What Type of Toilet Paper Does Your Church Use?

What Type of Toilet Paper Does Your Church Use?

            Have you ever thought about what type of toilet paper your church uses?  Is it the nice soft kind that you can blow your nose comfortably in if there are no tissues around, or does it feel like the strongest grade of industrial sand paper that can be bought?  What is the deciding factor in how the toilet paper is purchased?  What type do you have in your own home?  These are interesting, and some will say, unimportant and even stupid questions, but I would argue that the type of toilet paper used in many, and maybe most, local congregations and denominational headquarters and agencies/boards often will show where our priorities lie.  I will admit up front that a) all I have is my own observations to support my conclusions, and b) some people may be uncomfortable with the subject of toilet paper.

            My experience is that most churches use either the cheapest or close to the cheapest brand of toilet paper they can find.  If they use a janitorial or office supply company they may be using the generic office brand the supply company sells-either the individual rolls or the big commercial rolls that go into dispensers.  If it is a local church custodian buying the supplies it is often what is on sale.  It is very seldom a name brand such as Charmin, Northern, or Angel Soft.  The reason given on why the cheaper version is purchased is usually we have to be good stewards of our money, and most people won’t really notice the difference.  A few more reasons are that the name brand is too expensive or the supply company only carries one type.

            I will agree with the statement we need to be good stewards.  However, being a good steward does not always equate to buying the cheapest.  What does it say to visitors and guests when we have scratchy TP?  Do we really care what they think about our bathrooms?  Imagine if instead of scratchy TP a congregation would offer extra soft ______.  What would people think?  While it probably would not be a deciding factor in a person’s choice of a congregation it could play a factor in the overall experience. 

            I think a deeper reason for buying cheaper or cheapest toilet paper is it can show where our priorities lie.  Instead of paying a few dollars more a case of good toilet paper it is decided to buy the cheaper one just because it is cheaper.  It will save the congregation a few dollars and often the congregation will say they need to all of the money they can get in the bank.  Instead of seeing it as an act of hospitality to both guests and members it becomes a money saving option.  The money saved goes into the general fund or a savings account and not into a ministry of some sort.  It is a part of the survival mode so many congregations are in and instead of looking outward in ministry they are looking inward hoping to survive.  Instead of spending money on ministry to those in need, the priority becomes keeping the door open for the members.

            There are other examples we could look at besides toilet paper-tissues; snacks with the type of juice, crackers, and other food we get; paper plates-you know the really cheap paper ones or the Chinette; fillers for ditty bags for small children during worship; and other items.  Why are we willing to get second best in the church, but will say that the cheap stuff is good enough for the congregation?  What does that say to others who may not know anything about church or even Jesus?

Here are some questions to ask yourself about priorities and hospitality:

1.  What type of toilet paper do you use at home? 

2.  Why is it ok to use something cheaper at church than at home?

     a.  We talk about the local congregations being a part of God’s house, should we not provide the best we can afford for the Lord, and if we do not what does that say to the community outside of the congregation about where our priorities lie?

3.  Are we more concerned about saving a few dollars than we are about showing hospitality to guests?

4.  What are the priorities of your local congregation, your conference/synod/diocese headquarters, or denomination’s?  Note-this can be different from what your stated mission is.   Do they buy things that say their priorities are different from their mission?

5.  What does your church’s toilet paper say about your congregation?

Blessings,

Pastor Dave

The Quest for Profits: What Role Do We Have in the Rise & Fall of People and Countries?

            I read a lot of different style of books, techno-thrillers, urban fantasy, traditional fantasy, science fiction, detective/mystery and some westerns.  I have even been known to read a romance novel or two especially if I do not realize it is one when I pick it up.  One of these romance books I accidently picked up because I thought it was a techno thriller, and it was more so than a romance, was called “Crimson Code” by Rachel Lee.  It is not a bad read, and it has some unique ideas.  One of the more interesting ideas is the idea that there has been a group of people around the world who are more interested in power and money than they are in ethics and morality.  This group of people instigate and manipulate people and nations into hot and cold wars so weapons can be sold, stocks can be raised, pawns can be moved into positions, etc.  This group is centuries old and familial.  What really piqued my interest was the idea that people would be willing to start wars, use blackmail, and resort to assassinations to make more money.  I have often wondered if there are groups who do try to do these things or who, maybe not manipulating nations into war, put profits before people.  Before you say there isn’t, or I am into conspiracy theories let me ask you a few questions.

            How often have you heard about criminal groups using violence and fear to enlarge their territories or make more money?  What about multi-national companies who move to other countries to avoid the environmental, labor, or safety laws?  What is the primary responsibility of corporations?  Are we complicit in any way to the rise and fall of people or countries?  As we look to make money do we contribute to any of the other subjects we have talked about recently-human trafficking, immigration concerns, etc?

            This morning we will continue our series on the Church, personal holiness and social holiness and will be looking at money, business, and the quest for profits.  Specifically we will look at how the quest of money can impact not just the quest seeker, how the quest for money interacts with other social holiness issues, and how we all are players in the rise and fall of nations.  IF we have time we will talk about how money does not necessarily solve all of our problems.

