11/28/2006

1st Sunday in Advent


Luke 21:25-36

How can we stand Lord?
We know of your awesome power
(love)
to create
----and bring to a close
all of this
----beyond our ability to conceive
----world.
How can we stand in this world
filled with all the powers of temptation
we can muster?
How can we stand and be ready
even when we see the signs?
(God gave)
In our world full of everyone is doing it
and that’s the way things are
(so loved)
we have so many one more things to do
here in this place.
(the world)
Even when I try to focus on you alone
(He gave his only Son)
I fail.
Even when I try to focus on you alone
I am unable to truly be who you call me to be.
(that whoever believes in Him)
When I look at the end coming
I am afraid
I will perish.
(will not perish)
and lose my
(but have eternal life)
life!

Not our doing, but our receiving

Saturday December 9th, Jeremiah 33: 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.' It is not military might that brings righteousness. It is not radical law hugging that brings righteousness. It is not common sense that brings righteousness. It is the Lord that brings righteousness. It is our relationship with the Lord that brings righteousness. It is the way that righteousness from God manifest itself in how we live together as the body of Christ. It is not our doing, it is our receiving. In the midst of the darkness in your life, embrace the light that comes from God and know you are never alone.

Immanuel

Friday December 8th, Jeremiah 33: 14 " 'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 15 " 'In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In the midst of life going sour, God drops a sprouting branch. The barbarians were at the gate and the nation was about to fall, and in the midst of it, the promise is renewed. When the barbarians are at our gate, the promise is there for us also. Immanuel, God with us, comes into our darkness and announces that the light that is coming, is already here. Lift up you heads, stand up straight, wipe the tears from your eyes, because in the midst of the darkness, there is hope, there is light, there is love, there is your God, with us.

Two way street

Thursday December 7th, 1 Thessalonians 3: 11-13 May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers. We are called as the followers of Jesus to love one another. It is not always easy. I know there are times when I am not exactly the most lovable person around. When we are called into community, into relationship with the rest of the body of Christ, we are not just called to love the lovable, we are also called to love those who we would just as soon pass by on the road. This Advent season Jesus calls us to stop, as did the good Samaritan, and be an active part of the loving body of Christ. In the process, Jesus will clear the path to those we are to love. In the process, the path is also cleared to us. Relationship is a two way street.

What if??

Wednesday December 6th, 1 Thessalonians 3: 9-10 What would be an adequate thanksgiving to offer God for all the joy we experience before him because of you? We do what we can, praying away, night and day, asking for the bonus of seeing your faces again and doing what we can to help when your faith falters. What a wonderful example of a healthy view of church. What if you had not seen someone in worship of late and called them and expressed this sentiment? What if everyone had the same view of the body of Christ? What if everyone felt that loved and that missed when they missed worship for some reason? What if………….? I think these two simple verses, put to use in a congregation, could double or triple the worship attendance in that congregation in one year. What if church became ………well………..church?????

De-compartmentalize

Tuesday December 5th, Luke 21: 34 "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." Live you life in the presence of God. Show you love in the presence of God. There is a tendency to compartmentalize our lives. Sunday morning for church, Sunday afternoon for football, Monday for work, Tuesday evening bowling, Thursday go out to eat with the family, Friday is date night, etc. The trouble is that we tend to leave God back on the Sunday morning compartment and not in the rest of our compartmentalized lives. Be careful, or your lives will be weighed down. Immanuel, God with us means that God goes in all the compartments of life.

The Kingdom of God is near

Monday December 4th, Luke 21: 29 He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. When things get rough, the Kingdom of God is near. When you are living in fear and doubt, the Kingdom of God is near. When you care for one another, the Kingdom of God is near. When you are cared for, the Kingdom of God is near. Read the signs that are all around you and know that, the Kingdom of God is near.

lift up your heads

Sunday December 3rd, Luke 21: 25 "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Modern reconstruction of the Apocalyptic writings in the Bible tend to focus on how terrible things will be for those who do not believe correctly (correct belief as defined by those same modern reconstructionists). It’s the old, “you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I’m tellin’ you why, Jesus Christ is coming to town----and he is pissed” theology. That theology has about as much to do with the Gospel as does Santa. The Gospel focuses on verse 28. When it seems that all hell is breaking loose, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption, Immanuel, God with us, is drawing near.

11/27/2006

St. Andrew, Apostle


John 1:35-42

The Sound Crashed in the heavens
Look
The Lamb of God
compelling within the response that came
--the response
-------------to follow
-------------to tell
----your sisters and brothers
of this lowly one
who had come to change the world
Behold
----rang the voice of John
As Andrew followed
----to that somewhere unknown
----where he would find
all that was life
--------and death
and life again
in this one
--unknown
----Lamb of God
God’s voice rang
with Andrews response
as he simply told his brother
------------to come
------------follow
------this Lamb of God
that takes away the sin of the world
------------come
------------follow

11/21/2006

Christ the King Sunday


John 18:33-37

In Glory Christ came into our lives
in glory
as a King among his people
but a people
who did not know him
a people who wished
only to be let alone
and live in the bondage
they had become used to
the bondage created over the generations
the bondage
they no longer saw
this King came
victorious
In a world that knew not victory
to rule
a people loved.

