Helloe Helloe,
I am here in Pakistan to help you in your deep distress. My name is the Rev. Dr Chuck Ausherman from Church World Service the oldest and largest Christian and Orthodox emergency relief organization to assist you in this mess you seem to be in. I am also now the chair of the Bath Church Missions Board.
Before I dispense this enormous supply of aid from your brothers and sisters in America I must find out where you stand on a number of vital issues.
As you suffer in these terrible flood waters that washed away your home and all of your belongings, what are your positions on Gay marriage? Do you approve of abortion on demand? Do you support the Tea Party agenda? Or are you a flaming liberal? I must get your reply before we get around to this food which you seem to be preoccupied with. Really now, please stop sloshing around. You are getting me wet too! I must know if you are in favor of the American Stimulus to the economy? Where are you on gun control?
My goodness you are really wet. Before you slip again into these raging waters, I must know where you stand on these vital matters before I help you. I am so very sorry you lost your beautiful children in this disaster which seems to be the worst in history. You realize that I have just come from Haiti where people are still mostly living in tents and I had to ask these same questions before giving aid.
We don’t give help to every Tomas, Ricardo and Haryono, you know.
I am here to make sure you agree with my political position on a number of issues before giving you help. Oops, please hang on. The waters seem to be deepening. The folks who supply this aid must know where you stand on these things. We don’t just give help to anyone you know without knowing what their positions are. Be careful. My church has statements on all these things and a wrong answer could cost you your LIFE! Hang on to this life raft and I may be able to assist you. Are you a Republican or a Democrat? Would you be willing to join my church?
P.S.News got back to UCC Cleveland about this interview and Chuck was fired and sent home immediately. His claim to dry clean his favorite clerical clothes was denied. Legal charges are pending.
This untrue story is intended to clarify the context of disaster assistance.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Micah 6:8 resumes meetings in September
Summer break is over! Micah 6:8, the social justice group at BCUCC, resumes its regular planning and discussion meetings on the first Tuesdays of every month beginning Tuesday, September 7, at 7:00 pm, in room 202. Watch for notice of the monthly movie schedule too – on the third Sundays of the month at 6:30, in the Hospitality Room. Everyone is welcome!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Eureka
Eureka, I found it! The answer to our problem with the UCC.
Can you imagine sitting in a Protestant church pew at Sunday worship and hearing your pastor say, “Now to be a member in good standing in this church you must place yourself on this side of the following issues!” He/she then goes on to describe how you must think and act on Abortion, Immigration, Capitol punishment, Gay marriage, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, contraception, the status of women. Etc, etc.
That is not quite how it is done in Protestant churches. Any and ALL arguments on these and a host of controversial issues are topics for discussion and debate but there are no authorities mandating particular stands one must take. No one will take away your membership, deny access to the sacraments or make demands of any sort, except invite you to reason together-discuss-share your views-your life experience in these matters.
Alas, there are those who are commissioned to research and write reports which may or may not end up as resolutions or proclamations which are sometimes voted on in various judicatories like Synods or annual meetings. But there is no mechanism to force agreement on these things.
Welcome to the post Reformation. Thank you very much, Martin Luther.
Welcome to the conversation. Please don’t pout in a corner fuming over the audacity of someone in the church of all places, bringing up how faith may affect these matters. Faith does matter. Your input counts.
Early church history reveals that there were always huge differences on vital matters of their day. The Apostle Paul made a career out of tamping down the ferocity of various Christian groups demanding acceptance of their positions on matters we hardly take note of today.
Extreme examples of fervor resulting in violence and even beheading of opponents are part of our Christian heritage. I have the exact dates when prelates who disagreed with the wording of an important creed lost their heads, Literally! It continued through the ages. Disagreeing with the beloved theologian, John Calvin caused Servatius his life. A common sport was attending the roasting of a dissident at a firery stake.Hopefully, we will not go back to those ways of dealing with those with whom we disagree.
But secular political polarization is fanned to a white hot pitch by those who are handsomely paid to stir us up.Words matter and even today wind up causing violence including murder. How to insulate the church from these appeals to our baser instincts has one important remedy. It is called CIVIL Discourse.
Jesus never shied away from controversy. He often caused it by breaking the Sabbath, affirming outcasts, including women for goodness sake.
