Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie

The End Of The World! May 21, 2011!

Religious extremists are not always easy to spot but sometimes they wear their theology on their sleeve (or t-shirt as the case may be)....

This woman was boarding a flight out of the San Jose, CA airport this morning (the same time we were headed back to Portland).  The front of her shirt read "End of the World."  

I'm hoping she went through extra security screenings.  And now I know not to plan anything after May 21, 2011.

The shirt, by the way, appears to be tied to this guy.

Finally, to all those who actually believe this:  How We Read The Bible Matters.

Christians Urge Yes On 66 and 67

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Supports Making the Tax System Fairer for Working and Middle-Class Families 

Reprinted from the Voters Pamphlet

As a voice for many in the faith community and as a provider of social services, we add our support to Measures 66 and 67. We all have a solemn responsibility to care for those who cannot do so for themselves, especially in challenging economic times like these. We believe it is fair and just to ask corporations and the most prosperous Oregonians to do their part in helping us through these tough times. 

Those of us who operate faith-based charities and non-profit organizations know that we cannot meet the needs that exist in Oregon without a strong government role in providing health care, affordable housing, job training and other services that provide hope and opportunity. Support from private donors and business partners do not provide enough resources to serve all of society’s most vulnerable populations. We need all of us to come together to ensure a healthy and prosperous future for all Oregonians. 

Ballot Measures 66 and 67 help protect the most vulnerable Oregonians and secure adequate funding for public education, health care and public safety programs. The national economic crisis has had a profound impact on all of us. But it has hit society’s most vulnerable – the working poor, seniors and children – particularly hard. 

Measures 66 and 67 protect services like early childhood education, residential care for seniors, Oregon Project Independence, and health care for working families. They also help to provide the solid foundation for quality public education that all of our children deserve. 

We urge you to Vote Yes on Measures 66 and 67–the tax fairness package that secures Oregon’s future and protects those in need. 

Join with Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and faith leaders in voting Yes on Ballot Measures 66 and 67.

The Hope Of The World

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

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 
   "Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace among those whom he favors!'

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

- Luke 2:[1-7] 8-20 (NRSV)

Senate Health Care Reform Bill Approved

The passage of the Senate health care reform bill - imperfect as it is - is nonetheless historic and a great advancement for our nation.  30 million Americans will gain coverage.  That alone is worth a victory celebration.  

Oregon Religious Leaders To Wyden, Merkley: Help Homeless Kids In School

December 20, 2009

 

The Honorable Ron Wyden

The Honorable Jeff Merkley

 

Dear Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley: 

As leaders of faith communities in Oregon deeply concerned with the needs of homeless children, we are writing to ask you both to sign-on as co-sponsors of S. 2800 and S. 2801.  These two pieces of legislation would provide critically needed educational opportunities for homeless youth and children in foster care.

As you know, on Sept. 18th, 2009, State Superintendent of Schools, Susan Castillo, announced that the number of homeless students in Oregon public schools during the 2008-2009 school year had risen 14% from the previous year, and totaled 18,059 students who were homeless for some or all of the school year.  The first academic year that Oregon conducted a statewide count of homeless students in the public schools was 2003-04, and in that year the count identified 8,143 homeless students.  The number has increased every year since, and currently stands 122% above the 2003-04 levels. 

On Thursday, November 19, US Senators Patty Murray and Al Franken introduced the "Educational Success for Children and Youth Without Homes Act of 2009," S. 2800, and the "Fostering Success in Education Act of 2009," S. 2801. 

The "Educational Success for Children and Youth Without Homes Act of 2009," S. 2800, amends the McKinney-Vento Act's Education for Homeless Children and Youth program, Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), and other related titles of the ESEA. S. 2800 makes a strong law even stronger by reinforcing and expanding its key provisions, including school stability, enrollment, and support for academic achievement. S. 2800 also expands authorized funding to meet transportation needs.

The "Fostering Success in Education Act of 2009," S. 2801, establishes a new education program to ensure that all children and youth in foster care have school stability, immediate school access, and support for academic success. S. 2801 encourages collaboration across education and child welfare agencies to cover the cost of transportation to enable foster youth to continue in their school of origin when it is in their best interest, with ultimate responsibility for the cost of transportation on child welfare agencies when necessary. S. 2801 requires school districts to collaborate with child welfare agencies to facilitate transportation in a cost-effective manner.

Oregon children would greatly benefit from both these pieces of legislation.  As Oregon’s faith community works to alleviate homelessness through faith-based shelters, support services, fund raising, and advocacy we need the immediate assistance of our two senators as co-sponsors of S. 2800 and S. 2801.  

Please contact Rev. Chuck Currie at 971-322-7920 or [email protected] with any additional questions.

