Everyone once and awhile Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, does something that is admirable and it requires that I admit conservative evangelicals aren't all Republican stooges.  Just most of them.  Quick to prove my point are those in the Religious Right now attacking Warren for inviting U.S. Senator Barack Obama to talk at a church conference on AIDS that Warren's congregation is sponsoring.

A coalition of Religious Right leaders wrote an open letter to Warren explaining their anger over Obama's invite:

Senator Obama comes to Rick Warren's church believing that abortion should be kept, "safe and legal". When Barack Obama campaigned for the U.S. Senate in 2004, his wife wrote a fundraising letter for him that revealed his support of partial-birth abortion. She said Obama's position is that the "partial-birth abortion ban . . . is clearly unconstitutional and must be overturned."  Support of partial-birth abortion goes a lot farther than the politicians who want abortion to be "safe and legal." Senator Obama actually supports the barbaric practice of allowing abortionists to kill babies by allowing them to be partially, born, their skulls punctured and their brains sucked out. Further, he repeatedly opposed an anti-infanticide bill in the state of Illinois that only passed after he left. Killing a child at any stage of life is a violation of God's clear command, "Thou Shall Do No Murder". In addition, Obama's solution to the growing AIDS crisis has been and continues to be the widespread distribution of condoms, not chaste behavior as directed by the Bible.

In the strongest possible terms, we oppose Rick Warren's decision to ignore Senator Obama's clear pro-death stance and invite him to Saddleback Church anyway. If Senator Obama cannot defend the most helpless citizens in our country, he has nothing to say to the AIDS crisis. You cannot fight one evil while justifying another. The evangelical church can provide no genuine help for those who suffer from AIDS if those involved do not first have their ethic of life firmly rooted in the Word of God.   Accordingly, we call on Pastor Rick Warren to rescind his invitation to Senator Obama immediately. The millions of silent victims who have died because of the policies of leaders like Senator Obama demand a response from those who believe that life is a gift from God. The name of the seminar at which Senator Obama will be appearing is entitled, " We Must Work Together." No, Mr. Warren, Mr. Obama, we will never work with those can support the murder of babies in the womb.

When you're part of the Religious Right it must be against their charter to invite voices into church that don't echo their own.  Life is always easy when you and you alone know the will of God.

Pastor Dan has more on this part of the story on Street Prophets.

Warren and Obama are drawing support from other religious leaders in America, however.

Several right-wing religious organizations, including the National Clergy Council, recently blasted Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church for inviting Senator Barack Obama to speak on World AIDS Day this Friday, December 1.  It's unfortunate that these groups would exploit the Christian faith to advance their divisive agenda -- an agenda that gives almost exclusive attention to a few wedge issues while ignoring the diversity of problems plaguing American communities.   

We reject the creation of an unbiblical litmus test to exclude believers from the body of Christ.  We are called to the ministry of reconciliation and the liberation of all people, spiritually and socially.   

We also wonder why any organization claiming to represent believers in Jesus Christ would choose to play what amounts to partisan politics instead of encouraging our leaders to address the scourge of AIDS.   

AIDS has claimed the lives of 25 million people since 1981.  Forty million people across the globe, including 2 million children, live with this wretched disease.  And nearly 7 million people are now in desperate need of life-saving drugs, without which they will die.  In the face of this crisis, it boggles our minds and offends our God-given sense of justice that these groups would choose to attack Senator Obama and Reverend Warren -- Christians both -- for working together to stamp out AIDS. 

It is time for believers to unite under the banner of truth and work to address our society's most pressing problems.  The time for scare tactics and divisiveness is over.  As leaders in the Christian community, we will not stand silent in the face of these attacks, but will instead serve as voices for equality, fairness, and justice for all people.

Click here to see the list of those that signed this statement.  It includes several United Church of Christ clergy.  Obama is a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. 

Warren is providing a good example of ministry in action.  Not only is he holding a conference on AIDS but he is inviting diverse voices to address the critical issues involved with fighting the disease.   

Poverty? Global Warming? AIDS?

The most important issues of our time don't compare to gay marriage or abortion to many leaders of the Religious Right - just ask the Christian Coalition.

From The Washington Post:

For the second time in little more than a year, the Christian Coalition of America has named a new leader and then removed him before he ever fully took the reins of the conservative political advocacy group.

The Rev. Joel Hunter, pastor of a non-denominational megachurch in Longwood, Fla., said he resigned as the coalition's incoming president because its board of directors disagreed with his plan to broaden the organization's agenda. In addition to opposing abortion and same-sex marriage, Hunter, 58, wanted to take on such issues as poverty, global warming and HIV/AIDS.

"My position is, unless we are caring as much for the vulnerable outside the womb as inside the womb, we're not carrying out the full message of Jesus," he said in a telephone interview today.

And there was Rev. Hunter's problem:  He thought the Christian Coalition had something to do with Jesus.  The name must have confused him. 

Portland, Oregon

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

During worship this morning at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ our Scripture readings included Rev 1:4b-8.

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

Download ParkroseI.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).

In case you missed it the Bush Administration ended hunger in America last week.

How did they do it?

By eliminating the word "hunger" from the annual federal report meant to document the number of people going without food in the United States.  People suffering hunger are now classified as "food insecure."  Hunger, now says the Bush administration, is not a "scientifically quantifiable term."

At least 35 million Americans could not always find food for their tables this past year.  Don't you wish the president had to visit with each and every one of them to explain why they weren't really hungry after all?

Once the president has an answer down we might invite him to talk with the nearly half million senior citizens whose food programs he is planning to eliminate for this coming year so that money will be left over to pay for tax cuts for the richest of the rich in America.

God demands that we take take care of the least of these.  What the president proposes on these issues would seem to fly contrary to what God wants us to do as God's people.

There would seem to be no question that the president is a great sinner unconcerned with the will of God.  But will our response to his failures be any better?

What can we do to reach out to help those in need and to change the conditions in America that allow poverty, homelessness and poverty to flourish?

We can start by joining up with Bread for the World, the Christian anti-poverty agency, that is engaged with these issues through advovacy and public education.  Check them out.

As the genocide in Darfur continues ("Is It Ok That They're Dying Because They're Just Black People?") there are steps we can take to help end the killing.  From savedarfur.org:

Write to President George Bush and ask that he take the immediate steps needed to help bring peace and security to the people of Darfur.

