A New More Light Church!

Congratulations to James Lees Memorial Presbyterian Church in Louisville, KY! They are the latest to affiliate with More Light Presbyterians. They also affiliated with Covenant Network of Presbyterians and That All May Freely Serve.

Read the news on the More Light website:

The Session of James Lees Memorial Presbyterian Church declared in their letter to their presbytery and the PCUSA:

"We believe that this policy of the Presbyterian Church (USA) actually gives implicit support to violence against our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. This policy gives a subtle and not-so-subtle stamp of religious approval of different forms of discrimination toward gay and lesbian persons elsewhere in our society. It is a policy which denies some people their rights to full participation in the Church on the basis of the good gifts God has created and bestowed on them.

We have discerned that the time has arrived for us to lend our voice to inclusion and full participation of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters within our Presbyterian family. We share the conviction that we are all diminished by this policy, all hurt, and made to be hypocritical – yes, we want you as members (and we will not refuse your resources), but we do not believe you have what it takes to be a leader. That “flaw” that we name is the basis of the violence, discrimination, hate, and fear which have witnessed and tacitly supported. We have the opportunity to change this and rather to become reconcilers.

We are seeking to be faithful to the leading of God’s spirit which is a reforming and restoring spirit. From Jesus and Pentecost onward the church has sought to discern and follow this oftentimes-disruptive yet life-giving force in the world that always seems to challenge our assumptions and attachments to certain forms and to lead us toward deeper lives of justice, compassion, and love.

We send you this letter in gratitude for the whole Church of whom we are a part, a Church who desires to cultivate a faithful discipleship of Jesus and to be a faithful channel of God’s grace however imperfectly and stumbling we do so. We also send you this letter with great humility and awareness before all those who have had to bear our actions and silence with great suffering, hardship, and even loss of life. And we write in gratitude to God who continues to expand our hearts and horizons, whose love makes possible our own, and from whom nothing can separate us."

Hopefully, now with the actions of the recent General Assembly more congregations will come out of the closet and support full equality for all people.

Presbyterians: Iraq and Iran

Iran? What do you think? Is the U.S. going to attack or find a way to attack, or support an attack by another nation on Iran? Thanks to Rachel for posting this video from Tehran, Iran.

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) didn't think an attack on Iran would be a swell idea. They easily passed this amended commissioner's resolution by a voice vote:

[The 218th General Assembly (2008) directs the Stated Clerk to send the following resolution to the President of the United Stated of America and the United States Congress:]

1. That the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) supports a peaceful, diplomatic means to resolve the tensions developing as a result of Iran’s pursuit of its nuclear program, between the United States and Iran.

2. That the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) calls for direct, unconditional negotiations between the United States and Iran with the goal of finding and implementing a peaceful resolution.

3. [That the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is opposed to military action against Iran.] [That the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is opposed to preemptive military action by any nation against Iran.]

4. That the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) calls for a renewed effort at all levels—people-to-people, interfaith groups, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and government—to help the United States and Iran eliminate the tensions that have existed between our two nations and to unite the American and Iranian people in a common effort to solve the problems of poverty, illness, and climate change.

The General Assembly debated the situation in Iraq, especially #5. Through the voting process, a third of the commissioners wanted complete withdrawal of troops immediately, but the majority of commissioners (505-152) eventually settled on the following:

Final Text:

That the 218th General Assembly (2008) to do the following:

1. Pray, in a spirit of deep [sorrow and confession humility], for God’s justice and peace to prevail in Iraq; and recognizing and heeding God’s call to love all persons as made in God’s own image, and even to pray for our enemies, encourage all Presbyterians to be in intentional and regular prayer for everyone in and of Iraq: for Iraqi civilians, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Yezidi; for soldiers and armed actors; for the refugees and the displaced; for the tortured and their torturers; and for insurgents, kidnappers, and terrorists, for all are God’s beloved, all are in need of the transformation of God’s love and God’s peace.

