Local SOS Band In Concert Wednesday At HMC

SOS band: Nicholas Anguiano, Rachel Yoder, Taylor Bess, Phil Tieszen, Harrison Jarrett

Note: You can help DOUBLE the Relief Sale income October 5-6. Spend a liberal amount on food, auction and other items, then MATCH or MULTIPLY that amount with a cash, check or credit card donation for MCC refugee relief at the SOS (Sharing Our Surplus) Giving Table. 

Here's a link to learn more about the Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale and to make an online donation to the SOS campaign: 
https://vareliefsale.com/donate/

The Whole Armor For The Whole Army

We battle against dark systems and powers that 
threaten us all.

I used to think of the Ephesians 6 metaphor of our putting on "the whole armor of God" as being about individual believers battling against the personal temptations and demons they/we each face every day.

Then I noticed that the Greek pronouns used in the text are all plural, applying to the entire community of faith to which this pastoral letter is addressed. 

This led me to read the text in a different way, as a set of instructions a general might give to troops on the eve of battle. Except our enemies, of course, are not the human beings arrayed against us, but the dark and powerful isms, ideologies and influences that influence and motivate people to perpetuate evil systems that help maintain their power.

Here is where we are called upon to use the non-violent spiritual weapons of prayer, proclamation  and persuasion to bring light to darkness and injustice and hope to the suffering and oppressed.

In the words of Menno Simons:

"O dear Lord, how many principalities, cities and countries have they (our persecutors) destroyed to the ground? How many fires have they set? How many hundred thousands have they dispatched? How have they robbed, skinned and plucked of his goods the poor peasant who would have gladly kept the peace, and was entirely innocent of the contentions of the princes? What beastly, inhuman, hellish tyranny did they commit and continue to commit?

"I am well aware that those tyrants who boast themselves to be Christians justify and make good their abominable warring, their sedition and bloodshed, with a reference to Moses, Joshua, etc. But they do not reflect that Moses and his successors have served their day with their swords of iron, and that Christ has now given us a new commandment and has girded us with another sword (I am not speaking of the sword of justice, for that is a different matter, but I speak of war and sedition).

"For we have, by the grace of God that has appeared to us, beaten our swords into plowshares, and our spears into pruning hooks, and we shall sit under the true vine, that is, Christ, under the Prince of Eternal Peace, and will never more study outward conflict and the war of blood...  We use no other sword than that which Christ himself brought to earth from heaven, and which the apostles plied with the power of the Spirit; namely the one that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord... With this sword and with no other do we desire to destroy the kingdom of the devil, to reprove all wickedness, to plant all righteousness..."

- from The Complete Works of Menno Simons (Herald Press), p. 603-4

***************************************

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

- Ephesians 6:12-17 (NIV)

HARD TIME VIRGINIA, Volume III, Number 3 (occasional news by and for inmates and concerned citizens)

Parole Release Numbers Remain Low

In June the Virginia Parole Board granted only six geriatric releases and 28 other grants. In July those numbers were nine geriatric and only 13 other releases. No women were granted parole in either June or July.

Older Prisons Need Air Conditioning

Large, poorly ventilated concrete prisons become extremely hot in the summer. While most of the newer facilities are climate controlled, the following are not:

Augusta Correctional Center - 1,327
Baskerville Correctional Center - 480
Bland Correctional Center - 635

Buckingham Correctional Center - 1,133

Deep Meadow Correctional Center - 692

Fluvanna Correctional Center - 1,202

Indian Creek (not sure) 1,004
Marion Correctional Treatment Center - 284
Nottoway Correctional Center - 1,387

Powhatan Reception & Classification Center - 369

Virginia Correctional Center for Women - 592

St. Brides (not sure) 1,179

Contact Governor Northam To Voice Your Concerns

Email the Governor at https://www.governor.virginia.gov/constituent-services/communicating-with-the-governors-office/ to express your concerns about any or all of the following:

- The report "Silent Injustice" calls for solitary confinement to be banned in state prisons except "only in rare and exceptional cases, for the shortest duration, with the least restrictive setting necessary and only when the prisoner poses a credible continuing and serious threat to the security of others."