Send your friends and family an email encouraging them to check out SaveDarfur.org and then write their own online postcard to President Bush.

Wear the green band to show your support for the people of Darfur.  Wearing a wristband has proven to be a highly effective way for our grassroots members to engage others in conversations about the crisis in Darfur. To become an effective spokesperson for the people of Darfur, we urge you to check out our backgrounder and talking points.

Letters to the editor are one of the most commonly read items in a newspaper.  They serve as a forum to represent the voice of the public. Seeing these letters in print will make it clear to community leaders, elected officials, and national and international officials, that ending the genocide in Darfur is important to citizens.

Team up with other concerned members of your community and organize offline activities to educate your community, lobby your elected officials, and generate local coverage of the ongoing genocide in Darfur. 

"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

"With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country....

"I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."

--Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to his daughter

This is a quote from Mr. Frankin that I posted last year on Thanksgiving.  I enjoy it so much that I'm reposting for those that missed it.  Though I have no strong feelings on this great debate it is a well worded argument. 

We cooked a ham and shared several pies tonight with friends attending our annual Thanksgiving Eve potluck  Tomorrow we'll be joining my family.  A few photos are below...

I hope that you have good Thanksgiving plans and a safe holiday.

The Lord be with you.

Katherine waits for dinner in daddy's study

Frances also waits for dinner in daddy's study

Dinner arrives

More friends gather

The founders of our nation believed that all Americans should have the right to worship according to their own beliefs, or not to worship at all. So strong was their commitment to religious freedom that they enshrined it in the first sentence of the Bill of Rights.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

This constitutional guarantee is often known as the "first freedom."

Religion is a deeply personal matter. Americans must be free to practice their religion without coercion. Government exists to provide for the general well-being of all people, and its workings must be independent of specific religious doctrines. Simply put, there must be a separation of church and state.

If we do not stand together as a nation, we stand to lose this fundamental freedom.

Click here to call "upon elected and appointed officials to join us in reaffirming America's religious freedom."

The Goose Hollow Family Shelter at Portland’s First United Methodist Church is an interfaith and community effort to shelter families with children in the Metro area. Each month the program requires over 150 volunteers a night – to stay overnight, play with the kids, prepare meals, and help with clean-up. This is a program that I know well and can vouch for with certainty because before leaving for seminary I served as the shelter’s executive director. Right now the shelter is searching for volunteers and cash donations. Your gift of time and / or money can really make a difference.

Contact Annie Heart at 503-228-3195 ext. 215 for more information.

Contributions can be mailed to: Goose Hollow Family Shelter, 1838 SW Jefferson Street, Portland, Oregon, 97201.

Nearly twenty years ago I ran for student body president of Sunset High School in Beaverton, Oregon on a platform of providing birth control to sexually active students.  A couple of girls in my class had confided in me that they had had abortions.  And as the son of a certified nurse midwife that worked in public health I was well versed in the need for responsible behavior to keep the rates of teen pregnancy down. 

Twenty years ago it was controversial for anyone to advocate that birth control be made available to teens.  In all that time you would have thought our federal government would have developed a better response than "just say no." 

As I mentioned last week, President Bush is appointing a new deputy assistant secretary for population affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Dr. Eric Keroackis opposes the use of birth control.  That is important because the program he'll oversee is in charge of pregnancy prevention programs - including contraceptive distribution - in low-income communities.  Planned Parenthood has launched a campaign calling for Bush's appointment to be withdrawn.

This battle is not just being fought on the political front.  Marissa N. Valeri, outreach program officer for Catholics for a Free Choice, wrote recently to let me know that:

The Condoms4Life campaign, a campaign to overturn the Catholic bishop's ban on condoms and to encourage Catholics and all people of faith to use condoms, is spearheading a campaign. We're asking people to sign on to a letter which we will present to Pope Benedict XVI - asking him on behalf of all people from around the world and from all faiths to overturn the ban.

Condoms save lives - they prevent disease and stop pregnancies before they begin.  Both the President and the Pope do a disservice to the cause of life by working to oppose contraceptives.  Send them a message letting them know that people of good faith support the use of contraceptives.  Twenty years ago I lost my race for student body president.  No big deal, of course.  But today millions of lives across the world depend on whether or not we win this fight.   

Jim Naughton from the Daily Episcopalian sent along this note about a great spiritual resource for Advent:

The Episcopal Diocese of Washington is offering its third annual online Advent calendar on the diocesan Web site at http://www.edow.org.

This year's calendar features a Peruvian tapestry of unspun wool. It depicts a rural Nativity scene in which shepherds in traditional white, black-banded hats pay homage to a Christ child sheltered beneath a rough stone arch.

Clicking on one of the calendar's numbered windows produces a web page featuring one of the distinctive figures from "Come and Behold Him," the crèche exhibit at Washington National Cathedral. The page includes links to daily prayers, meditations and online giving opportunities.

The diocesan Web site also features online Advent activities for children.

"We created the calendar to give those who live online an opportunity to observe a prayerful Advent," said Jim Naughton, the diocese's director of communications. "But people tell us it has evolved into a family activity, and it's a nice way to help direct the charitable impulses that well up at this time of year."

The crèche exhibit, in its 17th year, features almost 80 crèches from dozens of countries including Egypt, France, Mexico, the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. Curated by Lori Amos, it includes figures made from gourds, beads, steel, clothespins, terracotta and driftwood. It is on display in the Rare Book Library on the first floor of the cathedral until Jan. 7.

The giving opportunities include a diocesan fund to aid families made homeless by a settlement fire near Johannesburg, South Africa, and numerous projects sponsored by Episcopal Relief and Development.

The calendar was created by Amy Elliott, the diocesan communications assistant. Meditations were selected by the Rev. Deacon Vicki K. Black, author of Welcome to the Church Year and Welcome to the Book of Common Prayer.

Take a look at the site.

