No more Sins By Silence. Stopping Domestic Violence in Indiana

Brenda Clubine; founder of Convicted Women Against Abus

The Indianapolis metro area has suffered through a horrible year for domestic violence.  Angela Warnock in Brownsburg.  Beth Stayer in Zionsville/Anson a week earlier. Just before Christmas, Yvonne Kretzer was murdered by her husband in Plainfield.  There were 65 deaths in Indiana last year attributed to domestic violence.  Every day 1000 people seek help from domestic violence in Indiana alone.

Last night at Lockerbie Central United Methodist and Earth House, we screened the documentary Sin By Silence and heard from filmmaker Olivia Klaus.  Most amazingly, Brenda Clubine was there.  She is featured in the documentary and it was her work and vision that created Convicted Women Against Abuse; an innmate support and advocacy group that transformed California’s Domestic Violence laws.

Brenda was serving seventeen years to life for defending herself against her abusive husband.  Last night was the 1 year anniversary of her release from prison.

There is so much to be said about the movie and last night’s gathering.  There were tears, standing ovations, and a commitment to make Indiana free of all violence.

Thank you so much for the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence for  organizing this screening and bringing Ms. Clubine and Ms. Klaus to Indianapolis.

Filed under: Earth House, Thursday Night Film Festival, community, documentary, family life, film, film review, movie review, prison, prison justice, prison ministry, rememberances, united methodist , Indianapolis, Indiana, Earth House, lockerbie central, death, united methodist, documentary, zionsville, Brownsburg, violence, domestic violence, angela warnock, beth stayer, plainfield, anson, Yvonne Kretzer, Convicted Women Against Abuse, deaths, abuse, california, brenda clubine, sin by silence, olivia klaus, Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence

A Safe Place

Last night at Lockerbie Central United Methodist/ Earth House, we screened At The River I Stand.  This powerful (but old-fashioned) documentary tells the story of the 1967-1968 Memphis sanitation strike.  It was during his work to support this strike that Martin Luther King was assassinated.

But that’s not the point of this post.  After the movie last night a woman came into the church and needed help.

We get a lot of requests for help (but have few financial resources.) Admittedly, I have become a bit skeptical.  It took me a while to get there.

She had graduated from college recently, grown up in the suburbs.

She was also pregnant.

And homeless.  Had spent a long time spleeping in her car.

She had a job too but her husband was beating her.

She needed gas money to get out of town and get to her parent’s house.

She had  driven  by our church and saw our Earth House banner.  And felt a bit of hope she said. It made her feel safe.

She hung out with Jenxie–our vegetarian chef– that afternoon.  She said Jenxie made her feel safe.

We gave her gas money.

Hopefully, she made it home.

Filed under: Christians, Earth House, Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church, church, family life, film review, jesus , Indianapolis, Earth House, homeless, lockerbie central, family life, domestic violence, at the river i stand, martin lutker king, united mehtodist, gas money, pregnancy, asking for help, college

Thoughts on Catalyst and The Eerie Quiet

Catalyst bills itself as”the largest gathering of young leaders in the country…”

The Catalyst Conference is the largest gathering of young leaders in the country, but it pains us to call it just a conference. Catalyst is more than just a three-day event – it’s a movement, a convergence, an experience where you find yourself fully immersed in learning, worship, and creativity. Catalyst brings people together – the influencers, the do-ers, the cultural architects, and the change agents who will reclaim our communities and culture for good.

Catalyst has been described many ways but once you’ve experienced it, you’ll call it what we call it – pure leadership adrenaline.

A few years back I was in the Atlanta airport and there seemed to be thousands of people  wearing Catalyst backpacks, probaby catching planes back to where ever they came from.  I asked a guy next to me what it was all about and it did seem like an awesome gathering. And though this world is normally politically reactionary, it did seem that the organizers at Catalyst did offer some challenging words and ideas. Hopefully, they are trying to take the evangelical conversation in a different direction.

Anyways, my church, Lockerbie Central United Methodist, got a visit from  Catalyst’s LV Hanson on Sunday night.  LV is on the road meeting with young church leaders after hearing about our church from a friend.  He came to our Sunday night worship service and posted this on our blog:

I am familar with the predictable flow of church services that strive to leave people feeling encouraged and uplifted throughout the experience.  But right now, there is no flow leading me towards an entertained or comfortable place.  In this absence of the familiar I am facing myself, and the Lord is stirring an unsettled and convicted spirit.  The fog of my world is fading, and I am coming undone as I see the Lord behind the backdrop of this facede that I so often champion.

Maybe that is why Lockerbie will continue to struggle to grow numerically as “…there is no flow leading me towards an entertained or comfortable place” or not get the support from the United Indiana Methodist conference that we deserve.  We are a church that (intentionally or not) that forces people  and other churches out of their comfort zone.  We aren’t afraid to speak truth to power or call a spade a spade.

But that is why we struggle on.  Because a church needs to have a prophetic voice, needs to connect people with the deep and radical traditions of the early and historic churches.  We got a long way to go and we need to grow, but LV’s blog is right on.

Filed under: Christians, Earth House, Indiana, Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church, bible, church, emergent church, evangelism , Indianapolis, worship, lockerbie central, social justice, emergent, united methodist, lockerbie central united methodist, Catalyst, conference, the eerie quiet, evangelical, blog, LV, Lv hanson, Indiana United Methodist conference, Atlanta, quiet, silence