Starbucks, Supreme Court and Same-sex Marriage

Many of you know that I have been a faithful Starbucks customer for quite sometime.  Earlier this week my father sent me an e-mail letting me know of the statement that Starbucks CEO made regarding the company's support for same-sex marriage.  Not long after that a church member sent me a similar e-mail.  Needless to say that was a painful and uncomfortable read.  I really like starbucks coffee but I strongly believe in the biblical view of marriage.  Furthermore, while I believe in loving all people in Christ's name, and while I believe every American should have equal freedom and rights, I strongly believe that a nation where same-sex marriage is rampart is a nation that will experience moral decay and disintegration.  

As this same-sex marriage thing has been on the news so much this week and it has been the conversation in many talk shows, etc., we continue to pray and think about our Christ-centered, Bible-based response.  I usually don't jump on every bandwagon issue out there because it can be time-consuming, controversial and divisive.  However, I find it necessary to speak on it this time.  By no means is this blog post a thorough treatment of the same-sex issue.  I am merely responding to the issue of whether or not to boycott companies like starbucks.  Earlier this week I read a blog post from a pastor in Waco that briefly addresses this on the surface:

http://doughankins.com/how-might-christians-respond-to-the-question-of-homosexual-marriage/

I agree that our response has to be primarily in terms of educating our families and our church about what the Bible says on this issue and what the Christ-like spirit looks like in addressing this issue.  We must acknowledge that there are multiple audiences: (1) our children and our church as they seek to be shaped by the Scriptures and a Christian world-view; (2) the people that we personally know or encounter who identify themselves as homosexuals; (3) the unbelieving world that is watching our response; and (4) the GLBT (Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgender)  movement agenda.  Obviously, the first three require a sensitive, loving but firm approach.  It is the fourth one that is really challenging.  They are advancing an aggressive and offensive agenda with propaganda, government-support, lobbyists, and huge financial contributions.  They are out for the kill.  We cannot be intimidated by them.  We must speak the truth but we must do so in a way that is sensible.  They will probably still dismiss us as bigots, intolerant and haters but we won’t give them much ground to stand on, and perhaps at points the truth may get across to somebody.

Dialogue about the issue is one thing.  How it affects commerce is yet another.  The difficulty that exists in identifying companies that overtly support the GLBT agenda and those that openly support a traditional understanding of marriage is that the list will continue to grow.  For example, I did a quick search on the internet and (unfortunately, I used “Google” which openly supports same-sex marriage) found out the following (To be honest, I quit after about one-hour because it became so overwhelming):

Companies that overtly support the GLBT agenda with their advertising, their employment policies and/or their financial contributions (the actual links to the websites are at the bottom of this e-mail):

1. Budweiser
2. Absolut
3. Target
4. JC Penney
5. Kenneth Cole
6. Amazon.com/Kindle
7. Levi’s
8. Microsoft (Windows, Bing, Xbox, etc.)
9. Expedia
10. Huffpost.com
11. AOL
12. Martha Steward Living
13. Smirnoff
14. Oreo cookies
15. Nordstrom
16. Nike
17. Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream
18. Google
19. Apple
20. eBay
21. Intuit
22. Adobe Systems (software)
23. Boeing
24. Starbucks
25. RealNetworks
26. Goldman Sachs
27. Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
28. Hewlett-Packard
29. Zynga Inc.
30. Allstate Insurance
31. Facebook
32. Morgan Stanley
33. Verizon
34. American Apparel
35. American Airlines
36. Applebee’s
37. Best Buy/Geek Squad
38. Clorox
39. Brita Filters, Glad storage bags, Hidden Valley Ranch, Pine-Sol
40. Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Minute Maid, Poweade, Dansani
41. Concur Technologies
42. Costco
43. Delta Airlines
44. Electronic Arts
45. Ford/Lincoln
46. Gap
47. Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime
48. General Mills (Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Wheaties, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Hamburger Helper)
49. General Motors (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC)
50. Youtube, Zagat
51. Hilton Worldwide (Double Tree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Waldorf-Astoria)
52. The Home Depot
53. IBM
54. Kraft Foods (Cadbury, Nabisco, Oreo, Oscar Mayer, Planters, etc.)
55. Marriott Hotels (Marriott, Renaissance, Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard Inn, Fairfield Inn
56. McDonald’s
57. Nationwide insurance
58. Converse
59. Olive Garden
60. PepsiCo (Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Tropicana, Aquafina, Frito-Lay, Quaker Oats, Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, etc.)
61. Proctor and Gamble (Bounty, Charmin, Crest, Duracell, Gillette, Old Spice, Pampers, Tide, Vicks, etc.)
62. Red Lobster
63. Rite Aid
64. Sears
65. Land’s End
66. Southwest Airlines
67. State Farm Insurance
68. United Airlines
69. UPS
70. Vulcan
71. Walgreen’s
72. The Walt Disney Company (ABC, ESPN, Pixar, Marvel, Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, The Muppets)
73. Wells Fargo
74. AARP
75. MasterCard
76. Yahoo
77. MillerCoors

