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Archives: July 2003 |
Reports from the 215th General Assembly are
indexed on another page. All our reports from June
are indexed on the June archive page.
Stories from May are indexed on
the May archive page.
Check earlier months through the
general archive
page.
|
7/29/03 |
Network News, the Witherspoon
quarterly newsletter, is at the printer.
If you're a member, you'll be receiving it soon, we
hope. In the meantime, here are three articles it will be bringing:
Keeping
perspective
Witherspoon president Kent Winters-Hazelton surveys the
recent General Assembly, and urges that we keep our attention on the "big
issues" of war and peace, poverty and the needs of changing families.
So we're a special-interest
group?
Doug King reflects on recent charges by The Layman
that the Witherspoon Society is a "special interest group." He urges
members to think about what our interests really should be in these times,
as we continue to work for peace and justice. And the Witherspoon
board, which will be meeting in September, would like to hear what you
have to suggest!
What about
those "change ministries"?
Jennifer Stone, a new Witherspoon board member and a
counselor, examines some of the psychological and theological issues
raised by so-called "change ministries." |
The occupation of Iraq |
What
kind of victory is this? Radical historian
Howard Zinn looks at the "victory" of the new American Empire, and sees
the seeds of its own collapse beginning to appear: the lies revealed, the
growing resistance to our "liberation" among the people of Iraq, the
likely shift in public opinion as the war drags on and casualties
continue.
In a long-term perspective, he says:
There is a long history of imperial powers, gloating
over victories, becoming over-extended and overconfident, as their
citizens begin to get uneasy because their day-to-day fundamental needs
are being sacrificed for military glory while their young are sent to
die in wars. The uneasiness grows and grows, and the citizenry gather in
resistance in larger and larger numbers, and become too much to control,
and one day the top-heavy empire falls over.
Of calls for impeachment he says, "Of course, we do not
expect a craven Congress to impeach him. They were willing to impeach
Nixon for breaking into a building. They will not impeach Bush for
breaking into a country. ... Still, it is good to bring up impeachment,
because the Constitution allows it for 'high crimes and misdemeanors' and
it is an opportunity to discuss the high crimes of this government."
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Beans
for peace The Lutheran Peace Fellowship
has posted on their website what sounds like a great "game" to help people
learn about the real costs of the war - by using beans to show the number
of billions of dollars spent on the military in comparison to development
aid, UN peacekeeping, other forms of conflict resolution, and the Peace
Corps.
The resource contains helpful ideas for action, once
people get an ideas of where their money is going - including contacting
Congress.
Thanks to
Janet Adair
Hansen |
|
Moderator Susan Andrews recently led a Bible study on the
call to an inclusive church - including gay and lesbian people, and
bisexual and transgender as well, and other cultures too.
Erin Swenson reports with
appreciation. |
The Rev. Alice Anderson is
seeking people to tell stories of what the PC(USA) has lost by its
exclusion of GLBT persons from ordained service, to present them to the
wider church. |
7/26/03 |
Thinking (theologically!) about
the government Theologian Doug
Ottati considers ways our Reformed heritage can inform the ways we relate
to government and politics. One paragraph, for example:
Our theological heritage may help to
sharpen our reflections. The doctrine of creation encourages us to
affirm that humans are social creatures who need institutions to
maintain order and direct cooperative enterprises. The doctrine of sin
indicates that we need governments to restrain the inordinate interests
and destructive actions of both persons and groups. It also suggests
that the concentrations of power which governments require to undertake
these functions often invite dangerous abuses.
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The blessings of marriage - why denied to gays?
Charles Henderson, Presbyterian minister and editor of the
Christianity section of about.com,
offers a thoughtful essay about "the blessings of gay marriage," asking
"Why should a couple that is willing to assume the responsibilities of
marriage be denied any of its privileges?" |
Preaching on feeding the 5000?
