Empire would have us believe that it is all about number one - that having more wealth, power and status for oneself is what life with Jesus is all about.
The teachings, commands and examples of Jesus show us that Agape Love, which Jesus commanded, requires us to be about the well-being of community, of those around us in the world.
Healings were about restoring people to Shalom, a big part of which was being restored to acceptance in community.
Teachings on Kingdom values regarding having enough material sustenance, sharing power equally and having dignified, mutual respect with one another are about being whole within community.
Empire devotees, many of whom claim Jesus as Personal Savior, would have us believe that though we use Jesus' name and claim Jesus, still we can and should value wealth, power and status for ourselves.
These are the folk who, since 1981 joined together to reshape American Christianity. Prosperity Theology, Church Growth and Purpose Theology are what they have spawned out of their devotion to empire while claiming love for Jesus.
They have exploited the faith for their own gain and have duped millions into believing that it is faithfulness to God in Jesus.
They have represented empire and have victimized millions because of their greed, lust for power and desire for status. They have sided with those who have taken what others have for themselves, abused their power over others and have gained notoriety and status for doing so.
They call themselves "Christians", but they are not followers of Jesus - the Jesus of the Gospels.
The Good News of Jesus is not about personal salvation alone.
It is certainly not about personal wealth or power or status, at least it is not about promoting them.
It is about every individual and thus the whole community, having enough material sustenance, shared power and mutual respect and equal standing in society for all to have Shalom (completeness, wholeness and well-being) in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now.
It is about the living of Agape (committed action on behalf of the other, even stranger and enemy and especially the most vulnerable), as commanded by Jesus.
Jesus' Good News is not about personal salvation. It is not about trying to get "saved" by "saving" others and thus objectifying them for one's own gain.
It is not about offering worship, praise and tithes as a cosmic priming of the personal ATM God, who will give one a comfortable, profitable life, especially because a person worships at a huge church cult and follows a certain personality who leads it, and submits to him or her.
It is not about living a false piety based on one's own false purity or holiness, thus believing one is "better than" others and deserves to be more blessed and highly favored, or is thus justified in judging others in order to elevate one's own status within false "Christian" communities.
It is not about using one's status to abuse any power it provides by hating, discriminating against, marginalizing, disenfranchising and dehumanizing others who do not share one's own race, ethnicity, faith, economic class, sexuality, gender or nationality.
Those are the things that the Temple Cult leaders, King and Romans did in Jesus' time - the things that Jesus rebuked, as we have Jesus' teachings, commands and examples in the Gospels.
It is not all about some direct communication about one's individual life purpose, designed to lift privileged persons above other persons in wealth, power and/or status.
In other words, "It is about you sweetheart, just not ALL about you."
Jesus' teachings, commands and examples, as we have them in the Gospels, lead us to offer active commitment on behalf of others, even strangers and enemies, and especially the most vulnerable.
They lead us to accept others, receive them and join with them to make sure that all have enough material sustenance, shared power and mutual respect.
They lead us to work toward the well-being, completeness and wholeness of all around us as servants.
They lead us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus in the living of Agape.
They lead us to shalom for all, equally in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now.
Those are the Kingdom values that Jesus taught, commanded and modeled, and they are to be lived here and now among those who claim to be followers of God in Jesus.
Empire teaches us otherwise, and plenty of false teachers teach us that we can give lip service to Jesus and our devotion to empire and its values.
They teach us that Jesus was about our own prosperity, the church's own numerical and financial growth and status, and about our own, special purpose that lifts us up above others in privilege.
When I follow Jesus, I cannot value greed, power over others or status above others.
In fact, doing so puts me at odds with Jesus and my Neighbor. It destroys community and the well-being of many in it. That is not God's will as we have it in Jesus' teachings in the Gospels.
I cannot serve two masters. I will either follow Kingdom values as I have them in Jesus, based on Agape Love and Grace, or I will devote myself to myself in the empire values of Greed, lust for Power and desire for Status.
