Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie

The Christian Left's Sunday Offering: Fight Cancer On Breast Cancer Awareness Sunday

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

Today, in partnership with The Christian Left, I invite you to participate in the Sunday Offering by making a contribution to the Susan G. Komen Foundation at https://secure.info-komen.org/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=5223&5223.donation=form1&scid=1041&JServSessionIdr004=5nli2s6kj3.app339b. 

Today is Breast Cancer Awareness Sunday.

Susan G. Komen fought breast cancer with her heart, body and soul. Throughout her diagnosis, treatments, and endless days in the hospital, she spent her time thinking of ways to make life better for other women battling breast cancer instead of worrying about her own situation. That concern for others continued even as Susan neared the end of her fight. Moved by Susan’s compassion for others and committed to making a difference, Nancy G. Brinker promised her sister that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. 

That promise is now Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested more than $1.9 billion since inception in 1982. As the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, we’re working together to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® and the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure®, and generous contributions from our partners, sponsors and fellow supporters, we have become the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.

All that we have belongs to God. Please support this wonderful organization and make sure to be screened and to encourage your friends to do the same.  It can make the difference between life and death.

The Christian Left's Sunday Offering: Support Interfaith Worker Justice

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

Today, in partnership with The Christian Left, I invite you to participate in the Sunday Offering by making a contribution to Interfaith Worker Justice at https://www.chi-cash-advance.com/sforms/appeal623/Contribute.aspx. 

Interfaith Worker Justice has been an early and important supporter of the Occupy America / Occupy Wall Street movement.

Mission

Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ) is a network of people of faith that calls upon our religious values in order to educate, organize, and mobilize the religious community in the United States on issues and campaigns that will improve wages, benefits, and conditions for workers, and give voice to workers, especially workers in low-wage jobs.

Vision

IWJ envisions the religious community, acting on its values in creative and strategic ways, as a powerful leader in creating and sustaining a nation where all workers share in the prosperity of our society, enjoy the fundamental human right to organize, and lead dignified lives as a result of their labor.

IWJ envisions a nation where all workers enjoy the rights to: 

• Wages, health care, and pensions that allow workers to raise families and retire with dignity;
• Safe working conditions;
• Organize and bargain collectively to improve wages, benefits, and conditions without harassment, intimidation, or retaliation;
• Equal protection under labor law - regardless of immigration status - and an end to the practice of pitting immigrant and U.S.-born workers against one another; 
• Fair and just participation in a global economy that promotes the welfare of both domestic and foreign workers.

In addition to enjoying these rights, IWJ also believes workers are responsible to:

• Be in solidarity with other workers in the pursuit of workplace justice; and
• Live in harmony with people around the world.

Employers have a responsibility to respect these rights; and elected officials have a responsibility to create public policies that promote and enforce these rights.  

To ensure that employers respect these rights and that workers can exercise their responsibilities, new and creative partnerships among the religious community, organized labor, immigrants' rights groups, government agencies charged with protecting workers' rights, and other segments of society are needed. IWJ engages clergy, lay people, and future religious leaders of diverse faith traditions to participate fully and creatively in these partnerships.

All that we have belongs to God.  One way that we can honor God is to give to those who are suffering across the world.

Do you know of an organization that should be lifted up?  Please e-mail me at [email protected]. 

The Christian Left's Sunday Offering: Support Church World Service

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

Today, in partnership with The Christian Left, I'm re-launching a one-time regular feature of this blog: the Sunday Offering.  This Sunday we invite you today support the work of Church World Service by making a donation at http://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=how_donate. 

Church World Service works with partners to eradicate hunger and poverty and to promote peace and justice around the world. Together we reach out to neighbors in need near and far--not with a hand out, but a hand up.  So, if you’re looking to help build a better world—a world where there’s enough for all—you’ve come to the right place!

Around the world, Church World Service supports sustainable grassroots development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance, and we educate and advocate on hunger-related issues.  In the U.S., we help communities respond to disasters, resettle refugees, promote fair national and international policies, and provide educational resources. 

We invite you to join our network of local and global caring through participation in CROP Hunger Walks, the Blankets+ program, and the CWS Kits program.

Connect with us today!

• Responding to emergencies in the U.S. and around the world
• Nurturing development at the grassroots with seeds, tools and homegrown strategies
• Assisting refugees to return home when possible, and to find other viable options when it’s not
• Speaking out in partnership on issues that make a difference in the lives of hungry people
• Food security so parents can reliably feed their families
• Water for all so that families have water for drinking, household needs and farming

All that we have belongs to God.  One way that we can honor God is to give to those who are suffering across the world.

Do you know of an organization that should be lifted up?  Please e-mail me at [email protected]. 

Sunday Offertory

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

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

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

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

Click here to donate.

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship 

Sunday Offertory

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

Today at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ we celebrated the Blessing of the Animals. This ritual has become common in many churches across the United States. Part of our offering this morning included gifts to the Oregon Humane Society. In honor of the gift of God’s creation - – every beast, every bird of the air, everything that creeps (Gen. 1:30) – I invite to you to contribute today to your state humane society or to the Humane Society of the United States. Hugo and Hazel, our two dogs, are the ones pictured here. If you ever visit me at Parkrose don’t be surprised to have them at the door to greet you.

