Ocelot?

I recently got onto Dawn's blog and discovered that she has a daemon! Apparently, this daemon is part of a movie promotion (the setting, at least, sounds very intriguing so far, if you're into the whole sci-fi/fantasy scene) and is an avatar intended to represent who you are.

I had to try it out!

If you look in my sidebar, you'll what daemon was chosen for me in response to the little test I took. What I want to know is, do you all think it describes me? You have a chance to weigh in on the subject! You have 12 days before that daemon becomes mine forever, please click on her before that happens to see if we all agree on what I'm like!

Go on! Click it! I'll wait...


Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
050907

Water and Walking

This Sunday afternoon is the CROP walk, a fundraising campaign to end world hunger through Church World Service I've been on many of these walks over the years, especially if you count the ones where I was dragged along in a little red wagon by my parents. It's not even a question for me every year. I'm going. But here's a little something for those of you who may not get the why's and the wherefor's of the thing. It's a true story I recently found in a publication put out by CWS. Although it's a story about water, not food, it still puts a whole new perspective on the mantra, "We Walk Because They Walk."

Water: The Rest of the story...

Our jeep came to an abrupt halt at the end of the dusty road leading to the entrance of the small Malawi village of Maziyaya. We got out, made our way throught he brush and then a cornfield, until we came to a clearing. There stood the new well. The entire "Well Committee" had assembled there to greet us. Ms. Andrea, the president of the group thanked the members of our visiting Church World Service staff group for, as she put it, CWS's kind gift of clean, accessible water.

Because I like to help people here in the United States identify with the long distances that women and children in the developing world have to walk each day to get water, I asked the inevitable question: "How far did you have to walk to get water before the well was installed?"

We had to walk to the river," she answered. "It's about 1 1/4 kilometers from here."
Thinking of the 5 km and 10 km distances that most participants hike in the United States in our annumal CROP Hunger Walks, I said quietly to a colleague standing next to me: "Hmmm.. that's not too bad."

Fate being cruel, my comment — which had not been intended for the women — was heard by the interpreter and, with a lack of any malice, translated to the members of the well committee.

The president of the group, Ms. Andrea, stepped forward and spoke directly to me.
"You're right; it's not that bad &emdash; at least not for grown women. We're used to it. But it's very hard for the little ones."

I felt my face flush. Of course I knew that. I'd worked for 10 years in very poor countries in Latin America. How, ever, had I forgotten how arduous was the daily hauling of water? I began to wish I'd kept my mouth shut.

Ms. Andrea continued: "You see, water's very heavy."

I swallowed hard. I knew that, too; but she was correct in assuming that most Americans, who don't have to haul water every day, may not. There is probably nothing that we consume on a daily basis, besides air, that we take more for granted than the easy availability of clean water. The age-old dictum sounded in my head: "A pint's a pound the world around." I was embarrassed.

"Not to mention the fact," she went on, "that a long of our children are sick."

I'd seen that immediately upon our arrival in the village. It is estimated that 60% of rural families in the developing world still do not have access to safe drinking water. For children who are malnourished, waterborne diseases can bring on diarrheal infections that dehydrate, lowering the body's electorlytes, and can spell death in as few as 48 hours. My discomfort was growing. I was mortified and wanted to go and hide.

"Not to mention the fact that the river is downhill from here and the children had to carry the water back up the hill," she added.

Humiliation is too euphemistic a word to describe what I was feeling. Yet it's important to state that she was saying these things in no way to "put me down" but out of a sincere desire to help me understand just how precious this new well was to them. Still, I was squirming.

"Not to mention the fact," she again went on, "that the river water is polluted with schistosomiasis, guinea worm, and other waterborne bacteria, so that once we'd hauled it back here to the village, we had to do more walking to find firewood in order to boil the water to make it safe to drink."

I wondered: How long would this verbal, even if unintended, flogging go on? I wanted to find a hole and crawl into it when, mercifully, Ms. Andrea put an end to my misery.

"Not to mention the fact," she concluded, "that getting water from the river was dangerous for the children."

"Dangerous? How so?" I asked, sensing a slight opening, the possibility of a slight reprieve, an opportunity to justify myself if, perchance, she might have gone too far out on a limb by using hyperbole with that adjective.

Speaking through the interpreter she explained, again matter-of-factly, "The river is crocodile infested."

It was the coup de grâce.

