Health Care Debate

Health care reform is a hot topic right now. Everyone seems to have an opinion and I am no different. I am against government-run health care because everything I have ever seen the government run has been far less efficient than privately-run equivalents, with the exceptions of the military (NOT the VA health care) and the IRS bill-collection department (those guys are amazing!). I don't like to use the clichés of the Post Office and the DMV because it isn't fair to over-emphasize the obvious. So let me just mention the city building department and the California State Legislature. 'Nuf said.

As a pastor, I have known many people through the years who belong to Kaiser. I have found that there are basically two kinds of Kaiser members: (1) Those who love it and think it is the best thing since Dr. Kildare, and (2) those who hate it and think it is the worst thing since the DMV (oops, sorry, I said I wouldn't use that). The lesson? That anecdotal stories are not very helpful in determining the best way to go for health care. Kaiser is a private HMO (depending on which of the two categories above into which you fit, that stands for Health Maintenance Organization or Health Mutilation Organization), and no matter what kind of "reform" in health care we get, I suspect it will look a lot more like an HMO than not. Keep that in mind.

Much of the discussion over health care reform has centered on how other countries handle their health care. It has been said over and over again that America has one of the worst health care systems, and of the developed countries we are the only one without a universal health care system. Again, anecdotal stories of hell or nirvana are not helpful. The only thing that is helpful are facts measured broadly, and even those are suspect. Take statistics, for instance. Much is said about the life expectancy of Americans compared with citizens of countries where health care is universally available (and "affordable" but that is another discussion). The problem with the quoted percentages is that we have no way of easily determining if those figures are (1) accurate (they are usually put forth by groups that have an agenda, and yes, the World Health Organization has an agenda!), or (2) clean (comparing apples to apples and not apples to crabapples). Take life expectancy for example. The numbers include murders and automobile accidents. Deaths by these factors do not necessarily reflect on the nation's health care system. Murders in the US are much higher than in the UK, for instance. I read one source that said if murders were factored in, Americans would have the highest life expectancy of the industrialized world. Or take infant mortality. In the US, the infant mortality rate includes those babies who are born to drug addicts and illegal aliens. I suspect that the UK (or even Canada) has much less of an illegal immigrant problem than we do. So statistics, as they say, can lie. Not that they always do, but we need to consider them properly and not just throw numbers around unqualified as though they prove our point.

With such a divisive issue, tempers are sure to flare, as we have seen. But the US Congress seems poised to pass some sort of health care reform. No doubt it will be quite the conglomeration of compromise and will probably please very few people. After all is said and done, caring for people will continue to be the main thing. How to pay for it is another matter altogether.

Abortion “Rights”

I am going to try and write more blog entries than just my local church newsletter articles! So, here goes… wading into controversial waters!

My abortion position changed when Cyndy and I experienced the first of seven miscarriages. There isn't any way to convince me that when the baby died that it was "only" a piece of organic matter. The loss we felt was real. Yes, we felt the loss of a life full of potential, but we also felt the loss of actual life. One of our children was born alive, only to live for three hours outside the womb. We had Joshua Howard Haworth (7/12/87) baptized so that he would "know" a family and a faith. Our district superintendent, Rev. Don Locher, assured us that we didn't HAVE to have him baptized (United Methodists don't believe that unbaptized babies go to hell!). But it wasn't about that. It was about having our son know, even for a brief moment, that he was loved and that he was a part of our family. Each Christmas we still hang an ornament with Joshua's name on it.

I have performed funeral services for babies that have died in utero and felt the extreme grief of the family. They were not grieving the loss of a mass of flesh, but a member of their family. Think of it. Why perform a funeral for a mass of organic matter? An unborn baby is not a tumor.

Abortions are performed all too often in the world, and all too often simply for the convenience of the mother and/or father. In truly life-threatening situations, I think there should be some grace. But ALL abortions are life and death decisions for the baby.

Don't talk to me about injustice in the world until you are ready to acknowledge that abortion involves one of the greatest injustices of all: the valuing of one strong life (and its preferences) over another weaker one.

As the adoptive father of three, I can say without a smidgen of doubt that adoption is a FAR more compassionate option for most "unwanted pregnancies" than abortion. And since compassion seems to be the value du jour for liberals/progressives, I don't understand their support for abortion "rights."

