A Challenge to Congress

by Rev. Ryan Eller


Members of congress are obsessed with their own opinions and even more obsessed with getting them on camera. Knowing that, this article shouldn’t have shocked me, but it did. So, I did what all good nerds do when we’re pissed off, and wrote this challenge, attempting to articulate for members of congress a way for them to understand where we’re all coming from, way down here in Middle America.

A reasonable challenge to members of the United States Congress from Middle America:

1)   Don’t take your salaries while you aren’t doing your job. In both reading the constitution and looking at the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, it’s pretty clear that passing a budget (or at least a continuing resolution) and funding the basic constitutionally protected business of government (military, roads, etc. etc.) is your job (as this now ironically awkward letter from congressional Republicans even suggested back in 2010.

2)   If you take us up on this offer, because you aren’t taking your salaries, share the experience of most people without an income and default on your own debt. While you’re at it, figure out a way to provide health insurance for your family. Really, test it out by applying for COBRA or searching on the new insurance exchanges for coverage. Heck, even go down to the doctor’s office and just ask how much it would cost you for a visit, now that you’re not receiving an income and don’t have health insurance and all.

3)   While you’re at it, file for unemployment insurance. You’ll enjoy that process a great deal I’m sure. Plus, it will prepare you for your real unemployment, which I’m guessing may occur some time in November of 2014 anyway.

4)   Since you have no income and one of your family members is likely to get sick at some point, you’ll need to figure out, like most Americans, which bills to pay and which ones to put on credit (if you can still get credit, that is). Go ahead and make a list. While you’re at it, make a list of all the things that will happen in your life if you don’t pay your bills. Since you’ve likely never experienced this before, I’ll give you a few hints:

a.     Your credit score will diminish, and it will now cost you more to live because each time you take out a loan your interest rate will be higher.

b.     If you can’t make the payment on your home, try selling it to prevent foreclosure. Don’t worry too much about the memories your family has had in the home. After all, you can make new ones in the next place you live. Also, good luck with the sale since most folks won’t buy in a market full of uncertainty created by congressional inaction. Regardless, do all you can to make those house payments because, trust the rest of us when we tell you, negotiating with the banks won’t work out well for you.

c.      You’ll have bill collectors calling the house to threaten you. It’s annoying, but you’ll figure out some good ways of dealing with it eventually. That is, until they show up and repo your car. Then, well, you’ll be in need of a ride. (Note: please use this as an opportunity to learn about our public transit system, which you, as a once-elected official, were charged to oversee and fund.)

5)   Once you do feel like doing your job again, and getting paid for it (because I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t take you very long once you experienced what most of us actually experience), please come back to Capitol Hill and share with your colleagues what it’s like when you can’t pay your bills (or in your case, simply choose not to even when you have never not paid them in US history). Then maybe you’ll realize that yes, there are consequences to not increasing the debt ceiling.

Do all of us middle and working class folks a solid, and just start acting like responsible leaders and do your constitutional duty. This might be hard for you to grasp, but we really don’t care which one of you comes out looking like the winner, as long as we’re not the losers in whatever game y’all think you are playing on Capitol Hill.  

Rev. Ryan Eller is a professional organizer, consultant and ordained Baptist minister, whose work includes managing nonprofits, political campaigns, and serving as the former US Campaigns Director for change.org. 

The Ladder

by Dr. Guy Sayles

Unless you’re a painter, roofer, or fire-fighter, you’re probably not on a ladder very often.  From time to time, you use a step stool to reach the top shelf of a tall cabinet or a step-ladder to change a light bulb. A couple of times of year, you get out the extension ladder and clean out the gutters; but, most of the time, the ladder stays in the garage and you keep your feet on the ground.

But, when it comes to ladders of ambition and achievement, many of us are climbing all the time.  There are always more rungs above us.  Who can count the steps between mail room clerk and CEO, graduate assistant and Distinguished Professor in an Endowed Chair, second lieutenant and general officer, between apprentice, journeyman and master?  I know it doesn’t have to be this way, but for a lot of us it is: our dreams are of moving up: from the windowless office on the first floor to the sunlit corner office on the top floor.  Success for most of us means going higher, moving to the top.  So there’s always more climbing to do and always people just behind and beneath us, climbing faster and faster, threatening to pass us up or knock us off the rung we’re on.

Some of us become so obsessed with climbing the ladder that we lose track of other things which actually matter more than the ladder: things like love, authenticity, and integrity; like health, happiness, and compassion; like family, friends, and God, for instance.  We can get into a frame of heart and mind which convinces us that the ladder is what matters—and no room on it anything other than our own ambitions.  But, because we want to think of ourselves as good people, we tell ourselves that we haven’t left those other thing and other people behind permanently.  We make a kind of bargain with our conscience: “Leave me alone for now, and I’ll get back to you later.  The ladder now; the soft stuff, the heart stuff, after we have more time, more money, and more security.”

