Author: Bruce Ray

Be the Church…

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

…even when church is cancelled.

With all that is happening in the world, it is more important than ever that we “be the church.”  Though we have shifted our worship to an online format and our face-to-face encounters are restricted, we have the opportunity (and we must make the opportunity) to love our neighbors in creative ways. Here are some suggestions.

  1. Make sure “social distance” doesn’t become “social disconnection” that results in “social isolation.” Distance is appropriate. Avoiding large crowds is essential to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  However, we need to guard against isolation. Senior citizens and other at-risk groups already face the challenge of isolation. If we are going to “love these neighbors”, we need to be intentional about reaching out to those who are most vulnerable and supporting them.  Many do not have online access or social media presence.  If you know someone in a high-risk group, One of the best things you can do is reach out to them by phone.  It’s personal and they need to know you care. Ask if you can read a verse of Scripture and pray with them. See if they need assistance picking up groceries or medication.  And if its good for high-risk individuals, it’s good for everyone. Reach out. Period.
  2. Share, not Shop. Yes, we all feel out of control and people shop to regain a sense of normalcy. But hoarding toilet paper IS NOT NORMAL. Really, no family I know need 2 cases of TP in the next 3 weeks!  Instead, you can feel the same sense of control by SHARING!  Sharing communicates that we are in this together and we will get through this together.  It builds community without competing for resources.
  3. Refuse to feed the Panic Beast “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” I’m not suggesting that we deny the existence of the problem, but let’s post data and messages that help, not the hype that harms. Please don’t share conspiracy theories or unverified news hype online (or off-line). It only increases the anxiety and mental stress that more and more people are feeling. Adding to people’s mental stress is not love—it is cruelty.
  4. Pray No, this is not a pat answer. Prayer is a fundamental spiritual practice. It affirms our faith in a God who is active and engaged in the world and welcomes God’s intervention and help. It also reinforces a self-understanding that we are limited and are in need of God’s help. So, come before God through Jesus to intercede on behalf of the world God loves.
  5. Feel free to add your creative ideas to Be the Church!

Breaking the Chains of Injustice – Part 2

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Rev. Bruce Ray, Lead Pastor

Fifty-five years ago, on March 7, 1965, a crowd of about 600 people crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, beginning their 54-mile march to the Alabama state capital in Montgomery to demand the right to vote. As they came to the other side of the bridge, the crowd came face to face with a wall of Alabama state troopers in riot gear and gas masks that had been ordered to Selma by Governor George Wallace to stop the march.  Using a bullhorn, Major John Cloud told the marchers to return to their homes or their churches. He declared that the march was an unlawful assembly. The marchers stood their ground. Tensions mounted.  Again the Major demanded that the crowd disperse, but the marchers remained steadfast.  Finally, the police took action—pushing the marchers back and then chasing them on horseback, beating them with nightsticks. Dozens of marchers were injured. The day became known as “Bloody Sunday.”

The entire attack was filmed by a crew from ABC News. The footage was shown that night, interrupting the premier broadcast of the movie, “Judgment at Nuremburg.” Fifty million people watched in shock as armed police attacked unarmed citizens. It was a turning point in the struggle for voting rights.

I was 7 years old. It was a turning point in my understanding of injustice.  The political powers that make unjust laws use their agents to enforce those laws. State-instituted oppression will always be followed by state-supported harassment of those who are oppressed and will ultimately lead to state-sanctioned violence against those who protest their oppression.

Selma was not a new thing. The use of police, National Guard and armies to harass, intimidate and control has been a tactic of the powerful for thousands of years. Jesus became the innocent victim of state-sanctioned violence. He was arrested by the temple police in the middle of the night, illegally tried by a Jewish court, convicted on the basis of false testimony, sentenced by the Roman governor and then tortured by Roman soldiers. And then, he was crucified—executed by the Roman state.

