Credit Where Credit Is Due
Stories
Object:
Contents
"Credit Where Credit Is Due" by Frank Ramirez
"Unstained By the World" by John Sumwalt & Jo Perry-Sumwalt
* * * * * * * *
Credit Where Credit Is Due
by Frank Ramirez
Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9
… your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad; daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor….
-- Psalm 45:8-9
Psalm 45 is a little different from many other psalms. It's not just about the king. It concerns a royal wedding. The robes, the music, the wedding party -- all these are a part of this psalm that celebrates a holy bond sanctified by God.
Nowadays it seems like many weddings -- maybe most weddings -- are concerned with outer trappings like these. Every wedding is a royal wedding. Every bride and groom is queen and king for that day.
The amount spent on a wedding in America might shock an ancient king of Israel. According to costofwedding.com the average wedding in America costs between $19,223 and $32,039 dollars. How much in your area? You might be surprised. Just go to the website and enter your zip code.
What ought to matter is not the cost of the wedding but the value of the marriage. And if anyone placed a high value on her marriage, it was Ida Straus.
Ida's story intersects the legendary story of the Titanic, which right away should warn us to take everything with a grain of salt, but her story seems to be true.
Ida was an immigrant to the United States. Born in Germany in 1848, she emigrated with her family and eventually married Isadore Straus, who not only became a member of Congress for New York, but was also a co-owner of the famed Macy's department store.
The pair, who shared seven children, were by all accounts completely devoted. Ida often traveled with her husband on business trips because they could not bear living apart. In 1912, after a winter in Europe, they had planned to return to the United States on a different ship, but a coal strike changed their plans.
Because the White Star Line was anxious to make the maiden voyage of their new "unsinkable" liner Titanic a success, much of the coal still available was diverted to that ship. As a result the pair were present on the ship on the fateful night when it struck an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
As testified by, among others, their maid, Ellen Bird, who was traveling with them, the couple came to Lifeboat no. 8. Because of their advanced age (she was 63 and he was 67) the steward was willing to let both get on board. Isadore, however, refused to step onto the lifeboat as long as there were any women and children who had not yet taken a seat. He urged Ida, however, to take a place alongside their maid.
According to several witnesses, including Ellen Bird, she refused to leave her husband's side. "We have lived together for many years," she is reported to have said. And then, echoing the words of Ruth: "Where you go, I will go."
There were many stories of heroism that awful night, as well as a few stories of cowardice. The story of Ida Straus, who was last seen standing arm in arm with her husband on the deck of the Titanic, struck a chord with people around the world. Their tale was celebrated in song and story in English, German, and Yiddish (the couple were Jewish) as an example of faith and faithfulness.
Generally entertainment shows regale us with the stories of expensive weddings, such as that described in this psalm, followed all too often by stories of the breakups that follow. Thank heavens we are also surrounded by many stories of faithfulness -- caregivers who stay by the bedside of a spouse through a terrible illness or through dementia -- demonstrating that the value of a marriage is more important than the price of a wedding.
Frank Ramirez has served as a pastor for nearly 30 years in Church of the Brethren congregations in Los Angeles, California; Elkhart, Indiana; and Everett, Pennsylvania. A graduate of LaVerne College and Bethany Theological Seminary, Ramirez is the author of numerous books, articles, and short stories. His CSS titles include Partners in Healing, He Took a Towel, The Bee Attitudes, and three volumes of Lectionary Worship Aids.
Unstained By the World
by John Sumwalt & Jo Perry-Sumwalt
James 1:17-27
A good friend of mine lives just two blocks from the Saint Croix Casino in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin. On a recent visit he offered to take my wife and me out for dinner at the casino restaurant. He said they had a wonderful Saturday night buffet and it was cheap. We readily accepted.
When we arrived at the casino I was struck by the size of the parking lot. There were acres and acres of cars. Our friend pointed to the spots where six houses had been torn down to make way for the parking lot. About one third of his neighborhood had been bought out by the casino. Where he used to look out on trees and houses with green lawns, he now sees pavement, lights, and security cameras. Recently the casino announced their intention to buy another block of houses, including our friend's house.
As we entered the casino I noticed the presence of numerous security officers. We paused for a moment in the large lobby area at the door and after the guards had checked us through, we began to make our way slowly through the masses of people gathered around the slot machines. The flashing lights, the buzz of the machines as the levers were pulled, and the occasional sound of coins clinking in the slots were mesmerizing. Our friend pointed out that there are no windows and no clocks in the casino. All sense of ordinary time stops at the door.
