This page lists reports and commentary from earlier in March, 2006

Action Alert from the Presbyterian Washington Office

For the latest in the rapidly shifting legislative actions on immigration, our Presbyterian Washington Office provides a great deal of helpful information: contacts, suggestions for action, background information and more.   It's all here >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interfaith Worker Justice provides good resources for use in congregations this weekend or next

What You Can Do To Support Humane U.S. Immigration Reform Law, an action bulletin insert

Remember the Immigrant, a responsive reading

What Faith Groups Say About Immigration Reform

In addition, you can find Celebrating immigrants, an interfaith immigration service, on our website.

Please take a moment using the attached link to send a letter to your Representative and Senators urging support for an immigration bill that supports a path to citizenship, family unification and strong worker protections, and opposition to punitive approaches that criminalize hard-working immigrants and people of faith who support them.

The rallies of the past few days and the unwavering support of the religious community has truly been inspiring. Let's continue to engage members of our congregations. God bless you in this work.

Torture is nothing new, but we need to learn more about it, including its long-term effects on victims, its limitations as a source of information, and its corrupting influence on those who use it.

The Berkeley Daily Planet reviews two new books which help meet this need.

The review begins:

The Bush-Cheney regime may represent a radical break with this nation’s traditions in many areas, but in making torture a central weapon in its "war on terror," the current administration is simply building on a body of theory and practice that goes back more than half a century.

That, at least, is the conclusion suggested by two new books on the modern history of American torture.

A Question of Torture, by historian Alfred W. McCoy, traces the influence of "mind control" research conducted by and for the CIA in the 1950s in shaping the interrogation techniques used by American agents and allies ever since.

Truth, Torture, and the American Way, by lawyer and human-rights advocate Jennifer K. Harbury, highlights parallels in the practices of U.S. government operatives and their local "assets" in the current conflict and in the civil wars that wracked Central America in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Another glimpse of John Witherspoon

An old friend and frequent visitor to this website, the Rev. John Mann, is now serving as a Church of Scotland pastor in Glasgow. 

He recently visited Paisley Cathedral in Glasgow, where a plaque commemorates the life of Witherspoon.

He adds, "I find that the words inscribed on the memorial that were spoken by him so many years ago to be particularly timely in our current social and political climate."

Witherspoon's words (in case it's a bit hard to read them):

If your cause is just, you may look with confidence to the Lord, and entreat him to plead it as his own.   

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Goes to Senate Floor. Make Your Voices Heard...Call your Senators Today!

The Presbyterian Washington Office sends this, in cooperation with other immigrant rights groups:

On Monday, March 27^th, the Senate Judiciary Committee, in a historic bipartisan vote, passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill that begins to address our broken immigration system in a realistic and humane fashion.

The committee's bill creates an earned path to citizenship for the current undocumented population and new workers; provides a way for future workers to safely migrate to the U.S. and work with labor and worker protections; and addresses the family backlog so that families can be reunited.

As the full Senate begins deliberating immigration reform this week, we must continue to make our voices heard! Contact your Senators today and let them know you support comprehensive immigration reform and the Judiciary Committee bill.

Wage War on Poverty, Not Immigrants

The only way to stop the flood of immigrants is to help lift their standards up, rather than drive ours down. We can spend billions trying to lock immigrants out and hold those that come in down. Or we can devote energy and resources now wasted on a civil war in Iraq to help lift our neighbors up, gain real trading partners and significantly reduce the misery that drives people from their homes, writes Jackson.

Carol Wickersham, one of the initiators of the growing No2Torture network, reports (and exhorts):

Great good news! Last night [March 28] Milwaukee Presbytery voted unanimously to concur with the overture to GA from San Francisco Presbytery. Thanks is due to the small, but mighty, Clinton Presbyterian Church, especially to the study group which used the "Out of Horror, Hope" curriculum to help focus their thoughts and prayers. Michelle Dennis, who was a part of the Miami gathering, made an eloquent presentation.

Perhaps others will be inspired? Concurring resolutions need to be to the GA office 45 days prior to the Assembly, or by May 1. So there is time if we move quickly. The more Presbyteries which concur, especially representing the diversity of the church, the louder our voice is. In addition, Presbyteries are a receptive audience to educate, and can spread the word, especially if pastors take the issue back to their pulpits.