I wonder as I wander

Saturday December 2nd, John 18: 37 "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." Jesus came to testify to the truth. The truth is that the gift of life is given to all people. Once in a while we get a glimpse of this vision, this truth, and for that brief moment life makes sense. Most of the time we wander around wondering. I wonder as I wander out under the sky, how Jesus the Savior did come for to die for poor ordinary people like you and like I. I wonder as I wander out under the sky. Live a life of wonder today as you wander.

Live into the vision

Friday December 1st, John 18: 36 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." The kingdom is from another place and another time. It is our future. It is our vision. It is what we are called to live into. Begin today to live into that vision.

a small seed of hope that yells out YES!!!!!!

Thursday November 30th, John 18: 33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Half mocking, half wondering, with a hint of hope. In the midst of our mocking and wondering, we too are filled with hope. Hope that the message of Jesus is true. Hope that the forgiveness if sins is true. Hope that the gift of grace, the forgiveness of sins and life eternal, is true. Hope!! Are you the one, Pilate asks? There is a part of each one of us that wonders and asks the same question. But also within us, in the very core of our being there is the small seed of hope that yells out, YES!!!!! And gives us a reason to live.

Revelation vision

Wednesday November 29th, Revelation 1: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. 7 Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. The Revelation vision is one of the Prince of Peace coming to all the world. He is the beginning and the end, a part of, and yet beyond all time who freed us from our sins. All who pierced him, all the people of the earth will mourn because of him. Mourn because our sins will be laid out before us. Not in judgment, but in purification. The manifestation of all the sin in our lives will bring about a great deal of mourning, the forgiveness of those sins is the vision of the New Jerusalem. God’s presence with us all.

Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Prince of Peace, Immanuel, God with us

Tuesday November 28th, Daniel 7: In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Prince of Peace, Immanuel, God with us has come to be with us. The Prince of Peace is given the authority, glory and sovereign power over all people and nations. The Prince of Peace, who went to the cross to bring forgiveness to the world. The Prince of Peace, the lamb who was slain for the forgiveness of sin for all people. Catch the vision and live.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me

Monday November 27th, Daniel 7: Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time. The horn is the mouthpiece of the power of this world, the mouthpiece of military might. God's vision is that there is no place for it in the kingdom of God, the kingdom of the future. Other temptations are still around, but their time is limited also. When we catch this vision for God's future world, it is hard to get all caught up in the power plays of this world. God's future is a world of peace; perhaps we should start living that now.

Future Vision

Sunday November 26th, Daniel 7: As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. One of the visions of the end times in Daniel. It was a vision that helped put in perspective the power and force of one of the mightiest nations in the world. This nation had power, and weapons and might, and was to be feared by all on earth. Compared to the Ancient of Days, the Lord God Almighty however, its power is nothing. It is a call to place ones focus not on the power of this world, but where this world is heading. It is a call to catch the vision of the future and live that in the present. Good advice for today also. What is God’s all inclusive vision of the future? Now live it in your life today.

11/20/2006

Legality of marriage transcends gender

By BRUCE SHELLENBAUM
Published: November 20, 2006 in the Anchorage Daily News.

In 1959 Richard and Mildred Loving were sentenced to one year in jail. Their crime: getting married across the state line in Washington, D.C.
Their home state of Virginia had laws against non-whites marrying whites, and they were enforced. The "majority" of Virginia residents must have seen nothing wrong with this, or they would have changed the laws.
In 1967, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled such laws unconstitutional. This voided the laws still on the books in 16 states. The Supreme Court fulfilled its constitutional duty of protecting the minority from the tyranny of the majority, thus protecting the rights of all. It seems absurd today that such laws existed at all, much less that people were convicted under them.

Now, we are faced with the issue of "gay" marriage, thanks to the Alaska Supreme Court rulings on state-provided employment benefits.
So, what is marriage?

Marriage has two components for most people.

First, the religious aspect of pledging love and fidelity before God. They usually promise to stay together and stay faithful to each other "till death do us part." Fifty percent of all marriages in this country end in divorce, husband and wife breaking their solemn oath to each other and their god. Countless others stay together even though vows are broken and adultery occurs.

The second component is the legal aspect, codified in law. This is a legal contract between two people with rights, benefits, duties and obligations defined by various government bodies.

In general, households are combined, expenses shared, and children are raised jointly (blended families becoming more common). Prenuptial agreements now take some of the fun out of discovering what the duties and benefits really are.

The straw man argument, frequently heard on talk radio, that gay marriage means someone could marry a duck is ludicrous. A duck is not an adult human being, a sentient being. It also does not mean children can marry, as they are not recognized as capable of entering legally binding contracts. We protect children; this issue has nothing to do with molesters or predators.

We need to differentiate between the two functions when we discuss marriage.

Any churches that deem homosexual marriage is against their teaching should be free to not perform such ceremonies. Religions have the right to operate under their own guidelines.

And, people get married by a justice of the peace all the time. In Alaska, any adult can perform a marriage ceremony, by obtaining a marriage commissioner appointment. They can make it as solemn and spiritual as they want.

For governments to deny people the right to enter binding contracts based on their gender cannot be legal, just as race restrictions were found to be unconstitutional 40 years ago. The rights granted to a spouse, based on a marriage contract, are specific and legal. The ability to enter into a marriage contract, a legal document, should not and cannot legally be limited to gender-specific roles.

A silly example: By law, a 19-year-old pregnant high school dropout by dint of a marriage license is equipped to handle the affairs of her comatose, deadbeat husband. But a 40-year-old lawyer in a committed, long-term relationship with a person of the same sex has no rights even of visitation to his or her partner in the hospital. This standing shames us all.

