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Wednesday,
July 8, 2009
Come
to this page first...
it is
the quick and easy way to miss nothing
of
All the National PC(USA) news
Something we may have overlooked? Please, tell
us |
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A
new twist on partnership – International
Peacemakers to team up with mission co-workers
in pilot program
By Bethany Furkin / PNS |
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LOUISVILLE
— This year’s World Mission Challenge
will focus on partnership — and it will put
that idea into action in a new way.
As they travel
from presbytery to presbytery Sept. 25-Oct. 18,
some mission co-workers will be accompanied by
International Peacemakers from the same country.
International Peacemakers
are people engaged in peacemaking in their own
areas of the world. They are invited to by the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to visit with Presbyterians
in the United States to help explain peace and
justice concerns of others around the world. |
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Connecting
with dignity
Oregon congregation learns about homeless community,
vows to help
By Fran Royston and Bethany Furkin / PNS |
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LOUISVILLE
– "...Dignity Village is a cooperative
venture among the city of Portland, the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.)’s Self-Development of People
and a group of homeless folks. It seeks to create
a cohesive, self-determining community with temporary
shelters..." |
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A
letter to the Civil Union and Christian Marriage
Committee
By Viola Larson |
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"...When
the Pharisees attempted to draw Jesus into their
contemporary arguments about divorce he reached
all the way back to the beginning of creation.
His reply was, “Have you not read that he
who created them from the beginning made them
male and female, and said, ‘for this reason
a man shall leave his father and his mother and
be joined to his wife and the two shall become
one flesh?” (Matthew 19: 4b-5)
"This is the
Lord’s declaration that marriage is meant
for a man and a woman. Although about divorce,
the text also speaks to same sex marriage since
the whole concept of marriage, for our Lord, is
based on the creation account of a woman and man
created for each other.
"Going further,
God uses the relationship between a husband and
a wife to picture the relationship of Jesus Christ
to his Church. In both cases it is a holy union
based on God’s words to his people..." |
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| Presbyterians
in their local news |
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East
Main Church to celebrate 100 years
A church named after its location on East Main
Street will be celebrating 100 years at its current
home in Grove City, Pa. – although its roots
go back 130 years.
It all began in
1879, when the population of Pine Grove –
the town's old name – was 300 people and
the First United Presbyterian Church organized
for services on the second floor of the old Pine
Grove School House. |
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| Scripture
lessons for today
– from
the Lectionary |
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"...Sing
to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation
from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works
among all the peoples..."
"The LORD said to Samuel, "How long
will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him
from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with
oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the
Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a
king among his sons."..."
"1In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius,
a centurion of the Italian Cohort, as it was called.
He was a devout man who feared God with all his
household; he gave alms generously to the people
and prayed constantly to God..."
"...While they were talking and discussing,
Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but
their eyes were kept from recognizing him..." |
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Today
in the Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study
The
Presbytery of Charlotte
– North Carolina |
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"With
a goal of making connections between people within
the community who have diverse backgrounds, the
Church Development Committee, its Latino Ministries
Sub-Committee, and the Mission and Justice Committee
jointly sponsored the first Presbytery of Charlotte
Multicultural Festival in 2007.
"People from
twenty-six countries – in Latin America,
Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America –
participated..." |
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News of all other churches.
in the USA and worldwide.
and their interaction with
the world around them.
Included: opinions, resources
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Voices
from the entire spectrum
Therefore:
Always something to like,
always something to dislike,
always something to ponder...
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The
tragedy of the Millennium Development Goals
By William Easterly |
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The
United Nations today issued its Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) Report 2009. To make a long story
short, the accompanying press release says:
"The assessment,
launched today by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
in Geneva, warns that, despite many successes,
overall progress has been too slow for most of
the targets to be met by 2015."
Let’s face
it: it’s over. The MDGs will not be met (the
above statement was based on trends BEFORE the
economic crisis hit...)...
The MDGs will go
down in history as a success in global consciousness-raising,
but a failure in using that consciousness for
its stated objectives. What a tragedy for all
of those who contributed such effort and enthusiasm
to the MDG campaign. And a much larger tragedy
for the world’s poor... |
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Obama
is in Russia, but Honduras is where the action
is
By Dennis Prager |
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"The
importance of the summit meeting in Moscow between
President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev pales in comparison to the events taking
place in Honduras.
"Whether or
not the United States and Russia reduce their
nuclear arsenals is ultimately meaningless. But
whether Hugo Chavez and Raul Castro are victorious
in Honduras or whether the movement toward left-wing
authoritarianism is finally defeated in a Latin
American country is extremely significant...
"If Honduras
is hung out to dry, if America suspends trade
and economic aid, the forces arrayed against liberty
in Latin America will have won a major victory..."
Related: The
other side of the story as told on nicanet.org,
The Nicaragua Network
"Yesterday, Sunday, July 5, 2009, Honduran
President Manuel Zelaya, who was violently overthrown
and removed from the country by a military coup
on June 28, flew back to Honduras accompanied
by UN General Assembly President Miguel D’Escoto.
