On Re-Converting North American Christians

Reading this book rocked my world, and renewed my passion for finding ways of changing it.

I've finally gotten around to reading The Hole In Our Gospel, the 2009 best seller by Richard Stearns, president of World Vision. I would strongly encourage everyone to get a copy, but here are a few excerpts:

More and more, our view of the gospel has been narrowed to a simple transaction, marked by registering a decision for Christ, or coming forward during an altar call... It was about saving as many people from hell as possible--for the next life... It minimized any concern for those same people in this life. (p. 17)

For the past two thousand years, "loving our neighbors as ourselves" has meant exactly that--loving our immediate neighbors, those people we encounter daily in our communities... That one's neighbors might include those living on another continent was ludicrous until recent times. In fact the great disparity between rich nations and poor nations... largely didn't even exist... Prior to 1800, disease and inadequate health care were facts of life that affected all people. Lack of clean water and sanitation would have been virtually universal. Droughts, crop failures, famines and epidemics would have periodically devastated almost all countries. Illiteracy was common everywhere. It was the legacy of colonialism combined with the advances of the Industrial Revolution that ultimately resulted in the rapid development of some economies over another. (p. 100)

Only about 4% of all U.S. charitable giving goes to international causes of any kind. (p. 102)

If your income is $25,000 a year, you are wealthier than approximately 90 percent of the world's population. If you make $50,000 a year, you are wealthier than 99% of the world's people. (p. 215)

The average giving of American church members in 2005 was just 2.58% of their income. In 1933, at the height of the Depression, giving averaged 3.3 percent... If we look at where the money goes after it is received by churches, we find that just about 2 percent of it goes to overseas missions of any kind, whether evangelistic or to assist the poor... The bottom line is that the commitment that American Christians, the wealthiest Christians in all history, are making to the world is just about 2 percent of 2 percent--actually about five ten-thousandths of our income... about six pennies per day that we give through our churches to the rest of the world--six cents!  (p. 217) 

(Note: Newer editions of the book may have updated statistics.)

One great way to give: https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2022/08/st-augustine-bellies-of-poor-are-safer.html

Our Ancestors' Books Were Banned And Burned

Benuel S. Blank, a member of an Old Order 
Amish congregation in Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania, published this book, now in its 
eighth printing, in 2009, the year he died at
age 76. 

I doubt if any of the 53 Anabaptist authors of the hymns included in the first edition of the 1563 "Ausbund" were actually my biological kin, but 51 of the songs they composed during their five years of imprisonment in the infamous Swiss Passau prison are still a part of the ancient hymnal used by members of the Amish community of my birth.

The 1525 Anabaptist (Weidertaufer, or rebaptizer) movement that gave birth to Mennonite, Hutterite and Amish groups promoted church membership by free choice rather than by an infant baptism that registered everyone as a citizen of the state as well as a member of the state church. Its very first adherents were originally members of Ulrich Zwingli's Reformed branch of the Protestant Reformation, but the movement spread rapidly to Lutheran and Catholic controlled jurisdictions all over western Europe. 

Fearing anarchy if people were allowed religious freedom, state church officials were swift in their renunciation of the movement and charged Anabaptists with sedition and heresy punishable by death. Thousands had their property confiscated and their rights of citizenship denied, and many were banished, drowned and burned at the stake for what were considered radical and dangerous beliefs.

Not surprisingly, the expanding collection of hymns included in numerous editions of the Ausbund hymnal, along with copies of their Schleitheim Confession of Faith and writings by church leaders like Michael Sattler, Pilgrim Marpeck and Menno Simons, were banned and burned, and anyone possessing copies of unauthorized religious material was subject to severe punishment. Benual Blank, in his book The Amazing Story of the Ausbund, writes, "There are instances known of finding Anabaptist books many years later in the walls and ceilings and under the floorboards of European homes at one time owned by Anabaptists."

Religious freedom for all can never be taken for granted, and has been gained not so much by the power of the sword as by the blood of martyrs. 

For more on Mennonite hymnody: 

https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2018/08/from-anabaptist-ausbund-to.html

Sleep: It's How We Should Be Spending A Third Of Our Time Every Day

 

Tips from Dr. Winters' book have been helpful
to many of my clients, and I've recommended
his book to my colleagues as well.

I was introduced to Dr. W. Chris Winter's book on sleep by a client who came to me with a history of insomnia she had suffered for decades. She wondered if this resource by a University of Virginia sleep specialist might be helpful, and asked me to coach her in working together at her problem.

I ordered the book and read much of it before our next session, at which she reported having already made great progress in being able to sleep better due to the help she got from Winter's book

Here are some of the key points:

1. Getting enough sleep has a profound affect on almost every aspect of our physical and emotional health. 

2. Some form of anxiety is a key underlying factor in preventing good sleep, including anxiety about not being able to sleep well. 

3. People who report having insomnia are often getting more sleep than they realize, and are often worrying about it far more than necessary. He recommends that we seek to simply rest. Sleep will come.

