This page lists our postings from all of February, 2010

CONSULTATION AND ENCOUNTER:
THE PRESBYTERIANS OF IRAQ, SYRIA AND LEBANON
NOVEMBER 5 – 19, 2010

Received from the Rev. Len Bjorkman, for the Syria-Lebanon Network of the PC(USA)

You are invited to travel on a mission trip to Lebanon and Syria this fall to meet fellow-Presbyterians from Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. This venture is organized through the Iraq Partnership Network and the Syria-Lebanon Network of the PC(USA) and is sponsored and facilitated by The Outreach Foundation. The church governing bodies in the region, namely the Assembly of Presbyterian Churches in Iraq and the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon have worked closely with the networks to finalize and bless these plans.

For details on this mission/learning trip >>

‘Time for action is now,’ nine-member panel urges

In a Presbyterian News Service report dated Feb. 2, 2010, Jerry Van Marter says that “finding consensus on how to solve the seemingly intractable conflict in the Middle East is as difficult for Presbyterians as it is for the world’s leaders.” But he says that the PC(USA)’s Special Committee to Prepare a Comprehensive Study Focused on Israel/Palestine came close as it concluded its fourth and final meeting in Louisville on Jan. 30.

For his full report >>

The news story summarizes the report’s recommendations:

The recommendations also address other contributing factors to the continued conflict throughout the Middle East, such as calling for the U.S. government, among other things, to:

The Simon Wiesenthal Center accuses Presbyterians of declaring war on Israel

 Leslie Scanlon, reporting for The Presbyterian Outlook, begins her Feb. 23 story:

Once again, relations between the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and American Jewish leaders have hit a rough spot – with criticism emerging of a not-yet-finished report on the Middle East that’s headed to next summer’s General Assembly.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a human rights organization, posted an alert to supporters on Feb. 22, with the headline: “Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Ready to Declare War Against Israel: Take Action Now.”

The alert, regarding a report that’s not completed yet from a General Assembly Middle East study group, states that “adoption of this poisonous document by the Presbyterian Church will be nothing short of a declaration of war on Israel and her supporters.”

The Wiesenthal Center statement, noting some of the recommendations that have been approved by the study committee, says that “in 2008, church leaders supposedly seeking to balance PCUSA'a Middle East policies, instead, created a committee dominated by seven activists holding strong anti-Israel beliefs. The lone member sympathetic to Israel, quit in protest when he saw their radical agenda.”

The statement therefore warns that “adoption of this poisonous document by the Presbyterian Church will be nothing short of a declaration of war on Israel and her supporters.” And so it calls on their supporters to “protest directly to the top leadership of the PCUSA,” and to ask Presbyterian friends to “speak out against this potential rewriting of PCUSA's policy towards Israel that will destroy the era of good will that has been fostered with the Jewish community for decades.”

Israeli peace group sees the rise of “a new McCarthyism in Israel”

from Jewish Peace News

Jonathan Cook writes from Nazareth:

The Israeli government and its right-wing supporters have been waging a “McCarthyite” campaign against human-rights groups by blaming them for the barrage of international criticism that has followed Israel’s attack on Gaza a year ago, critics say.

In a sign of the growing backlash against the human-rights community, the cabinet backed a bill last week that, if passed, will jail senior officials from the country’s peace-related organisations should they fail to meet tough new registration conditions.

The measure is a response to claims by right-wing lobbyists that Israel’s human-rights advocates supplied much of the damaging evidence of war crimes cited by Judge Richard Goldstone in his UN-commissioned report into Israel’s Operation Cast Lead.

We'd like to hear your comments,
and suggestions of other news reports or articles
that would help in responding to these actions and concerns.

Thousands of faith leaders send letter, run full-page ad for health reform

PC(USA) stated clerk, Washington Office join summit-eve appeal

by Jerry L. Van Marter, Presbyterian News Service

WASHINGTON — On the eve of the Bi-Partisan Health Care Summit in Washington, D.C., Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons and the Presbyterian Washington Office have joined thousands of faith community leaders and organizations urging the Obama administration and Congress to “complete the task at hand on behalf of the millions who are left out and left behind in our current health care system.”

In addition to the Feb. 24 letter to the President and Congress — under the umbrella groups Faithful Reform in Health Care and the Washington Interreligious Staff Community — the religious leaders are running a full-page print advertisement in The Hill and an additional online ad at The Hill's Web site, showcasing the letter and its signers.

