America Deserves A Raise

I am the choir director for a small United Methodist Church in an urban,  poverty-stricken neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The church has been in the heart of this neighborhood since Oklahoma became a state in 1907.  Because of the church’s location in a low income section of the city,  in addition to the financially struggling residents, the area also has a substantial transient and homeless population that often does not know where they will find their next meal or place to sleep.  The church, in an effort to help these people that are in great need, offers various outreach services such as the Manna Meals program.  Manna Meals involves many of the church members working in the church’s kitchen each Friday to serve hot meals to those who come and also listening to people voice their concerns about their lives.  The church also provides a limited amount of survival money to people that are facing extreme hardships such as finding shelter.  We are able to do so through the generous gifts of church members that may not have much money to spare, but they continue to give what they can with a cheerful heart.  Some of the same people that we serve in missional outreach now come to the worship service on Sunday mornings, and it has been my great joy as the church’s choir director to discover that many of these people enjoy making a joyful noise to the Lord with their voices and with instruments.  We have one such gentleman by the name of Dan, that often will sit down at the piano after the service or during a meal at the church and entertain all of those who are gathered with songs that come from his heart.  We also have others that now sing in the choir and even sing solos in worship on occasion!  A physically challenged, homeless young man recently sang “Amazing Grace” one Sunday during worship and by the time he finished there was not a dry eye in the place!  What I have learned as choir director for this church is that the same “poor”  people that we have reached out to help have given back greatly to the church simply with their presence and their joyful gifts of music and personal witness.  While I often find myself falling behind on my own personal bills, I am very proud to be on the staff of a church that truly follows Christ’s example of using most of the church’s financial resources to help people that need a hot meal or a place to sleep at night instead of spending the money on a fancier building or paying the church what they would make at churches that are located in more affluent neighborhoods.  I belive that serving others with what we have been given is truly the “Great Comission” of God and also of our teacher and example, Jesus Christ!