The New York Times reports:

Alarmed at the chance that the Republican party might pick Rudolph Giuliani as its presidential nominee despite his support for abortion rights, a coalition of influential Christian conservatives is threatening to back a third-party candidate in an attempt to stop him.

The group making the threat, which came together Saturday in Salt Lake City during a break-away gathering during a meeting of the secretive Council for National Policy, includes Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family, who is perhaps the most influential of the group, as well as Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, the direct mail pioneer Richard Viguerie and dozens of other politically-oriented conservative Christians, participants said. Almost everyone present expressed support for a written resolution that “if the Republican Party nominates a pro-abortion candidate we will consider running a third party candidate.”

The participants spoke on condition of anonymity because the both the Council for National Policy and the smaller meeting were secret, but they said members of the intend to publicize its resolution. These participants said the group chose the qualified term “consider” because they have not yet identified an alternative third party candidate, but the group was largely united in its plans to bolt the party if Mr. Giuliani became the candidate.

Anyone want to guess what candidate they'd run? 

James Dobson himself?  Alan Keyes? Anne Coulter?  Eric Rudolph?  David Duke?

The monks of Myanmar have captured the attention of the world with their calls for freedom. The joint United Church of Christ - Disciples of Christ (Christian Church) "Global Ministries" agency issued the following statement this week about the violence:

FULL POST

Sister Mary Kay Lampert will preach at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ on Sunday, Sept. 30th on the topic "What is the mission of the church?" She will be the first in a series of ecumenical leaders invited to preach on that topic over the fall as our church engages in a strategic planning process – a process that will help the congregation answer that same question as we debate the future of this church.

Sister Mary Kay has taught at Central Catholic High School and Marylhurst University. Over the years she has been an active volunteer with agencies like Baloney Joe's and Our House, a program for people with HIV / AIDS. She is a member of Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.

The service starts at 10 am. 

Kirkogitation, My Blurred Vision, Newsmuse, and Progressive Revelation have all been promoting the new United Church News Blog and so a big "thank you" is in order to these sites. United Church News also ran an article introducing this blog. If you missed that you can read it here.

FULL POST

Today Congress will pass critically needed bi-partisan legislation to expand health care coverage to millions of uninsured children.

President Bush has promised to veto the compromise bill. His reasoning: the increase in children’s health care would be paid for with a tax increase on tobacco and (this is the kind of really werid part) if we start insuring more kids it will lead America down the slippery path toward national health care.

Universal health care is a bad thing?

FULL POST

Interfaith leaders from across the United States today asked people of faith to set aside Oct. 8th as a day of fasting and prayer calling for an end to the Iraq War. The National Council of Churches USA reports:

FULL POST

You might have noticed that over the last week or so I’ve been pointing readers of my blog to a new address when talking about the United Church of Christ or ecumenical issues. Here is the reason why:

Republished from United Church News

Written by staff reports
September 26, 2007

United Church News has launched a new interactive blog to lift up news about local churches and invite conversation about justice issues.

The Rev. Chuck Currie, a veteran blogger and pastor of Parkrose Community UCC in Portland, Ore., will oversee development of United Church News' blog in order to amplify secular news about UCC congregations as well as issues of concern to church members.

"For many in the UCC, the name 'Chuck Currie' was one of the first progressive voices of faith they encountered in the blogosphere," said the Rev. J. Bennett Guess, editor of United Church News and the UCC's acting communications director. "It's long overdue that we offer this type of give-and-take conversation. The frank, first-person approach will be new to some, but it's just the kind of accessible information-sharing that the internet affords us."

Currie was recognized by The Los Angeles Times in 2004 for "top-tier" editorial writing. A 2006 graduate of UCC-related Eden Theological Seminary near St. Louis, he is considered a pioneer in faith-based blogging, having written one of the first UCC-related blogs on the internet.

"Hopefully, the blog will be a little like a virtual 'water cooler' where people gather to hear the latest information and commentary about the United Church of Christ," Currie told United Church News. "The site will not only highlight news about local churches but also about the ecumenical movement and the important social justice causes our denomination is involved with."

By virtue of the medium, blogs are not intended to be one-sided commentary, but interactive conversations. While United Church News will continue to offer its scrolling denominational news headlines at the UCC's homepage, the blog will give greater attention to local churches in the news and encourage reader conversation on media-related topics. A link to the blog can be found easily at ucc.org/news or accessed directly at unitedchurchofchrist.blogspot.com.

"Very few denominations have blogs," Currie said. "So the UCC will be in a unique position of offering an on-line forum where the big issues of the day facing our churches can be discussed."

Currie said the best feedback he's ever gotten, in response to his blogging, has been when people have asked for help finding a local UCC church where they can worship.

"This new blog is an adventure in evangelism," Currie said. "With it we can reach out to people, many of whom have not yet found a church home."

An outspoken advocate for the homeless since 1986, Currie served on the board of the National Coalition for the Homeless from 1998 to 2002. In 2003, UCC-supported Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon awarded Currie its Vollum Ecumenical Humanitarian Award.

He is married to Liz Smith Currie. They have twin daugthers, Katherine and Frances.

What will happen to this site?  You can still visit here.  I'll link to stories on the United Church News Blog and also post Oregon-related and personal content here for those interested. 

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke today in a controversial appearance at Columbia University. Was it appropriate to invite a man to visit Columbia who has called for Israel to be wiped off the face of the earth and denied the historical reality of the Holocaust?

FULL POST

Oregonians will often tell you that fall is our best season: pleasant, warm days and cool Autumn nights.  The last few days have been just like that.  The weather prompted us tonight to build a small backyard fire, bundle up the twins in their fall coats, and to sit outside with Hugo and Hazel, our loyal dogs, before the girls had to go to bed.  Hugo is pictured here.  The Pacific Northwest is simply the best place on earth (not counting the great state of South Carolina, of course).   

The South Bend Tribune reports this week on the "Shower of Stoles" exhibit that will be shown this week at Zion United Church of Christ.

FULL POST

My heart stopped during the president’s news conference today. Dana Milbank reports on what was said:

Yesterday's news conference was just minutes old when President Bush made a startling announcement.

"Mandela's dead," he said.

FULL POST

The United Church of Christ congregation under threat of a huge fine from the city of Simi Valley drew support today from the Ventura County Star.

FULL POST

A protest outside United Church of Christ in Simi Valley has led to a nearly $40,000 fine. The church is being charged by city officials for “police presence during a weekend protest against the church's sheltering of an illegal immigrant,” according to The Ventura County Star.

FULL POST

“No child should be homeless in a nation as rich as ours.” – Oregon Religious Leaders

Today religious leaders from every corner of Oregon wrote to Governor Ted Kulongoski, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Senator Gordon Smith asking that both the federal and state government do more to address the growing number of homeless students in Oregon seeking an education.

