Mending, Building, Starting

I thought readers might be interested in this post from Preludium, a blog written by Mark Harris, an Episcopal priest from Delaware who is a deputy to the General Convention.

Mending, Building, Starting

Here at General Convention Monday has been a day of important net mending, community building and engine starting.

Click here to read the rest of the entry.

More reports from convention:
The Passion of the Cucumber Sandwich from the Daily Episcopalian, a blog associated with the Diocese of Washington.
June 12, Orientation Day, in Suzanne Discovers Columbus

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Greetings from the Archbishop of Canterbury

...or, as Rev Susan Russell refers to him when she posts this at An Inch at a Time, "The AB of C". I've heard other Episcopalians call him that before. Somehow it just doesn't roll off the tongue naturally for me. Maybe that comes more naturally for "cradle Episcopalians".

The following message to the General Convention from Rowan Williams, and was read by the Archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu:

"Greetings to you all in Christ's name as you meet to pray and deliberate about the life and witness of your church and the demands of God's Kingdom. May God grant you discernment as you meet and listen to each other in patience and love.

As all those involved will be acutely aware, this General Convention takes place in a climate of intense and perhaps rather oppressive attention worldwide. At the meeting last week of the Bishops of the Church of England, we recognised the pressure under which you meet, and committed ourselves to praying more deeply and more constantly for allof you during these days. Please be assured of our loving concern for the Episcopal Church and our hopes that we in the Anglican Communion may learn again to walk with each other more trustfully.

The recommendations of the Windsor Report will be much in your minds and your deliberations, and I appreciate the work your Commissions and Committees have done in responding to the Windsor Process. I hope that the theological vision there set out in the Report of the ground and character of our communion in Christ will be clearly before you. We cannot survive as a Communion of churches without some common convictions about what it is to live and to make decisions as the Body of Christ; Windsor is not the end of the story, but it sets out a positive picture of what that might imply as together we strive to serve the mission of God.

We thank God for all that the Episcopal Church has contributed over the years to our fellowship and commend you to the One "who is able to establish you according to...the proclamation of Jesus Christ” (Rom.16.25).

Grace be with you all.
Rowan CANTUAR

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U2Charist and author Mark Powell

Coming up tomorrow...

Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.: U2Charist-- A special Eucharist service built around the music of Irish rock band U2. Service will be at the Renaissance Hotel, 2nd floor 50 North Third Street, Columbus. All are welcome -- even those who aren't attending General Convention. North Carolina Bishop Michael Curry (a former Southern Ohio priest) is preaching.

Also, at Trinity Episcopal Church tomorrow at 7 p.m. there is a Meet the Author event with Mark Alan Powell, author of

God with Us: A Pastoral Theology of Matthew's Gospel
Who Do You Say That I Am?: Essays on Christology
The New Testament Today
Loving Jesus
Jesus as a Figure in History: How Modern Historians View the Man from Galilee
Giving to God: The Good News of Biblical Stewardship

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Convention blogging

Quick note to let you know that All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena (the church that was in the news due to an IRS complaint against them after Rev. George Regas preached an anti-war sermon from the church's pulpit) has a convention blog.

Once again, I'd like to ask for first hand accounts of convention from people who are attending. If you'd like to share your experiences of convention with the readers of this blog, please e-mail me at ohiorenee at gmail.com.

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Message from Bishop Price

The picture below appeared in my morning update e-mail from the Diocese of Southern Ohio.

In front of a large crowd, Bishop Kenneth Price Jr. cut the ribbon of the exhibit booth of the Diocese of Southern Ohio along with committee members Ariel Miller and Celeste Parsons. Cutting of the ribbon -- Episcopal Church shields linked together -- marked the opening of both Southern Ohio's booth and the exhibit hall.

And in a separate e-mail, a message from Bishop Price...

Brothers and Sisters

General Convention's opening session isn't until Tuesday, but already the Greater Columbus Convention Center is a beehive of activity. Celeste Parsons, Ariel Miller and Paul Rank and a whole host of volunteers have been working for two days, readying the Southern Ohio display in the Exhibit Hall. Promptly at 1 p.m. Sunday, after the cutting of a ribbon made up of Episcopal Church decals, the Praise Dancers from St. Simon of Cyrene kicked off the opening of the exhibit hall, where every possible organization related to the Episcopal Church is represented.

