When they were living, my aunt and uncle resided in a fine California retirement community. During a visit with them, I was taken by my uncle on a tour of the community’s nearly completed state-of-the-art facility for Alzheimer patients.

We looked inside one room that would soon house a patient. There was no mirror in the bathroom for there was no need for a mirror. The patient who would eventually stay there would not know who he or she is.

Relatives of the patients would be able to visit with them in a comfortable sitting area. But there would be no depth of communication, for the Alzheimer patient eventually has no capacity for an “I-Thou” relationship.

As this disease takes its toll, connection with the past and present is lost. All sense of futurity is gone.

When my uncle and I tried to leave we discovered we had a problem! There was no way to open the facility’s door from the inside without knowing a special code. This is needed because Alzheimer patients no longer have a sense of “here” or “there” and must be protected in their movements lest they wander aimlessly and into danger. We located a construction worker who let us out.

The best of care will be provided for these dependent patients. And so it should be, for the spark of human dignity remains in them. As Christian teaching would affirm, they yet retain, in spite of their physical brokenness, the Image of God.

Since my visit to that care facility I have often thought of the issue of “personhood” and how a debate on human personhood and abortion has raged for five decades since permissive abortion laws were first put on the books in the 1960’s. Originally designed for “those truly tough cases,” the laws triggered an abortion avalanche and were themselves swept away by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision in January 1973.

“Right to Life” advocates have argued for a biological understanding of personhood. Human life, it is said, begins at conception and ought to be respected and protected from violent assault from then until natural death.

Personhood is tied to the biological fact of being human, one of “us” rather than an “it” or one of “them.” Right to Life advocates have argued for the full personhood of unborn humans or at least that enough claim to personhood exists for the life of the unborn to be worthy of protection.

Others have seen personhood as a developing value throughout the prenatal state. In this case, our unborn have a greater and greater claim to life and protection and any termination of their existence requires increasing grounds for justification the longer they exist in utero. As a result, these people join with the “Right to Life” advocates in wanting to ban late-term abortions.

Defenders of permissive abortion laws, of course, do not see matters that way. Personhood is connected to socializing capabilities, or perhaps to intellectual capacities (or these defenders may simply ignore the personhood issue).

Philosopher Mary Ann Warren argued that there are five traits central to the concept of personhood which we can summarize as (1) consciousness, (2) reasoning, (3) self-motivated activity, (4) the capacity to communicate and (5) the presence of self-concepts and self-awareness. Not all of these need be present for a “person” to exist, but a measure of them must exist and a being that lacks all of them is certainly not a “person” in a moral sense.

Medical ethicist Joseph Fletcher (who popularized “Situation Ethics”) had a long list of personhood criteria, including self awareness, time consciousness, a sense of futurity, a sense of the past, the capability of relating to others, communication and control of existence.

Criteria like these clearly exclude the unborn from the realm of “persons.” Thinking this way, one can rationalize abortion as an acceptable practice secured, as the Court saw it, by a “right to privacy” to be found in the “penumbra” of the U.S. Constitution.

What may surprise others but which should not escape the notice of rationalizers like these is that post-partum infants aren’t “persons” by this standard either. Nor are the comatose and others who lack self-awareness and self-control. Infants lack a moral claim to personhood and therefore are disposable, although we may value them for their potential and charm or for other utilitarian reasons. (One medical ethicist used the term “proximate persons” for infants ages 0-2 years.)

At the extreme edge of the scientific and ethical horizon, a justification could be made for cloning human life and harvesting body parts to serve the rest of us who have successfully achieved our personhood, at least in the eyes of those who control things.

Which brings me full circle to the excellent care facility for Alzheimer patients. By the thinking that has prevailed to give us abortion, these patients are not persons. Unlike the unborn, their futurity and their social and intellectual potential are gone. As their disease has progressed, they have gradually but surely lost all claim to the care and love and protection personhood would afford.

In Roe v. Wade, the court threw up its hands and professed agnosticism on the issue of when personhood begins. Incredibly, it then proceeded to adopt a particular view of personhood (you have value at birth) and imposed a model of prenatal “trimesters” and a permissive latitude that, in effect, have given us abortion on demand. The court never allowed the open public debate and legislative deliberation on this issue that is appropriate in a democratic society.

When the Supreme Court ruled on doctor-assisted suicide in 1997, this practice did not receive the constitutional “green light” its advocates had hoped for. One might have expected the court to declare a right to assisted suicide on the same “right to privacy” grounds that gave us abortion on demand. But the court saw the need to guarantee “an earnest and profound debate about the morality, legality and practicality of physician-assisted suicide [that should take place] in a democratic society.”

That statement may have been the closest thing we will hear from the court that sounds like an apology for Roe v. Wade. Rather than resolving the great debate over abortion rights, Roe v. Wade fueled the most acrimonious polarization of our time which shows no signs of abating now forty-two years later.

(This essay is a revision of an opinion column published in the Long Beach Press-Telegram in 1998.)

Bible Insight

Sticks and Stones
May Break My Bones,
But Words Can REALLY Hurt Me!

 

If you want a month of really profitable Bible reading, take the month of March to read daily one of the 31 chapters in the Bible’s “Book of Proverbs”.

What is the Book of Proverbs? It’s a collection of moral principles on many common issues that help us navigate ethically and honorably in a difficult, sometimes unfair world. Even more, I believe it is a collection God endorses and wants us to know to be wise. One of the key themes of Proverbs is speech—what’s good and not so good. What do we say that either brings help, healing and integrity to a situation or brings bitterness, strife and injustice?