One of the lectionary texts for Sunday, July 27, is John's account of
Jesus' feeding of the 5000 people - John 6:1-21. And the Presbyterian
Hunger Program website offers two helpful resources for the day:
Thanks to Bruce Gillette |
A
global trend: World's oldest Protestant churches now ordain gays and
lesbians
Opponents of inclusive ordination often claim that
"nobody does it," so Presbyterians shouldn't either. To be sure, many
churches around the world refuse to ordain people for a variety of reasons
- like because they're women or something. And more refuse to ordain those
who are openly gay or lesbian.
But Andy Lang, managing editor of the United Church of
Christ website, posted an analysis over a year ago reporting that "most
of the historic Lutheran and Reformed churches in Germany and northern
Europe" now practice inclusive ordination. He listed
a total of 26 churches, mostly in Europe, but a growing number in Africa,
North America and the Pacific, with a total membership of nearly 57
million. |
7/21/03 |
"Evangelicals
have become this century's witch burners"
The Guardian (in Britain) has an analysis of the role of
evangelicals in the recent struggles in the Church of England over the
appointment of Jeffrey John, a gay priest, as a bishop. Noting that "the
word evangelical is now firmly linked in the public imagination with
intolerance and bigotry," the author points to what a change this is from
the origins of the evangelical movement in Britain, when it "had a
reasonable claim to be the social conscience of the nation." It provided
the motivation for the campaign to abolish slavery, for prison reform and
the limitation of child labor.
Author of the article is the Rev. Dr.
Giles Fraser, vicar of Putney and lecturer in philosophy at Wadham
College, Oxford. He doesn't really explain how the shift has come about,
except for pointing to its historical roots. His view of the future is not
hopeful: accommodation to the evangelicals, he asserts, will be in vain,
and many of them have already determined to separate.
This makes interesting reading for us
Presbyterians in the USA.
Got comments?
Just send a
note!
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How shall the church
deal with the campaign of litigation?
Brian Wells comments on the continuing campaign of Paul
Rolf Jensen against "anyone considered theologically impure." He urges
those in "the Great Middle" of the church "to understand the folly of
trying to appease the reactionaries with G-6.0106b." |
Another pastor accused by Jensen
The Rev. James Rigby of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in
North Austin, Texas, has been warned by Paul Rolf Jensen that the
California lawyer will file an accusation against him sometime this week,
charging him with violating the Book of Order by ordaining a gay elder.
Sylvia Washer, presbytery executive for the Mission
Presbytery in San Antonio, is quoted as saying, "One conversation is,
'Well if we just wait long enough, the newer generation will come into
leadership and . . . for them, this may not be such a major issue. ... But
I don't think we're going to last that long myself."
This is reported in the
Austin (TX) American-Statesman. |
Pastoral support urged for glbt persons
and families
Melissa Lynn DeRosia urges follow-up efforts from Atlanta overture,
approved by 215th GA, calling for improved pastoral support for
GLBT persons and their families. |
7/16/03 |
More on the San Diego "guidelines" for "directing" candidates for
ministry -- Joseph Cejka adds the texts from the
Swearingen report, which call for call for forbearance, and not for
"fundamentals" For Gene TeSelle's first analysis
of this effort to judge candidates' beliefs, which he warns may be "a new
fundamentalism," click here. |
South Africa offers a
different and thoughtful look at
the relation between religion
and education
As the U.S. continues to struggle
with the role of religion (if any, and that's part of the debate) in
education, a recent "Draft Policy on Religion and Education in South
Africa" may offer food for thought from a quite different setting.
We post it here not as an example to be
followed, but as an alternative approach whose consideration might help us
in our own thinking within the U.S. context.
It comes to us via the South African
e-list called e-PRAXIS, which describes itself as "engaging faith and
society" and is based in the theological community of South Africa.
The paper is long, but we have highlighted some of the
topics and ideas that may be especially interesting.
We invite comments! |
Washington Times anti-gay report is contested
The Washington Times of July 11 carried an
article entitled
"Study Finds Gay Unions Brief." Brian Wells of Baltimore
responded with this letter to the editor, which he has kindly shared with
us. He argues that the conclusions drawn (that gay unions don't
last, and all that) are based on statistics that are irrelevant to the
issue. |
"Who
gets hurt if gays, lesbians get married?"
