My good friend Lloyd Mattson once complained of the lack of rancor in the Baptist church he attends. Our current Baptist church is the same. No drama at business meetings, save one explosive outburst at an annual meeting a few years ago.
Lloyd's post (theholenews.org) jogged my memory. We had all finished our traditional pot-luck dinner following the morning service. I was our young treasurer and when I was up to bat at a business meeting, I got raked over the coals.
"Why are the payments to missionaries behind schedule?"
"Ah,... after paying bills and the pastor's salary and retirement and the monthly payment for the new pipe organ and the monthly mortgage payment there was nothing left; well there was less than a hundred dollars left. Can't do much missionary funding with that."
At the previous annual meeting, around 1984 the Board of Deacons wanted our missionary budget increased by a whopping fifteen per cent. I put together a presentation showing our income trends over the last five years versus the expenditure trends. By the figures on the screen (from the overhead projector) it was plain that we were barely treading water. I wasn't against missionary funding but I saw red flags while working as treasurer for a few years.
During this annual meeting my presentation advising caution in the proposed budget increase was heard, duly recorded and totally disregarded. Someone mentioned that God owns the cattle of a thousand hills." God will provide", someone else said and a resounding "amen" followed.
One of the elders proposed that each week a percentage of the offering equal to our missionaries' total slice of the pie chart would be set aside so that the missionaries would be funded.
"If this is done, the power company will be shutting off our lights and maybe the pastor will miss a payday on occasion," I protested.
I was chided for my lack of faith. "What is not of faith is sin," came from a former deacon, Sam, who often sang solos and along with each would preach a sermonette. I protested that God has given us faculties to manage our financial affairs prudently. I may as well have been talking to the walls and the proposal was approved. I was ready to quit my position and let the Board of Deacons figure it out but my conscience stopped me.
In succeeding weeks when I sat down to church business, a good portion of the offering as reported on the income summary was dedicated to the Organ Fund. Some money was dedicated to specific missionaries. I wrote a check equal to the missionaries percentage, which would sit on my desk and collect dust along with each weekly check. I could not send out these checks because the checks for the utilities, power, natural gas, insurance, etc., would bounce and if enough checks bounced our church would be in trouble.
An ad hoc Advisory Committee was created as a watchdog to be sure that I followed policy concerning missionaries.
Each week I gave a profit and loss report and it was evident that our budget was extravagant, overwhelming our income. The Advisory Committee didn't see it that way.
"George, you're supposed to send those missionary checks right away. The Lord will provide."
"How can I write checks that exceed our bank balance and somehow expect the Lord to prevent checks from bouncing? Too many people are designating their offering checks. A large chunk of our weekly income is designated to the organ, then I don't have enough money to keep the lights on."
In a short time the problem worsened and I reported to the committee that the balance after Sunday's offering, without any cash outlays was less than a hundred dollars. Shock registered on the faces of those present. Soon the committee dissolved and I was in charge of the finances again.
Subsequent annual budgets increased, using the excuse of having faith. "If it's not of faith it's sin," someone said at an annual meeting and several jumped on this bandwagon and the movement was afoot to increase the budget. The difference was a small band of people starting to think conservatively (financially.)
The church has since been through ideological splits. Pastors have come and left. One of the pastors spent the church's money with reckless abandon. I cautioned the deacons as to our rapidly depleting cash reserved. The pastor was brash and had encounters with different members who left the church. When membership and cash reserves had dwindled He was asked to leave.
Presently we have a wonderful pastor. He doesn't chafe at his salary. He cares about individual struggles and shepherds our church lovingly. He is about to lose his day job because of company financial decisions (downsizing) so God only knows how much longer we will have him, since we can't afford to pay him very much.
I disagree with him politically and as to the origins of the universe. He is young-earth, I subscribe to the Big-Bang and theistic evolution but we get along as friends.
The church finances have been stable for several years and there haven't been any intra- church wars. It's wonderful being relaxed during a Sunday service.
I've seen enough of church strife and divisions, people essentially saying, "Be reasonable, do it my way." I'll take peaceful Christianity any day.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Monday, February 15, 2016
I Have a Medal!
This post is from my runner's log. I'm trying to keep my eagerness for the 2016 Paavo.