Here are some of the speech counsels we get from Proverbs. After each statement, I give the chapter and verse in Proverbs where you can find it.

Gossip and Slander
• A perverse person stirs up conflict,
  and a gossip separates close friends. (16:28)
• A gossip betrays a confidence,
  but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. (11:13)
• Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips
  and spreads slander is a fool. (10:18)

Contentious Words that stir up trouble
• As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
  so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. (26:21)
• Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
  so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out. (17:14)

Truth and Lies
• The Lord detests lying lips,
  but he delights in people who are trustworthy. (12:22)
• A fortune made by a lying tongue

  is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare. (21:6)

Too Much Talking, Period!
• When words are many, sin is not absent
  But he who holds his tongue is wise. (10:19)
• Do you see someone who speaks in haste?
  There is more hope for a fool than for him. (29:20)
• Those who guard their mouths and their tongues
  keep themselves from calamity. (21:23)
• The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
  and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. (17:27)
• The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
  but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (12:18)

Gracious and gentle words
• Gracious words are a honeycomb,
  sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. (16:24)
• A gentle answer turns away wrath,
  but a harsh word stirs up anger. (15:1)

The Bible says our tongues, though small among our bodies’ members, are the hardest part of the body to control (James 3:1-12). With it we bless God one moment and the next moment turn around and curse our neighbor. With encouragement, prayer, Bible reading and God’s grace and power, let’s learn to control the tongue more and more.

[Published in the Long Beach Press-Telegram on Dec. 30, 2014]

Cuban President Raul Castro has made it clear that diplomatic relations with the United States will mean no change in his country’s Communist structure, speaking as if the two political systems are moral equivalents and equally embraced by the people.

Now is the time for President Obama to lead with his words in the tradition of John F. Kennedy, who at the Berlin Wall compared democratic rule to East German Communism. “Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in.”

Here’s a text for our president. “America is not perfect in its democracy. But it is good and its democratic ideals are deeply imbedded in our nation’s soul. It is a government of the people and by the people. The Cuban people on the other hand have not lived as free people. They know nothing about free elections and little about a free economy. Our two governments are not moral equivalents.

“Someday soon the Cuban people should be allowed to freely choose its leaders and the systems it wants, and its rulers should abide by the will of the people. We do not seek to impose change, but we will strongly speak for change and we look forward to the day when the Cuban people will be truly free.”

– Donald P. Shoemaker

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

Appendix – Richard Nixon on Relations with Cuba

Richard Nixon’s last book, Beyond Peace, was published by Random House in 1994, the year of his death. In it, Nixon looked at the world through the prism of total realism and pragmatism found in his views on international affairs.

Here are his words about Cuba and the United States (pages 137-38):

In the case of Cuba, much of the pressure to keep our economic embargoes in force derives from the long-standing belief, particularly among many in the Cuban exile community, that this is the best way to bring a swift end to the cruel and destructive Castro regime. It is true that the collapse of the Soviet government and the subsequent cutoff of Soviet economic subsidies have put heavy new pressures on Castro. The privation is brutal. Economic conditions on the island, bad before, have become far worse. His police state has nevertheless maintained its iron grip.

The plain fact, painful though it may be to face, is that after thirty-five years of Castro’s rule, the hard line against him has failed to get rid of him. It is time to shift the central focus of our policies from hurting Cuba’s government to helping its people. It is unlikely that Castro, an isolated survivor of the Soviet world, could again mount a serious subversive threat in this hemisphere, even if Cuba’s economy improves. Meanwhile, the condition of his people is desperate and growing worse. They need food, they need the basic essentials of everyday life, they need the rudiments of a functioning economy, and they need freedom.

The unique nature of the relationship between the United States and Cuba gives us a special responsibility toward its people. As long as it seemed reasonable that severe economic pressures would help them overthrow the Castro dictatorship, it was appropriate to maintain those pressures. As long as Castro was part of a global network of communist aggressors, the embargo strengthened international security. But that network has vanished, and our best service to the Cuban people now would be to build pressure from within by actively stimulating Cuba’s contacts with the free world. What has worked in China now has the best chance of working in Cuba.

This means we should drop the economic embargo and open the way to trade, investment, and economic interaction, while insisting that ideas and information be allowed to flow as freely as goods. Today’s global economy is essentially a market economy. Where the market system penetrates, it carries along the seeds of political and economic reform. We should put the challenge squarely to Castro: If he wants his people to prosper, then let him open the door to goods and ideas. If he insists on keeping it shut, it will be clear beyond question that only his fear of freedom stands in the way of his people’s escape from privation. If he opens it, then he opens it also to the winds of freedom.

Louis Zamperini—The Rest of the Story

My wife Mary and I visited the Wrigley Mansion in Pasadena the day before the Grand Marshal of the 2015 Rose Parade was announced. We could see the temporary construction where it would be made the next day, but everyone was hush-hush about the announcement.

Louis Zamperini would be the Grand Marshal! Olympic runner, World War II hero lost at sea and presumed dead, survivor of a brutal prison camp. He would later struggle with alcohol and spousal abuse and flashback nightmares. Injuries from his prison camp abuse dashed his hope of running in a future Olympics. And he plotted his return to Japan to find and kill his worst prison camp tormenter.