Our Scripture readings this morning at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ included Psalm 16 and it was this reading on which my sermon was based. There is no podcast available this Sunday but my sermon notes are below:

Thanksgiving is really my favorite holiday. In fact, I like it so much that I require that it be celebrated twice in my house. The night before Thanksgiving we invite many of our friends over for a Thanksgiving Eve potluck. We observe the actual day by spending time with our families either here in the Northwest, down in the Bay Area, or in South Carolina. All of us note this holiday with different traditions that we share with family and friends and I hope that during our fellowship time after services we can share stories of those traditions with one another.

My absolute favorite part of the Thanksgiving celebration is when we go around the table telling others what it is we are thankful for.

This is my own opinion and you can tell me if you think I'm wrong - I have no surveys to cite - but it seems to me that as a society we offer our complaints more quickly than we offer our thanks.

Psalm 16, one of our Scripture readings this morning, is particularly appropriate because it really is a prayer of thanksgiving to God that acknowledges the relationship between God and God's people. 

I say to the Lord, `You are my Lord;
  I have no good apart from you.'

God my not be in direct control of our lives but God is always with us - a constant companion - and nothing that is done occurs apart from God.   For the psalmist, God is the one that offers of the "path of life" and if we walk that path and concern ourselves with that which God is concerned about our lives can be full and rewarding.

There is much for us to be thankful for in the life of this congregation.

As your minister, I note the talent and the commitment of those who work with our youth in this congregation.  Last week we donated record amounts of food to Snow-Cap, our neighborhood social service agency, under the leadership of the Outreach and Missions team.  Our Women's Fellowship gathering continues to be a source of important pastoral care to many in this congregation.  The choir does honor to God with beautiful music.  Volunteers cut the grass, wire the computers, change the light bulbs, and clean the facilities.  Parkrose has a church secretary who puts in more hours than she gets paid for.  The church council and our board of administration and finance operate from the perspective of disciples deeply committed to our shared task of spreading the gospel message.  There is a real feeling of community - even family - in this church.  These are a few of the things that I am thankful for this year. 

We always wonder what the future will bring for us.  Many have suggested that prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures, our Old Testament, were fortune tellers of sorts whose warnings and insights to kings and nations were glimpses into the future.  Some believe the Prophet Isaiah, for example, even foretold the birth of Jesus.  What is perhaps more accurate is that the prophets, like the psalmist we read from this morning, didn't see the future but understood that if the people didn't walk the path of life laid out by God there would be natural consequences that in some cases could be relatively easy to foresee.  Because if you aren't walking a path of life - as an individual or as a society - you are most likely walking a path of death or at least a path of self destruction.

People often ask me what the future of this church will be but I'm not a fortune teller either.  But I do believe that if we walk the path of life with God we will, like the palmist; find ourselves in "pleasant places."

I bet you've heard people say "why can't things just be the way there were before."  Maybe you've expressed that very thought when thinking about this congregation.  Why can't our pews be full?  What can't we attract people as easily as we once did?  Why can't we carry the same assumptions and values about people and things that we always have?

Don't feel bad if you've asked or thought these questions.  This church has had a wonderful and noted past and who wouldn't want the pews to be filled with old friends and family that have since moved on - or sometimes even passed away. 

Even as we ask questions like these we for the most part know what the answers are going to be.  Our world is changing and the new religious pluralism in America gives people the opportunity to walk spiritual paths few of us could have ever considered before.  Did you know there are more Muslims in America today than Presbyterians?  In the Northwest, many have abandoned Christianity for new age religions or spiritual lives that are more oriented around the individual self and smaller communities and less so around church life.  Tragically, for many the Christian faith has also become equated with shrill fundamentalist voices that push social, political and theological agendas Jesus would never recognize or associate with. 

We cannot go back to the old days because the world is different now and we have to make changes to adapt to what is new while still holding on to the essential elements of the Christian faith we have shared with our brothers and sisters reaching back for over 2,000 years.

Some of you know that the early Christians movement was called "The Way" because Jesus was seen as the "way of life" - an understanding of God whose roots we see in our Old Testament reading today.  Those early Christians were not as we are today the established church.  They were, in fact, the minority and they saw their faith as a religious movement rebelling against the Roman Empire.  Converts came to their cause in part because it was clear what these Christians stood for.  They preached with voices that echoed the prophets with their calls for justice and community. 

By the time the Christian faith had become the official state religion of Rome the idea of Christianity being a movement had been largely lost.

We need to reclaim that for our churches today.  Christianity is no more represented by the state or common culture today than it was by Rome and certainly no government that wages unprovoked wars and exploits the environment for profit can claim to be advancing the principles of The Way - or of walking the path of life.

We've been talking in our Thursday evening class here at Parkrose about what the role of the church is in society and as part of that discussion Jean Johnson reminded us this week that there is a genocide occurring in Darfur. 

Let me read you a little bit of the background on this conflict from SaveDarfur.org:

Darfur has been embroiled in a deadly conflict for over three years.  At least 400,000 people have been killed; more than 2 million innocent civilians have been forced to flee their homes and now live in displaced-persons camps in Sudan or in refugee camps in neighboring Chad; and more than 3.5 million men, women, and children are completely reliant on international aid for survival. Not since the Rwandan genocide of 1994 has the world seen such a calculated campaign of displacement, starvation, rape, and mass slaughter.

Since early 2003, Sudanese armed forces and Sudanese government-backed militia...have been fighting two rebel groups in Darfur...

The stated political aim of the rebels has been to compel the government of Sudan to address underdevelopment and the political marginalization of the region.  In response, the Sudanese government's regular armed forces and the Janjaweed - largely composed of fighters of Arab nomadic background - have targeted civilian populations and ethnic group from which the rebels primarily draw their support....

The Bush Administration has recognized these atrocities - carried out against civilians primarily by the government of Sudan and its allied militias - as genocide.  ...the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has described the situation in Sudan and Chad as "the largest and most complex humanitarian problem on the globe."  The Sudanese government and the Janjaweed militias are responsible for the burning and destruction of hundreds of rural villages, the killing of tens of thousands of people and rape and assault of thousands of women and girls.

Part of our call as Christians, of course, is to speak out against such violence.  And while the national offices of the United Church of Christ and the National Council of Churches have been active drawing attention to this conflict and putting pressure on our government and the United Nations to act little has happened and the genocide is on-going.

If this church wants to grow it needs to become more relevant to the community. 

Some churches, the more fundamentalist in our midst, grow by offering easy answers. 

