Benediction: Listen With Ears and Spirits (based on Proverbs 3:6)

Lord, help us to listen - not only with our ears - but also with spirits that are both receptive to your nudges in our everyday lives and to putting their guidance into action.

We Avoid Compassion - Marianne Williamson

Faith Leaders Voice Opposition To Trump's Rhetoric - Jim Wallis in Sojourner's

"We don't call it 'politically correct' to speak out against racist bigotry.  We call it being faithful to the gospel." 

60 religious leaders, myself included, made a statement of faithful obedience three weeks ago.

We named it Called to Resist Bigotry, and aimed it at the messages sold by Trump — messages that deliberately promote and fuel bias, fear, and even hate against Mexicans, immigrants in general, Muslims, Syrians in particular, women, African Americans (including our first black president), a disabled reporter, and all political opponents, whom Trump consistently attacks in the most demeaning, degrading, and disgusting language.

Donald Trump offends our values.

One of the most recognized religious leaders for “values voters” is Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religions Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. Moore is a conservative white evangelical, who normally votes Republican.

But last week, Moore wrote a column for The New York Times called “A White Church No More.” In it, he wrote,

"The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech did not envision that more than 50 years later ‘Go back to Africa’ would be screamed at black protesters or that a major presidential candidate would tweet racially charged comments.

Some American Christians may be tempted to ignore these issues, hoping they are just a wave of ‘political incorrectness’ that will ebb in due time. That sort of moral silence shortchanges both our gospel and our future.”

Faith-based organizations don’t endorse candidates. So you won’t be surprised that I am not going to endorse Donald Trump — neither will I endorse his Democratic opponents, Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. But we faith leaders will comment on the morality of this presidential campaign, the issues raised or not raised, and the morality of candidates based on our moral values.

Our politics are not God’s politics. And as Moore concluded in his column, “The man on the throne in heaven is a dark-skinned, Aramaic-speaking ‘foreigner’ who is probably not all that impressed by chants of ‘Make America great again.’”

Call To Worship: Seeking God's Presence (based on Psalm 103)

Some of us are thirsty and parched, like an unwatered garden, so we have come seeking God’s presence, which is like a fresh-water spring.

Some of us are exhausted from worry and struggling, so we have come seeking God’s presence, where we are offered rest.

Some of us are feeling lost and confused, so we have come seeking God’s presence, where we are offered welcome and guidance.

Some of us are weighed down with guilt and pain, so we have come seeking God’s presence, which helps us to remain standing.

As we all remember God's goodness and love towards us, we give thanks.

A "Go" Community - K. Killian Noe at inward/outward

CRC Climate Witness Project: An Update - Kyle Meyaard-Schaap in The Network

How is the Christian Reformed Church of North America following up on the Paris Agreement?

Phase Two of the Climate Witness Project started on March 1, 2016, and will be completed by June 30, 2017. Many of the regional organizers from Phase One are continuing, and we may expand into new regions.

The CWP will work with at least 70 churches in order to continue educating congregations about climate change, will ask several Climate Witness Partners to write op-eds, and will arrange for visits with Members of Parliament and Congress.

In addition, congregations will be enabled to take steps to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions by making their buildings more energy efficient and reducing their use of energy produced by the burning of fossil fuels.

Some congregations are beginning their work in energy stewardship by replacing incandescent light bulbs and CFL bulbs with LEDs, installing light sensors in bathrooms, and installing programmable thermostats. The Energy Star Program is helping the Climate Witness Project with this effort.

How can members of my congregation to participate in some way in the CRCNA effort?

Please contact Rev. Richard Killmer, coordinator of the CWP, if members of your congregation want to participate in the Climate Witness Project or if you would like to learn more about it.

He can be reached at 207-450- 7242 or at rkillmer@crcnapartners.org.

The full article is available here

Spiritual Literacy: Embracing The World