My First Official Sermon--50 Years Ago

Zion Mennonite Church of fifty years ago

On September 12, 1965, I delivered my first sermon as a newly licensed minister at Zion Mennonite near Broadway, where I served for over twenty years. 

I'm not exactly comfortable with all of the messages I gave back in those days, but this one I would gladly repeat, on the theme “Every Believer is Called to Ministry”, based on Mark 10:35-45. In this text Jesus is reprimanding his disciples for arguing over who should be considered the greatest in the God-movement Jesus was establishing. Jesus' answer is that in his upside-down kingdom we become great only by becoming servants of all. 

I stressed that the God's "calling" is not just for a select few, but is essentially that all believers follow Jesus together and continue the work he began while here on earth. The location and manner in which we carry out that calling--that of bringing healing and blessing to a broken world--are unique to each of us, based on our gifts and opportunities, but the calling is the same, that of each person to becoming an active part of a community of faith that lives, loves and serves others together.

This means one does not cease being a part of the "laity" (from "laos", the people) when one is appointed a pastoral leader or a teaching elder in the congregation. Ideally, there should be no lay-clergy distinctions, no individuals with special titles or status in this community, but all are fellow-servants under one master, the servant Jesus.

But through the ordinance of ordination we have created an elevated and specialized system of leadership. And I became a part of that paradigm, in spite of my initial sermon. Even our church architecture promoted this kind of elevation, with pews arranged to focus everyone's attention on the pulpit set in the center of a platform above the level of ordinary lay people, rather than our gathering together in some form of circle

When I came to Zion, they were in the early stages of adopting a more professional model for pastoral ministry. To start with, I wasn’t called from within the congregation, but from the outside, at 26 years of age. After two years at I became its first salaried (half-time) pastor and was then ordained in 1968 and served as its senior pastor until 1988. A year after my ordination we moved into Zion’s first brand new parsonage built for us and located across the road from the church building. 

For the past 27 years I have been a part of a small house church congregation with shared leadership. We meet in a circle in each others' living rooms each week for two hours of worship and Bible study followed by a fellowship meal. Our focus is not primarily on what happens when we are gathered, but on on our mission when we are scattered elsewhere throughout the week. see http://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2012/03/blog-post.html

Far from perfect, but an attempt to live by the first official sermon I ever preached.

Fifty years ago.

A Photo Inspires Appeals For Parole Reform

This photo of some of the Commonwealth's aging inmate population has been widely circulated

When members of Governor McAuliffe's new Parole Review Commission reconvene this afternoon they will have written copies provided of concerns expressed by citizens from throughout Virginia, including the following eloquent statements:

from Douglas Hendren, M.D., M.B.A. Harrisonburg:

"It has come to my attention that Virginia has a large and increasing population of aging, low-risk offenders who would be eligible for parole in most of the United States, but not presently in Virginia.

"As a physician, I am well aware of the enormously escalating medical costs associated with advancing age. As a citizen, I have learned about the steep decline in recidivism in the aging inmate population when released on parole.

"I have recently learned that the Virginia Department of Corrections released only 3% of those eligible for parole in 2014. This is an appalling low figure, reflecting either an utterly ineffective system of corrections, or questionable judgment regarding parole.

"It makes little sense to burden the taxpayer with indefinite custody and escalating cost of an elderly, low-risk prison population. It shows little compassion, little fiscal sense and little common sense.
   
"The goal of correction should be ultimately to return the majority of offenders safely back into society. The system should be designed and implemented at every level with this goal in mind. Anything less is beneath us as a civilized society, and a foolish burden on Virginia taxpayers as well."


from retired prison chaplain William H. Dent, Jr., Harrisonburg:

"As a former chaplain at Powhatan and James River Correctional Centers, I can tell you I have witnessed the distress of many current and former prisoners who though eligible for parole have been denied and told essentially not to expect it.  It has been an implied promise issued at sentencing and routinely broken for some outstandingly good citizens without citizenship, prisoners in Virginia prisons.  It seems to me that the Board has become almost infinitely afraid of making a mistake by granting parole and almost totally comfortable with the probability that they might make many mistakes by denying it.

"Reinstating parole for all prisoners could be very good, but only if we really mean to do all we can to get the former offenders out of prison as soon as reasonably possible and with the kind of help that can enable them to become established as contributing members of society.  The Gemeinschaft Home in Harrisonburg is part of the answer and an example of one thing we are doing right for a fraction of the population that can be released and are being released, many without equivalent needed support.  We pay the price of doing things right or the higher price of picking up the pieces."

Please address your own comments and concerns to Vernita.Boone@vadoc.virginia.gov who will forward them to members of the Commission.

A Description Of Early Christians

 

early Christian symbol

The following second century defense of Christianity is available from numerous sources, but here's a link to the entire document. Could any of this be said of us today?