When we finally made it to the dining area, which is located in the back of the casino, we were greeted by a friendly waitress who told us the Friday night buffet was just $8.75 and it was all-you-can-eat. Our friend was right; the food was wonderful. We had our choice of prime rib, fried chicken, roast beef, pork chops, deep fried scallops, baked ham, barbecued ribs, mashed potatoes, gravy, a host of salads, vegetables, dinner rolls, and all the trimmings.
The best part of the buffet was the dessert bar. There was a large selection of pies, cakes, puddings, and chocolate turtle cheesecake to die for. I had three helpings.
After the dinner we strolled out into the casino to watch the action. There was very little conversation. All eyes were on the slot machines and the blackjack tables. I especially enjoyed watching the blackjack dealers contend with what I imagined were veteran gamblers trying to beat the odds. From the little we were able to observe it seemed that the house almost always won. Sometimes one of the gamblers got lucky, but mostly they paid their money and, I suppose, counted it the cost of a night's entertainment.
Every once in a while a teller would come out onto the floor followed by an armed guard. He would roll his cart up to the blackjack table and collect the money. The action would stop for a moment. The crowd became very quiet. All eyes were on the money and the armed guard. There was little doubt about what is considered holy and what is worshiped in that place.
On the way out we passed the sandwich stand where you can get a half-pound prime rib sandwich for $2.75. "Delicious," our friend said. "None better. No restaurant in town can compete with the quality or the prices of the food at the casino." We went into the gift shop and our friend showed us stack after stack of cigarette cartons. "Why so many cigarettes?" we asked. He pointed to a sign listing the price. A carton of Marlboros cost less at the casino. Across the street at the Holiday station the same carton sells for much more.
Few of the local merchants have been able to compete successfully with the casino. Many of the buildings on the main street of Turtle Lake are empty or dilapidated. Some of the remaining businesses are struggling. When the casino opened in 1992 there were high hopes that the increasing number of people coming to town would mean higher profits for local businesses. A million and a half people pass through the doors of the Saint Croix Casino every year but very few of them shop at local businesses. People come by the busload from all over Wisconsin and the upper Midwest. A High Rollers bus ticket from Milwaukee costs just $45. Along with the bus ride you get a night's lodging at the Saint Croix Motel, a steak and lobster dinner in the casino restaurant, and a $20 rebate in chips to get you off to a good start on the slot machines. It is not known how many out-of-town guests patronize area prostitutes or drug dealers, the two local businesses which have seen an increase in trade in the past four years.
The Saint Croix Casino takes in an estimated $12 million a month. Most of that money is not spent in the Turtle Lake community or anywhere else in Northwest Wisconsin. And because the casino is owned by the Saint Croix-Chippewa Indian Tribe, no money is paid in state, federal, or local taxes. The largest business in Barron County pays no school taxes, pays for no utilities, and pays for no fire department, police, or ambulance services. Most of the 1,000 employees at the casino get minimum wage and no benefits.
One young family man with a wife and three children, who works in the maintenance department at the casino, earns $4.95 an hour. He gets no health insurance and no pension. He could make $90 more per month if he quit his job and went on welfare.
Recently, a woman from a neighboring town was arrested for embezzling $450 thousand from the business where she worked. Much of the money was lost in gambling at the Saint Croix Casino. Unlike bartenders who will refuse to serve a perpetual drunk, the casino employees continued to take the woman's money until her life was ruined.
The next morning after our visit to the casino we went with our friend to worship at the local United Methodist church. The attractive new church building is located on a large lot on the east edge of town. The wood-paneled sanctuary is warm and intimate, about the same size as the lobby of the casino. The people were friendly and invited us to come again. I was especially moved by a children's choir that sang during the service. The quality of the music wasn't any better or any worse than the children's choir in my own church, but their smiling faces and the enthusiasm and the joy with which they sang about their love for Jesus touched my heart. At the same time I felt a deep sadness as I listened to their song. I knew many of these children would end up working at the casino when they were grown. I said a prayer for them under my breath: "O Lord, keep these beautiful children safe from the evil that is so powerful in this community."
from Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit: 62 Stories for Cycle B, 0-7880-0817-X (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing Company, Inc., year), pp. 169-172.
*****************************************
StoryShare, September 2, 2012, issue.
