"No one can serve two masters; for either he/she will hate the one and love the other, or he/she will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon (riches, wealth)." Matthew 6:24
You cannot serve both.
Make no mistake. It is impossible.
Some who claim to be believers in Jesus also claim to be believers in limitless gain, both for themselves and on a corporate or societal level.
Some who claim to love God with all that they have, also love wealth or the hope to attain wealth with all that they have, while shunning their love for neighbor (Jesus defines as enemy, stranger - Lk. 10).
If we try, we end up either hating wealth because of all the evil that greed does to our neighbors, out of our love for Jesus and neighbor, or we hate Jesus' message and example because we love the idea of being wealthy so much that it puts us at odds with His Agape Love teachings for "the least". We most probably end up ignoring Jesus' teachings while claiming the power of His name, which is a lie, when we embrace the pursuit of limitless wealth. That is a lie with regard to our love and devotion.
Where is our devotion? To what or whom are we devoted? Is it to Jesus as Lord, who teaches and exemplifies a different treasure than earthly wealth (Luke 16:10-13), or is it to having wealth and the pursuit of it? If I am devoted to wealth and live a life based on my greed and always having more, I will despise Jesus, who teaches that "a person's life does not consist in the abundance of his/her possessions." (Luke 12:13-21) If I am devoted to Jesus, I will despise the insidious nature of greed and how it is imbedded into economic systems that keep some of those whom God loves down, while others gain more on their backs.
We cannot have it both ways.
Many believe they can, but their lives are a lie of one sort or another. To love Jesus is to love the teachings and examples of Jesus. To love Jesus is to love neighbor as self, and no more want to see neighbor be hurt or go without than one would want to see that for one's self. To love Jesus means that our values are very different from those of selfish greed. It means that we consider the needs of others before our own desires beyond having what we need. That goes against the love of wealth.
We cannot serve two masters.
Make no mistake. If we love even the idea of having wealth, we do not use it or manipulate it to get what we want. It owns us. Ignoring what we DO have as being enough, the mind and heart of greed has at its very core the desire always to have MORE or have IT ALL. No matter what one has then, there is no satisfaction with having enough, and no thankfulness for it as being enough or trust in God who provides enough. One will pursue through whatever means possible, even on the backs of the poor and vulnerable, having more for himself/herself. That goes against Jesus' Agape Love.
To whom or to what are YOU devoted? Jesus or wealth/riches?
What or who do YOU love with all your heart, soul, mind and strength: Jesus or wealth?
So, in your lifestyle and in your outlook toward others in society, in your view of politics and economics, and in your decisions on how you use your time, abilities and possessions and in your voting. Who will YOU serve? "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Pastor Jamie
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
immorality
From The Epistle of James, what I consider to be the New Testament Prophet:
"What causes wars, and what causes fightings among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions... 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Submit yourselves therefore to God... Humble yourselves before the Lord and God will exalt you." James 4:1-10
We want things. We want cheap goods (clothing, shoes, food), and we want them to be the very best. We want cheap fuel. We want the best of everything. We even think that we have an inherent right to have the arbitrarily contrived "American way of life" and "standard of living". And we will stop at nothing to get it for our selves.
We destroy the creation in order to get the precious stones, lumber, natural gas and oil in order to maintain our "American way of life". We exploit people in other lands to get cheap labor and to use up their resources, pollute their air, ground and water, so that we can have good, cheap luxuries. We even put our own people out of work (lower-middle class and working poor laborers) while we are doing it, so that SOME of us can have more of "it", and have it less expensively.
We even go to war over it. We wage battles and dominate the world through our military might, economic leverage and conniving activities abroad. We dominate world markets and the world banks and organizations that are meant to keep it fair in the world.
We whine when some other nation gets a piece of the action, as if we are entitled to it, because that has been our belief for a LONG TIME. We wail when oil prices go up and use whatever means at our disposal (political, military, economic) to get cheaper prices for ourselves, other than develop alternative lifestyles or fuels, that is.
What we are doing goes against God's Will for the world and all people in it.