A report issued this month by the state Department of Education documented that Oregon schools served over 15,000 homeless students at the same time that the federal government cut funding to support this population group by 10%.

“The fact that over 15,000 children were homeless in Oregon during the last school year is a moral scandal,” wrote the religious leaders. “We are writing to urge both the federal and state governments to increase funding for this vulnerable population.”

The religious leaders noted in their letter the importance of public school and rejected all calls to segregate homeless students outside of the mainstream school system. They also expressed support for “economic policies that help lift people out of poverty” and noted their opposition to the “present policies that have led to increased poverty in our nation.”

“The needs of homeless children and families have been largely forgotten by politicians at every level of government,” wrote the nearly 30 clergy and other religious leaders from across the state. Copies of the letter are being forwarded on to other statewide elected officials and local city and county officials as well.

“Current efforts to address the issue of ‘chronic homelessness’ in downtown city centers, although important in their own right, have had the consequence of obscuring the issues faced by children and their families,” say the signers of the letter

The Letter

September 19, 2007                           SENT BY FAX

Governor Ted Kulongoski, 160 State Capitol 900 Court Street. Salem, Oregon 97301-4047

The Honorable Ron Wyden, United States Senate, 223 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC, 20510-3703

The Honorable Gordon Smith, United States Senate, 404 Russell Building, Washington, DC 20510

Dear Governor Kulongoski, Senator Wyden and Senator Smith:

This past week the Oregon Department of Education announced that public schools in Oregon educated over 15,000 homeless children. At the same time, federal funding to support the education of homeless children in our state fell 10%. We are writing to urge both the federal and state governments to increase funding for this vulnerable population.

As religious leaders, we care deeply about this issue. Our traditions teach that justice for those living in poverty is of paramount concern. Churches, temples and mosques across Oregon are involved in the fight to end homelessness.

The fact that over 15,000 children were homeless in Oregon during the last school year is a moral scandal. No child should be homeless in a nation as rich as ours. We support efforts to fully integrate homeless students into the public school system where they can receive all the benefits of a public education and oppose segregating homeless children into separate schools. Separate is never equal.

Furthermore, we call on the federal and state government to do more to address the root causes of homelessness in our society. We support economic policies that help lift people out of poverty and oppose the present policies that have led to increased poverty in our nation. The needs of homeless children and families have been largely forgotten by politicians at every level of government. Current efforts to address the issue of "chronic homelessness" in downtown city centers, although important in their own right, have had the consequence of obscuring the issues faced by children and their families.

Ensuring that public schools have the funding they need to meet the issues faced by homeless children is a step we should all be able to agree on.

We can be contacted through Rev. Chuck Currie at 503-253-5457 or [email protected] .

Sincerely,

The Rev. Chuck Currie, Interim Minister, Parkrose Community United Church of Christ, Portland

The Rev. Dr. Arvin R. Luchs, Senior Minister, First United Methodist Church, Portland

The Reverend Stephen Schafroth, Deacon, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, The Dalles

The Rev. Dr. Daniel E. H. Bryant, Senior Minister, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Eugene

Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfield, P'nai Or of Portland, Oregon

Mr. David Leslie, Executive Director, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

Ms. Stephanie Tama-Sweet, Executive Director, Oregon Center for Christian Values

The Rev. Karl Vercouteren, Pastor, United Church of Christ of The Dalles, Oregon

The Rev. Jeffrey D. Barton, Pastor, Lake Oswego United Church of Christ

Mr. Eric Canon, Chair, Interfaith Committee on Homelessness, Forest Grove

Denise Anderson, Director of Mission and Pastoral Services, Providence Milwaukie Hospital

The Rev. Mark Knutson, Pastor, Augustana Lutheran Church, Portland

The Rev. Peg Lofsvold, Associate Pastor, Lake Oswego United Methodist Church

The Rev. Patricia F. Berger, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Gresham

The Rev. Dr. Leland E. Hunefeld, Pastor, Tigard United Methodist Church

Pastor Matthew Eagan, Calvary Lutheran Church, Hillsboro

The Rev. Diane Dulin, Pastor, First Congregational United Church of Christ of Hillsboro

The Rev. Joan B. Stoneking, United Church of Christ minister, Hillsboro

The Rev. Don Barnhart, Pastor, Oak Grove United Methodist Church

Dr. Rex Hagans, Lay Member, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Public Policy Advocacy Committee

The Rev. Dr. Lowell Greathouse, Minister of Discipleship, First United Methodist Church, Portland

The Rev. Ryan J. Lambert, Associate Pastor, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Corvallis

The Rev. Gail McDougle, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Salem

Ms. Blair Loudat, Council Moderator, Parkrose Community United Church of Christ, Portland

Pastor Timothy and Pastor Elizabeth Winslea, Co-pastors, Lincoln Street and Sunnyside United Methodist Churches, Portland

The Rev. Susan Leo, Minister, Bridgeport United Church of Christ, Portland

The Rev Pamela Shepherd, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Ashland

Ms. Cat Willett, Office of Justice and Peace , Campaign for Human Development . Archdiocese of Portland

Titles used for identification purpose only

CC: Oregon School Superintendent Susan Castillo Oregon’s U.S. House Delegation Regional and local elected officials

It's all in the Portland Tribune. 

I guess there has been some chatter about what denomination John McCain belongs to.  CNN reports:

LEXINGTON, South Carolina (CNN) — Republican presidential candidate John McCain told reporters at an American Legion Hall here Monday that he is a Christian, and that questions about his specific religious denomination are beside the point.

"There's been some talk about my religious persuasion," said the Arizona Senator, referring to a weekend report by the Associated Press that McCain said he was a Baptist although he has long identified himself as an Episcopalian.

"I was raised in the Episcopal Church and attended high school, it was a high school called Episcopal High School. I have attended North Phoenix Baptist Church for many years, and the most important thing is that I'm a Christian, and I don't have anything else to say about the issue," McCain said.

In America it shouldn't matter what your religion is. 

Is McCain a Baptist?  Is McCain Episcopalian?  Is he even a Christian?  He could be a Jew who visits a Hindu temple for all I care. 

What matters is his vision, his values and the policies he promotes.  He won't get my vote not because of where he goes to church on Sundays but because of his views on the war.   

This morning at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ we read the "Pastoral Letter on the Iraq War from the Collegium of Officers of the United Church of Christ" issued on June 22, 2007:

"God expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry."
(Isaiah 5.7)

The war in Iraq is now in its fifth year.  Justified as a means to end oppression, this war has imposed the new oppression of terror on the people of Iraq.  Justified as the only way to protect the world from weapons of mass destruction, this war has led to the massive destruction of communal life in Iraq.  Justified as a means to end the rule of terror, this war has bred more terror.  Every day we look for justice, but all we see is bloodshed.  Every day we yearn for righteousness, but all we hear is a cry.