Copyright 2012 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"Credit Where Credit Is Due" by Frank Ramirez
"Unstained By the World" by John Sumwalt & Jo Perry-Sumwalt
* * * * * * * *
Credit Where Credit Is Due
by Frank Ramirez
Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9
… your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad; daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor….
-- Psalm 45:8-9
Psalm 45 is a little different from many other psalms. It's not just about the king. It concerns a royal wedding. The robes, the music, the wedding party -- all these are a part of this psalm that celebrates a holy bond sanctified by God.
Nowadays it seems like many weddings -- maybe most weddings -- are concerned with outer trappings like these. Every wedding is a royal wedding. Every bride and groom is queen and king for that day.
The amount spent on a wedding in America might shock an ancient king of Israel. According to costofwedding.com the average wedding in America costs between $19,223 and $32,039 dollars. How much in your area? You might be surprised. Just go to the website and enter your zip code.
What ought to matter is not the cost of the wedding but the value of the marriage. And if anyone placed a high value on her marriage, it was Ida Straus.
Ida's story intersects the legendary story of the Titanic, which right away should warn us to take everything with a grain of salt, but her story seems to be true.
Ida was an immigrant to the United States. Born in Germany in 1848, she emigrated with her family and eventually married Isadore Straus, who not only became a member of Congress for New York, but was also a co-owner of the famed Macy's department store.
The pair, who shared seven children, were by all accounts completely devoted. Ida often traveled with her husband on business trips because they could not bear living apart. In 1912, after a winter in Europe, they had planned to return to the United States on a different ship, but a coal strike changed their plans.
Because the White Star Line was anxious to make the maiden voyage of their new "unsinkable" liner Titanic a success, much of the coal still available was diverted to that ship. As a result the pair were present on the ship on the fateful night when it struck an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
As testified by, among others, their maid, Ellen Bird, who was traveling with them, the couple came to Lifeboat no. 8. Because of their advanced age (she was 63 and he was 67) the steward was willing to let both get on board. Isadore, however, refused to step onto the lifeboat as long as there were any women and children who had not yet taken a seat. He urged Ida, however, to take a place alongside their maid.
According to several witnesses, including Ellen Bird, she refused to leave her husband's side. "We have lived together for many years," she is reported to have said. And then, echoing the words of Ruth: "Where you go, I will go."
There were many stories of heroism that awful night, as well as a few stories of cowardice. The story of Ida Straus, who was last seen standing arm in arm with her husband on the deck of the Titanic, struck a chord with people around the world. Their tale was celebrated in song and story in English, German, and Yiddish (the couple were Jewish) as an example of faith and faithfulness.
Generally entertainment shows regale us with the stories of expensive weddings, such as that described in this psalm, followed all too often by stories of the breakups that follow. Thank heavens we are also surrounded by many stories of faithfulness -- caregivers who stay by the bedside of a spouse through a terrible illness or through dementia -- demonstrating that the value of a marriage is more important than the price of a wedding.
Frank Ramirez has served as a pastor for nearly 30 years in Church of the Brethren congregations in Los Angeles, California; Elkhart, Indiana; and Everett, Pennsylvania. A graduate of LaVerne College and Bethany Theological Seminary, Ramirez is the author of numerous books, articles, and short stories. His CSS titles include Partners in Healing, He Took a Towel, The Bee Attitudes, and three volumes of Lectionary Worship Aids.
Unstained By the World
by John Sumwalt & Jo Perry-Sumwalt
James 1:17-27
A good friend of mine lives just two blocks from the Saint Croix Casino in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin. On a recent visit he offered to take my wife and me out for dinner at the casino restaurant. He said they had a wonderful Saturday night buffet and it was cheap. We readily accepted.
When we arrived at the casino I was struck by the size of the parking lot. There were acres and acres of cars. Our friend pointed to the spots where six houses had been torn down to make way for the parking lot. About one third of his neighborhood had been bought out by the casino. Where he used to look out on trees and houses with green lawns, he now sees pavement, lights, and security cameras. Recently the casino announced their intention to buy another block of houses, including our friend's house.
As we entered the casino I noticed the presence of numerous security officers. We paused for a moment in the large lobby area at the door and after the guards had checked us through, we began to make our way slowly through the masses of people gathered around the slot machines. The flashing lights, the buzz of the machines as the levers were pulled, and the occasional sound of coins clinking in the slots were mesmerizing. Our friend pointed out that there are no windows and no clocks in the casino. All sense of ordinary time stops at the door.
