Can't We Just Talk Nice?

Thank goodness the 2012 election season is coming to an end.  Watching the news or listening to the radio has become an exercise in frustration.  It’s not just the endless string of political commercials, debates, and “expert” commentators.  It’s the tone and the tactics which make it very tempting to conclude that none of the candidates are worthy of my vote.

The endless stream of angry, inflammatory, misleading and rude voices and images used in an effort to convince people to support a particular viewpoint or candidate, or more accurately, why not to support the competition, paints a sad picture of the state of respect and civility in our country.  This has been amplified during this election season by the new protections granted to the “super PACs.”  I’m sorry, but someone will have to convince me that allowing people to secretly contribute millions of dollars to these groups so that they can pay for venomous commercials and advertisements is good for society. 

We can debate whether the media is the cause of, or a reflection of, this uncivil activity.  Either way, I fear we are losing our ability to listen to views other than our own, weigh arguments fairly, and make informed decisions.  Instead, our views are shaped by whatever biased “news” source we choose to watch or listen to.  Those who have different views are quickly labeled as wrong and evil.  Recently, I heard a radio commentator observe that he’s seen fewer political bumper stickers this year than in previous elections.  Perhaps we are simply afraid to share our support in this way for fear of getting run off the road (or worse) by another driver.

What’s particularly sad is when this dark side of American behavior seeps into our faith communities.  A number of my friends and colleagues have commented that they have different political affiliations than their pastor and the majority of their congregation, so they don’t share their opinions on issues for fear of being labeled somehow as un-Christian.  The Sunday worship service has often been referred to as the most segregated hour in America.   These days, perhaps this includes segregation based on your political or social viewpoints. 

There is an alternative to disrespect for other opinions and trash talk, of course, one that opens the door to great opportunities for the church.  Christ’s description of it is pretty straight forward: “Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)  Can we, as the church, demonstrate love for others by engaging in civil, respectful discussion of societal and life issues?  Can our churches be safe places for dialogue around difficult issues?  Can our day school and Sunday School classrooms be places where children are taught not only the words to the song, “They’ll Know We are Christians by our Love,” but how that message can be applied in our interactions with people whose opinions differ from our own?

I was encouraged recently by a visit to Epiphany Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Virginia.  Pastor Charles Oberkehr and members of Epiphany are responding to God’s love by making it a place that encourages care, understanding and civil conversation among people in their diverse community.  The congregation is located very near a large U.S. Army base.  With the help of a grant from Wheat Ridge Ministries, they are developing a variety of programs to assist members of the military and their families, particularly those who were deployed in the Middle East.  They recognized a significant “disconnect” between these members of the military and local community members on a variety of issues, including the challenges faced by veterans when they return from deployment.  In response, they are sponsoring a series of forums inviting both military and non-military into open, facilitated conversations.  A great example of a congregation serving as a healing place!

There are countless examples like this as churches live out their role as centers of health and healing in their community in response to God’s love.  What are you, or your congregation, doing to promote and encourage civil discussion about issues of importance?  Post a comment below!  And, in the meantime, enjoy God’s blessings each and every day!

Charity, Philanthropy, Justice and Mercy

One of the gatherings I look forward to each year is the annual meeting of the Lutheran Grant Makers Network.  This is a convening of executives from Lutheran foundations who work hard to support efforts that impact the lives of people in Christ’s name.  The participating organizations include a variety of family foundations and conversion foundations.  Wheat Ridge Ministries is an example of the latter, having “converted” many years ago from a tuberculosis hospital to a grant making foundation.

As always, when this group gathers, my plate is filled with much food for thought.  One of the presentations that I really appreciated was delivered by Dr. John Wimmer, who directs the Religion Program Division of the Lilly Endowment.  As you may know, the Lilly Endowment supports one of the largest foundations in the United States and is rare among foundations of similar size and scope in that it includes support of religion among its top priorities.