Gay marriage has no effect on my or anyone else's marriage. Your life is what you make of it; it is not determined by what others do with theirs. By granting all people the right to enter marriage contracts, we do not destroy the sanctity of anything.

There is nothing inherently religious about legal contracts. By mixing the two societal functions of marriage, this topic has gotten more emotional than it needs to be. It does not need to be, nor should it be, a religious argument; we are talking about legal contracts. If religion is brought into the discussion, then it ceases to be about the law and becomes about imposing religious values on people who do not agree with them.

Love alone is the hitching post

It is bad religion to deify doctrines and creeds. While indispensable to religious life, doctrines and creeds are only so as signposts. Love alone is the hitching post. Doctrines, let’s not forget, supported slavery and apartheid; some still support keeping women in their places and gays and lesbians in limbo. Moreover, doctrines can divide while compassion can only unite. In other words, religious folk, all our lives, have both to recover tradition and to recover from it!!

William Sloane Coffin "Creedo"

11/14/2006

Oxfam: Patent laws kill thousands

So, What would Jesus do? Please contact your Legislators and let them know Your America would not do this.

Tuesday 14 November 2006, 4:42 Makka Time, 1:42 GMT

Oxfam has said that Western nations are preventing poor people in developing countries from getting access to life-saving medicines.
A new trade agreement designed to make medicine cheaper by relaxing patent laws was being implemented too slowly, Oxfam and Aids groups said on Tuesday

Oxfam, a British-based anti-poverty charity, also said that rich nations had taken little or no action towards meeting their obligations under the "Doha Declaration", leaving millions without affordable drugs.

Steve Cockburn, the Stop Aids campaign co-ordinator, said: "At the time, the Doha Declaration seemed like a great breakthrough for people in poor countries who urgently needed affordable treatment.

"Sadly, promising words have not translated into life-saving treatments."
The agreement, signed five years ago, was designed to put patients before profits and allow local pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide cheaper medicine for patients in developing countries.

Health activists say that access to cheap generic drugs is vital if poor countries are going to put up an effective fight against fatal diseases such as Aids and malaria.

Doha Declaration

In 2001 the World Trade Organization granted a special exemption to allowing countries to put public health ahead of patents within its Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement. But Oxfam said that rich countries, particularly the US, were bullying developing countries to impose stricter patent rules in order to preserve pharmaceutical monopolies.

Innovative treatment

The clash over patents in the developing world has focused attention on a two high-profile cases including a dispute over the cancer drug Glivec, made by Switzerland's Novartis. An Indian court in January rejected its patent application for Glivec, but Novartis is fighting back, arguing that the principle of intellectual property protection must be protected if innovation is to flourish.

The ruling has minimal commercial significance because 99 per cent of Indian patients are entitled to receive the drug free of charge under a Novartis compassionate use programme.

But Paul Herrling, the company's head of corporate research, told the Reuters Health Summit last week that India risked falling behind China in drug research if it did not shore up its weak patent protection system.

S. Africa Parliament OKs Gay Marriages

Maybe there is hope for American Churches to see the Gospel in this and move forward to push for similar legislation.

Nov 14, 11:42 AM (ET)

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP)

The South African parliament on Tuesday approved new legislation recognizing gay marriages - a first for a continent where homosexuality is largely taboo.

The National Assembly passed the Civil Union Bill, worked out after months of heated public discussion, by a majority of 230 to 41 votes despite criticism from both traditionalists and gay activists and warnings that it might be unconsitutional. There were three abstentions.

The bill provides for the "voluntary union of two persons, which is solemnized and registered by either a marriage or civil union." It does not specify whether they are heterosexual or homosexual partnerships.
But it also says marriage officers need not perform a ceremony between same-sex couples if doing so would conflict with his or her "conscience, religion and belief."

"When we attained our democracy, we sought to distinguish ourselves from an unjust painful past, by declaring that never again shall it be that any South African will be discriminated against on the basis of color, creed culture and sex," Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told the National Assembly.

The bill had been expected to pass given the overwhelming majority of the ruling African National Congress, despite unease among rank and file lawmakers. It now has to go to the National Council of Provinces, which is expected to be a formality, before being signed into law by President Thabo Mbeki.

11/13/2006

24th Sunday after Pentecost


Mark 13:1-13

Always striving
always searching for a way
to know
to have the inside track
searching for that clue
thinking secretly
we should have looked just one more way
then we would know
searching the heavens
and the scriptures for a sign
some sign
any sign
to let us know
to give us some feeling of being in control
to say to God
and our fellow travelers
I Know
I don’t really need you
because in the end
I Know!
The time will come
and even then we will not know
even then there will be enough doubt
to turn our eyes from ourselves
to the God who made us
and saves us
in that time we fear most.

Rule #1. Love; Rule #2.Love; Rule #3. Love.............

Sunday November 19th, Hebrews 10: By his one sacrifice he has forever set free from sin the people he brings to God. The Holy Spirit also speaks of this by telling us that the Lord said, “When the time comes, I will make an agreement with them. I will write my laws on their minds and hearts. Then I will forget about their sins and no longer remember their evil deeds." The gift of life is ours. It is a gift from God brought to us by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. How we are to live in this time is written on the hearts of humanity. It is not rocket science. Love one another!! Love you neighbor as yourself!!! That which you do onto the least you do onto me!!! Love God with your whole heart!!! It reminds me of the kindergarten rules. It shouldn’t be hard, but we sure act like it is. Most of our problems come from greed. We want something that is not ours, so we find a way to get it. Excuses as to why that is a good thing are made up along the way. Christ Died, Christ Rose, Follow the rules of love that are in your heart! It’s that simple, and that hard.

