Details are still being worked out, but an event organized by Madison Urban Ministries will take place at Grace Church beginning at 10:30 AM. I anticipate some sort of prayer vigil in conjunction with the Governor’s scheduled budget speech. Join us this Sunday for services! This week’s lectionary readings certainly speak to what’s happening on the streets outside of Grace.
A Letter from Bishop Miller to the Diocese of Milwaukee
February 18, 2011
Dear Friends in Christ,
Over the last few days we have witnessed freedom and democracy at work both around the world. I am pleased to report to you that our friends in our former companion diocese of Egypt are safe and that the missionaries of The Episcopal Church serving in Egypt are continuing their ministry in that place. I know you will join me in continuing to hold the people of Egypt and the rest of the Middle East in your prayers.
This past week we have also seen democracy at work in Wisconsin as thousands gathered in Madison in response to the Governor’s Budget Bill. Regardless of our individual positions on the bill before the Legislature and what steps are necessary to build a stronger and better Wisconsin, I believe we can all agree that our baptismal vow to “respect the dignity of every human being” is not served by a majority simply pushing through legislation because they have the votes necessary to do so. As Christians, it is our duty and call to make sure that everyone has a place at the table and every voice has the opportunity to be heard. Respecting the dignity of every human being requires taking the time to have honest and faithful conversation that respects the rights and freedoms of all.
We also are called to speak on behalf of the sick, the poor, the elderly, orphans, widows, and all those who live in the margins of our society. Matthew in his Gospel reminds us that in serving these we are serving the Lord Jesus himself. It would be a sin to balance our state budget on the backs of those who have the least.
As your bishop I ask you to do two things. First, contact your representatives and invite them to true leadership by taking the time to listen to the voices of all and provide a guarantee that the voices of all will be heard on the future. Secondly, pray for elected officials daily, by name. Leading is a difficult task that requires the prayer support of many. I know that I could not lead this diocese without the prayers of each of you.
May God continue to bless us his people that we may be a witness to the world.
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Steven A. Miller
Bishop
It certainly is strange to be in the middle of exciting events, and I mean, in the middle. Grace is at the corner of Carroll St. and W. Washington Avenue in Madison, directly opposite the State Capitol. Protests have been building all week but because our offices are on W. Wash., we’re not quite at the epicenter. On Tuesday, we could hear protesters coming up State St. to Capitol Square. Today, we decided to open the doors of the nave, inviting people into our space to take a break, catch their breath, pray, and relax. We will do it again tomorrow.
I walked all the way around Capitol Square today. It’s a festive mood, not unlike Farmer’s Market–no vendors, except for the food carts. People seem to be in a good mood; they are determined, but there’s also a sense of pride in what’s taking place. Police and other security who are on the scene are in equally good moods. When fire trucks drive through the crowds on State St., the firefighters cheer the crowds. I’ve not been inside the Capitol, but am told it’s quite warm inside, packed, and that folks could use water.
Underneath the excitement are other emotions–fear and foreboding among them. The concern and stress has been building since November as those who would be most affected by the draconian cuts wonder what life will be like. It’s not just state employees who are concerned. While businesses, especially restaurants, around the square are doing a bang-up business (the line for Ian’s pizza was half-way down the block on State St. at noon), they know that they may lose many of their best customers if the worst happens.
The crowd itself was amazing. UW students, of course, teachers and other state workers. But there were demonstrators from the Teamsters and other trade unions. Bagpipers played “America the Beautiful.” Young and old, racially diverse, it was a cross section of Wisconsin’s populace.
Being in the middle of it all brings special opportunities and special responsibilities. We need to reach out to everyone, on both sides of the debate, to offer hope and healing. Making our church available as a place of prayer for everyone is one important step. But alongside that hope and healing, we also need to be clear on the biblical call for justice–especially for the widow and orphan, the oppressed and alien. Tough week to be writing a sermon, especially with this week’s Gospel reading.
Pray for me. Pray for all of us
How should communities of faith, and specifically churches, respond to the current political conflict in Wisconsin?