We are in trouble. We are in trouble because of our arrogance. We are in trouble because we believe we are entitled to "it", regardless of what that means for most of our own citizens and for others across the world. We are in trouble because we will stop at nothing to get what we want. We are becoming, not the most free and democratic nation in the world, but the most ruthless, underhanded, mean-spirited and self-indulgent nation in the world.
We see it in our own government, that now hurts the middle class and poor for the sake of the wealthy and powerful. We see it in our own citizenry, that buys whatever we can get cheaply, without considering how others are used and abused in order for us to have it. We see it in our churches and church leaders that preach our destiny as one of personal prosperity and being highly favored over others, while ignoring the message of the Prophets and Jesus, who warned us about such arrogance. We see it, and we don't see it because we are blinded by a powerful sense of entitlement.
Our only hope is in finding the Agape Love that Jesus taught us to live. Our hope is in finding compassion, as Jesus exemplified in feeding the 5,000, that will give us a heart to take care of those in need among us and stop exploiting people in our own nation and abroad for our own personal passions and desires. Instead, we need to make our passion the justice and equity taught by Jesus, so that others will have what they need. Our hope is that we will find that loving neighbor as self means that we no more want to see the "other" go without than we want to see our selves go without, no more want to see "them" hurt than we want to be hurt our selves. Our hope is in a shift of priorities that reflects that Agape Love and leaves us satisfied with having enough, valuing the truly important things in life other than "having more", and keeps us committed to the wellbeing of others around us and across the globe. Our hope is in finding humility in Agape Love.
Until we do that, it will mean more injustice and inequity. It will mean fewer have and more go without. It will mean demonstrating and marching, and I pray not rioting, in our streets. It will mean law makers doing what they do to benefit the wealthy and powerful on the backs of the poor in our own land and across the world. It will mean that others hold us in disdain, not because they "hate freedom", but because they hate the injustice and inequity they see from us. It will mean that we continue to fall apart and sink deeper into the quicksand of unsustainable greed and self-indulgence that now threaten to undo us.
I pray that we will find that humility in Agape Love. I pray that we will find it before it is too late.
Pastor Jamie
"What causes wars, and what causes fightings among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions... 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Submit yourselves therefore to God... Humble yourselves before the Lord and God will exalt you." James 4:1-10
We want things. We want cheap goods (clothing, shoes, food), and we want them to be the very best. We want cheap fuel. We want the best of everything. We even think that we have an inherent right to have the arbitrarily contrived "American way of life" and "standard of living". And we will stop at nothing to get it for our selves.
We destroy the creation in order to get the precious stones, lumber, natural gas and oil in order to maintain our "American way of life". We exploit people in other lands to get cheap labor and to use up their resources, pollute their air, ground and water, so that we can have good, cheap luxuries. We even put our own people out of work (lower-middle class and working poor laborers) while we are doing it, so that SOME of us can have more of "it", and have it less expensively.
We even go to war over it. We wage battles and dominate the world through our military might, economic leverage and conniving activities abroad. We dominate world markets and the world banks and organizations that are meant to keep it fair in the world.
We whine when some other nation gets a piece of the action, as if we are entitled to it, because that has been our belief for a LONG TIME. We wail when oil prices go up and use whatever means at our disposal (political, military, economic) to get cheaper prices for ourselves, other than develop alternative lifestyles or fuels, that is.
What we are doing goes against God's Will for the world and all people in it.
We are in trouble. We are in trouble because of our arrogance. We are in trouble because we believe we are entitled to "it", regardless of what that means for most of our own citizens and for others across the world. We are in trouble because we will stop at nothing to get what we want. We are becoming, not the most free and democratic nation in the world, but the most ruthless, underhanded, mean-spirited and self-indulgent nation in the world.
We see it in our own government, that now hurts the middle class and poor for the sake of the wealthy and powerful. We see it in our own citizenry, that buys whatever we can get cheaply, without considering how others are used and abused in order for us to have it. We see it in our churches and church leaders that preach our destiny as one of personal prosperity and being highly favored over others, while ignoring the message of the Prophets and Jesus, who warned us about such arrogance. We see it, and we don't see it because we are blinded by a powerful sense of entitlement.
