I attended a seminar on Health Care Reform yesterday. One of the speaker’s main premises was that this debate is being largely driven by fear. People are afraid that:
• There will be a government takeover of health-care
• I might lose my good coverage
• The cost will bankrupt the nation
• We will wind up waiting for surgeries like they do in Canada or England
• Medicare will go belly up
It’s hard to refute that fear is playing a big part in this debate on both sides. As I listened yesterday, I was critical in my own mind of fearful people, and so I decided to see what it would take to get in touch with my own fear on the matter.
I have great insurance. That’s one of the things that you and the Presbyterian Church do for your pastor. I was surprised by how quickly I became fearful when I imagined “What if health care reform takes away my insurance?” Whoa!! I need that insurance! I’m a heart attack survivor – who else is going to insure me? Then I imagined, in our current health care system, having no insurance and a kid who needs a major operation. We all know people that are in this boat. I’d be afraid real quick if it was my kid, and no money to give them the best of care. It didn’t take me long to become fearful about this issue. I’m afraid of a change to my health care coverage, and at the same time I’m afraid that our nation will settle for the mess we have currently.
Then the speaker read to us a Scripture passage: “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
As people of faith, we know what to do with our fears. When we are afraid to stay the same and afraid to change as well, we will not become paralyzed with fear. God has given us a spirit of power and of love and of self discipline.
Power! We have levels of power to effect change that are unprecedented in the history of humanity. We have a representative democracy with relatively low levels of corruption. We have freedom of speech and expression. We have unheard of wealth. We are better educated than anyone ever. We can get health reform right!
Love! The love we have been given by God requires us to use the power God has given, not for our own gain; not to protect the piece of the pie we already have, but to perform deeds of compassion and justice for the poor, the oppressed and the down-trodden.
Self discipline! This will require self-discipline. Health Care abilities are so advanced that tough decisions will need to be made about what we cover. Do we pay for a heart transplant for an 80 year old, or do we provide pre-natal care to 3,000 mothers with the same money? These are tough decisions and they will require self discipline.
With a spirit of power, of love, and of self discipline, we can do this. I’m not endorsing a particular health care reform, but I am stepping out to say that what we have now is not working. Americans now spend 16.6% of our Gross Domestic Product on health care, and it is expected to rise to 21% in the next decade.1 In 2007 even before the recession began 19% of Arizonans and 17% of Americans didn’t have health insurance.2 Many of our nation’s poor use emergency rooms as their only health care. This is the most expensive place to receive health-care, and we are footing the bill. We are the only industrialized nation in the world that doesn’t have universal health care.3
We can do better. I’m sure we won’t get a perfect bill, but we must work together (Democrats and Republicans) to get something done. An imperfect bill can be tweaked as we go along. This is a watershed moment in American justice. Let’s not be so afraid that we let it pass.
1. http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/25_NHE_Fact_Sheet.asp.
2. http://www.usnews.com/blogs/erbe/2009/08/20/what-is-the-actual-number-of-americans-without-health-insurance.html.
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_health_care.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Adversity
First we got held up at the border, and then we had a truck break down in the middle of the Mexican desert. Our Rocky Point Mission trip was not off to a good start! Half of us got about 3 ½ hours of sleep. The other half got 2 hours. Then we had to get up at 5:45 and build a house!
I expected some grumpy, whiny people. It never happened! Everyone worked hard – no one whined – and everyone supported the rest of the group. There is something about adversity that brings out our true selves. The true selves brought out on our trip were pretty great!
However I think something else was going on too. What are the odds of getting 27 people together, ranging in ages from 12 to . . . well . . . much-more-than-twelve, and having all of them demonstrate true mettle in the face of adversity? Even for Presbyterians, that is pretty extraordinary! Come to think of it, it’s pretty extraordinary for this Presbyterian. My true, inner self is not that beautiful, not that strong.
I believe there is also something about adversity that allows God to do some of God’s best work in us. When everything is going great, we don’t allow God much room to work in us. When tough times hit, then God get’s an opening.
I sometimes wonder if the problem with modern America is that we don’t face enough adversity. Hence less and less people turn to God and even those of us in the fold already don’t experience as much deepening of our faith as we should. None of us would welcome more adversity. No thanks! But there are a couple things we can do. The first is to make sure we open ourselves up to God when tough times do hit. And they will! The second is to seek to stretch ourselves, go on a mission trip, volunteer for something out of our comfort zone, go visit a neighbor who is dying, give more than we think we can, whatever. Sometimes God just needs a way in to our lives in order to make great things happen.
