like it is

GREED is America's religion... we will sacrifice many on Mammon's altar in order to garner its favor...
Without conscience, without hesitation or reservation, if some can make more profit on the backs of others, we see nothing wrong with it, because our religion (laissez-faire - limitless Capitalism) helps us serve our god - Mammon.

While giving lip service to Jesus, praising His name and giving Him our tithes to prime that cosmic pump for our selves (what we have reduced Jesus to), we give our devotion to the acquisition of more - always more, with no limits.  

The nature of GREED, is that no matter how much we already have, we will want more because more is out there.  

Jesus warned us about all manner of greed.  
Jesus warned that we cannot serve both God and mammon (wealth).
Jesus warned us not to be rich fools and accumulate more while ignoring others around us.
Jesus warned us not to be those who step over the poor and sick among us.
Jesus taught us about His judgment, and how it is dependent upon how we have treated the hungry, thirsty, naked, stranger, sick and imprisoned (how we treat Him in it).
Jesus warned that it is HARD for the rich to enter the Kingdom.
Jesus made Agape Love (active commitment on behalf of the OTHER - God, neighbor) His command.

Greed's nature is all about serving SELF and NOT OTHER, either God or neighbor.

It is time to give up this duplicitous existence.  Choose this day whom you will serve. 
As for me and my house, we will serve THE LORD.

Pastor Jamie

Enough IS Enough

I am a middle class person.
I have worked in my field (Pastoral Ministry), and related fields (Hospice) for over 27 years, most of which I earned very low wages.
My wife has worked in her field for 31 years, and is also a Pastor.
Together, we live comfortably by American standards, in opulence compared to MANY in the world
     and our own country.
We give our offerings to the small home church we pastor, 70% of which are given away in local (SW Atlanta), national (Common Ground - New Orleans) and international (Food for the Poor -
 Haiti) outreach.
We also support other congregations and causes that we believe help "the least of these".
I do not share this because I want your admiration or accolades, in fact, I believe I do not do as much
    as I should, given all that I have.
I share this because there are MANY who consider themselves Christian people, who claim to follow Jesus and love Jesus, who begrudge "the least of these" ANYTHING they get.  I share this because there are Christians who work to elect those who would systematically, intentionally and without conscience take more away from "the least of these".  I share this because there are Christian pastors and bishops who dupe their members, many of whom ARE "the least of these", to give their tithes (some, their last $10) so that God, the cosmic pump, will be primed to bless them with prosperity, and they have been doing that for decades now.  And those congregations of those pastors and bishops pay those pastors and bishops exorbitant salaries and build bigger barns (as in lavish facilities), rather than help their local or distant poor.  I share this because there are many, some desperate and some greedy, who have been led to believe this is faithfulness to the Jesus of the Gospels, whose concern and commands for the sake of the poor is very clear.
I share this because it sickens me and saddens me.  I would GLADLY pay more taxes, if our government that is elected to represent ALL of us, would EQUALIZE education, healthcare, employment, housing, transportation and safety in the land of "all (people) are created equal".  I would GLADLY pay a little more for my healthcare to see those with NONE get basic healthcare as a HUMAN RIGHT.  I would GLADLY give a bit more to "feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome (and not exploit and then deport) the stranger, and visit the sick and imprisoned (to liberate them both from their plight).
I am not wealthy, and I have worked a long time to have what I have, many years with very little to show for my efforts. 
I am also a FOLLOWER OF JESUS and JESUS' WAY.  I must submit my will to Jesus' Will for the world, and conform my Way to Jesus' way for me to be in THIS PART of God's Kingdom.
God promised DAILY BREAD - enough.  Most American Christians have MUCH MORE THAN ENOUGH... instead of being THANKFUL, SATISFIED and CONTENT with having more than enough, SOME will always want MORE, because MORE is out there - that is the nature of Greed and idolatry to wealth, power or prestige/position.  When that takes over our hearts and souls, then our concern for the poor, commanded by Jesus in Agape Love, is gone, because we cannot see past self - what I can get, what I can have, what I can become.  So we adopt political philosophies and economic principles, vote for and advocate only for OURSELVES, even at the expense of the most poor and vulnerable around us, even blaming them for their own victimization and scapegoating them for us not having more - always more... and we twist The Word to suit our desires...
What we are becoming is ruthlessly selfish and hatefully mean-spirited, while claiming to be people who follow Jesus.  That won't work.
Pastor Jamie

Your Standard

What is the standard,
what is the code,
what is the set of principles
that guides how you live in the world around you?
...
What informs how you
participate in society,
politically,
economically,
engage in your work and
live every other aspect of your life?