4. Since we require sleep for survival just as we require oxygen, water and food, our bodies are naturally designed to crave sleep. We don’t have to try to make that craving happen, but rather focus on addressing factors that interfere with good sleep, such as:

    a. too much caffeine

    b. too much food or physical exercise just before bedtime

    c. naps during the day (if you nap, keep it short and do it earlier, rather than later, in the day)

    d. over-reliance on sleep aids (Dr. Winter doesn’t recommend any regular use of such, period)

    e. too much light, noise, etc., in the bedroom (having TV or other media on, for example)

    f. inconsistent bedtimes

    g. shift work

5. Suggested plan for people with sleep difficulty:

    a. Determine a time you want to stick to for getting up every morning. 

    b. Based in that time, go to bed at a time that will allow for only 5 1/2 hours of sleep at first.

    c. Avoid naps, sleep aids and other things mentioned in point 4 above.

    d. Don’t deviate from the plan except for gradually going to bed earlier as your body begins to demand it. No sleeping in!

Feel free to post your own recommendations.

Beware Of This Perfectly Legal Healthcare Fraud

I had a sticker shock moment recently when I was told my copay for a small tube of a prescribed antibiotic came to $66. So I asked the cashier, "What would it cost me if I just paid for it without using my insurance?" 

The answer I was given, after she had one of the pharmacists check it out, was a mere $30, less than half of what I would have paid had I used my Medicare and supplemental health insurance. 

This seemed unbelievable, as I always assumed my health plans would help me save on my medical expenses, not add to them.

When I asked how much the store would have charged if they billed insurance, I was told they submit the claim to a third party, which in turn bills insurance for payment. "Then there's some kind of algorithm," he explained, "that determines the actual amount."  

I left the pharmacy better off financially by $36, a little wiser, and more than a little miffed. I find it mystifying--and maddening--that we can't we have a healthcare system that is more transparent, and with competitive and fair pricing that keeps costs reasonable for all.

Guest Post by Debra Turner: We Need a Local Public Defender’s Office

A statue of Lady Justice towers high above
or local court house.

There are 30 Public Defender Office locations in Virginia, staffed, funded and managed by the Commonwealth’s Indigent Defense Commission to “protect the Constitutional right to counsel for people who cannot afford to hire their own lawyer.” Harrisonburg is one of the most populous areas in the state still without a Public Defender’s Office.  Our community is relying solely on a shrinking pool of court appointed attorneys to meet the needs of indigent defendants.

Public defenders do not replace court appointed attorneys, and both options are available in all of the areas with Public Defender’s Offices, such as in nearby jurisdictions like Lexington, Lynchburg, Roanoke, Staunton, Winchester and Charlottesville, to name a few. 
 
According to Defense Attorney Gene Hart, chair of a committee tasked by the Community Criminal Justice Board to study the issue, the pool of lawyers in our area willing or able to serve as court appointed attorneys is diminishing at the same time that the demand for them is increasing. This is partly because reimbursement is only $158 per case for misdemeanors and $1235 for a felony case in Circuit Court, whereas public defenders have a salary set by the Virginia Legislature. Their salary levels are set by the Indigent Defense Commission (IDC). No additional local tax dollars are required to be spent on salaries or facilities.
 
Low reimbursement of court appointed attorneys leads to high caseloads with less representation. This has resulted in comments from some local individuals about their experience with their court appointed attorneys such as, "They often came to see me the day before the court date or for a few minutes just before the hearing, and never prior to that." Or "I called my attorney numerous times and left voicemails asking when and at what time my court date was and what was going to happen, and was never called back.” And, ";My court appointed attorney never responded to my phone calls, messages, or letters, and never came to see me when I was incarcerated."
 
Often public defenders get better results which ultimately saves money all around. The Public Defender’s Office saves money by being more efficient by pooling resources. They have specialists and a central office building. They waste less time traveling as they usually serve just one courthouse.  They have access to a full-time Immigration Specialist which would be a giant plus for an area like ours with high ethnic diversity.  With in-office Mitigation Specialists like counselors and social workers, mental health issues are de-criminalized, and there is more moral accountability and compassion.  A Public Defender’s Office has a team to rely on and is not just a single private practice court appointed lawyer burdened with too many indigent cases.
 
Public Defenders must follow standards of practice that are client-centered.  They are scrutinized and are very competent. The Virginia Defenders Indigent Defense Commission summarizes their mission best as: “Dedicated to protecting and defending the rights and dignity of our clients through zealous, compassionate, high quality legal advocacy.” 

It’s time that the Harrisonburg-Rockingham County area makes this kind of high-quality representation available to our indigent population.  Please contact your local state legislators, Senator Mark Obenshain and Delegate Tony Wilt, and ask them to introduce a bill in the 2024 Virginia General Assembly to open such an office in our community.

This was submitted as an Open Forum to the Daily News-Record May 26.

A New "Apocrypha"? On The Church Creating A Priority Reading List For Its Members

One of many inspiring writings not
included in our canon.

