Tag Archives: Enough

Stereotyping

Epiphany

February 5, 2020

Scripture Reading: Psalm 112:1-9 (10)
Praise the Lord!
   Happy are those who fear the Lord,
   who greatly delight in his commandments.
Their descendants will be mighty in the land;
   the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in their houses,
   and their righteousness endures forever.
They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;
   they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
It is well with those who deal generously and lend,
   who conduct their affairs with justice.
For the righteous will never be moved;
   they will be remembered for ever.
They are not afraid of evil tidings;
   their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.
Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid;
   in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor;
   their righteousness endures forever;
   their horn is exalted in honor.
The wicked see it and are angry;
   they gnash their teeth and melt away;
   the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.

I must confess I have a visceral reaction when I read scripture that relates God to wealth. As in the above scripture, wealth is included in a long list of things like being generous and righteous, gracious and merciful, all of which I consider to be good things. I cannot explain my reaction except perhaps to connect it to dealing with people who where trying to do everything as right as they could working hard to support their families, and being stereotyped by many as lazy, no good, welfare cheats.

I once volunteered for a child abuse and neglect hotline designed to give parents an outlet to get help with a goal of preventing neglect and abuse. One young mother of two small children who had been deserted by their father, moved to the city from a rural town, got some training, got a good entry level job, got her first paycheck, and for the first time in her life paid her rent with money she had earned, bought groceries, and essentially had nothing left. When her kids begged her to take them to McDonalds because she had all that money now, she totally lost it. Thank God there was a pay phone across the street from her apartment where she could call and still see that her kids were safe. Thank God she did have enough money to place the call because she could not afford a phone. I could hardly understand her she was sobbing so hard as her story poured out in great waves. Once she was spent, I asked her, “Do you realize what you have accomplished in such a short time?” I thought I had blown it because she was silent for so long. She finally said, “No, I had not seen it that way.”  We talked for some time longer and my prayer after she hung up to return to her apartment was that she would build on her strengths as she sought just enough for her little family.

When I read riches and wealth in the scripture above, I stopped to look up the Hebrew root of those words. Riches is apparently the root for riches that did not help a lot. Wealth*, however, is related to having enough, sufficiency. Isn’t that what God wants for all God’s children. Isn’t that part of our calling to be merciful and do justice so all can have enough.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for stereotyping people when we have no idea what their lives are like. Help us to be light in darkness as we strive to assure that all have enough. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1952.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.

God of All

Living in the Spirit
September 25, 2018

Scripture Reading: Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22

Mordecai recorded these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, enjoining them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same month, year by year, as the days on which the Jews gained relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and presents to the poor. —Esther 9:20-22

Do we really know and acknowledge what a wonderful God we worship? As individuals do we relish the presence of God in our lives who loves us unconditionally and goes through hell and back with us if needed? What about communities of faith, when was the last time we celebrated in worship God’s acts in our lives?

Sometimes I fear we take God for granted believing we hold some state of privilege that others do not share. God loves all of God’s children. Frankly, we are tasked with being God’s hands and feet as we work together with peoples of all the world to assure that they have enough to fulfill their potential.

We’ve a story to tell to the nations,
that shall turn their hearts to the right,
a story of truth and mercy,
a story of peace and light,
a story of peace and light.

Refrain:
For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
and the dawning to noonday bright;
and Christ’s great kingdom shall come on earth,
the kingdom of love and light*.

Prayer: Lord, help us fulfill our responsibilities of serving others in your name. Amen.

*First verse and refrain of We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations by H. Ernest Nichol, see at https://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh569.sht

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.

Servanthood

Living in Spirit
September 23, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 9:30-37

Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’ –Mark 9:33-37

While we try to outmaneuver one another in a dangerous game of king or queen off the mountain our nation is crumbling around us and our children are getting lost in the shuffle.