Zamperini died last summer at the age of 97. “Unbroken” has just been released about his life. We saw the movie December 26.

The story’s opening centers on the plane crash into the Pacific that left Zamperini stranded at sea for 47 days. It flashes back to his childhood and Olympic experience and then moves forward to his lengthy POW experience in Japan. It concludes with the war’s end and his reunion with his family—at Long Beach, California’s airport, no less!

Zamperini’s promise to God (should he survive his ordeal) and his later religious conversion are tastefully mentioned. But for many viewers, including me, a postscript is needed.

The fabric of his life was deteriorating severely; his marriage hung by a thread. But in 1949 a young evangelist named Billy Graham arrived in Los Angeles for a crusade that extended to eight weeks and catapulted Graham to fame.

Zamperini’s wife pled for him to attend with her. He went, kicking and screaming so to speak, but insisted he would walk out when the “invitation” was given at the end of Graham’s sermon. Instead, he walked forward and responded to the invitation to give his life to Jesus Christ.

And the rest of his life was transformed. That night, at the time his heavy drinking would typically begin, he poured it all down the drain. His nightmares ended. He later went to Japan to forgive his wartime tormenters (the worst one refused to meet him). He built a ministry for youth who were troubled as he once was. At 80, he carried the torch at Nagano, Japan (near the site of his POW camp) before the 1998 Winter Olympics!

I have three recommendations:
• Read the book Unbroken
• See the movie Unbroken
• Watch Captured by Grace, recently released by Billy Graham’s organization. It picks up where the movie leaves off and tells “the rest of the story.” http://billygraham.org/video/louis-zamperini-captured-by-grace/

A Happy, Productive, Meaningful New Year to All!

A Very Merry Christmas to All!

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

© 2014 Donald P. Shoemaker

Quenching Religious Expression in the Name of Equality

Whichever side one is on as to the “transgender” issue, what happened in October in Houston, Texas should concern all who support religious liberty.

Long story short, a petition was submitted to the city to call for a voter referendum that would repeal a recent amendment to the city’s equal rights ordinance. The amendment allowed “transgendered” people access to the rest room of their “gender identity”. When the referendum petition was rejected, several groups filed a lawsuit against Houston.

In response to this, attorneys for the city subpoenaed a large number of documents from five pastors—”all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to [the equal rights ordinance], the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession.”

The results of this great overreach of government power would be at least two: (1) an intimidating, chilling effect on the messages and legal activism of churches, and (2) much difficulty for churches to fulfill the subpoenas—churches are generally unequipped or staffed for this kind of demand.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State said that, while a subpoena would be in order when there is a reasonable suspicion of wrong, such wrongdoing is not an issue in this case. “The targeted pastors are not even parties to the lawsuit, and the scope of the subpoenas is striking broad. This has the look of a fishing expedition.” The ACLU of Texas agreed: “The government should never engage in fishing expeditions into the inner workings of a church, and any request for information must be carefully tailored to seek only what is relevant to the dispute.” The Interfaith Alliance said, “As long as a sermon is not inciting violence, the government has no business getting involved in the content of ministers’ sermons.”

That’s three left-wing voices supporting religious liberty in this case!

For now, the city has backed down (rather unrepentantly) from its power display—first by narrowing the request and then by dropping it altogether. Nonetheless, keep alert because “Vigilance is always the Price of Liberty.”

[Sources: “Friendly Atheist” blog; Websites of Americans United and the ACLU;
“The Volokh Conspiracy”, October 16 and 29, 2014; Houston Chronicle, October 29]

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

© 2014 Donald P. Shoemaker

“Beatitudes for Educators”

What we call “The Beatitudes” (the statements of blessedness found in Matthew 5:1-12) are among the most cherished words of the Bible.

Jesus spoke these words at the beginning of what we call “The Sermon on the Mount” (chapters 5-7 of the Gospel of Matthew). Jesus said, “Blessed (favored) are the poor in spirit…those who mourn…the meek…those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…the merciful…the pure in heart…the peacemakers…the persecuted.”

I have the deepest respect for quality educators and others who work with dedication in educational systems. Here I’ve taken The Beatitudes and made application to these honorable people.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

So, blessed are you…when your frustration level is so high and your human resources so low that you realize you must turn to God for renewed strength.

“Blessed are those who mourn.”

So, blessed are you…when your heart is broken over how cruel people can be to other people and over how little children can become innocent victims of violence, even to the shedding of blood. Blessed are you when you grieve over the children who come to school with the deck already stacked against them because their house is not a home and they have no real role models or incentives for being good.

“Blessed are the gentle.”

So, blessed are you…when you turn the other cheek, walk the second mile and continue to work with patience in a situation, even when it seems just about impossible.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”

So, blessed are you…when your frustration over the lack of learned values, moral standards and discipline make you want to chuck it all, but you stay committed to your education task as a calling from God and you don’t forget the importance of your own moral nourishment.

“Blessed are the merciful.”

So, blessed are you…when you reach out your hand to a child desperately needing love and care and concern and assistance, who may not find it from anyone other than you.

“Blessed are the pure in heart.”

So, blessed are you…when you maintain your moral standards in the face of temptations to cut ethical corners and when others see you take your stand on principle, no matter the cost to you.

“Blessed are the peacemakers.”

So, blessed are you…when you intervene in the cause of peace, even at personal risk, and help children who don’t like each other to learn at least how to live civilly with each other and to practice the “Golden Rule.”

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.”