Our only hope is in finding the Agape Love that Jesus taught us to live. Our hope is in finding compassion, as Jesus exemplified in feeding the 5,000, that will give us a heart to take care of those in need among us and stop exploiting people in our own nation and abroad for our own personal passions and desires. Instead, we need to make our passion the justice and equity taught by Jesus, so that others will have what they need. Our hope is that we will find that loving neighbor as self means that we no more want to see the "other" go without than we want to see our selves go without, no more want to see "them" hurt than we want to be hurt our selves. Our hope is in a shift of priorities that reflects that Agape Love and leaves us satisfied with having enough, valuing the truly important things in life other than "having more", and keeps us committed to the wellbeing of others around us and across the globe. Our hope is in finding humility in Agape Love.
Until we do that, it will mean more injustice and inequity. It will mean fewer have and more go without. It will mean demonstrating and marching, and I pray not rioting, in our streets. It will mean law makers doing what they do to benefit the wealthy and powerful on the backs of the poor in our own land and across the world. It will mean that others hold us in disdain, not because they "hate freedom", but because they hate the injustice and inequity they see from us. It will mean that we continue to fall apart and sink deeper into the quicksand of unsustainable greed and self-indulgence that now threaten to undo us.
I pray that we will find that humility in Agape Love. I pray that we will find it before it is too late.
Pastor Jamie
Thursday, December 15, 2011
political games
Rather than do the right thing for middle income and lower American families,
Republicans now push through a bill that will help at the expense of the elderly,
cut unemployment benefits to people who have lost their jobs at the hands of their
beloved "job creators"... and,
try to ram through a rider on the bill that will endanger the environment without
regulation, all in order to keep billionaires and oil companies from paying taxes
AGAIN/STILL...
... so they put this on the desk of the President, knowing that he must veto it to
have any integrity, and end up looking bad... (unless people see through it)
games at the expense of working Americans, the few left who have jobs...
and people vote for them? who? only the wealthy and powerful and those who
aspire to be that at the expense of others around them? ... for they are the only
ones who benefit from them being in office!
morality? what morality? doing what is best for America? which America?
certainly not the middle class, lower middle class, working poor and poor in
America... only the wealthy and powerful... only themselves...
... and some of them profess to be "CHRISTIAN"? really? that is following
"The Christ"? really?
these are the same ones who want to keep taxes low for the "job creators" in the
hopes that out of the goodness of their hearts they will hire people back... so far,
companies MAKING MONEY are choosing not to re-hire folks, but work the
ones left harder instead... more profits for stockholders and bonuses for execs...
the sad thing to me is the propensity for ANYONE not wealthy or powerful to
be duped (again) into believing that someday they will actually be let into that club
(including Herman Cain)... this is an elite group that got its wealth and wants to
expand its wealth and keep it on the backs of others "below" them...
"by their fruits you will know them" - Jesus
Please, Lord, let me be loving in ALL aspects of life, society, community...
Pastor Jamie
Republicans now push through a bill that will help at the expense of the elderly,
cut unemployment benefits to people who have lost their jobs at the hands of their
beloved "job creators"... and,
try to ram through a rider on the bill that will endanger the environment without
regulation, all in order to keep billionaires and oil companies from paying taxes
AGAIN/STILL...
... so they put this on the desk of the President, knowing that he must veto it to
have any integrity, and end up looking bad... (unless people see through it)
games at the expense of working Americans, the few left who have jobs...
and people vote for them? who? only the wealthy and powerful and those who
aspire to be that at the expense of others around them? ... for they are the only
ones who benefit from them being in office!
morality? what morality? doing what is best for America? which America?
certainly not the middle class, lower middle class, working poor and poor in
America... only the wealthy and powerful... only themselves...
