“ONE NATION UNDER GOD”

July 1, 2012

©Thomas B. Cundiff

Exodus 20: 1-17

2 Corinthians 3:17   and  Matthew 22: 36-40

Exodus 20: 1-17

The Ten Commandments

Then God spoke all these words:

2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3you shall have no other gods before* me.   4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.  8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9For six days you shall labour and do all your work. 10But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.  12 Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.  13 You shall not murder.  14 You shall not commit adultery.

15 You shall not steal.  16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.  17 You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

II Corinthians 3: 17

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

Matthew 22:  36-40

Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ ³⁷He said to him, ‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” ³⁸This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ⁴⁰On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’

I.  FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND

This week, on Wednesday, we break away from busy schedules for picnics, and patriotic songs and fireworks.   We celebrate our independence with the official mantra only Americans can proclaim:  WE ARE ONE NATION UNDER GOD!  

This phrase, first penned by President Abraham Lincoln says it all:  In every aspect of life we enjoy as free Americans and under the law of love and surrounded by God’s spirit:  WE ARE ONE NATION UNDER GOD! 

Sadly, there are those who want to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance;

Sadly, there are those who want God out of politics;

Sadly, there are some who say they want God out of America.

Sadly, there are also those who feel politics should never be discussed in church. 

As Presbyterians we believe faith is linked intimately to how we live our lives …. all aspects of our lives …. and that include our politics.  This statement from the Study Edition of our Presbyterian Book of Confessions:

“The Claim of God on All of Life:  Reformed confessional tradition follows Calvin in emphasizing the authority of God over every area of human life; over personal and familial relationships, over the organization and government of the Christian community, and over social, economic, and political “secular” communities as well.”[1]

The Ten Commandments and the Great commandment read this morning are a good example of this intersection of law with faith as God penetrates into all aspects of life.  For Presbyterians this wonderful idea and ideal, “One Nation Under God” makes a lot of sense!  This being said, in the context of faith in God through Jesus Christ God’s Son, I hope we also see ourselves as Christians first.  Some may disagree with this, but I truly believe this.  I pray we use our faith in God as Christians to inform how we live as Americans – and not the other way around. 

Let us also remember that while we are ONE NATION UNDER GOD that is predominantly Christian, we also have under the American flag those who are Buddhists, Jainists, Confucists, Taoists, Sikhs, and Hindus and Islamic people, Jewish people – and I am sure I have missed a few religions.  One common theme, however, people of all faiths champion together serving this nation under the American Flag, hand-in-hand and arm-to-arm in head and heart” – ONE PEOPLE OF FAITH AS WELL AS ONE NATION UNDER GOD!

As an example:  Women and men of many different faith-traditions are proud to serve this country in the Armed Services—and they are dying for the freedoms we all enjoy.  In fact, the DOD (Department of Defense) places “high value on the rights of all members of the Armed Forces to observe the tenets of their respective religions.”[2]   A basic principle that makes us unique, globally, as Americans found n the Bill of Rights in the First Amendment to the Constitution ratified effective December 15^th 1791:  “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof…..”[3]  So again we are ONE NATION OF MANY PEOPLE AND MANY FAITHS LIVING TOGETHER UNDER A HIGHER POWER – GOD!

There is a lot to think about when it comes to connecting religious faith with American citizenship – and the Pledge of Allegiance is an example.  There have been efforts in the past to take the words “under God” out of the Pledge of Allegiance.  It was in 2004 the Supreme Court refused to hear the case to remove these words, UNDER GOD, from our pledge.    

It was in 1954 the words “Under God” were placed in the Pledge of Allegiance.  It was A Presbyterian pastor, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, Rev. George M. Docherty that said of the inclusion of the words “Under God” in the pledge, words of which I agree wholeheartedly:   “One nation under God does not limit the United States to one nation under a particular denomination or a particular religion. But it does distinctively set the record straight that we are a nation under God — and a higher rule of law — not a nation in which the state or any man is supreme.”[4] 

Even in our darkest moments as a nation we have been united under a higher power, GOD, bound with the idea of freedom tied intimately to our “unalienable rights” as defined by the Declaration of Independence….for

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all (women and) men are created equal, endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights-that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”[5]

II.  A Broken Nation

All this being said:  While we talk about what it means – with pride – to be American is the sobering fact that so much in this nation seems to be broken!  There are too many people hurting – the unemployed, hungry, disenfranchised from main-steam American life – women and men and children who don’t feel like they can celebrate!

