TABLE OF CONTENTS
From the Executive Director:
COMMON SENSE FOR THE COMMON GOOD
Americans — and Christians — seem to argue incessantly about sex. This makes all the more remarkable something you may not have noticed: a few weeks ago the Nassau County Legislature unanimously approved County Executive Tom Suozzi’s budget, which includes $1 million for “Common Sense for the Common Good,” his initiative to reduce the number of abortions in Nassau County by funding new efforts to prevent unintended pregnancies and to support women who face crisis pregnancies.
Bishop William Murphy was brave — and wise - to call his initiative “on the whole, very helpful,” one that “deserves our gratitude for exercising this kind of political leadership.” Joann Smith, the interim president of Planned Parenthood of Nassau County, likewise praised Suozzi “for supporting prevention strategies that work.”
Over the past few months I have served on the County Executive’s Working Group on Pregnancy Prevention. Mr. Suozzi announced at the outset that equal amounts of money would be made available to “abstinence-only” programs and comprehensive sex education. He also recruited both Republicans and Democrats, and people from both the “pro-choice” and “pro-life” camps. He then asked us to work together, despite our differences, to help the County draft plans for this initiative. With members from both Planned Parenthood and organizations that regularly picket Planned Parenthood clinics, the first few meetings of our group were a bit tense, to say the least.
Americans are bitterly divided over issues surrounding abortion and sexuality, and many of us do not begin to understand the positions of our adversaries. (For my own attempt to explain each side, see my September and October 2004 columns. The County Executive insisted that we focus on the task at hand rather than fight about abortion, but this has not been easy. It is a tribute to his leadership and that of his assistant Arda Nazerian and the co-chairs of our group, Ann Mallouk and Sr. Mairead Barrett, that we held together as we waded through a foot-high stack of research papers on sexuality education and debated different approaches. There are real differences between differing curricula, but we quickly learned that nearly every comprehensive sex education program is “abstinence-based” (that is, it encourages kids to abstain from sex) and that many people who run abstinence-only programs realize they must provide honest answers to questions about birth control and disease prevention if they want kids to listen to anything else they say. We also found that the youth development/empowerment model, which emphasizes helping young people to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to make good choices and become effective problem solvers, lies outside the abstinence-comprehensive dichotomy.
A real breakthrough occurred when one of our members suggested that we meet youth who are involved in abstinence-only and comprehensive sex-ed programs and ask them what they thought would help reduce the number of teen pregnancies. All of us were startled to hear remarkably similar accounts, regardless of which sort of program they are in and regardless of whether they are abstinent or sexually active themselves:
- They want help in communicating with parents about sex.
- They want these conversations to begin before they are sexually active.
- They want teens and young adults to be among those teaching sex ed and they want the programs to address the questions teens want answered, rather than what adults may want them to learn.
- They want information about how to stay safe and healthy when they become sexually active, even if they are committed to abstinence until marriage.
- Both boys and girls feel enormous pressure from their peers and from our sex-obsessed, media-saturated culture to be sexually active — and boys often say they have no one to talk with about how to cope with expectations that they “score” regularly.
- They believe that kids on Long Island now have sex for the first time, on average, at age 13.
- Increasingly often, their first sexual experience is oral sex - at school.
These last two observations are, of course, deeply disturbing to adults of all ideologies — and to many youths as well. This is not the world we wanted them to inhabit. Even if their perceptions are not accurate, this may be what now passes for “normal.”
What the teens are telling us about their lives makes it all the more clear that we need common sense for the common good. The good news is this: despite our deep theological and ideological divisions, we just may be able to reach some common ground. Later this month, Nassau County will announce its first grants for Common Sense for the Common Good. This, in itself, is a victory worth celebrating.
Shalom/Salaam/Shanti/Pax,
Tom
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A WORD OR TWO OF THANKS
Sara Weiss, Director of Development
A special thanks goes to Richard Deam and the staff at Deamoak’s Planning Services, Ltd., for their emergency $2,000 gift for a brand new computer workstation for the development department. It replaces an old computer that died several months ago.