2. Commend and thank the peacemakers who have worked nonviolently to end the war in Iraq through prayers, vigils, and acts of resistance and witness such as the actions organized by the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq; and encourage all Presbyterians to participate enthusiastically in peacemaking efforts to end the occupation of Iraq.

3. Commend and thank members of the armed forces, and their loved ones, for their service and sacrifice.

4. Call upon the United States government to support our military personnel by granting speedy discharges to conscientious objectors; fully funding veterans’ benefits; ensuring that injured service personnel and veterans have the best medical, mental health, and rehabilitation care available; and providing generous benefits to surviving family members.

“5. [Call upon the government of the United States to end its military presence in Iraq by withdrawing all troops, hired soldiers, and contractors, and permanently closing all military bases in Iraq.] [Call upon the United States government to develop and implement a lasting peaceful solution, responsibly bring the troops home, and reaffirm the call of the 216th General Assembly (2004) for the United States government to engage with the international community through the United Nations and other international agencies to cooperate with the government of Iraq in providing security, peacekeeping forces, and funding the rebuilding of the country.]

6. Call upon the United States and all member states of the United Nations to establish and fully fund a United Nations peacebuilding mission for Iraq to work in partnership with Iraqi leaders, neighboring nations, and appropriate international governmental and nongovernmental organizations to establish security in Iraq, rebuild institutions and infrastructure, resettle and assist refugees, and initiate a process of truth and reconciliation to promote healing and forgiveness.

7. Call upon the United States and other responsible nations to voluntarily make restitution in an amount adequate to repair war damage; to fully investigate, and where appropriate, in accordance with the principles of due process recognized in U.S. and international law, to prosecute all charges of war crimes including torture and mistreatment of prisoners; and to cooperate completely with any international investigations of war crimes committed by any party to the conflict in Iraq.

8. Call upon the United States to remove all weapons, mines, depleted uranium, and other military waste products from Iraq; to repair other damage to the environment, including priceless archaeological sites.

9. Call upon the United States to return full direct control of Iraq’s oil resources and oil revenues to Iraq.

10. Direct the Stated Clerk to communicate this action to the president of the United States, members of the U.S. Congress, and the secretary-general of the United Nations.

“[11. to receive the study paper (of 11-24), "To Repent, To Restore, To Re-Build, and to Reconcile" and direct that it be posted on the website of the Office of the General Asembly and be commended for study throughout the church.]”

12. Commend to the church the call of the 216th General Assembly (2004) for the church to express its pastoral concern for and offer pastoral care to members of the United States armed forces serving their country in the war in Iraq and their families as well as for veterans of the war who have returned home (Iraq: Our Responsibility and the Future, Minutes, 2004, Part I, pp. 864ff).

13. Direct the General Assembly Council to continue and expand the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s commitment to relief efforts in Iraq in cooperation with our ecumenical partners, to ministries that address human needs in Iraq caused by the war, and to long-term development efforts to assist in the rebuilding of the country.

14. Call upon all presbyteries, congregations, and members within the PC (USA) to intentionally, personally, and concretely work to bring healing, peace, justice, and care to all affected by the war in Iraq, not only through our prayers but through the giving of our resources, time, money, and very selves to improve the lives and future of all involved, especially the hurting, the poor, the oppressed, and those whose lives have been damaged by the war.

15. Pray for, call for, and work for a just and peaceful future for the nation and people of Iraq which includes the establishing of a just, stable, and democratic government and the timely departure of U.S. military forces and their contractors as soon as it is possible to leave the nation in an appropriately stable, just, and self-sustaining form.

Stories about actions regarding peacemaking at the General Assembly can be found at the Presbyterian News Service.

This Is Just Too Weird

The homophobic American Family Association is made up of really warped people. This is just too funny. Apparently, these folks have invented some tricky computer thing to replace the word "gay" with "homosexual" in all AP news stories that they post.