So, blessed are you…if you are ever belittled or have to put your reputation or career on the line and pay a price for following the best values.

In all this God is well pleased with all you do and, in the end, that’s what really counts.

© 2007 Donald P. Shoemaker

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

October 5 – Speak at Sunday Morning Worship Services at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach (8:00, 9:30 & 11:00).
Message: “Faith That’s Worthless & Faith That Works” (James 2:14-26)

October 13-15 – Attend advanced chaplain training in Sacramento at the regional meeting of the International Conference of Police Chaplains

Bible Insight: Let the Bible Say What It Says!
(Don’t impose your own meaning on it.)

How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star [Lucifer] , son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!

You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon [of the north].

I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”

– Isaiah 14:12-14 (New International Version)

From early childhood I was taught that these verses referred to Satan, the Devil—how he was once a majestic angel named Lucifer. But he fell from his high estate due to pride and rebellion. If you were preparing a lesson on the Devil, point #1 would be “Satan—Origin and Fall (Isaiah 14:12-14).”

Many years later, while reading the Bible through in a year (a discipline I highly recommend!) I read through the Book of Isaiah, the prophet of Israel. I came to Isaiah 12:1 through 14:23, which explicitly introduced itself as “an oracle concerning Babylon.” I read chapter 14:3-23, which explicitly begins with “take up this taunt against the king of Babylon“. In these contexts I read Isaiah 14:12-14.

Did I find any reference at all to Satan (the Devil) as, for example, you would find if you read the Book of Job 1:6-12? No, not at all. Not in the slightest.

But wait! Isn’t the Bible to be taken “literally”? If so, how can any earthly king “fall from heaven”? So, the argument goes, these verses look beyond the earthly king to the Devil, the sinister spirit that inspired this evil king. In other words, the Bible may have a “Meaning” within the “meaning”!

But, like an archangel clipped of his wings, that won’t “fly”!

First of all, the context literally says it speaks about Babylon and her king. To make verses in this context say otherwise would be an example of importing and imposing a foreign meaning onto the text.

Second, “literal” doesn’t mean ruthless literalism. The “literal” meaning of any particular scripture is the meaning intended by the writer, including the meaning drawn from the type of literature it is. And the Bible has many kinds of literature: poetry, narrative, taunts, diatribe, epistle, parable, apocalyptic imagery and more. All these must be understood in light of their own nature.

Remember the word “taunt” (Isaiah 14:4)? What is a taunt? Go to a baseball game and listen! Taunts are forms of mockery. “Blind batter” comes to mind (many sports taunts are unprintable). In the Bible, taunts go far beyond literalistic meaning to score their points. This taunt is a song directly addressed against an aspiring world conqueror—now a fallen and disgraced tyrant. It serves as a negative example to discourage other rulers from following the same power-hungry path. *

To bring my lesson home, let me give these thoughts to guide us…

• Yes, the Bible is “inspired by God.” To my understanding, this means that God superintended the process of composition so that what was written was what God wanted written. We rightly call the Bible “The Word of God.”
• Point #1 must be balanced with also seeing the Bible as “the word of man.” It rose from human contexts and all that entails (language, culture, location, issues, and more). The writers were “authors” in the true sense of the word, not just “stenographers” taking down heavenly speech (as if the Bible was dictated). As authors, their own personalities, knowledge, talents and perspectives shown through (all superintended by God). Christians who strongly believe the Bible is “God’s Word” may tend to overlook or minimize the humanity of Scripture **, thus skewing its meaning.
• Verses of the Bible must always be understood in context.
• “Context” includes many things, not just literary location – type of literature (see examples above) being one main contextual factor.
• Don’t “proof-text” the Bible. Reading it through, or at least reading large sections of scripture, will help keep you from “proof-texting.” This means you will need to be cautious with favorite practices like “verse for the day” or “promise to claim” or “what this verse is saying to me.” Remember: a verse of scripture doesn’t mean what it never meant.
• The Bible’s meaning is not to be sought through private interpretation by isolated Christians. Its meaning should be sought within the community of believers.
• Draw applications from verses and chapters in the Bible once you see their meanings in their contexts. The oracle against Babylon and the taunt against her king warn all people about God’s judgment against ruthless power and pride. Judgment will come against such nations and against rulers who think themselves important enough to pull up a chair and sit down beside the Most High God.

There are many excellent books on interpreting the Bible. I recommend: Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: Fourth Edition (Zondervan).

* For an understanding of “taunt” as a literary device: James D. W. Watts, Isaiah 1-33: Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 24, pages 207-12, and “Masal”, Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, vol. 2, pages 1134-36.

** Christians who exalt the divinity of Scripture at the expense of its humanity also often exalt the divinity of Jesus to the detriment of his humanity. Thus, they have an impervious Jesus who walked an inch off the ground and is rather untouched by our weaknesses, since (as God) he didn’t truly-truly experience them himself.

When I commented once that the beatings imposed on Jesus in the excellent movie “The Passion of the Christ” would have so weakened him that he would be unable to carry the cross, someone replied, “But don’t forget who this man was!” That’s what I mean.

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

© 2014 Donald P. Shoemaker

Labor Day 2014 – A Worker’s Prayer

Lord, this is the day you have made. I will rejoice and be glad in it, no matter what. You are Lord of this day. May you be pleased and honored by all I say and think and do in my job.You are my creator, a God of thoughtfulness, planning and beauty. Help me to take those qualities into my workplace, that I might do my very best with the talents and skills you’ve given me.

