Tag Archives: Justice

Winnow/Filter

Jesus’ Ministry 
January 12, 2019

Scripture Reading: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ –Luke 3:15-17

I need a good winnower. Raised on a farm, I have seen the wheat shafts being separated from the kernels. It is the kernels from which we and other animals draw nutrition and strength.

Our lives need routine winnowing. I call it filtering as more people understand that process today than winnowing. We change our heat and air filters and are astounded by how much yuck they capture. Our cities filter the water we drink to take out harmful elements. We change air filters and oil filters and I do not know what else to maintain our cars in peak operating order. Christ cleanses us of those things that separates us from God.  In like manner we, I think, are called to winnow the world removing those things that are unjust in God’s eyes.

One of the most stubborn things that separates us from God are those prejudicial ideas that clog our thinking when we fail to love our neighbors as we love ourselves because we do not see our neighbors as being like ourselves. God put no limitations on who we are to love, and neither should we because all people are God’s children and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Prayer: Lord keep my filter clean so that I can love unconditionally like Jesus. 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.

Carry Through

Jesus’ Ministry
January 11, 2019

Scripture Reading: Acts 8:14-17

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Apparently, some type of ritual was related to receiving the Holy Spirit in the first century. I have read some history about the earlier church, but I do not think there was a handbook of procedures for some time. I do think our scripture today speaks well to the need for follow through as we welcome new followers of Christ. That is also true in life as we reach out to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Prisoners completing their sentence in our federal system get $500 and a bus ticket to the place of conviction with some exceptions. States do something similar. Some prisoners, of course, have family and friends waiting to take them home but what happens when that is not the case? What happens when an ex-con gets off that bus?

In Oklahoma in 2000, a former teacher and associate minister, Kris Steele, concerned about justice started his first term as a State Representative. He served the full time-limited term of 12 years the last two as speaker of the House. Dedicating much of his work to criminal justice reform, he courageously fought for improvements in the system. It did not stop there. After leaving the legislature he sought to answer the question: What happens after a prisoner gets off that bus and formed TEEM, The Education and Employment Ministry. Its mission is dedicated to breaking cycles of incarceration and poverty through education, personal development, and work readiness training offering hope to newly released prisoners, it meets immediate needs while developing and supporting plans for successful futures.

We are all called to do justice regarding a wide variety of issues from which we can choose. Our participation may run the gamut from volunteering at a place like TEEM or working to upgrade out-of-date laws.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the vision to make changes leading to justice in the world today and the courage and persistence to make it happen. Amen.

Learn more about TEEM at https://www.teem.org/

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.

 

Who are Our Samaritans?

Jesus’ Ministry
January 10, 2019

Scripture Reading: Acts 8:14-17

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

This seemingly simple activity report is loaded with meaning. The Samaritan were one of the most hated peoples for generations among the Jews. What does it take to move a people from hating to celebrating another group? I wonder how those who did not accept Jesus as the Christ thought about this transformation?

Allan W. Eckert’s The Winning of America series included a story he told about some Mennonites who established a good relationship with a group of Native Americans who accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and attempted to follow his guidance as they understood it. They understood that Jesus was a pacifist and thus war and discord with others was forbidden. This group was meeting in a round house when a group of white people entered the building and shot and killed each of the natives as they stood with hands folded in prayer. Two little boys escaped before they would have been shot and lived to tell the tale. I wonder how many times this story was repeated across this country when no one survived? I do not recall much about the shooters. They may even have been soldiers. They may have been professed Christians cleansing the world of pagans.

I am sad to say we still live in a world today where fear and bigotry, greed and lust for power works to rob us of the gifts of grace and love we find in Jesus Christ. Our work to do justice includes walking with those who are oppressed even when the oppression is coming from people who are a lot like us.

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage of your love to stand with others being oppressed. 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.

Navigating to God’s Glory

Jesus’ Ministry
January 8, 2019

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7

Do not fear, for I am with you;
   I will bring your offspring from the east,
   and from the west I will gather you;
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’,
   and to the south, ‘Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
   and my daughters from the end of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
   whom I created for my glory,
   whom I formed and made.’ –Isaiah 43:5-7

The Kingdom of God has no sides as is true of the earth. While using directions seems to make it easier for mortals to navigate the earth, the truth is if we go far enough east, we arrive on our west. To God, all means all. Our categories of directions, nations, states, cities, skin color, ethnicity, or gender are meaningless to God. We humans are the ones who have the need to reduce numbers to more manageable sizes by creating artificial divisions. A problem arises when the members of those smaller segments cannot get along or begin to think one is better than another. At that point Isaiah quotes God as saying, “give them up” and “Do not withhold” reminding us of the shallow nature of our divisions. Isaiah reminds us that all are created for Gods glory and our job is to make sure everything we do with and among God’s creation is to Gods glory.