They made an embarrassing slip on this run. In stories about Olympic hopeful Tyson Gay, they replaced his last name. Yup. Check it:

Homosexual eases into 100 final at Olympic trials

Tyson Homosexual easily won his semifinal for the 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials and seemed to save something for the final later Sunday.

His wind-aided 9.85 seconds was a fairly cut-and-dry performance compared to what happened a day earlier. On Saturday, Homosexual misjudged the finish in his opening heat and had to scramble to finish fourth, then in his quarterfinal a couple of hours later, ran 9.77 to break the American record that had stood since 1999.

They fixed it now, but they are still having trouble getting all the references! H/T DAIO.

Presbyterians Say No to Torture

Rather than give a summary of all the important actions by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), I thought many deserve their own special post.

This one on torture is especially important. You can read the news story about it in the Presbyterian Outlook. The following was passed on a voice vote after unanimous recommendation by the committee.

I have to say, that it is odd, that the church should even have to tell the President this.

My favorite line:

Our President must lead our nation back to our core principles. We must be better than our enemies, and our treatment of prisoners captured in the battle against terrorism must reflect our character and values as Americans.

Final Text:

That the 218th General Assembly (2008) do the following:

1. Affirm the Declaration of Principles for a Presidential Executive Order on Prisoner Treatment, Torture and Cruelty, as developed by The National Religious Campaign Against Torture, The Center for Victims of Torture, and Evangelicals for Human Rights, which states:

Though we come from a variety of backgrounds and walks of life, we agree that the use of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment against prisoners is immoral, unwise, and un-American.

In our effort to secure ourselves, we have resorted to tactics which do not work, which endanger US personnel abroad, which discourage political, military, and intelligence cooperation from our allies, and which ultimately do not enhance our security.

Our President must lead our nation back to our core principles. We must be better than our enemies, and our treatment of prisoners captured in the battle against terrorism must reflect our character and values as Americans.

Therefore, we believe the President of the United States should issue an Executive Order that provides as follows:

The “Golden Rule.” We will not authorize or use any methods of interrogation that we would not find acceptable if used against Americans, be they civilians or soldiers.

One national standard. We will have one national standard for all US personnel and agencies for the interrogation and treatment of prisoners. Currently, the best expression of that standard is the US Army Field Manual, which will be used until any other interrogation technique has been approved based on the Golden Rule principle.

The rule of law. We will acknowledge all prisoners to our courts or the International Red Cross. We will in no circumstance hold persons in secret prisons or engage in disappearances. In all cases, prisoners will have the opportunity to prove their innocence in ways that fully conform to American principles of fairness.

Duty to protect. We acknowledge our historical commitment to end the use of torture and cruelty in the world.The US will not transfer any person to countries that use torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.

Checks and balances. Congress and the courts play an invaluable role in protecting the values and institutions of our nation and must have and will have access to the information they need to be fully informed about our detention and interrogation policies.

Clarity and accountability. All US personnel—whether soldiers or intelligence staff—deserve the certainty that they are implementing policy that complies fully with the law. Henceforth all US officials who authorize, implement, or fail in their duty to prevent the use of torture and ill-treatment of prisoners will be held accountable, regardless of rank or position.

2. Direct the Stated Clerk to communicate this action and the related positions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on issues related to torture to the president of the United States, the major candidates for the presidency, and to others in the federal government charged with oversight of the policies and practices of interrogations this action and the related positions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on issues related to torture.

3. Encourage individuals, congregations, and middle governing bodies to lift up our commitment to human rights, the elimination of torture, and to ethical standards in interrogation.

4. Direct the Peacemaking Program to identify or create devotional, study, worship, and homiletic resources, and make them available on the Web so that individuals, congregations, and middle governing bodies can lift up our opposition to torture and our commitment to human rights and ethical standards in interrogation.