For me,
it is the Good News of Jesus –
what Jesus taught and exemplified,
as we have it in the Gospels.
Rev. Jamie Kaufman

connected

So, I have often heard the statement that, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend.", and have even accepted its adaptation to college football - "My two favorite teams are Ohio State and whoever is playing Michigan." 

I believe Agape Love compels me to something a bit deeper.

Anyone who is hurt, exploited, neglected or ignored is my sister/brother.

If I indeed LOVE MY NEIGHBOR AS MYSELF, then I will no more want to see my neighbor (defined by Jesus in Luke 10:25-37 as even stranger or enemy) be hurt than I would want that for myself or my closest loved ones.  If I LOVE MY NEIGHBOR AS MYSELF, I will no more want to see my neighbor go without what he/she needs than I would want that for myself or my closest loved ones.

Jesus' teachings do not allow for us to only take care of "ourselves and our own".  Jesus' teachings do not allow us to callously exploit another so that we can have more for ourselves, neglect the needs of another that are clearly before us or exclude another from community because he/she is different.

So, for a politician to claim a faith in Jesus, and then actively write or uphold laws that hurt ANY of Jesus' sisters and brothers, who are his/her own sisters or brothers also... goes against Jesus.

For a business person to lay off employees to keep more profit for him/herself or stockholders, or to get bonuses as an executive, or pay them at a less than living wage, or keep them from getting healthcare coverage, or prevent them from living fully in any way... goes against Jesus.

For a voter to vote in folks who speak War over Diplomacy, Greed over Generosity, Hubris over Humility, Isolationism or Exclusivism over Inclusion, Injustice for some and Exemption for others, Exploitation and Inequality over Equity and Equality for all, keeping some down so that others may rise on their backs... GOES AGAINST JESUS.

We stand before Jesus.  There is no, "it's nothing personal, it's just business."  There is no, "only for me and my own."  There is no, "let them fend for themselves."  The command of Jesus to live Agape Love does not allow it.

"By their fruits you will know them."
"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
JESUS commands Agape Love for Neighbor (even stranger and enemy).
Jesus' sisters and brothers are OUR sisters and brothers.
It is all... we are all... CONNECTED.

Pastor Jamie

“The American People”

   I am SO TIRED of hearing politicians (left, centrist and “right”) claim that they know what “The American People” want, as if we are one people, as if we all think alike, as if we are not incredibly and frighteningly polarized.

So, who are these “American People” for whom they speak and who they claim to represent?

Do the 39 million who will continue to go without healthcare if the ACA fails, feel that the Republicans are right that they speak for them as “American People”?  For that matter, how many of the “American People” want the Government to be shut down in the most recent political stunt by those on the extreme right and those who are riding their coattails?

   The last Presidential election was won on a platform about The Affordable Care Act and other issues that this President has been fighting for, yet Republicans claim that their obstructionism is due to the will of “The American People” who elected him.  Clearly, the extreme right wing folks who got elected in an “off year” election four years ago and in the last election, were chosen by some of “The American People” too, but Democrats claim that “The American People” want nothing to do with their philosophy, policies and tactics. 

   I do not believe that other than the most wealthy and powerful, and some upper-middle class folks are represented by our government.  At its worst, 99% are not represented.  At best, the POOR are certainly not represented by those who have been elected to represent them as “public servants”.  Those who ARE represented are the most wealthy and powerful individuals and corporations who have bought the government, and those who have the ear of government because those in it HOPE to get their money in the future.  PAC’S, Corporations, Lobbyists and influential (wealthy and therefore power) individuals are represented.  Politicians belong to them.  No one else matters to those on the extreme and moderate right, and on the centrist to moderate left.

