PRELUDE, January 2005

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:

SAVING THE WORLD

The day did not start off well. Rain fell in great waves, leaving Long Island's streets flooded and traffic snarled. Even when the rain abated, howling winds brought bitter cold. Our Director of Community Resources, Alric Kennedy, had spent a great deal of time organizing a health fair in conjunction with Christ's First Presbyterian Church in Hempstead, but he now feared that no one would venture out on such a nasty day.

After Alric greeted those who came and I offered a brief prayer, a cardiologist from Winthrop Hospital gave a wonderful talk on how to keep our hearts healthy - but the crowd was sparse, to say the least. A few more intrepid souls drifted in, some of them hoping to find flu shots that seemed impossible to get anywhere this side of the Canadian border. I had pretty much concluded that the whole effort was a colossal waste of energy, when an elderly woman came to the door.

She was pushing a wheelchair, leaning on it for support, and appeared to have plastic bags wrapped around her shoes. I offered to push her down the hall to the health fair, but she said she preferred to walk, as difficult as this was. She did not appear to be drunk, drugged, or psychotic but simply desperately poor. I assured her that Alric and representatives from Winthrop Hospital would be glad to help her.

She turned out to be homeless, shoeless, and seriously ill, with dangerously high blood pressure. The folks from Winthrop made arrangements to transport her to their hospital immediately and to assign a social worker to find her shelter - and without this help she would almost certainly have died on the streets. Thank God that we were there for her in her hour of need. "You saved a life today," someone told Alric and me.

A bit of Jewish wisdom holds that "if you save a single life, it is as if you had saved the entire world." When Alric planned this health fair and when I helped an elderly neighbor through the door, we had no idea that it would make such a huge difference in her life. When we preach a sermon, teach a class, counsel a troubled parishioner, or volunteer in a soup kitchen we may touch others in ways we cannot imagine.

The prophets taught over and over again that what God really wants from us more than worship or piety is to defend and care for the widows, the orphans, and the immigrants - in other words, the most vulnerable members of our society - and Jesus said that nations would be judged on the basis of what we did for the least of his brothers and sisters. The LICC, like Catholic Charities, and other ministries, is seeing a steady increase in hunger and homelessness among senior citizens - like the woman who came to our health fair. Why was she sick, homeless and alone? How did she fall through our society's tattered safety net? What kind of a nation have we become? And are we willing to be the blessed community that God longs for us to be?

Shalom/Salaam/Shanti/Pax,
Tom



DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT - Sara Weiss, Director

Special thanks go to the following for their gifts:

Bethany Congregational Church$2,500 Emergency Food
CitiBank CitiGroup Foundation$5,000 Social Services
Congregational Church of East Rockaway$2,500 Emergency Food
Congregational Church of Manhasset$1,500 General Operating
Cong. Church of Manhasset (Women's Club)$500 Emergency Food
Community Church of East Williston$950 Emergency Food
Sag Harbor Presbyterian Church$500 Migrant Dinner
United Church Rockville Centre$500 Emergency Food
United Way of Long Island$1,475 Monthly Allocation

We're also grateful to the institutions that gave less. Their gifts are just as important. And we are grateful to the individuals who also gave but who have asked us not to publish their names. If you would like more information on our programs and projects, please visit our website at: www.ncccusa.org/ecmin/licc



Most Urgent Need

We are experiencing a surge in requests for eyeglasses from our Hempstead clients. A typical example is an elderly woman whose total income is just over $900/month, from which she has to pay rent, food, transportation, medical, and all the other basic expenses. When her only pair of glasses broke, she came to us for assistance so she could get them repaired. We had no funds to help her. Several other clients have children who need eyeglasses but the parents do not earn enough to be able to buy them. Even a modestly priced pair of eyeglasses can cost $150-200, and that doesn't count the doctor's visit to get the prescription. We would greatly appreciate a donation of $600 to help these needy clients.



Memorial/Tribute Gifts

A great way to remember a loved one, whether deceased or living, is to give a memorial or tribute gift in his/her name. In your letter accompanying such a gift, please tell us who the gift is in memory of or in tribute to, and who is giving the gift. We will send a thank you letter to the contributor and to the family of the loved one in accordance with your instructions. Please send your contribution to the LICC: Attention: Sara Weiss. If you have questions, call Sara for further information at 516-565-0290.



MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS PRIVILEGES

Since its beginning in the 1920s and 1930s as a migrant farm worker ministry, the LICC has been a fairly loose coalition of diverse Christians who have worked together to be more effective in mission. While some denominations formally appoint representatives to our Board of Governors, others are somewhat unclear about their membership in the LICC. We want to change this. The Board recently decided to ask modest membership dues ($50) of every congregation/church/parish that wishes to belong to the LICC. Members will receive these benefits:

  • Free ads in our monthly newsletter for job openings, volunteers needed, donations sought, etc. (details to follow). We will not run such ads for churches that are not members.
  • As many free copies of our monthly newsletter "The Prelude" as you desire.
  • Free educational workshops for clergy and laity on such topics as money management, planned giving, understanding new neighbors of other faiths, etc.
  • Information and referral assistance.
  • When available, a free directory of the churches and synagogues of Long Island. The cost to non-members will be $55 for not-for-profits and $100 for businesses.


FROM THE MULTI-FAITH FORUM:

MEET THE BAHA'IS

Since it's inception in Persia in the mid-1800's, the Baha'i Faith has spread throughout the world to where Baha'is today can be found in nearly every country and territory. Baha'is are followers of the Prophet-Founder, Baha'u'llah, who was born of noble lineage and great wealth but who gave no importance to either. From early childhood, Baha'u'llah was renowned for his innate wisdom and extreme kindness, always looking to be of service to others, especially the poor and downtrodden. Due to his teachings and claim of Prophethood, Baha'u'llah was to lose favor with the rulers of Persia. They exiled Baha'u'llah, further and further away, finally sending him to the penal colony of Akka in Palestine, where he spent the last twenty-four years of his earthly life, passing away in 1892.

The Baha'i Faith is an independent religion, with its own divine Prophet-Founder and its own divinely revealed scripture. Baha'is believe that Baha'u'llah is the latest of a succession of Messengers sent by God to deliver teachings relevant for their age, to further advance civilization and to establish unity. Baha'is believe there is only one God and that the religions of the world are, in essence, one, all teaching the fundamental message to develop the spiritual qualities that lie within each of us, and to love and serve humanity.

The cardinal teaching of the Baha'i Faith is that mankind is one, comprised of a myriad of races, religions, and ethnicities, and therefore should be united in loving fellowship. All the tenets of the Baha'i Faith, i.e. the elimination of all forms of prejudice, the equality of women and men, the uniting of the nations, and the appreciation for the diverse cultures that beautify our human family, emanate out of this belief in the oneness of humanity. It is to these teachings that Baha'is dedicate their lives.

--Marc Hensen, Public Information Representative, Baha'is of Long Island



LICC VIDEO LIBRARY NOW AVAILABLE IN COMMACK

Our Executive Director reviews television for the "United Methodist Reporter" and the regional UM newspaper, and receives preview copies of many good videos. The LICC started a video lending library of tapes suitable for religious education as well as personal pleasure in our Hempstead office five years ago, but our shelves runneth over. Moreover many people who might like to borrow them live a long way from either our Hempstead office or our Riverhead office (where I have often schlepped them to those who wished to borrow them). The Presbytery of Long Island, which is located in Commack, has graciously offered to house the bulk of our video collection in the library/media room at the Presbytery Center, which is located at 42 Hauppauge Road, just west of Commack Road and the Commack Library. While the other library materials are limited to Presbyterians, the LICC's video may be borrowed by any member church or supporter of the Council. Here's a list of videos in VHS format that have been transferred to the Presbytery:

