www.ucc.org

I‘ve been accused by someone within my denomination of assaulting the first amendment. He describes activities I’ve had a major role in as a “full-fledged assault on conservative media” – “an organized campaign . . . a carefully planned, well-funded systematic assault on talk radio and Fox News that involves at least seven major liberal American religious denominations.”

I’ve never seen myself as a part of something like that and I’ve never been described that way before. It brings home the talk about cyberpolarization — how we tend to use media that reinforces our own viewpoints and therefore are not aware of misinformation and are not sensitive to insults and accusations lacking objectivity and logic.

Jeffrey Lord (From The American Spectator)

And it gives me a lens from which to see how it works. It occurs to me that others might be interested in that view. So I’m going to first…

In the midst of the recent deluge of neighborhood violence in the city and cries from the community for action, Saint John’s United Church of Christ (UCC) is working with its partners to try to answer the question, “What is the church doing?” with “The Beloved Community: Equipping the Saints for the Work of Justice,” an ecumenical conference that will provide practical tools and information that citizens and communities of faith can put into action immediately.  The event will be held November 5-9^th at Saint John’s UCC, 4136 North Grand Boulevard, at the corner of Grand and Lee Avenue.  It includes two worship experiences, a play by The Black Rep, three separate ministry institutes, a discussion on faith and politics and two community service opportunities.  Conference partners and supporters include the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the UCC, The African American Pulpit Journal (Memphis, TN), The Black Rep, Washington Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church,…

Multiple births create wrenching dilemmas for religious believers. Photo courtesy of the New York Times.

Last week the New York Times published a two-part series on artificial reproductive technologies.  The series makes a riveting read, as writer Stephanie Saul narrates the joys and terrors of premature birth, high order multiples, NICU stays, and—finally, sometimes—the precious goal, a baby at home with a family.  Although I have no first-hand experience with ARTs, I follow the topic with interest and so I was drawn into the story of the Stansel family, which anchors the second article.

Amanda Stansel underwent a common procedure called intrauterine insemination, in which her ovaries were stimulated with fertility drugs and her husband’s sperm was injected into her uterus.  But something went terribly wrong, and Ms Stansel became pregnant with six babies. The chances of delivering healthy sextuplets are punishingly slim, and the Stansels’ doctors recommended selective reduction, the medical euphemism for…

Before the U.S. Supreme Court is a lawsuit about a large cross atop a rocky outcropping in a remote part of California’s Mojave Desert. Originally erected in 1934 by the Veterans of Foreign Wars as a memorial to fallen WWI soldiers, it is on a federal preserve under the authority of the U.S. Park Service.

Whether the cross is permissible is not the new or precedent setting type of question the Court usually takes up to clarify the law, and the case is rather old, with a twisted history leading to an unusual question for the Supreme Court — so why is the Court deciding it?  I think it is to make a more dramatic change in the law through the effect of a decision on standing: more on that below.

The Cross in Dispute. Credit: Eric Nystrom

Two courts, trial and appellate, decided in 2002 and 2004 that  display of the cross on…

Happy New Year

When I was growing up, generally the only time spent in religious services was during the High Holidays. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The big ones. The Jewish New Year and the Day of Atonement.

Rather than focusing on the meaning of these holy days, my teenage self focused on shopping the fall fashion trends and debuting my new boots, skirts, dresses, etc. I can remember being excited to have an excuse to wear high heels and the sound of them clicking through the halls of the high school where my synagogue held services. But, what I can’t remember is, feeling connected to the significance of these holidays.

Once we arrived, usually late (I always did my best to stall), it was excuse after excuse to be released from the service. “I need to go to the bathroom”, “I need to stretch my legs”, “My pantyhose are twisted”, “All my…

credit:newliturgicalmovement

Some years ago my husband and I found ourselves attending a Mass at Notre Dame des Victoires, a charming French/American Catholic church on Bush Street in downtown San Francisco. The 10:30A.M. Sunday Mass was celebrated in French.

This was more than fine with me as my four years of French came floating back accompanied by the more usual English language responses and prayers standing at the ready to do some quick translating.

Fine until it came to the Kiss of Peace.

A French speaking woman turned to me and said, in French, “Peace be with you”. Without a moment’s hesitation, I replied “Et cum spiritu tuo”. We both laughed.

We laughed because we are both of “a certain age” — “d’un certain age” — and had been brought up in the pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic Church. All Catholics around the world celebrated the Mass in Latin then.  And when the priest said to the assembly,…

The Calling of St. Matthew Caravaggio

From the June/July issue, FIRST THINGS, Julie Stoner’s

“I Did Not Come to Call the Righteous”

Matthew 9: 9-13

We ninety-nine obedient sheep;

we workers hired at dawn’s first peep;

we faithful sons who strive to please,

forsaking prodigalities;

we virgins who take pains to keep

our lamps lit, even in our sleep;

we law-abiding Pharisees;

we wince at gospels such as these.

In referencing the Apostle Matthew, Pope Benedict XVI reminded his General Audience, Wednesday August 30, 2006 that “[t]he good news of the Gospel consists precisely in this: offering God’s grace to the sinner!”

Matthew — in Hebrew “gift of God” — was a tax collector. The Holy Father continues,

Matthew, in fact, not only handled money deemed impure because of its provenance from people foreign to the People of God, but he also collaborated with an alien and despicably greedy authority whose tributes moreover, could be arbitrarily determined. This is why the Gospels several times…

Supreme Court credit:Courant

Twenty five years ago when a handful of St. Louis women gathered to publicly defend Catholic Church teaching, the immediate topics were feminism, abortion and women’s ordination. Within a couple of months and many enthusiastic letters from faithful Catholic women, we understood a national organization was in the making, Women for Faith & Family:

WFF Beginnings
In September 1984, six St. Louis women gathered around a dining room table to discuss their concern that the US bishops, who had announced their intention to write a pastoral letter on the subject of “women’s concerns”, might not receive an accurate picture of Catholic women. The women were concerned about the impression given in the media that most Catholic women feel “alienated” from the Church, and dissent from Church teachings on issues ranging from abortion to ordination. They were aware that feminist theology had influenced many women and Catholic leaders. They wanted to…

Seven-year-old Joseph Hofheins reacts to eating matzah with horseradish during the bitter herbs part of the Passover ceremony, which also included music and dancing. (Stuart Johnson, Deseret News)

Latter-day Saints (Mormon or LDS) have long felt a kinship with Jewish brothers and sisters. It’s becoming popular in recent years for Latter-day Saints (LDS) to take their feelings of kinship to a more active level. Some are participating in a Seder in addition to the traditional Easter services and remembrance observed this time of year.

I remember a few years ago a women’s activity at our local unit of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to make Seder plates. We spent the evening decorating the plates and learning the traditions of the Seder. I really enjoyed the activity. It gave me a great appreciation for the common heritage Christians and Jews share.

Latter-day Saints in areas of Utah are developing large activities for this special time of year. The following news-story is from Deseret…