Sincerely,

The Rev. Chuck Currie

United Church of Christ Minister

Portland, Oregon

 

The Rev. Dr. Arvin Luchs

Senior Minister

First United Methodist Church

Portland, Oregon

 

Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin

Temple Beth Israel

Eugene, Oregon 

 

The Rev. Dr. Ian Doescher

Pastor

Calvary Presbyterian Church

Portland, Oregon

 

The Rev. Dr. David L. Wheeler

First Baptist Church

Portland, Oregon

 

Wajdi Said

President and Co-Founder

Muslim Educational Trust

Portland, Oregon

 

Rania Ayoub

Director of Public Relations

Muslim Educational Trust

Portland, Oregon

 

The Rev. Thomas English

St. Mary's Episcopal Church (Jail and Prison Ministry)

Eugene, Oregon

 

Dr. Rex Hagans

Member, Public Policy Committee

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

 

The Rev. Cecil Charles Prescod, OCC

Director of Christian Education and Youth Ministries

Ainsworth United Church of Christ

Portland, Oregon

 

The Reverend Stephen Schafroth, Deacon

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

The Dalles, Oregon

Council, Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Oregon

Deputy, General Convention of The Episcopal Church

 

The Rev. Ryan J. Lambert

Associate Pastor

First Congregational

United Church of Christ

Corvallis, Oregon

 

Eric Cannon

Chair

Interfaith Committee on Homelessness

Washington County, Oregon

 

Sister Mary Kay Lampert

Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary

Portland, Oregon

 

Sister Rosemary Anne Parker

Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary

Portland, Oregon

 

Jan Elfers

Director of Member Relations

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

 

The Rev. Dr. Daniel E. H. Bryant

Senior Minister

First Christian Church

(Disciples of Christ)

Eugene, Oregon

 

The Rev. Mary Sue Evers

Minister

Cedar Hills United Church of Christ

Beaverton, Oregon

 

The Rev. Kate Lore

Social Justice Minister

First Unitarian Church

Portland, Oregon

 

Mira Conklin

Hispanic/Latino Ministry Developer,

Western Washington County Hispanic/Latino Ministries

The United Methodist Church

 

The Rev. Eugene Ross

Retired Conference Minister,

Central Pacific Conference

United Church of Christ

 

The Rev. Dr. Patricia Ross

Retired Senior Minister

First Congregational

United Church of Christ

Portland, Oregon

 

The Rev. John  Boonstra

Pastor

Bethel United Church of Christ

White Salmon

 

The Rev. Dr. Dennis Johnson

Eugene, Oregon

 

Linda Ebert

Co-Chair Social Justice Committee

Cedar Hills United Church of Christ

Beaverton, Oregon

 

Pastor Matthew Eagan

Calvary Lutheran Church

Hillsboro, Oregon

 

The Rev. Vicky Stifter

Riverside Community Church (United Church of Christ)

Hood River, Oregon

 

The Rev. Charlie Ross

Pastor Emeritus

Parkrose Community

United Church of Christ

Portland, Oregon

 

The Rev. John Reutter-Harrah

Prince of Life Lutheran Church

Oregon City, Oregon

 

Judy Boncaro

Office Manager

Meridian United Church of Christ

Wilsonville, Oregon

 

The Rev. Patricia Berger

Pastor

Covenant Presbyterian Church

Gresham, Oregon

 

Dr. Russ Dondero

Member, United Church of Christ, Forest Grove

Member, Interfaith Committee on Homelessness

Professor Emeritus, Pacific University

Forest Grove, Oregon

 

Bruce R. Poinsette

Moderator-Elect

Central Pacific Conference United Church of Christ

 

Brenda Kame'enui

Justice and Witness Committee

First Congregational United Church of Christ

Eugene, Oregon

 

Elaine Nelson

Social and Environmental Action Committee of the

Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Washington County

 

Deborah G. Knudson

Member

First Congregational United Church of Christ

Portland, Oregon

 

Evelyn Lamon

Member

Cedar Hills United Church of Christ

Beaverton, Oregon

 

Don Johnson

Member, Social Action Team

Zion United Church of Christ

Gresham, Oregon

 

Blair Loudat

Member

Parkrose Community United Church of Christ

Portland, Oregon

 

Heidi Evans

Member

Cedar Hills United Church of Christ

Portland, Oregon

 

Corliss Marsh

Layperson

First Congregational United Church of Christ

The Dalles, Oregon

Annie Heart

Family Bridge Shelter 

Washington County, Oregon

 

*Organizational affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.  

The Sunday Oregonian: "Portland Mayor Sam Adams' 2009 in review: a tough year"

The Sunday Oregonian looks back today on Mayor Sam Adams' first year in office - complete with a couple of quotes from me - in an artice that you can find here.

Support The Senate Health Care Reform Bill

It is expected that later today the United States Senate will take a key vote on health care reform. If 60 senators vote “aye” debate on the bill can continue and the package should be passed sometime around Christmas Eve. A "no" vote today would doom the entire health care reform movement for the foreseeable future. The Senate bill is so far from perfect that reasonable progressives have argued it should be defeated but that would be a terrible mistake. It could take another 15-20 years before we have another chance to start reform of the health care system and in the process of reconciliation with the House health care reform bill there are still opportunities for improvement.

Faithful America notes today:

We're nearing the end of a difficult road. We know the Senate bill in its current form falls short of the ideal we've all been working for these past months. We, and others in the faith community, still have deep concerns, particularly when it comes to affordability for low-income families...so why are we asking you to take action now?