Southern Ohio's booth rotates between four themes: diversity, delight, direction and devotion. Quilts made especially for General Convention reflect these themes, as well as rotating displays of different ministries and programs in the diocese. In addition, performances from different groups will be offered during midday breaks.

Serving in my capacity of Secretary of the House of Bishops (HOB), most of my attention thus far has been in helping to ready the HOB Secretariat for business. At the center of our operations is the Rev. Steve Muncie -- a former priest of this diocese -- who serves as legislative secretary. Assisting me as my righthand assistant is Julie Murray, my assistant in Cincinnati. Every bit of legislation flows through our office before it reaches the floor of the House of Bishops. We are also in constant contact with the Deputies Secretariat to coordinate the work of the two houses. Fortunately almost our whole staff of 12 are veterans of several conventions.

Richelle Thompson, the diocese's communications director, has been hard at work coordinating communication and media matters, updating the website and covering the convention for Interchange and regular reports. Already I have been interviewed several times by various media representatives.

On Saturday, Mariann and I attended a dinner sponsored by the Church Periodical Club (CPC) at which the Rev. Abby Flemister of Trinity, Capitol Square, was a speaker. It was my privilege to present a check of almost $1,700 on behalf of the congregation of Christ Church, Springfield, to the CPC Board. Christ Church raised seven miles of pennies in support of buying literature for the poor. This is a remarkable accomplishment, and I am very proud of them. Tonight, we will gather with this group again along with the Rev. Becky Michelfelder as they host all of our overseas guests. More than 400 are expected to attend.

On Saturday, I celebrated communion for all of our coordinators and supervisors of volunteers. As you know, my executive secretary, Jane Dupke Curry, spearheaded the assembling of almost 1,500 volunteers who are the working force of this convention. (One side note: today, almost 20% of the assigned volunteers failed to show up. This necessitated some double duty for others. IF YOU HAVE SIGNED UP, MAKE SURE TO SHOW UP!)

Although there is no official action from Convention to report yet, hopefully this will give you a flavor of some of the hundreds of events, happenings and gatherings that surround the Convention. Trinity Church is booked almost solid during the next week and a half and is ready and waiting to welcome our visitors.

Guests are always welcome, especially to the gala UTO (United Thank Offering) Ingathering Service at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Please plan on joining us for the action. When we really get going, my reports will be more focused on the resolutions, elections and decision of the Convention. Until then, keep us in your prayers.

Faithfully,

Bishop Ken Price
Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio

Bit of trivia to personalize this post. As I mentioned here, I officially joined the Episcopal Church shortly after the last General Convention. It was on Ash Wednesday, and there were a number of other people either being confirmed or received into the church. It was Ken Price who performed the ceremony. He looked a lot more bishop-y that day than in the picture you see of him above. He even had his Bo Peep hook. What *is* that called?

Crozier--that's the word. Anyway, I didn't *have* to do anything official in order to be a member of my local Episcopal congregation, but it's a statement I *wanted* to make as the Church was being attacked for elevating Gene Robinson as bishop in 2003.

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TCPC at the Convention

I am still working my way through a maze of links trying to find *something* that serves as a detailed schedule of what happens when at the General Convention. It looks like I will only be able to make it to events that take place in the evening or on the weekend, so unfortunately that will keep me from attending this event, which takes place during the day on Tuesday. From the St. Stephen's Episcopal Church Newsletter:

With the help of St. Stephen’s (Gay Hadley, The Rev. Paul Nicely, The Rev. George Glazier and others), The Center for Progressive Christianity (TCPC) will have a booth at this convention. This will be the first time TCPC has been present at a General Convention. TCPC will be in Booth #26. TCPC will also host a Forum on June 13: Progressive Christians: Out of the Shadows, Into the Light. The Rev. Fred Plumber, President of TCPC, will speak on the work of the Center from 1:30 to 2:50 p.m. and then there will be a time of sharing on how progressive liturgies are being created in the Episcopal Church. This will begin with George Glazier sharing what is happening at St. Stephen’s and Bradley Sowash will talk about music in progressive liturgy.