- The DOC's goals should be to correct and rehabilitate inmates by providing adequate treatment (medically, mentally, and physically), basic education (Adult Basic Education) and 21st century career and vocational skills to each prisoner prior to their reentering society. 

- In the early 90's there were only around 10,000 prisoners in the Commonwealth and to date there are nearly 30,000. Please create and sign an executive order which would require the Virginia Parole Board (VPB) to release parole eligible prisoners before January 1, 2020. None should be discriminated against because of the crime(s) they were incarcerated for over 23 years ago. Any prisoner whom the VPB is deeming to be a threat to society should have a due process hearing with a competent attorney appointed to represent him/her.

- Require VCE to create and operate an enterprise at a facility to assemble solar panel systems, and order that each state-funded building should be equipped with solar systems by 2020. Low security level prisoners could be trained and paid to install these systems for VCE, especially since Governor Northam wants at least 3,000 megawatts of solar energy in Virginia by or before 2030. This would help bring Virginia into the 21st century.

- Correctional facilities need to be closed that are not structurally sound, do not have central air-conditioning, have only community showers and have poor water quality or represent other health concerns.

- Eliminate current for-profit healthcare providers for DOC and replace them by requiring Virginia's state-funded hospitals to provide healthcare to prisoners with their medical teams. As soon as this conversion has been completed, inmates should be provided annual complete physicals including blood and lab tests, regular colonoscopies, etc. Medical and dental visits, medications, medical devices and procedures should be provided at no cost or copay to prisoners.

- Remove Keefe Commissary from the DOC. and order each facility to hire qualified employees to operate their commissary with the assistance of trusted inmates from that facility.

- DOC commissary items should be purchased from Virginia vendors if possible and as cheaply as possible and stored in a centrally located warehouse which would allow items to be delivered to each facility weekly by trusted inmates. Items should not be marked up over 20%.

- Fair wages should be paid to prisoners for their work. Prisoners have not had a pay increase in over 30 years. The following has happened since the pay scale was created: DOC added for-profit companies such as Keefe Commissary and JPay, Inc. Laws have been created allowing DOC to deduct 5% of a prisoners pay for their Child Support and Court costs; another 10% deduction until $25.00 has been collected for Hold, plus another 10% deduction until $1,000.00 has been collected for savings. The money that is in hold and savings currently pays no interest.

- DOC should permit prisoners to purchase new or used laptop computers from an approved vender such as Amazon for their personal use in their housing units. These should be stand alone computers (without Internet access or WiFi) that are password protected by the facility's personal property officer who has been trained to install passwords onto each prisoner's device. Each prisoner should be allowed to order Microsoft Professional programs and other approved educational software.

- Current antiquated courses provided to prisoners should be replaced with 21st century vocational courses which should include multiple computer skills.

- Address the issue of widespread abuse from correctional staff, including abusive and racist language used by prison employees, withholding and tampering with food, ongoing sexual harassment and assaults, destruction of personal property, withholding of recreation and showers, use of restraints and strip cells for longer durations than permitted by VDOC policy, and pervasive interference with prisoners' access to the grievance procedure.   

DOC Investigates A Death in a Virginia Prison

According to the Hampton Roads Daily Press, the parent of the deceased inmate was recently notified of her son's death when two state troopers arrived at her door.  When she asked how he had died, there was no answer. After several desperate phone calls to the prison she finally contacted a nurse who confirmed the death but offered no explanation. A medical examiner finally informed the parent that the death was suicide. 

The death was later investigated by a DOC investigative unit (i.e, the DOC investigated itself). The Daily Press urged the DOC to be more transparent, and that it "conducts its business behind a curtain which restricts access to information and does not encourage public inquiry."

In fact they receive protection, through FOIA exemption, from public scrutiny not afforded to other state agencies. 

Fluvanna Prisoner Battles Cancer; a Result of Neglect

As an inmate at the Fluvanna Correctional Center waited more than two years to get a colonoscopy that would diagnose her with stage-four cancer she is now fighting. Advocates say issues like that are all too common for the inmates at the women's prison, the largest in Virginia. Recently, attorneys for several of the inmates appeared in federal court in Charlottesville, arguing that the state has failed to abide by a 2016 consent order to provide adequate medical care for inmates at the Fluvanna prison. 