... and some of them profess to be "CHRISTIAN"? really? that is following
"The Christ"? really?
these are the same ones who want to keep taxes low for the "job creators" in the
hopes that out of the goodness of their hearts they will hire people back... so far,
companies MAKING MONEY are choosing not to re-hire folks, but work the
ones left harder instead... more profits for stockholders and bonuses for execs...
the sad thing to me is the propensity for ANYONE not wealthy or powerful to
be duped (again) into believing that someday they will actually be let into that club
(including Herman Cain)... this is an elite group that got its wealth and wants to
expand its wealth and keep it on the backs of others "below" them...
"by their fruits you will know them" - Jesus
Please, Lord, let me be loving in ALL aspects of life, society, community...
Pastor Jamie
Sunday, December 11, 2011
A "Christian Nation"?
I heard of a politician ruffling because our President said something about this not being a "Christian Nation". I have to agree with the President.
Does this nation reflect "The Christ"? (Jesus, as we have His teachings and example in the Gospels)
Do we exhibit signs of being His followers, as a nation, in our actions and words?
Now, some will go off here, into personal devotion to Him, lip service to God and country, etc., etc. But I am talking about what came out of Jesus' mouth, according to the Gospels and what He exhibited in how He was in the world, not some general, civil religion (create Jesus in OUR image) kind of stuff...
Some of those who ruffled partly over the thought of including non-Christians in the definition of the nation, while Jesus included the gentiles, samaritans, even Roman officials and other "strangers" to the faith He practiced in His healing, teachings and encounters in love. When we do not respect others in their faith practice, are we representing "The Christ"?
When we exploit others in other nations for cheap labor so we can have cheaper goods, waste their resources and pollute their air, water and ground for our cheap goods are we representing "The Christ"?
When we manipulate NATO, The WTO and other world organizations to benefit us at the expense of others across the world, are we representing "The Christ" of all nations?
When we hurt our own citizens financially, in their civil rights and otherwise, so that we can benefit the few over the many with more power and wealth, are we representing "The Christ" as a nation?
When we create more poor folks with a system designed to lift a few up and keep the rest down, and ignore them or exploit them to make more money off their backs, are we representing "The Christ" who identifies with "The Least of these" as His brothers and sisters?
When we put political power and getting and/or keeping it above the wellbeing of our citizens, voting against bills designed to help them just to make the President look bad, are we representing "The Christ"?
When we do all we can to get/keep political power, including putting up barriers for certain segments of the population, so that they will find it hard or impossible to exercise their rights to vote, or blatantly take away the rights of some of "those people" to vote are we representing "The Christ"?
When our politicians, elected in a "democracy", rather value only limitless capitalism (an economic system put over the governmental one here), and represent not the poor and lower, middle class but only the wealthy and powerful in their lawmaking, are we representing "The Christ" who blesses the poor?
When we vilify and scapegoat the sojourners in our land, treat the aliens in the land shamefully and then try to deport them after we have exploited them for generations, are we representing "The Christ"?
When we march into other lands, kill citizens there, occupy their lands like the Romans did Jesus' land, are we representing "The Christ"?
When church leaders and members remain silent in the face of civil and economic injustice, because it might offend the powerful and wealthy in their churches, are we representing "The Christ"?
When the church in America reflects the world's passions for power and wealth, rather than address them with the Good News of Jesus in the church that bears His name, are we representing "The Christ"?
When the church in American that bears His name preaches personal power and prosperity, instead of community wellbeing and love for neighbor as self, are we representing "The Christ"?
Believing is also following, isn't it? Isn't Agape love a committed act on behalf of "the other"? If we claim to be Christian, as an individual, church or nation, do we not have to represent "The Christ"?
"This is how they will know that you are my followers (not in that you have more power and wealth, wave the American flag more and confuse country for God, ignore the needs of others and undertake only your own prosperity), in that you LOVE ONE ANOTHER."
"By their fruits you will know them."
"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Our national heart and soul is not where Jesus' teachings and examples are, for we treasure our biggest idol as a nation - our selves.
But we want to be called "A Christian Nation"?
