Moral discernment

As the mainline Protestant denomination that is out in front of the movement for full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the church, the UCC is often portrayed in the media as some peculiar exception to “what Christians think” – or ignored altogether. So I thought this development was an encouraging sign:
It [...]

Interfaith conversations around some Jesus narratives, death and resurrection

In what is known as the Apostle’s Creed, a statement of belief developed to educate those who became converts to Christianity – but was then also used regularly in much of its liturgical worship – these basic statements are at its core:
Jesus was born, was crucified (under Pontius Pilate’s decree), died and went [...]

Beyond Afghanistan – A Time to Break Silence

The above title is based on some words of Martin Luther King, Jr. spoken at the Riverside Church in New York on April 4, 1967 – exactly one year before he was killed. It was at a meeting of CLERGY AND LAITY CONCERNED ABOUT VIETNAM, and he began:
“I come to this magnificent house of [...]

Aren’t we all God’s children?

I was listening to a very “conservative Christian” radio commentator the other day. She was rejoicing in the signs of springtime appearing around us, reflecting on the idea that everything must die in the winter in order for there to be the resurrection of life in the Spring. Did she know that she was expressing [...]

When you pray, move your feet

This Saturday we will be hosting a screening and discussion of The Asphalt Gospel, a film about Crosswalk America’s 2006 journey from Phoenix to Washington DC:
On Easter 2006, six ordinary people left their homes, jobs and families for a journey on foot into the heart of America. Their intention, as Crosswalk America, was to start [...]

A tale of two Christmas services

I don’t think I can let this Epiphany season conclude without sharing this small “aha” moment. My partner and I have occasionally attended services at another church in our community, the Lovettsville Community Church. This congregation used to be known as the Church of the Valley, founded by Pastor Jay Ahlemann. It’s the church responsible [...]

Revising history during Black History Month

The fact that Evolution Weekend and the celebrations of Charles Darwin are occurring during Black History Month may well be a coincidence – but it’s one of those “interesting” coincidences, given some of the material being put out there to discredit Darwin’s ideas.
We looked in the previous post at the resistance to science and knowledge [...]

To the Mountaintop

Published in the Loudoun Times-Mirror.

By Rev. Stephen Johnson
January 22, 2009
Sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Inauguration Day, I recalled a conversation I had at the Democratic National Convention in Denver last August with Ida Taylor of Carson, California, a volunteer who worked with me at the Convention.
I was walking [...]

A nation for ALL the people…

Update: Another video of this spectacular performance has been taken down from You Tube, leaving in its place a message reading: “This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Home Box Office, Inc.” Feel the irony.
Here is video of Pete Seeger, his grandson Tao Rodriguez, and Bruce Springsteen performing Woody Guthrie’s [...]

The MLK speech we all should read

This speech by Dr. King is probably the least familiar to general audiences, but it is absolutely essential to understanding what he was calling us to as children of God. It is from a later version as a sermon, delivered April 30, that the quotation “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who [...]

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