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A Stumbling Block for Justice:
Synod Resolution 16
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by Patrick Cage
MACUCC Climate Justice Intern
 In the United Church of Christ, we believe that God is Still Speaking, but a resolution proposed for General Synod will silence our collective ability to echo God's cry for justice.
Resolution 16, proposed for the 2015 General Synod, would prevent Synod from calling for the United Church of Christ to divest at the National level and in other settings. By preventing divestment, that is, the withdrawal of investments from industries that profit from injustice, we lose access to an effective means of leveraging privilege for social change, a tactic that broke the yoke of Apartheid and slowed predatory tobacco advertising.
The measured tone of Resolution 16 sounds more like an agenda item than a political blockade, and its biblical arguments are misdirecting. Titled "Resolution Urging Socially Responsible Investment Practices," this proposal appears at an uncritical glance to be a placid endorsement of socially just applications of our financial assets. Yet read through informed eyes, we can see that the resolution serves to isolate differing settings of the church, such as the Pension Boards and United Church Funds (who are bringing forward the resolution), from the moral sway of the local church as represented at Synod.
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UCC Calls for Accountability in Baltimore
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The national officers of the United Church of Christ have released a statement in response to the unanswered questions surrounding the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who died from a spinal injury on April 19, which he suffered while in the custody of the Baltimore Police Department. Here is the text of that statement:
 We grieve with the family of Mr. Freddie Gray. This young man, who died of injuries while in police custody, is another child of God to be added to the list of the tragic loss of African American lives. The pain is deep for his family and the entire Baltimore commu-nity. Those who are responsible must be held accountable. The chaos that resulted with yet another tragedy is indeed troubling; however, until we get to the root causes of the sin of racism, we can expect reactions such as this.
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Walking the Long Road with Nepal
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by Zach Wolgemuth, United Church of Christ
Throughout the past weeks we have heard and seen the incredible stories of individuals, both young and old, being pulled from the rubble even as serious aftershocks continue to impede rescue efforts. Sadly these stories will soon end and the coverage of the earthquake, the survivors, the aftershocks and the recovery will fade from the daily news.
Along with fading coverage of the events in Nepal will be the fading of donations and financial support for recovery efforts. It is estimated that following disasters, approximately 2/3 of all financial support is given within the first 1-2 months, and by 6 months nearly 100% has been given.
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National Open and Affirming Gathering!
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 There's still time for early-bird registration for the biggest and best National ONA Gathering in the 30-year history of our the Open and Affirming move-ment, June 24-25 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Register here. Discounted early-bird registration continues until May 30.
This gathering marks two milestones: the historic Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage (due shortly before or during the gathering) and the 30th anniversary of the General Synod resolution that launched the ONA movement - today the largest and fastest-growing network of LGBT-affirming churches in the world! Join our growing ONA family throughout the United Church of Christ to celebrate our past, present and future.
Sponsored by the UCC Open and Affirming Coalition, Gathering 2015 will include inspiring preaching, worship, music, keynotes, workshops to feed your mind and spirit, fellowship, fun, food, Friday night banquet and music, Pride March, Coalition Cruise and more!
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Resolution: Dismantling Discriminatory Systems of Mass Incarceration in Mass.
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The following resolution will be presented to the 216th Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ, June 12 - 13, 2015, by Christ's Community Church (UCC), Chicopee, Massachusetts.
 The United States imprisons more of its own people than any other country in the world. While the U.S. comprises 5% of the total global population, it alone accounts for a staggering 25% of the world's prison population. Indeed, more than 2.2 million people are currently incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails, while more than 5 million additional persons are under the supervision of its justice system, either on probation or on parole. All totaled, there are over 7 million people currently subject to the U.S. criminal justice system.
Moreover, the U.S. prison population is far from representative of the nation's population as a whole. For instance, while African American males comprise only 6% of the U.S. population, they make up an astonishing 40% of those in prison or jail. African American males have a 32% chance of serving time at some point in their lives, while white males only have a 6% chance. Between 1980 and 2008, the number of incarcerated whites increased by 585,000, while the number of incarcerated minorities increased by 1.4 million.
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People Make Choices. Choices Make History.
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 The following sermon was offered by The Rev. Dr. Andrea Ayvazian of Haydenville Congregation Church, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of Armenian genocide by the Turks.
Psalm 22
During the spring of 2000, I went on a Lenten Journey to the Holy Land with a group of people of faith. While there, we visited many ancient and holy sites including the Church of the Nativity in Bethle-hem, which sits on top of the Grotto, or cave, where it is believed Jesus was born.
The Church of the Nativity is shared and maintained by three different churches: Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian Apostolic. Most of the Church is Roman Catholic, but in one part, like a side chapel, there is the Armenian section.
When our group visited the Church of the Nativity, I went first to the Armenian part, and was saddened to see that it was tucked off in a corner, as if it was secondary to the main body of the cathedral. I took a seat and began to pray, noting all the representations of Armenian religion and culture around me - crosses, jewels, tapestries and Armenian writing.
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UCC Criminal Justice Network Launched
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from UCC Justice and Witness News
On the heels of a successful EAD pre-event - Where Do We Go from Here? A Faith Call to End Mass Incarce-ration - participants overwhelmingly indicated that the timing is right for the formation of the UCC Criminal Justice Network. The goals of this Network are to advance the conver-sation on criminal justice and mass incarceration and to maximize the collective UCC voice on this issue at the national, state, regional and local levels.