Columnist Tony Norman, writing in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
raises this question. |
The occupation of Iraq |
20 Lies About the War The Independent (in
the United Kingdom) provides a handy little list of "20 Lies About the
War." The authors say that "falsehoods ranging from exaggeration to plain
untruth were used to make the case for war. More lies are being used in
the aftermath."
A few examples (each of which is followed by evidence of
its falsehood):
1) Iraq was responsible for the 11 September attacks
2) Iraq and al-Qa'ida were working together
3) Iraq was seeking uranium from Africa for a "reconstituted" nuclear
weapons programme
8) US and British claims were supported by the inspectors
10) Iraq was obstructing the inspectors
13) War would be easy
16) The "rescue" of Private Jessica Lynch
17) Troops would face chemical and biological weapons
19) Iraq's oil money would go to Iraqis
20) WMD were found
Thanks to TruthOut
- a very helpful daily listing of news reports from many sources,
providing alternative views of the war. |
"These Weapons of Mass Destruction cannot be displayed"
Just for fun:
For a little message about the war, try check out the
following search before google fixes it:
1. go to www.google.com
2. type in the search field: weapons of mass destruction
3. don't hit return, instead, hit the "i'm feeling lucky" button
4. read the error message
Or if that doesn't work, go directly to
http://www.coxar.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ |
|
7/9/03 |
So what about all
those lies? Peter Sawtell, Executive
Director of Eco-Justice Ministries, reflects on the emerging "pattern of
lies" from the Administration in Washington – those used to justify the
invasion of Iraq, as well as those being trotted out to justify the
continual downgrading of environmental protections. |
Presbytery committee vindicates Abu-Akel
Former moderator the Rev. Fahed Abu-Akel was accused of
slander in May of 2003 by Mr. Paul Rolf Jensen.
In response, he asked his own presbytery of Greater Atlanta
for vindication against those charges. The presbytery named an
investigating committee, which has announced its conclusion that "Rev.
Fahed Abu-Akel has not committed the offense of slander and bearing false
witness against Mr. Paul Rolf Jensen."
|
Black caucus convention examines justice, spirituality and African
connection
Presbyterian News Service reports that the National Black Presbyterian
Caucus drew some 700 participants to its 36th annual convention in
Baltimore, from June 25 - 29.
Caucus president the Rev. Curtis Jones was praised for
his leadership in "transforming the convention from a gathering in search
of meaning into a driving and visionary force for the ministry of
African-Americans." He has recently been named as the first full-time,
paid executive director of the NBPC.
The convention focused on African-American church
growth, the NBPC's historic traditions of devotion to racial and social
justice, and re-affirming the group's mission connection to Africa and its
commitment to helping ease the spread of AIDS there. |
Jensen promises more complaints against 350 ministers by end of July
A recent AP report in the Cincinnati Enquirer,
updating earlier reports on the decision of Cincinnati Presbytery to
remove the Rev. Steve Van Kuiken from the ministry, adds an interesting
note about what we can expect in the near future:
Mr. Paul Rolf Jensen, who filed the complaint against
Van Kuiken, praised the presbytery's action as "a tremendous victory for
those of us who want to take our church back from heretics who seek to
destroy it." He is
also reported to have said "that he and a group of 20 ministers and elders
around the country will file disciplinary actions by the end of July
against 350 ministers who they believe have broken ordination vows and
violated church law." |
The Stated Clerk and the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church have
recently posted their occasional open letters to the PC(USA).
Stated Clerk
Clifton Kirkpatrick, reflecting on his recently visit to Albania in
connection with his World Council of Churches responsibilities, affirms
that "nothing can separate us from the love of God."