Simple. We just couldn't tell the 30 million uninsured Americans who will gain coverage under this bill to wait any longer.

For three decades, we've been holding out for a better health care deal [1]. During that time, hundreds of thousands of our brothers and sisters have filed for bankruptcy or even died because they lacked adequate health insurance. For too long we have tolerated a system that consistently turns its back on those our faiths call us to care for most.

This bill will change that. While not perfect, the bill contains several important measures that will dramatically improve upton the health care status quo [2]. The Senate legislation:

• Prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions or canceling coverage if you get sick.
• Ensures that you won't lose your coverage if you lose your job.
• Curbs increases in premium costs.
• Adds consumer protections like requiring insurance companies to spend 85 cents of every dollar they receive on care, instead of administration and profits.
• Provides premium assistance for low- and middle-income families.

This is more than we've ever done to make health care affordable for all American families, but we still need your help to make it happen.

Contact your senator today: We can't wait any longer for reform.

As frustrating as the negotiating process has been, as angry as we are with the insurance companies and grandstanding legislators, at the end of the day, we believe this bill is about giving 30 million more of our friends and neighbors peace of mind, and in some cases, a lifeline.

They've waited long enough.

Please write your senator today.

Let's keep up the fight and pass the Senate health care reform bill.

United Methodists To Ben Nelson: Act More Like Jesus

The United Methodist General Board of Church and Society is asking UMC Nebraskans to reach out to their fellow United Methodist Ben Nelson, the U.S. Senator holding up health care reform.  Here's what the church agency has to say:

The need to reform our health-care system has struck extremely close to home. My nephew, who is my godson, was seriously injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver. His recovery has accumulated $97,000 in medical bills, plus he faces extensive dental reconstruction and a long rehabilitation. Because he turned 25 this year, his parents’ insurance dropped coverage on him, and he doesn’t qualify for Medicaid because he had a job in college that didn’t provide insurance. My sister has convinced her insurance company to add him to the family policy for $1,000 more per month.

This is a disturbing situation adversely affecting my godson and his family. The U.S. health-care system is broken. It needs to be repaired. Your U.S. senator, Ben Nelson, is the last holdout blocking an important step forward in the reform.

It is important that Sen. Nelson set aside his personal agenda and think about the common good. According to a recent report, if this bill fails to pass, nearly 40,000 Nebraskans will join the ranks of those without health-care coverage. Please call the senator’s office today and urge him to support health-care reform that will address such abuses: Use this toll-free number, 1-888-797-8717, and ask for Sen. Ben Nelson's office.

The report I cited also looks at key features of the Senate Health Care proposal and what it would mean for Nebraska. Click on At a Crossroads: Is Health Coverage Ahead for America? to read it.

The report emphasizes the critical importance of passing health care for all Americans. It stresses that failure to pass health-care reform does not maintain the status quo for any American who has health insurance, despite what some may claim.

The Senate is still negotiating, but here are key protections in the bill:

* No denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions.
* Prohibits lifetime or unreasonable limits/caps on coverage for people with life-threatening illnesses that require expensive long-term treatment.
* Prohibits exorbitant deductibles.
* Creates premium assistance for people with incomes up to 400% of poverty level.
* if you lose your job, it provides temporary health-care coverage while you look for another job.
* Young adults in college or in jobs without health insurance can remain on their parents’ coverage until age 26.
* Closes the “doughnut hole” in Medicare prescription drug coverage (Medicare Part D) by providing affordable drugs at a reduced rate.

Many other positive provisions worthy of our support are in the legislation.

I’m proud to be a clergy member of a denomination that declares “health care is a basic human right” and a “responsibility of government to provide its citizens.” (United Methodist Social Principle ¶162V).

Frankly, I believe Jesus set the bar high in reaching out to the disenfranchised among us. I disagree that some ought to be able to have better health care than others — and so does The United Methodist Church!

The Senate bill is significant because it contains far more protections for people and covers far more people who currently do not have insurance.

Please take action now, call Sen. Nelson at his Washington, D.C., office and/or fax him a letter TODAY. We spoke with his staff yesterday. They said the phones are very busy. Please be patient, but be persistent in trying to reach him. Use this toll-free number: 1-888-797-8717; ask for Sen. Ben Nelson's office and ask to speak to the helath-care policy person.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Cynthia Abrams
Director of Alcohol, Other Addictions and Health Care Program

Let's hope the Spirit moves the Senate to pass a meaningful reform bill - soon!

(via Politico)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays To You All

 

"Churches need help in fighting homelessness"

Read my op-ed today in The Portland Tribune.

"The Progressive Case For Passing The Senate Health Bill"

John Podesta:

Since Joe Lieberman demanded stripping the public option and Medicare buy-in provisions from the merged Senate bill, some strong progressives like Howard Deanhave argued that without a public option or a Medicare buy-in provision, the bill is a giveaway to private insurers and should be killed. Other progressive leaders like Senators Jay Rockefeller, Tom Harkin and Sherrod Brown believe that the bill represents the best chance for passing health care reform in the foreseeable future. “I’m going to vote for it,” Brown told reporters. “I can’t imagine I wouldn’t. I mean there’s too much at stake.”