St. Stephen's is one of two churches in Columbus that is listed on the web site of The Center for Progressive Christianity. I knew *of* St. Stephen's, because it was only a block away from the Catholic church I attended throughout graduate school and beyond. I remember looking at the church and wondering "what they did there", and how similar it really was to Roman Catholic worship, but never actually ventured inside. I didn't do that until I "rediscovered" St. Stephen's when I was looking for a local church that was part of TCPC.

Anyway, although I won't be able to attend that forum, I hope to have a report from someone that I can post. And, in general, I'd love to have first hand accounts of convention from people who attend. If you'd like to share your experiences of convention with the readers of this blog, you can e-mail me at ohiorenee at gmail.com.

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Episcopal Church and Visual Arts Exhibit

Linking my way through the Anglican/Episcopal internet, I found a link on the Episcopal Church home page to Faces of Christ gallery, "in collaboration with ECVA.org".

Which is? Apparently The Episcopal Church and Visual Arts. *That* links to Visual Preludes 2006, which is described as "a gift to the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, Columbus Ohio, June 13-21 2006". So you see, I haven't *really* strayed off topic/gotten distracted by something shiny. It's all connected--isn't that cool?

While I was looking through these links, I was also listening to the orientation video that is provided for people who will be deputies to the General Convention. Much focus on pacing yourself, getting enough rest, being prepared to do a lot of walking, etc. So it also occurs to me that looking at these images can be restful and replenishing, which has got to be a Good Thing.


The image you see above is Centering by Ginny Runge, and is from the Wisdom of God gallery.

Which of these images speaks to you?

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Columbus Dispatch on the "other issues"

The Columbus Dispatch has an article about the General Convention in this past Friday's Faith and Values section, entitled Church confronts choice: Sexuality dispute tops agenda as thousands gather. Yes, I suppose the average "person on the street", if they know anything about the convention, know that the "sexuality dispute" is going to be addressed. They may also be aware that a new Presiding Bishop is to be chosen. What people probably know the least about is the "other issues that will be addressed", so that's what I'll excerpt here. To read the full article, click here. (There is also an article about Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh, leader of the conservative Anglican Communion Network.)

Other issues that will be addressed include:

• Choosing a new president of the House of Deputies to replace the Rev. George Werner of Pittsburgh, who was not re-elected as a deputy for his diocese. He has been president since 2000.

• Affirming the church’s support for the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, aimed at battling poverty, hunger and HIV/AIDS, improving education and health care, and reducing child mortality.

• Taking a step toward full communion with the United Methodist Church by approving joint Eucharist.

• Apologizing for the church’s support of slavery and for racial discrimination after emancipation. This proposal also calls for a study to determine whether reparations should be paid to black Episcopalians.

• Affirming that evolution theory "is entirely compatible with an authentic and living Christian faith."

• Calling for an end to the U.S. sanctions against Cuba.

• Considering resolutions on the Middle East, including reaffirming the church’s commitment to ending anti-Semitism, working for the assurance of human rights of Palestinians and recognizing Jerusalem as the shared capital of Israel and a Palestinian state.

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General Convention update

After the General Convention in 2003, I attended a forum at St. James Episcopal Church in Columbus. Part of that was a report called something like "What happened at Convention that *wasn't* reported on CNN". And indeed there were plenty of things that happened at the convention in 2003 that by all rights should have been considered "newsworthy" but that I'd never heard about.

So, part of my purpose in blogging about GC 2006 is to help provide a more complete picture than the mainstream media coverage which, in all likelihood, will focus on contentious issues. Such focus is not only incomplete but, in my opinion, both unfair and unbalanced. (Perhaps we can make a game of counting how many headlines we see which include the words " a church in crisis".)

As I mentioned in my earliler post, I've signed up to receive convention updates from the Diocese of Southern Ohio. Here is part of this morning's report from Columbus...