NOTE:  We have just been informed that the Presbytery of the James and the Presbytery of Seattle have approved similar overtures.

The Florida tomato pickers are 1,000 miles into their latest "truth tour" when NPR airs a story about Americans taking to the streets to protest an immigration bill that would put up a West-Bank-and-Gaza-style barrier between Mexico and the United States, all across California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas.

The purpose of this Great Wall would be to keep out hundreds of thousands of Mexicans and others desperate to get into this country to take "the jobs Americans workers won't do."

Jobs like picking tomatoes. Here's the truth of that:

Leave home and family far behind to live in an alien culture in an un-air-conditioned high-rent dorm with dozens of strangers. Get up well before sunrise every morning to go stand in a dusty lot with throngs of other men and women, all hoping to be chosen to put in a 14-hour day of bend-at-the-waist labor under the searing tropical sun - toil for which, if you are young, strong, male and relentless, you might be paid $50. You have no health insurance or benefits, you get no overtime pay, you haven't had a raise in 30 years, and your hosts are talking about building a 1,000-mile-long wall between the likes of you and the American dream.

The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship invites you to join a delegation to ...
the Presbyterian Church of Colombia

In partnership with the Presbyterian Church of Colombia, the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship and the World Ministries Division have established a program of accompaniment through which the PPF trains and sends persons to accompany the church in Colombia providing them a veil of protection against the worst of abuses.

More information >>

Help build houses with Habitat for Humanity – in Armenia

Habitat for Humanity International has announced a build in Yerevan, Armenia, September 1 through 10, 2006. The National Council of Churches (FaithfulAmerica’s parent organization) is facilitating a trip to historic Yerevan, Armenia to tour some of the world's oldest Christian sites, meet with His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, and build houses with Habitat for Humanity International. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you help change the lives of families who have been living in conditions of extreme poverty AND to have an extraordinary cultural experience.

Together with Bob Edgar, NCC General Secretary, you will spend a week building homes, relationships, and changing the lives of 30 families in this country on Turkey’s Eastern border. The cost for everything (including airfare) will be about $3,000. The experience will be absolutely priceless.

We are accepting reservations this week in order to know how many seats to reserve on the airline. A formal reservation process will begin shortly. This build is going to fill up quickly, and we want FaithfulAmericans to be part of this labor of love.

Beth Pyles writes after returning from Baghdad

Beth Pyles, a Presbyterian member of the Christian Peacemaker Team in Iraq, returned to the States last week, and sent this note to friends last Saturday, March 25.

and a critic tells what he thinks is wrong with their actions

In part Pyles is responding to those who have been criticizing the DPT efforts; we post here one such note, which was sent by Dr. Earl Tilford, a Presbyterian elder, a retired military officer, and professor at Grove City College, to CPT, with a copy to us.

The National Council of Churches announces that its 2006 Earth Day Sunday resource is available for download at www.nccecojustice.org/KatrinaDownload.html.

Their announcement continues:

This year, the resource focuses on the just rebuilding of the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. So many congregations have been involved in relief and recovery efforts that we think this is a great way to affirm, honor and add to that ministry!

This resource provides the background information, sermon notes, bulletin insert, and study questions to plan an Earth Day Sunday (or any day) worship service.

The Rev. Peter Sawtell, Executive Director of Eco-Justice Ministries, offers helpful reflections on the never-ending war in Iraq, and the President’s struggles to regain support for that war – and for his presidency. It’s time, he says, to shift the focus. And that’s something that churches can do well: not the conflicted questions of policies, but the larger framework within which we view them.    Sawtell's essay >>

Madeline Albright seems to agree: "Good versus evil isn’t a strategy."

