long--time colleague on social justice issues.

The Rev. Gene Ross is the interim executive director at Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and friend of Chuck's.

The Rev. Paul Davis is the minister of congregational life at Portland's First Congregational United Church of Christ.

Mr. Alan Bogner is the former board chair of the Goose Hollow Family Shelter and friend of Chuck's.

Stephen Rumph, PhD, is a professor at the University of Washington, well-regarded opera singer, and Liz's step--brother.

The Rev. Dr. Arvin Luch's is the senior minister at Portland's First United Methodist Church, Chuck's former boss, mentor and friend.

The Rev. John Gantt is the interim conference minister of the Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ (and fellow Eden alum!).

Ms. Kate Lore is the social director of Portland's First Unitarian Church and a friend of Chuck's.

Mr. Jon Ross has been a friend of Chuck's since high school.

Ms. Larissa Zimmerman has been a friend of Chuck's since grade school.

Mr. Erik Huntzicker has been a friend of Chuck's since grade school.

Music today is provided by the combined choirs of Parkrose Community United Church of Christ and First Congregational United Church of Christ.

Chuck also wishes to express his love and thanks to Liz  Smith Currie, his wife, and their daughters, Frances Bright Currie and Katherine Chalmers Currie.

Letter from Portland Mayor Tom Potter

Letter from The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, Allen and Dottie Miller Profossor of Mission and Peace, Eden Theological Seminary & Chair of the National Council of Churches USA Peace and Justice Commission

A Podcast Sermon on Isaiah 6:8: We Are All Called

This morning I preached on Isaiah 6:8 at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ.

Use the below link to download the podcast of this sermon for your iPod or personal computer.

Download ParkroseC.m4a

(click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose "Save Target As" and save to your desktop or other folder - once downloaded click on the file to listen).

The Longbottom Story

There is a terrific story today in The Lawrence Journal World about my seminary colleague Josh Longbottom and his brother Jo-Jo. Josh has just been named as the associate pastor of Plymouth Congregational Church. Jo-Jo is a musician. Check it out.

This Sunday In Portland

Tomorrow will be my ordination.  The service will be held at Portland's First Congregational United Church of Christ. 

All are welcome. 

3pm.  1126 SW Park Avenue.

And I'll be preaching at 10am at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ.      

Welcome Chicago Theological Seminary!

UCC-related Chicago Theological Seminary kicks off a new course tonight.

“Public theology” is being offered to help prepare clergy to be leaders in the field of public policy advocacy. This is exciting. Our mainline churches have done a terrible job of lifting up and mentoring new leaders in the field of social justice work. Jesus offered hope and called for justice.  We’ve been out organized by those on the Religious Right who offer a starkly different vision of the Christian faith in contemporary life.

Part of the assignment for the course: reading this blog. The Rev. Dr. Susan Thislethwaite, the president of CTS and professor for this course, has also invited me to be a guest lecturer later this month.

As a group the class will be logging on tonight to visit here as part of their introduction to the class and as the semester progresses one of their assignments is to develop blogs of their own.

So let me say welcome to the CTS community!

What you’ll find here is a collection of my sermons (like the one from this past Sunday on 9/11 and Iraq), action alerts from various organizations, short essays on various public policy issues, and sometimes my personal stands on electoral politics.

The Rev. Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA, will be a guest on this site on Monday for a podcast interview about his new book. 

You’ll also find – and this is most important – links too many other sites written by individuals and organizations promoting ideas on how we can build up (in Christian terms) the Kingdom.

Some people love this site and others really don't.  In the three years this site has been live I've put up 2084 posts, there have been 5534 comments left here concerning those posts and nearly 600,000 hits.      

My name is attached to the work written here and I take responsibility for the content. You’ll find that many blogs are written by anonymous authors but I feel strongly that if you are going to take stands based on your faith you ought to be willing to take responsibility for your own words. What is published here does not represent the positions of the church or denomination I serve unless otherwise stated.

There will be more to say later. In the meantime, I have a sermon to finish for this Sunday.

Thank you for visiting!

A Thursday Night In Portland

After coming home from church to visit with Liz and the kids I headed downtown for a quick visit to a fundraiser held for Transition Projects, Inc. (TPI). TPI is the largest provider of services to homeless single adults – women and men – in Portland. About ten years ago I served on their staff. If you’re in Portland and looking for an agency to support or volunteer at this is one of the places you should consider.

The new Oregon Center for Christian Values (OCCV) hosted Jim Wallis, author and editor of Sojourners Magazine, at a packed to capacity event tonight at First Baptist Church. This was my second stop of the evening. Wallis announced a few new initiatives – one of which I’ll have more to say about of Monday – and preached an inspiration Gospel-centered message about social justice in America. Good stuff. OCCV will be hosting a faith-based training session this Saturday for those interested in learning more about how to be an activist.

