Well, I've been hiding is Salem for a few days with Megan. Cindy has been in Nashville TN for a couple of days and is due in late tonight (Feb 20). We'll head home tomorrow- then a busy week which will end with Cindy and I in Vancouver WA next Fri and Sat...
Yesterday, Feb 19th I had the privilege of opening the Oregon House of Representatives in prayer. Here is a text of my prayer (for occasions such as these I generally write out a prayer...I am veery nervous in situations like that):
Great and Awesome God-
You have granted us the privilege of living in 'intersting times.' You have granted that we might have an unprecedented opportunity to choose our future.
The challenges we face are many, but Your resources are more than sufficient.
As this group deliberates the issues before them, may Your Holy Spirit clarify what is true, illuminate what is right, and apply what is just.
As these gifted men and women meet may You refine our collective hopes for the future by Your wisdom.
As these people meet representing us, may Your truth guide and direct their paths.
O God-
You who have established the heavens and the earth and laid the foundations of the earth, may Your unparalleled power be our strength, and may Your storehouse of wisdom be our treasure.
As the challenges of our day arise, may You grant your guidance to enat laws, Your authority to enforce them, and Your wisdom to obey them, and may they be reflections of Your nature.
We bring these requests to You in the name of Your greatest gift to us, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
I am right now listening to the revenue forecast for the remaining months of this biennium and next- almost $900 million for the next four months, and $1.7 billion for the 2009-2011 biennium.
Pay cuts and furlough days have already been announced for senior government staff, including the Gov- he is taking a 5% pay cut. The legilsature meets all next week to balance the budget for 2007-2009- which will require hard and difficult choices. Schools are going to be hard hit, as well as social services. There probably will be no area of government spending unaffected.
Indeed, interesting times.
More later....
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Thinking Out Loud
It's been too long...so permit me to think out loud for a few minutes. Cindy and I (as well as two other adults and 6 high school students from the Winston area) are in Washington DC for the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America conference which os required as part of our federal drug-free communities grant. Today we toured Washington DC. Then after returning to our room I read these words...
Then they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to Him to trap Him by what He said. When they came, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know You are truthful and defer to no one, for You don’t show partiality Lit don’t look on the face of men; that is, on the outward appearance but teach truthfully the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay, or should we not pay?” But knowing their hypocrisy, He said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a • denarius to look at.” So they brought one. “Whose image and inscription is this?” He asked them.
“Caesar’s,” they said. Then Jesus told them, “Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.
Hmm. I saw hundreds of office buildings- with several dozen cranes marking new construction and renovations- that house the government. One entire community- Pentagon City is almost exclusively occupied by auxiliary Pentagon offices, defense contractors, and military experts...
Later in the same chapter (Mark 12) Jesus reminds His listeners that loving God is THE most important thing. He illustrates that by calling attention to a woman who puts two insignificant coins in the Temple treasury.
Hmm. thinking out loud again...I see and feel the need for an economic recovery as well as anyone else. But I wonder if we are missing the point. If there is no moral or spiritual underpinning, of what value is the economic gains that are hoped for in the stimulus package? Maybe even more importantly, when will we have an honest (i.e. non-pork filled budget) discussion about the proper role of government? Republicans have been as guilty as Democrats when it comes to increasing the size and scope of the federal government. Isn't it time to ask ourselves again...just what is the government accountable for? And what are we as individuals responsible for? Sec. of State Hillary Clinton famously said, "It takes a village to raise a child." Is a village made to order by government, or is a village the sum and beyond of those who live, work, raise their families, and gather for social and political purposes?
Just thinking...give to Caesar what is his, give to God what belongs to Him- the full energy of our mind, soul, and strength to love Him and to love our neighbor as ourselves, and then we can trust God to take what little we have and use it to powerfully impact the kingdom of God.
Just thinking out loud...
Steve
Then they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to Him to trap Him by what He said. When they came, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know You are truthful and defer to no one, for You don’t show partiality Lit don’t look on the face of men; that is, on the outward appearance but teach truthfully the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay, or should we not pay?” But knowing their hypocrisy, He said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a • denarius to look at.” So they brought one. “Whose image and inscription is this?” He asked them.
“Caesar’s,” they said. Then Jesus told them, “Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.
Hmm. I saw hundreds of office buildings- with several dozen cranes marking new construction and renovations- that house the government. One entire community- Pentagon City is almost exclusively occupied by auxiliary Pentagon offices, defense contractors, and military experts...
Later in the same chapter (Mark 12) Jesus reminds His listeners that loving God is THE most important thing. He illustrates that by calling attention to a woman who puts two insignificant coins in the Temple treasury.
Hmm. thinking out loud again...I see and feel the need for an economic recovery as well as anyone else. But I wonder if we are missing the point. If there is no moral or spiritual underpinning, of what value is the economic gains that are hoped for in the stimulus package? Maybe even more importantly, when will we have an honest (i.e. non-pork filled budget) discussion about the proper role of government? Republicans have been as guilty as Democrats when it comes to increasing the size and scope of the federal government. Isn't it time to ask ourselves again...just what is the government accountable for? And what are we as individuals responsible for? Sec. of State Hillary Clinton famously said, "It takes a village to raise a child." Is a village made to order by government, or is a village the sum and beyond of those who live, work, raise their families, and gather for social and political purposes?
Just thinking...give to Caesar what is his, give to God what belongs to Him- the full energy of our mind, soul, and strength to love Him and to love our neighbor as ourselves, and then we can trust God to take what little we have and use it to powerfully impact the kingdom of God.
Just thinking out loud...
Steve
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