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Dear Friends:
SPRING happens this week . . . and we all say
'Amen!' It's amazing what a daffodil or crocus bloom
can do to your day when the Mid-Atlantic
temperatures are still too close to freezing.
No matter what other stressors may be lurking, the
more frequent bird song, the lingering sunsets, the
subtle smells on a breeze that can only be described
as 'freshness,' and the gradual greening through the
browns and grays always give me a tremendous burst
of gratitude. I hope they do for you as
well.
I wanted to mention a bit about the last issue of
the E-zine. In the introduction to January's issue,
I mentioned that we at Ministry of Money are in an
'asking questions' phase, a time of transition as we
define and redefine our continuing journey as a
prophetic ministry. I also stated that we were
taking that questioning spirit out into our
constituency to open up further and deeper dialogue
among us as we grapple with the intersection of our
spiritual lives and our resources, and that
intersection's impact on our lives and those of
others throughout the world.
In that issue, I included a couple of political
pieces from writers outside the Ministry of Money
that were definitely dialogue producing - some
negative and some positive. I am always pleased with
both. A few people asked us to stop "the
left-wing political stuff" and to focus on just
Jesus. As the editor, I wanted to mention
that we at Ministry of Money see Jesus as a
very political figure, a prophetic
questioner of his people, so much so that the
religious and political leaders of his time killed
him for his alternative views. Jesus was never
safe - and he doesn't promise safety as we
here in the United States might define it. Our
message is and always has been much broader than
'tithe' or 'give to charity'. Our message is about
transformation - being open to God's
transformation in our lives - spiritually,
economically, politically, socially - both
internally and externally. Ministry of Money
is trying to focus on the teachings of Jesus, just
not the traditional white-bread white-faced Western
version that promises personal prosperity and
personal salvation. That may make some
people uncomfortable - but in all honesty, that's
what prophets usually do. Sometimes the greatest
gift we can receive is to be challenged to think
beyond our own self-interest. It's not about left or
right or Democrat or Republican, it's about
compassion, sharing, justice, dignity and freedom
for everyone everywhere. We don't all need to
agree, but we do need to have the conversation.
The articles below are from a variety of
publications, as well as highlights of upcoming
Ministry of Money events. Take your time and read
through the material (some people keep it in their
mailbox or on their desktop and read an article a
day), and then spend some quiet time reflecting upon
what you've read. Start a conversation about it at
church or at work and see what others think. Forward
the E-zine on to others you think might be
interested. Taste and see what the Spirit
might bring.
And don't forget to check out the Women's
Perspective 5th Anniversary Celebration with
Amy Domini and Tracy Gary at the
Festival Center in Washington, DC this Saturday,
March 25th! Details are below I'm sure it will
be a marvelous day of information, insight and new
and renewed friendships!
Enjoy the warmth, the rain and the smells of
Spring in the coming weeks. I pray that God will
transform our hearts and lives as God transforms the
cold, barren and slumbering Winter into the fresh
and newly-birthed gift of Spring.
Blessings,
Jan Sullivan Dockter, Editor and Director of
Programs and Communications
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For What Are We Saving? |
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If the love I have isn’t working, what
good is money?
- by Mark Nepo. From
The Book of Awakening, Conari Press,
2000.
So often we put externals first. Out of
worry, out of fear, out of obligation, we
think we’re being good Puritans by saying no
to what stirs us.
In the ‘60s, the well-known psychologist
Abraham Maslow conceived of a hierarchy of
needs, in which he established that human
beings must provide for basic physical
needs, such as food and shelter, before they
can attend to inner needs, such as self-
esteem and right relationship.
While this is in part true, I believe there
is a dimension of the inner life that is as
imperative and equivalent as food and
shelter. Without the fulfillment of these
basic inner needs, we are just fed and
sheltered bodies void of life. Without love,
truth, and compassion, all the comforts of
modern life don’t matter, because we are
simply reduced to biological machines, not
even as present as animals.
Without this understanding, we often defer
the risk to love: I need to establish myself
before I can get involved. I need nice
clothes first. I’ll become physically
desirable first. I’ll eliminate all my
problems first. We also defer love once it
is before us, under the guise of
safeguarding our future: I won’t call long-
distance now, because I’ll need the money
when I retire. I won’t meet them at this
concert now, because I’ll need money for a
new car in six years. I can’t afford to
enter counseling with my partner because we
need storm windows. Certainly, we have to
balance and make choices, but with no love
in the house, there is no need for storm
windows.
