On the Ground - Nicholas D. Kristof

Nicholas Kristof an Op-Ed contributor to the New York Times posted this article on the NY Times web site.

December 5, 2008, 10:00 am — Updated: 1:35 pm -->
Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush’s Future
By Nicholas Kristof
"Jimmy Carter is by far the best ex-president the United States has ever had, and he underscored that again this morning by announcing that Guinea Worm cases have reached an all-time low. For those of you who have never heard of it, Guinea Worm is one of the worst parasites you can get. The worms burrow inside of you, grow to almost three feet long, are incredibly painful, and finally pop out of the skin and have to be reeled out, inch by inch, over many days. They are an ancient affliction in tropical countries, but Carter has led an effort to eradicate them.
Last year, I caught up with Carter in rural Ethiopia and wrote about his efforts to fight river blindness and Guinea Worm, and ran a video of it as well. Today he announces that Guinea Worm is down to 5,000 cases worldwide — mostly in Sudan, Mali and Ghana — and tantalizingly close to eradication. If it is eradicated, it will be only the second ailment, after smallpox, that we’ve been able to eliminate form Earth.
Carter sees this as a race between him and the worm: will he be able to eliminate Guinea Worm while he’s still on Earth? I hope he wins the race, and it looks as if eradication may be achievable in the next few years. Worldwide cases have already been reduced by 99.7 percent, and Carter’s work has truly transformed those villages where the worm used to be endemic. He shows that these are battles we can win.
Let’s hope that President Bush, in figuring out what to do in his post-presidency, borrows a page from Jimmy Carter. There are lots of diseases waiting for a wealthy, well-connected Texan to lead the fight against."

Jimmy Carter, an admitted Christian, is an example for all of the rest of us who claim to be Christians, for he is a hearer and a doer of the Word also. Perhaps we can't all do something as spectacular as eliminating Guinea Worm but we can look around and find something to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. What is that something?

(Another) Almost but not quite Daily Post

"You are a Christian only so long as you constantly pose critical questions to the society you live in... so long as you stay unsatisfied with the status quo and keep saying that a new world is yet to come."

-Henri Nouwen

Do not rob the poor because they are poor,
or crush the afflicted at the gate;
for the Lord pleads their cause
and despoils of life those who despoil them.

- Proverbs 22:22-23

As seen on Verse and Voice from So Jo magazine on 10/23/08

News

Looking over some of the old posts I noticed that one pointed to two widgets on the side of the blog that provided news. One was from Yahoo! and the other from the New York Times. Unfortunately the New York Times widget did not seem to be updating; so it has been replaced by BBC news. There is nothing wrong with the reporting of the New York Times (outside of the fact that that widget did not update) but the BBC gives a somewhat different world view and perhaps news that we may not get through our domestic news services. This is not to complain about our domestic news sources it is simply to say that we can see news through a different lens; a different world viewpoint.

Who are "... our people..."who are hungry?

On SojoMail@sojo.net recently in their daily Verse and Voice postings there were two thought provoking quotes. The first from Mahatma Gandhi was, "There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread." In another Beau Bridges says, "When we work to end childhood hunger, we are giving our love to kids who need it so much they will never ask for it."

One very small but important thing that can be done daily is to go to the Hunger Site at http://www.thehungersite.com, click on button that provides food to the hungry in the world. While you are there you may want to buy some of the items that they have for sale. Sales support people in need around the world who need that support and each purchase provides more food to the needy. Click on the site, look it over, and decide for yourself what you would like to do.

"If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, of else we cannot say we love God. Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it." I John 3:17 - 18 (CEV)

Who are "... our own people..."?

Who can the Bills beat? Oh yeah Kansas City!

The quotes below come from ESPN Research. How can the Buffalo Bills score so many points against a team with a record like KC and then be so inept against San Fran? Will I ever get to open a bottle of champagne to toast a Bill's Super Bowl victory? It doesn't look good!

"• A week after scoring 54 points vs. Kansas City, the Bills managed only a field goal in suffering their fifth loss in six games (after beginning the season 5-1).

• The Bills lost despite out gaining the 49ers 350-195 and were done in by two missed field goals and one turnover on downs in San Francisco territory.

• Buffalo was shut out in the first half for the first time since Dec. 16, 2007 at Cleveland.