The story from Presbyterian News Service >>

A slightly bemused thought from your WebWeaver:

Christian Peacemaker Teams has issued a statement on the release of three of their people after months of detention as hostages in Iraq.  They say in part:

Today, in the face of this joyful news, our faith compels us to love our enemies even when they have committed acts which caused great hardship to our friends and sorrow to their families. In the spirit of the prophetic nonviolence that motivated Jim, Norman, Harmeet and Tom to go to Iraq, we refuse to yield to a spirit of vengeance. We give thanks for the compassionate God who granted our friends courage and who sustained their spirits over the past months. We pray for strength and courage for ourselves so that, together, we can continue the nonviolent struggle for justice and peace.

From the Presbyterian Washington Office:

Presbyterians are welcome to come first to Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church at 201 Fourth Street, SE. There will be coffee and doughnuts before the group heads off together for the West side of Capitol and a prayer vigil at 11:00am.

We are expecting a large group of Presbyterians gathering and going to the event announced below. The Washington office and the New Immigrant Ministry of the PCUSA will be present to assist and give information.

March 27, 2006 @ 11 AM
West Lawn of the United States Capitol

Congress is on the verge of passing legislation that will decide how immigrants will be treated for decades to come. New laws are needed that will provide for legal immigration in a safe, orderly and just manner.

Together we can influence our national leaders to pass laws that ensure immigration reform that is comprehensive.

Join other faith-based and community groups as we call for:

Legalization and Path to Citizenship for the Undocumented

Family Reunification

Humane & Just Treatment for Workers

DREAM Act

May 1-7 is Cover the Uninsured Week

Together with the National Council of Churches, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and others, Faithful America is encouraging faith communities across the country to join the largest movement on behalf of uninsured Americans by becoming a national supporter of Cover the Uninsured Week 2006.

Nearly 46 million Americans are living without health coverage, including more than 8 million children. During May 1-7, 2006, thousands of activities will take place in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to tell Congress that health coverage for Americans must be their top priority. Activities include press conferences, health and enrollment fairs, business leader summits, interfaith activities, small business seminars, campus outreach and more.

More information >>   

Given the season of the year, you may want to look at Henderson’s Easter material >>

His sermons, including those for Lent and Easter, are all listed on one page.

A few other samples of his work:

On intelligent design >>

The blessings of gay marriage >>

The meaning of forgiveness in a world of war >>

His site, like ours, is indexed very well by Google. Just use the Google search window on any page of his site.

Witherspoon Board supports More Light call for the church to do RIGHT -- NOW

We reported on March 20 the call issued by More Light Presbyterians for the General Assembly to act NOW to end anti-gay policies in the Presbyterian Church.  The Witherspoon Board has voted to express its strong support for this call.

The MLP Call to do RIGHT, NOW >>

On Wednesday, March 1st, 2006, in Annapolis at a hearing on the proposed Constitutional Amendment to prohibit gay marriage, Jamie Raskin, professor of law at American University, was requested to testify.

At the end of his testimony, Republican Senator Nancy Jacobs said: "Mr. Raskin, my Bible says marriage is only between a man and a woman. What do you have to say about that?"

Raskin replied: "Senator, when you took your oath of office, you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You did not place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible."

The room erupted into applause.

Did he really say this?  Stop in at Raskin’s own website >>
(He is a candidate for the Maryland State Senate.)

A call to support immigrants' rights, by opposing Sen. Frist’s purely punitive immigration bill

An observation on the growth of Catholic power in U.S. politics

from Gene TeSelle, Witherspoon Issues Analyst

The confirmation of Samuel Alito's appointment means that a majority of Supreme Court justices are Roman Catholics. In order of appointment, they are Antonin Scalia (1986), Anthony Kennedy (1988), Clarence Thomas (1991), John Roberts (2005), and Samuel Alito (2006). Clarence Thomas was raised as a Catholic, attended an Episcopal church with his wife, and returned to Catholicism in the late 1990s.

More Light Presbyterians calls the church to do RIGHT -- NOW

To the Board of the Witherspoon Society,

Frederick Clarkson reports on some of the background of the Rev. Dr. James Tonkowich, recently named as the new president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, a Washington, DC-based organization with a 20 year history of seeking to undermine mainline Christian churches deemed "too liberal."  A graduate of evangelical Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a minister in the breakaway Presbyterian Church in America, he has worked for the past five years with conservative evangelical Charles Colson's Prison Fellowship.  More >>

This article is posted here with the kind permission of its author.  You will find it, and many more resources on the Religious Right, on the website Talk to Action.