I cannot value empire AND follow Jesus. If I choose empire, I walk away from Jesus, very sad.
I do not want to gain the world, especially at the price of my soul and my neighbor's well-being.
It is not all about me and Jesus.
It is all about Jesus and us, together.
I am not following Jesus if I am not Agape loving (actively committed toward the well-being) of my Neighbor, even stranger, enemy and especially the most vulnerable.
I will strive, out of Agape, toward the Shalom of all those in the world around me, and thus find my own Shalom, not in order to be saved, but because I know the Grace of God that HAS SAVED ME.
I have been given much more than I have ever deserved, and for that I am thankful. If God provides not one more thing for me but the Grace with which I am covered and the Agape within which I live, I will be satisfied.
Following Jesus is my response in faith to Jesus and Jesus' Way of Agape for the world.
How I live with Neighbor is my response of love for God in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now.
Loving neighbor as I love myself is my way of following Jesus and loving God.
Pastor Jamie
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Sunday, August 25, 2019
humility as Jesus' Way
Luke 14:1, 7-14... Lectionary for September 1.
Leaders of the Pharisees in Jesus' time were at the height of power and status, and working on their wealth by whatever means possible.
Jesus was invited to eat at this one's home, which was an intimate sharing, but he was being watched at this large gathering of folk vying for status according to Empire values.
Jesus was not buying it.
As often is the case, the Jesus of Luke took the opportunity to teach Kingdom of God values in the face of what was being lived in empire.
Every person has enough status. If you have a healthy concept of and love for self, you have enough esteem for self to feel comfortable among other people. You have enough power to feel secure. You have enough self-respect to feel equal to others. You do not need to be elevated "above" others in order to feel good about yourself. If you do need that, then you are compensating for a lack of self love, self-esteem, power and/or self-respect.
Empire tears down. It sets up falsehoods in community in order to destroy it. It starts with the belief that people who "would be someone" should have more wealth, power and status than others. It divides and destroys healthy community by separating out and pitting against. The natural result is that those who are most neurotically in need of elevating themselves become the most ruthless in community and elevate themselves by whatever means necessary. They set up a scenario in which some get much more than they need and others go without, in which some believe they are superior because they are desperate to believe that, and in which some ruthlessly control others around them in order to hold onto the delusion that it is best for some to have and leave others without what they need. They set up a religious community which mirrors empire, considering some to be more blessed and highly favored than others and ignoring the immorality of greed, lust for power and desire for status, ultimately making those within it to focus on personal gain, rather than community of faith well-being as God's Will.
The Kingdom builds up, not just individuals but also community. It comes from a belief that each has shalom when ALL have shalom (completeness, wholeness and well-being). It is all about sharing the wealth, having a collective power that elevates all equally and lifting up healthy selves so that there need not be any status "above" others, because each feels secure so all can feel secure. It is based on all, equally having ENOUGH of what they need and not everything they want. It rejects the values of greed, lust for power and desire for status upon which empire is built. It is built, not on neurotic personal deficit, but healthy self and community awareness. It is built on agape (active commitment on behalf of the other, even stranger and enemy and especially the most vulnerable). It lifts up, brings up, helps up and builds up the whole community and not just some. It unites instead of dividing. It is sustainable and not destructive. This is Jesus' Way. Throughout the Gospels, this is Jesus' Way.
So, Jesus went into the midst of those who promote, promulgate and profit from empire, and taught them a different perspective. It must start with individuals understanding that humility is a better than hubris. It must start with individuals deciding to elevate those around them by humbling themselves, and in so doing, finding their safety and security in being a part of community in love. It must start by recognizing that Kingdom values are healthy, uplifting and sustainable for living in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now, and making the choice to adopt, heed and live them in the world around you.
Want to be a follower of Jesus?
Follow Jesus.
Pastor Jamie
Leaders of the Pharisees in Jesus' time were at the height of power and status, and working on their wealth by whatever means possible.
