4/26/14 DNR: "Officials Pursue Jail Plan"

Tonight's PBS program may help us rethink our approach

In light of last week's news that the Harrisonburg City Council and the Rockingham Board of Supervisors are creating a "community corrections plan" to qualify for state funding for more jail space, concerned local citizens need to become a part of a conversation about finding alternatives.

The city and county are investing $40,000 in the study, "which will consider various building solutions while also looking at ways to reduce incarceration numbers, such as alternative forms of sentencing". A site study that will look at possible locations for a new building is expected to cost another $60,000 to $120,000. The projected cost of building more space would be in the millions of dollars.

Money spent on a community corrections plan could be well worth it if it adds to the urgency of our finding better ways of making people accountable for making restitution for their crimes rather than simply creating more space to lock them away.

In the trailer introducing the PBS Frontline documentary "Prison State" being shown at 10 tonight the narrator makes the statement that "we need to distinguish between the people we are mad at and the people we are afraid of", and respond accordingly with what is more likely to actually correct offenders rather than merely punishing them.

The Arlington County Detention Center, in an urban area with a significantly larger population than ours, has seen its jail population actually decline in recent years. We hope the proposed study can look into how we might begin to see that happen here.

Here is a link to other posts on prison reforms.

Believers Baptism: Registering For The Missionary Draft

The rich young ruler

"And although infants have neither faith nor baptism, think not therefore that they are lost. O no! They are saved, for they have the Lord's own promise of the kingdom of God; not through any element, ceremony or external rites, but only through Jesus Christ. And therefore we do truly believe that grace is extended to them, that they are acceptable to God, pure and holy, heirs of eternal life."

- Menno Simons

Those of us who favor believers/adult baptism over infant baptism haven't always agreed on what stage in life a child should take this important step. Should it be at whatever age he or she requests it? Or at some yet undefined "age of accountability"? Or not until he or she is actually of age as an adult?

Some years ago I asked 53 juniors and seniors in classes I taught at Eastern Mennonite High School to describe what their own baptism meant to them.

Only a third reported having really positive feelings about their experience. One wrote, "I was excited. God seemed to be saying, 'Now you are part of my body, work for me'." Another said, "It was a big step in my life."

Fully two-thirds of the students, however, disagreed. A typical response was, "I knew it was the right thing to do, but I still feel I missed out on the purpose at the time. It never had any real meaning," and another, "All the other kids were doing it. It looked good, and it was a way to be seen and noticed by the congregation, as being an adult."

One admitted, "I wanted to be baptized because everyone who is a Christian usually is sometime," while another lamented, "I think I was about 13, and really too young for me. I don't feel I really knew what I was doing, and why. I was influenced by the fact that all the members of my Sunday School class were joining the church."

Most of our questions about an appropriate life stage for baptism have been based on a concept of an "age of accountability", at which time children become personally responsible for their past misdeeds and need to seek God's forgiveness for their own wrongdoing.

The first century church, however, chose the word "sacramentum" for baptism, the same word used  for the oath of induction one took in becoming a fully commissioned Roman soldier. To Christians, baptism meant an equally decisive step of leaving one's "civilian" life behind and accepting the dangerous commitment of becoming a "living sacrifice" for God's service.

So baptism was not just about washing away guilt for past sins, but a commissioning to a future life of faithfully following Jesus.

Here is where I find the gospel passage in which Jesus blesses the children helpful. Jesus takes the young in his arms and commends them as modeling a vital faith. We adults, he says, are to become like them in our laying no claim to power or possessions of our own. Children entrust their whole lives to their parents, who serve as their "priests" before God. Thus Jesus didn't call infants or adolescents to "Follow me" as he frequently did to the adults who came to him, but blessed them and released them to the care of their parents.

However, in each of the first three gospels, this story is immediately followed by that of the "rich young ruler" who comes to Jesus (on his own) to ask him about how he can have eternal life. To this young adult, who has personal control over his possessions and his future life direction, Jesus gives a hard choice, "You must renounce ownership of all your possessions, give what you have to the poor, then come and follow me."