We thank the following for their faithful support, and are grateful for all the blessings these wonderful gifts will bestow to our needy clients:
| Nassau County Bar Association | $15,000 Nassau Emergency Food |
| JPMorgan Chase | $10,000 Predatory Lending Prevention |
| Presbytery of Long Island | $6,000 General operating |
| Astoria Federal Savings | $3,500 Predatory Lending Prevention |
| Congregational Church of Manhasset | $500 to be used where most needed
$500 Emergency food
$500 Women at the Well
$1,890 Thanksgiving Baskets |
| Roslyn Presbyterian Church | $1,000 where most needed |
| Roslyn Presbyterian Church Women | $1,100 where most needed |
| United Way of Long Island | $1,491 monthly allocation |
| St. John’s Lutheran, Bellmore | $1,000 where most needed |
| First Presbyterian Church, Southold | $1,000 where most needed |
| United Methodist Church, Southold | $1,000 where most needed |
| Hempstead United Methodist Church | $600 where most needed |
| Western Nassau CROP Walk | $570 Nassau Emergency food |
| Episcopal Diocese of Long Island | $500 Thanksgiving Dinner |
| Reformed Church of Locust Valley | $500 where most needed |
| Mt. Sinai Congregational Church | $500 where most needed |
| Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Huntington | $500 Katrina relief appeal |
Here is the story of a special donor whose gift was in response to our most urgent needs request of last month (for transportation assistance). She sent in a check for $200 so we could buy MetroCards for our clients, and wrote in part: “ I have never held to the idea that persons in need should pull themselves up by their bootstraps. If I tried that, I’d fall over.” Her generous gift allowed us to help 50 families with round-trip MetroCards.
We are also grateful to the institutions that gave less, and to the individuals who gave but have asked us not to publish their names. Thank you for being a blessing not only to our clients, but also to us, especially at our time of such urgent need.
Most Urgent Need
Our most urgent need, once again, is for prescription assistance. This is a chronic need that only seems to increase as time goes on. The clients who need prescription assistance have been discharged from local hospitals such as the Nassau County Medical Center and LIJ hospitals with prescriptions they must fill in order to stay out of the hospital, but with no funds to pay for them. When they are discharged, these patients are sent to us. These prescriptions include heart medications, anti-depressants, medications for diabetes and other serious medical conditions. They usually cost $100 or more apiece to fill, and we do not have enough funds to help everyone who comes to us in desperate need.
Please send your contributions to the Long Island Council of Churches, 1644 Denton Green, Hempstead, NY 11550. If you are sending a check, please mark it “prescription assistance.”
You can now contribute to the Long Island Council of Churches using your Visa or MasterCard. Please call the Hempstead office at 516-565-0290 and our staff will assist you.
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Farewell to Hugh Watts—and Hello to Barbara Harrison
Hugh Watts recently retired as manager of our Nassau Emergency Food Center, which is now located at 450 North Main Street in Freeport. Unfailingly courteous, compassionate, and calm, he worked tirelessly with staff and volunteers to aid our neighbors in need. He will be missed! At 79 he has certainly earned a more relaxed retirement, which he and his wife will enjoy near Orlando in Florida, though we have a hunch he will find new ways to minister to others in his new home. Best wishes to the Watts in their new adventures! And many thanks for all they have done to brighten the lives of Long Islanders!
We are pleased to announce that we have just hired Barbara D. Harrison as our new manager. Barbara has worked as an administrator with both a childcare agency and a youth program in Roosevelt. She is a long time member of both Calvary Baptist Church in Roosevelt and the Kiwanis — and is already recruiting people from these organizations to help with our emergency food pantry. Welcome aboard, Barbara!
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WORTH QUOTING:
An Orthodox Perspective on the Meaning of Christmas
"In today's world, so burdened with wars, natural disasters, ‘political correctness,’ and an overall lack of loving-kindness, it is easy to succumb to temptation and doubt. It becomes all too easy to focus on earthly cares rather than heavenly delights. The incarnation invites us to look beyond these burdens, to recognize that while we still live in a fallen world, the victorious Kingdom yet to come is already fully present to us in the Church, if only we respond to Christ's call: ’Come... and I will give you rest.’
It is in this light that all the angels of heaven are of good cheer as they announce to mankind that freedom from selfishness and isolation from its Creator has been lovingly granted to all who, fleeing the idolatry of this life, freely seek and accept the gift of eternal life discovered in the fullness of Bethlehem's cave and, at the same time, in the emptiness of Jerusalem's tomb.”
--NATIVITY MESSAGE, HIS BEATITUDE, METROPOLITAN HERMAN, RULING ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN ARCHBISHOP OF NORTH AMERICA
(The Orthodox Church in America, which traces its roots to the arrival of Orthodox missionaries in Alaska in 1794, has over 700 parishes and communities throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.)
Shared Eucharist & Full Communion
Our Executive Director, who married a Lutheran 30 years ago, recently had the pleasure of celebrating communion at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bellmore under a new “interim Eucharistic sharing” agreement between the ELCA and the United Methodist Church. A “full communion” agreement may be voted on by the ELCA as early as 2007 and by the UMC in 2008. What do these terms mean?
