Here's a random observation on Healthcare

Those who know me well know that I can be a wealth of random information.... (unfortunately, it usually does not help me on Trivia Pursuit or other Trivia games because those games don't ask me about what I do know)

Did you know that the rate of increase in people diagnosed with diabetes in the world is increasing by over 5% per year... in the US, now over 8% of our population has diagnosed diabetes, and some estimate that there are another 3% who simply aren't diagnosed yet... just think- 10% of us has diabetes. In the middle east and some Mediterranean countries that is as high as 12%.

This matters because of the costs! Sales of insulin increases between 10 and 11% per year... (by the way buy Walmart's Relion brand vs Humulin or Novulin brands... it is far less expensive). If you develop diabetes, expect to spend well over $2000 in out of pocket expenses per year, and don't you dare loose your job, because it will be a pre-existing condition on any new insurance policy.

You can do a lot to prevent diabetes... most experts say it is almost totally preventable in "most people"... it is a lifestyle disease in many, many cases. Here is what you can do:

- Exercise!!!! - even if you don't like it... it is proven to decrease blood sugar
- Loose Weight !!!- over 90% of diabetics are overweight
- Decrease your calorie intake and saturated fat intake- again proven to prevent
- have an annual physical and listen to your physician as they talk you about your risk

All of us can do these things.

Besides the cost, it can also be a faith issue... remember glutony, your body as a temple, etc.

If you do develop diabetes, it is not the end of the world.... there are great treatments and it does not have to limit your life style... but it will cost you, and it can only be treated, and it will be with you for the rest of your life.

Just some random thought about something you probably don't care about, but now you know.

Video links you can view

The following is a link, I believe you will able to click that will take you to the ELCA Assembly site, with several videos that might help describe where we are right now:


http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Office-of-the-Secretary/ELCA-Governance/Churchwide-Assembly/Multimedia/Webcasts/Friday.aspx

If clicking on does not work, you can "copy" the address into your broswer address bar.

Bishop Hanson's Pastoral Response to Friday's Decision

The following is the Pastoral Response by Bishop Mark Hanson.... The whole Assembly, and I mean whole Assembly stood and embraced this response. It was emotional for him as he gave it, as it was emotional as he closed the Assembly on Saturday. I will update the other decisions over the next day or two.

Here is the Pastoral Response.... please take time to read it... I know it is long, but it really is an awesome response.

After the ministry policies vote on Friday evening, Presiding
Bishop Mark S. Hanson delivered the following message:

I want to share some words. As one you have called to serve
as pastor of this church, I have been standing here thinking about
my 23 years as a parish pastor and how differently I would go
into various contexts. Gathering with a family or a group of
people who had just experienced loss, or who perhaps were
wondering if they still belonged, or in fact felt deeply that ones
to whom they belong had been severed from them, I would
probably turn to words such as Romans 8:

Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes,
who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who
indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the
love of Christ? [. . .] For I am convinced that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord
(Romans 8:34–35, 38–39).

But then I thought, what if I were going into a family, a
group, or a community that had always wondered if they
belonged, and suddenly now had received a clear affirmation that
they belonged? All of the wondering about the dividing walls
and feelings of separation seem to have dropped away. That
would be a very different conversation. I would probably read
to them out of Ephesians:

But now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off
have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he
is our peace; in his flesh, he has made both groups into
one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the
hostility between us. [. . .] In him, the whole structure
is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the
Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually
into a dwelling place for God (Ephesians 2:13–14,
21–22).

But then I thought, what if those two groups were together,
but also in their midst were those who had neither experienced
loss nor the feeling of the dividing wall of separation coming
down, but were worried whether all that had occurred might
sever the unity that is ours in Christ, and might be wondering if
their actions might have contributed to reconciliation or
separation? If all those people were together in a room, I would
read from Colossians:

As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe
yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,
meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if
anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each
other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also
must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love,
which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which
indeed you were called in the one body. And be
thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with
gratitude in your hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and
spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word
or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him
(Colossians 3:12–17).

That passage gives invitation and expectation that those
deeply disappointed today will have the expectation and the
freedom to continue to admonish and to teach in this church.
And so, too, those who have experienced reconciliation today are
called to humility. You are called to clothe yourselves with love.
But we are all called to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts,
remembering again and again that we are called in the one body.
I will invite you tomorrow afternoon into important, thoughtful,
prayerful conversations about what all of this means for our life
together. But what is absolutely important for me is that we have
the conversation together.

I ended my oral report with these words: “We finally meet
one another not in our agreements or our disagreements, but at
the foot of the cross, where God is faithful, where Christ is
present with us, and where, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we
are one in Christ.”

Let us pray. Oh, God, gracious and holy, mysterious and
merciful, we meet this day at the foot of the cross, and there we
kneel in gratitude and awe that you have loved us so much that
you would give the life of your son so that we might have life in
his name. Send your Spirit this night, the Spirit of the risen
Christ that has been breathed into us. May it calm us. May your
Spirit unite us. May it continue to gather us. In Jesus’ name,

AMEN.