Unfortunately, Selma wasn’t the end of police brutality. Even in this country, fifty-five years after Selma, we still see the agents of our own government misuse and abuse their power. Every year in the United States, law enforcement officers kill over 1000 people—mostly people of color. In a country that says that a person is innocent until proven guilty, police have acted as judge, jury and executioner with impunity. Chicago has an especially long history of police misconduct and violence. Fifty years ago, Black Panther leader, Fred Hampton, was assassinated in his sleep by the Chicago Police Department with the support of the FBI. Mayor Richard J. Daley famously told the National Guard to “shoot to kill” protesters following the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And in the last 10 years, we have more stories of needless deaths at the hands of Chicago law enforcement acting as judge, jury and executioner: Rekia Boyd, Laquan McDonald, Quintonio LeGrier, Bette Jones and so many more.

Chicago’s Police Department was so bad that the US Department of Justice began an investigation of the in 2015. Two years later, the Department of Justice released its report. It found “reasonable cause to believe that the Chicago Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of using force, including deadly force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.” which prohibits unreasonable seizure. The department found that CPD officers’ practices “unnecessarily endanger themselves and result in unnecessary and avoidable uses of force. The pattern or practice results from systemic deficiencies in training and accountability, including the failure to train officers in de-escalation and the failure to conduct meaningful investigations of uses of force.” (to read the entire report, go to: https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/925846/download)

The report generated a lot of talk, but little change. The chains of injustice don’t break easily. Though the police department promised to implement changes, we watched video last week of two Chicago police officers shooting and critically wounding a man whose crime was crossing between subway cars. And the reality of a police-state was evident in February when the Department of Homeland Security announced that ICE agents would be sent to Chicago and other sanctuary cities. This week, there were reports of ICE agents detaining shoppers in our community.

This is not about individual law enforcement officers, but about systems of racist policing that targets poor communities of color and immigrants that ignore the constitutional rights of due process and the God-ordained basic human rights given to everyone.

Are we doomed to these systems of unjust law enforcement? Are we hopeless in the face of injustice? The answer is a resounding NO! When Daniel faced the lions, God intervened and set Daniel free. When Jesus was crucified by the Roman empire, God intervened and raised Jesus from the dead. The Sundays of Lent are called “little Easters”—a reminder that though the world is a broken place, God has a plan to heal the world and break the chains of injustice.

And even in Chicago, I hear some chains falling. On Tuesday, March 10, the city’s Committee on Public Safety Committee will vote on the GAPA ordinance that was developed by the Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability after a two-year community-driven process. The ordinance will create the “Community Commission for Public Safety and Police Accountability.” When passed, Chicago will have the only civilian police accountability oversight commission in the US. This is the kind of systemic change that breaks the chains of injustice in the criminal justice system. This will prevent police brutality and improve public safety.

When passed by committee, the full city council will vote on the ordinance on Wednesday, March 18. Community Renewal Society has led this effort, and we will be with them at City Hall on March 18 to celebrate the victory.

Even with this victory on the horizon, the work of breaking the chains of justice is not over. There is more and more evidence that we live in an oppressive police state—from the increased use of facial recognition software by police departments to cameras at every corner to the SWAT teams on CTA platforms to ICE agents.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” The work of sowing justice is hard. The wait for justice is often long. But we know that God will give us the harvest.

So now, in hope and faith, we sing with the saints of Selma, “We shall overcome! We shall overcome! We shall overcome someday! O deep in my heart, I do believe that we shall overcome someday.”

END

 

“Breaking the Chains of Injustice -Part 1

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

Sermon Delivered on Sunday, March 1, 2020 (Adapted for print)

Throughout the six weeks of Lent 2020, we are considering the implications the kind of fast that God chooses—a fast that breaks the chains of injustice within our criminal justice system. When we think about the injustices within our criminal justice system, we often think about the injustices that can happen after a person is arrested for committing a crime: coerced confessions (by torture), money bond and pre-trial detention, innocent people being encouraged to take plea deals, wrongful convictions, mandatory minimum sentences and “three-strikes” laws, the use of solitary confinement (which is considered a form of torture by the United Nations), and the re-instatement of the death penalty. THAT’S A LOT OF INJUSTICE! But an unjust justice system does not begin with arrest, but with unjust laws and policies.

