Yesterday was spent in the kitchen... baking pies, singing songs, feeding my children. It was rich and rewarding. I recently read how stability and love inform one another and bring a deep rich contentment that is hard to explain. It brings me a "calmness of heart that allows a deeper, slower growth."
Never could I have imagined that at Christmas 2008 I would be awaiting the arrival of my fourth child... a child born of another woman... who is now dead. I look at our daughter this Christmas in pictures taken by a loving caregiver. She is so beautiful. I am eager to welcome her into life with us..
3 pumkin pies carved from an heirloom pumpkin
a pecan pie made with love for my father-in-law who loves pecan pie
_____________________________
currently playing:: Sufjan Stevens' Songs for Christmas : O Holy Night
12.17.2008
Iron & Wine . Tonight Show With Jay Leno
Iron & Wine is scheduled to perform their song "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Monday, January 5, 2009. "Flightless..." was recently been featured in the film Twilight and is also included on the Twilight Soundtrack. The song was originally released on the Iron & Wine album, The Shepherd's Dog.
12.11.2008
12.02.2008
11.02.2008
10.24.2008
I guess caring about human life makes you a terrorist these days
Md. Police Listed Green Group As Terrorist
10.18.2008
10.09.2008
SOLDIERS OF CONSCIENCE
National PBS Broadcast on the "P.O.V." Series:
Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 9pm *
* Check listings for local broadcast date and time:
http://www.pbs.org/pov/tvschedule.php
"Has an eloquence and passion that will open hearts as well as eyes."
- The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Their country asked them to kill.
Their hearts asked them to stop.
A documentary film about our soldiers in Iraq facing the most difficult
mral decision of their lives: to kill or not to kill. Eight soldiers,
torn between the demands of duty and the call of conscience, including
four who decide not to kill - a realistic yet optimistic film about war,
peace and the power of the human conscience. Featuring Camilo Mejia,
Joshua Casteel, Aidan Delgado, and Kevin Benderman. (USA, 85 min,
PG-13)
http://www.soldiers-themovie.com
POV Website: http://www.pbs.org/pov/soldiersofconscience
Film Website: http://www.soldiers-themovie.com
Awards:
Best Documentary - Rhode Island Int'l Film Festival
Conflict & Resolution Award - Hamptons Int'l Film Festival
Best Documentary - Foyle Film Festival (Northern Ireland)
Best Documentary, Finalist - Denver Int'l Film Festival
Best Documentary - Salem Film Festival
National PBS Broadcast on the "P.O.V." Series:
Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 9pm *
* Check listings for local broadcast date and time:
http://www.pbs.org/pov/
"Has an eloquence and passion that will open hearts as well as eyes."
- The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Their country asked them to kill.
Their hearts asked them to stop.
A documentary film about our soldiers in Iraq facing the most difficult
mral decision of their lives: to kill or not to kill. Eight soldiers,
torn between the demands of duty and the call of conscience, including
four who decide not to kill - a realistic yet optimistic film about war,
peace and the power of the human conscience. Featuring Camilo Mejia,
Joshua Casteel, Aidan Delgado, and Kevin Benderman. (USA, 85 min,
PG-13)
http://www.soldiers-themovie.
POV Website: http://www.pbs.org/pov/
Film Website: http://www.soldiers-themovie.
