Emergency personnel rescue residents from flood waters brought on by Hurricane Sandy in Little Ferry, New Jersey, October 30, 2012. The giant storm Sandy wreaked havoc on the New York City subway system, flooding tunnels, garages and rail yards and threatening to paralyze the nation's largest mass-transit system for days. Photo: REUTERS/Adam Hunger, courtesy www.alertnet.org (via Church World Service)

Faith groups are among those on the front lines responding to Hurricane Sandy and they need your immediate support.

Church World Service has put out an emergency appeal for donations. ""Founded in 1946, Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of 35 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations, providing sustainable self-help and development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance around the world." The United Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ are both members of CWS.

CWS is already working with people in New Jersey and Cuba, where the hurricane hit first.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief is also actively involved in Sandy relief efforts.  UMCOR has already has "issued $10,000 emergency grants to the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, Greater New Jersey Conference, New York Conference, New York Disaster Interfaith Services, and the North Carolina Conference."

In Cleveland, the national offices of the United Church of Christ (UCC) were closed due to high winds and power outages caused by Sandy (yes, the storm impact areas as far west as Ohio).  United Church News reports that the UCC is "coordinating with our partners, including the Latin American Caribbean Area Office of Global Ministries, Church World Service, and the ACT Alliance, all of whom are currently assessing needs." 

All UMCOR and UCC relief efforts are being coordinated with CWS, federal and state agencies, and groups like the Red Cross.

Please consider helping these church organizations working to provide assistance in the wake of this historic storm.

As the nation deals with the impact of Hurricane Sandy it ought to be a time to set aside partisan politics - even with the election just a week away. But Mitt Romney has decided to continue campaigning in the battleground state of Ohio (renaming his election rallies "Storm Aids Rallies"). He is putting politics before country.

Press badge for today's "storm relief event" in Ohio: twitter.com/Ari_Shapiro/st…

— Ari Shapiro (@Ari_Shapiro) October 30, 2012

Compare that to the response of people like President Obama and GOP New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a strong ally of Governor Romney.  When asked about the election, President Obama (who has returned to the White House to oversee relief efforts) said:

I am not worried at this point about the impact on the election.  I’m worried about the impact on families, and I’m worried about the impact on our first responders.  I’m worried about the impact on our economy and on transportation. 

The election will take care of itself next week.  Right now, our number-one priority is to make sure that we are saving lives, that our search-and-rescue teams are going to be in place, that people are going to get the food, the water, the shelter that they need in case of emergency, and that we respond as quickly as possible to get the economy back on track.

Governor Christie had the same message this morning.  When asked if Romney would be joining him in New Jersey this week the governor declared:

“I’ve got a job to do here in New Jersey that’s much bigger than presidential politics, and I could care less about any of that stuff. I have a job to do. I’ve got 2.4 million people out of power. I’ve got devastation on the Shore. I’ve got floods in the northern part of my state. If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics, then you don’t know me.”

Meanwhile, federal officials and non-profits, including faith-based groups, are working with leaders like President Obama and Governor Christie to respond.

FEMA is the lead agency.  The New York Times notes:

Most Americans have never heard of the National Response Coordination Center, but they’re lucky it exists on days of lethal winds and flood tides. The center is the war room of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where officials gather to decide where rescuers should go, where drinking water should be shipped, and how to assist hospitals that have to evacuate. 

Gov. Christie reports on how the federal response is working:

“It’s been very good working with the president,” Christie said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “He and his administration have been coordinating with us. It’s been wonderful.”

On NBC’s “Today,” Christie said the president had been “outstanding” and FEMA’s response has been “excellent.”

As we keep all those impacted by the storm in our prayers today, let's  set aside the usual partisan politics and figure out how we can help.

Church World Service (CWS) has issued an emergency appeal for donations. 

"Founded in 1946, Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of 35 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations, providing sustainable self-help and development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance around the world."  The United Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ are both members of CWS.

The Red Cross is also in need of support.

Public education has long been a concern of the faith community - including the National Council of Churches, and both the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church (the two denominations I serve).  If passed, Measure 26-144 will improve safety and accessibility across Portland and upgrade middle school science class rooms. The measure has my full support.