We no longer go to church, we are the church.

Monday November 20th, Hebrews 10: My friends, the blood of Jesus gives us courage to enter the most holy place by a new way that leads to life! And this way takes us through the curtain that is Christ himself. We have a great high priest who is in charge of God's house. So let's come near God with pure hearts and a confidence that comes from having faith. In days of old, only the high priest could enter the holy of holies, considered to be the very presence of God. During the crucifixion, the curtain in the temple tore from top to bottom, God’s declaration of what had just taken place. What had taken place was that there was no longer any separation between God and humanity. God’s love, God’s forgiveness, God’s gift of life is open to all, no longer mediated by “the church.” We no longer go to church, we are the church. We still struggle with that. We want someone to tell us what God wants, and all too often we listen to people willing to fulfill that role. Instead, Christ invites you into the presence of God. There is no longer a priest between you and God telling you what scripture says, only a pastor inviting you to open your scriptures and join in the discussion of what it says to you. Failure to do so is the same as telling God you are not interested.

We gather together to live the Lord's blessings

Tuesday November 21st, Hebrews 10: Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord's coming is getting closer. OK, so we Lutherans have a problem. We finally seem to get the point across that we are saved by Grace, and then, as the children of God we say, O Good, that means we don’t have join together for worship anymore. Grace is a gift of God, not living in that grace is living less than you are called to live. Gathering for worship is our recognition of that gift of grace. Gathering for worship is being there for one another as a manifestation of that gift. Gathering for worship is our living out thankfulness for that gift of grace. Gathering for worship is our nurturing of that grace. Being saved by grace means you don’t have to go to worship to be a child of God. True joy comes when you realize that you get to gather together and experience the love and grace of God in new ways.

Live the vision

Wednesday November 22nd, Daniel 12: 1 "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Way back in the time of Daniel, they got a part of the vision. Everyone whose name is found in the book will be delivered. Jesus brings that gift to all people. We are destined for heaven. That is the goal and the ending destination. To enjoy the journey here and now, we are called to live that vision. Live the vision of Revelation 21 with the presence of God open to all people. Live the vision of healing for all the nations. Live the vision of God’s presence with all of humanity. Live the vision and begin to live now. There is nothing to buy to bring this about, only your presence and participation in the kingdom now. Live it and learn to love.

Junk

Thursday November 23rd, Mark 13: 1 As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!" 2 "Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." Oh, my!!! How we are impressed by things, big things, little things, cheap things and expensive things, but in the course of God’s vision for humanity, just things nonetheless. The disciples were impressed with Herod’s building project, Jesus reminds them that next to eternal blessings, it is just junk. Don’t let the junk in this world get all your attention. Keep your focus on the things eternal, then life here and now will finally come into focus. Until then, all that stuff is just junk.

Be a part of something that matters

Friday November 24th, Mark 13: 5 Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many. What gifts do you want to hold up for your children? What principles do you want to hold up for society? When we get to the end of our lives and all that stuff we have collected is just old and dusty, what do you want to hold onto? What wisdom would you want to pass on to your grandchildren? There are many who come to deceive in the name of Christ just like there are many who come to deceive in the name of commerce. They give a false sense of our being in charge if only we do or buy or believe this or that. Be a part of something that matters, to the world, to your children, to great grandchildren, nieces and nephews yet to come, and most of all, to yourself. Be a part of something that matters, be a part of the kingdom here and now.

Here and now

Saturday November 25th, Mark 13: 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. When you hear of a prediction of when the world will end, put a mark on your calendar, and call it a day of celebration. You can be assured that the end will not be on that day. We are called to live life in the here and now. We are called to live in the kingdom in the here and now. We are called to love like the kingdom was here and now. When we do so, we discover that the kingdom is here and now.

11/07/2006

Time to move from Greed to God

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and when God looked, God was pleased. Later God created man from the dust of the earth and breathed into them the breath of life. Then God created humanity from the man and the relationship between humans was formed, and God was pleased.

We are created in a threefold relationship, with the God who created us, with each other from whom humanity was formed, and with the earth from which we were formed. God looked on all that was created and said it was good. In these later days we as a people look upon this relationship as a way a few of us can make a buck at the expense of the many, especially the children yet to be born, even the children of those making the buck. I question whether God would look upon the situation and call it good; I question whether we should either.

I hope and pray this day that through this election the wrong headed and arrogant approach to the relationship God has placed us in to the earth will come to an end. It is time to turn our hearts from Greed to God.

Nov 7, 6:16 AM (ET)
By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -

As delegates from more than 100 nations gathered for talks on the world's changing climate, many looked for signs the United States might ease its stand against mandatory reductions on global-warming emissions.

On the first day of the conference, they got their answer - it won't happen any time soon.

"I certainly got no indication (from the Bush administration) that there's any change in our position, nor is there likely to be during this presidency," U.S. negotiator Harlan Watson said.