Then, something happens.  Someone close to us gets sick or has an accident.  Our spouse walks out.  One of our kids gets in trouble, real trouble, the kind of trouble we can’t fix by writing a check or hiring an outside helper.

Or, to get ahead, we cut corners, bend rules, and subtly stab coworkers in the back; then, one day, for some reason, we catch our own eyes in the mirror and don’t like the person looking back at us.

Or, depression sets in, or we start feeling a tightness in our chest, or we can’t sleep.

Something happens.  And the awareness crashes in on us that we’ve been climbing a ladder not worth climbing.  Remember the truism offered by business guru Stephen R. Covey: “If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.”

We discover what William Butler Yeats described in his poem “The Circus Animals’ Desertion”:

. . . Now that my ladder's gone,
I must lie down where all the ladders start
In the foul rag and bone shop of the heart.

Maybe you know what it’s like for the ladder of your dreams to go away and, then, to lie down, depleted and defeated, in the foul rag and bone shop of the heart.  A time like that can be a gift if we view it as invitation to clarify what truly matters, to integrate faith and ambition in a way that faith is in charge, and to renew our awareness that success without love isn’t success at all.

Guy Sayles is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Asheville. This article originally appeared on his blog, From the Intersection.

Why We Do What We Do

Rev. Paul Batson


Nobles Chapel Baptist Church, where I gratefully serve as Pastor, is part of a tremendous collaboration of churches and community organizations called CHEW (Children's Hunger Elimination of Wilson). CHEW was developed last year to meet the needs of school-aged children who likely do not have food in their homes for weekend meals. This organization partners together for buying power to purchase food for these children for their weekend meals at a price that is less than what any church could buy on their own. Buying in bulk, you know? And I'm happy to say that EVERY child that has been identified in Wilson County as food insecure is receiving a weekend meal bag this school year.

Recently, CHEW was faced with a decision about putting encouraging messages in the bags for the kids each week. Do we put general messages in there? Can we include Scripture or references to God? We sought the council of school principals and other administrators and ultimately (probably to no surprise) the decision was made to include messages without reference to God.

Fast-forward to today when I was at a meeting of Wilson area ministers and the issue of "the encouraging messages" came up. This is what I heard one pastor say:

"If we can't put messages in the bag that tell the kids where it comes from or about a relationship with Jesus, what's the point? Maybe we'll just give our money somewhere else."

I've heard these kinds of comments before. In fact, I've heard it from people at every church I've served:

"I don't understand why we keep giving and doing the weekend meal bags when we haven't seen any of those kids and their families come to our church as a result."

Or...

"I see people drive up to fill-in-the-blank-organization in nicer cars than I drive to get food, clothes, etc., so I've stopped bringing things when we have drives for that ministry."

Or...

"I'd give him some money, but he'll probably just buy alcohol or drugs."

In a culture where people are increasingly skeptical of the Church and Christians and their efforts at evangelism and mission, we have to ask ourselves about the motivation for what we're doing. Sure, we should be about communicating our faith and telling others about the life-changing difference Christ has made in our lives and how we'd love for everyone to know what it means to have a relationship with God. I'm not trying to minimize that responsibility.

But, "what if there was no chance that I'd come to your church or come to your faith. Would you still give me and my family food on the weekend? Would you still donate clothes or money to help me? Would you still be my friend if 'relationship evangelism' will never lead me to faith?"

May I submit to you that if your answer is "no" to any of the above questions, then your motivation for mission is misinformed. I believe that the spirit in which Jesus calls us to give and meet the needs of those around us is because that's just what we do. It isn't to see bigger attendance numbers or even just to see the recipient "get saved". It's because the people of God see a need in this world and they meet that need, regardless of the outcome.

I have to believe that Jesus knew that out of the ten lepers he healed, only one would return to give thanks (Luke 17), but He did it anyway. And I certainly have to believe that God knew that not everyone would accept His son and His sacrifice on the cross, but Jesus died for us anyway. Why give regardless of the outcome? Because that's just what God does.

So give. Give whether you can tell the kids the food is from Jesus or his church or not. Give whether he'll use it on drugs or not. Give whether they need it or not. Give.

Give, because as people of God, that's just what we do.

Paul Botson is the pastor of Nobels Chapel Baptist Church in Sims, NC. This article originally appeared on Paul’s blog, http://paulbatson.blogspot.com/.