            First of all let me state a few things:  1) Business is in business to make money, 2) Scripture does not say money is evil, 3) Scripture does show rich people are loved by God and can be saved by faith in Jesus just as a poor person can.  At the same time we hear in Scripture that it can be very difficult for a rich human being to enter the kingdom of heaven to the point Jesus says in Matthew it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  This is most likely because people who have riches or many possessions put their trust in what they have and not in Jesus.  It could also be they are scared  or do not desire to pay the price to be a follower of Jesus which is to be willing to give up all to serve Jesus.  Remember the rich young man in       who wanted to follow Jesus but could not because he was not willing to give all up to be a disciple.

            I also want to say that compared to many in the world each and every one of us in this room today is incredibly rich.  Even the poorest of the poor in this country often have more than other world citizens. 

            There is a theory called “Six Degrees of Separation” and a game called “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon”.  The idea of the Kevin Bacon game is that an actor through their work can be linked to Kevin Bacon within 6 moves.  The “Six Degrees of Separation” is a theory that people anywhere can be linked within 6 moves.  For many people this is true, and it shows the interconnectedness of our world.  In the world of money and social holiness there are similarities as well in the interconnectedness between issues of social holiness and the quest for money.

            In the quest for money people will often go to great lengths to gain it.  For some it may be being a mule and carrying drugs for a drug runner.  Others will lie, cheat and steal to get into positions to make money.  Still others will abuse the image of God, and this is how the interconnectedness comes into play with other social holiness issues.  There are those who traffic in human beings who beat and tear down the individuals so that others may use them.  There are those who use slave labor to keep costs down.  People immigrate and some employers will hire them knowing they will take lower wages or with the belief they can defraud them of their wages  We need to remember that all people are made in the image of God, and when we mistreat the image of God we mistreat God himself. 

            The mistreatment of the image of God may not always take place with strangers when the love of money is involved.  I understand there are times when people have to work over-time-it may be a busy time at work, emergencies come up, fields have to be plowed, crops have to be gotten in before the weather turns bad.  However, there are those who consistently let work and the chasing of the almighty dollar take precedence over their marriage, their kids, and other relationships.  As I follow the news on the millineal and X generations what I see is a group who are trying not to lose themselves in work.  They are, in a way, rebelling against the demands of jobs and careers that demand allegiance to the employer before allegiance to the family.  They are the generation who does not want to have their kids grow up like the kid did in Harry Chapin’s “The Cat’s in the Cradle”

            And, while we have not dedicated a Sunday to it, there is the issue of stewardship of the environment.  In the passage we read today from Genesis not only do we here about humanity being in the image of God but humanity was given dominion over the Earth.  This dominion is more along the lines of being stewards of it much like the stewards of Gondor in Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy were entrusted with the throne until the king returned.  How often have you seen, heard, or read about companies moving to other states or other countries because the environmental regulations are laxer or non-existent?  This is either to save money or maximize profits.  Often the price that is paid is years in the making.

            So what we can see from all of this is that it is difficult for us to focus just on one issue of social holiness because they are connected to each other.  I would say that the love of money might be the common factor or primary cause of most of the social holiness issues we face.

            So how are we responsible for the rise and fall of people and nations?  Directly we probably are not, but because of our lifestyles and our nation’s choices we have an effect on people throughout the world.  We want cheap oil so we will support regimes who are friendly to our nation even though rights endowed by our Creator are quashed or non-existent.  We want higher stock returns on our investments so we do not care if there are laxer standards or items we would not want in our backyard are built someplace else.  We often are ignorant or turn a blind eye to what is going on as long as we get our money.  If companies move we don’t ask for them to treat their employees as we would want to be treated or for them to follow the same/best environmental rules. 

            What can we do?  We can understand that we do have some culpability in the rise and fall of people.  We can also make it a point to re-order our priorities where God and then family comes before the job, career, and the dollar.  When it comes to other people we need to remember that our choices when it comes to the quest for profit or the dollar does impact them.  It may be indirectly through corporations or directly by missing much in their lives. 

            Money is essential to the running of our society.  It is not evil, and there is nothing wrong with having it.  It is when we begin to love money that we begin to get into trouble.  The money changers and the priests in the temple probably had let their love for money over ride the Lord’s desire for the temple area to be a place of worship.  The commerce was not always honest and it distracted those who came to worship God and could not go further into the temple.  Is your love for money distracting you or others from worshipping your Savior?

Outcomes in Search of a Report: Reaction to Ministry Commission Report 2-2011

            I am a United Methodist licensed local pastor who eventually hopes to be both an associate member and an ordained elder in the denomination.  As such I try to follow the news items that deal with ordination and ministry.  Recently there has been a report issued by The Study of Ministry Commission and/or General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) with recommendations for the General Conference to examine and vote on at the 2012 General Conference being held in Tampa, Florida.  Today as I looked at the news release and read the items the links led me to I had a range of reactions.