Today, even after 10 years have passed, when I turn on the water in my kitchen sink it's hard not to think of the village of Maziyaya, and my embarrassing faux pas. Far outweighing my short-lived discomfort of then, however, is the wonderful remembrance today of what a blessing clean drinking water is for one small village, far away, in the heart of Africa.

Joe Moran, Regional Director of Church World Service in the Carolinas, has worked in international development for 36 years.

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
050107

And A Little Child Shall Lead Them

I received this forwarded to me in an e-mail today, and just had to share it with you! (Ok, it didn't come with the picture, it's just a stock photo, but it's just precious, isn't it?)

I think sometimes we all lose site of what being a parent is all about. Sometimes when life moves fast we all too often expect our children to keep up with us, not remembering that they are small and just need to learn or want to learn about life. I myself have found it hard to take my time when I "need" to be someplace and I often get frustrated with my children because they just don't seem to think that the "need" to be some place is really all that important...they are right! I am learning that I must slow down to look at the flower and try to see life from the eyes of my children...with that perspective life is incredible! I found this on a website and I thought it was a great reminder...slow down, love life and cherish every moment with your children before you know it they will be doing it with children of their own!

Love to all

Jenn


10 Child Commandments To Parents

1. My hands are small; please don't expect perfection whenever I make a bed, draw a picture or throw a ball. My legs are short; please slow down so that I can keep up with you.

2. My eyes have not seen the world as yours have; please let me explore safely. Don't restrict me unnecessarily.

3. Housework will always be there. I'm only little for a short time, please take time to explain things to me about this wonderful world and do so willingly.

4. My feelings are tender; please be sensitive to my needs. Don't nag me all day long. (You wouldn't want to be nagged for your inquisitiveness. Treat me as you would like to be treated.

5. I am a special gift from God; please treasure me as God intended you to do, holding me accountable for my actions, giving me guidelines to live by and disciplining me in a loving manner.

6. I need your encouragement to grow. Please go easy on the criticism; remember, you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me.

7. Please give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail, so that I can learn from my mistakes. Then someday I'll be prepared to make the kinds of decisions that life requires of me.

8. Please don't do things over for me. Somehow that makes me feel that my efforts didn't quite measure up to your expectations. I know it's hard, but please don't try to compare me to my brother or sister.

9. Please don't be afraid to leave for a weekend together. Kids need vacations from parents, just as parents need vacations from kids. Besides, it's a great way to show us kids that your marriage is very special.

10. Please take me to Sunday School and church regularly, setting a good example for me to follow. I enjoy learning more about God.

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
042507

Buzz Kill

Some days it is more difficult to hold on to the promise of Eastertide than others. This Monday, April 16th, at 7pm at the Unitarian Universalist church, the Clergy Association is presenting, "The Holocaust: An Interfaith Service." I want to share with you the real testimonial of a Holocaust survivor which I will be reading aloud at the service. (When I get the information myself, I will post the title and editor of the collection this testimonial comes from.)

We began to feel more distinctly how the ghetto was being emptied. We realized our turn would be coming soon. All the lovely things we did in the lovely Terezin. It was done all under pressure, to retain our own dignity. That's what they wanted to take away from us, our dignity. That we had to fight for. And in that respect, we succeeded.

Not that we all of a sudden felt superior, but we insisted on being ourselves, no matter how hard it was, how hard the circumstances were. Each block elder had to supply the Jewish administration every morning with a number of people they selected for deportation. A miserable job, but it had to be done—there was no way out, we just accepted it, because we were completely powerless in this situation.

But we continued conducting our services. The services were held during the summer in the open, in the courtyard. Masses of people came there every Friday night, and we sang with a choir and the real music they remembered from their homes, whether Berlin or Vienna. Basically the same melodies so they could join, and they're praying. If anybody had reason to pray, it was us.

In the wintertime, because we couldn't do it outside, we went to the attic, a very, very small area, with all these beams going every which way. We squeezed in there and I haven't prayed like this in the United States, with that intensity, not one single time. Not that I want to wish for having to pray this way. And so we did this, and this was very successful. It gave people hope and faith in the midst of all things that were happening.

Kurt M.
Germany

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
041207

Easter! tide...