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship

Sunday Offertory

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

In a world filled with human injustice we are called by God to seek a better world.

Neighbors In Need expresses the United Church of Christ's commitment to ministries of justice and compassion in the United States and Puerto Rico, as we speak prophetically to those in power and advocate for the voiceless. In the spirit of Christ, we seek to confront evil in the world and to alleviate suffering through justice advocacy and direct service. Sunday, October 1, is the suggested date for the Neighbors In Need special mission offering.

This denominational effort supports critical programs.

Neighbors In Need supports ministries that address poverty, economic development, human rights, peacemaking, violence, racial and economic justice, environmental concerns, and public policy advocacy.

Click here to learn more and clear here to donate.

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship

Sunday Offertory

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

In a world filled with hunger we are called to offer hope.

Bread for the World is a nationwide Christian movement that seeks justice for the world's hungry people by lobbying our nation's decision makers.

In October 1972, a small group of Catholics and Protestants met to reflect on how persons of faith could be mobilized to influence U.S. policies that address the causes of hunger. Under the leadership of the Reverend Arthur Simon, the group began to test the idea in the spring of 1974. By year's end, more than 500 people had joined the ranks of Bread for the World as citizen advocates for hungry people. This small group has grown to a nationwide movement of more than 56,000 members. In September 1991, the Reverend David Beckmann succeeded Simon as president.

Give what you can and become a member of this important organization.

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship

Sunday Offertory

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

Labor Day is one of our more important national holidays.  From the U.S. Department of Labor website:

"Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. "All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Working to organize communities of faith to rally around labor's agenda is Interfaith Worker Justice.

Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ) calls upon our religious values in order to educate, organize, and mobilize the religious community in the U.S. on issues and campaigns that will improve wages, benefits, and working conditions for workers, especially low-wage workers.

Click here to learn more about their mission and click here to donate.

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship

Sunday Offertory

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

As we mark the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and consider the impact that climate change has on weather patterns it is critical that we voice support for those working to protect the environment.

The Eco-Justice Programs office of the National Council of Churches works... to provide an opportunity for the national bodies of member Protestant and Orthodox denominations to work together to protect and restore God's Creation.

Click here to learn about their programs and here to make a donation.

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship

Sunday Offertory

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

This week I'll have the opportunity to join Welton Gaddy and the Interfaith Alliance crew at an event here in Portland, Oregon. 

Over the years the Interfaith Alliance has played an important role in bringing together American religious leaders of all stripes to promote a positive vision of what people of faith can accomplish for the common good.  From their website:

Founded in 1994 by an interfaith group of religious leaders, we work to promote interfaith cooperation around shared religious values to strengthen the public's commitment to the American values of civic participation, freedom of religion, diversity, and civility in public discourse and to encourage the active involvement of people of faith in the nation's political life. We are local religious leaders and activists, some with years of political experience, some just starting out. We work in our communities, in state capitals, in Washington, DC and wherever else our voice is needed.

Our 150,000 members across the nation represent diverse religious and spiritual traditions - Jews, Christians,Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs - 70 faith traditions in all, as well as many Agnostics and Atheists. In Washington, DC, our national office works on Capitol Hill and with the White House, in coalition with denominational bodies and other activist organizations to make sure our unique message is communicated when and where it matters most. Our 47 local Alliances are active in their communities on local issues, carrying The Interfaith Alliance message to decision-makers, the media, and the public at large.

Show them your thanks by offering some supporting.  And if you're in Portland this Wednesday drop by the Benson Hotel. 

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship

Sunday Offertory

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

For the global ecumenical community there is no more important Christian body than the World Council of Churches.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is the broadest and most inclusive among the many organized expressions of the modern ecumenical movement, a movement whose goal is Christian unity.

The WCC brings together more than 340 churches, denominations and church fellowships in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world, representing some 550 million Christians and including most of the world's Orthodox churches, scores of denominations from such historic traditions of the Protestant Reformation as Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed, as well as many united and independent churches. While the bulk of the WCC's founding churches were European and North American, today most are in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific.

For its member churches, the WCC is a unique space: one in which they can reflect, speak, act, worship and work together, challenge and support each other, share and debate with each other. As members of this fellowship, WCC member churches:

• are called to the goal of visible unity in one faith and one eucharistic fellowship;
• promote their common witness in work for mission and evangelism;
• engage in Christian service by serving human need, breaking down barriers between people, seeking justice and peace, and upholding the integrity of creation; and
• foster renewal in unity, worship, mission and service.

Conservative political groups within the United States have attacked WCC on more than one occasion for speaking out in favor of peace over war.  WCC preaches a Gospel-centered message instead of a political one and the world benefits from that.

Click here and make a donation supporting WCC.

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship

Sunday Offertory

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

All Americans - particularly women - ought to be concerned.  The fundamental right of women to make their own reproductive health care decisions is under attack.  You would think from listening to the media that all religious people back the current attempts to outlaw abortion (even when the life of the mother is in danger) but the reality is quite different.  Many mainline Christian denominations and Jewish organizations back the right of women to make their own choices.

