Ever Flowing Streams 2013
In This Issue
The Just Peace Church
Racism: Racial Prejudice Plus Power
Save the Date: Hearing on Jobs/Jails Bill
Join the Struggle for Good Government
Labor Day Sunday
Christians and the Holy Land: What Does the Lord Require
Widening the Welcome
Church Statement in Opposition to Mass Incarceration
Worcester Fellowship: Needs, News & Thanks
A Congressional Agenda and Increased Attacks on Immigrants
Anti-Immigration Legislation
Fall for Freedom Charity Golf Tournament
UCC Public Policy Advocacy Guide
The Sounds of Port-au-Prince
Join our list
August 2015
The Just Peace Church
From the UCC Justice and Peace Action Network 
The Just Peace Church vision is a hallmark of United Church of Christ theological identity. For 30 years, the Just Peace Church Pronouncement has inspired a grassroots movement of UCC congregations committed to corporately naming and boldly proclaiming a public identity as a justice-doing, peace-seeking church.  Justice and Witness Ministries is committed to a revitalized Just Peace Church movement and to empowering and resourcing congregations to create a stronger justice and peace witness. 
Now is the time to rekindle our commitment to Just Peace and make visible our longstanding witness to this approach. To do so, we will be working to update the list of Just Peace Churches in the UCC and will keep this site up to date with educational resources.    
Racism: Racial Prejudice Plus Power

From the United Church of Christ

For all of you are the children of God. Galatians 3:28

 

race circle2 Each person is created in the image of God. But whenever we devise, maintain or perpetuate systems and structures that oppress people based on race and/or ethnicity, we interfere with God's purpose and the opportunity for all God's children to be fully who they are created to be. 

 

Racism is an affront to God. Racism is racial prejudice plus power. It is rooted in the belief that one group has racial superiority and entitlement over others. Its power is manifested in every institution and system, both nationally and internationally, which was historically established and continues to function to benefit one group of people to the disadvantage of other groups. 

 

Read about ways for your church to engage, 

including service resources, here.

Save the Date: Hearing on Jobs not Jails Bill

October 14, 2015, 1 p.m.

Massachusetts State House


Jobs Not Jails has announced a hearing date when the Joint Committee of the Judiciary will hear the entire omnibus bill (S.64/H/ 1429): ending provisions on jobs, collateral sanctions at the RMV, reducing some low-level felonies to misdemeanors to divert people from incarceration, and compassionate release. [The bill also includes repeal of mandatory minimum sentences but that part was heard June 9]. Come out to the State House and show your support!

Jobs Not Jails will be hosting a rally beforehand as well (11 a.m.) as a chance for individuals to meet with their representatives to support the bill.

Commentary: Broken Bootstraps
by M. Linda Jaramillo, Executive Minister               UCC Justice & Witness
"Making it big" in this country means being worth a lot of money. It is not easy to get rich (in money) if you do not have wealthy parents or grandparents. It is doubtful that someone who was born and grew up in poverty can become wealthy. The assumption that a person "came from poverty, but worked hard and pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and made it big" is an unlikely reality in our current economic system. The problem is our capitalistic culture regularly measures our importance and success by how much money we make rather than the moral and ethical values by which we live our lives.
Labor Sunday
From the UCC Justice & Peace Action Network
The Sunday of Labor Day weekend is Labor Sunday, a day to lift up workers and celebrate their contributions. It is also a day to lament and commit ourselves to improving jobs and our economy so that every worker has wages, benefits, and work hours that allow them to be self-sufficient and live lives of wholeness. 

Christians and the Holy Land: What Does the Lord Require?
September 17-19, 2015
Lexington United Methodist Church
Paradoxically, Christianity in the Holy Land is overwhelmingly represented by Christian tourists. They travel on guided tours often carrying misguided theologies. They rarely consider the moral dimensions of Christian travel in the Holy Land. What does the Lord require?

