more about truth... here and now

The TRUTH is that Jesus commanded us to live Agape Love (active commitment on behalf of the other, even stranger and enemy and especially those who are most vulnerable (see Luke 10, Matthew 22, 25, etc.).

The TRUTH is that Jesus calls us not to purity and holiness, but to faithfulness to the living of that Agape Love in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now.

The TRUTH is that Jesus redeemed us and calls us not to focus on our personal salvation, but rather to offer our lives in the living of Agape Love to others, children of God, here and now.

The TRUTH is that tithing and praise do not save us.  Our purity and holiness do not save us.  Our adherence to the Law does not save us.  God's Grace in Jesus saves us. 

The TRUTH is that we are called to live Agape Love not in order to be saved, but BECAUSE we are saved and love God in Christ Jesus and want to live identified with Jesus and His teachings.

The TRUTH is that living in any other way is not sustainable in our lives together.  When the values we exhibit are Greed, lust for Power and desire for Status (empire values), it causes divisions, inequities, strife, despair, poverty, war and a lack of Shalom (well-being, completeness, wholeness).  When we live according to Jesus' teachings, commands and examples of Agape Love, Shalom is the result for all.

The TRUTH is that we are either people of Agape Love and Grace or we are not.  "By their fruits you will know them."

The TRUTH is that Jesus did not promise wealth, but ENOUGH for all in the living of Agape Love.  Jesus did not promise that our lives would be pain or struggle free, but that our struggles would be struggle toward the well-being of all.  Jesus did not promise us position and power, status and control over others but control over ourselves and in humility the well-being that all around us need.

The TRUTH is that Jesus called us to deny our selves, pick up the Cross and follow Him - go where He went, live like He lived, give like He gave, affect lives in positive ways like He did - as we have witness in the Gospels.

The TRUTH is that there are folk who will strive to follow Jesus in how they live, there are folk who will overtly reject all things of what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled and there are people who will claim the name of Jesus but live empire values in order to promote themselves above others.'

The TRUTH is that we did not decide to believe.  God gave us faith as a gift.  The Holy Spirit of God leads, guides and drives me to Christ Jesus, relentlessly pointing to Christ Jesus in my life.  The truth is that we either live in that faith or we actively reject it.  The truth is that we either decide to follow Jesus or to walk away sad like the rich young man who wanted to be with God but could not give up the benefits of living empire values in the world.

The TRUTH is that God loves all and offers Agape Love and Grace to all.  But the TRUTH is that there are sheep and goats.  God takes sides.  God sides with the most vulnerable, the stranger, the poor, the sick, the (mostly wrongly) imprisoned and those most humble.  The teachings in parables, the commands of Jesus, the examples of loving that Jesus gave us lift these up in the Kingdom as examples of God's loved ones. 

The TRUTH is that there is only one Judge - Jesus, the Christ.  His judgment, according to the Judge, will be based on the criteria centered on Agape Love that Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us as we have that in the Gospels (Matthew 25:31-46).

So, given the TRUTH - what side are YOU on?  What actions do YOU take in the world around you to commit to the well-being of the most vulnerable who God loves, or to exploit, hurt or destroy their lives?  How do you use your words?  How do you use your money?  How do you use your time?  How do you use your abilities?  Is it to benefit those around you in Agape Love or to only benefit yourself in greed, lust for power and desire for status?

Given the TRUTH, are you a follower of Jesus or are you not?
Given the TRUTH of your answer.  What will you now do in your life?
Will you follow Jesus in the living of Agape Love in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now, toward the Shalom of all people -
or will you live the empire values of Greed, lust for Power and desire for Status that hurts others for your own gain?

Jesus said that His Word would divide people, even within families.
We have seen the divisions widen greatly in the past two years.
The question is - What side are you on?

Pastor Jamie

"... and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

John's Gospel here has some astounding statements by Jesus. (8:31-38)

To be Jesus' followers, we must continue in HIS Word - The Good News of Agape Love and Grace.
If we do not live in that, we are not Jesus' followers.
If we do not actively commit to the well-being of the other, even stranger and enemy and especially the most vulnerable, then we are not continuing in His Word and we are thus not His followers.

