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Archive for December, 2001 |
12/27/01 |
The
Witherspoon Society is asking members to
renew their membership, and for new folks to join up.
We are also seeking
funding for a vital initiative during the coming year, including a
staff person to plan and coordinate local conferences on "the whole
Gospel church" and the Confession of 1967.
Please look at these two notes, and respond as
generously as you can!
|
12/23/01 |
A Christmas Prayer for Peace
God, hear our prayers.
We've lost touch with you
And lost our way.
We've forgotten the lesson you came amongst us to teach.
We are violent
And we hurt one another.
God,
Father of us all
Remind us to be good.
Mother of us all
Teach us to be compassionate.
In difficult times
Help us to rebuild rather than destroy.
Teach us to hold hands like brothers and sisters.
Discourage us from fighting like enemies.
Show us the error of our ways.
Make the sun rise on a world
In which children are safe
And parents are safe.
Free us from hatred
So that our anger will not end in destruction.
Unite us O God.
Teach us to share this world.
Help us to remember that we are all your children
Regardless of race, religion, or ideology.
Help us Creator.
Stand by our side
And show us the way.
Show us the way to peace.
Amen.
This prayer was offered by Brianna Stratman in
worship on Sunday morning, December 23, at St. Luke Presbyterian
Church, Wayzata, MN. She is a college student and a member of the
congregation.
|
12/22/01 |
For
a helpful perspective on Christmas, check out Peter Sawtell's
reflections on Christmas as
"a profoundly subversive holiday." |
Presbyterian
church defends its right to help the homeless
Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City is
in the news for successfully defending its right to let homeless people
sleep on church grounds. Margaret Shafer runs the church's outreach
program; her husband, Byron Shafer, is a former president of the
Witherspoon Society.
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani called the judge's decision
"very inhumane." (That will make a little more sense if you
read the full story. Maybe.)
Thanks to onReligion.com |
Why
don't the Arabs trust us?
On December 15, the United States vetoed the U.N.
Security Council Resolution to establish a monitoring force in the West
Bank and Gaza (the "Occupied Territories").
David Batstone, Executive Editor of SoJoNet
(Sojourners Magazine), sees this (and the long line of similar
actions in the past) as a major factor leading Arab and Islamic nations
and people to distrust the United States. |
Florida
farm workers call for boycott
of Taco Bell, plan "Truth Tour" for March, 2002. |
Jesse
Alexander wants to add perspective to Barbara
Kellam-Scott's critique of George Hunsinger's "third way"
proposal. |
The
Covenant Network has posted its latest
newsletter, which includes the announcement the Joanna Adams and
Eugene Bay have been elected as new Co-Moderators. plans for the 2002
Covenant Conference, some of the addresses and sermons from the 2001
Conference, and much more. |
Pat
Robertson's departure from the Christian Coalition points to the
paradox of conservative politics. |
12/19/01 |
Building
the federal budget for youth
The Presbyterian Washington Office has joined other
religious and civic groups in urging Office of Management and Budget to
"increase investment in community-based juvenile crime prevention
efforts that positively engage children and youth." This
includes the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, the Title
V Local Delinquency Prevention program, and the national programs under
the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA), which provide critical
assistance to youth in high-risk situations. |
The
UCC Justice and Peace Action Network, in its weekly message, calls for
concerned citizens to urge the U.S. not to
withdraw from the A.B.M. Treaty. |
Someone
has asked recently about forming local groups of Witherspoon folk.
We have no formal program in this area, but would be glad to have people
initiate such things. Here are a few suggestions
about forming local chapters. Take a look, see what you think,
and send us a note if we can help! |
Resource
packet for the debate on
Amendment 01-A
The Witherspoon
Society is making available a packet of materials to aid our church in
the debate on Amendment A. Most of the material is already on this
web site, but a print form is easier to share.