• Shaun Hill's 12-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce in the first quarter was the only TD of the game. It was Bruce's sixth receiving TD of the season (his most since 2004) and 90Th career receiving TD (he becomes the ninth player in NFL history to reach that mark)."

-- ESPN research
(More information about NFL teams can be found at the ESPN NFL Standings chart on the right side of the blog.)

Liberal Defined

Perusing the net I came across a site that sells buttons,and bumper stickers. One of the buttons caught my eye and I thought that the definition was interesting enough to post. You can view the button and the definition at the right of the blog. I obtained the picture of the button from http://carryabigsticker.com.

The End of an Error

See the newly added countdown clock at the right that tells us how many days are left until the end of the disastrous Bush Administration. Look for the "Days to the End of an Error" the Bush Countdown Clock.

Psalm 122

Because of my friends
and my relatives,
I will pray for peace.

Psalm 122:8 (CEV)

Faith, Love, Doing

In a small publication called "Forward Day by Day" published by Forward Movement an agency of the Episcopal Church one of the scripture lessons listed for November 17,2008 was James 2:14-26. I have read this passage before and it is one of my favorite Epistle passages. Verse 24, as it is translated in the "Contemporary English Version" says,"You can now see that we please God by what we do and not only by what we believe." When I read this, or most parts of James, it often brings to mind what Luther said, and wrote in the margin of his Bible. When Luther read a passage that said we are saved by faith he wrote in the margin, "and faith alone". I have heard that Luther disliked the book of James and would not have been upset if it had never been included in the canon. His reasoning was that James seemed to indicate that "good works" were necessary to be saved.

While I am not competant to take Luther back to Worms I think that he fails to make an important connection. He would be familiar with a portionof scripture where Jesus, re-appearing after his earthly death, forgave Peter of the three times Peter had denied Him. In John 21: 15-17 Jesus asks Peter three times, "... do you love me..." and Peter responds each time saying the he does. After the positive responses by Peter Jesus asksk him to do something. "...feed my lambs... take care of my sheep ... Feed my sheep."

Jesus' request of Peter was to do something; to act. Peter had the faith that Luther called for from Jesus' followers. But because of that faith Peter also loved Jesus. Because of that love and faith Jesus could ask Peter to do. So actually there is a connection between faith, love, and doing. Luther was correct, we are saved by faith alone, but if we have faith we have love. And if we love Jesus we will do as he requested of Peter and as He requests of us through our connection to Peter to, "Feed my sheep." And while some may suggest that Jesus was only talking about feeding His sheep spiritually Jesus' earthly life among, and with frequent references to, the poor it seems obvious that Jesus was referring to the physical needs of the poor as well as the spiritual needs.

So there should be no tension between Luther and the letter of James; for to believe is to love, is to serve, is to do.

Iraqi Deaths Due to US Invasion

As often as we talk about the number, and the tragedy, of US military causalities in the Iraq War we seldom consider the number of Iraqi civilian deaths. A counter is posted to the right that will update this number to keep us aware of the suffering that the Bush administration has caused. The counter is provided by the web site just foreign policy at http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/.

"Clash of Characters"

In the Opinion section of the October 5, 2008 Post-Standard Tod Gitlin in an editorial, "Special to the Los Angeles Times",explores why, other than policy we, as individuals,tend to support a particular candidate for president. The author of the article says in the article, and The Post Standard highlights, "The candidates become, in a sense, walking archetypes. To warm to a candidate is to align not just with a person but with a myth, an ideal." The author supports this idea in the body of the article and then, as our English teachers taught us, tells us what he told us; summarizes. The summary is informative and telling. He says, "So that's the clash. McCain, the known quantity, the maverick turned lawman, fiery when called on to fight,an icon of the old known American story of standing tall, holding firm, protecting God's country against the stealthy foe. Obama is the new kid on the block, the immigrant's child, the recruit, fervent but still preternaturally calm, embodying some complicated future that we haven't yet mapped, let alone experienced. He is impure - the walking, talking melting pot in person. In his person, the next America is still taking shape." The italicized words in the above quote were added by me for emphasis, for they embody an important difference in the candidates. McCane exemplifies the old (and I don't mean his chronological age), the past, he is oh so 20th century. Obama , on the other hand, represents the new the future which is, whether we like it or not, the direction we are always moving in. Common wisdom tell us we can't go back, we can't really return home. The past is just that the past and the future is out ahead of us, new, exciting, and the way we have but no choice to go. So that presents us with our choice. We can vote for the candidate equipped to take us into the future, where we are headed anyhow, or we can choose the candidate that looks back and is stuck in and will stick us in the past; a dangerous location to be in. The choice for me is easy and clear; I choose the future; I choose Barack Obama.