You have given me values to live by.

Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil.

Let the pressures of my job build me and not break me.

In the words of the Psalmist, “Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts.”

Thank you for my work, O God. I accept it as my calling.

Thank you for the privilege of being productive, of earning an income, of being able to earn so that I might give to your work and enjoy a better life.

Give me a sensitive and supportive heart to those who work over me, beside me, and below me.

May I be loyal and loving, concerned and caring, an instrument of your peace.

Let my light shine at work, Lord. May your virtues be seen in me.

May I have opportunities to give a reason for the hope that is within me, and may I have the appropriate words to share.

May my workday receive your smile, Lord, both now and at your judgment. For I long to hear your words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

– By Donald P. Shoemaker (1998 message: “The Bible’s Work Ethic—God’s Way to Job Satisfaction”)

“Prophets are Good for Business”
(Applying Biblical Principles to Work Situations)

In Observance of Labor Day, We Remember Peter Dey

Who? Peter A. Day (1825-1911), one of the best, if not the best, railroad engineers in the country, had a dream job—chief engineer for construction of the Union Pacific Railroad, which built the Transcontinental Railroad west from Omaha to its connection with the Central Pacific Railroad in Utah Territory.

Prior to this job, he had directed surveys of the road to Promontory Point, helped secure land for right of way, ordered equipment, arranged tie contracts, and raised funds for construction.

Enter Thomas “Doc” Durant, who above all was in railroad construction to make as much money as he possibly could. To do this, he would establish the “Credit Mobilier”, America’s worst financial scandal of the 19th century. But that’s another story.

Dey was ordered to abandon a route he had surveyed (already under construction) for another “bowed” one that would add nine miles and “bring in an extra $144,000 in government and company bonds, plus 115,200 acres of federal grants, and more profits for the Credit Mobilier.” Durant also ordered Dey to submit a proposal to build the railroad for $60,000 a mile, twice what Dey had estimated.

Dey pondered the order and reluctantly chose to resign, saying, “I do not approve of the contract…and I do not care to have my name so connected with the railroad that I shall appear to endorse this contract.” Forty years later he would be vindicated when the railroad right-of-way was relocated to his original straight path.

He noted that he had “resigned the best position in my profession this country has ever offered to any man.”

This Labor Day I hold Peter Dey in high esteem as a professional worker who put his own honor and conscience ahead of financial advantage. People like him are honored in scripture—they keep their word even when it hurts; they lend money without usury and never accept a bribe (Psalm 15).

“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”

(Proverbs 22:1)

(Note: most of the information is gleaned from Stephen Ambrose’s book on the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, Nothing Like It in the World [Simon and Shuster, 2000]. Other sources include “The Union Pacific—Significant Individuals” and the PBS Program Transcript “The American Experience—The Transcontinental Railroad.”)

Bible Insight:
What Do We Mean by
“The Will of God”?

“I’m just waiting now to find God’s will in this matter.”
“Our church is trying to discern what God wants us to do.”

Versions of those phrases are around us all the time in Christian circles. We’ve likely used them ourselves. I have.

But maybe it’s time for rethinking this whole matter of “knowing God’s will.” Here are some verses that will prod us (James 4:13-15 New Int’l. Version):

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow… Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

I find it helpful to distinguish two “wills” of God:

1. God’s DESIRED or PRESCRIBED will (his moral revelations to us)
2. God DETERMINED or PROVIDENTIAL will (what God has set to transpire in the world and in our lives)

An example of the first is in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 – “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified, that you should avoid sexual immorality…”

We acknowledge God’s will in this sense every time we pray the words of The Lord’s Prayer (“Your will be done”) or when we recall the words of Jesus to his Heavenly Father, “Not my will, but yours be done.” We find this “will of God” in Scripture. As free moral agents, we can choose whether we want to be “in God’s will” in this moral sense and we are accountable to God for our choices.

James 4:13-15 (above) is an example of God’s determined, providential will.

Its specific details are hardly ever available to us in advance and we are not responsible for knowing them. We will be “in God’s will” in this sense whether we know it or not, or whether we want to be or not.

There is a wide range of issues that are neither forbidden nor commanded by God—that is, not addressed in Scripture. With these issues, there is no absolute “will of God”, that is, no prescribed right or wrong. We are responsible for weighing these issues and making good-sense choices. Issues such as “Should I go to this school or that school, or have this or that career?” or “Should our church have this or that program or building?” are examples.

In this realm of “indifferent things” we must be willing to let others make different choices from our own without regarding them to be “out of God’s will.” And no one should judge us for our choices or try to play the “spiritual trump card”—”I believe this is God’s will for us (and your idea isn’t!).”

So, bottom line, I for one do not try to “discern God’s will” in the realm of his providence. I will live in this realm with prudence and wear my seat belt. I will seek wise counsel, gather information and apply my reason and common sense. I may choose not to travel to certain places—others may choose otherwise. But ultimately, “whatever will be will be.” I will be “in God’s will” and I need to thank him for that, make my plans to the best of my ability, and know that ultimately God is in charge of my life and I am not.

And it would be wonderful if Christians would spend time thinking through how The Ten Commandments (for example) apply to their daily lives rather than trying to discern the will of God that is hidden till it happens.

Just the Answer for the Truly Lazy* Preacher…

* Or perhaps this minister lays aside his primary responsibility to study and teach the Word of God so he can do “vision-casting” and other modern distractions.