Keith Ellison: America's First Muslim In Congress?

Harvard's Diana Eck noted in 2002 that America now has more Muslims than Presbyterians.  Our religious landscape is changing.

It makes sense that our political landscape reflects those changes.

Democrats in Minnesota have nominated a Muslim, Keith Ellison, to serve in the United States House of Representatives.  Ellison would be the first Muslim to take a seat in Congress. 

He ran on a campaign platform of "withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and universal health care," according to the AP.  Good issues.  Check out the rest of his ideas.

His district is heavily democratic and thus his primary victory should be the end of the story.  But because he is a Muslim you can expect that the bigotry that Muslims face will play a role in the personal attacks he will now face as America's fall campaign season heats up.    

Read the comments on this post from Street Prophets   

Ann Richards

Ann Richards passed away tonight after a battle with cancer. She was the kind of woman that I hope my daughters see as a role model as they grow up.

From The Washington Post:

In four years as (Texas) governor, Richards championed what she called the "New Texas," appointing more women and more minorities to state posts than any of her predecessors. She appointed the first black University of Texas regent; the first crime victim to join the state Criminal Justice Board; the first disabled person to serve on the human services board; and the first teacher to lead the State Board of Education. Under Richards, the fabled Texas Rangers pinned stars on their first black and female officers.

I had the honor of meeting Governor Richards in January 1993. What a terrific and inspirational leader.

Read the comments on this post from Street Prophets

Chafee, Cuomo Good Choices

Elections were held across the nation today and my eye was focused on a couple of them.

The partisan in me worried about control of the Senate notes that Lincoln Chafee’s Republican primary victory makes it more difficult for progressives to take the upper chamber come November. But I remain convinced that America needs Republicans opposed to the war in Iraq and supportive of the environmental movement in the Senate. Rhode Island’s voters turned back Chafee’s conservative challenger and gave the incumbent’s progressive views a solid victory.

New York primary voters made a great decision today as they handed the democratic nomination for state Attorney General to Andrew Cuomo, the former secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. I had the opportunity to meet with Cuomo on several occasions when he served in the Clinton Administration and worked closely with some of his staff (including deputy assistant secretary Fred Karnas – the top federal official under Clinton working on issues of homelessness). Cuomo is an extraordinary individual deeply committed to issues of social justice. How many candidates do you know that even mention social justice as a concept in a campaign for public office? Andrew Cuomo will make a great Attorney General.

Bush's 9/11 Oval Office Address

I finally read the president's speech last night commemorating 9/11. 

You would have hoped that Bush would have used the speech to rally the country together but instead he used the speech to defend his indefensible policies in Iraq.

Edward Kennedy offered the best reaction:

"The President should be ashamed of using a national day of mourning to commandeer the airwaves to give a speech that was designed not to unite the country and commemorate the fallen but to seek support for a war in Iraq that he has admitted had "nothing" to do with 9/11. There will be time to debate this President's policies in Iraq. September 11th is not that time."

But unfortunately the president keeps trying to link Iraq with 9/11 - even when all the evidence shows otherwise. 

I have nothing new to add to the debate over Iraq today but will repeat here what I said in my sermon this past Sunday:

Did you know that somewhere around 40,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since the U.S. invasion?  And that over 2,500 Americans have died there?  We were told at the time that Iraq was involved with 9/11 and that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and if we did not invade we would be inviting another terrorist attack.  We know all that now to be false.  At the time the Vatican and the World Council of Churches implored the United States and Britain not to invade Iraq.  Christian religious leaders have been nearly united in opposing the Iraq war.  But even now when confronted with evidence that our government invaded based on lies and false information our leaders refuse to change course. 

Before we spent too much time attacking our leaders for the path they took it is worth remembering that our response to 9/11 may have been the most human response possible:  we sought vengeance and struck out wherever we could.   

We thought of our enemies as people separated from God's love - much as Jesus seemed to do when he called that woman no better than a dog. 

The result has been to create a world more dangerous.

We have to ask ourselves now how long we will continue to allow vengeance to rule our world.  The terrorists wanted war and chaos.  The terrorists wanted Christians and Jews and Muslims to be separated from one another.  The terrorists wanted us to think of one another as no better than dogs - to be people separated from God.  Unless we allow ourselves as Jesus did to repent and be transformed the terrorists will have won the day.  If we truly believe that we are all God's children we cannot let this war go on.  If we truly believe that we are called by God to be peacemakers we need to address the inequities that divide the rich world from the poor world and we must address the conditions that help allow terrorism and war to foster.   