Ok, so I didn't have the umph to post on Easter proper, but it's still Eastertide! And a couple of people have told me that they enjoyed my post on Chocolate Jesus, so I guess it's ok that I left that up. As you can see, I've changed my background again... an ivy-covered grave seems to be a not bad metaphor for the Resurrection, right? Speaking of which, here's on more pic from Eva. It usually makes me think of the Resurrection of Lazarus, not Jesus, but the one points to the other...

This is one of the pilots of the giant robots (not the one from my Good Friday post, though) and she's just been through a traumatic experience. The robot went berserk with her inside! In desperation, the folk monitering the 'bot ejected her cockpit and waited for the robot to run out of power. Gendo Ikari, man in charge and general father figure, rushes onto the scene and opens the red-hot cockpit with his bare hands. The amniotic-like fluid that fills the cockpit pours out, and Ikari peers inside... and Rei lifts her head to meet his gaze. Birth, womb, death, tomb, father, child, resurrection... I see them all in this moment.

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
041007

My Sweet Lord (Good Friday, pt II)

A thought on the controversy. As near as I can tell, what has the Catholic League up in arms is not that this statue of Jesus was crafted from chocolate. (After all, who doesn't like chocolate?) The issue, apparently, is that this statue of Jesus is naked and anatomically correct. The Catholic League sees this as "demeaning our holiest time."

Holy Week is, indeed, our holiest time--it is when we confront and celibrate the events which are the very core of who we are as Christians. Holy Week is a solemn time of celebration. It is a time to consider the horrifying degredation, beating, whipping, stabbing, and final suffocating torturous death of the Messiah... and somehow find there our own hope and salvation. It is a time to be loved and to be disturbed. Holy Week is a poetic paradox indicating the divine. As Christians, we believe that Jesus was both human and divine, nothing less than the Incarnation of God. To believe that is to know in your heart that God, in the flesh, was stripped (see John 19:23-25) and died an agonizing death. I believe that a chocolate statue of the crucified Jesus is a beautiful and brutal way to enact this holy paradox. And I believe that if we can consider the utter humiliation and ruthless execuation of any man, let alone the Son of God, as "our holiest time," then we have no business becoming offended by the idea that Jesus had a penis.

To get hung up on his genitals seems to miss the point entirely, doesn't it?

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
040607

A Pregnant Moment (Good Friday)

The background today comes from Neon Genesis Evangelion. I posted about it in the beginning of Lent. There is a place in the story where a good 10 or 15 seconds look exactly like this:

Here we have two people locked in a life or death decision: the pilot of the giant robot and the incredibly powerful being caught up in the robot's fist. The powerful being has let himself be caught and has in fact asked the pilot to kill him. And by this point in the story, we should believe that his death is for the best, really. In fact, the powerful being has forced the issue, the only question is: Will the pilot kill be able to bring himself to do it? It has always reminded me of Pilate, with Jesus before him. Pilate does not want to kill Jesus, he believes him to be innocent. But despite everything he does and says to try to spare Jesus, his hand is forced.

Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified, and the pilot of the giant robot simply squeezes.

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
040607

Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday marks the transition from the sweet hosannas of the Triumphal Entry we just reinacted on Palm Sunday into the horror of the Crucifixion. It's worth pointing out that the word Maundy is traced back to the Latin translation of the new commandment Jesus gave the disciples immediately after washing their feet... to love one another. And as John 15:13 tells us, no one has greater love than this, to lay one's life down for one's friends. Jesus knows that he is about to do just this. Maundy Thursday is when we celebrate Jesus' washing of his disciples' feet, the institution of the Lord's Supper, and the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. Tonight there will be a Tenebrae service. Tenebrae means "shadows," and the shadows will certainly be closing in as, one by one, we snuff our candles tonight. Enjoy the candle flames in the background of the blog today. Tomorrow they will be gone.

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
040507

Dear God...

A member of my congregation sent these to me in an e-mail the other day. I thought they were wicked cute, and I hope you do too!

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
033007

PS Having read through them all again, there's one more thought... Children pray with a sincerity and openness that we should all strive for. And a little child will lead them...