I expected some grumpy, whiny people. It never happened! Everyone worked hard – no one whined – and everyone supported the rest of the group. There is something about adversity that brings out our true selves. The true selves brought out on our trip were pretty great!
However I think something else was going on too. What are the odds of getting 27 people together, ranging in ages from 12 to . . . well . . . much-more-than-twelve, and having all of them demonstrate true mettle in the face of adversity? Even for Presbyterians, that is pretty extraordinary! Come to think of it, it’s pretty extraordinary for this Presbyterian. My true, inner self is not that beautiful, not that strong.
I believe there is also something about adversity that allows God to do some of God’s best work in us. When everything is going great, we don’t allow God much room to work in us. When tough times hit, then God get’s an opening.
I sometimes wonder if the problem with modern America is that we don’t face enough adversity. Hence less and less people turn to God and even those of us in the fold already don’t experience as much deepening of our faith as we should. None of us would welcome more adversity. No thanks! But there are a couple things we can do. The first is to make sure we open ourselves up to God when tough times do hit. And they will! The second is to seek to stretch ourselves, go on a mission trip, volunteer for something out of our comfort zone, go visit a neighbor who is dying, give more than we think we can, whatever. Sometimes God just needs a way in to our lives in order to make great things happen.
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Opportunity of Disagreement
What do you do when your pastor ticks you off? Or your church? It happens! In fact, it seems to be a maxim that nobody can tick us off quite as much as people we love. If your car mechanic makes you angry, you can just get a new one. If it’s your mom or your kid or your spouse . . . or your sister or brother in Christ, you don’t have that option. The closeness of the relationship means that you are going to really see red for a while.
In preaching on your topics this summer, I did make a few people angry. While difficult, I think that is probably healthy. People wouldn’t get angry if they didn’t care – about the people and about the issues. Our passion for our faith and discipleship is going to engender some strong feelings. I’m probably not doing my job as a preacher if I don’t say enough difficult things that I make everyone angry at some time.
I try hard to preach the gospel. I know that the pulpit is not a place for me to stand and say what Ken Page thinks, but rather to seek to preach the Word of God. At the same time, preaching is a human task. Some of me seeps in, just as some of you seeps in as you listen. Hopefully there are moments of grace when the humanity of each of us meets the Word of God.
While I believe I preach the gospel, not every word I say is gospel truth. Some of it is me trying to share my personal struggle with applying the gospel to my life. Feel free to disagree! Perhaps the application to your life is different. Perhaps you needed to hear a different part of the gospel that morning. Perhaps I’m just wrong!
I promise to work hard to deal with conflict as with someone I love. If you have a disagreement with me, that hasn’t faded with ten deep breaths or a day to think and pray, please let me know. I know we are a diverse group. All of you have experiences and perspectives from which I can learn. Part of being The Church is that we will have full agreement on very little other than the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Every disagreement is an opportunity for us to grow in love and discipleship.
Matthew 5:23-24
23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.
In preaching on your topics this summer, I did make a few people angry. While difficult, I think that is probably healthy. People wouldn’t get angry if they didn’t care – about the people and about the issues. Our passion for our faith and discipleship is going to engender some strong feelings. I’m probably not doing my job as a preacher if I don’t say enough difficult things that I make everyone angry at some time.
I try hard to preach the gospel. I know that the pulpit is not a place for me to stand and say what Ken Page thinks, but rather to seek to preach the Word of God. At the same time, preaching is a human task. Some of me seeps in, just as some of you seeps in as you listen. Hopefully there are moments of grace when the humanity of each of us meets the Word of God.
While I believe I preach the gospel, not every word I say is gospel truth. Some of it is me trying to share my personal struggle with applying the gospel to my life. Feel free to disagree! Perhaps the application to your life is different. Perhaps you needed to hear a different part of the gospel that morning. Perhaps I’m just wrong!
I promise to work hard to deal with conflict as with someone I love. If you have a disagreement with me, that hasn’t faded with ten deep breaths or a day to think and pray, please let me know. I know we are a diverse group. All of you have experiences and perspectives from which I can learn. Part of being The Church is that we will have full agreement on very little other than the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Every disagreement is an opportunity for us to grow in love and discipleship.
Matthew 5:23-24
23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
What Happens In Me
What happens in me is more important than what happens to me. I read this statement recently, and it struck me so much that I wanted to share it with you.
For me, it addresses the question “What do I do when someone hurts me?”
