That it does. I've always been impressed with the variety we have in a relatively rural area.<div><br></div><div>For what it's worth, my response is aimed at Keely. I saw no room for interpretation with your note.<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Nov 28, 2010 at 10:22 AM, Tom Hansen <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com">thansen@moscow.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
My apologies for any misinterpretation my question may have caused.<br>
<br>
I am (obviously) not familiar with the number of churches here in Moscow<br>
and felt that the churches listed on the Interfaith Thanksgiving flyer<br>
represented a large (almost all) majority of local churches.<br>
<br>
You must admit, though, that the list encompasses a wide spectrum of faiths.<br>
<font color="#888888"><br>
Tom Hansen<br>
</font><div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
On Sun, November 28, 2010 10:14 am, Darrell Keim wrote:<br>
> So many churches are missing that I think assuming one is trying to send a<br>
> message by its absence from the list is unwarranted. Could be any number<br>
> of<br>
> reasons why a church isn't a member of a specific interfaith group.<br>
><br>
> On Sun, Nov 28, 2010 at 12:37 AM, keely emerinemix <<a href="mailto:kjajmix1@msn.com">kjajmix1@msn.com</a>><br>
> wrote:<br>
><br>
>> Well, my church, Rock Church, isn't listed.<br>
>><br>
>> And yet I have no doubt that the spirit of offering thanksgiving to<br>
>> Yahweh,<br>
>> the Allah of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob -- and genuinely loving every<br>
>> person<br>
>> that God created, without exception -- is utterly consistent with my<br>
>> church<br>
>> family's commitment to demonstrating and offering Shalom/Salaam/Gospel<br>
>> Peace<br>
>> to our world.<br>
>><br>
>> It's not that I feel the need to defend my church; it doesn't need my<br>
>> defense. But while I know there are a lot of good people of faith who<br>
>> didn't, for whatever reason, attend the dinner, the current climate of<br>
>> what<br>
>> passes for Christianity on the Palouse does raise questions about<br>
>> whether a<br>
>> church group's non-attendance is innocuous, meant to send a message, or<br>
>> was<br>
>> an intentional rejection of the event's purpose. I think that our<br>
>> church --<br>
>> a dozen very diverse people intentionally without a pastor, led by two<br>
>> women<br>
>> and two men, all imperfect but committed to worshiping Christ together<br>
>> and<br>
>> living out the Gospel in the homes, church, community, and world we're<br>
>> in --<br>
>> very likely wasn't aware of the gathering.<br>
>><br>
>> But maybe some were; I don't know. I do know that at Rock, we tend to<br>
>> equip, encourage, and expect our sisters and brothers to do whatever it<br>
>> is<br>
>> God has called them to do in the world, and do so as individuals; we<br>
>> don't<br>
>> "do ministry" *as a church* as much as we "do equipping" so that our<br>
>> people use their gifts, influence, and passion to serve their neighbors.<br>
>> As<br>
>> I imagine is the case with all of the faithful, we want to focus on<br>
>> *being<br>
>> *and not simply on *doing. *Our people collect Christmas presents for<br>
>> kids overseas, sponsor other children, practice and preach gender<br>
>> equality,<br>
>> work at the Food Bank at St. Mary's, minister at Good Sam, develop<br>
>> genuine<br>
>> friendships with people who feel unloved or outcast, volunteer with the<br>
>> disabled, pray consistently and fervently for peace, march in the LGBT<br>
>> Pride<br>
>> Parade, and seek out ways to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly<br>
>> with<br>
>> our God. We assume that other Christians do the same, and so do<br>
>> non-Christian faith-living people, and so do those who reject religious<br>
>> belief but give to their community.<br>
>><br>
>> As I said, my point isn't to defend my church, although I'm always happy<br>
>> to<br>
>> introduce to others these people I love so dearly, and who, amazingly,<br>
>> love,<br>
>> respect, and support me -- that's not something I've ever had before in<br>
>> church. And I think Tom raises in his question some important issues,<br>
>> given<br>
>> the bigotry permeating the Palouse in the name of Christ. So I've<br>
>> answered<br>
>> his question, speaking only about my church as a part of it and not<br>
>> officially representing Rock here or anywhere else. As always, i<br>
>> appreciate<br>
>> Tom's profound and demonstrated concern for injustice, intolerance, and<br>
>> incivility -- in Moscow and elsewhere. I'm interested in what other<br>
>> Visionaires think.<br>
>><br>
>> Keely<br>
>> <a href="http://www.keely-prevailingwinds.com" target="_blank">www.keely-prevailingwinds.com</a><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>> > Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2010 17:44:06 -0800<br>
>> > From: <a href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com">thansen@moscow.com</a><br>
>> > To: <a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>
>> > Subject: [Vision2020] Curiosity Question<br>
>> ><br>
>> > Hi, V-peeps -<br>
>> ><br>
>> > I know that there are lots and lots of churches located here in<br>
>> Vandalville.<br>
>> ><br>
>> > Just out of curiosity, can anybody "in the know" identify any local<br>
>> > churches NOT listed at . . .<br>
>> ><br>
>> ><br>
>> <a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/interfaiththanksgiving/InterfaithThanksgivingProgram_111810_04.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/interfaiththanksgiving/InterfaithThanksgivingProgram_111810_04.jpg</a><br>
>> ><br>
>> > Thanks,<br>
>> ><br>
>> > Tom Hansen<br>
>> > Moscow, Idaho<br>
>> ><br>
>> > "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to<br>
>> change<br>
>> > and the Realist adjusts his sails."<br>
>> ><br>
>> > - Unknown<br>
>> ><br>
>> ><br>
>> > =======================================================<br>
>> > List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>
>> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br>
>> > <a href="http://www.fsr.net" target="_blank">http://www.fsr.net</a><br>
>> > mailto:<a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>
>> > =======================================================<br>
>><br>
>> =======================================================<br>
>> List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>
>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br>
>> <a href="http://www.fsr.net" target="_blank">http://www.fsr.net</a><br>
>> mailto:<a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>
>> =======================================================<br>
>><br>
><br>
<br>
<br>
"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change<br>
and the Realist adjusts his sails."<br>
<br>
- Unknown<br>
<br>
<br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br></div>