New

Check the standings of your favorite NFL team. See the statistics as compiled by SI by clicking on the appropriate widget to the right of the screen. What is really important after all politics or football?

US Babylon?

Our loyalties as divided citizens, of the Kingdom of Heaven and as US citizens, often does / can put us in positions were we have to choose. Choose to follow Jesus and where His morality would tell us to go; or to march as a citizen of the United States which can be in the opposite direction of Jesus. This is the position that the Israelites faced in their exile in Babylon. This dichotomy is seen in the story of Shadrach , Meshach ,and Abednego . (You can read about them and the dilemma that they faced in Daniel 3:1 - 30.)


In The Dangerous Act of Worship by Mark Labberton he says:

"The New Testament sees exile qualities as being descriptive of the church's life as well.

...We are in but not of the world. ... It is here in the world, precisely where Jesus prayed we would be, that we are to live 'worthy of the gospel' and 'work out (our) own salvation' (Philippians 1:27; 2:12). ...

We give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God (Matthew 22:21). Only in humble community do we have some chance of successfully distinguishing one from the other. We are to live as God's "peculiar" people, showing in our daily lives that dual citizenship that is ours. Like Israel, however, we usually fail to do this.

It's no great stretch to suggest that the American church is in exile in its own contemporary Babylon. Whether conservative or liberal, the church mostly looks like the culture around us. We are lost for the most part indistinguishable. We have decided to enjoy our Babylon while nodding to the God we say we worship. The life of the American church provides a type of religious window dressing for our culture. Most mainstream Christians quietly reject the strident tactics of culture war advocated by fundamentalists while also quietly living out the desire to not stand out at all. We just seek our own welfare and call it God's blessing, trying to offend as few people as possible along the way.

While we are highly attuned to avoid a faithful peculiarity that might offend, we also avoid a faithful peculiarity that might redeem. While we run from what might cause cultural or personal offense, we opt for benign acceptance of so many things that grieve our Lord Jesus Christ. The power that defines us is not the power of God we meet and know through worship; it's the social power of being 'normal', accepted, popular, tolerant. We are defined by the economic power of our acumen, our education, our track record, or our capacity to increase the bottom line. We are defined by Babylon, not the cross."

In the book The Dangerous Act of Worship Mark Laberton is making the point that Christians need to live the life that they advocate as they worship. In the process of making that point he accurately describes the condition of many of the Christian churches in the US and the people who sit in the pews of those churches. The cure for that dichotomy is simple; act in a way that mirrors our words. Those acts may be frightening, and stressful but it begs the question: "Are we who we say we are?" I realize that by making these points I put myself "on the spot", even if no one else reads this for God knows what I have said. There is, however, a cure for this problem. Prayer. Pray for courage and direction.

What's new

Check out the right side of the blog. You can now view top news stories as compiled by Yahoo!, find out what the New York Times is editoralizing about, but most importantly getting the latest score for the Buffalo Bills and their stats. (The world turned upside down; the Bills 3-0 and in first place in the AFC East.)

"... our troops return in victory and honor."

Senator McCain said recently that he wants our troops to return in victory and honor. This is a picture of our troops returning in victory and honor at Dover Air Force Base.

Senator McCain said that Senator Obama was wrong about the surge but it is interesting to note that Senator McCain voted for the Iraqi war in the first place while Senator Obama has been against it from the start. Senator McCain (McSame) followed President Bushie in his usual knee -jerk fashion (voted for President B's programs 90% of the time) while Senator Obama was against the war in the first place. It is not hard to see from this one example who has the best judgement.

Numbers, numbers. What do they tell us?