If we do continue in His Word, the Good News of Agape Love and Grace, we will know the truth, and the truth will make us free.
We are having trouble with the truth these days.  We live in the post-truth, alternative facts era in which networks can claim that they have no responsibility to report facts because they are "opinion" networks, but they put words like "your news source" on banners seen during their shows. 
We live in an era in which "Christians" who claim Jesus can justify their hatred of others because their preachers say they can and because their denominational leaders remain largely silent in the face of the hatred.
We live in an era in which the supporters of a current President, who screamed about perceived lies regarding the last President, say that this President's lies, hateful rhetoric and hateful actions don't matter because he supports them in one cause or another.
We live in an era in which repeating the outrageous lie enough times means that the gullible, easily duped folk who support you will believe it - hook, line and sinker.  The last time that was spoken of and often used was in 1933 in Germany.
We live in a truth challenged time in which blatant lies are believed and what is factual is relativized and politicized into being false in the minds of many.

The truth of which Jesus is given witness as having spoken is the truth of living Agape Love in a world in which the lies of the Roman Empire were largely accepted as truth - lies about how God wants us to live with one another - lies about what true values are - lies about the inevitability and/or acceptability of Greed, lust for Power and desire for Status as normative values and the heart of normative practices in a society.  We are in that truth-challenged time again in empire here.

The truth attributed to Jesus is the truth that these values are not sustainable or just, healthy or loving.  The truth is that turning truth into lies and lies into truth does not mean that God is fooled or that God accepts our post-truth attitudes and thinking.  The truth exposes how these values hurt people who God loves - the poor, the stranger, the sick, the imprisoned.  The truth is that God is not pleased at our hateful words and actions against people God loves.  The truth is that Jesus' Way is a better way, and it is the commanded way for any who would claim the name of Jesus.

We are in danger of raising a generation of children to believe whatever they like, rather than the facts at hand.  We are in danger of destroying the planet because many believe the lies of the few who profit from its demise.  We are in danger of killing Democracy and Christianity in America, because we have been blown by every wind of doctrine, have listened to the false teachers and have made our belly (what we want, think and value) to be our god. 

I pray that we will know the truth, for if not we are bound to a captivity to the lies again, still.

Pastor Jamie

Signs of a Dying Soul...

Given that Jesus is the fulfiller of the Law and Prophets and that Jesus' teachings, commands and examples as we have them in the Gospels are our best witness to Kingdom of God values on how we live in this part of God's Kingdom here and now, and given that at the center of Jesus' teachings, commands and examples is the living of AGAPE LOVE (committed action on behalf of the other, even stranger or enemy and especially the most vulnerable among us)...

Signs that your soul may be dying...

LACK OF EMPATHY -
   An inability or unwillingness to emotionally put yourself in the place of someone else who is different from you, which leads a person to falsely believe they are justified in judging others. It precludes the living of Agape Love.

FALSE BELIEF IN ONE'S INHERENT SUPERIORITY -
   For whatever reason, believing that one is better than anyone else or others for any "reason" leads to Ethnocentrism, Nationalism, Racism, Classism and Homophobia.  It also leads to the false belief that one can be justified in judging others as "inferior" or suspect in having value.  It precludes the living of Agape Love.

BELIEF IN ONE'S ENTITLEMENT over others for any reason.  The love of Status above others for any reason does not come for humility, and it precludes the living of Agape Love.

FALSE BELIEF THAT THOSE IN NEED ARE INFERIOR OR "LEGITIMATE" OBJECTS OF JUDGMENT OR SCORN.  An inability to recognize that unjust systems have created those in need leads some to falsely believe in their own "exceptionalism", the inferiority of those who are victims of unjust systems or their questionable character.  This precludes the living of Agape Love.
    
SELF-CENTEREDNESS -
   The belief that everything and everyone should please an individual or is designed and present primarily to make their life more convenient or pleasant and serve their self-interests above all else, precludes Agape Love and the Humility that it requires.

IRRATIONAL FEAR OF OTHERS -
   Irrational Fear leads to resentment and hatred.  Those who are afraid of others who have never directly hurt them in any way but are just different from themselves is Xenophobia.  This mental disorder comes out of ignorance and it precludes the living of Agape Love.

BELIEF THAT YOU ARE JUSTIFIED IN CONTROLLING THE LIVES OF OTHERS -
  The lust for Power that brings people to decide that what is good for them is necessarily how everyone else should live leads to all manner of mental illness, including the intolerance of people of other faiths, colonialism, proselytism, invasion, exploitation and authoritarianism.  It precludes the living of Agape Love.

