Tag Archives: Common Ground

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.

Working Toward Common Ground

Living in the Spirit

September 12, 2020

Scripture Reading: Romans 14:1-12

Why do you pass judgement on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God. For it is written,
‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
   and every tongue shall give praise to God.’
So then, each of us will be accountable to God. –Romans 14:10-12

I have no idea what life after death will be like. I am comforted by the idea of spending eternity with God. Thus what happens after death is not a significant concern for me. What I am doing right now to further the development of God’s kingdom ruled by love needs to be my top priority. That said, I do think God holds me accountable for my way of being.

My sense is that It is better to get right with God as we go rather than allow our actions to accumulate to a final reckoning. I supervised many people in my 35 years of public service, and early on, I learned it is better to as Barney Fife* would save, “Nip it in the bud” before a problem flowers into disasters. Daily review of work in God’s service is crucial, as is the realization that everything we do and say is a part of our service to God.

The Body of Christ in the USA today is deeply divided. I hear words describing faith in God that makes no sense to me based on my understanding of the Bible and particularly the teachings and example of Jesus Christ. I am sure those who are espousing those views feel the same way about my points of view. How did we come to this place? Why are we so reluctant to try to identify and work together toward common ground?

Several years ago, the churches founded under the leadership of Alexander Campbell, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), independent Christin Churches, and the Church of Christ spent a summer building houses together for Habitat for Humanities. We built some beautiful homes and shared in the celebration of new owners. Even opened our work with shared prayer and said grace over lunch. We did not deal with the theological stances that separated us in the first place but did grow in spirit and, in truth, by the joint act of building homes for others. I think Jesus, the carpenter’s son, would have found common ground with us as we worked.

Prayer: Lord, in this politically focused society, help us to seek your higher ground. Amen.

*See Barney Fife – Wikipedia if you do not know who Barney Fife was.

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.

Common Ground

Christmastide

December 30, 2019

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’
Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.’ But the Lord said to me,
‘Do not say, “I am only a boy”;
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
says the Lord.’ –Jeremiah 1:4-8

I am classified as a senior citizen so I cannot say I am only a child. I still experience fear or at least hesitation at speaking or writing something that another my read far removed from what I meant. I am a strong believer that most people can find common ground to work toward positive outcomes regarding most issues. For example, I do not think capital punishment is ever necessary but I am in a clear minority so most of the justice work I can do related to the death penalty is working to assure that all people sentenced to die actually committed the crime. 156 individuals have been exonerated from death row–that is, found to be innocent and released – since 1973*. It is unknown how many innocent people were executed.

How do we get past our strong, often faith-based ideals to find common ground regarding our deeply held interpretation of what is of God and what is not to find justice for as many people as we possibly can caught in the web of the perceptions of all involved of what is right and what is wrong? I will continue to strongly believe that capital punishment is not right, but I also will invest energies in assuring that no innocent person is executed.

The USA government was founded on the premise that our elected representatives are to work together to find common ground in search of the common good. It is a place where the diverse population of the USA can come together and find that common ground.

Prayer: Lord, help us find ways to meet our civic responsibilities by finding common ground  for the common good. Amen.

*http://www.ncadp.org/pages/innocence

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.

Working to attain the Common Good

Jesus’ Ministry
February 12, 2019

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 17:5-10

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
   whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
   sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
   and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
   and it does not cease to bear fruit. –Jeremiah 17:7-8

We are suffering a drought of seeking the Common Good in the United States of America. We no longer are a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. We are a government for sale to the highest bidder. As soon as officials are elected, their main job becomes raising enough money for their next election. Term limits has not helped. They only limit the time the winners must pay back their financial supporters making then more stubbornly resistant to search for common ground requiring negotiation and compromise as they practice obstructive maneuvers which usually result in stalemate that gets nothing done. Often the result is that a few people benefit greatly.