Awards:
Best Documentary - Rhode Island Int'l Film Festival
Conflict & Resolution Award - Hamptons Int'l Film Festival
Best Documentary - Foyle Film Festival (Northern Ireland)
Best Documentary, Finalist - Denver Int'l Film Festival
Best Documentary - Salem Film Festival
8.03.2008
7.08.2008
| SUSTAINABILITY NEWS OF THE WEEK: "Fortunately, there are hopeful signs that we can move beyond crisis to positive solutions. Connecting the dots in our food-climate-energy crisis, millions of green consumers are voting with their dollars for foods and products that are healthy, locally produced, energy efficient, and eco-friendly. A growing number of politicians, mainly at local and state levels, are also waking up. Organic food and farmers markets are booming. Chemical-free lawns and gardens, green buildings, solar panels, wind generators, "buy local" networks, and bike paths are sprouting. A critical mass of organic-minded Americans are waking up to the fact that we must green the economy, drastically reduce petroleum use and greenhouse gas pollution, re-stabilize the climate, and heal ourselves, before it's too late." |
6.07.2008
Longtime peace advocate hails cluster bomb
By Tim ShenkAKRON, Pa. -- Longtime peace advocate Titus Peachey said he is amazedand pleased that 111 countries formally agreed to adopt a ban oncluster bombs at a recent international conference that he attendedin Dublin, Ireland.Peachey, director of peace education for Mennonite Central Committee(MCC) U.S., said that the ban is a great step toward ending the useof a weapon that kills civilians in former war zones."After working at this for 28 years, to actually be at a place wheregovernments are ready to ban these things is really amazing," Peacheysaid.However, many nations that use cluster bombs did not agree to theban, including the United States, Russia, China and Israel, Peacheysaid. He adds that the United States did not send a representative tothe conference and reportedly lobbied behind the scenes against thetreaty. Canada agreed to the ban.Cluster bombs are aerial weapons that release up to several hundredsubmunitions, or "bombies," over a wide area. Peachey and otheradvocates have long called for a ban on cluster bombs because theykill indiscriminately. In many cases, the bombies fail to explode onimpact and are accidentally detonated by civilians years later.Titus Peachey and his wife Linda Gehman Peachey started raisingawareness about cluster bombs when they served as MCC workers in Laosin the early 1980s. The U.S. military dropped an estimated 260million bombies on Laos during the Vietnam War, and a significantportion did not detonate on impact, Peachey said.In the decades since they were dropped, the unexploded bombies havecontinued to kill and maim many people in rural Laos, Peachey said.When the Peacheys returned to the United States, they brought backthe broken head of a garden hoe -- a simple tool that had detonated a
bombie in the soil, killing a mother of 11 children."I always felt at that time that we had a very special responsibilityto do something about this because we are U.S. citizens and, asMennonites, we are committed to Christ's way of peace andnonviolence," Peachey said.Peachey and Virgil Wiebe, an international law consultant for MCC,attended a series of international conferences on banning clusterbombs and other explosive remnants of war. In 2003, MCC helped foundthe Cluster Munitions Coalition, an international partnership ofhumanitarian organizations that has played a key role in advocatingfor the ban, Peachey said.In 2007, MCC helped a Lebanese optician, Raed Mokaled, visit theUnited States to tell the story of his 5-year-old son Ahmad, who waskilled by a cluster bomb submunition in 1999.Mokaled was one of many people who traveled to the Dublin conferenceto share their tragic experiences with cluster bombs. Others camefrom countries including Iraq, Serbia, Tajikistan, Cambodia and Vietnam."We got a strong treaty, and it's a big step," Mokaled said at theconclusion of the conference. "My son -- he rests now in his gravebecause we got a treaty."Tim Shenk is a writer for Mennonite Central Committee.
bombie in the soil, killing a mother of 11 children."I always felt at that time that we had a very special responsibilityto do something about this because we are U.S. citizens and, asMennonites, we are committed to Christ's way of peace andnonviolence," Peachey said.Peachey and Virgil Wiebe, an international law consultant for MCC,attended a series of international conferences on banning clusterbombs and other explosive remnants of war. In 2003, MCC helped foundthe Cluster Munitions Coalition, an international partnership ofhumanitarian organizations that has played a key role in advocatingfor the ban, Peachey said.In 2007, MCC helped a Lebanese optician, Raed Mokaled, visit theUnited States to tell the story of his 5-year-old son Ahmad, who waskilled by a cluster bomb submunition in 1999.Mokaled was one of many people who traveled to the Dublin conferenceto share their tragic experiences with cluster bombs. Others camefrom countries including Iraq, Serbia, Tajikistan, Cambodia and Vietnam."We got a strong treaty, and it's a big step," Mokaled said at theconclusion of the conference. "My son -- he rests now in his gravebecause we got a treaty."Tim Shenk is a writer for Mennonite Central Committee.