Jesus was invited to eat at this one's home, which was an intimate sharing, but he was being watched at this large gathering of folk vying for status according to Empire values.
Jesus was not buying it.
As often is the case, the Jesus of Luke took the opportunity to teach Kingdom of God values in the face of what was being lived in empire.
Every person has enough status. If you have a healthy concept of and love for self, you have enough esteem for self to feel comfortable among other people. You have enough power to feel secure. You have enough self-respect to feel equal to others. You do not need to be elevated "above" others in order to feel good about yourself. If you do need that, then you are compensating for a lack of self love, self-esteem, power and/or self-respect.
Empire tears down. It sets up falsehoods in community in order to destroy it. It starts with the belief that people who "would be someone" should have more wealth, power and status than others. It divides and destroys healthy community by separating out and pitting against. The natural result is that those who are most neurotically in need of elevating themselves become the most ruthless in community and elevate themselves by whatever means necessary. They set up a scenario in which some get much more than they need and others go without, in which some believe they are superior because they are desperate to believe that, and in which some ruthlessly control others around them in order to hold onto the delusion that it is best for some to have and leave others without what they need. They set up a religious community which mirrors empire, considering some to be more blessed and highly favored than others and ignoring the immorality of greed, lust for power and desire for status, ultimately making those within it to focus on personal gain, rather than community of faith well-being as God's Will.
The Kingdom builds up, not just individuals but also community. It comes from a belief that each has shalom when ALL have shalom (completeness, wholeness and well-being). It is all about sharing the wealth, having a collective power that elevates all equally and lifting up healthy selves so that there need not be any status "above" others, because each feels secure so all can feel secure. It is based on all, equally having ENOUGH of what they need and not everything they want. It rejects the values of greed, lust for power and desire for status upon which empire is built. It is built, not on neurotic personal deficit, but healthy self and community awareness. It is built on agape (active commitment on behalf of the other, even stranger and enemy and especially the most vulnerable). It lifts up, brings up, helps up and builds up the whole community and not just some. It unites instead of dividing. It is sustainable and not destructive. This is Jesus' Way. Throughout the Gospels, this is Jesus' Way.
So, Jesus went into the midst of those who promote, promulgate and profit from empire, and taught them a different perspective. It must start with individuals understanding that humility is a better than hubris. It must start with individuals deciding to elevate those around them by humbling themselves, and in so doing, finding their safety and security in being a part of community in love. It must start by recognizing that Kingdom values are healthy, uplifting and sustainable for living in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now, and making the choice to adopt, heed and live them in the world around you.
Want to be a follower of Jesus?
Follow Jesus.
Pastor Jamie
Sunday, August 18, 2019
The Prophet of God
Jeremiah will be in the lectionary in coming weeks.
There are true prophets who speak the will of God, and false prophets who speak the will of those who do not care about the will of God. They all claim to be true prophets of God.
We live in an age between Jeremiah (with gathering forces who threaten us) and Amos (a time of military strength and economic prosperity). In both those times, God raised prophets who would speak the will of God - the truth - to a people who did not want to hear it.
Jeremiah loved the nation, but was given a word of Exile, that his nation would fall because of its unfaithfulness to God. Hananiah, the false prophet, went to great lengths to proclaim that God's favor and blessings would be given. Jeremiah went to very dramatic lengths to show that they nation would fall to the gathering forces and that the people would be exiled, but there would be hope in the future if they returned to faithfulness.
Amos faced a nation that relied on its present military might and economic growth. The nation was corrupt and hurt many within the nation and outside of it with their unjust dealings and false, patriotic beliefs and pieties. Amos did not mince words or hold back in any way, but condemned the nation for its immorality and injustice due to greed, lust for power and false status.
It's more comforting to believe the false prophets of prosperity, growth, blessings and favor.
It's easier to believe the lies than face the truth.
But the truth will come.
True prophets share the harsh word.