Companies that have taken a stand for traditional marriage with their statements or their financial contributions (the actual links to the websites are at the bottom of this e-mail):

1. Chick-fil-a
2. Urban Outfitters
3. Exxon
4. Wal-Mart
5. A-! Self Storage
6. The Salvation Army
7. Cinemark
8. Pep Boys
9. Lowes
10. Toys R Us
11. AutoZone
12. Cracker Barrel
13. Dish Network
14. Domino’s Pizza
15. Gold’s Gym
16. Golfland Entertainment Centers
17. Insure.com
18. Meijer Inc.
19. OutsidePride.com
20. Request Foods
21. Forever 21
22. Whole Foods
23. Tom’s of Maine
24. Tyson Foods, Inc.
25. Hobby Lobby
26. ServiceMaster (Terminix, American Home Shield)
27. Herman Miller
28. Interstate Batteries
29. In-N-Out Burger
    

The discrepancy in the size of these lists is incredible.  We might argue that it is hard to know which companies support what and so ignorance is bliss.  However, the stand these companies take is very open and overt.  You can find it with a very simple internet search.  It is evident that the traditional (biblical) marriage stand is counter cultural in the U.S. at least when it comes to corporations.  The difficulty becomes in how we respond with the stewardship of our money against this growing giant?  It should be noted in our conversation that there are two aspects of this: (1) individual choice by each Christian and (2) use of Calvary church funds.  To be honest, it gets pretty overwhelming to carry around this list and it is probably a list that grows and changes each week!

Suddenly, I identify with the first century believers in Rome who lived in an environment that was completely hostile or ignorant of Christianity.  The meat sold in the market place was all offered to idols.  Believers had the choice of going completely vegetarian or of buying the meat asking God to bless it in spite of where it came from.  The apostle Paul then offers Spirit-inspired counsel in Romans chapter 14.  Admittedly, eating meat sacrificed to idols is not exactly the same issue as buying things from companies that support same-sex marriage.  Nevertheless, as Bible-believing Christians we begin to wrestle with the issues that the first century believers faced: namely living in a world that is hostile or ignorant of a Christian worldview.  (This is without even considering companies’ stands on other moral issues such as abortion, immigration, fair-trade, human-trafficking, child-labor, pornography, legalization of marijuana and other drugs, etc., etc, etc.).

So what do we do?  Personally, some choices are easy for me.  I don’t care for Budweiser, AOL, absolut, Smirnoff or MillerCoors.  It’s easy to give up what you don’t really use!  But what about other more subtle choices such as food products from the grocery store and restaurant chains, etc.  That becomes a bit more difficult.  It is certainly important to be informed and be aware.  One action that is constructive is to definitely support traditional marriage companies.  So Chick-fil-a, Wal-Mart, Cinemark and Hobby Lobby can definitely count on my continued support.

As far as the church is concerned, the level of difficulty increases.  The choice is easy when you have Home Depot on one side and Lowe’s on the other.  But what about when both Microsoft and Apple are on the same side.  That’s Windows and iOS.  IBM and Hewlett Packard are also on the same side.  It’s easy to serve Folger’s instead of Starbucks but to get rid of computers and software becomes much harder.  Most airlines are on one side of the issue.  Do we drive everywhere and make sure we only use Exxon?  When Coca Cola and Pepsi products are on the same side of the issue, does it mean we’ll have to resort to Dr. Thunder or some other HEB private label pop?  For some, it does.  (You should drink water anyway!)  What about our food pantry?  The items that we get from the food bank to give to those who are hungry?  The ingredients we use for our Wednesday night suppers?  Our baskets of hope ministry?  Do we limit the amount of food we distribute to the needy by identifying brands that should be avoided?  These are the issues Pharisees spent much energy on and Jesus corrected.  Jesus said it was more important to heal a man with a withered hand than to observe the Sabbath law, for example.