The workshop highlighted some of the factors that fuel incarceration including poverty, racial bigotry, lack of adequate education, lack of employment and adequate housing. These and other factors have contributed to a culture of incarceration in our society today. In a country that is the world's leader in incarceration with 2.3 million people currently in the nation's prisons or jails and with more than 60% racial and ethnic minorities, the church cannot remain silent.
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Now More Than Ever: A Moment of Truth and Action ~ Israel Palestine Resolution
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Israel Palestine Task Team
 "We, a group of Christian Palestinians, after prayer, reflection, and an exchange of opinion, cry out from within the suffering in our country, under the Israeli occupation, with a cry of hope in the absence of all hope, a cry full of prayer and faith in a God ever vigilant, in God's divine providence, for all the inhabitants of this land." ~ From the Introduction to Kairos Palestine 2009: A moment of truth ~ A word of faith, hope and love from the heart of Palestinian suffering.Much has happened since the Israel Palestine Task Team brought a Resolution of Witness to the last Annual Meeting as a study document. In Palestine/Israel, evictions, the bull-dozing of houses and the killing of young Palestinians continues. Rockets have flown toward Israel. Gaza was attacked, the blockade continues, and supplies for rebuilding are not allowed to get through.
The "peace process" has ended, at least for now, and Prime Minister Netanyahu was resoundingly re-elected after promising that there would never be a Palestinian state during his tenure.
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Bills Would Create MA Innocence Commission
| |  In this new 2015-2016 session of the legislature, there are two bills which would create an innocence commission for the commonwealth...
The bills would create a commission, made up of various stakeholders, who would examine cases where a person who had been convicted was later found to be innocent. The commission would work to discover the reason why such a miscarriage of justice had happened, and then make recommendations to the legislature to change the law so that such an event would be less likely in the future. There will be an effort to amend Rep Heroux's legislation to permit relief to those who are still incarcerated, but proclaim their innocence.
The MACUCC Innocence Commission Task Team is urging everyone to contact their own state representative and senator to ask them to support these two bills. "Superhero status will be given to those who go the second mile and also contact the Senate and House chairs of the Joint Judiciary Committee, where the bills will be heard," said Rev. Jonathan Tetherly, Chair of the task team.
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Haystack Nominations Sought for Charitable, Social Justice Ministries
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 The MACUCC Justice & Witness Ministry Council is requesting nominations for the 2015 Haystack Award. The Haystack Award of the Massachusetts Conference UCC was created to encourage participation in charitable and social justice ministry.
Churches are inspired to engage in local and global mission in a variety of ways. Our aim is to recognize these exemplary initiatives currently underway in churches throughout the Conference, express appreciation, and offer incentives for new initiatives. Any individual, group or institution affiliated with the Massachusetts Conference, UCC is eligible for consideration.
The application deadline has been extended to May 18. Awards will be presented at the 216th Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Conference at UMASS Amherst, following a luncheon on Saturday, June 13.
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Support LGBT Organizations on Give Out Day
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 The ONA Task Team has endorsed Give Out Day, May 21, which is organized by Bolder Giving to encourage donations to LGBT non-profits. Contributions may be made throughout the month of May. More information is available here. Click on "national leaderboards" for the complete list.
One of the highlighted organizations is the LGBT Asylum Task Force, started by our own Hadwen Park Congregational Church in Worcester - you can read more about their work here.
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UCC and Church World Service Leaders Speak Out on Delay of Immigration Actions
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 The Rev. Linda Jaramillo, Executive Minister for Justice & Witness Ministries of the UCC and The Rev. John L. McCullough, president and CEO of Church World Service, have released the following statement:
Justice delayed is justice denied. Last July, we stood in front of the White House with 112 clergy and immigrant leaders in civil disobedience to tell President Barack Obama that we could not wait for relief from deportation any longer.
After continued delays from the administration, relief from deportations for immigrant families is once again delayed - this time by the courts. Motivated more by political ambition than the common good, state governors and attorney generals have used the courts as a platform to attack immigrant families by suing the administration. This has resulted in an injunction that experts say is out of step with mainstream legal thought on presidential authority and the exercise of prosecutorial discretion.
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Cultivating Faith and Hope in an Age of Climate Crisis
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Sunday, June 7
Church of the Holy Spirit, Wayland
 In the face of ecological crisis, how do we maintain faith and hope? Can we feel our grief without being overwhelmed by despair? What spiritual practices and perspectives sustain us as we struggle to protect the web of life and to build a just and sustainable society?
In the course of this interfaith retreat participants will explore a framework and some tools that can help us maintain ourselves as healers filled with compassion, energy, and hope. The retreat will include presentations, guided meditation, group sharing, a little singing, and space for solitary reflection and prayer.
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Bread of Life: Building Community Through Faith-Based Food Programs
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May 16 ~ Church of the Advent in Boston
 Do you have a food ministry, thriving or struggling, that you want to bring to the next level? Bread of Life provides hands-on experience developing a church's food ministry skills. Join in for an exploration of the cycle of mission giving and consider how to move your congregation through that cycle. Engage in experiential exercises that will help you to converse, share, and minister with the participants of your food program. Imagine, and develop concrete next steps for your particular program and find the support you need to move in new directions. Designed for churches and community groups engaged in providing community meals, food banks, and other direct service ministries. No experience is necessary.
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