For the record

Read the Gospels.  It will take you maybe four evenings.  Concentrate on what Jesus is witnessed as SAYING and DOING, what Jesus commanded (Imperative mood statements), taught and exemplified.  What you will find...

Jesus said NOTHING about homosexuality.
Jesus said A LOT about...
     Greed
     Abuses of Power
     Inequities of Power
     Kingdom of God Values
     Generosity
     Judging others
     Forgiveness
     Compassion
     Loving neighbor
     Loving enemy
     Helping those in need
     Actively lifting others up
     Being Gracious and Merciful
     Being Hospitable
     Giving based on others' need and not their merit
     Denying self
     Following what HE taught, commanded, exemplified
Jesus was NOT a Capitalist, a political or social conservative, American or Caucasian

Re-read what the one you call "Savior", who is LORD, the fulfiller of Law and Prophets,
     taught and exemplified in the Gospels...
Then, follow what Jesus taught in how you live in the world...

It is pretty simple, really, just HARD TO LIVE...
     this world NEEDS people who will live what Jesus taught and exemplified...

Pastor Jamie
    

Profit Principle

When profit is your only principle,
when more for self is what primarily drives you,
then what you put out in the world around you will be
exploitative, predatory and anti-Christ.

When your only concern or chief concern is more for self and those just like you,
then you are unable to see the negative effects of your practices in the world around you,
or being able to see, you will be unable to care.

When the driving force in your life is obtaining more, always more,
then what you will have less of is compassion, empathy or love for others.

Greed, lust for power and desire for prestige and position
are very self-oriented, and exclusionary by nature... it is always "more than",
because there are limited resources... it is always power over others... always
more prestige than or position over someone else... that which puts one "over"
others flies in the face of the teachings and examples of Jesus. 

It is impossible to both, give our devotion to these idols (self), and live
the Agape Love (active commitment on behalf of the other) that Jesus
commanded.  It is therefore impossible to claim the name of Jesus in any
genuine way, and live out of the principle of "more for self" above all else...

There are MANY, therefore, who believe they are sheep of the Shepherd,
who will find out they are goats, I am afraid, because their idolatry of self
has prevented them from feeding the hungry, drink to the thirsty, welcome to
resident strangers in the land, clothing the naked, care for the sick and visiting
those in prison (Matthew 25:31-46)... they do not "Go, and do likewise" as
Jesus commanded that we do for those who are beaten down and need us to
go the extra mile and pay the price for their recovery (Luke 10:25-37)...

We are lesser humans when our development of compassion and empathy is
arrested.  We are NOT Christians if we do not follow the teachings and
commandments of The Christ.  And what we give, is what we will get, as
individuals, political parties, church congregations and bodies and as a
nation. 

When our guiding principle is profit over people... more for self and those
like us... we are much to be pitied.  We just don't realize it... YET.

Pastor Jamie

Let us...

Let us...

change the system that pits us against each other for meager resources, to one that demands equity among all God's children

change the criminal injustice system to one of truly EQUAL JUSTICE FOR ALL

turn from personal greed and gain to a value of community based on ALL having well-being

share of our abundance with others who have need

make sure EVERY child has the same chance at a good education

make sure that EVERY citizen has healthcare coverage for their well-being

make sure that EVERY person in this nation has food, clothing and livable shelter

make sure that EVERY worker is paid a LIVING wage

CHANGE a system that believes it is perfectly fine and normal for 1% of the population to control 85% of the resources in this nation, while the rest struggle for what is left

Then, and ONLY THEN, will we be a CIVILIZATION

Pastor Jamie

being fully human

It is simple... people I love and people I do not know, whom I KNOW God loves, are being treated unfairly, being exploited, being kept down, being held out... actively, systematically, systemically, intentionally so that some others may feel "superior" and get more at their expense, for themselves... it makes me ANGRY, and I will write, I will speak, I will fight, I will continue to do what I do to make it so that ALL people have the healthcare they need, equal education under the law in whatever school or district they are a part of, a living wage for their work, jobs for those who can work, affordable housing, transportation and RESPECT, REGARDLESS of their age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or economic background... I believe anyone who is either unconcerned about others or worse, sees exploiting them as an opportunity to promote more for themselves, is in some kind of stage of arrested human development... I stand on the Gospel of Jesus - what JESUS taught about how we are to live with each other... unapologetically, un-waveringly, without hesitation or reservation... clear?

Pastor Jamie

loyalty in sports

I perceive there to be GREAT LOYALTY in sports...