Grabbed by the Spirit - the Monumental Day of the Assembly

I have waited a few days to to consider what to say about the final few days of the Assembly, especially the events of Friday. I am home in St. Joseph as I write this and and still tired and honestly, I feel somewhat emotionally drained.

Friday was an extremely late day.... but a day topped off by a concert given by Peter Mayer, the guitarist with Jimmy Buffett. Peter was raised by Lutheran Missionaries to Asia and does an awesome concert! It was a time for gathering and community.

Bottom line... Friday's decision by the voters at the Assembly was to allow for the ordination and "rostering"of those individuals in committed, life-long, monogamous same-gender relationships. Remember that our previous position was that same-gender individuals could be ordained and "rostered", but they had to remain celibate. Our vote changed that policy and practice. Because it is a policy, it did not require a 2/3rd majority... but only a simple majority. The policy also allows for those congregations who choose so, to call "rostered" individual. Our vote was 55% in favor.


What I was struck by was the solemn atmosphere of the Assembly following the vote. The side advocating for this change had been urging this change for over a decade.... While there was obviously great joy, it was obvious that there was respect for those who where left with feelings of loss and perhaps a new feeling of separation. There were no protests before or after the decision on by either side.

I struggled greatly with my own personal vote... truly torn and conflicted between the traditional teachings of the church and traditional readings of the written Word... and where many firmly feel the Spirit was taking us. I was reminded through the process of hearing individuals on both sides (very convincing and scriptural arguments), that as Lutherans, we read and hear the written Word, through the lens of the Living Word, or in other words, through the lens of the Gospel.

Jacob is cool! Grandpa is proud!

I have loved spending time seeing Jacob this week... although not enough! Kris is getting lots of good pictures and they will be posted as soon as I get time....

My days here are truly long.... I leave around 6:45 and get back to Andy's house usually around 8:00pm.... and I am tired and drained. Next time, maybe Kris can be the delegate, and I can babysit.

Not nearly enough time with Jacob...but when he sees me boy does he smile. WOW! Makes a grandpa proud.

Prayer Request

I sent out on Facebook earlier this week a prayer request for my work partner and friend Lance Hughes.

Lance was told Monday that he as a tumor on his brain stem... told Tuesday it was inoperable and it can not be biopsied. He had surgery this week to have a shut put in, draining fluid off his brain. Currently, there is no treatment plan. He will be discharged Saturday and then sometime over the next 2 weeks he will go to the Mayo Clinic for a treatment plan.

Please keep Lance and his wife Summer in your prayers! I love this guy!!

Fed by the Spirit - Day 4 of the Assembly

Legislative action- the kind of stuff that can be very tedious filled the day. Hearing reports... listening to amendments begin debated back and forth.... often with people saying the same thing, but in their own way.... but, bottom line, this is why we are here.... so on we went.

There is really a lot to do, so the Assembly had to buy us dinner, to keep us going. The days continue to filled with prayer, music and work!

Today we passed a resolution - 95% voted yes to have "full communion" with the United Methodist Church (UMC)... sharing ministries, resources and pastors. After 30 years of discussion, we found no substantive differences that are church dividing.

95% voted in favor of a resolution regarding the need for improved access to healthcare by all... noting this is a justice issue

The implementing resolutions regarding the social statement on human sexuality was passed by a 67% vote.

A block of bylaw changes were made by a 95% vote.

Support for Lutheran Disaster Response and the need for a strategic plan was passed by 92%, noting the increased dependence on LDR in disasters... a vital ministry between the ELCA and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod... but noting that financial support from both bodies has made it difficult for LDR to be adequately funded.

One of the side notes of interest was the receiving of the report of 3 pastors who set out on a mission 100 days ago -- to end hunger and poverty in the world by raising $5 million for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal... we were the final stop of the Tour de Revs. The tour was not about records, but about revelation, revolution and revenue. The revelation is that there are over 2,100 verses in Scripture where God says that there shall be no poor or hungry; feed my people and eliminate injustice."

They rode more than 10,000 miles and made 66 stops, including a stop in each of the 65 Synods of the ELCA. Their journey ended Aug. 20 at the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

The trio does not have a final number on how much money they raised, but have been told that it could be more than $300,000 and..."The funds are coming in faster than ELCA World Hunger can count it". We were told of a donation they had received from a homeless woman in San Diego who collected 551 pennies discarded in the streets to give to their cause.

Even though the trio wasn't didn't reach their fundraising goal as of today they said the tour was a success. What they really wanted people to do was raise awareness.

We were reminded that we have the resources to fight poverty and end hunger. The question is do we have the desire....because after all, it is God's work.... and if is God's work, we are God's hands!

Lets spend more time on work like this!

....The day was long and I am tired..... torn between the desire to do that work that I was sent to do and to spend time with my family here in Minneapolis... especially my grandson Jacob. Tomorrow night is a time of rejoicing with a concert by Peter Mayer the long time lead guitarist with Jimmy Buffett... music does fill our time.- Jacob will be here at the concert- an early introduction to good music.