Demonstration Sunday

We had an object lesson for Palm Sunday.  Demonstrators visited Southminster and shouted "Hosanna!" at worshipers.  Actually no, they shouted a lot of vulgar stuff.  One wore a t-shirt that read:  "No Sodomy in Hell."   Lovely.  Here is the news story. 

Apparently, the news that Southminster sent up an overture that will in June expand marriage from a man and woman to two people didn't sit well with these gentlemen.  In the spirit of Jesus they responded by shouting obscenities at children. 

Their passion was also fueled by the Christian media. Since I wrote my piece on belief-less Christianity for the Friendly Atheist, my Christian sisters and brothers have engaged in name-calling (Satan is a favorite), mud-slinging, and character assassination.  These demonstrators read these stories and carried on in similar Christian love.

Ah well.  In the meantime, I preached a sermon on what it means to have Jesus in my heart.  I like this place.  Southminster is a great church filled with courageous, gentle, and friendly seekers.

We turned this into a teaching moment for adults and children about the important mission of our congregation (a mission that is important enough to generate opposition). It was also a teaching moment about free speech. The same right that allows us to worship as we please allows people to voice their disagreement from the sidewalk.

Andrew Maldarelli did a great job with the children. He wrote this on our Southminster Groups Facebook page:

“Despite protests, the children and I had a very fantastic talk this morning during Sunday School. They were all curious about the folks hollering outside. We focused on the words of Martin Luther King Jr..."One day the people of this world are going to need to learn how to get along with one another" And, "Hate cannot drive out hate...only love can do that! If you had a kiddo in Sunday School with me, know that it was a great morning with a lot of love and understanding, and I will look forward to seeing you next week! I thank everyone for being cool under pressure.”

The demonstrators might or might not return for Easter Sunday. It doesn't matter if they do or don't, we will demonstrate our Christian witness either way. We will be safe with police presence. We will welcome worshipers in the parking lot with some good tunes from Andrew, our children's minister. His electric guitar this past Sunday was louder than the hateful language and a great deal more pleasant. We will show hospitality to everyone, including the loud gentlemen. Our mission statement is to include, not exclude. We have a great Easter service planned. Join us and bring your friends!

Faith Beyond Belief

My guest post in the Friendly Atheist continues to get people talking.   Christian News wrote a story about me and quoted another minister who accused me of being "someone who wants to infiltrate the church in order to destroy it."   True believers have picked up the story and ran with it.   Here are a few tasty quotes:

• Charisma News -- "It's also a perversion of the truth that could send people to hell and the blood of those who buy into Shuck's false gospel will be on his hands." 

• Freedom Outpost -- "Progressives and Liberals are not Christians." 

• Bill Muehlenberg -- "He is a proud minister alright – a proud minister of Satan."  

But enough of that.  The hate speech is loud and voluminous.  Yet there are people who are seeking a more meaningful faith than what has been traditionally presented to them.  Here are a few comments that I found hopeful.

Wandering Vine: Because of your honesty with those you serve, as well as with those you answer to, I can't find fault with your approach. And I appreciate your desire to glean what you can from the Christian narrative rather than simply becoming antagonistic to it.

Exactly.  I am not antagonistic.  I am not infiltrating in order to destroy.  If anything, I seek to help to preserve the church by taking what I think is good from the tradition and inviting others to do the same.

sar [T]hanks for your article, and for articulating well how it is be possible a Christian without embracing all the beliefs of the Christian Church. Indeed, for me being Christian is to follow Christ; even if what we know of the historical Jesus is filtered through the experience of early believers. The essence of living in his way includes living love, finding ways to include the marginalized and practicing compassion and forgiveness -- which may also be the path of humanism, and Buddism, and and Islam and many other "religions".
I, too, retain the use of the symbol "God". In all cultures over all of time there have been, and will continue to be, efforts to describe that which calls humanity to love and compassion and forgiveness and inclusion. In the culture and time I live in, that is captured by the language of "God".

The "language of 'God'" is a good phrase.  Many of us still speak this language.

DieselMVB“Christianity has placed all of its eggs in the belief basket. We all have been trained to think that Christianity is about believing things. Its symbols and artifacts . . . must be accepted in a certain way. . . . The choices we are left with are either rejection or fundamentalism.” 

