I love the Cross

Every faith has its symbols.  They encourage us, inspire us and admonish us to live the principles of our faith.

I love the Cross.

It is the symbol of self-sacrifice by the Divine, who needed not offer Godself for my sake, but did.

It is the reminder that my redemption from evil, paid for at great cost, is given freely to us by Grace (undeserved loving mercy given freely).

It is a beacon of righteousness and therefore worthiness, not found within myself (for no matter how much I live the Law, it cannot make me self-righteous), but found in God for me, given freely to me out of Agape Love.

It is the very image of Agape Love (unconditional, active commitment on behalf of the other), given by a God who is wholly other but immanent in our lives and perfectly, actively loving of all humanity.

It is the standard that this Agape Love is to be our way of living in all aspects of life with God and all humanity.

It is the Cross that drives us, guides us and compels us to put this Agape Love out in the world around us in Grace, creating a more loving and gracious world around us.

I love the Cross. 

by their fruits

Do your words lift others up, or tear them down?
Do your actions reflect only love of self or of others even different than you?
Does your spending include buying with justice and equity or is it all about getting the deal for 
   yourself?
Do you support politicians who get the most for you and those just like you, or for everyone, equally?
Does your community involvement only involve that which builds up your property values, or builds
   up the people in the community?
Do your ideologies center around promoting only yourself, or are they about the good of all?
Does your "religion" produce good fruit in the world around you, or does it polarize, punish, exclude,
   judge and attempt to shame someone?
Do your actions reflect your words?
Do your words and actions reflect what is in your heart?
Do you go along with others you want to have like you, or do you stand up for what you believe is
   right?
Do you engage your heart in decisions regarding others, or just your head?
Do you stand with those who are victimized, lend power to the powerless and your voice to the
   voiceless or do you pile on with those who victimize further or blame the victims for their plight?
What are the principles by which you live?
Do your principles hold expectation for you alone, or do you judge others by YOUR principles?
Do your principles reflect compassion and empathy for others, or are they just about getting you what
   you want?
Is your perception of God one who loves all equally, or certain ones better, yourself included among
   them?
Is your belief in God centered on how God directs you to be in the world around you with others, or
   is it centered on you getting all you can for yourself?
Is your faith walk about being more "pure" and "holy" within yourself, or following the teachings to
   love of the one who truly IS God?

"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
"By their fruits you will know them."
"Others will know you are MY disciples in that you LOVE ONE ANOTHER."

Pastor Jamie

self indulgence will kill us...

Self Indulgence

 

… often comes from some past unmet needs, but abides in filling bottomless voids…

 

… originates and stays within self…

 

… ranges from the arrogant to the neurotic and even the desperate…

 

… cannot see the good in delayed gratification, self-control or sacrifice…

 

… gladly trades long-term success, fulfillment and health for momentary pleasure…

 

… routinely sacrifices deep, abiding joy for fleeting happiness…

 

… can be amusing to others, especially those like-minded, for a time, until some deeper need goes unfulfilled because of the self indulgent in their lives…

 

… masks, delays, ignores inevitable truths that one must face, often complicating the difficulty of those truths when one finally does face them…

 

… eventually represents a losing battle with others and within oneself because the sources of pleasure, no matter how they are elevated, cannot bring deep, abiding joy in life for anyone…

Lust for Power and Control backfires on us

Lust for Power

 

… comes from within, but is focused outward…

 

… takes our focus off self-control and puts it on control or power over others…

 

… comes, not from a place of humility, but one of arrogant hubris…

 

… sets up win/lose and above/below, we (I) /they dichotomies…

 

… is an illusion – a costly, hurtful and divisive illusion…

 

… does not draw people together toward a common good, but alienates people from one another out of frustration and defensiveness…

 

… seems to work for others, to get them what they want, but never to work for ourselves fully, which allure draws us into the illusory trap…

 

… takes us out of the realm of equal interaction, cooperation and community…

 

… eventually alienates us from the affection, admiration, cooperation and respect of others around us…

 

Greed will own us...

GREED

 

… comes from within and forces us further inward…

 

… causes us to de-value relationships, because –

That for which we are greedy demands our total devotion…

 

… makes us believe that it is serving us well,

But in actuality demands that we fully serve it…

 

… deceptively makes us believe it can be a force for good,

But it always hurts those around us – there is always

A cost to be paid by those exploited by it…

 

… puts enmity between us and god, others and self –

Because it alone must be served…

… renders us un-thankful, un-grateful and dissatisfied…

… eventually consumes us and everyone around us…

 