“This sharing is an engagement between the churches. And as in any good engagement, the couple should gladly show their affection in public and get to know one another better. We have been invited to do so through joint celebrations of Holy Communion and local study groups. . . .If interim sharing of the Eucharist is like engagement, then full communion is like marriage. It does not mean the dissolution of the respective identities of the couple, any more than it would in a healthy marriage. Rather full communion marks an official sharing of goods: missional resources, publications and clergy. The denominations remain distinct entities.”
--William P. McDonald, The United Methodist Reporter Oct. 28, 2005
Jesus and the Poor
“Jesus is the soul of compassion. He's the one who has a very soft place in his heart for the poor. In fact that soft spot is enshrined in Luke's version of the Beatitudes, "Blessed are the poor." It is Jesus who summons the rich man to give away all he possesses. It is Jesus who insists that our treasures should be invested in heaven not in oil wells, and those heavenly treasures accumulate with deeds of kindness and generosity. It is Jesus who reaches out to the lepers, to foreigners, to little children, to the ordinary guy. To make him somehow into an advocate for property rights and national supremacy is a mental gymnastic worthy of a casuist from... the other place.”
--the Rev. Bob Howard, “The Christian Right” www.criticalchristian.com November 10, 2005
Culture War or War on Poverty?
“… we can have a culture war in this country, or we can have a war on poverty, but we can’t have both.…liberals and conservatives can go on bashing each other for being godless hedonists and primitive theocrats, or they can set these differences off to one side and work together to help the needy.”
--David Brooks, “A Natural Alliance,” New York Times
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WORTH SEEING:
“The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”
This film is an excellent re-creation of the novel. While everything cannot be put on screen that is in a story, the major work is there. The acting was superb and the sets stunning.
The story is about four children entering a fantasy world where “it's always winter, but Christmas never comes.” They encounter an evil Queen and a land full of evil. However, since they are the two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve, they fulfill the promise that when they arrive, they, along with Aslan the lion, will free Narnia from the winter and the evil Queen, a.k.a. the White Witch.
The scenes of battle, courage, friendship, and redemption are beautifully done. Lessons of the Christian faith are taught with simple dignity and heartfelt reality. C.S. Lewis knew how to tell The Story with wonderful words, which have been brought to the screen with great understanding.
A few scenes might frighten some very young children, and I heard a few children crying, but the story does have a happy ending. We are left with the impression that there is hope in the world for peace, understanding and love.
--The Rev. Barbara E. Melzer, Woodbury United Methodist Church
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TV Worth Watching:
“Country Boys”
“Country Boys,” a six-hour “Frontline” miniseries airing in January on PBS, is a tale of triumphant faith about two boys coming of age.
Cody Perkins is a kid who can break your heart. His mother’s postpartum suicide left the infant in the care of his father, who murdered his seventh wife 12 years later in the strip club where she danced and then turned the gun on himself. Bounced among relatives he barely knew, Cody eventually lives with his former stepmother, Liz McGuire.
When we meet Chris Johnson it is clear that his “intact” family is worse than Cody’s fractured one, his mother often absent and his father seldom sober. 15-year-old Chris cooks, cleans, cares for his younger siblings, and supports the family financially with disability checks he receives for learning disorders.
“Country Boys” begins with Cody and Chris enrolling at the David School, an alternative high school for troubled teens in David, Kentucky.
During their first year, Cody thrives on the unconditional love and maternal guidance he receives from Liz. He hated classes previously but begins to study seriously and to think for himself. His anger gives way to compassion.
Finding God and a church where “they know nobody’s perfect and they don’t judge me,” Cody is transformed. He channels his grief and his faith into a Christian metal band, singing about his father’s suicide, “God is the only one keeping me sane.” This genre has limited appeal in Appalachia, but the pastor enlists his musical talent.
Chris, on the other hand, is torn between trying to hold his family together and wanting to escape poverty. Just when he is about to launch a school newspaper, a family emergency causes him to abandon the project and flunk his classes.
During their second year, Chris organizes a school choir, boosting his self-confidence, but then his mother moves out of their trailer, leaving Chris with a father who begs booze money from him and bums rides to the liquor store. He begins working nights at Taco Bell to get away from his father and soon his grades plummet.
Cody, meanwhile, continues to live happily with Liz and does well in school but still needs his neglectful aunt’s permission to get dental surgery. She refuses to let Liz become his guardian, and he suspects his relatives have stolen his Social Security survivor’s benefits and inheritance, money he planned to use for college. His relationships with Liz McGuire, his girlfriend Jessica, and his pastor sustain him through this.
