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Messages from Minister & President Jim Antal
October 29, 2007 An article in Saturday's Boston Globe discussed how Massachusetts Conference Minister and President Jim Antal and Old South Church Senior Pastor Nancy Taylor expressed support for Israel and opposition to terrorism, even as they defended the decision to rent the Old South building for the Sabeel Conference. October 25, 2007 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
As we continue to stand in support of Palestinian Christians and our Jewish brothers and sisters, I want to share with you a public statement from our colleague, the Rev. Dr. Nancy S. Taylor, Senior Minister of Old South Church in Boston (see below). In addition, beneath Nancy’s statement you will find a background paper on the UCC and the Middle East.
Recognizing that many of us are not directly involved in these issues, I also recognize that all pastors and churches are interested in the major issues of the public square. I hope all of you will find this information helpful, especially those who may be preaching on this or related topics on Sunday, and that it will help you address questions members of your congregation may raise based on what they read in the press.
Faithfully yours Jim
PUBLIC STATEMENT CONCERNING OLD SOUTH, INTERFAITH RELATIONS AND SABEEL By Rev. Dr. Nancy S. Taylor, Senior Minister, Old South Church in Boston October 25, 2007
For over three centuries Old South has served as “a mouth house” (in the peculiar words of the Puritans). We have been a venue for public discourse on pressing issues of the day. In 1773 Old South hosted meetings that led to the Boston Tea Party. Gathered in our Meeting House were British loyalists and the Sons of Liberty. They spoke, argued, threatened, cajoled and held forth, some with eloquence, all with conviction and emotion. Because so much was at stake, the debates brought out both best and the worst in those who gathered. Civic discourse is not always civil, but it is always important.
We continue this legacy of public discourse by renting our building on October 26-27, 2007 to Friends of Sabeel – North America. Founded in 1989 and located in Jerusalem, the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center is a movement among Palestinian Christians. Sabeel enjoys the participation and support of the Most Reverend Desmond Tutu, the United Church of Christ and other U.S. churches. Sabeel’s founding director has spoken at the UCC’s General Synod and Old South hosted Sabeel’s 2002 conference.
Old South recognizes that Sabeel presents a challenging perspective on the situation of Palestinian Christians. It is for this reason that Old South developed a broad series of forums and conversations to deepen our exposure to the three Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). With the help of a variety of interfaith leaders, we are engaged in sobering conversations about religion and race, land and law, power and oppression. As Old South has been harshly criticized by some and enthusiastically applauded by others for renting our building to the Sabeel conference I want to clearly state our position. Old South Church in Boston and our denomination, the United Church of Christ, stand firmly in support of Israel. We grieve for Israel’s profound experience of insecurity and fear as it is surrounded by a horrific combination of hostile nations, corrupt leadership and terrorism. We also stand firmly in support of Palestinian Christians and grieve for their experience of suffering, fear and deprivation as an oppressed minority. We acknowledge that Palestinian Christians and Israelis both possess narratives that are fraught with suffering, insecurity, injustice and anguish. Standing with Israel and standing with Palestinian Christians are not mutually exclusive commitments. The narratives of these two peoples remain in uneasy proximity and neither can nor should be eclipsed in favor of the other.
Old South’s decision to rent our building to Sabeel is in continuity with a history that dates back over 300 years and is at the heart of a free and vital democratic nation.
The Rev. Nancy S. Taylor Senior Minister Old South Church in Boston Boylston & Dartmouth at Copley Square Boston, Massachusetts 02116 (617) 425-5150
Sisters and Brothers in Christ, The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you.’.... Grace and peace to you as we endeavor in our common ministry of reconciliation. As a local pastor, I welcomed those times when religion would be thrust into the public square. The congregation would gather with questions which emerged from newspapers and magazines, hoping that a word from the pulpit would increase their understanding. This weekend will likely present many of us with just such an opportunity – to grow, learn, teach and promote reconciliation. While many preachers/pastors will have other important directions and issues to engage, and many will pursue liturgical plans integral to the life of the congregation (for example, it will be Stewardship Sunday in many churches!), there may be some preachers/pastors who will be drawn to help bring understanding to the public discussion on Jewish-Christian relations and the upcoming Sabeel conference – a story that has already made a mark in the newspapers and will likely be evident in Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s news. John Thomas’ sermon last Sunday at Old South Church (listen at www.oldsouth.org/sermons/jht21oct07.htm) is welcomed food for the soul, and enormously helpful as we provide leadership in our communities around interfaith dialog. It’s also a great reminder of the long history of the UCC in these areas. Yesterday, many of us heard Barbara Brown Taylor (her tour is sponsored by the Mass. Bible Society) stress the importance of sharing stories - even as Jesus did through parables. Here’s a 7 minute story of a Jewish-Muslim partnership that moved me so much I had to pull my car over to dry my tears: http://www.here-now.org/shows/2007/10/20071016_13.asp Such stories expand our imagination of what’s possible – not only “out there,” but “right here” in our own lives and our own congregations. In case you missed it, I’m pasting my email from last Friday below. It contains additional information and resources. And if your congregation is already engaged in one or another form of interfaith work, could you write out a brief description of your work for our Conference Commission on Ecuminism and send it to sordillow@macucc.org? Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to be in our relationships with our Jewish and Muslim sisters and brothers. Jim Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Grace and peace to you, as we continue to utilize the gifts we have been given to affirm that God has given us the ministry of reconciliation and has entrusted the message of reconciliation to us. (2 Cor. 5:18-19) On Sunday October 21, UCC General Minister and President John Thomas will preach at Old South Church. He is the lead speaker in a fall series, sponsored by Old South, called “Getting Religion Right: Beyond Stereotypes and Statistics.” The series will also include (among others) the leaders from the Daughters of Abraham project (11/4) http://www.daughtersofabraham.info/ , and the Most Reverend Desmond Tutu (10/27). (Click this link for more information on the series: http://www.oldsouth.org/3faiths.htm ) Media attention has already begun to focus on former Archbishop Tutu. (Globe article 10/14) His speech, in addition to being part of the Old South series, is the keynote address of a conference being held at Old South. Archbishop Tutu is the International Patron of Sabeel, a Palestinian Christian international grassroots peace movement based in Jerusalem. For many years, Sabeel has been a partner of the UCC as well as many other US churches. On its website (www.sabeel.org) Sabeel states its commitment to peace through non-violent means, a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in freedom and security. As the Conference staff person responsible for ecumenical and interfaith relations, I want you to know about these events and the opportunities they offer to expand your understanding of inter-religious relationships and other faith traditions. I believe that interfaith dialog is among the most urgent and important activities in which we can engage. From the beginning of my ministry among you, one of my top priorities has been to establish dialog and strong relationships with representatives of various faith traditions. And along with our Conference’s financial support, I actively participate in the work of the Massachusetts Council of Churches. (http://www.masscouncilofchurches.org/) I also want you to know what the news coverage is already highlighting – interfaith discussion on the Middle East is challenging, spiritually demanding, controversial, and risky. In today’s world especially, it is also especially rewarding. That’s why it’s so important for each of us to make time to develop meaningful, enduring relationships with people from other faith traditions. Can you find a way to add your congregation to the dozens which are already engaged in interfaith dialog? (For example, South Congregational Church of Barnstable in Centerville is holding a conference on November 10-11). And if your congregation is already engaged in one or another form of interfaith work, could you write out a brief description of your work for our Conference Commission on Ecumenism and send it to sordillow@macucc.org. For more information on the work of this Commission, click: http://www.macucc.org/ecumenism/index.htm We live in a time when the Dalai Lama is given the Congressional Gold Medal. We live in a time when 138 Muslim scholars, clerics and intellectuals have unanimously come together for the first time since the days of the Prophets to declare the common ground between Christianity and Islam. Here is their Open Letter seeking cooperation with Christians as a step towards peace: http://www.acommonword.com/ Let us work for a time when the Kingdom of God will be more fully reflected in our relationships with our Jewish and Muslim sisters and brothers. Jim Antal |
