In the World But Not of It

I am a little sad this morning.  We may see the end of an era in the next few weeks.  I have always been proud to be Presbyterian.  I believe we are doing our best to be faithful in difficult time.  I believe that in being a democracy our denomination makes better decisions by following the will of the majority rather than the dictates of one.  But we are sinful and don't always make the most Godly decisions.

Our Board of Pensions has always followed suit.  They had a wonderfully Christian policy.  Your retirement and health care costs were a percentage of your salary.  Everyone paid the same percentage.  Whether you made $12,000 a year or $500, 000 you paid the same percentage.  The big churches thus supported the little churches.  The big guys held up the little guys.  It may not have made sense in the world's standards, but it was a wonderful blessing on the poorer pastors and churches.  It showed the New Testament principle of all in the church sharing with each other and caring for the least of these.  In fact that same percentage covered you and your family.  There were no extra payments for those with spouses or children.  We truely took care of our own.

Now, because of rising health care costs they are having to rethink.  So, the Board of Pensions is considering doing what the rest of the secular world is doing...  And in good Presbyterian fashion, it is going up for a vote.  They will still have the percentage payment to cover the pastor, but if you want your spouse or children covered you will pay a set fee per month.  For me that fee is 36% of my salary!  For that minister making $500,000 at a mega church, it is pocket change...  Yes, that is how the rest of the world does it.  I understand that something must be done to cover the rising cost of health care...  So one option is charging a fee... That is why most of the working poor have no health insurance, or their families don't.  That is why Obama sought to have universal health care...  And oddly enough, why health care costs have gone up forcing this change.

So, if the vote goes that way in a few weeks, we Presbyterians will say goodbye to our special Christian care and love that we showed by upholding each other.  We will become just like the world, at least in terms of our health care.  Small churches and the pastors that feel called to serve them will be the ones who suffer.  I wonder what will happen to "the least of these" as the world adds more and more burdens on the poor and the small...  In Jeremiah's day they got overrun and carried into exile...  Perhaps we can mend our ways before it goes that far...  China owns most of us already...

Lord have mercy on us sinners...