Indeed, religion in general, including nominal Christianity, still for the most part retains its all-or-nothing, black-and-white thinking. Many narrow-minded, mostly right-wing, preachers insist on everyone accepting the whole theological package, tied with the red ribbon of unquestioning belief. Fortunately, now there are much more folks allowing themselves to think outside of the medieval box of the old conservative, narcissistic and power-hungry men of the cloth. I completely identify with the Presbyterian Minister, John Shuck. I myself am an agnostic leaning heavily toward mathematical processes of evolution. I feel proud of my lack of belief in what I see as “Christian mythology” – and I thank “God” for that!

Many have moved beyond either/or choices offered to us by narrow forms of religion.

LilianaYou are my kindred spirit! I have exactly the same ideas and I can say I do not believe in an old male in the sky God; I have had personal experiences about some sort of power bigger than myself and invisible to the eye...I think I am a humanist and I am very proud of it

There are more of us than you might think creatively exploring and naming our experience.

LaustenGreat to hear. I've looked into a lot of theologians and ministers like this, but I've never heard one go this far. Usually when I read one of their sermons or their books, I find they say all this stuff, but tell people to believe in Jesus. This guy, could be different. What really interests me is what his bosses are saying!

I don't have "bosses" as such, but the congregations I have served including the current one are looking for progressive approaches to faith.   I think it is more interesting to wrestle with the things Jesus said than to believe things about him.

Reasonable QuestHaving grown up in a Presbyterian Church, and attended a college associated with the Presbyterian church, I have to say I might have continued on as a Christian if John had been my pastor. I ended up in a large Evangelical church where anti evolution, and fundamentalism pushed me to question everything, and lost my faith. But once I've seen behind the curtain, it just doesn't make sense to me to try and salvage any of the good stuff from Christianity, because I can get the positive things religion has adopted without having to redefine words. But, I support John continuing to work within Christianity to bring those people along who are not quite ready to give up the Christian label or cultural traditions.

Your story resonates with many.  Fundamentalism has been the face of Christianity.  I think progressives should show another face.  I also think we are in the midst of a great transition.  Some move beyond.  Others redefine.   Hopefully, we can all be reasonable and kind as we do so.

SueNow this is a church I could probably find myself attending.

Cool!  There are many more like it.  Here is one resource.

GlenA brave and interesting approach, and I find it refreshing. I think most people attend church for the sense of community, solace, and moral instruction, all of which can be had without the belief in the supernatural. Many of my colleagues at the university I teach at are De la Salle Christian brothers, all with PHds, and although they might not admit it, I think they are all, to a man, atheists.

The same is true for many clergy, let alone church members.

LarryI think each religion is a language, complete with vocabulary, metaphors, symbols and history. some speak Zen, some fundamental Christianity, some orthodox Judaism, etc. Some speak Jain. Then there is the practice of the religion one speaks. I started going to a Christian church after several years of reading and doing my best to understand and practice Zen Buddhism because I realized that almost no one around me spoke Zen. I felt then (over 40 years ago) that both traditions were talking about the same things at their cores, with somewhat different terminology, and I believed I'd be ok being a Christian even though I had rejected such trappings as virgin birth and hell--and especially a god who would punish us for being so stupid as to transgress a rule that would then send us to hell. so John, I endorse your position. We have one chance to make a difference. And that one chance is this life. Jesus, among others, showed us how to not waste it.

Fanstastic.  The last three sentences are worth repeating as a mantra.

CarstonioI've long wanted religions to evolve into the belief-less concept that Shuck describes. Only one quibble - why would "God" be shorthand for beauty, truth, healing and justice. Truth in particular is a meaningless terms because it can mean anything that anyone wants it to mean. Since the vast majority of Americans use "God" as the name of the Christian deity, perhaps a belief-less Christianity should abandon the name.

Fair enough.   My friend and colleague in the United Church of Canada, Gretta Vosper would agree with you.

Linda LaScola John Shuck is also an open member of the Clergy Project www.Clergyproject.org for current and former clergy who do not hold supernatural beliefs and has written about Evolution Sunday on the Rational Doubt blog.   

