My Church is doing this awesome series on being a Christian in an Election year. We've talked about how we, as Christians, approach "politics." What does it mean for us to be faithful and to be political. Are the two mutually exclusive? Where is God calling us in this world?
We have framed the discussion as Christians being Citizens of heaven but also how we are called to pray for cities and places that we end up as we will be blessed if they are blessed (Philippians 3:20 and Jeremiah 29:7). I know that I do not agree with everyone in my Church about politics. I felt respected enough to be able to raise questions. The discussion had been opened with a call for openness and dialogue.
I want to contrast this open and respectful dialogue that never attempted to endorse candidate or political party with an article I read on Fox News about pastors telling their congregation how to vote. (Interestingly, the article has been taken down but this video was still up) This video and the article promote what's being billed as "Freedom Pulpit Sunday." On October 7 over 1,000 preachers around the country will be openly endorsing candidates for President during their sermons. This is important because the IRS requires that all tax exempt 501(c)3 organizations remain non-partisan. Churches, as tax exempt organizations are required to meet this basic standard. Endorsing any party or candidate is in violation of this the tax exempt status. Those that are promoting Freedom Pulpit Sunday believe that this requirement to remain non-partisan is a violation of the separation of Church and State. You can preach whatever you want from the pulpit. If you endorse a
candidate be prepared to lose your tax exempt status. That's a good
thing. Organizations that are openly campaigning for one candidate
should not be tax exempt.
Partisan politics is NOT the Gospel. Neither Romney
or Obama shares God's vision for this world. No Church that is holding
to the Gospel of Jesus Christ should endorse either of these
candidates. The Gospel is so much bigger than Republican or Democrat or
even USA. We need to be preaching that from the pulpit, not preaching
the Gospel of Conformity to the mainstream media that tells me I have to
vote for one of these two candidates that gets somewhere near my values
on some items. No, the message of Jesus is liberation from this
mindset. Liberation from the world's requirements that we endorse a
candidate that they have chosen for us.
This whole Freedom Pulpit Sunday is being used to get around this 60 year old ban on tax free organizations working directly for one party or candidate. I hope that the pastors that preach on this Sunday will realize that preaching the Gospel of Jesus Crucified is so much bigger than any one election or any one party or any one candidate. I am blessed that my Church chose the harder, but more inspired, more Jesus-like path. We are having the conversations about how what it means to be in community together and try to order our lives together in a way that respects all people and creation. That is what our political discussion looks like - and we are not telling anyone who to vote for (or even to vote!).
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
I'll take that as a compliment
Reading some of the coverage about #S17 (or Occupy Wall Street's 1 year birthday party) I was amazed at the tone that as often struck.
This article mentioned about 10 times how OWS was a dying movement. Really? You have to write a whole article about how much the Occupy movement is dying. Is the public supposed to just accept that death myth without question. Occupy must be dead because on September 17, 2012 only about 160 people were arrested all across NYC. They couldn't keep the park all night so clearly this is just a dying movement. Nothing to see here move right along. I don't buy it. We had more people at Occupy Austin last night than we have seen in months. It felt jubilant. I'm excited to see what year 2 looks like for this movement.
The article I just read, which inspired me to write this, struck a more supportive note. One comment in particular made me think: “I hate mob rule. We're a republic, not a democracy,” said one perturbed plutocrat who declined to give his name. “Everybody has a right to free speech, but they just want free stuff. Free health care and education.” It seems like Occupy has gotten it's message across. Although this was framed as an attack, I'd like to say I take that as a compliment. This person who works on Wall Street understands that the Occupy movement is fighting to ensure things like health care and education for all. We do want free stuff - the stuff that people have a right to. As long as our government, and our society, are putting profit over providing health care and education the Occupy movement will be here. Even those opposed to us know that we are fighting for basic rights.
Really, in a movement that is almost dead, what more can you ask for?
This article mentioned about 10 times how OWS was a dying movement. Really? You have to write a whole article about how much the Occupy movement is dying. Is the public supposed to just accept that death myth without question. Occupy must be dead because on September 17, 2012 only about 160 people were arrested all across NYC. They couldn't keep the park all night so clearly this is just a dying movement. Nothing to see here move right along. I don't buy it. We had more people at Occupy Austin last night than we have seen in months. It felt jubilant. I'm excited to see what year 2 looks like for this movement.