Change of the magnitude envisioned by health care reformers does not come easily. There have been many frustrations and there will be more. But, as a senior White House staffer with a ringside seat for the slow death of comprehensive care in 1994, I am keenly aware of the real alternative to the bills now before us: millions more Americans without health care and billions more for health care spending as the same challenges President Clinton tried to resolve continue to metastasize unchecked.

So while I have great respect for Governor Dean, and we have worked together to provide the strongest health care reform bill for the American people, I come down on the side of the Senate passing the bill.

Click here for the ten reasons Podesta supports the bill.

Should The Senate Health Care Bill Be Rejected?

The Senate may actually be on the verge of creating a health care reform bill that should be killed.  AP reports:

WASHINGTON — Former Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean argued Wednesday that the health care overhaul bill taking shape in the Senate further empowers private insurers at the expense of consumer choice.

"You will be forced to buy insurance. If you don't, you'll pay a fine," said Dean, a physician. "It's an insurance company bailout." Interviewed on ABC's "Good Morning America," he said the bill has some good provisions, "but there has to be a line beyond which you think the bill is bad for the country."

"This is an insurance company's dream," the former Democratic presidential candidate said. "This is the Washington scramble, and it's a shame."

Dean asserted that the Senate's health care bill would not prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage for preexisting conditions and he also said it would allow the industry to charge older people far more than others for premiums.

Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., a prominent House liberal, protested the absence of any government-run insurance option in the Senate bill.

"We can't let the perfect be enemy of the good," Weiner said on CBS' "Early Show," "but we are reaching a tipping point."

The United Church of Christ, with over 1.1 million Americans across the United States, including Oregon, has called for reform that includes: 

 - Coverage for all people 

 - Access regardless of ability to pay 

 - A full set of comprehensive benefits 

 - A choice of physicians and other providers 

- Elimination of racial and ethnic and other health care disparities 

- Waiver of pre-existing condition exclusions without age limits 

 - A robust public health insurance option

The Senate bill - thanks in large part to Joe Lieberman and BIll Nelson - fails to meet many of these goals.  It may be so watered down as to not be real reform.

Take this moment to send one last message to the Senate asking for meaningful reform.

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Related Link:  Health Care and The Christian Tradition

My Afternoon At The White House

This afternoon the White House held a reception that they very kindly invited me to. Both the President and Mrs. Obama were there. President Obama made a few brief remarks about the spirit of the season. He acknowledged the difficulties being faced by the country (two wars and an economic collapse) but also pointed to some of the progress that has occurred since he took office. He specifically cited the passage of Hate Crimes legislation and the fight for health care. The president didn’t take credit for those accomplishments. Instead he offered thanks to the American people for our collective efforts both in Washington and across the country to bring real and lasting change to the United States. In the spirit of the season, he asked the American people to remember the needs of the “least of these.”

It was a great honor for me to shake the hands of both President and Mrs. Obama and to exchange a few words.

The first time that I visited the White House was in 1984 as a student at Meadow Park Junior High in Beaverton, Oregon. A group of ninth graders from Meadow Park were on a field trip to Washington, DC. My second visit was in 1993 on the day President Clinton was inaugurated. All I did that day was walk through a security entrance to take my seat on what was called the “President’s Row” to watch the parade. 

Today was quite a different experience. Photo ID was required at three different check points before you even went through a security scan. Once inside the White House a Marine in a dress uniform greeted you and Navy stewards directed traffic and acted as tour guides. As you might imagine, there was a spectacular spread of food. There was live music – including a full choir – in several rooms. This was one of dozens of holiday parties being held at the White House this year. Many religious leaders were in attendance and it was disappointing to me that I wasn’t able to meet all the folks I had hoped to talk with. There was just too much going on to connect with everyone. 

However, I did get the chance to speak with The Rev. Geoffrey Black, the new general minister and president of the United Church of Christ. Also in attendance was Joshua DuBois, special assistant to the president and executive director of the White House Office on Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and Paul Monteiro, who works in the White House Office of Public Engagement. I got to know these two during the 2008 campaign and we’ve kept in touch since. But this was the first time I’d had the chance to speak with them face-to-face since the election. You have to marvel at the quality of people who work for the president.  Meeting and talking with The Most Rev. Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America was another highpoint of the afternoon for me. 

Before heading over to the White House I visited a very different place: the offices of the National Coalition for the Homeless. This gave me a chance to meet their new executive director and to reconnect with old friends. I served on the NCH board for several years in the 1990s. Like the staff at the White House, the folks at NCH are deeply committed to making our nation a better place. During a time of growing poverty and homelessness they are doing all they can to address this moral crisis. When you make gifts this year please consider supporting their important work.

Above Photos:  The First Lady and the President, me hanging out in the Diplomatic Room,and The Rev. Geoffrey Black, the new general minister and president of the United Church of Christ.