“Don’t get mad, get even,” says the world.
“Turn the other cheek,” says Jesus.
“All’s fair in love and war,” says the world.
“Love your enemies,” says Jesus.
“My kid beat up your honor student,” says the world.
“Pray for those who persecute you,” says Jesus the living Christ.
People will hurt me. I cannot change that. Sometimes they will do it on purpose – sometimes by accident. I can choose to seek revenge. I can spend years litigating our dispute. I can spend hours or days or years stewing over the injustice. Or I can ask God to change my inner life.
There is only so much room in me. If I fill myself up with rage, envy, contentiousness, discord, or hatred, there is very little room left for God. I may come to church, sing the hymns, pray the prayers, listen to the sermons, but God will still seem distant. Conversely, if I am filled with the Holy Spirit, that very presence of God that can be within me, there is no room left for the harboring of old injustices.
What happens in me is more important than what happens to me. I have a choice. I can allow the events that happen to me to rule my life. Or I can allow the Holy Spirit within me to rule my life. I choose the later!
I’m not that good at it. I sometimes slip into old ways, but when I remember to make room for the Holy Spirit, that Spirit gives me the strength and courage to be a new creation. With God’s help I can be who God intended me to be.
You and I can live full of the Holy Spirit, or we can live full of bitterness. We cannot do both! Ask God today to empty you out of bitterness, envy, hatred, pettiness, or whatever it is that crowds out God’s presence in your life, and then ask God to fill you with His power and His love. May God bless you richly through the presence of His Spirit.
For me, it addresses the question “What do I do when someone hurts me?”
“Don’t get mad, get even,” says the world.
“Turn the other cheek,” says Jesus.
“All’s fair in love and war,” says the world.
“Love your enemies,” says Jesus.
“My kid beat up your honor student,” says the world.
“Pray for those who persecute you,” says Jesus the living Christ.
People will hurt me. I cannot change that. Sometimes they will do it on purpose – sometimes by accident. I can choose to seek revenge. I can spend years litigating our dispute. I can spend hours or days or years stewing over the injustice. Or I can ask God to change my inner life.
There is only so much room in me. If I fill myself up with rage, envy, contentiousness, discord, or hatred, there is very little room left for God. I may come to church, sing the hymns, pray the prayers, listen to the sermons, but God will still seem distant. Conversely, if I am filled with the Holy Spirit, that very presence of God that can be within me, there is no room left for the harboring of old injustices.
What happens in me is more important than what happens to me. I have a choice. I can allow the events that happen to me to rule my life. Or I can allow the Holy Spirit within me to rule my life. I choose the later!
I’m not that good at it. I sometimes slip into old ways, but when I remember to make room for the Holy Spirit, that Spirit gives me the strength and courage to be a new creation. With God’s help I can be who God intended me to be.
You and I can live full of the Holy Spirit, or we can live full of bitterness. We cannot do both! Ask God today to empty you out of bitterness, envy, hatred, pettiness, or whatever it is that crowds out God’s presence in your life, and then ask God to fill you with His power and His love. May God bless you richly through the presence of His Spirit.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
You Can Take It With You!
One of God’s gifts to this Church is the faithfulness of people in the past who have donated to the Church’s endowment funds. Those gifts will support ministry in this community out into the unforeseeable future just as God has worked through faithful Christians in the past, helping us to have the ministry we have today.
An expert in Church endowments once told me that the only reason people often leave money to hospitals, libraries and universities in their will and do not leave money to their Church is because the hospitals, libraries, and universities asked, and the Church did not. So here I am asking. If you are in a position to do it, would you consider including the Church in your will? All you need to do is look at what God is doing with money given in the past to know that we will be good stewards of your money, and that your gift will enable this Church to do ministry long into the future. You can designate your gift to a particular area of ministry about which you are concerned, give to the general endowment, or you can leave the discretion up to our Church session for ministries we might never imagine today.
There are other innovative ways that the Presbyterian Foundation can help you to make gifts to the Church. One of them is to establish a charitable gift annuity. In exchange for your gift to the Presbyterian Foundation, you will receive payments for life. After your lifetime the gift, less the payment you received, is used for the Presbyterian mission you select. This manner of giving ensures an income for the rest of your life, has significant tax benefits, and supports your church when you pass.
You can contact the Presbyterian Foundation at 800-858-6127 or look them up on the internet at www.presbyterianfoundation.org .