5.31.2008
so we've moved to the west side of dwntwn columbus... life is great, but something is missing
a local coffee shop
View Larger Map
a local coffee shop
View Larger Map
5.26.2008
kerri lynn
She is the strongest woman I know.I love her more than anyone on the earth.She is brilliant.She is compassionate.She is dedicated.She posesses wisdom .She takes NO bullshit.She is beautiful.She is so much more, and more.
5.25.2008
By Tina Schrag
NORTH NEWTON, Kan. -- Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Central States is
responding to a May 12 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at
Agriprocessors meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa.
In the raid, 389 workers without documentation of citizenship or other
legal status were captured and detained. ICE had a caravan of buses ready
to cart the people away to the National Cattle Congress in Waterloo, Iowa
for processing. Many children were left without parents, businesses have
shut down and it is unknown what the future holds for this small town in
northeast Iowa. Two churches and the school in Postville have become safe
sanctuaries for people who had a family member taken in the raid.
Saulo Padilla, MCC U.S. Director for the Office on Immigration, said, "The
church has the call to welcome the stranger and proclaim that any division
between immigrant and native is erased; there are no borders or boundaries
for us as followers of Jesus. When institutions and agencies side with the
powers of the world, the church is called to side with the oppressed, the
poor, stranger and the marginalized. If we fail to do this, we fail to be
the church."
MCC Central States is providing $1,000 to help cover housing and food
costs for families affected by the raid through Cedar Falls Mennonite
Church in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Pastor Susan Janzen explained, "Our faith in
Jesus Christ and commitment to following after him compels us to stand in
solidarity with the people of Postville and the other immigrant
populations in our community. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us
that on judgment day God will ask us how we treated and welcomed the
strangers among us. How we respond to 'the least of these,' which in our
context includes the immigrants detained in this raid and their families,
is a sign of our faithfulness to God."
Krista Zimmerman, the MCC Washington Office legislative associate for
Domestic Affairs, adds, "Immigration raids aren't the way to fix a broken
immigration system. Congress needs to enact comprehensive immigration
reform." MCC Central States encourages individuals and congregations to
write letters to their U.S. congressional representative and senators with
a similar message.
For a sample letter and more information on immigration from MCC please
visit http://mcc.org/centralstates/iceraid . To make a donation to support
the general immigration work of MCC U.S., please visit
mcc.org/donate/donate.html (select "Donate Online," then under
"designation," choose "other," and type "Immigration U.S."). Or send a
check to the nearest MCC center and designate it for "Immigration U.S.
Work."
NORTH NEWTON, Kan. -- Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Central States is
responding to a May 12 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at
Agriprocessors meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa.
In the raid, 389 workers without documentation of citizenship or other
legal status were captured and detained. ICE had a caravan of buses ready
to cart the people away to the National Cattle Congress in Waterloo, Iowa
for processing. Many children were left without parents, businesses have
shut down and it is unknown what the future holds for this small town in
northeast Iowa. Two churches and the school in Postville have become safe
sanctuaries for people who had a family member taken in the raid.
Saulo Padilla, MCC U.S. Director for the Office on Immigration, said, "The
church has the call to welcome the stranger and proclaim that any division
between immigrant and native is erased; there are no borders or boundaries
for us as followers of Jesus. When institutions and agencies side with the
powers of the world, the church is called to side with the oppressed, the
poor, stranger and the marginalized. If we fail to do this, we fail to be
the church."