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Transformational Travel to India and the
Dominican Republic in 2006 |
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India: November 1-16, 2006
India’s northeast section is a
sub-tropical region that embraces some of
the most fertile land in India. The
northeastern Indian states are famous for
their large tribal communities, extensive
mineral deposits and the unforgettable city
of Calcutta. But in spite of its vast
natural resources, this area is
underdeveloped and among the poorest areas
in India. With rich and diverse
spiritualities throughout the centuries -
Northeastern India is an ideal location for
a Ministry of Money pilgrimage of reverse
mission.
This Indian immersion experience provides
exposure to both the history and culture of
northeastern India. It also offers an
immediate setting in which to experience the
political, social, economic and spiritual
dimensions of daily life in this
marginalized region of the globe. A primary
focus of a pilgrimage of reverse mission is
to create opportunities for direct contact
with the poor and marginalized and with
programs that address the misery of their
condition, as well as to visit sacred sites
and have opportunities to meet and share
with Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs as
we attempt to build bridges.
This MoM trip includes visits to and
occasional service at community-based social
development projects - such as Mother
Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity homes
for orphans and dying destitutes and The
Cheshire Home. The group will also visit
Bodhgaya, the birthplace of Buddhism
and site of the Bodhi Tree under
which Buddha gained enlightenment; and
Varanasi - one of India’s oldest and
most sacred cities. Varanasi sits on the
Ganges River and is home to numerous Hindu
and Buddhist temples. Each day also includes
worship and reflection in order to process
the experience, both individually and as a
group.
This Ministry of Money pilgrimage is
limited to a maximum of 8 participants. The
$4,100-$4,500 (depending on summer airfares)
trip fee includes: roundtrip airfare from
the Gateway City (Washington or New York
City) to Calcutta; all transportation,
lodging, and meals within India; and all
administration expenses (e.g., country
entrance and exit fees, trip guides,
translators, reading materials, etc.). The
fee also includes a financial contribution
for the projects visited. Jan Sullivan
Dockter, who has led numerous trips to
India, will be the pilgrimage leader.
Dominican Republic: July 14-23,
2006
The Dominican Republic occupies nearly two-
thirds of the second largest island in the
Caribbean, Hispaniola - which it shares with
the country of Haiti. It is famed for being
the place where Columbus first landed in the
Americas, pronouncing it to be the ‘most
beautiful island’ he had ever seen. The
country now known as the Dominican Republic
has faced an often turbulent history since
that time and though the image of a tropical
paradise is still very real in some areas of
the country, the DR also suffers from severe
poverty, particularly in rural areas. To add
to its challenges, the relationship between
the Dominican Republic and its neighbor,
Haiti, has long been characterized by racial
and political tensions which have given rise
to a deep anti-Haitianism within the
Dominican Republic. This prejudice has both
historical and political roots, and provides
the context for widespread abuse and
profound insecurity endured by the Haitian
and Dominican-Haitian populations living
within the DR today. Currently, both the
Dominican Republic and Haiti are deeply
affected by population migration patterns
stemming from the realities of
globalization, poverty and the lack of
remaining resources on the island of
Hispaniola. Join us on this Ministry of
Money pilgrimage to the Dominican Republic
to explore the issues affecting its people,
the depth of their spirituality and the
programs and organizations attempting to
encourage and assist its population in need.
The focal points of our DR experience
will be both in urban and rural areas of the
country - Santo Domingo, the capital,
and Dajabon, an agricultural area
near the Haitian border. A primary focus of
an MoM pilgrimage is to create opportunities
for direct contact with the poor and
marginalized, and exposure to programs that
address the misery of their condition, both
through direct service and from a systemic
change perspective. MoM trips include visits
to social development projects and other
community-based groups - such as Jesuit
Refugee Services, providing services to
Haitians living in sugar cane bateyes
(labor camps) near the border and in urban
slums; and the Missionaries of Charity
- providing nutritional care and
services for children. There will also be
numerous opportunities to fellowship with
the Dominican people we meet over meals and
in joint worship services. We will also have
an opportunity to visit beaches on both the
Caribbean and Atlantic coasts. Each day will
include prayer and reflection in order to
process the experience, both individually
and as a group.
This MoM pilgrimage is limited to a
maximum of 12 participants, plus two trip
leaders. The $2,000 trip fee includes:
round-trip airfare from the Gateway City of
Miami to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic;
all transportation, lodging, meals and
gratuities within the DR; and all
administration expenses (e.g., $50,000
international traveler’s insurance, country
entrance and exit fees, trip guides,
translators, reading materials, etc.). The
fee also includes a small tax-deductible
financial contribution for the projects
visited in the region. Kevin Cashman will be
the pilgrimage leader.