He usually was very civil in presenting his arguments. Well, OK, except for turning over a few tables at the Temple and calling religious leaders “hypocrites” once in a while. But that was then. Oops, I think I just lost some of my argument for civil discourse. But Jesus had credentials that we don’t have,OK?
Can you imagine sitting in a Protestant church pew at Sunday worship and hearing your pastor say, “Now to be a member in good standing in this church you must place yourself on this side of the following issues!” He/she then goes on to describe how you must think and act on Abortion, Immigration, Capitol punishment, Gay marriage, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, contraception, the status of women. Etc, etc.
That is not quite how it is done in Protestant churches. Any and ALL arguments on these and a host of controversial issues are topics for discussion and debate but there are no authorities mandating particular stands one must take. No one will take away your membership, deny access to the sacraments or make demands of any sort, except invite you to reason together-discuss-share your views-your life experience in these matters.
Alas, there are those who are commissioned to research and write reports which may or may not end up as resolutions or proclamations which are sometimes voted on in various judicatories like Synods or annual meetings. But there is no mechanism to force agreement on these things.
Welcome to the post Reformation. Thank you very much, Martin Luther.
Welcome to the conversation. Please don’t pout in a corner fuming over the audacity of someone in the church of all places, bringing up how faith may affect these matters. Faith does matter. Your input counts.
Early church history reveals that there were always huge differences on vital matters of their day. The Apostle Paul made a career out of tamping down the ferocity of various Christian groups demanding acceptance of their positions on matters we hardly take note of today.
Extreme examples of fervor resulting in violence and even beheading of opponents are part of our Christian heritage. I have the exact dates when prelates who disagreed with the wording of an important creed lost their heads, Literally! It continued through the ages. Disagreeing with the beloved theologian, John Calvin caused Servatius his life. A common sport was attending the roasting of a dissident at a firery stake.Hopefully, we will not go back to those ways of dealing with those with whom we disagree.
But secular political polarization is fanned to a white hot pitch by those who are handsomely paid to stir us up.Words matter and even today wind up causing violence including murder. How to insulate the church from these appeals to our baser instincts has one important remedy. It is called CIVIL Discourse.
Jesus never shied away from controversy. He often caused it by breaking the Sabbath, affirming outcasts, including women for goodness sake.
He usually was very civil in presenting his arguments. Well, OK, except for turning over a few tables at the Temple and calling religious leaders “hypocrites” once in a while. But that was then. Oops, I think I just lost some of my argument for civil discourse. But Jesus had credentials that we don’t have,OK?
Sunday, August 8, 2010
It is About Time
It is time…..
It is time to re-examine our understanding of the UCC as a denomination. It is time to seek how we can utilize the resources and benefits available to us a UCC church in mission.
It is time to dispense with negative images of our home denomination which are based on our disagreements with some individual issues announced by various UCC personnel in the area of social concerns. Those issues which are controversial should be opportunities for dialogue and discussion seeking understanding and mutual respect.
It is time to learn that the history of the Christian church is filled with conflict over serious and fundamental matters from the earliest times. See the letters of Paul which are a constant narrative of how he pleads for respect and harmony of the spirit in spite of vast differences of belief.
It is time to affirm that Christianity is not dull, monolithic or exclusivist.
It is time to affirm our diversity and even enjoy, yea, celebrate it!
It is time to learn from each other, understand each other without expecting to be in lockstep with each other on all matters.
(See the Bath Church web site under resources drop down Micah 6:8 blog re. The UCC and politics….an exchange of e-mail letters June 3, 2010)
It is time to re-examine our understanding of the UCC as a denomination. It is time to seek how we can utilize the resources and benefits available to us a UCC church in mission.
It is time to dispense with negative images of our home denomination which are based on our disagreements with some individual issues announced by various UCC personnel in the area of social concerns. Those issues which are controversial should be opportunities for dialogue and discussion seeking understanding and mutual respect.
It is time to learn that the history of the Christian church is filled with conflict over serious and fundamental matters from the earliest times. See the letters of Paul which are a constant narrative of how he pleads for respect and harmony of the spirit in spite of vast differences of belief.
It is time to affirm that Christianity is not dull, monolithic or exclusivist.
It is time to affirm our diversity and even enjoy, yea, celebrate it!
It is time to learn from each other, understand each other without expecting to be in lockstep with each other on all matters.
(See the Bath Church web site under resources drop down Micah 6:8 blog re. The UCC and politics….an exchange of e-mail letters June 3, 2010)
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