I pray that we will exhibit The Christ in our values, rhetoric and actions in the future. Right now, as a nation among nations, we do not.
Pastor Jamie
Does this nation reflect "The Christ"? (Jesus, as we have His teachings and example in the Gospels)
Do we exhibit signs of being His followers, as a nation, in our actions and words?
Now, some will go off here, into personal devotion to Him, lip service to God and country, etc., etc. But I am talking about what came out of Jesus' mouth, according to the Gospels and what He exhibited in how He was in the world, not some general, civil religion (create Jesus in OUR image) kind of stuff...
Some of those who ruffled partly over the thought of including non-Christians in the definition of the nation, while Jesus included the gentiles, samaritans, even Roman officials and other "strangers" to the faith He practiced in His healing, teachings and encounters in love. When we do not respect others in their faith practice, are we representing "The Christ"?
When we exploit others in other nations for cheap labor so we can have cheaper goods, waste their resources and pollute their air, water and ground for our cheap goods are we representing "The Christ"?
When we manipulate NATO, The WTO and other world organizations to benefit us at the expense of others across the world, are we representing "The Christ" of all nations?
When we hurt our own citizens financially, in their civil rights and otherwise, so that we can benefit the few over the many with more power and wealth, are we representing "The Christ" as a nation?
When we create more poor folks with a system designed to lift a few up and keep the rest down, and ignore them or exploit them to make more money off their backs, are we representing "The Christ" who identifies with "The Least of these" as His brothers and sisters?
When we put political power and getting and/or keeping it above the wellbeing of our citizens, voting against bills designed to help them just to make the President look bad, are we representing "The Christ"?
When we do all we can to get/keep political power, including putting up barriers for certain segments of the population, so that they will find it hard or impossible to exercise their rights to vote, or blatantly take away the rights of some of "those people" to vote are we representing "The Christ"?
When our politicians, elected in a "democracy", rather value only limitless capitalism (an economic system put over the governmental one here), and represent not the poor and lower, middle class but only the wealthy and powerful in their lawmaking, are we representing "The Christ" who blesses the poor?
When we vilify and scapegoat the sojourners in our land, treat the aliens in the land shamefully and then try to deport them after we have exploited them for generations, are we representing "The Christ"?
When we march into other lands, kill citizens there, occupy their lands like the Romans did Jesus' land, are we representing "The Christ"?
When church leaders and members remain silent in the face of civil and economic injustice, because it might offend the powerful and wealthy in their churches, are we representing "The Christ"?
When the church in America reflects the world's passions for power and wealth, rather than address them with the Good News of Jesus in the church that bears His name, are we representing "The Christ"?
When the church in American that bears His name preaches personal power and prosperity, instead of community wellbeing and love for neighbor as self, are we representing "The Christ"?
Believing is also following, isn't it? Isn't Agape love a committed act on behalf of "the other"? If we claim to be Christian, as an individual, church or nation, do we not have to represent "The Christ"?
"This is how they will know that you are my followers (not in that you have more power and wealth, wave the American flag more and confuse country for God, ignore the needs of others and undertake only your own prosperity), in that you LOVE ONE ANOTHER."
"By their fruits you will know them."
"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Our national heart and soul is not where Jesus' teachings and examples are, for we treasure our biggest idol as a nation - our selves.
But we want to be called "A Christian Nation"?
I pray that we will exhibit The Christ in our values, rhetoric and actions in the future. Right now, as a nation among nations, we do not.
Pastor Jamie
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Jesus help us - politics and economics
As a follower of Jesus, and one who truly believes that you cannot serve two masters,
that love of power and love of money over love for God and neighbor is not faithful,
and that justice comes from love for all equally...
It seems to me that we de-value Democracy in the current climate of our nation, and
only value limitless capitalism.
Great lengths are being taken to eliminate voters' rights... under the guise of concern over
voter fraud, mostly poor and lower, middle class, mostly more left of center and mostly people
of color are being given more hoops to jump through, more barriers to voting and more
questions about their legitimate right to vote by Republicans. District lines are being re-drawn
to favor one party over another, rather than allow all to have equal opportunity. I thought we
were the people who valued democracy itself, and not just gaining power for "our side". Doing
"whatever it takes to win" is not love for democracy. It is the process of EQUAL representation
in the nation that is democracy. Where is our love for that?