He has also interviewed several non-believers, including me, on the local NPR show he hosted before his recent move from TN to OR.  He is one of a growing number of clergy who do not believe in a supernatural god but one of the few who discuss it openly. Thanks, John for being at the vanguard of positive changes in religion and thanks to your congregation too.

Thank you, Linda!  I appreciate the caring you have shown for many clergy who find themselves in impossible positions.

Earlier today, I was feeling down from the overwhelming barrage of hostility from fundamentalist Christians.  I happened to glance at my bookshelf and saw a book that I hadn't read yet, Faith Beyond Belief by Margaret Johnston.    I was thumbing through it and found this:

If the common point all religions share is about not the beliefs they espouse but following the will of Spirit toward action in this life (as opposed to securing one's own salvation in the next), then the goal of anyone aspiring to spiritual maturity will be a journey beyond belief toward faith.  It is time we stopped allowing immature oracular authorities to shun people for lack of belief and recognize spiritual maturity for what it is.  Mature faith is not so much about belief; it is recognized instead by its traits and its inclusive worldview.  For those who are ready, a more meaningful faith is waiting, beyond the constraints of literal belief.  p. 274  

Southminster Played A Part in the Marriage Equality Amendment

The late Robert Funk, the bad boy of the Jesus Seminar, had a great quote regarding leadership.   He said that leadership is finding a parade and getting in front of it.   While my picture is in the paper, the good folks at Southminster helped get this parade going!

To be clear, Southminster did not draft the language that was adopted by General Assembly.  Southminster's session (board of elders) had approved a resolution that was created in its Sunday Starter group.    The session then reached out to advocacy groups and adopted language another group had created so that there would be a unified effort.  Since the language was similar to its initial resolution, the session sent this new adopted language to Cascades Presbytery.  Many sessions across the country sent similar resolutions to their presbyteries.   Cascades Presbytery was first to meet, thus the overture came from Cascades and 16 other presbyteries concurred.   It is a testimony to collective, collaborative effort across the country.

Here is the story in the Portland Tribune.

Laura Chapman, 18,...has attended Southminster since she was in elementary school and recently graduated from Tigard High School.

While she wasn’t part of the group that drafted the original resolution, she got involved at church and attended last year’s General Assembly, where she shared her views with smaller groups. She said her interest in gender equality in the church stems partly from being bisexual.

“I feel like it’s important for our church to move forward on this issue and become more inclusive,” Chapman, now a freshman at Oregon State University, said by telephone.

“I feel that God views marriage more about love and less about the specifics of the people,” she said. “This was really personal for me, so that’s why I chose to speak up about it.”

A Belief-Less Christianity

I thought it would be good to share some more reflections on my guest post in the Friendly Atheist and the responses it has received.  It certainly is being talked about.   The post has received over 1100 comments and over 12,000 Facebook shares.   A lot of it is trash talk, of course.

"You are going to hell."
"You are an idiot." 

Then there are people who get it:

Gehennah:  'He's simply doing what so many other preachers do, just a step further. Preaching the good things and the good messages of the Bible, and sweeping the crap away.'

Linda LaScola and Aric Clark have offered thoughtful responses.   There are many gems out there amidst the dross.     

Hemant Mehta is the editor of the Friendly Atheist.   He is a hard worker, a solid journalist, and an excellent editor.  He sent me an email and asked if I would make a guest post.  He had heard about my Eight Points post and wondered how I could be a Christian and believe these things. He said:

"I know a lot of atheists, myself included, often have a very specific idea of what Christians believe, and if you're breaking the mold, I think we should know about it."

He helped me with the wording and encouraged me to expand and clarify in several places.   With his help I was able to articulate what I wanted to say.

The Title

I knew the title would poke the emotion button.  I originally titled it "A Belief-Less Christianity" but Hemant suggested the title that we used, "I'm A Presbyterian Minister Who Doesn't Believe in God." I knew that many wouldn't read past the title but I also know that titles are for catching attention.  I approved it.  It is not not true.   I wrote in the piece something that I have said for a long, long, time:

I don’t believe in God as a supernatural agent or force...

Of course I am not alone in that!  Once theologians realized that Galileo put God out of a home and Darwin put God out of a job, they have been scrambling to redefine the term so they can retain it.