Might this suggest that baptism should be the choice one makes at the point of making the transition from being accountable primarily to one's parents to where one has the full right (and the responsibility) to turn over own life and future for God's service?

Meanwhile children of all ages should be welcomed, blessed and made to feel like celebrated members of their congregations--until they are old enough to be able to reject and leave them. Only then, when they have the right and ability to say No, can they say a valid Yes. If they choose Yes, the locus of control shifts from primarily that of their parents to that of fellow members of their family of faith.

Prior to that time we should anticipate having children, while still securely under their parents' care, experiencing many meaningful times of renewing and celebrating their faith. They are safe within the security of others taking major responsibility for their lives. This is as it should be.

In our culture, that responsibility shifts significantly for those in their late teens, when as emerging adults our daughters and sons prepare to leave home, pursue their own careers and choose their own life partner. With this kind of personal autonomy comes personal responsibility--directly to God and to the peaceful army of believing adults.

Is that what it means to reach the "age of accountability"?

I welcome your perspectives.

To Heads of Faith-Based Non-Profits: What Would Jesus Earn?

Televison ministry Joyce Meyer's home

"A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher."

- Jesus

We've all heard stories of televangelists and other Christian-based ministries whose founders and leaders have become very, very wealthy. Also about how CEO's of corporations typically earn hundreds of times more than their average workers.

But how about ordinary faith-based and denomination-run organizations we support?

I recently became interested in this question after learning that the board of an agency to which I was a frequent contributor had recently increased the salary and benefits package of its CEO to over $200,000.

That may not seem like that much to some of you, and I have learned since that in some circles that's considered to be on the low side for the head of a typical multi-million dollar non-profit--and is seen as what's necessary to keep good people in positions of major responsibility.

But how does this square with the example and teachings of Jesus? How did his first century followers reimburse their key leaders and missionaries, key people like the apostles Peter and Paul?

There is of course New Testament precedent for providing financial support to those who generously give their time and efforts in the work of the church. But would first century churches have shelled out the equivalent of today's six figures when the average member may have earned less than half as much?

Earlier this week several of my local friends and colleagues got together for breakfast to mull over this question. The five of us came up with the idea of gathering more information on salaries and compensation that could be shared with other donors as they determine how to best invest their charitable gifts.

Here are the kinds of questions we are considering asking of of organizations:  

1) In light of growing concerns about the gap between worker and CEO pay in general in the U.S., do you have a policy that governs the salary/compensation differential between your highest and lowest paid workers? If so, what is the ratio of your highest paid to lowest paid staff? 

2) In light of ongoing concerns about the gap between rich and poor in the U.S. and between us and the rest of the world, what salary levels do you believe to be acceptable for heads of organizations such as yours? Upper 5% of U.S. wage earners? Upper 1% of worldwide earners?

3) What New Testament or other factors have you considered in establishing the above ratios and for deciding on just and appropriate levels of income?

Feel free to comment below if you think gathering this kind of information would be a good idea--or not.

Here's a link to 990 IRS disclosure forms required by law for non-profit agencies. 

Walmart Associates Appeal To Their New CEO

The following is a 1/30/14 open letter to Walmart’s new CEO Doug McMillon from members of OUR Walmart.

Dear Mr. McMillon:

Congratulations on your appointment as Chief Executive Officer at Walmart. As a long-time Walmart executive, we know that you are deeply familiar with the hard work and many challenges facing associates at Walmart. Thousands of OUR Walmart members in stores across the country stand ready to work with you to change Walmart for the better under your leadership.

Many industry observers and analysts – as well as shareholders – have noted that our company’s low wages, erratic scheduling and understaffing are at the root of the out-of-stock and operational problems that have contributed to disappointing sales figures and low customer satisfaction ratings.