The two-day conference opened Monday on the eve of a U.S. election that could hand congressional power to Democrats who favor the caps. But any new bills would still face a veto by President Bush, who says the requirements would hamstring U.S. economic growth.

Scientists attribute the past century's 1-degree rise in average global temperatures in part to the accumulation of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere - byproducts of power plants, automobiles and other fossil fuel-burning sources.

Watson said the U.S. is doing better at voluntarily restraining the growth of such gases than are some countries committed to reductions under the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

"With few exceptions you're seeing those emissions rise again," Watson said of countries bound by Kyoto.

Manik Roy, who monitors Congress for the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, a Washington research group, said the world "shouldn't just give up on the United States until 2008," when Bush's term is over.

"There is a huge amount of change going on in Congress at this time" on climate issues, he said.

The Kyoto Protocol, a 1997 annex to the U.N. climate treaty, requires 35 industrialized nations to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by an average 5 percent from 1990 levels by 2012.

At the Nairobi conference, the 165 nations that have ratified Kyoto are talking about what regime of quotas and timetables should succeed that agreement.

Largely because of the shutdown of many Eastern European industries in the 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet bloc, emissions of all industrialized countries declined by 3.3 percent between 1990 and 2004, while U.S. emissions grew by almost 16 percent.

Among the Kyoto-obligated countries, Germany's emissions dropped 17 percent between 1990 and 2004, Britain's by 14 percent and France's by almost 1 percent.

Japan, Spain and other Kyoto signatories have registered emissions increases since 1990, but U.N. officials say they can meet their Kyoto targets by 2012 via taxes on carbon-based fuels, energy-efficiency regulations and other steps.

Meanwhile, a British government study released last week predicts the damage from unabated climate change will eventually cost between 5 percent and 20 percent of global gross domestic product each year.

"The urgency of the situation is indeed dire," said Steve Sawyer, the policy director for Greenpeace International. "At the end of the day, future generations will not forgive us."

11/06/2006

Oops! we did it again

Our web radio is down. I don't know when we will have it up and running again. I will let you know when it is up and running.

23 Sunday after Pentecost


Mark 12: 38-44

each copper coin
rang
as it fell
striking the many other coins
piled
in indistinguishable heaps
in the treasury
these two coins
the least of all the coins there
danced their way down the sides of the many
made great
not by the numbers stamped in them
or from whom they came
but why
and this untold why of faith
amid the gathering of human greatness
sang up to heaven
with the simple pure joy
of a nightingale

Do you sit on it, or reach for it?

Saturday November 18th, Mark 12 : 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on." Faith reaches out beyond ones self. Faith reaches out of our reality and into God’s reality. Luther said that the last thing to be converted is a man’s billfold. I think that is because we would rather sit on it than reach for it. Is your life one of sitting or reaching?

American Dream or Godly Vision?

Friday November 17th, Mark 12 : 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. What part of your life to you give back to God? Not just in money, but in the time you spend in Bible Study, prayer, service and worship. A common trend is that the summer slump is lasting longer and longer each year. Many are working so hard trying to find meaning in life that they become too busy to involve themselves and their families in the very thing that brings meaning. Summer vacation turns into fall frenzy. People are working harder and longer to get the very thing that is right at their finger tips, a meaningful life and the love of God. All too often “the American Dream” has become has become the driving force in families rather than the Godly vision. Jesus was not impressed by the generosity of those who gave out of the abundance of their dream, he was impressed at the small gift that came from the Godly vision. Are you caught up in the vision or the dream?

Balance

Thursday November 16th, Mark 12 : 40 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely." In her book, “The Way We Never Were,” Stephanie Coontz (http://stephaniecoontz.com/) points out the harsh reality of balance in the world. The Ozzie and Harriet lifestyle made famous in the 50’s TV program depicted a wonderfully simple and reasonably successful lifestyle of the emerging suburbs. What is not shown is the poverty and racism that fueled the possibility of this emerging lifestyle. We tend to see ourselves and our communities in a singularity of vision. As such, we are able to compare ourselves to “the Jones” down the street. In God’s view, “the Jones” live not just down the street, not even across the town, but often in another continent. Extreme wealth is always balanced on the backs of the extremely poor and their children. Little has changed from Jesus’ day, and little has changed in Jesus’ observation.

Oops!! they did it again

Wednesday November 15th, Mark 12: 38 As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. We have seen the recent fall of yet another modern TV Pharisee. All too often, those who hold the law up the highest, are found to only be hiding behind it. We are called instead to live generously and humbly. We are called to receive with joy all that the Lord has provided for us and for our lives. When our lives are blessed, we are called to recognize that it is so we may be a blessing. Having an abundance in your life is a blessing only when you are therefore a blessing to others. Otherwise it becomes a curse.

The problem is the obesity of hording rather than the fullness of sharing.

Tuesday November 14th, 1 Kings 17: 13 Elijah said, "Everything will be fine. Do what you said. Go home and fix something for you and your son. But first, please make a small piece of bread and bring it to me. 14 The LORD God of Israel has promised that your jar of flour won't run out and your bottle of oil won't dry up before he sends rain for the crops." 15 The widow went home and did exactly what Elijah had told her. She and Elijah and her family had enough food for a long time. 16The LORD kept the promise that his prophet Elijah had made, and she did not run out of flour or oil. What would happen if we also learned to share? Most of us are not facing starvation in our lives, and we avoid looking at it in the lives of others. The problem in America is the obesity of hording rather than the fullness of sharing. Perhaps the problems facing so many in the world of not having enough to survive, and the problems facing so few in the world, of having too much to survive, have a common solution. Perhaps we can develop stronger faith and fuller bellies at the same time, just not in the same person.