• God is in the universe but not contained by the universe.
• God is the Process of the unfolding universe.
• God is Creativity.
• God is Being itself.
• God is Mystery.
• God is Love.

Pick your favorite or create another version.   You can find theologians and ministers (including Presbyterians) who have been redefining God for a long time.  It is the on-going process of myth-making.   I think it is fascinating to watch this exploration unfold in my life and in the stories of others.  Bring your own God.  Find your path.  Make it yours.

Belief in God

This is really the point of the piece. Belief is the least interesting aspect of the Christian faith.  Diana Butler Bass, author of Christianity After Religion quotes Harvey Cox:  

"Faith is resurgent while dogma is dying. The spiritual, communal, and justice-seeking dimensions of Christianity are now its leading edge….A religion based on subscribing to mandatory beliefs is no longer viable." p. 109-110. 

Most of the things Christians thought that they were expected to believe are supernatural assertions that are no longer credible.  I don't think that Christianity--or any of the pre-modern religions for that matter--has to remain tied to believing in a supernatural god.   Even though supernatural agents may have haunted our past they need not haunt our future. I have been practicing a belief-less Christianity for some time.  My ministry has been to introduce people to pioneers who have cut these trails long before me.   Progressive Christianity.org is a great place to be introduced to some of these creative thinkers.   Here are their Eight Points:

Mandatory Beliefs

 "He is in violation of his ordination vows!!

If I had a dollar for every time I have heard that one, I wouldn't need a pension plan.  To be a minister (teaching elder) or ruling elder in the PCUSA, you have to affirm or re-affirm ordination questions.   Many people including, unfortunately some Presbyterians, think this exercise is about swearing on a box of beliefs.  It is not.  This exercise is about committing oneself to honor relationships with the tradition, colleagues, and the people we serve as we carry out our particular vocation.  

These questions have been misused to control and repress.   Imagine Ms. Smith coming to a group with an idea.  What are some possible responses to her idea?

Great idea!  Let's do it!
Not so sure, but let's try it and see.
Boy that is an ugly idea.  But hey, it might be what we need.

Here is how it works in the church:

That is not Christian.  You have violated your vows. Just for bringing it up, your career with us is now over.

Imagine science working that way or a research institute!   The problem with beliefs, especially mandatory beliefs is that they stifle creativity.   The most honest and creative among us are silenced or worse, we self-censor, living in fear that we might violate something if we share honest doubts with our congregations or with colleagues.   The cost of this self-censorship is high as members of The Clergy Project can attest.  These are bright, caring people whose learning moved them beyond the mandatory beliefs of their religious institutions.

I think Christianity will be better served by jettisoning mandatory beliefs.    Roy Hoover described the situation accurately in his Fourth R article, "Tradition and Faith in a New Era":

Those who insist upon the unaltered retention of traditional forms of religious understanding and language and who retreat from the challenge posed by the actual world after Galileo want to direct the Christian community into the confines of a sacred grotto, an enclosed, religiously defined world that is brought completely under the control of scripture and tradition; and they want to turn the ordained clergy into antiquities dealers.

I vote for a belief-less Christianity, one that is open, honest, creative, and evolving. 

Media Release about Southminster and Marriage Equality

Here is a press release we are sending to local media regarding Southminster's role in the marriage equality amendment.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

John Shuck, Minister
Southminster Presbyterian Church
503-644-2073
www.southmin.org  

MEDIA ADVISORY  

Southminster Presbyterian Church of Beaverton Instrumental in the Presbyterian Church (USA) Decision on Marriage Equality  

BEAVERTON, OR.   On March 17 Presbyterians approved marriages for same-gender couples in the first ever nationwide, grassroots vote on marriage equality by a faith tradition. The Presbyterian Church, USA (PCUSA) now holds that marriage is between “two persons” rather than “a man and a woman.” 

 Beaverton’s Southminster Presbyterian Church initiated the amendment after a series of courses studying marriage and sermons reviewing the issue. The study group drafted an Overture on the subject which was approved by Southminster's session and ultimately by the Presbytery of the Cascades.   With a 71% vote last summer at the national General Assembly, the PC(USA) governing body voted to change the description of marriage.  However, the amendment required 51% of the 171 regional bodies called presbyteries to affirm the change. That threshold was crossed on March 17, as 85th and 86th presbyteries voted yes. 