 

John asked us to consider whether our grant making was based primarily on a desire to do charitable work or to engage in philanthropy.  He defined charity as the unaccompanied, unconditional transfer of money to assist someone in need and philanthropy as a strategic approach to giving that seeks long-term solutions and tries to create opportunities for self-help.  The definitions bring to mind the wise saying, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.  Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.”

While the quick response from the grant makers in the room was that we see work as philanthropic, the discussion that followed was very helpful.  The need for charitable grants is great so that resources can be invested in efforts to provide relief when disasters and emergencies strike and where immediate response is needed to provide for basic things like food, shelter and clothing.  Extremely important, as well, is the challenging work of philanthropic investment, which attempts to identify and address the underlying root causes of human need and provide support for long-term change.  Such investments require time and financial resources to “move the needle” as well as cooperation and collaboration among grant makers and other organizations.

 

Thank God for organizations such as Lutheran Disaster Response and Lutheran Church Charities who respond so quickly and so well when disaster strikes.  And thank God for the work of the foundations and other grant makers such as the Siebert Lutheran Foundation, the Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis and the Lutheran Foundation, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, who support efforts to address root causes of human care issues.  There is a place for both charity- and philanthropic-minded generosity from organizations and individuals as we are moved by God’s love to care for others.  The prophet Micah affirms this in his call for God’s people to do both justice and love mercy (Micah 6:8).

 

Of course, I am also thankful for Wheat Ridge Ministries’ unique place in this important work as a seeder of new health and human care ventures.  What a blessing it is to be supported by the gifts of people who are both charitably- and philanthropically-motivated and to invest these gifts in new ministries so that increasing numbers of people can experience the healing touch of Christ!

I Read in the News Today ...

In last month’s “Rick’s Reflections,” I commented on the epidemic of violence in our country – gun violence, in particular. Shortly after making those comments, I came upon an interesting Associated Press article. The headline reads “Doctors Target Gun Violence as a Social Disease.”

The doctors in the story propose that gun violence be considered a social disease and therefore a public health issue. This makes sense to me. What if we addressed the issue of gun violence with the urgency and priority that we would if there was an outbreak of some new deadly virus that was spreading rapidly? To be sure, such an event would mobilize researchers and public health officials. Public awareness campaigns would gear up rapidly to educate people about the virus, the conditions in which it spreads, and how to avoid contact with the virus. Money would be no object as government and health institutions rushed to find a cure. I realize this is not an “apples to apples” comparison, but it makes me wonder why this issue does not take on more urgency, even as thousands of people are killed each year in the United States by gun violence. Thank God for congregations who are taking this issue seriously, including those mentioned in last month’s reflections whose new ministries to prevent violence in their communities have been seeded by Wheat Ridge Ministries.

I also found another recent headline interesting, especially in light of our continuing efforts to assist congregations and other faith-based organizations that are developing new programs that bring health and healing to others. The headline read, “Now the Presidential Race is about Nonprofit Issues.” This appeared in the online edition of the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The author of the article, Mark Rosenman, makes the case that the non-profit sector will be deeply impacted by the results of the upcoming elections, especially as the results influence federal and state budgets. His fear is that funding to provide services to people in need, including children, the frail elderly and those challenged by disabilities, is more at-risk than ever as government officials face difficult choices about where to downsize federal and state budgets and as those advocating for human services struggle to match the influence of advocates for other parts of the budget. He predicts that non-profit organizations will be expected to bear a greater and greater share of the responsibility to fill the service gap.

I suppose it’s natural to assume that the non-profit sector will be able to step it up, as it always has, to provide even more. However, since many non-profit organizations, including most of our Lutheran social service agencies, are able to provide services because they receive government contracts and grants, it’s hard to imagine where they will receive the needed funding if those funds decrease. Add to the equation that fundraising in the human service and religious segments of the not-for-profit sector are recovering slower than other sectors. Last, but not least, leaders of congregations and other faith-based non-profits already seem to have their hands full as more people are in need of the services they offer and as they struggle with capacity issues related to increasing regulations and accountability. To be sure, our elected officials need our prayers as they are faced with extremely difficult decisions related to budget priorities. Hopefully, the current political races will provide an opportunity for meaningful debate and conversation about our priorities as a nation.