The worst thing to do would be to let a gift go unmade because of procrastination. 70% of Americans don’t have a will! 50% of lawyers don’t have a will! When these people die, the State will decide where there money goes, and if they have minor children, where their children go! My suspicion is that the reason many of us don’t have wills is that it isn’t fun to think about death. But remember that death does not have the final word for us as Christians! When we die we will live again in the fullness of life which God intended. Let me encourage you to think of a will as a wonderful opportunity to have a ministry after your death. You’ve heard the expression “You can’t take it with you.” I’m telling you that it’s not true. If you invest it right (i.e. give it away) you can take it with you. Others will benefit from your faithfulness for years to come!
An expert in Church endowments once told me that the only reason people often leave money to hospitals, libraries and universities in their will and do not leave money to their Church is because the hospitals, libraries, and universities asked, and the Church did not. So here I am asking. If you are in a position to do it, would you consider including the Church in your will? All you need to do is look at what God is doing with money given in the past to know that we will be good stewards of your money, and that your gift will enable this Church to do ministry long into the future. You can designate your gift to a particular area of ministry about which you are concerned, give to the general endowment, or you can leave the discretion up to our Church session for ministries we might never imagine today.
There are other innovative ways that the Presbyterian Foundation can help you to make gifts to the Church. One of them is to establish a charitable gift annuity. In exchange for your gift to the Presbyterian Foundation, you will receive payments for life. After your lifetime the gift, less the payment you received, is used for the Presbyterian mission you select. This manner of giving ensures an income for the rest of your life, has significant tax benefits, and supports your church when you pass.
You can contact the Presbyterian Foundation at 800-858-6127 or look them up on the internet at www.presbyterianfoundation.org .
The worst thing to do would be to let a gift go unmade because of procrastination. 70% of Americans don’t have a will! 50% of lawyers don’t have a will! When these people die, the State will decide where there money goes, and if they have minor children, where their children go! My suspicion is that the reason many of us don’t have wills is that it isn’t fun to think about death. But remember that death does not have the final word for us as Christians! When we die we will live again in the fullness of life which God intended. Let me encourage you to think of a will as a wonderful opportunity to have a ministry after your death. You’ve heard the expression “You can’t take it with you.” I’m telling you that it’s not true. If you invest it right (i.e. give it away) you can take it with you. Others will benefit from your faithfulness for years to come!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Summer Sabbath
Exodus 20:8-10 Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.
Sadly, we’ve lost the regular practice of Sabbath. Whether on the sixth or the seventh day, the Sabbath was God’s reminder for us to take a break; to rest; to relax; to spend quality time with family; to spend quality time with Him.
We don’t have a Sabbath anymore – most of us struggle to fit in an hour and a half (when you include travel time) to come to church on Sunday. Then it’s off to soccer games, on to yard work, back to the office, off to Walmart. I could preach myself blue in the face, and I don’t think the weekly Sabbath is coming back to American life, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. We don’t have a Sabbath anymore!
But we do have summer. For the ancients, summer was anything but a time of rest and reconnection. It was a time of agricultural labor – hard labor. They worked from sun-up to sundown, and the days are longer in the summer. But we get a bit of a break in the summer. Most of us have a few less meetings, a few less demands, and a bit more time. Most of us get to take a vacation: Another unknown in the ancient world. Although we have lost the practice of a weekly Sabbath, we have another opportunity for Sabbath keeping, and that opportunity is summer.
I invite you to use the lazy days of summer for some Sabbath activities: Take a break, rest, relax, spend quality time with your family, and spend quality time with God. Sabbath is more than just activities; Sabbath is a mindset. It’s a theological mindset that not only puts the feet up, but thanks God for the opportunity to put the feet up. It’s a mindset that lets God rejuvenate the gifts He has given you, so that when you reenter the rat-race, you do it better. It’s a mindset that savors relationship rather than production. Summer is upon us. Will you be better next fall because of it?
Sadly, we’ve lost the regular practice of Sabbath. Whether on the sixth or the seventh day, the Sabbath was God’s reminder for us to take a break; to rest; to relax; to spend quality time with family; to spend quality time with Him.
We don’t have a Sabbath anymore – most of us struggle to fit in an hour and a half (when you include travel time) to come to church on Sunday. Then it’s off to soccer games, on to yard work, back to the office, off to Walmart. I could preach myself blue in the face, and I don’t think the weekly Sabbath is coming back to American life, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. We don’t have a Sabbath anymore!
