YGT: The Problem with Romney's Taxes

The major political news last week was that former governor and current presidential hopeful Mitt Romney finally released his taxes.  If you haven't seen them, a summary is below (along with President Barck Obama and Newt Gingrich's). 

               

Click here for larger image of returns.

The problem with Romney's taxes is NOT that he’s rich from investments.  While it’s amazing to see how much wealthier he got last year without working, it’s not illegal or unethical.  The problem with Romney’s taxes is also not that his tax burden is 14% (under the national top income bracket of 35% - that means he pays a lower tax rate than most other working American citizens).  The problem is that ALL of our tax rates aren’t 14% because of tax benefits.

Spiritually, what is at stake here is the way we value people.  The rich and poor should be treated equally.  Yet those who are wealthy pay lower tax rates and have many other benefits afforded to them that others don’t.  This is inconsiderate at best and criminal at worst. 

I’m not attempting to be a political pundit or a financial expert (there are PLENTY of outlets for that).  But as a person who believes in God, it is troubling to see rampant economic inequality sanctioned by government.  It is even worse to witness the church’s silence on economic issues that affect every congregant who attends worship.  THAT’S the real problem with Romney’s taxes – they have indicted the church as a willing participant in economic injustice.  We’ve not sounded the alarm that the best off in our society are given far greater benefits by our government than the worst off.  Sadly, it seems that we too, have been paid off.  I wonder what the tax rate is………………………………..501(c)3…?

Lord, please give us the courage to stand up for the least in our society.  Help us not to be so heavenly minded that we're no earthly good.  To care about your people is to care about their well-being, including economically.  Please help us to challenge our leaders to advocate fairly and inspire our churches to speak out against injustice.  Give our elected leaders strength, wisdom, and grace in their decisions.  In the name of our leader, Jesus Christ, we pray.  Amen.

Filing,

j.a.g.

---------------------------------------------
Proverbs 28:21

To show partiality is not good...



*I know this scripture seems to speak against programs that consider differentiating factors when making decisions, such as affirmative action, but that's not the case. The role of impartiality is to act in fairness. Affirmative action programs have been instituted because in many arenas, decisions have not historically been based on fairness. Instead, there's been a history of unfair decisions. Affirmative action programs exist to correct unjust practices that have existed (and in many cases, still do).

YGT: Marriage, In all Seriousness

I’m currently taking a class on marriage and family at Duke Divinity School.  One of our first readings for the course was Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics.  The things he says about marriage are truly powerful.  Read below (caution - helps to read slowly):  

The essence of marriage is more comprehensive than what we must understand by the term love in the sense of the special love of husband and wife.  It consists essentially in the life-partnership established and subsisting between these two… Marriage therefore is the proof of love.  In marriage as a life-partnership it is a matter of repeating in all seriousness the Yes of love.  But “in all seriousness” means in a life which is the whole life of man, in toil and care, in joy and pain, in sickness and health, in youth and age, in wrestling with the many questions, small and great, inner and outer, individual and social… “In all seriousness” means experiencing all this in the succession of unforeseeably many days of twenty-four hours and unforeseeably many years of fifty two weeks, with the intimacy of an everyday and everynight companionship which discloses everything on both sides, in which each very soon gets to know the other with terrifying exactitude, and in which the greatest thing can become astonishingly small and the smallest astonishingly great.  “In all seriousness” means to have become a collective, a We, a pair, and to live as such, not merely outwardly, but inwardly… This seriousness of love is what we mean by marriage as a life-partnership.  And when love stands the test of this seriousness, it means that marriage is a partnership which is fulfilled not merely according to the claims of duty, but gladly, joyfully and willingly, in repetition of the Yes of love...

Wow.  Like Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:23 below), there’s something about marriage that is mystical, sacrificial, and moving.  Marriage is a great teacher.  It shows us how God must love us and how we must become a "We" if we are to embody Christ's nature.

Committed,

j.a.g.

Lord, thank You for giving us the blessing of partnership.  As You declared, "it is not good for man to be alone".  We turn to marriage for a glimpse of Your nature. Even as we struggle with new definitions of marriage today, help us never to elevate earthly marriage above singleness.  Instead, let us each be married to You.  We long for Your presence.  In Christ's name, Amen.

*I honor my wife, Ashley, for being my life-partner and confidant.  She is by far the greatest thought I've ever had.  Through it all, “in all seriousness”, I love you.

------------------------------------------------------

Ephesians 5:23

For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.

Genesis 2:18

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

YGT: Glowing in the Dark

Today, I had the opportunity to preach at Mt. Level Baptist Church.  The sermon was about what happens during the dark times of our lives.  I usually don't do this, but below is an excerpt from the sermon.  Not sure, but it felt like a borderline great thought.  I pray it was a blessing to those who heard it.  Many thanks to my mother-in-law, Hope, who was also an inspiration for this message.  You can read more about her here.  