            A few of the recommendations are not so bad such as separating ordination and full conference membership or trying to educate and build up the different ministry orders.  Some didn’t illicit much of a response, and several just made my blood pressure rise.  I also believe that some of the recommendations, while couched in “reality”, are included out of fear or desire to make things easier for those in supervisory positions.  And, if what I saw where the links took me is the totality of the report, I am irate as there is nothing new.  Instead it is a re-hash of many news bites and previous reports but it now seemingly bears the seal of approval of the GBHEM.  To me it comes across as the outcomes were in need of meetings to be approved.

            Some of the more onerous items:

1.  Local, licensed pastors are still treated as second class citizens even if they continue onto associate membership.  Associate membership is essentially a glorified local pastor who agrees to itinerancy, and currently, is guaranteed an appointment in the annual conference.  They are not allowed to practice ministry to the world as they are licensed to the community.  When they retire they are stripped of their ministerial authority and privileges.  There is no discussion about ordaining associate members or doing away with the probationary period if the associate member applies for full connection and ordination as an elder.  Even though an associate member has completed extensive educational requirements and served at least two years or the equivalent of in full time appointments and often many more, and agrees to live in the itinerancy system the requirements to become an elder from associate membership are the same as someone who is just graduating from seminary.  I also believe there is some educational snobbery involved in the recommendation in keeping the associate membership category and encouraging LPs to become AMs.  The reason for my thinking is that many see the Course of Study (COS) as being inferior to actually going to seminary.  Notice in the report there is no push for LPs or AMs to be ordained even after completing the educational requirements.

2.  The call for the elimination of the “guaranteed” appointment.  Pure and simple this is a reaction out of fear couched in the terms of reality.  If we were out making disciples and winning souls for Christ then this would not be an issue.  There is also no talk in the report what so ever about ineffective churches or supervisors (district superintendents and bishops).  Bishops and district superintendents are still members of the Order of Elders.  The blame for the denomination not meeting its missional goals is laid solely at the feet of the pastors who are serving faithfully in the local congregations.  There is little or no discussion on how or why pastors become ineffective, how to support those who are in difficulty, or the issue that there may be other factors involved that are not church related that are making a pastor seem ineffective. 

Once again a report coming from a General Board or a group commissioned by the General Conference calls for effective pastors but fails to define what an effective pastor is.  The report calls for limited, standard fitness standards and then leaves it up to the annual conference and Boards of Ordained Ministries to define effective.  This might be acceptable, but it does not take into account the difference between each appointment, the fact many times the DSs do not know the whole story or dynamics in a congregation, or the fact that it opens the door to having many different missions in the denomination.  It potentially has the ability to make it more difficult for pastors to transfer from one annual conference to another by having different definition of what is effective, i.e. one annual conference may insist that to be effective a pastor has to be in a certain type of ministry while a minister who is led to go the geographic area of the annual conference may not be able to participate in good conscience thus limiting the effectiveness of ordination to the world.

            I also believe doing away with the guaranteed appointment will hinder the prophetic voice of the local pastor and concentrate too much power in the hands of district superintendents and bishops.  As a local pastor who is not guaranteed an appointment there are subjects I do not willingly bring up because I am afraid of what may happen to my appointment.  I have been told I should not be very visible or should be seen and not heard.  I have heard of a bishop who kept a little black book in his office of those who had disagreed with him.  Whether or not this is true, but just the rumor of it is disconcerting.  A pastor could be set up to fail, and while this may not be likely the church is made up of people and it is a political organization, and be eased out.  There is also the possibility of the older ministers being forced out before becoming eligible for retirement or the medical bills become too high.  Some may call these ideas too conspiratorial, but we have been moving more toward a business model instead of a spiritual model. 

            As I mentioned earlier there are a few items that are good.  I wish there was more.  I also wish there was more meat to it and there was a call for more study on exactly what ordination is and our understanding or it.  While there is a call to integrate theology and practice of ordination I believe we need to figure out what we believe about ordination.  It will be interesting to see what the reaction will be to the report.

Link to General Board of Higher Education & Ministry Website article concerning Ministry Commission Report:  http://www.gbhem.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lsKSL3POLvF&b=6471015&ct=9105463&sms_ss=twitter&at_xt=4d53182d2a02faac%2C0

Pastor Dave

Should Christians Condone Torture

            Imagine you are the commander of a unit of combat troops.  Your unit has sustained multiple injuries and fatalities from various types of engagements with the enemy-being ambushed while on patrol or in convoy, snipers, fire-fights when you and the enemy come together unexpectedly, and in road side bombs.  Your men have captured someone they believe is an enemy combatant of informer, and you believe that this individual has information concerning movements, plans, and future attacks of the enemy on you or other friendly units.  You also believe an attack of some sort is imminent, days, maybe just hours away.  Traditional methods have not worked.  What do you do?  Do you threaten the individual with harm or death at all costs, or do you just tell your troops to be extra careful?  Do you pull out a 9mm pistol and fire it next to the individual’s head and tell him the next time it will be in the head, or do you send the prisoner to the Military Intelligence unit and let them work on extracting information and hope that it is in time to be of use to you and your troops?