Thousands of precious American lives have been lost; thousands more have been altered forever by profound injuries.  We grieve each loss and embrace bereaved families with our prayers and compassion.  Tens of thousands more innocent Iraqi lives are daily being offered on the altar of preemptive war and sectarian violence.  They, too, are precious, and we weep for them.  In our name human rights have been violated, abuse and torture sanctioned, civil liberties dismantled, Iraqi infrastructure and lives destroyed..  Billions of dollars have been diverted from education, health care, and the needs of the poor in this land and around the world.  Efforts to restrain the real sources of global terrorism have been ignored or subverted.  Trust and respect for the United States throughout the world has been traded for self-serving political gain.  Every day we look for justice, but all we see is bloodshed.  Every day we yearn for righteousness, but all we hear is a cry.

We confess that too often the church has been little more than a silent witness to evil deeds.  We have prayed without protest.  We have recoiled from the horror this war has unleashed without resisting the arrogance and folly at its heart.  We have been more afraid of conflict in our churches than outraged over the deceptions that have killed thousands.  We have confused patriotism with self-interest. As citizens of this land we have been made complicit in the bloodshed and the cries. Lord, have mercy upon us.

In the midst of our lament we give thanks - for pastors and laity who have raised courageous voices against the violence and the deceit, for military personnel who have served with honor and integrity, for chaplains who have cared for soldiers and their families with compassion and courage, for veterans whose experience has led them to say, "no more," for humanitarian groups, including the Middle East Council of Churches, who have cared for the victims of violence and the growing tide of refugees, for the fragile Christian community in Iraq that continues to bear witness to the Gospel under intense pressure and fear, for public officials who have challenged this war risking reputation and career.  The Gospel witness has not been completely silenced, and for this we are grateful.

Today we call for an end to this war, an end to our reliance on violence as the first, rather than the last resort, an end to the arrogant unilateralism of preemptive war.  Today we call for the humility and courage to acknowledge failure and error, to accept the futility of our current path, and we cry out for the creativity to seek new paths of peacemaking in the Middle East, through regional engagement and true multinational policing.  Today we call for acknowledgement of our responsibility for the destruction caused by sanctions and war, thereby, we pray, beginning to rebuild trust in the Middle East and around the world. Today we call for repentance in our nation and for the recognition in our churches that security is found in submitting to Christ, not by dominating others. 

To this end may we join protest to prayer, support ministries of compassion for victims here and in the Middle East, cast off the fear that has made us accept the way of violence and return again to the way of Jesus.  Thus may bloodshed end and cries be transformed to the harmonies of justice and the melodies of peace.  For this we yearn, for this we pray, and toward this end we rededicate ourselves as children of a loving God who gives "light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Members were then offered the chance to sign a petition offering support for the letter.  The UCC is trying to collect 100,000 such signatures to present to Congress.  Click here to add your name. 

This morning we made the short trek across the river for the opening parade of the "Under the Autumn Moon Festival" in Portland's Old Town / Chinatown:

"The timing of Under the Autumn Moon coincides with the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival-one of the most celebrated Chinese holidays. Similar to harvest festivals celebrated by many cultures around the world, the Mid-Autumn Moon festival has been held throughout Asia for well over 1,000 years and has become a time to reflect upon the bounty of the summer harvest among other things."   

Thank you to our friend Jon for alerting us to this event.  Frances and Katherine enjoyed the dragons!

The festival continues today and tomorrow.   

Some Christian churches are responding to the immigration crackdown by promising to house those threatened with deportation.  That includes two heroic Portland congregations.  The Oregonian reports:

The nationwide New Sanctuary Movement is about six months old. Its roots, however, go back to the Bible, where passages prescribe offering refuge to people unjustly accused of crimes. The movement last surfaced in the United States in the 1980s, when some churches sheltered Central and South Americans denied political asylum but who said they faced prison and death squads at home.

Today, loosely organized religious groups and individuals in about 50 cities support families who risk separation if members here illegally are deported. The movement is public in its efforts and encourages immigrants to tell their stories

In cities like Portland, New Sanctuary has not meant -- at least so far -- that churches or church members provide shelter. Here, leaders and people from about 20 congregations accompany immigrants to court and help them keep body and soul together.

Several Portland churches have supported "women of the bracelet," about 25 mothers arrested in recent raids, including from the Fresh Del Monte plant, and then released wearing electronic monitoring bracelets. The women may not work, must spend at least 12 hours a day at home and check in regularly with authorities. They support their children with donations they receive for serving homemade enchiladas and tamales at church events.

The Rev. Mark Knutson, pastor of Augustana Lutheran Church, says his congregation raised about $1,500 for the women during its summer festival. Portlanders have also organized baby showers for women who were pregnant or were new mothers....

The question came to a vote at Ainsworth in July. Bucciarelli thought about abstaining. But after airing her concerns and listening to others, she voted to be a sanctuary church, as did the majority who voted.

The Rev. Lynne Smouse-Lopez, pastor at Ainsworth (United Church of Christ), feels good about the decision because it was thoughtful and prayerful.

"I'm encouraged by their compassion for immigrants," she says. "It is a little overwhelming; we have so much on our plate already. But it feels good to say that I am a pastor of a sanctuary congregation."

Ainsworth is the second Portland church to formally join the New Sanctuary movement. Augustana Lutheran Church renewed its 1997 pledge in June. 

Portland is really blessed with some prophetic leaders.  For more information on the Oregon New Sanctuary Movement e-mail [email protected].

Coming up in Portland:

Special Upcoming Event:
Tuesday, September 25, 2007, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Churches, the Sanctuary Movement, and the Law

A forum on the legal considerations of churches becoming “Sanctuaries” or providing services for undocumented immigrants in the aftermath of the Del Monte raid.

Sponsored by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and the Willamette Center for Religion, Law and Democracy, Willamette University.

Admission is free—RSVP not required

Where: First United Methodist Church, 1838 SW Jefferson, Portland

Participants:

• Rev. Mark Knutson, Augustana Lutheran Church, ELCA, Portland
• Siovhan Sheridan-Ayala, Immigrant Law Group, Former Attorney for Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services
• Professor Keith Cunningham-Parmeter, Labor Law Specialist, Willamette University College of Law
• Professor Steven K. Green, Director, Willamette Center for Religion, Law and Democracy; Public Policy Committee, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

For more information, contact Kevin Finney at [email protected] or (503) 221-1054, ext. 204.

United Church News reports:

A major insurance company that sought out business from a local United Church of Christ congregation in Michigan has subsequently refused to even provide a quote for coverage when it learned the church's denomination supported same-gender marriage equality and the ordination of gay clergy.

Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company, based in Fort Wayne, Ind., told West Adrian United Church of Christ in Adrian, Mich., that its denomination's gay-affirming stances made it a "higher risk" for property and liability insurance.

