Beauty in Growing Old

What do you think?

http://shelbynews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=52978&SectionID=42&SubSectionID=84&S=1

Nathan

Giving to Charities

My most recent column for The Shelbyville News: http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=52725&SectionID=42&SubSectionID=84&S=1

Thanks for reading --

Nathan

generosity

I have a new column. Would love your responses!

http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=52605&SectionID=42&SubSectionID=&S=1

Nathan

Refreshing and Exhausting Holidays

My most recent column in The Shelbyville News is at http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?SectionID=42&SubSectionID=84&ArticleID=52466

I look forward to dialogue,

Nathan

Blending Families

I recently had a column published in The Shelbyville News about the difficulties of blending families. The article is at http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=52228&SectionID=42&SubSectionID=&S=1

If you have trouble with the link, go to www.shelbynews.com and then enter ny name in teh search foeld to the left to find the column.

I'd love any worthwhile feedback --

Nathan

Dynamic and dormant churches

Why is it that some churches are so dynamic and others so dormant? Why are some churches so lively and others lethargic?

Among the reasons, I think that

1. Vital churches want lots of noisy children and youth; dull ones want quiet.
2. Vital churches plan for the future; dull ones dwell on the past.
3. Vital churches serve people; dull ones sustain programs.
4. Vital churches declare God’s unchanging love in forms of ministry that change as needed; dull ones do things the way they’ve always been done.
5. Vital churches celebrate worship; dull ones endure it.
6. Vital churches are full of tithers; dull ones are full of tippers.

What would you add?

Nathan

My Samson Can Beat Your Superman!

We all know that the force of religion is active and increasingly obvious. That's not news.

But now, it must be nearly time for the rapture or something! After all, Wal-Mart has just introduced a new line of toys -- One2Believe -- based on biiblical characters. There is even a talking Jesus action doll, so now you have an idea for my Christmas present.

Nathan

War failure for powerful nations

Since World War II, the world's most powerful nations have failed 39 per cent of the time, according to a study by Patricia Sullivan, a professor of international affairs at the University of Georgia.

Interesting reading.

Nathan

Dominus Iesus, or, "What is a church after all?"

On Tuesday, the Vatican released a church doctrine document from 2000 asserting that tre churches are defined by having bishops traceable to Christ's original apostles.

Orthodox Christians, thus, are in because of shared history, though "separated" from the "proper" Catholic tradition. Protestants are out because of splitting from Catholicism during the Reformation, and so are only "Christian communities."

Wonder why the Vatican chose to issue this document now?

Just a little more from the document: "These separated churches and communities, though we believe they suffer from defects, are deprived neither of significance nor importance in the mystery of salvation. In fact the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as instruments of salvation, whose value derives from that fullness of grace and of truth which has been entrusted to the Catholic Church."

Is Pope Benedict XVI going to continue the divisiveness he displayed when, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he was Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith? I hope not.

UN Population report

By next year, more than half the world’s population, 3.3 billion people, will for the first time live in towns and cities, and the number is expected to swell to almost five billion by 2030, according to a United Nations Population Fund report released yesterday. Will it be you?

Nathan

Time for Contemplation

Jean Vanier suggested that

“The more we become people of action and responsibility in our community, the more we must become people of contemplation. If we do not nurture our deep emotional life in prayer hidden in God, if we do not spend time in silence and if we do not know how to take time from the presence of our brothers and sisters, we risk becoming embittered. It is only to the extent that we nurture our own hearts that we can keep interior freedom. People who are hyperactive, fleeing from their deep selves and their wound, become tyrannical and their exercise of responsibility only creates conflict.”

Let's Insure All Children

With many others, I lobbied Congress in 1996/97 to pass legislation enabling the creation of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for children of poor working families. With the enabling federal legislation in place, my colleagues and I turned our attention to state legislatures. I was director of the WV Council of Churches at the time, and so worked with, and sometimes against, the WV Legislature to fully fund and implement the program. SCHIP’s renewal is before Congress now.

I'm pleased to say that my own denomination, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is encouraging its members to support SCHIP’s renewal. In a recent letter, Rev Dr Sharon Watkins, our head of communion, wrote that nine million children in the United States are without health insurance coverage.

“How we treat our children says something about the kind of people we are – and about the kind of God we serve,” she wrote. “I have decided that I need to speak out on this issue and I am writing to urge you to enter into prayerful discernment about whether or not it is time for you or your congregation to also take a stand.” For her letter in full, go to: http://www.disciples.org/dns/releases2007/07094.pdf

To view a website with resources that address this issue, go to: www.discipleshomemissions.org/familyandchildren/HealthCareForChildren/index.htm

This is a good program that has helped many children, families and communities. It's worth getting involved, so I hope you will.

Lots of hope,

Nathan

Incoming senior minister of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Shelbyville, IN, Nathan enjoys writing on a range of issues and working with others to resolve conflict, develop consensus and build communities of hope and action.

Support Children's Health Insurance

With many colleagues, I lobbied the federal government in 1996/97 to pass legislation enabling the creation of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for children of poor working families. After its passage, my colleagues and I turned our attention to state legislatures. I was director of the WV Council of Churches at the time, and so worked with, and sometimes against, the WV Legislature to fully fund the program.

Renewal of CHIP, which now goes by SCHIP with the S standing for state, is before Congress.

I'm pleased to say that my own denomination, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is this time encouraging its members to support renewal of the program. In a recent letter, Rev Dr Sharon Watkins, our head of communion, wrote that nine million children in the United States are without health insurance coverage.

