Tag Archives: Common Good

The Shepherd’s Helpers

Living in the Spirit
July 19, 2018

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.

 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

A political disease of divide and conquer is epidemic in the USA. Rather than doing the hard work of identifying problem solutions by finding common ground for the Common Good, our leaders invest most of their time bickering over who is righter and getting nothing done. Nothing in most cases is exactly what those politicians’ financial supporters want because it allows them more and more room to practice their greed without restraint. The result is a highly unbalanced economic system where the rich get richer and the middle-class shrinks, while those in poverty increase. Our elected shepherds have indeed scattered their sheep leaving them vulnerable and unprotected.

Those of us who identify Jesus Christ as that righteous Branch Jeremiah describes are specifically called to oneness; called to work together in God’s development of a world ruled by love; called to be a branch off the vine of Christ. We are God’s tools each with our set of purposes and skills to attain God’s vision.

I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Jesus never said it would be easy, but he did say:

‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matthew 11:28-30)

Prayer: Lord, I do grow weary because of our inability to make our systems work to the advantage of all people. Forgive me when I give into inaction. Make me a doer of your word, and not merely a hearer who deceives myself. Amen.

*Derived from James 1:22

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Common Good

Living in the Spirit
June 12, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen any of these.’ Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah. –1 Samuel 16:6-13

How we judge the qualification of others for public office matters. We are in the midst of the 2018 campaign season. In Oklahoma, our primary election is scheduled for June 26. As citizens, we have a moral responsibility to study carefully and prayfully the candidates running for office and to vote.  The airwaves are filled with advertisements attempting to place candidates’ most advantageous posters forward while other adds challenge the credibility of opponents. Highly emotional issues are used to ignite participation even when the office the person is seeking has no influence over those issues.

I accept the concept that the purpose of government is to provide for the Common Good with the definition of Common Good being the benefit or interests of all. In many cases, the Common Good provided by governments is the counterbalance that allows free enterprise to function. For example, companies with many stores routinely evaluate the profit value of each and may give no consideration to the harm to a community if they decided to close a store because it does not meet their profit requirement. The government at all levels is left to pick up the fallout from such a decision: Unemployment, attracting new jobs and meeting immediate needs for food, clothing, and shelter. The government also provides the supportive services that all business must have to function by educating future workers, keeping them healthy, providing roads and airports for transporting goods, providing police and disaster protection, national defense and so forth. The government is also responsible for safeguarding the public from unscrupulous business practices that do them harm. We want health inspectors making sure Ebola is not on our grocery store’s shelves waiting to infect us or that the car we drive does not have a history of brake failures.

We must dig deeper than emotionally loaded 30 second sound bites to discover where candidates stand on issues that affect the Common Good. If a candidate has previously served in any office, try to access his or her voting record. Attend public meeting and asks questions about areas of concern. Many advocacy groups post voting records or other pertinent information about candidates. Some sponsor forums where candidates share their stances. We must do our voting homework.

Prayer: Lord, guide me in my search for the Common Good as I prepare to vote. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Engaged in Citizenship and Faith

Living in the Spirit
June 5, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 8:4-20; 11:14-15

Samuel said to the people, ‘Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.’ So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed offerings of well-being before the Lord, and there Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly. –1 Samuel 11:14-15

If we want to identify the cause of the problems facing our country today, all we need to do is look in the mirror. We treat our political system like a spectator sport. We take sides and cheer for the teams we support while drinking cold beverages and eating hotdogs. Our personal investment is limited to coming up with the money to buy the tickets or pay for the cable TV on which we watch games. In many instances, we treat our places of worship the same way. I happen to like some spectator sports, basketball for one and see nothing essentially wrong with taking some time to enjoy the talents and skills of others as we do with music and theater. Our governments at all levels and our faith communities are not primarily the place for being spectators. We are the players on the field or court. There are no provisions for spectators in either governments or faith communities.

Image yourself at Gilgal with Samuel and the people. Can you feel the excitement? Do you get the sense that now all our problems are over we have a king? It must have been a big party with lots of food and drink. They even made well-being offerings things were going so well. Think winning the World Series or the NBA or NFL championship. The teams relish the win for a while but immediately get back into practice or reshuffling their teams to do better next year. Fans read about it in the paper or watch updates on TV.

.and people take the stands they do? Do we invest our energy trying to find common ground for the Common Good? Do we educate ourselves on the complex nature of governing in our world today?

What steps will we take to be better-informed citizens and to help others become more active in there role as a citizen?

Prayer: Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy*. Amen

 

*First part of Prayer of St Francis see at https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=134

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Personal Responsibility

Living in the Spirit
June 4, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 8:4-20; 11:14-15

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, ‘You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.’ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to govern us.’ Samuel prayed to the Lord, and the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. Now then, listen to their voice; only—you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.’ –1 Samuel 8:4-9

Years ago, I did statewide training among my agency’s staff, both frontline and administrative, regarding the agency’s strategic plan. What I routinely found was that staff easily identify goals and objectives for other parts of the agency to pursue but found it much harder to devise plans for making their contribution to attaining the agency’s desired outcomes. We needed both types of input the worker bee level had insights regarding the administrative supports that would help make things at the local level run more smoothly and the frontline staff had to own their responsibilities in attaining goals.

A good example of that is climate control. Each of us must be mindful of the carbon footprint we leave on our earth as we recycle and take responsibility for cleaner energy usage while we support our government’s role in smoothing the way for climate control at the macro level.

In our scripture today, the Israelites demand a king to solve their problems. Perhaps they wanted a government that was equal to their neighboring countries. I think what God saw was a people who wanted to pass the buck without doing their fair share of providing for the Common Good, the primary purpose of any government. The same attitude seems to be sweeping across the USA. The sad thing about that is the USA was founded on the principle of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Our founders committed us to self-governance. Yet, people do not vote. Most people serving in elected positions today in Oklahoma were elected by less than half the number of eligible voters not counting those who do not even register to vote. And we wonder why our leaders are more apt to support the entities who fund their campaigns than the people they represent.

We need to learn from the errors of our ancestors in faith. Whether we have a king or a president or a prime minister or whatever, we are responsible for the leadership of our country.

Prayer: Lord, as we enter a new election cycle, teach us your vision of the Common Good and help us implement it. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Transparency

Living in the Spirit
May 30, 2018

Scripture Reading: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18

O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
   you discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path and my lying down,
   and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
   O Lord, you know it completely.
You hem me in, behind and before,
   and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
   it is so high that I cannot attain it.  –Psalm 139:1-6

I am hearing the word transparency a lot in political ads. While I support transparency in government, the transparency that really matters is that God knows every detail of our being and loves us anyway. That symbiotic* relationship linked together having been made in the image of God is the source of hope that we each are persons of worth and that we each have a support system in God willingly striving toward our becoming fully the persons we are capable of being.  God created us with a full spectrum of choices of how we live out our potential from farmer to doctor, prophet to priest, mother to advocate, writer to artist, all options together or any combination of them. Our roles develop and grow as we age. What was once a primary purpose may become a springboard to another calling.

The essence of Psalm 139 that God is fully aware of our capabilities, is that God is fully aware when we are not using them. It really does not matter what anyone else thinks about us when we are synched into God’s will for our development as God’s creation. At this time in history, alas at every time in history, the full force of God-driven talent is needed to shape our world into the Kingdom of love God desires for all.

While transparency in government is desirable it is also very scary. It requires a much greater knowledge of our world than most of us acquire. While we may possess in-depth information on a few subjects, none of us can know everything. We are interdependent on the wisdom of each other. Such trust is best formed in relationships of mutual respect and dare I say love to make the pursuit of the Common Good a reality. Thus, we come full circle back to Jesus’ instruction that the most important commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Prayer: Lord, in this election year, move us to action as citizens striving for the Common Good and help us identify and elect those who practice mutual respect and love. Amen.

*The intimate living together of two dissimilar organisms in any of various mutually beneficial relationships, http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/symbiosis

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

On Voting

Eastertide
May 8, 2018

Scripture Reading: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26

So one of the men who have accompanied us throughout the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.’ So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles. –Acts 1:21-26

Primary elections are already occurring in some states in the USA, Oklahoma’s are scheduled in June. We, of course, do not cast lots to elect our future governmental leaders. We do have a civic responsibility to vote and I must admit when two candidates seem to be equally qualified for the job, I have mentally cast lots to make the decision. Usually, though I have good reasons for selecting one candidate over another. Luke challenges us to pray about our choices in selecting leaders for the church and I believe that is good advice in preparing for our civic responsibility.

The purpose of all governments from the Judges in Israelite history through King David to today is to provide for the Common Good. We sometimes forget that purpose as self-interest often drives our voting decisions.  Jesus does instruct us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves*. I cannot think of a better definition of the Common Good. God wants all God’s children to survive and thrive and that happens best when we seek ways of providing public services that streamline life in the most workable ways possible. Roads and highways are necessary that meet our needs to move about and support our self-sufficiency. Justice systems that are fair, designed to protect all from danger and mistreatment are critical. Public health services prevent contagion and assure as much as possible a healthy environment for all.

Government provides the necessary counterbalance that allows capitalism to work. A business that closes a plant for what it sees as a wise decision often leaves a community destitute. It is the government that picks up the pieces of people’s lives and moves them forward.  It is the government that protects greed from ruining lives. When undocumented aliens are worked at below minimum wage with no benefits, not only are their basic needs being ignored but citizens are undercut from jobs that would have met their basic needs. When there are not adequate numbers of citizens available to provide the work necessary for a business to succeed, it is the government that enables through work visas documenting aliens to enter our country and work legally within a system that pays a living wage. Prudent government regulations protect citizens from businesses creating dangerous working conditions to increase the business’s profits.

The government, at least in the United States, is not a vehicle for forcing one’s personal religious beliefs on his or her fellow citizens. Our government was founded on the principle of separation of church and state. I do not want the government to dictate to me what I am to believe, and I do not think anyone else wants that either.

Now is the time to step away from our media-driven electioneering and consider what is essential in government and what is not. What is our Common Good and is the Common Good for all? Asking God’s guidance is essential as we step away from emotionally driven often divisive issues and consider who can best provide for the Common Good.

Prayer: God of all, guide us as we consider who can best provide for the Common Good. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Lying Down in Safety

Eastertide
April 11, 2018

When you are disturbed, do not sin;
   ponder it on your beds, and be silent.
Offer right sacrifices,
   and put your trust in the Lord.

There are many who say, ‘O that we might see some good!
   Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!’
You have put gladness in my heart
   more than when their grain and wine abound.

 I will both lie down and sleep in peace;
   for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety. –Psalms 4:4-8

I recently went to bed following the news announcement that some 1,500 Honduran refugees were headed toward the United States trying to escape the deadly environment in which they lived. That night I dreamed of a stream of brown children slogging along in a wilderness traveling north with one boy standing out because he was dressed in a white tunic-like garment that extended from his shoulders to his bare feet. I think it was Christ.

We are experiencing a worldwide refugee crisis. The problem with which Europe is dealing is far greater than the refugee situation in the Americas. Two things that people of faith must consider as we serve in our citizen roles: there are no borders in the Kingdom of God and no one should have to leave their homeland because of fear and starvation. A twofold approach is always required.

The dilemmas presented on the news were the US government announcing that we would not accept these refugees while the Mexican government tries to figure out what to do as the Hondurans were already in their country. What our government seems not to understand is that our detention centers are oases of safety and food compared to the hellhole of violence from which these families are escaping. Our Common Good is enhanced by healthy relationships with our neighbors coupled with our neighbors experience their own Common Good.

There exists an informal continuum of caring in our world that starts with individual acts of love that are without limits but lacking in scope and extends to government programs that are limited by rules and regulations but can provide major resources. Peppered in between are congregations, non-profits, non-governmental organizations all trying to fill gaps. It takes this entire continuum wrapped in the arms of the Holy Spirit to address the needs of our world.

Prayer: Lord, open doors of understanding for us as we attempt to address justice in a world community.    for you alone, O Lord, make [all] lie down in safety. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Light out of Darkness

Ordinary Time
February 9, 2018

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

We see what we want to see and we hear what we want to hear and after passing through our filters, the information strained becomes our truths. Part of this is human nature. Our life experiences do shape how we perceive our world that is why it is so vitally important that we build avenues of diversity into our lives. Paul discusses the diversity of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:21 and says The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ I grew up on a farm and now live about as far from farm life as possible, but those agrarian ways remain etched in my soul. Such influences are neither good nor bad unless we allow them to blind us to new truths or other ways of understanding the same truth or learning new and better ways of being from our past.