[The 2018 KIDS COUNT® Data Book] ranks Oklahoma 44th out of all 50 states for child well-being. Even in areas where Oklahoma has seen the most improvement recently, we’re not keeping up with the progress in other states. We have a high percentage of kids scoring below proficient in reading and math, a high rate of teen births, hundreds of thousands of kids living in poverty, and tens of thousands without health insurance. The 2018 Data Book shows that while Oklahoma has improved on some measures of child well-being, we still have a lot of work to do*.

What kind of greed is so addictive it does not care what happens to our children? Yes, I do mean greed and I do mean that it is addictive. It is also a sin as it separates us from God when we place material wealth and the power that accompanies it above God. We are indeed throwing the King off the mountain and paying a heavy price for it that will impact us for decades, if not generations. The economy is booming now but cannot sustain the growing gap between the haves and the have-nots. While our unemployment rate is low, the number of people living in poverty is high. Although they work, many do not earn a living wage.

We each need to prob the depth of our being sucked into the addictive qualities of greed, assess what we need to do to correct our ways of being, and implement changes needed. The first change is to ask God for forgiveness for having fallen into such foolish ways. Within our communities of faith, we need to determine how we can impact greed’s influence on our society and find ways to reverse course.

Prayer: Servant Savior, remind us of whose we are and lift us from the mire of greed giving us the courage to work toward a world where everyone has enough. Amen.

*https://okpolicy.org/category/blog/children-and-families/

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.

Sharing in Enough

Living in the Spirit
June 29, 2018

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15

For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have. I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. As it is written,
‘The one who had much did not have too much,
   and the one who had little did not have too little.’ –2 Corinthians 8:12-15

Paul’s quote is from the story of Manna from Heaven provided for the Israelites in the desert:
But when they measured it with an omer, those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of them needed. –Exodus 16:18

What is enough? Paul is suggesting that we have responsibility for assuring that all have enough to meet basic needs requiring some who have much to offset in some way the incomes of those who have too little. Today we do that in many ways. We make direct contributions of food, clothing, etc. Some of us own and operate businesses that choose to pay a living wage costing some of our profits while benefiting us by having a supply of competent, hardworking, dependable staff. Some of our governmental taxing systems support this idea by scaling taxation progressively based on income. Those who earn less pay a smaller percentage of their income in taxes.

MIT created and maintains a living wage calculator that attempts to define what is enough to provide for necessities*. It includes food, childcare, medical, housing, transportation, and other items which includes such things as clothing, housekeeping supplies, and personal care supplies. While the living wage minimum income needs far exceed the minimum wage and the poverty level in all family categories, it is very sparse. After calculating what various family categories require, it adds in the taxes they must pay. It does not include charitable contributions.

Why does it matter to Paul and to God in the Manna story that everyone has enough? God created the world as a whole system with each part interdependent with the other. For God’s world to function at its best all parts must function at their best. Such a system is built on the concept of love, wanting the very best for another. It supersedes any philosophy that structures the world toward personal gain at the expense of others. God’s system contributes to a steady state of shalom—wellbeing and peace for all. We pay a high price in lost shalom when we let greed undercut God’s design.

Prayer: God who provides enough, guide us in following your example in all aspects of our lives as we strive to assure that all your children have enough. Amen.

*http://livingwage.mit.edu/

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.

Spiritual Wholeness

Advent
December 13, 2017

Scripture Reading: Psalm 126
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
   we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
   and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
   ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’
The Lord has done great things for us,
   and we rejoiced.

 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
   like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears
   reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
   bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
   carrying their sheaves.

The good thing about God is when we repent and get back in synch, God will restore our souls. To our discredit, we might read restoration of fortune and think of monetary gain. The whole prosperity gospel is based on such assumptions. I do believe that God wants all of God’s children to have enough and for all those who have more than enough to use it wisely in God’s service. Abundant life is so much more than material wealth.

As Abraham Maslow noted, the basic needs of humans must be met (e.g., food, shelter, warmth, security, sense of belonging) before a person can achieve self-actualization – the need to be good, to be fully alive and to find meaning in life. * Self-actualization is a psychological term that relates well to spiritual wholeness which encompasses an abundant life.

