"What Would Jesus Say About Direct Bill?

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The Same Page September 7, 2010 "What Would Jesus Say About Direct Bill?" Dr. Philip McVay I had a crazy thought today. What would Jesus say about direct bill? He might quote Luke 9:58..."Foxes have holes and birds of air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head" or Matthew 10:10..."You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer is worthy of his wages." Or Luke 2:59..."I must be about my Father's business?"Perhaps He would lift up the wisdom of the building a tower..."For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?"(Luke 14:28) I am not sure which of these passages Jesus might quote but this I know Christ loves the Church and He want us to be about "making disciples and transforming the world." Our annual conference session in 2009 approved direct bill as the best way to move into the future funding our clergy health and pension benefits.Direct Bill is still a few months away but the "buzz" in conversation has been going on for months. Churches are now engaging direct bill conversations in the budget planning for 2011. I hear concern in the statements ..."how much?"..."how can we?"...and "I am not sure we can do it!" In hopes of calming anxiety about direct bill let me share some realities and perspective. First of all direct bill has some realities. The first reality is churches will pay directly for their appointed clergy health and pension benefits each month. How much will this be? The final amounts will be mailed out in December. We do know generally health insurance will be around $650 a month. The pension amount is determined by taking the pastors salary and adding another 25 percent if he/she lives in parsonage. The annual pension amount is then determined by taking 16% of that combined figure. If the pastor has a housing allowance the entire housing allowance figure is added with salary... and then 16% percent of the combined total is determined for the annual pension benefit. There is some good financial news as churches will notice a reduction in the conference missional apportionments. This reduction will help churches transition into direct bill. Every church will not have the same reductions because church budgets and pastors salaries are not all the same. If the final amounts to pay seem daunting I would encourage pastors and churches to not to be anxious about the future but rather ..."plan well and go forward trusting God." Back to the question..."What would Jesus say About Direct Bill?" I have one more passage that seems very relevant. It comes from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6. Jesus teaches..."Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life" The teaching of Jesus..."do not worry" is good for all times and especially with all the unknowns of the coming of direct bill. Can we ever remember a time when there wasn't something to worry about? Has God not been faithful in the past? Are we not at our strongest when we trust God with the future? Our conference and churches have grown through many changes in the past when the future was uncertain. I am most assured that direct bill will be no different. Jesus loves the church and I am thinking He would not want us worried about institutional requirements but rather a world that needs saving! Let us be that Church focused on ministry and not our worries! We can with God's help not only get through this time but get through even stronger! Shalom, Philip

September 7, 2010

"What Would Jesus Say About Direct Bill?" Dr. Philip McVay I had a crazy thought today. What would Jesus say about direct bill? He might quote Luke 9:58..."Foxes have holes and birds of air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head" or Matthew 10:10..."You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer is worthy of his wages." Or Luke 2:59..."I must be about my Father's business?"Perhaps He would lift up the wisdom of the building a tower..."For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?"(Luke 14:28) I am not sure which of these passages Jesus might quote but this I know Christ loves the Church and He want us to be about "making disciples and transforming the world." Our annual conference session in 2009 approved direct bill as the best way to move into the future funding our clergy health and pension benefits.Direct Bill is still a few months away but the "buzz" in conversation has been going on for months. Churches are now engaging direct bill conversations in the budget planning for 2011. I hear concern in the statements ..."how much?"..."how can we?"...and "I am not sure we can do it!" In hopes of calming anxiety about direct bill let me share some realities and perspective. First of all direct bill has some realities. The first reality is churches will pay directly for their appointed clergy health and pension benefits each month. How much will this be? The final amounts will be mailed out in December. We do know generally health insurance will be around $650 a month. The pension amount is determined by taking the pastors salary and adding another 25 percent if he/she lives in parsonage. The annual pension amount is then determined by taking 16% of that combined figure. If the pastor has a housing allowance the entire housing allowance figure is added with salary... and then 16% percent of the combined total is determined for the annual pension benefit. There is some good financial news as churches will notice a reduction in the conference missional apportionments. This reduction will help churches transition into direct bill. Every church will not have the same reductions because church budgets and pastors salaries are not all the same. If the final amounts to pay seem daunting I would encourage pastors and churches to not to be anxious about the future but rather ..."plan well and go forward trusting God." Back to the question..."What would Jesus say About Direct Bill?" I have one more passage that seems very relevant. It comes from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6. Jesus teaches..."Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life" The teaching of Jesus..."do not worry" is good for all times and especially with all the unknowns of the coming of direct bill. Can we ever remember a time when there wasn't something to worry about? Has God not been faithful in the past? Are we not at our strongest when we trust God with the future? Our conference and churches have grown through many changes in the past when the future was uncertain. I am most assured that direct bill will be no different. Jesus loves the church and I am thinking He would not want us worried about institutional requirements but rather a world that needs saving! Let us be that Church focused on ministry and not our worries! We can with God's help not only get through this time but get through even stronger! Shalom, Philip