            Now imagine that you are working inside a government agency miles away from any type of combat.  While not in the US, you may be inside the theater of operations still, or maybe you are in a different country.  Your responsibility is to oversee and gather information while interrogating prisoners who have been caught in combat operations, and because they seem to be more civilian than military, they are classified as enemy combatants instead of prisoners of war.  The treatment of enemy combatants is not covered under treaties that have been created to address how wars are to be fought and soldiers are to be treated.  The treaty on POW treatment has been ratified by your country, but you are not required to treat the prisoners the same way because they have been classified as enemy combatants instead of POWs by a higher authority.  This means that you are allowed to participate in forms of interrogation that would be illegal if the ones being held were classified POWs or inside the boundaries of the country in which you are a citizen.  There are hundreds and maybe thousands of people to interrogate, and as time has gone by it has become obvious that there are many who have information, but there is exponentially more who either have very little information, or no information at all about the enemy organization and/or plans.  However, you think that the big fish that is occasionally caught among the small fish justifies what you are doing and how you are doing it.  You have been told that you can humiliate the prisoners, put them into sexually compromising positions, physically hurt them, psychologically abuse them, hang them from the ceiling, rough them up to make them more compliant or cooperative, make them listen to Muzak all day and all night, or a combination of some or all of them.  There are other methods you would like to use, but cannot because they are illegal regardless of where you perform them.  Many of the acts you condone would be illegal inside the borders of your country, but you are not within them, even though the land is considered the country’s property.  You think you can get more out of an individual if some of the more extreme methods of interrogation are used, but because you cannot legally use them yourself you ask your supervisors to find an allied country that would use more extreme questioning and arrange for the ones that you want to be questioned to be turned over to that country.  This country is known to use techniques on prisoners that are brutal and even sometimes can be considered torture.  This is not the first time you have been faced with this type of situation.

            My question to you this morning is, which one of these scenarios has you acting in a correct manner as a Christian?   The answer is neither, although one could be excused as an impulsive act, and thus should not be punished as harshly.  We will be looking at a variety of Scriptures this morning to show that inhumane treatment or torture is unacceptable in any form.  Yes, there is a difference between torture and inhumane treatment according to at least some of the international law courts in Europe.  According to these judicial opinions torture may be inhumane, but all inhumane acts do not rise to the level of torture.    Some the passages we will look can apply to other situations besides torture, but we will focus on one subject.  Now you might be saying that there are American lives at stake, and anything is acceptable to save lives even participating or condoning torture.  This is not true as a Christian, and this morning we shall look at why this is so.  You may disagree with the conclusions that we reach, but I would ask that you look inside of yourself and see if your disagreement is because of the conditioning about anything the American government does is acceptable or Christian. 

            In Genesis 1 we read “Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.  Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.  And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-- everything that has the breath of life in it-- I give every green plant for food." And it was so.  God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-- the sixth day.  (Gen 1:26-31,NIV).

            What we see here is that all of humanity is created in God’s image.  Many people say that we are made in the spiritual image of God because we know that God is spirit.  They will say we do not know for sure what the physical image of God looks like.  However, we do know that Jesus came in the form of a human being, and He is the second person of the Trinity, and that Jesus has been with God from the beginning and is God (John 1).  So we are, and bear, a physical image of God.  In the beginning it is only after God creates humanity that He gazes over Creation and says it is “very good”.  This is before the fall of humanity into sin, and one can say that, in the beginning, there was perfection in the image of God.  However, due to the abuse of the gift of free will the image has become marred physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. 

            When an art masterpiece is marred due to carelessness, vandalism, age, or some other reason people who care for art do not allow it to continue to be damaged if they can help it.  Instead they try to preserve, and if possible repair the piece of art.  A few years ago when Carolyn got back from DC she told me about this huge flag they are repairing in the Smithsonian.  It is going to take over seven years for it to be restored and mounted the way it should be so that it will stop deteriorating and will be preserved for years to come.  God has sent Jesus to repair humanity and start to per-fect us in all ways.  (The act of completely restoring us will occur when Christ returns in final victory).  When torture or inhumane acts are performed on people what we are doing is the equivalent of continuing the destruction of a wonderful piece of work.  Torture and other inhumane treatments continue the vandalism and destruction started by Satan in the Garden of Eden.  These type of actions hurt, scar, and even destroy people physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. 

            People who have been treated this way often have physical scars that one can see.  Sometimes torture leads to death.  When Jesus was whipped and scourged he was being physically tortured.  Many of the early Christians were tortured for their faith when they did not renounce their allegiance to Jesus.  We have heard about how they were used for lion bait in the Coliseum, but they were also abused in other ways.  The emperor Nero used them for human torches during one event.

            Emotionally and mentally, people who have been tortured carry around scars on the inside.  Sometimes these scars become visible to those on the outside when the victims of torture have a hard time trusting people, become visibly scared or incapacitated at certain sites, aromas, or even the atmosphere of the surrounding area.  It takes years for them to overcome these abuses that have been done on their psyche.

