When I was a teenager several members of my church got excited about the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua. This was a time when many politically progressive Christians hoped the rebels who overthrew the U.S. backed dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza might have the opportunity to establish a government, and a Central America, that was the embodiment of liberal values espoused and shared by…

Friends, The immigration crisis that involves people fleeing violence in Central America to find safety in the United States has reached the East Bay’s Presbyterian community. Primera Iglesia Presbyteriana is a Spanish-Language Presbyterian congregation that worships on High Street in East Oakland. In recent months they have been joined by several Central American families in need of protection and, possibly, sanctuary. Primera…

Friends, At the end of June I wrote in this column about the positive experience I had walking thought East Oakland with an ecumenical group of people who long for peace and economic prosperity in our city’s poorest neighborhoods. The walk symbolized our commitment to build relationships with and to work alongside our neighbors who live in Oakland’s lower elevations. I’ll be…

Friends, On the fourth Friday of June I participated in an ecumenically-organized march though East Oakland. The group wasn’t huge—we numbered 24—but the impact was powerful. We held signs calling for an end to violence and the ethnically-diverse group of us walked through a neighborhood that has seen far too much violence in recent decades. As we walked together we came to…

Family Camp was wonderful. On our last day at Lake Tahoe, my daughter, Mimi and I rented a double kayak and we decided to paddle out to the part of the lake where the color of the water reaches is deepest blue. I have no idea how far out it was, but we were paddling for the better part of a half…

Dear Friends, This Sunday is Pentecost, which is one of my favorite days on the Church calendar. Pentecost is the day that traditionally is considered the birthday of the Church, but I love Pentecost because the story of the Holy Spirit being poured out on the followers of Jesus reminds us that our faith ties us to Christians around the world. At…

Dear Friends, I want to say how excited I am that our congregation is on the cusp of installing solar panels on our church property. For sixteen years I served a congregation that had the distinction of being the first certified “green business” in Santa Clara County, and the first congregation in the Presbyterian Church (USA) to be recognized officially as a…

On Sunday I preached about doubt, and on Monday, as if by providence, my friend Frank Schaeffer sent me an electronic review copy of his newly-released book, Why I am an Atheist who Believes in God. Frank is the child of Francis and Edith Schaeffer, who were among the most influential Evangelical Protestant leaders of the 20th century. Based in Switzerland, where…