A commissioning service of the volunteer supervisors and coordinators was held on the morning of June 10. More than 60 people -- many from the Diocese of Southern Ohio -- have committed to nearly two weeks of volunteer service to the General Convention and the Episcopal Church. These supervisors will guide the work of more than 1,500 volunteers throughout the course of the convention.

Bishop Kenneth Price Jr., bishop in Southern Ohio, celebrated at the Eucharist service. Debby Stokes, chair of the local arrangements committee for the Diocese of Southern Ohio, offered thanksgiving for the commitment of the volunteers.

The Rev. Gregory Straub, executive officer of General Convention, preached the sermon. He offered these words of advice to the volunteer coordinators: "Maintain love. Be hospitable. Serve one another."

Father Jake Stops the World did a post about General Convention resources, and if you visit that link you can find, among other things, links to blogs that will be covering the convention.

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General Convention 2006

The General Convention of the Episcopal Church is begins this week. I officially joined Episcopal Church shortly after the last convention, which was in 2003, and was excited to learn that the next convention would be right here in Columbus. To have things align like that really caught my attention. I was certain that this must be one of "God's clues", and that I was *meant* to be at that convention.

It's hard to believe June 2006 is here already. Work and family and, well, life have conspired to keep me from focusing my attention on doing the research and writing I'd hoped to do in advance of this convention. Now that the convention is here (I just got my first e-mail update from the Diocese of Southern Ohio), clearly I need to *make* time. But, easing into this today, I will start by just saying "ditto" to what Sarah Dylan Breuer wrote at Dylan's Lectionary Notes:

The Episcopal Church is likely to be in the popular as well as religious media a lot over the next three weeks, and I'm praying that it proves to be an opportunity for evangelism -- for many who don't think they want anything to do with Christianity because they think Christianity is all about Left Behind and the Religious Right to hear about Christians who welcome LGBT people as they are, who care about the environment and oppose war, who are more concerned with "the least of these" than what they imagine other people do in bed. General Convention 2003 was such an opportunity for evangelism for me -- I got to talk with countless complete strangers in the weeks and months following about who Jesus is and what I believe God is up to in the world because people would see my "The Episcopal Church Welcomes You" bumper sticker or the cross I wear and would ask me about General Convention. Whatever else emerges from GC 2006, I'm banking that there will be many similar opportunities following it, and I hope that the media manage to get across some of the breadth and depth of what convention does amidst the inevitable headlines about sex.

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Eyes Wide Open Exhibit

From today's Columbus Dispatch

Empty boots at Statehouse to show human cost of war

Nearly 2,500 pairs of empty boots in military formation representing fallen U.S. troops will stretch a full city block across the Statehouse west lawn along High Street — one of the most visible locales in all of Ohio.

For Peggy Logue of Lebanon, whose son Michael served with the Marine Reserves’ Lima Company, 3 rd Battalion, 25 th Regiment, the exhibit is a chance to see up close the cost of a war she thinks has been badly mishandled by the Bush administration.

"We have young people dying, and if we’re over there fighting a war, we better know what we’re doing it for," said Logue, who, along with her husband, Jerry, will speak at the exhibit early Wednesday afternoon.

Sixteen members of Lima Company, many from Ohio, died in Iraq.

Click here for the rest.

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Fred Rogers testifying in Senate hearings, 1969

I first saw this video somewhere a couple days ago, and it was just linked again last night at Firedoglake.

Crooks and Liars has a great clip up from the Senate hearings in 1971 when Nixon wanted to cut the funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in half and Fred Rogers made an impassioned plea that won over his listeners.

The hearings were chaired by Senator John Pastore.

Pastore: All right, Rogers, you've got the floor.

Rogers: Senator Pastore, this is a philosophical statement and would take about ten minutes to read, so I'll not do that. One of the first things that a child learns in a healthy family is trust, and I trust what you have said that you will read this. It's very important to me. I care deeply about children.

Pastore: Will it make you happy if you read it?

