Advent As Invitation

Advent comes at the darkest time of the year, just when we most need it, to speak an important and good word about God.

It comes quietly to invite us -- all of us: lifelong believers, skeptics, seekers, the curious, and unbelievers.

It invites all of us to ponder for a moment a most incredible, most improbable idea: namely that a humble birth in Bethlehem of Judea is the Advent of God, the coming of God into our lives; that behind all the religious rituals human beings have devised to placate an angry God, there is this -- a child in a manger; that behind all the strenuous theologizing, all the intellectual abstractions in all the theological textbooks in the world, there is this -- a newborn and a mother's and father's awe and love and gratitude.

Advent is an invitation to trust God: to give your heart to God, to trust your future to the God who promises to be with you and to come into your life with healing and hope and peace.

Dr. Alvin Jackson is the Senior Minister at Park Avenue Christian Church, the co-founder of The Disciples Center for Public Witness, and a member of the Decisions Team of the Disciples Justice Action Network (DJAN).

GIVING THANKS!

The DISCIPLES CENTER for PUBLIC WITNESS is blessed to work with advocates like you, and thankful for your prayers and your support.

Our governors, fellows, and advisors join with our denominational, ecumenical and interfaith partners to wish our U.S. sisters and brothers a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

We are also very thankful for all our financial supporters, and invite you to become one of them. If you are already a supporter, we invite you to make a special gift today.

You may give online by clicking HERE or you may send your most generous contribution to:

Disciples Center for Public Witness
c/o Christian Church Capital Area
8814 Kensington Parkway, Suite 208
Chevy Chase, MD 20815-6743

THANK YOU!

WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES 'FEED A NEIGHBOR' INITIATIVE

According to the White House Office of Faith Based and Community Partnerships, "President Obama is calling on all Americans to come together to solve hunger in our communities."

Toward that end, the Corporation for National and Community Service is launching the United We Serve: Feed a Neighbor initiative in collaboration with the White House and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The purpose of the initiative is to raise public awareness of hunger issues and ask Americans to help ensure that their neighbors have access to nutritional food this winter and throughout the year. Although focusing the national spotlight on hunger this holiday season, the Corporation and USDA hope to continue their year-round commitment to support anti-hunger programs in communities across the country.

To find out more about this initiative, PLEASE CLICK HERE and HERE.

BREAKING NEWS!

SENATE APPROVES MOVING FORWARD WITH HEALTH CARE BILL (60 - 39).

Health Care Prayer for Thanksgiving

Faithful Reform in Health Care (FRHC), a broad coalition of diverse national and local faith groups, is encouraging advocates in communities of faith to pray for health care reform as part of their Thanksgiving preparations.

"In this season of Thanksgiving, let us not forget to give thanks for the abundance of health care resources available in our country" said The Rev. Linda Walling, executive director of FRHC and Senior Advisor on Health Care Reform at the Disciples Center for Public Witness. "At the same time, let us remember our call to be faithful stewards and generous heirs of the gifts we have received."

To help guide these "reflections of thanksgiving and hope," FRHC has developed a prayer for individuals, families, and communities of faith.

To download a copy of the prayer, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

FHRC is asking health care reform advocates to share this prayer with their Members of Congress by printing three copies, writing a message to their Senators and Representative, and then sending this to the local offices of their elected officials.

To find the addresses and fax numbers of Senators and Representatives, PLEASE CLICK HERE for the House and HERE for the Senate.

But then there's one more step: FRHC next encourages people of faith to "distribute this prayer in your community of faith in the coming days and provide the needed information for others to share in this action with you."

To find out more about the ministry of Faithful Reform in Health Care, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Unveils Long-Awaited Health Care Legislation

With the release of the Congressional Budget Office's analysis of the Senate health care bill expected soon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid highlighted Democrats' desire to begin debate on the floor. "Our purpose and resolve remain strong."

"We're energized," said Reid. "We stand on the doorstep of delivering historic reform to the American people."

But Republicans plan to oppose the bill even coming to the floor for a vote, and Reid is not sure he has the votes to break the filibuster.

To watch a video of Senate Majority Leader Reid's remarks, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To download and read a copy of the Senate bill, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

NCC/CWS General Assembly Adjourns After Adding a New Member Church; Sends Messages on Fort Hood Tragedy and Nuclear Disarmament

The General Assembly of the National Council of Churches and Church World Service, celebrating the Biblical call to rejoice, pray and give thanks, also called upon churches and governments to take additional steps toward worldwide justice and peace. The General Assembly adjourned Thursday night following the installation of National Council of Churches President Peg Chemberlin and President Elect Kathryn Lohre in St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis.