An attorney from the Legal Aid Justice Center, told the court that the medical needs of 1,200 women were at risk if the Virginia Department of Corrections refused to make necessary changes. It was reported that three women died at Fluvanna over four weeks and that since the court order, 12 women have died. An attorney representing the DOC, said the prison has been in compliance every day since the consent order was signed. Plus, "no timeline was ever defined in the settlement, and it takes time to make such sweeping changes." The prisoner testified that she suffered from abdominal pain, rectal bleeding and weight loss for more than two years before she could get a colonoscopy. When she finally got the colonoscopy, it revealed a tumor that had metastasized to her liver. She is currently receiving chemotherapy and hoping that it is not too late.

As of April 2018 there were 28,800 other DOC prisoners housed across the state in other prisons with the exact same health care provider as for Fluvanna. 

Keefe Commissary Continues To Raise Rates While Inmate Wages Remain Flat It has been over 30 years since the Virginia General Assembly has raised prisoners pay scale, but rising commissary costs continue to represent cost of living increases. Below are some of Keefe Commissary's recent (and frequent)price hikes: > Plain & Cinnamon Bagels previously 0.64 now 0.72 > Sausages 5 oz. previously 1.94 now 2.10 > Refried Beans 8 oz. previously 1.74 now 1.85 > Chili with Beans previously 1.60 now 1.74 > Clear Choice Peanut Butter 18 oz. previously 2.91 now 3.02 > City Cow Cheddar Cheese Bar 4 oz. previously 1.80 now 1.92 > Mild Pickle previously 0.72 now 0.82 > Cactus Annie Flour Tortillas previously 1.43 now 1.53 > Hormel Spam 3 oz. pouch previously 1.56 now 1.64 > Cool Ranch & Nacho Cheese Doritos previously 2.28 now 2.36 > Peanut Butter Cookies previously 0.85 now 0.92 > Market Square Bakery Vanilla Wafers 16 oz. previously 1.52 now 1.64 > Saltine Crackers previously 1.69 now 1.79 > Golden Valley Snack Crackers previously 2.73 now 3.30 > Austin Cheese on Cheese Crackers previously 0.36 now 0.41 > Zippy Mega Bun previously 0.71 now 0.77 > Moon Lodge Pretzels 11 oz. previously 1.93 now 2.00 > Cactus Annie 11 oz. chips previously 2.17 now 2.26 > Cactus Annie 1.5 oz. chips previously 0.39 now 0.43 +4 cents > 12 oz. Pepsi products previously 0.44 now 0.49 > Maxwell House Coffee 4 oz. previously 4.20 now 4.31 > Powdered Milk previously 4.20 now 4.31 +11 cents > Next 1 Sports Bar 5 oz. previously 0.97 now 1.05 > All Laundry Detergent previously 0.48 now 0.58 > Hydrocortisone Cream previously1.52 now 1.66 > Antifungal Cream previously 1.65 now 1.73 > Chap-et Lip Balm previously 1.23 now 1.30 > SPF 30 Sun Block previously 3.60 now 3.78 > Good Sense Fiber Pills 90 ct. previously 7.73 now 8.14 > Generic Oral Gel .33 oz. previously 1.77 now 1.86 > Cough Syrup - Non DM previously 2.25 now 2.37 > Beano Gas Relief 30 ct. previously 7.08 now 7.44 > Flavored Calcium Tablets 150 ct. previously 4.29 now 4.51 > Rolaids - 3 Roll Pack previously 3.12 now 3.28 > Generic Zantac 30 ct. previously 5.16 now 5.43 > Fish Oil Tablets previously 10.62 now 11.17 > Nasal Spray previously 2.20 now 2.31 > Daily Multivitamins - No Iron previously 3.43 now 3.61  "Prayer Cross" By Blind Inmate Minor Junior Smith "PRAYER" O Lord,my God, I beg Thy mercy. When men call the truth lies. I understand. I could give half a dozen reasons why I confessed but You know. I desired to, Lord! Truthful justice must be served. I read what was done to Uriah for a wife, by David, thy servant, in Jerusalem. As a tramp, I am saved by the dark cross for the stupid crimes in  Bedford I awkwardly committed. I also pray that I serve Jesus rightfully I ask in His Name. Amen

Faith Is Worthless Without Works Of Charity

In order to know what kind of "works" this Sunday's James 2
lectionary text is referring to, we need only look at the context.

"Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."  

- James 2:15-17 (NIV)

Judging by the context, the "works" spoken of here are not simply things like tithing, praying or going to church, but have to do with acts of generosity toward the poor. 

The first part of the passage is about never showing partiality toward the well-to-do and well dressed over those who live in poverty. The rich, James write, are typically exploiting the poor rather than observing the royal law of 'loving our needy neighbors as ourselves' by showing mercy toward them.

This is followed by the specific example of our extending mercy toward those who are hungry, homeless and lacking clothing, as in the text above.

The writer of this pastoral letter is believed to be the biological brother of Jesus, whose first words in his first "Sermon on the Mount" were "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," and whose ministry was largely devoted to serving people in need (In the Luke parallel passage it is simply "Blessed are the poor" and "Woe to the rich").

"Show me your faith without such deeds," James goes on to say, "and I will demonstrate my faith by what I do." So it's not simply a matter of faith and works, but a faith that works, and works to alleviate the suffering of those in poverty.

So let's look for opportunities serve those next door, but also respond to needs worldwide. For example:

https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2018/05/four-major-obstacles-to-raising-million.html
According to Jesus, it's an investment in the everlasting Corporation of Heaven.

How Shepherds Provide The Best Food Ever

What can shepherds teach us about how to "feed" a flock?

As a long time pastor, I've heard my share of people expressing a need to feel well "fed" in their weekly services. The very word pastor means shepherd, and the main responsibility they see shepherds having is providing them good spiritual nourishment on a  regular basis.

But just how is that best accomplished?

In the minds of many, it involves having special persons in the congregation, usually under the leadership of an ordained pastor, preparing appealing and nourishing fare in the form of well chosen hymns and a well crafted 20-25-minute sermon every Sunday morning (or at least whenever it's convenient for them to attend). Congregants are expected to line up in orderly rows each week as consumers of this fine menu.

But do Biblical shepherds normally bring well-prepared bales and bushels of food to feeding troughs, or do they lead sheep to good pastures where they actively graze together? And should spiritual nourishment come in the form of a buffet prepared by a team of professional chefs or more in the form of a carry-in meal, where each member is prepared to bring a Spirit-inspired "psalm or hymn, a word of instruction or encouragement, a revelation, an ecstatic utterance or an interpretation"?

Most members come to services with a consumer mentality, and rate their Sunday experience by how interesting or inspirational they find the morning sermon. If it doesn't get a five-star rating, they are prone to shop around for a congregation that will offer them a better product and a more emotionally satisfying spiritual experience of feeling truly well fed. For many, good ratings are based on whether what they hear reinforces their already set beliefs and biases.

This reminds me of a story I read as a child called "The Best Food In The World." It was about a young prince who was not doing well because he had little appetite for the royal fare prepared for him every day. As I recall the tale, the king offered a handsome reward for anyone who could come up with "the best food in the world," delicacies his son simply wouldn't be able to resist, and thus having him begin to thrive and grow. But no one in the kingdom, try as they may, was able to come up with a dish that appealed to the young prince's tastes.

Finally a peasant couple offered to help, but with the provision that he come live with them for a time. In desperation, the king consented. The couple simple engaged him in their everyday life, with lots of fresh air and outdoor work activities that were part of their daily routine. All of which contributed to his gaining the kind of appetite that made him hungry for the simple and nutritious daily meals they enjoyed together around their family table.

Which indeed proved to be the best food in the world.

All Of God's Children Are Multi-Colored

Chocolate, mocha, autumn, sand and tan are among the many shades of color shown on this Benjamin Moore paint chart.

"Black and white are the blandest colors in the crayon box," notes humorist Sam Adams. "Fortunately, rather than our simply being either black or white," he adds, "we all have a true color, " and suggests we find a color chart at a paint store to find out what our actual color is.

Marcia and Millie Biggs are twins.