During their third year, Chris moves out of his father’s trailer, loses his disability benefits, and drops out of school. Alarmed, his teachers persuade him to study for a GED. Even as his family sinks further into dysfunction, Chris faces the future with hope. Cody’s graduation, by contrast, is pure celebration. Chosen valedictorian, he seeks to discern whether he is called to be a pastor, an artist, or a musician.
“Country Boys” premieres on January 9, 10, and 11 at 9 p.m. on WNET/13 and most other public television stations.
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Also worth watching:
“WALKING THE BIBLE”
At a time when the world is searching for understanding, “Walking the Bible” accentuates the commonalities of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Part adventure, part archaeological detective work and part spiritual exploration, this television miniseries follows storyteller Bruce Feiler on his inspiring 10,000-mile odyssey as he searches for traces of the great biblical heroes. “Walking” is a misleading title: Feiler travels not only by foot, but also by horse, camel, train, Land Rover, and boat to re-create the journey he recounts in his best-selling book Walking the Bible. Over three one-hour episodes, Feiler wanders through ten countries on three continents. Dramatic scripture readings are interspersed throughout the three programs, connecting the Biblical texts and their settings.
Feiler begins by explaining, “I grew up reading the Bible but over time, it became a book gathering dust on a shelf with little relevance to my life.” Going to Jerusalem, he was struck with a desire to attempt to visit as many sites as possible of Biblical events to see if the stories were real. “Few people thought this was a good idea,” he concedes: these are the scenes of the world’s most intense conflicts.
Feiler sets out to read these stories “in their original settings.” This makes for powerful television but he immediately plunges into debatable speculation. Heading to Eastern Turkey in search of the Garden of Eden, he claims that the Tigris and Euphrates are the only two rivers mentioned in Genesis 2 whose locations are known. As Afro-centric interpreters of the Bible have reminded us, the other two are in East Africa, in Cush or Ethiopia. Mesopotamia may be the “mother of civilization,” but paleontologists and geneticists have established beyond a reasonable doubt that humanity arose in the Great Rift Valley and that so far as our DNA is concerned, we are all Africans.
Feiler alternately embraces and questions literal interpretation of the Biblical stories. Not far into his trek up Mt. Ararat in search of remnants of Noah’s Ark, he begins to discard any hope of determining if either the Biblical account of the Flood or the version his Kurdish Muslim hosts offer is historically accurate.
If his work suffers from some unexamined assumptions, such as where civilization began, he also confronts some of our own prejudice and ignorance. Retracing the wanderings of Abraham, for example, he gives us some feeling for the deep connection to the land held by Muslims today, something seldom understood either by highly mobile Americans, either Christian or Jewish.
By setting their stories in very specific places, Feiler tells us, the Hebrews forged a unique relationship between a people, the land, and a God who transcended any one nation or people. How the spiritual descendants of Abraham - Jews, Christians, and Muslims — can share this contested piece of real estate is one of the problems that plagues all who follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
“Walking the Bible” begins in January on most public television stations, but you will need to check the local listings. In the tri-state region, for example, it will be broadcast on WLIW/21 on Tuesdays at 8 p.m., beginning Jan. 10.
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WORTH READING:
“Religion and the Rise of Jim Crow in New Orleans”
by James B. Bennett, Princeton University Press, 2005, 305 pages, ISBN 0-691-12148-6
Southern Louisiana was for many decades a laboratory in which people of different races explored how they might relate to one another in ways not tolerated elsewhere. In “Religion and the Rise of Jim Crow in New Orleans,” James B. Bennett shatters some of the myths we have been taught about race relations in America.
Many assume that people of different races naturally form separate communities. Even many historians have assumed, Bennett notes, “that black and white Christians moved toward racial separation immediately after Emancipation.” Indeed, many freed slaves did create separate Baptist or African Methodist congregations, but this is hardly the whole story.
During the Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction years, we learn, the Catholic, Methodist Episcopal, and Congregational denominations in New Orleans boldly worked for integrated churches and an integrated society. Catholic parishes led by white clergy embraced black, white, and Creole Christians. Louisiana long resisted, Bennett points out, “a binary racial classification that limited racial categories to black and white” throughout America since colonial times.
The Methodist Episcopal Church in the city had few integrated congregations but enjoyed bi-racial leadership. This social witness of inclusion and equality fueled extraordinary growth during Reconstruction. “Black church members . . . hoped God might even expand the church’s influence to transform the social order, a faith justified by confidence in God’s role in freeing the slaves during the Civil War.”