Loyalty to the city in which a team plays, as long as it provides a new stadium, championships and
    other entertainment value, with good parking and upscale accommodations around them...
Loyalty to the fans in the cities in which teams play, as long as they will pay always more in ticket
    prices...
Loyalty to the neighborhood venders around the stadium, as long as they are "upscale enough"...
Loyalty to the team one plays with, as long as one gets enough spotlight, kudos, trophies and pay...
Loyalty to the players, as long as there is not a better "deal" out there...
Loyalty to the team one roots for, as long as they are winning...
Loyalty to the game one loves to play, as long as it pays exorbitantly...
Loyalty to the game one loves to watch, as long as it entertains, even if it means maiming the
    players...

Loyalty as long as one's greed, desire for prestige and lust for power...

There is a GREAT DEAL OF LOYALTY in sports... to all the wrong things.

Football, Baseball, Basketball, Hockey and now Soccer are big business in entertainment.  Any "higher virtues" in these professional sports have gone the way of the affordable bleacher seats.

Class Warfare

Now, 47 million people have been cut off from $5 billion in food aid in The United States.  This, right after putting billions into having a stealth warship, after $24 billion wasted in a manufactured government shut down designed to keep millions of other Americans from having affordable healthcare coverage.  This, after laying off America during the recession, after sending jobs overseas because corporations could make more money off the backs of other folk through sub-standard wages, after de-regulating greed for over 32 years (yes, Reaganomics), trying to LEGISLATE peoples' bedrooms and bodies, after refusing to collect billions of $ in taxes from the wealthy individuals and corporations in our country.

This war has been waged for years... until now, it has been a massacre, rather than a war, because NO ONE fought back... the CHURCH remained silent, complicit in the economic rape of the nation because they gained in much the same way (at worst) and/or were afraid they might lose their precious 501c3 status if they spoke out (at best). 

The democratic (blue) stripes on this Laissez-Faire Greed economic system Zebra remained largely silent, because they felt the political wind and knew they would lose votes if they stood up for the most vulnerable. 

The republicans (red) stripes on the Zebra perpetrated, pushed, promoted and executed the war on the poor because it meant they could get more profit for those who were the elites among them - the wealthy and powerful who first took over corporations and industries and then bought the government...

AND HERE IS THE KICKER...

Like the English Kings and Lords before them, who got the Irish to throw away their young lives in fighting the Scotts when they rebelled, and used the Scotts and others to throw away their lives to fight the Irish when they rebelled, etc., etc.... for generations...

so, these who have waged this CLASS WAR have pitted the Middle Class, especially lower, middle-class against the poor, scapegoating the poor who receive a pittance from government for all their own economic woes, when it was the wealthy and powerful who designed the system that holds them down for their own gain...

Like the Nazi's, who scapegoated the Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals and others for the economic woes of struggling Germans...

the wealthy and powerful have very adeptly used false anecdotes, stereotypes and outright bigotry to manipulate the working poor and lower, middle-class to hate those who receive public assistance, so that they would not see the true threat to their well-being...

AND PEOPLE WERE GULLIBLE ENOUGH TO BUY IT...

so, they resent anyone who "should be lower" than them economically (yes, because of race), who gets a job or starts to succeed, claiming that they TOOK MY JOB/OUR JOBS, as if they were entitled to them... being of the same RACE as the wealthy and powerful, but NEVER in the same club....

and they resent anyone who "buys steaks" or "sells their food stamps for cash", because they scrape and scrimp and save to just make it, not recognizing that the foolish expressions of immediate gratification (which most of us do through credit - spending more than we have on things) those on fixed-income make, they pay for later in the month with panic and fear in the lack...

so, the soul of America has been eroded by GREED, a false sense of ENTITLEMENT and VIOLENCE in our hearts, words and sometimes actions against those who we have been duped into scapegoating, so that we will not attack those in "the big house"...

It is an AGE OLD process, and very effective, because it is easier to hate and scapegoat someone "below" you on the economic ladder, while aspiring to be the wealthy and powerful, rather than see that the system that divides is WRONG, EVIL, IMMORAL, and resist, actively change the system... for some, because they aspire to be in that very exclusive club, for others, because they do not want to risk the few crumbs (TV's, Cars, Houses, Vacations) in perks that they get for the sake of others who are consistently, systematically, intentionally, brutally, immorally held down for the profit of a few others... so we blame the VICTIMS, and even claim to BE the victims ourselves....

What would it look like if ...

ALL SCHOOLS WERE PUBLIC AND FUNDED EQUALLY, SO ALL CHILDREN GOT THE SAME CHANCE TO SUCCEED IN AMERICA?

EVERY JOB WAS FULL TIME, WITH A LIVING WAGE ($15 per hour minimum right now) AND BENEFITS, AND THE SECURITY OF NOT BEING FIRED FOR NO REASON, SO THAT EVERYONE COULD WORK AND MAKE A LIVING AT IT IN AMERICA?