  • "Bethlehem Year Zero" - great for Sunday School and confirmation classes
  • "Bird by Bird with Annie" - the life and writing of Presbyterian Annie Lamott
  • "Celibacy" - the HBO "America Undercover" documentary
  • "A Chanukah Celebration" - music, stories, and puppets explore the holiday
  • "The Face: Jesus in Art" - depictions of Christ across the centuries
  • "Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero" - the spiritual impact of the 9/11 attacks
  • "From Jesus to Christ: the First Christians" - the Frontline documentary
  • "Get the Fire" - Independent Lens looks at young Mormon missionaries
  • "God & the Inner City" - a look at three faith-based anti-poverty programs
  • "A Gospel Bluegrass Homecoming" - the PBS special
  • "Kingdom of David: the Saga of the Israelites" - the PBS series
  • "Life Matters" - Independent Lens looks at abortion
  • "The New Americans" - Independent Lens follows new immigrants
  • "Our Muslim Neighbors: a Visit to the Mosque" - the TeleCare program
  • "Our Muslim Neighbors: Women of Islam" - the TeleCare program
  • "Peter & Paul & the Christian Revolution" - the PBS special
  • "The Question of God: Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis" - the PBS series
  • "Race: The Power of an Illusion" - the PBS series
  • "School Prayer" - the P.O.V. documentary
  • "Shaolin Ulysses: Kungfu Monks in America"

For further information, call Marie Zupka-Ludeder at 631-499-7171 or email resource@presbyteryofli.org.



IDEAS YOU CAN USE

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is one of the oldest ecumenical initiatives that, each year, involves Christian communities all over the world. Many churches observe the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18-25) and will celebrate January 23 this year as Ecumenical Sunday. We urge all our member churches to keep the LICC in your prayers on the 23rd - and to take a special offering to support our work, if possible. This year's theme is "Christ, the one Foundation of the Church" (1 Cor. 3:1-23). More information on the Week of prayer, including resources, are available at http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/faith/wop-index.html. Joy Wright, a member of St. Peter's by the Sea in Bay Shore, wrote a litany for LICC Sunday that you might want to use:

God is always ready to hear our prayers. Let us be still and pray to God now.

We pray for the church throughout the world, remembering especially our sisters and brothers in the Holy Land, and for all those ordained to particular ministries for the building up of the body of Christ, especially our LICC member congregations and clergy, that in our diverse vocations we may serve to the glory of God.
         Come to us Lord. We know we need you.

We pray for this nation and for all the nations of the world, remembering especially those who are victims of political or social injustice. We pray for those whom we have elected to public office, especially George, our President, and for political leaders everywhere, that they may administer the tasks of government with courage and equity.
         Come to us Lord. We know we need you.

We pray for the sick, the elderly, and those who live alone. We pray for those who are overworked and those who cannot find work. Send upon them the power of the Holy Spirit that they may abound in hope.
         Come to us Lord. We know we need you.

We pray for the dying and those who have died to this earthly life. May they know the eternal peace of your heaven, and may those who miss them be comforted.
         Come to us Lord. We know we need you.

We pray for our communities, for our neighbors and friends, for those with whom we study and work. Bless, guide, and strengthen us in our common life that we may know the gifts of your grace and love.
         Come to us Lord. We know we need you.

We offer these prayers to you, our God, in penitence for what is past and in faith that your work in us will bear fruit as we seek to do your will, for you alone are the Holy One. May our lives give honor to you, through Christ our Lord. Amen.



WORTH QUOTING

What Makes Churches Grow

"There has been something of a paradigm shift in Adventist church growth over the last two decades. . . . The growing churches are those with significant, nontraditional community services and active relationships with the neighborhood . . . growing churches spend more money on local mission work than do declining churches."
--Monte Sahlin, "Ministry" November 2004


"To love Mohammed is to love Christ, and to love Mohammed is to love Moses."
--Faiz Khan, speaking at the Islamic Center of Long Island's Annual Dinner


"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.


WORTH READING:

"RACING ACROSS LINES: CHANGING RACE RELATIONS THROUGH FRIENDSHIP"

By Deborah L. Plummer. Pilgrim Press, $16, ISBN 0-8298-1602-X

The great battles for racial justice have mostly been fought in courtrooms, picket lines, and legislatures, but Deborah Plummer's new book "Racing across the Lines" reminds us that profound work in transforming race relations also is needed in the sphere of our personal friendships.

Plummer's own life has been a story of crossing divisions and helping others to do the same. Every chapter begins, gracefully, with reflection on her own friendship with her white walking-buddy, Yvonne, and ends with an invitation to reflect on our own experience, offering good questions both for individual journaling and for group discussion. Its title notwithstanding, this book is really not a sprint but rather a quick, bracing walk through new neighborhoods.