But we do have summer. For the ancients, summer was anything but a time of rest and reconnection. It was a time of agricultural labor – hard labor. They worked from sun-up to sundown, and the days are longer in the summer. But we get a bit of a break in the summer. Most of us have a few less meetings, a few less demands, and a bit more time. Most of us get to take a vacation: Another unknown in the ancient world. Although we have lost the practice of a weekly Sabbath, we have another opportunity for Sabbath keeping, and that opportunity is summer.
I invite you to use the lazy days of summer for some Sabbath activities: Take a break, rest, relax, spend quality time with your family, and spend quality time with God. Sabbath is more than just activities; Sabbath is a mindset. It’s a theological mindset that not only puts the feet up, but thanks God for the opportunity to put the feet up. It’s a mindset that lets God rejuvenate the gifts He has given you, so that when you reenter the rat-race, you do it better. It’s a mindset that savors relationship rather than production. Summer is upon us. Will you be better next fall because of it?
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Something Greater
A few weeks ago I had an enlightening experience in our Orangewood Fellowship Service. The theme of the service was that when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper it is a foretaste of the great supper in the Kingdom of God where we will be reunited with loved ones who have passed away. Prior to communion, we asked each worshipper to sculpt, out of modeling clay, some representation or symbol of a loved one who has gone on before.
I hated it! In the same way that most people have a public speaking phobia (which, clearly, I do not have), I have an art phobia. I’m not good at it, and I have an irrational fear of people seeing my pitiful efforts. It was not a worshipful time for me – my discomfort got in the way . . . Until we began the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Suddenly, I looked around and we were seated at table in the Kingdom of God with our dear departed!
I had made a symbol of my grandmother. Emma, who was seated next to me, had made Duke, our dog of 17 years, whom we had to put down last summer. I looked around the table and saw some widows and widowers. I saw some people who had lost a parent in the last few years. Their art wasn’t that great either, but I was pretty sure whom they had made, and what it might mean to them to be seated at that table. My heart soared! My understanding deepened! My soul praised the Lord!
I had a big say in planning that activity and I knew I wouldn’t like it when we planned it. I kind of figured that so much of what we do is heady, intellectual, sermonic. Perhaps we should do something that might reach a different kind of person: The artsy, hearty, hands-on kind. I figured I could deal with a little discomfort if their worship was enriched with something different. That’s what I thought going in. Turns out God could do something greater than my limited expectations.
We have new projection capabilities in the sanctuary. Some of us are greatly moved to worship through it. Some of us really don’t like it. That’s okay. We’re all entitled to have likes and dislikes. We can deal with a little dislike, though, if it helps us to enhance the worship of a different kind of person: Those who are more visual. That may be the best some of us can do: “It doesn’t work for me, but I’m glad we do it for others.” That in itself is a wonderful Christian attitude. We will sit at table in the Kingdom of God with all kinds of people.
And who knows – maybe God can do something greater than our limited expectations.
I hated it! In the same way that most people have a public speaking phobia (which, clearly, I do not have), I have an art phobia. I’m not good at it, and I have an irrational fear of people seeing my pitiful efforts. It was not a worshipful time for me – my discomfort got in the way . . . Until we began the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Suddenly, I looked around and we were seated at table in the Kingdom of God with our dear departed!
I had made a symbol of my grandmother. Emma, who was seated next to me, had made Duke, our dog of 17 years, whom we had to put down last summer. I looked around the table and saw some widows and widowers. I saw some people who had lost a parent in the last few years. Their art wasn’t that great either, but I was pretty sure whom they had made, and what it might mean to them to be seated at that table. My heart soared! My understanding deepened! My soul praised the Lord!
I had a big say in planning that activity and I knew I wouldn’t like it when we planned it. I kind of figured that so much of what we do is heady, intellectual, sermonic. Perhaps we should do something that might reach a different kind of person: The artsy, hearty, hands-on kind. I figured I could deal with a little discomfort if their worship was enriched with something different. That’s what I thought going in. Turns out God could do something greater than my limited expectations.
We have new projection capabilities in the sanctuary. Some of us are greatly moved to worship through it. Some of us really don’t like it. That’s okay. We’re all entitled to have likes and dislikes. We can deal with a little dislike, though, if it helps us to enhance the worship of a different kind of person: Those who are more visual. That may be the best some of us can do: “It doesn’t work for me, but I’m glad we do it for others.” That in itself is a wonderful Christian attitude. We will sit at table in the Kingdom of God with all kinds of people.
And who knows – maybe God can do something greater than our limited expectations.
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