That’s where Romans 14 provides at least 7 good principles even if the issues are different (Wow! Multiples of 7.  I’m feeling good about this!):

1. The issue is complex and should be treated with concern and sensibility (Romans 14)
2. Our energy should not be spent on quarreling over disputable matters (v. 1)
3. We should be sensitive to each other as we sort out our convictions (vv. 2-5)
4. The focus in our decisions and actions should be to glorify God (vv. 6-9)
5. The effect of our decisions and actions should not cause our brother to stumble (vv. 13-16, 19-21)
6. Our energy should be invested in the kingdom of God: righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (v. 17-21)
7. Our actions and decisions should be made with great reverence toward God (vv. 12, 22-23)
   

Allow me to note that these principles are used to guide believers when there is not a biblical prescription.  The issue was not whether idolatry was wrong or not.  Idolatry is always wrong.  The issue was whether to buy/eat meat that was offered to idols or not.  In other words, Romans 14 does not apply to whether same-sex marriage is right or wrong.  The Bible is clear about that already.  Romans 14 can be used to apply as to what you do about doing business with particular companies.  The Bible did not include a list of these companies obviously.  What Paul says is that deciding whether or not to buy "tainted" stuff is a matter of the conscience.  Both, vegetarians and meat-eaters can be right if their heart is right toward God.  Both boycotters and non-boycotters can be right if their heart is right toward God.  Both should be respectful of each other's position without passing judgment.  So Paul would say that if you choose to boycott every company that supports anti-biblical principles, like the vegetarian believers of Rome, you should do so because of your own conviction.  If you choose to use your freedom in Christ to buy from these same companies, like the meat-eating believers of Rome, you should also do so because of your own conviction.

So, what should be our action responses?

1. Teach our families and church what the Bible says about the issue (marriage is for one man and one woman for life; homosexuality is against God’s design and homosexual behavior is sinful; Jesus loved all sinners and died for all sinners);
2. Love those who identify themselves as homosexuals while communicating God’s design for marriage & sex;
3. Speak the truth in love when interacting with the culture around us (Ephesians 4:15a);
4. In terms of personal financial stewardship, support those companies that stand for traditional marriage in as much as possible and, when personally convicted, avoid those companies that stand for same-sex marriage.  This should not be done out of legalism or by imposition of others but in the freedom of Christ and in accordance with the principles in Romans 14.
5. As a church, be sensitive, informed and diligent about identifying companies than can be avoided.  In as much as possible, avoid doing business with companies that are hostile to Christianity or biblical principles, understanding that we don’t want to develop burdens that no one can carry.  Let Romans 14 guide our attitude, our decisions, our actions and our freedom in Christ.
   

At Calvary, we will give attention to the teaching/curriculum issue in the weeks to come.  We will also do our due diligence in regard to number 5 in the list above.

I report to you that this week I have opted for brewing my own coffee and also drinking the coffee from Taco Palenque and Corner Bakery.  (I'm afraid to ask about their stand on the issue but their coffee is almost as good as starbucks).  Of course, I also believe that  my God is bigger than the idols of Rome and the CEOs of America.  My God can bless a cup of Starbucks coffee as much as he can bless a T-bone steak that was offered to idols in the City of Rome.  That's me.  I'm not imposing that on you or anyone else.  I'm also committed to not being a stumbling block to anyone, in as much as it is within my power.

Let us not be afraid or discouraged.  The church of the New Testament thrived in the hostile environment of the Roman Empire.  It did so because it had the power of the Holy Spirit.  We too have the Holy Spirit and the promise from Jesus that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church.  God is not surprised by what goes on in the world.  If He is for us, who can be against us?

Here are the links to the websites that I used to make the lists above:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/26/companies-that-support-gay-marriage_n_2957634.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/major-brands-that-support-gay-marriage-photos-2013-3?op=1

http://www.policymic.com/articles/10810/you-would-never-believe-which-anti-gay-companies-you-support-with-your-money

http://money.msn.com/investing/where-companies-stand-on-gay-rights

http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2013/03/26/which-big-name-ceos-back-same-sex.html?page=all

http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/29/news/companies/same-sex-marriage-companies/

http://www.examiner.com/article/shopping-to-support-traditional-or-gay-marriage

http://mainfo.blogspot.com/2012/08/17-pro-traditional-marriage-companies.html

http://www.ketknbc.com/news/10-religious-companies-besides-chick-fil-a

Mark Richardson Called to Another Church

It is with great sadness that I post Mark Richardson's letter below.  I have grown to love Mark and have really enjoyed working with him here.  I understand being called away from a place where you are “comfortable” because that’s what I had to do 2 1/2 years ago.  I know it is not easy for either party.  We will greatly miss Mark.

Here is his letter:

Dear Calvary Church Family,

It is with deeply mixed emotions that my family and I submit our resignation effective Monday, April 1, 2013, to accept a call as worship pastor at a church in Lindale, TX. Our emotions are mixed because we love you so much and are sad to go, yet are excited about God's call to a new challenge in our lives. Whenever I hear someone is leaving a church, I wonder "What's the back-story?" Let me assure you, our leaving is not because of any strife or difficulty here. In fact, the decision to leave is made more difficult because of how much we love this church that has been our home for so long, because of how much we love and respect our pastor and staff, and because life and ministry here have been so fulfilling. But we have sensed God's clear leadership to make this move. Throughout our time here, I could not have asked for a more supportive, encouraging pastor, nor a closer friend than God has given me in Julio, nor could I have asked for a more loving and supportive church family or music team with which to work. You have been a gracious gift from God to us and we will miss you very much and will pray for you often.