MCC Central States is providing $1,000 to help cover housing and food
costs for families affected by the raid through Cedar Falls Mennonite
Church in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Pastor Susan Janzen explained, "Our faith in
Jesus Christ and commitment to following after him compels us to stand in
solidarity with the people of Postville and the other immigrant
populations in our community. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us
that on judgment day God will ask us how we treated and welcomed the
strangers among us. How we respond to 'the least of these,' which in our
context includes the immigrants detained in this raid and their families,
is a sign of our faithfulness to God."
Krista Zimmerman, the MCC Washington Office legislative associate for
Domestic Affairs, adds, "Immigration raids aren't the way to fix a broken
immigration system. Congress needs to enact comprehensive immigration
reform." MCC Central States encourages individuals and congregations to
write letters to their U.S. congressional representative and senators with
a similar message.
For a sample letter and more information on immigration from MCC please
visit http://mcc.org/centralstates
the general immigration work of MCC U.S., please visit
mcc.org/donate/donate.html (select "Donate Online," then under
"designation," choose "other," and type "Immigration U.S."). Or send a
check to the nearest MCC center and designate it for "Immigration U.S.
Work."
4.30.2008
Another World is Nececssary: Anarchism, Christianity and the Race from the White House
August 15-16, 2007
Columbus, Ohio
As election fever rises throughout the United States and the contest for the White House becomes more fierce, the masses will clamor for a new Commander in Chief to assume the seat of American power. This year, it seems as if the game has changed as a female candidate appears to fulfill feminist dreams and a viable Black candidate raises hopes for Black freedom and signals the weakening of racism. But is this really the case? For those who follow the One who confronted the powers and embrace the One who came as a Suffering Servant, these changes are not enough to leave this political system unchallenged. For those who envision an egalitarian world in which order and organization do not rely on the ever-present threat of state violence, bowing before the ballot box will not be an option.
Join us for this year’s Anarchism and Christianity conference as we explore alternatives to mainstream approaches to key issues raised in the current election, dream beyond the political options of our present system and imagine the other world we want to create. Get detailed info, and register to attend at http://conference.jesusradicals.com
4.29.2008
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Soaring food prices threaten to increase globalhunger and poverty -- two issues at the forefront of Mennonite CentralCommittee (MCC) programs in many countries.In the last month, serious food riots have taken place in 10countries where MCC offers programs relating to food security.Unrest over food prices in Haiti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso,Indonesia and many other countries signals that more people are beingpushed into poverty, especially in countries where food instabilityand malnutrition are already daily realities, said Willie Reimer,director of MCC's Food, Disaster and Material Resources programs.The price of food staples such as wheat, rice, corn, soy, milk andmeat has risen dramatically in the past year. The United Nations Foodand Agriculture Organization reports that global food prices haverisen 40 percent over the last nine months, prompting fears that theworld's poorest people will buy less food or less nutritious food orbe forced to rely on aid."In North Korea, for example, a bag of rice that feeds a family forjust a few days costs more than 30 percent of a month's salary," saidReimer. "Fewer meals and a poorer diet will increase vulnerability todisease and illness."This spike in food prices is not just a short-term crisis -- highcommodity prices are projected to last for the next decade.The increase is driven in part by the growing demand for food fromemerging economies (especially in India and China), increased landuse for producing biofuels, a slump in food production because ofdrought and floods and high energy costs for producing andtransporting food.These factors, explained Reimer, are tied to longer-term problemscaused by inequities in the global agri-food system and economic and
political instability resulting from wars and conflicts.While higher commodity prices are good news for farmers in developedcountries, high food prices make it increasingly difficult for themost vulnerable people in the developing world to access food.The "bottom billion," the billion poorest people in the world -- 70percent of whom live in Africa -- are deeply affected by rising foodcosts. But the "new face of hunger" also includes more than 4 billionpeople with low incomes living in the 58 least-wealthy countries,including Haiti, Bolivia, Central Asian countries, Laos, Cambodia,Yemen, Burma and North Korea. These are people who suddenly can nolonger afford the food they see on store shelves. Prices have soaredbeyond their reach.MCC, working in partnership with local agencies throughout the world,is closely monitoring the impact of the food crisis and formulatingappropriate responses.MCC has a long history of addressing issues relating to food securityand food injustices. MCC food programs include direct foodassistance, water projects and agricultural supports. MCC also workswith community groups and governments to advocate for just trade and faireconomic policies.Most of MCC's food aid is distributed as direct food assistance. Foodis sent overseas in collaboration with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank(CFGB). CFGB arranges the purchase and shipment of food for its 13church-based members. MCC also has a relationship with the U.S.-basedFoods Resource Bank which provides financial support for agricultureprojects.Visit mcc.org/food for more information on MCC's response to the global foodcrisis.