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Don’s Upcoming Ministries

September 9 – Lead a meeting for ministers (the district ministers of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches) at the Seal Beach Police Department.

Topic: “Pastors and Churches in the Hour of Crisis: How God Worked through Both When a Mass Murder Happened in Seal Beach.”

Contact me for information on attending this event.

October 5 – Speak at Sunday Morning Worship Services at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach (8:00, 9:30 & 11:00).

Message: “Faith That’s Worthless & Faith That Works”
(The Epistle of James 2:14-26)

October 13-15 – Attend advanced chaplain training in Sacramento at the regional meeting of the International Conference of Police Chaplains

Three Tragic Human Losses in August –

• The Rev. Kent Hinkson, friend, prayer partner and California pastor who became a volunteer Anglican minister in Durham, NC – murdered.
• Pam Morris, recently retired, who served as Executive Assistant to the Chief of Police in Seal Beach, CA – died as a result of a traffic accident near El Paso, TX as she drove to her new home in Florida.
• Dave Daggett, long-time local Postmaster and church leader at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach, CA, mentor and friend, died suddenly at his retirement home in Grants Pass, OR.

“If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:15)

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

“The worst problem with utilitarianism – measuring the value of a life by its social usefulness – is its cruelty. It tells vulnerable people they are useless. A compassionate, welcoming society affirms exactly the opposite: Vulnerable people deserve our special attention and care. And most of us will need that care, at some point or another.”

Michael J. Gerson, presidential speechwriter and news writer, is a Visiting Fellow with the Center for Public Justice and a nationally syndicated columnist for The Washington Post. This quote is from a transcript in Capital Commentary, “Society and Dependence,” January 3, 2014

Religious Liberty Vigilance – Needed Around the World

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
– 1st Amendment (Our “First Freedom” in the Bill of Rights)

“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must…undergo the fatigue of supporting it.”
– Thomas Paine

Freedom to believe or not believe, freedom to speak out to convince others, freedom to convert from one faith to another—all these are fundamental to the American Way.

And not just the American Way! Article #18 of “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights” (adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948) expressed these freedoms this way:

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

See this contrast:

KABUL, Afghanistan — In a dank basement on the outskirts of Kabul, Josef read his worn blue Bible by the light of a propane lantern, as he had done for weeks since he fled from his family in Pakistan…

On paper, Afghan law protects freedom of religion, but the reality here and in some other Muslim countries is that renouncing Islam is a capital offense.

Josef’s brother-in-law Ibrahim arrived in Kabul recently, leaving behind his family and business in Pakistan, to hunt down the apostate and kill him…

“If I find him, once we are done with him, I will kill his son as well, because his son is a bastard,” Ibrahim said, referring to Josef’s 3-year-old child. “He is not from a Muslim father.”

…For Josef, who has recently changed hiding places, the time passes slowly now, with little company other than his Bible. He can hear the muezzin calling Muslims to prayer, a reminder of danger’s proximity and the paradox he lives now…

“My body is in prison, but my soul is free.”
– Excerpts from “A Christian Convert, on the Run in Afghanistan,”
New York Times, June 22, 2014

Note: as of this writing Meriam Ibrahim, daughter of a Muslim father and a Christian mother (who raised her) and under sentence of death in Sudan for refusing to convert from Christianity to Islam, had her sentence overturned on appeal. But she was arrested again at the Khartoum airport as she planned to leave the country after being reunited with her Christian husband. Released from custody, she has taken refuge at the U.S. Embassy.

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

July 17-21 – Attend the annual meeting of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches in Washington, D.C. Present resolutions prepared by the Social Concerns Committee to the delegates at the business session.

September 9 – Lead a meeting for ministers (the district ministers of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches) at the Seal Beach Police Department. Topic: How ministers and churches responded to the “salon massacre” of October 12, 2011 and the lessons to be learned. Contact me for more information on attending this event.

Bible Insight: The Immigrant Among Us (Part 1)

Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.”
– Exodus 1:8-10 English Standard Version

We are all immigrants. My ancestors immigrated to the U.S. from Germany in the 1840’s to seek a better life. On the ship was little 2-year-old Dorothea Bohning. She would marry Ernst Fredrich Walker in 1860 and they would be my great-grandparents.

The families settled in Ohio where there were many German immigrants like them who pretty much stayed to themselves rather than assimilating much. They farmed, and of course were loyal to the faith they brought with them which was otherwise uncommon in the area—Lutheran Christianity.

They spoke German—exclusively at first. German was also the primary language of the 2nd and 3rd generations. My mother’s first tongue was German. Was it the primary language for my generation, the 4th generation? Nein!

The Bible is very much a book about immigrants, going back to the very first book—Genesis. From earliest Bible times, immigration was a common response to hunger and danger and bondage. The human heart has yearned for religious liberty, safety, food, opportunity, and the meeting of basic needs.

Abram migrated from Haran to Canaan by God’s directive. Jacob fled his angry brother (ostensibly to get a wife) and went to his relative Laban back in “the old country.” Later he fled Laban and his abuse, taking his wives, children and possessions with him. When severe famine fell on the land, Jacob sent his sons to Egypt for food. Eventually his whole extended family migrated there (see the story below).

In one of the Bible’s most beautiful stories, an Israelite named Elimelech took his wife, Naomi, and their two sons to Moab because there was a famine in Israel. The story of Ruth unfolds when Naomi, bereft of her husband and sons, returned to Israel and Ruth the Moabite immigrated with her.