   I long to hear ANYONE champion the rights of THE POOR, THE ELDERLY, THE YOUNG, THE MARGINALIZED as they call them “THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.”  Yes, I believe that our President and his Party have come closer to representing them and enacting policies that will ultimately help them, but I do not hear them lifted up as valued citizens other than in rhetoric for debate.  Those in government represent those who will get them what they want – more power and money – the people just like them.  Homogeneity out of xenophobia is NOT a way to govern in a DEMOCRACY… of course, we have not had but a relative democracy for most of our history, and it is now a plutocratic oligarchy.  With that, necessarily comes marginalization and a lack of representation. 

   Are YOU one of “The American People” who these folks represent and accurately speak for?  Really?  Pastor Jamie

what we say and what we do

What we say and what we do are not always the same.
The days of "I say what I mean and I mean what I say" seem to be over.
It is about whatever gets me the most and best of what pleases me right now.
It is all about the pleasing of self and not the standing on our word.
It is all about appearing to be full of integrity, honor, good values and even a relevant faith,
    while doing what we can to please our selves and get all that we can for our selves,
    regardless of the means or of who is hurt in the process.

We claim to love our children,
    but when children are killed in their schools, we choose our love of guns over our children
    and when it comes to balancing the budget, we cut funds that literally take food out of their mouths
         rather than insist that the most powerful citizens and corporations pay their taxes

We claim to be the nation of welcome (see the words on the Statue of Liberty)
    but unless folks have a PhD or lots of money, we do not want them
    and unless we can exploit you for cheap labor and then send you home to your life of poverty,
         don't bother to come here

We say that we are a Nation among nations,
    but we use our position, wealth and power to exploit people in other nations to build our wealth
    and we march our military into other nations to take their resources for our selves

We say that we are the nation of equal justice for all,
    but when some intentionally line their pockets off the pensions and life savings of others
             illegally, they go to a "country club" prison to write their books, for a short term, if they
             get arrested at all
    and young black and brown men who out of desperation steal from an individual or sell something
    on the street to live, are sent up for hard time or shot and killed, unarmed, in the street, even just on
    suspicion...

We say we honor our military and support them,
    yet we vote for politicians who write laws that strip the VA of funds for them when they come
             home, denying their care in diseases and disorders they have because of their service
    and we keep their families in the need of food stamps even while their loved ones are on active
             duty, and THEN cut SNAP funding on them

We say that we are the land of equal opportunity,
    but many schools get MUCH less funding for their students, because of tax brackets
    and wages range from those who make 300x what laborers make, to below poverty level wages
    so we bail out major corporations and their exec's and stockholders make more money, while
            those who work for them get laid off from making even their meager wages
    and we break up any organized labor, so that no one will stand up for worker rights, and those
            who own and benefit from their labor can exploit them further to line their own pockets

We say that we recognize that "all (men) are created equally"
    but the disparities by race are played out in every aspect of society
    and the disparities by economic class are played out just the same
    we deny women the same wages for the same job with the same experience
    we deny our gay and lesbian citizens equal rights to marriage and the benefits of it

The truth?
The truth is that our greatest love is only, exclusively for our selves and those just like us,
    that our idol in America is SELF... getting more for self... benefitting self above all others
    and on the backs of others... being above others to elevate self... so, we re-create God in our
    image until our god IS SELF... even changing what we SAY God says, to match what pleases
    us in our churches and in our society...
    we will say one thing that sounds good so that others might not hold us in total disdain and to
    appease our guilt over our duplicity, but do whatever it takes at the expense of others not like us, to
    benefit our selves and those who are just like us...

We do not say what we mean or mean what we say... it doesn't pay (at least not what we want)

... and I GOTTA TELL YA, God is not pleased with us as a nation.

Repentance means to "change one's thinking" so that one's direction changes...
    We need to repent... this is NOT the narrow way that Jesus directed us to travel in life...
    It is time to change our way of thinking and our direction...

It is time to give up our Idolatry to GREED, LUST FOR POWER AND PRESTIGE and ultimately SELF... because giving lip service to God while serving those idols INSULTS GOD, as the prophets have taught us...
It is time to AGAPE LOVE God with all that we have, and love our Neighbors AS WE LOVE OUR SELVES... active commitment/committed action on behalf of the other, for the sake of the other... as Jesus COMMANDED...

then, our words and actions will be in alignment
then, our integrity and honor will be intact
then, our souls will thrive and not slowly die - along with the soul of our nation
then, our people, ALL our people will thrive and not some of them slowly die while others live in
    excess...
then, God will be pleased.  Not until then.