The letter concludes: “As people of faith, we envision a society where every person is afforded health, wholeness and human dignity. Martin Luther King, Jr., famously wrote in his ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ that ‘justice too long delayed is justice denied.’ Less well known is his admonition that ‘of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.’ Let us not delay health care justice any longer. This is your moment for political courage, vision, leadership and faith. We urge you to take heart and move meaningful health care reform forward.”

The letter was signed by more than 4,000 people of faith, 58 national religious organizations, more than 80 regional and state faith organizations, and 26 national faith leaders.

Extend Unemployment and COBRA Now!

This call for action comes from Interfaith Worker Justice

Are you unemployed? Do you know someone who is? Urgent action is needed TODAY to make sure that Congress extends the lifeline for workers by extending unemployment and COBRA coverage before the end of the month

Interfaith Worker Justice has stood with workers in times of economic prosperity and continues to stand with them  in this time of economic crisis. Your response will help someone put food on the table, keep their lights on and of course, enable them to live with some dignity during this harsh economic climate.  Click Here to take action now!

Anderson served two Presbyterian congregations as an ordained minister in the 1980s, but he set aside his ordination in 1990, after he was "outed" by two church members as a gay man.  Since then he has served in ecumenical roles in California and Wisconsin, and served as the only gay member of the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church.

In November, 2008, he put forward to John Knox Presbytery a "declaration of conscience" against provision G-6.0106b of the Book of Order, which effectively bans LGBT persons from consideration for ordination in the Presbyterian Church.  The Presbytery accepted his declaration, and thereby approved him as a candidate for ordination. 

Today's action caps Anderson's years of struggle to fulfill his sense of calling to ministry.  Scott writes in his note about today's Presbytery action:

It was a great experience, with fine leadership on the part of the Presbytery, and a grace-filled debate that proved once again that Presbyterians can disagree without being disagreeable.

Blessings --
Scott Anderson

Added later:

A friend reports that after the meeting, which was in executive session, and the vote, there was an announcement asking people to sign up to begin an appeal.

This comes to us from the Rev. Bobbie McGarey, a regular contributor to this site, and pastor serving First Presbyterian Church, Lawton, Oklahoma

    Falling Following

We watch the Olympic athletes make their best move
      and sometimes that is not enough.
We, not so unlike them. fall on our best faith move
     sometimes our faith is not enough.
So we walk through Lent
   Thanks be to God for God's mercy.

Overtures, reading and seeing, and looking at the same Jesus
  dare we claim to see issues before us with Jesus' eyes?
     But so do they... they claim they are seeing right.
'They is a four letter word' Let's give it up for Lent
    Thanks be to God for God's mercy.

The Rev. Carolyn Winfrey Gillette has written a hymn entitled “Our Lord, You Were Sent,” which is suggested for the first Sunday in Lent.

You can find it on her new website, which includes over 150 of the new words she has written for singing with mostly familiar hymn tunes.

Washington Report to Presbyterians surveys 2009 wrap-up and 2010 outlook for:

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Rick Ufford-Chase, co-director of Stony Point Center, and Executive Director of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, has sent to members of PPF some information about some good resources and opportunities as we enter into Lent:

Presbyterians contributing to earthquake response in many ways

Presbyterian News Service reports:

With the transfer of an additional $101,500 to ecumenical partners in Haiti, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has now contributed more than a half-million dollars to immediate emergency relief in the island nation following the Jan. 12 earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands.

Americans want limits on corporate cash in elections, would support a constitutional amendment

A national poll of 1,200 Americans commissioned by People For the American Way shows that the Roberts Court is far out of step with the American public over corporate money in elections. It also shows broad support for a wide range of proposals to "fix" the Citizens United ruling, including legislation being introduced in Congress and a proposed constitutional amendment.    The full report >>

PC(USA) Stated Clerk also called for some challenge to this Supreme Court decision >>

We are delighted to announce the new name of the merged organization of Witherspoon Society and Voices of Sophia: Presbyterian Voices for Justice. We offer our thanks and congratulations to Anne Barstow for offering the winning entry in our contest to find a new name -- and our thanks to all the others who have offered very good ideas as well.

by Doug King, WebWeaver and Communications Coordinator

The Office of the General Assembly has already received and posted some 46 overtures at last count, with many more to come, proposing a wide variety of actions to the coming 219^th General Assembly, which will be meeting in Minneapolis on July 3 - 10, 2010.  We offer here a brief summary of the overtures dealing with issues of major interest to us, with links to each of them as they are posted on the Genereal Assembly website.