"Our company's decision to not submit a quote to your organization arose out of information that was supplied in a supplemental application, indicating that your organization 'publicly endorses or practices the marriage of same-sex couples' and 'publicly endorses or practices the ordination of the homosexual clergy,'" wrote Marci J. Fretz, a regional underwriter for Brotherhood Mutual, in a July 30 letter to the church.

The company claimed that such stances increased the risk of violence and therefore made UCC congregations an unacceptable risk.  Ironically, the front page of their website promotes how to deal with "violence at your church."

You can contact Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company by calling 1-800-333-3735 to register your views with the company. 

Last night the president in another fit of delusion said that we're marching toward progress in Iraq and that "ordinary life is beginning to return."  CNN Iraq correspondent Michael Ware said in response:

."..if the president means by ordinary life, families essentially living locked up in their homes, in almost perpetual darkness, without refrigeration, or perhaps constantly struggling -- struggling for ever more expensive gas to run generators, if he means waiting in their homes, wondering if government death squads will drag them off and torture and execute them, if he means living in sectarian, cleansed neighborhoods where people who were your friends have had to flee, if he's talking about living in communities that are protected by militias, then, yes, life has returned to ordinary."

Maybe that was just what the president meant.  We've simply exchanged one nightmare government in Iraq for another perhaps even more damaging one.  That might be good enough for our president but I had hoped better for America.

UCC Action Alert: Bring the Troops Home 

                         

                                Special Issue on Ballot Measure 50

                                        and Health Care Reform

Please attend a special interfaith organizing meeting for the
Yes on Measure 50 (Healthy Kids) Campaign

Thursday, September 20, 2007 – 12 noon to 2 p.m.

At the Interchurch Center –
SW Bancroft and Kelly, Portland, OR 97239 (Directions)
(In the Corbett/Lair Hill area of Portland, near Barbur Blvd. and Hamilton)
            
This meeting is co-sponsored by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO)
and the Oregon Center for Christian Values (OCCV).

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Kevin Finney
at (503) 221-1054, ext. 204, or e-mail Kevin at [email protected].

A Moral Challenge for Oregonians of Faith
In 2006, one in six Oregonians—or 576,000 people, including over 116,000 children—lacked health insurance. Nearly half of these are working adults. One of the biggest challenges facing poor and low-income families is finding the ability to afford decent health care. As people of faith, we find it morally unacceptable that more than 100,000 Oregon children currently lack health insurance, and that health insurance has become unaffordable for many working Oregonians.

Passing Measure 50 is Critical to Increasing Health Care Access
The first step toward being able to provide all Oregonians with access to quality health care is passage of Ballot Measure 50, which the Legislature has placed before the voters at a special election on November 6, 2007.   

A “Yes!” vote on Measure 50 will increase state revenue by an estimated $386 million over the next four years to provide health care for children and low-income adults, and double the amount of money available for proven tobacco-prevention programs. It does this through an 84.5 cent per pack increase in the state’s cigarette tax, matching our neighbors to the north in Washington state.   

Measure 50 leads in early polls of Oregon voters, but tobacco companies like R.J. Reynolds are funding a huge media campaign against Measure 50. People of faith are called to study the facts about this measure and help to educate others about why its passage is so important. For more information on Measure 50, visit http://healthykids-oregon.org/.

Have You, Your Church, or Your Denomination Endorsed Measure 50? 
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is working with the Yes on 50 Campaign to compile a growing list of faith supporters for measure 50. Please let us know if we can add your name or the name of your church to our growing list of supporters. 

Wherever you are in the state of Oregon, please reply to this e-mail if you would like to support Measure 50 in any way. Let me know your name, e-mail address and phone number so we can keep you updated about how to help the Yes on 50 Campaign.

Clergy Sign Voters Guide Statement for Measure 50
A growing list of clergy and faith organizations have endorsed measure 50.  Several of those have submitted statements of support for the voters guide put out by the Secretary of State prior to the Nov. 6th election.  Among those signing the statement of support or endorsing Measure 50 are: 

Rev. Alcena Boozer, St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church, NE Portland
Rev. Dr. Dan Bryant, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Eugene
Rev. Chuck Currie, Parkrose Community UCC, Portland
Rev. Benjamin Dake, First Presbyterian Church, Cottage Grove
Rev. Kent Harrop, First Baptist Church, McMinnville
Rabbi Daniel Isaak, Congregation Neveh Shalom, Portland
Rev. Gail McDougle, First Congregational Church (UCC), Salem
Rev. David Nagler, Nativity Lutheran Church, Bend
Rev. Jim Boston, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Grants Pass
Shahriar Ahmed, President, Bilal Masjid Mosque, Beaverton
Gregory Hamilton, President, Northwest Religious Liberty Association
The Oregon Center for Christian Values
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland

To see the all the pro and con voters guide statements, go to: 
http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/nov62007/   

Kick-off the “Yes on 50 Campaign” This Weekend by Canvassing in Portland or Eugene
Election Day is less than eight weeks away! The Healthy Kids, Yes on 50 Campaign needs your help to go door-to-door this Saturday in Portland and this Sunday in Eugene.

Portland
Saturday, September 15, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
SEIU Local 49, 3536 SE 26th Ave. (corner of 26th & Powell)
Contact Kevin at (503) 221-1054, ext. 204 or by e-mail at [email protected]
Training & materials provided

Eugene
Sunday, September 16, 2 to 5 p.m.
Stand for Children office, 1192 Lawrence (corner of 12th & Lawrence)
Contact Kevin at (503) 221-1054, ext. 204 or by e-mail at [email protected] 
Training & materials provided

Who Else Has Endorsed Measure 50? Here’s a Partial List: 

American Cancer Society
Oregon PTA
Oregon Medical Association
Oregon Business Association
Oregon Alliance of Retired Americans
American Heart Association
American Lung Association of Oregon
Oregon Education Association
Children First for Oregon
Oregon Nurses Association
United Seniors of Oregon
Governor Ted Kulongoski
Oregon Pediatric Society
Oregon AFL-CIO
Urban League of Portland
Oregon Public Health Association
American Association of University Women
National Council of Jewish Women, Portland Section
Oregon School-Based Health Care Network
SEIU, Local 503 and Local 49
Oregon State Public Interest Research Group
Jewish Federation of Greater Portland
Oregonians for Health Security
Providence Health System
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
Oregon Food Bank
Oregon Health Action Campaign
Stand for Children

Today Newsweek has an interview on their website with Jessica Rowley, a recent graduate of Eden Theological Seminary, who was just ordained as a Catholic priest in a ceremony held on the seminary's campus.  Eden is an ecumenical seminary of the United Church of Christ.  Newsweek reports:

Sept. 13, 2007 - Last week 25-year-old Jessica Rowley became one of about a dozen women nationwide to make a highly unusual career move: she was ordained a Catholic priest. Rowley’s ordination—which took place at Eden Theological Seminary, a progressive institution in Webster Groves, Mo.—is approved by the Ecumenical Catholic Communion, a group of churches that decline to recognize the authority of the pope but see themselves nevertheless as Roman Catholic. This week Rowley—who is also married—begins working full-time as an associate pastor at Saints Clare & Francis, a breakaway parish in Webster Groves.