Instead of heading off to historically black Fisk University in 1969 with her high school friends, Plummer became the only black nun in an all-white religious community. She now teaches psychology and diversity management at Cleveland State University, helping American businesses to adapt to a changing world in ways that will allow them to remain competitive in the future. Churches, too, she points out, will have to learn how to manage ethnic diversity, if they are going to survive and thrive.

Talking about race and forging relationships across racial differences is not easy, as Plummer acknowledges with the very first words of her book: "Forty years after the Civil Rights Act and fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education decision, race remains a prickly topic for discussion." Public discussions of race relations, she notes, often move to debate from which "most sane people generally shy away."

She nails down an essential paradox: "When we cross racial lines in friendship, it does indeed take work," but friendship is supposed to be about "relaxation, intimacy, and comfort." At this point, many readers are likely to be feeling either guilty or defensive about how limited or strained their own cross-ethnic relationships may be. Plummer reminds us early on that, "For most of us, cross-racial dialogue takes so much work because as children, we were rarely taught the skills to help us negotiate a racially diverse world, nor did our parents model socializing across racial lines."

Protestants grow up with even greater challenges, she notes, since her parents naturally grew up in racially integrated parishes, though not all African-American Catholics have this experience. And she continues to marvel at how few whites have any awareness of how their race has shaped their identity.

Plummer provides a wealth of gentle, practical suggestions for deepening our friendships, always keeping her eyes on the pay-off: "God speaks to us through our friendships, and those that cross racial lines allow us to experience the citizenship of heaven."



ECUMENICAL/INTERFAITH MARTIN LUTHER KING OBSERVANCES:

  • Sunday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m. Nassau County MLK Interfaith Worship Service at Wantagh Jewish Center (3710 Woodbine). The keynote speaker will be Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, Executive Vice President, New York Board of Rabbis. All clergy are invited to gather at 6:30 and to wear robes if they wish. For directions, call 516-785-2445.

  • Monday, Jan. 17, 8:00 to 10:30 a.m. MLK Breakfast at Hyatt Regency Wind Watch Hotel in Islandia, sponsored by 1st Baptist Church of Riverhead, with the Rev. Dr. Gary Simpson speaking. Suggested donation: $35. Call 531-727-3446 for tickets and further information.

  • Monday, 10-3, MLK Observance at Molloy College in Rockville Centre
    "Everyday Racism: Moving Beyond Your Prejudices."
    The keynote speaker, Sister Anita P. Baird, D.H.M. is a member of the Religious Congregation of the Society of the Daughters Of the Heart of Mary and past President of the National Black Sister's Conference.
    In 2000, Sr. Anita was appointed the first Director of the Archdiocese of Chicago's Office for Racial Justice, overseeing the Archdiocesan efforts to improve racial and ethnic relations while serving as the Cardinal's chief spokesperson in the areas of racial justice and human relations.
    Workshops will examine Long Island Racism and Prejudice as they affect
    • Housing
    • Schools
    • Jobs
    • Due Process
    • Healthcare
    • Special Youth Track

    This event is co-sponsored by
    • Molloy College,
    • The Ministry to Catholics of African Ancestry,
    • Haitian-American Apostolate
    • Hispanic Apostolate,
    • Office of Laity and Family,
    • The Public Policy Education Network, Catholic Charities
    • The Long Island Council of Churches,
    • St. Vincent de Paul Society,
    • Pax Christi, and
    • The Religious Society of Friends.

    $20.00 Registration (No registration at the door)
    Send your name, address, phone number, affiliation, number attending and amount enclosed. Indicate your choice of workshop: Housing, Schools, Jobs, Due Process, Healthcare, or Youth Track.
    Mail by January 10, 205 or Fax (516)536-3473 to:
    The Office of Laity and Family, P.O. Box 9023, Rockville Centre, NY 11571


DID YOU KNOW?

  • The theme for Earth Day Sunday in 2005 is oceans and seas. The National Council of Churches provides a bulletin insert, worship materials, and other resources for use by congregations. The resources, for use on April 24, 2005, or on another date of a congregation's choosing, will feature art, poems, and prayers contributed by people of faith in an Earth Day contest. Deadline: Jan. 15, 2005. To submit your entry, email Cassandra Carmichael at cassandra@toad.net or mail: Eco-Justice Programs, NCC, 110 Maryland Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20002.

