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April 2015
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June 2015

Portland homeless sweeps solve nothing

My latest oped in The Oregonian:

"Why do we still have a homelessness crisis after all these years? Part of it is political. Part of it is spiritual. We've never invested the resources needed to build affordable housing. The entire Metro region — Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties — needs a permanent source of funding to build affordable housing. The majority of those who are homeless are families with children and the working poor who cannot afford the high cost of housing. We need more drug treatment. We need more mental health counseling. But we need housing first.
We also need to recognize the common humanity we all share. Until then — until we acknowledge that we are our brother's keeper, our sister's keeper — we will never find the political will to end homelessness. We'll simply go on trying to manage and hide it."

Portland homeless sweeps solve nothing


A Prayer For Memorial Day 2015

409532_308224002623410_95673491_n-2Creator of us all,

This weekend we remember those who have given their lives for our nation.
May their sacrifices not be in vain.
Help us to live up to America’s highest ideals.
Give us the wisdom to seek peace over conflict.

Lift up family members grieving.
Lift up military personnel who have lost comrades.
Lift up military and civilian leaders who make difficult commands.
Lift up communities hurting from the absence of young men and women.

We too lift up those civilians killed in conflict.
Too many die unintentionally in the fog of war.
Too many die at the hands of those who do not value human life.
Lift up the families and communities where civilians have died.

War is a failure of human imagination even under the most just of reasons.
War is contrary to what we understand your will to be.
Help us lift up a vision of a just peace for the world.
Help us to lift up a vision of Shalom in broken places.

Let us beat our swords into ploughshares,
Our spears into pruning-hooks;
let nation not lift up sword against nation,
let all the people of Earth learn peace over war. (Isaiah 2:4)

In memory of those who have laid down their lives for us, we pray.

Amen.

- Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie
 

Chicago Theological Seminary Commencement 2015

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Liz Smith Currie, Katherine, Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie, and Frances

It wasn't long ago that I shared that I'd passed my oral defense and had completed all the requirements for the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree at Chicago Theological Seminary.  This weekend eight members of our family traveled to Chicago for the Commencement.  

As noted, my D.Min. work focused on researching, developing and evaluating models to teach progressive clergy how to engage in theologically grounded social action that employees social media as a vehicle for organizing.

It is vital that Christians address important social issues - such as climate change and economic inequality - using a theological framework. Otherwise, we allow conservative fundamentalists to shape the debate over the future of Christianity.  Hopefully, my work will contribute to this cause in some small way.

Chicago Theological Seminary is a unique institution.  The vision of the seminary is to "be an international force in the development of religious leadership to transform society toward greater justice and mercy."

Already CTS is offering a free online class on Just Peacemaking that offers an alternative to the theology of Just War.

My time working with the faculty, staff and students has been rewarding.  I'm looking forward to reconnecting with the CTS family in January 2016 when I join a planned CTS-sponsored interfaith study tour of Israel and Palestine.


Center for Peace & Spirituality Releases Annual Report

1795975_1494559500818577_9172863885512003863_oThe Pacific University Center for Peace and Spirituality (CPAS) has released an Annual Report for the 2014-2015 academic year.

As one of Pacific’s newer centers, CPAS has had a year of tremendous growth: sponsoring forums on racial inequality, hosting Pacific’s first-ever interfaith worship service, co-sponsoring a social justice retreat for students, launching new social media accounts, and bringing nationally known speakers, such as Sister Simone Campbell, to Woodburn and Forest Grove.

“We hope this report provides a glimpse into what has been an exciting year for us,” say Rev. Chuck Currie, CPAS director and university chaplain. “CPAS has been fortunate to have found strong support from President Lesley Hallick, diverse faculty and staff, students, and community members.”

2014-2015 Annual Report | Center for Peace and Spirituality