We can take a different path and embrace the complexities and diversities this new age presents to us and affirm that Christ's message is for the world - all the way from Darfur to the Parkrose neighborhood and everywhere in between - and that message is one of justice, love and compassion.

We should be proclaiming that message so boldly that people all across the city come to know us as the neighborhood church that takes Jesus so seriously that we are willing to speak out and act on the moral issues of the day.  We should be proclaiming that message so boldly that we welcome and accept everyone who might come through our doors - rich or poor, black, white, Hispanic or Asian, gay or straight - because we know that this is God's house and in God's house all are welcome. 

This Thanksgiving let us pause and give thanks to God for everything that God has done for us.  And then was we return and prepare during the Advent season to remember the birth of Christ let us join hands and walk together on the path of life and lift our voices as loudly as the prophets of old so that in the coming months are years everyone from next door to across the river to the killing fields of Darfur know that a loving God is calling us to be a people of reconciliation walking on a path that leads us to life and resurrection.

Amen. 

This past week the United Nations held a conference on climate change.  Stewardship of God's creation is a primary obligation of all people of faith.  At the UN gathering were representatives of the World Council of Churches. Dr. Jesse Mugambi, a member of the WCC’s Working Group on Climate Change, spoke to those assembled to offer the council’s views on this critical topic:   

Mr. President and fellow participants in this UN Climate Conference:   

We believe that caring for life on Earth is a spiritual commitment. People and other species have the right to life unthreatened by human greed and destructiveness. 

The World Council of Churches is present at this 12^th Conference of the Parties as we have been at every other COP. Our ecumenical team includes representatives of Christian faith communities around the world and ecumenical relief and development agencies.   

Science and the experiences of our members around the world confirm the reality of human-induced climate change. Pollution, particularly from the energy-intensive wealthy industrialised countries, is warming the atmosphere. A warmer atmosphere is leading to major climate changes. The poor and vulnerable communities in the world and future generations will suffer the most. Though we have concerns about all regions, we focus in this statement particularly on Africa and the Pacific.   

Kenya is my home. The impacts of climate change are radically altering this land in which we are meeting. As you know, Mt. Kenya means “mountain of whiteness”. The snow and glaciers that covered the mountain for generations have almost disappeared. We depend on the snow and glaciers of Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kilimanjaro as critical sources of water for growing our food and quenching our thirst. The rains are becoming much less predictable. Drought and severe storms alternate making agriculture less sustainable. 

Faith-based organizations in Kenya are responding. We have formed a partnership through the All Africa Conference of Churches and Caritas and have sponsored a number of public awareness and advocacy events here in Nairobi during COP12. In conjunction with some of our partner ecumenical relief and development agencies in developed countries, we are working on a variety of community-based projects that address impacts of climate change, particularly water-related problems. 

In the Pacific, churches and communities cannot wait any longer for the world to agree on the effects of climate change and its consequences on isolated communities and hence have taken initiatives to address the issue of climate change in their own ways and within their own means. We commend them and note with appreciation those nations that have contributed human and financial resources to address adaptation and resilience measures. The position of Australia only adds insult to injury for the Pacific as it continues to refuse to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Pacific churches are thankful for the ecumenical solidarity of churches in Australia to look at ways of addressing the issue in the Pacific region. 

Faith-based organizations in Africa and the Pacific are mindful of the link between climate change and disasters in these regions. We call for more resources to be directed at the linkages between climate change impacts and disaster preparedness. emergency relief, rehabilitation and development. We are grateful for the increasing response of ecumenical agencies working on disaster relief and development and encourage them to intensify their focus on climate change as a significant cause of disasters.   

As the World council of Churches, we issue a life-affirming call to delegates at COP12/MOP2:

1. listen to the scientists and the cry of the Earth and address the reality of climate change with the extreme urgency that it demands;

2. governments of the rich industrialised nations must keep the promise that they made in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The world is rapidly approaching the point of “dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.” The rich nations bear the primary responsibility for causing climate change and must adopt strategies to drastically reduce their emissions.

3. the Kyoto Protocol must be fully implemented by all those who ratified it and industrialised nations that did not ratify must meet targets at least as strict as those included in the Protocol. The emissions of some industrialised countries have risen rather than fallen since the 1990 baseline year. This means even greater reductions are required than the Kyoto Protocol targets and reinforces the urgency that actual reductions start now. We dare not wait.

4. the rich industrialised nations use far more than their fair share of the atmospheric global commons. They must pay that ecological debt to other peoples by fully compensating them for the costs of adaptation to climate change.

5. drastic emission reductions by the rich are required to ensure that the legitimate development needs of the world’s poor can be met.

6. all countries must agree to and participate in a climate policy framework for post-2012 that ensures equitable development for all while maintaining greenhouse gas concentrations within limits that keep a warming of the global mean temperature to less than 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels.

The World Council of Churches believes that the whole Earth community deserves to benefit from the bounties of creation. Equitable development for all is possible while maintaining the ecological integrity of the biosphere. Faith communities are addressing climate change because it is a spiritual and ethical issue of justice, equity, solidarity, sufficiency and sustainability. The situation is critical. We must all act now. We pray that you will demonstrate leadership in responding to the cry of the Earth. 

Thank you.

Related Story:  WCC says rich countries must face reality on climate change

President Bush is quite a character.  When others are reaching across partisan lines to help reduce the number of abortions in America the president is doing everything in his power to stoke the political fires and appease his Religious Right allies upset over the November election outcome:

From The Washington Post:

The Bush administration has appointed a new chief of family-planning programs at the Department of Health and Human Services who worked at a Christian pregnancy-counseling organization that regards the distribution of contraceptives as "demeaning to women."

Eric Keroack, medical director for A Woman's Concern, a nonprofit group based in Dorchester, Mass., will become deputy assistant secretary for population affairs in the next two weeks, department spokeswoman Christina Pearson said yesterday.

Keroack, an obstetrician-gynecologist, will advise Secretary Mike Leavitt on matters such as reproductive health and adolescent pregnancy. He will oversee $283 million in annual family-planning grants that, according to HHS, are "designed to provide access to contraceptive supplies and information to all who want and need them with priority given to low-income persons."