What would the protection at all costs cost them?

Monday November 13th, 1 Kings 17: 10 When Elijah came near the town gate of Zarephath, he saw a widow gathering sticks for a fire. "Would you please bring me a cup of water?" he asked. 11 As she left to get it, he asked, "Would you also please bring me a piece of bread?" 12 The widow answered, "In the name of the living LORD your God, I swear that I don't have any bread. All I have is a handful of flour and a little olive oil. I'm on my way home now with these few sticks to cook what I have for my son and me. After that, we will starve to death." The widow lived the gift in generosity, even in the face of extreme scarcity. I remember several years ago when a friend of mine wanted to put in a hidden food storage area. It was dug into the ground, insolated, isolated, and the entrance concealed in such a way that only those in the know would find it. The theory was that when calamity came, they would have food and be able to survive. I often wondered what they would do if a starving child came to their door. Would they protect their stash at all cost? If so what would they loose in the process? What would the protection at all costs cost them? God’s other way is the abundance of sharing.

Which Righteousness are you?

Sunday November 12th, Psalm146 : He gives justice to the poor and food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free and heals blind eyes. He gives a helping hand to everyone who falls. As followers of Christ, that is what we too are to be about. Sometime we get caught up in looking religious rather than being religious. The Pharisees looked religious. Though Jesus liked their enthusiasm, he had a little trouble with their righteousness that had become self-righteousness rather than God righteousness. In what ways are we tempted to focus more on self-righteousness than on God-righteousness? In what ways do our own self-interests get in the way of the Gospel unfolding in our lives? Don’t let the appearance of righteousness get in the way of walking humbly with God and being righteous.

End the "dirty" in Politics

Karl Rove has been bragging for weeks about his "72-hour program" to swing the elections, which predict a Democratic takeover of Congress.

Now we know what it is: a dirty trick campaign using robocalls.
The calls are made to Democrats and swing voters at all times of day or night to make them angry. And they pretend to be from the Democrat ("Hello, I'm calling with information about Lois Murphy"). If you hang up, they call back 7-8 times, and each time you hear the Democrat's name, to get you angry at him or her. If you stay on, you get to hear a scathing attack on the Democrat.

Karl Rove's whole career has been devoted to dirty tricks. In 2002, his dirty trick was to force Congress to vote shortly before Election Day for the Iraq War based on two months of White House lies about WMD's and Al Qaeda ties. That dirty trick has cost the lives of 2,834 brave young Americans (16 so far in November), $2 trillion in debt to our children and grandchildren, and unleashed massive bloodshed in Iraq.
It's too late for legal action or even newspaper stories. If you receive one of these calls, write down the time and candidate and call every radio and TV show you can and urge everyone listening to vote against the disgusting Republican dirty tricksters. And forward this email to everyone you know so they aren't fooled by Karl Rove's dirty trick.

Let's make this Karl Rove's LAST campaign.

11/03/2006

Voting God’s Politics

For years, we have watched the proliferation of voter’s guides from the Religious Right that did all but actually endorse only right-wing Republican candidates. Before the 2004 election, their narrow list of “non-negotiables” included abortion, stem-cell harvesting, homosexual marriage, human cloning, and euthanasia. All the wider issues that the scriptures speak to were simply ignored. Never have we seen such a partisan use, abuse, and manipulation of religion. Well, those days are over, as many Christians, including a new generation of evangelicals, are demanding a broader and more biblical agenda - one that could challenge candidates on both sides of the aisle.

We have insisted that God is not a Republican or a Democrat, but we do believe there are principles and guidelines that should inform how we vote. This year, we have distributed more than 300,000 “Issues Guides,” which cover a broad range of Christian ethics and values that should inform our political decisions. You can still get a copy of the "Voting God's Politics Issues Guide" at www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=action.display&item=VGP_resources

We have highlighted the following principles and policies as a critical framework to shape our perspective on public policy and political leadership, and the questions by which all candidates should be evaluated.

Compassion and Economic Justice

They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands (Isaiah 65:21-23).

God shows a special concern for those in poverty and acts in history to lift them up. The Bible teaches that societies should organize so that all members have genuine access to the resources needed to live a decent life and provide for those who are unable to care for themselves.

Does the candidate support measures that provide for family economic success and security by “making work work,” that promote fair and decent wages, that show a serious commitment to lifting children out of poverty, and support policies on aid, debt, and trade that would bring extreme global poverty to an end?

Peace and Restraint of Violence

They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more (Isaiah 2:4). Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9).

We face a major challenge of how to resolve conflicts, reduce violence, and defeat terrorism without endless war. War has become a first resort instead of the last resort. In a world full of terrorists, terrorist states, unilateralist superpowers, and weapons of mass destruction, we need practical alternatives to an endless cycle of violence.

Is the candidate committed to a serious plan for ending the war in Iraq, to joining a real national debate on how to remove American forces while seeking both security and peace for Iraq, to the elimination of nuclear weapons, to supporting security and freedom in the Middle East, and to strengthening international law to fight terrorism?

Consistent Ethic of Life

Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being (Genesis 2:7).