The Future of America

By Dr. Roger Gilbert

In the past few articles and sermons, I have pointed out that the biblical teaching is that we are to respect our government and be good citizens of our country, while putting service, devotion and worship of God in first place. We are to be careful not to confuse patriotism with Christianity. This relationship has often been described as the separation of church and state. The government is not to have authority over the church and the church (or any religious organization, institution or group) is not to have authority over the government.

We need to be clear, however, that this does not mean that one’s individual faith is not to influence one’s personal political opinions, votes, and participation. It also does not keep the church from addressing moral and ethical issues that affect our nation, state, or community. Neither the church (nor any preacher) should tell individuals how to vote or which party to support. But the church, and any pastor, is free to address the issues of the day.

Having said the above, I want to address a matter that should be of grave concern to every American, whatever your political persuasion. Associated Press reported that in the month of June the Obama and Romney campaigns combined raised $177 million in political contributions. Add to that fact that the total amount invested in these campaigns is unbelievably, astronomically higher than the one month total of $177 million. We are talking about billions! The changes in the law that removes the limits on contributions and makes disclosure optional has opened the door for individuals and groups, possibly even foreign entities, to anonymously have enormous power and control. It is obscene. It is frightening. The “buying” of political office is becoming more and more a reality. In the long run, the only “winners” in this maddening trend are the media businesses who are doing right well airing the campaign ads. I understand that each party says they have to do it because the other party is doing it. Yet, there must be some way to bring about reform.

I know that individual citizens and even groups of citizens feel so powerless to have any influence on this run away political nightmare. I feel the frustration. I also know that in this election year the greatest concern of each party is “we’ve got to win.” And yet, if we believe in democracy at all, we know that when enough of the citizens let their voices be heard, changes slowly but surely take place. I am sure that many of you are a lot wiser in these matters than I am, but it seems to me that one move surely is for us as individuals to let our elected officials know that we the citizens are serious about positive changes. It is not a matter of the Republican or the Democratic parties. Nor is it just a matter of this election. It is a matter of the future of America. The land of the free and the home of the brave is in danger of becoming something very different.

Roger Gilbert is the pastor of First Baptist Church, Mount Airy, NC. This article originally appeared in their church newsletter, "The Announcer."

Boaz and the 1%

by Rev. Jason Blanton

There is a depth of truth in Ruth, which is made so much richer by the fact that the author never comes out and gives "the moral of the story," he leaves it up to us find God at work in His many different and surprising ways.

The book is called "Ruth," and the story is mostly about Ruth, but as I prepared for yesterday's sermon, I was struck by Boaz, and particularly how he compares with our current caricatures of the wealthy elite in our world. Now, while I readily admit that I'm importing modern terminology into this bit of theology, the questions of God, wealth, power, and how to properly align the three are as old as our walk with God.

Boaz bursts on to the scene in chapter 2, and his first words, spoken to the men and women working in his field, are "the Lord be with you." They respond with a hearty "the Lord bless you!" There is a picture of harmony, painted with so few words, of God, man, and circumstances. You see happy workers, a respectful "boss," and most importantly, an honored God. Sadly, we can't seem to find this kind of harmony in our modern conversation about economics and politics.

Our national conversation about the wealthy goes something like this: "they are all rich fat cats who swindled their way to the top and are beating us 99% folks down!" On the other side of the argument, we hear those who say, "He worked hard to get where he is, and you are just jealous!" "God has made Him wealthy because of his goodness and obedience."

Certainly there is a great deal of truth to the sentiment that there is a wealthy elite in our nation, and in the Western world. They are unquestionably using their money to buy influence which allows them to "game" the system in their favor. I don't question the protest motives of the "Occupy" folks at all. What I do reject is the artificial division of 1% and 99%.

First of all, all wealthy people aren't evil. All of them aren't gaming the system. The unspoken idea that God hates the 1% is just as bad a misrepresentation of God as any other statement that tries to identify a particular group that God supposedly "hates." With due respect to those who are trying to affect change through protest, we need to stop demonizing with broad brushes if our goal is to truly lift up rather than tear down.

Second, the idea that the rest of us can be lumped together into one group, the 99%, is a total absurdity. Ruth's situation as a poor widow was very much different than the plight of the man working the fields in front of here in the same way the plight of a man making 60 thousand dollars a year is very much different from that of a man making 60 dollars a year. I think we have allowed this rather silly narrative to continue because it allows most people to blame "the rich" for abusing "the poor" while ignoring any notion that WE have a responsibility to the poor as well!