The National Council of Churches stated in a Pastoral Letter on education in 2010 that:

As we strive to move our imperfect world closer to the realm of God, we recognize that we are all responsible for making sure that public schools, as primary civic institutions, embody our love for one another. We are called to create institutions that serve families and children with hospitality. We are called to work as citizens for the resources that will support a climate of trust and community within each public school.

Right now too many of our schools are in disrepair.  My daughters attend a public school built nearly 100 years ago that - like many neighborhood schools - is in need of seismic upgrades.

Measure 26-144 moves us closer to being a community that shows true hospitality for our children and provides new opportunities for learning that will make our entire community stronger.

I feel so strongly about this issue that just today I made a donation to the campaign to help pay for a get-out-the-vote effort in the final days of this fall campaign.  You can donate here to show your support. 

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon - our state-wide association of churches - has released their annual ballot measure voter guide. People of good faith can come to different conclusions on these issues. I generally agree with these recommendations and hope you download the full guide and share it with others. 

It is with great pleasure that Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) presents the 2012 Voters’ Guide to Oregon Ballot Measures.

This Nov. 6 general election, like all elections, is important for people of faith, and for all Oregonians. This guide provides information, analysis and recommendations for the nine ballot measures on the state ballot. We hope our discussion of the ballot measures will provide valuable insights for Oregon’s voters, especially for people whose faith is their ultimate guide. Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon’s ballot measure recommendations reflect a vote of its Board of Directors, based on the advice of its Public Policy Advocacy Committee. EMO has also adopted a “Statement of Social Principles” that guides our public policy work. In this statement, we recognize the value of religious involvement with civic affairs and the governmental process, and we identify core principles and areas of social concern:

We affirm the value of love, the respect of all life, and the dignity of every human being ... In our public witness we embrace compassion and forgiveness in all relationships, non-violence, and working in constructive and creative ways to make a better world. We commit ourselves to a society in which all persons are free to live together in peace and harmony. We affirm an inclusive community for nurturing the shared life of humankind.

As we consider each ballot measure, we consider arguments offered by both supporters and opponents of each measure, and we rely on the Scriptures, our social principles, our past positions on similar measures, and dialogue and deliberation in our Public Policy Advocacy Committee and among the Board of Directors. We ask that you prayerfully consider the wisdom of your own tradition and engage in a thoughtful process of discernment in exercising your civic duty.

The EMO “Statement of Social Principles” identifies six key areas of social concern. These fall under the broad headings of Peace and Global Justice, Human Rights and Religious Freedom, Environmental Stewardship, Economic Justice, Family and Community Well-being, and Public Witness and the Common Good. In our discussions of the individual ballot measures found in this guide, we identified which area or areas of concern relate to each measure. The complete statement of social principles can be found on our website.

One section of our statement of social principles that was clearly related to several of the ballot measures was the section on Family and Community Well-being, part of which reads as follows:

Even as understandings of “family” continue to change, we affirm this evolving institution as an important locus of personal relations and childhood development. EMO is committed to promote both the welfare of all children and the overall health and economic stability of families and communities.

In fact, two primary themes run through our ballot measure recommendations for this election. The first is protecting the well-being and economic security of Oregon families and communities. The second is maintaining adequate government revenues for public education and other critical public programs.

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is a statewide association of Christian denominations, congregations, ecumenical organizations and interfaith partners working together to improve the lives of Oregonians through community ministry, ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, environmental ministry and public policy advocacy.

Oregon radio talk show host Bill Post might be loved by figures such as GOP chair Allen Alley but his program and Facebook book page crosses lines into extremist territory - including blatant racism.

Consider this picture placed on his Facebook wall, a post he has kept up since last month, which compares President Obama to a monkey.  Post's only comment on the picture that he allows on his site is that he would like to take a poll on the appropriates on the image.

Oregon is better than this and so is our nation.

I urge Mr. Post to remove this image and to apologize to President Obama and the people of Oregon for engaging in race baiting of the worst kind.

Political leaders such as Allen Alley, along with the Oregon GOP, and all those who appear on Mr. Post's program seeking support should urge Mr. Post to take these actions and promise not to appear on his program if he refuses.

Mr. Post often talks about his Christian faith.  As a minister, I believe that good people of faith can come to different conclusions on how to vote in this election.  But racism is sin.  

(Update: I'll note that in a comment left last night by Mr. Post he claims to have condemned this image.  That comment is not visible, however. I would hope that he has in some way.  What are visible, however, are other postings: One by Mr. Post defending a GOP congressional candidate who has written articles defending slavery and another by one of Mr. Post's listeners suggesting that the president eats puppies.)

Today on the front page of The Huffington Post:

Mitt Romney's debate performance last night showed Americans one thing: It's politics that shapes his inner core and not, it would appear, religious values. A man willing to shift his opinions on so many major issues is defined much less by religion than ambition.

My latest op-ed.

Hurricane Hazel Currie, our amazing Australian Cattle Dog, lost her battle to kidney disease today.  She was proceeded in death by her companion Hurricane Hugo B. Currie.  Hazel was a feisty dog with great intelligence and agility.  A six foot fence wasn't big enough. She'd jump right over it.  So we had to build an 8 foot fence.  With Hugo, she went to work with me most days and enjoyed barking at the mailman and unexpected parishioners.  Her favorite job of all time was herding Hugo. Like Hugo, Hazel was named after a famous South Carolina hurricane.  Hazel was a little wary when Frances and Katherine, our daughters, were born but soon discovered she could herd them. She also kept watch over them at the park. Dogs are people too, I say, and I will forever miss my friend Hazel. 

Frances and Hazel running at Grandma Judy's house on Puget Island

Hugo and Hazel in 2006 with "Big Dog," one of the twin's toys 

When my mother, Judy Bright, was diagnosed over a year ago with a terminal form of cancer there seemed only two choices for me: either laugh at the absurdity of it all or cry. I've done both, of course, but decided when she first got sick that I would go to bed each night laughing at something.  

So I've downloaded comedy shows and albums and each night before going to bed - even now, six months after my mother passed - I listen to them still. Laughter became even more important when in my mother's final months I was diagnosed with cancer.  Look, you've got to laugh at that.  

There we were - my mom and me, her dying and me recovering from surgery - sitting side by side taking pain medications and making fun of our predicament.  We certainly weren't going to sit there and feel sorry for ourselves all day, though we did some of that too.

I asked friends on Facebook and elsewhere for recommendations for good comedians I should try out.  Most didn't know how these voices of laughter were and still are sustaining me during a time of grief and transition.  My old friend Jim Hinds suggested I listen to a woman named Tig Notaro. Never heard of her before but I gave her a try and enjoyed her low-key approach to comedy.  I laughed a lot at her stories.

Tig Notaro is in the news a lot now because of a recent set she did just after learning she had cancer - shortly after her mother tragically died and she went through a breakup.

She jokes:  

"God never gives you more than you can handle. Never.  Never.  When you've had it God goes alright, that's it.  I just keep picturing God going: you know what, I think she can take a little more..."

"Why, God, Why?...God is insane...If there at all." 

The set is incredibly honest.  She asks the questions we all ask.  And I cannot help hearing some of my own story in hers.  I don't believe in a God that causes cancer, and I don't believe in a God who puts people in impossible situations to test them.  But these are common understandings of God and sometimes I wish there was a Superman version of God who could fix all our problems but the God I know walks the journey of life with us rather than pre-ordaining a future that we'll simply follow or who will rescue us (except perhaps in ways that we don't understand fully).

Tig Notaro is a gift from God.  She might not know that.  So are all the other comedians who have been my companions these many months of grief and, for me, also recovery.  They lift me up on eagles wings and help me see the truly funny side of the parts of our lives that are out of our control as part of the human experience.  I am grateful to Tig Notaro for sharing her story and for letting me laugh along with it. 

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Vote No on Measure 84 and Yes on Measure 85.

That’s the message from Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, our state-wide association of churches, and a coalition of those who care about the common good of Oregon.

