Benders of the Arc Geoff Browning

This episode is a reprise of a webinar that the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship produced in March of 2022 in response to and out of concern for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As Christians we claim to follow the Prince of Peace and yet, we have to admit, the Christian church has been involved in and/or supported the Crusades and many wars throughout history. Ask almost any Christian and they will tell you they believe in peace and nonviolence. And yet, in times of war, especially when we see the suffering and death of innocent people, we are tempted to carve out exceptions to the use of war and violence. Nonviolence is often interpreted as passivity in the face of violence. So how do we avoid the saccharine solution of “thoughts and prayers” in times like this? None of us has all the answers, but we are seeking clarity and understanding while being faithful followers of the Prince of Peace. That is why we have two wonderful people to help us get this conversation started: The Rev. Deborah Lee and Rick Ufford-Chase.If you are interested in learning more about what it means to be a Peace Church, you can find information and the curriculum HERE.If you would like more information about the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, please visit us HERE.

I met the Rev. Dr. Ambrose Carroll when we both traveled to northern Minnesota in early June 2021 to support the water protectors who are resisting the building of a pipeline, called Line 3, that will bring even more dirty tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada to the Great Lakes. We were both there as part of an interfaith delegation in support of the Indigenous leaders who are putting their bodies on line to stop the building of this pipeline that will cut right through the treaty lands of the Anishinaabe people. Ambrose is the pastor of The Church by the Side of the Road in Berkeley, CA. He has a long resume of being a pastor and chaplain. He was a green fall fellow with Van Jones in Denver, CO working on green jobs and environmental justice. He met Sally Bingham, the founder of Interfaith Power & Light, and realized there aren’t many Black churches who are part of that movement and realized that has to change. 

Winona LaDuke speaking at the Treaty People Gathering in Minnesota in June of 2021

Celebrate Juneteenth with personal reflections, deeply connected music and joyful jams that celebrate freedom. Collette Lynner presents a playlist of Soul, R&B, & Gospel expressions of love, gratitude and jubilation to honor her family and declare that all Black Lives Matter.

This second of two episodes are dedicated to the efforts by people of the First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto, a member of the Presbyterian Church USA, to make their denomination a more welcoming and inclusive place for LGBTQ people. Listen to this interview with Derrick Kikuchi, Craig Wiesner, and the Rev. Dr. Diana Gibson.

The next two episodes are dedicated to the efforts by people of the First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto, a member of the Presbyterian Church USA, to make their denomination a more welcoming and inclusive place for LGBTQ people. Listen to this interview with Derrick Kikuchi, Craig Wiesner, and the Rev. Dr. Diana Gibson.