COMMUNITY

It is sad, really, what passes for community. I have been present when people came together powerfully to benefit EVERYONE, equally. I have gathered with groups that honored everyone's opinion, where there were no "outsiders" or "insiders", because people were gathered for a common purpose... where people did not see theirs as the only "valid" opinion, but listened to all present in order to come to a concensus that would work well for everyone, equally... I have been with folk who truly believed that the wealthiest and poorest neighbors were equal in value, and that the voices of those who were newest and oldest were ALL of equal value. But I have lately seen a different world, in which some have decided that they are better than others based on one thing or another, and then vilify others in an attempt to discredit them, so that they can get what they want at their expense. I have seen the new group in power, same as the old group in power... the freshman class of the same old clique... run roughshod over the rest of the community, deciding before the public discourse and limiting the public discourse in order to get what they want... bad talking whoever stands in "their way" of benefitting themselves and their personal interests. I went to a neighborhood meeting, not too long ago, at which the people came together "with one heart and one mind" and decided to purchase a piece of land on which a bank had bulldozed their community garden. Eight people put up the almost $10k to buy this land, not for themselves, but so that EVERYONE in the neighborhood could have a garden plot. It astonished me, the SPIRIT in that room when it was discussed... how those who were not of the same opinion were heard with respect, how people verbally offered their respect for folk who did not see it the same way, and how the people rallied to support an effort. That is COMMUNITY. Often today, people want to "be" the best, in whatever terms that means for them. They find like-minded folks who see themselves as being "better" than others, and convince themselves that they are "the best". Others strive to DO THE BEST for everyone, equally, to BE COMMUNITY. My dear friends, it is noticed. People see the dynamic at play. People smell the something rotten going on. People recognize it when they see TRUE community, and see what ulterior motives drive others to set up "fake" communities in order to benefit themselves. The soul of a community gets lost when the selfish, falsely "elite", greedy and power hungry take control over others. Unfortunately it is not only they who are affected by the death of the community's soul. It is the children, elderly, most vulnerable and average folk who want to BE COMMUNITY who are hurt by it most. Pastor Jamie

Pastors of the Word

I believe that clergy who value the Word as inspired and authoritative, and particularly the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as the revealed will of God in the New Covenant of Grace, need to stand up, speak out and directly address injustice, speaking truth to power.

 

Ezekiel 3:18-21 has always been a powerful passage for me, in informing me of the seriousness of my prophetic role of speaking God’s Will with God’s people, especially when addressing injustice.

 

When you stand with the oppressed, you inevitably stand against oppression.  It may seem “radical” or even risky to speak out about issues of injustice and oppression, but it is just as risky to be a pastor of the Word and leave it irrelevant in the face of injustice, and just as risky to be a prophet and NOT speak the truth of God to power.

 

We are called to lend our power to the powerless and voices to the voiceless.  Somebody’s got to stand with them, for THEIR sake!  That is a part of living Jesus’ commanded Agape Love (active commitment on behalf of the other)!!!!

 

It is also for the sake of the oppressors that we speak, in order that they might find or rediscover God’s Grace and Jesus’ command to live Agape Love in the world without judgement.  It may be critical for them to hear or hear again of God’s will that the most vulnerable not be exploited, but necessarily given aid by any who would claim to be people of God.  Somebody’s got to tell them, for THEIR sake!  That is a part of living Jesus’ commanded Agape Love!!!!!

 

Being commissioned with the sharing of the Good News, and as people who responsibly value the contexts of language, literary critique, history and culture in understanding it, it is vital that WE share openly and boldly a FAITHFUL understanding of what God’s Word says and does not say to us. When other believers or pastors selectively use God’s Word to hurt others not like them (i.e. homosexuality, abortion), when they use it to exploit others and get more for themselves at their expense (i.e. church growth strategies, prosperity theology) or ignore very numerous and clear admonishments regarding hurtful behaviors (i.e. Greed, lust for power, hatred), then out of Agape Love, somebody’s got to speak out! 

 

When government, business or church discriminate against children of God or hurt them, especially the most vulnerable among us, out of Agape Love, somebody’s got to speak out!

 

It is the call of people who follow Jesus to live and share the Good News in the world around us, in THIS PART of God’s Kingdom, so…

 

The time for trying to please all of your “constituents” is over, and the time to speak truth to the people of God is here.

The time for disassociating the Good News of Jesus from political, economic and ecclesiastical practices is over, and the time to address them with the Gospel is here!

The time of giving over the Word to those who misuse it for their own prejudices and personal gains is over, and the time to spread the truth of the Gospel is here!

The time of “having itching ears” and “being blown by every wind of doctrine” that pleases us, reflecting the world in the church is over, and the time for addressing the world with the Gospel of Jesus AS THE CHURCH, is here!

The time for pastors, who are also called to be prophetic, being silent and compliant is over, and the time to address this part of God’s Kingdom with the Gospel is here!