political instability resulting from wars and conflicts.While higher commodity prices are good news for farmers in developedcountries, high food prices make it increasingly difficult for themost vulnerable people in the developing world to access food.The "bottom billion," the billion poorest people in the world -- 70percent of whom live in Africa -- are deeply affected by rising foodcosts. But the "new face of hunger" also includes more than 4 billionpeople with low incomes living in the 58 least-wealthy countries,including Haiti, Bolivia, Central Asian countries, Laos, Cambodia,Yemen, Burma and North Korea. These are people who suddenly can nolonger afford the food they see on store shelves. Prices have soaredbeyond their reach.MCC, working in partnership with local agencies throughout the world,is closely monitoring the impact of the food crisis and formulatingappropriate responses.MCC has a long history of addressing issues relating to food securityand food injustices. MCC food programs include direct foodassistance, water projects and agricultural supports. MCC also workswith community groups and governments to advocate for just trade and faireconomic policies.Most of MCC's food aid is distributed as direct food assistance. Foodis sent overseas in collaboration with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank(CFGB). CFGB arranges the purchase and shipment of food for its 13church-based members. MCC also has a relationship with the U.S.-basedFoods Resource Bank which provides financial support for agricultureprojects.Visit mcc.org/food for more information on MCC's response to the global foodcrisis.
4.28.2008
Q and A on nutrition/diet
My friend asked me today: do you have a suggestion for someone that has a terrible diet at this point to get started on a healthy sustainable diet. Both good for me and environmentally/economically sustainable. A starter diet if you will. Weight loss and colon cleansing would be natural outcomes but even necessarily the central motivation....also, honestly there is no doubt I could use both.
And I answered: strait and to the point... the more cow you eat, the less susainable your diet... the more cow you eat.. including dairy.. the less fiber you are eating and therefore increasing your risk for heart related disease. the cow is not all america has cracked it up to be.
Refuse to eat high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils... these are the simplest ingredients to look for on any package and if they are absent... the product is most likely "healthy"... eat as much whole food as possible.. most of it raw. (a big salad every day.. minus the cheese/bacon/creamy dressings)
Regarding your appetite... focus on 64 oz of water and 40 grams of fiber (remember there is no fiber in animal food and dairy)... this takes care of appetite...trick is to ALWAYs have a snack with you. Eat Less More Often... Pay more, eat less (local farm market... right now you buy spinach/lettuce/organic free range eggs)
Regarding the organic issue: first things to tackle are corn and soy... environmentally, these are raping our land... so buy organic corn and soy as much as possible.
And I answered: strait and to the point... the more cow you eat, the less susainable your diet... the more cow you eat.. including dairy.. the less fiber you are eating and therefore increasing your risk for heart related disease. the cow is not all america has cracked it up to be.
Refuse to eat high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils... these are the simplest ingredients to look for on any package and if they are absent... the product is most likely "healthy"... eat as much whole food as possible.. most of it raw. (a big salad every day.. minus the cheese/bacon/creamy dressings)
Regarding your appetite... focus on 64 oz of water and 40 grams of fiber (remember there is no fiber in animal food and dairy)... this takes care of appetite...trick is to ALWAYs have a snack with you. Eat Less More Often... Pay more, eat less (local farm market... right now you buy spinach/lettuce/organic free range eggs)
Regarding the organic issue: first things to tackle are corn and soy... environmentally, these are raping our land... so buy organic corn and soy as much as possible.