Gassy Night with the Twins on July 10th

All right, kids, here is the big church event you have been waiting for. Thursday, July 10th, is Gassy Thursday with the Elizabethton Twins. The Elizabethton Twins and their fans have character.


It is the most fan-friendly ballpark in the Tri-Cities and the Twins are the best team in the league.


So once a year at least, First Pres. takes a trip to the ballpark. Bring grandpa and the kids. It is a special night. This year we are going to attend...

Gassy Thursday: If you're tired of high gas prices this night is for you! Free gas coupons, pinto beans, and whoopi cushions will all be included on this night.

So join us!




Robert Tilton says Gassy Night with the Twins smells like heaven's bakery.

Thursdays With Darwin

First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton and Holston Valley Unitarian Universalist Church are joining to welcome Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow, September 7, 8, and 9. Check the details here.

First Presbyterian will prepare for this by reading Thank God for Evolution during our Thursdays with Jesus study group. From Thursday, July 10th through September 4th we will read and discuss this exciting new book by Michael Dowd, the evolutionary evangelist.

Order your book and join us!

Register Now for Jesus Seminar in Elizabethton!

The information is out for the Jesus Seminar on the Road in Elizabethton, September 12-13. Go on-line to register.

Here is the information:
Competing Early Christian Voices
The Contest for Authority
Charles W. Hedrick & Hal Taussig

In the beginning, orthodoxy was but one of many diverse movements tracing their origins in some way to Jesus of Nazareth. Initially these groups used a Greek form of the Hebrew Bible as their scripture, but that collection proved inadequate to their needs. So they eventually reduced their new visions of faith to writing.

Beginning in the fourth century, some self-proclaimed orthodox representatives selected certain religious texts to serve their communities, texts which, centuries later, would become “divinely inspired scripture.” Other texts, from movements competing with orthodoxy, they libeled as “heretical,” or “not genuine.”

The workshop will look at some of the so-called “heretical” texts and competing religious visions that survived from that early period, such as Thunder, Perfect Mind; The Gospel of Thomas; The Treatise on the Resurrection; The Gospel of Mary; The Aprocryphon of John; The Gospel of Judas; The Testimony of Truth; and The Apocalypse of Peter.

LECTURE

Friday, 7:30-9 P.M.

Charles W. Hedrick & Hal Taussig
Canon and History
Re-Thinking Early Christianity

WORKSHOPS

Saturday, 9:30-10:30 A.M..

Hal Taussig
Thunder, Perfect Mind:
A dramatic self-presentation of a female divinity

Saturday, 11A.M.-NOON

Charles W. Hedrick
Orthodoxy and Its Competitors
Jesus and the Crucifixion

Saturday 1:30-2:30 P.M.

Hal Taussig
The Gospel of Mary
The only gospel with a woman protagonist

The Apocryphon of John
A secret early attack on the Roman Empire and its oppressive ideology

Saturday 3-4 P.M

Charles W. Hedrick
Orthodoxy and Its Competitors
The Resurrection

Hal Taussig (Ph.D., The Union Institute) is Visiting Professor of New Testament at Union Theological Seminary, NYC, Professor of Early Christianity at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia, and co-pastor at the Chestnut Hill United Methodist Church. His several books include Jesus Before God (1999) and A New Spiritual Home (2006).

Charles W. Hedrick (Ph.D., Claremont Graduate School) is Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies at Missouri State University. A member of the UNESCO team of scholars who reconstructed and translated the Nag Hammadi Codices, he is the author of several books, including The Gospel of the Savior (with Paul Mirecki, 1999).

ALL EVENTS AT

First Presbyterian Church
119 West F Street
Elizabethton, TN 37643

FEES & REGISTRATION

All Sessions
Pre-registration (by Aug. 22) $50
Registration (after Aug 22) $60
Additional Family Member $40

Single Sessions
Friday Evening Lecture $15
Saturday Morning Workshop $25
Saturday Afternoon Workshop $25

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Westar Institute
P.O. Box 7268
Santa Rosa, CA 95407
tollfree 877-523-3545, 707- 523-1350 fax
events@westarinstitute.org

or

John Shuck
(423) 543-7737
johnashuck@embarqmail.com
First Presbyterian Church

Dance It Up...

