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Ministries of Grace
This is the editorial page. A forum in which some controversial
ideas and comments may be expressed.
 Editorial 5-25-2001
Back in the game? Or is it just hard times?
As it was in the time of Abraham to the days of Christ, politics
plays an integral part in our destiny. We are controlled almost
exclusively by a few who are in a position of power. The cliché
"Absolute power Corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
is all to true. We as a country have become the very thing we
fight against. Political oppression.
Our vote doesn't seem to count, special interest groups make
our laws and our economy seems to be controlled by big oil
interests. What is the average American to do if every time we
do something we have to fear some form of retribution for doing it,
no matter how innocent our actions may have been. In our society
today, even with freedom of speech you can go to jail for using a
poor choice of words in a statement when shouted in public. We
walk on eggs lest they brake and we offend someone or group of
someone's. We are forever apologizing.
It's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. Our politicians only
seem to listen to the squeakiest wheel that has the most money
and political clout. It is almost never in the best interest of the whole.
What they say is that you can't please everyone but you would think
that they would try and please at least the majority. The majority
when they speak find only deaf ears and are never heard. What ever
happened to the "Government of the people by the people and for the
people" We somehow have lost sight of what built this country.
What I have just described is 2000 years of history dating back
to the time of Adam and Eve, Will we ever learn?
The Editor:
Archive 5-25-2001
Just what was that word, Batman?
It's early and we must start the new day. Many of us seem to go
through the motions as if we are players in a play. We are steeped
in tradition and repetition. To except change for some people is
akin to blaspheming God. I wonder how some ever get through their
lives. They seem to remain locked in a state of past-tents trying to
get the rest of the world to follow along. I guess misery loves
company. The point is this.
People see only what they want to see. They are only swayed by
the occasional misspelled word or funny anecdote. They see
quickly the mistakes of others, yet seldom look at themselves.
The world is not quite right but I'm OK, seems to be the mindset of
many. It's sad that with all of our technology, we can't get the mirror to
reflect the truth of our inner self. To truly see ourselves as others see
us, just might change how we look at and see others.
I could go on forever but I would then be one of them. If However, you
are not part of the solution then you must be part of the problem.
With this I offer these observations and simple suggestions.
When a friend is in need of a listening ear, do you listen?
Or are you one who has a better story of the same type, tell it
and steal the thunder of the one who is in need.
When a friend makes an innocent mistake, do you ridicule making
the friend the focal point, of do you defend the friends right to make
mistakes?
Do you exercise the right of free speech by speaking on everything
or do you withhold judgment and speech until you've heard all of the
facts and then speak only on the pertinent matters based on facts?
Do you claim that you don't understand the Bible, or is it that you
have never read it?
The editor
Archive 12-15-2000
A time to give respectfully:
It's Christmas, and every year at this time the spirit of giving comes
into our hearts. We gather food for the needy by having each church
member and friend bring something for the King's cupboard. We ask
for an extra tithe on the Sundays just before Christmas so the church
can afford to buy some turkeys for the needy on this occasion.
After some begging and pleading from the pulpit and from others in
the congregation, by some miracle a substantial increase in food
stores has miraculously occurred.
But what I find interesting, is that all of this comes together without
what seems like even the vaguest of plans. Then at the last minute
we scramble to find some closed mouthed compassionate volunteers
who are willing to give up two or three evenings just before Christmas
to distribute these gifts from God to some carefully selected needy
families that only a very few in the church seem to know about. Then
we call this an outreach.
I have described what might be considered an oversimplified version
of how helping the needy is accomplished in most churches today.
Especially during these special times. This portrayal has little or no
barring on how large or small a church or the size of it's congregation.
If it weren't for the last minute nothing would get done and heaven
forbid someone should actually sit down and plan for the outreach.
When I say plan, I really mean plan. How much of what kind of food?
Is there warm clothing and other essentials included in the outreach
package? Who will actually be the ones distributing the holiday feast?
Is the food and clothing going to people who are truly needy because
they have fallen on hard times or is the food and clothing going to
people you know and feel sorry for because a church brother or sister
has brought them to your attention? Is the outreach going to the
same people year after year, or does the church body seek to help as
many as possible during each holiday season?
To be Christian is to give of oneself to help those in need without
being judgmental. The spirit of Christian giving does not have the
word "selectively" inserted in front of the word giving. Our lord
rebuked those who were steeped in hypocrisy, and God did not
create perfection without a plan. The whole concept of the church
family is to help thy neighbor. Each congregation is to help those
in their own church community who are in need. I grant that it is nice
to help the world, but when we strain our resources to give beyond
the scope of our local outreach, who then will feed the starving
children in our own communities. Do we leave it to the state or local
government to feed and cloth these young people and totally ignore
the homeless?
Would it not be better to open our church doors this Christmas, use
the church kitchens and church dining rooms? Warm up the ovens and
light the burners on these stoves and prepare a grand Christmas Eve
dinner for the homeless and their hungry children, lest they be
forgotten for another year. To do this a couple of times a year,
Thanksgiving and Christmas seems to me to be far less trouble than to
haphazardly give to only a select few in the local church community.
Greg Allison
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