"... Christians cannot be distinguished from the rest of the human race by country or language or customs. They do not live in cities of their own; they do not use a peculiar form of speech; they do not follow an eccentric manner of life. This doctrine of theirs has not been discovered by the ingenuity or deep thought of inquisitive men, nor do they put forward a merely human teaching, as some people do. Yet, although they live in Greek and barbarian cities alike, as each man's lot has been cast, and follow the customs of the country in clothing and food and other matters of daily living, at the same time they give proof of the remarkable and admittedly extraordinary constitution of their own commonwealth.  

"They live in their own countries, but only as aliens. They have a share in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign land is their fatherland, and yet for them every fatherland is a foreign land. They marry, like everyone else, and they beget children, but they do not cast out their offspring. They share their board with each other, but not their marriage bed. It is true that they are "in the flesh," but they do not live "according to the flesh." They busy themselves on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws, but in their own lives they go far beyond what the laws require. They love all men, and by all men are persecuted. 

"They are unknown, and still they are condemned; they are put to death, and yet they are brought to life. They are poor, and yet they make many rich; they are completely destitute, and yet they enjoy complete abundance. They are dishonored, and in their very dishonor are glorified; they are defamed, and are vindicated. They are reviled, and yet they bless; when they are affronted, they still pay due respect. When they do good, they are punished as evildoers; undergoing punishment, they rejoice because they are brought to life."

Local Citizens Speak At Monday's CCJB Meeting

Some citizens attending Monday's meeting (photo courtesy DNR)

For the first time, our local Community Criminal Justice Board allowed time for public comment on an issue more and more people are concerned about, the human toll of overincarceration. Our jail numbers have increased by 500% in the past 20 years, while our population has grown only 25% during that time.

One of the respondents in the public comment time, Noel Levan, cited numbers from a recent study published by the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law. Read the full report here. An excerpt follows:

Unnecessarily detaining defendants in jail before trial has a significant negative impact on the defendant, and often on public safety, including:

• Harsher Punishment: Research found that defendants detained for the entire period before trial were more than four times more likely to be sentenced to jail and more than three times more likely to be sentenced to prison compared to released defendants. Defendants jailed before trial also received jail sentences three times longer and prison sentences twice as long as those released.47 Those detained before trial are also more likely to plead guilty.

• Increased Likelihood of Recidivism: Even short periods of pretrial detention for low-risk defendants can compromise public safety. Low-risk defendants are defined as “individuals who can be released with little or no supervisory conditions with reasonable assurances that they will appear in court and will not threaten community safety.”

A 2013 study — which examined 153,000 defendants jailed in Kentucky between 2009 and 2010 — found that low-risk defendants held for two-three days were almost 40 percent more likely to commit new crimes before trial compared to defendants released within 24 hours. When held for 8-14 days, defendants were 51 percent more likely to commit another crime compared to defendants released within 24 hours.

• Socio-economic Consequences: Studies have shown that jail detention between arrest and dismissal or conviction can lead to the loss of employment, housing, or even medical coverage.51 20 | Brennan Center for Justice Research confirms that racial disparities exist in the use of pretrial detention. For example:

• A 2012 study found thatAfricanAmerican and Hispanic defendants were more likely to be detained pending trial, less likely to be able to afford their bail (which was assessed at higher amounts), and less likely to be granted release in comparison to similarly situated white defendants.

• A 2013 study by the Vera Institute found race and ethnicity a predictive factor in determining whether defendants were detained or released at arraignment. These disparities were most extreme for misdemeanor offenses, where African Americans were 20 percent more likely than whites to be detained before trial.53 • A study for the Bureau of Justice Statistics concluded that African American defendants were 66 percent more likely to be detained before trial and Hispanic defendants 91 percent more likely to be detained, in comparison to white defendants. Hispanics were also 39 percent more likely to be charged a bail amount in exchange for pretrial release — and were required to pay higher amounts.5

Some House Church Reflections On Greatness

Old Massanutten Lodge, one of our favorite meeting places

Our home church congregation, which met at members Guy and Margie Vlastis' Bed and Breakfast home yesterday, pondered the day's lectionary texts and what it means to be "great" in ways that truly matter.

What good things would we want to be remembered by when we are gone? What do we wish could be said of us at our memorial service or could be imprinted on our tombstone?

According to the last chapter of Proverbs, neither charm nor physical appearance are of lasting consequence. In this passage a truly good woman is valued not primarily for her beauty, but for her character, her generosity, her wisdom. She is not described as a shopper-savvy consumer, but as a skillful producer, a successful entrepreneur, as a godly influence to be reckoned with.

The Psalm 1 text describes the truly good man (or woman) as one who refuses to "walk in step with evildoers", but who dares to live by the divine drumbeat of timeless truths no matter the consequences. Such a person grows tall and produces great fruit, like a "tree planted by a stream of water."

The reading from James 3 and 4 beautifully defines the greatness that comes from Jesus' kind of wisdom, not one that seeks to impress or outsmart others, but one that sows peace and builds harmonious relationships.