3.23.2008
around our house these days....
boys all dressed for easter service
David Rowe hangs with Evan
st. johns
Evan with his new elmo roos and elmo book
some berry scones i made
brotherly love
experimenting... resorted to plastic... oh well. I'll build those cold frames one day
early march seeding
more david rowe
dudes make art here quite a bit.
here's evan making his morning smoothie
boys all dressed for easter service
David Rowe hangs with Evan
st. johns
Evan with his new elmo roos and elmo book
some berry scones i made
brotherly love
experimenting... resorted to plastic... oh well. I'll build those cold frames one day
early march seeding
more david rowe
dudes make art here quite a bit.
here's evan making his morning smoothie
3.18.2008
young farmers
read about this documentary in the sunday ny times.
http://www.thegreenhorns.net/home.html
if there is enough interest I would buy it and host a showing.
article {here}
http://www.thegreenhorns.net/home.html
if there is enough interest I would buy it and host a showing.
article {here}
2.15.2008
Cathleen Hockman-Wert – co-author of the Simply in Season cookbook – will headline Sustainable Food and Farming Conference 2008, set for March 7-9, 2008, at Laurelville Mennonite Church Center in western Pennsylvania.
“Growing and Eating Simply in Season” is the theme for this biennial event at the intersection of Christian faith and innovative farming that builds farms, families and community. The weekend will feature singing, worship, reflection, practical and inspirational workshops, and ample time for networking and sharing stories.
soon
He plants annuals,
packets the old lady gives him-
nasturtiums, poppies, sweet peas, petunias.
He loves folding the hoed ridge of crumbs of soil over the seeds.
Sealed, they cease to be his.
The simplicity.
Getting rid of something by giving it to itself.
-Rabbit, Run, John Updike
packets the old lady gives him-
nasturtiums, poppies, sweet peas, petunias.
He loves folding the hoed ridge of crumbs of soil over the seeds.
Sealed, they cease to be his.
The simplicity.
Getting rid of something by giving it to itself.
-Rabbit, Run, John Updike
2.13.2008
prosperity gospel or consumerist religion: we need a better handle on this stuff
something stinks
it smells like death
i smell it at my workplace
i smell it in the church
i smell it in my own life
I believe that it is tragic
It is a tragic misrepresentation of the The Way
It's what I like to call the "False American Gospel"
simply stated...
my life + Jesus = my better life
Or what some folks call "prosperity gospel" or "health and wealth gospel" ...
I think the widely accepted definition is tied directly to the green stuff...
yet i believe we need a broader definition than that
The American Evangelical Complex is becoming more and more aggressive with individualistic "blessing" language.
Concepts of success in business or personal life as external evidence of God's favor are becoming more rampant in society at large.
These "blessings" are often seen as a return for fervent prayer and good faith.
I would guess that scriptural support for the Prosperity Gospel is based largely on a verse from the OT (Deut 8:18) "But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day"
However, I'm not so sure that what I am witness to is rooted in anything Biblical. It seems more deeply rooted in the American Evangelical Complex, and more specifically, our veracious consumerism.
To be more specific... Any American Christian needs a good self examination for this self-centered theology. We all need to ask ourselves questions like
"does following Jesus COST me anything?"
"is my life marked by suffering with Christ rather than blessings from Christ?"
"is Christ's victory manifested in my abundance or among the least of these?"
This isn't about Joel Olsteen
or Mega Churches
or Rod Parsley
or Jim and Tammy Faye
American Christianity created these folks, these entities... they are the ugly personification of our greed.
It's about what we see in ourselves
I have felt this way for sometime, but I have recently been placed back into a work setting where this is again becoming so real to me.
I've heard a saying that we hate most in others that which we see in ourselves.