During this political season numbers float around the news. What could they possibly tell us? Let's look at some of the numbers:
* The top 1% of the US population earn 30% of the money. (Could this be the same segment of the population that has their income taxes lowered by our esteemed President?)McCain has voted 90 to 95% of the time with Bush and he says he will not carry on Bush's policies. Interesting!
* McCain voted 19 times against raising the minimum wages.
* Under Bush we had the weakest economic expansion since World War II.
* When Bush came into office gasoline was $1.49 a gallon. What is it today?
* Under President Clinton average income rose $6,200. Over the past 7 plus years it has decreased $2,000.
* 17 cents out of every dollar is spent on health care on average.
* 56 million Americans have a pre-existing condition and would not be able to get health insurance with McCain's health plan.
* 40 million Americans are without health insurance.
* 1.85 million Americans will go bankrupt because of medical bills.
* 51% of the Republican delegates at their convention earn a 1/2 million dollars or more.
* 84,000 jobs were lost in August of this year.
* 6.1% increase in unemployment in August is a 5 year high. 2003 was the last time it was that high. Bush and the Republicans broke their own record.
* Governor Palin when she was a mayor of a town of 6,000 was the 1st. mayor to hire a lobbyist.
* Governor Palin accepted $4.53 million in ear marks.
* After supporting "the bridge to no where" as a mayor Governor Palin flip flopped and decided not to support building it when it became unpopular because of news reports; but she took the money for the state of Alaska anyhow.
* Governor Palin grows the state budget 10% per year.
Could the numbers possibly tell us that this country doesn't need 4 more years of a Republican Bush type (aka McSame)administration?

Almost Daily Quote

Who do you think said this?
"Why, of course, the people don't want war.... But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether is is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship .... [V]oice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attached and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.
-Hermann Goering, 1946 War Made Easy Norman Solomon

COST OF THE IRAQ WAR

What does the Iraq War cost you and your community? Go to the bottom of my blog and you can calculate the cost. The calculator is provided by the National Priorities Project.
"They are blessed who work for peace, for they are called God's children." Mathew 5:9 New Century Version

Almost Daily Quote

"Take the passive out of pacifism and be the radical Jesus was."

Alicia Miller from a bookmark by the Mennonite Church USA Peace Advocate Office

Almost Daily Quote

Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.
Hebrews 11:1 New Century Version

(To better understand this post be sure you read my April 19th post,

"But its just a pinch of incense" first.)

CHURCH AND FLAG

A CHOICE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH?

In an attempt to provide additional, clear information about the question of the flag being displayed in the church sanctuary I decided to write, publish, and pay for this informational sheet.

The question, should the US flag be displayed in the sanctuary, hinges on the attitude of those asking the question and those supporting its placement there. This all revolves around attitude because, in reality, the flag is nothing more or less than a piece of cloth. Its value or lack thereof is dependent on the attitude that an individual or group of individuals brings to it. What the flag actually is is a symbol of the guarantees of liberties outlined in our US Constitution. It is those guarantees we should honor rather than the flag which in and of itself is meaningless. That being the case, let us examine those attitudes and belief structures.

When this question first arose, because of what I felt to be the inappropriate concern of where the flag was placed in the sanctuary, I decided to research the question and the first source I consulted was InfoServe, the United Methodist information service. The question that I asked was, "What is the official policy of the UM Church toward displaying the US flag in the sanctuary of a church?" I received a reply that in the cover E-mail summarized the opinions of four church authorities about the subject. The E-mail also sent me to the web sites where the full length articles were posted. It is interesting to note that three out of the four opinions, 75 percent, were not in favor of having the US flag displayed in the sanctuary.

USE OF NATIONAL FLAG OR CHRISTIAN FLAG:
+ In a letter to a pastor, the former Worship Director of the General Board of Discipleship, Rev. Hoyt Hickman, pointed out that although there is no denominational policy concerning the use of flags, including national flags, their use has been discouraged over the years. Rev. Daniel Benedict, also a retired Worship Director, confirmed that the use of either a national flag or the so-called Christian flag in church chancels continues to be discouraged among most United Methodist church officials. There is no place in our hymnal or Book of Worship, which contain our United Methodist ritual, where there is even a suggestion of bearing the flag in procession, saluting or pledging allegiance to the flag, or that the American flag should be in worship.