The change aligns the church’s constitution with a reality that has long been true: both same-gender and opposite-gender couples have been living in relationships that demonstrate covenant faithfulness, shared discipleship, and mutual love. 

 The Beaverton congregation, at the corner of Hall and Denney Roads, is a progressive congregation which is inclusive and welcoming to all communities with a worship service on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. Southminster has supported LBGTQ rights for decades with the marriage equality measure simply being the latest action taken by the congregation.  We believe that we honor God by following the teaching of Jesus as we understand them leading us to fight for social justice for all groups including women, the poor and the planet as a whole.  Recently installed Pastor John Shuck brings decades of fighting for equality and social justice to the Portland area forming a partnership with the congregation to do even more in the future on poverty, environmental and LBGTQ issues. 

 In response to this decision, Shuck said: 

“It is hard to believe that this historic day has arrived.  We stand on the shoulders of so many faithful people who told their truths with courage and tears for many, many years.   All of us at Southminster rejoice that all couples can now have their relationships solemnized before God and the Christian community in marriage. 

Presbyteries will continue to vote on the amendment over the next few months, and the change will become effective June 21, 2015.

 Southminster Presbyterian Church is an inclusive, welcoming community of Christian faith.   Southminster people come from all kinds of religious backgrounds, and all are seekers.  Southminster has been affiliated with the "More Light" Network since 1995 and is a member of the Welcoming Congregations of Portland. Our goal is to include, not exclude. 

 For additional information or to schedule an interview, please contact John Shuck, Minister, Southminster Presbyterian Church, at 503-644-2073.

 ###

Yes!! Marriage Equality in the PCUSA!!

It happened.  Donegal and Palisades presbyteries sealed the deal on St. Patrick's Day by being the 85th and 86th presbyteries, respectively, to ratify marriage equality in the Book of Order.  The joyful irony is that Southminster Presbyterian Church, Beaverton, Oregon was instrumental in getting the ball rolling by submitting an overture to the presbytery.  Salute!

Here is the text:

Marriage is a gift God has given to all humankind for the well-being of the entire human family. Marriage involves a unique commitment between two people, traditionally a man and a woman, to love and support each other for the rest of their lives. 

It is hard to believe that this historic day has arrived.  We stand on the shoulders of so many faithful people who told their truths with courage and tears for many, many years.    Thank you, PCUSA.  And my daughters thank you, too!

My Guest Post in The Friendly Atheist

Hemant Mehta of The Friendly Atheist contacted me and asked me to make a guest post on his blog.  Someone pointed him to my Eight Points and he thought his readers might be interested.  Some may stop at the title alone and make judgments.  I trust that some will choose to struggle with these questions along with me.

“How can you call yourself a Christian, let alone a minister?!” 

I get asked that question frequently and the questioner is hostile more often than not. Still, I like to answer it if I believe the questioner is sincere. 

Though I self-identify as a Christian and I am an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), I raised eyebrows a few years ago when I posted an article on my website about how my personal beliefs don’t align with those of most Presbyterians.
For example, I believe that: 

• religion is a human construct 

• the symbols of faith are products of human cultural evolution 

• Jesus may have been an historical figure, but most of what we know about him is in the form of legend 

• God is a symbol of myth-making and not credible as a supernatural being or force 

• The Bible is a human product as opposed to special revelation from a divine being 

• Human consciousness is the result of natural selection, so there’s no afterlife

In short, I regard the symbols of Christianity from a non-supernatural point of view….

Read more

New Jersey, We are Looking To You

The tally is now 84 - 42.   On St. Patrick's Day, three presbyteries--Palisades (New Jersey) and West Jersey as well as Donegal (Pennsylvania)--are scheduled to vote.   Palisades should be a solid yes.  West Jersey was a tie last time (which means no) so they are do for a flip.  And Donegal was a close yes so they could vote yes, too.    Two yeses make 86 and marriage equality will be written into the Book of Order.

It will be nice for the great state of New Jersey to participate in the making of PC(USA) history.   Obviously, if you are in one of those presbyteries, make sure you make the meeting, wear your green and be part of this historic moment!