May God be with us as we respond to His grace and mercy by sharing the healing touch of Christ through our discernment of political issues, our efforts to save lives, to give voice to the disenfranchised, and to care for all those in need of healing of body, mind and spirit.

Be Inspired – Make an Impact!

Senseless Violence – Endless Hope

As I write this, I’m still trying to comprehend the recent terrifying news out of Aurora, Colorado, about the gunman who killed 12 people and wounded another 58 in a movie theatre. What is it that compels a person to cause such harm to innocent people? Is this person beyond our care and compassion based on the terrible acts committed? What must it have been like to be sitting in a darkened theatre when this man started shooting? How much harm has been done through this act to the community that still grieves the terrible loss of young lives from the Columbine massacre that happened just a few miles away?

Unfortunately, the loss of life by violence is not limited to crazed gunmen. In Chicago, so far this year, over 300 people have been killed through gang-related violence. And, of course, domestic violence continues to impact the lives of so many, especially women and children. We don’t need to look to places like Syria and Afghanistan to see or experience the horrible results of violence; it is abundantly evident every day here in the United States.

Listening to interviews with people after tragedies, I’m totally puzzled by the logic of those who advocate for violent measures to stop violence. Several people who called into a radio talk show in Chicago the day after the shootings suggested that if only Colorado had a less restrictive concealed weapons law, more people in the theatre would have had guns and the man who started the shooting could have been stopped by a bullet. How would gun crossfire in a crowded theatre have decreased the loss of life and injury? In Chicago, a letter to the editor of one of the major newspapers proposed that the city hire military vets, arm them, and put them on the streets of Chicago with orders to shoot on sight any gang members they see.

I don’t mean to make light of these reactions. We are afraid of the violence we experience and see around us. We see it amplified by the media, glorified in movies, and we end up petrified as we live our lives. These situations bring us face to face with the reality of how fragile life can be.

Of course, God’s vision for our world and our lives is most certainly not this. Fortunately, God’s message of life – health and hope made possible in Christ – is proclaimed and inspires people to share the Good News in word and deed and make an impact by serving others. So, as I try to comprehend the reality of violence in our world, I’m also filled with hope as I see the church in action through people addressing issues to prevent violence so that the norm becomes love, honor and care for their neighbors as unique members of God’s creation. The Wheat Ridge community is regularly blessed by the opportunity to help seed some of these efforts. Among those that come to mind today are …

• The McClintock Partnership in Charlotte, North Carolina, that engages large numbers of volunteers from Christ Lutheran Church to serve at-risk students and their parents in an under-resourced public middle school;

• The Initiative Against Bullying and Violence at Concordia Lutheran Church in Chicago;

• The HOPE Schools and St. Marcus Lutheran School, where inspired teachers transform lives and bring hope to children and teens in inner-city Milwaukee through high-quality education;

• The S.H.A.P.E. Center in Detroit, established by Immanuel Lutheran Church, to provide wellness programs for inner city youth;

• The Pailalen Parental Training to Prevent Violence Program developed by Lutheran Child and Family Service of Michigan to help parents learn skills that can prevent violence by their children against self, family and others;

• The Domestic Violence Survivor’s Project, led by King of Kings Lutheran Church in Milwaukie, Oregon;

• The Living Room at Redeemer Center for Life in Minneapolis, that provides a safe place for individuals, youth and families in an underserved community to gather and to receive assistance.

Please join me in praying for leaders of these efforts and those they serve even as we ask the Lord to help us all be more effective as individuals and as the church to end the scourge of violence in our homes and communities.

“I came that you might have life, and have it to the full.”

John 10:10

How Time Flies ... For Some

A recurring theme in the conversations I have with friends and colleagues is how quickly time seems to fly by. Summer is here already. For those of us who live in climates with significant seasonal change, summer is a time when we wish the clock might slow down so that we can enjoy the warmth and longer daylight hours. But, only yesterday we were gathering for Thanksgiving dinner. Or so it seems. We look at events six months or a year forward on our calendars, knowing that they will be here before we know it.

I sometimes forget that the sense of time passing quickly is a result of being blessed with a sense of purpose, meaningful work and many, many options for how I invest my time each day. I also tend to forget that, for many people in the world, the problem is not that time moves too quickly; it’s that it moves too slowly. I recently heard an interview on public radio with a young woman who grew up the child of very poor parents in a developing country. When she was six years old, her parents sold her to a wealthy family, where she worked as a servant. During the interview, she described her early morning to late at night routine of chores … the same routine every day. No time for school, play or relaxing on Sunday. I imagine she must have felt like time stood still – nothing to look forward to and no hope for a change in routine.

There are countless others for whom days must not pass quickly enough. People in prison waiting for the day of their release; the person suffering from an illness or recovering from an accident who must endure weeks or months of lying in a hospital bed; the frail elderly person who spends her day in a nursing home; young people in our cities who can’t find safe places to learn and have fun during the summer months; the underemployed person whose work brings no joy, or the unemployed person waiting for the phone to ring with the offer of a job. 

The desire to serve people in these circumstances and help them experience hope and healing is the reason inspired leaders come to Wheat Ridge Ministries for assistance as they envision and develop new human care ventures. It is a great privilege for us to engage in the seeding process with our friends and donors, so that young mothers in Ghana, cancer patients throughout the United States, ex-offenders in Nebraska, grandchildren of Alzheimer's victims in Wisconsin, homeless people in Florida, students in inner city Milwaukee and many, many others who are served by creative new ministries can experience the healing touch of Christ.

Thank God for the gift of life and the time we are given on this earth to share God’s love with others. Whether time seems to be moving quickly or slowly for you today, may Christ’s loving presence be apparent along the way!

With a Little Help from My Friends

I thought about this great Beatles song recently while attending a gathering on the occasion of my good friend John Nunes’ graduation ceremony. John is now officially “Dr.” Nunes, having completed his PhD from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. Way to go, John!! During a reception in his honor held after the graduation service, John thanked the group assembled and shared that earning this degree wasn’t his accomplishment, but the result of a joint effort that involved many friends, colleagues and family members who took the journey with him and supported him in many significant ways.

The staff and board of Wheat Ridge was blessed by a little help from our friends a few weeks ago as we began a very important strategic thinking and planning process with a “Future Summit.” In fact, what our friends provided was much more than a little help. Twenty four very talented, perceptive and wise people from our various stakeholder groups – donors, grant recipients, supporting congregations, church bodies and partner organizations – gave of their time, talent and treasure to join us for two days of deep thinking and discernment. The focus of our conversation was the future of our mission – how Wheat Ridge will impact the world through our seeding mission and what “business” model we need in order to sustain and grow our impact.

Our journey through the summit began with a look at our past. Then we explored the present, considering our internal and external environments, including trends that impact the pursuit of our mission. Participants shared “proud ofs” and “sorries” about Wheat Ridge from their perspective. Teams developed several scenarios and descriptions about the work of Wheat Ridge in the future. From all of this work emerged a series of “common ground” statements that captured the collective wisdom of the participants. The statements address concepts and strategies such as long-term equity investment in new ministries, crowd funding and other means of digital engagement, strategic partnerships, high impact grant making and creative outcomes-based funding models. These statements will provide direction as our planning efforts continue. The Summit participants have agreed to continue to pray for our efforts, encourage and help us along the way, and hold the staff and board accountable for action moving forward.

The Summit would not have happened without a little help from many other friends. Generous donors who understand the importance of our strategic efforts are providing significant funding for our planning process. Great friends Chuck Dull, Kurt Bickel and Les Stroh, who are such talented consultants and facilitators, provided outstanding leadership, guidance and structure for the Summit. Another great friend, Gary Hubbell, is using his skills as a planning consultant to help us move from the Summit through the formulation of our strategic plan. Of course, what friends Wheat Ridge has in its office staff, who make meetings like the Summit successful by their careful arrangements and caring attention to the needs of participants, and who keep our ministry moving forward today, even as we plan for the future.

Getting this help from our friends during the Summit is a great blessing and reminds me that helping people get by with a little help from their friends is the work of Wheat Ridge Ministries. We help those with generous hearts and resources become friends with people who have inspired ideas for changing lives so that together they can help others experience the healing touch of Christ and wellness of body, mind and spirit. What a blessing it is to be a friend maker!

Aren’t you glad that God determined early on in the creation story that “it is not good for man to be alone?” Thanks, God, for giving us friends who help us get by, and for creating us to be friends to others. A world filled with friends is a world filled with health and hope!

Viva TACO!!

Our annual President’s Circle Retreat took place earlier this month in San Diego, California. This event is always a highlight for me. It’s an opportunity for our donors to come together to be updated on the seeding work they are supporting, to grow personally by exploring topics of common interest, and to enjoy Christian fellowship anchored in devotion and prayer.

One of many highlights of this year’s retreat was worshipping with the family of believers at First Lutheran Church in San Diego. It was one of those times when the Scripture lessons seemed especially matched to the occasion. The New Testament lesson for the day was from Acts 4: All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. How wonderful it was to hear these words while in the midst of our retreat attendees. These inspiring people reflect the special qualities of our friends and donors - great generosity and willingness to serve and share freely of their time, talents and treasures in order to ensure that new ministries of health and hope are established that touch lives in Christ’s name.

The Gospel reading at First Lutheran was from John 19. Pastor Wilk Miller reminded us that this is always the Gospel reading on the Sunday after Easter. How interesting that so soon after the joyous celebration of Christ’s Easter victory we’re already reminded that doubt is so much a part of our lives as we read the story of the disciple known as “doubting Thomas.” Perhaps Thomas is a distant relative of mine as I can sure be a doubting Rick. Our Easter days at Wheat Ridge this year are filled to the brim with important work related to budget preparations and strategic planning. It’s so easy to let doubt get the best of me during times like these instead of trusting God’s promises and living the joy of Easter.

Rick Herman (right) with
Jim Lovell, Director, TACO

First Lutheran Church has a long history of serving the homeless and other “underserved” people in downtown San Diego. In the 1970s, First Lutheran was typical of many urban churches. Their membership was rapidly declining as people moved out of the downtown area. God’s Spirit led them to make a bold decision to serve the people who remained, no matter what their circumstances. Today, they provide meals for hundreds of people each month. Several years ago, they created the Third Avenue Charitable Organization (TACO) to expand their services to the homeless to include a wide variety of medical and legal services. They are led by an inspiring leader, Jim Lovell, who cares deeply about the welfare of people in the city.

Wheat Ridge has had the privilege of helping seed the work of TACO. Most recently, we provided a grant to pilot a wonderful program called Simon’s Walk. Imagine being a homeless person and, after visiting a free clinic or emergency room, you are told that you have an incurable disease and have only weeks or months to live. It’s very likely that you have no family or friends to rely on and to confide in as you contemplate the final days of your life and as you experience the pain and discomfort that often accompanies the dying process. There are many such people in downtown San Diego. Simon’s Walk trains volunteers who accompany homeless people along this difficult journey. The volunteer helps them experience the final days of life with dignity and helps them identify and access community services that are available to them. Word is put out on the street to friends and acquaintances who otherwise may not know that their friend is dying. After death, a memorial service is held at the church. More information about this beautiful ministry of care and compassion is available on the TACO website.

It must be very easy to doubt God’s presence when you are homeless and hungry. What a blessing it is that congregations like First Lutheran Church and organizations like TACO help people in these difficult circumstances “touch” the hands of Christ as they serve in His name. By doing so they are proclaiming the Good News that Christ is Risen! He is Risen, indeed. Hallelujah!