To list the categories briefly:

This is a work in process, and I would greatly appreciate comments, corrections, and suggestions, either to be posted with credit to the author, or simply to be considered in my own next revision. Please send a note, and tell me whether to post it, or just to think about it.

A West Salem, Wisconsin, woman on probation for theft is accused of stealing a wallet from her probation officer.

UFW applauds return to bi-partisan farm worker regulations

news release from United Farm Workers

Washington – 02/11/2010 – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis announced today reinstatement of protections for imported farm workers that were slashed from the nation's agricultural guest worker program during the last days of the Bush administration in early 2009.

The Bush administration's changes to the H-2A agricultural guest worker program, which took effect on January 17, 2009, dramatically impacted wages and working conditions for foreign agricultural workers. Under the Bush rules, agricultural employers could more easily access cheap foreign labor with little government oversight.

"The United Farm Workers applauds Secretary Solis for restoring protections for imported farm workers that had been in effect since the Reagan administration. This is a great victory for all farm workers," said Arturo S. Rodriguez, UFW president.

Stand With Colombia's Churches

Colombia's faith communities continue to stand firmly for peace amidst grueling violence. They now ask faith communities across the U.S. to join them in this year's Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia, April 16-19. Hundreds of faith communities will dedicate part of the worship service that weekend to praying for peace in Colombia. Will you join us?

Click here for our complete packet for bringing the Days of Prayer and Action to your faith community. The packet includes:

from The Times Online, Feb. 9, 2010

The Archbishop of Canterbury issued a “profound apology” to the lesbian and gay Christian community today. In a powerful address to the General Synod, Dr Rowan Williams warned that any schism within the Church would represent a betrayal of God’s mission. But he made clear that he regretted recent rhetoric in which he has sought to mollify the fears of the traditionalist wing of the church.

The Archbishop is from the Church’s liberal wing and a man who once espoused equal rights for gays within the Church. More recently he has adopted a conservative line for the sake of Church unity. Today he said: “There are ways of speaking about the question that seem to ignore these human realities or to undervalue them. “I have been criticised for doing just this and I am profoundly sorry for the carelessness that could give such an impression.”

March 19-22, outside Washington, DC

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is a co-sponsor of the Ecumenical Advocacy Days which will take place March 19-22 at the Double Tree Hotel in Crystal City, VA, near Reagan National Airport.  It is a significant gathering of Christians who come to DC to strategize and lobby on a variety of issues.  You can learn more and register at: http://www.advocacydays.org/.

On that Saturday NRCAT will sponsor an important workshop and we hope you will be able to join us:

Ending Torture - At Home and Abroad
Saturday, March 20, 2010
2:50 - 4:20 pm
Double Tree Hotel, Crystal City, VA

Workshop Description:
Come learn about three areas of work to end torture at home and abroad: 1) Ending U.S.-sponsored torture of post-9/11 detainees; 2) Ending torture in U.S. prisons; and 3) Advocating for U.S. policies and practices that help end torture by other governments.

Panelists will include:

The session will include concrete suggestions for how people of faith can work to end torture in 2010, and Q/A with the panelists.

Gene TeSelle, formerly president and long-time Issues Analyst of the Witherspoon Society, has written this as a sequel to his article "Taking Responsibility for the Future" in the Spring 2009 issue of Network News, pp. 16-19.

He describes some of the elements in the nation's current budget crisis: rising health care expenditures, the looming exhaustion of funding for Social Security, the ballooning national debt, and the issue of who should make the hard decisions in dealing with these crisis.  And there is also the vital question of who should benefit from whatever decisions are made.

Click here for TeSelle's essay.

Wars sending U.S. into ruin – Obama the peace president is fighting battles his country cannot afford

Eric Margolis, writing for the Toronto Sun, begins:

U.S. President Barack Obama calls the $3.8-trillion US budget he just sent to Congress a major step in restoring America’s economic health.

In fact, it’s another potent fix given to a sick patient deeply addicted to the dangerous drug — debt.

More empires have fallen because of reckless finances than invasion. The latest example was the Soviet Union, which spent itself into ruin by buying tanks. 