Abortion opponents take note:  your friend in the White House doesn't really want to do anything that decreases or eliminates the need for abortion.  If the president were serious about doing so he would support family planning - and that means contraceptives.  But if that happened then Republicans in the red states would lose a red meat issue and why try and unite America when there is the chance that by dividing it you can still win an election?

If you’re up early this Friday morning you can catch my guest appearance on “The Tom Hartmann Show” on KPOJ 620 AM in Portland. I’m scheduled to be on at 7 am (Pacific time) to talk about the new report showing that Oregon schools served over 13,000 homeless kids during the last school year. The program is broadcast on the radio and via their website.

Still smarting from their defeat at the polls Republicans gathered in Washington, D.C. this week to pick new leadership. Republicans in the senate had the chance to offer the American people a fresh face as part of their leadership team.

Instead they picked Trent Lott from Mississippi as their second in command. Lott had once been the Republican leader in the senate but was forced to resign that post a few years back after saying America would have been better off had Strom Thurmond won the presidency in 1948.

Thurmond, from South Carolina, ran as a strict segregationist and spent most of his senate years opposing civil rights. Lott told a birthday party gathering for Thurmond that Mississippians were proud of their vote for Thurmond and that "if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems."

If Republicans like Lott are going to keep modeling their governing skills and political campaigns after figures like Thurmond the country is in for a few more difficult years.

But maybe Lott will surprise us all and make racial reconciliation the centerpiece of his tenure.

It seems to me he has a real choice now to either follow his old instincts of dividing people based on race or he could answer God's call for justice. It's up to him.

The new figures released today that document the growing numbers of homeless youth attending public schools in Oregon should shock all of us. We can be thankful that the Oregon Department of Education and local programs such as Portland Public School's Project Return work diligently to enroll and educate these students. But our local communities can and must do more. It is disheartening that Multnomah County, for example, does not support efforts to enroll homeless children in the public school system and instead relies on a privately operated program that does not offer the same educational opportunities as our public schools and where the students are not held to the same standards as public school students. Our overall goal should be to help lift people out of poverty and homelessness. No children should be homeless in Oregon.

Related Post:  Help Homeless Children In Portland Schools Succeed

Frances and Katherine, our dynamic 2-year old duo, woke up around 5 am this morning and were ready to start their morning with a little dancing, endless book readings, some wrestling with their old man and a few minor disagreements over which twin got which Elmo doll. After three hours of that it was off to work and tonight my last meeting ended just before 8pm. Long day and I’m ready for bed. The kind of funny part: I had so much fun this morning with those little monsters of mine. I was bummed they’d already crashed by the time I got home. Sleep is overrated when you’ve got 2 year old twin daughters around.

Now that the mid-term elections are over the opportunity exists to talk about difficult issues in a somewhat less political atmosphere and without debate one of the most divisive issues we face is abortion. 

Voters in the very red state of South Dakota and the uber blue state of Oregon reaffirmed support for legal abortion rights last week when they defeated anti-choice measures that would have (in South Dakota's case) banned abortion or (in Oregon) required parental notification without exemptions for rape or incest.

Few Americans want to ban abortion outright but many Americans regardless of political ideology (or theology) share a common goal of reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies - and therefore abortion.  Is there a middle ground?

That is the question the editors of The Christian Century asked just before the election:

The elusive middle ground on abortion took concrete shape in September. Two bills were introduced in the House of Representatives that are designed to reduce the number of abortions not by tightening restrictions on abortion but by expanding the social programs that reduce the likelihood of abortion.

The Pregnant Women Support Act, introduced by Lincoln Davis (D., Tenn.) and Chris Smith (R., N.J.), and the Reducing the Need for Abortion Act, sponsored by Tim Ryan (D., Ohio) and Rose DeLauro (D., Conn.), are the most comprehensive bills yet formulated to address the social issues that lie behind the decision to have an abortion. The Ryan-DeLauro bill is notable for bringing together a member of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus (Ryan) and a member of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus (DeLauro). Ryan said the proposal is aimed at "broadening the stagnant debate that too often accompanies this issue."

Some pro-life legislators have begun to recognize the hollowness of the high-profile battles over the legality of partial-birth abortion procedures or of parental notification rules. Even victory by the antiabortion forces on such issues does virtually nothing to reduce the number of abortions. Political energies would be better spent on providing women and children with health insurance, medical care, childcare and education so that they are less likely to find themselves in a position in which abortion seems a desirable option.

As The Christian Century notes in their editorial, the Ryan -DeLauro bill "omits any reference to contraception and therefore might gain wider support. (Even contraception programs have become suspect among some conservative Christians.)"  That's too bad.  Any effort that will truly reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies has to include federal support for contraception.  But even with that glaring omission the bill is a positive step.

Western European nations already have lower abortion rates than the U.S. and a major reason is that "women in Western Europe have access to sex education, contraception and health care for themselves and their newborn children."

Abortion is a political issue that will bring out voters - on both sides - every time.  But maybe...just maybe...the recent legislation introduced in Congress affords us the opportunity to find common ground both the pro-choice and pro-life sides can stand on.

Oregonian Chloe Schwabe, now working as an Ecojustice Specialist for the National Council of Churches Ecojustice Program in Washington, D.C., sent along this information earlier today:

Thanksgiving evokes the tastes of turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. As we thank God for the glorious bounty of the harvest, we can look at ways to be good stewards of farms and farming communities. For Thanksgiving and the harvest season, the NCC Eco-Justice Program is offering a new resource entitled, At the Lord’s Table: Everyday Thanksgiving.

This resource highlights the need for justice for the land and farming communities and includes sermon starters, liturgical pieces, adult and youth education materials, and ideas for action.

Sign up through the NCC Eco-Justice Network to download your free copy at www.nccecojustice.org/network from the NCC Eco-Justice network site.

There is perhaps no greater cause right now than the protection of God’s creation.

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

Want to really make a difference in the fight against global poverty?  Support Jubilee USA Network.

Jubilee USA Network began as Jubilee 2000/USA in 1997 when a diverse gathering of people and organizations came together in response to the international call for Jubilee debt cancellation. Now over 60 organizations including labor, churches, religious communities and institutions, AIDS activists, trade campaigners and over 9,000 individuals are active members of the Jubilee USA Network. Together we are a strong, diverse and growing network dedicated to working for a world free of debt for billions of people.