Standing with The Most Rev. Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

 Choir performing in the East Room

White House Ginger Bread House (complete with the First Lady's garden and Bo, the presidential dog.

The official portrait of President Kennedy that hangs in the White House.

The invitation sent to me by the White House.

Related Post: Hanging Out With Barack Obama (2007)

Related Post:  Hanging Out With Barack Obama and Bill Richardson (2008)

Portland Needs Real Leadership On The City Council

Read my post "Portland Needs Real Leadership On The City Council" on Blue Oregon.

The Portland Tribune Story On Homelessness & Churches Misses The Real Story

34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” 37Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” 40And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,* you did it to me.”

- Matthew 25:34-39 (NRSV)

The Portland Tribune published an article this morning about how the City of Portland and Multnomah County are approaching churches to help shelter families this winter. A central argument made in the article is that churches are not doing enough to help those who are homeless (a point helped along with unfortunate comments from Jean DeMaster of Human Solutions that lack context). And while I agree that communities of faith can and should do more the article lacks many examples of where churches are active and how the faith community is in the planning stages of a major new effort to address the needs of homeless families and homeless students in public school. First, some excerpts from the paper:

Two weeks ago, as winter began to take hold in the city, Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish, in charge of the city’s housing bureau, and county Commissioner Deborah Kafoury sent an unusual letter to 239 Portland area churches (and one synagogue). Typically, city officials writing to private institutions, even religious ones, are making demands. This letter was more in the form of a plea — to help house homeless families. 

As of last week, neither Fish nor Kafoury had heard from any churches willing to answer their plea. If history is any guide, they aren’t likely to... 

But this is not the first time Portland’s churches have been approached. Jean DeMaster, executive director of Human Solutions, which runs the Daybreak program, has been trying to add to her nine participating churches for years. In fact, DeMaster says, she and her staff have called 200 churches asking them to provide basement or classroom space for the homeless families served by Daybreak. All of those churches, many the same ones written to by Fish and Kafoury, said no.

What those comments ignore is that many churches are already involved.  The Goose Hollow Family Shelter at First United Methodist Church, that I helped to start and later served as the executive director at, draws support from over 20 different congregations.  The Daybreak shelter itself has support from nearly 20 congregations (a point mentioned late in the article).  First Congregational United Church of Christ in downtown Portland, my home congregation and where I was ordained, operated a shelter for homeless youth for seven years until a permanent facility could be built.  Last year evangelical churches raised over $100,000 to support homeless programs in the Metro area.  Transition Projects, the largest provider of services to homeless single adults in Portland, was started by the faith community, and continues to rely on churches and others for meals and financial support.  JOIN has recently started a partnership with Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and a Greek Orthodox congregation.  First Unitarian Church of Portland recently opened a day shelter for homeless families.  Churches in East Multnomah County started Snow-Cap and continue to provide the bulk of their support and volunteers.  In recent years the Interfaith Committee on Homelessness in Washington County has engaged dozens of churches to work on homeless issues.  Many churches also provide volunteer support and financial gifts.  This is true state-wide.

The faith community is also planning a summit meeting on homeless families and homeless children in public schools to be held early next year.  Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is spearheading the project (I sit on their public policy committee).  The aim of the summit is to address the needs of the 18,000 homeless students now being served by Oregon's public schools.  Our hope is to bring together Oregon's interfaith community, elected officials, educators and business leaders to discuss how we can help schools serve these children and to talk about ways to end family homelessness. 

To be fair, the journalist who wrote the article did give me the chance to express some of this:

...opening their doors is not that easy for many churches, says Chuck Currie, a United Church of Christ minister and longtime homeless advocate. Many Portland churches, he points out, have suffered declining membership for years, and almost all do some sort of social outreach work already.

“I think it’s fair for Deb (Kafoury) and Nick (Fish) to ask churches to become involved,” Currie says. “Being involved is central to our missions. It’s absolutely fair. But at the same time, winter is not an emergency. It happens every year at the same time. And their letter, while appropriate, probably should have been sent six months ago.”

Currie says he doesn’t expect churches to respond positively to the letter from Fish and Kafoury because most churches can’t act that quickly.

“I’m not saying churches can’t do more, and there are some communities of faith that aren’t doing enough,” Currie says. “But there are churches that are doing a lot, and they have been doing a lot for a long time.”

What the article missed - and this was a point that I stressed - is that it isn't the job of the faith community to take care of all those who are homeless.  Frankly, churches don't have the capacity in terms of volunteers or money to do so.  Ending homelessness will only occur when we build enough housing, provide universal health care, offer living wage jobs, and open enough treatment programs for those suffering from mental health issues and addictions. 

As I told the author, Kafoury and Fish should follow-up with a letter to the business community asking them to support Measures 66 and 67, on the ballot this January.  Right now many in the business community are opposing these measures that would modestly increase taxes on business.  Many multi-million corporations get away with paying a $10.00 (yep, ten dollar) minimum tax in Oregon.  Measures 66 and 67 would slightly increase that fee.  Without the increase we'll see further cuts that will lead to reduced services and increased homelessness and poverty.  Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and many in the faith community strongly support these two measures.  When I mentioned this to The Portland Tribune I was told there wasn't room in the article to talk about taxes.  But homelessness is an economic crisis and in ignoring the economics of homelessness The Portland Tribune missed covering the real story.