Mark Richardson

I have spent the weekend and the better part of this week working on an interim plan from April forward.  I want to ensure a smooth transition.  At this point, we have worship leaders for the 11 o'clock and 12:30 services but will not have one for the 9:30 service after March 31 (as of yet).  In addition to leading the 9:30 worship service, Mark has:

1. Led the choir and the orchestra;
2. Been the team leader for all things worship, including seasonal events (Christmas, Easter, Church in Conference);
3. Been the point person for weddings and funerals at Calvary and for Calvary members;
4. Been the weekly bulletin editor;
5. Been the team leader for communications.
   

My primary concern at this point is finding the right person to be the worship leader at 9:30.  I love the 9:30 congregation.  As you know, our 9:30 service is not a traditional nor a contemporary service.  It is an artistic blend of the two.  It is a service for all families, including, but not limited to, many of our senior adults.  It is difficult to find someone with the skill set for such a service.  I ask for your prayerful support in that respect.

I have asked Jared Solis, in his role as worship & media associate, to be the point person for all things worship.  This primarily means that he would be the coordinating person for the three Sunday services.  However, he will only lead the 11 o’clock service.  Each service will have a different worship leader who can dedicate his/her full attention to the particular service.  This is the plan, at least for the interim period.

Mark has shared his decision with the staff and with the music & worship leadership and with the choir.  We are planning to make the “official” announcement to the congregation this Sunday at the conclusion of each of the English services.

This will be a difficult transition but I am convinced that, if God is in this, he will bless Mark and his family and he will see Calvary through this.  Our hope is in Him.  His plans are always best even when it may not seem evident immediately.  When we look back in the years to come, we will see how God glorified Himself in Mark's life and ministry and in Calvary's mission.  All the while, we must fully depend on Him.

I thank you in advance for your prayerful support.  Please know that I am willing to listen to any concern you might have.

E-Giving

The stewardship committee has been discussing the idea of providing giving opportunities on-line for Calvary.  At their February meeting, they voted to provide "E-Giving" through our church website.  Some have been concerned that this would encourage the use of credit cards and increase the risk of indebtedness for people, which is definitely bad stewardship.  However, we recognize that many families use debit cards and credit cards in lieu of a checkbook.  Many families make all of their bill payments online and no longer see the need to order checkbooks.  Some of them have requested us to provide this service.  Others have told us that due to their travel schedules, e-giving would be a very convenient service to them.  It is for these reasons that we have decided to move forward with this service.

The e-giving option is now live on our website and it appears as a menu option at the top right-hand corner of the home page.  See screen shot below:

When you click on that option, it will take you to a screen where you can register as a contributor or give as a "guest."  We will encourage those who desire to use this service to register (since there is an additional fee to give as "guest") but we are glad people can give either way.  The screen looks like this: 

Chad's is Moving In

This week, Chad Mason began the process of moving in their home.  We are so thankful that they were able to find a home and that the moving process has begun.  This weekend Chad, Makeila and, Chad's dad are in the Valley.  Alise and the baby will join them the week of Spring Break.  Please continue to pray for the Mason's during this transition and for the ministry that Chad is leading.

Dissertation Update

I want to thank you for your support in the process of my dissertation writing.  During the month of February, I was able to make significant revisions to chapter 3 after my committee reviewed it and sent it back to me.  Additionally, I began work on chapter 4.  Three weeks ago I began working on chapter 4 and have made significant progress.  As we move forward with the March cycle, I am continuing to work on chapter 4 and hope to have it finished for submission before the month is over.  Lord willing, I can start working on chapter 5 in April.

The help I am getting in the pulpit has been huge.  I continue to lead the staff and work closely with them as we transition to the new structure and bring Chad on board.  I have had the opportunity to make hospital visits, have breakfast and lunch meetings with various leaders and members, work closely with the worship team and have a significant part in leading worship services on Sunday.  I am also working closely with Tony Worley and the deacons to make sure they receive training in caring for the elderly, widows, etc. and that they have a good deacon ministry assignment plan.  I continue to meet with administrative committees such as stewardship and I am planning nominating committee and coordinating council meetings this next month.  Additionally, we are preparing for a Church in Conference in April.

Thanks again for your prayers and support.  I am ever so grateful to the personnel committee, the deacon body, the staff and the rest of the congregation for the encouragement and support.