. . . Easter Sunday

John 12:1-8 – 1 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5 "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" 6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7 Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it  so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."

Poverty datebook for today:

Every Tuesday at 10 a.m. JOBS etc., an inner city-based job information and placement center in Schenectady, NY, hosts a weekly seminar on job openings, resume and interviewing skills, and a talk by a local employer. Staff follow up with participants in one-on-one sessions to identify employment and educational goals and to work on eliminating barriers to employment.  Info: Marianne Comfort, (518) 374-2683, sicm@knick.net

Good works that 'work':

Housing, education, healthcare and jobs are not separate "issues" for people living in poverty. A lack in any one of these areas has real and disastrous impacts on other aspects of life. So too, when advocacy groups make progress on any single poverty issue, those gains can start a positive chain reaction. That's one reason it is important for anti-poverty advocates to work together.  Many ecumenical and interfaith organizations around the country have been effective at including representatives of a wide range of grassroots organizations when poverty issues are on the table. Among them the New Jersey Council of Churches is notable for fostering a statewide Anti-Poverty Network (APN) that links more than 80 organizations. Through APN, faith-based groups, persons living in poverty, advocacy organizations, labor unions and others who are concerned about ending poverty have the opportunity to share information and to consider joint strategies. Participating groups have also adopted a "Blueprint to Reduce New Jersey Poverty in 2002" that outlines specific, measurable goals. By tracking progress toward those goals, APN hopes to gain insights into the effectiveness of efforts to assist people in poverty.

During the 1990s, CEO pay increased 535 percent and is now 475 times that of the average worker, according to the group United for a Fair Economy.   If the minimum wage (currently $5.15/hour) had increased at the same rate in the last decade, it would now be $24.13/hour.  (Call to Renewal)

Preaching about poverty:

"Daily Bread: A Meditation on Matthew 25:35." The Rev. Michael E. Livingston, Executive Director, International Council of Community Churches.