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When the first allegations of prisoner abuse by U.S. personnel were reported, there was a sense of disbelief. We wanted to believe that abusive behavior was not something our nation and its people practiced. When photographs appeared, we were shocked and embarrassed. Denial was no longer possible. The next line of ‘defense’ was to say such behavior was isolated. We were assured that just a few low level persons were responsible. Those in authority denied any complicity. Yet, reports and evidence of abuse kept coming. They continue to come. Last week some persons of rank confirmed that in their particular company abuse was routine. They said the intent of the abuse was to gather intelligence and have some fun. The persons making the allegations said they had tried for more than a year to bring the matter to their superiors, but there was no response. Finally the matter was brought to congressional staff members. The fact is that reports of abuse are continuing. My guess is that when military people finally come home, the reports of abuse will multiply. Having participated in or witnessed such happenings is a heavy burden. The public is assured that torture and abuse does not reflect American values. I believe this to be true, but I also believe there are such practices. War has a way of corrupting the behavior of people. Descriptively, this seems to be true of people in all nations. The corrupting influence is in no way limited to low level people. People in authority contribute to the shaping of a culture. It is difficult to place much confidence in the assurances
that abuse is not tolerated as practice and for at least these reasons. What could possibly cause the Majority Leader of the Senate to avoid a vote on a principle that is so central to acceptable human conduct? The U.S. Army Field Manual articulates a basic test: “If your contemplated actions were perpetrated by the enemy against U.S. prisoners, would you believe such actions violate international or U.S. law? If you answer yes, do not engage in the contemplated action.” What part of this do you suppose is difficult to understand? Ronald K. Johnson, Pastor Every three months, the congregation is ‘assigned’ a book to read. Within the reading period, there is a conversation about the book. Usually the conversation is within the context of the Sunday Adult Forum. The current reading is Arthur Miller’s drama Death of a Salesman. This drama was first performed in 1949 in a social order that had just gone through the Great Depression and World War II. Reception of the drama, with its story of the failure of Willy Loman, was substantial. There were yet many people who could identify Willy Loman’s dream and illusion. The times were changing, however, and this society was on its way to affluence. Critics generally assumed that this work of Miller would not long endure. They could not have been more wrong. Over the more than fifty intervening years, the drama has had several revivals and it continues to speak to a time in which the wrong dreams inspire people. There has, after all, been no lack of illusion in our society. Prosperity has not brought the kind of wholeness that many expected. The play begins with Willy returning from a road trip that did not go well. He decides to ask for a transfer from New England to New York where he lives. It is a transfer that is not granted. Willy has two sons, Biff and Happy. They are no more successful than Willy, though Willy cannot bring himself to recognize their failure any more than he can acknowledge his own condition. Linda, Willy’s wife, recognizes how vulnerable he is and thus engages in desperate attempts to build him up. In effect, she feeds Willy’s illusions about himself. Willy lives with illusion. He is inept and self-pitying. He has misguided pride and a fraudulent morality. Willy’s fundamental problem, however, is that he lives with the wrong dream. His dream is for success, big success. He wants everyone to look up to him. He wants to be liked by crowds of people. He assumes that being liked is the avenue to success. Even in his lowest moments, he dreams of hundreds of people coming to his funeral. As the drama proceeds, we see Willy experiencing the consequence of not being able to keep up in a society that demands success. If Willy cannot have success for himself, he dreams of success for his sons. He embraces the idea of killing himself so that his sons will collect $20,000 in insurance money which would then be used to make them successful. Willy never does succeed in seeing himself with clarity. Only Biff, with whom Willy is in constant conflict, gives any evidence of self-discernment. Linda, until the end, struggles desperately to ‘support’ Willy. No doubt she loves him, but the uncritical expression of her love ends up being destructive. Few dramas in the American theatre have more consistently caused viewers to be introspective. It is said that the sounds of weeping are often heard in theaters where Death of a Salesman is performed. Ronald K. Johnson, Pastor Ancient prophets had the responsibility to help people learn to see. These prophets were so thoroughly infused with God’s word that they were able help others see according to God’s ways, and live as God wanted them to live. Today’s reading from the Hebrew Scriptures details an ancient situation that may well seem quite familiar. The time was the Babylonian exile. Jerusalem and the temple had fallen and the people were scattered. Many of them were in Babylon crying out in desperation. The prophets, those who had warned that destruction would come, now tried to reassure the people that God would uphold the covenant between them. Israel would be redeemed and would return to her homeland. In today’s text, the identity of the one who would bring about Yahweh’s work was revealed: Cyrus, King of Persia, was God’s chosen. The announcement took away the breath of those in exile. Israel would be saved by a non-Jew. Israel responded to Isaiah’s words with resistance on several dimensions. On the historical level, Israel simply could not accept the idea that international politics—something they thought was far removed from them—had a role to play in their lives. Could God possibly choose a foreigner to bring about God’s intentions, they wondered. At least one of Israel’s problems was that they had failed to read the signs of their times. Persia had arisen as a formidable challenge, and in time conquered Babylon. The King instituted a policy that the exiles could return home and even provided funds to assist in reconstruction. This was already beginning to take shape, but Israel failed to see it. Perhaps their failure grew out of despondency or denial, or because many people had rather comfortably accommodated to life in exile. Israel is not the only community who has failed to read the