A MoM pilgrimage experience is an
opportunity to experience God in new ways
and to meet Christ in those we encounter
living and working in marginalized areas of
the world. It is an opportunity to directly
experience a culture much different from our
own and to have our North American culture
mirrored back to us from a different
perspective. It is an opportunity to be
deeply and richly transformed through the
spirituality of our global brothers and
sisters and to join in greater understanding
and solidarity with them. We invite
you to join us!
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Manna & Mercy with Alan Storey: April 28-30,
2006 |
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Manna and Mercy is the name of a
book written by Daniel Erlander. Using
Erlander’s book, Alan Storey, South African
pastor and retreat leader, will take us on a
journey from Genesis to Revelation over the
course of the weekend, with sensitivity to
the contexts in which the scriptures were
written and our present day.
The Bible is meant to be an instrument of
God to enable abundant life for God’s
creation. Yet sadly through the ages it has
been read and interpreted in such a way that
it has been used as an instrument of human
domination and death. It has been used to
cheer on the crusades, support slavery,
advocate Apartheid, glorify genocide,
sanction sexism, bless war and worship
prosperity in the face of the poor, to name
just a few horrors of our human history.
During the Manna and Mercy retreat, we will
take a fresh look at scripture through the
interpretive lens of Jesus’ life, death and
resurrection and God’s overall call for each
one of us to partner with God in mending
this fractured world. The hope is that after
we have done so, our interpretations and use
of the scriptures will be truly liberating
and life-enabling.
Alan Storey is an ordained minister of
the Methodist Church of Southern Africa and
senior minister of Calvary Methodist Church,
Midland, situated halfway between Pretoria
and Johannesburg. Alan’s faithfulness to the
peacemaking Christ was tested early in his
life when he faced conscription into the
apartheid regime’s military. After spending
a year of discernment working as a laborer
in Australia, he returned to South Africa,
declaring he would never fight in the
apartheid army - or any army. He was
arrested and faced trial, with a six-year
prison sentence as the likely outcome.
Alan’s trial was surprisingly abandoned
midway, and he became the last conscientious
objector to be tried in apartheid South
Africa.
During his theological training at Rhodes
University, he was involved in the Gunfree
South Africa Campaign that was launched at
the time of transition to democracy. After
University, Alan was sent to Welkorn, which
is known as a conservative mining town that
lies in the very center of South Africa. It
was here that Alan started the Banna Na
Modimo home for destitute children and the
Banna Ba Modimo Clinic for people who are
homeless. Alan received Rotary’s Paul Harris
award as a result of this work.
Alan was ordained in 1996 and sent to a
small white congregation in Midrand. He
built a new church named Calvary and the
congregation has quadrupled in size; but
more importantly, it has engaged deeply with
dwellers in the informal settlements (shanty
towns) in the area. Alan himself lived in
one of these settlements for two years to
identify more deeply with the people there.
Calvary has become the most multiracial
Methodist congregation in the denomination
and is on the cutting edge of reconciliation
and justice ministries. The church staff
practice a radically different approach to
salaries and sharing.
This event will take place at Wellspring
Conference Center in Germantown, Maryland.
The cost is $250 Please register by April 7,
2006.
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Reflections |
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“Religion often involves goals: I am confirmed in the church; I am a
Zen master; I am a rabbi. Spirituality
regards life as a journey, and thus one
thing becomes another, and one never arrives
at an endpoint. Religion provides comfort,
but spirituality often leaves us vulnerable.
Religion may help us stay out of hell, but
spirituality often evolves from having been
through hell, and seeking healing. Religion
can comfort us by assuming God is
responsible for us. Spirituality reminds us
that we are an integral part of the
universe, and therefore we must behave
responsibly. Where religion prays, “Lead us
not into temptation and deliver us from
evil,” spirituality prays, “Forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass
against us.” ” – George Vaillant
"Withstanding the tension between
opposites until we know it is 'enough'
releases us from the swing between one
extreme and the other." - Helen Luke
"Be patient toward all that is
unsolved in your heart and try to love the
questions themselves." - Rainer Maria
Rilke
"Prayer is not asking. It is a longing
of the soul. It is a daily admission of
one's weakness . . . And so, it is better in
prayer to have a heart without words than
words without a heart." - Gandhi
"Rats and roaches live by competition
under the laws of supply and demand; it is
the privilege of human beings to live under
the laws of justice and mercy." -
Wendell Berry
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The Business of Giving |
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Philanthropy is flourishing as the number of super- rich people
keeps growing. But the new donors are
becoming much more businesslike about the
way their money is used, says Matthew
Bishop.
- from
The Economist, February 23, 2006
GIVING away money has never been so
fashionable among the rich and famous. Bill
Gates, today's pre- eminent philanthropist,
has already handed over an unprecedented $31
billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, mostly to tackle the health
problems of the world's poor. Its generosity
has earned the couple Time magazine's
nomination as 2005's “people of the year”,
along with Bono, an activist rock star.
The next generation of technology leaders
are already embracing the same ethos. Pierre
Omidyar, the founder of eBay, and Jeff Skoll,
the auction site's first chief executive,
are each putting their billions to work to
“make the world a better place”. And when
the founders of Google, Sergey Brin and
Larry Page, took their company public, they
announced that a slice of the search
engine's equity and profits would go to
Google.org, a philanthropic arm that they
hope will one day “eclipse Google itself in
overall world impact by ambitiously applying
innovation and significant resources to the
largest of the world's problems”.
The new enthusiasm for philanthropy is in
large part a consequence of the rapid
wealth-creation of recent years, and of its
uneven distribution. The world now boasts
691 billionaires, 388 of them “self- made”,
compared with 423 in 1996, according to
Forbes magazine's “rich list” for 2005. Not
all of these newly wealthy people are
turning to philanthropy— and of those that
do, many continue to give in unimaginative
ways, say to support an institution such as
their alma mater. But the extra wealth is
creating huge new opportunities. “This is a
historic moment in the evolution of
philanthropy,” says Katherine Fulton,
co-author of a recent report on the
industry, “Looking out for the Future”. “If
only 5-10% of the new billionaires are
imaginative in their giving, they will
transform philanthropy over the next 20
years.”
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Why Aren't We Listening to This Man? |
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Michael Valpy talks with Stephen Lewis, the
UN envoy for AIDS in Africa, about his
anger, despair, and obligation to speak out.
He’s telling us about the greatest tragedy
in the world today. He’s telling us that
millions are dying, tens of millions more
will die, and a continent is being
destroyed. He’s also telling us that we can
prevent it.
- by Michael Valpy,
Shambala Sun, March 2006
In the comfortably cluttered living room
of his house in Toronto’s elegant Forest
Hill neighborhood, Stephen Lewis,
politician, humanitarian, diplomat,
international public servant, comes to the
story of the coffins and the cabbage patch.
“I tell it so often,” he says, almost as an
aside to himself. It goes like this:
It is early in 2005, and Lewis, 68, the
United Nations Secretary-General’s Special
Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, is visiting a
village in rural Zambia. He is invited to
inspect an income-generating project created
by a group of women infected with AIDS. He
is led along many dusty trodden paths to a
field where the women are standing, holding
up a welcoming banner.
The women are eager to talk to him about
the men who have infected them, and what
they think of such men. As the conversation
progresses, Lewis notices he is standing
beside a large cabbage patch. Gesturing to
the cabbages, he says, “I take it this is
your income-generating project.” The women
say, “Yes, absolutely.” Lewis says, “I
assume it supplements your diet, makes your
immune system stronger, makes you
nutritionally more secure.” The women say,
“Yes, yes.”
He asks, “Do you have any of the cabbages
left over?”
“Yes. Absolutely,” say the women.
He asks, “What do you do with them?”
“We take them to market and sell them,”
they say. “That’s the income-generating part
of the project.”
Then Lewis asks, “What do you do with the
income?”
The leader of the women says, “We buy
coffins, of course, Mr. Lewis. We never have
enough coffins.’"
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Speaking Truth to Power: The February
Prophets |
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- by Ted Schmidt, from
The Social Edge, March 2006
The human side of religion, its
creeds, rituals and instructions is a way
rather than a goal. The goal is to do
justice, to love mercy and walk humbly with
God. When the human side of religion becomes
the goal, injustice becomes the way.
- Abraham Heschel
Recently while teaching a course on the
Jewish Bible I came to that section on the
prophets of Israel, the second greatest gift
of Biblical Judaism. Since the major
prophets of the Bible are often too long to
get into in a survey course, I always like
to point out little known stories which get
across the idea that these men of old were
indeed the conscience of Israel. Invariably,
I go to Micaiah (1 Kings 22: ff), Nathan (2
Sam: 12 ff) and Amos as good examples of
what God was saying 2,500-years-ago to God's
people. And the point of the prophets, of
course, is what God continues to say in
history. The message does not change, only
the messengers and their insistence that the
domination system of humans over other
humans --and humans over the earth-- must
end. The prophet reiterates the original
credo of Israel, its primal narrative, valid
at all times and in all places, the politics
of oppression and the denigration of God's
ikon, the human and God's body the earth,
must stop. This is the will of the Holy One.
Rabbi Heschel, my favourite guide to the
prophets was a towering intellectual who
wrote exquisitely in his fourth language,
English. He had the knack of stating simply
what his scholarly research led him to. "The
prophets field of concern," wrote Heschel,
"is not the mysteries of heaven, the glories
of eternity but the blight of society, the
affairs of the market place. He addresses
himself to those who trample on the
needy..."
We are never short of prophets in God's
history The Bible is simply one book
(actually several books) which testifies to
God's covenant with us. But as often the
case, we humans have a terrible tendency to
glance backwards for "proofs" of God's
revelation or look to the securities of
institutions to bolster our faith. As
understandable as those activities are, they
often prevent us from missing the present
finger of God in history. And looking for
God to speak boldly from the belly of
established churches or from the heart of a
bloated capitalist economy, well, good luck.
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Women's Perspective 5th Anniversary
Celebration |
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Women’s Perspective offers a day of
wisdom-sharing with Tracy Gary,
philanthropist and creator of Inspired
Legacies, and Amy Domini, managing
partner of Domini Social Investments and
creator of the Domini Social Index. Everyone
is invited to come and share in this time of
inspiration, celebrating the fifth
anniversary of Women’s Perspective work in
Connecticut and over 25 years of service to
women seeking to align their financial life
with their spiritual life.
In addition to plenary talks by both
Tracy and Amy and group discussions, the
program will include a preview of the
Women’s Perspective documentary film,
entitled, Leadership: The Other Side of
Tragedy. These three segments of the day
will highlight the ways in which women are
transforming communities.
Please join us on Saturday, March 25th
for this special gathering at the
Festival Center, at 1640 Columbia Ave,
NW, Washington, DC, 20009. For
information and reservations, call 203-
336-2238 or email
rosemary@womensperspective.org.
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Comic Relief . . . |
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- by Chris Slane, New Zealand
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Recommended Resources |
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Our Next Issues . . . |
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Watch for the upcoming MoM printed
newsletter with a theme of Transformational
Travel, with articles by people who've
experienced a MoM pilgrimage of reverse
mission. It will arrive in your mailbox by
early May.
The next MoM ezine will be sent to your
email address in early summer.
Sign up for MoM publications online!
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Upcoming MoM Events |
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Retreats
April 28-30, 2006
Manna & Mercy: A Special Money & Faith
Retreat with Alan Storey
Wellspring Conference Center, Germantown, MD
Cost: $250
May 19-20, 2006
Money & Faith Retreat
Fairfield Mennonite Church, Fairfield, PA
(near Gettysburg)
Cost: $40
September 15-17, 2006
Money & Faith Retreat
Wellspring Conference Center, Germantown, MD
Cost: $250
September 29-30, 2006
Money & Faith Retreat
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Newport News,
VA
Cost: $TBD
October 20-22, 2006
Redistribution: A Special Money & Faith
Retreat with Ched Myers
Festival Center, Washington, DC
Cost: $295
You may register for these retreats
online by
clicking here!
Pilgrimages
Ethiopia Pilgrimage
May 10-24, 2006
Cost: $4,100
Registration Deadline: March 24, 2006
Dominican Republic Pilgrimage
July 14-23, 2006
Cost: $2,000
Registration Deadline: May 15, 2006
Israel/Palestine Pilgrimage
November 1-15, 2006 (approximate dates)
Cost: $TBD
Registration Deadline: September 1, 2006
India Pilgrimage
November 1-16, 2006
Cost: $4,100 - $4,500
Registration Deadline: September 1, 2006
For information about any of these
events, please contact Ministry of Money at
(301) 428-9560 or by email at
office@ministryofmoney.org
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Quick Links... |
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MoM Print Newsletter - February 2006
Interesting Links
More About MoM
MoM Event Calendar
Donate Online
Contact Ministry of Money
January 2006 Edition of the MoM Ezine
Money & Faith Study Circles
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