The Roman Catholic Church, not surprisingly, does not recognize Rowley as a priest. “The Church does not see itself able to ordain women, following the long and constant teaching of the church,” says Sister Mary Ann Walsh, a spokeswoman for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (It does, however, recognize the more than 100 already married men who became priests after a conversion to Roman Catholicism.) NEWSWEEK’s Karen Springen talked with Rowley about how she views her role.

Click here for the full interview.

I was fortunate to know both Jessica and her husband Joe when I was a student at Eden.  They're great people and Jessica will make a terrific priest.

Welcome to the Chicago Theological Seminary community! This fall my colleague, The Rev. Dr. Susan Thistlethwaite, asked me to participate in her course “Public Theology” as a guest lecturer. I was delighted to undertake this same task last year and amazed that Susan wanted me back for this year. My job, as I understand it, is to help students in the class become proficient in using web based technologies – like blogs – as tools for ministry. Over the years progressive religious blogs have blossomed and become an important voice in debates around theology and how and when religion should become intertwined with public policy. All of the students in Dr. Thistlethwaite’s course will be required to publish their own blog. I’ll be adding links to those sites as they become available. If you are one of the students in the class I’m excited to hear from you and to learn about the ways you are already engaged in public theology. Thank you for letting me be part of your class.

A new report issued today shows that Oregon continues to experience an an increase in the number of homeless kids attending public school while our state and local governments - including Portland and Multnomah County at the urging of the Bush Administration - are concentrating most of their attention on the needs of the so-called chronic homeless.  Meanwhile, the numbers of homeless kids trying to get an education grows.  Instead of working to help school districts meet the needs of homeless students in our public schools Multnomah County funds a separate school for homeless kids that is not accountable to the tax payers and where students are not tested alongside their public school peers to chart achievement.  Over the years my calls on elected officials to better address the issue of growing homelessness in our student population have been met with delays, excuses and silence.  Last year over 15,000 homeless students attended Oregon public schools.  How high does that number have to go before our elected leaders take notice?

What follows is a press release issued today by the Oregon Department of Education:    

State’s Homeless Student Report: Homeless student population grows 18% as federal funding decreases 10%
 
SALEM – State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo announced today that Oregon’s homeless student population for the 2006-07 school year was 15,517.  This number represents a 18% increase in the number of homeless students receiving public school supports during the 2005-06 school year.

The results of the homeless student count are listed below:

• 15,517 of  Oregon’s 562,828 K-12 students (2.8%) were homeless for some period of time during 2006-07
• 7,178 homeless students were enrolled in grades K-5
• 3,235 homeless students were enrolled in grades 6-8
• 5,104 homeless students were enrolled in grades 9-12
• Just as in 05-06, the greatest numbers of homeless students were 12^th graders (1,516)
• 2,487 students within the total count were unaccompanied homeless minors who had been abandoned by parents, or had runaway from home or foster care placement.
• Within the total count, at the time of their enrollment, 10,737 homeless students in Oregon reported sharing housing with relatives or friends due to economic hardship or similar reason; 1,848 reported living in a homeless shelter; 2012 were reported as unsheltered or living in substandard housing; and 920 were living in motels.

“This year Oregon was hit hard when the federal funding our school districts receive to assist homeless students was cut by 10%.” Castillo said. “Unfortunately the funding formula is based on statistical projections and not real need. I urge our communities to work together to ensure our students are getting their most basic needs met before and after they enter the classroom."

The funding comes from the federal McKinney-Vento Act’s Homeless Education Program and is based on 2005 Census projections that did not capture the reality of the economic downturn occurring in the state, or the influx of new low income residents. The Act ensures that homeless children have equal access to the same education provided to other children.  Each school district is required to have a Homeless Liaison to coordinate outreach efforts and services for homeless students in their area, as well as conduct the annual counts.  Castillo credited the work of local district Liaisons for providing services to homeless students that include school enrollment, extra transportation and tutoring, and referrals for shelter, housing, health care and counseling services.

“You can’t learn if you are wondering where you are going to sleep at night. Homeless Liaisons provide students with basic, yet vital, necessities. They make sure students have school supplies, clothing, shoes, coats and referrals to the community service providers,” Castillo said.  “They also work to provide homeless students with a consistent school environment. We know that the number of times a student has to change schools has a negative impact on their academic success in school. Liaisons help students remain in the same school regardless of their living arrangements. While we can’t provide housing, we can provide education – and that’s a major factor in preventing chronic poverty and homelessness in future generations.” 

Oregon received $571,752 in federal McKinney-Vento funds in 2006-07, compared to $635,222 in 2005-06.  These amounts include a portion for administration of the program throughout the state.  Forty-two local districts were served by 21 competitive subgrant projects from this program last year.  Most districts also use federal Title I-A funds, local general funds and donations from local community members, businesses and nonprofit organizations to help provide resources for homeless students.  They find that charitable donations are needed year round, not only during the holidays.

More than 90% of Oregon’s school districts reported this year.  State officials believe the increase in the count was due to a combination of factors: an increase in the overall population of people in extreme poverty in the state, a marked increase in the cost of affordable housing and other primary costs (e.g., fuel for transportation and heat) and an increase in the number of districts reporting, although the newly reporting districts tended to have smaller enrollments.

In November, the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) will hold its 19^th national conference at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.  This is the first time in the 20 year history of the McKinney Act and NAEHCY this conference will be held in the Pacific Northwest.  NAEHCY offers training and support for Homeless Liaisons. For more information about the conference and organization, visit: www.naehcy.org.

You can read the exchange here.

Gracious God, we pled our case before you.

We ask that you remember those who six years ago today were killed and injured in an act of terror meant to draw your people apart. Comfort those who still greave. Comfort those whose injuries have not healed. And please, O God, give strength to those first responders who are now falling ill after inhaling toxic fumes.

We ask that you give hope to the nations that went to war as part of the fallout of 9/11. We admit, O God, that our churches did not do enough to prevent this course of action. Have mercy on us. We ask that you be a protector of the civilians and the young soldiers caught up in these conflicts. Bring them guardians and prophets who wage not more war but fight with the weapon of love to bring an end to war and suffering. Let your peace silence the guns.

Help us, parent of the Prince of Peace, to reconcile the world. Help us find new ways to talk together and new ways to live together in love and respect. Give us the wisdom to stop the wars that rage and to end the brutal terrorism faced by so many. Let your light overcome the darkness of our age. Our hope rests in you.

Amen.