            Spiritually they can be damaged especially if they have nothing to lean on in their times of trouble.  They can ask, and not receive an adequate answer in their minds, where is God, or why does God allow this to happen.  Even if they have God to help them get through it, they will probably ask these questions, and some may even give up their belief in a loving God and the redemptive power of God and Jesus.  Depending on who is doing the torture, one may also decide that if the torturer is a Christian, then they want nothing to do with a God or allows people to be treated in such a way. 

            I do need to say this about our faith in Christ and what happens if we are faced with torture.  If our faith is firmly rooted in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we will have a better chance of coming out of being tortured less damaged.  A few years ago I heard about a report that said soldiers who had been POWs in Vietnamese POW camps who had a solid faith came out in better mental and emotional health.  Were they perfect?  By no means no, but God helped them through it.

            Some may say we are only images of God, and that there are many images so it would not be a problem to hurt to or to get rid of some of the images that have been damaged, or that may cause even more images of God to be damaged.  This reasoning is kind of like what Spock says in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”  With torture this line of thinking is flawed for a Christian.  Damaging any image of God should be avoided if at all possible.  In James, chapter three, the author talks about the power of the tongue in hurting people.  In the middle of the passage he writes, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.  (James 3:9-12, NIV).

            You may be wondering “If we are talking about torture, why is Dave bringing in a discussion on the tongue?”  Well it is more for the background information than the actual tongue.  In the Ancient Near East and the Roman Empire it was believed that an image such as a marble bust, painting, etc, could actually be the real thing.  If one made a derogatory remark about Cesar in the presence of an image of Cesar it would be seen as actually insulting Cesar to his face.  It would be as if the image was actually Cesar himself.  James is telling his readers that when we curse a human being we are in effect cursing God.  Taking that analogy further, when one abuses another human being, who is made in the image of God, it is as if we are personally and physically or mentally abusing God.  Should we as Christians condone this type of behavior?  We all agree that what the Romans did to Jesus was wrong, and it hurt him immensely.  When we torture people or practice other inhumane acts on our fellow human beings we are, according to the Scriptures, treating God the same way.  Imagine if God treated us the way we treat other people so that we can gather information?

            Some people may say, “The Bible says ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, and all we are doing is the same they have done to us”, and they would be correct.  However, what they are doing is taking the line out of context and out of the era in which it was written.  It is important to realize that “an eye for an eye ...” was actually implemented to make justice more just and not revengeful.  Before that it was ok for somebody to seek a life for acts such as maiming, cutting someone, etc.  The act of revenge was out of hand.  The law was to help people and to settle disputes quickly and justly.  If the law had not come about, then there would have been an ever increasing spiral of violence as family members sought revenge for harm done to their families and clans.  And, with few exceptions, there was always a way to settle the dispute without it being a literal human part.  Sometimes the judges and Pharisees had interpreted it as it being ok for an animal such as a bull to pay the price.  God also had it so that, with few exceptions, one could pay a price and not be harmed.

            In Leviticus 24 we read “If anyone takes the life of a human being, he must be put to death.  Anyone who takes the life of someone's animal must make restitution-- life for life.  If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so he is to be injured.       Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to death.  You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am the LORD your God.'" (Leviticus 24:17-22, NIV).

            This section is involved with what to do with someone who is a blasphemer, who is born of an Israelite woman and an Egyptian father.  The Israelites had to figure out if this man was an alien or an Israeli, and how to treat him.  The Lord told Moses to tell the Israelites go out and stone the blasphemer, and to have the same law for the alien as for the citizens of the people.  Besides understanding that an eye for an eye is a moderating influence, the idea of having the same law and treatment for those who are not Israelis is important.  If we apply this today we should not be condoning the practice of sending people to other countries after they have been held on American or American held soil to those who will abuse them in the search for information.  We should not be saying that there is one set of rights and laws for American citizens and another set of laws for aliens.  Our government should not have two sets of standards for interrogation. 

            Some may say that Moses is implementing a religious law, but if we pay attention to the whole passage it deals not just with blasphemy, but with laws concerning personal interaction in society as well.  The law is for the well running of society and for the benefit of all.  We should have a law for all who are under the umbrella of the United States’ government, and it should be applied equally.  This includes those who have been captured by our armed services. 

            It is interesting that some scholars have mentioned that the whole assembly is to go out and stone the blasphemer, and the reason for this is that the actions of one against God affect the whole community of Israel.  We see in several other places of Scripture where the sin of an individual or a few affect the rest of the nation of Israel.  An example is in Joshua where Achan takes some plunder from the city of Jericho when the Lord had told all of Israel not to take any.  When the Israelis next go into battle they are routed.  All of Israel suffers.  While we may not officially be a Christian nation, the country, in poll after poll, identifies itself as being largely Christian.  We hear about how we are a Christian nation.  Now a days we do not send people out to the edge of camp and stone them because of the sins they have committed because Jesus paid the price for our sins.  However, there are consequences to our actions even if we have been forgiven.  Will our country pay a price or suffer the consequences for using proof texts from the Bible to justify torture and abusing the image of God?