In the Jubilee Year as quoted in Leviticus, those enslaved because of debts are freed, lands lost because of debt are returned, and community torn by inequality is restored. Today international debt has become a new form of slavery. Debt slavery means poor people working harder and harder in a vain effort to keep up with the interest payments on debts owed to rich countries including the US and international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Jubilee USA Network brings together people to turn this reality around by active solidarity with partners worldwide, targeted and timely advocacy strategies and educational outreach.

Click here to donate.

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship 

It was exciting this week to see progressives and moderates take the reigns of Congress.  Voters also passed legislation in five states increasing the minimum wage.  Missouri voters wisely endorsed state funding for stem cell research.  But there were other important progressive victories worth noting.

While several states did vote to back new anti-gay legislation there was a lot of good news on the civil rights front.  Human Rights Campaign reports:

WASHINGTON -- This year, the Human Rights Campaign flexed its political muscle in unprecedented and strategic ways that helped alter the political dynamic in key races across the country. With victories for strong pro-equality candidates like Florida's Ron Klein and Arizona's Gabrielle Giffords, the 110th Congress promises to be the most fair-minded in history. Voters in Arizona also made history last night, defeating that state's discriminatory domestic partnership ballot initiative.

Out of the 225 candidates that HRC endorsed, 208 proved triumphant, with several races still too close to call. HRC was involved in 18 Senate victories, 179 House wins and 11 successful governors' races. HRC also helped to defeat some of the most anti-gay voices in Congress such as John Hostettler and Rick Santorum, signaling that the era of gay-bashing for political gain is coming to an end.

"Last night we saw unprecedented victories for fair-minded candidates and for equality; we also witnessed a stinging rebuke of anti-gay elected officials in this country," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "The historic rejection of the domestic partnership ban in Arizona is a symbolic turning point in the march toward marriage equality.  We congratulate Arizona Together for their work in defeating the discriminatory, un-American measure."

Click here for more.

Missouri voters endorsed sound health care policy when they voted for a state initiative to allow embryonic stem research. 

The measure was consistent with Christian ethics and was endorsed by a wide array of clergy (including many of my former seminary colleagues and professors from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis). 

The Stem Cell Initiative will prevent Missouri politicians from banning stem cell research and cures in our state.

It will make it clear in our state constitution that all Missouri citizens have the right to have their diseases and injuries cured with any stem cell treatments that are allowed in our country and available to other Americans.

It ensures that Missouri medical institutions can provide and help find new stem cell cures.

It establishes responsible boundaries and guidelines to ensure that stem cell research is conducted ethically and safely. And, it strictly bans any attempt to clone a human being.

Christians can and do come to different conclusions on issues such as this one but it is notable that in a state so populated by Roman Catholic and evangelical Christians that voters determined that stem cell research was morally valid.

Missouri has sent a message to the nation.  President Bush opposes the research but bi-partisan leaders in Congress - including prominent "pro-life" leaders" - agree that federal funding should be made available to move this research forward.  The benefits could be amazing. 

Congress should pass legislation on this issue ASAP and the president should sign it.  If he won't, this will be one issue the American people will want to judge presidential candidates against in 2008. 

FaithfulAmerica.org - the online advocacy arm of the National Council of Churches - is gathering signatures for a petition to be presented to the new Congress:

Dear Members of Congress:

Elected leaders are privileged to represent all the citizens of this nation and to be lights of hope for all the nations of the world. We call upon both parties and all who will join them to be a sign and a living witness that only  justice for all will prevail, ultimately, in all aspects of our lives.

Persons of faith, whose votes reflect their deepest values, ask those whom they elect to honor those values by embracing a spirit of cooperation, commitment, and personal conduct that is conducive to the highest and best within us.

We ask that instead of political power mongering there be a commitment to serve the common good, instead of suspicion, an atmosphere of trust, instead of personal attack, a spirit of cooperation.   When tempted to stray from our nation's fundamental values, we call upon you to pledge anew to engage your power to serve, protect, and uphold the least among us.

People around the world will watch closely what we do.   Mindful of the opportunity to model and advance an ideal of public service that reflects our highest moral values, we ask that you work to usher our nation into a new day for life in America.

Click here to sign.

In the months preceding the United States' invasion of Iraq, leaders of member communions within the National Council of Churches USA, along with Roman Catholic and other Church leaders worldwide, expressed the conviction that the war with Iraq was not warranted, even as our country was involved in what was termed by the U.S. Government as a global "war on terror."  Since that time, many justifications have been given for this war:  the need to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction; the desirability of planting a new democracy in the Middle East; the need to destroy a major base for terrorism; and Iraq's connection to the 9/11 attacks against America.

All of these justifications have been revealed as false or ill-considered.  For this reason, the National Council of Churches USA repeats its call that this war must be brought to an end.

"Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA has been the leading force for ecumenical cooperation among Christians in the United States. The NCC's member faith groups -- from a wide spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African American and Living Peace churches -- include 45 million persons in more than 100,000 local congregations in communities across the nation," according to NCC's website.

The United Church of Christ is a member of the council.

The rest of the statement is below:

The "God gap" between Democrats and Republicans seem to have disappeared.  Democrats did quite well among religious voters yesterday.  Faith in Public Life has the story.

Good news from the Let Justice Roll campaign:

Minimum wage hikes won in every state they were on the ballot, winning by a resounding 76 percent in Missouri, 73 percent in Montana, 69 percent in Nevada, 66 percent in Arizona, 56 percent in Ohio and 53 percent in Colorado (latest totals).

Let Justice Roll is a project of the National Council of Churches and is led by The Rev. Paul Sherry, former general minister and president of the United Church of Christ.

More on this tomorrow.

Oregon’s Measure 43 has been defeated, according to The Oregonian. The measure, sponsored by Focus on the Family and other leaders in the Religious Right, would have required parental notification for minors seeking abortions – with no exemptions for those who were victims of incest or domestic violence. The measure was opposed by medical groups and children’s advocacy groups. There was a lot of conversation here on this blog about the measure as the campaign moved forward. As a minister, I opposed the measure because it would have put young women at risk and the last thing that teens need when seeking health care are legal roadblocks put in their way by the Religious Right. Oregon voters made a moral choice tonight.  Now that this election is over we should all work to reduce teen pregnancy in Oregon through education and prevention. 