As confirmed in an article in the April 2018 issue of the National Geographic, "race is not a biological construct, but a social one that can have devastating effects." And writer Elizabeth Kolbert is quoted as saying, "So many of the horrors of the past few centuries can be traced to the idea that one race is inferior to another."

In a related piece we learn that it was Samuel Morton, a doctor in Philadelphia in the 19th century, who first came up with the theory that people can be divided into five races, representing five distinct acts of creation. According to Morton, the most intelligent of these was the so-called Caucasian race, followed by East Asians ("Mongolian"), followed by Southeast Asians, and at the bottom of the list, Native Americans and then "Blacks", or "Ethiopians".

Of course, all of this has been completely debunked, and Craig Venter, a pioneer of DNA sequencing, states unequivocally, "The concept of race has no genetic or scientific basis."

Interestingly, the continent of Africa has far more genetic diversity within it than whatever genetic differences African-born people have with people from other parts of the world.

The Bible never categorizes people by race or skin color. The apostle Paul states, "There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, but Christ is all, and in all,"  and affirms that "(God) has made of one blood all nations living on the face of the earth."

Let's celebrate the multiple shades of color and unique features of all of our fellow human beings, each incomparably beautiful and special,

And thankfully, not one of them is either black or white.

Guestpost: Let's Hire A Community Justice Planner

Lady Justice towers over the Court House
in Harrisonburg

This excellent op ed piece by Ruth Stoltzfus Jost appeared in the Daily News-Record yesterday, and is posted here with her permission. Check the link below to see how you can help promote this idea in our community:

On October 15 Harrisonburg Rockingham’s Community Criminal Justice Board (CCJB) could take a big step toward reducing incarceration and recidivism that cost us heavily in dollars and harm to families.  Made up of local criminal justice agencies and community stakeholders, CCJB will consider recommending that local officials hire a community justice planner. After all, we've spent $20 million to buy into Middle River Regional Jail (on top of our regular $10 million annual jail budget). With our numbers escalating, we're headed for  overcrowding again.

Why should we hire a Community Justice Planner?  To see, go to drug court any Thursday at 1 p.m. You'll find a group of repeat drug offenders facing serious prison time that could cost taxpayers millions. Instead, they report weekly to a judge who is committed to getting them drug free, despite relapses. It's grueling for them, especially since we lack affordable long term or residential drug treatment they desperately need, but successful graduates can get sentences reduced or eliminated, saving us all money and helping rebuild lives.

Why do we have a drug court today?  Because last year Commonwealth’s Attorney Marsha Garst and Judge Bruce Albertson did tremendous work to submit a grant application to the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, leveraging local city and county matching funds.  

Or talk to our law enforcement officers who've had Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) in utilizing mental health interventions instead of force to defuse dangerous situations.  Another grant-funded program that ultimately saves money and benefits families of troubled persons.

Criminal justice systems are staggeringly complex, with law enforcement, prosecution, incarceration, probation, all under various local, state and federal agencies.   A justice planner with broad criminal justice experience can work with each, using data analysis to find their needs, then do the complex technical job of writing major grants. (Grants more than pay for the planner’s salary.)

State, federal, and private sources offer many grants to help communities reduce incarceration. They're funding jail overcrowding solution studies, restorative justice for juveniles, assessments of reentry housing needs.  Also “community service” programs with automated assignment capabilities to help people work off court costs successfully. They’ve helped over 400 police departments nationwide use non-arrest pathways to treatment, like Glouster, Va.'s “Angel Program” where addicts can self-refer by walking into a police station for help.   

Our political representatives did right when they choose not to spend $60 - 80 million on a jail, locking us into costly and ineffective responses to most crime.  We know we can't build our way out of jail overcrowding but now we need to move forward expeditiously with proven alternatives. Our local Reentry Council has offered its expertise to the CCJB’s deliberations.  The Valley Justice Coalition and the 26 churches with Faith in Action are urging this step. With the help of a planner to assist our community criminal justice board, we can analyze our data, confer with our criminal justice agencies, carefully plan, and implement real improvements to our criminal justice system. 

I hope we do it.

Local folks can check out the link below and scroll down to "Do  Your Part" to see how you can help promote this: http://www.harrisonburgfaithinaction.org/