Sadly, by the 1920s, Christians who had bravely resisted segregation finally succumbed to pressure to put asunder what God had joined together. They left a shining example, however, from their earlier years, one we would all do well to treasure and follow.
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FROM THE LONG ISLAND MULTI-FAITH FORUM:
Catholicism, Marriage, and Immigration
In previous issues of The Prelude, volunteers with the Long Island Multi-Faith Forum have offered explanations of some of their religious practices. One of them, Deacon Lou Sandberg has also offered to attempt to clarify some traditions among Catholics that are often misunderstood by Protestant and Orthodox Christians — and often by Catholic Christians themselves. In our October 2005 issue he told why statues are important to him in worship. Here he addresses confusion about his denomination’s rules governing weddings:
“A Spanish speaking woman rang the rectory door bell. She was upset and said she wanted to know what to do. Her daughter had come home from school and told her that she, the mother, was living in sin because she had not been married in a church.
"When Catholics marry in this country they are usually married in a church, but in some countries the bride and groom are married only in a civil ceremony, not in church: they are considered by the church to be married when they partake of the sacraments the next Sunday. Catholics say that the two people are the ministers of the sacrament of marriage. Sometimes, in remote areas where there are no priests or deacons, couples exchange their vows and they are married. Ceremonies are performed and the marriage is recorded later, in church, when a priest or deacon is available.
"Mere change of residence does not make sinful what was not sinful in the former residence. In this country, the Church supplies a necessary witness: a priest or a deacon.
"In the case of this woman, who was undocumented, we helped her get a marriage license and then had a “covalidation”: we performed a wedding in the church.
"Some undocumented immigrants are reluctant to apply for marriage licenses, fearing they will be reported to the INS. There is no need, however, for the state to report marriages to the INS, since it is to the state’s advantage (and everyone’s) to have legally married, stable couples.”
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DID YOU KNOW?
- The Rev. James Massa, a professor at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, has been appointed executive director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
- The Rev. Donna Schaper, a former member of the LICC’s Board of Governors and the first chairperson of our Public Issues Committee, who now serves as senior pastor of Coral Gables UCC in Florida, has just been called to lead historic Judson Memorial Church in Manhattan. She begins there Jan. 15.
- A nun named Madonna Buder, a Sister of Christian Community, recently became the first female athlete over 75 to complete the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii, swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles, and running 26.2 miles. You go, girl!
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An Invitation to Spend Martin Luther King Day:
UNPACKING THE INVISIBLE KNAPSACK:
A Reflection on How Hidden Systemic Privileges
Undermine Our Quest for Justice
Monday, January 16th, 2006, 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Molloy College, Rockville Centre, New York
Facilitators: Peggy McIntosh, Wellesley College, Massachusetts
and The Color of Fear, A Film By Men of Color
About Their Experiences With Racism and White Privilege
|
As the birthplace of modern suburbia, Long Island is an apparent icon of American upward mobility. On what is supposed to be the “level playing field” of our excellent schools, hard work seems to guarantee success for our children.
- But Long Island is America’s 3rd most racially segregated suburb.
- Is the playing field really level on Long Island?
- Do white children enjoy hidden – unearned - privileges?
- Do children of color suffer from hidden - unearned - disadvantages?
- Do white people unwittingly perpetuate unearned advantages?
- What can Long Islanders do to level the playing field?
These are some of the questions that Dr. McIntosh will pose and participants will explore in this day-long program that will include an analysis of the structures and attitudes of hidden white privilege as well as reflections on how Long Islanders can be agents of change for racial harmony and economic justice.
| Program: |
|---|
| 8:30-9:00 | Registration and Coffee |
| 9:00-9:15 | Centering Prayer and Welcome |
| 9:15-10:10 | Plenary: Dr. McIntosh: How I Discovered My White-Skinned Privilege |
| 10:20-11:20 | Breakouts: Unpacking Our Invisible Knapsacks |
| 11:30-12:00 | Plenary: What We Learned About Unearned Advantages |
| 12:00-12:45 | Lunch |
| 12:45-1:45 | Excerpt from the film, The Color of Fear |
| 2:00-3:00 | Breakouts: Discussing Feelings Uncovered by The Color of Fear |
| 3:00-3:30 | Plenary: What Are We Going to Do With What We Learned? |
Registration
Please make checks payable to "The Office of Laity and Family" and mail by January 11th to: The Office of Laity and Family (Attention: Marcella ),PO Box 9023, Rockville Centre, NY 11571-9023. Fee: $25 includes lunch. Please, NO REGISTRATIONS AT THE DOOR.