In its three-day meeting here, the General Assembly voted the Apostolic Catholic Church into membership, adopted a resolution calling for nuclear disarmament, and issued messages regarding the tragedy at Ford Hood, citing the urgency of health care reform, and urging that money saved by international reductions in military spending be used to reduce infant mortality and extreme poverty.

To read more about this story, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Opposition Say PM Giving Up on Climate Change; Harper Disagrees

Federal opposition parties are accusing Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper of giving up on climate-change negotiations three weeks before a UN climate conference in Denmark.

Citing "significant differences" between world leaders over how to combat climate change, the prime minister seemed to express doubts that a winning deal was possible at the all-important UN conference scheduled for Denmark on Dec. 7.

Opposition parties say Harper's attitude on the issue is counter-productive.

However, Harper has stated that if other world leaders go, he, too, will be there. Furthermore, on the positive side of things, the prime minister stated, "Although we do not expect to get a legally binding agreement, progress can still be made in Copenhagen."

To read more of this story, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Obama Administration to Tackle Immigration Reform in 2010

Declaring that the current U.S. immigration policy is "an affront to every law-abiding citizen and every company that plays by the rules," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano stated that the Obama Administration would take on the issue of immigration reform in 2010. She also insisted that the Administration would do so by addressing the problem as a whole. "If you really want to deal with immigration,” she said, “it is best to take up the whole problem."

Napolitano stressed that the need for a comprehensive reform of current immigration policies is one that is apparent to law enforcement officials, business and labor leaders, and lawmakers at every level. It is a need she emphasized as being critical, but also attainable.

The backdrop to immigration reform—and possibly the largest obstacle—is the need for congressional action. Napolitano believes that every member of Congress recognizes the need for immigration reform, but that some are skeptical about the chances of legitimate reform occurring at a time when Congress is consumed with health care reform, upcoming environmental legislation, and continuing joblessness.

But to those who might suggest that these issues are enough to deal with right now and in the near future, Napolitano responds that she does not believe that to be an acceptable excuse. Just as the administration is confronting multiple problems at once, it is not beyond Congress’s capacity to multitask: "it too can focus on many issues simultaneously."

Immigration reform is a priority of the ecumenical advocacy community, and on several occasions, the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has called upon Disciples to advocate for "humane immigration reform."

Faith Leaders Nationwide Call on Congress to Close Guantanamo Now

Dr. Sharon E. Watkins, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada, joined more than 40 senior leaders of major faith groups in the United States to sign a letter calling on Congress to do everything in its power to close Guantanamo now. Addressed to the leaders of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, with copies to Members of Congress, the letter expressed the belief of the religious leaders that closing Guantanamo Bay is necessary for the nation to continue healing the wounds left by this sad chapter of its history. The letter states:

"Guantanamo is the symbol of our country's violation of our deepest values. Regardless of how it is operated now compared to how it was operated in earlier years, it stands, in the minds of hundreds of millions of people in our nation and around the globe, as a place where America broke faith with itself and used torture as an interrogation technique. Torture is immoral, illegal, and never justifiable -- without exception."

The letter was drafted by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT), an interfaith organization of more than 260 religious groups that are committed to ending U.S.-sponsored torture. NRCAT includes representatives from the Catholic, evangelical Christian, mainline Protestant, Unitarian Universalist, Quaker, Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Baha'i, Buddhist, and Sikh communities.

REMEMBRANCE DAY / VETERANS DAY

Remembrance Day in Canada – also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day (the event it commemorates) or Veterans Day – is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.) The day was specifically dedicated by King George V, on 7 November 1919, to the observance of members of the armed forces who were killed during war.

To read more, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read a statement by Prime Minister Harper, PLEASE CLICK HERE.


Veterans Day in the United States is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans. Both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states, it is usually observed on November 11. It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. Unfortunately, in the recent past, the holiday had decreased in importance among many U.S. citizens. But increasing patriotism across the political spectrum, and the continuing participation of many Americans in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, have resulted in recent years in greater observance of this important holiday.

To read more, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read a statement by President Obama, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

NEW FIRE 2009: Young Adults Stoking the Flames of Unity and Justice

On the second day of the ecumenical young adult gathering New Fire 2009, nearly 40 young adult participants from across the country attended Sunday worship at the Church of All Nations, a multi-cultural Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation in Minneapolis.

After church the New Fire delegates met with ecumenists over 35 -- "seasoned ecumenists" in the lexicon of young adults -- to talk about building momentum to keep the New Fire movement going forward.

The evening was spent sharing the vision of the movement with seasoned ecumenists, including National Council of Churches staff and denominational representatives. The New Fire Movement participants shared their vision, proclaiming, “New Fire is movement-building work to call the Church to re-imagine its mission to live out the God-given mandates of love, justice, unity, and peace on a global, regional, and local level.”