The year I graduated from high school, our school board considered consolidating with the nearest school who was our greatest rival in sports. We students thought the world would come to an end if that happened. The next years the schools consolidated. The world is still here, and that combined school offers more choices in classes with students scoring higher on achievement tests. Asking the question each time we interact with others, “does what I am doing glorify God” while being honest with oneself might be a good place to start self-correcting.

Prayer: Lord, help me examine myself to determine if my actions and the actions I support glorify you. Guide me in changing course so that all I do brings you glory. Amen.

Prayer: Lord, help me examine myself to determine if my actions and the actions I support glorify you. Guide me in changing course so that all I do brings you glory. 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.

New Perspective

Christmas 
January 4, 2019

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 1:1-4, (5-12)

‘In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth,
   and the heavens are the work of your hands;
they will perish, but you remain;
   they will all wear out like clothing;
like a cloak you will roll them up,
   and like clothing they will be changed.
But you are the same,
   and your years will never end.’ –Hebrews 1:10-12

I wonder if Mars was ever populated? Did it have robust cities and rolling green farmland? Has it always been a round barren ball with a rock like surface where water probably existed at some point in time? If Mars was populated how hard did its citizens try to take care of it for their children and their children’s children? Does something being inevitable mean we are to forsake it and let it wear out like clothing?

One of the highlights of my childhood was going to town to buy feed for the chickens and cattle. Some feed was packaged in burlap gunny sacks which were very useful in their own way. Other feed was packaged in printed cotton suitable for making clothing. My sister and I could pick out the patterns that would soon become a dress or skirt or blouse. My Mom knew exactly how many sacks it took to make each garment and we had to find a pattern that had enough matching sacks. It was always disappointing when there was only one bag in my favorite pattern and color. As children, we usually outgrew our clothing before it wore out, so it was passed to another family with younger children. When something did wear out or get stained beyond use as clothing, we would take the stitches out (I was good at that) and Mom would create something else like hot pads or a quilt.

I guess this came to mind because I have been cleaning after the holidays. It is unbelievable how much trash one accumulates in a short period of time. I have a large recycle receptacle and a trash one both now full and I will probably refill them immediately after the city empties them. We do not handle our waste well and it is destroying the earth as is our dependence on fossil fuels and plastic and overuse of water and I could go on and on. But that is not what I am writing about. I wonder if we need to change our perspective. Can we not find the joy of caring for the earth similar to the joy I as a child experienced with what many would find revolting, making clothing out of bags holding animal feed.

I do think God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow and it was God who charged us with the care of the earth. I do not question God’s abiding love and God expects us to love the earth as much as he did when he made it and saw that it was good.

Prayer: Forgive us when we fail to follow your example. Guide us in our loving one another as we love the earth you prepared for 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.

Joy in Justice

Christmas
January 2, 2019

Scripture Reading: Psalm 98

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
   the world and those who live in it.
Let the floods clap their hands;
   let the hills sing together for joy
at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming
   to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
   and the peoples with equity. –Psalm 98:7-9

My sister is a good seamstress and enjoys creating clothing. She inherited that gene from my mother, I am sure. Although females in my family had to learn the basics of sewing, I did not get that gene nor was I particularly good at sewing. I am pretty good at hemming pant legs, a skill made necessary from being shorter than the average American woman. My sister had the misfortune of being in the same age group as several girls whose mothers were active in the Home Demonstration Club from which most judges for 4-H clothing projects were drawn. I do not think any in my class had mothers from the Club.

Keep in mind this is the remembrance of a younger sister who did inherit her mother’s strong sense of justice. My sister would make her garment according to the rules, all by herself, and the results were always beautiful. I struggled to make the required garment, with my mother-judge looking over my shoulder requiring me to take seams out that were less than perfect and try, try again. I did do all the work, and my garments complied with all the rules. We would go to contest and my sister would never place in the top winners and I almost always would. For that reason, I quit 4-H in the eighth grade, yet my sister stayed in through high school. She apparently did not care as much about winning as she did about the joy of creating something good. Driving home from contests, my mother and sister had to listen to me gripe about my sister not winning while I was feeling guilty for winning. I made the right decision to get on the right path for me related to this small venture as did my sister.

I do not have a clue how God’s judgment is actualized; I do know it is just. I also now know that seeking God’s will for our lives, doing the very best we can to fulfill it, and finding life’s joys in our journey with God is what really matters regardless of the unequal justice we may experience in the world.

Prayer: God of Mercy and Justice, guide us in doing your will and let your justice be our source of joy. 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.

Preparing to Do Justice

Christmas
December 28, 2018

Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:12-17

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. –Colossians 3:12-14

For several months I have been receiving the most vitriolic emails from various political sources of my persuasion usually ending in something threatening great doom at the level of “if you do not send money now the world will come to an end.” I would never send money to any such request. I thought they would end after the election, but I am still getting them. Today I took the time to unsubscribe to ones I received and as my time permits, I will continue to do that. We do not need to hate each other to disagree on ways to address issues we are facing. Compromise is not a four-letter word. Finding common ground for the Common Good is always the best way to deal with problems. I have little expertise on how to address climate change, but I am willing to learn from those with knowledge to support sound decision and I do know that some action is needed. On the other hand, I know more than I wish I did about poverty and our health care system and would love to sit and share my experience and understanding with others. I have found that placing a stubborn problem before fresh eyes can result in unique but effective methods to address the issues.