  • The United Methodist Men's Unit of the Bay Shore United Methodist Church is inviting all Christian men to come fellowship and join in prayer at our Men's Prayer Service on Saturday Feb. 5th at 12 noon. The theme of the service is "Hunger on Long Island: a Call to Christian Men". The service will be conducted by the Rev. Tom Goodhue, Executive Director of the Long Island Council of Churches. This is a time to come apart as men to worship God, to hear His call, and to make a personal response to His call to "feed my sheep". All men 18 yrs old and over are encouraged to attend this inspiring service, and you are welcome to bring your sons and friends. The service will be held at the United Methodist Church of Bay Shore located on Main Street at the corner of 2nd Ave in Bay Shore. It is the big white church on Main St so its easy to find. Plenty of parking in back, and lunch will be served after the service as a time for social fellowship and networking.


NEEDED/OFFERED

Needed:

Give us your tired, your poor...fruitcake:
Do you have a couple of these tins in your cupboard, placed there by the Ghost of Christmas Past? Why not donate them to the LICC or your local emergency food pantry? Food donations are slow after the holidays, and there is actually a fair amount of nutrition in these desserts. Do you have anything else that needs to be cleaned out of your cupboard? Fancy jellies and jams. A food basket of processed cheese you will probably never eat? Our Hempstead Emergency Food Center at 404 Peninsula (516-486-2272) or our Riverhead office at 407 Osborne Avenue (631-727-2210) would be glad to take them!

Old Pew Bibles:
Is your church replacing its pew Bibles or classroom Bibles? Our chaplains at the Nassau County jail would be glad to have them! Contact the Rev. Nancy Schaffer or the Rev. Lillian Frier Webb.

Blood Donors:
Blood donations often slow over the Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanza/New Year/Epiphany season. If your congregation is having a blood drive, we would be glad to publicize it to help you find more donors. Garden City Community Church, for example, is having a Blood Drive on Wednesday, January 12, from 3:30 to 9:00 p.m. Healthy people 17 to75 years old, weighing at least 110 lb, who have not donated in the past 55 days are eligible to give. Eat well and drink plenty of liquids before you donate! For an appointment or other information, call Cindy Campbell at 516-334-6325.

Church World Service depot in Western Suffolk:
Church World Service is seeking a "depot" and a driver in Western Suffolk for the collection of Gift of the Heart relief kits on the last Saturday in April. If you would be willing to help, call Grace or Dick MacMillan at 516-785-3921.

Adoptive Parents:
More than 600,000 children in Russian orphanages need loving families! Lutheran Social Services is offering New York couples and individuals who want to be parents an "Embrace a Child" summer hosting program to give prospective adoptive parents the chance to bond with a child before deciding to adopt. It is the perfect chance for anyone who's ever considered adoption. Participate in this life-changing experience by giving a child from a Russian orphanage the chance to live with an American family for the summer! Last summer, 18 Russian orphans came to America and won the hearts of adoptive families. Many of the children came out of the experience with permanent and loving homes. This summer, LSS is bringing in a new group of 10 children hoping to find loving adoptive families. The Children's ages are from 8-12 and they are of either gender. Parents get to decide the approximate age and gender of the child they wish to host. LSS is looking for potential adoptive parents who want to open up their lives to a child in need and host them this summer! LSS will be having an information night for those who are interested on Thursday evening, January 20 at Grace Lutheran Church, 311 Uniondale Ave. in Uniondale. Please call Michele Osipow or Sharon Haberer at (516) 483-3240 by January 18 if you are interested.

Volunteer Mentors:
The Leadership Training Institute (LTI), a nonprofit agency, is seeking volunteers to mentor youth one hour per week. Mentoring is based on friendship, guidance and being a good listener in a one-to-one relationship. You can make a positive difference in a young person's life! Please call LTI Mentoring Program at (516) 565 - 6671 x 24.

Classroom Space Starting June 2005 or September 2005 in Manhasset or Great Neck:
An established educational program for children seeks to rent a classroom about 400 sq. ft. to conduct mommy & me programs one full day per week. We are fully insured and would have a named-insured certificate issued to the church. Contact Carol Maric at FL3017@aol.com.