The article I just read, which inspired me to write this, struck a more supportive note. One comment in particular made me think: “I hate mob rule. We're a republic, not a democracy,” said one perturbed plutocrat who declined to give his name. “Everybody has a right to free speech, but they just want free stuff. Free health care and education.” It seems like Occupy has gotten it's message across. Although this was framed as an attack, I'd like to say I take that as a compliment. This person who works on Wall Street understands that the Occupy movement is fighting to ensure things like health care and education for all. We do want free stuff - the stuff that people have a right to. As long as our government, and our society, are putting profit over providing health care and education the Occupy movement will be here. Even those opposed to us know that we are fighting for basic rights.
Really, in a movement that is almost dead, what more can you ask for?
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Education is a right
Here's the striking teachers in Chicago:
Background, the CTU walked off the job on Monday after negotiations fell through with the Chicago Public School Board.
Many people in the media are saying that the Teachers are already overpaid and not working hard enough so therefore they are harming students by striking when they really need to work harder to make sure the students learn. (Here is an example in the NYT).
The fact is that in Chicago, the teachers are, by law, limited to only negotiating their salary. (Here is a really great article that lays out some of these basic facts.) Therefore the other factors like: number of students in the classroom, the amount of support staff (i.e. Social Workers, Librarians, and School Nurses), the amount of standardized testing, how they are evaluated, etc are non-negotiables. The CTU is on strike over salary because legally they have to be. However the push towards privatization of PUBLIC schools is what this strike is really about. Chicago, and many other cities and states, are moving towards a school system where parental "choice" is put above providing a good education for ALL. Privatization is damaging to students are educators alike. Public schools are the place where students who are kicked out of private schools or charter schools go. They are the place where kids go that have no money or way to buy an education. This strike is forcing us to ask the question: "Is a good education a right or is it something that you have to earn?" My answer is clear - Education is a right.
When we see Education as a fundamental right for all children we begin to understand that funding the educators and the schools that they work in is a moral imperative. In CPS there are 160 schools that do not have a library. Only one quarter of the schools have full time arts and music teachers. Mayor Emmanuel has appointed a School Board that is more interested the bottom line than in students. Our Public Sector cannot, and should not, be asked to behave like private, for profit, institutions. There is no profit in educating students with disabilities. There is no profit in teaching students to think critically and challenge the basic assumptions of our society. There is no profit in learning how to play the violin or learning how to paint. There is a societal benefit to making sure that everyone has basic abilities and are able to think for themselves. When we have good public education we are creating the society in which all things are possible and freedom is truly available. Yet in Chicago, and other places around the country we are violating rights in the name of profit.
The CTU strike is symbolic of where our country is going. Are we are country that has totally embraced the lie that private corporations, with a goal of increased profit for the already wealthy, have the answer to our social ills? Or are we a country that believes that some things, like education, health care, and basic dignity, are more important than monetary value?
The choice is clear and I have decided, that I, must side with the teachers. Siding with the teachers is siding with the students. I am siding with those that do not have the money or the ability to buy their education. I believe that everyone has the right to an education.
Background, the CTU walked off the job on Monday after negotiations fell through with the Chicago Public School Board.
Many people in the media are saying that the Teachers are already overpaid and not working hard enough so therefore they are harming students by striking when they really need to work harder to make sure the students learn. (Here is an example in the NYT).
The fact is that in Chicago, the teachers are, by law, limited to only negotiating their salary. (Here is a really great article that lays out some of these basic facts.) Therefore the other factors like: number of students in the classroom, the amount of support staff (i.e. Social Workers, Librarians, and School Nurses), the amount of standardized testing, how they are evaluated, etc are non-negotiables. The CTU is on strike over salary because legally they have to be. However the push towards privatization of PUBLIC schools is what this strike is really about. Chicago, and many other cities and states, are moving towards a school system where parental "choice" is put above providing a good education for ALL. Privatization is damaging to students are educators alike. Public schools are the place where students who are kicked out of private schools or charter schools go. They are the place where kids go that have no money or way to buy an education. This strike is forcing us to ask the question: "Is a good education a right or is it something that you have to earn?" My answer is clear - Education is a right.
When we see Education as a fundamental right for all children we begin to understand that funding the educators and the schools that they work in is a moral imperative. In CPS there are 160 schools that do not have a library. Only one quarter of the schools have full time arts and music teachers. Mayor Emmanuel has appointed a School Board that is more interested the bottom line than in students. Our Public Sector cannot, and should not, be asked to behave like private, for profit, institutions. There is no profit in educating students with disabilities. There is no profit in teaching students to think critically and challenge the basic assumptions of our society. There is no profit in learning how to play the violin or learning how to paint. There is a societal benefit to making sure that everyone has basic abilities and are able to think for themselves. When we have good public education we are creating the society in which all things are possible and freedom is truly available. Yet in Chicago, and other places around the country we are violating rights in the name of profit.