+ From Reverend Taylor Burton-Edwards, Director of Worship Resources, General Board of Discipleship:
Hoyt Hickman addressed to some degree in the article "Should We Have Flags in the Church? The Christian Flag and the American Flag", whether ANY flag is either appropriate or needed in the sanctuary of most of our churches today. Clearly, as Hoyt pointed out, there is practically no way that churches CAN display the US flag without in some way either breaking the Flag Code, or worse theologically, giving higher honor to this symbol of the nation than to symbols for Christ. And, as he also notes, the Christian flag was invented at a time when most Protestants didn't have other symbols (such as a large cross) in their worship space -- so the flag became a way to introduce at least that one. Since most churches now DO have such symbols, it really is a good question whether the Christian flag is somehow redundant or at least confusing as a symbol, regardless of whether an American flag is also present. "Should We Have Flags in the Church? The Christian Flag and the American Flag" is online at http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=2832&loc_id=9,10,41.

+ However, according to the director of Civic Youth Serving Agencies/Scouting Ministries, General Commission on United Methodist Men (GCUMM), the Scouting Office "encourages the use of flags in special services, Eagle Courts of Honor and other youth agency events since they are 'sponsored' by the local church. The Christian flag reminds us of our faith. The American flag reminds us of our heritage."

+ "Commentary: Should U.S. Flags Fly in the Sanctuaries?" by Rev. Dr. Clayton Childers, General Board of Church and Society, is online at http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.2897961/apps/nl/content2.asp?content_id=%7bE3914C14-FDCA-44B9-8C45-1585E48ED16A%7d&notoc=1.

+ "Commentary: Flag Display Affirms God's Blessings" by Rev. Richard Stewart is at http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.2897961/apps/nl/content2.asp?content_id=%7bDA288AAF-621B-4D3B-B47F-908684F0F8C7%7d&notoc=1.

In the two articles that were placed in our bulletin one Sunday, it is interesting to note that the last paragraph of one article, that some people said was wishy-washy, the author stated unequivocally, "To sum up, we in America wisely separate church and state. As American Christian, we honor the cross and we honor the flag; but we keep them separate. An American flag used in worship of the universal church is no more appropriate than hanging a cross in a civil courtroom used by Americans of all religions."

It is of further interest to note that the one opinion that favored placing the flag in the sanctuary cited as his main argument the US Flag code, a "rule" that has only been in existence since 1942. Hardly a tradition in long standing considering the centuries of the existence of the Christian church.

So if the majority of UM officials favor not having the flag displayed during worship and the flag code is a relatively recent and secular addition to the discussion, what guidance can we receive from scripture? After all, two points in Wesley's Quadrilateral site scripture and tradition. The salient scripture I was led to reflect both.

The first is in Exodus 20 verses 3, 4, and 5 that say in part, "You must not have any other gods except me… You shall not make yourself an idol… You must not worship or make yourself an idol…" I have been told that three or four families will leave this church should the flag not be displayed during worship. What does this say about ultimate loyalty, about what is placed first in our devotion, about idolizing an object?

More guidance is found in Daniel chapter 3. Here Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of Babylon, has a large statue built and instructed all the people in his kingdom to bow down to it whenever certain music was played. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were exiles from Israel in his kingdom but had risen to positions of privilege in that society (some translations call them judges) refused to bow down to that national symbol that had been established to force conformity. They said that they would only worship God. As a result, they were thrown into the "fiery furnace" but did not die because they were protected by an angel of God.

No one is forcing us to bow down to the flag yet even a 6 year old turns around to my wife and me during the National Anthem in church and says, "You're suppose to stand up." The unquestioned societal pressure is obvious.

A third salient scripture is Matthew 22:21b "… Then Jesus said to them, 'Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and give to God the things that are God's.' " The sanctuary was dedicated to and belongs to God; not to Caesar.

Yet a fourth scripture says, "Jesus answered, 'My kingdom does not belong to this world…But my kingdom is from another place.'" (John 18:36)

Matthew 6:24. "No one can serve two masters. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other…."

The Gospels tell us that Jesus was constantly at odds with the religious authorities of the temple and the civil authorities of Rome. For proof of this we need only look at the passion of Jesus during His last days on Earth.

Early church history tells us that the 1^st Century and early Romans were ordered by the Roman Empire to burn a pinch of incense once a year and say, "Caesar is Lord." The Christians during that era refused to do that, and as a result were given the opportunity to be involved in "sporting" contests with lions for the entertainment of the masses.