signs of the times over the years. Let’s stop for a moment and think about what
it going on right in front of us… The problem is that many people and institutions are not stirred by these realities. It is as if we, too, have become despondent, thinking perhaps that there is nothing that can be done. Or maybe we have accommodated ourselves to these realities even in the face of clear evidence that we are hastening the destruction of the planet. We, as Israel, have failed to see the signs of our times. Sermon excerpt from Pentecost XXII, Stacy K. Johnson, Pastor
In a way that no study could have done, the recent hurricanes brought into view weaknesses within our society. For example, disaster response planning is inadequate. Signs of this range from poor evacuation procedures to bad facilities for those who must leave their homes. It seems also clear that coordination between various government agencies was almost nonexistent, especially during the Katrina event. With the great majority of the nation’s population living in urban areas, it is important effective emergency plans be developed. Disasters are an inevitable fact of life. It is quite possible that some will be of even greater consequence than the two hurricanes we have just witnessed. There are disasters that could come with no warning. Revealed also in the aftermath of Katrina was the extent of poverty that is present. New Orleans was a particularly dramatic case with a poverty rate of twice the national average. The national average of poverty is increasing and has been on the rise for the last five years. This reverses the downward trend of poverty during most of the 1990s. The Congress is now engaged in the process of making decisions that can have a profound effect on the poor. In April of this year a congressional budget resolution was passed that requires a cut of $3 billion over five years to agriculture programs which include farm subsidies, conservation and nutrition initiatives such as food stamps. In addition, there is pressure to reduce Medicaid, student loans and perhaps the Earned Income Tax Credit. You will notice that all these programs, with the exception in some cases of farm subsidies, directly impact persons of modest means. Pressure to reduce these programs will be all the more intense in the light of reconstruction costs connected to the hurricanes and the continuing costs of war in Iraq. The Administration has suggested delaying the implementation of the drug prescription program to help pay for reconstruction. In the meantime, plans continue for a reduction in taxes. It is not sufficient for us to simply complain. Our action would be better directed to take seriously our responsibility as citizens to be in conversation with members of Congress. Bread for the World, a nationwide Christian movement that seeks justice for the world’s hungry, has proposed “The Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2005. It places strong emphases on nutrition programs and is designed to reduce by half the extent of U.S. poverty by 2010 and eliminate poverty by 2015. These objectives are attainable if there is political determination. Within the month of October, the goal is to generate from Holy Trinity 200 letters/email to our two senators and member in the House of Representatives. This alone would represent a substantial registration of opinion. We must then trust that other communities of faith are taking similar actions. Materials to help you with letter writing will be available on Sundays in the Community Room. Ronald K. Johnson, Pastor This coming Sunday is Reformation Sunday. It is also for us Stewardship/commitment Sunday. There is a legitimate relationship. Few elements of Reformation theology have been more misunderstood than the ‘priesthood of all believers.’ Many have assumed that the reformers were saying that the priesthood is not necessary since everyone can have direct access to God. Luther did not want to diminish the priesthood. He wanted to expand it by making all baptized persons responsible for the care of one another. Every person has the capacity and responsibility to mediate God’s grace. The term priesthood has become a bit problematic. It smacks of superiority and authority. One could argue that it is not the strongest metaphor in describing the life to which ordinary believers are called. Since Reformation theology says that no doctrine, institution, idea, or metaphor can claim finality, there is room for another term. Douglas John Hall suggests ‘steward.’ We could speak of the ‘stewardship of all believers.’ A steward is one who cares for what is not one’s own. A steward has responsibilities and is accountable. A steward is, in some sense, a servant. All of this is central to the way in which Christian people of faith are to live. Stewardship is not simply one aspect of our lives and most certainly not a bag of techniques for raising money. Stewardship is a way of life that informs the entire manner in which decisions in all areas of life are made. This has profound implications for the way in which we allocate economic resources. Money is not to be expended in irresponsible ways nor is it to be hoarded. Jesus said, “What does it profit one to gain the world and lose one’s soul?” The greater the resource, the greater the responsibility for contributing to the common good. There are many vehicles through which to direct money for the common good. Among them is the Christian community of faith. We have long endeavored to make this congregation a faithful steward of the mysteries of God. As we prepare to complete the vision for our life together in the year of 2006, your commitment is invited. Implementation of the vision requires adequate funding. To do no more in 2006 than in 2005 will require an increase in congregational contributions. In fact, our practice has always been to strengthen congregational ministry in the light of new opportunities. Your generosity is invited. Ronald K. Johnson, Pastor
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