Rev, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

I was privileged to attend Boston University School of Theology for my training for ministry. I value the education I received and the experience of being in Boston, it is a great city rich with tradition and culture. I was able to take a course on the life and ministry of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, who studied for his doctorate at the same school I was attending. Dr. Cartwright who taught the course had marched with Dr. King, and had a personal relationship with him. We visited the special collections section of the Library which contained items donated by the family of Dr. King, notes from speeches, telephone message pads, books , etc. This helped me to see Dr. King, as a man dedicated to God even in the face of such adversity.
From the very beginning, Rev. King saw the possibility of a kind of community that transcended "our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation," not as a far fetched ideal, but something that could be created right now in history. Dr. King walked, preached, boycotted, went to jail, endured threats on his life because he believed with all his heart and soul in the vision of a completely integrated society. A "Beloved community" of love and justice. For him this was the ideal expression of what God intended for the human race.
Unfortunately, we have not reached that ideal, there is still so much work to be done, so many walls to tear down that separate us, that oppress us. For me this means seeing each person as a child of God, beloved and precious. I may disagree with their politics, or with their actions, but to love one another as God calls us, this will lead to a beloved community becoming a reality.
This week let us renew the effort to become a beloved community where all persons are included, where love and justice prevail, and our children will thrive.

Homeless and Cooperation

Today I went to a coordinating meeting for those organizations that meet the needs of the homeless in our part of the world. For me it was interesting to see the different agencies and what issues are important to each of them. The common theme was that homelessness is getting worse. For Example, veterans are becoming homeless faster than any other veterans of the past. Supporting our troops means getting together to see how we can help them adjust to life back here at home. It means bringing all our best knowledge, our best ideas, our best compassion for those who have served our country.
Churches have a big role to play, and it is time to stop arguing about who has the best church, and start finding ways to work together to meet the needs of the homeless, the addicted, the mentally ill, to name just a few who really need our help. And this starts with me, it starts with you. Just for today, think about how to bridge the divide between churches and synagogues, and temples etc. Let's find ways to agree to disagree about theology, and get on with changing the world.

The Journey continues

As I begin the new year, I am taking time to rest from the end of the year celebrations and obligations. I have been asked by many, "How was your holidays?" It is hard for me to put into words everything that was a part of my experience of the holidays, and so I usually say, "I am recovering from Post Traumatic Christmas Syndrome!" But this tongue in cheek comment does injustice to all that happened, and what I took away from the events of December. As I take these few moments to reflect, I am grateful for the joy I experienced, the celebration of Christ's birth, the welcoming of new members, the food, the worship, seeing family, and friends, all of this added richness and depth to my life. I have a renewed sense of what is important, my relationship to God, to my fellow humans, and also my four legged friends. I also have taken the time to evaluate what I need to keep doing and what I can let go of as I continue the journey into 2012. Now I am looking at what goals I have for this year, stay tuned for more discussion of this process and please accept my thanks for reading this blog, and responding to it, I treasure your thoughts!
-Pastor STeve