In later church history we know that the protestant movement came about in large part because Luther refused to "bow down" to the civil and religious authorities of his time. The Pope handed Martin Luther over to the Holy Roman emperor for trial on charges of heresy. To this day many Lutheran synods forbid the flag to be displayed in their sanctuaries, so strongly is their sense of the separation of church and state ingrained in their religious doctrine.

Before and during WW II the Nazi government co-opted the church in Germany. Derrick Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran minister, refused to be a part of that and joined the Confessing Church, an underground Christian movement, that worked against the German government. He was eventually arrested and hanged for his commitment. Many of his writings survived and he is the "author" of the concept of Contextual Ethics.

These examples from history, and probably many more could be cited, demonstrate the necessity for the separation of church and secular authority. These acts of courage were often paid for through great personal sacrifice.

The point is that some people inappropriately deify the flag. Consider the pledge of allegiance to the flag. The phrase in the pledge "…under God…" was inserted in the 1950s during the bad old McCarthy era. Consider how this phrase modifies the original intent of the pledge. From"…one nation indivisible with liberty…" meaning one nation made up of many states but unified to "…one nation under God indivisible…" which has come to mean, either consciously or unconsciously to people, the one and ONLY nation under God. When this is set into the context of a religious ceremony the resulting meaning is even more ominous. People can deny this but it is to deny the obvious.

Consider further how it is said that a US flag is to be retired (i.e. destroyed). The instructions that I discovered on the Internet from Stan Pope go on for two pages with detailed instructions about who and how many make up the honor guard, how the grommets are to be treated (I'm not kidding about that) and exactly how the flag is to be folded. See http://members.aol.com/StanDCmr/flag.html. If this doesn't mimic a religious ceremony, it comes very close.

The reaction of this congregation the Sunday after 9/11 is also informative. We looked to the nation for security by singing the national anthem, not to God our only real security. Prayers seemed to be an afterthought.

The Rev. Clayton Childres in the article "A UMNS Commentary" that I cited on page 1 concludes with a section headed "Ultimate loyalty." He says:

"In many of our United Methodist churches, the flag stands like a sentry in a corner of the sanctuary or within the church's chancel, silently blessing the proceedings and being blessed in the process. It stands, seldom acknowledged but ever present.

There are rules of etiquette for proper display, written with the U.S. flag in mind. If there is a processional, the U.S. flag is first in line. If there is a place of highest honor, it belongs to the U.S. flag. If there are pledges of allegiance, the U.S. flag is always first with all other pledges an afterthought.

The unspoken message is that our ultimate loyalty belongs not to God and country but to country and God. Do we hear what we are saying? Does the flag stand in judgment of the church or is the flag, too, like the rest of creation, always under the judgment of God.

Symbols matter. And the placement of symbols carry an unspoken message.

The U.S. flags special position of constant preeminence says one thing; the Gospel of Christ says something else." (Emphasis mine.)

Why is all of this important? Some have said it could split the local church; I pray that that does not happen. But it's important because if we don't have our priorities straight about who and what we worship and give our ultimate loyalty to how can we possibly understand what road we are to take as a church and what tasks we are to accomplish?

"Then Joshua said to the people, 'Now respect the Lord and serve him fully and sincerely. Throw away the gods that your ancestors worshipped…But if you don't want to serve the Lord you must choose for yourself today whom you will serve… As for me and my family we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:14, 15) [All scripture references from NCV Bible.]

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Today is December 5, 2008 and it has occured to me that to tie up any loose ends about this Flag and Cross "saga" it would be helpful to post my resignation that I submitted in May at the Church Council meeting. This, as you will see, is not only a resignation as Chair of the Church Council but a resignation from all of the offices that I held at the local church and as the lay representative to the North Central New York Conference of the United Methodist Church.