I am going to adopt the above scripture from Colossians as a daily mantra throughout January as I prepare for justice work in 2019. I welcome any of you who are interested to join me.

Prayer: Help us, O Lord, clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience as we strive to do justice in our world today. 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.

New Beginning

Christmas Day
December 25, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26

Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy wearing a linen ephod. His mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year, when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, ‘May the Lord repay you with children by this woman for the gift that she made to the Lord’; and then they would return to their home.

  Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and with the people.

Samuel was promised to God as his mother prayed for him since she had not yet conceived and longed for a child. She followed through on her promised and delivered him to the Priest Eli when he was a small child. He was thus groomed from the start to be the prophet he was to become. Jesus was conceived in dedication to service to God and his birth marked the beginning of his growth in God’s plan.

 We usually think of New Years Day as a day of new beginnings when we set goals for getting more exercise, using our income more wisely, eating right, or being a more responsible consumer. Christmas Day is very much about new beginnings. The darkness and waiting of Advent are over Christ is born. Now is the time to work on Kingdom building by His side.

This is a day of new beginnings,
time to remember, and move on,
time to believe what love is bringing,
laying to rest the pain that’s gone.

Christ is alive, and goes before us
to show and share what love can do.
This is a day of new beginnings;
our God is making all things new*.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the new beginning you sent to us in your Son. Guide us as we grow in truth. Amen.

*First and fourth verses of This Is a Day of New Beginnings by Bryan Wren, See at https://www.hopepublishing.com/find-hymns-hw/hw2386.aspx

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.

The Strength of the Lord

Advent
December 19, 2018

Scripture Reading: Micah 5:2-5a

And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
   in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
   to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace. –Micah 5:4-5

There is no question that Jesus thought everyone should have enough food to eat and one could read the scripture above and understand it to mean that we too as followers of Christ are called to follow his example and assure that all have adequate food to eat. I think though Micah here is talking more about feeding our souls with the strength of the Lord. I have been a part of many attempts to do justice in our world over several years and have discovered the people who stick with doing justice most likely are routinely strengthened with the nurture of the Lord. They are committed to a higher calling.

Those of us who are very goal oriented find it frustrating not to see the results of our labors. Some fall away and seek other causes or just give up. Others live the journey of faith not its outcomes. As we strive to carve out a more just world, we also seek to grow in the wisdom and ways of the Lord. I think Jesus was very goal oriented. He foresees eternal outcomes that might be measured in small steps. For those of us who try to emulate him our faith that his vision will come to fruition is our outcome. Our work must be crucial to that outcome or God would not have called us to do it. Such faith demands a strong relationship with God and a willingness to trust in God’s plan.

Prayer: God strengthen us in our service and remind us that your yoke is easy, and your burden is light* because you are pulling with us every step of the way. Amen

*Based on Matthew 11:28-30

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.

Fairness

Advent
December 17, 2018

Scripture Reading: Luke 3:7-18

And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’ –Luke 3:10-14

John the Baptist seems to be dealing with two types of help. The first is meeting immediate needs no matter what. If we have more than is necessary, we need to share extra coats and food with those who have none. The second expresses an ethical level of doing business. We are to treat people fairly by not overcharging or extorting money falsely for our own gain rather than being satisfied with the wages we make. Tax collectors collected whatever they could apparently if they gave Rome what Rome required.

Schools learned some time ago that students who were hungry could not learn. The school lunch program was expanded to include breakfast for that very reason. I heard on the news recently that our school system is offering dinner after school because for many of our students the school is the only sure place they will be fed. Volunteers from my church fill backpacks with food at a local elementary school each Friday to send home with some children who likely have no dependable source of food at home.

Areas of high poverty have limited healthy food and make a profit selling unhealthy food.

Food deserts are defined as parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas. This is largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and healthy food providers.

 This has become a big problem because while food deserts are often short on whole food providers, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, instead, they are heavy on local quickie marts that provide a wealth of processed, sugar, and fat laden foods that are known contributors to our nation’s obesity epidemic.*

John was most likely identifying the first century equivalent of food deserts among the people to whom he preached. His advice remains pertinent to us today as we live in a world where the rich get richer as poverty increases.

There are many issues that must be addressed between meeting basic needs and ethical business practices like offering quality public education to all and restorative criminal justice. John describes a good start toward a more equitable society that reflects God’s love for all God’s children.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we close our eyes to the hungry and ignore the business inequities of poverty. Amen.

*http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/usda-defines-food-deserts

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.