The CTU strike is symbolic of where our country is going. Are we are country that has totally embraced the lie that private corporations, with a goal of increased profit for the already wealthy, have the answer to our social ills? Or are we a country that believes that some things, like education, health care, and basic dignity, are more important than monetary value?
The choice is clear and I have decided, that I, must side with the teachers. Siding with the teachers is siding with the students. I am siding with those that do not have the money or the ability to buy their education. I believe that everyone has the right to an education.
Monday, September 10, 2012
God as All Powerful
Today the book of Job was brought up during discussion after Church. The story goes something like this: There had never been a more righteous man than Job. He was perfect in every way and was blessed with many children, many wives, much cattle and lots of money and houses. Then one day the Devil and God got into a fight. The Devil said to God: "Job is only righteous because he has all these blessings - he would curse you if he did not have them." God turns to the Devil and says "You're Wrong!" He then proves this by killing all of Job's children, wives, and cattle. He then gives Job a series of horrible skin afflictions. All throughout this Job's friends council him to confess what he has done wrong. Clearly God must be punishing Job for doing something wrong. Job refuses. He continues to praise God. In the end Job gets back more than he had before.
Job's friend's clearly believe that Job is at fault because all of his good things were taken away. They are saying: God blesses you with material things for faithfulness and curses you with loss of material things. This is an old belief but we retool it so that it seems new - seems like it might be a correct belief. We now say that we can pray our way into prosperity. If you work hard enough, go to the right Church, donate enough of your money then God will bless you with more money and more things. This God is a pay to play God. This God is actually not very powerful. The fact is that if we have to "earn" our blessings by being pious or by believing the right thing or by saying the right prayer than we are making believe that we are in control of our blessings.
This Gospel that preaches there are things that you have to do/say/be in order tI had a very interesting lecture after Church today on the relationship between Christians / Christianity / the Church and Politics / US Politics. I have lots of thoughts on that, but I think I'm going to wait to see how the series plays out before blogging about it.o achieve material blessings is a gospel that makes sense in this world and is easy to believe. However, it is not the Gospel that is outlined in the Bible or the one that Jesus talked about. The book of Job clearly illustrates that what happens to us here on earth is not related to our righteousness. We cannot see material wealth or lack thereof as either praising or punishing our faith. Believing that God rewards our faithfulness with material recompense is heresy. It may not seem like it but as soon as we begin to believe that our faithfulness will be rewarded with material goods we are taking God's power and claiming it as our own. God is all powerful. It is much easier for us to believe that we the have power to affect what happens to us. God is utterly reponsible.
I will not stop here because we are also utterly responsible. As individuals we are in complete control of ourselves. God is responsible for what happens to us, but we are responsible for living our lives in the most faithful way possible no matter the circumstances. There is an inherent tension in being a Christian, in believing in God at all. The tension begins with recognizing that God is completely responsible for our lives. Did I ask to be born as Maryann Philbrook? No. But here I am. At the same time I, as an individual, have complete freedom to choose what I do - I am the only one that is responsible for living my life. This responsibility is overwhelming but with God's grace it is possible be faithful.
Job's friends didn't get the point. Job did. Job knew that God was faithful to him in all situations. Job was faithful to God in all situations. Job saw that his responsibility was to be faithful in the situation that he found himself.
Many people preach the Gospel of salvation through works or salvation through some other means. I would like to offer that salvation comes through God - through recognizing God's supreme power and by recognizing our supreme power. We can be God's love here on Earth. That is a powerful thing to be.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Processing a Labor Day Weekend
This weekend I decided to join the Episcopal Peace Fellowship's conference for young adult Christian Activists. I didn't know much going into the retreat - but I thought: "Hey this could be a good chance to reconnect with friends from GC77 and go to Chicago." Suffice it to say, I ended up in Chicago with very little idea what was going to happen to me, but I thought I should be here to find out.
This weekend was about finding your voice - the old voice that is within you that is coming forth from you and calling you towards action. Since 2006 I've been considering starting the process to begin thinking about maybe possibly becoming a person that is actively discerning a call ordained ministry. I need to stop considering and start acting. My voice is one that proclaims that the people who call themselves Christians need to be in and among and with the poor. We need to be with those that are suffering. Our love of God and Christ is something that compels us to love those that the world turns away. My indecision has caused me to think more about myself than about Christ or anyone else in this world. It's time for to take the first step. I need to stop considering starting and start acting.