One example found in this statistic I was looking at this past week:  14 million children—American Children—are being served in this nation by the organization FEEDING AMERICA ….. .and 3 million of these children are 5 years old or  under”[6]…. that is 14 million children without the daily calories they need to live healthy lives in this the most affluent nation of the world!  Something is broken!    

There are lots of issues.  There will always be things in our society that are broken and need to be fixed.  There are economic issues, immigration issues, health care issues, budget issues, environmental issues, issues of global security and how we are going to relate with other nations around the globe.  There will always be issues.  There will always be something that needs to be fixed.

This is the week we step back from the issues to affirm again:  We are proud to be Christians and Americans who believe we are ONE NATION UNDER GOD…AND THIS TRUTH: FAITH IN GOD WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL OVER BROKENESS IN THIS NATION – IN THIS WORLD. 

We cannot fail in solving problems with God and God’s love under girding all that we decide to do to make this a better world.  We can wave our flags and proudly shoot our fireworks because we are ONE NATION – UNDER ALL THE BLESSINGS GOD GIVES US!  But we must also do more than celebrate.  We must engage the powers that would keep us from fighting the good fight in standing up for the rights of others….and all that God would have us do in making this a better nation and world in which to live.

III.              TURNING TO SCRIPTURE

While the Declaration of Independence represents the values we espouse from the founders of this nation, it is the sacred writings of Holy Scripture including the “Ten Commandments” and the “Great Summery of Law or Commandment of Love”, that give me a preachable moment in connecting what we value the most.  Today’s scripture in Paul’s writing to the people of Corinth:    

“Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”

Truly, we must affirm that true freedom comes not from earthly powers or principalities – but through the “spirit of our Lord” – GOD! 

Let me talk about this in another way:  Where the Spirit of the Lord is NOT, there will NOT be freedom.  There will be bondage.  There will be conflict.  There will be little consequence to what we do.  There is little or no accountability without GOD!

Where the Spirit of the Lord is NOT we lose our moral compass.  Without God and God’s love and God’s care and God’s compassion, decisions will be made in a helter-skelter way!  Where the Spirit of the Lord is NOT, there is no true way to measure what is good or courageous or moral – freedom dissipates and chaos rules.  We have in our Constitution some remarkable and courageous guidelines to help our leaders govern.  What we have in scripture is God’s remarkable and courageous words that help us all live in love for God….and love for neighbor.

What I am gleaning from scripture today:  Freedom doesn’t come entirely from a Constitution or Bill or Rights or the Declaration of Independence.  Kings and rulers and presidents and congress and courts can’t give us true freedom.  Freedom comes from a higher place – a higher power – GOD who is also known scripturally as  Elohim, Jehovah, Emmanuel, Yahweh -- God who is also known to us through the winds of Holy Spirit that blow all around us without restriction or constraint – because we are all free to capture and use God’s freedom to make this a better world in which to live.      

From the perspective of Christianity and other religions with belief in a higher power…  we can only truly be united and free if we accept living under the rule of God.  And in living as one nation, one people under God there is one single and universal commandment – a higher law than any other law -- a spirit-filled law:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  Matt 22:36-40

Take away God’s Spirit and God’s Love and life looses meaning and purpose -- and freedom fades away.    

For my last thought this morning…..we say we believe GOD IS LOVE.  When we use the endearing word GOD we can also substitute the endearing word LOVE to defining how God rules in life.  So consider this:   WE ARE ONE NATION UNDER GOD!   WE ARE ONE NATION UNDER LOVE! 

The logic in this makes sense for me – the summary of all the laws and all the commandments including the ten commandments:  LOVE.    For the Christian, the freedom we enjoy and experience as Americans is empty and purposeless without God and God’s love.  

IV.            CONCLUSION

So as responsible citizens who focus on the higher power named God – God is our supreme leader and commander-in-chief – and God never loses elections.  God is part of everything we do as a nation.

So let’s work at making sure we wrestle with what it means to be free as a nation – under God – working together to solve the problems, and heal the brokenness that exists using all the resources and tools God gives us – the most powerful of all tools:  LOVE.

So take this affirmation home with you:   Where there is freedom, we also find the presence and power of God and God’s love.

AMEN
                                                                                                                  

---

[1]   Book of Confessions, Study Edition, pg. 358

[2]  DOD Web page, policies.

