Author: lakewooducc

Lent 2014 – Devotion 30

Khat is used by about 10 million people around the world on a daily basis. It is a green leaf that is chewed giving a stimulant effect, maybe like drinking something that is highly caffeinated. The chewing of khat has been practiced for thousands of years in some areas. Evidently there are also detrimental effects are associated with khat which is illegal in many countries including the United States.

Apparently khat has become quite controversial in Kenya where it is also called miraa. The chewing of khat is a long standing custom in Kenya. Khat is given as a sign of respect. It is used to promote reconciliation. It cements a bond between people.

While khat has important social significance, it also has economic implications. The growing and selling of khat is an important cash crop. The income from khat helps families pay for food, clothes, and school fees. Without the income from khat, poverty would be even worse in Kenya.

Now, let’s take a look at the church’s outlook on khat. Khat is regularly shared in church settings. Apparently, if someone does not have money, they may put khat in the offering plate. Because of khat, people have money to support the ministries of the church and the pastor. Some churches grow khat and use the proceeds for charitable work. [Anyone at church want to start a medical marijuana garden?!] The feeling is that without khat, the people could not support themselves or the church. Children could not go to school. The elimination of khat would cause many problems.

Many church people in Kenya see khat as a blessing; a special gift from God. They feel that God is looking out for them by giving them this plant that grows in the difficult environmental conditions they have. God provided khat so that the people would have a way to live and be able to support the church.

A problem has developed since the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Kenya has determined that khat is not healthy for people and that its use should be eliminated. People in churches are up in arms defending khat because it sustains them and the church. To me this is a brain bender. Can we imagine the church in the US being a main voice in favor of medical marijuana, for example. Probably not.

But the church in the US has benefitted from alcohol and tobacco. Churches have stock in companies that do business in liquor and cigarettes. Churches have members who support themselves growing, manufacturing and selling products involving alcohol and tobacco. People support the work of the church with money produced by industries, products and services related to alcohol and tobacco. And though using wine for communion can hardly be compared with the chewing of khat at church, what did churches that use wine for communion do during prohibition?

Before we form an opinion one way or the other on khat, what we want to notice is that the church is influenced and impacted in significant ways by the culture in which it exists. As a human institution, the church in different eras and in different geographical contexts is shaped by the culture around it. At our church, we have a tradition that alcohol is not served on church property. If a church event is at someone’s home, then alcohol is fine. And what about smoking? It is against the law to smoke in the buildings, of course, but we have outdoor ash receptacles for church members who are smokers. There are other Christian contexts today that would not make such concessions to the use of alcohol or tobacco. And then there is coffee. We serve coffee at fellowship time as a matter of course. In some church contexts that would be shocking because caffeine is seem as a dangerous, unhealthy stimulant.

While we are talking about cultural influences on the use of certain substances, we want to recognize that culture also influences other matters at church. Culture influences activities and schedules. It may determine what music is used and how services are conducted. But culture effects more than simply the practical aspects of church life. Culture also impacts theological outlooks and morals. Culture plays a role in shaping how we understand God, how we define “good”, and how we behave toward others.

Is khat “bad”? In the US it is considered a schedule one drug that is essentially banned. In Kenya, khat is considered a gift and blessing from God to bring the community together and provide for their material needs. God gave the people khat to sustain them like manna in the wilderness. As with much about Christianity and other religions what you believe may largely depend on where you are standing. At LUCC, please, no khat in the offering plate.

Prayer: We are thankful for the great diversity of culture and peoples in the world. We are thankful for the diversity of nature. Such wild creativity is testimony to the incredible spirit of God. May we keep love at the center of our beliefs. May we acknowledge and attempt to recognize the role that culture plays in shaping our faith. May we affirm other expressions of Christianity. Let us not be daunted by the quest to live by faith in whatever may be our here and now. Amen.

For more on khat in Kenya, see, “Khat: A Gift from God?” by Isaac Mwangi in The Christian Century, March 5, 2014, pp. 26-19.

