WARNING!

*This blog may contain photos and language that some will find offensive.

The old hatred is in our midst again.

A news article in the September 29th edition of the Bozeman Daily Chroncile reports that White Supremist groups are once again on the rise here in Montana.

Racist literature is being distributed through out Bozeman. Some pamphlets are being left at the library and at area businesses.

Lies are being told about our current president, fueled by fear and rage over the current economic situtation.

I take offense at the young man featured in the photograph for this blog. The language on his shirt causes my stomach to heave and my face to burn red.

Whatever side you fall on politically (and our political environment is becoming increasingly polarized) this act of "free speech" is really an act of hate speech.

Children learn to hate from their parents, and from the adults around them.

I commend you to make a commitment not to speak words of hate.

In our order for baptism there is a section of the service where we ask baptism candidates or their parents and sponsors these words "Do you renounce the forces of evil, the devil, and all his empty promises?"

We hope candidates, parents, and sponsors cry out "We do!"

When someone is attacked, whether its our president Barak Obama, or any other person of color, we all are demeaned, belittled, and made less than fully human.

A wise old Christian taught me when "you speak words of hate you are speaking against what God has created and has made in God's image."

When a Jewish synagogue was vandalized in 1994 in Eugene, OR I stood with 100 of my fellow citizens in solidarity with that community of faith. Collectively, we renounced racial hatred in our midst.

Let us once again, renounce the forces of evil, the devil, and all his empty promises.

And let's speak of God's love for a broken world.

Rising to the Challenge

We are close. We are SO close.

Every August-September Christ the King collects boxes of cereal to help hungry people who visit the Gallatin County Food Bank.

Last year we collected 200 boxes within two months.

This year we are SO close in meeting that total, and exceeding it.

Last year, Christ the King gave over $5800 to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.
As of August 31,2009 we have collected over $4800. We are within $1000 of matching last year's total. I am confident we can surpass it.

You as a congregation have been so generous in your gifts of food and money to support hunger programs both here in Bozeman and globally.

Friends, we are SO close. Keep up the good work, for the sake of the hungry in our midst.

Online course at Harvard

One of my professors at Luther Seminary has posted a link to an online course on world religions being taught by Diana Eck (of Harvard Divinity School) through Harvard's Extension School. Her first lecture is available for free, and it's quite interesting. In the last several minutes of the lecture she goes over the reading assignments for the course, and I'm planning to write them all down and start working my way through those materials I haven't read before. Let me know if you'd like a book/study group to work through some of them together.
Eck (who was born in Bozeman) is also the author of Encountering God: From Bozeman to Banaras.

Walk a Walk that does more than Talk

Mark Sunday, October 18th 1:45 p.m. on your calendars.

On that day, plan to join fellow advocates who wish to stop local and global hunger by walking the 22nd annual Bozeman CROP Walk.

The CROP Walk will start at the Gallatin County Food Bank, located on 602 Bond Street in Bozeman. The path for the walk will meander through city parks and neighborhoods. The distance walked is equivalent to the distance walked by many hungry people across the globe in search of food for themselves and their families. Imagine walking 10 kilometers every day in search of food.

The proceeds from the walk will be used locally and around the world to alleviate hunger.
Church World Service (CWS) is an ecumenical agency supported by many churches. The Gallatin County Food Bank, Headwaters Area Food Bank, Loaves and Fishes and the Belgrade Ministerial Association have been supported in the past by the area CROP Walk.

Last year’s CROP Walk raised $15,700. Our own Robert Nolan raised $271 through donations. Christ the King sponsored seven walkers last year. I bet we can recruit ten walkers this year.

The funds raised this year will be administered by Church World Service, but 25% will be used to support local hunger relief.

And our local agencies need the support and help! The Gallatin County Food Bank has seen an increase of 30% for food basket requests over last year.

If you are interested in walking on the 2009 Bozeman CROP Walk or making a donation, please contact me, Pastor Grant.

In the meantime, get in shape for the walk that does more than talk about hunger.

New issue of "Bold Cafe"

There's a new issue of Bold Cafe - the zine for young women of the ELCA (though I think everyone could enjoy reading it). This month's stories are all about transitions, and the link is here.