BELIEF THAT IT IS NOT WRONG TO PERSONALLY BENEFIT OFF THE LOSS OR LACK OF OTHERS AROUND YOU -
  Just because you can does not mean you should.  The end does not justify the means.  Exploiting others and holding them down, back or out for one's one personal gain has many examples in the teachings, commands and examples of Jesus, and none of them end well.  Selfish Greed, lust for Power and desire for Status hurt the well-being of others, and they preclude the living of Agape Love.

REFUSAL TO FORGIVE -
   Forgiveness may be a process.  It is not easy to do.  But refusal to forgive comes from a need to hold onto one's own victimization as a tool, a ploy.  It hurts the one holding onto it as much or more than the one who needs the forgiveness.  One needs to be forgiven for spiritual well-being.  Withholding forgiveness is a sin against the person who needs it, but also to the one who, him/herself needs to be forgiving in order to have spiritual well-being - a sin against the self.  This precludes the living of Agape Love. 

IGNORING THE NEEDS OF OTHERS AROUND YOU -
  Jesus gave many examples (nameless rich man who went to hell for ignoring Lazarus, rich young man who went away sad because he could not give up some wealth for the poor, rich fool who hoarded all he had, the goats at the judgment) of those whose souls were dead because they ignored the plight of others who were hungry, naked, strangers in the land, sick or imprisoned - the most vulnerable in society like widows and orphans, etc..  These things preclude the living of Agape Love.  Jesus also shared examples of those who had the means and helped others (Good Samaritan, Owner of the Vineyard who paid laborers what they needed to live on, feeding of the 5,000, woman at the well, touching untouchables, feeding on the Sabbath, healing on the Sabbath, casting out demons even with a loss of profit, dying on the Cross, the sheep at the judgment, etc..).   These are examples of the living of Agape Love.

REFUSAL TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THE POWERLESS AND VOICELESS -
  Self-centeredness leads us to ignore the powerless and voiceless among us.  Jesus empowered people by standing up with and for them, and addressing the evil powers of empire that held them down, back and out.  The Good Samaritan, the King with the two debtors, the penitent thief on the Cross, Jesus with the woman caught in Adultery, Jesus with critics of Mary, the friends of the paralyzed man on the pallet, Jesus on the Cross, etc..  We are not to be so self-absorbed that we preserve our own wealth, power or status by refusing to stand up for those being victimized by the evil values of empire among us and the hatreds that they spawn.  Refusal to advocate is antithetical to the living of Agape Love. 

So, how is your soul doing?
How is the soul of the church doing?
How is our soul as a nation doing?

Striving is mine.

Pastor Jamie

Our Faith, like our Democracy is in peril

I am appalled at the support that a narcissistic, autocratic gets in this nation that was formed on and claims to love Democracy.  Vilifying political opponents and others in the world, demonizing the press, de-humanizing resident aliens, de-valuing segments of our society and our foundational social institutions are all well-worn tactics used by fascists throughout history.  Republicans in Congress and Party leaders are silent, even compliant because of their lust for power and greed.  A base of angry people who have struggled economically and have been duped by false news and politicians to blame immigrants, liberals and others for their plight, some of whom are blatantly bigoted and others who suffer from internalized bigotries, are vocally supportive.  They believe that they should be entitled to more, mostly because they falsely believe in their superiority to others and in their inherent right therefore to have recognition and deference in all aspects of life in America.  I am appalled that people who claim to love Democracy support these very UN-DEMOCRATIC ideologies, mostly because their love of self over the rest in our country and their love of laissez-faire capitalism over democracy, fairness, equality and the rights of ALL people here to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  I am afraid it is naturally a trait of conservatism, but it is being verbalized and executed to appalling extremes right now and it threatens our Democracy.