            We have looked at some of the reasons why we should not use or condone torture.  They have been Scriptural, but they have also been kind of heady/intellectual.  Jesus gives us a very practical reason or command not to use torture.  When He is preaching the Sermon on the Mount he says not only to love our enemy, which we do not have time to address today in depth, he says “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets, (Matt 7:12, NIV).  We as Christians are commanded to love all people, and yes, I know that is very hard to do.  We are also told here in the same sermon to treat others as we want to be treated.  What type of message are we sending to the world if we as Americans are saying that it is ok to abuse people in the hunt for information?  One of the fears I have read is that allowing torture or condoning it in other countries our service men and women will face the same type of treatment.  There are many countries that do not recognize the international treaties such as the Geneva Convention, and there are ways to twist words and meanings to be able to avoid classifying a person or groups of people to avoid having to provide more protection for the prisoners.

            I would like you to think about the situation if it was you or your loved one that had been captured by the enemy.  How would you want to be treated?  I realize that the enemy does not always treat our people like we would prefer them to treat them.  I know that we have had people decapitated and abused.  However, Jesus does not say treat others like they are treating us.  He says do to others as we would like them to do to us.  He does not give exceptions if they are treating us badly or inhumanely.  He tells us that the Golden Rule sums up the Prophets and the Law, and that He has come to fulfill the Law.  Jesus loves all even if they are acting inhumanely against Him.  He does not strike down Pilate or the others who put Him on trial or whip Him.  Instead He loves them.  (This does not mean He enjoyed going through the punishment.)  How can we expect people, organizations, and countries to treat our people who they have captured for whatever reason if we are not willing to treat them as we would want to be treated?

            You may have noticed there was not a lot of discussion on the secular reasons; such studies have shown it is not very effective because people will say anything you want them to say so the pain will stop, for not using abuse and torture to gather information.  It is important to realize there are some very good reasons that come from the secular world to prohibit torture.  However, we need to understand the moral and theological underpinning for our case against using torture before we look at and use the secular information.  There are several more passages we could look at that would help us make a case against torture.  Unfortunately, we do not have time.  AS we leave let us remember that all humans in every part of the world are made in the image of God, and that when we abuse one we abuse God Himself.  Let us also remember that we are to treat others as we want to be treated, and that both citizens and aliens are to be treated fairly and the same.  Let us not have any doubt that torture is wrong for whatever reason!

The Silent, Invisible Killer: Domestic Violence and the Church

Sermon Manuscript

January 23, 2011

Sermon Title:  The Silent Invisible Killer:  The Church and Domestic Abuse

Scripture Lessons:  Genesis 1:26-31, James 3:7-12; Ephesians 5:21-31

                I will admit it, I kind of like “Designing Women”.  For those who have forgotten or may not know what “Designing Women” is it is a television show that revolves around four women (Julia, Suzanne, Mary Jo, and Charlene) who own and work in an interior decorating firm.  It would occasionally get preachy, but it was pretty funny especially in the early years.  One of the funniest and most poignant episodes was the one titled “The Rowdy Girls”.  The funny was seeing three of the women singing “Aint No Mountain High Enough”.  Julia played Diana Ross and Mary Jo was one of the Supremes while Suzanne, played by Delta Burke, was the other one.  Let’s just say I cannot do it justice to try to describe how Suzanne really embarrassed herself.

                The poignant part was the one where Charlene, played by Jean Smart, steps back inside her cousin’s house to get her purse  that she had not picked up when she was leaving.  As she opens the door she hears her cousin’s husband yelling at Mavis the cousin, throwing the food that was prepared down and calling it slop, telling Mavis she would be the one eating it, and slapping her.  She just stood there and then quietly left.  She did not know what to do, but she knew it was wrong.  As she talks with her friends at work she begins to recognize the signs that her cousin had been getting abused for a long time, and when the cousin stops by Charlene reaches out to her.

                This morning we continue or series “An Uncomfortable Itch: The Church, Personal Holiness, and Social Holiness.  We have looked at Human Trafficking and Immigration and how we could and should respond as a part of the Body of Christ.  There is a good chance these two subjects may not impact you as much personally as the one we will be discussing today which is domestic violence.  Specifically we will be looking at what is domestic violence, some statistics, where it happens, and some results of what happens if domestic violence occurs.  We will then move to look at Scriptural reasons to not participate or condone domestic violence, and finally what we can do to help.

                We also will continue our experiment with texting questions that pertain to the message.  IF you are interested in doing so please text the pastor’s cell phone and I will be checking the messages every so often most likely as we transition from one point to another.  If I forget or cannot answer right away I will try to get back to you as soon as I can.

               

                I know statistics and definitions can be boring, but we need to discuss some of them.  So what is domestic violence?  The best definition I have been able to find is from New Zealand.             1.  Best one I have been able to find is from New Zealand.  It is: "violence against (a) person by any other person with whom that person is, or has been in a domestic relationship".   It defines domestic violence as more than physical abuse; it includes sexual or psychological abuse. Psychological or emotional abuse includes threats, intimidation, harassment or damage to property.  In addition, psychological abuse is committed against a child if that child witnesses the abuse of a person with whom the child has a domestic relationship.   A single act of violence or a number of acts that form part of a pattern can be regarded as domestic violence.  Violence can be physical, sexual or psychological. Survivors say psychological abuse attacks their spirit and self esteem and its effects last the longest.

