Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, The issue, as I see it at least, is not a matter of protecting your purse. Again most people who go into ministry really do want to help as many people as they can. But the problem is that the resources available are finite, so you want to be a good steward of those resources, and use them where they will do the most good. In the Christian faith, as I accept it, everyone is your neighbor, even those who you may find personally detestable. Everyone who comes to your office door, or rings your parsonage bell, or comes up to you on the street is a child of God, your brother or your sister in Christ. So you want to help them with their needs. But what is best, giving money to a person who you know is going just hand it over to their dealer, or to the mother who needs money to feed her children? And of course, you're right that without the handout the addict could conceivably die from withdrawal, and that addicts life is just as sacred as the life of anyone. But sometimes we have to make the choice, and it's not easy. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, And sometimes all we can be is a silent, caring presence in somebodies life when they are going through tragedy. One of the earliest lessons I learned in my own ministry is the concept of the "Ministry of Presence". We can't always do anything at all to even begin to fix someone's crisis. Sometimes all we can do is sit quietly, hold their hand, and help them to know that they are not alone. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, I certainly agree with you that one on one help from one individual to another feels more personal than from some organization or government agency. The issues many of my brothers and sisters in the ministry have faced in giving is trying to be good stewards of the limited financial resources available. Most churches operate on very slender budgets. When I was in the active ministry, I was fortunate in that I had available some small amount of funds I could use to help those who came to my door. But lots of my colleagues do not have that luxury. Most in the clergy want to help everyone, but when over the space of a week you have 4 or 5 people coming to your door with the same reason they need money (for example their parents were just killed in Chicago and they need bus fare to get to Cook County Hospital), you begin to suspect that you are not getting the real story. Then too, if you have an active ministry where you are exposed to people suffering from addictions, you began to wonder if directly giving money to them is a good idea, especially when they come to you obviously wasted. But then too, I am reminded of a line from one of my favorite comedians, Kathleen Madigan, who has been known, after one of her friends sees her giving handouts to a panhandler and states that "Kathleen, you know they are only going to spend it on cigarettes and booze", to respond "and I'm not?" For myself, I try not judge, and give help when I can, even if it means giving a few dollars to someone who I suspect will not use it in a helpful manner. Admittedly, sometimes it's only because they spun out such an obvious lie that I'm giving them money for the entertainment value of their story. And if they have come to me saying they need money for a meal, I will offer to take them to a local McDonals or the like. I've even been known, if someone says they need money to get across town, to offer to drive them myself. In these cases, if they didn't really need the money for the reasons they had given me, they usually depart in a huff. What some of us here in the Milwaukee area do is keep on hand business sized cards that list some of the services available to people in need. The local shelters, the food pantries and meal sites, and the free medical clinics. Still it is a difficult problem, one that I don't have any great answers to. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings for you my brother, Thanks for the link. A very interesting article. Something to share with my friends. In Solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, An interesting view. I thank you for sharing! It does lead me to one question, asked only for clarification. When you reach out to assist others, do you find yourself more inclined to help individuals on a one on one level, or giving of your time and money to groups that help multiple people, like the American Cancer Society or Planned Parenthood? One of the current debates among the clergy, at least in Milwaukee, is how do we best help people who come to us asking for financial assistance. There are those who strongly feel that under no circumstances should we give anyone direct financial aid. The thought behind this is that for most of the people who come asking for money, they would only spend it on drugs or alcohol. They ( my clergy brothers and sisters) believe that the limited financial resources we have are better spent on programs that benefit the most people, like the different meal programs and shelters around our city, and that people who come to us asking for assistance are best served by directing them to places that can provide long-term assistance. Then there are those who try to help each individual who comes to their door by providing what small financial assistance they have available, feeling that direct aid is the best, most biblical approach. The thought process behind that being that as Christ also gave freely, so should we. I realize of course that you do not share a faith in Christ, but as a non-Christian, in your own giving, what do you find to be the best approach? In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, A very good point. IMHO, the person who acts for the good out of love and compassion is (and forgive me for this metaphor because I know you do not share my particular faith) more truly Christian, even if they do not accept Christ, then one who acts out of fear of punishment from God. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my dear brother, It is good to hear your voice again my friend. It's been a long time since we shot the bull in my old coffee shop. I myself am a firm believer in free will. While I can see many difficult challenges facing our world, my faith reminds me that as long as we will to do good, will to change for the better, nothing is beyond humanities grasp. Certainly, I do not see us as preordained to self-destruction. I dimly remember being in first grade during the Cuban missile crisis, and participating in a duck and cover drill, with our teachers saying that if we take those simple steps of getting under our desks and covering our heads, we would survive an Atomic bomb attack. Of course, that was a lot of horse hockey, considering my school was not even a mile away from what at the time was the biggest complex of oil refineries in the country and only about 7 miles from downtown Chicago. My point is though is that we came to within a cat's whisker of global destruction. Fortunately, the leaders of the Soviet Union and the United States both looked down the abyss of our own making, and choose to step back. As to your contention on your own position on free will, knowing you, I would suggest that what compels you is not some outside irresistible force making you merely and actor in some scripted play, but rather your own innate goodness that keeps you from giving up, and encourages you to speak your truth against the evils you see, even if you think that it is a wasted effort. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, Admittedly the Nazi Germany example first came into my mind. Not to equate you with a Nazi, or even President Trump, but because it was the mindset of the German people during the rise of Hitler. Many good, God-fearing people who saw what was happening in Germany during the rise of the Nazi Party, but who took the position that others who knew more about the situation their nation was facing certainly would be able to deal with the issues better than they could. So they sat and did nothing, allowing by their silence evil to take over their nation. Let me give you another example. Back in the late 1960's, I was subjected to horrific sexual and mental abuse at the hands of a Catholic priest. It wasn't until 2008, more than 40 years after the fact, that I found the courage to bring a lawsuit against the church, the diocese and the religious order that the priest was a member of (he had died long ago). During the discovery process, my lawyers and I were able to access the records that had been kept on him from the time he entered the priesthood in the 1950's, till the time he left on his own accord in the late 1970s. His records showed multiple instances of people making accusations of sexual abuse against him starting from around 1960. But no action was taken. He was transferred from church to church to church over the years, and his history wasn't even a secret to the leadership of the churches he was assigned to, Those people, the pastors and church councils, all took the view that the diocese bishop and the head of the religious order Father was assigned to certainly knew more than they did about the situation, so they said nothing. No objection to having a pedophile placed on their staff, no extra supervision, nada. So I, and many others over the years, had our trust, our faith, and innocence systematically stripped away from us because other didn't think it was their business to at the very least question the propriety of allowing a man with so many red flags flying have access to a position of trust involving children. I do reiterate my statement that I do NOT equate the position you stated on your first post as supporting Nazism, nor do I want to suggest that Trump is in any way comparable to Hitler. But I do stand by my view that Pastor Martin Niemoller 's quote is applicable. If we are not willing to hold truth to power, very bad things can happen that could have been prevented if enough people had raised their voice in protest. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, While I personally take a very dim view of President Trump, I do not equate him with Hitler. What I do see happening, and again this is not only on the Republican side but also the Democrats, is the rise of a mindset that allows for demonizing people who do not share one's views. Historically, we see what happens when that becomes accepted by a culture. It becomes very easy to see your opponents as no longer worthy of respect or even life. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, Made a mess of things? In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, If indeed God wanted Trump to be president, I personally think that it was only because God was using it to teach us a lesson in the dangers of giving political leadership positions to people who have no experience in the field, and who it could be argued are in it to feed their own egos, and wallets. But perhaps that is a bit cynical on my part. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, No, I am not so paranoid as to think "they" are coming for me. At least not yet. What I do worry about though is the polarizing nature of our political and religious discourse. There is a strong tendency to demonize those who hold views that we don't agree with. Look at how the right demonized Obama and Hillary, and how the left does the same to Trump. When you look at the example of Germany before WWII, or France during its revolution, you can see prime examples of what happens when people go beyond vigorous vocal dissent and began to see using force as a legitimate way to impose their views on others. There was a wonderful book written by Sinclair Lewis in the 1930's called "It Can't Happen Here". It was a cautionary tale of how our democracy could be turned into a totalitarian dictatorship by engaging in the politics of hate that we have seen so much of in the past few years. This is what I fear. And it's not just because of Trump, it is something I see people in all sides of the American Political spectrum engaging in. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, First I had tried very hard to word my question so that it did not presuppose any form of religious faith. If I was not successful in that I do apologize. Since I understand that you work in the healthcare field, I appreciate your insight on this matter. My wife has been a NICU nurse for almost 30 years now and was a surgical nurse for 10 years before that. She alas does not share your view (one that I share with you btw), pointing out that in the nations that have single-payer systems, it tends to restrict the access to innovative medical procedures. However, since under our current system many have trouble getting even affordable basic health care, it would seem to me to be a small price to pay. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, While your were not addressing me directly with your comment, I would state that I believe (unfortunately) in the need for a strong military. But, when it becomes necessary to use it, in my view the necessity should only be to protect the powerless, and not as a means of imposing the will of our nation on countries that have resources that we want for ourselves. Alas, historically we know that there have been times that American military might has been used to further our nation's economic interests (as in the case of our military interventions in central and south America). Before my children were born, I used to like to think of myself as a firm pacifist. But when my children were born, I could see that I would be willing to hurt others, even yes kill others, if they would threaten to harm my children. Perhaps this is unchristian on my part. I would be willing to turn the other check to harm directed at me personally, but never to the ones I love. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, I would agree that the religious intolerance of our times calls for a radical rethinking of many of the historical positions of Christianity, Islam and indeed all of the what could be considered mainstream faith systems of the world. While you no doubt are aware that I disagree with some of your expressed views, and will not use this particular thread to engage in that debate, I would agree that all of us who profess a religious faith have to stop using that faith as a means to oppress others and deprive others of the right to think and choose their own path in life. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, I thank you for your well thought out and balanced views. I myself am a 60 year old white male Christian. I find your views very much in line with my own, and thank you for sharing them! In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, I thank you for your heartfelt reply. Like you I was not a supporter of Hillary, nor of Trump. Frankly, political correctness makes me want to bang my head against the wall because we have become so afraid of offending people by speaking or views (well some of us anyway) that we have become very much like the people who were afraid to point out to the Emperor that he was walking about naked. I am indeed very much a Christian, but I refuse to hate those that disagree with my personal political or religious views. And perhaps this is one of the things that makes me so terrilbly fearful for our nation (and many other nations of the world). In our political and religious discourse we very often automatically demonize those who we disagree with. In our political situation, see happening to Trump the same things that happened to Obama, their political opponents so paralyzed the government that little if any was accomplished. Over the past few decades we have seen the many of the nations of Eastern Euorpe and Africa essentially tear themselves apart over ethnic and historical hatreds that go back centuries, refusing to put aside past wrongs, forgive and move on, The whole issue of the proper place of government and debt is something I struggle with in my own mind. I believe that government exists to protect the people, especially those who cannot protect themselves. How to best do that though is, for me at least, not really clear. Historically we've seen how Laissez-faire capitalism can produce terrible inequities between the rich and the working class. However it can be argued that programs like the Great Society of Lyndon Johnson helped produce a underclass of people who became totally dependent on the government for their means of support, even when they were fully capable of supporting themselves if they really cared to. My understanding of the teachings of Christ remind me that a Christian has a duty to care for the poor. I struggle with how to define who the poor really are. Is it someone like my own brother, who gleefully spent his life living on the dole of the state, refusing to get a job because he didn't feel comfortable having to follow a routine, and put up with the stresses of regular employment; is it the illegal immigrant who came to America looking for oppotunities to work, but cannot find a job because of their immigration status or lack of education? I have to remember that I am the child of immigrants, a 2nd generation American whose maternal grandparents were Roma (gypsies) who fled the persecutions of Europe and came here to find a better life. I have to remember the portion of my mother's family who stayed in Eastern Europe almost all died in the Nazi persecutions of the second world war. As to Islam, I have no hatred of it. Like Christianity, there are people who claim to follow the teaching of Mohammad but who have distorted it and corrupted it into something that is evil. But it is a minority of the believers in that faith. I would point out that there have been whole Christian sects who have essentially behaved the same way as Islamic terrorists have, gleefully killing those who don't share their views and trying with every means possible to force others to convert. This is nothing new. But how can with, people of faith, and indeed; people with no faith at all, work to create a world where all people are welcomed to think for themselves, believe or not believe in whatever they choose, and uphold the right of others to that same freedom? In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, Perhaps there is wisdom in your words. We often see how people with the best intentions, but little knowledge or skills, are able to muck up things. However, for myself, I am reminded of the quote from the German Patriot (and theologian) Martin Miemoller, who said: First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. Perhaps it would be fair to add on to this quote: I was not sure about how to bring change because I was not sure of the issues, then people who were very sure of their views came and took away my freedom to disagree with theirs. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you all my sisters and brothers, I have heard it said that there is an ancient Chinese curse that goes "May you live in interesting times." The times we live in are interesting indeed. For those of us in America, we have a new President who is totally unlike anyone we have chosen to lead our nation in our countries history. Our views toward being a haven for immigrants seems to be shifting. Our views on caring for the poor and oppressed, on sexual morality, on dealing with crime, on relations with other nations, all seem up for radical change. The question I offer is this, what are your personal views, whether they are influenced by a religious faith or your personal sense of right and wrong, on the state of America, indeed on the state of the world? If you were able to make changes to how things are, what would you like to see? I would ask that in your responses, you propose some concrete ideas instead of generalizations, on how things could be made better. But, I would also ask that if you think things are fine the way they are ( as indeed I would suspect some do) explain why you feel the way you do. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, You're welcome. I live to serve In solidarty, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, After looking at that site, I doubt I would find anything useful there. If you are looking for a good free bible app, I would recommend www.e-sword.net I have also found https://www.olivetree.com/ to be useful. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my sister, I feel great sorrow for you, and I don't wish to push pious platitudes on you during your time of grief. I would ask you though, when you feel able, to read one of the shortest books of the Bible, the book of Ecclesiastes. The author of this book, (some legends attribute it to King Solomon himself) asked these very same questions. I have always found great comfort in the conclusions he came to as he struggled with these very issues. Your brother in Christ, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you all my sisters and brothers, As my Christmas gift to you all, I wanted to share with you a poem I first read more than 25 years ago. I was written by a theologian named Willam Shoemaker, a member of what in early 20th Century was known as the Oxford Group. This rather loosely organized group of clergy and laity was one of the key forces in the founding of what came to Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12 step programs. As I struggled to come to understand what being in ministry means for me, this poem helped me to clarify in my mind what I was called to be and do. I hope that in your own journey in ministry, that this may help you as it did me. I Stand at the Door By Sam Shoemaker (from the Oxford Group) I stand by the door. I neither go to far in, nor stay to far out. The door is the most important door in the world - It is the door through which men walk when they find God. There is no use my going way inside and staying there, When so many are still outside and they, as much as I, Crave to know where the door is. And all that so many ever find Is only the wall where the door ought to be. They creep along the wall like blind men, With outstretched, groping hands, Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door, Yet they never find it. So I stand by the door. The most tremendous thing in the world Is for men to find that door - the door to God. The most important thing that any man can do Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands And put it on the latch - the latch that only clicks And opens to the man's own touch. Men die outside the door, as starving beggars die On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter. Die for want of what is within their grasp. They live on the other side of it - live because they have not found it. Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it, And open it, and walk in, and find Him. So I stand by the door. Go in great saints; go all the way in - Go way down into the cavernous cellars, And way up into the spacious attics. It is a vast, roomy house, this house where God is. Go into the deepest of hidden casements, Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood. Some must inhabit those inner rooms And know the depths and heights of God, And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is. Sometimes I take a deeper look in. Sometimes venture in a little farther, But my place seems closer to the opening. So I stand by the door. There is another reason why I stand there. Some people get part way in and become afraid Lest God and the zeal of His house devour them; For God is so very great and asks all of us. And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia And want to get out. 'Let me out!' they cry. And the people way inside only terrify them more. Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled. For the old life, they have seen too much: One taste of God and nothing but God will do any more. Somebody must be watching for the frightened Who seek to sneak out just where they came in, To tell them how much better it is inside. The people too far in do not see how near these are To leaving - preoccupied with the wonder of it all. Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door But would like to run away. So for them too, I stand by the door. I admire the people who go way in. But I wish they would not forget how it was Before they got in. Then they would be able to help The people who have not yet even found the door. Or the people who want to run away again from God. You can go in too deeply and stay in too long And forget the people outside the door. As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place, Near enough to God to hear Him and know He is there, But not so far from men as not to hear them, And remember they are there too. Where? Outside the door - Thousands of them. Millions of them. But - more important for me - One of them, two of them, ten of them. Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch. So I shall stand by the door and wait For those who seek it. 'I had rather be a door-keeper So I stand by the door. In solidarity, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my brother, Many denominations are GLBT friendly to varying degrees. My own denomination, the United Methodists, has a great many congregations that belong to what we call the Reconciling movement., an organization within our denomination that has been fighting for years for the full inclusion, including ordination rights and the right to be married in our churches, for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. Now strictly speaking, the ULC is to my knowledge the first church in America where the members of the GLBT community had never been excluded from full participation in the life of the church. The first totally Christian denomination to do this is the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, which was founded by and for members of the Gay, Lesbian and transgendered community, and has existed since (I believe) the late 1960's. In Christ's service, Rev. Calli

Greetings to you my sisters and brothers, I do believe that there is a little confusion here about what churches will except whose baptism. It is important to understand (not agree with, but understand) that baptism means different things in different denominations. In churches that practice infant baptism, (like the Catholic church and my own denomination, the United Methodists) as long as the child was baptised by another Christian (and yes indeed the Catholic church does admit, though grudgingly that most Protestant churches are Chrisitan), and was baptised using the Trinitarian formula (I baptise you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) that baptism will be considered valid. Churches that practice infant baptism see that act as a free gift of Grace. On the other hand, there are some denominations and independent churches, that practice believers baptism. To them, the act of Baptism is something that a person must desire for themselves, and be able to make the decision for themselves to accept Christ and desire to unite with a local congregation. In a church of that nature, the baptism you perform would not be considered valid, nor for that matter would the baptism of anyone who had been baptised as a infant. If you do indeed perform the baptism you have been requested to perform, I would be very sure to provide a certificate of baptism for the parents. Preferably, one that clearly states that the child in question was baptised in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Your brother in Christ, Rev. Calli