- written by The Rev. Chuck Currie

Today before Congress General David Petraeus made his case as to why President Bush's plans for Iraq should remain enforce for the foreseeable future.  His audience wasn't sold.  As Think Progress reports, this White House has some trouble telling the difference between reality and wishful thinking.  Consider these myths and the reality behind them:

MYTH #1 -- SECTARIAN DEATHS IN BAGHDAD HAVE DROPPED 75 PERCENT SINCE 2006: In late August, Petraeus told The Australian that "there had been a 75 per cent reduction in religious and ethnic killings since last year." He is expected to make a similar claim today. Yet reports indicate that the Pentagon may be undercounting sectarian deaths. Intelligence analysts who computed "aggregate levels of violence against civilians" for the recent National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) "puzzled over how the military designated attacks as combat, sectarian or criminal." "If a bullet went through the back of the head, it's sectarian," said one senior intelligence official. "If it went through the front, it's criminal." The Pentagon's sectarian violence numbers also exclude Sunni on Sunni violence, Shiite on Shiite violence, and car bombs. In an April interview, Bush attempted to explain his subjective rationale for excluding car bombs: "If the standard of success is no car bombings or suicide bombings, we have just handed those who commit suicide bombings a huge victory." The number of car bombings have actually increased five percent since December. Additionally, the NIE found that conflict levels in Baghdad "have diminished to some extent" because of widespread ethnic cleansing.

MYTH #2 -- SECTARIAN DEATHS REACHED MORE THAN 1,600 IN DEC. 2006: Not only is the Pentagon underreporting recent sectarian deaths, it also raising the number of past incidents in order to make the "reduction" seem more impressive. In March, the Pentagon's quarterly report estimated that in Dec. 2006 -- right before the President announced his escalation -- "there were about 1,300 sectarian slayings across Iraq." But in its June report, "the Pentagon revised the December 2006 death toll to more than 1,600. That change makes the decline to about 600 in April -- after the surge began -- even more dramatic." Much of the Pentagon's data and methodology is classified. Last week, Goverment Accountability Office comptroller David Walker told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that there are "several different sources within the administration" who "do not agree" on levels of violence. He added that he "could not get comfortable" with the way the Pentagon calculated such a steep drop in sectarian violence.

MYTH #3 -- SECTARIAN DEATHS ARE DECLINING ACROSS THE COUNTRY: Despite the government's claim that Baghdad casualties are dramatically dropping, war-related deaths throughout Iraq have doubled compared with last year, rising to "an average daily toll of 33 in 2006, and 62 so far this year." "Bombings, sectarian slayings and other violence related to the war killed at least 1,773 Iraqi civilians in August, the second month in a row that civilian deaths have risen." Additionally, the recent NIE found that over the next six to 12 months, "levels of insurgent and sectarian violence will remain high."

MYTH #4 -- BUSH'S ESCALATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROGRESS IN ANBAR: One of the success stories Petraeus will likely highlight is the reduced violence in the Anbar province, which was once the "heartland" of the Sunni insurgency. Last week, Bush made a surprise visit to the region and used it to argue that the troop buildup should not be cut short. "In Anbar you're seeing firsthand the dramatic differences that can come when the Iraqis are more secure," said Bush. But the administration's policies had little to do with Anbar's progress. As the Washington Post noted yesterday, "The sheik who forged the alliance with the Americans, Abdul Sattar Buzaigh al-Rishawi, traced the decision to fight al-Qaeda to Sept. 14, 2006, long before the new Bush strategy, but the president's plan dispatched another 4,000 U.S. troops to Anbar to exploit the situation. As security improved, the White House eagerly took credit." Last week, CNN correspondent Michael Ware also noted that the Sunni insurgency in Anbar offered to work with U.S. troops -- not the Iraqi government -- to fight al Qaeda in 2003, but the United States rejected the offer. Only "after four years of bloodshed" was the United States "finally ready to accept those terms."

MYTH #5 -- AL QAEDA IN IRAQ IS 'PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE': In July, Bush referred to al Qaeda 95 times in a single speech, claiming the war in Iraq has become the central front in the fight against al Qaeda (AQ-I). Echoing Bush, Petraeus recently argued that al Qaeda is "public enemy number one" in Iraq, and will likely make a similar claim to Congress this week. But in a new report, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) notes that attacks from al Qaeda are only a small percentage of the violence in Iraq, criticizing the Bush administration's statistics and noting that this false reporting on AQ-I has increased since Bush's "surge" began. "Increasingly in 2007, U.S. commanders have seemed to equate AQ-I with the insurgency, even though most of the daily attacks are carried out by Iraqi Sunni insurgents," concluded CRS.

Send a message telling our American leaders it is time to leave Iraq.

I've had the opportunity to work with Bud Clark, Vera Katz and Tom Potter over the last twenty years. Tom has been the most open mayor I've worked with. On issues of homelessness, he has been a problem solver working with advocates and business leaders to develop solutions that benefit the entire community. And unlike with Mayor Katz, you could disagree with Mayor Potter and not be thrown into the doghouse. Tom Potter is committed to the progressive values and principles that make Portland a great community. I'll miss having him in City Hall.

Related Post:  Tom Potter for Mayor (Nov. 18, 2003)

Related Post:  Statement in Support of Mayor Tom Potter’s Criticism of the Recent Immigration Raid in Portland by Federal Officials (June 20, 2007)

(Photo: 8/3/04)

This morning at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ our Scripture readings included Jeremiah 18:1-11 and Luke 14:25-33.  My sermon topic dealt with the cost of discipleship.

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

Download ParkroseDiscipleship.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).

Now On ITunes

You can now subscribe to my podcasts on ITunes.  Just open the ITunes application and use the search function to find

"Chuck Currie"

then click on the "Subscribe" button. 

Racism is still alive.  The United Church News reports:

Written by J. Bennett Guess
September 8, 2007

The Rev. John H. Thomas has asked Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco to intervene on behalf of six young men who are being prosecuted for serious felonies involving a case with extreme racial overtones.

"I plead with you to intervene to bring justice to bear in Jena," wrote the UCC's general minister and president.

Mychal Bell and five other African-American teens were arrested after a schoolyard fight in Jena, La., for beating a white student, who suffered a concussion.

The fight followed nearly a year of racial tension in Jena, triggered when three nooses were hung from a tree in a high school yard.  The nooses appeared in the tree after a black student had earlier sat under the tree, a gathering place customarily used by white students only.

This week, a Louisiana judge refused to overturn Bell's conviction. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 20 and could receive 22 years in prison.

"The white students who hung the nooses received a short suspension from school, but six black students alleged to have taken part in the fight were charged with attempted murder," says the Rev. Sala S.J. Nolan, the UCC's minister for human rights and criminal justice.

The Rev. Linda Jaramillo, executive minister of Justice and Witness Ministries, wrote about the case in her July 30 "Witness for Justice" newspaper column.

"There is no question that the [black] students should be disciplined for their actions that caused this injury [to the white student]," Jaramillo wrote. "But, if hanging nooses on a shade tree is dismissed as a youthful prank, how can the court assign a murder conspiracy to a fight among teenagers?"