Joseph, son of Jacob, was God’s instrument to provide food for Egypt during a 7-year famine. He rose in power to be second only to Pharaoh. At Pharaoh’s invitation Joseph brought his father, brothers and their families to live in Egypt. Read the interesting story in Genesis 41-47.

Joseph and all his generation died. More generations came and went until the day came that a new Pharaoh looked on these immigrant people with alarm.

Clearly, the Israelites, once received with open arms because Joseph had been such an asset to the nation, were no longer welcome. It was somewhat like our nation’s attitude toward Asians in years past. Once the Transcontinental Railroad was completed, Chinese workers were no longer valued. Once we were at war with Japan, something must be done about American Japanese. Immigrants of German descent likewise were suspect and experienced discrimination during the two World Wars, some even being sent to internment camps.

According to Exodus One, there were three reasons why the Israelites went from being welcomed to being despised.

First, Pharaoh didn’t know about Joseph. Whatever benefit he had been to Egypt, whatever high position he once held—this was gone from memory. Only the present “immigrant problem” mattered, not the value in the past.

Second, there were now simply too many of them! “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we.”
Third, these Israelites, well, they just aren’t “us”; they are “them!” “In the event of war, they will turn against us, join the enemy, and leave.”

So Pharaoh subjected the Israelites to the menial jobs his own people wouldn’t want to do anyway—work in the fields and build the king’s cities.

Next month we’ll see another of his solutions and how it was thwarted by people who knew and feared God. Meanwhile, do you have a family immigration story to ponder?

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

“The Star Spangled Banner” (verses 1-3)

Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,

O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,

Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,

In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:

‘Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,

A home and a country should leave us no more!

Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Come Visit My New Website!

May 2014 Newsletter from Donald Shoemaker

“Advancing Christian Faith and Values,

Defending Religious Liberty for All,

Supporting Civility and the Common Good

through Preaching, Teaching, Writing, Activism

and Reasoned Conversations

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

The Salon Massacre—Guilty Plea Just Ahead?

At the time of this writing (April 30), news outlets report that the accused murderer of eight at Seal Beach’s Salon Meritage on October 12, 2011, will plead guilty very soon. Thus will end the 2½-year delay for justice (at least the trial stage) in the case of Orange County, California’s worst mass killing.

My prayers are now sincerely focused on peace of mind and heart to the community and especially to all the individuals and families affected by this monstrosity. Though “closure” is not an appropriate word, this will be indeed an important milestone and step toward healing.

As Senior Chaplain for the Seal Beach Police Department, my own life was dramatically impacted by this massacre. Please see my writings: “Justice Still Waits” (October, 2013 Newsletter) and “Forgiveness” (September, 2013 Newsletter), available at my Website.

“Prophets are Good for Business”

(Applying Biblical Principles to Work Situations)

Equity and the Film Industry

“The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.”     – Proverbs 14:20

“Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.”   – Proverbs 19:6

“Justice” “Fairness” “Equity” – all these are values grounded in the Bible and essential to a good society. It is especially important that governments practice equity—no one stands above another—in legislation and jurisprudence. This is reflected and required in the 14th Amendment, which provides for the equal protection of law.

For states to curry the favor of particular businesses (rather than “business” in general) seems to me to violate the spirit of equity. This is glaringly true when California proposes special tax breaks for the film industry so it won’t run away to other locations.

Sadly, the situation becomes “You did it so now we have to do it too—only bigger!” Other states (44!) offer incentives to lure away film production and so California, it is said, not only has to do catch-up but also needs to get ahead of the game. ***

What raises the “equity” issue is that this is not for all businesses but for particular businesses with friends in high places. Jesus told the story of the heartless judge who said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice!” (Luke 18:4-5)

Do tax credits for the film industry benefit the broader commercial life of a state or region (a version of the “trickle down” theory)? Arguments on the commercial value of such credits go either way. This statement comes from an economist with Wells-Fargo:

“It doesn’t improve our labor force. It doesn’t provide us with any fixed assets that are going to improve our competitiveness. … The only thing that keeps bringing folks here is our willingness to continue to give them money.”

Equity and the economy would be better served if California and its cities created a much healthier business climate for all.

Favoritism gives credence to charges of “crony capitalism” and “corporate welfare.”

The Proverbs at the top express a reality of this imperfect world—privilege begets more privilege. The following biblical texts are more prescriptive, directing us away from favoritism for a few and toward equity for all:

“Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.” – Proverbs 22:2

“Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge people with equity?” – Psalm 58:1

*** The same tendency afflicts government-sponsored gambling. People grow tired of older games (the “fix” isn’t what it used to be), so the games are made more alluring. States engage in “one-upmanship”. The flow of revenue and the news media’s fascination with celebrating the prizes (giving leave to all objectivity) overwhelm the social downsides of gambling.

Religious Liberty Vigilance –

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

– 1st Amendment (Our “First Freedom” in the Bill of Rights)

“To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical.

– Thomas Jefferson (Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom)

Kathleen Sebelius has left her position as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Whatever her successes or failures, what must not be forgotten was her January 20, 2012 statement about the “contraception mandate” that would be placed on religious organizations:

Nonprofit employers who, based on religious beliefs, do not currently provide contraceptive coverage in their insurance plan, will be provided an additional year, until August 1, 2013, to comply with the new law. Employers wishing to take advantage of the additional year must certify that they qualify for the delayed implementation. This additional year will allow these organizations more time and flexibility to adapt to this new rule.