The only thing worse, is confusing true, patriotic love for democracy with limitless
capitalistic greed. Corporations are running the country through lobbyists. They directly
own much of our Congress, so we are not being represented, but the corporations' desires
are... de-regulation so that thousands of workers can be laid off or fired for the sake of
more profits for stockholders and bonuses for CEO's is not democratic. These are the
"job creators" who want to convince us that they will hire folks out of the goodness of
their hearts if we don't make them pay their fair share of taxes. They were not paying
them before when they laid them off! De-regulation so that our air, water and land are
poisoned and natural resources are wasted - all for more profit - is not democracy of the
people, for the people and by the people, but gaining more for a few at the expense of
the rest of the people.
The 1% are in full control, because they successfully divide the 99%, putting us at
odds over issues they have deemed "critical", so that we will not focus and act upon the
real injustices and their creation of and benefit from them.
Limitless capitalism is born of insatiable greed.
Power politics are born out of an insatiable lust for power.
They are both idolatry. Jesus addressed them, as recorded in the Gospels. Don't believe
me? Read the Gospels and especially what Jesus taught and exemplified in them. It is
neither rocket science nor brain surgery. It is easy to understand. Jesus' commanded
Agape Love has no place in this, and this has no place in it. Really! Read it!
Our nation's soul is at stake.
If we do not see beyond our own desire to always have more money and power,
we will implode. We are already a deeply divided nation. God's vision of the peaceable
Kingdom with lion and lamb together does not apply with donkeys and elephants or rich
and poor in America. Jesus' prayer that we be one, even as Jesus and the Father are one,
is FAR from complete. Until we learn to love "the other side" enough to allow them to
live and live well, we are not living the Agape Love that Jesus commanded. Until we take
care of "the least of these, (Jesus') brothers and sisters", we have no place in Him.
Our great immorality has nothing to do with sex, as some would have us believe. Our
deep immorality has to do with insatiable greed and lust for power, and how we will hurt
anyone we can to get them.
It is time for WE THE PEOPLE to speak AS ONE, and not allow one party to kill any
legislation that would help others who are our neighbors. It is time for WE THE PEOPLE
to vote AS ONE, and not allow party politics to keep us under the thumb of big business
at the expense of regular citizens who only want to work and make a living. It is time for
WE THE PEOPLE to act AS ONE, and say NO to the injustices that personal greed and
lust for power have created in our nation, before it all falls apart.
I pray for social action and not rioting. I pray for dialogue and not unilateral action. I pray
for justice and not abuses of greed and power. I pray for America. ALL of America, and
not just the "privileged" few.
Jesus, help us!
Pastor Jamie
that love of power and love of money over love for God and neighbor is not faithful,
and that justice comes from love for all equally...
It seems to me that we de-value Democracy in the current climate of our nation, and
only value limitless capitalism.
Great lengths are being taken to eliminate voters' rights... under the guise of concern over
voter fraud, mostly poor and lower, middle class, mostly more left of center and mostly people
of color are being given more hoops to jump through, more barriers to voting and more
questions about their legitimate right to vote by Republicans. District lines are being re-drawn
to favor one party over another, rather than allow all to have equal opportunity. I thought we
were the people who valued democracy itself, and not just gaining power for "our side". Doing
"whatever it takes to win" is not love for democracy. It is the process of EQUAL representation
in the nation that is democracy. Where is our love for that?
The only thing worse, is confusing true, patriotic love for democracy with limitless
capitalistic greed. Corporations are running the country through lobbyists. They directly
own much of our Congress, so we are not being represented, but the corporations' desires
are... de-regulation so that thousands of workers can be laid off or fired for the sake of
more profits for stockholders and bonuses for CEO's is not democratic. These are the
"job creators" who want to convince us that they will hire folks out of the goodness of
their hearts if we don't make them pay their fair share of taxes. They were not paying
them before when they laid them off! De-regulation so that our air, water and land are
poisoned and natural resources are wasted - all for more profit - is not democracy of the
people, for the people and by the people, but gaining more for a few at the expense of
the rest of the people.