Include: Name(s), Affiliation, Address, Phone: (day), (evening), e-mail.
Please note: If more than one person is registering, please include the names of all registrants.
About Dr. Peggy McIntosh: Peggy McIntosh of Wellesley College is a founder, with Emily Style, of the National S.E.E.D. (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) Project on Inclusive Curriculum which helps teachers create their own year-long, school-based seminars on making school climates, K-12 curricula, and teaching methods multi-culturally equitable.
Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack continues the Blessed Community project, begun in 2004, that is an “examination of conscience” on Long Island institutional racism. Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack is co-sponsored by a growing list of organizations, including:
- ERASE Racism
- Haitian-American Apostolate, Diocese of Rockville Centre
- Hispanic Apostolate, Diocese of Rockville Centre
- Holocaust Center of Nassau County
- Huntington Interfaith Coalition for Affordable Housing Now (ICAHN)
- Jobs with Justice, Long Island
- Li Board of Rabbis
- LI Campaign for Affordable Rental Housing (LICARH)
- Islamic Center of Long Island
- LI Council of Churches
- LI Housing Services
- LI Multi-faith Forum
- Ministry to Catholics of African Ancestry, Diocese of Rockville Centre
- Molloy College
- Nassau County Office of Housing and Homeless Services
- Nassau County Office of Minority Affairs
- Nassau/Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless
- Office of Laity and Family, Diocese of Rockville Centre
- Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Diocese of Rockville Centre
- Public Policy Education Network, Catholic Charities
- Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
- Suffolk Center on the Holocaust, Diversity, and Human Understanding
- Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Workforce Housing
- Suffolk County Department of Minority Affairs
- Suffolk County Human Rights Commission
- Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Shelter Rock
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington
- Vision Long Island
Directions to Molloy College: From the west: take Grand Central or the LIE east to Cross Island Parkway. Take Cross Island south to Southern State Parkway. Go to exit 20S (Grand Avenue) About a quarter mile south on Grand Avenue, turn right on to Irene Street. Proceed about 1 mile. You will see Molloy College ahead of you. The program is in the cafeteria of the main building. From the east: take Southern State to exit 20S (Grand Avenue.) Follow directions above.
Notice of inclement weather cancellation: Channel 12, Cablevision or radio stations WALK FM 97.5, AM 1370
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MARTIN LUTHER KING OBSERVANCES
Is your congregation taking part in community observances of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday? Here are the ones we have heard about thus far:
- The Great Neck Clergy Association will have its MLK interfaith worship service be Sunday, Jan. 15 at 3:00 p.m. at the St. Paul AME Zion Church (119 Steamboat Road).
- Nassau County MLK Interfaith Worship Service, Sunday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m. at Union Baptist Church (24 Clinton Boone/Hastings Place in Hempstead). Clergy are asked to assemble at 6:30.
- 1st Baptist Church of Riverhead will have its MLK Breakfast at the Hyatt Wyndham Watch on Monday, Jan. 16, at 8:00 a.m. Tickets ($35) must be purchased by Dec. 31. For further information, call 631-727-3446.
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RESOURCES FOR THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
Is your congregation observing the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Jan. 18-25?
We urge you to remember the LICC in your prayers during this week — and to consider taking a special offering to support our work. If you would like envelopes for a special offering, contact Sara Weiss (saraweiss@optonline.net or 516-565-0290, ext. 207) or Tom Goodhue (licchemp@aol.com or 516-565-0290, ext. 206).
Free resources for the Week of Prayer are available from the Graymoor Instititue at www.geii.org. The World Council of Churches shares these thoughts on the theme this year, Matthew 18:20:
The Irish preparatory group explained that they "wished to draw attention to Jesus as the source of our unity" and to underline "the simplicity of two or three coming together in Christian mutual love as a vital means of building up relations between divided peoples and communities".
They were, moreover, "mindful that hope for the future, and peace and reconciliation in the present necessarily involved dealing with painful memories and hurtful grievances of the past". It is "in that spirit," they say, "that all Christians who use these Week of Prayer resources are encouraged to come together in prayer and in mutual love to seek to understand each other amidst differences".
Week of Prayer resources include an introduction to the theme, a suggested ecumenical worship service that local churches are encouraged to adapt for their own particular liturgical, social and cultural contexts, biblical reflections and prayers for the "eight days", and additional prayers from, and an overview of, the ecumenical situation in the particular country that has prepared the material - in this case, Ireland.