South Dakota voters have rejected tonight an attempt to ban abortion, according to CNN. Supporters of the ban had hoped it would be ratified by a federal court decision and thus overturn Roe vs. Wade but a solid majority of voters in this conservative state said loud and clear tonight that the rights of women should be respected. Most mainline Christian denominations support abortion rights. Abortion is opposed by many evangelicals and the Roman Catholic Church. Mainline clergy were active in the campaign to overturn the ban. South Dakota voters should be applauded for rejecting political extremism.

Tonight the American people appear to have given control of the United States House of Representatives to the Democratic Party. For those concerned about the direction of America and the war in Iraq this is good news. Speaker-designee Nancy Pelosi will be the first woman in U.S. history to hold the office. Her career in Congress would suggest that she’ll be a tough leader concerned about wages, health care, public education and the safety of our people. Will Democrats in the House be everything that we need them to be? Nope. Those of us concerned about the “least of these” in America will have to fight hard to keep our issues on the table. We also still have to worry about the man living at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. At least now there will be one chamber of Congress holding the White House accountable.

Photo credit: http://www.house.gov/pelosi/

The Rev. Jim Wallis thinks tonight is turning into a bad night for fundamentalists.  I hope so.

The polls haven't yet closed here out West but some of the preliminary exit poll data is showing a dramatic shift in Roman Catholic voters in the United States.  Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good reports:

A preliminary analysis of National Election Poll data by Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good shows a startling 47-point shift among Ohio Catholic voters from 2000, when these seats were last up for election, to 2006.  Pennsylvania and Virginia also show dramatic shifts in Catholic vote to Democrats.  The Iraq War and corruption, issues related to a concern for the common good, are being identified as the most important moral issues.

Republicans did a great job of exploiting the Catholic vote in 2004.  Several influential Roman Catholic leaders even went so far as to suggest that you couldn't vote for pro-choice Democratic candidates (no such edict was placed on voting for pro-choice Republicans...) and remain Catholic.

Our faithfulness to God cannot be determined by our votes on just one political issue or another.  It is tragic that so many have used the abortion issue as a wedge to drive apart people.

What is the common good?

A culture of the common good provides for the health, welfare, and advancement of all people, regardless of race, gender, religion or economic class. This central goal of Catholic Social Teaching expresses our faith's understanding that society functions best when decisions are made with an eye toward what benefits everyone, and not just the few. In the words of Pope John Paul II, the common good refers to the "good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all."

That is an agenda that all people of faith can buy into. 

Gracious God,

This morning we lift up to you in prayer our nation.
We are a divided people facing difficult elections.
Help us to discern your will for the world.
Be with all those today who have offered themselves as leaders.

This morning we lift up to you in prayer the causes our people must address.
We have war, and hunger, and environmental crises.
These are difficult days for the world.
Be with us as we cast our votes.

This morning we lift up to you in prayer the homeless in our midst.
The "least of these" have been left behind in America.
Help us to do better.
Be with those today who have no home.

This morning we lift up to you in prayer the Iraqi people.
Their blood stains us all.
Let justice roll down.
Be with those that suffer from war.

This morning we lift up to you in prayer our American soldiers.
Too many of them have died.
Help us find a way to bring them home.
Be with those that serve with honor. 

This morning we lift up to you in prayer those without health care.
We give too little in a world of plenty.
Let us learn from Jesus what it means to be healers.
Be with those who are sick.

This morning we lift up to you in prayer the prophets in our midst.
We give thanks for voices in a world of darkness that bring light.
Let us have the courage to be more like them.
Be with those who work to build up the Kingdom.

Oh God, your people cry out to you this day.
We want to be a people of reconciliation and justice.
We want to bring an end to needless suffering. 
Be with us all this election as we make difficult decisions.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Amen.

Reprinted from United Church News

Texas Governor Rick Perry says that he agrees that non Christians are "going straight to hell with a non-stop ticket," reports UPI (following a story in The Dallas Morning News). Perry is running for reelection and I suspect that his remarks were aimed more at getting his based riled up for the Tuesday vote than a theological statement. But Perry is behind the times. A Beliefnet.com poll out last year showed that 68% of “born again” or “evangelical Christians” believe that a “good person who isn’t of your religious faith” can gain salvation. Perry has supporters in his corner, however. George W. Bush once made a similar comment. Chris Bell, the democratic nominee for governor in Texas, told reporters in response to Perry’s remarks that "God is the only one who can make the decision as to who gets into the kingdom of heaven.”

Here in Oregon we vote by mail and if you haven't already put your stamp on a ballot it is way too late.  You'll have to drop-off your vote at one of these handy locations.  Everyone needs to vote for this democracy of ours to work.

And if you don't live in Oregon...don't for forget to vote on Tuesday. 

Was that an earthquake?  Had to be.

Update:  Yep.  The USGS says it was 2.8.  Sure felt bigger.

This morning at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ we celebrated the kick-off of the UCC's 50th anniversary.  Our Scripture readings were Psalm 109:105 and 1 John 1:5-7.

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

Download ParkroseH.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 kick-off of the 50th anniversary celebration of the United Church of Christ will be broadcast at 6 p.m. EST, making it available for simultaneous viewing in each time zone: 5 p.m. Central; 4 p.m. Mountain; 3 p.m. Pacific; and 1 p.m. in Hawaii.  Visit www.ucc.org and tune in. 

Today Katharine Jefferts Schori was installed as the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church USA.  Pray for our sister in Christ as she takes on this new leadership role.

ENS reports: 

Jefferts Schori called the Church to live out "the vision of shalom embodied in the Millennium Development Goals that the Church committed itself to at the 75th General Convention.

"That vision of abundant life is achievable in our own day, but only with the passionate commitment of each and every one of us," she said to applause. "It is God's vision of homecoming for all humanity."

The Gospel for the service was Luke 4:14-21, in which Jesus reads from Isaiah 61, one of Jefferts Schori's favorite passages; the prophet proclaims his mission "to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted; to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor ..." Jesus tells those listening in the synagogue that "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Jefferts Schori said that the scripture can be fulfilled in our hearing "in the will to make peace with one who disdains our theological position – for his has merit, too, as the fruit of faithfulness. In the courage to challenge our legislators to make poverty history, to fund AIDS work in Africa, the distribution of anti-malarial mosquito nets, and primary schools where all children are welcomed. In the will to look within our own hearts and confront the shadows that darken the dream that God has planted there.