Offered:

Free Ecumenical newsletter:
You can read EcuLink, the National Council of Churches' quarterly newspaper, on-line, sign up to receive a free subscription via snail mail, or receive NCC news releases via e-mail by visiting www.ncccusa.org.

Free Disability Access Guide:
The NCC Committee on Disabilities, part of the Education and Leadership Ministries Commission, has prepared a comprehensive "Equal Access Guide for Meetings, Conferences, Large Assemblies and Worship." The guide helps worship and meeting planners implement the principles with detailed practical advice for addressing issues of mobility, hearing, vision, chemical and environmental sensitivity, intellectual disabilities and much more. The guide can be downloaded by visiting www.ncccusa.org.

Parsonage for Rent:
First Presbyterian Church of East Moriches has a two-story Victorian in historic district of East Moriches, next to the church, across the street from the United Methodist Church, a short walk to excellent schools. Four bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, formal foyer, living room, dining room, full kitchen, pantry, laundry room, full attic storage, front porch, back deck, circular driveway and one car garage. Available January 20, $2,200/month. Call Phyllis Singler 281-2300 Ext. 103, or e-mail psingler@att.net.

Sanctuary and classroom space in Hempstead:
Christ's First Presbyterian Church in Hempstead would be happy to share its sanctuary (which seats 500) with another church anytime after 3 p.m. on Sundays or at other times throughout the week. They also have other space in their building available to other not-for-profit groups. Call the Rev. Will Causey at 516-606-0387 or 631-732-2368.

Opera & God Concert:
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in New Hyde Park, is offering an interesting EPIPHANY CONCERT on Sunday January 9th at 3:00 pm. Soprano Antonia Szilagi, Pianist Evan Robinson and introducing Child Soprano Emily Cohen will perform a benefit Concert "Opera and God" in the Gloria Dei sanctuary. The concert will include excerpts from Amahl and the Night Visitors, Aida, Tosca, Norma, La Forza Del Destino and sacred selections. Suggested Donation $10, $5 Seniors/children. A reception will follow the program. Gloria Dei Evangelical Lutheran Church is located at 600 New Hyde Park Road, New Hyde Park, between Jericho Turnpike and Hillside Avenue. Approximately 1.5 miles south of Long Island Expressway Exit #34 South. For information please call 516-354-6956 or e-mail Gloria Dei at GloriaDei.NHP@verizon.net.


JOB OPENINGS

  • Presbyterian part time Minister for small Nassau North Shore church - Please mail resume to Glenwood Presbyterian Church, 71 Grove Street, Glenwood Landing 11547.

  • Organist - Sunday mornings, Glenwood Presbyterian Church (Nassau North Shore) - e-mail resume to kamcdona@optonline.net or call Kevin 516-672-0290.

  • Hospice Care Network is seeking a 3/4 time chaplain who has an M.Div. degree, at least one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education, related pastoral experience, and a driver's license. Applicants should send resumes to the Rev. Karen Pickler, Hospice Care Network, 99 Sunnyside Blvd., Woodbury, NY 11797 (fax 516-832-7160; email kpickler@hospicecarenetwork. For further info, call 516-224-6460.


NEED A SPEAKER OR GUEST PREACHER?

  • Our Executive Director, the Rev. Tom Goodhue, is available some Sundays this winter for guest preaching. You can reach him at tomgoodhue@optonline.net or 516-565-0290, ext. 206.
  • Alric Kennedy also does some guest speaking and preaching.
  • The Rev. Lillian Frier Webb, an African Methodist Episcopal clergywoman, therapist, and LICC chaplain, is available occasionally for guest preaching and would be glad to tell congregations about our Women at the Well project that seeks to avoid incarceration. You can reach her at 516-764-8728.
  • The Rev. Nancy Schaffer, another of our chaplains, is not available on Sundays but would be glad to speak to church groups at other times about Women at the Well. She can be reached at 631-586-9667.
  • The Rev. Dick Ploth, a member of the LICC Board and the Presbytery of Long Island, is available for guest-preaching, supply-preaching, and interim pastorates. You can reach him at 631-734-2587 or lyndik@optonline.net.
  • Dr. Eugene Purvis, a Conference Evangelist for the AME Zion Church and a member of our Public Issues Committee, is available for guest preaching. He can be reached at 516-623-0716.
  • The Rev. Robert Terry, a semi-retired UCC clergyman, is available locally for guest preaching, supply preaching, and interim pastorates. His wife Sue is a graduate of New Brunswick Seminary and a licensed preacher in the United Church of Christ. You can reach them at gterrys@aol.com or 631-751-1170.
  • Jesse Glick and Kathy Burton from Church World Service, our partners in disaster response, would be glad to preach or speak about the work of CWS. Call 888-297-2767 or email jglick@churchworldservice.org.
  • Tom Lyons, a member of Mt. Sinai Congregational Church (UCC) who is active in the Heifer Project, would be happy to speak or preach in local churches. He can be contacted a 631-928-4317 or lyonheifer@aol.com.
  • The Rev. Randall Broger, a member of the Presbytery of Long Island who trained in interim ministry at Princeton Seminary, is available for guest preaching, supply preaching, and interim pastorates. You can reach him at randallb1@usa.net or 631-589-2923.