We believe that all life is a sacred gift from God, and that public policies should reflect a consistent ethic of life - and address all the places where human life is threatened. We believe abortion is always a moral tragedy, but how do we find real solutions for preventing unwanted pregnancies and supporting women caught in very difficult and desperate circumstances?

Does the candidate support policies that will dramatically reduce the number of abortions, end capital punishment, and stop genocide, especially in Darfur?

Racial Justice

There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).

Full humanity and dignity are denied when people are discriminated against for ethnic or racial reasons, whether intentionally or due to systemic structures. Racism is a sin and undermines the integrity of a society.

Is the candidate committed to reversing and ending racial discrimination in all aspects of our society, especially in the criminal justice and education systems?

Human Rights, Dignity, and Gender Justice

So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27).

We recognize each human being as created in God’s image. We urge policies that both protect life and promote human dignity. On the issue of torture, for example, it really isn’t the terrorists and what they stand for; it is about us, and what we stand for. On immigration, how do we welcome the stranger, respect the law, and insure national security? And how do we combat the growing epidemic of sexual trafficking and virtual slavery?

Does the candidate support humane and holistic immigration policies and comprehensive immigration reform? Do they insist on policies that end torture, stop human trafficking, promote religious freedom, and protect women?

Strengthen Families and Renew Culture

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God (Romans 12:2).

Strong families are the essential foundation of a good society. A culture that promotes healthy families is necessary to raise our children with strong values. And parenting has become a countercultural activity in America. How do we find real solutions, and not just scapegoats?

Does the candidate support policies that strengthen marriage and families, restore integrity to our civic and business practices, and act to prevent violence in our society - especially the alarming incidence of domestic violence against women and children.

Good Stewardship of God’s Creation

God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good (Genesis 1:31). The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it (Psalm 24:1).

The earth and the fragile atmosphere that surrounds it are God’s good creation for the sustenance and enjoyment of all things. We support policies that protect creation from interests and activities that damage it. We believe global warming is a religious issue.

Does a candidate support protections to clean air and water, to reduce the dangerous emissions that cause global warming, to shift from our addiction to oil and fossil fuels to cleaner, safer, and more renewable energy sources? Do they support the transformation to conservation and new energy sources that could provide jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, help solve the Middle East crisis, and even reduce the threats of terrorism?

Next Tuesday, we will not establish the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is not on the ballot. But you can vote to strengthen the common good. There are important things at stake in this election, including many lives in the ongoing war in Iraq. This is an important election for our country, and I urge all Christians to take time this weekend to think and pray about their choices, evaluate candidates on all these issues, then go to the polls on Tuesday and vote.

And after we vote, no matter who wins, we must be at the doorstep of politicians the next day to hold them accountable to the issues that arise from a broad biblical agenda.

11/02/2006

'Allah is my Lord and yours'

Talking with Ahmadinejad

by Paul J. Griffiths

What would the world look like if the primary solidarities that ordered it were religious rather than national? This is not the world we live in, though there are signs that it's the one we're moving toward. Among those signs, ambiguous and interesting, is the public letter sent last May by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran, to George W. Bush.

Ahmadinejad's letter received rather little sensible comment in the American media, and almost none that paid attention to the fact that it is framed as an address by one believer in God to another, and that it appeals to Bush to treat the faith he shares with Ahmadinejad as more important than what divides them.

read full article at: http://www.christiancentury.org/article.lasso?id=2422 or by clicking the title link above

11/01/2006

22nd Sunday after Pentecost


Mark 12:28-34 (35-37)

The two are one
there is no greater
than this
to love God with everything in you
and
your neighbor as yourself
this (these)
one (two)
bring all the love of God
proclaimed daily in the Shama
all the love of God
acted in the lives of the people
all the love of God
lived in the nation
all the love of God
preached to the people
all the love of God
done
to us and for us
to turning
to one side
--or another
and seeing each time
anew
the face of God

21st Sunday after Pentecost


Mark 10:46-52

Amid the multitude
following the Christ
Singing praise to the Messiah of Israel
Singing praise to the Messiah of the world
sat
one
--lone
----blind
------man
helpless
among this moving throng of history
insignificant
among the sweep of time
and the many great people
who have graced the paths of this world
insignificant
except that
he believed
and the Song of God
stopped the whole world
long enough
to help

All Saints Sunday


John 11:1-53

Life, Death
in the span of things
they are all part of the one
all part of who we are
Life limited to the here and now
Death, beyond that
and loved still
by a God who loves on this side of the grave
and beyond
Come Out Lazarus
Come out that the world may see
not so much one risen
but the one for whom
rising and living and dying
are all part of love
May the love of Christ
be with you now and forever more
Amen!

Unwrap

Saturday November 12th John 11: 44 Then he shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" And he came out, a cadaver, wrapped from head to toe, and with a kerchief over his face. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him loose." Lazarus’ body was bound in the wrappings of death, and the call was to unwrape him. There are times when our souls are wrapped in the trappings of death, and they too need to be unwrapped. What is it that is binding your soul? What saints are helping you unwrap it? How can you help someone else unwrap their death wrapped souls? Live as a Saint of God this day and help someone unwrap their soul.