Homelessness is a moral crisis and I'd like to see the faith community more engaged.  But to point the finger at churches isn't fair, it doesn't tell the real story, and it ignores that government and business are not doing enough to actually end homelessness,  In fact, government and business do a lot to cause homelessness.     

Many Christians Will Oppose Nelson-Hatch-Casey Amendment To Senate Health Reform Bill

Update: The Nelson-Hatch-Casey Amendment was defeated on 12/08/09.

Abortion, the Church and Health Care Reform

As Congress debates health care reform the most divisive issue is not the public option or a single payer style health care system. Unfortunately, abortion has become the defining issue. 

People of faith are as divided as the politicians. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has pushed for new restrictions on abortion but not all Christians are of the same mind. Most mainline Christian denominations have argued in favor of a woman’s right to make her own reproductive health care choices for decades. The General Synod of the United Church of Christ, for example, has said that “access to safe and legal abortion is consistent with a woman’s right to follow the dictates of her own faith and beliefs in determining when and if she should have children, and it has supported comprehensive sexuality education as one measure to prevent unwanted or unplanned pregnancies, and to create healthy and responsible sexual persons and relationships.” 

The 16th General Synod of the United Church of Christ adopted a resolution in 1987 that “affirms the sacredness of all life, and the need to protect and defend human life in particular” and that “encourages persons facing unplanned pregnancies to consider giving birth and parenting the child, or releasing the child for adoption, before abortion.” 

As the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice notes, while there are some mentions concerning the termination of pregnancies in the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament there are no prohibitions against abortion despite the fact that it was practiced in ancient times (without the benefit of modern medical care and often to the detriment of the health of the woman). 

Modern Christians are forced to look beyond Scripture alone for guidance on this and many other issues. Charles Wesley, the founder of Methodism, can be our guide. He argued that Christians should rely on Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience as we seek to be guided by the Holy Spirit in important matters. Unfortunately, the tradition of the church has nearly always been to subjugate women to the wishes of men. It is to the collective benefit of the church universal that women’s voices are now being heard more clearly as ordained ministers and leaders. 

Is there room for error in using a Wesleyan theological model for approaching difficult modern social issues? Yes. But there is also clearly room for error in applying Scripture to issues that were not addressed in Scripture. Our modern existence is fraught with such dilemmas and that is why personal choice becomes so important. 

The United Methodist Church stated in 2008 that: “Our belief in the sanctity of unborn human life makes us reluctant to approve abortion. But we are equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother and the unborn child. We recognize tragic conflicts of life with life that may justify abortion, and in such cases we support the legal option of abortion under proper medical procedures.” 

None of this matters, however, to those who see abortion as the taking of a life. Frankly, I can respect those who take this position. It is particularly easy to respect such voices when they apply a consistent “ethic of life” that applies not only to abortion but also to the death penalty and war. Former U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield, a longtime Republican from Oregon who retired from office in 1997, is a Baptist whose experiences as a solider during World War II left him deeply committed to the respect of life. As such, he led efforts in the senate to oppose military spending, to fight the death penalty and to oppose abortion. He earned my vote during his final campaign because I believed in the sincerity of his principles even as I differed with his conclusions regarding abortion. 

While I strongly disagree with the attempts by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to inject abortion into the health care reform debate I respect their right to do so and know that they have taken such steps only after prayerful consideration. At the urging of the bishops and others, an amendment to the health care reform bill now under debate by the senate would add further restrictions against legal abortion. Pro-choice religious leaders countered with a statement today that noted that the “Senate bill is already abortion neutral, an appropriate reflection of the fact that it is intended to serve Americans of many diverse religious and moral views. The bill includes compromise language that maintains current law, prohibiting federal funds from being used to pay for abortion services, while still allowing women the option to use their own private funds to pay for abortion care.” Hopefully, a majority in Congress will support a health care reform bill that rejects any efforts to further restrict access to abortion. 

The debate over health care reform should be centered around getting coverage for the 47 million Americans who go without. The National of Council of Churches in Christ USA, with the support of Roman Catholics, Muslims, Jews and Protestants from across the theological spectrum, released a statement earlier this year arguing that health care reform is needed "so that all of our neighbors, especially the people living in poverty, children, and the aged, can be assured of the fullness of life that is central to the holy vision of a beloved and peaceable community."  All of our energy should be focused on expanding health care. (Related Link: Health care and the Christian tradition)  

Before this flair up there was progress made regarding so-called “common ground” proposals that would limit the need for abortion. Just this summer the “Preventing Unintended Pregnancies, Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Pregnant Women and Parents Act" was introduced in the House. This act, which would make “progress toward the shared goal of reducing the need for abortion by preventing unintended pregnancies and supporting pregnant women and families” has support from leading pro-life and pro-choice advocates in the faith community. After all, if a woman feels that she is forced into having an abortion because of economic factors that isn’t really a choice. We should do all that we can as a nation to help women and families. That’s a conversation I want to return to once health care reform has been completed.