The 1% are in full control, because they successfully divide the 99%, putting us at
odds over issues they have deemed "critical", so that we will not focus and act upon the
real injustices and their creation of and benefit from them.
Limitless capitalism is born of insatiable greed.
Power politics are born out of an insatiable lust for power.
They are both idolatry. Jesus addressed them, as recorded in the Gospels. Don't believe
me? Read the Gospels and especially what Jesus taught and exemplified in them. It is
neither rocket science nor brain surgery. It is easy to understand. Jesus' commanded
Agape Love has no place in this, and this has no place in it. Really! Read it!
Our nation's soul is at stake.
If we do not see beyond our own desire to always have more money and power,
we will implode. We are already a deeply divided nation. God's vision of the peaceable
Kingdom with lion and lamb together does not apply with donkeys and elephants or rich
and poor in America. Jesus' prayer that we be one, even as Jesus and the Father are one,
is FAR from complete. Until we learn to love "the other side" enough to allow them to
live and live well, we are not living the Agape Love that Jesus commanded. Until we take
care of "the least of these, (Jesus') brothers and sisters", we have no place in Him.
Our great immorality has nothing to do with sex, as some would have us believe. Our
deep immorality has to do with insatiable greed and lust for power, and how we will hurt
anyone we can to get them.
It is time for WE THE PEOPLE to speak AS ONE, and not allow one party to kill any
legislation that would help others who are our neighbors. It is time for WE THE PEOPLE
to vote AS ONE, and not allow party politics to keep us under the thumb of big business
at the expense of regular citizens who only want to work and make a living. It is time for
WE THE PEOPLE to act AS ONE, and say NO to the injustices that personal greed and
lust for power have created in our nation, before it all falls apart.
I pray for social action and not rioting. I pray for dialogue and not unilateral action. I pray
for justice and not abuses of greed and power. I pray for America. ALL of America, and
not just the "privileged" few.
Jesus, help us!
Pastor Jamie
Sunday, December 4, 2011
"Falling in love with Jesus is the best thing I've ever done"
That is a song we sing at our little church sometimes.
It is pure emotion. I love it. Like the Mystics of old (and now),
it is about a relationship built on love and trust... romantic words
often being used by mystics and others, even Jesus... Bride and
Bridegroom language was often used to describe the excitement,
thrill, anticipation of arrival and affection of the relationship...
As you may know, the infatuation stage of a relationship can last
for two years or more... so when you emerge from the "trance" of
eros infatuation, you may find yourself married to a person and
wondering what happened... or you may emerge from that stage
of love and find that you have underneath it a deeper, more abiding
love (Agape). Likewise, we have some of the same experiences in
our relationship with Jesus... the excitement of new discovery and
forming a commitment to Jesus... the thrill of this new found love...
the welling up of emotions and anticipation of the next encounter
in worship, retreat or personal devotions...
My deeper Agape Love and the depth of commitment is centered
on what Jesus taught and exemplified... I have been giddy over the
pure emotion of worship and praise, of retreat and prayer groups...
but the deeper, more abiding joy comes from the depth of Jesus'
teachings on society: love, power, economics, compassion, empathy,
justice, peace, community, healing, Kingdom values... my love affair
with Jesus comes in His vision for how THIS PART of the Kingdom
of God is to be for ALL people in love... I love The Word in the Gospels.
I love how He loves me and us, and know that He calls me to love others
whom He loves... I love who I am because I love Jesus, and who I am
becoming when I suspend the judgments I once held, the hatreds I once carried
and the attitudes I once embraced that put me at odds with what Jesus taught
and exemplified as Kingdom values. I love the message and its possibilities for
the world. And I love the messenger of God's Kingdom values, and call Him "Lord"
of my life.