God is still calling us to seek peace.

Someone needs to tell the president.    

"NCC leaders say memory of 9/11 attacks 'still stings,' but U.S. is not focusing on the sources of terror"

Press Release from the National Council of Churches USA

New York, September 11, 2006 – Five years after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the horror of that day still stings the hearts of men and women of goodwill throughout the world, the general secretary of the National Council of Churches said today.

“Along with all Americans,” said the Rev. Bob Edgar, “as we think of the victims in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, on the airliners and the rescue teams, we believe that, despite the horror that marked their deaths, our loving God has granted them a place of peace, where the troubles and sorrows of this world can touch them no more.”

Edgar said: “We also pray that the families and friends they left behind will one day find divine healing and comfort.”

Dr. Antonios Kireopoulos, NCC associate general secretary for International Affairs and Peace, also recalled the heroism of rescue teams, police and civilians that day. “In the midst of tragedy came an unprecedented wave of national unity,” he said.

Kireopoulos expressed concern that the nation’s early resolve to root out the sources of terror in Afghanistan and elsewhere has given way to the distractions of the war in Iraq.

“The United States government has offered a series of justifications for the war in Iraq, “including the need to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction, the desirability of planting a new democracy in the Middle East, and the need to destroy a major base for terrorism, all of which have been proved false or ill considered as events unfolded.”

The NCC point of view of this war in Iraq is informed by our belief that all war, though sometime used to overcome a greater evil, is contrary to the will of God, and an affront to God’s creation. If scripture is our guide, then we are called to seek peace (Matthew 5:9) and to turn our swords into plowshares
(Micah 4:3-4.)

Kireopoulos called upon the U.S. to develop, by the end of the year, a plan for the phased withdrawal of American and coalition forces from Iraq. Such a plan should be linked to benchmarks for the rebuilding of Iraqi society, he said.

He also called for meaningful support of U.S. troops in Iraq. This would include providing soldiers with adequate armor to protect them from gunfire and explosive devices as well as giving earned benefits to veterans, especially injured veterans.

But the best way to support the troops is by “creating a withdrawal plan that brings their sacrifices to an end,” Kireopoulos said.

He called on the U.S. to commit the necessary resources to finding the actual perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks, and bringing them to justice through internationally recognized judicial processes in the U.S.

Edgar also said the U.S. should not “contemplate another invasion, another war,” by confrontation with Iran as it seeks to develop a nuclear program.

On the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, “we must take a higher road, breaking cycles of violence and pursuing peace,” Edgar said. “In this way we will truly honor the memory of those who died on September 11, 2001.”

A Podcast Sermon On Mark 7:24-30

This morning I preached at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ on Mark 7:24-30, and on how Scripture illustrates for us a way to live free from the acts of violence we saw on September 11, 2001, in the U.S. invasion of Iraq - and in the continuing war there.

Use the below link to download the podcast of this sermon for your iPod or personal computer.

Download ParkroseB.m4a

(click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose "Save Target As" and save to your desktop or other folder - once downloaded click on the file to listen).

Want to read the text of the sermon?  My incomplete notes are below:

Prosperity Theology

During my sermon last Sunday I mentioned how prosperity theology was corrupting churches -like Portland's New Beginnings Christian Center - by turning houses of worship into country clubs.  The Oregonian reported recently in an article about New Beginnings that:

... the church's "prosperity gospel" -- which occasionally raises the eyebrows of outsiders -- resonates deeply with New Beginnings worshippers, who say the idea that God rewards the faithful with spiritual and financial blessings is not only appealing, it's Bible-based....

Christianity shouldn't be viewed as part of a get rich quick scheme and any serious reader of Scripture will tell you that both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament condemn those who seek wealth over devotion to God and God's commitment to justice for the "least of these."

I'm not the only one this week worried about the impact prosperity theology is having on our churches.  Associated Baptist Press reports:      

Speaking to a late-afternoon audience of more than 1,000, former Southern Baptist Convention president Jimmy Allen told the nation's largest African-American Baptist group that media promotion of a "prosperity gospel" is deluging modern-day churches -- and driving them into error.

"Prosperity gospel is now a problem because we've learned to study the market, and now the marketplace is dictating the message," said Allen, the last moderate to lead the SBC.

Allen spoke as part of the National Baptist Convention USA's 126th annual meeting, in a forum designed to answer the question, "What do we preach?" Claiming more than 7.5 million members, NBCUSA is the largest historically African-American denomination in the nation.

As part of a panel including social activist James Earl Massey and several prominent pastors, Allen set the tone for the discussion, referencing the prevalence and persistence of Christian media in contributing to the creation of so-called "seeker-sensitive" megachurches.