A Story of Oppression and Unjust Laws
Today, we read the story of an unjust and oppressive policy that was put into place by Pharaoh when he and the Egyptian people were deeply concerned about the growth rate of Israelites and the potential impact on Egyptian national security. Pharaoh’s solution was a new public policy: kill all the boy babies at birth.  (See Exodus 1:8-22).  Now, we would all consider that public policy oppressive and unjust, and say, “That ain’t right!” But that’s what Pharaoh ordered.

Pharaoh brought in two Hebrew midwives to implement the policy, but Shiphrah and Puah refused to carry out the policy. They understood that the law was unjust and immoral. So, when Pharaoh questioned why they were not carrying out his order, they lied. And God blessed them. Shiphrah and Puah are heroes—women who refused to cooperate with an unjust system and disobeyed an unjust law.

When Pharaoh could not get the cooperation of the midwives, he did something that is deeply disturbing—he went to his base, the Egyptian people—and ordered them to implement the infanticide policy, putting all Israelite women and baby boys at risk of state-sanctioned Egyptian vigilante-ism. There are no statistics on how many woman and children were killed under this policy, but the context would suggest that the threat of death was real–so real that Moses’ parents went to great lengths to protect him.

From an Egyptian point of view, this policy was justified. It was in the national interest. But we must remember that from God’s perspective, legal is not the same as moral and legal is not the same as right.

Two kinds of Laws
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King ,Jr wrote in “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” One may well ask: “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?” The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that “an unjust law is no law at all.”

Unjust laws don’t just show up. They are enacted and implemented out of fear and a need to control others. For five hundred years in this country expanded the institution of slavery for the building of an economy. After the abolition of slavery and the end of Reconstruction, southern states immediately began passing laws known as the Black Codes to ensure that the freed slaves would not be able to enjoy all the rights of citizenship. White fear of former slaves led to passage of unjust laws. Laws to preserve and promote white privilege and superiority were required. The Black Codes became the basis of Jim Crow laws that strictly controlled the former slaves—keeping them separate from white people on public transportation, in schools, public restrooms, restaurants and at drinking fountains. Interracial marriage was illegal. Voting rights were denied using literacy tests and poll taxes.

Some people challenged the constitutionality of the Jim Crow laws, but the Supreme Court ruled in Plessy Vs. Ferguson (1896) that “separate but equal” treatment for blacks and whites under the law was constitutional. So “separate but equal” became the law of the land for almost 70 years.  The practice of “Separate but equal” spread from the South to other parts of the country—to California where it was used to separate Mexicans; to Oregon, where it was used to prevent intermarriage between whites and indigenous people. Race-based laws can be found in dozens of states between 1876 and 1965. It wasn’t until the Civil Rights movement that the old laws were challenged and more just laws were passed. (Brown Vs. Board of Education in 1954 ended school segregation and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended race based discrimination and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ended poll taxes and literacy tests, and Loving Vs. Virginia in 1967 ended the ban on interracial marriage, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 ended housing discrimination based on race or religion.)

The Old Oppression in New Clothes
While these laws ending racial discrimination are still on the books, we cannot naively imagine that the problem of unjust laws has been eliminated. Don’t be fooled. New unjust laws and policies continue to be proposed to limit the participation of the poor and people of color as full citizens. There are many examples, but let’s look at one.

Let me introduce you to ALEC. ALEC writes a lot of laws for the government—especially state governments. ALEC isn’t an elected representative of the people. ALEC isn’t even a person. ALEC is the American Legislative Exchange Council, a group of corporations and select legislators that write laws that primarily benefit the interests of big business and conservative social agendas. ALEC writes so-called “model bills” that are presented in state legislatures (often verbatim). In the past eight years, 2,100 model bills have been passed. For example, one member corporation, CoreCivic—formerly call the Corrections Corporation of America—builds and operates private prisons for states. CoreCivic has written legislation for states that included “Truth-in-sentencing” and “three-strikes” provisions in order to increased prison population—and thereby increasing the company’s profits. ALEC has written thousands of laws that support publicly funded private education, limit consumer protection, promote “stand your ground” laws, and chip away at environmental regulations.