He said to them, 'Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.' Matthew 13:52 (NIV)

In the early history of the church many of its leaders made use of apocryphal Hebrew texts that were seen as having inspirational and instructional value but were not considered a part of the Jewish canon. There were also numerous Christian apocryphal writings that were widely circulated, though not given the same endorsement as the books that were eventually included in the New Testament as we know it. Some of these were seen as theologically questionable, but others were widely circulated as worthwhile reading.

Throughout the centuries since, countless numbers of faith-inspiring books have been written that have been of priceless help to believers everywhere, along with writings considered dubious or even misleading.

Meanwhile, as a part of commemorating the 500th anniversary of the 16th century Anabaptist movement, study groups of North American believers have been helping produce a Bible with notes reflecting the core beliefs of Anabaptist-minded Christians. This reflects the seriousness with which we take scripture as formative for our faith and every aspect of our life.

But should we have similar groups of believers focus on creating a recommended reading list of other trusted authors throughout the centuries? This would not mean elevating their writing to the status of the canon of books that make up our Bible, but would be list of faith-formative writings affirmed as being true to our understanding of scripture and supportive of a Christ-based understanding of our faith.

This would also mean excluding widely read authors not seen as representing the core values and beliefs of a Christ-based way of life, and would simply be endorsing those that are seen as having special merit. This compilation would not be considered comprehensive, of course. And it would be subject to regular review, revision and addition, as works that are urgently recommended for the reserve shelf in our church libraries and which would be on every believer's priority reading list:

Here is a small sample of publications that come to my mind:

The Didache: The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles

The Imitation of Christ (T. Kempis)

Revelations of Divine Love (Julian of Norwich)

Practicing the Presence of God (Brother Lawrence)

The Complete Works of Menno Simons (or a condensed version yet to be published)

The Martyrs Mirror (or the condensed Mirror of the Martyrs)

The Cost of Discipleship (D. Bonhoeffer)

The Anabaptist Vision (H. Bender)

Life Together (D. Bonhoeffer)

Rich Christians In An Age Of Hunger (R.Sider)

The Upside Down Kingdom (D. Kraybill)

The Christian Calling (V. Vogt)

Discipling In The Church: Recovering A Ministry of the Gospel (M. Jeschke)

Who Will Be A Witness? (D. Hart)

Fight Like Jesus (J. Porterfield)

Etc.

Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com › Discipling-Church-Recove...

The total number could be in the hundreds of books seen as supporting the kind of faith and faithfulness to which all of God's people should aspire. 

What do you think?

Reprehensible Examples of Men Behaving Badly

Residents of the Gemeinschaft Women's House wrote the following examples of some of the bad experiences they've had with men in their lives:

Working in retail sales for 12 years I would frequently have men wait for me after work and ask me for my phone number, to go home with them, or for other unwelcome favors.

So many men in my life seemed to feel that because we were together they "own" me and had the right to insult and abuse me.

If I had any male friends or spoke to other men I was called a "whore" and accused of having slept with them.

I've had men send me unwanted nude pictures via Facebook messenger, or offer money for nude photos.

My ex-boy friend yelled at me for dressing a certain way and for wearing makeup, then cheated on me because "I looked bad" (his words).

Various male friends offered me a needed ride in exchange for sexual favors.

Many men in my life claimed they loved the woman I was until I outshone them, then they forced me to dull myself and made me feel bad for being outgoing and successful.

Of the four male landlords I've had every one of them propositioned me.

Most of the men in my life have been possessive, jealous and controlling, and/or have mostly ignored me and taken me for granted.

My husband was verbally abusive and abandoned me when I needed him most.

I've been made to walk ahead or behind a man I was with so no one would know I was with him.

My husband's co workers and his boss each tried to get me to sleep with them.

I was hit and held down by my husband and sexually assaulted.

More than once I was abandoned at a place where I knew no one so my man could go out and see other women.

The lawyer who came to see me in jail the day before my sentencing hinted that I should break up with my boyfriend and that he was single.

I was sexually assaulted by three men the day after I was released from jail at a "friend's" house where I had been offered a place to shower and get myself together.

When I was homeless I've had men take all of my belongings and/or kick me out into the cold and on the streets after I refused to do sexual favors for them for their offering me a place to stay. 

A drunk customer grabbed and groped me recently at the restaurant where I work as a waitress.

On a related note, I recently read the following indictment sixteenth Century Menno Simons wrote about some of the (male) clergy in his day who abused their power with women in their parish: "It is manifest and undeniable that in our Netherlands the lascivious, bad, and good-for-nothing men whom they call pastors, ministers, masters, and teachers, some of whom wrong one woman or girl after the other, men who live in all manner of willfulness, ungodliness, idolatry, are dead drunk day and night, and do not know a single word of the Lord correctly, these men rob by their shameful trickery many God-fearing people, who before God and his angels seek nothing but to lead a righteous and unblameable life according to the direction of the word of God. They rob them of their country, honor, possessions, and even life, while they the deceivers live at liberty and ease." (Complete Works, p. 552)

But here's something more positive I posted two years ago, "Wanted: A Lot More Good Men."