extreme

I have been called "extreme" for sending along every Facebook Post I do, blogging about social issues and speaking my mind on what is going on in politics and economics.

Is it not extreme...

that our government has passed legislation to allow corporations to buy government?

that we are going BACK into war with a nation that is oil rich, but a quagmire of political chaos that
      we helped create?

that we are suppressing the votes of selected citizens?

that young black men are being hunted at will on our streets?

that gay and lesbian citizens still do not have equal rights?

that people are working more than 40 hours per week and NOT making a living wage?

that others are systematically working to destroy organized labor that stands for our rights?

that in the land of "equal rights", some students have the latest and greatest available to them,
       while others have nothing of the kind?

that "religious freedom" is now defined by one groups unchecked ability to discriminate against
       others?

that grown women have men making decisions about their own bodies?

that women with the same education, experience and abilities are paid less than men for doing the
       same job?

that millions who are now getting affordable healthcare, could have it taken away, so that a very few
       in the medical and insurance industries can make billions more dollars?

that greed, lust for power and self-indulgence have become our new guiding principles for life in
       these here, United States?

that we genetically modify our food, and those who do it need not tell us the health risks?

that we are killing ourselves - our environment - the water we drink, air we breathe and land we
       inhabit, so that a few can have more profit?

that people are lied to, blatantly, by fake news networks that serve as propaganda machines for the
      political machines that drive them?

that being educated is suspect among many, while being ARMED in public is not?

that having our personal lives legislated is becoming the norm, as unchecked ownership of automatic
      weapons and ammunition, the exploitation of others economically and inequities in justice are
      not?

No.  I do not think that exposing these works of darkness is extreme.  I think that those who consider
      it "normative behavior" are extreme.

If there was ever a time when the silent majority of rational, reasonable, compassionate people
      needed to speak up, vote, demonstrate and demand justice and peace... it is NOW.

Pastor Jamie

MARCH

When they discriminate... MARCH
When they perpetrate injustice... MARCH
When unequal treatment is evident... MARCH
When systemic inequities persist... MARCH
When they yell nasty things... MARCH
When they spit in your face... MARCH
When they hit you with sticks... MARCH
When they bring out the dogs... MARCH
When they turn on the hoses... MARCH
When they smoke up the street... MARCH
When they fired those rubber bullets... MARCH
When they put you in jail... MARCH

All races, ethnicities, cultures, sub-cultures...
Religious, Spiritual, Agnostic, Atheist...
Teachers, pastors, news personnel, bankers, laborers...

When we RIOT or LOOT
    it is action out of irrational anger, unfocused, futile at best...
          and at worst - the opportunistic predatory victimization of our own people
    it is misconstrued and turned back on us
    it does not draw more rational, focused, purposeful people to the cause, but repels them...

But when we MARCH
    HISTORY has shown... even RECENT history
    People gather... they unify... they rally... they activate... they DEMAND justice
    and folks are DRAWN to that...

MARCH... SPEAK... WRITE... DEMONSTRATE...
and VOTE... VOTE... VOTE... VOTE... VOTE...

Remember - there is no such thing as an "off year" election!

MARCH to the POLLS in November!  Sing marching songs... righteous songs...
    hold hands, link arms, move together... MARCH!!!!

Pastor Jamie

developed humanity

It seems to me that we are either fully developed, developing or in a state of arrested development as human beings.

Compassionate
Empathic
Generous
Kind
Loving
Joyful
Patient
Peaceful
Gentle
Faithful
Self-controlling
Honorable
Trustworthy
Open-minded
Encouraging
Motivating
Helpful
Receptive
Cooperative
Accepting
Guileless
Non-judging

As individuals, cultures, nations, political parties, economic systems, church bodies, groups and families... do these words describe us?

Oh yes... incidentally, these are qualities valued by Jesus, according to His teachings, and Paul, according to His writings.  Evidently, this is what God wants of us in how we live in THIS PART of God's Kingdom.

Pastor Jamie

what it is...

Elected officials of Congress are elected to represent ALL the people, not just in their areas but in the nation.

They are NOT elected to represent only the most RADICAL FRINGES, the WEALTHIEST, the most POWERFUL or INFLUENTIAL.  ALL THE PEOPLE... to protect the interests of ALL CITIZENS...

What we have here is OBSTRUCTIONISTS...
   They obstruct the economic growth of the many poor, in the interests of the few wealthy...
   They obstruct the stability of the middle class, because a few profit from them being unstable,
             and joining the ranks of the poor...
   They obstruct the empowerment of the many weak, in the interests of the few powerful...
   They obstruct the responsible stewardship of the whole planet, in the interests of the few who profit
             from its waste, pollution and ultimate destruction...
   They obstruct peace, because there is profit in war...
   They obstruct justice, because there is profit and power in corruption and injustice...
   They obstruct equality, because there is more power for a few when people are pitted against each
             other...
   They obstruct equitable education, housing, utilities, healthcare, taxes, employment, wages and
             other necessities for a society to flourish, because a few profit from inequitable treatment...

They obstruct EVERYTHING this President tries to do...
    to dig us out of the economic hole we were thrown into the last time they were in power...
    treat people with equality, equity and dignity, regarding race, ethnicity, sexual orientation
             and gender...
    grant healthcare to ALL in the nation...
    promote the well being of MANY MORE citizens in the nation...
in fact, they obstruct EVERYTHING this President tries to do at all...

because of their Racism, Sexism, Classism, Homophobia, Ethnocentrism, Xenophobia, Greed, and Lust for Power...
    driven by their ruthlessness and fueled by a strong and false sense of superiority and entitlement...

What it is... is that these nuts got into office because the extremist nuts voted in 2010... many
    progressives and people with any heart or soul, did not...
What it is... is that if we want truly representative government, we must vote in 2014...

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN "OFF YEAR" ELECTION anymore...

THIS MUST CHANGE, or our nation and its soul will be lost...

VOTE... NOT only for your own interests, but for those of the most vulnerable and ALL others in the nation...

Pastor Jamie
  

our true colors showing...

Many have talked about us being in a "post racism" age, since we elected a black President.  Indeed, the world took note of that rather progressive event, and many across the globe saw it as a hopeful sign for us...

The vehement hatred that has been spewing from the mouths, writings, broadcasts and actions, even legislation since then has also been noticed.  The obstructionist Congress and the hateful posts, articles, demonstrations and rhetoric have born witness to our deep-seeded racism as a nation, and the desperate, panicked and ruthless efforts to "take back" America from, well, we know who, betrays a people afraid of losing their entitlement by race and economic class.  It has not gone unnoticed.

The political refugee children, here because desperate parents weighed their risk at home vs. their risk of a very dangerous trip (some of them alone), and had them make that trip, are being screamed at by radical American Talibanists at the border and actively targeted for deportation by their representatives in the Reprobate Party... Strike the words "bring me your tired, your poor, your huddle masses, longing to be free" from the statue.  We stopped wanting them years ago (1981).

Voter rights suppression is on the rise again, with gerrymandering (even blatantly illegal stuff in FL).
Take out the words, "All men (people) are created equal."  We NEVER believed that.

The KKK is actively recruiting in Florida and Georgia.  People can openly carry weapons in most public places in those states, even in bars and church and near the polls... think about that...

Women's rights... once getting more and more secure... are now being stripped over decisions regarding their bodies... over income equality... over upward mobility in the workplace... over insurance that covers their protection and responsible living sexually... over RELIGIOUS rights by corporations...

The Koch brothers are backing with billions those who will further gut any strength of organized labor in an attempt to return us to the gilded age of the 20's, during which (like now) only the few had the money and the many struggled to survive...They have already purchased the Congress and Supreme Court toward those ends... what more do they need?

We are itchin' to get BACK INTO one war we left, STAY in the other and FIND ANOTHER, so we can feed the oil industry and military industrial complex... blood for oil is an acceptable exchange for the Reprobates hawks...

We are privatizing schools and prisons, so there will be a direct pipeline between them for our young brown and black males in the future... and inmates will be shipped to fields and factories to offer labor profitable only to the prisons... sound familiar??????

With all of these things getting more firmly in place everyday, the Reprobate Politicians have the time to waste millions on witch hunts over Benghazi, truly frivolous lawsuits against the President and impeachment rhetoric...