Lent 2014 – Devotion 29

Why is religion important to the world? Why be concerned that there are more and more people who consider themselves “spiritual but not religious”? I recently read an article in Sojourners Magazine, “‘Nones’ and the Common Good,” by Eboo Patel suggesting that religion is needed because of all the schools, hospitals, drug treatment facilities, refugee resettlement programs, disaster relief, and day care centers, etc. that churches and religious organizations create and support. The idea is that society would be significantly diminished without all these institutions and programs that are maintained by religious groups. And spiritual but not religious does not bring people together to pool their resources to offer assistance and help to society.

Yes, religious groups have made enormous contributions to society through initiatives to foster the social good. Patel tells us that, “According to Harvard social scientist Robert Putnam, half of U.S. social capital is religiously driven.” The world would be significantly impoverished without the programs and institutions that have been founded and maintained by religious groups.

While society may benefit from religious people coming together to serve society, I am not sure that maintaining social service institutions will get people into the doors of the church. Will an ad saying “come to our church to help keep the food pantry open” bring hoards of people bursting through the door? I doubt it. But people are more inclined to want be part of a church that encourages service and is doing something for the betterment of the world. Maybe more of a focus on service and less on sin would attract people to church. Maybe if the church were extending a welcoming hand instead of waving a wagging finger people would be attracted to the church. Church is about connecting with God, experiencing the transcendent, being part of a bigger reality, being rescued from self absorption, living for others, creating communities of compassion and acceptance and joy.

As for all these institutions, why do religious groups create and maintain all these programs and hospitals and shelters, etc.? Because there are unmet needs in society. There are gaps in our social contract as a country and as a worldwide community. The church is trying to catch the people who are falling between the cracks.

I dream of the day when there are no gaps; when people are not slipping through a safety net. I dream of the day when society as a whole has chosen to meet the basic needs of all the citizens: Healthcare, drug treatment, childcare, education, food, shelter, and other necessities are accessible and available to everyone, so the church is not needed fill in because there are no gaps. Church people offer service by working in the organizations and institutions maintained by society that help to keep everyone afloat.

It never ceases to amaze me the hypocrisy of living in a so-called Christian country that has seemingly endless resources for the military but does not have even the will let alone the way to see that everyone has food, shelter, education, and healthcare. Jesus went around healing and teaching and taking care of others. He didn’t take up arms. He took people into his arms. May we embrace his vision.

Prayer: We pray for the human family. We pray for those with material needs and those with spiritual needs. We pray for ourselves. May we be part of creating a world where everyone has food and shelter and healthcare and safety and dignity. We give thanks for the church of Jesus Christ fueling our dreams of a world in which peace is built with justice. Amen.

Article cited, “‘Nones’ and the Common Good” by Eboo Patel in the March 2014 issue of Sojourners Magazine, p. 12.

Lent 2014 – Devotion 28

A group recently rented the church for a day long spiritual retreat. Arrangements were made for the event. The day of the gathering a request was made for wifi access. This is not a problem as there is wifi at the church but I found myself contemplating that request.

To me, a spiritual retreat is about connecting with God and with our spiritual selves. It is a time for introspection and inspiration. While there are many resources on the web for spiritual inspiration I would not want to involve technology, and certainly not the web, on a spiritual retreat. For one thing, while the web is a source of much that is good, efficient, and helpful, it is also symbolic of overstimulation, too many choices, and too much information. To me, a retreat is a time to disconnect from those kinds of things to create space to connect with the Spirit. A retreat is a time to unplug.

When we make the space for God to come into our lives, our spirits are fed. In the New Testament we are told again and again of Jesus going off to pray, going off by himself. In solitude and silence he opened himself to being filled with God. That enabled him to serve, forgive, heal, and help. We get accustomed to constant stimulation and connection; the TV is on, the radio is on, we can stream from our phones and computers, we can receive and send messages anytime and anywhere. Can God be in all of this? Of course. Can our connecting be a way to express divine love. Yes. But there is always a place for silence, solitude, reflection, and contemplation – unplugged.

I have spoken with church people who are uncomfortable with silence. They say they don’t know what to do. It is disturbing and uncomfortable. I think there may even be a fear of silence. My spouse had a step grandmother who lived near a grove by a lake in central Florida. When we went to see her years ago, she made it clear in no uncertain terms that no doors were ever to be left open at all. Period. We got a long lecture about what could come in if you were not vigilant. Lizards. Squirrels. Raccoons. Rats. Snakes. Alligators. And that was just getting started! Maybe some people are afraid of quiet and silence because who knows what might creep in if you leave some room! What ideas or dreams or attitudes or visions might sneak in? If you make sure to have something going into your mind all of the time – from radio, TV, internet, entertainment, written material, conversation – then you are choosing what you are exposed to and you think you have the control. It’s harder to control silence which is another reason people may be afraid of quiet.