EVERYONE PAID THEIR FAIR SHARE OF TAXES... ON ALL ASSETS WITH NO EXEMPTIONS, LOOPHOLES OR HIDDEN ASSETS, WITHOUT EXEPTION, IN AMERICA?

Yes, some would have to sacrifice a little of the exorbitant profits they now get, and perhaps the 24 bedroom mansion for an 8 bedroom shack... not get a larger and more extravagant yacht every 5 years, but rather every 10 years... not buy the most expensive and exotic fourth vehicle, but have one less or four that are a little less luxurious... maybe have a few less "servants" to do the housework or lawn care and maybe have to spend some time with their children and not pay a "nanny" to completely raise them... I know, I know, it sounds like a HORRIBLE existence... hardly worth living... but I am confident that with a little resolve, these folks could somehow find a way to be happy...

and it would mean that others who have been held down and out for generations would have some kind of life-security in MAKING IT, and even tip the scale on THRIVING over just SURVIVING... would that be so terrible for our nation?  under God?  Indivisible?  With liberty and justice for ALL?

Stop looking horizontally or "beneath" you for the problem.  It is those ABOVE you who have victimized us ALL as a nation, and they have done it very well for 32 years... THEY are the ones who have waged this massacre... let's now turn it, not into a war, but into a non-violent movement for change...

THE TIME IS NOW.

Pastor Jamie

IMMORAL

There are those who would, behind smoke and mirrors, convince us that morality only has to do with sex and particularly with whom you sleep and how.  They put that "out there" so that they can hide their truly IMMORAL practices around greed and their idolatry to Mammon (wealth) and Mars (power) and Narcissus (prestige, position, self-importance and promotion), above all others.

The reason that "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil", is because LOVE is to be reserved for God and Neighbor (who Jesus defines as stranger and even enemy - Luke 10:25, ff.).  But when we give our devotion and make our whole lives about making money for ourselves, or those just like us, especially at the expense (exploitation, trampling down) of others, it is IMMORAL.  When our love is reserved for only self and getting what we can for self at any cost to others around us, it is IMMORAL.

For instance -

31% of Georgians who would be eligible for ACA insurance (ObamaCare) will not receive benefits because Georgia's Republican Governor and Republican Legislature has rejected it in this state and declined to participate.  These 31% are NOT those who are eligible for Medicaid now, who are receiving substandard healthcare, but healthcare none-the-less.  These 31% are those who are WORKING, so they make too much to receive the health insurance from Medicaid, but they do not make enough to be able to afford insurance on their own - you know - those who are the working poor, penalized by low wages and no benefits or job security because they live in this "right to work (for low wages, no benefits and no job security)" state.  Now, they are further penalized, because their Republican politicians in office want to keep them from the affordable healthcare they could have through the ACA.

THAT is IMMORAL.

For instance -

Republicans in Congress who claim to be in the fiscally RESPONSIBLE party, many of whom gleefully got us into 2 wars that have cost us TRILLIONS of dollars and THOUSANDS of lives, will not balance the budget (their self-declared #1 agenda) by raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans and American corporations, or even get them to pay what they owe, calling them ENTITLEMENTS, but rather want to cut aid to the poor and have done so... so that women and children have food taken away from them, head start classes for the poor are shut down, elderly programs slashed, etc., etc..

THAT is IMMORAL.

For instance -

Republicans in Congress shut down government and it cost our nation $24 billion.  This from the party that wants to save a few bucks by cutting individual aid to families.
Republicans are engineering voter suppression, gerrymandering every district they can, spreading misinformation and lies about our President and raping the country's environment for profit, all while claiming their patriotism.
Wealthy individuals and corporations/industries are buying politicians and their votes, in order to further exploit the environment and destroy it at will, and workers here and abroad, while claiming to love democracy. 
And people are being duped into believing those are good things to do.  And people vote for the ones doing those things!

THAT is IMMORAL.

We are becoming an IMMORAL NATION,
NOT because we do not have public prayer in the schools - even WITH that, these "right wing" folks would give their true devotion to Mammon.
NOT because of gay marriage, even WITHOUT these equal rights being recognized, their GREED would drive them.
NOT because of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists or "Liberals"...

BUT because we as a nation, AT BEST, give our LIP SERVICE to God, but give our TRUE DEVOTION to Mammon (wealth), Mars (violence) and Narcissus (self).

"This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines."  Mark 7:6,7    JESUS
"You cannot serve both God and Mammon."  Matthew 6:24    JESUS

IMMORAL.  Unconscionable.  The new norm in American perspective, philosophy and practice.

So, what will WE do about that?

Pastor Jamie