In Joshua chapter 6 the Hebrew people have an incredible victory at Jericho when the Scripture tells us that the walls of the city fell miraculously, and the city was conquered by Joshua.  

It’s a violent text, to be sure. And there’s a lot of ink that has been spilled about the troubling nature of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land. History is often written by the victors, as we ourselves have seen in recent memory. 

But there’s a lesson to be learned in all of it, in spite of the violence as evidenced in this story when  God commands Joshua to tell the Israelites that they are not to take any plunder from the city. 

You can tell that something bad is about to happen by the virtue of that command alone, and it plays out in Joshua chapter 7, which begins with these words: 

But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.

We find out later that he pocketed a really nice Babylonian robe , two hundred shekels of silver, and a fifty shekel gold bar simply because he “coveted them,” which means he broke #10 out of the Ten Commandments at the very least.

When you take a close look at that first verse, you might wonder if there’s a reason why a disobedient Achan’s genealogy is put on display (son of Marmi, son of Zimri, etc.) and then juxtaposed next to the phrase, “So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.”

If you did wonder, the reason is quickly revealed when the Israelites launch an attack on the city of Ai, which should have been an easy target, according to the Hebrew spies who went out to gather information on it.  Only Ai turns out to be anything but an easy target and the Israelites are routed. 

Achan’s disobedience results in a disaster for the entire group.  But it doesn’t take long to uncover what he did, which he finally admits to in front of the tribal leaders.  Then Achan is forced to pay the price for his disobedience—along with his entire family, livestock and all that he had.   

The troubling bit for me in that passage has always been this:

Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. 26 Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.

Like I said, it’s a violent text, and it’s texts like this that ended up turning me off to the Old Testament God, which I had been taught was the same God in the New Testament.  But what I didn’t realize is that both expressions of God were actually of the same God only viewed by different people in different stages of sociological development. 

In other words, they tended to “see” the God they could “comprehend.” 

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In my experience, when you ask white Christians what they think about issues of racial injustice in America, the most often repeated response sounds something like this: 

“I know that slavery is a sin, and it was a terrible chapter in U.S. History.  BUT (there’s always a “but”) Nobody in my family owned slaves, so why should I have to pay the price for what some bad people did a long time ago?” 

I also hear things like this: 

“America is a land of opportunity—-everyone has a chance to make it.”

“There are laws against discrimination now, it’s not like it was in the past.”

All of these kinds of responses neglect to acknowledge the generational impact of the sinful stain of slavery in America—a systemic impact that has been passed down from generation to generation until now. 

The systemic impact of slavery is America’s “original sin” or (more apropos to our discussion here) our own “Achanic” disobedience.  It is not something that can be legislated away, although changes in laws are a beginning.  It’s not something that can be protested away, although protests are a way of bringing it to light. 

The systemic racism created by slavery and it’s blight on our culture is something that is buried deep within our camp, and it must be uncovered, confessed and repented of—despite what such a confession might mean to those who have indirectly or directly benefited from slavery’s stain. 

There is pain in this process, and an acknowledgement of what systemic racism has done to us all, what it has cost us all, and how it has affected every aspect of our communal life together. 

Over the past several months, our congregation has been engaging in issues of racial injustice, holding discussions, having conversations, reading, listening, learning and also lamenting and repenting of our silence and complicity. 

We have come to realize that even if we believe ourselves to have clean hands and pure hearts when it comes to these issues, we will not turn away from the sin that is hidden in the camp any longer, come what may. 

Because in the end, this is our wrong to right—regardless of its origins.  And we must acknowledge and uncover at last how the systemic blight of this Achanic disobedience, has served to create these wrongs and do everything we can to make them right, or else continue to suffer the consequences of it—generation after generation. 

I hope that you will join with me in this journey toward wholeness and unity.  We will soon be forming a Racial Injustice Steering Team to help guide our church family on the way, and to keep these issues before us, help educate and inform us, and lead us to repentance, reflection and then action. 