1. Dear God,
Please put another holiday between Christmas and Easter. There is nothing good in there now.
Amanda

2. Dear God,
Thank you for the baby brother but what I asked for was a puppy. I never asked for anything before. You can look it up.
Joyce

3. Dear Mr.God,
I wish you would not make it so easy for people to come apart. I had to have 3 stitches and a shot.
Janet

4. God,
I read the bible. What does beget mean? Nobody will tell me.
Love Alison

5. Dear God,
How did you know you were God? Who told you?
Charlene

6. Dear God,
Is it true my father won't get in Heaven if he uses his golf words in the house?
Anita

7. Dear God,
I bet it's very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it.
Nancy

8. Dear God,
I like the story about Noah the best of all of them. You really made up some good ones. I like walking on water, too.
Glenn

9. Dear God,
My Grandpa says you were around when he was a little boy. How far back do you go?
Love, Dennis

10. Dear God,
Do you draw the lines around the countries? If you don't, who does?
Nathan

11. Dear God,
Did you mean for giraffes to look like that or was it an accident?
Norma

12. Dear God,
In bible times, did they really talk that fancy?
Jennifer

13. Dear God,
How come you did all those miracles in the old days and don't do any now?
Billy

14. Dear God,
Please send Dennis Clark to a different summer camp this year.
Peter

15. Dear God,
Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they each had their own rooms. It works out OK with me and my brother.
Larry


16. Dear God,
I keep waiting for spring, but it never did come yet. What's up? Don't forget.
Mark

17. Dear God,
My brother told me about how you are born but it just doesn't sound right. What do you say?
Marsha

18. Dear God,
If you watch in Church on Sunday I will show you my new shoes.
Barbara

19. Dear God,
Is Reverend Coe a friend of yours, or do you just know him through the business?
Donny

20. Dear God,
I do not think anybody could be a better God than you. Well, I just want you to know that. I am not just saying that because you are already God.
Charles

21. Dear God,
It is great the way you always get the stars in the right place. Why can't you do that with the moon?
Jeff

22. Dear God,
I am doing the best I can. Really !!!!
Frank

23. Dear God,
I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday night. That was really cool.
Thomas

Warning!

If you startle easily or have a heart condition, do not view the following video.



Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
032807

Driven Before the Lord

One of my goals for the year is to get another book study kicked off. The idea is to push myself and appeal to a different audience than joined me for The Chronicles of Narnia. Well, earlier this year, Pastor Ed kindly reminded me of my goal, and so I started actively looking for a book to focus on. That's when Elizabeth mentioned that she was reading a book based on the story of the prophet Hosea. All I could remember of his story was that God told him to go marry a prostitute. I'd always read the story as God creating in Hosea's life a microcosm of God's relationship with Israel. And no, Israel does not choose to play the role of the loving husband. Elizabeth, as usual, took up the perspective of the one character I hadn't given enough thought to. Not Israel, but the actual prostitute. Of course, Jesus would expect us to pay the most attention to the "least" character. I had to read this book. So I had Elizabeth give me the pertinent info,
Redeeming Love, a novel by Francine Rivers. I finally got around to ordering it last week, and I started reading last Friday during the Nor'easter that brought us snow, sleet, and generally deep frozen ickiness. It intrigued me right off the bat, even if I did fall asleep reading it on the couch. (I'm sure that had more to do with the amount of energy it takes to drive around in the snow, sleet, and generally deep frozen ickiness all morning.) This week, it went in huge chunks, and last night I couldn't put it down. The story, and the Good Lord speaking directly through it, had ahold of me, and so I gave in to it. It was the wee hours before I got to bed, but it was worth it.

I'm totally starting a book study of this one, folks. Just as soon as I can pull it together. Considering that it's still Lent, that might mean it'll take a while. (And no, I haven't had any caffeine to counteract the lack of sleep...!) But I was blown away, and inspired, by this one--and I plan on sharing that with others!

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
032307

Up the Walls

"By the way, Josh, long time, no blog."

Well, Dawn, when you're right, you're right. So, a couple of weeks ago (yeah, geeze, long time no blog indeed) our Junior High youth group went to one of those rock-climbing places, where I immediately attempted to be thirteen again.


Look! I made it all the way up!

Now, I know I look awkward, but really... ok, I'm awkward.

But I made it! All by myself! Unless you count the nice man holding the bottom of the net so it would stop swinging... Wasn't Dawn nice to not get him in the shot?

I'm just waiting for photo releases from the youth who went on the trip, then I can show you all how it's supposed to look!