The Rev. Steve Gray, the UCC's Indiana-Kentucky Conference, wrote to Blanco in early August, saying that, not since the 1970s, had he witnessed "such a blatant example of racism and racial bigotry."

“I hope you will take strong leadership to commute the sentence of Mr. Bell and the five other black high school students [Robert Bailey, Theo Shaw, Bryant Purvis and Carwin Jones] who have been treated so unjustly,” Gray wrote.

You can contact the governor here.

Last night Liz and I were invited to a small reception to meet Senator Barack Obama before he spoke at a fund raiser / rally here in Portland.  We had a brief moment to talk about our churches and homelessness in Oregon.  Around 4,000 people attended the fund raiser. 

We also enjoyed meeting Susan Turnbull, vice-chair of the DNC, and her husband Bruce.  Susan has not committed to a presidential candidate but attends many events and because she and Bruce were in Oregon she decided to drop by and meet some Oregonians. 

Related Post:  Why I’m Joining Obama For America: “People of Faith for Barack”   

Like a hardcore late stage alcoholic deep in denial the president cannot tell the difference between his fantasy life and reality. Exhibit A from CNN:

WASHINGTON (CNN) — When President Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq last weekend, he made clear he was pleased with what he saw.

"The security situation is changing," Bush told reporters during the visit. "There's more work to be done. But reconciliation is taking place."

But according to the Sydney Morning Herald of Australia, the president gave a more-to-the-point assessment to Australia Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile. "

We're kicking ass," Bush said to Vaile Tuesday, according the Herald, after the deputy prime minister inquired about his trip to Iraq.

They’ll greet us as liberators.

Mission Accomplished.

We’re kicking ass.

Pass the bottle.

Related News:  7 More US Troops Killed in Iraq

Reprinted from United Church News

Written by J. Bennett Guess
September 7, 2007

As expected, the UCC has filed an appeal with the Federal Communications Commission following a staff-level decision in August to dismiss license-renewal challenges by the UCC that came after CBS and NBC network executives deemed the church's inclusive ads "too controversial" to air on TV.

The Sept. 6 "application for review" was submitted to the full FCC by the Office for Communication, Inc. (OC, Inc.), the UCC's media justice agency. It argues that, since networks do not hold FCC licenses, networks can only be held accountable if the FCC allows for the networks' wholly-owned stations to be challenged.

In its August decision, FCC staff denied the UCC's challenges to the licenses of NBC Universal's WTVJ-TV and CBS' WFOR-TV, both in Miami, saying the local stations – despite being owned by the networks – should not be held accountable for network-level decisions.

"We are appealing the staff-level decision to the full Federal Communications Commission," says Cheryl Leanza, an attorney and managing director of OC, Inc. "We are confident that the staff overstepped its bounds, ignored the law and denied us the opportunity to be heard. We will pursue this matter vigorously."

Andrew J. Schwartzman, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Media Access Project and one of the attorneys representing the UCC, says, "This is clearly an erroneous decision that acts to shield the networks from public scrutiny. It has far-reaching implications, far beyond the issue of religious tolerance."

The church's appeal argues that the most-recent decision "impairs the Commission's ability to administer its policies."

"The effect of these decisions is to remove Commission authority to examine network programming practices in the context of license renewal proceedings of network-owned and operated stations," the appellate request reads.

The initial FCC challenges were filed by the UCC in 2004 after the networks refused to air the UCC's all-inclusive "God is still speaking" ads that promote religious tolerance.

The Miami stations were challenged, because the south Florida market included two network-owned stations impacted by the networks' far-reaching decisions. With assistance from the UCC's media justice organization – Office for Communication, Inc. (OC, Inc.) – local UCC members petitioned the FCC when the Miami stations' licenses came up for renewal.

"Even individual and groups beyond the UCC agree that a variety of religious viewpoints should be given voice through our mass media, especially one that speaks to Christ's extravagant welcome," says the Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC's general minister and president. "Today's media falls woefully short in this regard."

Despite being denied access by the two broadcast networks, the UCC's "bouncer" ad did air widely on cable networks in December 2004, but the church's second ad, known as "ejector," which debuted in 2005, also was excluded by multiple cable networks because the stations are owned by parent companies of CBS and NBC.

Leanza says the FCC must offer a viable process to challenge network decisions when there is a clear bias against a particular point of view.

While many local CBS and NBC stations have expressed willingness to accept the UCC's paid advertising, church leaders have insisted that a market-by-market ad buy is cost prohibitive, since network advertising is far-more affordable and far reaching than purchasing ads in hundreds of individual markets. Church leaders also argued that broadcast networks were essential to the church's hope of reaching all TV viewers, especially lower-income persons who may not have cable TV.

I will pour down rain on a thirsty land, showers on the dry ground. I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring and my blessings on your children. They shall spring up like a green tamarisk, like poplars by a flowing stream. —Isaiah 44:3-4

The promise of God's blessings for children has been affirmed down the generations of faith from the time that God first promised to Abraham and Sarah that their offspring would be as numerous as the stars. Jesus not only welcomed the child, but asked everyone to enter into the eternal realm of God's blessings as children. Children are not only invited, but show us the way.

Children have the right to develop spiritually, intellectually, physically, emotionally, socially, and culturally, and to live in conditions of freedom and dignity. Because children are powerless and often live with adults who are poor and have little voice, there is a tendency not to see or hear them. Too often, their basic needs go unfulfilled.

- United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries

As parents, those of us taking care of kids are entrusted with a precious gift.  As the people of God, all of us are responsible for building up our communities in ways that protect and nurture children. 

That is why I'll be voting this November for Oregon's Measure 50 - a ballot initiative endorsed by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and others that if supported by the voters will provide health care for 100,000 kids.   

From the Yes on 50 website:

Measure 50 on the November 6, 2007 ballot will guarantee health care for 100,000 uninsured Oregon children and strengthen tobacco prevention programs through an 84.5 cent per pack increase in the state’s cigarette tax matching our neighbors to the north in Washington State.

There are currently more than 100,000 Oregon children whose working parents earn too much to qualify for the existing Oregon Health Plan but too little to afford private health insurance on their own.

A simple majority vote of Oregonians can provide access to the kind of health care our children deserve while saving taxpayers money in reduced tobacco-related health costs and expensive emergency room visits by the uninsured for routine medical care.

A broad coalition of dozens of mainstream community leaders have united behind this common-sense plan.

On the other side? Big Tobacco, an industry that has spent tens of millions of dollars trying to defeat similar measures in other states and target our children as their next generation of customers.

A “Yes!” vote on Measure 50 will increase state revenue by an estimated $386 million over the next four years to provide health care for children and low-income adults, and double the amount of money available for proven tobacco-prevention programs.

No child should be without health care.