A new organization, the INTERNATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY (I.E.D.), announced today that it has issued an URGENT APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD to donate money to help support democracy in the country that needs it most - the USA.

The founders of this group (with such a creative name - IED!) includes a number of well-known progressive and radical scholars and activists.  We don't know how serious they are, but their website provides lots of thoughtful critiques of the realities of American democracy. 

We're not too sure of their assertion that this is the first-ever effort to get aid from other nations for the U.S.  After all, American independence was won in no small measure because of help from (of all people) the French. 

"John's Account of Jesus' Demonstration in the Temple: Violent or Nonviolent?" by Mark R. Bredin, in Biblical Theology Bulletin, 2003.

Associated Press provides one early report of anti-war protests in Australia, Asia, Europe and the US.

The story begins:

Thousands of anti-war protesters took to the streets around the world Saturday, marking the third anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq with demands that coalition troops leave immediately.

Wael Musfar of the Arab Muslim American Federation addressed more than 1,000 people who gathered in Times Square near a recruiting station, which was guarded by police.

"We say enough hypocrisy, enough lies, our soldiers must come home now," Musfar said from a parked flatbed truck. Participants chanted, "Stop the U.S. war machine, from Iraq to Korea to the Philippines."

Many attendees emphasized that they support the troops. "I have friends in Iraq and I just want them to know that I may not be able to support them there, but I can here," said Jose Avila, 36.

The reporter adds that many of the demonstrations drew fewer people than organizers had hoped for.

There’s still time to support immigration reform

This News Release, from the National Immigration Forum, gives us an update of events in Washington related to the hearings and status of the bills. The many phone calls, vigils and email from concerned advocates across the nation seem to be working. Keep up the good work!!! It looks like the issue will be around until March 27th and can still use the voices of those who have not yet contacted their Senators. This is not the time to ease up on the pressure. Your Senators may be in their home districts to attend Saint Patrick Day celebrations. What better day to talk with them face to face about compassion in immigration. There are many Irish walking around Washington wearing T-shirts that ask for compassion in immigration.

Again, if you have not contacted your Senator, you may do so through our PresbyAction Center at www.pcusa.org/washington Just put your zip code in the GO box on the right. If you have contacted your Senators, pass this message along to those who may not have.

The Los Angeles Times has published a brief report on the case in which the Rev. Jane Spahr was cleared by the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Presbytery of the Redwoods, of charges that she had violated the Book of Order by officiating at the unions of two lesbian couples.

Read the story >>

And from Outlook ...

Meanwhile, the Rev. Jack Haberer, who recently became Editor of Presbyterian Outlook, offers the interesting suggestion that the Presbytery should file an appeal against the decision of its own PJC, in order to get clarification of what he calls its "very brief" decision.

Read his brief editorial >>

Pittsburgh minister under scrutiny for performing same-sex marriage

Pittsburgh Presbytery is investigating one of its ministers, the Rev. Janet Edwards, for officiating at a same-sex union last year. Edwards said she doesn't think she violated her ordination vows or the Book of Order by performing the same-sex union.

"Marriage is a sacred union between people who are committed to each other, without regard to gender," said Edwards, who advocates the full inclusion of gay persons in the Pittsburgh Presbytery.

The case is presently being studied by an investigative committee, which will decide whether to bring charges against her.

Edwards is a distant descendant of the great 18^th century preacher and theologian, Jonathan Edwards, most known for his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Janet Edwards notes that for her ancestor, the threat of divine judgment hung over every person, and no one group is singled out for that judgment.

Witherspooner Dr. Arch Taylor sends this note:

I have been trying to call attention to the fact that Israel possesses nuclear weapons of mass destruction as an important factor in the present international expression of concern about Iran. Nobody seems willing to listen. People in general don't know this truth about Israel, and the major media aren't interested in getting the word out. I am currently trying to get the local newspaper stirred up about it. Please do your part.

In peace, for peace,

Arch

Taylor refers to an article by Malcolm Lagauche in Uruknet, a website devoted to providing "information from occupied Iraq"

A "litany of resistance" has been prepared by Christian Peacemaker Teams, celebrating the life and witness of Tom Fox, whose body was found in Iraq after he was held hostage for some time.