"The marketing studies are so precise and so constant that they figure out what you want," Allen said. "We have folks who are looking at that and saying, 'Now if this is what they want, then I'll give it to them.' And so we find ourselves with seeker churches. The fact is that we build to match the market."

William Shaw, NBCUSA president since 1999, also broached the subject of churches tailoring themselves to match demographics. He prefaced Allen's remarks by correlating the so-called prosperity gospel with the development of seeker churches. He defined "prosperity gospel" as a belief system focused on health, wealth and faith -- "a contemporary form of uplift theology" and "a capitalistic devotion to personal privilege."

Prosperity theology is simply the antithesis of the Christian faith. 

The 5th Anniversary of September 11th: Christian Communities Reflect

We Were There…. - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

September 11 Fifth Anniversary Worship Resources - United Church of Christ

9/11: Memories, Questions, Hopes - United Methodist Church

Presiding Bishop's message for the fifth anniversary of 9/11 - Episcopal Church USA

Respond To The Call - Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

"Navigating the Intersection of Religion and Politics...2006 and Beyond"

A couple of weeks ago The Interfaith Alliance held a town hall meeting in Portland on “Navigating the Intersection of Religion and Politics...2006 and Beyond.” I was one of the panelists. The audio of the forum – which also included host Welton Gaddy, Phillip Kennedy-Wong from Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Brendan McDonald from Air America, and writer Donna Zajonc – is now available online. Similar forums will be held in Pittsburgh, Las Vegas and Detroit.

Oregon Ending Homelessness Advisory Council

This past April Oregon governor Ted Kulongoski issued an executive order creating a state “Ending Homelessness Advisory Council.” Over the summer I was asked to serve on the council as the faith community representative.  My first council meeting was today.  From the governor’s press release:

The 24-member Ending Homelessness Advisory Council (EHAC) will serve as the designated state entity in the fight to end homelessness, the Governor said. In addition to serving as an advocate for the homeless within state government, EHAC will develop a 10-year plan and collaborate on implementing local plans to end homelessness. It will also recommend needed changes in the law to the Governor and the legislature, and will prepare an annual report that summarizes Oregon’s progress in the effort against homelessness.

“We have all seen the statistics,” the Governor said. “On any given night, more than 10,500 Oregonians endure the darkness and the cold of homelessness. Even more troubling, 37 percent of these are children who are 17 or younger. More than 2,000 are children under 12.”

I start my service on the council with some concerns but also some praise. The governor’s council includes a number of high level state and local officials – including members of the Legislature – and is chaired by the director of the Oregon Department of Housing and Community Services. That kind of involvement by prominent members of government is needed and the governor should be applauded for the creation of the council.

What will be the impact?

Oregon and local communities are following the lead of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and focusing their efforts on fighting chronic homelessness. Homeless advocates have been critical. The National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Policy and Advocacy Council have said:

First, the "chronic homelessness" initiative does not address the reality of homelessness in our states and communities. We have witnessed growth in the scale and severity of homelessness among families with children, unaccompanied youth, and other populations who do not fit neatly into the "chronic homeless" paradigm. Yet current federal mandates are forcing our communities to overlook these gaps and needs in favor of a narrowly-constructed national priority. Non-disabled populations in our communities face service gaps that, if left unaddressed, have the potential to cause irreparable harm. For example, children who experience homelessness are at a much higher risk of developing disabilities, suffer from increased rates of illness, and encounter numerous academic difficulties. By ignoring their plight now, under the questionable assumption that families move through homelessness more quickly and are therefore unaffected, the Administration is all but guaranteeing the perpetuation of "chronic" homelessness into the foreseeable future.

We are also concerned that the "chronic homelessness" initiative, as currently envisioned, fails to end homelessness even for those individuals who fit the initiative's priorities. While supportive housing is a critical component of ending homelessness for many individuals with disabilities, by itself it cannot prevent people with disabilities from becoming homeless. Similarly, "discharge planning" is a laudable goal, but when no affordable housing exists to which people can be discharged, it becomes merely an exercise in problem management. Only a sustained effort to address the systemic causes of homelessness, including lack of adequate health care, affordable housing, and livable incomes, will prevent and end homelessness for people with and without disabilities. This is perhaps the most perplexing aspect of the "chronic homelessness" initiative: the complete absence of any discussion of poverty. To separate homelessness from poverty is to fundamentally distort its causes -- which is precisely what the chronic homelessness dialogue appears to have accomplished.

The Bush Administration is thrilled with the governor’s new council.

But Oregon will never end homelessness without addressing poverty. Neither will the United States. Unfortunately, we know that poverty has increased under the Bush Administration and the U.S. Conference of Mayors reports that cities are seeing increasing numbers of people seeking emergency shelter – and many of those folks are families with children.

