Faith in the Public Square

Rev. Sam Trumbore has announced his retirement from  First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany   as of July 1. He shared the letter announcing his retirement on Facebook.   Among the factors that impacted his decision were health issues of family members and projects he would like to undertake but which he could do not pursue while in full-time ministry.   Factors that did not impact his decision were health and other job opportunities.   He wrote, in part:   If I could sum all this up, I’d say this: My first act was being a computer test engineer in Silicon Valley. My second act has been my call to ministry. I sense there is yet a third act for my life. Time is short and the freedom to make that move is within reach.   I also realize there is never a perfect time to end a ministry, especially when things are going well. Yet my sense is this is just the right time for me to step aside to make room for a new, younger minister to come and bring in t...

Some issues are more exciting than others; they strike our  imagination and call us to action. Other issues are more esoteric and challenging. Special Drawing  Rights are in that latter category, but they are nonetheless important. This story begins with  Jubilee USA , a coalition of religious, development and advocacy groups that has won more than $130 billion in debt relief for the world’s poorest economies. Because of those global agreements, the group reports, that $130 billion is invested in schools, hospitals and other social infrastructure. In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, 54 million kids have gone to‎ school who never would have seen the inside of a classroom. Earlier this month, the group organized a meeting of high-ranking religious and labor leaders with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to discuss the global COVID response, climate, Puerto Rico, inequality, development aid, debt relief, emergency reserve funds (Special Drawing Rights or SD...