Like in dating or marriage relationships, we must learn to love, respect
and honor those whom our loved one loves - family, friends, acquaintances,
causes, passions, commitments... if we love him/her, so we will strive to
love them... and so it is with our relationship with Jesus... we, the Bride,
are called to love those whom the Groom loves, even though we might
not normally, left on our own, hold much affection for them - but we do not
want to be left on our own when it comes to Jesus... we want to live this
love affair to the fullest... and it is NOT just about our eros love for Him
and me (you), but about living in a deeper, abiding Agape Love for Him
and those whom He loves...
It is about the two becoming one - the Bridegroom and Bride... adopting
Jesus' vision, morals, convictions, passions and values as our own...
we will remain individual, independent persons, certainly, but willingly
embracing what He embraces brings me closer to Him... not doing so
puts me at odds with Him... I want to grow as one with Jesus, even as that
was His prayer for us (John 17:22)... my prayer is that those around me in
the world will see more and more of Him and less and less of me in me as
I grow in this relationship with Jesus and live what He taught and
exemplified in the world.
Falling in love with Jesus, falling in love with Jesus, falling in love
with Jesus is the best thing I've ever done!
Pastor Jamie
It is pure emotion. I love it. Like the Mystics of old (and now),
it is about a relationship built on love and trust... romantic words
often being used by mystics and others, even Jesus... Bride and
Bridegroom language was often used to describe the excitement,
thrill, anticipation of arrival and affection of the relationship...
As you may know, the infatuation stage of a relationship can last
for two years or more... so when you emerge from the "trance" of
eros infatuation, you may find yourself married to a person and
wondering what happened... or you may emerge from that stage
of love and find that you have underneath it a deeper, more abiding
love (Agape). Likewise, we have some of the same experiences in
our relationship with Jesus... the excitement of new discovery and
forming a commitment to Jesus... the thrill of this new found love...
the welling up of emotions and anticipation of the next encounter
in worship, retreat or personal devotions...
My deeper Agape Love and the depth of commitment is centered
on what Jesus taught and exemplified... I have been giddy over the
pure emotion of worship and praise, of retreat and prayer groups...
but the deeper, more abiding joy comes from the depth of Jesus'
teachings on society: love, power, economics, compassion, empathy,
justice, peace, community, healing, Kingdom values... my love affair
with Jesus comes in His vision for how THIS PART of the Kingdom
of God is to be for ALL people in love... I love The Word in the Gospels.
I love how He loves me and us, and know that He calls me to love others
whom He loves... I love who I am because I love Jesus, and who I am
becoming when I suspend the judgments I once held, the hatreds I once carried
and the attitudes I once embraced that put me at odds with what Jesus taught
and exemplified as Kingdom values. I love the message and its possibilities for
the world. And I love the messenger of God's Kingdom values, and call Him "Lord"
of my life.
Like in dating or marriage relationships, we must learn to love, respect
and honor those whom our loved one loves - family, friends, acquaintances,
causes, passions, commitments... if we love him/her, so we will strive to
love them... and so it is with our relationship with Jesus... we, the Bride,
are called to love those whom the Groom loves, even though we might
not normally, left on our own, hold much affection for them - but we do not
want to be left on our own when it comes to Jesus... we want to live this
love affair to the fullest... and it is NOT just about our eros love for Him
and me (you), but about living in a deeper, abiding Agape Love for Him
and those whom He loves...
It is about the two becoming one - the Bridegroom and Bride... adopting
Jesus' vision, morals, convictions, passions and values as our own...
we will remain individual, independent persons, certainly, but willingly
embracing what He embraces brings me closer to Him... not doing so
puts me at odds with Him... I want to grow as one with Jesus, even as that
was His prayer for us (John 17:22)... my prayer is that those around me in
the world will see more and more of Him and less and less of me in me as
I grow in this relationship with Jesus and live what He taught and
exemplified in the world.
Falling in love with Jesus, falling in love with Jesus, falling in love
with Jesus is the best thing I've ever done!
Pastor Jamie
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