In other words, if this mandate troubles the religion-formed conscience of a religious organization—good news! We will give you an extra year before you have to compromise your consciences or figure out how to evade the guilt.

Much argument (actually a political firestorm) and some modification have taken place since this statement was issued. But its initial arrogance showed a tone-deaf attitude often found in government toward religious conviction—an attitude that must not be allowed to go without response and even resistance.

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

May 3 (8:30) – Men’s fellowship breakfast at Malarkey’s. Lead a panel of Christian men with a law enforcement career.

May 4 – Speak in Morning Worship Services at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach (8:00, 9:30 and 11:00)

June 3-4 – Meeting of Committee developing Grace Brethren identity statement (Winona Lake, Indiana)

June 17 – Speak at breakfast for the Men’s Fellowship of Pasadena’s Lake Avenue Congregational Church

Message of the Month –

Words from an Older Minister to a Younger Minister

[Note: In January an assignment given at a retreat was to write a message to a young minister, as the Apostle Paul wrote to his young protégé, Timothy. Then, in February, I was privileged to give the “Charge” to a young pastor at his ordination service. Here I draw together edited thoughts from both of these works.]

To my son and co-worker in the faith, whom I deeply love, grace and peace to you from God our Father and The Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God for you.

I’ve been privileged to have a ministry extending over 45 years. You are one seasoned follower of Christ who will carry on God’s work into the future, as I have been graced by God to do it in the past.

You will not do it my way, nor would I want you to. You may glean from my experience and that of others and then put together your own pathway to follow. The key to remember is that you carefully examine all you think and do, to wisely know what must remain and what is allowed to change.

You are free before God to make your own choices in many of your ministry decisions and to be accountable for these choices, bound by God’s commands that build the fences around what you choose. But don’t forget the value of having a multitude of counselors, especially your church’s leadership.

The authority of Scripture must remain. Yes, there will be strong discussions among godly people over just how the Bible is inspired of God and how this should affect our interpretations, teaching and application. But this core conviction must remain.

Then, the core teachings of Scripture must remain. You can voice this core in many ways. But among the best is found in the words of the ancient “Apostles Creed.” This creed speaks to Christians and to the world of every generation. Notice how it is even expressed through some contemporary music styles. Embrace its words, and see that they remain.

And teach it! You can be clever but don’t try to be cute. Be contemporary without being trendy or faddish. You should teach to touch your generation, but don’t try to remodel what ought to remain. Believe me, it won’t work!

I was born near the end of the Second World War. It was a pivotal time. Generations before seemed stable and traditions continued. Changes that did occur were gradual. All that is over! My generation and the generations that have followed ours are used to rapid change, and now it is more rapid than ever. Many results of this are good; some are not.

You will have to assess new ideas and developments with discernment and care. Don’t reject them out of hand or run toward them unreflectively. For example, communication has exploded in my lifetime and yours. People give and receive information at an astounding level. Not all of it is good! People communicate more than ever before, but I’d be hard pressed to say they communicate better than before. Take what the Bible says about our words, good and bad, and have your speech “seasoned with salt” at all times. Teach others to do the same. Teach them to be “quick to hear, slow to speak.”

Contemporary Christians often lack spiritual “roots”—a value prominent in Scripture. If we don’t know where we came from, we will have a harder time knowing who we are and where we should be going. Also, many don’t value history, so they can’t learn from the traditions and experiences of the past—good ones as well as failures. And they don’t value wisdom gained by generations past, living or dead.

In contrast, the Book of Proverb reflects constantly on the seasoned insights of long lives lived and shared. Live the Proverbs Way. Have great respect for those who have lived longer than you. Value the learning that comes from books, but remember that learning from the lives people have led is more valuable than learning from the books you have read.

You will face challenges that are either new or increased, compared to the challenges of the past. Your culture will be less and less supportive of your faith and message. In the name of “tolerance” it will reject you if you are loyal to the core that must remain. You should expect to “pay the price” at a level I didn’t have to.

Do your best to live in your community and culture productively. Seek the “shalom” of your community, as one of my favorite prophets Jeremiah once said (Jeremiah 29:7). Do your best to make it a better place. Learn to interact with all kinds of people. Seek the common good. When you do have to speak out against something in your culture, do it from the strong position of respect you have earned, as I once told Timothy that leaders of a church must have respect among unbelievers.

Be a good citizen and an effective community leader. Work to make your government good. Don’t try to “Christianize” it—that’s not what biblical influence calls for. But strive to make it good. Remember, you are a community leader whether you think of yourself as one or not. Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly.

And keep strong in your testimony in word and deed. You have a calling to share your faith with others and strengthen your fellow believers to do the same. Teach them how to have reasons for the hope that is within them and how to share these with those who do not know your Lord.

In your personal life, be sure to honor your spouse above all and love her as Christ loves his church. Make sure your place of ministry regards her and your children as persons in their own right, not as extensions of the church. Be sure your family members can maintain reasonable privacy and protect them from any unfair judgments.

Be sure you keep a weekly “sabbatical” and don’t immerse yourself unreasonably (yes, pridefully) into church matters to where they consume you. Don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought to think.

Live backward from how you wish to reflect back upon your life as you reach the end of your journey, so you can say sincerely, “I have fought the fight; I have kept the faith.”

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com