The Society for Biblical Studies National Conference is designed to acquaint Christians with moral dimensions of Holy Land travel that commercial tourism generally ignores. The Conference has invited speakers representing a range of perspectives and areas of expertise in order to introduce participants to issues and dynamics in Israel and Palestine. These are experts whose perspectives are often underrepresented or totally ignored in mainstream media and Church circles.  
Widening the Welcome

Hartford/Windsor Airport Marriott 
September 24-26, 2015   
widening the welcome
Inclusion is a journey we take with one another and ourselves rather than a destination. ~ Rev. Dr. Christina Jones Davis, keynote speaker and workshop leader.
Widening the Welcome Conference is a sign of the movement in our UCC to address concerns and issues around disabilities, mental health challenges, and cognitive/developmental disabilities.  

Click here for a flyer with details on workshops, speakers and more! Ready to register? Click here.
Statement in Opposition to Mass Incarceration
Communities of faith are playing a critical role in efforts to end mass incarceration and address its underlying drivers: poverty, poor education and inadequate housing - as recognized in the remarkable document from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 2012 report,

One example: The United Parish of Brookline, which has shared its "Statement in Opposition to Mass Incarceration" unanimously approved at the church's annual meeting in June. United Parish welcomes comments and opportunities to connect with other congregations and communities going forward. 
The preceding is from EPOCA/Jobs not Jails, endorsed by the Innocence Commission Task Team of the MACUCC.
Worcester Fellowship: Needs, News & Thanks

Lunches, gift cards and socks are a few of the needs of those without homes this summer. Read more about this and other news of Worcester Fellowship here.

 

Learn about the seven Ecclesia churches without walls in our state, and the ways you can help those without homes through these ministries, here.

 

Commentary: A Congressional Agenda and Increased Attacks on Immigrants
From UCC Witness for Justice,            
by Noel Anderson, National Grassroots Coordinator

The House of Representatives voted to punish cities with community policing efforts. H.R. 3009, The Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act in the U.S. passed last week with a divided vote - 235 Republicans to 174 Democrats. This vote exposes the House of Representative's willingness to exploit the tragedy in San Francisco for their own anti-immigrant agenda. 
Anti-Immigration Legislation
If you don't support the anti-immigrant bills proposed in Congress recently, let your voice be heard! The Interfaith Immigration Coalition urges us to contact our Representatives and Congresspersons while on their August recess and let them know this legislation does not reflect our values. 

Click here to access the Coalition's advocacy "tool kit" to aid in letter writing/phone calls. 

If you are a clergy person and would like to sign a letter urging Congress to vote against this legislation, click here
Fall for Freedom Charity Golf Tournament
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Cyprian Keyes Golf Club, Boylston

Enjoy a fall day of golf with your foursome while supporting LGBT people seeking asylum in the U.S. 
The tournament includes shotgun 18-hole golf with cart, dinner, plus live music and awards ceremony, and two complimentary future rounds of golf.
  
Register by Aug. 15 to save $30! Learn more here.
Ready to register? Go here.

The LGBT Asylum Support Task Force is a ministry of Hadwen Park Congregational Church, UCC in Worcester. Learn more about the task force and this ministry here.
UCC Public Policy Advocacy Guide for 2015-16

The UCC's 2015-2016 Public Policy Advocacy Guide provides tips, tools and theological insights for understanding our call to advocacy, engaging in organizing, and getting your message heard by decision makers. This is a one-stop tool for engaging in faith-based advocacy! 

 

Download your copy here or request hard copies of this resource from Helga Mingione at 216-736-3700.

 

The Sounds of Port-au-Prince
A report from Global Ministries missionaries in Haiti, Tim and Diane Fordelin

"Once our eyes are open, we cannot pretend we do not know what to do." Proverbs 24: 12

As we write, the sun is shining and an honest-to-goodness breeze is causing the palm trees to sway.  It is rather quiet now and we hear only the occasional bark of a dog or the crowing of a rooster in our part of Port-au-Prince.  The toddlers at the next door cr�che are down for their afternoon nap, but in another two hours or so they will be awake and once again the neighborhood will resound with their laughter and their screams; yes, they have found their "big" voices.

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