Be An Irish Blessing

CovNet says that the following presbyteries are scheduled to vote in the next ten days:

3/12, Abingdon; 3/14, Geneva, Prospect Hill; 3/17, Palisades, West Jersey; 3/17-18, Nevada; 3/19, Providence; 3/21, Detroit, Donegal, Elizabeth, Genesee Valley, Indian Nations, New Covenant, New York City.

Many of these presbyteries have had close votes in the past.  Geneva, Palisades, Detroit, and Genesee Valley are sure yeses.  But all the others are possible yeses.   We should get to 86 by next Saturday.   We could get marriage equality as soon as St. Paddy's Day.

The larger point is that if you are in any of these presbyteries, please get to the meeting, get out the vote, and speak up for justice!   You will be a blessing and will make any LGBTQ people present feel welcome.  

And may the luck of the Irish be with you!

Proud and Loud

Another day, another step toward equality.  CovNet just reported two yes votes (Great Rivers, Carlisle (flip!)) and one no (Eastminster) making the total 81-40.  86 are needed to pass.   After marriage discrimination gets 86'd we will need to keep the pressure on.   Even if your presbytery won't vote until later, you still need to get out the vote and speak up at presbytery as to why marriage equality is important.   I will keep the tallies on the sidebar going until the last presbytery votes.   Amidst all the trash talk the PCUSA receives from fundamentalists, let's stand proud and loud in favor of full inclusion.  

Equality for Easter

Covenant Network of Presbyterians reports that over the weekend a dozen presbyteries voted.  Three voted yes after having voted no on ordination equality.  Two presbyteries (Yellowstone--how could you?) flipped the wrong way.  Here is how they shake out:

Voting in favor:

• Mission
• Charleston-Atlantic (Positive Flip!)
• East Iowa
• Grace
• Ohio Valley
• East Tennessee
• John Calvin (Positive Flip!)
• James  (Positive Flip!)

Opposing:

• Yellowstone (Flip backwards)
• Central Florida
• Coastal Carolina
• Grand Canyon  (Flip backwards)

The grand total is now 79-37.   86 is the magic number.   Looks like we could get equality in our Easter baskets (if you get the vote out!)  

There is Still Time to Say NO

I was going to write more about this issue and I will later.  But for now, I will let this excellent letter speak for itself.   The following was sent to all sessions in Cascades Presbytery from the Session of First Presbyterian Church, Cottage Grove, Oregon.   Check it out and pass it on.  This issue is much larger than Cascades Presbytery.   I think there is still time to say NO.

To the Sessions of Congregations within Cascades Presbytery
Rosencrantz: [Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are about to be hanged] That's it then, is it? We've done nothing wrong. We didn't harm anybody, did we?
Guildenstern: I can't remember.
Rosencrantz: All right, then. I don't care. I've had enough. To tell you the truth, I'm relieved.
Guildenstern: There must have been a moment… at the beginning, where we could have said no. Somehow we missed it. Well, we'll know better next time.
--from the absurdist, existentialist, tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard called Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

The Session of First Presbyterian Church of Cottage Grove, Oregon, is deeply concerned with the direction of Cascades Presbytery. In recent years a number of congregations have expressed their disagreements with policies adopted by the elected members of our presbytery and by the elected commissioners to General Assembly. They express their disagreements by asking to withdraw their membership from the PCUSA and to affiliate with other denominations that claim to be part of Reformed Tradition. These congregations invariably ask the presbytery to let them depart and to take all of the church’s property with them.

In response the Presbytery has appointed “Conversation Teams” and then “Resolution Teams” to work out settlements with these congregations, so that they may depart with the property in exchange for a small settlement figure, often a fraction of the market value of the real estate! (One recommendation, up for a vote at next month’s stated meeting of presbytery, would give away a million dollar property in exchange for what is rightly called a “token” payment of $12,000 over the course of several years!)

All of this takes place under a policy misnamed “Gracious Dismissal.” By framing the policy in such terms, those who advocate this approach to handling conflict continue to mystify the issue by suggesting that opponents of such schismatic efforts are somehow less gracious than those who support them.