Rogers: I'd just like to talk about it, if it's all right. My first children's program was on WQED fifteen years ago, and its budget was $30. Now, with the help of the Sears-Roebuck Foundation and National Educational Television, as well as all of the affiliated stations--each station pays to show our program. It's a unique kind of funding in educational television. Now our program has a budget of $6000.

It may sound like quite a difference, but $6000 pays for less than two minutes of cartoons. Two minutes of animated, what I sometimes say, bombardment. I'm very much concerned, as I know you are, about what's being delivered to our children in this country. And I've worked in the field of child development for six years now, trying to understand the inner needs of children. We deal with such things as the inner drama of childhood. We don't have to bop somebody over the head to make drama on the screen. We deal with such things as getting a haircut, or the feelings about brothers and sisters, and the kind of anger that arises in simple family situations. And we speak to it constructively.

Pastore: How long of a program is it?

Rogers: It's a half hour every day. Most channels schedule it in the noontime as well as in the evening. WETA here has scheduled it in the late afternoon.

Pastore: Could we get a copy of this so that we can see it? Maybe not today, but I'd like to see the program.

Rogers: I'd like very much for you to see it.

Pastore: I'd like to see the program itself, or any one of them.

Rogers: We made a hundred programs for EEN, the Eastern Eduational Network, and then when the money ran out, people in Boston and Pittsburgh and Chicago all came to the fore and said that we've *got* to have more of this neighborhood expression of care.

And this is what I give. I give an expression of care every day to each child, to help him realize that he *is* unique. I end the program by saying, "You've made this day a special day, by just your being you. There's no person in the whole world like you, and *I* like you, just the way you are." And I feel that if we in public television can only make it clear that feelings are mentionable *and* managable, we will have done a great service for mental health.

I think that it's much more dramatic that two men could be working out their feelings of anger--*much* more dramatic than showing something of gunfire. I'm *constantly* concerned about what our children are seeing, and for 15 years I have tried in this country and Canada, to present what I think is a *meaningful* expression of care.

Pastore: Do you narrate it?

Rogers: I'm the host, yes. And I do all the puppets and I write all the music, and I write all the scripts--

Pastore: Well, I'm supposed to be a pretty tough guy, and this is the first time I've had goosebumps for the last two days.

Rogers: Well, I'm grateful, not only for your goosebumps, but for your interest in our kind of communication. Could I tell you the words of one of the songs, which I feel is very important?

Pastore: Yes.

Rogers: This has to do with that good feeling of control which I feel that children need to know it's there. And it stars out,

What do you do with the mad that you feel--and that first line came straight from a child. I work with children with puppets in very personal communication in small groups


What do you do with the mad that you feel
When you feel so mad you could bite?
When the whole wide world seems oh, so wrong...
And nothing you do seems very right?

What do you do? Do you punch a bag?
Do you pound some clay or some dough?
Do you round up friends for a game of tag?
Or see how fast you go?

It's great to be able to stop
When you've planned a thing that's wrong,
And be able to do something else instead
And think this song:

I can stop when I want to
Can stop when I wish
I can stop, stop, stop any time.
And what a good feeling to feel like this
And know that the feeling is really mine.
Know that there's something deep inside
That helps us become what we can.
For a girl can be someday a lady
And a boy can be someday a man.

Pastore: I think it's wonderful. I think it's wonderful! (looking to his side) I think he's just earned the 20 million dollars! (Applause)

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Central Ohioans for Peace

From their web site:

Monday, May 22nd, at 7:00 pm: Speakers: Art and Peggy Gish
We know from experience that Art & Peggy have a lot to tell us about their experiences in Hebron (Art) and Baghdad (Peggy). Basket donations during this meeting will go to the Gishes to support their work in the Middle East.

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St. Stephen's Strawberry Festival

Every now and then, I figure I should plug an event for my own church, because, well, because I've got a blog and I *can*, that's why.

From the parish newsletter:

SAVE THE DATE OF JUNE 4TH AT 3:30 FOR A PARISH EVENT FOR YOUNG AND OLD!

COME TO OUR STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL
Sponsored by the St. Stephen's Choir

The afternoon will begin with a concert at 3:30 p.m.