Could the governor make a dent in the number of people experiencing homelessness in Oregon? Yes. What we need is a plan to fight poverty in our state. But that isn’t likely. In the meantime, I’ll do what I can on the council to raise the important issues. There is the potential for some progress and I respect the people involved. At least the issue of homelessness is on the governor’s agenda.

A Sin Against God

"I'm not aware of any situation in the world where there is a system of jurisprudence that is recognized by civilized people where an individual can be tried and convicted without seeing the evidence against him," Brig. Gen. James Walker, U.S. Marine Corps staff judge advocate told a Congressional hearing. - Reuters

As a Christian, I am called to seek non-violent responses and agree with those who assert that war is contrary to the will of God.  That is not to say that I believe violence is never justified as a defense.  But I do believe that violence - particularly state violence - nearly always represents a failure of our response to God's will for us.

Many Christians have spoken out against the U.S. use of torture in the on-going conflicts associated with Islamic fundamentalism.    In fact, the invasion of Iraq was opposed by the Vatican and the World Council of Churches.  The National Council of Churches USA (NCC) helped led domestic opposition to the war. 

This week the president of the United States announced - as human rights groups had previously charged - that the CIA has run secret prisons where detainees are stripped of all rights.  In response, NCC "reaffirmed its abhorrence of secret prisons operated by the United States and called upon the government to bring American prisoners to trial."

The president now wants prisoners to go to trail but does not want them to have access to evidence against them or other basic rights.

"Pentagon lawyers balked at Bush's proposal to limit the terrorism suspects' access to evidence," reports Reuters. 

"I'm not aware of any situation in the world where there is a system of jurisprudence that is recognized by civilized people where an individual can be tried and convicted without seeing the evidence against him," Brig. Gen. James Walker, U.S. Marine Corps staff judge advocate told a Congressional hearing.

Back in 1965 NCC offered theological language that addresses the rights of prisoners during a time of war.

"Christians believe that man is made in the image of God, that every person is of intrinsic worth before God, and that every individual has a right to the fullest possible opportunity for the development of life abundant and eternal. Denials of rights and freedoms that inhere in man's worth before God are not simply a crime against humanity; they are a sin against God."

Human rights groups are also concerned with the president's plans. 

Legislation proposed by the Bush administration and introduced in Congress yesterday would recreate a system of fatally flawed military commissions akin to those that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down on June 29, 2006 in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, Human Rights Watch said today.

Moreover, the legislation would decriminalize the use of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment by civilian interrogators. This would rewrite the standards of basic humane treatment that have guided U.S. policy since the Second World War. 

"The last thing the U.S. needs is for public attention to focus on the unfairness of Khalid Sheikh Mohammad's trial rather than the seriousness of his alleged crimes," said Jennifer Daskal, U.S. advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "The U.S. should be seeking justice - not preordained convictions."

Clearly, the president is on a campaign to stoke fear among the American people in advance of the November elections and the debate - as it always is with Bush - has been couched in language that boils down to you're either with the president or for the terrorists.

Several key Republican leaders seem ready to buck the president and align themselves with religious leaders and human rights groups opposed to the president's plan.  Brig. Gen. James Walker provided a great service to the nation with his testimony before Congress. 

What happens this week in Congress will speak volumes about our relationship with God.  Are we a people of faith committed to Biblical principles of justice or have we abandoned our most sacred values for political expediency?  The president has already answered the question for himself.  Where does the Congress stand?   

Read the comments on this post from Street Prophets

Oppose Irresponsible Military Budget Increase

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. - Matthew 5:9 (NRSV)

While the richest of the rich are getting tax cuts paid for in reductions in food assistance programs for seniors and other critical programs the Defense Department is getting another huge budget increase.  United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries reports:

This week the Senate is expected to wrap up debate on the FY 07 Defense appropriations bill. President Bush has proposed a $468.4 billion defense budget, an amount that exceeds defense spending during the height of the Cold War and the Vietnam War. According to a recent study by Friends Committee on National Legislation in Washington, DC (the Quakers), actual spending in the overall federal budget on war in FY 05 was $783 billion, and in FY 07 it will top $800 billion. This represents 42 cents for every tax dollar collected. As the nation approaches the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a tragedy which continues to reveal the tattered state of our nation's social safety net for low income people, we need a smarter military budget, not a bigger military budget. About $9 billion in cuts have been proposed for the defense budget in the Senate, including funding for some weapons systems and equipment that are either unproven or not responsive to the immediate needs of troops deployed around the world, especially troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Click here to send your senator a message opposing the Defense Department budget increase.