Even though in adopting the Gracious Dismissal policy, all requests to depart the denomination are supposed to be handled on a case by case basis, there is a suspiciously similar process and outcome that seem to emerge at the conclusion of each negotiation process: the congregation gets to walk away with an expensive piece of property and the presbytery gets a few dollars in exchange.

There is reason to believe that there is a group of maverick pastors, inevitably schooled in non-Presbyterian seminaries, who are behind the orchestration of these efforts. They then recruit some elders who take the lead in the separation process so the pastors don’t have to take any personal responsibility for their actions.

We are not saying that those churches which choose to separate from the PCUSA are made up of bad people. But they seem to have accepted uncritically the “trash talk” of some fundamentalists: that our denomination no longer believes that Jesus Christ is the head of the church, that we care nothing for Biblical teaching, and other libelous allegations that have been spread abroad in recent years.

It is evident that the hour is late. It would have been better if our presbytery leaders had responded to requests to depart with church property with a clear word when they had a chance to say no. For example: “we are sorry you are unhappy. But we believe we are all better together. Please reconsider. But if you don’t, please know that our church constitution has a trust clause that forbids any part of the church, including its congregations, from taking property that is held in trust for the whole denomination. Both our Book of Order* and the recent unanimous ruling of the Oregon Supreme Court** forbid the actions that dissident churches are requesting.

“In short, if you must leave, either make a fair offer to purchase the property or simply leave the keys in the mailbox on your way out.”

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. Perhaps, though the hour is late, if enough of us are willing to stand up and speak out about this outrage, there will still be time to say NO.

*G-4.0203—Church Property Held in Trust
**Rogue River Presbyterian Church versus Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Presbytery of the Cascades, November, 2012.
Letter approved by unanimous vote of the Session of First Presbyterian Church of Cottage Grove, Oregon on February 25, 2015

The Installation

It was a most impressive event on February 15th.  I was installed as Pastor of Southminster Presbyterian Church.   Check out the pictures on the Southminster Facebook page (which you should "like" incidentally!)

I was honored by a number of guests who offered to me a welcome to Beaverton.  They included:

Andy Gordon of Havurah Shalom.

Chuck Currie of Pacific University.







Mayor of Beaverton, Denny Doyle.  He said one of four residents of Beaverton were born in another country.

Sunlil Kasturi of the Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center of Beaverton.  (They meet at our church).  

and Shahriar Ahmed of the Bilal Masjid of Beaverton.

Great music from our combined chancel, children's and youth choirs, bell choir, and the Southminster Band!

Outstanding preaching by Aric Clark.   You can hear it here!  

My predecessors, Peg Pfab and Jim Petersen

The charge to me by Don Ludwig... 

and the charge to the congregation by Mark Hernandez-Mullins. 

The  commission…

The clergy and other participants…

The star of the show... 

And the congregation!

It was a great day!

Marriage Equality: Almost There!

Covenant Network has reported the latest tally at 71-32.   86 yeses are needed to pass.   We are only 15 away.  The LayMAN reported 13 presbyteries have flipped from a previous no on equality issues to yes this time around.   It is going to pass.

However…

That confidence does not excuse you, Beloveds, from getting out the vote, getting to the meeting, and speaking up.  We want many presbyteries to vote yes, at least 110 so we can be sure that we will never go backward on this.    It is time for a clear mandate for LGBTQ equality in the PCUSA.   No more discrimination.  No more silence.  No more injustice.   Now is the time to seal the deal.

When the General Assembly comes to Portland, we will celebrate a new PCUSA with marriage and ordination equality for all!

Via Creativa at Southminster

This weekend Southminster is hosting The 37th Annual Celebration of Creativity.   This is an amazing event.  Check out the show card for details.   All week volunteers have been transforming the sanctuary, fellowship hall, and other rooms into an art gallery.   This is seriously amazing.   Come check it out beginning Thursday night.   Last year the event sold $70,000 worth of art.  Proceeds are used for "local arts awards, art education scholarships, art literacy programs, and to support art in the community."

I took a few pics during set up:

On Sunday, worship will happen among the art.  

These are not "doilies."

Major artists from around the region work in all kinds of media.

Even outdoor art.

I am proud to serve a congregation that supports the arts.  Hope you can join us!