Jesus understood this theory well. Perhaps that is why he spoke so strongly regarding meeting the basic needs of all people. He longed for everyone to experience the abundant life. He invited us to partner with him in creating a world where charity is not necessary so that all people can have life and have it abundantly. (See John 10:10)

Prayer: God of Love, Enable us to craft a world where all have enough and can experience self-actualization and spiritual wholeness. 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.

Wearing Blinders

Living in the Spirit
July 25, 2017

Scripture Reading: Genesis 29:15-28

Then Jacob said to Laban, ‘Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.’ So Laban gathered together all the people of the place, and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, ‘What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?’ Laban said, ‘This is not done in our country—giving the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me for another seven years.’ Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife.
–Genesis 29:21-28

Did Jacob inherit his con-artistry from his Uncle Laban? Remember Jacob cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright that is why Jacob was on the run in the first place. Laban tricked Jacob into seven more years of work by fooling him into marriage with Leah before he could marry the one he chose, Rachel. When we read further, we see the trickery continues. Of course, polygamy is a cultural taboo in most of our society today but was common place in ancient times. It had more to do with the economy than with love. It is hard to imagine living in such a world.

I wonder, what common place activities in our culture today will cause consternation among our descendants in the future. Perhaps we would benefit from examining such “norms” we take for granted and determining if they are in fact beneficial to our way of being. It might be time to clean our cultural filters and remove the sludge that makes us treat others less than God created them to be. What of our behaviors has more to do with the economy than with loving God and loving our neighbors?

Two things come to my mind:

  1. Filling jobs with undocumented immigrants at lower than minimum wages with no benefits while making it seem impossible to create laws that would allow immigrants easy entry to fill jobs that pay well with benefits, for which there are not enough citizens to do the work.
  2. Keeping the minimum wage so low that persons working at that level must rely on food stamps, Medicaid, and child care subsidies to survive. Our society denigrates people receiving such assistance which in many cases is no assistance at all but wage supplements for big businesses.

Privilege comes with blinders. Blinders are part of the rigging used on horses that protrude from the horses’ faces to keep them from being distracted from plowing a straight row or running a straight course. The blinders of privilege are not visible to those of us who wear them, but they keep us from seeing injustices that support our way of life.

Jesus envisioned a world where everyone had enough. When everyone has enough everyone contributes to the well-being of all, and that is good.

Prayer: Lord, remove our blinders. Help us to see the injustices that support our ways of life. Help us seek ways of overcoming injustice and live your way of love. 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.

Poor in Spirit

statueoflibertyLiving in the Spirit
September 11, 2016

Scripture Reading: Luke 15:1-10

‘Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.” Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’ –Luke 15:8-10

The poor have always been with me as Jesus predicted. (Mark 4:7) My mother always held the poor close to her heart. She helped them in any way she could. Her empathy played a part in my becoming a social worker and an advocate for justice. So, I understand the message Jesus brings in his story of the woman with ten silver coins. The loss of one coin could mean disaster for her family. Jesus also said to provide food and clothing for those in need. (Matthew 25:35-40) and Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. (Luke 6:20) Matthew quotes a similar speech saying poor in spirit, which probably has a broader scope, but I guess the woman who lost the coin felt both poor and poor in spirit from the loss.

We do not pay much attention to the poor of any kind. Our society cares more about wealth. The difference in being poor in spirit because you do not know where your evening meal will come from and have no food for your children, and being poor in spirit because your stocks lost ground are not the same. The promised kingdom of God assures enough for everyone, and calls us to partner in its realization.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!“*

Prayer: Lord, make your priorities our priorities as we week to make your vision a reality. Amen.

*Lines from the poem The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus engraved on the Statue of Liberty. See at http://www.libertystatepark.com/emma.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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

How to Succeed at Being Poor

poor-kidsLiving in the Spirit
September 7, 2016

Scripture Reading: Psalm 14

There they shall be in great terror,
   for God is with the company of the righteous.
You would confound the plans of the poor,
   but the Lord is their refuge.  

