Dollars and Sense

We are continuing our sermon series "Where is God in a Recession?" Today, we talked about some basics of handling our money. This is a subject that the church should talk about other than just during stewardship time. John Wesley had a great formula. Simple, but very effective. From his sermon "On the Use of Money," Wesley writes, "Gain all you can, without hurting either yourself or your neighbor...Save all you can by cutting off every expense which serves only to indulge foolish desire (ouch!)....Give all you can, or in other words, give all you have to God." United Methodist pastor Adam Hamilton, in his book "Enough" gives a modern version of these principles. First, pay your tithe or offering to the church. This established for you and your family a sense of priorities. Second, create a budget and track your expenses. We cannot change our spending habits unless we know what they are. Third, simply your lifestyle. That one is difficult, isn't it? What we consider "necessities" are really very often "luxuries." Establish an emergency fund - thus relieving the need to go into debt when unexpected expenses arise. Pay off credit cards. They are a killer, and any hope that the offer is illusory. And finally, save, save, save.

Nightmare on Main Street

We have been talking for the past couple of weeks about God and the economy. It has been an interesting discussion. Today, in worship, we talked about "The American Dream." We hear that phrase all of the time. It is conjured up as some bucolic image of hearth, home and community. But, lately, the image of the American Dream has changed. In the past decade, the image has shifted to one of (over) consumption. The problem is that many people, feeling a sense of entitlement, have (over) bought in to this image of the American Dream, and are now in a situation where they realize that they cannot afford it. Madison Avenue has convinced us that if we want something (and to want something is to be a good American), we have a "right" to have it, even if we have to borrow more than we should in order to pay for it. For many of us, the American Dream has come to mean, I have a right to have whatever I want to have whenever I want to have it. This has led to some serious financial problems for a lot of people. What do we do when our American Dream becomes, to quote Pastor Adam Hamilton, “an American nightmare”?

Your Money or Your Life

On February 13, LOTC is putting on a very special event. We are all living through difficult financial times. Many of us feel stressed by the pressures caused by a failing economy. LOTC wants to help the community manage our lives not only spiritually, but emotionally and fiscally as well. We are hosting a free workshop that will be designed specifically to help people get control of their financial situation, as well as to better manage the stress that we all feel during these difficult economic times. All are welcome. Check out the attached flier for details. Feel free to print it, pass it out, share it. Be there on February 13. This will be time will spent.

The Children of Haiti

There was an interesting article in The Atlantic about the special vulnerability of the children of Haiti against the cruelty of human traffickers in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake. This raises so many questions. It certainly raises issues about theodicy (the attempt to explain how a loving God is present in the world in the midst of evil and catastrophe). It raise issues about the true extent of human sin. It also causes doubt and frustration because the problem is bigger than any one person can handle. This is a daunting reality to face. In a moment of self-importance (and I have too many of those moments), I become frustrated because this problems seems too big for "me" to handle. But, then I remember, if this desperation in Haiti is difficult for me, it is hell for the people of Haiti. If human trafficking and the exploitation of children bothers me, imagine how the children being exploited must feel. The point is, in the face of this kind of reality, those of us that enjoy the comfort and protection of a middle-class (or lower or upper, for that matter) American life do not have the luxury of being bogged down by frustration. There are people that need help. And I cannot help them all. You cannot help them all. But, WE can help as many as we can. And that is what God calls us to do.

Pat Robertson...

This past week, Pat Robertson made (yet another) ridiculous claim. He said that the reason that Haiti is suffering the effects of this week's earthquake is that, in its beginning, it made a "pact with the devil." Pat Robertson is not only a bad historian. He is a bad theologian. And he does not speak for many Christians, myself included. Pat Robertson is a great businessman. He knows that, in order to get the donations coming into his ministry (and I am using that term very loosely here), he needs to give people something to fear. Fear, like sex, sells. Mr. Robertson always seems willing to share words of condemnation in the midst of tragedy. His insensitivity to the suffering of others is not the way Christ calls us to love our neighbor. Ordinarily, I would not respond to comments that are so ridiculous and inappropriate. However, to not respond to is to give the impression that Pat Robertson represents the "Christian" perspective. He does not. Many Christians happen to believe that God loves the world, which might explain the whole Jesus dying for our sins thing. God not only loves the world, but he calls us to be loving towards one another. That is how we demonstrate God's love. Maybe someone can pass that message on to Pat, I don't have his e-mail address.

Help the People of Haiti

The earthquake in the Caribbean nation of Haiti is one of biblical proportions. No one yet knows the extent of the loss. Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. Unfortunately, because of the poverty, most buildings are not built according to strict codes. Consequently, there has been a lot of damage and a lot of death. There are people that are continuing to work in Haiti and they can use all of the support we can offer. If you would like to help, you can donate to International Child Care, a group that has done amazing work in Haiti for over 40 years. You can also give through UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee on Relief). The Red Cross is also at work providing relief. Now is the time to live into Jesus' admonition in Matthew 25. “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Please help the people of Haiti. Give. Pray. Tell someone else.

Happy New Year!

A member of my congregation sent me this picture. And, as the saying goes, a picture is worth 1000 words. Amen.