I am the proud descendant of a pioneer homesteader who ran in the opening of the Sac and Fox land in 1891. I am sure my understanding of that history is markedly different from the understanding of the members of the tribe who each got a share of their reservation and sold the surplus to the government for distribution to homesteaders.

One facet of our call to do justice is to serve as the conscience of our government holding it to our lofty founding principles. We seem to lose those ideals from time to time. Walter Brueggemann addresses this issue well and broadly including paying taxes as a responsibility. I commend his work to readers and will make just a few points myself. Tthe Constitution based on the rule of law includes the Separation of Powers in Article 1 and the following provisions of the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

 Of course, much dialogue is necessary for finding common ground on these basics. Our work toward finding common ground will complement our work in establishing the Common Good which is the purpose of government.

Prayer:  God of all, prick our consciences to work for the Common Good by finding common ground. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Common Ground on the Common Good

Living in the Spirit
November 21, 2017

Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24

Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.

 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken. –Ezekiel 34:20-24

Wow! What an amazing experience. I turned off the morning news after hearing reports of Congress dealing with the tax bill and read the above scripture for the day. In the news, one Senator* indicated he was a no vote on the bill because it favored large corporations over small businesses which he described essentially as the lifeblood of our economy. Others expressed concern about the tax bill increasing the national debt. Some recognize that health care would be markedly and negatively impacted by the legislation if passed that sounds like fat sheep vs. lean sheep to me.

We are all called to do justice, and followers of Christ are called to be the Body of Christ in the world today. Being a shepherd of all God’s people, and all people are God’s, is one of our tasks as doers of justice. Our representatives in Congress are ultimately responsible to us, not their financiers. We must recognize that we allowed big money to push us aside while distracting us and dividing us through highly emotional issues, changes in political financing through court intervention (Citizens United), and gerrymandering. We need to seek forgiveness for our complicity, primarily through sins of omission, and go about the business of correcting an unjust system.

Prayer: Lord, we do ask your forgiveness for shirking our duties as shepherds of your people through our civil failures. Guide us to work together to find common ground on the Common Good. Amen.

*Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin see at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/15/us/politics/senate-house-tax-cut.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Doing Justice, Assuring the Common Good

Living in the Spirit
November 8, 2017

Scripture Reading: Psalm 78:1-7
Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
   incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
   that our ancestors have told us.
We will not hide them from their children;
   we will tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
   and the wonders that he has done.

He established a decree in Jacob,
   and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
   to teach to their children;
that the next generation might know them,
   the children yet unborn,
and rise up and tell them to their children,
so that they should set their hope in God,
and not forget the works of God,
   but keep his commandments;

The message is simple and clear: we must learn from our mistakes and successes, and we must work to assure that the generations to follow will not need to repeat the same learning from their experiences. We do not do a good job of either.

Congress is once again pursuing tax cut legislation based on a debunked theory that cutting the taxes on the wealthy and businesses will grow the economy so much the government will reap enough tax money to fuel the economy even when the percentage of taxes collected after the cuts were reduced markedly. I know of several instances when implementation of this scheme did not work. I know of none when it did work.

Greed and lust for power drive people to function in ways that do not recognize reality. We all do this to some degree or another. I have a friend who suffers extreme migraines after eating chocolate. Occasionally, she will sample a small morsel of chocolate and prove to herself once again that she should not eat chocolate. The only person she is hurting is herself from not applying what she learned from her history. Congress, on the other hand, causes extreme anxiety to millions of people just by introducing cuts in services to counterbalance cuts in taxes. When cuts in service are made, human beings suffer the consequences of the actions of the members of Congress passing the legislation. Congress members may never interact with the people paying a high price for Congress’ being out of touch with reality.

We are called to do justice. A piece of that is to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Prayer: Lord, open the ears, eyes, and hearts of the members of Congress and state legislatures to face the real outcomes of their actions. Guide them to find ways to assure the Common Good not just what is good for the people who financially support them. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.