You can check out
the list of contents, and how
to order.
|
That
All May Freely Serve is seeking a Minister
of Reconciliation and Justice, to serve in the Texas area. |
12/17/01 |
WCC
General Secretary Konrad Raiser has issued a
Christmas message that proclaims God's grace in the face of "a
world without mercy," ruled by competition and money. |
The
three kings:
a revelation from the Gentiles points us toward new openness to
learning from other faiths and from environmental scientists.
by Peter Sawtell, Executive Director, Eco-Justice Ministries |
Churches
for Middle East Peace issue "A
Christian Call for Peace" in the form of a petition
We
reported a year ago on a prayer vigil campaign by the group,
Churches for Middle East Peace, in which the PC(USA) is an active
participant.
This year the group has issued a petition for peace,
which you can sign on their
web site. (Or print a copy to circulate it more widely, and
mail it to the address provided.) They will send the signatures to
our nation's leaders.\ |
We've
received three interesting reports of current
activities on behalf of peace:
 | Hampshire College Condemns War in All-Community
Vote |
 | Barbara Lee Addresses Growing Interfaith Peace
Movement |
 | North Carolina Rally And March For Alternatives
To War |
|
Roberta
Wells Hargleroad has been named as new
editor for Church & Society magazine. |
Nominations
are being sought for the PC(USA) annual Restorative
Justice Award. Deadline is March
15. |
Barbara
Kellam-Scott is less hopeful than Gene TeSelle about finding helpful
points in the 78 theses put forward by George Hunsinger. Mere
tolerance seems unlikely to be offered, she points out, and if it were,
it would fall far short of the justice which is the demand of the
Gospel. |
Kairos
student group at Union Seminary/PSCE, Richmond, will hold
discussions with the Rev. Dr. Jane Spahr and the Rev. Katie Morrison, on
issues of justice in the PC(USA). Jan. 22-23, 2002. Open to
all! |
The
whole gospel for our whole church ... to help make the world
whole. [12-17-01]
The Witherspoon Society is developing a coordinated program designed to
promote the theology of reconciling witness in the church, using the
35th Anniversary of the Confession of 1967 in 2002 as a take-off point. A
conference will be taking place in February 2002, at Stony Point,
New York, which will provide a first chance for discussion along these
lines.
This conference, "The Hope of Reconciliation," developed in
one presbytery with involvement from members of Witherspoon and other
organizations, serves as an example of our intention of promoting
discussion of the "whole gospel" for our whole church. We
believe the church's heritage cannot be reduced to three or four
'fundamentals,' and our heritage must continue to be discussed and
evaluated for its relevance to our changing world and church.
We hope you will consider participating in this event, and will
encourage others to join in, too. You are welcome to circulate the
information from the brochure, or ask for copies of the brochure itself
(with a cover illustration and a registration form) from C-67 Conference
Registrar, Box 35, Scarborough, NY 10510. The Registrar can also be
reached c/o Scarborough Presbyterian Church 914-941-1142, and e-mail
will be forwarded from Dr. Christian Iosso's church e-mail, ciosso@scarboroughchurch.org.
The Presbytery website: www.hudrivpres.org
also carries bios of the lead speakers for the February 3-4 event.
If you're a member of Witherspoon, you will soon be receiving a letter
telling more about this program. |
Added
on 12/14/01 |
Amendment
A slips farther behind in voting
Effort to restore ordination decisions to
presbyteries and sessions trails 7-35 with 25 percent of the vote in. |
The Army of
God, one of whose "warriors,"
Clayton Lee Waagner, was recently apprehended by federal authorities as
a "domestic terrorist" because of his repeated threats against
women's clinics. Some are pointing out that the group in which he has
been involved, the Army of God, should properly be dealt with similarly
as a domestic terrorist organization. |
Peace,
Unity and Purity Task Force holds first meeting
Gathering in Louisville, the group of 20 faced the
reality of differences in the church, but seemed determined to know one
another as persons, and to join in seeking a way forward for the
church. In their opening covenant the group committed itself
(among other things) to "model a respectful, loving process of
discernment and dialogue, seeking to reach consensus whenever possible,
ever mindful of our responsibilities to all the members of our beloved
Church." |
The
General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission has finally ruled that the
case against the ordination of a gay elder in Stamford, CT, is moot,
because the term for which he was elected has expired. |
Another
session has endorsed the Call to
Civility. |
Added
on 12/12/01 |
Amendment 01-A Will Keep All
God's Creatures in the Ark
The Rev. John A. Shuck, pastor of First Presbyterian
Church in Billings, MT, has sent us this essay, in which he reflects
on the benefits that passage of Amendment A would bring to all of us
as a denomination, and to our congregations and members.