A Prayer for Copenhagen

A Prayer for Copenhagen

Creator God,

You gave us stewardship over creation In The Beginning.
Over the plants.
Over the soil.
Over the animals.
Over the earth.

Our sin is that we have failed your trust.
Over the plants.
Over the soil.
Over the animals.
Over the earth.

Man-made climate change threatens the sacred balance of life.
Temperatures are climbing.
The arctic is melting.
Entire species are perishing. 
Even the future of humanity is at risk.

Help us, O God, to reconcile with the earth and with you.
Let wisdom come to our leaders and to all people.
Give us the courage to act during this time of decision.
Sustain us with Hope as we wrestle with the consequences of failure. 
May we once again earn the trust you gave humanity so long ago.

For this – for the future of all creation - we pray.

Amen. 

- Rev. Chuck Currie
http://www.chuckcurrie.com 

Note: World leaders begin discussions today (Monday, December 07, 2009) in Copenhagen on how to address the climate change crisis. More information on their efforts can be found at from the United Nations.

Health Care Vigil In Portland On Tues., Dec. 8th

I wanted to make you aware of this health care vigil set to occur in downtown Portland this coming Tuesday at 5:30 pm. As you know, the Senate is debating health care reform right now. Please pass this information around to your friends, family, congregation members, and contacts. I've been asked to be one of the two speakers at this event - the other will be a representative from Senator Merkley's office - and would love to see you there. 

Here's the info from MoveOn.org:

Get this: A decisive majority of Americans—including 86% of Democrats—want a public option in health care this year, according to a new poll.¹

But a tiny group of conservative Democratic senators is days away from gutting the Senate bill's public option—the core of progressive health care reform.²

So we're fighting back: On Tuesday, we're mobilizing hundreds of emergency health care vigils nationwide.

Tens of thousands of us gathering coast to coast will be a powerful, visceral reminder to Congress that America wants a public option—no matter what conservative obstructionists and their Big Insurance friends say.  

There's a vigil in Portland on Tuesday at 5:30 PM—can you come? Click here for details and to RSVP:

Yes, I'll be there on Tuesday at 5:30 PM

Sorry, I can't make it 

With these vigils, we'll remind Congress that Americans need real reform now. Every day, 2,500 people go bankrupt because of medical costs and 14,000 lose their insurance, while millions more struggle with no coverage at all. It's an untenable situation and we need a solution immediately. 

But four senators—who represent 4% of America—could succeed in denying the vast majority of us the health care reform we want and need. It's ridiculous.

So on Tuesday, thousands will gather at vigils where we'll hear stories from regular Americans who are hurting under our broken system, community leaders fighting for real reform, and progressive lawmakers working with us to win. Vigils like these are a great way to make an impact as this debate intensifies. We'll also invite the media, so our message gets across far and wide. 

Can you come to the vigil in Portland on Tuesday? The more of us who gather, the louder our message. We need as many people there as possible. 

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Related Link:  Health Care and The Christian Tradition

I Will Not Support Dan Saltzman For Re-election

Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman is a good and decent public servant whose work to create the Children’s Investment Fund will be his lasting legacy. Unfortunately, that first term success for the three term commissioner has never come with an Act II. Right now our city is in desperate need of creative and bold leadership during a time of deep recession, growing poverty, and a crisis in the Portland Police Bureau that Commissioner Saltzman oversees. His performance as police commissioner has been sorely lacking. The current members of the Portland City Council are among the most dysfunctional that I have encountered in twenty years of working with local elected leaders. That isn’t to say that Commissioner Saltzman is a failed leader. In fact, I have found him to be a person deeply concerned with Portland and have particularly valued his work on children’s issues. But Portland needs leaders right now that have more than good intentions. We need independent voices on the Council that are not beholden to special interests and who can articulate visionary solutions to the common problems we face. Our city deserves tough and principled Council members who can rally the city around a vision for a prosperous and united community. Dan Saltzman, despite all his good qualities, is not that leader. Commissioner Saltzman replaced Portland City Commissioner Gretchen Kafoury when she retired from public office but he never has managed to fill her shoes. As the campaign develops I will be looking for a progressive voice to support that I have confidence will put our great city back on the right track.

President Will Send 30,000 More Troops To Afghanistan. Are We On The Right Path?

Tonight President Obama out lined his plans to send an additional 30,000 troops to stop the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan. He also stated his desire to remove all U.S. forces starting in mid-2011. As the president noted in his address to the nation from West Point, Afghanistan was largely ignored after American forces first invaded after the 9/11 attacks in 2001 in favor of the war in Iraq: 

After escaping across the border into Pakistan in 2001 and 2002, al Qaeda's leadership established a safe haven there. Although a legitimate government was elected by the Afghan people, it's been hampered by corruption, the drug trade, an under-developed economy, and insufficient security forces. 