LETTER OF RESIGNATION

After thirty-seven years of work, worship and friendship at Delta UMC (we joined this church on the same day our oldest son was baptized here), Mary Anne and I reluctantly have decided to take a hiatus from the church. We are prompted, not as many will assume by the “flag vote” last spring, but by a specific dictate by the pastors. They insist that I am not able to continue my role as Chair of the Church Council because I am not attending worship services in the sanctuary on Sunday morning.
As most of you may remember, and as I have explained several times in different ways, I cannot worship in a sanctuary that is supposedly dedicated to the worship of the triune God now that it has been officially co-opted by the addition of the adoration of the US flag. When the congregational vote on the position of the flag was held, it had been said that “several” families would “have to leave” if the flag was removed from the sanctuary. Nothing was mentioned about actions that I might consider taking if the flag remained “in the front of the sanctuary” as the object of devotion. I have visited many places of worship this summer; most, if not all, have a flag in the sanctuary, though not all in the front near the altar; this has led me to the realization that the problem is not the physical presence of the flag, but the attitude of the congregation towards it. One pastor’s wife even exclaimed, “Your congregation did what? Voted on where the flag went? Don’t they have more serious things to occupy their minds in a world as troubled as ours?”
It is interesting to note that nowhere in the Discipline is it stated that attendance at worship in and at a specific time and place is necessary to qualify one as a church leader and especially as chair of Church Council. The vows we take upon joining the church require us to support the church IN THIS ORDER with our prayers, our presence, our tithes, and our service. “Presence” isn’t further defined, and, as many of you might have noted, I have not exactly been absent from other aspects of the life of the church during the past few months. In addition, there have been other individuals who have held leadership positions at Delta who did not attend worship regularly if at all, and the Discipline specifically states that not all members of the Board of Trustees have even to be members of the church.
Our pastors’ main concern seems to be that they and I cannot have a working relationship unless I attend a Sunday morning worship service. Common sense would indicate that a working relationship is not negated by a lack of attendance for one particular hour every week. Very little if any business or preparation for Church Council is accomplished at worship; indeed, to do so would be to violate the sacredness of the service itself. The planning for meetings always takes place outside the worship setting. In addition, I have indicated that I am willing to fulfill all my other responsibilities—as lay member to Annual Conference, Sunday School teacher, member of the Stewardship Committee, even the person whom people call for rescue when they lock themselves out of the church building.
Given the unfortunate circumstances of the past several months, all set in motion by one individual who demanded to know, “WHO MOVED THE FLAG?” and initiated a landslide of complaints from others who had been blithely unaware for about a year that the flag had ever been moved and who now not only found its new location both unpatriotic and sacrilegious overnight, but insisted they’d felt that way all along, I have decided not to dispute our pastors’ ruling—although it would be interesting to find out what the Judicial Council of the General Conference might have to say. I have decided, however, not to “go gentle into that good night.” The pastors originally wanted me to stay until the new slate of church officers took over on January 1 so that this would look like part of the “normal cycle of things.” At the risk of claiming that this decision of theirs is a personal one based on my (and now Mary Anne’s) strong beliefs that we are being required, as the early Christian were by the Romans, to “just burn a pinch of incense”, be quiet, and let the church go on without examining what it stands for, I cannot let them get away with what would be a deception of the congregation.

I have decided to submit my resignation immediately and publically. Logic would dictate that if I am not qualified for this position in the church leadership, I am not qualified for any—I should not be teaching an adult Sunday School class, I should not be lay member to annual conference, I should not serve on PPRC, and I should not be on the Stewardship Committee.
Being a church leader involves more than serving on boards or committees or functioning in roles commemorated on bronze plaques in the vestibule. It consists of practicing one’s faith on more than a superficial level. It is something we have always endeavored to do and what the events of the past months’ have shown us we must continue to do—at a different time and in a different place—somewhere where deeply held beliefs are honored. What the pastors have asked us to do in fact is to be compliant to the world, to agree with the majority not because the majority is right (has anyone asked Inell and Lamar what their stand on the location of the flag is?) but because they just don’t want to force the issue now. They want, they say, people to be brought along slowly. All of you who wear WWJD bracelets might consider how Jesus would respond to such a request.
If you think our political beliefs are involved with our religious stand, then you are correct. But as Christ often pointed out you need to consider the log in your own eye before you criticize the mote in ours. Many in this church have adopted societies’ example of country first and Christianity second as long as it does not interfere with their own prosperity and security. It is very nice to donate to missions, to drop a few cans of peas in the food barrel, and to go on mission trips, but God calls us ALWAYS to do “… as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them .” That should be the very basis of our faith—doers of the word, not hearers only—and the Word is not the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Right, or even (heaven forfend!) the Flag Code. One church we visited this summer has the pastor carry the Bible into the congregation before scriptures are read, proclaiming, “The Word of God for the People of God.” In all the brouhaha over where the US Flag had to be at Delta, no one—no one—noticed that the Word of God wasn’t even in the sanctuary, let alone in the midst of the people, let alone in their hearts and minds.
Having said all this, it is our hope and prayer that the people at Delta will examine their beliefs more deeply (for the deification of any entity other than God is one of the original Ten Commandments’ prohibitions) and come to understand that God is not a respecter of persons or nations or even flags.
We will miss you. We may even stop in for a cookie sale or a church dinner. We have not made a decision to withdraw our membership although it was heartwarming to hear from one woman at another church in the area, “If you ever do want to change churches officially, we really hope you choose us.” Right now, however, it has come to the point that we need to act:
“Here I stand I can do no other.”
This is my resignation from all offices at Delta United Methodist Church.
Norman E. Hutchinson