[3]  The Constitution, Amendment #1  (First ten Amendments are the ‘Bill of Rights’)

[4]   Wikopedia article on Rev. George M. Docherty

[5]   The Declaration of Independence, adopted in Philadelphia on July 4^th, 1776, some minor editing for this sermon.

[6]  Hunger Fact sheet, feedingamerica.org, 2012

“Song of Peace”

June 24, 2012

Thomas B. Cundiff

John 14: 27

²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

I.

Presbyterians have long been called “stiff” or the “frozen chosen” mostly because our culture within the Presbyterian church has taught us to be still and quiet when sitting in church listening intently to God’s Word.  This is what I imagine worship to be like back in the 16^th century Geneva when John Calvin was preaching.  

A good example in our ‘thawing out’ as God’s ‘frozen chosen’ is found when we pass the peace.  When I first came to this church we didn’t pass the peace on a regular basis.  The session had major concerns about our taking time, breaking up the flow of worship.  To meet and greet each other in the middle of the service didn’t seem right…..but we learned over time ……  

Passing the Peace….

…. is not just a formal time of greeting.  There is a spiritual component to passing the peace…because we are doing this during worship and it is Christ’s Peace we are passing.

Passing the Peace….

….  is an affirmation that Christ stands with us -- in and between us as we worship – and beyond worship as we live our lives.   

Through the Passing the Peace ….

…. We affirm Christ in our midst  helping us prepare for the hearing and responding to God’s Word.  Truly, the smiles and warm gestures are genuine reflections of how much we appreciate God’s standing with us in our beloved church.

The “Song of Peace” we sang as a hymn focused attention on national, global peace issues.  God only knows we are concerned about what is happening around the globe.  As a nation, we’re always involved in trying to bring peace to one corner of the globe or another…..

Through this sermon I want to back up a bit with the affirmation:  Peace starts at home – within our own hearts and in our personal lives.  WE can’t solve the problems of the world unless we know in our persona lives – personal peace.

We are also concerned about peace in the community…..so these are the two themes I will address this morning….first, our quest for personal peace:

II.  Personal Peace

This rhetorical question:  Have you ever been stressed?  Do things in your life  get stirred up?  Have you ever felt anxious about the way things are going or not going?   Do even the smallest things bug you?   Do you have sleepless nights?

Like this past Monday when I heard from my daughter that she was  in the Emergency Room….out in California a long night over the span of a lot of miles….and a lot of hours…... 

Emily’s okay.  She is working through some pain issues from her back surgerie – at least we hope and pray nothing major is going on! 

Lots of things ‘stir within the pot of human emotions’ – it’s part of life!  

And the truth?  I know a lot of you on a personal level are dealing with ‘so much more’ in your lives than the occasional night in losing sleep….in many cases, layer upon layer upon layer of issues and frustrations and questions and pain and more questions and anxiety and stress – one problem is solved and two or three new ones emerge…..when does it end?  Where is God’s peace?  In many cases peace is as hard to imagine as to obtain! 

I was recently visiting with a woman with facing major health challenges—frustrated that she can’t seem to get straight answers from her doctor.  It’s even hard for her to get an appointment.  Why all the tests?  Why all the waiting?  And on top of everything else with her health, insurance issues ……a frustrating & hopeless sense that all these people who are supposed to be helping her have abandoned her!  At least she has never felt that God ahs abandoned her.  Nonetheless, it doesn’t take much to lose a sense of peace when things around us are so chaotic.

Layer upon layer of issues and concerns bring us to this one place on Sunday morning in searching for God’s peace.  10:00 a.m. Worship.  We are always here!

It’s to be expected that some things will cause anxiety -- surgeries, chemo or radiation treatments, physical therapy, moving, weddings, funerals, more tests --  a long list of things that I have been hearing about in the span of just one week …. from you folks …. all types of things causing stress.

And here we are searching for God’s peace.  10:00 a.m. Worship.  We are always here…together….searching for and finding God’s peace.

My call as a preacher:  in what ways can we as Christ’s church come together for worship searching for God’s peace….peace that not comes from the world of stresses but from God….peace that comes in having Christ walk with us through the ups and downs we experience in our lives? 

The song of peace we long for and need to sing that comes from scripture:  “Do not let your hearts be troubled, do not let them be afraid.”  God is with us.  Christ is with us!  The wind of God’s spirit all around us is singing “peace” -- always blowing in our midst in this sacred place.  Peace.

Perhaps some tips would help as we search for God’s peace:

Something that has been growing/evolving in my ministry over the years is this affirmation:   With God is by our side and in our lives, we can get through anything!  And where do we find God?  This tip:  Pick up the phone and call a trusted friend.  Share your struggles with trusted friends.  Let your friends support you.  Let me, as your pastor, support you.

Another tip:  Turn off the television and the computer.  Eliminate outside distractions.  Find a quiet place to be by yourself.  Block of some time to give yourself a personal gift of time with your thoughts – and God.  It’s not selfish to ask for time for yourself and God.

To be perfectly honest, there is one place you can always go to find some privacy…..at least I hope it is a place free from distractions – the bathroom.  Some other places:  when you are doing your gardening.  A lot of people find this personal space….personal time for reflection when sewing, or running or boating, golfing….this is time for reflection as well.  

The key to success in finding personal time with God is to be INTENTIONAL in saying to yourself…..THIS TIME IS FOR ME!

I am not as consistent with this as I would like, but I really like to start my day, INTENTIONALLY, often with the question:  God, what do you want me to accomplish today?  What can I do to be a better person, to have a positive impact in the life of someone else, and at the same time experience God’s peace.  I find that if I don’t ask these questions early in the day, I can often get distracted and lost in busywork that really doesn’t help anyone at all!

Another tip:  A phrase I read somewhere this past week that resonated with me and fits with this theme “Song of Peace” – the idea of starting each day trying to HARMONIZE YOUR LIFE with what God wants you to be doing.  This is a good tip for the musicians in our midst.  Regardless what we go through in any given day, try to make sure everything is done in harmony with what God wants us to be doing.  In my mind, how could we go wrong…at least trying to live our lives in harmony with God!!!

The best place to share your joys and struggles with God is right here….in this sacred place – in worship.  This is the place where we can come to know that, together, God’s peace can be found.  We need to always make sure within this church is a sacred sanctuary where we can share anything.  This is also that sacred space where you will always be greeted with open hands and outstretched arms – loved and accepted regardless who you are or what is going on in your life.

To be honest:  We will still fret over things.   Things will always be things in this world stirring things up in our lives pulling us away from God’s peace.  The important thing I can share with you – preaching today – is again this point worth repeating:  God can help us get through anything.  We always do! 

God is by our side Christ will always be ready to sing with us, in harmony, a “Song of Peace.”

III.  Community Peace

I want to take just a couple of minutes to talk about peace we long for in this community.  All the violence in homes and streets throughout this city are troublesome for all of us.  The Mayor has called this a CANCER that needs to be removed from our city.  As a church that teaches peace, there is important work we can be doing – work we ARE doing in using this building and our resources in this location within the city. 

We think of issues in our personal lives piling up causing us stress.  I can’t imagine what is going through the minds in the hearts of mother’s and father’s and aunts and uncles and grandparents whose sons and daughters are being bullied, injured – even shot – entire neighborhoods that have to witness this type of violence in different parts of this city – and we all experience the pain, the lack of peace….   

Thank God we are Christ’s church in this neighborhood at least TRYING to do something to help the children in this community.   There is so much more going on through this church than what we experience on Sunday mornings….thank God!

YOUTH CENTER:

I had a long talk with Yvonne Thomas, the director of the Mark Neumeier Youth Center…..their summer day camp for children opened this past week and will remain open 9-4 weekdays until August.  We are so lucky to have this youth center in our church with devoted leaders and structured programming helping children learn what it means to live in peace….  The program isn’t perfect!   At least, in our own small way, we are – intentionally – doing something for the children in our community!

WOMEN OF COLORS

Women of Color’s is another group of volunteers who provide positive mentoring for girls and boys….helping children live their lives in harmony with those values that can exemplify what it means to live in peace….with peace in our lives, our homes, -- and with God.   

SUMMER MAGIC

Being role models for appropriate behavior and PEACE is one of the major values we teach in hosting Summer Magic – Tuesday mornings in July.   Through our actions, doing things together in the context of a positive environment – these efforts combined with efforts of others throughout this city have a positive impact on what is happening in our city. 

Honestly, I have to believe that the hundreds of children who participate in some of these programs capture some life-skills that will not only help them be safe – but a domino effect can begin as peace moves from one youngster to another …then one household to another household…sweeping through our community.  

Granted these are really small steps in working for peace in the community, but I have to believe every small step can make a difference I someone’s life.  We are making a difference as a church in the lives of others.   That’s why we are here, in his neighborhood in this time and place….searching for ways to use this magnificent building God has given us – to impact not just our personal lives on Sunday mornings….but the lives of others in this community throughtou the week.   

IV. 

In our personal lives, we long to sing a ‘Song of Peace’….in harmony with all God teaches and preaches.  We long for….we search for peace in our personal lives.  As a church, we also long to sing a “Song of Peace” in this community….a song of peace  that replaces violence, harsh words – tensions on our streets – with love and hope and peace.

I want to end with scripture we started with…..in personal time with God think about what scripture says – sacred words of Jesus:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid”

May we learn to sing of God’s peace in our personal lives.  May we, as a church, continue to sing God’s song of peace in the community.  

May the Peace of Christ be with you.  And your response:  And also with you.

AMEN                                                     

SPEECH FROM SAGINAW MAYOR BRANCH

CITY COUNCIL MEETING

June 11, 2012
(Copied with the Mayor's Permission) 

Last Thursday morning, 12-year-old Tamaris Steward Jr. was on a sleepover at his

grandfather’s house after his last day of the sixth grade. He was shot and killed when the house he

was in was sprayed with bullets. Two days earlier, four-year-old Miyona Alexander was injured

when she was caught in the crossfire of a gunfight.

 

I want to be very clear about the feelings I expressed to the Saginaw News last week, which

many people misunderstood.

 

This city is home to 51,000 people and 12,000 families. The overwhelming majority of those

people are good, decent people. Most of those families are caring, supportive environments that

turn good kids into good adults.

 

But there is a small percentage of people here who are not good, decent people. There is a

small percentage of families who do not provide caring, supportive environments … or even

anything you could call a “family.”

It’s like a small group of cells that goes wrong inside your body. It’s a cancer.

It’s a particularly aggressive and metastatic form of cancer. And when you have that kind of

cancer, it needs a combination of treatments.

 

Law enforcement is the surgical treatment. We find the tumor and we take it out. And a

punk with a gun, an attitude and no conscience is a tumor. We will find the guys who did this, and

they will be surgically removed from our community — albeit not in the way many would like them

to be. Mr. Ludos will give us an update on the status of the investigation and what we’re doing to

bolster our ability to do surgery.

But here’s the thing. We can take out this tumor. But there are hundreds of cancer cells

floating loose through this community … and hundreds of others that have the potential to be … if

only the wrong switch gets thrown inside them.

They are children who have been raised in homes with unprepared or apathetic parents, or

by parents who have never known anything other than a life of poverty, substance abuse and crime.

They are children who have been led to believe that academic achievement, manners and empathy

are a betrayal of a culture. They are children who have not been taught the difference between

right and wrong, good and bad, often because they’ve lacked the positive role models to teach it.

We could have 100 police officers, 200 police officers, a thousand police officers … and

they can’t keep that wrong switch from being thrown. They can only cut out a cancer once it’s fully

grown … and, usually, once it’s done its damage.

We’re doing everything we can to keep our law enforcement presence at the highest

possible level we can afford, to keep putting bad guys away and keep the overall downward trend in

violent crime we’ve had for five years. But we need the other treatments — the chemotherapy and

radiation therapy, the preventive care — that keeps those switches from being thrown, that keeps

those little cells from turning into cancer, that keeps children from growing into punks with guns,

attitudes and no conscience.

And that’s where we all need to channel our anger, our frustration and our energy. The city

does what it can, through the small human services allocations we make from the community

development block grant. As individuals, as families, as neighborhood associations, as congregations,

we can do so much more.

 

We need to support organizations like the Youth Protection Council, which helps at-risk

youth learn how to set life goals, manage anger and avoid substance abuse … which helps pregnant

teens learn how to become good parents. Or Women of Colors, which assigns mentors to young

girls to help them set life goals, aim higher, and avoid the traps of teen pregnancy and drop-out. Or

Big Brothers/Big Sisters, which helps expose single-parent children to positive, caring role models

they might not otherwise have. Or Operation Reach, which puts on after-school programming to

help keep young people off the path to unemployment, underachievement and crime.

There are dozens of organization in this community who are doing incredible work to help

stop this cancer from growing or spreading. But they can’t do enough of it, unless we help them.

Volunteer. Donate. We all need to do what we can to help these organizations reach more

kids. Yes, we need parents to step up and be parents. But we know that not everyone will — or

can. And that’s why we need to catch the children whose parents won’t step up before it’s too late.

We need to aim for a day when every child born in Saginaw gets the support, positive

reinforcement and love they need to keep from becoming cancerous … whether they get it from

their parents or not.

 

We also need to channel our anger, our frustration and our energy on the enablers. They

are the people who see, but won’t speak up. They are the people who know, but won’t come

forward. They are the people who suspect, but are in a state of denial. They are the people who

look the other way when they should be looking in the mirror. They are the people whose

misplaced loyalty to one person can destroy the lives of hundreds.

If I had the slightest suspicion that my nephew, my brother, even my son shot up a house

with an AK-47 and killed a 12-year-old, I would kick his ass and then drag what was left of it to the

police. Blood might be thicker than water. But my family’s blood isn’t any thicker, or any more

valuable, than Tamaris Steward’s. And when we lose a Tamaris Steward, we lose a family, we lose a

future, we lose everything.

 

I offer my deepest condolences to Tamaris’ family. I am committed to making sure the

person responsible is brought to something close to justice. And I am, as are my colleagues here,

committed to doing all we can to attack this cancer on every front. But we can’t do it without your

help.

Saginaw mayor reacts to recent shootings of children: 'We can't arrest our way out of this'

Published: Friday, June 08, 2012, 8:00 AM

By Emily Pfund | epfund@mlive.comThe Saginaw News
Follow

Mayor Greg Branch

SAGINAW, MI — Saginaw Mayor Greg Branch said the shootings of 4-year-old Miyona Alexander on Monday and 12-year-old Tamaris “T.J.” Steward Jr. early Thursday morning are indicative of deeper problems within the community.
“We’re still trying to get a handle on what the problem is,” Branch said. “I do think that we’ve got some very, very deep social issues that are driving this as much as anything.”
Branch said that while overall crime rates have been decreasing nationwide and in the city of Saginaw, there has been an increase in gang-related violence.
“What appears to be going on [in Saginaw], well, I guess it’s some kind of gang war,” he said.
To fix the problem, Branch says there needs to be a culture change.
“The only thing that is going to get us out of this is a change in the culture of the city of Saginaw,” he said. “That means that we can no longer enable violent crime or gangster behavior. We can’t shield people we may know who are doing things like this or even contemplating doing things like this. We’ve got to put the safety of the community above the code of the street.”
Increased police presence alone will not solve the problem, and “we can’t arrest our way out of this,” Branch said.
“We can catch these guys [responsible for this week’s shootings] and put these guys away, but we can’t arrest our way out of this,” he said. “We’re adding more criminals as fast as we put them away.
“Until the people who live here are willing to be citizens and parents and mentors, all the police in the world isn’t going to fix the problem,” he said.
In the meantime, the recent gun violence involving children “certainly gives the impression that the city is not safe for anyone,” he said.
“As a resident of the city and a father of young children, it hits very close to me,” he said. “My heart goes out to the families involved. I’m outraged and disgusted by it.”

“To Be Well!”

June 10, 2012

©Thomas B. Cundiff

Mark 1: 29-34

29As soon as they^* left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. ³⁰Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. ³¹He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. ³³And the whole city was gathered around the door. ³⁴And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

II Corinthians 1: 3-7

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, ⁴who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. ⁵For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. ⁶If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. ⁷Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation.

I.

The Gospel of Mark.  You may wish to open your pew bibles as we walk through the opening verses of this book.

Biblical scholar Eugene H. Peterson has said of the gospel:  “Mark wastes no time in getting down to business – a single-sentence-introduction, and not a digression to be found from beginning to end.”[1]

Verse 1:  The beginning of the good news (or gospel) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

Mark doesn’t describe Jesus’ birth.  Nothing is said about Jesus’ childhood.  Mark gets immediately to the core message:  Jesus is the Son of God!  And yes, this is GREAT NEWS!

Verses 2 thru 8:  “As it is written by the prophet Isaiah, …“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way;  the voice of one crying out in the wilderness ‘Prepare the Way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”   

At this point we are learning more about John the Baptist than Jesus…and this is important because John is proclaiming baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins – a concept that existed before Jesus arrived on the scene! 

By verse  9 Jesus is baptized.  And boy does time fly! 

 

By verse 12 Jesus is in the wilderness being tempted by Satan for forty days and forty nights.

 

By verse 16 Jesus is calling his first disciples, Simon and Andrew, James and John.