It is also a litany for forgiveness, for deliverance, and for the strength to stand against the war.

You might want to use this in a service on Sunday, marking not only Tom Fox’s life and death, but the third anniversary of the beginning of the US war in Iraq.

Click here to download this file, which is in PDF format, set up as a bulletin insert.

Praise God for Janie's courage and the courage and progressive thinking of the PJC. What a wonderful victory. Are we beginning to get our church back?

Barbara Gaddis   [a Witherspoon member living in Boone, Iowa]

New additions to The Thoughtful Christian

This new series of on-line materials for adult study and discussion, from Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, has just added sessions on these very current topics:

Visit TheThoughtfulChristian.com, and you’ll find information on all of these very good resources.

Lobbyist Jack Abramoff has apparently worked closely with a number of leaders on the Religious Right, enlisting their anti-gambling rhetoric to oppose the establishment of casinos that would have infringed on the territory of his tribal clients. Focus on the Family founder James Dobson was one of the central figures, and others were Tony Perkins, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, and Ralph Reed. Gambling money went at least to Reed.

Three days after Abramoff's indictment Dobson declared, "If the nation's politicians don't fix this national disaster, then the oceans of gambling money with which Jack Abramoff tried to buy influence on Capitol Hill will only be the beginning of the corruption we'll see." He concluded with a denunciation of vice: "Gambling--all types of gambling--is driven by greed and subsists on greed."

High time to take the log out of our own eye ... says China

Assuming it’s good sometimes to see ourselves as others see us, you might find it helpful and enlightening to see how America’s human rights situation looks from the perspective of China.

This note comes to us from Clair Hochstetler, a Mennonite peace activist and a chaplain in a community-based health system in Goshen, Indiana.

Well, they didn't really use those exact words, but that's the essence of the "Human Rights Record of the United States in 2005" that China issued Thursday in response to the United States government's "Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 2005" released the day before.

While this does not excuse China's excesses, here now the shoe is on the other foot, and it's quite unsettling to have to absorb the truth about ourselves, as well. I take it as another real indictment of our current administration's practices.

I'm deeply saddened and inspired by the three items I'm posting today: 

Deeply saddened by the violent deaths of two non-violent witnesses for peace, one three years ago in occupied Palestine, and the other in Iraq just a couple days ago.  Saddened too by the human cost -- almost entirely ignored in our media -- of the American war in Iraq. 

But there is hope in each of these stories:  Two people willing to risk their lives for peace, and others (Christians, Muslims and Jews -- and an atheist) working together to repair the terrible damage done to one little Iraqi boy by American forces.

You may notice that a number of these items have come to me from regular visitors to this site.  I'm grateful to the many of you who share good things that you find, and your own thoughts and news as well.  When you find things -- good news or bad, hopeful or infuriating -- I hope you'll share it too.

Read the Peacemaker Teams' response >>

"A Christian who fought war with the selfless courage of the truly nonviolent"

A New York theater is pressured to cancel a play as too sympathetic to Palestinian cause

Rachel Corrie, the young American woman who was killed three years ago as she protested peacefully against Israeli razing of Palestinian homes, by an Israeli bulldozer (remember Caterpillar and divestment?), is back in the news.

Gratitude for another step toward the fullness of the Gospel

The Witherspoon Society welcomes warmly the decision of the Permanent Judiciary Commission of the Presbytery of Redwoods, finding that the Rev. Jane Spahr was acting appropriately, in light of the guidance of the Spirit through her own conscience, to officiate at services of marriage in each of which two women pledged their faith and love to each other.  ....

We are thankful that in this decision, one part of the Presbyterian Church has indeed affirmed, in the closing words of the decision, "that the fundamental message of the Scripture and Confessions is the proclamation of the Good news of god’s love for all people. It is a message of inclusiveness, reconciliation, and the breaking down of barriers that separate humans from each other, and that this proclamation has primacy in the conduct of the Church."

We pray for the day when that Gospel message will bear good fruit in the lives of all of us, and in our Church.

