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Oprah
Winfrey, Warren
Buffett, Bono
... and YOU!
No, it's not "which one of these is not like the
other" -- 'cause all four of those names belong
together. We all have power. And we all can use it
to make God's
mission of global reconciliation
happen.
What makes Oprah, Bono and Warren Buffett
extraordinary is not their wealth or fame or talent
-- it's that they use what they have for the sake of
those who have not ... the "least"
in whom we meet and serve Christ.
Bono uses his
musical gifts to move hearts and his
influence to shape
policy. Oprah takes her influence
over millions of viewers and uses it to educate
about things
like AIDS in Africa and the plight of
refugees.
Warren Buffett takes his financial riches
and uses
them to eradicate disease and poverty --
and challenge
others to do the same. They all
recognize that we are given gifts so that we might
give them away.
And that's where you come in. Because the only
difference between you and them is scale.
You have power and access to systems of power. You
have education. You have wealth. You have artistic
talent. You have influence. And when you give them
away, you get to meet and serve Christ in ways that
transform lives, transform hearts and transform
the world.
Use your power -
Write your senators and representatives and let
them know that the MDGs
are a voting issue. Join the
Episcopal
Public Policy Network and become a ONE
Episcopalian. Let your bishops and presiding
bishop-elect know that you support their naming of
the MDGs
and global reconciliation as our mission priority.
Use your creativity - Draw, paint, sculpt,
sing, dance, write. Everyone is an artist, because
the Spirit moves through all. Don't listen to inner
or outer critics. Let your heart be moved by the
creative
potential of the MDGs and then let that creativity
pour out of you. Others will be moved as
well.
Use your wealth - None of us have $42
billion to give away, but if you're reading this,
you're incredibly
wealthy by global standards.
Discover the joy of giving it away. Start with 0.7%
of your income ... but don't stop there. Give in
ways that build relationship. Give because hoarding
our wealth imprisons us and giving it away liberates
not just us but billions living in poverty.
Use your influence - When you suggest
a book for your bookclub or adult ed class, it
might not
immediately shoot to the top of the NY Times
bestseller list ... but it gets read. We all have
influence over friends and family. Educate yourself,
get good talking points ... and then speak
passionately to them. Find ways (like reading a book
or seeing a
movie together) that you can explore the
MDGs together.
Use your faith -
The greatest power
we all have is the power of the Gospel, the power of
Christ. Pray.
Read scripture with an open mind and
open heart, looking for God's call to you. Then pray
some more.
The motto of Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation
is "What One
Can Do." It's not a question asked in
despair, but a statement of faith and of power.
Because through One -- One
person, One
congregation,
One
diocese, One
church, One Body
of Christ -- God
is transforming us ... and healing the world.
| Pray the MDGs |
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"History belongs to the intercessors, who believe
the future into being." - Walter Wink
Prayer is an indispensible part of our mission of
global reconciliation. Make sure praying for the
MDGs are a part of your individual daily devotions
and your congregation's Sunday worship.
Here's one prayer, written for EGR by the Rt. Rev.
Jeffery Rowthorn.
Most loving God, your concern for the poor is
unrelenting
- draw our concern into yours;
your compassion for the poor is limitless
- draw our compassion into yours;
as you long for justice, may we also strive for it.
Forgive our doubt, forgive our neglect.
Open our eyes to structures of oppression
and free us from apathy and indifference.
Give us courage to accept our responsibility,
wisdom to chart a sound course amid complexity,
perseverance to finish our work,
and the gift of your Spirit to do what alone we
cannot do.
So may we serve to the honor and glory of your Name
and the wellbeing of your beloved people throughout
the world.
Amen.
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| They say/You say |
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Answers to Common Criticisms of the MDGs and
global giving
Courtesy
of U.S. in the World
They say: "The science isn?t conclusive
on global warming -- the predictions are just scare
tactics.?
You say:
"The Pentagon is treating global warming as a
reality. So do major international insurance
companies and some farsighted energy companies.
These public- and private-sector
leaders aren?t known for being pushovers?they?re
hard-headed risk analysts, and the
science is conclusive enough for them.?
"Most of our actions are based on the probability of
an outcome, not absolute certainty.
If nine doctors tell you that you?ll live longer if
you take a certain medicine and one doctor
disagrees, the wise course is to take your
medicine. We still have a lot to learn about who
cancer strikes and why. But we don?t wait to take
the steps that are available to prevent and combat
it."
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| Blog for EGR and the MDGs |
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On July 29, bloggers everywhere will be posting to
raise money for their favorite nonprofit
organizations. One parishioner at Grace Episcopal
Church in Alexandria, VA will be blogging
to support EGR!
Here's what you can do:
Go to ePiscoSours.com
and click on the blogathon button to be a sponsor.
Or
Go to the Blogathon 2006
website and sign up to blog yourself. Now this
means you'll be posting on your blog every 30
minutes for 24 hours starting at 6 am Pacific Time
on Saturday, July 29 ... so don't count on getting a
lot of sleep (and store up things to write about!).
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| Quote of the Week |
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"I send my greetings to Bishop Katharine and she
has my prayers and good wishes as she takes up a
deeply demanding position at a critical time. She
will bring many intellectual and pastoral gifts to
her new work, and I am pleased to see the strength
of her commitment to mission and to the Millennium
Development Goals."
-Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, after
the election of the Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts
Schori as Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal
Church
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"Where do we give our 0.7%?" |
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It's probably the most common question EGR gets ...
and it's one where an easy answer is really a big
disservice.
Done right, deciding where to give your 0.7% can be
an opportunity for education, a way to build
relationships, a time for prayer ... and a lot of
fun. Over the next few months, EGR will be
developing suggested metrics (measurable elements)
to guide the discernment process of where to give.
John
Coonrod, vice president of The Hunger Project
and the Rev. Kevin Bean, shared with EGR what
metrics their church (St. Bart's in
NYC) is planning to adopt as they look at giving
away their 0.7%.
1) At least 75% of the budget must go to
program implementing the MDGs.
2) The cost of raising money must be less
than 35% of money raised (so you aren't investing in
an organization whose main function is perpetuating
itself).
3) It must be an IRS-registered nonprofit 501c3.
4) The annual report must speak about its
programmatic impact on one or more MDGs.
5) A recent audit of the organization must be
available.
6) It must have liquid working assets between
six months and three years of annual budget.
and, finally ...
7) There must be existing or opportunities
for direct "people-involvement" with the
organization, ie, not to just have it be about
money, but to have clear pathways for direct
personal interaction between the congregation and
the organization.
This is not Gospel ... it's how One congregation is
approaching the question. You can use it as a
starting point. Look at it critically. Pray about
it.
For example, #6 is security against
giving money
to something that might fold 3 months down the line
... but it also limits you from funding an exciting
startup.
Guidelines are important, but make
sure
you leave room for the Spirit to move ... even
(especially?) in ways that might make you
nervous!
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