By verse 21 Jesus, this “Holy Man of God” is engaged in an active ministry of preaching and teaching and healing those with various physical and spiritual ailments. 

This is a lot of information for one short chapter, 21 verses, less than 1000 words – just half of what I put in an average sermon! 

By verse 29, our scripture lesson for this morning, we get in to a subject that Jesus is a great healer.  Jesus enters the home of his newly called disciples Simon and his brother Andrew.  Simon’s mother-in-law is in bed with a fever.  Jesus takes her by the hand, lifts her up, and the fever goes away. 

By verse 32 word gets out and many who are sick or possessed with demons show up.   It appears that almost the whole community gathers around the door of this house to learn more about this man named Jesus. 

By verse 34 Jesus is busy curing diseases and casting out demons.

We know Jesus is a good preacher and teacher.  But what stands out in our scripture today, early in this gospel of Mark – Jesus is healing the common everyday ailments of the people – touching them and acting on their behalf to make them WELL.  It is important to note that words for Jesus are one thing.  Actions are his specialty – touching people and making them WELL!    

II.  To Be Well

TO BE WELL.  Who doesn’t long for good health, to feel good, and to be well?

As I struggle with personal health issues, this has become one of the most important themes in my ministry.  On a daily basis in my conversations with you, this is the number one issue!  What does it mean to be happy, healthy, well – as individuals, as families, as a community and church and world.  This a basic human longing – to be healthy and whole and well.

It was roughly 25 years ago at an urban ministry conference in Chicago that I  first heard one of the great preachers who would become for me a role model in doing ministry.  The Reverend Doctor James Forbes is the former pastor of the large ecumenical Riverside Church in New York City. 

James Forbes is known globally as a modern day prophet who speaks softly and succinctly to issues that relate to our personal health, relational health, and the health of our communities, cities and nation.[2]

Dr. Forbes preaches passionately about a vision of WELLNESS that touches all aspects of life – connecting the gospel of Jesus Christ with all of our needs.  This is one of those themes that runs through the entire bible – what it means to reach the “promosed land of wellness”!  For a few minutes I want to speak briefly about three levels of wellness:

III.              Personal Wellness

First is personal wellness.  With God’s help, how do we take care of ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually. 

We always seem to be asking:  “How are you?”  “How do you feel?”   “How are things going?”  We ask these questions often receiving the affirmation:  “I am doing well!”  But how are we really doing? 

In reality, I find myself pastorally listening to you as we all struggle with a host of health issues.  I have my own fair share of health issues.  A significant part of ministry is dealing with health issues – physical and spiritual health issues.

There are a host of topics and issues and concerns that come up…..many that transcend our physical concerns.  Some of these health issues:  When someone loses a job;  finds out a loved one is getting a divorce; learns that a son or daughter is gay.  Perhaps there is an issue with the legal system.  A large number of health issues revolve around the devastating impact the economy has had on our personal lives.  All of these issues are connected with our desire to be healthy and well! 

Consider for a moment  this list of what are called THE SECOND TEN COMMANDMENTS[3] written by a cardiologist, the late Dr. Stephen R. Yarnall who died just a few months ago.  The first four commandments refer to that word we all love – EXERCISE: 

     

1.    Thou shalt exercise thy body

2.    Thou shalt exercise thy mind

3.    Thou shalt exercise thy spirit

4.    Thou shalt exercise thy willpower – perhaps one of the toughtest exercises of them all!

The rest of these commandments get to some key issues in achieving wellness in our lives: 

5.    Thou shalt have a happy heart – the search for joy in life!

6.    Thou shalt play

7.    Thou shalt sensibly eat, drink and be merry

8.    Thou shalt give up guilt, regret and depression

9.    Thou shalt not fear the future

10.Thou shalt LIVE now

BALANCE and SENSIBILTY are two key words when it comes to reading through this list.  What do we need to do sensibly and with balance in order to be HEALTHY AND WELL?    

To add a spiritual dimension to this discussion on personal health and wellness.   – Paul says to the Corinth community – it is God…..

“…⁴who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console others  who are afflicted with the consolation with which we ourselves have been consoled by God.”

My eleventh commandment:  THOU SHALT CONSOLE THOSE WHO ARE AFFLICTED –JUST AS GOD CONSOLS US WHEN WE ARE AFFLICTED….

There are many ways we can console those who are hurting.  We have our prayer lists.  We write notes and make phone calls.  We come together in worship and fellowship activities – and we know we are not alone when it comes to issued we face in our lives.