One way to work on feeling more comfortable with silence is to start small. Give it three minutes or five minutes a day. Over time, work up to ten minutes. This is the way we approach exercise. Begin small and build up. This is one way to become more comfortable connecting with God and with your inner self through quiet.

And if some time in silence simply will not work for you but you do want to feel more connected to God, then try service. Volunteer. Help someone. Give of yourself. And you will feel yourself part of a bigger picture, a larger reality. God will find you.

Prayer: This Lenten season is a time for quiet and contemplation. May we overcome our fears of silence. May we give up our need for control. May we make room for the Spirit in our lives and be open to where the adventure takes us! Amen.

Lent 2014 – Devotion 27

March 31 is Cesar Chavez Day. Chavez was born on March 31, 1927. While Caesar Chavez Day has not yet become a federal holiday, it is observed as a holiday in the states of California, Colorado, and Texas. This is a day to remember one who was a great champion of the labor movement.

Dolores Huerta and Chavez founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962; an organization dedicated to advocating for the rights and dignity of farm workers. But it is also a movement committed to honoring the dignity and humanity of the growers and the farm owners as well. This devotion to the dignity of ALL people is conveyed in the NFWA commitment to non-violence. The NFWA does not want to replace one kind of oppression with another.

The birth family of Cesar Chavez owned a ranch and a grocery store in Arizona. This changed during the Great Depression when they lost their land through the dishonest dealings of local Anglos. They were merchants and farmers but were victims of injustice. When they lost their land, they moved to California and began to work as migrant farmworkers. So this was a significant change of circumstance for the Chavez family.

As migrant workers, the Chavez family moved again and again with the work. Cesar attended 37 different schools before completing the 8th grade, his last year of formal schooling. In school, Chavez experienced segregation and discrimination. There were “whites only” signs in some of the schools.

The challenges and oppression that Chavez experienced could have made him a bitter person. His family was swindled out of their land. He attended substandard schools and was treated in a demeaning manner in school. His family faced the abusive conditions imposed upon migrant farm workers. These kinds of experiences can be defeating. They can make people hostile and angry. But Chavez was a Christian. Surely he had learned of forgiveness and reconciliation. He knew that Jesus, too, was a victim of the hostility of others and yet he was committed to non violence. The Christian faith offers another way; a way of creative resistance to injustice and oppression.

In the face of the injustice and oppression that Chavez, his family, and the migrant workers experienced, he did not become hostile or embittered or vengeful. The injustice that he faced only made him more committed to working for justice for everyone. The awful conditions in the fields and the treatment of the workers motivated him to want to change things. The indignities that he experienced fueled his commitment to the dignity of each and every person. And despite his poor experience with formal education, he spent his life reading and learning.

At one point in his adult life, Chavez declared, “The end of all education should surely be service to others.” In his life, we see that his education through experience, through his schooling such as it was, and through his own initiative, did inspire his service to others. The challenges he faced motivated him to work for good.

We all face challenges and hardship in life, though maybe not to the degree of Cesar Chavez. These experiences can make us disillusioned, bitter, and defeated. They can make us hostile or vengeful. Or, as we see in Chavez, they can motivate us and inspire us to work for change and to help others. In the spirit of Chavez, may all that we learn in this life foster our commitment to service to others.

Prayer of the United Farm Workers

Show me the suffering of the most miserable, so I may know my people’s plight.
Free me to pray for others, for you are present in every person.
Help me to take responsibility for my own life, so that I can be free at last.
Grant me courage to serve others, for in service there is true life.
Give me honesty and patience, so that I can work with other workers.
Bring forth song and celebration, so that the Spirit will be alive among us.
Let the Spirit flourish and grow, so that we will never tire of the struggle.
Let us remember those who have died for justice, for they have given us life.
Help us love even those who hate us, so we can change the world.