Financial Crisis and the Church

Friends, I write this with a heavy heart because I know, as your pastor, how this will affect you. Our church is facing a serious financial challenge as we enter the final third of the year. I am calling the entire church to be in prayer about this, seeking guidance from the Lord and wisdom.

At the beginning of the year we passed a budget in our special Church Conference (every member invited to attend and vote) that included a line item called "Faith Income." That line was set at over $35,000 in order to "balance" the budget. Unfortunately, now that we are in August, not very much has been done to address that income line. Only something over $2000 has come in to be applied to that "Faith Income" line.

Our congregational giving is doing pretty well. We stand at 95% of budget in that area, so you are all to be congratulated on that! Even in these tough financial times, your faithfulness in giving is outstanding! But since we have not had a functioning Finance Committee (because no one has stepped up to be the Committee Chairperson), we have not conducted any major fund raisers to try and address the needed additional income. Our expenses have been right on budget. But our income has not. Currently our arrears in income correspond almost exactly to the deficit in that "Faith Income" line item. To put that in black and white, we are behind our budget in income by about $18,500.

Thankfully we have funds on account so that we can keep our bills paid and obligations met. But, obviously, we cannot continue in this direction if we hope to remain solvent. Your Board of Trustees and Church Council are doing what they can to address this issue, but we need more than just these groups working on it. We need all the members of the church family to consider ways to address the problem. If we cannot find a way to "stop the bleeding" we may have to make some serious and deep cuts in the budget next year, possibly even having to cut staff in order to balance our budget. I know that no one wants to do that, but it is a possibility. There is even the possibility that we might have to drop down to a part time pastor if we can't find other ways to balance the budget.

So please hold this issue in prayer. I'm asking all CUMC members and friends to earnestly seek the Lord in this matter. We need His guidance and wisdom. If you hear anything from the Lord, please communicate with Pastor Glen, Church Council Chairperson Mac Brazelton, Lay Leader Frank Cookingham or Trustee President Mike Proffitt. And come to church on September 13^th as we go to our knees together as a congregation in a "Concert of Prayer" on this and other matters.

Thank you for your faithfulness!

Blessings,

Pastor Glen

New Sermon Series: Growing Together

Starting this Sunday, July 19th, I'll be preaching a series of messages called "Growing Together." It is about community, especially as it relates to the Christian life. We form community whenever we are in relationships: Family, Church, Neighborhood, etc. And those relationships are best nurtured when we are accountable to a small, trusted group of people who are companions on our life's journey.

The Wesleys (John and Charles) were very good at calling the early Methodists into small groups to nurture their life of faith. These "classes" were the forerunners to the small groups movement that is exploding today. As a church family, Chino United Methodist Church is intentionally calling its members (both present and future) into small groups for Christian discipleship and caring. This sermon series will highlight the Biblical and social foundations for small groups.

So, come on by any Sunday! You are welcome!

The Summer of Our Discomplacency

I love making up new words! I think it is a form of poetry, but I'm not sure. Discomplacency, according to the Haworth Dictionary, means the opposite of complacency. Complacency means "A feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger, trouble, or controversy." (e-Ref-er-ence, by Houghton Miffin) And so discomplacency means "A feeling of DIScontentment or self-DISsatisfaction…" Yeah, that's about right.

What I mean is, we cannot afford, as a church family, to become complacent! Our sanctuary is rebuilt, we have recovered from "the fire." Now it is time to get down to the business of the church!

It would be very easy for us to sit back now and just coast. After all, we have put a lot of work into rebuilding the sanctuary and all of the other projects. We're tired! We need to rest! But I am here to tell you that to do so will spell the death of our church. I've seen it happen many times: when a church finishes a major building project it just begins to die out. Heaven forbid that happen at Chino!

Now is the time to begin stretching ourselves, reaching out in new and profound ways, getting serious about discipleship and what it means to wear the name "Christian." Now is the time to catch our second (or third or fourth or…) breath, push forward into God's future and BE what God has called us to be.