In our day and age, they are spun in the media as being unpatriotic (as if their love for God is or should be synonymous with love for country), they are taken off the air, silenced, criticized by believers and non-believers, discredited, de-valued, vilified, de-humanized and disregarded.
It does not make their message any less timely or true.
False prophets and teachers twist the Word to suit their own interests and gain.
True prophets weigh the social, political, economic and spiritual climate against God's Word.
Jesus warned against the following of false teachers and prophets.
The Temple Cult leaders of Jesus' time and place were corrupt for personal gain in wealth, power
and status, having succumbed to the values of empire, so Jesus confronted them as a true Prophet.
The true prophets of our age, Wright, West and others, are misrepresented, silenced and/or disregarded. It does not mean that their messages are not true and the will of God.
In this time of relative ease, military strength and prosperity, do you not see how we have been corrupted by our love for wealth, power and status? Do you not see how we have treated our own people and others around us shamefully for our own gain? Do you not see the political, economic, social and spiritual forces growing that would destroy us?
Or are you listening to the Hananiah's among us? Are you believing the false messages of God's unending favor and blessings because you give praise, tithe and worship with prayer?
When people are/a nation is filled with Greed, lust for Power and desire for Status, hatefulness and ignorance, they are not being faithful to God. Period. Such a nation will implode or be conquered, as we have seen in history. Call it a natural consequence or act of God, it happens. It is happening to us because of us, now.
Our hope, as is always the hope, is REPENTANCE (metanoia - changing our thinking so that our direction changes). We must turn around and go in a direction faithful to God. Of course, those who most benefit from empire and the living of its values, will not allow that. Of course, the false prophets will tell you everything with empire values is just fine. If we do not come together to supplant the leaders and their false prophets, the nation will fall. It is that clear. It is that simple. It is that true. Again. Still.
Pastor Jamie
There are true prophets who speak the will of God, and false prophets who speak the will of those who do not care about the will of God. They all claim to be true prophets of God.
We live in an age between Jeremiah (with gathering forces who threaten us) and Amos (a time of military strength and economic prosperity). In both those times, God raised prophets who would speak the will of God - the truth - to a people who did not want to hear it.
Jeremiah loved the nation, but was given a word of Exile, that his nation would fall because of its unfaithfulness to God. Hananiah, the false prophet, went to great lengths to proclaim that God's favor and blessings would be given. Jeremiah went to very dramatic lengths to show that they nation would fall to the gathering forces and that the people would be exiled, but there would be hope in the future if they returned to faithfulness.
Amos faced a nation that relied on its present military might and economic growth. The nation was corrupt and hurt many within the nation and outside of it with their unjust dealings and false, patriotic beliefs and pieties. Amos did not mince words or hold back in any way, but condemned the nation for its immorality and injustice due to greed, lust for power and false status.
It's more comforting to believe the false prophets of prosperity, growth, blessings and favor.
It's easier to believe the lies than face the truth.
But the truth will come.
True prophets share the harsh word.
In our day and age, they are spun in the media as being unpatriotic (as if their love for God is or should be synonymous with love for country), they are taken off the air, silenced, criticized by believers and non-believers, discredited, de-valued, vilified, de-humanized and disregarded.
It does not make their message any less timely or true.
False prophets and teachers twist the Word to suit their own interests and gain.
True prophets weigh the social, political, economic and spiritual climate against God's Word.
Jesus warned against the following of false teachers and prophets.
The Temple Cult leaders of Jesus' time and place were corrupt for personal gain in wealth, power
and status, having succumbed to the values of empire, so Jesus confronted them as a true Prophet.
The true prophets of our age, Wright, West and others, are misrepresented, silenced and/or disregarded. It does not mean that their messages are not true and the will of God.
In this time of relative ease, military strength and prosperity, do you not see how we have been corrupted by our love for wealth, power and status? Do you not see how we have treated our own people and others around us shamefully for our own gain? Do you not see the political, economic, social and spiritual forces growing that would destroy us?