“How we treat our children says something about the kind of people we are – and about the kind of God we serve,” she wrote. “I have decided that I need to speak out on this issue and I am writing to urge you to enter into prayerful discernment about whether or not it is time for you or your congregation to also take a stand.” For her letter in full, go to: http://www.disciples.org/dns/releases2007/07094.pdf.

To view a website with resources that address this issue, go to: www.discipleshomemissions.org/familyandchildren/HealthCareForChildren/index.htm.

This is a goo program that has helped many children, families and communities. It's worth getting involved, so I hope you will.

Lots of hope,

Nathan

Make a difference for Sudan

Sudan’s oil revenue continues to fuel the genocide in Darfur by providing funds that support the perpetrators of atrocities.

Through its mutual funds, Fidelity has been a major investor in oil companies that operate in Sudan, and it continues to increase its holdings. Fidelity could stop investing funds in companies that are fueling the genocide in Darfur.

Want to know more? Go to fidelityoutofsudan.net.

Lots of hope,

Nathan

Questions for God

Early last fall, our then 6 year-old daughter was given a journal that had a page inviting her to write a prayer to God.

She wrote, "Dear God, how do you get self-control when you are trying to be funny?"

Not a bad question.

Nathan

Failed States Index

Foreign Policy and The Fund for Peace just released their joint 2007 failed states index. Now, first of all, I include myself in the camp that has trouble with the term "failed state" for both empirical and value-based reasons. However, when the term is defined -- as it is using specific measures in the FP index -- then I can go with the usefulness of the battery. In other words, this is a list worth noting.

Want the real shocker? Six of the top seven most unstable countries on this list are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Having spent a fair amount of time and energy with some of the named issues and countries especially over the last year, it's disappointing but not too surprising.

Nathan

Seeking Understanding

Tolerance is a good and necessary virtue for a peaceful society; for us religious types, however, tolerance is never enough. Tolerance does not remove our ignorance of one another, lessen our stereotypes or do anything to chip away at our walls of division.

To get at that, we need to actively seek understanding.

Lots of hope,

Nathan

China Nuclear Weapons

There's an informative, though a bit alarming, commentary in the latest "Security Watch" published by the International Relations and Security Network about China's growing nuclear weaponry and philosophy toward using it.

Titled China's changing nuclear posture, Harsh Pant from King's College writes, "the Chinese political and military leadership is gradually revising its nuclear posture and even preparing for the possibility of using nuclear weapons in a pre-emptive counter attack should the need arise."

The full article is available at http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=17742

Nathan

Predicting conflict

As I've written and said before, even though I spend more time (right now) with religious and ethnic identity as predictors of conflict, resource scarcity is a bigger concern for me. Yesterday,
the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said as much by emphasizing in particular how a future scarcity of oil and gas could lead to conflicts in Africa.

"Although most states would regard actual armed conflict as an extreme measure, intra-state conflicts with an energy resource dimension are likely to occur, particularly in Africa," the institute warned in its yearbook published on Monday. "The strategic importance of geographical areas with rich oil and gas reserves will certainly rise: not only the Middle East but also Africa, Central Asia, South America and Southeast Asia will be areas of potential conflict in the coming decades."

Energy security concerns were based on the rising global demand for energy, a tight oil market, high oil prices, rising import dependencies and the prospect of a future shortage of oil and gas. In the Middle East, "perhaps the most disturbing factor that may shape the future security dynamics of the region is the continuing expansion of Iran's influence." Iran could "at any moment" try to block the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil chokepoint where 17 million barrels of oil pass through each day, or about 20 percent of the global supply.

How can "we" (defined as whoever reads this) help forestall or even prevent wars based on resources scarcity?


Nathan

Flight delays -- indeed!

From a news article:

"The Department of Transportation reported Monday that only 72% of domestic flights by the USA's 20 largest airlines arrived on time in January, February, March and April, the worst showing for those four months since DOT began reporting on-time performance this way in 1995."

I could personally testify to it! How about the lost bags (oh, excuse me Delta, I meant to say "delayed" -- my last one being "delayed" for over 5 days)?

Nathan

Do You Believe in Hospitality?

Not only do I believe in hospitality; heck, I’ve even seen it!

Okay, you probably recognize this rather bland “borrowing” of Mark Twain’s reply when he was asked if he believes in baptism. (Twain was a bit spicier.)

The most recent time I saw hospitality was this past weekend (Pentecost Sunday weekend) when my family and I worshiped in a wonderful EKD Lutheran parish in Einollen, Germany, where Iris Schmitt is the pastor. Iris and I met as students at the Ecumenical Institute de Bossey in Celigny, Switzerland, eleven years ago; Janice and I have remained good friends with her.

So here we were, English-speakers in the midst of roughly 45 German-speaking worshippers in a quaint sanctuary. As we were deciding on where to sit, a worshipper noticed the small camera in my hand; right away, he and his children made room for us to be in a good position to take pictures.

The service began. Not only had Iris woven English into the readings, the women’s choir sand two songs with English verses.

After the service, worshippers thanked us for coming and wished us a good remaining visit. There were other examples, but you get the idea.

Hospitality – I’ve seen it. Have you?

Lots of hope,

Nathan

Religion: Cause or Cure of Conflict

What do you think?

Violent conflicts in which religion is a factor have proliferated in various parts of the world: Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Sri Lanka, India, Nigeria, Somalia and others. These crises involve one or more of the Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – demonstrating that it’s not only Islamic terrorism begging the question of whether monotheistic religions tend to encourage violence rather than help overcome it.

Could it be that aspects of violence are inherent in every religion as such, and that monotheistic religions, because they are bound to a single god, are particularly intolerant, non-peaceful and ready to use force?

That is the theme I was asked to address in a couple months. What do you think about it?


Nathan Wilson