I need a re-evaluation of my own Christian context.
and kevin peterson got me fired up with his most recent blog posting...
Kevin posted a fantastic video you should go watch
check your vital signs for this invasive consumerist disease
_______________________________________________________________
it smells like death
i smell it at my workplace
i smell it in the church
i smell it in my own life
I believe that it is tragic
It is a tragic misrepresentation of the The Way
It's what I like to call the "False American Gospel"
simply stated...
my life + Jesus = my better life
Or what some folks call "prosperity gospel" or "health and wealth gospel" ...
I think the widely accepted definition is tied directly to the green stuff...
yet i believe we need a broader definition than that
The American Evangelical Complex is becoming more and more aggressive with individualistic "blessing" language.
Concepts of success in business or personal life as external evidence of God's favor are becoming more rampant in society at large.
These "blessings" are often seen as a return for fervent prayer and good faith.
I would guess that scriptural support for the Prosperity Gospel is based largely on a verse from the OT (Deut 8:18) "But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day"
However, I'm not so sure that what I am witness to is rooted in anything Biblical. It seems more deeply rooted in the American Evangelical Complex, and more specifically, our veracious consumerism.
To be more specific... Any American Christian needs a good self examination for this self-centered theology. We all need to ask ourselves questions like
"does following Jesus COST me anything?"
"is my life marked by suffering with Christ rather than blessings from Christ?"
"is Christ's victory manifested in my abundance or among the least of these?"
This isn't about Joel Olsteen
or Mega Churches
or Rod Parsley
or Jim and Tammy Faye
American Christianity created these folks, these entities... they are the ugly personification of our greed.
It's about what we see in ourselves
I have felt this way for sometime, but I have recently been placed back into a work setting where this is again becoming so real to me.
I've heard a saying that we hate most in others that which we see in ourselves.
I need a re-evaluation of my own Christian context.
and kevin peterson got me fired up with his most recent blog posting...
Kevin posted a fantastic video you should go watch
check your vital signs for this invasive consumerist disease
_______________________________________________________________
1.26.2008
No Salvation Outside the Poor
a new book in the mail today...
books by this pioneer of the liberation theology movement contain statements that are “either erroneous or dangerous,” according to a formal Vatican notification, “and may cause harm to the faithful.”
sounds like a good read
Jesuit theologian Jon Sobrino has this to say about his new collection of essays No Salvation Outside the Poor: Prophetic-Utopian Essays
books by this pioneer of the liberation theology movement contain statements that are “either erroneous or dangerous,” according to a formal Vatican notification, “and may cause harm to the faithful.”
sounds like a good read
Jesuit theologian Jon Sobrino has this to say about his new collection of essays No Salvation Outside the Poor: Prophetic-Utopian Essays
"The third chapter gives the book it's title: Extra pauperes nulla salus (No Salvation Outside the Poor). This is new, scandalous, and of course countercultural. The reader is left to judge whether it is rational or reasonable. For me, writing about it is always perplexing and discomforting. But I also hope that others will criticize, improve, and complete the task. Anyway I shall keep the title as a wake-up call, to take absolutely seriously the helplessness of our world and seeds of salvation - often ignored, misunderstood, and unappreciated - that are to be found on the underside of history."
1.21.2008
Read this important letter.
IRAQ: An open letter to the U.S. Administration, State Department and Defense Department regarding Turkish bombing of Kurdish civilians
We are members of Christian Peacemaker Teams, presently living and working in the Kurdish north of Iraq. We have closely watched the news reports that detail the Turkish military invasions and bombings of Kurdish territory over the last five months. We note that the United States has provided intelligence for those attacks and has chosen to open Iraqi air space for those incursions.
We have had regular contact with the United Nations, the ICRC, and local Kurdish NGOs that have assisted the casualties from those attacks. Those attacks killed at least three civilians and injured at least six. CPT has visited two of the families who had a member killed or injured. Additionally, reports indicate those bombings have damaged or destroyed homes, schools, mosques, and hospitals.
