give up money for Lent

What if we gave up money for Lent? Ok. Then how about giving up using the atm and credit card for Lent.

The point is, if we are really serious about "giving up" something that God could use to help us grow spiritually deeper as a disciple of Jesus Christ, it seems to me money would be a good one. It clearly is at the center of most of our lives, and is the greatest competitor with God for our attention, let alone our devotion.

Valentines Day

I once heard that Valentines was started by a guy named Valentine who as his personal mission would leave a card at the door of prison cells so the prisoners would know that at least one person was thinking of them. Romantic, huh?

But then, Mother's Day was started by Juliet Ward Howe (who wrote the "Battle Hymn of the Republic") as a way for mothers to protest their sons being taken off to war and used as fodder by people in power. Sentimental, huh?

But then, Easter was started...eggs and bunnies right? Cute, huh?
David Loar Fairlawn West United Church of Christ Akron, Ohio Valentines Mother's Day Easter

hibernation

The last month has clearly felt like a hibernation mode for me. As time has gone on, snow been on the ground for over a month, and cold temps were predominant, I found myself going through the motions rather than "forging ahead." No wonder the Native American Indians didn't stay here in the winter, but migrated south. Just like they didn't stay along the Gulf Coast in hurricane season, but moved more inland. Mobility has its assets.

Our ancestors in the Judeo-Christian faith were mobile. In fact, they went for a large number of generations before they were given their own land. Up until the end of the exodus, they were always aliens, foreigners, depending on the hospitality of other peoples. Even then, the land described as "flowing with milk and honey" would seem pretty barren to us.

I lived most of my life on the move. Never lived anywhere more than 6 years until the last 13 1/2 here in Akron. I was haunted by the feeling of using a "geographical fix" to deal with the issues of my life. But there is part of me that also wonders about the "settlement" that has led to so much lack of adaptability, flexibility, and mobility. One of the things about emerging churches is that people move as families to new settings as "missionaries" to start new churches. They don't just plant a church, but they grow community among themselves and invite others into those spiritually centered, missionally reaching out communities. My geographical fixes were alone or just my family. Even when Abram started out from Haran, he had quite a "flock" with him. (tee hee hee, "flock", get it).

Settled in, hunkered down...I think we have lost our ability to follow God where God leads and desires us to to go to live. And by live, I mean LIVE! To be alive!

money

There's a lot of turmoil in the US and the world right now about money. Especially among those who have been use to having sufficient if not more than sufficient funds to enjoy life as they are accustom to.

Truth be told, money has been an issue for at least 2/3's of the world for most of the 20th Century. We accepted in the US a level of around 5% unemployment as ok. We thought we could never get everyone employed. But we never developed the infrastructure of an economic system or governmental system that would truly help those who were part of the permanently unemployed. In fact, we played as more of a moral issue "they are lazy...they could find work if they tried." Yet, many of those of us who made those comments weren't in ongoing relationships with any if a majority of those folks who made up that "5%."

Well now, we are way up over 5%. And the welfare system works! Hallelujah! Folks who were leaders of companies who have tanked or been folded in to other companies in many cases received their millions in bonuses. Even when those bonuses came from federal bail out money.

Now, I don't think any of those are lazy. In fact, I suspect most of them worked hard. But I also don't think that any of the permanently unemployed folks are any more lazy than these newly unemployed or underemployed.

I think the best form of a bailout is to feed the funds to local yokel folks who have credit card debt and are behind on mortgages. Allow them to pay down their debt, which increases their opportunity to be more avid consumers again, and that then feeds the money to the banks and financial service businesses who hold those cards and mortgages. "Trickle down" has had its day since the Reagan era. Let's try "trickle up" for a while. It can't be any worse.

David Loar
United Church of Christ
money
Akron Ohio