Genesis 1:1-5 (below)

Here, it seemed that God created light so that nature could see itself.  Another meaning for darkness is obscure or secret.  What happens in the dark is that your secrets come out.  Verse 1 shows us that light couldn’t have been for God to see, because He could already see in darkness.  No, God created light so creation could see itself - So we would be able to see one another.  THAT was good.  God created the light so that there'd be no more secrets, things would be out in the open.  

You can find out who you truly are when you acknowledge who you are when no one’s watching.  Who are you when you don’t think there are any consequences?  If the lights went out in this church, we’d begin to find out who people are.  Some people would run, some would scream, some would sit quietly, some would blame others.  Some would fall asleep.  No matter what our response, our true character would come out.  Take note of who you are in the dark.  A Christian shouldn't hide, run, or fall asleep, but a true Christian should glow in the dark.  When things are their bleakest, we should still be a light.

Lord, thank You for the power of a testimony.  Thank You for Hope's lessons through her courage.  Thank You also for the blessing of darkness.   Help us to remember darkness is a part of the day.  Jesus, You died and rose in the dark.  We're grateful for Your sacrifice and for glowing in the dark.  We love You.  In Your name we pray, Amen.

Learning to

j.a.g.

---------------------------------------------------------

Genesis 1:1-5

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

YGT: Wading In

When beginning to consider the first post in this year of great thoughts (YGT), I stopped.  Or maybe I was stopped...

If we are seeking after great thoughts, for the great treasures of the Spirit, we must wade into deep waters.  This journey is like the difference between a pool and a beach.  There are pools where you can simply dive directly into deep waters.  However, in order to get to the deep waters at a beach, you must cross over the warm sand, enter into the chilly waters, and walk as the waters continue to rise around you; first to your ankles, then your knees, then your waist and chest, until finally, your feet leave the ground.

This idea of wading reminded me of the words Duke Divinity School Chaplain Sally Bates.  During a spiritual retreat, she explained that getting to a place of intimacy with God is not like flipping on a switch, but it requires deliberate and patient waiting.  While we know God can act immediately, God also reveals Himself through times of reflection, consecration, and prayer (interesting how the "suddenly" of Acts 2, occurs after the constant prayer of Acts 1; see below).  Let's not rush into greatness, but instead take time to wade into the deep.  Have a blessed week!

*Prayer below adapted from Howard Thurman's The Inward Journey:

While we wait in Thy Presence, search our spirits and grant to our minds  the guidance and the wisdom that will teach us the way to take.  Without You there can be no peace and no confidence anywhere.  Please teach us how to put at Your disposal the fruits of our hands, the products of our minds, the wealth of our land, and the resources of our spirit.  Lord, we desire You grant unto us the courage to follow the illumination of this hour to the end.  This is the simple desire of our hearts which we ask in quiet confidence.  Amen.

Chilly,

j.a.g.

----------------------------------------------------------

Acts 1:13-14

¹³ When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴ They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Acts 2:1-4

¹ When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

On What Makes a Good Sermon (Ideas Wanted)

What makes a good sermon?  Of course, we need to hear about Jesus.  But how Jesus is delivered is a delicate, daunting, and even mysterious process (I Corinthians 4:1 below).  Depending on who you ask, there are several factors to take into account when crafting a sermon (audience, occasion, delivery, etc.).  However, one ingredient is critical - a great idea.  Renowned pastor, theologian, and civil rights leader Rev. Otis Moss II describes this in the video below.  Please listen to his opening insights on the making of a great sermon (you probably won't want to stop there).

This year, I'm challenging myself - and all who will join me - to a year of great ideas.  Rather than preaching great sermons or teaching great lessons, let's focus on "grappling with great ideas".  What ideas can be born from "the great teachings of scripture, connected with all of life's experiences and the great conversations in human history"?


Each week, I will post a new idea.  I invite you to let your imagination loose and send in your own thoughts.  This year, let's ponder powerfully.  We don't have to answer every mystery - we won't - but let's attempt to discover the spiritual gems that have eluded us.  Just maybe, the sermon of our life will be better for it.




Lord, thank You for a new year.  Thank you for the wisdom, sacrifice, and courage of forerunners.  Father, please give us the strength to address the difficult and big ideas of our day.  Remind us that Your Word and Spirit is always relevant.  Teach us throughout this year to reach to the top shelf of our minds and search for great ideas.  In Christ's name, Amen.




Making resolutions,
j.a.g.










----------------------------------------------------------
I Corinthians 4:1
Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.