Jesus Wept

Friday November 10th John 11: 34 He said, "Where did you put him?" "Master, come and see," they said. Now Jesus wept. The Jews said, "Look how deeply he loved him." Others among them said, "Well, if he loved him so much, why didn't he do something to keep him from dying? After all, he opened the eyes of a blind man." The saints in our lives are the ones who have brought us the vision of God. They are the tellers of stories and the prayers of prayers. Lazarus and Jesus were friends. Stories and love filled their times together. When he died, Jesus wept as much for the pain of missing him as he did for the lack of future vision and faith of his friends and family. Even after Lazarus was raised by Jesus, he later died. Life in this world is short. Be thankful for the saints that fill your life with stories, prayer and love. Be a saint for someone else. May it be said of you someday, “look how deeply they were loved.”

The beginning and the End Vision

Thursday November 9th Revelation 25: 6 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. God’s vision for the world from beginning to end unfolds in these pages. It is a vision of the presence of God among all people. It is a vision of all people coming together and living together in peace. It is a vision of healing for all people. It is a vision of inclusion for all people. The gates are open to all and all are welcome, come eat, you who have plenty and you who have nothing, come eat together, live together, worship together. It is a far cry from bourder fences, minimun wage hikes tied to tax cuts for the wealthy. Let us all come together and work toward God’s vision for all of humanity.

The Vision

Wednesday November 8th, Revelation 21: 1-5 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." This is the final vision in scripture, a vision of God brining peace and healing to all of humanity. This is where God is leading us. This is where we should be busy going, the image we should be working for. Today we should know where America is heading, what priorities it voted for. No matter how the vote turned out, the job is not done. Contact your elected officials weekly and let them know you want them to work toward God’s final vision of a world at peace, with food and health for all. A place where all are welcome and there are no barriors to keep others out. A place torture is not an acceptable practice and a place where instead, the love of God is the guiding principle. Let us build this world together.

And Vote

Tuesday November 7th, Isaiah 25: 9 In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God;We trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation." In whom do you trust this day? When you go to the polls today, take God and God’s view of humanity with you. Read one of the Gospels and vote. Remember you are called to be brothers and sisters in Christ, and vote. Remember you are called to love one another, and vote. Remember that which you do onto the least of these you do onto me, and vote. Remember your God, and vote.

Time for dry eyes

Monday November 6th, Isaiah 25: 8 The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. The tears will be wiped from all faces, not just our faces, not just the faces of those who agree with us, not just from the faces of those who look like us, nor just from the faces of those who worship like us, but all faces. What does that say for our culture that wants to paint “others” as evil, or is so willing to go to war and kill to get what they want? The so called evil ones, and the war dead, thiers and ours, are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Consider your brothers and sisters in Christ when you vote this year, not just your own selfish desires.

Banquet time

Sunday November 5th, Isaiah 25: 6 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine- the best of meats and the finest of wines. In God's world, there is no lack. In our world, there are have's and have nots. You would think that in the whole history of humanity we would "get it." One would think that following the teachings of Jesus, Christians would "get it." You would think that with this vision of God's hope for the world, we would "get it" and get on board. Some do "get it" and we call them saints. The rest are moving further and further from the vision of God's reality and anyone who dares to preach it or teach it is accused of class warfare. Awareness of the class warfare that is already going on is the first step in getting on board with God's vision for all of humanity. It is a step toward becoming a saint to someone in this world.

Letter to Members of Congress Urging Minimum Wage Increase

OCTOBER 24, 2006

Dear Members of Congress:

We write to you on the eve of the 2006 elections, as leaders of eleven faith communities who have come together in Churches Uniting in Christ and pledged to combat racism together in our churches and in our society as the hallmark of this new relationship. We represent over 25 million communicants nationwide.

We are grateful that the 109th Congress renewed expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act, but we remain deeply concerned that Congress has failed to address the issue of the federal minimum wage. It is time to put this important matter of economic and racial justice in a prominent place in the national debate and to act upon it when Congress returns after the elections.

Through the millennia prophets have called for economic justice for all. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “There is nothing except shortsightedness to prevent us from guaranteeing an annual minimum – and livable – income for every American family.” Pope John Paul II stated, “In every case, a just wage is the concrete means of verifying the justice of the whole socioeconomic system.” Today we add our appeal to these voices.

There is a growing hidden underclass in the United States today. By keeping the minimum wage as a poverty wage, Congress compounds this reality that has major impact on all segments in our society. But poverty disproportionately affects people of color who, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau, experience a higher rate of poverty in this country. Indeed, African Americans and Hispanics are nearly three times as likely to live under the poverty line, and nearly two times as likely to live under twice the official poverty.

The real value of the minimum wage today is nearly $4.00 less than it was in 1968. Minimum wage workers today have less buying power than minimum wage workers did in 1950. At the same time, Congress clearly recognizes the results of inflation when it gives itself raise after raise, most recently this summer.

Signed,

Bishop Philip R. Cousin,
Sr.Senior Bishop
African Methodist Episcopal Church

Bishop George W. Walker,
Sr.Senior Bishop
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

The Rev. Dr. Sharon E. Watkins
General Minister and President
Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ)

Bishop William Graves,
Sr.Senior Bishop
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold
Presiding Bishop and Primate
Episcopal Church, USA

The Rev. Michael Livingston
President
International Community of Churches

The Rev. David Wickmann
President, Provincial Elders
Moravian Church Northern Province

The Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
Presbyterian Church (USA)

The Rev. John H. Thomas
General Minister and President
United Church of Christ

The Rev. Dr. Larry D. Pickens
General Secretary, Ecumenical Staff Officer
The United Methodist Church

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