Tag Archives: Advocacy

Treasure in Clay Jars

Living in the Spirit

September 21, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 146

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
   I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

Do not put your trust in princes,
   in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
   on that very day their plans perish.

Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
   whose hope is in the Lord their God,
who made heaven and earth,
   the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
   who executes justice for the oppressed;
   who gives food to the hungry. –Psalm 146:1-7

I wonder if Paul had this Psalm in mind when he wrote the following snippet in this letter to the Corinthians:

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

I spend much time in advocacy work with people from varying backgrounds and opinions on how things should be done and who should do them. Advocates test the trust of leaders constantly. Decisions are often made on political expediency rather than striving for common ground in search of the Common Good.  This Psalm helps advocates to find the Higher Ground of their work while understanding that we and the people we advocate for and the those we advocate to are treasures in clay jars. We indeed must keep our hope in the Lord as we strive to execute justice for the oppressed and find food for the hungry.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being an ever-present help in times of trouble. 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.

Finding What is Right

Living in the Spirit

June 5, 2022

Scripture Reading:

John 14:8-17, (25-27)

‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. –John 14:14-17, 25-27

I acquaint advocacy with what Senator John Lewis called “good trouble.” He, indeed, was an advocate to model one’s life after. A gentle man who forcefully stood for the right and yet, did his fair share of stirring up good trouble. Doing what is right is often dangerous as Senator Lewis found out as a young man when he crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. It seems almost counterintuitive to link the work of the Holy Spirit with peace as it applies to advocacy. The peace being described in the above scripture is the peace that passes understanding. (See Philippians 4:6) Such peace comes from doing what is right in God’s eyes not as defined by humans. I think of the devout Saul of Tarsus who just knew that he was doing right in persecuting the Christ-followers of the first century until he had an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

Our challenge as advocates today is to make sure we are doing what is right in God’s eyes. It is election season in the USA, and we are hearing all kinds of pronouncements on what is right and what is wrong with our country. We need to be very sure our lines of communication with the Holy Spirit are not cluttered with cultural filters blocking the Spirit’s truth from reaching our hearts and minds.

Prayer: Take our lives and let them be consecrated Lord to thee* in all that we do. Amen.

Derived from the hymn Take My Life and Let It Be by Frances R. Havergal. See at https://hymnary.org/text/take_my_life_and_let_it_be

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.

Advocacy

Eastertide

May 4, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
   He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
   he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
  for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
   I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff—
   they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
   my whole life long.

I tossed and turned when I went to bed last night because a bill in the Oklahoma legislature that would capitate Medicaid health care payments appears to be headed for passage despite all efforts, mine, and others, to stop it.  I kept running over and over in my head what else I could have done to prevent its passage. I should note that the final version was much improved over the initial draft.  My primary mentor in legislative advocacy had sent me an email that simply said Keep up the fight. I read it again this morning. Then I read my church’s newsletter where my Pastor’s article talked about being barraged with all kinds of communications that are often meaningless and hard to keep straight. He encouraged his readers to stop and take the time to read Psalm 23 and let it guide us through the challenges of our day.

And then there on my computer screen Psalm 23 was listed as the scripture for today.

I, who memorized Psalm 23 early in life from the King James Version, have trouble reading it in the RSVP or any other version for that matter. This morning I did carefully read it as quoted above. I thought that would be helpful as I turn one page of advocacy and start a new chapter.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for mentors and pastors that say what I need to hear whether they knew I needed to hear it at that moment or not. 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.

God with Us in Justice

Lent

April 13, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 70

Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.
   O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let those be put to shame and confusion
   who seek my life.
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
   who desire to hurt me.
Let those who say, ‘Aha, Aha!’
   turn back because of their shame.

Let all who seek you
   rejoice and be glad in you.
Let those who love your salvation
   say evermore, ‘God is great!’
But I am poor and needy;
   hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
   O Lord, do not delay! –Psalm 70

Justice advocates climb steep hills to make little progress.  Often when a solution is reached, the principalities and powers punish those who worked for justice by making matters even worse.  Vladimir Putin is a very public example of the marriage of greed and lust for power. That kind of narcissism lives and harms in every attempt to turn justice around.

The above scripture was a timely message for me as we deal with the challenges of our time. I pray for the people of Ukraine. The frustration I deal with and the problems I try to address are not comparable to what is happening to them. In either case, the lord is our help and deliverer and sets the example for us to be helpers and deliverers, too.

Prayer: O Lord, let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream*. Amen.

*Amos 5:24

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.

Mental Health

Lent

April 6, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 31:9-16

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
   my eye wastes away from grief,
   my soul and body also.
For my life is spent with sorrow,
   and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,
   and my bones waste away.

I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
   a horror to my neighbors,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
   those who see me in the street flee from me.
I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
   I have become like a broken vessel.
For I hear the whispering of many—
   terror all around!—
as they scheme together against me,
   as they plot to take my life.