The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice is the coalition of religious groups advocating for women all across the nation.

The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice brings the moral power of religious communities to ensure reproductive choice through education and advocacy. The Coalition seeks to give clear voice to the reproductive issues of people of color, those living in poverty, and other underserved populations.

RCRC was founded in 1973 to safeguard the newly won constitutional right to abortion. The Coalition founders were clergy and lay leaders from mainstream religions, many of whom had provided women with referrals to safe abortion services before the Supreme Court legalized abortion in Roe v. Wade. The founders believed that there would be at most a ten-year struggle to secure the right to choose. In fact the struggle is far from over. It has changed and intensified, and the stakes are growing.

Today, the Religious Coalition comprises national organizations from major faiths and traditions, religiously affiliated and independent religious organizations, affiliates throughout the country, the national Clergy for Choice Network, Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom chapters, The Black Church Initiative, and individuals who support reproductive choice and religious freedom.

While our member organizations are religiously and theologically diverse, they are unified in the commitment to preserve reproductive choice as a basic part of religious liberty.

Our rational, healing perspective looks beyond the bitter abortion debate to seek solutions to pressing problems such as unintended pregnancy, the spread of HIV/AIDS, inadequate health care and health insurance, and the severe reduction in reproductive health care services. We support access to sex education, family planning and contraception, affordable child care and health care, and adoption services as well as safe, legal, abortion services, regardless of income. We work for public policies that ensure the medical, economic, and educational resources necessary for healthy families and communities that are equipped to nurture children in peace and love.

Click here to make a donation and support their work.

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship

Sunday Offertory

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

The mass killing of children today in Lebanon reminds us how children so often fall victim to war. UNICEF reports that 1/3 of the civilians killed in Lebanon have been children and the group is asking for help:

UNICEF today launched an appeal for $ 23.8 million to support children caught in the crisis in Lebanon and Syria. The appeal is part of the overall UN flash appeal for nearly $150 million.

“Many of those who have been uprooted in the violence are children,” said Ann M. Veneman, UNICEF Executive Director. “They may have witnessed the death or injury of loved ones and many are suffering acute distress. Around 700,000 people have been displaced inside Lebanon. It is estimated that 110,000 are now living in schools, public buildings and parks and that more than 150,000 people have crossed the border into Syria. Children face the immediate danger of disease and will be impacted by the loss of hospitals, health clinics and schools.”

UNICEF will work with its UN partners, the Red Cross, Red Crescent and others to provide rapid support for displaced or refugee children and families who are in urgent need of medical care, clean water and proper sanitation as well as help to deal with traumatic events.

UNICEF has already provided $1.2 million for medical supplies and other immediate assistance. The first charter flight left Copenhagen on Saturday 22 July for the region carrying 38 tonnes of supplies, including 168 water kits with enough soap, buckets, water purification tablets and water containers for nearly 1,700 families. The plane also carried oral rehydration salts to treat the symptoms of diarrhoea, essential drugs and recreation kits for children containing sport equipment such as skipping ropes, footballs, volleyballs and nets and basketballs.

Click here to learn more.

Click here to donate.

Photo credit: "Children are evacuated by truck from their village near Sidon, south Lebanon" - UNICEF.

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship

Sunday Offertory

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

No organization has done more in the last twenty years to fight homelessness than the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH).  NCH is made up of grassroots organizations across the nation sharing a single goal: ending homelessness. This national organization does not provide direct services (though many of their member organizations do) and instead concentrates on advocating for public policy changes that will create affordable housing, decent paying jobs and universal health care. It is nearly impossible for people to remember that a generation ago there was no national homeless crisis on the scale we have today. Federal cutbacks in social services helped to create the problem and economic policies that have led to increased poverty continue to force people into the streets. Instead of facing the issues involved many local communities have worked to create laws restricting the civil rights of homeless Americas. During the summer months there is a temptation to forget about Americans who are homeless. But the need is real no matter the season. As a former board member of the National Coalition for the Homeless, I urge you to click here and make a donation supporting NCH's mission.

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship

Sunday Offertory

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

The world lay broken tonight from disasters both the result of human action and natural disaster. Standing in this darkness and offering light is Church World Service.

Founded in 1946, Church World Service is the relief, development, and refugee assistance ministry of 35 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations in the United States. Working in partnership with indigenous organizations in more than 80 countries, CWS works worldwide to meet human needs and foster self-reliance for all whose way is hard.

Within the United States, Church World Service assists communities in responding to disasters, resettles refugees, promotes fair national and international policies, provides educational resources, and offers opportunities to join a people-to-people network of local and global caring through participation in CROP WALKS, the TOOLS & BLANKETS Program, and the "Gift of the Heart"; Kit Program.

Please consider making a gift to this important ecumenical organization.

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship

Offertory

Every day blogs work to raise money for political causes.

Starting this Sunday I will highlight a progressive non-profit organization on this space which can also use your support.

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

Please consider supporting the work of the Children’s Defense Fund this week with a donation and your prayers.

Visit their the section on religious action from their website to learn more about how your community can become involved with their work.

1. United Church of Christ Book of Worship