When I started this log on October 23, 2013 I was on my third year of running. Back then, running in a half-marathon didn't occur to me.
At the start line I my pre-race anxiety level was mild. Instead I was eager to get started. It's a good thing Lois drove me to the start line in plenty of time because we were under the impression of an 8:30 start time and the race began at 8:00, as I was down on one knee fiddling with my shoelaces. I didn't hear a gunshot, just saw everybody running in this great, big pack. I cast off my hoodie and joined the pack.
My expectations were realistic, being a first- timer; I just wanted to finish the 13.1 miles. I had trained for this for this since early May, logging about 25-30 miles per week.The months of training gave me an idea of what I could do as well as how hard I could push my body.
I'm a recovering alcoholic and one of the devils that dogged me in other non-running endeavors was the thought, "Who do you think you're kidding? This takes a better man than you. You can't do anything right. You're not as good, not as smart, not as strong; you don't have what it takes."
One Friday night Lois and I drove along the race course and as we came to the end I said to Lois, "I can do this!" I really believed it so I signed up online and committed myself to train for the event.
I found a training program on the Runner's World website. I stayed with two weeks before I violated the advice not to run too long a distance too soon, to work up to the half-marathon gradually. I ran 12.8 miles on Saturday, May 30 and I became overconfident. After running that distance I should have rested for two weeks, but I thought I'd try the actual race course the next week.
I charged up Highway 77 too aggressively and forgot about pacing myself to conserve my bodily resources. Halfway through the course my legs began to feel heavy. I took walk breaks thinking I could resume running in a short time, but at the junction of Highway C and Highway 51 I mostly walked. My upper back began a dull ache. My legs had weakened and I tried to make up time using timed walkin/ running intervals. The problem was that I became confused as to the most recent reading of my watch.
The final two miles were all in a slow-tempo walk. Inside the city limits of Hurley I crossed the road and sat on a low headstone in the cemetery. I had flopped and I was ashamed of myself. It took all of my strength to walk home.
I felt sorry for myself for a couple of days and then I looked at what went wrong. I had ignored expert advice because I thought I knew better. I had also run up and down the hills of Norrie Location two days before, another violation of expert advice. Thirdly, I hadn't slept well Thursday or Friday night. I should have postponed the run.
I went back to running in a disciplined way with slow, easy runs during the week and a longer route that progressed with each week. I watched what I ate and drank plenty of water, running or not. I gleaned every bit of wisdom I could from various runners and the result was heartening. On Saturday, July 4 I ran 13.1 miles and I did it in two segments, using our home as an aid station where I drank water. I also carried M&M candies with me for extra energy. I ran in Ironwood and Hurley, not the official race course. The discipline paid off.
In the ensuing weekends I began to taper my long Saturday runs but I made a mistake that almost cost me participation in the race. On a slow, mid-week run I decided to see how fast I could finish a four mile run. I was proud of running four miles in 39 minutes. Later that day I felt the painful onset of shin splints. I had pushed myself too hard, again ignoring expert advice.
No running for the next two weeks as I iced my shins, rolled my calves on a foam roller and showed up at work in shorts with support sleeves on my legs.
I prayed that I'd heal and be able to run the race.
After two weeks I started running, 10 seconds on and then a minute walking. I progressed with 20/60, 30/120 and back down to 10/60. The easy running was painful but with each day the pain eased and after a weekend with no running I felt no pain. I would be ready.
I was determined, running with this huge pack that I would stay with my pace even though others passed me by. When young women passed me I mentally complimented them. My pace through most of the race was the tempo of 'On Wisconsin" and when I felt I could go faster "Hail to the Victors" came to mind.
At the start the temperature was in the low sixties and kind of humid. By mid race it was a little warmer but it felt more humid. Glad I wore my headband.
I just have to give praise to the volunteers gathers at at intervals, aid stations. They held out cups of Gatorade, water, and at one station a gentleman offered me beer, which I declined, graciously.
I finished somewhere in the middle of the pack and that was okay. I want to do this again in 2016.
When I started this log on October 23, 2013 I was on my third year of running. Back then, running in a half-marathon didn't occur to me.