And just in case you aren't going to rush off and read the story of Ruth, I have to also point out how determined, industrious, and faithful she is! She isn't waiting around to be helped, she is out doing anything she can. I know that it isn't always a popular thing to say, but some of the 99% could, frankly, use a kick in the hind parts!

Back to Boaz. We see a man who recognizes that he has been blessed by God, and who uses those gifts to be a blessing. We are never told how Boaz came to be wealthy and powerful - the author doesn't seem to think that detail is important. What we are shown is a man who goes beyond his culture's minimum standard of generosity to try and care for poor Rachel and her mother-in-law Naomi.

Now, I know some of you are thinking, "well yeah, we know how this story ends, so of course Boaz was generous to Ruth, he thought she was a certified hottie." While that certainly turns out to be true, the fact is Boaz doesn't have to be kind to Ruth to marry her. Heck, he doesn't even have to marry her! He doesn't have to give her or Naomi anything. Ruth is a widow - not just a widow, but a Moabitess and a widow. If Boaz wanted her, he could have simply taken her. She was powerless and he is the very definition of powerful. Boaz, in the very image of God (painted beautifully in Kierkegaard's "King and the Maiden") realizes that love can't be coerced. It can't be forced. Love can't be imparted from a position of authority. Love, in order to be real, must be allowed to flourish of its own volition. What do love and economics have in common? I would hope everything!

Boaz exists in a culture that, at the very least, honors the poor, the stranger, and the outcast enough to create a system of gleaning. It’s that culture that is part of the very nature of a man like Boaz, who then exceeds those minimum standards of generosity in order to show kindness to Ruth. I think our culture was, once upon a time, imbued with the idea that we all owed a responsibility to one another. Unfortunately, it seems excess and greed have replaced responsibility and generosity in our national DNA. If we want real structural change, we have to find our way back to a national conversation that recognizes none of us makes it on our own. Nobody gets rich on their own. Nobody chooses to be poor. Nobody.

What I hope we can learn from the story of Ruth and Boaz is that the real debate about God, money, and power exists on a realm that is higher than our current discourse. If we want to get serious about creating a more just society, we all need to back away from our placards and political hackery and pick up our copies of Ruth. There we will find that God loves the gifted and the giver, the poor industrious widow and the wealthy landowner.

Maybe, if we look hard enough, we can even find ourselves.

Jason Blanton is the pastor of Grace Crossing in Charlotte. This article originally appeared on his blog, http://jasonblanton.blogspot.com/.

The Spirituality of Money

By Rev. Rich Goodier


When we think of money, the first thing that pops into our minds is not our Christian faith. Money seems to be antithetical to our faith, wooing us from the One we love. We remember the verse in 1 Timothy 6:10 that warns us that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” And indeed, the love of money is very dangerous. Jesus spoke against loving money countless times.

Among those many times Jesus spoke on money, though, we never hear Jesus rejecting the use of money. In fact, Jesus called his followers and would-be followers to use their money wisely, not hoarding it for themselves, but using it to help others.

Jesus himself was the benefactor of people using their money wisely. We read in Luke 8 that in addition to his twelve apostles, some wealthy women followed Jesus and supported them “out of their own means.” We follow the model of these women today, using the money God has given us towards love and good deeds.

Jesus spoke about money more than any subject except for the Kingdom of God. If that is true, then we Christians must consider how we view money. This is especially true in the midst of the worldwide economic breakdown of the past decade. Because of the irresponsible and selfish use of money by some, we are all hurting. Some of us are hurting considerably. And now we have a decision to make.

Our decision is not whether or not to use money, but rather how are we to use the money God has given us. Like time and talents, money is a gift from God. We must not love the gift but the Giver and learn how to use the gift to glorify the Giver.

How do we use the money God has given us to Glorify God? We give to our local church, the primary presence of the Gospel in our community. The local church can be an economic force for good in a world battered by selfish economic forces. We pool our money like the early church and proclaim the Gospel in tangible ways.

As individuals, we also give to those in need, the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the immigrant, as Scripture has called us to do for hundreds of years. And we give to support our missionaries. Our money becomes an extension of us so that we can participate in the missionary endeavors in places we cannot go.

As a new calendar year begins, vow to participate in the privilege of using your money to help others in Jesus’ name. Take the Macedonian church’s generosity (2 Corinthians 8) as an example for you and Mount Hermon Baptist Church. May we give all, including our wealth, in the name of the One who gave all for us.

Rich Goodier is the pastor of Mount Hermon Baptist Church in Durham. This article is the introduction to a sermon series on Christian giving that you can find here: http://www.mounthermondurham.org/media/sermons (Every sermon has a “Giving” in the title). Here is a link to an article that ties up this giving series: http://www.mounthermondurham.org/media/pastors-pen.