I’ve had as a motto, ever since Sojourners Magazine first introduced it, “God is not a Republican or a Democrat.” I believed it then, and I believe it now (just as I also don’t believe God cared who won the Super Bowl).
But God does care about justice and mercy: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24). To disenfranchise people, whether they are citizens of Egypt or of Wisconsin is wrong. To undo the rights of citizens, to fail to protect the needy, the poor, the widow and the orphan, is not just a political decision. It is an affront against the vision of society proclaimed by the Torah of Moses, the prophets, and Jesus.
I also know that people of good will and deep faith can disagree on matters of politics. We must be able to come together in prayer, confessing our sins, asking God’s forgiveness, and sharing in the Eucharist. To that end, we are making Grace Church available as a space of prayer and respite in these days of conflict, uncertainty, and turmoil. Many of us are worried about what is happening. We know our own perspective, the narrowness of our vision; we can also recognize the narrowness of our opponents’ vision; let us pray that God grant us the wisdom to enlarge our vision as well as that of those with whom we disagree, that together, we might create a more just and merciful society.
For another perspective, read this.
The rally at the Capitol against Gov. Walker’s plans to balance the budget is well underway. It’s noisy, well-attended, and there’s no sign of the National Guard (lots of cops though).
Next Sunday’s reading from Leviticus 19 challenges us to think about what sort of society, what kind of justice we should envision. It demands care for the poor, equal justice for rich and poor, and love of one’s neighbor. Christians tend to personalize such demands, when they attend to them at all, turning them into a guide for interpersonal relationships rather than the vision of a just society imagined in Leviticus and elsewhere in both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.
We are also in the midst of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus reinterprets Torah, in many ways intensifying its demands, for example, turning the call to love one’s neighbor, into a call to love one’s enemy, as well. One might say that he is reimagining the just society to include not just the people of Israel, but all of humanity.
Such clear calls for justice and love challenge us to think clearly about the society in which we live and what God is calling us to be and do.
There’s another rally scheduled for tomorrow at noon, same time as our Wednesday service.
Our friends and neighbors at Bethel Lutheran have been sponsoring a book club for homeless people for over a year. There’s an article about it on Madison.com. This is one part of a great effort that includes offering computer time, a spirituality group, and other resources.
Today, Grace and Porchlight invited the community to a “Transformation Celebration” at the Men’s Drop-In Shelter.
Here’s an article from the Capital Times on the renovation
Following are the remarks I made at the event:
On behalf of Grace Episcopal Church, Porchlight, Epic Software Systems, the contractors, and especially all of the volunteers who have helped with the Men’s Drop-In Shelter over the years, I would like to thank you for coming. It was some twenty-five years ago that Grace first opened its doors to a shelter. That decision was for a one-year trial in response to a growing need in the city of Madison and Dane County. No one involved in making that decision then could have imagined that we would be standing here today.
Over the years, thousands of men have sought shelter here, thousands of people have volunteered with meals and in other ways. Grace has provided space; Porchlight and its predecessors have been involved in the day-to-day operations of the shelter; and the County, City, and State governments have provided funds, both for ongoing operations and for major renovations.
There are many people to thank today; and many of us will thank them. Porchlight, the people and vestry of Grace Church, the contractors and other workers, but especially Epic Software Systems. There is someone else who deserves our gratitude, however. Last February, Joe Tarr wrote an article in Isthmus entitled “Bleak House: Grace Episcopal’s Homeless Shelter.” In it, he raised concerns about conditions in the shelter. It aroused anger at Grace, at Porchlight and among the many volunteers who support the efforts here. He got an earful from me. The press is much maligned, but at its best it can rouse the slumbering consciences of a community or a nation. Joe’s article did that. Thank you.
It was a few days after the appearance of that article that I received a phone call from Bern Tan, of Epic. He said they wanted to help. I immediately assumed that they wanted to volunteer in some way. But no, Bern replied that they wanted to design and fund renovations. I was stunned. The process has been long and involved many groups of people, but we at Grace are absolutely thrilled at the results. We know the guests of the shelter are as well. Words cannot express the depth of our gratitude to Bern Tan and Todd Sloan of Epic who have overseen this project from start to finish; to Epic who made this possible and to all of you who continue to support our efforts to provide shelter to those who need it.