                Some examples of physical abuse are hitting, biting, choking, pulling hair; Damaging possessions, walls, or property to scare you, harming pets to punish you, using or threatening to use weapons on you (or the children).  Some psychological abuse, which attacks the survivors self esteem and spirit and lasts the longest, include making you feel like everything you do is wrong; constantly criticizing you or your friends; making you isolated and alone; blaming you for everything; making you scared of what might happen next; threatening the children or to take them away from you.

                So who can be a victim of domestic violence, who can it affect?  Who does it?   The simple answer is anyone can be a victim and/or be affected by it.  The same with who does it though men seem to be the ones who inflict it more, but women are perpetrators as well.  There are no set patterns to domestic violence.  In Minnesota the last figures I saw said 55% of domestic abuse took place in the metro area, 45% in Greater Minnesota.  The stereo-type of the abused person is either an inner city black lady or a white woman in a run-down trailer park.  In reality it crosses all socio-economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds and effects women, children, and men.

                Think about this, the stereo-type is true for some.  Abuse does take place in both the inner city and the trailer parks.  At the same time it could be your neighbor or a plant manager or the mechanic next door.  These are middle class people.  How many made for television movies have there been about the abused wife and/or kids getting even with an abusive husband.  The ideas for the plots often come from real life.

                Some may think that who have money would not be affected by domestic violence or use it.  That is not the case.  Think of Rihannon and Chris Brown from just a year or two ago, and a newer example would be Charlie Sheen a month or so ago in New York when the date he was with locked herself in the bathroom because he was going nuts on her and she was scared.  His newest ex had to call the cops on him last year, and his ex-wife Denise Richards made some claims as well about him as well, but many thought she was nuts.  Charlie Sheen makes about two million dollars an episode for his sitcom “Two and a Half Men.

                What we have talked about so far has shown that it can affect people of all economic classes.  And many people know about child abuse and physical and sexual abuse against women because of the campaigns that raise awareness about them.  But there are other categories or groups as well that suffer.  8.9% of teens in a relationship report having been hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend.  One in five tweens (11-14y.o.) report their friends are victims of dating violence.  Twenty-six percent of teen girls say they have been threatened with violence or experienced verbal abuse.  13% say they were physically hurt or hit.

                Elder abuse estimates , based on methodologies survey methods, etc, are that anywhere from 2%-10% of elderly people are abused.  Other data suggests that only 1 in 14 elder abuse incidents make it to the police.  In same sex relationships, and please understand it does not matter where you come down on the issue of same sex relatioships they are a reality in America and people should not be abused regardless of what type of relationship they are in and we cannot turn a blind eye to the problem, 11% of the females and 15 % of the males reported being victimized by their partner.  http://endabuse.org/userfiles/file/Teens/Teens_Sept_09_FINAL.pdf

                And where does it occur.  The simple answer is anywhere and everywhere.  It can happen at home, at work, on vacation, at the park, in the car, wherever you are.  Often it may be hidden or the family tries to deny it happens or they try to hide it out of shame or fear.  Silence, secrecy, and fear are the great weapons of perpetrators of violence. 

                So, why should we get involved in affairs that may not seem to be ours?  Well one, and not the most important, is the financial aspect.  One of the statistics I saw said over 5billion dollars a year are lost on lost days at work, productivity, police calls, and so forth.  There is an economic reason for us to care.  However, there is a bigger reason for us to care and that is because Scripturally we are to take care of one another, not tear them down.

                As we look at Genesis again, and remember the passages from Genesis and James are the foundation for this series, we are reminded once again humanity is the crown jewel of creation.  We help to make creation “very good” and not just “good”.  The passage from James reminds us that we are in the image of God and we should treat others who are in the image of God just as we treat God himself.  When we abuse, mar, scratch, bite, etc the image of God it is as if we are doing it to God himself.

                And then we get to the Ephesians passage.  Before we talk about it, let me ask if you have ever had a conversation with a boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, or someone else that went like this:

A:  Where do you want to eat, or what do you want to do?

B:  I don’t know, what are you in the mood for?

A.  I don’t care, something good.

B.  Well what are you in the mood for?  I really don’t care.

A.  Me neither.

                And this goes on for a few more minutes until someone makes a decision.  Don’t you wish someone would make a decision? 

                The passage we read from Ephesians often is taken to mean that the man should make every decision from where to eat to where to live and what to do when.  It is a passage that is often misunderstood and taken and abused or not read in its entirety.  Now I do have to say that there is no getting around it, there is a sense of hierarchy in the Bible and especially here in Ephesians.  A lot of people do not like this.  Pheme Perkins, a professor of New Testament, writes in her commentary on Ephesians in the New International Commentary, that everybody likes the phrase “submit one another”, but when the exact verb is used a verse or two later talking about women submitting to their husbands then everybody gets into an uproar. 