CELEBRATING
The new Baldwin piano donated by the Williams family in memory of their mother, Helen Williams.
Pentecost, the birthday of the church
The talents of our St. Stephen's instrumentalists and their friends.

The concert will include many instrumental combinations. All selections will highlight our wonderful new piano. After this concert we invite our audience (young and old) to come up to see the instruments (violin, 'cello, flute, bassoon, trumpet, marimba and organ) up close and to ask questions of the instrumentalists. We encourage families to come, as the program will have great variety.

The afternoon will continue with a STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL at 4:15 p.m.

Don't miss the FUN, FELLOWSHIP and FOOD!

A freewill offering will be taken to benefit the choir fund. Donations are welcome.

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Frances Strickland on religion and politics

Last night I attended an event put together by the Central Ohio Coalition of Democratic and Progressive Organizations. Buckeye State Blog has written about it here and here. As I was leaving, I saw Frances Stickland, who had been speaking--and singing--on behalf of her husband Ted Strickland who is running for governor of Ohio. She graciously agreed to give me a couple minutes of her time and answer a couple questions. I asked her what kind of response her husband's campaign is getting from people of faith around the state.

Religion is being put into politics to be divisive, and most people that I know, that are sincere about their faith don't like that. And basically what we want to do is just to try to keep the focus on the things like healthcare that really matter, and the things that have gotten this state in trouble. And to try not to participate in any way that's divisive.

Does Ted ever pull on his background as a minister in responding--

Not much. As a minister, that's one of his fears--that politics is going to hurt the church, rather than the church helping politics, or the political field. He just feels that it can cause congregations to divide...split. Somebody said once, "I think in the future some time we're going to have Democratic churches and Republican churches!" And that really disturbs him.

And so, he can--if somebody asks him about a scripture, he'll know it and respond. He can, but it just needs to be appropriate. He will not deliberately use that to try to make points. It would be just in responding in some way to what somebody's asking.

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We Believe Columbus meets again May 25

What follows is a message available as a PDF link from the home page of We Believe...

TO ALL PARTICIPANTS IN WE BELIEVE OHIO:
Our next plenary session will be held on Thursday May 25th 9am at First Congregational Church 444 E. Broad Street.

We have had over 120 faith leaders from Central Ohio that have participated in one way or another in the formation of We Believe. We are calling on all of you to participate in this next plenary session.

The steering committee has begun meeting every other week. We wish to share with you how your leadership has helped to begin movements in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and other parts of Ohio. We also want to inform you of the media opportunities we have had recently beyond the Columbus media outlets.

We want to begin working now on voter turn out for the November 2006 elections.

Most importantly we want to continue to build a “community of moral deliberation” in order that we can fulfill our purpose of “uniting diverse religious voices to achieve social justice.” As we seek to do this we are aware that we may not be moving quickly enough for some who have participated in this movement and that for others there is a concern that we may become an issues oriented movement alone.

To this end we are asking you to come to this next plenary session. Rev. Bob Ward has assembled a process that can lead us to becoming a community of moral deliberation. It is a small group process that will use round table discussions facilitated by steering committee members and others. We will begin with conversations building relationships of trust as we discuss our own personal experience of poverty and wealth. The second stage will be conversations of relationship focused more on faith-based decision making as it relates to a broad spectrum of issues of justice and moral concern. Finally we will look at way that we can speak truth to power in the midst of our diversity.

It is our hope that by committing ourselves to this process we can lift up our diverse religious voice as an example of how faith communities can have honest, open and productive discourse and where possible work towards our goal of achieving social justice.

Please join us for this important meeting. It is vital that we continue our involvement in the public square. We are not a freight train steaming our way through Central Ohio rather we are as one of our members shared more like a passenger train deliberatively organizing in order to pick up others along the way that value a diverse religious voice. We seek to be a voice that does not demonize and divide rather one that represents religion at its best as a binding force.