It would, he says, be faithful to Scripture,
respectful of differing opinions among us, and in harmony with the
meaning of ordination in our church.
NOTE: The author has broken his essay into
shorter paragraphs, just to make it easier to read in the web
format.
|
Details have been announced for the
More Light
National Conference, scheduled for May 24-26, 2002, in Raleigh,
NC. |
Lisa
Larges becomes fifth Minister Evangelist for That All May Freely
Serve |
Do you want to have some impact
on the life of our church? Here's one way!!
Nominations are now being sought for GA level
committees and boards. Consider applying, or nominating someone
else.
|
Release
of missionaries held in Afghanistan raises questions about truthfulness
and respect for law of some "evangelists"
[Published on 12-10-01, and posted here on 12-12-01]
A recent article
in the Dallas Morning News points to some of the questions
that observers have been asking since the release of Dayna Curry and
Heather Mercer after weeks of detention by the Taliban. They were
accused of using their humanitarian activities as a "cover"
for evangelism, which has long been forbidden by the Afghan government.
Some of the questions being asked:
 | Is deception legitimate when it is for the sake of
spreading the Gospel? |
 | Is it appropriate to violate the laws of a nation
in which one is a guest? |
 | Is evangelism sometimes coercive, when it makes use
of Western wealth and power in a very poor country? |
 | Does the Gospel lead us to respect the faiths of
other people, or does it compel us to despise other religions? |
Thanks to onReligion.com |
Added
on 12/10/01 |
One
Retired Missionary's Response to
"An Open Letter from Our Missionaries"
Retired missionary Bill Hopper writes in response to "An
Open Letter from Our Missionaries," in which they express the
fear that "If Amendment A should pass, compromising our church's
commitment to the biblical and confessional understanding of chastity as
faithfulness in marriage and celibacy in singleness, we will put our
partnerships with sister Churches around the world in profound
jeopardy."
Hopper suggests that "Our Missionaries" are
showing a lack of respect for our sister churches around the world,
which are working out their own patterns of faithfulness in their
situations just as we are attempting to do in our own. |
The
Salvation Army, discrimination, and the big red kettles
The Salvation Army, the nation's largest charity, has
rescinded its decision allowing regional divisions to extend health
insurance benefits to the domestic partners of its employees. So what do
we do with those Salvation Army kettles, collecting money to help the
needy during the holiday season? Equal Partners in Faith suggests
putting coupons in the kettles,
promising a contribution as soon as the Army changes its discriminatory
policy. |
O
Tannenbaum - O environment!
Peter Sawtell, Executive Director of Eco-Justice
Ministries, recently sent these thoughts
on Christmas trees. He may sound a bit like the Grinch, but he
offers helpful insights on the ways our "simple" actions are
intertwined with economic and environmental realities - and
consequences. |
Chanukah
greetings and a call for peace
Rabbi and author Michael Lerner offers Chanukah
greetings, and reflects on the Chanukah reading from Zechariah, "in
which God reveals a central message of Judaism: Not by might, and not by
power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord who has ultimate power."
So he ponders the need for breaking the cycles of
violence between Israel and the Palestinians. "So this year,"
he concludes, "we truly need a miracle" among all the peoples
of the world. |
Presbyterian
Disaster Assistance allocates second round of humanitarian aid
for Afghan refugees and displaced persons.