BECAUSE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ALLOW IT.
They represent us.  If they are NOT representing us, then we need to elect those who WILL.  If they ARE representing us, then they are showing how hateful, ruthless, greedy,  power hungry, corrupt, mean-spirited, predatory, racist, classist, homophobic, sexist, ethnocentric, xenophobic, nationalistic and (did I mention?) ruthless we are... OUR TRUE COLORS ARE SHOWING...

Is that the America you want us to be as YOUR nation?
NO?
WRITE, CALL, SPEAK, DEMONSTRATE and VOTE (while you still can)....

If the Congress remains in the hands of the Reprobate Party, and if the Senate falls into their hands, the President WILL BE SUED, and WILL BE IMPEACHED, and at the very least, NOTHING GOOD WILL HAPPEN for another 2 years, until we awaken from our apathetic, complacent slumber and VOTE AGAIN (if that right has not been taken away from you)... out of desperation...

Rather than do that, why not be PRO-ACTIVE?  Keep it moving in a progressive, compassionate, kind, generous, accepting (or at least tolerant), reasonable, rational, civilized direction!!!!!!  It truly is in your hands, and mine and those of those around us, who either know from us what we believe is a better way, or they do not.

Prayer is ACTION.  ACTION is our prayer.  Pray and act out of Agape Love.

Pastor Jamie

What it's all about (for me)...

It is not about purity or holiness, at least not according to Jesus...
It is not about worship, praise, tithes according to Jesus...
It is not about being a part of an institution, social club or cult according to Jesus...

It is ALL ABOUT...
   living Agape Love... active commitment on behalf of the other... both God and Neighbor
It is ALL ABOUT...
   Keeping HIS Commands, as Jesus repeatedly taught...
   Abiding in HIS Word
   Denying Self, Taking up the Cross and Following Jesus
         what He commanded, taught and exemplified, as we have it in the Gospels...

If I want to follow Jesus, I must go where Jesus went...
   I must live Agape Love, even on my way to the Cross...
  
Jesus, Fulfiller of the Law and Prophets... Savior and Lord of my Life...
   Commands... Teaches... Exemplifies Agape Love for all who would follow Him...

So, to follow Him...
   to submit my will to His Will for my life
   to conform my way to His Way for how I live in this part of God's Kingdom
        makes great sense to me, not just for my sake, but for the world around me...

If we lived what Jesus commanded, taught and exemplified in the world around us,
   the world would be a VERY different place... an Agape Loving place...

I want to live those Kingdom Values of Jesus here and now, and hope that in some small
   way it will offer light for the path of others around me...

So, what I live, what I preach and teach, what I write will be about Jesus' Way,
   and my striving will be that of actively living what Jesus taught, commanded and
   showed as Kingdom Values for me to live in this part of God's Kingdom...

It is a good way, the best way for me.

Pastor Jamie

Simple

It's really simple...
The wealthy class, a very small minority, the epitome of which is the Koch brothers...
Energize the Religious "right" on issues, use fear and provoke hatred...
To keep those in government who would lift the poor and strengthen the working class from having
    any power...

The end goal is
NOT a more faithful America...
NOT your benefit...
NOT justice, equality or equity...
NOT your democratic rights...
NOT the well being of the whole nation...

The end goal is
simply THEIR unchecked GREED and lust for POWER getting them more at our expense...

They do not care about you.
They will use you, manipulate you, exploit you to get more for themselves.

If you support them, you are working toward your demise and the end of our democracy
   or any relative prosperity average American citizens can have...

If you allow them to pit you against minorities (sexual orientation, religious, race, class), then you are
    their tools that will be used to hurt others and eventually yourself - our whole nation...

When it is all said and done -
Will you support ALL people and their democratic rights and ability to sustain their lives,
    or will you support the very FEW who will get all they can at the expense of all others?

As a follower of JESUS, I must expose their works of darkness and lift up those who have been hurt
    by them, keep others from being hurt by them and end the conditions that allow them to hurt any
    others.

Will you be the servant of God in this struggle, or the servant of the Greedy and Powerful?

Pastor Jamie