Children and Health Care

September 25, 2007

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

Pop quiz!  Tell me where in the Bible you will find a passage that talks about the testing of residual chemicals in our world’s food supply.  Hmmm....while you’re flipping through your Bible, let me throw out a few more.  Where do you find a chapter and verse that discusses a Christian’s perspective on human gene therapies and genetic engineering?  How about nuclear proliferation?  Violence in the media?

Needless to say, you’ll be flipping pages for a while.  There are no passages in the Bible that directly address many of the specific contemporary concerns we face in the world today.  This leaves us with a few options.  One, we can stretch the words of the Bible to wrap around our own convictions and personal opinions.  Or, we can release ourselves from the responsibility of having any interest, position, or prophetic message to the world in any of these areas.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not fond of either of these choices.  And this is one of the reasons I’m grateful to be a United Methodist.  In true Wesleyan fashion, this denomination has looked for ways to find a sensible, passionate, biblically-rooted center in each of these high-profile, contemporary issues.  And the document that best expresses the fruit of our prayerful, communal dialogue is the Social Principles.

For the past 99 years, beginning with the “Methodist Social Creed” adopted in 1908 and the creation of the Social Principles in 1972, the United Methodist Church has carefully negotiated the timeless words of Scripture with the timely issues of our day.  While the Social Principles is not church “law”, and not authoritative on the same level as the Bible, it is an instructional tool, meant to educate, raise awareness, and persuade.  And it enables us as a church to claim a prophetic word to the culture at large, with a conscience shaped by the living presence of Christ at work among us.  For a full reading of the Social Principles, www.umc-gbcs.org/socialprinciples.  

This all leads us to this Sunday.  Listen to this important word for our day, from the section “Rights of Children”:

     Once considered the property of their parents, children are now acknowledged to be full human beings in their own right, but beings to whom adults and society in general have special obligations...Moreover, children have the rights to food, shelter, clothing, health care, and emotional well-being as do adults, and these rights we affirm as theirs regardless of actions or inactions of their parents or guardians.

And under the section “Right to Health Care”, it states,

     Health care is a basic human right.  Psalm 146 speaks of the God “who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry.  The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.” ...We encourage individuals to pursue a healthy lifestyle and affirm the importance of preventive health care, health education, environmental and occupational safety, good nutrition, and secure affordable housing in achieving health.

If you read these statements in the context of these compelling statistics, the reality of this crisis is too much to ignore:  Nine million children in America are uninsured, with 90 percent of those children living in homes where both parents are employed.  49,000 of those children live right here in Iowa.  Millions more across the country are underinsured.   

So as a community of faith inspired by the Holy Spirit and guided by our Social Principles, what can we do?

THE CHILDREN’S SABBATH

The Children’s Sabbath is a worship event sponsored by United Methodist Women across the denomination and is provided by the Children’s Defense Fund.  This Sunday, the children of St. Paul’s will observe this event by leading us in worship through song, prayer, and spoken word.  They will highlight the issues of children’s health care, and you will hear stories of children affected by the current crisis.  This is in perfect keeping with our current worship series “How to Have a Child-Like Faith in a Grown-Up World”, and you will not want to miss this powerful, inspirational time.  For more information about the Children’s Defense Fund, the Children’s Sabbath, and this year’s theme My Boat Is So Small: Creating a Harbor of Hope and Health Care for All Children, visit www.childrensdefense.org.

In addition, you are invited to make a difference by bringing in health-related items that we will donate to Mid-Sioux Opportunity, Inc., a community action agency that meets the financial, health, and education needs of individuals and families in our area.  These items can be brought to the narthex and can include the following:  Toothbrushes / Diapers / First-Aid Items / Toothpaste / Baby Wipes / Thermometers / Soap / Baby Shampoo / Band-Aids / Q-Tips / Children’s Vitamins / Cotton Balls

If you know folks who have a passion for children and health-related issues, or if you know folks who simply enjoy experiencing the joy and innocence of children in worship, invite them to join us for this powerful service.

This is a great time to be the church!  See you Sunday!

Grace and Peace,

Magrey  

Psalm 146:1-10
1  Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2  I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
3  Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4  When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.
5  Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God,
6  who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
7  who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8  the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
9  The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10  The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!


ANNUAL PORK FEED
We are just a few days away from our annual pork feed.  Thanks to the many of you who have signed up to provide a homemade dessert or side dish.  If you have not yet signed up and would like to do so, please call the church office or send an e-mail to Linzi Gum (lgum@cherokeespumc.org).  The buzz has been good around town, and we are looking for a great turnout.  As you know, the proceeds will go toward paying down our renovation debt.  Come for a fun, delicious time, and bring a friend!

NURSERY DONATIONS
Thanks to Jill Chalstrom and Korrie Waldner for cleaning out our nursery of old and broken toys, and organizing a drive for new toys for our littlest children.  We had a good response to their pitch last Sunday, with nearly $120 collected.  To purchase the specific toys from K-Mart and Bomgaar’s that they are requesting, visit our website, click on “Nursery Donations Opportunity” and note the actual pictures of the toys on the store shelves.  Thanks to everyone who has helped out so far.