Spiritual Edge

From MCC of Greater Dallas February 8, 2012

What Are You Talking About?

Have you ever been in a heated discussion with someone and felt like you really weren’t arguing about the main issue? Perhaps you were discussing an item where someone had been wronged or something had gone wrong yet even so you felt like there was some other issue going on underneath. The issue on the table was a legitimate issue worthy of discussion but it did not warrant the amount of energy or emotion that was being expressed. Many couples and co-workers alike fall into talking around the issues that are most important to them.

At times, people struggle to really identify what is bothering them deeply whereas at other times people may be afraid to discuss the main issue. The fear may arise from not having a resolution to or alternative approach to offer or it may be that one fears the reaction of the other. It can feel easier to discuss the lesser issue and dig in with lots of emotion. There is an emotional release however the main issue remains unaddressed. The person on the other side of the conversation can be left wondering what that was all about – really!

Listening to recent political dialogue caused me to think of this all too familiar scenario. It’s not that all the “issues” aren’t legitimate concerns; it’s the elevation of lesser issues to be the same or greater than the primary concerns. What is this about? Is there fear of the response of voters or the opposition? Is it that there is a lot of emotion but no clear “answer” or resolution to the primary issue? Is it easier to get worked up on positional issues?

What would you say are the major issues before the USA today? Many people would quickly answer naming the economy and jobs. Health care is another issue that has received a lot of attention. Recently, however, it seems that many people who are either currently running for office or who are gearing up to run for office in this election year, are talking about a lot of other issues. Are these hot-button issues? Are they popular issues that gather supporters? Are they distractions from the main issues at hand?

For many rounds of Presidential elections, it has been very important to know whether the candidates were for or against abortion and it is asked of those running for the Senate and Congress. Whether you are for or against the current abortion laws is not the point of this reflection. Recently, this issue, along with positional questions on birth control and gay marriage, has been very visible in the news. Certainly there have been some other news stories that have given cause to their discussion. Still, the energy these questions have received seems to generate much more emotion than discussion of the national debt or unemployment rate or even the bleak future of social security and Medicare.

As people of faith, how do we sort out our thoughts and our feelings about issues? How do we identify what is a major issue today without making something else unimportant? How can we keep the main thing the main thing without throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the conversation?

First of all, I urge us all to spend time in prayer. Pray for wisdom and discernment. Listen to ALL of the candidates and listen to the commentaries while listening for the Spirit! What happens if someone close to you disagrees with you on one issue? Say they are against gay marriage or gay adoption. Do you discount everything else they say or believe? Does God call you to continue to love them and be open to dialogue with them? Then, how can we dismiss a candidate based on one position? Even if it is someone you would not vote for, is it possible that they may have something to contribute towards a solution on the major issues?

Spiritually we often talk about learning to live with diversity. We talk about the hard work of learning to create unity with diversity. It is spiritual and emotional work for us to not get stuck on one issue of disagreement that may prevent us from getting down to the real issues at hand. It is spiritual work for us to learn to listen to diverse positions and approaches.

The current tenor of much political discourse does not move us towards unity with diversity. We hear too much negativity, condemning the other, name-calling, and labeling that divides and separates. This is happening not only between candidates but also amongst the populace. As people of faith, we must not dismiss anyone! We can call for honest, straight-forward, substantive discussion of proposed solutions.

We have the opportunity to really exercise our faith and spiritual disciplines. As noted above, it begins with prayer. While praying for the country and those in leadership, we can also pray for a more civil and creative discourse. We can pray for God to show us and ALL candidates what the most pressing issues are and to show us ways to address the concerns of our country. These prayers are not bound by party politics! True dialogue always produces more options and possibilities.

Just as can happen in personal relationships, some people may be tempted to practice avoidance. Avoidance or even heavy engagement of all but the main issues in any relationship will not lead to a better day. Our investment of time for prayer, listening and discernment is an investment of love for country and one another.

What is God saying to you about the issues before our country? What issues is God bringing to your attention as a component of “love of neighbor?” What are you discovering about justice in the midst of meeting basic needs and respecting personal freedom? What is God asking you to speak up about in conversation with your friends? What are you talking about?