I assessed my life this weekend - is the life that I'm living expressing my voice? Sadly, the answer is no. I began to look at the activities that do. Where am I engaged in the world? What I am doing to use my voice to bless the world? My work with my Church and with Occupy are both integral to my life. I am an Activist. I am a Christian. I cannot choose between the two. If I am serious about stepping fully into either roll I have to commit 100%. I cannot I am already stretched too thin. I do not have the time to consciously choose my path. I am so busy running from protest to Church that I do not begin to pray about the protest or tell those within the Church walls about the way that Christ can be found while marching and chanting. I forget to love all people. I forget that God promises to provide for us. My voice is currently being stifled by the busy-ness.
In my walk with Christ I say that I have faith that God will provide for me both spiritually and physically whatever it is that I need. Yet my life does not necessarily reflect that. I also know that God's vision of what I need may be very different from my assessment of my needs. I did not know that I needed this retreat this weekend. (In fact I probably should not have come as I was taking too much time off work this year).
One of the final thoughts shared in this retreat was that of a quote by Martin Luther King Jr. in his final speech. King was talking about the oft-quoted story of the Good Samaritan. He talks about the Levite and the Priest could have had many reasons for not stopping. Each of these reasons was in response to the question: "What will happen to me if I stop?". King turns this questions around suggests that we ask instead: "What will happen to this man if I do NOT stop?" I am at that point in my journey. I can no longer be concerned about what will happen to me if I decide to dedicate my life fully to addressing economic inequality in this country. I can no longer be concerned about what will happen to me if I decide to pursue full time work for social change. What will happen if I sit by and do nothing. Our world is in too great of a danger right now. Our country is at a moment in history that calls all people into action. If I fail to act now I will be the Levite and the Priest who chose to walk on the other side of the road so that they were not defiled. I cannot leave my brothers and sisters that are lying, possibly dead, beaten and bleeding on the side of the road. I must act.
My actions are going to look irresponsible to some but I know that I am stepping out on faith. As I take this first step my voice may crack and I may not have the words to speak articulately, but as I continue my voice will develop until I am singing a song of praise and thanksgiving.
This weekend was about finding your voice - the old voice that is within you that is coming forth from you and calling you towards action. Since 2006 I've been considering starting the process to begin thinking about maybe possibly becoming a person that is actively discerning a call ordained ministry. I need to stop considering and start acting. My voice is one that proclaims that the people who call themselves Christians need to be in and among and with the poor. We need to be with those that are suffering. Our love of God and Christ is something that compels us to love those that the world turns away. My indecision has caused me to think more about myself than about Christ or anyone else in this world. It's time for to take the first step. I need to stop considering starting and start acting.
I assessed my life this weekend - is the life that I'm living expressing my voice? Sadly, the answer is no. I began to look at the activities that do. Where am I engaged in the world? What I am doing to use my voice to bless the world? My work with my Church and with Occupy are both integral to my life. I am an Activist. I am a Christian. I cannot choose between the two. If I am serious about stepping fully into either roll I have to commit 100%. I cannot I am already stretched too thin. I do not have the time to consciously choose my path. I am so busy running from protest to Church that I do not begin to pray about the protest or tell those within the Church walls about the way that Christ can be found while marching and chanting. I forget to love all people. I forget that God promises to provide for us. My voice is currently being stifled by the busy-ness.
In my walk with Christ I say that I have faith that God will provide for me both spiritually and physically whatever it is that I need. Yet my life does not necessarily reflect that. I also know that God's vision of what I need may be very different from my assessment of my needs. I did not know that I needed this retreat this weekend. (In fact I probably should not have come as I was taking too much time off work this year).
One of the final thoughts shared in this retreat was that of a quote by Martin Luther King Jr. in his final speech. King was talking about the oft-quoted story of the Good Samaritan. He talks about the Levite and the Priest could have had many reasons for not stopping. Each of these reasons was in response to the question: "What will happen to me if I stop?". King turns this questions around suggests that we ask instead: "What will happen to this man if I do NOT stop?" I am at that point in my journey. I can no longer be concerned about what will happen to me if I decide to dedicate my life fully to addressing economic inequality in this country. I can no longer be concerned about what will happen to me if I decide to pursue full time work for social change. What will happen if I sit by and do nothing. Our world is in too great of a danger right now. Our country is at a moment in history that calls all people into action. If I fail to act now I will be the Levite and the Priest who chose to walk on the other side of the road so that they were not defiled. I cannot leave my brothers and sisters that are lying, possibly dead, beaten and bleeding on the side of the road. I must act.
My actions are going to look irresponsible to some but I know that I am stepping out on faith. As I take this first step my voice may crack and I may not have the words to speak articulately, but as I continue my voice will develop until I am singing a song of praise and thanksgiving.
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