Life in the New Egypt
We live in a new Egypt under a new pharaoh who acts to preserve his interests by denying (legally) the rights of those who are perceived to be a threat. Here is what history could write about life in the New Egypt (based on Exodus 1).

A new Pharaoh rose to power in New Egypt who didn’t respect democracy. He and his people were afraid of the increasing numbers of people who didn’t look or act or believe like them, and he decided that something must be done to stop the those people from taking over New Egypt. It was a matter of national security. So the new Pharaoh announced new policies: a travel ban from certain countries to his land and a policy to separate children from their parents when they attempted to enter his land without permission. Some objected, but the Pharaoh turned to his people, who shouted “Build That Wall!” and “Go Back to Your Country.” And the new Pharaoh looked the other way while his people attacked anyone that didn’t look like them and treated them as if they weren’t citizens of his land–which, in fact, they were. And the new Pharaoh’s agents sent the unwanted people to jail when they tried to enter and took their children and put them in cages. And some of the children were infants. And some of the children got sick. And some of the children died.

But there were men and women and children who rose up, like the angelic hosts of heaven, and refused to cooperate with the orders of the new Pharaoh and called the policies exactly what they were: racist and unjust. And they stood up and said “We will not follow your unjust laws that lead to death. We will not bow down to you. We will cry out to the One that is far above all human authority. And we will listed to the Voice who calls us to ‘break the chains of injustice!’ We will do justice in the land. We will enact just laws that give life. And we will set the oppressed free.”

A Call and a Choice
Honestly, that last paragraph is my hope for the Church in New Egypt. But it is not guaranteed. For too long, the church has cooperated with the new Pharaoh, believing that God requires us to obey the laws of the government—even the unjust laws. And for too long, the church has chosen to be silent while the new Pharaoh has unleashed destruction on people and planet. Now, a decision is required and Lent is a good time to choose. Will we be complicit with death or will we break the chains of injustice? Will we be Shiphrah and Puah, or will give into fear? Will we join the oppressor or will we set the oppressed free?

God says, “See, I set before you life and death. CHOOSE LIFE.” Choose liberation. Choose the break the chains.

Why Is Oregon is So White?

~ Bruce Ray ~ 1 Comment

The state of Oregon has fewer African Americans than any other state–only 2% of the population.  I’ve often wondered why.  Is it the climate? Is it the distance from the traditional south and family roots? Yesterday, I discovered the real reason. It was by design.  From the beginning, Oregon was intended to settled by white people FOR white people.

In 1844, the provisional government of Oregon Country (as it was known prior to statehood) passed what became known as the “Peter Burnett Lash Law” which expelled all people of color from the region or face up to 39 “lashes”. The law was quickly repealed, but exclusion laws continued to be passed. (On a side note, Peter Burnett became the first elected governor of California in 1849.)

In 1850, under the Oregon Land Donation Act only white settlers were allowed to receive 650 acres of land from the government. Blacks and “Mulattos” were excluded.  In 1851, Jacob Vanderpool, was expelled from the territory after a neighbor reported him for the crime of being black.

When Oregon Country sought statehood in 1859, its state constitution included this: “No free negro or mulatto, not residing in this State at the time of the adoption of this constitution, shall ever come, reside, or be within this State, or hold any real estate, or make any contract, or maintain any suit therein; and the Legislative Assembly shall provide by penal laws for the removal by public officers of all such free negroes and mulattoes, and for their effectual exclusion from the State, and for the punishment of persons who shall bring them into the State, or employ or harbor them therein.” It wasn’t removed from the constitution until 1922, ironically the same year that Oregon elected Water Pierce as Governor. Water Pierce was a member of the KKK.

