In the wake of escalating tensions and civil unrest in the Middle East, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leaders today have issued a call to prayer for the peoples and nations of the Middle East, as well as PC(USA) partners.
The Moderator of the 219th General Assembly (2010) Cynthia Bolbach, General Assembly Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons, and General Assembly Mission Council Executive Director Linda Valentine called Presbyterians to pray with these words:
“Hundreds of thousands of people have staged protests in the past few days in different parts of the Middle East, particularly in Tunisia, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen, and Algeria. Today, clashes between protestors and the police have intensified to dangerous levels. Lebanon has been in a precarious situation since the collapse of the coalition government earlier this month. Iraq continues to be the target of suicide bombers and other forms of violence. The failure of Israeli-Palestine negotiations is causing many to lose hope in a political solution for this decades-old conflict.
Please remember all the peoples of the Middle East in your prayer. Please remember those whose lives have been disrupted and those who are afraid during this civil unrest. Please also pray for the governments and political leaders that they might govern fairly, wisely, and with sensitivity to the peoples’ lives and dignity.
Please pray in particular for the Christian minorities in the Middle East, as they often become the scapegoat in the midst of conflicts. Although most of the Middle East inhabitants are Muslims, more than fifteen million Middle Easterners are Christians who trace their Christian heritage back to the apostolic era. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has partnered with Middle Eastern churches for most of the last two centuries. Please join your hearts in prayer for our sisters and brothers with whom we have been made one in the Body of Christ:”
God of every blessing,
hear our prayers
for all the nations and peoples of the Middle East:
Guide the people to express their concerns peacefully
and government leaders to respond peacefully;
Inspire all to listen to one another carefully;
Lead all to pursue justice together.
Bless the poor in spirit ...
give them the gift of abundant life.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Words Create Worlds
Lost in the reports and commentaries this past week is this article by Suzannah Heschel.
Speaking directly to Sarah Palin's curious video posting, Dr. Heschel writes: Words both express and shape our thinking and our behavior.
Yes, the gunman who pulled the trigger is the one put on trial, but almost instantly we all began a profound and very moving period of collective soul-searching.
How might we have contributed to an atmosphere in which such a heinous act could take place?
What can we do to change the ugliness of our language?
Do our words and tone indicate a bitterness of heart and an anger in our spirits that is damaging to ourselves and our entire society?
And her concluding words should be heard by all:
Civilized people strive for ways to coexist and seek moral principles that achieve peace and prosperity for all, not just for ourselves.
[Sarah] Palin’s insistence on freedom seems to suggest freedom for oneself, without assuming any responsibility for others;
a perspective that would create a wild realm in which each person looks out for herself, not for the collective. . . .
that is not the message of the Bible.
When God points out immoral behavior, it is of the collective people, not individuals.
The prophet Amos condemns the crimes and injustices committed by an entire society, be it Israel or Edom, and the prophet Jonah calls on all citizens of Nineveh to repent, not just those who have acted in sin.
The dream of the prophets is not for conquest, power, or wealth.
The dream of the prophets is of peace.
A civilized society does not live by the sword, but by principles of justice, and those principles require a clear and careful articulation.
Words do create worlds.
Speaking directly to Sarah Palin's curious video posting, Dr. Heschel writes: Words both express and shape our thinking and our behavior.
Yes, the gunman who pulled the trigger is the one put on trial, but almost instantly we all began a profound and very moving period of collective soul-searching.
How might we have contributed to an atmosphere in which such a heinous act could take place?
What can we do to change the ugliness of our language?
Do our words and tone indicate a bitterness of heart and an anger in our spirits that is damaging to ourselves and our entire society?
And her concluding words should be heard by all:
Civilized people strive for ways to coexist and seek moral principles that achieve peace and prosperity for all, not just for ourselves.
[Sarah] Palin’s insistence on freedom seems to suggest freedom for oneself, without assuming any responsibility for others;
a perspective that would create a wild realm in which each person looks out for herself, not for the collective. . . .
that is not the message of the Bible.
When God points out immoral behavior, it is of the collective people, not individuals.
The prophet Amos condemns the crimes and injustices committed by an entire society, be it Israel or Edom, and the prophet Jonah calls on all citizens of Nineveh to repent, not just those who have acted in sin.
The dream of the prophets is not for conquest, power, or wealth.
The dream of the prophets is of peace.
A civilized society does not live by the sword, but by principles of justice, and those principles require a clear and careful articulation.
Words do create worlds.
Monday, January 3, 2011
The Boomers Are Coming, The Boomers Are Coming
Today and every day for the next 19 years, about 10,000 Baby Boomers will reach the age of 65.
How is this going to affect what we do in ministry?
While the Boomers have managed to put their own imprint on each of the other life stages, we need to give attention to this new phenomena.
The Pew people remind us "The 79-million-member Baby Boomer generation accounts for 26% of the total U.S. population. By force of numbers alone, they almost certainly will redefine old age in America, just as they've made their mark on teen culture, young adult life and middle age."
Traditionally, age 65 signified retirement from the tasks of making one's way in the world and days of leisure and hobby.
But, not this time. We are reminded: "don't tell Boomers that old age starts at age 65. The typical Boomer believes that old age doesn't begin until age 72".
Take a look: Pew Research Center
How is this going to affect what we do in ministry?
While the Boomers have managed to put their own imprint on each of the other life stages, we need to give attention to this new phenomena.
The Pew people remind us "The 79-million-member Baby Boomer generation accounts for 26% of the total U.S. population. By force of numbers alone, they almost certainly will redefine old age in America, just as they've made their mark on teen culture, young adult life and middle age."
Traditionally, age 65 signified retirement from the tasks of making one's way in the world and days of leisure and hobby.
But, not this time. We are reminded: "don't tell Boomers that old age starts at age 65. The typical Boomer believes that old age doesn't begin until age 72".
Take a look: Pew Research Center
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