The low pay, coupled with inadequate hours and unpredictable scheduling, means that far too many of us cannot adequately provide for our families or contribute to our communities. For example, OUR Walmart member Barbara Collins, who worked at Walmart for more than eight years, was sometimes scheduled for as few as eight hours a week. She had to visit three different local food banks one month just to feed her family. Last year, she was illegally fired by Walmart after speaking out.

Walmart’s aggressive, and in many cases illegal, treatment of associates who speak out for better working conditions has not only prompted legal and public concerns, the company’s actions have emboldened more associates to get involved in the calls for better jobs

The call for Walmart to pay associates more and end retaliation against those who speak out has never been greater. This Black Friday, for example, tens of thousands of associates and members of our communities held protests at nearly 1,500 Walmart stores. Feeling the urgent need for Walmart to improve jobs, more than 100 of us were arrested in civil disobedience actions calling on Walmart to pay associates more and stop retaliating against those who speak out.

Your appointment as CEO provides an opportunity to begin a new chapter at Walmart. We are hopeful that you will seize this moment and change direction at Walmart in a way that reinvests in associates and our communities.

Members of OUR Walmart are committed to being partners in this endeavor.  We hope you agree that the hourly associates of OUR Walmart have an important role to play in improving our company, and we would like to meet with you with you at your earliest convenience so that you may listen to our concerns and hear our ideas for the future of Walmart.

Sincerely,

Barbara Collins
OUR Walmart member, illegally fired by Walmart
Store #2418, Placerville, CA

Charmaine Givens-Thomas
OUR Walmart member
Store #5485, Evergreen Park, IL

Anthony Goytia
OUR Walmart member
Store #2401, Duarte, CA

Cindy Murray
OUR Walmart member
Store #1985, Laurel, MD

Here's a petition appealing for help for victims of a Bangladesh garment factory collapse.

Wrapping An Extra Blanket Around An Already Warm Planet

artist's conception of Kepler 186f

 NASA announced last week the discovery of Kepler 186f, an earth-size planet at about the right distance from its sun to sustain life similar to that found on planet earth.

With all of the pollution, deforestation, overpopulation and other forms of devastation taking place on our own jewel of a planet, we may soon need a new one to emigrate to. The only problem is that this one is about 500 light years away, so there will be no flights available in the near future.

Since good planets are so hard to find, maybe we'd better begin to begin to take better care of the one have. In the past century, for example, we've released an extraordinary amount of carbon into the atmosphere through deforestation of thousands of acres of carbon-rich rain forests each year and the use of an accelerated amount of carbon-laden fossil fuels to meet our acquired "need" for ever more energy and to fuel a growing number of vehicles (in the U. S. we now have more licensed vehicles than we do licensed drivers).

This worldwide increase of carbon output, led by China and the U.S., is having the effect of wrapping an extra blanket of heat trapping insulation around a planet that's calibrated to maintain just the right amount of warmth to sustain life as we know it. This makes it imperative that we question the modern assumption that we have a right to unlimited uses of energy-guzzling cars, homes and lifestyles that are simply not sustainable, according to the most recent U.N. report on this potential crisis.

Please consider joining the following community conversation on this issue:

The Harrisonburg Rockingham Interfaith Association is partnering with The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley (CAAV) to sponsor a conversation on climate change Wednesday, May 7, at First Presbyterian Church on Court Square in Harrisonburg.  The program, which includes a light lunch, is from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. There is no charge for this event.

 Les Grady of CAAV will open the program with a brief statement on why Climate Change matters as an issue for faith communities and for our society.  His remarks will be followed by conversation involving all who are present.  

Please RSVP by May 2 to drmiller.cob@gmail.com or call David Miller, 540.578.0241.  We are eager to share in a meal and conversation with you.  And please share this invitation with other colleagues and churches. 

David R. Miller

Montezuma Church of the Brethren

President, Harrisonburg Rockingham Interfaith Association

Noter:  Dr. Les Grady is a licensed professional engineer (retired) who taught environmental engineering at Purdue and Clemson Universities and engaged in private practice with CH2M Hill, the world’s largest environmental engineering consulting firm.  Since his retirement in 2003 he has devoted much of his time to the study of climate science and the question of global warming.