Governments come and go and people suffer the consequences of their failures. People of faith, however, are called to follow a different ideal. We are called to live into the Common Good. Called to desire the very best for all God’s children and while we are never called to force our faith on anyone else via government or any other practice, surely our faith quest for the Common Good should spill over into those who represent us in government. When it does not we need to make our message loud and clear because whether we own it or not, we in the United States of American are the government and right now I do not like what I am seeing in the mirror.

Prayer: Lord, give us the strength and courage to elect people who care about the Common Good for all and are willing to do the hard work of learning what that is and how to make it happen. 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 a Higher Rock

Jesus’ Ministry
January 20, 2019

Scripture Reading: John 2:1-11

Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. –John 2:6-11

Our signs are more sophisticated today with numbers and charts, but we still rely on them to help us see the future or potential or the wisest investment to make. The prophets of the Hebrew Bible analyzed signs first to prevent chaos, later to recover from the failure of the people they had warned to heed their wise words. The first century citizens of Galilee were looking for signs just as the children of Israel did and just as we do.

There is dis-ease all about us that I and others cannot precisely describe. Life goes on in a routine manner. We eat, sleep, work, clean, but something is not quite right we cannot put our finger on it and we cannot seem to do anything about it. What is missing? Why do we put our faith in cracked vessels wanting more and more to satisfy our unquenchable hungers and thirst for what? Why do we continue to seek a savior to come and bring us life and bring it abundantly* when we already have one?

While we await the coming of one to solve all our problems and meet all our needs, we may need to look deep into our own beings to see where we have separated from God, where our wishes and desires are missing the mark of satisfying our souls.

I believe that good leaders rise to the top when the people are ready to be led.  Unity arrived regarding the establishment of the United States of America when our founders finally realized they must work together as Ben Franklin rather succinctly put it, “We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.”

As people of faith we are called by God to be one that is no easy outcome. There are as many ways to do something as there are people planning to get that something done. Finding common ground for the Common Good is hard but it is also imperative, if we are to live in a world of peace and fulfillment where we can truly love God and love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Prayer: Lord lead, us to the Rock that is Higher than us** so that we can discover those things toward which we can all work to build a better nation and a better world. Amen.

*John 10:10
**Derived from Psalm 61

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.

Finding Common Ground

Lent
February 22, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 8:31-36

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’

  He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?

I listened to the resolve in the voices of the students at Parkland High School essentially saying school shootings stop here no matter what it takes. I think that is the same type message Jesus was giving his disciples in the scripture above. He is saying what you do and decide is your decision, but I have come to initiate a new way and I will.

Our call from the start of Jesus’ ministry is to partner with him in actualizing God’s Kingdom of Love.  We must avoid anything that takes us off that track. As we interact with various segments of our communities, we must model Jesus’ respect for all people while finding the ways we can work with diverse groups identifying means of living and working together on which we find common ground and making them realities. We might be surprised to find how much we share in common. We also may need to set aside the most divisive issues that are designed to tear us apart. We might be stunned to learn that those divisive issues go away or diminish greatly by way of our common ground initiatives.

Prayer: Lord, guide us in the work we do in your service with all of your children. 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 Common Ground

Christmas
January 5, 2018

Scripture Reading: Acts 19:1-7
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the inland regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ Then he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ They answered, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied— altogether there were about twelve of them.

I do not believe in coincidences, but my Sunday school class discussed Acts 19 this week. I enjoined hearing others describe interacting with people with viewpoints different from theirs. We talked about the diverse ways Christians perceive Christ even today. And we talked about finding common ground on which we can strive for oneness. I think it is time we set our disagreements aside and identify the things on which we can agree working on them with all our hearts, souls, strengths and minds. There may be instances when we agree on the problem but not the solution. My guess is we need all the solutions possible to deal with some of the major issues of our day. Poverty, for example,  may be addressed by .clothing, and shelter; ending discrimination in all forms. Surely we could all identify our niche among such a diversity of responses that are all desperately needed.

I wonder whether we disagree because it is easier to differ than to deal with the differences. I wonder if we struggle with divergences in faith because our faith is thinly based on what we perceive to be right rather than on our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, show us how to love one another and grow together in our love for you and all your children. 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.