"A BLESSED COMMUNITY...THE PEOPLE DWELL AS ONE"

The LICC is one of the sponsors of this yearlong Ecumenical Examination of Conscience on Long Island Segregation. We urge you to print these inserts in your weekly worship bulletin:

(Publish the weekend of January 2)

CAN I HAVE YOUR MEDICAID CARD?

About eight years ago, I took one of my daughters to a Catholic health clinic located in a mixed neighborhood on Long Island. When the intake nurse needed my health insurance information, she called on us. As I approached her, she looked at me and said: "Can I have your Medicaid card?" I paused for a moment, opened my wallet and handed her my card which I am sure was identical to her own Health Insurance card since we happened to be working for the same organization, the Diocese of Rockville Centre. She took the card and continued business as usual not even acknowledging her action. That afternoon I decided not to say anything to her. I knew I was dealing with the white supremacy culture in which the intake nurse (a white female) assumed that I had a Medicaid card because I am black. It was distressing that the intake nurse would assume that I had a Medicaid card because of the color of my skin.
I thank God for giving me the confidence to believe in myself and not in what other people label me. However, I still choose to speak up most of the time when I find myself in a similar situation because I can assure you that being silent is not the best remedy for this chronic disease.
--Maryse Emmanuel-Garcy


(Publish January 9)

EVERYDAY RACISM: TAKING A STAND

St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Richmond, where the Confederate elite worshiped, somehow survived the great fire that swept the city in the final days of the Civil War. Late in the spring of 1865, with the guns now silent, Richmond's aristocracy gathered for Sunday worship. They were about to witness a remarkable sign. At Communion, a freed slave boldly left the section of the balcony reserved for "coloreds" and knelt at the altar rail, before any of the whites came forward to receive the Sacrament. The priest froze. The congregation froze. This freedman had touched a raw spiritual and political nerve. He did not budge. Neither did the priest, until a courtly white gentleman rose from his pew and knelt next to the former slave so they could receive Communion together. That man was General Robert E. Lee. His eloquent gesture was soon forgotten.
-- Cited in April, 1865 by Jay Winik


(Publish January 16)

SLAVERY ENDED 140 YEARS AGO: ISN'T IT TIME TO MOVE ON?

I remember driving to Florida in the 1950s. We were crossing the Chesapeake Bay on a ferry between Maryland and Virginia. Typical of a 10-year-old boy, I could not sit still and so, I found myself wandering about the boat. Ahead was a sign next to closed double doors. It read, "Coloreds Only." I remember pushing the door open. Ahead were rows and rows of African Americans, facing me, sitting quietly in their seats. A uniformed arm stretched out in front of me, and I was told. "You can't come in here, son." Returning to my Mom, I asked her what was going on. "We're in the South now. It's different." I had personally had my first encounter with Jim Crow, slavery's legacy of separate and unequal treatment of black people; almost a century after slavery had been abolished. This was our lifetime, not some distant past.
--Richard Koubek


(Publish January 23)

LIGHTER IS BETTER?