Moderator Susan
Andrews shares a theme she emphasized before and during the 2003
General Assembly: a call "to imagine ourselves as a collective offering to
God, carrying forward our whole lives as a gift of hope for the church [by
joining in] a season of graceful growth--in gratitude, membership, and
mission." |
More about our missing
mystics We recently posted
a thoughtful report by a pastor
to his presbytery, after serving as a commissioner to the
215th General Assembly. He wonders if our Assemblies might
not profit from a different ethos, where mystics, dreamers and
lovers would be a stronger presence than the "lawyers."
Click here for an
earlier, thoughtful, deeply personal response.
The
Rev. Janet Adair Hansen has sent another
provocative comment, along with her recent
sermon on the woman whom Jesus healed
of a long-term hemorrhage. We have
now posted another --
and more critical -- reaction to the discussion. So ... what do you think? Do we
need a different ethos in our assemblies? Is such a change possible?
What would you do to make it happen?
Please send a
note to join in a conversation here! |
More about
Brazil guests The Rev. Lew Lancaster,
recently retired from years of service on the national staff of the
Presbyterian Church, adds a note to our report on presentations by Aureo
Bispo dos Santos of the United Presbyterian Church of Brazil: |
Covenant Network posts information on its 2003 conference, Nov. 6-8 in
Washington, DC. Theme: "The Church We
Are Called to Be and to Become"
Speakers include Barbara Wheeler,
President of Auburn Theological Seminary in New York, in dialogue with
Richard Mouw, President of Fuller Theological Seminary in
Pasadena. Also Bruce Reyes-Chow, Organizing Pastor of
Mission Bay Community Church in San Francisco, and
Patrick Henry, Executive
Director of the Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research in
Collegeville, MN.
Preachers include Jana Childers, Dean
and Professor of Homiletics at San Francisco Theological Seminary;
Chris Glaser, author, activist, and popular retreat leader;
Ken Kovacs, Pastor of Catonsville [MD] Presbyterian
Church; and J. Barrie Shepherd, poet and pastor, recently
retired from the pulpit of First Presbyterian Church in the City of New
York. |
7/5/03 |
Where are the mystics in our Presbyterian Church?
One preacher responds to
David Garnett's question by saying
that they're all around us and among us
The Rev. Janet Adair Hansen, Web Editor for
Presbyterians for Restoring
Creation, and a Witherspoon member, sent a note along with a sermon
she had just finished preparing for Sunday, June 29, on the text of Mark
5:24b-34, and the healing of the woman with a flow of blood.
Click here for her
note. And click here
for her sermon, "Your Faith Has Made You Whole"
Hansen argues that the amazing Good News that Jesus
spoke of - and acted out - cannot be reduced to doctrinal
formulae. She even takes on the call of the San Diego "guidelines" for
belief in "Jesus' supernatural works of healing." For she says, Jesus'
acts of healing are profoundly natural, and are a real part of life for
many people today and in Jesus' time.
What do you think?
Please send a
note and join in the conversation! |
So what's all this about marriage?
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, deviating slightly from
his own Presbyterian Church teachings, has recently affirmed that marriage
is "a sacrament," and that its sacred status justifies the proposed
constitutional amendment defining marriage as a relationship between one
man and one woman. (So take that, you wild-eyed liberals on the
Supreme Court!)
Karen Armstrong, well-known author of A History of
God, recently published
an
essay in The Guardian arguing that Christians have "always
had a bleaker view of love - gay or straight - than any other faith." In
her essay she touches also (briefly and clearly!) on many of the Biblical
texts usually advanced to condemn same-sex relationships.
Thanks to Jane Hanna for pointing us to
this article. |
|
Reports from General Assembly are
indexed on another page. All our reports from June
are indexed on the June archive page.
Stories from May are indexed on
the May archive page.
Check earlier months through the
general archive
page.
|
| |
|
GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly are now being sent to the presbyteries for their
action, to confirm or reject them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book
of Order.
We're providing resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest are:
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Amendment 10-A,
which would remove the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers. |
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Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. |
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Amendment
10-1, which would adopt the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. |
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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