His plane circled the airport, where 100,000 people
had gathered to await him and return him to office,
but was unable to land because the military blockaded
the runway..."
Zelaya was overthrown
because of his policies that favored the poor! |
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Economy
closes one relief group, forces cuts at World
Vision
By Jacob Carpenter and Adelle M. Banks
/ RNS |
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A
Michigan-based Christian relief group, International
Aid, has closed its doors amid financial struggles
while World Vision, one of the largest evangelical
relief agencies, has eliminated about 75 positions.
International Aid
needed to collect about $1.5 million in the past
two months to balance its $70 million budget,
but only gathered between $150,000 and $200,000,
according to CEO Gordon Loux.
"Since we
have insufficient funds, the board felt it was
prudent to cease operations," Loux said.
"We can no
longer avoid the painful cost reduction steps
that many organizations have already implemented,"
said Richard Stearns, president of World Vision,
U.S. "The efforts of our faithful employees
and donors have allowed us to swim against the
tide longer than almost any other nonprofit."
Private cash donations,
which increased 4 percent during the last quarter
of 2008, have begun to decline. In the first quarter
of 2009, donations dropped about 3 percent. Between
April and June, they were about 18 percent below
the previous year.
Despite the drop
in donations, most child sponsors "remain
loyal," Stearns said, giving about $30 a
month that is designated to aid a particular needy
child. |
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African
religious leaders warn of weapons proliferation
By Fredrick Nzwili / ENI |
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NAIROBI
– The proliferation of small and light weapons
in Africa cannot be stemmed through reforms in
the security sector alone, religious leaders there
have warned.
“The arms
are not themselves the problem; rather, they are
symptoms of other structural dynamics,” said
the leaders in a statement at the end of a June
16-18 meeting in Nairobi on the issues of small
arms.
The faith leaders
cited weak governance, corruption, competition
for diminishing resources, decades of continued
conflict and wars, and climate change as key factors
that need to be tackled.
The conference
heard that globally nearly 1,000 people are killed
each day by small arms and light weapons. |
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Vatican
City State reports $22 million deficit
By Francis X. Rocca / RNS |
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The
Vatican City State reported a deficit of $22 million
for 2008 as a consequence of the “global
economic-financial crisis,” the Vatican announced
on July 4.
The Vatican’s
annual profit and loss statements showed that
the 108-acre sovereign territory, which includes
St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums,
fared much worse last year than in 2007, when
it reported a profit of $10 million. |
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| Taro
Aso, Japan's first Catholic prime minister, meets
with Pope Benedict /
AP |
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VATICAN
CITY – The first Catholic prime minister
of Japan, Taro Aso, met Tuesday with Pope Benedict
XVI for talks that touched on topics including
the world economic crisis and aid to Africa.
A statement from
the Holy See said the "cordial" meeting
Tuesday lasted 30 minutes. Aso is the first of
the world leaders gathering for the Group of Eight
summit in Italy to meet with the pope. |
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Final
rules out for government stem cell research
By Lauran Neergaard / AP |
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The
government issued final rules Monday expanding
taxpayer-funded research using embryonic stem
cells, easing scientists' fears that some of the
oldest batches might not qualify and promising
a master list of all that do.
President Barack
Obama lifted previous restrictions on the field
in March, but left it to the National Institutes
of Health to decide just what stem cell research
was ethically appropriate: Only science that uses
cells culled from leftover fertility clinic embryos
– ones that otherwise would be thrown away
– the agency made clear in draft guidelines.
But the final rules
issued Monday settle a big question: Would new
ethics requirements disqualify many of the stem
cells created over the past decade, even the few
funded under the Bush administration's tight limits? |
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| New
scientific research refutes unsubstantiated claims
regarding homosexuality
/
NARTH |
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Encino,
CA – A new report in this month's edition
of the peer-reviewed Journal of Human Sexuality
finds that sexual orientation is not immutable
and that psychological care for individuals with
unwanted homosexual attractions is beneficial
and poses no significant risk of harm. The study,
What Research Shows: NARTH's Response to the
American Psychological Associations Claims on
Homosexuality, examines over 100 years of
professional and scientific literature as well
as over 600 reports from clinicians, researchers,
and former clients principally published in professional
and peer-reviewed journals.
Related: Summary of the article What
Research Shows: NARTH's Response to the APA Claims
on Homosexuality. |
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ELCA
leader about upcoming assembly vote on sexuality:
"Our
unity will not be lost" |
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"...Our
unity, however, comes to us because God gives
it freely and undeservedly in Jesus Christ. Although
everyone in leadership shares responsibility for
stewarding our unity in Christ, it will not be
won or lost at the churchwide assembly in a plenary
session vote. Rather, it will be received as a
gracious gift from God when the assembly is gathered
each noon by the Word and Sacrament through which
God gives us unity, making us one in Jesus Christ...
"Rather than
approach the assembly apprehensively, I invite
you to see it as an opportunity for faith-filled
witness to the larger human family that struggles
with division and yearns for healing and wholeness
that is real and true...