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
032107

Elizabeth Abolitionist

The other day I was talking with a mother in my congregation about skateboarding laws, because I'm considering getting one to ride to work in the morning. It seemed important to make sure that I wouldn't be breaking any laws to do so! It turns out that there aren't any laws about skateboarding down the sidewalks, but that you can't skate in places where it's posted that you can't. I suppose that businesses are concerned about possible skater-patron collisions, but I also suspect that there's also a degree of irrational fear involved. Skaters tend to travel in groups, and any time there are groups of young people, "old" people get scared. (I know 20-somethings who get nervous at the sight of a group of teens hanging out together, to in this case "old" really is very relative!) Irrational or not, it's bad for business to scare off the "old" people--cause the "old" people have money!

But it still bugs me. We're literally surrounded by extraordinary teenagers who are passionate forces of good in the world. Take Elizabeth for example. You may have read her blog, considering that I have it linked in my sidebar. Elizabeth has a lot of good things going for her, but today I'd like to highlight her abolitionist work.
She is deeply involved with Justice for Children International, a charitable organization which stands opposed to human trafficking with a focus on child sex trafficking. Elizabeth recently held a fundraiser here at the church, and because she brought that attention to JFCI, our Board of Benevolance and Social Concerns is considering allocating money to support the group. Elizabeth was even recently featured on the JFCI website!

So next time you feel nervous around a group of teens, ask yourself if any of them are Elizabeth.
Ask yourself if any of them are fighting racism, or homophobia, or child sex trafficking. Ask yourself what it is exactly that you're scared of? Because most likely, you don't have any reason to be scared at all.

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
030507

The Seven Day Itch

Seventh day of Lent, and I've already slipped! (Boohiss) Did the lack-of-caffeine headache send me to it? Did I just need a boost to get me through that World of Warcraft binge?

No.

I blame Subway.


Jenny asked me to pick up Subway for lunch, so I swung by on my way back to the apartment. I entered the store and used the ATM to pull some cash to pay with. I ordered two foot-long subs (I eat half now, and half later.), one roast beef on Italian with provalone, lettuce, green peppers and light mayo, one turkey on honey oat with American cheese, lettuce, green peppers and light mayo. (Quite the pair, aren't we?) And then I see the sign. If I add in a drink and some chips I can get one sammich free. Free!
So I nab some Sun Chips, pay, take my cup and quickly grab... I dunno... Diet Coke. I put on a lid. I grab a straw, bang it on the counter until one end emerges then pull it free with my teeth. I pop the straw into the cup, take a sip, take two steps... and... Oh bother. That has caffeine, doesn't it?



Sigh.

Force of habit, enemy of change everywhere. We'll have to watch me at the movies, too.

Anyway, pray for my slip and that there will be no more!

Oh, and be good to each other.
Rev. Josh
022807

I Wage Peace

I found the link to this video through the I Wage Peace website. If you drive I-95 through CT, you may have seen their billboards. I'm really impressed with I Wage Peace so far! Enjoy the video, and go visit their site.

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
022707

Nerve

You've probably noticed by now that my cute little Valentine's "I Love You" graphic has dissapered from the background of my blog and replaced with this.



And you might (perhaps "should"?) be asking yourself what it means. It's a reference to a popular anime series entitled Neon Genesis Evangelion. At first glance, it looks like just another giant robot show. (Like when I was watching Voltron when I was a kid. I had no idea it came out of Japan!) Well, maybe a particularly decent giant robo show.
Then, I noticed something in one of the first major battles of the series. The giant robots are fighting up in the city, and there is an explosion. The explosion shoots up the street, and then spreads into two side streets as the explosion continues up... making the form of a cross. I really wish I could find that image for you, but I haven't been able to. Needless to say, I started paying a little more attention--there were obviously multiple layers of meaning here! And sure enough, Evangelion draws from all kinds of religious imagery, including The Tree of Life as it is understood in the Kabbalah of Judaism, The Well of Souls from the same, Christian crosses, images creepily reminiscent of crucifixion, The Lance of Longinus, plus (according to the DVD commentary) plenty of ancient Babylonian imagery that I don't have the background for. And that's not even the half of it!



Of course, like any good story, it actually comes down to the people involved. And I think that I always turn back to Evangelion during Lent because it does such a good job at showing how broken we all are. How we all make our own mistakes for our own reasons... and of course there's the scene where one of the characters sacrifices himself for the good of humanity in a sudden and gruesome manner.