Measure 84 ends Oregon’s Estate tax.  Defend Oregon notes: “This is a massive tax break that only benefits the heirs of millionaires. Oregon’s Estate Tax only applies to estates worth more than $1 million. This tax break would only apply to less than 750 of the richest estates each year, while forcing cuts to schools and services that middle-class families depend on.”

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon recommends a “NO” Vote on Measure 84: — “Vote “NO” on Measure 84 based on social principles regarding human rights, economic justice and support for adequate government revenue. At a time of growing economic inequality, and underfunding of public education and other critical state programs, it makes no sense to eliminate estate taxes that affect only a small percentage of wealthy Oregonians and that impose a modest and reasonable rate of taxation on the transfer of estates only after exempting the first one million dollars of value from taxation.”

Measure 85 reforms Oregon’s corporate kicker.  Again, Defend Oregon explains: “Measure 85 will reform the corporate kicker by putting money into Oregon K‐12 classrooms, rather than back into the pockets of large, out‐of-state corporations. That would mean lowering class sizes and restoring important school programs.

These funds would also help get Oregon schools off of the financial roller coaster and provide more stability, even in economically tough years.”

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon urges a “YES” vote on Measure 85 — “Vote “YES” on Measure 85, based on human right to public education and need for adequate levels of government revenue. Due primarily to state budget cuts, Oregon schools have been forced to lay off nearly 16 percent of teachers (plus thousands of support and administrative staff ), while average class sizes have climbed by nearly 20 percent over the last three years, according to data collected by the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators.

Other critical state programs have also suffered dramatic cuts. Eliminating the corporate kicker, which EMO opposed when it was first proposed, is a small but important step toward restoring adequate levels of school funding.”

My hope had been to schedule a meeting with faith leaders to discuss these two important issues but busy schedules have made that impossible.  I invite you to contact Naivasha Dean with Defend Oregon at 503-239-8029 with questions about these measures and for information on how your faith community might become involved in the campaign.

Best wishes,

 

 

 

Rev. Chuck Currie

The Common Cup Shelter at Sunnyside Church, one of my two congregations, operates from November 1st to March 31st each year, serving homeless families for periods up to 30 days. The Shelter relies on volunteers and donations for all of its needs. Contact Laurie Abeling  (503-807-9466) or visit http://www.commoncupshelter.org/ for more information. 

You can support the Shelter in a variety of ways:

• Donations of money for supplies for the part time volunteer coordinator.
• In-kind donations: twin sheets, pillowcases, towels, toiletries, cleaning supplies, laundry soap and other needs.
• Volunteer shelter hosts – sleep at the shelter once a month. Training provided.
• Keep Common Cup Shelter, and the families it serves, in your prayers.

Are you registered to vote?

October 9– Voter Registration Deadline: PA

October 9 – Voter Registration Deadlines: CO, FL, MI, NM, OH,

October 9 – New Mexico Early Voting Beings

October 11 – Vice Presidential Debate in Danville, KY

October 12 – Voter Registration Postmark Deadline: NC

October 15 – Voter Registration Deadline: VA

October 16 – 2^nd Presidential Debate in Hempstead, NY

October 6 – Voter Registration Deadline: NV

October 17 – Voter Registration Deadline: WI

October 16 - Voter Registration Deadline: OR

October 18 – North Carolina Early Voting Begins

October 20 – Nevada Early Voting Begins

October 22 – 3^rd Presidential Debate in Boca Raton, FL

October 22 – Colorado & Wisconsin Early Voting Begins: CO, WI (WI doesn’t include Saturdays and Sundays)

October 27 – Florida Early Voting Begins

November 2 – Early Vote Deadlines: CO, OH, WI

November 2 – Absentee Voting Deadline: PA

November 3 – Absentee Voting Deadline: OH

November 3 – Early Vote Deadlines: FL, NC, NM

With only 31 days left before the election there is little time to register and organize. Visit http://www.barackobama.com/faith to learn more about President Obama's agenda to move America forward. And visit The Huffington Post to read about why I've offered the president my personal support. Despite inheriting a wrecked economy, President Obama has indeed moved our nation in the right direction -- by creating jobs and reforming our health care system -- in ways that advance the common good. We need Barack Obama to continue the hard work of repairing our nation.