Tomorrow night Barack Obama will be in Portland for his first trip to the Rose City as a presidential candidate. I’m looking forward to being at the Oregon Convention Center with thousands of other Oregonians to welcome to senator. Over the last couple of months I’ve been volunteering with the campaign as a writer for the website People of Faith for Barack. As I said in June:

Barack Obama has shown leadership on the most pressing moral issues of our day – such as the war in Iraq and the global AIDS crisis. During his time in the Illinois Legislature and in the United States Senate he has demonstrated that his values cannot be compromised by prevailing political winds.

Christians, Jews, Muslims – all people of faith in America – share in a deep and abiding love for this nation. But many of us, as William Sloane Coffin would have said, have a “lover’s quarrel” with America. We know things can be better. We know all Americans need health care. We know that no one should be homeless in the world’s richest nation. We know that global warming threatens God’s own earth and that as the stewards of creation we are called forth to protect this planet. We are also called to be peacemakers in times of conflict.

Barack Obama shares these values and when elected president will embody them as he makes decisions in the Oval Office. When that day comes we will be a better nation.

If you're in Oregon take this opportunity to come and support one of the most inspiring and talented political leaders of our day.

Related Post:  Why I’m Joining Obama For America: “People of Faith for Barack”   

ACTION ALERT FROM SOJO.NET

Next week, Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, will report to Congress on the troop "surge," in which the Bush administration has escalated the war in Iraq by sending an additional 20,000 American combat troops.

As people of faith, we believe in the power of prayer to soften the hardest of hearts and open the way to peace and reconciliation. So, as General Petraeus testifies, we're planning to match his surge with one of our own–20,000 prayers for Congress to bring an end to this war.

Click here to share your prayer with Congress–let them know that you're praying for their courage and wisdom to end this war.

We are at a critical moment, as the House and Senate decide on our nation's continued involvement in Iraq amidst a frenzy of swirling accusations and partisan rhetoric.

But while the Bush administration has frequently abused the language of scripture to justify this disastrous war, a growing number of Christians from across the theological and political spectrum are coming together to oppose it.

And our nation's political leaders are listening–in fact, we've spoken to several members of Congress who are considering reading a selection of your prayers for peace into the Congressional Record.

Like many of you, I've opposed this war from the start, and together we've raised a prophetic voice against it–marching in the streets, writing letters, and much more.

We'll continue to do all of that, but I believe it will also take faith to end this war. It will take prayer to end it. It will take a revolution of love to end it, because this endless war in Iraq is based ultimately on fear, and the Bible tells us that only perfect love will cast out fear.

Will you be a part of this surge of prayer for peace? Click here to let your Senators and Representative know that you're praying for them.

In times such as these, we ought to remember the words of the Apostle Paul:

Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Blessings,

Jim Wallis and the rest of the team at Sojourners/Call to Renewal

P.S. To reach 20,000 prayers by next week, we'll need your help. Can you share this message with 10 of your friends, family, and congregation members, asking them to join us in this campaign?

Related Post:  A Podcast Sermon: War Is Contrary to the Will of God

God of love and justice, we come to You this Labor Day asking for Your presence and guidance. You have asked us to walk with our brothers and sisters and told us there are no strangers among us. Yet, we still turn against You and the law You have given us to love one another as we love ourselves. As the Psalm says, we know that good will comes to those who are generous and lend freely, and to those who conduct their affairs with justice. However, we have sometimes failed to be generous with our time and resources, and have neglected opportunities to treat others with human dignity.

God, as we remember those who are struggling and organizing for a living wage, healthcare, and human dignity in their workplaces, remind us this Labor Day that You have called us to walk in solidarity with our brothers and sisters, as we conduct our affairs with love and justice. May it be so.

- reprinted from Interfaith Worker Justice

Steeplejacking: How the Christian Right Is Hijacking Mainstream Religion

Tuesday the 4th, 7:00PM Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing

An extraordinary look inside the battle for religion in America, Steeplejacking: How the Christian Right Is Hijacking Mainstream Religion (Ig Publishing) is an insider account by two ministers, John Dorhauer and Sheldon Culver, that shows how a strident theocratic minority is attacking — or "steeplejacking" — mainstream churches in order to eliminate progressive voices and take control of the churches.

The Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer, minister for the St. Louis Association of the United Church of Christ, will be at Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing to talk about the book. You can read more about John here.

If you don't already have plans for Tuesday night make this event a priority.

Related Post:  Steeplejacking: How The Christian Right Is Highjacking Mainstream Religion

Things are getting out of hand in Oklahoma churches according to one worried resident:

An overwhelming portion of today’s church members dress as immodestly as the world even when they are walking into church. They talk lewdly, some use God’s and Christ’s names in vain, women are cutting their hair off shorter than most men’s hair, men have no leadership in their homes, many members are living in open fornication or adultery with their churches performing no discipline upon them.

Why are these things happening?

The short answer, the churches’ membership roles are being filled with unsaved people. The pastors, in the main, have left off preaching the truth of Christ’s gospel that salvation is the work of God.

Many pastors are not doing their God-commanded duty of preaching Christian sanctification. If people are truly saved, the Holy Spirit will be guiding them by the Bible to being conformed to his will.

Further, many churches are using practically every form of worldly entertainment to draw people into their churches — rock music, dramas, puppet shows, cheerleading, anything to get people in so they can make that magical decision. Where is this condoned in Scripture? We are supposed to be drawing away from the world instead of bringing it into the church.

Churches, pastors, elders, please wake up.

They have rock music in Muskogee?

Today during worship at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ our readings included Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 and James 1:17-27.  We noted the celebration of Labor Day with special prayers for workers.

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

Download ParkroseJames.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).

Now On ITunes

You can now subscribe to my podcasts on ITunes.  Just open the ITunes application and use the search function to find

"Chuck Currie"

then click on the "Subscribe" button.

Below are my sermon notes:

Here are some recent e-mails sent my way:

• Thank you Reverend Currie for the entry in your blog on U.S. Senators Craig and Vitter. - David
• I discovered your blog 6-8 months ago, and have thoroughly enjoyed your writing and your viewpoints. Perspectives like yours are why we moved to the Portland area from Spokane two years ago, and it has been a real pleasure to live and work among more of "our kind" here. - Mark
• I'm reminded today as I read your blog, I simply MUST read it more often. Every time I do, my faith in the idea that there are Christians out there who really do adhere to the teachings of Christ is renewed. While I'm not a Christian, I have a profound respect for his teachings. Especially in regard to the notions of love and poverty. I cannot read your blog without taking away the spirit of love and compassion that you engender. As a political animal who steeps herself in the goings on of that world, its easy to see the jaded and the ugly. And to get caught up in all that. Reading your stuff and thinking on the meanings is almost like a "reset" button..that demonstrates to me that I need to remain grounded. -Carla

Nice to hear some good comments from readers.  If you want to share feedback on this blog leave a comment or send me an e-mail.