To sum up, Neon Genesis Evangelion is an apocalyptic anime that draws from a lot of religious imagery. It does a great job of exploring the fallen nature of humanity, which actually meshes very well with the introspection we are expected to do during Lent. You can find the series and the movie(s) (which are a digest of the series followed by a re-imagining of the ending) on Netflix, but you should be aware that they are unrated. There is a lot of violence of varying degrees and and a couple of "adult" situations. If it were rated, I'd guess that most episodes would be PG-13, but some definately trip over into R-rated territory (usually for violence).

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
022307

Ash Thursday!

Ok, ok, I know... but I got busy yesterday, and so you're getting the Ash Wednesday post today. As many of you are aware, Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent There are a lot of really interesting traditions and disciplines associated with Lent, from Bible study, to fasting, to prayer, to giving something up for the duration. Wikipedia has a pretty decent explanation of fasting and abstinence as it relates to Lent, so I won't go into oodles of detail here. We remember that Jesus went out into the wilderness and fasted for 40 days. (Just as Jesus remembered Israel wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.) We remember the events leading up to the suffering death (and later Resurrection) of Jesus.

The ironic thing is that the 40 days of Lent actually don't count Sundays... the days when most of us are most likely to be thinking about Lent. You see, we worship on Sunday because that's the day Jesus was raised from the dead. So Sundays are always celebrations of the Resurrection. And Lent is preparation for the Resurrection... it points to it, in a way, but doesn't get to celebrate it. So Lent doesn't include Sundays.


Anyway, that's why I like to encourage people to take on a Lenten discipline. For exaple, I myself have given up caffeine for Lent. Every time I crave a soda, desire a caffeinated pick-me-up, or yawn in the middle of the day, I am reminded that it is Lent. Now, if you aren't addicted to caffein, giving it up means nothing. Mary Kate Olsen should not be fasting. (In fact, if you're thinking of fasting, speak to your doctor and find out how to go about it right. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Harford has a concise definition of what they mean by fasting.) The point is to do what will work for you, but to do something!

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
022207

Wow. Now that's a big "oops"

Ok, it's not the most terrible mistake ever made, but I feel kinda bad, anyway. I'd been beating myself up and even complaining about the lack of comments on my blog. I have always intended for it to be a place where folk can safely comment on whatever I've posted. Well... somewhere along the line I enabled comment moderation, most likely so I could delete spam. I now have the little "type what you see in the pic" filter up, so that spam is no longer a problem, but, well, to make a long story short, I recently discovered a good half a dozen comments that never went up because they were waiting for me to "moderate" them. I reserve the right to moderate, but now at least I have it set up to let me know via my e-mail when a new comment is waiting... on me... to let it go up.

I hope.

So, sorry everyone! Sorry new people! Sorry old friends... (so that amounts to Elizabeth and Layrinn, but sorry anyway...)

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
021507

Amistad Follow-Up

If you want to learn more about the Freedom Schooner Amistad, check out their web site!

Mark Your Calendars for Amistad!

I'm sure that many, if not most of us, have seen the movie Amistad at some point or another. It was a great film, and worth a watch if you haven't yet. Any time you see someone up in the rigging of the ship in that film, you are in actuality seeing folk from the Mystic Seaport Museum, in Mystic, CT... practically in my parents' backyard! But what the film did not manage to do well, was highlight the role of Congregational Christians (many of whom later became members of the UCC) in the whole incident. In fact, Stratford Congregational minister, Joshua Leavitt was appointed to the American Anti-Slavery Society executive committee in 1833, became editor of The Emanicpator in 1837, visited the Amistad prisoners several times in 1839-41, and helped orgnize the Amboitionist or Liberty Party.

If you're anywhere near New Haven, CT on June 21st—even if you aren't a member of the UCC and are just into your American history—you might want to come see off the Freedom Schooner Amistad on its first trans-Atlantic journey, including a stop in Sierra Leone, West Africa—the country of origen of the Amistad captives. According to the Connecticut Conference of the UCC, the Freedom Schooner Amistad

...will set sail to Shelburne and Halifax, Nova Scotia. After a voyage across the North Atlantic the Amistad will participate in the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in England. Then it is on to Lisbon, Portugal, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Dakar, Senegal, San Juan, Puerto Rico and a return to New Haven with stops in Charleston, SC, Washington, DC and New York City.

For more information, contact Rev. Kent Siladi, kents@ctucc.org or (203) 453-0614!

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
020907