An important element in the process, as discerned by church leadership, is to form small groups for spiritual formation and Christian discipleship. In a small group, one is able to "get real" about one's walk of faith, seek the support and accountability of other Christians, and learn from others what following Jesus is all about. This fall, you will have the opportunity to join a small group as we study together The Purpose Driven Life by Pastor Rick Warren. A pilot group will be meeting this summer to prepare leaders for small groups across the congregation. Be praying and watching for the invitation to join a small group this fall. My hope, and the hope of the church leaders, is that engaging in "40 Days of Purpose" will inspire and motivate the entire congregation to embrace small groups as an essential (and very Methodist, by the way) element in our life as a church. Will you pray?

Be Blessed!

Pastor Glen

God Shows Up in Prison

Another Epiphany Ministries weekend is complete and 28 more young men at the Stark Youth Correctional Facility in Chino have been blessed with an out-pouring of God's love. And about the same number of Epiphany team members have, too!

It was a wonderful weekend, May 15-17. Jon Burk and I were part of the ministry team that went into Stark YCF for three days, spending all day each day sharing the love of God with young men who had been locked up in prison for, in some cases, several years. And for many of them, this was the first time anyone had shown any real love to them!

We lavished them with food, snacks, small gifts and, most importantly, attention. We listened to their stories. And we shared the Gospel with them. Over the course of the weekend, God melted their hardened hearts and released them for hope and faith.

Not all of them will hold on to their newly enlivened faith; but most will. And their chances for leaving prison and establishing lives of hope and productivity are greatly enhanced. We will visit them monthly as an Epiphany team, sharing some more shacks and goodies and talking about how Jesus can make all the difference in their, and our, lives.

I personally sat and listened as several wards (they are not called prisoners) revealed to me that they intended to walk the "straight and narrow" after they are released, to find a church home, and to reach their goals of finding gainful employment and meaningful relationships. I hope our church will be courageous enough to welcome a former ward into our church family should they show up some Sunday!

If you would like to make an eternal difference in a troubled young man's life, consider getting involved in the next Epiphany weekend in November. Jon or I can set you up with the right people! It really is a significant mission of love.

Be Blessed!

Pastor Glen

Stewards of God’s Creation

We've just had a couple of Sunday's where the stewardship of the earth were themes. On both April 19^th (Festival of God's Creation Sunday) and 26^th (Native American Ministries Sunday) we celebrated Creation and our stewardship of it.

I ran across the following recently.

God is sitting in Heaven when a scientist says to Him, "Lord, we don't need you anymore. Science has finally figured out a way to create life out of nothing.  In other words, we can now do what you did in the 'beginning'.." 

 "Oh, is that so? Tell me..." replies God..

"Well", says the scientist, "we can take dirt and form it into the likeness of you and breathe life into it, thus creating man."

"Well, that's interesting. Show Me. "

So the scientist bends down to the earth and starts to mold the soil. "Oh no, no, no..." interrupts God.  "Get your own dirt!"  

I love this story, because it reveals the profound truth of Creation. God is behind it all! And even if we can "duplicate" some of the processes, when it comes right down to it, God made it all so we are dependent upon God for all.

But that also means that we have to take care of what God has given us. No matter where you stand on the "Global Warming" controversy, it remains that Christians are called by God to care for the earth. Genesis 2:15 says that human beings are placed on this earth to "till it and keep it." We are stewards of God's Creation, and we need to take seriously our responsibility to "till and keep" the earth!

Oh, and God says we can use His dirt!

Be Blessed!

Pastor Glen

Putting Our Faith Into Action

By the time you read this our first "Faith In Action" (FIA) Sunday will be over and we will have participated with four other Chino churches in reaching out to our community with the love of God. And, yes, we canceled our regular Sunday morning worship services! For some, perhaps, it is a sacrilegious thing. But in my mind, it is a demonstrable expression of our faith in Jesus Christ, who is Lord of the Sabbath and Redeemer of the world!

Think about it: Much of the world thinks that church-goers are irrelevant, that we merely sit in our pews and waste time singing old songs and hearing stories from an old Book, not really changing anything at all. Consider what a witness it is for them to see us leave our safe sanctuaries and go out into the world on a Sunday morning to do something selfless for the community! What an opportunity to show that our faith is not simply about sitting and doing nothing, but rather it is about sharing the love of God, who loved the world so much that He sent His only Son from the safe environs of heaven to the earth where He was tortured and killed only to rise again!