"Some may
question why I am writing..." |
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| Gay
marriage bill takes effect in nation's capital
/ AP |
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WASHINGTON
– A law recognizing same-sex marriages performed
in other states and countries went into effect
Tuesday in the nation's capital, and a D.C. councilman
said he plans to follow up with a measure that
would allow gay marriage ceremonies in the district.
The bill was approved
in a 12-1 vote by the D.C. Council in May. Congress,
which has the final say over the city's laws,
had 30 days to review the legislation. Since it
took no action, the bill automatically became
law. |
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Sex,
lies and Lutheran pastor: Stripper accused of
extortion
An exotic dancer from Moorhead, Minn., demanded
thousands in hush money from a clergyman, according
to the charges.
By Paul Walsh / Star Tribune |
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Three
years into a relationship that started with him
watching her dance and progressed to money for
sex, the Rev. Mark Ostgarden had a proposal for
exotic dancer Bunny Byington.
How about the Lutheran
pastor quit paying her and they consider their
relationship an affair instead?
Byington's reply?
How about he pay her $7,000 or she would blab
about their escapades to his wife and church?
Now Ostgarden's
19 years as a Lutheran clergyman in Valley City,
N.D., have come to a quick end after he felt forced
to tell police in Moorhead, Minn., about 46-year-old
Byington's attempt to extort money from him to
keep quiet about their relationship. |
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| Point
Person: Michael Reiss – by
Rod Dreher / Dallas Morning News |
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"...Intense
debate over teaching creationism in schools is
chiefly an American phenomenon, but one exception
occurred recently in England. When Michael Reiss,
a scientist and Anglican priest, urged more cultural
sensitivity for creationist students, he lost
his job as head of education for the Royal Society
– the United Kingdom's national academy of
science.
"...what happened
was, I gave a talk about how science teachers
should deal with pupils who come from creationist
backgrounds. And one of the things I argue is
that science teachers must be respectful of pupils,
whatever their backgrounds. And most of the papers
in the U.K. reported this very faithfully. But
one or two suggested that I was arguing that creationism
should be taught in science lessons. And it all
rather blew up after that...
"The Royal
Society was placed in a very difficult position,
because, in a sense, they're a member organization,
and, of course, a lot of their fellows had no
idea who I was, even though I was the director
of education. And for a few days the Royal Society
decided to try to ride it out, and eventually
it decided to cut its losses..." |
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| Doctors'
orders – editorial
/ The Christian Century |
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"...The
logic of putting citizens into a government-sponsored
insurance pool is clear: it drastically cuts overhead,
equalizes care, and meets the needs of those who
can't afford or obtain coverage from for-profit
insurers, who cut their costs by excluding patients
with serious medical problems – precisely
the people who most need the insurance and the
medical care...
"...the voices
of the well-funded lobbyists defending the existing
system do not speak for the people who have most
at stake in this debate: the vast majority of
doctors, nurses and (insured and uninsured) patients." |
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| Taking
heat from the watch dogs
– by Erwin Raphael
McManus |
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"...At
Mosaic we have no members only missionaries. There
is nothing to join except a community on mission.
We have little patience for self indulgent spirituality
that insists on everything being about us.
"And there
are implications. We have a zero tolerance policy
for religious jargon or Christianese. We have
little room for traditions that mean something
to us but nothing to a person searching for God.
We will not forsake the Word of God for the traditions
of men. We are committed to removing every non-essential
barrier between God and humanity. We refuse to
allow the Gospel to become lost in our nostalgia
or to appear irrelevant because we are.
"And I must
confess we are less concerned about whether mainstream
Christians get us than about whether those searching
for God get Him.
"And if this
makes us the bane of the church than so be it.
Paul said he would be accursed if only Israel
would be saved. If he was willing to take on hell
for eternity, we can take a little heat from the
watch dogs of Christian orthodoxy." |
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Divine
devolution – Robert
Wright thinks God is okay, as long as he behaves
like a secular humanist.
By Dinesh D'Souza / Christianity Today |
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"There
are three kinds of people: those who believe in
God, those who don't, and those who believe in
belief. Robert Wright is a member of the third
group. He calls himself an unbeliever who holds
that "gods arose as illusions" invented
by mankind. At the same time, he thinks it is
an excellent thing for others to believe in God.
Since he advocates belief largely for secular
and social purposes, Wright insists that religions
evolve in the direction that he considers most
conducive to social harmony and global peace.
"It may seem
odd that someone would take the trouble to write
a 576-page book making this argument. Even so,
I approached Robert Wright's new one, The
Evolution of God
(Little, Brown and Company), with anticipation..
"Oddly enough,
Wright considers himself a friend of religion.
His massive narrative is intended to show that
religion has slowly gotten its act together and
its story right, and he is hopeful that religion
will continue to evolve away from its harsh, primitive
roots, toward less exclusivity and more tolerance,
so it can be reconciled with modern secular liberalism..." |
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| Letters
from readers – email
us |
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Michael
Neubert writes in response to Neil
D. Cowling:
"It always pays to read the whole book.
"n this case,
Luke 22:36 is the verse he was looking for. Jesus
said,
"If you don't own an assault weapon, sell
something on ebay and buy one."
(my own translation)..." |
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