Finally, in the Mark 9:30-37 text, Jesus counters his disciple's vying for positions of prominence by holding a child in his arms. It is the one who pays attention to the least noticed and least likely to contribute to our own rise to power, he says, who is truly the greatest. So in this case, it is not the child we are to emulate, but the one who welcomes and pays attention to the least among us, as though we were welcoming Jesus himself.

So what might be our best choice for an epitaph on our tombstone?

"She opened her arms to the poor, and extended her hand to the needy... She spoke with wisdom, and faithful instruction was on her tongue."  - from Proverbs 31

or,

"Blessed is the one who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked... who is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season."    - from Psalm 1

or,

"The wisdom from above is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit."   -from James 3

or,

“Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all…. Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me.”         - from Mark 10

WHEREAS, the CCJB is open to public comment, THEREFORE, citizens should express their concerns this Monday at 4

For the first time, the local Community Criminal Justice Board will allow for questions and public comments at its upcoming 4 p.m. meeting in the Fire and Rescue room at the County Administration building this Monday, September 21. 

A version of the following important resolution written by local citizens will be introduced for adoption at this important meeting:

RESOLUTION OF THE HARRISONBURG/ROCKINGHAM
COMMUNITY CRIMINAL JUSTICE BOARD

WHEREAS, the Harrisonburg/Rockingham Community Criminal Justice Board (CCJB) approved and adopted in 2014 a Community-Based Corrections Plan (CBCP); and,

WHEREAS, the CBCP had 15 recommendations in the areas of System Planning and Coordination, Jail Capacity, & System Enhancements and Strategies; and,

WHEREAS, Commonwealth of Virginia Code § 9.1-180 states Responsibilities of Community Criminal Justice Boards, one of which is to “Facilitate local involvement and flexibility in responding to the problem of crime in their communities”; and,

WHEREAS, CCJB stakeholders have begun implementing a number of programs and procedures related to CBCP recommendations, including issuing a Request for Proposals for a Day Reporting Program for the Harrisonburg/Rockingham Jail, making a pod available in the Rockingham Jail for mental health treatment, investigating new and improved data systems, allowing public comment at the September 21, 2015, CCJB meeting, and implementing a restorative justice program in the City of Harrisonburg; and,

WHEREAS, the first CBCP recommendation states, "Decision makers should initiate a long range planning strategy to investigate, develop, and implement a continuum of jail-based programs, and community-based sanctions and programs,"; and, 

WHEREAS, the successful implementation of recommendations requires not only CCJB members, but also faith-based, academic, non-governmental, and private resources; and,

WHEREAS, since adopting the CBCP, the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County have become owners of Middle River Regional Jail; and,

WHEREAS, many people and organizations stand ready to participate in the development of a long-range plan in order that they may effectively collaborate to implement the recommendations in the CBCP;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, ON THIS DAY, THE 21st of September, 2015, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Community Criminal Justice Board requests it stakeholders to share in the appropriation of funding for and the implementation of a professionally-facilitated planning process (provider shall subscribe to the core values of the International Association for Public Participation); and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this facilitated process shall produce a one- to five-year strategy to implement the recommendations of the 2014 CBCP, and include action items and accountability for the many stakeholders partnering to implement the action items.

Here's a link to more information on the Moseley report 
http://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2014/12/15-statements-in-moseley-architects.html

When Our Health Care Systems Fail, Jails House Our 'Refuse'

RMH/Sentara website

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, (your) wretched refuse..."

- Emma Lazarus

These words inscribed on the Stature of Liberty could well be on the entrances of our jails and prisons, but as a message of despair rather than of hope. It is sad that these facilities have become the human landfills of last resort for those not only who commit crimes and/or are waiting their trials, but also for the homeless, mentally ill and substance addicted for whom we have no alternative solution.

The following is a recent case in point:

Joe Smith (not his real name) was found by someone at Our Community Place in extreme physical and mental distress over a week ago due to an overdose of K-9, a synthetic form of marijuana. "Joe", in his mid-forties, is alcoholic and chronically homeless, and has been a frequent guest and volunteer at OCP.

Joe had already lost bowel control and was in and out of a comatose state when he was picked up off the street and brought to OCP for help. A staff member there called the Community Services Board, who agreed to see him for an assessment. 

After three hours at the CSB, Joe was told that he could become a part of their outpatient program and be put on a list to receive acupuncture and other substance abuse treatment, but since he had no insurance that would cover inpatient treatment--and the only such facility that would be available had a waiting list of over a year--that there was nothing they could do help him. So they recommended he be taken to the emergency room at RMH/Sentara. 

There Joe had to wait for three hours for the psych evaluation team, who after several more hours told him that unless he could be diagnosed as acutely mentally ill and/or suicidal, that they simply had no bed available for him. This in spite of his literally begging for medical and other help to detox and to save his life.

Since the OCP also has no beds for such people, Joe had to be put back out on the streets, where the next morning a police officer found him lying along the sidewalk in a stupor. So he was picked up and brought to jail, where he will remain until he has his court date in several weeks.

In jail. Locked in a steel cage for lack of a detox treatment center.

Can't our community do better than that?