Truth Fell With The Twin Towers

Did you hear about the new ABC "docudrama" on 9/11 that blames Bill Clinton for the attacks?  This story has been making the rounds and this post maybe a little late to the party.  But just in case you haven't heard....

From the Center for American Progress:

Next week, Americans will commemorate the five-year anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. ABC Television is marking this important moment with a miniseries called "The Path to 9/11." Promos for the movie say it is "based on the 9/11 Commission Report." The miniseries' writer, Cyrus Nowrasteh, claims he "wanted to match the just-the-facts tone of the report," and describes the project as "an objective telling of the events of 9/11." In fact, the film is an inaccurate and deeply-biased account that blames President Clinton for the 9/11 attacks while whitewashing the Bush administration's approach to terrorism. The events leading up to September 11, 2001 are too important to play politics with the facts. Act now. Tell ABC to tell the truth about 9/11.

Nowrasteh is a conservative political activist.

Among the problems with the program:

A key scene in "The Path to 9/11" involves President Clinton's national security adviser Samuel Berger, "who freezes in dithering apprehension" when a CIA agent radios in from Afghanistan to say that he and a group of local tribesmen "have Osama bin Laden within sight." The CIA character "begs for the green light to capture or kill the al Qaeda chieftain, but the line goes dead, suggesting that Berger and his colleagues, including Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright and Defense Secretary William S. Cohen, frozen in indecision, had hung up on the CIA man." According to Richard Clarke -- former counterterrorism czar under Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II, and now counterterrorism adviser to ABC -- this depiction is "utterly invented" and "180 degrees from what happened." In a statement posted on ThinkProgress, Clarke stated that there were no U.S. military or CIA personnel on the ground in Afghanistan who ever saw bin Laden, and that contrary to the movie, "the CIA Director actually said that he could not recommend a strike on the camp because the information was single sourced and we would have no way to know if bin Laden was in the target area by the time a cruise missile hit it." In fact, as 9/11 Commission member Richard Ben-Veniste pointed out yesterday, the commission actually found that President Clinton had given the green light to every "operation that had been cleared by the C.I.A. to kill bin Laden." In other words, ABC invented from whole cloth a scene which makes the incendiary claim that the Clinton administration passed on a surefire chance to kill or catch bin Laden.

As Clarke has stated in his book and in interviews, President Clinton did a great deal to combat terrorism and the Bush Administration dropped the ball when they took office.  Could Clinton have stopped the attacks had he still been in office?  That's impossible to know.  But everyone from peace promoting U.S. Christian leaders to national security experts has asserted that Bush's policies have made America a less secure place to raise a family.  ABC isn't running a docudrama - they're running a movie length campaign commercial for the Republican National Committee.         

Bob Edgar's New Book & Blog

Note:  Bob Edgar will be doing an interview on this site later in the month about his new book.  Stay tuned!

Press Release from the National Council of Churches USA

New York City, September 5, 2006--When media turn to Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell to speak for Christians, who do they represent?  You?

A new Simon & Schuster book in bookstores today claims the media seek out the most extreme religious spokespersons - many of them on the far political right - to speak for Christians who worship in peace churches, historic African American churches, Orthodox churches and others that often recoil at what the far right is saying.

Most U.S. Christians, says the Rev. Bob Edgar, author of "Middle Church: Reclaiming the Moral Values of the Faithful Majority from the Religious Right", are neither right nor left.  They reside in the great American middle.

The same goes for non-Christian persons of faith, Edgar writes. "'Middle Church, Middle Synagogue, and Middle Mosque' ... (are) often drowned out by the far religious right," he says.  Americans who believe their God and their scriptures call for peace, justice, care for God's creation and relief for the poor do not generally end up in the far right camp.

But Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA, a former seminary president and six-term member of congress, believes the voice of the majority has been muted by politicians and religious reactionaries who support war, exploitation of the environment and lower taxes for the rich at the expense of programs that help the poor.

"This faithful majority must have the courage to confront their government when it makes bad decisions," Edgar writes. "My goal is to challenge them to read deeply their entire religious texts, to discover God's prophetic call to all humanity, and to work collaboratively and be faithful stewards of our limited resources."

The 238-page hardcover book has struck a resonant chord with many religious people, including a former president of the United States.

"Middle Church is a stirring call to American believers who resent their spiritual beliefs being co-opted for a political agenda contrary to their faith," writes Jimmy Carter. "Bob Edgar reminds us that faith belongs in the public realm - not to advocate war, privilege, and environmental degradation, but to promote peace, the eradication of poverty, and the preservation of our fragile planet."  Others are adding their response to the book at middlechurch.net, a weblog featuring daily discussions with the author.