This is guaranteed to make you smile. Remember "The Gratitude Dance?" Here is a guy taking these moves around the world, from Where the Hell is Matt?

Hat tip to a new friend of mine who made my day! You know who you are!

I Love You and Allah Too

The Presbyterian Church approved an overture, "Calling for Tolerance and Peaceful Relations Between the Christian and Muslim Communities" that originated in Newton Presbytery. As you can see by the lines through old text and the creation of new text, item #2 created debate.

The debate was largely over what we have in common theologically with Muslims. Commissioners got hung up over whether or not Christians and Muslims worship a common God.

For some folks that question is really important. I think it is more important that we do what we can so that we do not annihilate each other. Here is the final text of what was approved by a vote of 547-149.

Final Text:
1. Commend to the church for study the actions of previous General Assemblies calling for tolerance, mutual respect, and peaceful relations between the Christian and Muslim communities.

"2. State that [the PC(USA) affirms that Jews, Christians, and Muslims worship a common God, ¹ although each understands that God differently] though we hold differing understandings of how God has been revealed to humankind, the PC(USA) affirms our belief in one God, the God of Abraham, whom Jews and Muslims also worship; and that, as children of this loving God, we share the commandments of love for God and neighbor ² , the requirement to care for the poor; and acknowledge Abraham as an expression of our common commitment to one God."

3. Build on this understanding by calling for further dialogue among Jews, Christians, and Muslims, viewing each other as equals, and learning from one another to

• promote peace, resolve conflict;
• ensure human rights, prevent discrimination;
• develop dialogue, emphasize commonality;
• recognize differences, celebrate diversity;
• advocate justice, oppose bias.

4. Commend the First Presbyterian Church of Rockaway and other Presbyterian congregations that have initiated dialogue with Muslim and Jewish communities, and to encourage other congregations to initiate three-way dialogues among Jews, Christians, and Muslims consistent with the Presbyterian Principles for Interfaith Dialogue. ³.

• To encourage congregations of these faiths to celebrate religious holidays together, setting aside days of worship during which there can be congregational suppers, and dialogue groups. ⁴
  
• To encourage sustained activities that will promote understanding, respect, and good will, using worship resources and promotional materials prepared by the Offices of Interfaith Relations and Theology and Worship, the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, and other General Assembly Council (GAC) and Office of the General Assembly (OGA) offices as appropriate.

5. Commission a study on Islam and Christian-Muslim relations that would have the same scope and authority as the 1987 study on Christian-Jewish relations, ⁵ to be carried out by the Interfaith Relations and Theology and Worship Offices of the General Assembly Council.

6. Call for identification of violations of the civil rights of Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the United States and other areas of the world, along with other incidents of violation of religious freedoms, as part of the regular human rights report to the General Assembly. ⁶

This kind of dialogue is so important. I wonder how many other congregations, like First Presbyterian of Rockaway, have initiated conversations with Muslim communities?

More About Moderator Bruce

The blogs are a buzz about Presbyterians this week. The blogger that gave me the biggest smile was Cheesehead in Paradise when she posted that Bruce Reyes-Chow was elected moderator. Check it here.

One of the hazards of being a young person with a big job is that folks will inquire about your mother.

"Do you know his mother? What does she think about this?"

I didn't catch this earlier, but Bruce's mom is a minister as well.

Bruce did a masterful job moderating the General Assembly. I caught some of the proceedings on the live stream video. He was always cool. He knew the rules. He had a sense of humor. He was an unanxious presence.

He has written his first letter to congregations regarding the General Assembly, one of the first tasks for moderators. You can read it here.

It will be sent as soon as his mother approves it.