O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion!
   When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
   Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad. –Psalm 14:5-7

Apparently, someone needs to write a self-help book, How to Succeed at Being Poor in the Wealthiest Nation in the World. At least the subject of such a book seems to be the intent of our nation. Producing such a book might be a waste of time, however, for we are no longer even willing to teach our children how to read unless it can happen very cheaply or it provides profit for a private enterprise. Wealth is finite. The earth and all that is in it has limited space and limited resources. For some to have more, some must have less. For some to have a lot more, many more must have less.

The USA unemployment rate is very low. Most able-bodied adults work or are looking for work. We need those undocumented immigrants just to get required work done. Many people work at two or more jobs and still do not make ends meet. Some businesses only schedule staff to work less than a 40-hour week, so the business does not have to provide benefits. Tax-payers subsidize businesses that pay low wages by providing SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid, and Child Care Subsidy. There virtually no longer exists a cash payment welfare program for families with their own children. Yet, we continue to hear about and belittle the welfare mooches and the lazy good-for-nothings receiving food stamps etc.

God makes it clear that when we seek God we probably should start looking among the folks, we disparage the most.

Prayer: God, help us to see that you created enough for everyone and that we have the task of sharing your bounty. 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 American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Enough is Enough

EnoughLiving in the Spirit
July 30, 2016

Scripture Reading: Luke 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’ –Luke 12:13-15

Our society, perhaps the world, is experiencing an epidemic of greed, which I believe will be our downfall if we do not implement the cure for it. It is a disease as old as time itself. Was Abel’s offering better than Cain’s? Should a mother’s favored son get the inheritance?

The prophet’s ranted against greed. Jerimiah said in Jerimiah 6:3,
For from the least to the greatest of them,
   everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest,
   everyone deals falsely.

Our scripture today quotes Jesus speaking about greed.

Greed is insidious. It creeps into all our lives in bits and pieces until it gains control. It is when we cross over the line placing greed as the driving force in our life that we cannot seem to escape it. The need for more grows greater than our need for God—more money, more power, more control.

The power of God’s love in and through us is the only antidote to greed. When we truly accept God’s love our need for more vanishes. When we share our love with others, we recognize that everyone having enough grows to be as important as any of us having more.

Prayer: Lord, fill my soul with your love so that there is no room left for greed and let my love be the source of everyone having enough. 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 American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Listening for God

Hearing GodEpiphany
Celebration of God
Manifested in the World
January 12, 2015

 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. — 1 Samuel 3:1-5

Whether we read this scripture literally or metaphorically, it is ominous in nature. In the second chapter of 1 Samuel we read of an oracle confronting Eli about his work and more particularly the lack of commitment of his sons. God was going to pass the torch to someone else who would be God’s prophet for the people that someone was Samuel. The first verse begs the question: was the word of the Lord rare or were people not listening for it? Apparently the priestly functions were continuing as hollow acts of habit. Samuel, no doubt by Eli’s instruction, was tending the lamp of God even before he knew who God was. The lamp was to remain lit until the sun rose. On this morning a new and different dawn was coming. God will not let God’s people go without God’s light.

The birth and dedication of Samuel to God is mirrored in the birth of Jesus, another chosen one conceived to spread even a greater light into the darkness that was overcoming the world. Similar challenges faced Samuel and then Jesus and they still face us today. We humans, children of God though we are, do not handle prosperity well. We have a long, long history of begging for God in the bad times and not being aware of God in what we consider to be the good times.

The abundant life that Jesus described most likely included all having enough to eat and other basic needs met not more than enough. God’s abundance is having more than enough love for God and each other.

Prayer: Lord help us to carefully consider what is enough, and let us work toward assuring that the basic needs of all are being met. More importantly, open our ears and our eyes to hear your word and see your visions as we work to make them real in our world today experienced in the depth of your love. 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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.