CPT visited mayors of communities to which some of the 600-800 displaced families, approximately 3000 individuals, fled for refuge. Those mayors shared photos and videos of the damages in the villages and encouraged us to visit some of the families who are now unable to return home.
The bombings killed hundreds of sheep and cows, animals upon which families depend for a living. Other animals are uncared for because families are afraid to return as flights by Turkish military continue. Farmers now wonder how they can do spring planting.
As CPT talks to Kurdish people, we hear a call for the United States to abide by the standards to which it holds other countries: Do not kill or injure civilians and an occupying power is responsible to protect and care for the civilians who are under its control. The United States identifies the Kurdish Regional Government as a model of democracy, but it is clear that democracy is not served by opening air space to an outside military to attack civilian targets. These civilians had no voice in this decision.
On a larger scale, we have observed a dramatic change in the Kurdish population from unapologetic support for the U.S. military presence in Iraq to anger at the way in which the United States has dumped one of its most loyal allies in the Middle East. Kurdish people have experienced the Anfal assaults under the Saddam Hussein regime and fear U.S. support will encourage Turkey to move even more aggressively against Kurdistan.
Therefore, CPT in Iraq deplores the decision by the United States to aid these attacks on a civilian population. We beg you as U.S. officials to reverse this decision that assists Turkey in violence toward civilians. We encourage U.S. pressure on Turkey to pursue diplomatic solutions to the PKK/Turkey disputes and other underlying issues. We call on the people of the United States to learn more about these events and advocate for the safety of these Kurdish people.
Sincerely,
Peggy Gish, Anita David, Michele Obed-Naar, and Cliff Kindy
We are members of Christian Peacemaker Teams, presently living and working in the Kurdish north of Iraq. We have closely watched the news reports that detail the Turkish military invasions and bombings of Kurdish territory over the last five months. We note that the United States has provided intelligence for those attacks and has chosen to open Iraqi air space for those incursions.
We have had regular contact with the United Nations, the ICRC, and local Kurdish NGOs that have assisted the casualties from those attacks. Those attacks killed at least three civilians and injured at least six. CPT has visited two of the families who had a member killed or injured. Additionally, reports indicate those bombings have damaged or destroyed homes, schools, mosques, and hospitals.
CPT visited mayors of communities to which some of the 600-800 displaced families, approximately 3000 individuals, fled for refuge. Those mayors shared photos and videos of the damages in the villages and encouraged us to visit some of the families who are now unable to return home.
The bombings killed hundreds of sheep and cows, animals upon which families depend for a living. Other animals are uncared for because families are afraid to return as flights by Turkish military continue. Farmers now wonder how they can do spring planting.
As CPT talks to Kurdish people, we hear a call for the United States to abide by the standards to which it holds other countries: Do not kill or injure civilians and an occupying power is responsible to protect and care for the civilians who are under its control. The United States identifies the Kurdish Regional Government as a model of democracy, but it is clear that democracy is not served by opening air space to an outside military to attack civilian targets. These civilians had no voice in this decision.
On a larger scale, we have observed a dramatic change in the Kurdish population from unapologetic support for the U.S. military presence in Iraq to anger at the way in which the United States has dumped one of its most loyal allies in the Middle East. Kurdish people have experienced the Anfal assaults under the Saddam Hussein regime and fear U.S. support will encourage Turkey to move even more aggressively against Kurdistan.
Therefore, CPT in Iraq deplores the decision by the United States to aid these attacks on a civilian population. We beg you as U.S. officials to reverse this decision that assists Turkey in violence toward civilians. We encourage U.S. pressure on Turkey to pursue diplomatic solutions to the PKK/Turkey disputes and other underlying issues. We call on the people of the United States to learn more about these events and advocate for the safety of these Kurdish people.
Sincerely,
Peggy Gish, Anita David, Michele Obed-Naar, and Cliff Kindy
1.07.2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)