I can't think of anything more appropriate to the season of Lent then what we did on March 29^th, Faith In Action Sunday!

I hope you were one of the many participants in FIA Sunday. But if you were not, please talk to those who were. Ask them about their experience. Find out what they learned about themselves and about their sisters and brothers in Christ. Ask them how it felt to gather together with people from many different churches to work and worship. The familiar song, "They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love" talks about "we will walk with each other" and "we will work side by side." The Scripture referred to is John 13:35, where Jesus says, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

And isn't that what we want? For people to know that we are disciples of Jesus?

I thank God that I can be a part of a church that is willing to risk much for the sake of the Gospel! Thank you, Church, for taking risks and being disciples of Jesus Christ!

Be Blessed!

Pastor Glen

Lent: A time for Focusing

 

The liturgical season of Lent (the word originally simply meant Spring) is the forty days (plus six Sundays) preceding Easter during which Christians are encouraged to fast (do without) from certain worldly comforts (traditionally meat) and to focus on the meaning of Jesus' suffering (passion) and death. It is a time of spiritual focusing in preparation for the most significant Holy Day of the year: Easter.

Many choose to fast from certain foods during Lent. Foods such as desserts, coffee, soft drinks or red meat are popular choices. Others choose to fast from television or internet surfing. The idea is to do without something that one enjoys in order to focus on spiritual things. How does doing without red meat (for instance) help us to focus on spiritual things? Simply put, when we deny ourselves an indulgence we feel it either physically or emotionally. And when we are feeling the "hunger" for this indulgence we ordinarily grant ourselves, it can be understood as an offering to God, a sacrifice (in the Old Testament tradition) that we make to show our love and devotion to God.

While fasting from certain things, I always encourage a Lenten discipline of ADDING a spiritual discipline to one's routine. Spending time in prayer every day (if one is not already accustomed to doing so), or adding another spiritual discipline (fasting, Bible reading, serving others, etcetera) will help one to focus on spiritual things. The idea is to so prepare ourselves that Easter Sunday greets us with exceptional joy and relief! Think about how good a slice of pork roast would taste after 40+ days of not eating any meat! When we long for the Lord as much as we long for a hamburger we are approaching the attitude expressed by the psalmist who wrote "As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for You, O God" (Psalm 42:1).

So beginning with Ash Wednesday (Feb. 25) when we are reminded of our mortality (ashes to ashes, dust to dust) and through the 40 days of Lent (plus six Sundays), culminating with Holy Week, I encourage you to fast, pray, focus and grow in your walk with the Lord. It is a holy time. Use it wisely!

Shalom,

Pastor Glen

A New Beginning

 

As I write this, President Barack Obama has just been sworn in to office as the 44^th President of the United States of America. It is an exciting day in the life of our country as another peaceful transition of power unfolds and the Great Experiment continues. It is also an historic day as the first African-American president is inaugurated. I am proud to be an American and hopeful for the future!

 

No matter what your political party or for whom you voted, this is a hopeful time. If for no other reason than the slate is wiped clean and it is a new beginning. No one knows for sure what an Obama presidency will bring forth, and we cannot foretell the future with regards to events that are yet to come, but we can all come together and face our future in unity. Does that mean there will be no disagreements? Hardly. Healthy disagreement is a hallmark of our nation. But we should all rejoice that there are no riots in the streets, no military coup, and no enemy attack to steal our national unity.

 

Having said that, as Christians we must always remember that no political party, no government, no president will usher in the Kingdom of God; Barack Obama is NOT the Messiah! George Bush was NOT the Messiah. Only Jesus Christ is the Messiah, and it is to Him alone we trust our faith and future. We cannot allow any politics to usurp the authority of Jesus Christ in our lives. True, we owe allegiance to our country, but only secondarily to our allegiance to God. We are to "give to Caesar" but we are first to "give to God."

 

So let's embrace hope! Hope is one of the "big three" (faith, hope, and love-1 Cor. 13:13). And let us remember that our hope is in the Lord (Psalm 39:7).

 

Peace,

 

Pastor Glen