I am ASTOUNDED that part of the support for this comes from people who claim the name of Jesus and who profess to be "Christian".  I have written at length about the difference between wanting Jesus as personal Savior and committed active faith to Jesus as Lord of our lives.  I have talked incessantly regarding the need for people who claim Jesus to live what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us as we have that in the Gospels, centered on the living of Agape Love as His primary command.  What astounds me is the ignorance of those teachings while claiming the name, and the blatant hypocrisies that arise time and time again, perpetrated by religious "leaders" who claim to love and know Jesus.  They are prideful in their arrogant twisting of the Word while claiming Jesus' name.  They are unashamed in their manipulating of God's people toward living in hatred, greed, lust for power and status - all things that the Good News of Jesus consistently opposes as empire values, while ignoring the commands of Jesus to love even stranger and enemy, care for the stranger in the land, help the poor and vulnerable, care for the sick and imprisoned and live humbly - which are Kingdom values.  Paul had it right about them so long ago, still in the face of evil empire - "For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears.  Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things.  But our citizenship is in heaven..."  (Philippians 3:18-20)

Jesus warned us about these false teachers.  "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the gatherings and places of honor at banquets!  They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers.  They will receive the greater condemnation."  (Mark 12:38-40)  And... "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you tithe mint, dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.  It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others.  You blind guides!  You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!"  Matthew 23:23-24)  And... "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy.  Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.  Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops."  (Luke 12:1-3)  Those warnings, like the teachings of Jesus, have been ignored.  So, many in our nation have received a steady diet of falsehoods, dressed up to look like God's Will.  Paul again had it right - "We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.  But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in AGAPE LOVE." (Ephesians 4:14-16) 

People have been taught to ignore what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled as we have that in the Gospels.  They have been taught that being a "Christian" means it's alright to judge others, though Jesus said that when we do we invite judgment on ourselves.  They have been taught that it is alright to exclude others, though Jesus taught that we are to include.  They have been taught that greed is good and godly, though Jesus taught that everyone should have enough in the Kingdom of God, and not some seek or hoard more while others go without.  They have been taught that it is alright to fear and hate, discriminate against resident aliens, LGBTQ folk, people of other faiths and the poor, though Jesus did not teach that in ANY way, shape or form.  They have been taught that this faith is about being pure and holy, though Jesus warned about self (false) righteousness.  They have been taught that they should worship, tithe and pray, pursuing their personal salvation, while Jesus taught that salvation is based on how we treat "the least" among us in Agape Love.  They have been taught that it is all about serving the religious institution and leaders, while Jesus taught that it is about serving "the least" among us and thereby serving the Lord.  People have had the faith twisted by religious leaders just as people have had the Constitution twisted by Political leaders.  And they have not reasoned it out for themselves, but have fallen into the trap of which Paul again warned - "For the time is coming when people  will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.  As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist (proclaim the Gospel of Jesus), carry out your ministry fully."  (II Timothy 4:3,4)  That time has been here since 1981.

Our Faith, like our Democracy, is in peril.
Fascist ideologies threaten to replace democratic ones as people, having had their irrational fears stoked for the political and economic gain of their leaders, have been led astray to believe that they can have anti-democratic values and ideologies and still be a Democracy.  Claiming the truth to be "fake news", people do not care about the truth any longer in this "post truth"/"alternative facts" era.
Un-Christian doctrines threaten to replace Jesus' teachings, commands and examples on how to follow Him in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now.  Focusing on self and getting more blessed and highly favored for self, people have walked away from Agape Love as Jesus' command - committed action on behalf of the other's well-being - even stranger and enemy, and especially the most vulnerable among us.
This is a critical time for self-examination and an honest look at where we are headed as followers of Jesus in this nation and as citizens of this nation.

I love this country.  I love Democratic ideals because I believe they are the closest expression of the Kingdom values that Jesus taught.  I do not love laissez-faire economics, because it is based on greed and inequities, and it flies in the face of Kingdom values as we have those taught, commanded and modeled by Jesus our Lord.  I love the ideals for which America has claimed to stand and detest the blatant hypocrisies of those who, from our founding have claimed them while living from and imposing upon us opposite values. 

If you love the truth.  If you love Democracy.  If you love Jesus.
I implore you.  I beg you to read the Gospels and focus on what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us as we have that in the Gospels.  I ask you to remember that we are citizens first of the Kingdom of God.  I ask you then to express and live the ideals of Democracy and not out of fear, internalized or blatant bigotry or self-centeredness abandon the Gospel or our Democratic principles.

I am appalled at what I see in my country, and astounded that people who claim Jesus participate in it so readily.  I am afraid that the quote erroneously attributed to Sinclair Lewis is, none-the-less correct - "WHEN FASCISM COMES TO AMERICA IT WILL BE WRAPPED IN THE FLAG AND CARRYING A CROSS." 
(Sinclair Lewis did write "IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE" in 1935, regarding the rise of fascism in the world and its effect on America.)

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Pastor Jamie