Counting it all Joy, Pastor Leon

In beginning

Divine breath hovered over the deep

Generating shape and splendor from formless void

Calling forth creation

Authoring new life

Deeming it good

In Christ

Divine breath walked with humanity

Offering unconditional love and unforeseen grace

Calling forth followers

Ambassadors sharing the story of new life

Resurrection gift

In this moment

Divine Breath inspires us

Emboldening action and persevering hearts

Calling forth partners

By: Lindsay Lawley Rerecich

‘Twas the night after Christmas, and all through the house;

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Except for me; I’ve slept nary a wink.

All I can do is lay here and think.

I lie in my bed, thinking back on the day,

And find myself wondering, “What would God say?”

What would He say about the money we spent,

On toys and baubles, some of which are now bent.

About the time we spent finding just the right present,

Fearful that otherwise things wouldn’t be pleasant.

About this year, which has been quite rough;

I’ve kept it from my family; they don’t know how tough.

I let them go on like nothing was wrong,

Even though much of our savings was gone.

We ended up taking on a bunch of new debt;

Just saying “Charge it!” was not our best bet!

Why must it be that we spend and we spend?

Does Jesus require that gifts we send?

Does God look down on us from above,

And ask for anything more than our love?

And yet here I am, with more bills to pay,

Not really knowing how I’ll find the way.

My credit card company’s just sent me a letter,

My interest rate’s up; how is that better?

I wish I was back at the beginning of December;

I’d know what I’d do, I’m sure I’d remember.

I’d start with a prayer to my Lord up above,

Thanking Him for His most wondrous love.

I’d ask Him for guidance and help carrying the load;

And to give me the courage to head down the road.

To share with my family chapter and verse,

So we’d all pull together instead of making things worse.

We’d not let our spending go all out of reason,

During this, a most wonderful season.

We’d check our wallets, purses and pay,

And stick to our budget, come what may.

We’d make sure there was some extra for our credit card debt,

And something extra for God; then we’d be set,

To really celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Whose gift to us was the ultimate price. 

And then when the night after Christmas came round,

I could sleep like a baby, not making a sound.

Because I would know that we’d done our very best;

And with God’s help and care, I could finally rest.

Got the new car urge? It’s hard not to – ads are everywhere touting the 2020 models and all of their wonderful new features. And then there are the apparently great clearance deals you can get on a 2019. So if you’ve got the new car bug, here are some car-buying tips. (My next blog post will talk about leasing and how you can get to the point of being able to pay cash for a car – the cheapest way to buy!)

Look at it this way — who knows more about structuring car deals…the dealer who makes them daily or the car buyer who only makes one every few years? While it certainly is attractive to do everything in one place – buy your new car, sell your old one, get your financing – there are just too many moving parts. Some you won’t see until the very end when you’re tired and just want to get in your new car and go home, and some you’ll never see! 

To get the best deal, you have to think about more than just the monthly payment. Instead, you need to balance four financing factors: 

Step 1:  Get Credit Where Credit is Due

Step 2:  Finance First, Buy Later

Even those dealer financing specials with really low interest rates or no interest until 2087 aren’t giving anything away – they’re making it back by not discounting the price of the car as much, by sticking in add-ons, etc. And the worst part is that when you go sit down with the dealership’s finance manager, the interest they have for you may be higher than the rate they will be paying their lending source. That’s right, dealerships can also make money by charging you a little bit higher interest rate and keeping the difference.

So before you ever step onto that car lot, check out the financing at a couple of credit unions and banks. You don’t have to be a current customer to get a rate quote, and you don’t need to know exactly what you’re going to buy. You’ll find the info you get about the effect of different down payments, length of loan, etc. is invaluable! 

The shorter the loan, the better:  42 months is great, but no more than 48 months. Yes, I know, there are a lot of car loans being written for 60 months and longer – I’ve seen as long as eight years! Anything longer than four years, though, and you’re just setting yourself up to be sucked into a never-ending money trap. 

