Tag Archives: Responsibility

Personal Responsibility

Living in the Spirit
June 4, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 8:4-20; 11:14-15

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, ‘You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.’ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to govern us.’ Samuel prayed to the Lord, and the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. Now then, listen to their voice; only—you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.’ –1 Samuel 8:4-9

Years ago, I did statewide training among my agency’s staff, both frontline and administrative, regarding the agency’s strategic plan. What I routinely found was that staff easily identify goals and objectives for other parts of the agency to pursue but found it much harder to devise plans for making their contribution to attaining the agency’s desired outcomes. We needed both types of input the worker bee level had insights regarding the administrative supports that would help make things at the local level run more smoothly and the frontline staff had to own their responsibilities in attaining goals.

A good example of that is climate control. Each of us must be mindful of the carbon footprint we leave on our earth as we recycle and take responsibility for cleaner energy usage while we support our government’s role in smoothing the way for climate control at the macro level.

In our scripture today, the Israelites demand a king to solve their problems. Perhaps they wanted a government that was equal to their neighboring countries. I think what God saw was a people who wanted to pass the buck without doing their fair share of providing for the Common Good, the primary purpose of any government. The same attitude seems to be sweeping across the USA. The sad thing about that is the USA was founded on the principle of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Our founders committed us to self-governance. Yet, people do not vote. Most people serving in elected positions today in Oklahoma were elected by less than half the number of eligible voters not counting those who do not even register to vote. And we wonder why our leaders are more apt to support the entities who fund their campaigns than the people they represent.

We need to learn from the errors of our ancestors in faith. Whether we have a king or a president or a prime minister or whatever, we are responsible for the leadership of our country.

Prayer: Lord, as we enter a new election cycle, teach us your vision of the Common Good and help us implement it. 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.

Faith and State

Eastertide
April 25, 2018

Scripture Reading: Psalm 22:25-31
From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
   my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
   those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
   May your hearts live forever! 

All the ends of the earth shall remember
   and turn to the Lord;
and all the families of the nations
   shall worship before him.
For dominion belongs to the Lord,
   and he rules over the nations. 

To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;
   before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
   and I shall live for him.
Posterity will serve him;
   future generations will be told about the Lord,
and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
   saying that he has done it.

Inclusiveness and provisions for everyone to have enough of what they need are themes that weave through the entire Bible and would seem to be a statement of our purpose. How much time and talent do we devote to welcoming and interacting with all and assuring that all shall eat and be satisfied?

There is a dis-ease running through communities of people over the age of 65 who thought their payroll deductions for so many years were building a nest egg for their retirement through the provision of Medicare and Social Security. Many also saved wisely or participated in work-related retirement programs. Now nearly every day they read in the paper or through other media our federal government’s intent to reduce markedly both programs. My mother was a frugal person. She routinely saved money and my parents invested the funds from selling the farm to complement their Social Security and Medicare. Medicare does not pay for long-term care and when her health necessitated long-term care, it was amazing how fast those investments disappeared. Those over 65 know these stories well and that contributes to their dis-ease.

The federal government routinely uses excess funds in the Social Security Trust which then becomes a part of our national debt. To put it very simply the Social Security Trust fund is not running out of funds, the federal government is not paying its debt to it. Reducing benefits is a way of getting past the debt problem.

At what point do our values need to drive our government? Ours is supposed to be a government of the people, for the people, by the people that has a responsibility to be inclusive and to provide for the Common Good. I think those ideals line up well with our Judeo-Christian concerns for meeting basic needs. The Common Good also implies the integrity to use resources for their intended use.

Prayer: God, show us how to be doers of your justice in our role as citizens. 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.

Responsibility

Living in the Spirithunger-facts-carousel-62-percent
October 3, 2016

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. –Jeremiah 29:4-6

What have you done for yourself, your family, your community, or your country lately? Even in exile, God expected the Israelites to take responsibility for their wellbeing. Taking responsibility was something they had failed to do before the exile.