Homosexuality: Biblical Interpretation and Moral Discernment, by Willard Swartley

Islam in America: Challenges and Opportunities
Monday, March 27, 2006

Wilson College, in Chambersburg, PA, is presenting a full day of lectures and discussions on this very important topic. The featured speaker is Dr. Jamillah Karim, Assistant Professor of Religion at Spelman College. Her topics will be "How Far We've Come: American Muslims in the 21st Century," and "Becoming a Model Community: The Future of American Muslims."

To Pre-Register or learn more visit www.wilson.edu/orrforum
Or contact Dr. David True, Chair of Philosophy and Religion
(717) 264-4141 dtrue@wilson.edu

The decision of the Permanent Judicial Commission of Redwoods Presbytery, finding the Rev. Jane Adams Spahr not guilty of misconduct for performing weddings for two lesbian couples, has already been reported here.

But various sources and organizations continue to publish and post reports, among them:

Co-Moderator Bear Ride declares, "the decision of this Permanent Judicial Commission gives hope to all of God's children who commit themselves, one to another, in covenantal bonds."

March 9 – call-in day on immigration reform bill

The Senate debate on immigration reform has begun! The Senate Judiciary Committee began consideration of Senator Specter's (R-PA) draft bill ("Chairman's Mark") on Thursday, March 2 and will continue reviewing and revising the bill on March 8, 9 and 16. The Chairman's Mark has some very serious problems, including not providing a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants, creating a permanent caste of second class workers, and limiting due process and judicial review.

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SENATORS HEAR FROM YOU! CALL YOUR SENATORS ON THURSDAY, MARCH 9 and urge passage of a realistic, humane comprehensive bill that contains a path to earned citizenship for the undocumented population, extends labor rights and protections to all workers, reunites families, and does not limit judicial review and due process. It is especially important to call if your Senator is on the Judiciary Committee!

Presbyterians Today lists "Brokeback Mountain" and "Crash" among 2005's top ten films

1) Chronicles of Narnia
2) North Country
3) Millions
4) The Exorcism of Emily Rose
5) Ushpizin
6) Good Night, Good Luck
7) Crash (The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights celebrates "Crash" Oscar win)
8) A History of Violence
9) Munich
10) Brokeback Mountain  (a thoughtful commentary by Michael Adee on what this movie has to say to Presbyterians)

For Brokeback he wrote, "…Some might say the film shows the judgment that gays bring upon themselves. But I hope that most viewers, whatever their stance on homosexuality, will realize that a society so full of hate that it kills those who are different needs a strong dose of Christian love." Pg 35

We have reported before on the conference on "Theology, International Law, and Torture," held last January at Princeton Theological Seminary. 

We are happy now to bring a more detailed account than we have been able to offer before, prepared for the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship by Lois Baker, Anne Barstow, and Tom Driver.

It begins:

Since the Abu Ghraib prison scandal was revealed in 2004, there has been considerable debate in secular quarters about the illegality of the U. S. use of torture. This debate has been dominated by references to human rights and international law. The religious community, however, has not spoken out in a unified voice against torture and has not made the case for its immorality. The conference held at Princeton Theological Seminary Jan. 13-15 was a major attempt to halt this silence by launching a national interfaith religious campaign against torture. Here the language would be that of theology in which religious groups could express the inherent wrong and sinfulness of our government’s use of inhumane treatment of prisoners in its custody.     The full report >>

The third annual conference is billed as "a place for anti-sweatshop activists to share experiences, learn vital organizing skills, and build joint strategy."

The announcement begins --

March 6, 2006 Join us at the SweatFree Communities International Conference!
April 7-9, 2006 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Our third annual gathering is a place for anti-sweatshop activists to share experiences, learn vital organizing skills, and build joint strategy. If you are campaigning for sweatshop-free government or religious purchasing or if you are interested in learning more and getting active in the movement, this gathering is not to be missed!    More >>

We especially invite you to check out one seminar that will be presented in partnership with The Witherspoon Society, Presbyterian Peace Fellowship and Presbyterians for Restoring Creation:

Economy, Ecology and Empire
July 17-23, 2006

Ethics Daily reports that home churches – small, informal gatherings usually without a formally recognized pastor, employ a "servant leadership" model instead, with various members of the group occasionally playing various leadership roles.  Ethics Daily is a "liberal" Southern Baptist web-site, and mentions Southern Baptist interest in this development.