At the start line I my pre-race anxiety level was mild. Instead I was eager to get started. It's a good thing Lois drove me to the start line in plenty of time because we were under the impression of an 8:30 start time and the race began at 8:00, as I was down on one knee fiddling with my shoelaces. I didn't hear a gunshot, just saw everybody running in this great, big pack. I cast off my hoodie and joined the pack.
My expectations were realistic, being a first- timer; I just wanted to finish the 13.1 miles. I had trained for this for this since early May, logging about 25-30 miles per week.The months of training gave me an idea of what I could do as well as how hard I could push my body.
I'm a recovering alcoholic and one of the devils that dogged me in other non-running endeavors was the thought, "Who do you think you're kidding? This takes a better man than you. You can't do anything right. You're not as good, not as smart, not as strong; you don't have what it takes."
One Friday night Lois and I drove along the race course and as we came to the end I said to Lois, "I can do this!" I really believed it so I signed up online and committed myself to train for the event.
I found a training program on the Runner's World website. I stayed with two weeks before I violated the advice not to run too long a distance too soon, to work up to the half-marathon gradually. I ran 12.8 miles on Saturday, May 30 and I became overconfident. After running that distance I should have rested for two weeks, but I thought I'd try the actual race course the next week.
I charged up Highway 77 too aggressively and forgot about pacing myself to conserve my bodily resources. Halfway through the course my legs began to feel heavy. I took walk breaks thinking I could resume running in a short time, but at the junction of Highway C and Highway 51 I mostly walked. My upper back began a dull ache. My legs had weakened and I tried to make up time using timed walkin/ running intervals. The problem was that I became confused as to the most recent reading of my watch.
The final two miles were all in a slow-tempo walk. Inside the city limits of Hurley I crossed the road and sat on a low headstone in the cemetery. I had flopped and I was ashamed of myself. It took all of my strength to walk home.
I felt sorry for myself for a couple of days and then I looked at what went wrong. I had ignored expert advice because I thought I knew better. I had also run up and down the hills of Norrie Location two days before, another violation of expert advice. Thirdly, I hadn't slept well Thursday or Friday night. I should have postponed the run.
I went back to running in a disciplined way with slow, easy runs during the week and a longer route that progressed with each week. I watched what I ate and drank plenty of water, running or not. I gleaned every bit of wisdom I could from various runners and the result was heartening. On Saturday, July 4 I ran 13.1 miles and I did it in two segments, using our home as an aid station where I drank water. I also carried M&M candies with me for extra energy. I ran in Ironwood and Hurley, not the official race course. The discipline paid off.
In the ensuing weekends I began to taper my long Saturday runs but I made a mistake that almost cost me participation in the race. On a slow, mid-week run I decided to see how fast I could finish a four mile run. I was proud of running four miles in 39 minutes. Later that day I felt the painful onset of shin splints. I had pushed myself too hard, again ignoring expert advice.
No running for the next two weeks as I iced my shins, rolled my calves on a foam roller and showed up at work in shorts with support sleeves on my legs.
I prayed that I'd heal and be able to run the race.
After two weeks I started running, 10 seconds on and then a minute walking. I progressed with 20/60, 30/120 and back down to 10/60. The easy running was painful but with each day the pain eased and after a weekend with no running I felt no pain. I would be ready.
I was determined, running with this huge pack that I would stay with my pace even though others passed me by. When young women passed me I mentally complimented them. My pace through most of the race was the tempo of 'On Wisconsin" and when I felt I could go faster "Hail to the Victors" came to mind.
At the start the temperature was in the low sixties and kind of humid. By mid race it was a little warmer but it felt more humid. Glad I wore my headband.
I just have to give praise to the volunteers gathers at at intervals, aid stations. They held out cups of Gatorade, water, and at one station a gentleman offered me beer, which I declined, graciously.
I finished somewhere in the middle of the pack and that was okay. I want to do this again in 2016.
Monday, February 1, 2016
Out-of-Control Capitalism
Two weeks ago Lois found out that K-Mart of Ironwood will close soon and she will be among the ranks of millions jobless people. It brings to an end the thoughtless queries of people, including friends, "I heard K-Mart is closing." These queries began when the rapacious Walmart Corporation built a store in Ironwood. These queries hurt Lois as some of them were followed by hurtful assaults, 'Walmart is better anyway."
To those I would say, "You got what you wished for." Now there is no more competition in Ironwood, Bessemer, Wakefield or Hurley, or Ontonagon, and about 6 other minor cities whose residents shop in the Ironwood area. You will pay higher prices because that is how capitalism works. Destroy the competition and rape the vanquished, regardless of how much pain it causes. After 35 years Lois' job is gone.
The four living Waltons can rejoice. Another Kmart store has been destroyed and what the hell do they care? Their collective wealth exceeds that of the bottom 40% of the United States. Just FOUR PEOPLE! Capitalism is not godly. It is greed on steroids. It is economic Darwinism. For this country to survive capitalism will have to be reigned in by more socialist moves such as a living wage, not a minimum wage.
Reagan's "supply side economics" started a forty-year bonanza for the rich, along with the demise of labor unions. Reagan's followers saw an increase of 300% income vs. a paltry 1% for the rest of us, the 99%. Business have been raping their workers and this must be stopped.
A single-payer national health system will have to replace the voracious blood-sucking administrations of hospitals that demand full payment of the copay amount even if it unmanageable for the patient. If the patient doesn't pay the hospital sics collection agencies on them that endeavor collection through the use of fear and unfounded threats, possibly causing further health problems.
Companies like Walmart must be stopped, taxed heavily and FORCED to share their wealth with those whose hard work and long hours made trillions of dollars for the company. The same goes for restaurant and lodging chains. Energy prices need to be federally controlled.
The wealthy (1%) and rich corporations must pay their fair share of taxes. Those businesses doing offshore banking must be penalized. Tax loopholes must be closed.There must be penalties for shifting production facilities to foreign countries and that includes the computer tech-support business.
The loss of my wife's job has released my vitriol. The political party that strives to buy elections must be stopped. Citizens United must be reversed. Hard working employees must be given (retroactively, for the last eight years) living wages. NOT MINIMUM WAGES! They should also be given, by law further raises to keep up with the cost of living. The thievery perpetrated by business against labor must be stopped and reversed because the angst of the working class will intimately boil over into a inevitably violent revolution.
The American people can only take so much!
To those I would say, "You got what you wished for." Now there is no more competition in Ironwood, Bessemer, Wakefield or Hurley, or Ontonagon, and about 6 other minor cities whose residents shop in the Ironwood area. You will pay higher prices because that is how capitalism works. Destroy the competition and rape the vanquished, regardless of how much pain it causes. After 35 years Lois' job is gone.
The four living Waltons can rejoice. Another Kmart store has been destroyed and what the hell do they care? Their collective wealth exceeds that of the bottom 40% of the United States. Just FOUR PEOPLE! Capitalism is not godly. It is greed on steroids. It is economic Darwinism. For this country to survive capitalism will have to be reigned in by more socialist moves such as a living wage, not a minimum wage.
Reagan's "supply side economics" started a forty-year bonanza for the rich, along with the demise of labor unions. Reagan's followers saw an increase of 300% income vs. a paltry 1% for the rest of us, the 99%. Business have been raping their workers and this must be stopped.
A single-payer national health system will have to replace the voracious blood-sucking administrations of hospitals that demand full payment of the copay amount even if it unmanageable for the patient. If the patient doesn't pay the hospital sics collection agencies on them that endeavor collection through the use of fear and unfounded threats, possibly causing further health problems.
Companies like Walmart must be stopped, taxed heavily and FORCED to share their wealth with those whose hard work and long hours made trillions of dollars for the company. The same goes for restaurant and lodging chains. Energy prices need to be federally controlled.
The wealthy (1%) and rich corporations must pay their fair share of taxes. Those businesses doing offshore banking must be penalized. Tax loopholes must be closed.There must be penalties for shifting production facilities to foreign countries and that includes the computer tech-support business.
The loss of my wife's job has released my vitriol. The political party that strives to buy elections must be stopped. Citizens United must be reversed. Hard working employees must be given (retroactively, for the last eight years) living wages. NOT MINIMUM WAGES! They should also be given, by law further raises to keep up with the cost of living. The thievery perpetrated by business against labor must be stopped and reversed because the angst of the working class will intimately boil over into a inevitably violent revolution.
The American people can only take so much!
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