But I trust in you, O Lord;
   I say, ‘You are my God.’
My times are in your hand;
   deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
   save me in your steadfast love.

The homeless on our streets came to my mind when I read this. Some years back my church participated in a feeding program for the homeless providing a meal in rotation with other churches. When one of the so-called homeless women saw the name of our church on our T-shirts her eyes twinkled and she said, “I got married in your church in 1952.” As some of our members got better acquainted with her, we learned she was a retired schoolteacher, who received Social Security and teacher retirement. She said she had an apartment a few blocks from the library where we served the meal. One of the couples who volunteered asked if she would like a ride home and she did. They watched her enter the building and as they drove away, they saw her exit the building from the back pushing her grocery cart that carried all her possessions. She did not trust the demons in the building. I suppose we took special notice of her because she was one like us, but all the homeless are ones like us. I dabble in genealogy, and in many of my families, I have recorded the comment about someone in a family that just left, and we never heard from them again. And those people still exist today.

Our health care system is not what it needs to be, but the mental health care system is even worse. As we try to meet the basic needs on the street, let us not forget to advocate for better systems of care.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see the homeless as children created in your image that need our care and our advocacy. 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.

Advocate for Justice

Living in the Spirit

October 19, 2021

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-9

For thus says the Lord:

Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,

   and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;

proclaim, give praise, and say,

   ‘Save, O Lord, your people,

   the remnant of Israel.’

See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north,

   and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,

among them the blind and the lame,

   those with child and those in labor, together;

   a great company, they shall return here.

With weeping they shall come,

   and with consolations I will lead them back,

I will let them walk by brooks of water,

   in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;

for I have become a father to Israel,

   and Ephraim is my firstborn.

I have not decided whether it is good or bad to know all the bad things are happening in our world within seconds. We can get information overload that makes us numb to crisis after crisis. Yet, being aware of world events helps us see what we were ignorant of in the past.  I view with interest pictures of cargo ships backed up in the Pacific Ocean. The delivery system from abroad has gotten so overcrowded it cannot unload the vessels on time. Part of that results from not having enough truck drivers and people who offload ships.  Layoffs and work stoppages caused by COVID have resulted in employees reconsidering the type of work and shifting to better-paying jobs or demanding higher pay. The real problem is while C.E.O. salaries have skyrocketed, workers’ wages have stagnated. By 2019, C.E.O. compensation grew 940% since 1978*.  In 2020, top C.E.O.s earned 351 times more than the typical worker**. 

In the scripture above, Jeremiah has seen the plight of his people and is assuring them that God will restore them to wholeness. I believe that is the case today. God is working God’s purpose out. Therefore, we as God’s followers are called to do our part for all people to benefit from the love of God where they can walk by brooks of clean water along straight paths in a world where justice prevails.

Prayer: Lord, help us not miss the parts of our world that are curving off your path. Guide us in our advocacy for your justice. Amen.

*https://www.epi.org/publication/ceo-compensation-2018/

**https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/15/in-2020-top-ceos-earned-351-times-more-than-the-typical-worker.html

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.

In the scripture above, Jeremiah has seen the plight of his people and is assuring them that God will restore them to wholeness. I believe that is the case today. God is working God’s purpose out. Therefore, we as God’s followers are called to do our part for all people to benefit from the love of God where they can walk by brooks of clean water along straight paths in a world where justice prevails.

Prayer: Lord, help us not miss the parts of our world that are curving off your path. Guide us in our advocacy for your justice. Amen.

*https://www.epi.org/publication/ceo-compensation-2018/

**https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/15/in-2020-top-ceos-earned-351-times-more-than-the-typical-worker.html

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.

Advocacy

Lent

February 23, 2021

Scripture Reading:

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.’ Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, ‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.

God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.’

Jesus talked about being brothers and sisters in his name, Mark 3:35, Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’ My pursuit of genealogy has assured me that we are at least all cousins. Now, I know that families feud and can be as dysfunctional together as any group. I do not understand why we as humans seem to need to create hierarchies of worth among people. The story of creation attests to the idea that all people are made in the image of God. The story of Abraham describes the covenant God made through him to the nations of the world. Jesus calls all his followers to be one in him.

As an advocate volunteer, I tracked both federal and state legislation to keep citizens, particularly people of faith, informed on pending legislation. It would break your heart if you saw all the bills that are designed to discriminate against people. Many of those bills were requested by people who identify as Christian. You will not see the word “discriminate” in the bill’s language, but that is the essence of creating new law or changing existing law.  The LGBTQ population seems to be targeted this legislative session.

As Christ-followers, we need to invest time and energy in discerning what is of God and what is not as we strive to fulfill our civic duty. I do not know a single scripture where God indicated any group of people that we should not consider our neighbors and thus love them no matter what. Jesus was also clear that he was the ultimate judge of humans. None of us humans drew that assignment.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we fail to recognize that all your children are our siblings and deserve our loving concern and care. 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.

