missional church

GREEN JUNCTION: The earth’s natural balances have been disrupted BY JULIE PELLER PH.D

The severe, unprecedented weather associated with increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is more concerning every passing year. The recent record heat in the US Northwest made headline news for several days. Temperatures in Portland, Oregon, reached 116oF, higher than other cities in the US have ever reached, except Phoenix and Las Vegas. […]

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GREEN JUNCTION: What resources from Mother Nature do you treasure and protect? BY JULIE PELLER PH.D

The reason we hear about semiconductors in the news is due to the shortage of semiconductor chips. Semiconductors are materials that have properties that are essential in most electronic devices. Silicon is the most widely used semiconductor. It is an element and is often produced by heating silicon dioxide (sand!) at very high temperatures, along […]

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Green Junction: Global Warming is Climate Change by Julie Peller Ph.D.

Green Junction Unusual weather events have become more common and generally are a result of the earth’s changing climate. The science of climate change is incredibly complex with extensive consequences, yet many want to describe it or deny it in very simplistic ways. The term global warming is defined by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) as […]

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History has taught us …

History has taught us that “religion” is not divorced from the work-a-day world. Matthew 5 is a good example. Social Justice programs in churches during the entire industrial revolution (which just recently ended) brought about a greater awareness of church and society’s role and the relationship between the two. Today In classical economics terms, there […]

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Holy Week Reading

During this Holy Week, I am reading more of Bonhoeffer and the similarities of thinking at times between him and Louis Putz CSC.  The concept of a “religionless Christianity” seems to be having more appeal today, especially in the US and Europe.  Even though, as a historian, I would at first knee-jerk say it would […]

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You are the Church

“Economic justice and equality are, in principle, akin to political justice and equality. To understand this is to understand how economic and political democracy involves parallel institutions.” ~ Mortimer J. Adler “This is our destiny, to do the best and the greatest that is now to be done.” ~Isaac Hecker And with these two thoughts/quotes in […]

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Green Junction: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” By Julie Peller Ph.D.

In wearing face masks, practicing physical distancing, getting vaccinated, and following other public health measures, we live God’s commandment, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Moreover, when we respect, value, and show gratitude for the gifts of others, their expertise, the services they provide, especially during difficult times, we live according to this law […]

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What is Religion?

We are all historians to some degree. Arnold Toynbee wrote in his last book this statement: “Within the last two centuries, Man has increased his material power to a degree at which he has become a menace to the biosphere’s survival, but he has not increased his spiritual potentiality; the gap between this and his […]

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Green Junction: Clothes you wear could be pollution By Julie Peller Ph.D.

The clothing industry is responsible for many different types of pollution. This sector creates more carbon pollution than the combination of international air and water shipping. The clothing and textiles industry is the 2nd largest industrial consumer of water and pollutes water, mainly from the coloring process. More than half of the world’s textiles are […]

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