Millennium Development Goals

“For my brethren and companions’ sake,
I pray for your prosperity.
Because of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek to do you good.”
“I will seek to do you good.”
A baptismal promise to seek and serve Christ in all persons.

Seven years ago a meeting was held whose outcome was unbelievable.

The meeting was held by the United Nations.

Imagine a class discussion in social studies where the project is to come up with a short list, under 10, of solvable world problems,whose solution would more or less “fix” the world.

That’s what the UN did in their meeting; and came up with these:

. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.

. Achieve universal primary education.

. Promote gender equality and empower women.

. Reduce child mortality.

. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other preventable diseases.

. Ensure environmental sustainability.

. Develop a global partnership for development.

I’m willing to bet that any of us making a list would come up with pretty much the same things.

Now, the unbelievable thing I mentioned is not that the world leaders came up with this list.The unbelievable thing is that 189 nations- 147 heads of state agreed to adopt the Millennium Declaration and signed on to achieve these goals. They promised to do it together within 15 years -- a promise that is possible, not a stretch.

These countries made a financial commitment that promised .7 percent of their national budgets to be spent in achieving these goals -- .7 percent, that is, less than 1 per cent of the world’s money. That’s all it will cost to fix the world.

Fulfilling these goals will mean lifting more than 500 million people out of extreme poverty, the kind of poverty that lives on one dollar a day. More than 300 million children will forget what chronic hunger feels like.

Treatable and preventable diseases will stop killing more than 30 million children under the age of 5.

If this all sounds too good to be true, the studies that brought the nations of the world to agree on this showed that it is do-able. And if not now, when?

Alleluia- we all signed on.

So, the Episcopal Church --and I have to say with Bishop Councell, “I love this church!”-- the Episcopal Church in two successive General Conventions, committed itself to this same promise of the 8 Millennium Development Goals, which we call the MDG’s. The Episcopal Church promised .7 % of its national budget, and asked each diocese, congregation and member to do the same.

Thank you, Deacon Catherine Esposito. She presented a resolution to our diocesan convention; it passed; and the diocese of NJ now contributes .7% of its budget to the MDG’s.

Trinity Church, Matawan- our vestry met the same invitation, and we are now giving .7% of our budget for the MDG’s.

Today, Deacon Terry Suruda brings this story to you, and asks each of you to meet the same challenge, and to commit .7% of your budget to meet the MDG’s. If you want the numbers, that is $70 out of every $10,000.

I have some ideas for you on how we can do this together. The children will be giving you a gift book from which you can select the most meaningful Christmas gift you’ve ever given.

You can buy a family a goat or some chickens, which will turn around their livelihood. There are gifts in every price range.
$15 will provide a bed net that will keep a child free from malaria. Perhaps money contributed to the mite boxes the kids will have can become an investment in a loan for microenterprise, where your money gives training and loan capital to the poor to start a small business and break out of poverty. A good gift for a child’s teacher is a donation made in the teacher’s name to support the education of an AID’s orphan.

It’s all in the gift book.

Any of the above can also be done with other peoples’ money.
Corporate America has money to give away to just such programs; we can ask our bosses. And we can spread these gift books on lunch tables, at the gym, doctor’s office- anywhere they can fall into hands that own check books.

A word about other excellent programs like Heiffer International, and the ONE program. Many roads are leading to the same place. Our main focus is on our diocesan and parish commitment through Episcopal Relief and Development’s “Gift for Life”, simply because it goes through our own church and we are already committed to it.

We are also connected to a program called ONE. Info and websites for all of this is on our parish site; I beg you to go and look, and find a way to love God there.

That’s the money part. You may be thinking- if each of us does this, gives gifts of .7 % of our income, that’s really just a dent. That’s right. There’s more we can do, that can really make an even bigger difference.

And we Episcopalians are always think big. We need big help.

Here’s the thing. Since the goals were implemented in 2000 with a 15 year plan; now it is 2007, about half-way there.

Only five countries have so far met their promise: Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The United States is not yet meeting its commitment.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has shown leadership by her own actions. She appeared before a Senate committee on behalf of the environment and national actions to protect and sustain it, one of the MDG’s. She encouraged each of us to also use our voices in the big picture -- E-mails…Letters… Phone calls…To our senators…To our president.

Yes! I have samples for you (SEE BELOW) and all the addresses. With your permission our kids can do this too. “Minutes for Ministry”. Weekend free minutes to text or e-mail our national leaders that we care about the world.

Last Sunday was MDG Sunday for the national church. The first week of Advent is a good time to begin this ministry. As we prepare to welcome the Son of God to a birth in poverty, we can work to eradicate extreme poverty.

If we do if for the least, we do it for Jesus.

Finally, or first, there is prayer, where all good works must start. The prayers of the people today were prepared by the Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations in Washington, D.C. I urge you to take those prayers home, and pray them until something happens.

PUSH. One of our people taught me that: PUSH: Pray until something happens.

Today’s psalm says:

“For my brethren and companions’ sake,

I pray for your prosperity.

Because of the house of the Lord our God,

I will seek to do you good.”

From our lips to God’s ears…

AMEN,
The Rev. Terry Suruda, Deacon