When we finally made it to the dining area, which is located in the back of the casino, we were greeted by a friendly waitress who told us the Friday night buffet was just $8.75 and it was all-you-can-eat. Our friend was right; the food was wonderful. We had our choice of prime rib, fried chicken, roast beef, pork chops, deep fried scallops, baked ham, barbecued ribs, mashed potatoes, gravy, a host of salads, vegetables, dinner rolls, and all the trimmings.
The best part of the buffet was the dessert bar. There was a large selection of pies, cakes, puddings, and chocolate turtle cheesecake to die for. I had three helpings.
After the dinner we strolled out into the casino to watch the action. There was very little conversation. All eyes were on the slot machines and the blackjack tables. I especially enjoyed watching the blackjack dealers contend with what I imagined were veteran gamblers trying to beat the odds. From the little we were able to observe it seemed that the house almost always won. Sometimes one of the gamblers got lucky, but mostly they paid their money and, I suppose, counted it the cost of a night's entertainment.
Every once in a while a teller would come out onto the floor followed by an armed guard. He would roll his cart up to the blackjack table and collect the money. The action would stop for a moment. The crowd became very quiet. All eyes were on the money and the armed guard. There was little doubt about what is considered holy and what is worshiped in that place.
On the way out we passed the sandwich stand where you can get a half-pound prime rib sandwich for $2.75. "Delicious," our friend said. "None better. No restaurant in town can compete with the quality or the prices of the food at the casino." We went into the gift shop and our friend showed us stack after stack of cigarette cartons. "Why so many cigarettes?" we asked. He pointed to a sign listing the price. A carton of Marlboros cost less at the casino. Across the street at the Holiday station the same carton sells for much more.
Few of the local merchants have been able to compete successfully with the casino. Many of the buildings on the main street of Turtle Lake are empty or dilapidated. Some of the remaining businesses are struggling. When the casino opened in 1992 there were high hopes that the increasing number of people coming to town would mean higher profits for local businesses. A million and a half people pass through the doors of the Saint Croix Casino every year but very few of them shop at local businesses. People come by the busload from all over Wisconsin and the upper Midwest. A High Rollers bus ticket from Milwaukee costs just $45. Along with the bus ride you get a night's lodging at the Saint Croix Motel, a steak and lobster dinner in the casino restaurant, and a $20 rebate in chips to get you off to a good start on the slot machines. It is not known how many out-of-town guests patronize area prostitutes or drug dealers, the two local businesses which have seen an increase in trade in the past four years.
The Saint Croix Casino takes in an estimated $12 million a month. Most of that money is not spent in the Turtle Lake community or anywhere else in Northwest Wisconsin. And because the casino is owned by the Saint Croix-Chippewa Indian Tribe, no money is paid in state, federal, or local taxes. The largest business in Barron County pays no school taxes, pays for no utilities, and pays for no fire department, police, or ambulance services. Most of the 1,000 employees at the casino get minimum wage and no benefits.
One young family man with a wife and three children, who works in the maintenance department at the casino, earns $4.95 an hour. He gets no health insurance and no pension. He could make $90 more per month if he quit his job and went on welfare.
Recently, a woman from a neighboring town was arrested for embezzling $450 thousand from the business where she worked. Much of the money was lost in gambling at the Saint Croix Casino. Unlike bartenders who will refuse to serve a perpetual drunk, the casino employees continued to take the woman's money until her life was ruined.
The next morning after our visit to the casino we went with our friend to worship at the local United Methodist church. The attractive new church building is located on a large lot on the east edge of town. The wood-paneled sanctuary is warm and intimate, about the same size as the lobby of the casino. The people were friendly and invited us to come again. I was especially moved by a children's choir that sang during the service. The quality of the music wasn't any better or any worse than the children's choir in my own church, but their smiling faces and the enthusiasm and the joy with which they sang about their love for Jesus touched my heart. At the same time I felt a deep sadness as I listened to their song. I knew many of these children would end up working at the casino when they were grown. I said a prayer for them under my breath: "O Lord, keep these beautiful children safe from the evil that is so powerful in this community."
from Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit: 62 Stories for Cycle B, 0-7880-0817-X (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing Company, Inc., year), pp. 169-172.
*****************************************
StoryShare, September 2, 2012, issue.
Copyright 2012 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