Over the last several years, the Taliban has maintained common cause with al Qaeda, as they both seek an overthrow of the Afghan government. Gradually, the Taliban has begun to control additional swaths of territory in Afghanistan, while engaging in increasingly brazen and devastating attacks of terrorism against the Pakistani people. 

Now, throughout this period, our troop levels in Afghanistan remained a fraction of what they were in Iraq. When I took office, we had just over 32,000 Americans serving in Afghanistan, compared to 160,000 in Iraq at the peak of the war. Commanders in Afghanistan repeatedly asked for support to deal with the reemergence of the Taliban, but these reinforcements did not arrive. 

Religious leaders sent a petition to the president in recent weeks asking for something more than a surge in American troops.  I was one of those who signed it.  The petition was produced by the folks at Sojourners and read in part: 

We are concerned that the discussion in Washington, D.C., is far too narrow. We respectfully and prayerfully suggest that you pursue a strategy built on a humanitarian and development surge. 

Massive humanitarian assistance and sustainable development can rebuild a broken nation, inspire confidence, trust, and hope among its people, and undermine the appeal of terrorism. And it costs less - far less - than continued war. 

Lead with economic development, starting in areas that are secure, and grow from there - providing only the security necessary to protect the strategic rebuilding of the country. Do not make aid and development another weapon of war by tying it so closely to the military; rather, provide the security needed for development work to succeed. This kind of peacekeeping security might better attract the international involvement we so desperately need, both from Europe and Arab and Muslim countries. 

Pursue political and diplomatic solutions by promoting stable governance in Afghanistan and Pakistan; seeking political integration of those elements of the Taliban that are willing to cooperate; engaging with the United Nations and regional states to stabilize the region and promote economic development; and investing in international policing to prevent the spread of extremists and the use of terror. 

During his remarks tonight the president directly addressed the Afghan people: 

The people of Afghanistan have endured violence for decades. They've been confronted with occupation -- by the Soviet Union, and then by foreign al Qaeda fighters who used Afghan land for their own purposes. So tonight, I want the Afghan people to understand -- America seeks an end to this era of war and suffering. We have no interest in occupying your country. We will support efforts by the Afghan government to open the door to those Taliban who abandon violence and respect the human rights of their fellow citizens. And we will seek a partnership with Afghanistan grounded in mutual respect -- to isolate those who destroy; to strengthen those who build; to hasten the day when our troops will leave; and to forge a lasting friendship in which America is your partner, and never your patron. 

But I heard no strategy for rebuilding the country and unless we are able to do that in partnership with the Afghan people and the world community there will never be real peace in that part of the globe. The modern equivalent of a Marshall Plan is needed for both Iraq and Afghanistan but such a plan did not seem central to the president’s vision. 

At the same time, the president made a good case tonight that a swift withdrawal of the United States would do nothing to serve either the security needs of the American or Afghan people. 

But will additional forces really make any long-term difference? 

In 2006, the National Council of Churches in Christ in the USA released a statement regarding Iraq that applies to the situation in Afghanistan as well: 

… we call upon the U.S. Government to recognize that the continued presence of occupying forces has not provided meaningful security for Iraqi citizens and only exacerbates escalating violence, and begin an immediate phased withdrawal of American and coalition forces from Iraq with a timetable that provides for an expeditious final troop withdrawal. And we further call upon our government to link this withdrawal plan to benchmarks for rebuilding Iraqi society, since the reconstruction of infrastructure, the restoration of essential services, and a foundation for economic growth are necessary to nurture Iraqi hopes for a stable future, and to steps to meet the security concerns of all Iraqis, including the more vulnerable, smaller ethnic and religious communities. 

The U.S. should take no action that further harms the Afghan people. Any withdrawal here also needs to be linked to benchmarks. 

President Obama should be commended for his thoughtful approach to this mess that was inherited from the Bush Administration. But as The New York Times said tonight in an editorial, a lot of questions remain unanswered this evening: 

We are eager to see American troops come home. We don’t know whether Mr. Obama will be able to meet his July 2011 deadline to start drawing down forces. 

For that to happen, there will have to be a lot more success at training Afghan forces and improving the government’s effectiveness. 

Still, setting a deadline — so long as it is not set in stone — is a sound idea. Mr. Karzai and his aides need to know that America’s commitment is not open-ended. Mr. Obama’s generals and diplomats also need to know that their work will be closely monitored and reviewed. 

Otherwise, Mr. Obama will be hard pressed to keep his promise that this war, already the longest in American history, will not go on forever. 

It’s not clear how we will even pay for this war to continue. 

Congress needs to have an open and fair debate over these issues and America’s diverse religious communities in cooperation with the world faith community should seek to offer guidance both to U.S. officials and the public over how to best bring peace to the destabilized nation of Afghanistan. 

Little was said by the president tonight that offers me confidence that we are on the right course in the long-term.

Nonetheless, I welcome President Obama's honest assessment of the difficulties faced by the U.S. – such a welcome change after the last president – and thoughtfulness.

Pink Glove Dance

 

From the folks at Portland's Providence St. Vincent Hospital.