Initially, Oregon ratified the 14th Amendment (recognizing the citizenship of anyone born in the US including former slaves) in 1866, but rescinded it 2 years later. (It was re-ratified in 1973!) The state refused to ratify the 15th Amendment of the US Constitution (giving black men the right to vote). Oregon finally ratified the 15th Amendment in 1959.

From the beginning, Oregon was intended to be a “whites only” state. Racism is at the core of the state’s DNA.  It has always been (and still is) a state that is hostile toward people of color. So much for Oregon progressivism!

Oregon may have some of the most blatant examples, but you can find the same exclusionary policies and practices in just about every state as well as at the national level.  The more I learn about the systemic racism of this nation, it has become more and more difficult for me to say the pledge of allegiance, sing the national anthem (or other patriotic hymn like “God bless America”) or celebrate national holidays.  Our foundational values are antithetical to the values of my faith and my commitment to Christ–where status, ethnicity, gender are moot.  Our policies reflect our sin. Confession is needed. Repentance is required. Otherwise, we will continue to repeat the sins of our fathers.

For more information on Exclusion laws, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_black_exclusion_laws

Cain, the Founding Fathers, and Greta

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Swedish teen, 16 year-old Greta Thunberg, stood before the 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and said, “Our house is on fire!” She spoke to the rich and powerful about the price tag of unfettered growth on the environment and on future generations and the disastrous implications of choosing to nothing in the face of climate change.  She said, “I don’t want your hope. I do not want you to be hopeful.  I want you to panic!  I want you to feel the fear I feel every day…  I want you to act as if the house was on fire, because it is!”

For generations, we have lived under the assumption that “individual freedom” gives a person (or a corporation) the right to do whatever they want irregardless of the impact of their actions.  Our founding fathers held the “inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” as essential to the success of the American experiment.  American individualism at its foundation rejects limitation, regulation, and interference while at the same time rejecting responsibility and culpability.  Individualism gives us the luxury of not caring about the conditions of others – even when our actions have created those conditions. Individualism gives us the freedom from consequences.  We simply shift the burden to others. It is “their problem.”

Greta Thunberg prophetically reminds us all that every individual act has corporate ramifications; and that individual rights must give way to collective interests if we are to survive.  In the end libertarian beliefs and laissez-faire attitudes and policies lead to social destruction.

We have lived by the creed of Cain, excusing ourselves of responsibility of caring in the name of “individual freedom.”  “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain asked in response to God’s question about the whereabouts of Abel.  Cain’s question is actually a statement. “My brother’s whereabouts or condition is of no concern to me. I have no responsibility in regard to him. His circumstances are not my problem.” Beneath the statement is a deeper issue of the heart: Disconnection.  The more disconnected from others we understand ourselves, the more we will pursue self-interest without considering the consequences to the world and the generations who will come after us.

The apostle John wrote, “From the beginning, you’ve heard this message: Love one another. Do no be like Cain…”  (1 John 3:11-12).  Living as if we are independent from one another – as if we have no mutual interest or interdependency – is to live like Cain in ignorance and sin.

Are we the keepers of our brothers and sisters?  The answer is, “Yes!”

 

Self-Interest vs. Common Good

~ Bruce Ray ~ 1 Comment
“Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.”

As I continue on my Lenten “Fast for Community,” I continue to be drawn back to this statement from Philippians 2:4 (NRSV).  Self-interest is always a part of our MO in making decisions, forming opinions, and taking action. We ask ourselves continually, “how will this benefit me and impact my quality of life?”  It is a powerful question that determines our positions on almost every social and political concern.  We vote our self-interest. We advocate our self-interest. We defend our self-interest.