More free resources for the 2006 Week of Prayer are available on the WCC website at: http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/faith/wop2006contents.html
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CANDLEMAS: Festival of New Beginnings
Ecumenical Youth Celebrations
Candlemas (a.k.a. the Presentation of Our Lord) celebrates light in the midst of darkness, as the light of the Christmas star spreads and Christ’s people look forward to the great light of Easter. Its name comes form the blessing and distribution of candles that symbolize Christ as the light of the world. This year there will be ecumenical youth gatherings for Candlemas in both Nassau and Suffolk counties, jointly organized by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Diocese of Rockville Centre.
Youth are encouraged to bring a disaster kit to aid victims of the Kashmir earthquake. Information about how to assemble “Gift of the Heart” kits for Church World Service can be found at www.churchworldservice.org. (The LICC also is seeking volunteers who can drive kits to Maryland!)
Nassau County Celebration
St. John’s Lutheran, Merrick
29 January 2006 at 7:00 p.m. |
East End Celebration
Most Holy Trinity, East Hampton
2 February 2006 at 7:00 p.m. |
YOUTH ON LONG ISLAND CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Each participant of the Candlemas service will be invited to bring a kit/care package for the victims of the Kashmir earthquake.
If you have questions, contact any of the following:
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NEEDED/OFFERED
Needed:
- Singers and Dancers for Easter Dawn Worship:
- The LICC is seeking volunteers willing to sing or do liturgical dance for our Easter Dawn worship service at Jones Beach.
- Fruitcake and other Holiday Goodies:
- Do you have fruitcake tins in your cupboard, either received in recent weeks or 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? Most of us have food in our homes we will probably never eat, food our neighbors need. This is a good time to go through the canned goods and give away anything that you are not going to use that is not dented, a dozen years old, or otherwise inedible.
- Used Clothing:
- It is also a great time to sort through your clothing and give everything that no longer fits or you really never liked that much in the first place. We accept only a limited amount of clothing and housewares in our Riverhead office so call 631-7272-2210 before schlepping anything there. You can, however, donate used clothing to your church or community hospitals thrift shop or the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. SVP runs resale shops that allow those of limited incomes to shop for clothing at minimal cost in a way that respects their dignity. The LICC works closely with St. Vincent de Paul in a number of ways, one of which is encouraging non-Catholic congregations to place collection boxes around the Island. Their clothing bins are cleverly designed to keep out rain and pests and the Society has found a way to turn any unusable rags they receive (you might be surprised what sort of stuff people donate sometimes) into paper. Does your community have collection box for SVP already? If not, would you be willing to put one in your congregation’s parking lot? If so, call us at 516-565-0290, ext. 206.
- Partner Congregations for mental health counseling:
- The Foundation for Religion and Mental Health, an interfaith pastoral counseling and mental health service non-profit agency, is seeking to offer its counseling services in partnership with various congregations and community organizations. FRMH offers counseling on a sliding scale (and accepts a number of insurance plans) as well as providing a variety of workshops. Congregations are asked to participate by offering meeting space, placing notices in their bulletins and newsletters, distributing flyers and providing referrals. Please join us in promoting mental health through individual, couple, family and group counseling. Please call Ilene or Paul at 718-461-6393 for further information.
Offered:
- Resources for Keeping Kids Safe from Abuse:
- The Partners in Protection program of the Diocese of Rockville Centre has posted information on the diocesan website (www.drvc.org) about their new initiative to keep children safe. They invite people from all denominations to visit their website (click on the Partners in Protection icon), use what you like, and join their efforts to protect children. Eileen Puglisi, the director of the Diocesan Office for Protection of Children and Young People, would be glad to talk with people from any denomination who might like to work together on this. You can call her at 516-678-5800 ext. 573 or email epuglisi@drvc.org.
- New Videos in the LICC Lending Library at the Presbytery Center in Commack:
- “Sisters: Portrait of a Benedictine Community” the recent “Independent Lens” program
- “The Asian Indians in America” the WLIW/21 program, which includes Arvind Vora and others from the Long Island Multi-Faith Forum
- Help Dealing with Cancer:
- CancerCare helps nearly 17,000 cancer patients and their loved ones in Nassau and Suffolk counties each year. CancerCare provides free professional support services to anyone affected by cancer: people with cancer, caregivers, children, loved ones, and the bereaved. CancerCare programs—including counseling, education, financial assistance and practical help—are provided by trained oncology social workers and are completely free of charge. To find out more about CancerCare's services on Long Island, call (516) 364-8130 or visit www.cancercare.org.