An intergenerational conversation around the goals and vision explored how the seasoned ecumenists can aid the members of New Fire in achieving their goals - but also saw the young adults calling on the seasoned ecumenists to join them in this revitalization of the ecumenical movement.

For more on this story, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

BREAKING NEWS!

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

Disciples Ministers Join Others in Support of House Health Care Bill

Congresswoman Jackson Lee and other Congressional leaders today hosted a press conference to discuss the benefits of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. Ministers, physicians, nurses, patients, and other advocates joined Representative Jackson Lee and her colleagues to encourage the House to pass health care legislation that provides affordable, quality health care to all Americans. Participants expressed overall support for the health reform legislation now being debated on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Disciples ministers participating in the press conference were Dr. Laird Thomason (Senior Fellow for Health and Health Care at the Disciples Center for Public Witness) and Dr. Ken Brooker Langston (Director of the Disciples Justice Action Network and Coordinator of The Disciples Center for Public Witness).

The position of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), as articulated by the Office of the General Minister and President, is as follows: "We are for affordable, quality health care for all, and for a process that gets us there now rather than later. Although we are not endorsing particular bills at this stage, we applaud the leaders who are moving us closer to our shared goals." T

Although it would like to have seen legislation with a more robust public option and greater protection for choice in matters of reproductive health care, the Disciples Justice Action Network (DJAN) nevertheless endorses the bill.

People of Faith Call for Health Care Reform

Communities of faith have been essential to the movement for health care reform. Faith groups have provided dramatic stories that illustrate the human pain and suffering that result from inadequate health care or lack of it. They have run clinics in poor and underserved neighborhoods, and they have cut through complex economic arguments to frame the moral heart of the matter. They have also organized prayer vigils, rallies, worship services, press conferences, and visits to the Hill, all on behalf of the 46,000,000 who cannot afford health insurance and the 45,000 who needlessly die each year due to lack of adequate health care.

Thursday, as disgruntled teabaggers "stormed the Hill" (as one speaker encouraged them to do at the "Superbowl of Freedom" rally), religious leaders provided a peaceful presence at Congressional offices and outside the Capitol. Based on shared values from their diverse faith traditions, the leaders promoted both an alternative view to that of the teabaggers and a call for civility and respect for people with different points of view--including members of Congress.

With the floor debate on H.R. 3962 beginning Saturday, thousands of people of faith from across the nation are currently using a toll-free number (1-888-797-8717) to call their Representative and urge her or him to vote for health care reform now. The Disciples Center for Public Witness and the Disciples Justice Action Network invite and encourage you to join this effort: 1-888-797-8717.

GOP and Teabaggers Rally Against House Health Care Bill

At the invitation of Representative Michele Bachman, thousands of disgruntled and angry teabaggers and their allies came together to participate in a "Superbowl of Freedom." Wearing tea-bags and carrying signs about abortion, socialism, and Obama, participants shouted "kill the bill" as speaker after speaker took the podium to criticize H.R. 3962, The Affordable Health Care for America Act. (Not much was said about a GOP alternative).

Positive themes of freedom, federalism, and devotion to the Constitution were mixed with talk of "death panels," "the abortion industry," "socialism," and even "antiChrist." Participants were urged by speakers to visit or call their representatives and let them know how they feel about the House bill. Many did just that.

For more on this story, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Anti-Immigrant Lobby Targets and "Hammers" Faith Groups

Upset by religious support for humane immigration reform, the anti-immigrant lobby has launched an unprecedented attack on religious denominations. The move is primarily in response to the National Association of Evangelicals’ (NAE) recent statement in support of immigration reform and compassion for immigrant families.

Roy Beck, executive director of NumbersUSA, an anti-immigrant Internet group, told Congressional Quarterly[1] that “about a third of our members are evangelicals . . . We let them know, and they immediately started hammering their denominations.” While evangelical leaders called for tolerance and a pragmatic approach to immigration, Beck told his Internet followers that these same leaders “bring discredit on their religious faiths from their sloppiness in truth seeking and their lack of intellectual integrity.”

Beck’s call has been echoed on white nationalist websites (1, 2) and by Mark Krikorian, executive director of NumbersUSA’s partner “think tank,” called the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS). Krikorian declared that “for religious organizations to get involved in this issue is really not appropriate.”

Actual religious leaders disagree. In addition to the NAE, hundreds of denominations and communities of faith have made similar calls, including 500 national and regional denominations and religious organizations who signed a recent interfaith statement supporting comprehensive immigration reform and calling on Congress to act.