The book is part biblical reflection and part autobiography.  Edgar, a United Methodist clergyman, writes that his life "has been a series of 'Forrest Gump' moments at which I somehow find myself in the middle of places or events that seem bigger than I am."

Edgar met Martin Luther King, Jr. shortly before the civil rights leader's assassination and later, as a member of the House Select Committee on Assassinations, interviewed King's convicted murderer, James Earl Ray.  As a young congressman, Edgar went to the White House to meet President Ford and, later, President Carter.  After he left Congress, he was finance director of Senator Paul Simon's unsuccessful presidential campaign.  He also ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate against Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), and was president of the Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, Calif., from 1990 to 2000.

Edgar also cites scripture that has inspired him and molded his politics and his faith. In a chapter on church reaction to the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, "Deny Them Their Victory," he repeats the story in Luke 4:18-19 in which Jesus reads a scroll from Isaiah in the Nazareth synagogue: the Lord "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."

"The poignant and powerful simplicity was, I think, Jesus' way of teaching that all we need to live by contained in those words," Edgar writes. "And there is a great deal of wisdom for overcoming terrorism, too."

Oregon Candidates For Governor Address Poverty (Sort Of)

How would the candidates for Oregon governor address poverty if elected to a four-year term this November? Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon asked the candidates to “name three actions you would encourage state government to take to reduce poverty in Oregon” as part of EMO's Election Guide and incumbent Ted Kulongoski, Republican challenger Ron Saxton and Constitution Party nominee Mary Starrett offered up some answers.

Governor Kulongoski would use another term to:

“Offer first-rate educational and job-skills training so that all Oregonians can improve their lives; Lower the cost of health care to help reduce Oregonian’s medical bills; Preserve our minimum and prevailing wage laws so that people receive a fair wage for their labor”

Since no one that I’m aware of is advocating that we decrease Oregon’s minimum wage there isn’t a lot to be inspired by in the governor’s response.  There is little evidence that the governor's policies during his first term in office have made a difference in poverty levels. 

Saxton, however, was even less bold.

“Increase accessibility and school choice in public education; Reduce bureaucracy to better serve those in need; Make state social service agencies do a better job of providing services to low income citizens”

When the candidates were asked to name “three actions you would encourage the private sector take to reduce poverty in Oregon” there was a little more in Kulongoski’s statement to be hopeful about:

“Provide pre-school to every three and four year old in Oregon through an increase in the minimum tax paid by corporations; End the practice of charging outrageous interest rates on things like car titles and check cashing; Expand Oregon Harvest Week, a yearly event I created to raise awareness about hunger in Oregon through a coalition of public and private groups”

The Republican nominee suggested that Oregon….

“Allow the private sector to provide more services to our low income citizens in place of inefficient government programs; Encourage the private sector to be more involved in public education; Increase its partnerships with and support of non-profit organizations that serve the poor”

Starrett, a former television host running as an anti-abortion candidate, offered up nothing more than anti-government rhetoric:

“By encouraging self-reliance we encourage people not tobe [sic] dependent on the state. That will reduce poverty by not promoting a welfare mentality.

Nothing the candidates offered in these brief answers will do much to actually address poverty in Oregon (though most will agree Kulongoski’s pre-school plan is needed). As the Oregon Center for Public Policy noted this week, without real increases in income and health care, and an overhaul of economic policies in the state, poverty will remain persistent. In a new report they state:

“Since 1980, Oregon has seen rising inequality among the rich, as well as rising inequality between the rich and the rest of us,” said (Michael) Leachman.

“The ultra-rich top one-tenth of one percent of Oregonians have seen their income nearly quadruple since 1980, even after adjusting for inflation, while the rest of the top one percent have seen their incomes merely double.”

The report also found that the median Oregon household has lost $73 to inflation since 1980. The report shows that the jobs Oregon has produced since the end of the 1990s economic boom have been predominantly in low-wage industries. “Nearly two-thirds of the new jobs we’ve created pay less than $30,000 a year,” said Leachman.

Just 56.8 percent of Oregon workers had at least part of their health insurance paid by their employers in 2002-04, down from 63.7 percent in 1997-99. In 2005, 31 percent of private-sector employers in Oregon offered 401(k)-type retirement plans, while just 10 percent provided guaranteed pensions. Most Oregon employers do not offer retirement plans.

Poverty is, of course, a national problem and no Oregon governor can make a real dent in poverty levels without a change in federal policies.  But an activist governor could make a difference.  So far none of the candidates have offered any real cause for hope.