- Help Paying Holiday Bills:
- Don’t let it interfere with getting healthy food on your table! Consider the Food Stamp program and save money on nutritious food for your household with Food Stamps! You can own a car, home and still qualify for Food Stamps. Eligibility depends on income, resources and household size, some expenses are considered for elderly and disabled households. For a free confidential prescreening contact the Health & Welfare Council of Long Island at, (516) 505-4431.
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JOB OPENING
- Interfaith Community teachers wanted:
- Two Christian and two Jewish educators are needed to teach a 12-week course for children grades K – 5 starting in February, Sunday afternoons, in Nassau County. If you are interested please email Sarah (interfaithcommunity.li@earthlink.net) or call 516-345-0283. For more information about the IFC, visit www.interfaithcommunity.org.
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ADVERTISEMENT:
Up-Coming Events at the Parish Resource Center
89 Hallock Landing Road, Rocky Point, NY 11778
631-821-2255 - info@prcli.org
Youth Group Leaders
Saturday, January 7th, 10:00 am til noon
As you may know by now, the film “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,” is coming out in December. Mr. Patrick Biglin from North Shore Methodist Church has used this theme with his youth group. Please come and join us to find out about the resources that he uses and what is available for your group. There will be a book supporting this curriculum given to a lucky person attending the Youth Leader’s meeting on January 7th.
V.B.S. Preview & Planning
Wednesday, January 11th, from 7:00pm - 9:00pm
We invite you to come and preview the VBS kits. Never had Vacation Bible School? Come and talk to the consultants of the Parish Resource Center. Meet people from other congregations who have had VBS programs before. Find out what works and what doesn't! Have time to talk and brainstorm. Find the creative energy you need to make your program a success!
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LONG ISLAND BLOOD SERVICES
JANUARY 2006 BLOOD DRIVES
| Date | Site | Address | City | Time |
|---|
| 1/4 | Nesconset Christian Church | 247 Smithtown Blvd. | Nesconset | 3:30 PM - 9:00 PM |
| 1/4 | St. James United Methodist | 532 Moriches Rd. | St James | 3:00 PM - 8:30 PM |
| 1/5 | Three Village Church | 322 Route 25A | E. Setauket | 3:00 PM - 8:30 PM |
| 1/5 | Christ Lutheran Church | Carleton Ave. & Nassau St. | Islip | 4:00 PM - 9:30 PM |
| 1/7 | Family Life Worship Center | 1010 Front Street | Uniondale | 3:30 PM - 9:00 PM |
| 1/9 | Allen AME Cathedral | 110-31 Merrick Blvd | Jamaica | 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM |
| 1/14 | LICC Smithtown | St. Andrews Lutheran Church | Smithtown | 3:00 PM - 8:30 PM |
| 1/25 | Presbyterian Comm. Church of Massapequa | 150 Pittsburgh Ave. | Massapequa | 3:00 PM - 8:30 PM |
| 1/26 | First Presbyterian Church-Northport | 330 Main Street | Northport | 3:15 PM - 8:45 PM |
| 1/30 | Garden City Community Church | 245 Stewart Ave. | Garden City | 3:00 PM - 8:15 PM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SCHEDULE A CONVENIENT APPOINTMENT
PLEASE CALL 1-800-933-BLOOD (2566) |
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HEALTH CARE RESOURCES: Exercise Groups
The LICC has long advocated universal medical coverage and has long tried to help those in need find the help they need. One simple way many congregations help people stay healthy is by offering exercise programs, which vary from walking groups and weight-training rooms to Praisercise classes that work out to gospel music. Here is information the LICC’s Public Issues Committee has gathered about local churches that provide such groups. They’d be glad to tell you about their own experience in helping their members to “glorify God in your body,” as St. Paul urged, (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Do you have additions or corrections for this list? If so, please call 516-565-0290.
Loretta Stelter
St. Patrick’s Church
630 New York Ave., Huntington
631-673-5378
Madeline Swarckof
St. Vincent De Paul Church
1346 Broadway, Hewlett
516-569-0834
Old First Presbyterian Church
125 Main Street, Huntington
631-424-2101
St. Luke's Church
266 Wicks Rd., Brentwood
631-273-1110
Elizabeth Wittish, SFO
Saints Philip & James Church
One Carow Place, St. James
631-584-5454
Pastor Marianne Tomecek
St. David's Lutheran Church
20 Clark Blvd., Massapequa Park
516-799-7832
Rabbi Howard Hoffman
North Shore Jewish Center
385 Old Town Rd.,
Port Jefferson Station
631-928-3737
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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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