Food packets will help feed more than 100,000
people. |
Do
you want to send messages to Congress, but can't find time to compose
good letters on so many issues? Here's a
place to find some help! |
Two
glimpses of Witherspoon's past
Issues Analyst Gene TeSelle has uncovered a couple
interesting documents from Witherspoon's past. One is a statement
drafted in 1985, describing the
purposes of the group and the issues on which its attention was
focused.
The second document, a sort of modern poem composed
around the time of the group's founding nearly 30 years ago, is a
fascinating reflection of its time. Gene would like help in
finding the author of the poem. So please check out "A
Stern Prayer for Parlous Times." |
Added
on 12/5/01 |
In
Search of Alternatives to Violence will be the topic for a Ghost
Ranch seminar set for July 29-August 5, 2001. Leadership will
include Bruce Gagnon, Alan Geyer, and Barbara Green. Co-sponsored
by Witherspoon Society, Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, and Presbyterians
for Restoring Creation. |
Material for the debate on
Amendment 01-A
The Witherspoon
Society is making available a packet of materials to aid our church in
the debate on Amendment A. Most of the material is already on this
web site, but a print form is easier to share.
You can check out
the list of contents, and how
to order.
|
A
new Witherspoon Society membership brochure is available. Request
one for yourself, or to share with a friend. Request a quantity to
spread around your neighborhood! Just
send a note, telling us how many you want and where we should send
them. (If you'd like a white, unfolded version to make your own
copies, mention that, too!) |
Northern
New York votes for Amendment A by 42 to 19
Vote totals now as 6 presbyteries approving Amendment
A, 30 rejecting it.
Voting on Amendment A: 6 yes and 30 no, as of 12/5/01
For a clear and current listing of the votes, check
the PresbyWeb
site. |
Over 130 of the commissioners to the 213th General Assembly have
joined in an open letter to the PC(USA),
which concludes:
Amendment 01-A honors Scripture, Confessions, and our
Presbyterian heritage -- and allows Presbyterians to honor and respect
one another.
We
urge you to join us in supporting Amendment 01-A.
Check out the full
text of the letter, and see who has signed it.
|
Another
open letter, from leading figures on the conservative side of the
church, urges us all to defeat Amendment A. |
We
recently reported on PresbyNet conversation about the displaying
of US flags in church sanctuaries. Joe Sayre responds to
the discussion by urging that we keep
our focus on more important issues. |
Elder
Warren Aney writes to agree with Barbara
Kellam-Scott in questioning the continuing insistence on affirming
that "Jesus is Lord." |
Petition
for peace: American Friends Service Committee has been
gathering signatures for a petition authored by a group of Nobel Peace
Prize Laureates that calls on the United Nations to chart a new course
in the global response to terrorism. |
Added
on 12/1/01 |
As the "war against
terrorism" continues, Presbyterians and others still protest the
US-based training for terrorists at Ft. Benning's School
of the Americas
A special report from Anne Llewellyn Barstow
|
Do you want to go
back in time??
To wander through earlier headlines and
links:
 | from November,
2001 |
 | from October,
2001 |
 | from September,
2001 |
 | from August,
2001. |
 | from July,
2001 |
 | from June,
2001. |
 | from May,
2001. |
 | from April,
2001. |
 | from March,
2001. |
 | from February,
2001. |
 | from January, 2001, click
here. |
 | from all of December, 2000, click
here. |
 | from November 2000
including reports on
|
 | articles from
the Spring 2000 issue of Network News |
 | from mid-September through October, click
here. |
 | from July through mid-September, click
here. |
 | from January through June 2000, click
here. |
|
| |
|
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:
 |
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. |
 |
Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. |
 |
Amendment
10-1, which would adopt the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. |
|
|
If you like what
you find here,
we hope you'll help us keep Voices for Justice going ... and
growing!
Please consider making a special
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Click here to send a
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Or send your check, made
out to "Presbyterian Voices for Justice" and marked "web site," to
our PVJ Treasurer:
Darcy Hawk
4007 Gibsonia Road
Gibsonia, PA 15044-8312 |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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