Letter to the Editors
Departments
Duane Shank, Carol Fennelly 7-01-1998
One of the most important goals of the Call to Renewal is to unite Christians who traditionally have not worked together, on the issue of poverty. We are using the metaphor of a "roundtable" to describe a new partnership. These local roundtables are not a new organization, but a table that can bring people together for common action.
Organizing these local roundtables is a central part of the development of the Call to Renewal network. It is an opportunity to build new relationships and connections, to engage in vital discussion about the church’s responsibility to the poor. It is a chance to discover new ideas, to explore common ground, and to profile some of the best faith-based programs in the community. An active roundtable can strengthen the voice and impact of the churches in the debate and process of welfare reform in their community and in the deeper biblical mission of overcoming poverty in our society.
Bringing together the right people for planning a roundtable is critical to its success. Representatives from the key Call to Renewal constituency groups—evangelicals, Catholics, historic black churches, Pentecostal, and mainline Protestant—should form the core of the table. Service providers, advocacy groups, local officials, and the business community then round it out.
In many communities, some of these groups already meet together; in very few are they all together. Call to Renewal is becoming the opportunity and the catalyst to bring together a full table. These new multisector partnerships working together can make a significant difference in most communities.
David Sparenberg 7-01-1998
I have come forth
to set my heart
on the ground
and to make a small
signal fire,
mixing smoke
with dust and clouds.
The blue-white
flame, with the orange
aura, bright
as the blood oranges
of the south,
this
will be the burning
of my soul.
How long
does a soul endure
in a changing place?
Jim Rice 7-01-1998
Faithfulness. For the unnamed "young girl" in the story of Naaman, it meant trusting in God’s healing power. For Amos, it was speaking truth when it would have been safer to keep quiet. For Martha’s sister Mary, it entailed choosing the "better part" at Jesus’ feet. And for Jesus, it meant a determined focus on his mission, even in the face of persecution, suffering, and ultimately death.
While the specifics of what it means to be faithful vary for different individuals, for each of us faithfulness involves laying aside our own agenda for the sake of others, a willingness to make sacrifices to do the right thing. It’s safe to assume that if something is easy, we’re not asking the right questions. Lucky for us, we’re not alone in this pursuit. We’ve been offered living waters that sustain and nourish us on our journey of faith.
The Editors 7-01-1998
This issue has the final "Signs & Wonders" column from contributing editor Joyce Hollyday.
Michael Berezowski 5-01-1998
A neighbor lent me his January-February 1998 issue knowing that I am an Eastern Rite Catholic (also known as the Byzantine Rite).
Douglas W. Smith 5-01-1998
I’M AFRAID THAT just when some wealthy individuals are organizing to ensure that their charity helps to reverse the unjust economic policies of our nation, Ted Turner’s widely publicize
J.G. Donders 5-01-1998
I WOULD LIKE to thank you in general for the excellent work you have been doing over all those years that I have been a subscriber to your journal.
Dennis Sheppard 5-01-1998
I JUST RECEIVED the January-February issue, and I want to thank you for the articles on male-female equality.
Paul Marshall 5-01-1998
RON DART’S commentary, "Beyond Clan Politics" (January-February 1998), discusses more than my own work, but permit me to focus on it alone.