I wonder, how do you pastors handle tough topics?  Do you preach on peace?  Do you preach on the care of the poor?  And what about the children?  Let’s face it, given the vast numbers of child abusers, some of them must be sitting in our churches.  Do you preach on child abuse?

•    As a pastor, I wanted our church to work closely with the police to help make it a drug free town. I was appalled by the teenage use of marijuana and worst.  Well, I was astonished when none of the churches in the town would join me.  In fact, no one would volunteer to help.  “We’ll be hurt…or possibly killed!” was their cry. “Not if we all band together,” I pleaded.  They gave me examples.
•    When I learned that a child was being physically and sexually abused I went to the authorities.  The child was placed in a foster home, but returned to the father within the year.  “It is worst for the child when you report their abuse,”  I was advised.

•    Started an after school program, “One on One”, working with the schools, to offer tutors to children in need of scholastic help.
•    Found volunteers to start a day care for infants and toddlers at prices the families could afford.
•    Began a “Mommy and Me” type of organization to teach many of the young mothers how to care for their children.
•    Offered a “Mother’s Night Out” once a month with the youth group babysitting the infants and toddlers, allowing the stay at home moms a chance to have an evening of recreation.  And there were many other programs for the children and youth…..

•    Adoption today is terribly expensive and terribly involved for the adoptive parents aside from the fact most of them offer absolutely no support to the pregnant mother until the 6th month of pregnancy.  Many of the agencies that don’t charge astronomical fees demand that the woman who gave birth to the child become an integral part of the child’s life.  What adoptive parents want a competing influence in their child’s life?
•    And who is assuring the child will be born healthy?  Who is paying for the prenatal care for these young mothers? 
•    For those who choose to keep their child, who is helping them find a means of supporting themselves and their child?
•    Critically, the child of a single mother has several strikes against him/her.  Please read this interesting article in America. What are the churches doing to help?

•    My daughter in law will not allow my grandchildren to leave her sight when shopping.  She won’t let the girls play in the front yard without an adult watching. She teaches them if they should ever be in a position without a family member or friend, to never respond to a stranger; if they are approached, to run away.  How sad it is to live in a predominantly Christian nation as the U.S. and have to teach our children to fear.

A friend recently emailed the following:  The above (various theological discourse) is all way beyond me, way over my head, although I do get some good thoughts from the stories of Mary and Jesus. Nevertheless, it seems to me that most of the fundamental ideas in Christianity have been ignored due to the complicated word smithing and nit-picking that folks have gotten into for the past 2,000 years! It's easier for us to split hairs, to argue and fight about theology, philosophy, rules and property, rather than to love and serve an unknowable Higher Power who can become known, loved and served only by knowing, loving and serving our neighbor. Religions' "Do's and Don'ts" seem to fade away when one focuses mainly on loving and serving our neighbor, including those we disagree with or dislike!

•    Isn’t it up to us….all of us, especially we pastors,…….to change our world in a Christ centric way…. that is, from “me” centered to an “us” society....from special interests to the interests of those who cannot speak for themselves? 
•    Shouldn’t our children live in a better, safer world than the one in which Jesus walked and talked ……and, yes, took off without his parent’s permission as adolescents often do?
•    Or should we silently concede that Jesus time here on earth made very little difference.

• Jesus grew in wisdom!  Where are the wise among us?

•    See this inspirational video….. Al Pacino talks football...apply it to our efforts to change the world…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO4tIrjBDkk