Tag Archives: Common Good

Providing for the Common Good

Ordinary Time

February 13, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Exodus 24:12-18
The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.’ So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, ‘Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.’

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

Tracking bills in the state legislature and Congress over the years has become my advocation. It was part of my job when I worked, but now it is part of my advocacy work. God created the world out of chaos. We, the people, are challenged to follow God’s example by establishing laws and rules to maintain a peaceful and just world. Many of our laws are based on those ancient laws, from though shalt not kill to ensuring our food is safe to eat. Some of the Commandments involve our relationship with God. Others spell out issues of providing for the Common Good for everyone. Some are broad in nature, others very specific, and all are open to our interpretation.

Governments are created to provide for the Common Good. King David, as a monarch, was charged with caring for widows and orphans. He also oversaw a powerful army. Americans, through their constitution, established a representative democracy where the people are ultimately responsible for finding common ground for the Common Good.

Prayer: Lord, guide us in our discernment of what the Common Good is and help us hold our representatives accountable for providing 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.

Divided We Fail

Ordinary Times

January 19, 2023

Scripture Reading:

1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul’, or ‘I belong to Apollos’, or ‘I belong to Cephas’, or ‘I belong to Christ.’ Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? –1 Corinthians 1:10-13

I have lived through these battles on various church related issues. The most outrageous one I remember was when I was a child. The board of my church determined that the chairs at the communion table were getting rickety and needed to be replaced. A committee was appointed, and they chose to purchase upholstered chairs instead of strictly chairs made of wood and the fight began. Scriptures were exchanged supporting all sides opinions. Some families left the church over this incident. I must admit it was a great learning experience for me as a child teaching me an important lesson regarding the hard work needed to be one in Christ.

Our faith groups inability to find oneness spills over into our government. The greatest challenge in our world today is seeking the Common Good. I wonder sometimes if there is such a thing. I just heard a report on a news program that there is a crisis across the US regarding how to feed our public-school children. Public education is the foundation of any democracy. Everyone learns better when they are not hungry. Approximately 50% of public school students in Oklahoma are eligible for free lunch (2023) * They are not the problem. The problem is our poverty rate is so out of date that the families whose incomes exceed the levels used to determine eligibility for these programs cannot afford them. Why are we not including funding the feeding all the children in public school? They are our future, and we want them all to be the very best adults they can be.

The idols of greed, lust for power, and bigotry blind us to what is right, what is just regarding our faith experiences and our search for the Common Good.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we get so caught up in being right, we become wrong. Amen.

*https://www.publicschoolreview.com/free-lunch-stats/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.

Judgment

Christmastide

January 2, 2023

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
   my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
   he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
   or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
   and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
   he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
   until he has established justice in the earth;
   and the coastlands wait for his teaching. –Isaiah 42:1-4

The word translated as justice in this scripture is the Hebrew word for judgment*. Justice is also used in English translations for doing the right thing or what is fair. Here we have this Servant, the One who is to come, being charged with the responsibility of rendering judgment, measuring whether God’s people, that is all of us, are doing the right thing and being fair.  John 5:22 tell us that Jesus Christ understood that rendering of ultimate judgment was one of his duties, not ours; The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son. I fear we devote more time to the role of judging rather than fulfilling the roles of doing the right thing or being fair. We are sometimes murky about understanding what is right and what is fair.

On November 13, 2022, the bodies of four white college students were found in Idaho. National news has followed the story since that time. On November 20, 2022, four Chinese nationals’ bodies were found on a marijuana farm in Oklahoma. I have never heard any reports regarding these murders on national news. I wondered what the difference was between these two stories. The police in both cases have pursued and captured suspects. Here, I want to focus on how We, the People, make justice judgments regularly that eventually impact how we pursue the Common Good in a democracy. Are white college students worth more than Chinese nationals, who were probably undocumented, perhaps here against their own will to do hard labor to produce marijuana on the ever expanding Chinese-owned and operated farms in Oklahoma? Do We, the People, drive the content of the news, or does the news define our civic understanding? How much does greed drive our judgments and, thus, our public policies? What is fair, what is right?

Prayer: Lord, guide us as you send us out like sheep into the midst of wolves; [to] be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16). Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/interlinear/isaiah/42-1.htm

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.

Living Love

Living in the Spirit

October 27, 2022

Scripture Reading:

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring. To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are, indeed, called to love one another, and it seems that the principalities and powers feel a great threat from that thought. Greed is not compatible with love. Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely. No one’s worth is established by being better than anybody else. Hot-button issues are designed to distract from the real problems of our times. Love is the ultimate vision for living.

The ads sponsored by dark money during this election season illustrate the fear of those principalities and powers that we the people might actually live the calling of love through all aspects of our lives including our civic responsibilities.  The ads include just enough truth to bring out our worst fears but never tell the whole story. They were used to driving us away from voting here in Oklahoma for the last several years. That is not the answer. We have one of the lowest voting rates in the country. All eligible people need to vote.