One of the most important things we can do as a church is create a welcoming environment where all can come and worship and share what is going on….where we can trust those around us with some of our personal issues – thus opening all kinds of doors so we can be in ministry one to another all in the name of Jesus, the Son of God – Jesus who is the source of stability and health and wellness in our personal lives.

IV.             Health in our cities

Second, beyond personal health, we are also concerned about the health and well being of our metropolitan community.  There are challenges all around us.  On the top of my list of ailments:

Escalating violence, stabbings and shootings.  An innocent four year old shot in the arm;  a twelve year old boy shot in his home because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time!   Stabbings outside a Madison St. bar in Bay City.  A murder trail in Midland.   Issues with the use of drugs in communities all around us…..hard, tough issues!

People are hurting.  There are a host of social ailments related to the economy, the foreclosure on homes, bankruptcy, challenges in getting loans.  Unemployment in our community and high cost of medical care are issues that impact all of us directly and indirectly.   While a lot of good things are happening in our community, there is also a lot of stress in the lives of lots of people.  Just look at the problems we are having in funding police and fire departments?  These challenges all escalate and impact other major issues like hunger, homelessness, decline of neighborhoods – and crime. 

There is a longing for health and stability and wellness on a community level.  And the church is called in the name of the living Christ to “console the afflicted”.   How do we do this?   We do this because we are here!  We do what we can with the resources God has entrusted our care! 

V.               The Church

So what about our health as a church?  The church is not immune of issues that create congregational ill-health.  I am hearing about stories almost every day about congregations in conflict, congregations that are split over what to do with scare resources; theological and doctrinal issues are literally splitting congregations.  I am so proud that our desire to be a healthy congregation transcends the many issues that could divide us.   

We have our fair share of issues:  Loss of members;  care for this large building;  projections of a tighter and tighter stream of income that’s going to make it difficult to build anything new into our church budget.  At the same time, with the meeting we had after church just last Sunday, almost every comment  was positive, driven by faith we have in God, the love we have for this church, and our desire to be doing Christ’s work in this community in the context of where we are in this place and at this time in our history with the resources God has entrusted our care.

This was a good meeting as a large number of you affirming that “FAITH IN GOD” will take care of us and make KEEP US WELL.  In this meeting, and in worship each week, there is a sense of “family” that transcends the hard issues before us.   What keeps us going?  What makes us well?  Faith in Jesus with the affirmation God is always with us!  The most important thing we do to BE WELL as a church – worship!  Coming together each week to reaffirm that we are Christ’s church – and God loves us all.

VI.  NATION AND WORLD

I would like to go on to discuss the health of our nation in the context of the global issues that influence our health each and every day.  What is the churches role in addressing some of the huge, global issues our nation faces?  A topic to be addressed at another time. 

The bottom line for me today comes from the gospel of Mark.  Jesus was a teacher.  He was a preacher.  Jesus was also a healer.  He didn’t just talk the talk but he walked the walk in touching the lives of people around him.   Jesus didn’t just deal with just the visible physical ailments of people, but also the  deeper spiritual issues that were keeping people from fully experiencing the love of God. 

VII.   CONCLUSION

So what does God call from us today?  We are called to affirm Jesus is our Lord.  Jesus is our savior.  Jesus is the embodiment of all God wants for us in our lives….health and security;  stability and wellbeing of us all. 

Take a look into your own personal lives to find those things that keep you well….feeling good.   I believe it is fair to say it feels good to be Christ’s church.  Specifically, it feels good to be the Warren Avenue Presbyterian Church.  Jesus is the great healer who teaches us how to console others when they are down.  God in turn consoles us and lets us know in numerous ways we are loved.

Let’s continue to set our eyes as a church on things we can be doing in the name of the living Christ to help curb the violence -- building up programs that will help others in the community.  Let’s continue to find ways to reach out to others with the love of God we experience each week in our worship.

And finally, may we today be COMMISSIONED BY CHRIST to continue his ministry of wellness…..in our personal lives, with our families, in our communities, and in our city, nation and world.

May God continue to encourage and console us -- and make us well.

AMEN

---

[1]   The Message, pg. 64

[2]   SCUPE – Seminary Consortium of Urban Pastoral Education.  Events held in Chicago every other year. 

[3]   A brochure on health prepared by the Marketing and Distribution of “The Hope Institute”;  International Awareness Center, Inc., Kalamazoo, MI.