Or are you listening to the Hananiah's among us? Are you believing the false messages of God's unending favor and blessings because you give praise, tithe and worship with prayer?
When people are/a nation is filled with Greed, lust for Power and desire for Status, hatefulness and ignorance, they are not being faithful to God. Period. Such a nation will implode or be conquered, as we have seen in history. Call it a natural consequence or act of God, it happens. It is happening to us because of us, now.
Our hope, as is always the hope, is REPENTANCE (metanoia - changing our thinking so that our direction changes). We must turn around and go in a direction faithful to God. Of course, those who most benefit from empire and the living of its values, will not allow that. Of course, the false prophets will tell you everything with empire values is just fine. If we do not come together to supplant the leaders and their false prophets, the nation will fall. It is that clear. It is that simple. It is that true. Again. Still.
Pastor Jamie
Sunday, August 11, 2019
division...
Luke 12:49-56 lectionary text for August 18
Jesus brought a baptism of immersion into God's Kingdom values of living Agape Love.
It demands that we live not only for ourselves but for others, even stranger and enemy, and especially the most vulnerable among us.
It requires dedication to God and neighbor. It requires humility and a heart of the other, compassion and empathy. It requires that we be grateful for having enough and that we give from our abundance for others to have enough. It requires that we share power with others so that all may have what they need. It requires that we not only look to our own desires, needs and well-being, but that we must look to the well-being of all around us.
Aye, there's the rub.
We live within empire that requires dedication to wealth, power and status.
It requires that we put ourselves over everyone else around us.
It requires that we get all we can for ourselves and our own.
It requires that we gain and exercise more power to pull ourselves over others and take all we can, even at their expense.
It requires that we seek to promote ourselves as being better than, more entitled than and more elite than others around us.
Thus we have the division.
The Gospel of Jesus produces division in this environment, because even those who confess a faith in Jesus have done so while embracing Empire values. Their prosperity theology, church growth initiatives and intolerance of others while seeking notoriety are all indications of where their hearts lie and what they truly treasure.
It puts many who claim the name of Jesus at odds with Jesus and His Good News of Agape Love -
active commitment on behalf of the other, even stranger and enemy and especially the most vulnerable, toward their well-being, completeness and wholeness (Shalom).
It has divided the church.
It has divided the nation.
It has divided families and friends.
Those who would claim Jesus as Savior must follow Jesus as Lord of their lives.
One cannot serve two masters (God and Mammon).
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Jesus calls you to deny yourself, take up the Cross and follow Jesus.
Forget pie in the sky when you die. This is about here and now.
Jesus takes sides. So must we. Live Jesus' Way of Agape Love or live empire values.
There is no middle path here, at least none that is faithful to God.
There are those who follow Jesus and Jesus' Way of Agape Love and those who follow empire. Period.
Which way do you go?
And,
You who are always looking for signs - of God's presence, of God's favor, of God's blessings -
signs of others' sins being punished, condemnation on those who are not like you -
signs of the vision of the end that you have concocted in order to manipulate with fear -
You are MISSING the SIGNS,
of what it means to suffer the consequences of following Empire ways and living its values,
rather than living Agape love for God and Neighbor as commanded by God.
You are looking for supernatural interventions to save you, benefit you and promote you in the future,
but are MISSING the SIGNS that you are walking away from God in how you live NOW.
Jesus' Way is the way of love for all, respect for all, equality for all, value for all, power for all,
enough for all - Shalom (well-being, completeness, wholeness) for ALL.
If that is not your way, see the signs that you are giving your devotion to empire, which is NOT God's
Way.
With all this division and signs of a harsh future, in what is your hope?
Repentance - change your mind in order to turn to a different direction in your life. Read the Gospel of Jesus and pay attention to what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for how to live in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now. If you want to be with Jesus, follow Jesus here and now. Choose the right side of Agape Love and Grace, for the sake of God and Neighbor, here and now.
Choose wisely.
Pastor Jamie
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