Pursuit of self-interest is evidence that we love ourselves. Self-love has gotten a bad rap – especially among Christians.  But love of self is never condemned by Jesus. In fact, it is normal and healthy. Jesus’ command to love our neighbor includes the proviso, “as yourself.” Self-love (and self-interest) becomes the standard to be used to dictate our actions toward others. The question for followers of Jesus is not, “how do I eliminate self-interest?” but “how broad is my circle of self interest?”  Does my circle extend to the “other?”

We will easily extend our circle of self-interest to include our children and grandchildren. We will also consider the interests of our close friends and extended family. We may create additional circles of self-interest based on our gender, our race, our class, our affiliations.  But our circles have boundaries. The lines are drawn and redrawn, but, in the end, “others” always end up separated from the “self” (and those we include as part of the “self”).  And we will usually choose to preserve and protect the interests of the “self”  at the expense of the interests of the “others.”

I believe Jesus challenges us to rethink the meaning of “self.”  The old circles are not big enough. “Self” must go beyond the traditional tribal boundaries. I believe the circle must also extend through time to include next generations.  In the phraseology of Paul, “we are members of one another” whether male or female, slave or free, Jew or Gentile (or any other tribal delineation); whether present or future. It is in our self-interest to pursue the interests of the “other” because we are indeed “one in Christ.”

But doesn’t that mean that our own interests will be sacrificed?  Doesn’t that mean that my own needs will go unmet and that my own quality of life will be at risk? Fear is at the core of our circle. We are afraid that in giving up pursuit of “self-interest” that the “self” will not just be denied – it will be destroyed! Despite our deeply felt fear, the opposite is actually true.  We will not be destroyed. We will not lose, we will gain. Self-interest and the interests of others are not in conflict, but are inextricably linked.  What is beneficial for the “other” is actually beneficial for the “self.”  In pursuing the common good, I am ultimately guaranteeing my own good now and into the future.

My fast continues.

My Lenten ‘Fast’ For Community

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This year, Kimball Avenue United Church of Christ – along with the congregations of the Logan Square Ecumenical Alliance (LSEA) – is fasting from individualism in order to build the beloved community.  Throughout Lent, I will be writing occasional devotionals on issues that remind me of God’s call to “give up” personal and individual interests in order to promote the common good. I expect that I will address issues that touch on race, class, gender, economics, politics (both church and national) and more.

Paul tells us to humbly acknowledge the worth and dignity of others and to practice it by not watching out for our own interests, but for the interests of the others (Philippians 2:4). Jesus Christ is our supreme example. He gave up his own rights to be served in order to serve others. Our faith is expressed in relationship to others, serving, empowering and loving.  Our own spiritual and social wellbeing is inextricably tied to the wellbeing of others. Together, we pursue mutual edification.  And we not only seek the wellbeing of fellow-believers, but the wellbeing of the larger community as a witness of God’s love and the Kingdom of heaven.

This Lent, I have decided to follow the daily devotional from The Repentance Project that addresses the intersection of faith and racial reconciliation as a part of my ‘fast’ for community. Today’s reflection by Andy Crouch on the “three-fifths compromise” of 1787 (that counted slaves as 3/5 of a person for the purpose of apportioning the states’ representation and taxation), posed a pointed question that is directly related to the common good: In what ways do we currently treat human beings, our brothers and sisters who bear the image of the Divine, as “less than human” to increase the wealth and power of the few?

Yesterday, 1,700 striking workers at Wabtec in Erie, PA, agreed to return to work for the next 90 days while a long term collective bargaining agreement can be reached between the company (which builds locomotives) and the unions. Workers went on strike on February 26 after Wabtec proposed cutting wages of current and future employees significantly. While the union workers are happy to be back at work, the fundamental issues have not been resolved.  In 90 days, workers could go on strike again.

“Whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.” 1 Corinthian 9:10

How we view and treat workers IS an issue of deep concern to God for life in God’s community. Whether it be laws regarding Sabbath or timely payment of wages, God protects the rights of workers.  (See James 5:4)  So, when we view workers as ‘human resources’ or “human capital,” are we not reducing them to mere cogs in the economic engine–less than fully human? When we refuse to pay living wages or only hire part time or contract workers without benefits, are we not advancing the same economic goals as slave-holders? And is not God grieved when workers are mistreated and oppressed in order to increase profit margins? Is not “community” destroyed when we pursue profit at the expense of our sisters and brothers?