We at Grace responded to a need twenty-five years ago. It was controversial then. It remains controversial. But our mission is the same now as it was then, to follow the command of Jesus Christ to love our neighbors as ourselves and to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and shelter the homeless. Thank you to all who participate in these efforts.
I learned last week that many clergy take the time in a service to bless trick-or-treaters. Some place restrictions–no scary costumes, for example. I’ll confess it never crossed my mind. At St. James, staff enjoy the annual parade of the day school kids in costume, but that’s as close as we got in Greenville.
At Grace this year, we participated in the annual downtown business trick-or-treating. Pictures are here. Clearly fun was had by all.
It’s quite a contrast to those Christians who view Halloween as demonic or use it as an opportunity to try to save souls. If you’re interested in the apparently lively debate over Halloween among some conservative Christians, check out CBN’s Halloween Resource Page. I’ve long been fascinated by one popular attempt to piggy-back on Halloween’s popularity: the Hell House or Judgment House.
Neither the uneasiness of some Christians nor their attempt to capitalize or mimic popular culture surprise me. Rather, I’m curious about the whole cultural phenomenon of Halloween, especially the tacky and tawdry decorations that seem ubiquitous these days. On the other hand, I went to the Home Depot yesterday, and the Christmas displays were already up. Talk about tacky and tawdry!
The City of Madison recently released a draft of its Downtown Plan, which is supposed to set the framework for the next twenty-five years of development. An overview of the current state of the planning process is available here.
The vision for the process is:
Downtown Madison will be a flourishing and visually exciting center for the arts, commerce, government and education. It will be a magnet for a diverse population working, living, visiting and enjoying an urban environment characterized by a sensitive blending of carefully preserved older structures, high-quality new construction, architectural gems and engaging public spaces– all working together and integrated with surrounding neighborhoods, parks and the transportation system to create a unique environment for the community, County and region. (Downtown Advisory Report, July 2004)
What strikes me in the documents that have been produced so far is in fact, the lack of vision and the lack of attention to larger cultural, economic, and environmental trends that may profoundly shape the next twenty-five years. For example, higher education is undergoing a transformation unlike anything seen before. The crisis of affordability and the rise of technology will undoubtedly affect the University of Wisconsin as it is affecting smaller schools across the country. But the current state of the downtown plan takes none of that into consideration. It seems to presuppose a stable environment in which Madison will grow and develop incrementally.
Having reflected on meetings in which the plan was discussed, and being involved presently in a great deal of thinking about the future of Grace Church, I’m struck by the different tones in the two processes. It may be simply because I’ve not heard the kind of dire warnings in the secular sphere that we know about in the church as a whole, and in particularly at Grace Church.
But to envision a future in twenty-five years means thinking outside the box in all kinds of ways. I’m reminded of the futuristic imagining of the future during the 60s–The Jetsons, for example. We’ve come to realize that much of that was silly, but at the same time, the technological advances and cultural changes that have occurred were unimaginable. To vision the future five years down the road is one thing. It’s going to look a good deal like it looks today. But twenty or twenty-five years in the future? Who can imagine? And how can you plan for it?
A discussion of what seems to be a significant problem on Capitol Square. I’ve been noticing it all summer, perhaps because the bus shelters aren’t being used due to the construction and re-routing. Every time I walk downtown, there are groups of homeless people sitting on the benches, camped out in the bus shelters, and the like. I’ve heard some complaints from local business people, and I’m sympathetic to them. It’s hard to attract customers to your business when they have to pass through a gauntlet of men and women to get there. The article seems to suggest that the police are lenient because they don’t want these people to move out into the neighborhoods or parks.
It’s one thing to walk around the square, it’s quite another to try to get into the public library. In all the time I spend on the square, I never see anyone, police or social services, engaging the men and women who sit around on the benches or on the library steps. Does anyone reach out to them, find out what’s going on, try to connect them with the services that might help them escape this life?
In my experience, the business women and men on the square are patient, understanding, and interested in helping to find solutions to homelessness that would provide shelter and services.
Preaching Grace on the Square 