Almost Daily Quote

Friday 8-1-08
I love the recklessness of faith. First you leap, and then you grow wings.
Credo by William Sloan Coffin

But it is just a pinch of incense!

The First Century Christians, a minority group to say the very least in the Roman Empire, refused to burn a pinch of incense once a year and say, "Caesar is Lord" as was required by Roman law. They recognized one Lord, Jesus Christ, and could not make the declaration required of them. For their trouble they were allowed to get up close and personal with Roman lions in a "sporting contest" for the entertainment of the masses. The all-time record was Christians zero and lions ... Well you get the idea.
So if one is a Christian living in the United States today what can be learned from this snippet of history?
Let me tell you a fable, a cautionary tale, a teachable moment about consequences of unthinking actions:
Once upon a time two laypersons were preparing the sanctuary in a local United Methodist Church for Lent. One was the past Worship Chairperson and the other the new Chairperson who was leaning the ropes. The parament colors had to be changed, the large cross draped in purple, and the other usual changes made to the altar area. As they stepped back to admire their work and consider if any additional changes were needed they noticed the US flag up near the front of the sanctuary. For some time, about a year, the flag had been in the back left corner of the sanctuary and the chair persons decided to move it back there for a number of reasons both practical and symbolic. Everything seemed to be in place so the doors were closed to be opened again the next day for Sunday School and worship.


Sunday arrives, the discussion in the Adult class is the usual interesting give and take, a learning experience for both the students and leader. Class comes to an end (as it turns out an abrupt one) because the Self Appointed Guardian of All Things Patriotic storms into the room, his red, white, and blue cape flapping behind him, and asks acquisitively, "Who moved the flag?" I admitted that I had done it and when I couldn't give a concise "in a nutshell " reason; another pronouncement emanated from The Guardian . "Well I'm moving it back." And he did; without regard for how things were done and only being motivated by self appointed, misguided, super patriotic righteousness, the same sort of motivation that caused members of another religion to fly airplanes into skyscrapers.



As lightly as I have treated this incident in the previous paragraph it did set off a controversy in the church because the presence of a national flag in a worship setting and the appropriateness of it being there is one of those "hot button" issues. I had always felt uncomfortable when on or near national holidays patriotic music was featured in the worship service, so uncomfortable in fact that I would not attend on those occasions. But my reasoning was not well formed at that time; it just felt wrong somehow. After the marching of the flag by The Guardian back to its former place I decided it was time that I investigated the policy of the United Methodist Church on this question. I went to Info Serve, the United Methodist information service. They provided me with answers as to the policy of the greater church. In the several months of my pondering this question I also "stumbled" across other wisdom from a variety of sources including scripture. The issue was finally confronted by a vote of all interested members one Sunday morning. (The last sentence greatly condenses the time span between the moving of the flag and the vote.) Because I felt that the congregation was not being given a complete understanding of the issue I condensed what I felt that I had learned into a letter that I mailed to many members of the church. I originally wanted to insert the letter into a Sunday bulletin but was not allowed to do that by the church pastor. The letter that I composed can be seen under the post "CHURCH AND FLAG A CHOICE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH."

Don Quixote of Rome

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

More to come later. This blog will be a work in progress with thoughts about religion, and politics (can one really combine those two?).

As a new blogger with limited time to devote to this the construction may be slow; somewhat like that road crew that is repairing the route that you take to work in the morning. "Will they ever get done?"

Hopefully more later.