"That scripture is fulfilled each time we reach beyond our narrow self-interest to call another home. That scripture is fulfilled in ways both small and large, in acts of individuals and of nations, whenever we seek the good of the other, for our own good and final homecoming is wrapped up in that."

She called the Church to "a deep and abiding hope" and "a hope that has the audacity to join Jesus in proclaiming the fulfillment of the scriptures and "join the raucous throngs in creation, the sea creatures and the geological features who leap for joy at the vision of all creation restored – restored to proper relationship, to all creation come home at last."

Amen to that.

Related Post:  Episcopal Church Names Katharine Jefferts Schori As Presiding Bishop

Photo credit:  ENS photo Alex Dyer

The near constant ringing of my phone, the spike in blog hits, and the 16,000+ unread e-mails in my inbox goes to show one thing: the mid-term elections are next week. There is a massive get-out-the-vote effort underway in communities across the country. Do your part to help. We need to send a message to the White House that their days governing America through fear and lies are over. We need to send a message to all Americans that the common good of society requires health care of all, good schools, and safe neighborhoods. But as you do your part this weekend and through Tuesday don’t forget to keep your family close. Pray for an end to the war and for better days here at home. Take time off to read a good book and listen to some music. Breathe. Don’t let the tension of this electoral season overwhelm you. Your vote and your voice will be needed on Tuesday. Make yourself ready. This is going to be an historic week in America. Enjoy it.

Everyone will be talking over the next few days about Ted Haggard. The president of the National Association of Evangelicals has been accused of carrying on an affair with a male prostitute and using meth. Haggard, the pastor of New Life Church in Colorado, has been a champion of anti-gay legislation both nationally and in his state.

The Colorado minister is also a close associate of George W. Bush.

Haggard’s website states that homosexuality "brings grave consequences in this life and excludes one from the Kingdom of God," according to The Washington Post.

We don’t know all the facts of this case but there are two things you can bet on.

1. The Religious Right will abandon Haggard.

2. God won’t.

God’s grace is available for all. Human sexuality is a gift regardless of your orientation. Is it possible that Haggard was so repressed that he acted out in inappropriate ways? Whatever happened God’s forgiveness is always available and no one is excluded from God’s Kingdom because of their orientation. I hope that he learns that lesson and emerges from this scandal preaching equality instead of the bigotry he is known for.

You’d be amazed at the kinds of e-mails that come my way each day. Take a look at these…

Mark doesn’t like Jews:

Being in the Republican Party for four generations I have a real problem with the Republican Party of today and it doesn't have anything to do with Foley. The Republican Party has a large number of Jews working in the Republican Party known as Neo Cons. George Bush sold himself to the voters as a Christian Conservative when in fact he has very few Christian Conservatives working for him in powerful positions. To give you some examples of this. Michael Chertoff the Director of Homeland security is Jewish, Ari Fleisher his first press secretary is Jewish, so are Paul Bremmer, Wolfowicz, Donald Feith, Senor. Why are all these people calling themselves Neo Cons? Why don't they just admit that they are Jewish. The problem here is that Jews are the main enemy of Christian Conservatives. Jews are Communist.

He goes on to say:

So are these Neo Cons that work in large numbers in the Republican Party actually Communists "planted" in the Republican Party? I have uncovered some new evidence proving that the answer is "yes". I am an expert on the Communist Party USA and have solid evidence that the Communist Party USA planted people from their Party int the Republican Party to create scandals and sway elections. Their are even movies showing them doing this like the movie the Manchurian Candidate made way back in 1962.

Paula doesn’t like gays:

Obviously you don't think God knew about sexual orientation. Obviously you don't think God wrote the Bible using the men who recorded those words. And if it was up to evolution, homosexuals would have been selected against as soon as they appeared since they are not able to reproduce to pass down their genetic or otherwise disposition. Homosexuality is expressly forbidden by a God Who knows what He is saying. Hope you get His message. I am not angry by writing this, I am in disbelief about the rebellion and ignorance some people have toward God and His word.

James doesn’t like poor people:

Jesus did not want people to vote for politicians to tax folks so they could have welfare programs. He wanted folks to give of themselves to help the less fortunate. Come on, let the government do what they can do well and people need to take care of people. Just out of curiosity what do you make a year? I’m willing to bet you wont say.

These folks have the same rights to vote as we all do. So be sure to vote this November.

South Dakota voters will decide this month on whether or not to appeal a state-wide law banning abortion.  The Religious Right is hoping the appeal fails and that President Bush's appointments to the federal bench will validate the ban by outlawing Roe vs Wade.  Who is standing in the way of those attempting to strip women of their rights?  Clergy.

Back here in Oregon we have our own dog in the fight over choice.

The United Church of Christ, formed by a “union of the Congregational Christian Churches in America and the Evangelical and Reformed Church,” turns 50 next year and this Sunday our denomination kicks-off a year of celebrations. From United Church News:

In an experimental, interactive, online teleconferencing event, UCC members will kick off the denomination’s 50th anniversary celebration by gathering en masse at 6 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, Nov. 5.

From its national website -- www.ucc.org -- the webstreaming event is the denomination’s first attempt to create an online, interactive, multiple-site experience.

"The notion is that the whole church — from Maine to Hawaii — will be participating in the same event at the same time, no matter where they live," says the Rev. Robert Chase, the UCC's communication director. It's also a sign of how the church is embracing emerging technology, he says.

In a broadcast that will originate from the UCC’s Amistad Chapel in Cleveland, Ohio, the real-time event will include teleconferencing feeds from Redeemer UCC in Sussex, Wis.; Heritage UCC in Baltimore, Md.; and Cathedral of Hope UCC in Dallas, Texas. From any computer, participants will be able to view the event, submit questions for discussion, respond to online polls, upload photos to create an online mosaic, watch celebratory ‘You Tube’ videos submitted by UCC churches, and send text messages of individual or group names that will scroll across computer screens.

This is a birthday party you don’t want to miss.