Washington’s deficit (the difference between spending and income from taxes) will reach a vertiginous $1.6 trillion US this year. The huge sum will be borrowed, mostly from China and Japan, to which the U.S. already owes $1.5 trillion. Debt service will cost $250 billion.    For his full article >>

From Phil Leftwich, Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee. We thank him for his permission to post this.

Friends –

I both saw and read several news articles this past weekend about a family in Atlanta who have started a foundation to set a model before us of "sacrificial giving." It began with the father and his daughter driving in the city. A Mercedes pulled alongside their car just as the teenaged daughter was reading the sign of a homeless man asking for help. She began to do some personal soul searching, and then her own spiritual journey became a discussion around the family's dinner table. Once they looked at all they owned and how little they were proportionately giving others the course became clear. They moved out of their multi-million dollar house and downsized, began giving to others in a meaningful way that has included a mission in Ghana, and have humbly stayed out of the media spotlight until this last weekend. What a change this has made in all of their lives!

Parsons: Unlimited spending by corporations ‘challenges democratic ethos’

Presbyterian News Service reports:  

LOUISVILLE — Feb. 3, 2010 -- The Rev. Gradye Parsons, General Assembly stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), issued a statement today decrying the Jan. 21 U.S. Supreme Court decision to lift virtually all restrictions on corporate contributions to election campaigns.

“I am concerned about the pressures this decision puts on individual candidates and office holders and on the integrity of the election system as a whole,” Parsons said, noting that the decision undoes decades of federal campaign finance legislation and “historic Presbyterian wisdom about the dangers of corruption by special interests.”

Parsons’ statement outlined recent General Assembly statements on campaign finance and electoral form, concluding that “this decision is likely to reshape the political process in profound ways, and to reduce the voice of citizens, churches and other groups without unlimited money ...”

The conservative PC(USA)-related organization, Presbyterians for Renewal, is putting forward a proposal by which the General Assembly would allow for the creation of non-geographical synods upon the initiative of at least three presbyteries.

For the introduction of the proposal >>

For the proposal itself (13 pages in PDF format) >>

This includes a brief introductory statement (p. 1), a long list of “frequently asked questions” (2 - 9), the proposed amendment to the Form of Government (10 - 11), and an appendix (12 - 13).

Margaret Thomas (a past member of the Advisory Committee on the Constitution and former Associate Stated Clerk) has written a statement critiquing the proposal in her usual judicious but incisive manner.  Click here for her statement >>

Some observers have described the proposal as a simple “ploy” to allow conservative presbyteries to form their own governing bodies while retaining their property.

Action by Presbytery of the Pacific

A small number of conservative congregations (some of them with large memberships) presented the proposed overture to the Presbytery of the Pacific in its assembly last Saturday, Jan. 30. After a “lively” debate, it was rejected by a substantial margin. One member of the Presbytery has referred to the proposal as “Presbyterian apartheid.”  More on the Presbytery of the Pacific action >>

The Rev. Len Bjorkman, a Witherspoon member and long-time leader in the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, has draft an overture which would support more effective peacemaking programming in Presbyterian-related campus ministries, colleges, and seminaries.

Click here for the full text of his draft – and you might consider putting it up for consideration in your own presbytery.

Policy group working on gun violence, HIV/AIDS, public education, others

Presbyterian News Service reports:

LOUISVILLE — The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy feverishly worked last weekend on a half-dozen reports it is preparing for the upcoming 219th General Assembly later this year in Minneapolis.

The earthquake devastation in Haiti creates a painful context for news that Goldman Sachs has approved a bonus pool of $20 billion. Two of the nation's leading theologians -- George Hunsinger and Michael Kinnamon -- have issued a "Modest Proposal" for restoring some balance.

They write:

Even before the recent earthquake alerted us to Haiti’s misery, Goldman Sachs was uncomfortable about the attention its bonus system was attracting. Last September Lloyd Blankfein, the chief executive of Goldman Sachs, acknowledged that "Compensation continues to generate controversy and anger." "In many respects," he added, "much of it is understandable and appropriate." The New York Times reported (October 12, 2009) that Goldman Sachs has considered improving its image by making a sizable charitable donation.

GA actions ratified (or not) by  the presbyteries   

A number of the most important actions of the 219^th General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries, confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.

We provided resources to help inform the reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.

Our three areas of primary interest have been:

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PVJ's Facebook page

Mitch Trigger, PVJ's Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!

Voices of Sophia blog

Heather Reichgott, who has created this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:

John Harris’ Summit to Shore blogspot

John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive

Got more blogs to recommend?