Several years ago at a church meeting no less, the speaker asked probably a rhetorical question, “How many of you like to pay taxes?” Two of us raised our hands. As a government employee, many expected my response. The other positive response came from an accountant. He very logically explained to me later that each citizen has a responsibility to pay their fair share of taxes to provide for the infrastructure that only government can provide. Police; firefighters; military forces; roads, highways, and bridges. Oklahoma is a state that often is forced to call for federal help when the weather has destroyed whole neighborhoods. We become anxious when it appears the federal government is not responding as quickly as we need. We demonstrate as strong an aversion to paying taxes as anybody.

Responsibility is not just about taxes. As a part of the family of God, we must consider the needs of all our brothers and sisters. What do you know about your immediate community? My church adopted a nearby elementary school about ten years ago. I had no idea about the problems in this inner-city school. Our volunteers sack bags of food for about 10% of the students to take home over the weekend who most likely have no other source of food than that provided through the school lunch program. These are beautiful children from hard working families in many cases. Getting to know who our neighbors are, helps us understand the breadth and depths of our response to God’s call to do justice.

Prayer: Lord, you were once asked, “Who is my neighbor?” open our hearts to understand your answer. Amen.

Picture Source www.nokidhungry.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 American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Listen and Learn

Living-Gods-Heart-SmLiving in the Spirit
June 2, 2015

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 8:4-20

But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, ‘No! but we are determined to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.’ –1 Samuel 8:4-20

The people called for a king to fight their battles for them without the presence of forethought to realize that they would be the ones conscripted to do the fighting. The prophets often quote God as saying something to the effect, “You closed your ears to me.” The people of Israel had just heard Samuel’s speech regarding the cost of a kingship and it did not matter.

There is a lot of failure to heed wise advice going around throughout the world. From texting while driving to over indulging in sugar and trans fat, we personally do not accept responsibility for our own wellbeing. Our scorn of the poor targeted at saving a few dollars in tax spending is dark comedy when Congress wants to fund the Department of Defense with millions more dollars than requested in its budget.

I have been reading Joan Chittister’s book The Ten Commandments, laws of the Heart. Her treatment of the second commandment really got my attention. My childhood take on, “Do not take the name of the Lord in vain” was basically not to swear. But no, Chittister asserts we should not call on the Lord when we know in our hearts what we are demanding is not something the God of love would even consider. We are wasting God’s time and our own—my words not hers.

We are called to a lifetime quest to know God. Hearing does not mean we have listened. Listening does not mean we have learned unless we live what God speaks to us.

Prayer:  Lord, enable us to give ear to your teaching, let in immerse our souls, and be reflected in our lives. 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.

A Parent’s Legacy

Child of GodEastertide
April 16, 2015

Scripture Reading: 1 John 3:1-7

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. –1 John 3:1-3

One of the greatest challenges we face as Christian’s is comprehending and accepting that all people are God’s children. Some may not know it yet. None of us have a perfect understanding of what it means.

Years ago when I went to work for the state we had a merit system and my name was the top name on that system for the county in which I lived and wanted to work. I had interviewed for the job, but not heard anything. In contacting the administrator, I was advised to talk to my state senator about it. Apparently, there was someone with political connections who wanted the job and the powers that be were trying to figure out a way to get around me. I was politically naive at the time, but I went to talk with the senator who I had not met and who was an attorney in the county seat. He greeted me politely and when he heard my name he inquired about who my father was and I told him. He said, “I knew your grandfather, he was one of the finest men I have ever know.” I did not know my grandfather. He died when my dad was ten years old, but I had always heard good things about him. The senator told me he would look into the job situation, I thanked him, and drove the 20 miles back to my family’s farm. When I arrived, my mother said that the administrator of the office in which I had applied to work had called and said I was to start to work the next day. Now I do not believe in political patronage, but I gained a great deal of respect for a grandfather I had never known. I actually think I worked harder to uphold that legacy.

Being the child of God carries its privileges and its responsibilities. A part of that responsibility is accepting all of God’s children as our siblings. If they do not know their Parent God then it is also our responsibility to tell them about God.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for parents who introduced me to you as a baby. Help me introduce you to those who do not yet know of your compassion and 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.