                What she suggests is that the submission may be voluntary such as Christ had for the Church, and her and F.F. Bruce both say that the submission does not say anything about doing things that are non-Christian such as abusing your spouse or kids, or enduring abuse because one is supposed to be submissive.  If people would continue to read what they would find is that the husband is to love and respect his wife and do so in a sacrificial way.  When Paul writes that Man is the head of Woman he could be saying he needs to make decisions, or he could be referring to the Creation story and specifically chapter 2 of Genesis where Eve is made from the rib of Adam.  Either way the gist of the passage is mutual submission and love for one another.  It is NOT about power and control even though people on the liberal and conservative side use this passage as a way to buttress their arguments on why we should not listen to the Bible in relationships or why the man should be the boss.

                Mrs Perkins suggests, and this is what I thought before I read it, that there is a middle ground that goes with Ephesians 5:21.  That is “families need to respect authority and that it is an abuse of scripture to require wives and children to suffer violence.  They (moderates) propose a more contemporary view of headship in which husbands and wives share the responsibility according to their particular gifts and expertise.  Even children have a role to play when it comes to computers or other modern electronics.  The person who understands what needs to be done and has the expertise can direct and help the others.  Such arrangements seem an obvious application of Ephesians 5:21, “be subject to one another”

                Paul also in this hearkens back to the second great commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself.  This goes back to ancient Judaism as well as Jesus’ teachings.  You cannot love your neighbor if you are abusing them.  In a sense your spouse, children, parents, whoever you have a relationship with are your neighbors.  Paul reminds us that we take care of our bodies and we should take care of those whom we have a responsibility for and too.

                There are other Scripture passages that deal with children and women in ways that would have seem counter cultural and radical because they uplifted the status of women.  Jacob in Genesis when he asks Rachel and Leah their thoughts about leaving their dad and moving back to Canaan;  The daughters of Zeleophed in Exodus 31 being allowed to inherent property; Jesus inviting the children to him, these are all examples of building up and not tearing down or taking advantage of people because of their status or gender.  On the negative side of the equation is the passage that talks about the sins of the father (and it could be mother as well) being passed on for seven generations.  Studies have shown that people who are brought up in abusive situations are more likely to continue the cycle of abuse. 

                So what can we do as individuals and as a church congregation.  First of all-If your are experiencing abuse know that it is not your fault, you do not deserve it, and you can get out regardless of what the perpetrator says. “Family Violence thrives in secrecy - don't keep it a secret if you are experiencing violence, using violence or witnessing violence in a relationship or family you know.” 

                The New Zealand initiative “The Campaign for Action on Family Violence” currently has a segment running called Family Violence Is Not Ok!  It Is OK to Ask for Help!  This campaign’s website gives some ideas of what one can do to help.  Some of them are:

       B. Reach out

           1.  Let them know you are there

           2.  Speak out against violence

           3.  Ask:

• Are you OK?
• Is someone hurting you?
• Are you scared to go home?
• Is there anything I can do?
• Do you feel safe at home?

Say:

• It's not OK your kids are scared of you
• It's not your fault someone is hurting you
• When you're ready I'm here
• It's not OK that you are being hurt

Do:

• Keep in touch
• Call to say Hi
• Offer to babysit
• Listen
• Be there
• Keep the door open
• Offer a safe place to go
• Find out about family violence

                Don’t take it personally if you offer help and are rejected.  Most people who are abused are confused or identify with their abuser.  The important thing is to offer to help.  Also, know this, if you come upon someone being abused the best thing to do is to call the police.  Police do not like domestic abuse calls as they are so unpredictable and dangerous.  You may need to stay around until the police arrive, but it is advisable not to get between the people.

Don’t make fun of or condemn people who are abused or stay in situations that they should not.  It is easy to say they should get out or wonder why they stay if you are not going through or have not gone through the abuse.  Many times people who stay have had their self esteem destroyed or severely damaged.  They don’t believe they can leave.  Other times there is great fear involved-financial, physical, kids, etc.  Also, do not think it could not happen to so and so because they are so nice they would never do it.  Secrecy kills.

        Remember that we are called to pray and support those who are the lost, the left out and the least.  Remember that everyone is in the image of God and does not deserve to have acts of violence done to them be it physical or psychological.  Remember Scripture does not call for violence against those in relationship with you.  Instead it calls for love and mutual submission.

        As we close I would like to share what one of my friends who is a deputy in Hillsborough County wrote me last night in response to some questions I sent him about this subject.  Here it is:

“Also, people tend to look away from other peoples domestic violence and ignore it. In most cases the first arrest will lead to counselling, probation, and maybe a way out for the victim. The violence only gets worse over time as the aggressor gets more confident and controlling, early arrest is best. Family an friends should not ignore warning signs of domestic abuse. Also, elderly parents, husbands, disabled, children, juvenile girlfriends (sometimes called dating violence), can all be victims of domestic violence. I hope it helps, ”

Are you ignoring something you should not?  Amen and Amen.