I worked as a missionary nurse in a very rural hospital in Angola, Africa, when it was still under Portuguese Colonial rule. I was teaching student nurses, male and female, and they made up the nursing force in our 300 patient hospital. All of the students were from local villages chosen by their elders to be our students. The girls were always asking for night duty. When I inquired as to the reason for this choice, it was because it would be in the dark and they would not get any tan but instead their skin would lighten up. They also asked for "skin-lightening cream" for Christmas because the lighter they could make their skin the better marriage they would be able to make. If each generation married lighter, the results would be favorable. Even in an all-black community under white rule, lighter was better. Those Africans who were able to become Portuguese citizens or "Assimilados" were almost always lighter, usually of mixed race and were offered better opportunities.
--Mary Dewar


(Publish January 30)

SHOPPING ON LI

A certain male black in his seventies with a Ph.D. in psychology and a good job as a school psychologist often shops at Syms on Merrick Ave. I shop there occasionally and I am white and female. When I am there I can move around the store for as long as I wish and finger the clothes, try them on, leave without purchasing anything in complete freedom. He is followed by security at a safe distance from the moment he enters the store until he leaves even though he frequently buys there. But he never feels free to look around and see what is available.
--Mary Dewar


HOW TO HELP PEOPLE FIND MEDICAL COVERAGE

The LICC has long advocated universal medical coverage and has long tried to help those in need find the help they need. New York State does offer some excellent programs but the registration paperwork can be daunting. Here is information the LICC's Public Issues Committee has gathered about local churches that help enroll people in Child Health Plus, Families Health Plus, and EPIC (the drug coverage program for seniors). Do you have additions or corrections for this list? If so, please call Neka Wilson at 516-565-0290, ext. 201.

Christine Harvey
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
800 Portion Rd. Lake Ronkonkoma
631-737-4416

Ann Druckenmiller
OLMMI Catholic Church
1434 Straight Path, Wyandanch
631-643-7591

Loretta Stelter
ST Patrick R.C. Church
630 New York Ave., Huntington
631-673-5378

Francine Jennings
St. Dominic
93 Anstice ST. Oyster Bay
5169224488

Madeline Swarckof
St. Vincent De Paul
1346 Broadway, Hewlett.
516-569-0834

Sister Kathleen McCarth
St. Ignatius Loyola
20 East Cherry St., Hicksville
516-935-8841

Sister Marguerite White
St. Raymond's Church
263 Atlantic Ave., East Rockaway
516-887-9197

Jack K. King
United Methodist Church
160 Main Street, Southampton
631-283-0951

Louise M Sandberg
Mary and Elizabeth Center
60 Anchor Ave, Oceanside
516-594-4943

Rev. Larry Duncklee
St. Luke's R.C. Church
266 Wicks Rd., Brentwood
631-273-1110

Elizabeth Wittish, SFO
Saints Philip and James Catholic Church
One Carow Place, ST James
631-584-5454

Ann Horgan RSM
Holy Spirit Church
16 56 St., New Hyde Park
516-358-5339

Pauline Winterbottom
North Fork Parish Out reach
PO Box 1756
260 Hortons Lane, Southold
631-765-4037

John M Clark CSW
St. Peter's Parish Social Ministry
1327 Port Washington Blvd
Port Washington
516-883-0365

Robert Considine
St Philip Neri RC church
344 Main Street, Northport NY
631-261-2828

Robert R. Lyon
Mary Immaculate Church
Society of St Vincent de Paul
16 Brown's Lane, Bellport
631-286-3795

Fran Leek
St High of Lincoln
21 E 9th St. Huntington Station
631-271-8986

Joane Marchionne, Social Security Director
Sr. Mary Seton, CSW
Our lady of Mercy
500 South Oyster Bay Road, Hicksville
516-931-1306



Contributions to the LICC are urgently needed to continue these under-funded programs:

  • our emergency food pantries,
  • other social services and community resource referrals we provide,
  • Women at the Well support groups that keep women out of jail,
  • chaplaincy at the Nassau jail and juvenile detention center,
  • the Multi-Faith Forum, which promotes understanding between Christians and non-Christians,
  • and "to be used where needed most," the best of all designations.

If you can make a gift, please do!

The Long Island Council of Churches is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit. All gifts are deeply appreciated and are tax-deductible.

Tom Goodhue
Executive Director
Long Island Council of Churches
1644 Denton Green
Hempstead, NY 11550
voice: 516-565-0290, ext. 206
fax: 516-565-0291
email: licchemp@aol.com

Web: www.ncccusa.org/ecmin/licc

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