The posting also provide links to

On a Witherspoon note –

Sunday, March 5, marks the 100th day since Tom Fox, Norman Kember, Jim Loney, and Harmeet Sooden were kidnapped in Baghdad. Pray for their safe release and restoration to their families. Pray for the 14,600 Iraqis illegally detained by the Occupation forces.

Doug Pritchard
Christian Peacemaker Teams
Toronto ON

Thanks to Amy Ukena

And more ...

from a report by Alexa Smith (Presbyterian News Service) and Ecumenical News International

March 3, 2006 – Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) have issued a worldwide appeal asking churches to observe the first Sunday of Lent by lighting 100 candles to mark the number of days since four western peace activists were kidnapped in Baghdad.

Sara Reschly, a spokeswoman for the Chicago-based organization, told the Presbyterian News Service that some cities, including Chicago, are holding public vigils, and some churches are integrating candlelight services into their regular worship. ...

The candles also are intended to honor the largely unnoticed peacemaking efforts of Sunni and Shi’a Iraqis at a time of escalating civil strife in Iraq, she said.

Prayers, litanies, and other vigil-related materials are posted at http://www.for.org.uk/bpf.html.

Beth Pyles, a candidate for ordination in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is one of seven CPT activists living in an apartment in Baghdad. numerous Christian communions.

PC(USA) Moderator Rick Ufford-Chase, of Tucson, AZ, is a CPT member. He has served in Hebron in the West Bank. Anita David, a Chicago Presbyterian, is living in CPT’s Baghdad apartment with Pyles and five other Christians.

After "prayerful discernment," the organizers of the 2006 Intergenerational Peacemaking Conference have decided to call it off. The conference, titled "Unmasking Power: Seeking the Faces of Peace," was scheduled for July 22-27 at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, CO. It was canceled because it appeared that it might not generate enough income to cover its cost.

Sara Lisherness, coordinator of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, said the cancellation of this year's event doesn't mean the conferences have ended forever.

Plans are already under way for the 2007 conference, which is scheduled for July 3-8 at Montreat Conference Center in North Carolina on the theme, "Jesus: Proclaiming Peace."

In the meantime the Peacemaking Program staff is encouraging people to take part in other peacemaking events scheduled for 2006, including Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Washington, DC (March 10-13) and the Presbyterian Women's Gathering in Louisville (July 7-10).

For information on these and other peacemaking events, visit www.pcusa.org/peacemaking

The current Administration’s efforts to conduct and defend warrantless domestic eavesdropping have raised many concerns. Jonathan Rothchild, Assistant Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University, looks specifically at ways in which religious freedom is coming under threat.

He cites reports indicating that "the government infiltrated the Truth Project, a group that met in a Quaker Meeting House to discuss nonviolent ways of countering military recruiting in high schools. The formal religious character of the project is not the primary concern; what is at issue is the Truth Project's contrarian perspective, which challenges the status quo through nonviolent means ... Moreover, reports reveal that the federal government identified the Los Angeles Catholic Worker as a group subject to surveillance -- an unsurprising fact, given that the FBI meticulously tracked Catholic Worker cofounder Dorothy Day."

The Rev. Jane Spahr, of San Rafael, California, went to trial yesterday (March 2) before the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Presbytery of Redwoods Presbytery. She was on trial for two lesbian couples in violation of the denomination’s official position that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman.

If found guilty, Spahr could be removed from the ministry after more than 30 years. She argues she was honoring her personal conscience and relationship with God when she officiated at the weddings in 2004 and 2005.

Opening arguments were presented and all witnesses were called and testified on Thursday, March 2. The trial was to resume today, with closing arguments limited to 50 minutes. Spahr’s website reports that the Permanent Judicial Commission moderator was "shooting for a noon finish. If the PJC is of like mind, the decision could be rendered immediately or may take weeks and be delivered by mail."

We have received no reports of today's developments as of 8:00 pm CST.  We will bring you updates as soon as possible.