The problem with longer loans is that you will owe more than the car is worth for most of the term of the loan.  Known as being “upside down,” it puts you in a real bind if you should need to replace your vehicle before the loan is paid off. Like when your insurance company declares it totaled after what seemed like a relatively minor accident.

Step 3:  Don’t Mix Old and New

Whatever you do with your old truck, don’t get it mixed up in the purchase of the new one. You’ll get the most money for your old car by selling it privately. Yes, that can be a hassle, so at least shop it around to several used car dealers. CarMax, for example, will make you an offer that’s good for seven days. Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, Nada Blue Book and CarFax are great sources for getting an idea of what your current vehicle is worth.

Step 4:  It’s The Total That Counts

With your old car out of the picture and your financing issues worked out, you’re ready to hit the dealerships. You’ve taken everything off the table except for one – the total cost. And that makes negotiations a lot simpler because…

You only have one number to think about, the total, bottom line “drive-out” cost. That cost should include tax, title, license, and any other little goodies the dealer wants to slip in like dealer prep, advertising costs, roadside assistance.  All you care about is the bottom line cost to take that truck or car home with you.

How that total gets allocated to various items in the dealer’s paperwork doesn’t really matter. And if you think you’ve agreed on that number but the paperwork comes back with something different, get up and walk out. (“That extra $75? Oh, sorry, I just found out from my sales manager that the shop had already applied leather conditioner to the seats.”) If you say, “Sorry, that’s not what I agreed to” and get up to leave, you’ll be surprised at how quickly that extra $75 disappears. 

Just remember: You have the power! That dealership doesn’t make a thing unless YOU say so! 

Step 5:  Enjoy Your New Vehicle!

And the peace of mind you’ll have knowing that you got a great deal because you made it happen!

When we moved into our first house we slowly began meeting our neighbors. We had quite the mixture of people in our south Austin neighborhood. Across the street was a man I particularly remember because he’s the sort of person whom its difficult to forget. He loved to talk to everyone and kept an eye on things in his part of the neighborhood.  He invited Jason (my husband) over for beer a couple times and told us all about the neighbors who used to own our house when we brought over Christmas cookies. When Jason’s younger brother was in town visiting he went outside to make a late night phone call and sat down in the bed of our truck parked out front. Our neighbor marched over and began hassling him about what he was doing in our front yard late at night since he wasn’t used to seeing Jason’s brother around. I remember most of all his kindness and friendliness, the polite way he complimented me when he noticed I lost weight and the advice he gave us about our giant Texas Ash tree in the front yard. In many ways he was the picture of a good neighbor.

Our neighbor was an older Hispanic man who was a retired elevator installer. He was tattooed and a drinker and an ex-gang member. In many ways he personified the kind of person who is vilified in our current media. I’m sure he committed or assisted in crime as part of his life in a gang. I know he wasn’t a perfect man, but he was a good neighbor. Much like the Samaritan of the parable he was the opposite of where we expect to see goodness. God works and speaks in those places we least expect to see, and goodness is in people who have lived lives we’d like to classify as bad. Our neighbor passed away a couple years before we moved out of our home; and I will remember him as a good, imperfect person.

Jesus told the crowd at the Sermon on the Mount:

I think Jesus meant several things by this scripture. Obviously, He had come to fulfill the ancient prophesies regarding the coming of the Son of God. On a deeper level, He had come to explain the rationale behind the Laws of Moses and help us understand their deeper meanings. He pointed out that, while the Pharisees were teaching the letter of the Law, they were not always grasping the more important Spirit of the Law.

Scripture is full of examples in which Jesus essentially said, “The Laws are valid, but you are not looking beyond the words to determine their essence – the real reasons each of them was prescribed. You are not examining the context of the Laws, nor the logic for keeping them sacred.”

A prime example of this is the story of Jesus healing the man at the Pool of Bethesda who had been invalid for 38 years. The Pharisees chastised both the man and Jesus for working on the Sabbath – first the man for carrying his mat, and then Jesus for healing him. The Law said that the Sabbath must be kept holy, a commandment based on the creation story in which God rested on the Sabbath after six days of hard work. The letter of the law (resting on the Sabbath) was logical – one should follow God’s example and use the Sabbath as a day to praise God and to rest one’s body and soul for the work to be done the following week.