Your Co-conveners Rev. Eric Brown and Rev. Mark Diemer

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New "We Believe" group to launch in Cleveland

We Believe is going statewide

Cleveland Religious Leaders Launch We Believe! Cleveland

Join Us for a Kick-Off Event and Press Conference!!!
Wednesday, May 17, 2006, 11:00 AM
Doors Open for Music and Celebration at 10:30 AM
Cleveland Play House
8501 Carnegie Ave. Cleveland, Ohio 44106
...
Faithful Clevelanders will gather to pray and unveil a shared vision of serving God in word and action by promoting the values of inclusion, compassion and social justice.

We believe the stakes in Ohio are frighteningly high

We will not stand by and bear witness to religion being used as a tool of division and exclusion.

The time for action is now!

More from the media advisory:

Cleveland religious leaders will announce the We Believe, Cleveland vision, shared mission, and concrete actions the organization will immediately embrace moving forward.
...
WHO: Pastors, priests, rabbis, cantors, imams, and lay leaders committed to speaking in public ways to bear witness to the spiritual heritage of pluralism, tolerance, social justice and religious freedom. We Believe participants are ethnically and racially diverse, men and women, conservative, moderate and liberal. They represent a wide range of theological diversity and serve urban, suburban and rural people in their houses of worship.

PARTICIPANTS: Participants include, but are not limited to:

• Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr. (Olivet Institutional Baptist Church)
• Rabbi Richard A. Block (The Temple Tifereth-Israel)
• Rev. Dr. Marvin McMickle (Antioch Baptist Church)
• Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell (Chautauqua Institute)
• Rev. Tracey Lind (Trinity Cathedral)
• Rev. Kenneth W. Chalker (First United Methodist Church)
• Pastor Max Rodas (Nueva Luz Church of the Nazarene)
• We Believe Columbus leaders: Rev. Tim Ahrens (First Congregational Church, Columbus, OH) and Cantor Jack Chomsky (Tifereth Israel, Columbus, OH)

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B.R.E.A.D. rises in the Buckeye State

There's a great writeup of Monday's Nehemiah Assembly at JSpot.

BREAD Rises in the Buckeye State

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Rabbi: G-d *expects* us to do justice!

I wrote just a little bit last night about the B.R.E.A.D. action assembly I attended the other day at Congregation Tifereth Israel. Mainly, I shared my overall impressions--the size of the crowd, and the "packed like sardines" aspect of the experience. If you aren't familiar with the B.R.E.A.D. organization or the purpose of our assembly on Monday night, you can read about it here. In this entry I'd like to share with you the opening reflections of Rabbi Howard Apothaker of Temple Beth Shalom, which shed some light on why the "Nehemiah Assembly" was a fitting name for that action meeting. I suppose you may be skeptical about there being any connection between this particular Hebrew scripture and the times we live in. What experience do people *today* have with such sentiments as... We must pawn our fields and our vineyards and our homes to get grain to stave off hunger or We have to borrow money against our fields and vineyards... ?
--
There was a great cry by the common folk and their wives against their brother Judeans. Some said our sons and daughter are numerous, you must get grain so that we may live. Others said, "We must pawn our fields and our vineyards and our homes to get grain to stave off hunger." And yet others said, "We have to borrow money against our fields and vineyards to pay the king's tax. Now we are subjecting our sons and our daughters to slavery and we are powerless while our fields and vineyards belong to others.

It angered me very much, said Nehemiah, to hear their outcry--that same outcry that the slaves made in Egypt. After pondering the matter carefully, I argued, says Nehemiah, with the nobles and the prefects, saying, "Are you pressing claims on loans against your bretheren?" And I asked a large crowd against them and said to them, we have done our best to buy back our Judean bretheren who remain slaves to the nation, but you continue to enslave your bretheren that we must yet restore them. And they were silent.

So I, Nehemiah, continued...What you are doing is NOT GOOD! You are to ACT, and it ought to be in a G-d-fearing way. Thus the words of Nehemiah.

And so I want to teach you a simple Hebrew phrase tonight--you want to learn one? (Yes.) All right, everyone--almost--wants to learn. (Laughter). It's very simple. What you are doing, says Nehemiah, is NOT GOOD. In Hebrew: LO TOV. (Practices with crowd a couple times). Beautiful!