Go to Spahr’s website for the latest, including lots of photos.

More Light Presbyterians has (umm, have?) a report on yesterday’s hearing, filed by board member Heather Reichgott. She reports that in her testimony, Spahr said of the two ceremonies at which she officiated, "I feel that if I did not do these ceremonies I would go against the God I know, the God of welcome and hospitality. I would be going against my conscience and my faith. I believe the most important thing Jesus said was about love, a love that is not power-over, a love that seeks to travel together. The love between a couple must be that kind of love, regardless of sexual orientation."  
The MLP report >>

Earlier reports:

An Associated Press report dated March 1 >>

Ray McGovern, who received a special commendation after his 27-year career with the CIA, has returned his medal and written a letter to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: "As a matter of conscience, I am returning the Intelligence Commendation Award medallion given me for ‘especially commendable service’ during my 27-year career in CIA. The issue is torture, which inhabits the same category as rape and slavery - intrinsically evil. I do not wish to be associated, however remotely, with an agency engaged in torture."

TruthOut.com notes that "McGovern and 15 others took action [yesterday] in the halls of Congress. The 16 donned orange jumpsuits similar to those worn by detainees at Guantánamo Bay. They wore gags over their mouths decorated with one word - torture. Not another word needed to be said as they walked the halls of Congress."   The TruthOut report >>

In its drive to foster a more cooperative relationship with mining companies, the Bush administration has decreased major fines for safety violations since 2001, and in nearly half the cases, it has not collected the fines, according to a data analysis by The New York Times.

With the deaths of 24 miners in accidents in 2006, the enforcement record of the Mine Safety and Health Administration has come under sharp scrutiny, and the agency is likely to face tough questions about its performance at a Senate oversight hearing on Thursday.

"The Bush administration ushered in this desire to develop cooperative ties between regulators and the mining industry," said Tony Oppegard, a top official at the agency in the Clinton administration. "Safety has certainly suffered as a result."

A spokesman for the agency, Dirk Fillpot, defended its record, pointing out that last year the coal industry had 22 fatalities, the lowest number in its history.     Read the full article >>

Generally speaking, we think cooperation is a good thing.  But sometimes we wonder if there might be limits.  Like the general welfare, safety, stuff like that.   Your WebWeaver.

The title? Well, Augustine.

Abingdon Pillars of Theology is a series for the college and seminary classroom designed to help students grasp the basic and necessary facts, influence, and significance of major theologians. Gene TeSelle, emeritus Oberlin Alumni/ae Professor of Church History and Theology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, introduces Augustine.  He examines the major themes of Augustine's thought following a more or less chronological order including human fulfillment, evil, creation, the human self, the church and its doctrines, the course of human history, and the relation of Christianity to political matters.

More >>

Need to get more folks in church?

Try this radio ad for St Andrew's Episcopal Church, Birmingham, Alabama.

What would a faithful vision of global security look like?
Come find out. . .
March 10-13, 2006
Washington, DC

Challenging Disparity: The Promise of God – The Power of Solidarity
For general information on the conference >>

PPC puts religious lessons online

'Next-generation' adult-study resources are digital, downloadable

Presbyterian officials have launched a Web site they describe as the "next generation" in adult Christian study resources.

Presbyterians for Restoring Creation has produced a new resource, "Living in Lent, Caring for Creation." It is a 12-page resource that includes a list of "40 ways to fast and feast for God's Creation" and a reflection for Lent, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Great Vigil of Easter, and Easter Sunday.

It can be downloaded from www.prcweb.org.

John Shuck, the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Elizabethton, Tennessee, send us an essay recently characterizing the Theological Task Force report as "Not Justice, Not Progress, Just the Same Second-Class Status." He sent another brief note recently reflecting on another concern:

I have another issue. I would dare to say that other issues pale in comparison with this one. I am facilitating a study during Lent at my church in which we will watch two documentaries, "The End of Suburbia" and "The Corporation."   More >>

"It is a reproach to religion and government to suffer so much poverty and excess."
--William Penn, Some Fruits of Solitude, No. 52

Associate for National Network of Presbyterian College Women (NNPCW)

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