The King Who Brings An End To Killing

painting by Nicolai Ge

He suffered the things we should have suffered.
    He took on himself the pain that should have been ours.
But we thought God was punishing him.
    We thought God was wounding him and making him suffer. 
But the servant was pierced because we had sinned.
    He was crushed because we had done what was evil.
He was punished to make us whole again.
    His wounds have healed us.

- Isaiah 53:4-5 (NIRV)

The Bible is full of killing stories, from the account of the first born of Adam and Eve murdering his brother through multiple accounts of God's people engaging in war to destroy their enemies, the latter seemingly with God's approval.

Enter Jesus, introduced in the Christian Bible as God's only begotten, and as Savior, Prince of Peace and King of Kings. From that time on there are no more killing stories in scripture in which God's people commit the violence.

This is truly revolutionary. There is bloodshed in the New Testament narrative, of course, but the blood is all on one side. Wherever and in whomever the King of Kings rules killing and harming are done away with with.

Jesus devotes his entire life to doing good, then sacrificially offers up his life blood in a demonstration of how God overcomes evil by absorbing it and triumphing over it. By his self-giving life and sacrificial death we can all be saved from the power of violence and other forms of sin and evil.

Sadly, few of God's children have been willing to live under that rule, and thus to be liberated from their addiction to murder and mayhem. Every day brings even more news of cold blooded killings and ever more devastating accounts of brutality and war.

What I find most regrettable is the fact that so many so-called Christians continue to justify destroying each other, as illustrated by a tombstone in Mississippi that reads, "Here lies J. H. S. In his lifetime he killed 99 Indians, and lived in the blessed hope of making it 100, until he fell asleep in the arms of Jesus." *

As terrible as that sounds, none of us is free of responsibility when it comes to contributing to the untimely deaths of others. I recently ran across this sobering statement by German poet and writer Hermann Hesse: "We kill at every step, not only in wars, riots, and executions. We kill when we close our eyes to poverty, suffering, and shame. In the same way all disrespect for life, all hard-heartedness, all indifference, all contempt is nothing else than killing." 

This means we must all repent and come under the rule of a kingdom in which God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven. 

* a quote from The "Substance of Faith and Other Cotton Patch Stories" by Clarence Jordan

Another Annual Good Friday Walk

2013 photo by Nikki Fox, courtesy of the Daily News-Record

A year ago I again participated in the traditional Good Friday Walk involving scripture readings and prayers at each of ten "stations of the cross" at various locations in downtown Harrisonburg.

It was my privilege to be the reader at the tenth and last station, the outdoor garden area at the St. Stephens United Church of Christ, where we focused on the burial of Jesus. For the closing prayer I borrowed the words of singer/songwriter Steve Bell and a Holy Week selection from the Common Book of Prayer:

In the mighty name of God
In the saving name of Jesus
In the strong name of the Spirit
We come
We cry
We watch
We wait
We look
We long for you

O God,
who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son
to the death of the cross,
and by his glorious resurrection
delivered us from the power of our enemy:
Grant us so to die daily to sin,
that we may evermore live
with him in the joy of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. 
Amen.
(1979 Book of Common Prayer)

It was a good day for walking, in the mode of what David Augsburger calls "pedi-tation". Since I was taking the day off anyway, I decided to make the 3 mile trek on foot to the Good Friday Walk (took the city bus home :-), then another 1/2 mile walk to spend time with my beloved at VMRC's rehab unit that evening, where she was recovering from her knee replacement surgery a year ago. In all, both body and soul greatly benefited, and I look forward to this Holy Week experience this Friday, starting at noon at the Blessed Sacrament Church.

Jesus sets a good example for us in the walking department. On Good Friday, though, his was a journey like none other, the Via Dolorosa, or "Way of Sorrows".