When we hear the cry, "We are slaves, we are powerless, we are broken", we must say to today's nobles and prefects--we must shout, we must scream--LO TOV! Say it again with me...LO TOV!

It is not good, it is not right! It is not good--not on my own recognizance. Not because I said so, or because some church council voted twelve to nine, but because the nobles and prefects are not acting with any sense of godliness. Without G-d consciousness. Without G-d, your silence is--LO TOV!

When Nehemiah gets angry, he does not just run off and scream and curse. The word says that he ponders and plans and investigates, and he assembles a large crowd and demands a hearing. He brings the power of the people, and even so he is met with silence. He does not stop at shouting lo tov, it is not good--he persists to put together a concrete plan to restore justice. He convinces his cohorts and brings the power of the people to bear. And they continue to agitate until the nobles and prefects say, "We will do what you say."

Ah, but that wasn't enough for Nehemiah! He brought those nobles and prefects before the people, saying, we will hold you, and not just us, but G-d will hold you accountable.

That group at that time is this group in our time, in our day, in this place, and at this moment. We shall shout, "Amen!" And just as at that time the text says that the nobles and prefects kept the promise, we shall ensure that those whom we have entrusted, those who we have elected, those who temporarily hold the power to say "yes", but to their G-d who would have them break their silence, and respond at all.

And this call is not for this time alone. Nehemiah tells us that he acts to create a change in the system. He cannot continuously keep the power of the crowd at hand. They won't assemble like we do here only on Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur. (Laughter...and someone near me remarked, "Christmas and Easter!") But he *can* continuously keep the power of G-d to combat injustice. The scripture tells us (something in Hebrew--elohim) because it is all *of* G-d, because of his respect *for* G-d, his belief in G-d's justice that sustains it, until the crowd returns.

G-d does not just want us to do justice. G-d is *waiting* for us to do justice. G-d is *expecting* us to do justice. G-d is saying, "Get off your tuckus and do justice!"

(More Hebrew, then translated) Won't you walk in awe? Won't you walk the walk of justice? Won't you pursue justice? Won't you act, demanding from the nobles and the prefects that they do rather what is good. This is what G-d wants from those who venerate the divine

We congregate and stipulate that those in power quit debate and legislate
We bring force and might that they endorse and do right
We act with tact that they in fact enact
and that they accede to the need and cower to the power of G-d's call for justice.

We shall not be powerless, we shall not be broken, we shall not accept silence,
When B.R.E.A.D. hears the cry, we stand not idly by
We shall raise that cry on high, we shall sanctify, we will magnify,
and we shall personify the will of El Shaddai

...today we need not say, 'lo tov', that isn't good. Today we shall say as Nehemiah might say to the G-d of eternity, this is very good!
Bread...
(Congregation) RISES!

The next speaker would go on to thank Howard Apothaker, "The Rabbinical Rapper". ;-)

I'll share more from the meeting as time permits.

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"Faithful responses to TEL/TABOR" workshop

This appeared in my church newsletter, and I thought I should pass it along. I have no idea if there is still space available in the workshop or not, but it's good to know that someone is doing this. Hopefully there will be some materials made available for for faith leaders who are unable to attend a workshop.

May 16, 2006
2:30-5:30 p.m.
Congregation Tifereth Israel, Columbus, Ohio

Contact David Buckley at dbuckley at faithinpubliclife.org

Join us for a lively and informative discussion of the TEL/TABOR ballot initiative, which will be before Ohio voters in Nobember. Learn about the legislation from policy experts and discuss ways in which clergy can best communicate with their congregations from a faith and values perspective about the impact of TEL/TABOR on the most vulnerable Ohioans.

Featuring:

• Rev. Jennifer Butler, Faith in Public Life
• Dr. John Irons, TABOR Expert, The Center for American Progress
• Tom Pirrello, The Res Publica Institute
• Jan Resseger, United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Cleveland

After the meeting, we hope you plan to proceed with us to the Newman Center at Ohio State for an open Town Hall Meeting on this subject sponsored by the Center for American Progress.

Presented with support from Faith in Public Life, the Center for American Progress and We Believe Ohio.

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