Moving Out of Poverty

Living in the Spirit

September 14, 2020

Scripture Reading: Exodus 16:2-15

The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’

Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, “Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.” ’ And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked towards the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.” ’

In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. –Exodus 16:2-3, 9-15

Moses and Aaron led people who lived in a time of authoritarian leaders. The Israelites willingly followed them out of slavery in Egypt but were ready to go back to Egypt when the food ran out. They observed the mighty acts of God in their escape but had little trust that God would see them through the trek in the wilderness. God provided them the food they needed but used it as a learning experience that they must also take responsibility for themselves and others.

We live in a country where wealth is held primarily by 1% of our population and where the federal minimum wage has not been raised since May 2007. It is now $7.25 per hour.  That equals an annual salary for a person working 40 hours per week for 52 weeks a year of $15,080. The poverty level for one person is $13,300. All other sized families have poverty levels above minimum wage. These people are caught in the wilderness of poverty. What are you willing to do to improve your lives and the lives of others?

Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can. –John Wesley

Prayer: Lord, enable our advocacy to work toward a world where everyone earns enough to obtain the necessities of life. 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.

Healing the Sick

Kingdom Building

October 12, 2019

Scripture Reading: Luke 17:11-19

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’

Oklahoma was ranked 48th in United Health Foundation’s 2019 America’s Health Rankings Health of Women and Children Report.

Jesus was a healer. He understood to impact of good health on all aspects of a person’s life. Yet I live in a state, described to be part of the Bible belt, where health care outcomes trend downward.  Part of that trend is related to behavior, part to lack of health care services in city service deserts and in rural areas where some must drive many miles to find the nearest hospital to have a baby or treat an accident victim or provide immediate care for a stroke victim.

Some people cannot afford health care. Oklahoma chose not to participate in the Medicaid expansion part of the Affordable Care Act leaving many adults with low incomes without insurance. Even those who are lucky enough to have insurance or Medicare cannot afford the copays required. The cost of health care is unknown. Of course, that is impossible. What is charged for health care should be somehow related to the actual cost of health care, but it is not because the actual cost is not calculated. Drugs are priced at the highest rate for profit the market can bear. That might work for diamond rings, it does not work for insulin necessary to sustain life.

If we are to model our lives after Jesus, are we called to be healers too? If so, how do we do that in the modern world where lepers are no longer shunned in the streets. but many homeless people are? As followers of God we are called to do justice, there is no other area of advocacy more important than bringing the cost of health care down and increasing the number of people who can access it.

Prayer: Lord, help us become advocates for quality, affordable, accessible health care. 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.

Jesus as Advocate

Kingdom Building

September 28, 2019

Scripture Reading: Luke 16:19-31

‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. –Luke 16:19-25

I spent yesterday at a very productive advocacy group planning meeting designed to set our priorities and goals for the upcoming year. There is a lot that needs to be done as we strive to assure the Common Good. We talked about goals for education, criminal justice, health care including mental health care, and the economy. Oklahoma ranks 39th in education. 42nd in crime and corrections, 47th in health care, and 34th in the economy. We have much work ahead of us. As the meeting closed and I surveyed the total results, it dawned on me that all these areas would markedly improve if every working citizen in Oklahoma earned a living wage.

Jesus was an advocate for the poor. His story from Luke emphasizes his concern challenging all his followers to take up that cross and follow him. I constantly see condescending post about people who receive “welfare”, the stereotypical term used to describe the poor in the USA. There is nothing remotely related to the welfare of another person, when we hear this word spit out like it leaves a bad taste in the speaker’s mouth. “Welfare” usually is used to describe persons who receive case benefits to support their families most often assumed to be a young mother with children and an absent father. The program is called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Many of the recipients in Oklahoma are actually relatives caring for the children of all those people we hold in prison, many for non-violent crimes. Nationwide in FY-2017 there were 3.1 million people who received TANF Payments for a total percent of population of .9%. Of that number 2.3 million were children.  In Oklahoma in March 2019 there were a total of 5,981 people receiving TANF or .2%* of the state’s population. The poor are primarily working families who do not make a living wage.

The time has come for all Christ followers to prayerfully consider seeking solutions to the poverty in our land. Children 6 to 11 Years Old in Oklahoma have a Poverty Rate of 23.1%. Adolescents 12 to 17 Years Old in Oklahoma have a Poverty Rate of 19.0%. Adults 18 to 59 Years Old in Oklahoma have a Poverty Rate of 15.9%. Adults 60 to 74 Years Old in Oklahoma have a Poverty Rate of 9.4%**.

Prayer: Lord, open our hearts and minds to become advocates for the poor. Amen.          

*https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ofa/resource/tanf-caseload-data-2019

**https://www.welfareinfo.org/poverty-rate/oklahoma/ 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.