EMO, “an association of 16 Christian denominations including Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox bodies across Oregon,” addressed the same questions about poverty to legislative candidates. Candidates were also asked to address issues central to the environment. This was the first time that EMO’s election guide – which traditionally includes endorsements on ballot initiatives – asked candidates to offer their positions on issues.

Faithful Democrats

Former Democratic National Committee chairman David Wilhelm, a former top aide to Bill Clinton, has launched a new website designed "to rally Christian Democrats and attract socially moderate evangelicals," according to USA Today.

Faithful Democrats state that:

We are an online community of Christian Democrats - religious leaders, political leaders, writers, and regular Americans who are committed to the Gospel and the common good. We discuss, we debate, we take action. And we will make our voices heard in the 2006 election season and beyond.

We don't believe that good Christians have to be Democrats. Nor do we believe that one religion has a monopoly on faith. But we make no apologies for rooting our identity as Democrats in our faith as Christians. That is who we are. And we are eager to act on our beliefs to make the country we love a more just and compassionate place.

Most of the time I have some sort of advance notice when projects like this get started - but not this time (though they are linking to my site). 

I'll be interested to keep track of the site and the causes it advances.  I appreciate their very appropriate declaration that "we don't believe that good Christians have to be Democrats. Nor do we believe that one religion has a monopoly on faith."  I agree.  But I also agree that Democrats need to openly proclaim their faith - not to misuse faith for political gain - but to speak in a language that most Americans understand.  Democrats will do a better job of connecting with voters when they reject the language of policy wonks in favor of arguments born in our town halls, churches, and temples. 

Labor Day 2006: "...BE DOERS OF THE WORD, AND NOT MERELY HEARERS..." (James 1:22)

Reprinted from SAMUEL (Scripture and Mission: A United Church of Christ Electronic Library)

If you have recently stayed in a major hotel, you know that the rooms have become extraordinarily luxurious. A down comforter, five or six down pillows, and an extra-soft mattress cover have become standard features. The rooms invite sweet dreams for the guests, but are a nightmare for the housekeepers who clean them each day.

The "amenities arms race," as the competition for comfort in hotel rooms is called, has dramatically increased the housekeeping staff's work load and injury rate. Since 2002, when the battle of the beds began, the incidence of arm, shoulder, and lower-back injuries has skyrocketed. Still, most housekeepers do not receive health insurance from their employer, and their pay averages only slightly more than $17,000 a year.

So what's a hard-working housekeeper to do? Many are finding the best way to gain a greater voice on the job, higher pay, and even health insurance is to join a union.

In Las Vegas, nearly 90 percent of workers in the major hotels belong to a union, the result of years of struggle by thousands of activists. Concern and love for each other–what unions call solidarity–was fundamental to this success. During a six-year strike involving 550 workers in one hotel, not one crossed the picket line. Furthermore, their union sisters and brothers working in other hotels voted to increase their own union dues in order to provide financial support to the striking workers who were not receiving a paycheck.

As a result, in Las Vegas today, hotel workers earn a living wage. They own homes, receive family health insurance, a pension, and paid vacations. Does any worker deserve less than this?

Participating in a union can be a way for workers to gain dignity and a fair share of the resources that God generously provides for all of us. When we actively support workers' rights to organize, we are "doers of the word, and not merely hearers" of God's message to love our neighbors, especially those on the economic margins of society.

Edith Rasell
Justice and Witness Ministries
United Church of Christ

Sunday Offertory

All people shall give as they are able, according to the blessings which God has given them.1

Labor Day is one of our more important national holidays.  From the U.S. Department of Labor website:

"Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. "All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Working to organize communities of faith to rally around labor's agenda is Interfaith Worker Justice.

Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ) calls upon our religious values in order to educate, organize, and mobilize the religious community in the U.S. on issues and campaigns that will improve wages, benefits, and working conditions for workers, especially low-wage workers.

Click here to learn more about their mission and click here to donate.

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship

A Podcast Sermon On James 1:17-21: Wisdom In Transition

This morning I preached my inaugural sermon as the interim minister at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ.  Our reading came from James 1:17-27.

Use the below link to download the podcast of this sermon for your iPod or personal computer.

Download Parkrose.m4a

(click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose “Save Target As” and save to your desktop or other folder – once downloaded click on the file to listen).

To note the importance of Labor Day we used a responsive reading based on Psalm 15 that was made available by Interfaith Worker Justice.

Related Link: You're Invited

State of Belief's New Time

State of Belief (Air America's great program on religion and politics co-sponsored with The Interfaith Alliance) has moved to 6 pm (Eastern) - one hour later.  That is 3 pm here on the west coast.  For Air America listeners in Portland who for some reason don't get all the good weekend programming (or for anyone who can't catch the new time) you can tune in on the web or subscribe to the podcast via ITunes.