We may have eliminated slavery, but we perpetuate the very economic system that required it in the first place. If we are to build the beloved community, we must lay a new foundation: No one is a “resource” or “capital” to be used for corporate gain. And people must always be given priority over profit.

‘Mad Men’ in the Pulpit

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When pastors become CEOs, evangelism becomes “marketing” and disciples become consumers, collapse is inevitable. The recent implosion of Willow Creek Church and Harvest Bible Chapel has confirmed to me that the mega-church model is not (and has never been) sustainable.

Once you have an auditorium that seats multiple thousands and a staff of hundreds, the emphasis shifts from authentic ministry to getting and keeping butts in the pews. Worship must, by necessity, become customer service and must focus on the desires and preferences of the worshipper rather than the praise of the One who alone is worthy.

Over the past 50 years, the church has increasing turned to Madison Avenue for direction and has adopted the structures and philosophies of corporate America. We have bought into the beliefs that “Bigger is better” and that growth is equal to health. We have studied community demographics and have tailored our methods and our message to reach our selected target audience. We have aspired to “success” and evaluated ourselves using the formulas of business—market share and financial gain.

We have substituted what is right with what works. We have replaced following Jesus’ teachings with following a charismatic leader. We have preached comfort without a cross. We have buried Jesus beneath layers of satin and silk. We have fed the flock junk food in slick packaging.  The Church has gained the world, but has lost its core values in the process.

If the church (of any size) is going to remain faithful to its calling, we must resist the temptation of spectacle (jumping from the steeple?) and gaining prominence via Satan’s machinations. Instead, we must fix our eyes on Jesus, our true example. By corporate standards, Jesus was an absolute failure, choosing the wrong target demographic (solidarity with blue collar workers and social outcasts is not a wise financially plan), the wrong strategy (you don’t offend just about everybody that could potentially support your ministry), the wrong methods (why would anyone make participation in the mission so costly that no one will want to join?), and the wrong message (“the last shall be first and the first last” is suicide if you want to reach the 1%).

By becoming an extension of Madison Avenue, the church has departed from Jesus’ Way and gotten lost. Now, the church is being sifted and shifted—a work of the Spirit, I believe. God is showing us it is time for repentance and a return to the narrow way of Jesus’ mission—announce good news to the poor, free the captive, release the oppressed, open the eyes of the blind, heal the injured.  The Church may not gain the appearance of “success”, but it will certainly be stronger and healthier.

Denotation Vs. Connotation

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When an invasion is not an invasion.

I have been told, “You have a way with words.” It is not always meant as a compliment. I will admit that I have chosen the wrong word on occasion – like the time I described a woman’s engagement ring as “garish” – but I like wordsmithing (which is actually not a word) and the satisfaction of finding new and good words that communicate my thoughts clearly. It’s what writers and preachers do. It’s also why it takes me multiple drafts of a sentence before posting on FaceBook or sending an email.

Finding the perfect word can be challenging because words have literal meanings, but they also have emotional meanings. It’s “denotation” versus “connotation.” I learned that in a 10th grade English class.

The words we choose may denote properly, but may convey an idea or emotion (connote) improperly. For instance, saying a person is “cheap” connotes a very different idea than saying that the person is “frugal” or “economical.” No one wants to be called, “cheap.” It’s negative and reflects poorly on a person’s character. “Economical,” on the other hand suggests wisdom and money management skills. “Garish” can denote “glittering, showy, flashy” (By the way, the ring WAS garish in those terms), but “garish” expresses that the wearer lacks good fashion sense and is tacky.