Contributed by Rev. Colleen Darraugh

Lead Pastor, MCC of Greater Dallas

From MCC of Greater Dallas August 31, 2011
Dear Eric, 

The Spiritual Edge invites you to continue to grow deeper in your relationship with the Divine.  It encourages you to reflect on matters of life, culture and faith. You may not always agree with what is written here, however, it may still encourage you to spend time in prayerful communion with our God, who is our Teacher and our Guide.
Blessings on the journey!
 

LABOR DAY PRAYERS

This coming weekend is more than a holiday weekend. It is a day set aside to honor all who work and labor. It has it roots in justice work for equal and just pay for an honest day’s work. Sadly, many of us think of it as the last hurrah of summer; a time for one more quick trip. Those who get the day off are often insensitive to all those who work to care for those “holiday” needs from shop keepers to restaurant staff to transportation personnel and more.

In preparation for this Labor Day Weekend, take some time to pray. Give thanks for the labor of your hands and all that God has blessed you with whether it is a job that you do that earns your income or the volunteer work that you do. Pray for others who labor to provide the services and goods you use every day. Pray for a just world for all workers.

The first item below circulates on the internet from time to time. The second is an anonymous prayer resource from a worship website. Let both of these pieces lead you to prayer and gratitude.

There is a message that comes around every once in a while: an “eye opener” and reminder to us all:

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness,

be grateful. Millions won’t survive the week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle,

the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture

or the pangs of starvation, be grateful.

Over 20 million people around the world are currently experiencing these.

If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death,

be grateful. Almost three billion people in the world do not have this freedom.

If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back,

a roof over your head and a place to sleep, money in the bank,

in your wallet, or some spare change in a dish someplace, you are among

the top 8% of the world’s wealthy. Be grateful.

If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder,

thank God–because you are able to offer God’s healing touch.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face, praise God.

If you have a reason to get out of bed in the mornings

—any kind of work to do, consider this a blessing.

Litany of Labor:

Let us pray to the God of all creation, from whom comes life and work and purpose.

Almighty God, when you formed us lovingly out of the dust of the earth, you breathed into us the breath of life and gave us work and purpose for living. We give you thanks, O God, for providing varieties of work and for blessing us:

One: For those who plow the field and those who make the plow; for farmers and farm workers, for steelworkers and machinists; for those who work with their hands and those who move the earth:

We give you thanks, O God.

One: For those who tend the sick and those who seek new cures; for doctors and nurses, for scientists and technicians; for those who keep notes and those who transcribe:

We give you thanks, O God.

One: For those who think and those who create; for inventors and explorers, for artists and musicians; for those who write books and those who entertain:

We give you thanks, O God.

One: For those who work in offices and those who work in warehouses; for secretaries and receptionists, for stockers and bookkeepers; for those who market products and for those who sell them:

We give you thanks, O God.

One: For those who inspire our minds and those who motivate us; for teachers and preachers, for public servants and religious servants; those who help the poor and those who work with our children:

We give you thanks, O God.

One: For those whose labor is tidiness and cleanliness; for janitors and sanitary workers, for drycleaners and maids; for those who produce cleaning products and those who use them:

We give you thanks, O God.

One: For those who sail the waves and those who fly the skies; for captains and attendants, for astronauts and deep sea divers; for those who chart and those who navigate:

We give you thanks, O God.

One: You bless us all with skills and gifts for labor. You provide us opportunities to use them, for the benefit of others as well as ourselves. Guard and protect those who labor for our protection in the world. Look kindly upon the unemployed and the disabled. Give health to the sick, hope to the bereaved.

[add your own prayer list here]

One: God, keep us from laboring only for things. Make us loving and responsible in all that we do. . Creator God, you are the source of all wisdom and purpose, you are the blessing of those who labor. Be with us in our labor to guide and govern our world. Give all men and women work that enhances human dignity and bonds us to one another. Give us pride in our work, a fair return for our labor, and joy in knowing that our work finds its source in you; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Contributed by Rev. Colleen Darraugh,

Lead Pastor, MCC of Greater Dallas