The purpose of government is to provide for the Common Good. Take the time to consider what that means to you. For me, that includes the availability of quality affordable healthcare for all, quality public education for all children from birth to entry into a career that pays a living wage, restorative justice, and a totally revamped immigration system that protects from crime while fulfilling our call to welcome the stranger, and dependable infrastructure (roads, bridges, water, broadband access), safety protection (policing, criminal and civil justice, fire protection, safe available water, climate change, international relationships, and the military). I judge the candidates I vote for by their potential to deliver these goals as they relate to the office they want to fill for attaining the Common Good. What represents the Common Good for you? What candidates have the most potential for achieving the Common Good? Vote for them.

Prayer: Lord, lift us to higher ground so that your love can spread across our land and protect us from the evil that is around us. 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.

Together as One

Advent

December 7, 2021

Scripture Reading: Malachi 3:1-4

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

I never noticed before that Malachi indicates that the Lord’s messenger is being sent to make ready the clergy, in this instance the descendants of Levi, for their role in preparing for the arrival of the Lord. Being clergy in a divide-and-conquer world is as challenging now as when the Sadducees and the Pharisees tangled with the ruling Roman government. Then, all involved were more concerned about their power and prestige than with the needs of their congregants or constituents. Sound familiar?

Recently, the “Fear Not” Scripture related to Gabriel’s meeting with Mary was considered in Sunday School, and participants were invited to share their fears. One woman stated that she feared that our government was on the precipice of failure. I, too, have felt that fear. The sad part is we are so divided that people on both sides feel that fear.

Good clergy walk a tightrope trying to lead their parishioners to a common ground by reaching for the higher ground of Jesus’s teachings on how we are to live and love. All followers of Christ need to support good examples and instructions and work together to find the actions on which all can come together. Paul brought people together, for one thing, by collecting donations for others who were suffering in a drought*. That is where Jesus also started, caring for the poor. Their working together led to the Jerusalem Council that opened the doors to gentiles being welcomed without first becoming Jews..

Prayer: Lord, bring us together one act of love at a time. Amen.

*See Acts 15 and Galatians 2

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.

Seeking the Common Good

Epiphany

January 11, 2021

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20)

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ and he said, ‘Here I am!’ and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. The Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”‘ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. –1 Samuel 3:1-9

What is God calling us to do? How do we discern what is of God and what is of the world? How do we live in the world but not be of the world?

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. –Romans 12:2

Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever. –1 John 2:15-17

‘Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.’–John 17:25-26

The anger, discord, and violence in our world today is not of God. So, how do we determine its source and turn away from its entanglements? We must spend time in prayer discerning what makes us so angry and why we have such a need to express that anger violently? Violence is often a reaction to helplessness. If we cannot change what is disturbing our lives, we tend to respond with violence. So, what is so confusing in our world over which we sense we have no control?

One reality that impacts us all is that the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and we all want to be rich. The stock market reached new highs during this pandemic. Even before COVID-19 struck, Oklahoma’s unemployment rate was one of the lowest in the nation, while the number of people living below the poverty rate was among the highest. With the pandemic, the unemployment rate has risen, as has the number of people in poverty. The purpose of government is finding common ground to provide for the Common Good. According to the U.S. Constitution, our government’s purpose is to:

  • Form a more perfect union
  • Establish justice
  • Ensure domestic tranquility
  • Provide for the common defense
  • Promote the general welfare
  • Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity

The Common Good means this purpose applies to all our people. Thus, our need to work for that more perfect union is paramount. Being One was also a great desire of Jesus for all of God’s children.

Prayer:  Lord, search me and show me the areas of my being that do not conform to your desire for your people to be one. Restore my soul and make me a conduit of your love for others. 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.

Community-Nation

Living in the Spirit

November 14, 2020

Scripture Reading:
Matthew 25:14-30

‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

What happens if that man was Jesus who entrusted his followers to continue the development of God’s Kingdom throughout the earth? What happens if everyone did not do his or her part?  That is the gist of this parable. But what if each person did his or her part in a silo without regard to what the other people are doing? Can you imagine the chaos? Pharmaceutical companies and other entities all over the world are in a mad race to create a vaccine against COVID-19 where sharing information is crucial. If one group discovers that something does or does not work, others can redirect their energies to more productive activities.

God created us as interdependent people. We need people with vision and foresight to push us toward a better world. We need people who are cautious making sure that all the facts and potential consequences are considered. We need dreamers and skilled workers, experience and new ideas, conservatives, moderates, and progressives. And most importantly we need all people to share the vision of a world ruled by wanting the best for all people where everyone has enough. That requires faith groups, not-for-profits, for-profit businesses, and government at all levels to work together in the USA honoring the separation of church and state while finding common ground to provide for the Common Good. We are at the point of a new beginning in our nation. Let us join together working on where we find common ground.

Prayer: Lord, help us find our niche in your plan as individuals and as a community-nation. Enable us to invest fully in doing our part. 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.

Changing of the Guard

Living in the Spirit

October 19, 2020

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 34:1-12

The Lord said to him, ‘This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, “I will give it to your descendants”; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.’ Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.

Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unequalled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. –Deuteronomy 34:4-12

Moses’ job was a lifetime appointment, as was Joshua’s. The passing of leadership responsibility is a constant in life from tribal leadership, monarchies, and democracies. Thus, change, too, is a constant in our lives. I have always wondered if Moses was disappointed at not entering the promised land or if he thought, in Paul’s words, I have finished the race* now is the time for someone else to take over.

Our call to serve God, whatever our responsibilities, is also a lifetime appointment. Our duties will change as the world changes, and our abilities develop. I was surprised to see former President Jimmy Carter walking with a hammer in hand across a Habitat for Humanity building site on TV recently. I think he is 96. When I was baptized in 1954, I never envisioned cell phones or computers being mainstays of my work.

In a few weeks, we face the changing of the guard in our governmental systems in our cities, counties, states, and nations. Some incumbents chose not to run for office, and some will lose. All our ruling bodies will have a different makeup of participants. We must work to make that transition as smooth as possible. As a country theoretically ruled by the people, we must remain engaged in assuring that our governments’ work is dedicated to guaranteeing the people’s common good.

Prayer:Lord, guide us in our civil engagement as we strive to build a better world ruled by your love. Amen.

*2 Timothy 4:7

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. A

ll rights are reserved.

The god of Greed

Living in the Spirit

The Worship of Mammon

July 29, 2020

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 55:1-5
Ho, everyone who thirsts,
   come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
   come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
   without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
   and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
   and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
   listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
   my steadfast, sure love for David.
See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
   a leader and commander for the peoples.
See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
   and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
   for he has glorified you.

Paul Krugman’s article in the 7-28-2020 New York Times is titled, The Cult of Selfishness Is Killing America. I had just read that piece before I read the above scripture. Another scripture came to mind.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. 1 Timothy 6:10

Socialism is now the dirty word of the year. I do not know anyone that wants collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and control of the distribution of goods. Most people I know are glad we have police officers and firefighters and food and sanitation regulators. I have had food poisoning, and I do not ever want to have it again. I do not like ruining my tires and suspension on bad roads. I know that quality education for all is a necessary foundation for having a productive workforce, as is good health. I heard on the news just recently that a big company did not choose to open a new facility in my state because we had a weak education system. Government that provides for the Common Good is essential to sustaining our capitalistic economy.

The greed that is ruling our land is ruining our economy. Those who came to what is now the USA for religious freedom soon got caught in greed’s snares with lust for land. We christened it and made it holy, calling it the Doctrine of Discovery and Manifest Destiny. Plantation owners discovered they could make a lot more money with slaves than paid staff. We denigrated a whole cadre of people linking their worth to the color of their skin and defining them as three-fifths of a person each so they could be counted in the distribution of legislators but could not vote. Still today, we have onerous and antiquated immigration policies that reinforce entering or staying in our country undocumented, resulting in people working for substandard pay with no benefits. Being undocumented also allows them to be controlled by the fear of deportation.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for letting the idol of greed dominate our lives. Amen.

*Definition of Socialism  see https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/socialism

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.

No Common Ground

Living in the Spirit

June 18, 2020

Scripture Reading:
Jeremiah 20:7-13

O Lord, you have enticed me,
   and I was enticed;
you have overpowered me,
   and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughing-stock all day long;
   everyone mocks me.
For whenever I speak, I must cry out,
   I must shout, ‘Violence and destruction!’
For the word of the Lord has become for me
   a reproach and derision all day long.
If I say, ‘I will not mention him,
   or speak any more in his name’,
then within me there is something like a burning fire
   shut up in my bones;
I am weary with holding it in,
   and I cannot. –Jeremiah 20:7-9

I sense a bit how Jeremiah might feel. I tend to identify more, at least with the words, describing John the Baptist, as one crying out in the wilderness. I am stupefied wondering how I see the events of our world so totally different than others. Thus, my ideas of how to address problems are almost the very opposite of others with little room for compromise or negotiation.

  • Solve poverty, including the provision of readily accessible affordable health care, and you will markedly decrease the incidence of none-medically necessary abortion. Making abortion illegal or trying to shame desperate people away from it just exacerbates the problem.
  • Rewrite our immigration laws to make it simple to process work permits for needed workers ensuring that they are paid the minimum wage with benefits. They could even pay income taxes. The reason we cannot implement a simple system is because some people make a lot of money working undocumented persons below minimum wage with no benefits. This is not fair to them nor is it fair to USA citizen who must be paid minimum wage with benefits and pay taxes.
  • Refugees exist because their homelands have become uninhabitable for a variety of reason. Helping to address those reason would let people stay where they are. In the meantime, we need to care for and protect refugees that come to our country for help.  Most of our ancestors arrived here as immigrants and some came because of oppression. We are the better for their contributions to our society.
  • Regarding criminal justice, solving poverty will also positively impact criminal justice. Improving our mental health systems across the board will address many of the problems the police are not trained to address. Providing restorative services rather than punishment will also help. Eliminating private prisons will remove the greed that drives our incarceration rate to number 1 in the world.

 Prayer: Lord, help us find common ground 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.