“Invasion” is a good word. It denotes “an influx or an advance of a large group of people into a place.” It is the word the president and several media outlets have used to characterize the impending arrival of Latin Americans traveling through Mexico toward the U.S. border. Literally, it is a correct use of the word. However, “invasion” connotes militarism and hostile intent. It is a word that stirs up anxiety and fear. Last week, the president sent military troops to the border in preparation for the “invasion,” announcing that a rock thrown at border patrol or troops would be viewed the same as a bullet. Local militia groups – that are not beholden to government policies and military orders – have now begun to arrive at the border to aid the military when the invasion begins.

“Invasion” may be an accurate word in the literal sense, but it is the wrong word for what is happening. When we begin to describe a large group of people that includes hundreds of children under 5 years old as an “invasion,” we dehumanize them and we minimize the circumstances that led them to begin their dangerous trek in the first place. This is not a military force advancing against the U.S. These are refugees escaping the violence of San Pedro Sula—a Honduran city that has held the title of “murder capital of the world” for years. These are not people coming to take jobs away from Americans in search of the “American Dream.” These are families that are simply trying to keep their children alive in the face of the “Honduran Nightmare.”

Because we’ve had the word “invasion” drummed into our heads (and our hearts) for weeks, many people have begun to believe it and have begun to prepare for it. And instead of finding safety, these terrified refugees will arrive during the season of Advent and be met with suspicion and hostility and more terror.

Unless we change our words, we will be no different from the “posses” and gangs they are escaping. Unless we change our words, our response to the “invasion” we fear will become something even worse – something we publicly denounce during the Christmas Season. Our response will be the Slaughter of the Innocents.  Merry Christmas!

Why Lottery Tickets Are the Devil

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

Lottery Tickets are printed in Hell.

That’s always been my suspicion.  Now there is growing documentation to prove it. And watching the craziness around the recent record shattering MegaMillions and PowerBall jackpots the past two weeks has confirmed it.

The desire to win more money than you’d ever know how to spend afflicts the people who can least afford it – low-income households of color. In 2017, Americans spent almost $73 billion (BILLION) playing the numbers.  That is $223.04 per man, woman and child in the U.S.  Put that into perspective: We spend more playing the Lottery than we do on movie tickets, video games, books, NFL and Baseball tickets combined!   And according to studies, the poorest third of households buy half of all lottery tickets sold.  Those who can least afford tickets often spend the most–both in real dollars and as a percentage of their income. West Virginia has one of the highest poverty rates in America (17.7%), yet West Virginians spend a whopping $598.47 per person on lottery tickets.  In both Connecticut and Illinois, the poorest zip codes in the state (also home to people of color) account for the most lottery ticket sales.  See how your state compares.

Government-sponsored lotteries are not a means of reducing income and wealth inequality and purchasing a ticket is not–in the words of John Oliver–a contribution to a “charitable foundation” as the State would like us to believe.  I encourage you to watch John Oliver’s 2014 piece in it’s entirety. Yeah, he uses the F-bomb a lot and his statistics are a few years out of date, but he hits the nail on the head again and again on Lottery lies.

Let me speak the truth.  The Lottery is a regressive taxation tool that targets low-income households who already spend a hefty chunk of their resources paying other taxes–retail sales taxes, property taxes (even if they rent), income taxes (at least in Illinois), and excise taxes on gasoline, tobacco products, bottled water and even plastic bags.  Overburdened and desperate, they are encouraged (via slick targeted advertising) to seek financial solvency through luck.  After all, somebody has to win it. Why not you?

Government-sponsored lotteries 1) prey on the hopes and fears of the most vulnerable people, 2) steal their resources while promising them benefits that never materialize, and 3) shift the burden of paying for the social services they need away from those who can afford it and should be paying more.  The rich ultimately win every time the jackpot rolls over and the poor get poorer.

We aren’t being sold lottery tickets; we’re being sold a pack of lies.  It’s not PowerBall; it’s PowerBULL.  The Devil is the father of lies (John 8:44). Those who peddle lies as truth reserve their place in Hell (Revelation 21:8).  It’s time to stop playing their game and start dealing out real justice for the poor.