Pastor Jamie
   

Being Prophetic in America

   The Prophets were raised to TELL GOD'S WILL TO GOD'S PEOPLE, and especially in times when God's people had abandoned God's Will for their own, and were doing horrible things while claiming to be "people of God".  It was not about telling the future, but rather sharing with the people of God what would happen if they continued to walk away from God in how they lived in the world.
   Today, most Prophets are silent because there is no money in it - they can't sell their books to a public in America that wants to believe the Prosperity/Power/Entitlement myths that have been sold to them by false prophets over the past 30+ years.  Some are silent because they do love their country and cannot bear to be called "un-American".  Some are silent because they are compliant with what is happening in the country and across the world - which itself makes them false prophets.
   I love this country, but I love ALL of it, and not exclusively those just like me.
   I love God's Word as it reveals God's Will, and not just those parts that benefit me.
   Therefore, being instructed to "speak(ing) the truth in love", I want to share the words of an Old Testament Prophet, and New Testament Prophet and some thoughts around each.

AMOS 5:10-11  God does not value those who twist the truth and silence those who do speak it, and the one whose judgments are unjust, those who get more on the backs of the poor.  God promises that what they have gained by exploiting others will be taken from them.

AMOS 5:21-24   God is clear on what God wants, and it is not worship and praise by the same folks who are actively seeking to do injustice and act wrongly to hurt others around them.

AMOS 8:4-7  God will not tolerate those who look for every opportunity for personal gain on the backs of the most vulnerable and ignore the needs of the poor.  God does not forget.

We keep people down in our own land with UNEQUAL education, employment and wages, healthcare, housing, corrections and transportation.  Some benefit from doing it, so the system continues to be built on the inequalities that make a few richer without limit and many more poorer without hope.  Some who claim to be people of God promote this with their attitudes, philosophies and behaviors.  They vote for those who stand for this kind of system.  They blame the victims of this systemic injustice for their own plight.  They ARE those with the most power or wealth, or ASPIRE to be them in the future.  This is NOT God's Will.

JAMES 4:1-10  God does not value us doing WHATEVER IT TAKES to keep power over others and gain wealth on their backs, as a nation.  Not only do we abuse our own most vulnerable in the land, but we go overseas to exploit others for cheap labor and the un-restricted taking and waste of their natural resources with un-regulated pollution of their air, land and water.  For the sake of cheap prices for our own people, we go across the world to perpetrate injustice on others.  When we cannot dupe them through our manipulation of WTO and other international organizations, we try to buy them with our false promises of funds for their poor.  We buy their leaders to allow us to exploit their own people, sometimes propping up leaders who are ruthless enough to hurt or kill their own people, while we turn a blind eye to those abuses for our own gain.  When those means don't work, we use our military to get what we want, trumping up charges against them (some of the same ones we have supported to get what we wanted, until they stopped giving us what we wanted) so that other nations in the world will not so strongly object.  Then, we act surprised that people across the world at best hold us in contempt, and at worst hate us.  God is not pleased.  What we are doing to hurt our own people and those across the world is NOT God's Will.

I am sure that any who read this will react... some strongly.  It is hard to be in a position to address our own sins as a people, especially when we have so strongly adopted a perspective of American "Exceptionalism".  What is exceptional in our behavior is often our ruthlessness, greed, lust for power, nationalism, bigotry and self-centeredness in our own land and across the world.

The BEST of what God's Word has to offer is found when we search out what we believe God is saying about ourselves, so that we can submit to God's will and conform our way to God's way for us in the world.  The false prophets will talk about our entitlements, justifications, favored status and signs of God's blessings just for us.  They will talk about our nation sinning only in things like allowing the end of "corporate prayer" in schools, acceptance of homosexuals and other nonsense.  That is "smoke and mirrors" to keep us from looking at our age-old sins, even those addressed in The Word, regarding our GREED, LUST FOR POWER and OBSESSION WITH PRESTIGE/POSITION OVER OTHERS.  God broke God's own nation, Israel, numerous times to bring them back to God's Way over these sins.  What makes us think that God is not doing the same with us, now?

I love this nation, but I love ALL in it.
I love God's Word, and NOT just the parts that benefit me.
I ask for your prayers for this nation that I love and the living of God's Word of Grace and Agape
      Love, that I love.

Pastor Jamie