Jack’s Winning Words 9/25/14
“A man is not paid for having a head and hands, but for using them.”  (Elbert Hubbard)  The Minimum Wage idea is nothing new.  It seems to have begun in England in the 14th Century and was called, “The Living Wage.”  Long ago my pastor told me that he never asked for a salary increase, quoting the Bible:  “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”  But this isn’t a perfect world, and some people are underpaid.    ;-)  Jack 

FROM MICHIZONA RAY:  Like anything, (as in the parable of the talents) one appears to be obligated to use one's talents wisely. Also, (as in the parable of the talents), each of us have different amounts or quantities. We need to keep our focus on the wise utilization of our own talents. Charity, morality, or righteousness are not "talents" that can be legislated by man. Mankind has to wake up to the source of such things and behave in accordance with the same --- and stop looking to a government for a legal fix, which can never be the fix anyway. Let's make a law that forces Christians to behave like Christians!====JACK:  As far as making a law is concerning, we already have The Law (The Decalog) and Jesus' interpretation of that Law..."You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself."  Love cannot be legislated.  Just because people have a head and hands does not necessarily mean that they have equal talents in the use of them.  That's where "helping" the less fortunate comes into play. ====RAY:  It seems like you are rephrasing my point. The Law of the Spirit is already written; but not necessarily followed. No law of man can fix that. I don't argue that man is corrupt; but I must focus on my own corruption and avoiding its occasions. Feeding the hungry and clothing the naked, giving shelter to the homeless is not the provision of the government; it is my own. If I give the government one dollar, 15 cents might get to a person for food. If I give one dollar to a person, (s)he gets one dollar. You and I need to be of direct service to those who require what we have to offer. I cannot defer this function to another and satisfy any guilt I have for "burying my talent". The government is not a "church" but an industry whose tendencies are for power, not for righteousness. I have no faith in man's law -- however well-meaning it is portrayed. I will pay a "living wage", feed others, or clothe the naked because it is right. I will avoid patterning my life after the Pharisees who have been corrupted, whilst they speak of virtue. I am aware that of what I note is a narrow road indeed...but we are instructed to follow it.====JACK:  I like this, attributed to Edward Everett Hale, a Unitarian clergyman from the 19th century.
I am only one,
 But still I am one.
 I cannot do everything,
 But still I can do something;
 And because I cannot do everything,
 I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

FROM PEPPERMINT MARY:  too many hard-working people live without a "living wage." ====JACK:  Do you remember the song, Sixteen Tons, especially the line...."and what do I get?  another year older and deeper in debt."====MARY:  saint peter don't you call me cause i can't go...i owe my soul to the company store...my dad used to sing that song in his beautiful baritone voice as far back as i can remember.  we learned so many lessons about so many things including how fortunate we were through song.====JACK:  Have you noticed...how many lessons are taught through songs?...and through parents singing those songs to us as we were growing up?  "If you're happy and you know it comes to mind.

 FROM PAUL IN ST. PAUL:  i never asked either but it helped being in a union town like Detroit where a yearly raise or at the least a COLA was just expected.  and here in AV, we were affluent enuff that increases came with real regularity.  but i also know of some very stingy churches where pastors almost had to beg...====JACK:  One solution for compensation issues that congregation might have is to explore being yoked with another congregation.  My first call was to a parish composed of three congregations.  It was a great call!====PAUL:  once in the old ALC a seminary prof was promoting the idea of equal pay for all clergy no matter where they served.  it went over like a lead balloon.====JACK:  When I moved to Michigan, a group of pastors wanted to form a union and push for equalizing salaries.  The same lead balloon tried to float.====PAUL:  its very hard to inflate lead...====JACK:  The problem is not so much the lead in the balloon as it is the lead in the seat of the pants.

FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  Part of my working experience has been working for small individual businesses. My earlier experiences were working for large organizations (secretarial work) where there was a set salary and periodic raises. The first small business I worked in was a shop where the woman did alterations. To be fair, it was me who approached the woman and asked if I could apprentice to her. She offered to pay me $2/hour and then I worked taking out zippers, hemming pants, etc. But after a year and a half I was still doing the same work, she was still paying me $2/hr. and I really had no basis to ask her for a raise, nor did she try to train me on more complicated tasks--there were always plenty of zippers and pants needing hemming. The other two jobs were boutique and also dry cleaners, working for $5/hr. In all these jobs, the business person was thinking mostly of their business and also "let off the hook" with me as they knew my husband was the main breadwinner but there was not much connection between "what I could do with my aptitudes" and rewarding my level of work with financial remuneration. The need was really for cheap labor and not experienced labor as my bosses had that cornered. I really don't begrudge these experiences because they taught me something about what a great many people in our financial culture daily cope with. People on the bottom of the pyramid can demand, agitate, fight for better working conditions but often their situation just prompts them to have so many self-doubts and lack of self-esteem and "feelings that they don't deserve any better" that there is a sort of invisible slave mentality in place. Also, I believe many employers rationalize that their help is privy to the safety net for their needs--and so they set wages low too--i.e. Walmart. This is my 2 cents into the discussion.====JACK:  I feel sorry for the single mom who is stuck with a minimum wage job, with no prospect of getting out of the rut...and not being able to meet the bare necessities...and then having the food stamp program cut back.  There are some really sad stories out there in the world.  I admire the churches that operate food pantries for the needy.

FROM JAYHAWKER DON:  Can I say I'm glad I'm not paid what I am worth?  (Check Lake Wobegon genes.)====JACK:  I must admit...sometimes I have felt that the congregation has given me "too" much.  I suppose that could be remedied if I emulated Kagawa.

FROM TARMART REV:  Not that she needs the money for survival, I'm still amazed at the amount of work Hallmark Card Shop at our local mall gets from my wife at $8 an hour, and that is with the recent statewide mandatory raise. I tell her she should look for something better, but she is very comfortable with her working environment.  0;-/ ====JACK:  I'm impressed with how happy most of the Hallmark workers seem to be.  I'm saddened by people who are not happy doing their work, whatever the pay.

FROM SBP IN FLORIDA:  All I can say is that when the momentous occurrence came when the minimum was raised to 25 cents an hour way back when. It was such a blessing. ====JACK:  I can remember the times when I was glad to have a job, minimum wage, or not.  But I can't remember ever having to struggle as much as some minimum wage workers are having to struggle today.