Isn’t that supposed to be “Got milk?”, Budget Guy? And by the way, my name isn’t Mark…

How about if it said, “Got benchmark?” That’s what I really want to talk about, but don’t you think “Got bench, Mark?” is kind of catchy?

Okay, maybe not. But if everyone followed some key financial benchmarks, we’d be in a lot better shape than we are now. The economy may have recovered from 2008, but “we the people” haven’t – the personal finance situation in this country is worse now than it was then! 

Consumer debt continues to hit record highs and is now over $14 trillion!                                                             

That ain’t good, folks! What’s it going to be like when the next “2008” comes along?

Because it most definitely will!  

What can you do to protect yourself and your family? Check your finances against the following benchmarks. And if you’re missing on any of them, start working to change that – NOW!

Start with how much you pay each month on all your debts – mortgage or rent, car loans, credit cards, student loans, store loans, medical bills, etc.

 The total of all your monthly payments shouldn’t be more than 35% of your gross monthly income.

So how’d you come out? Under 35%? The lower the better! Over 35%? Time to take a step back and take a good, hard look at how you’re managing your money.

Such as how much you’re spending on housing. If you’re renting, that includes your utilities as well as your rent. If you own a home, it includes principal, interest, property taxes, insurance and maintenance.

 Don’t spend more than 28% of your gross monthly income on housing.

Homeowners – don’t gloss over maintenance costs! They’re tricky because they’re not regular so it’s easy to forget about them in months when you don’t have any. We think about the cost of fixing the air conditioner or replacing the water heater, but even buying some plants for the yard, fertilizer for the lawn – these are all part of your maintenance costs, too. 

Maintenance costs can vary quite a bit from month to month, but guess what? There’s a benchmark for that, too!

 Take 1% of the value of your home and divide that by 12.

Some months you’ll spend less, some months more. But set that aside each month and when those big ticket repairs some along, you should be in good shape to deal with them.

While we’re talking about houses, here’s one to keep in mind when it comes time to buy your next, or maybe your first, house:

 Don’t take out a mortgage for more than 2½ times your gross annual income.

And for your next car or truck?

 Don’t take out a loan for longer than 42 months.

Yeah, I know. You can get car notes now for as long as 84 months! The lower monthly payment looks good, and you just got a more expensive car than you thought you could. But watch out – all you’ve really done is set a financial trap for yourself, just waiting to catch you when you need to replace that car.

Something important to keep in mind about these benchmarks — they’re limits, not targets or goals. They don’t mean that carrying a debt load of 35%, for example, is smart. 

Think of them like the fence around a playground. It keeps you from running out into the street, but the fun stuff is in the middle, well inside the fence. 

How about some rules for building financial security? That starts with saving:

 Keep three to six months worth of living expenses in savings for emergencies.

This gives you a way to cover larger, infrequent expenses without increasing your debt. That air conditioner, for example, or car repairs. The key is to build the reserve back up as fast as you can each time you tap into it. 

And with respect to saving:

 Save 10% of every paycheck.

Not enough! This was a good benchmark once upon a time, but 10% just isn’t enough anymore. So that rule needs to be updated to 15% if you start early, and 20% or more depending on how old you are when you start saving.    

Two final benchmarks – a couple of my favorites! First,

 If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Anymore there are so many who are looking for ways to separate us from our money. But there’s no magic investment, no secret programs our credit card companies don’t want us to know about, no miracle cure of any type for whatever financial issues we might have. 

You either take charge of your money, or the banks, credit card companies, bill collectors…they’ll end up taking charge of you.

And now for the most important one of all:

  Give 10% to God. 

What makes this one tough is that giving to God can seem so, well, discretionary. It just doesn’t have the immediacy that other things do. But God gives us life, both now and eternally. And all God asks is 10% – a pretty sweet deal, if you ask me!