Day 365...(10,11,12,13; Jude; Revelation 19,20,21,22)..."Faith and Beginning and Endings"

We end the scheduled reading for one year through the Bible today. How appropriate to end with some of broader themes...faith and God is the source of beginning and endings. Hebrews has an entire chapter on faith. Chapter 11 recalls many of the stories we have read. What is the connecting theme? Faith. God is also the source of beginnings and endings. Hebrews 13:8 says..."Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Revelation says Jesus is the Alpha and Omega.

I end with Hebrews description of faith..."Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." Notice how those who lived by faith did not all see faith realized but they realized through faith the day was coming in full for God's people. Perhaps this is a vantage point for our days and times. We are to live by faith and we trust the Lord of the Alpha and the Omega. Faith is the way we participate in this amazing story of God and His reaching out in love to give hope for the world!

Day 364...(2 Peter 1,2,3; Hebrews 7,8,9; Revelation 16,17,18)..."God's Patience for All to Be Saved"

As we draw to an end (one day left of reading) I was really struck that 2 Peter quoted the Psalm and added a word about patience. Is this not a key to peace submitting to God's time and waiting patiently? Here is the passage that deals with God's patience for all to be saved...

"With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

I also am drawn to the teaching of the sequence of how we get to the goal of love and becoming more like God. Notice the progression beginning with faith and goodness...

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love."

Day 363...(1 Peter 4,5; Hebrews 4,5,6; Revelation 13,14,15)..."Love Covers a Multitude of Sins"

Love is key virtue of the Christian life. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is the greatest of all. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy and expands the love of God and neighbor as the greatest commandment. 1 John speaks clearly that "God is love." In 1 Peter we read that love covers a multitude of sins. The Scriptures reinforce all throughout the Bible that love is the greatest. Here is what is written in 1 Peter about love...

"Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

Day 362...(1 Peter 1,2,3; Hebrews 1,2,3; Revelation 10,11,12)..."Baptism Connected to Noah?"

Is baptism connected with Noah? We believe baptism is a outward sign of an inward and spiritual grace. Baptism is an initiation into the Kingdom of God. Baptism is a sign of salvation. In 1 Peter 3 we learn of a connection with baptism and Noah. Baptism is also a pledge of a good conscience according to words of Peter. I had not noticed this teaching before...

"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him."

Day 361...(Titus 1,2,3; James 4,5; 3 John; Revelation 7,8,9)..."A Plan for Divisive People"

Churches do ministry best when working together in unity. In the real world, there are divisive people who "rock the boat" and threaten any chance for unity. What options are there for a church, when a divisive person is present? The Book of Titus lays out a plan for how to handle such as person. Give one warning and then a second. If the dissension continues, you move on. What a wonderful plan. Here is the passage...

"But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned."