THE CHURCH

What started out as a MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE WHO FOLLOWED JESUS, has evolved into an INSTITUTION that seeks to be served by the people who claim Jesus' name.

For decades, since the desolating sacrilege of the Religious "Right" getting in bed with the Political "Right" (Falwell and Reagan), the church has gone into a period of self-promotion through Church Growth, Prosperity Theology, focus on "purity" and "holiness" and centered only on personal salvation ("Me and Jesus") doctrines designed to keep people praising and tithing without regard for what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for how to live as His followers.  It is also designed to keep people coming and giving out of fear, much like the period before the needed Reformation of the 16th Century.

It is nothing new.  It is nuanced, but the same as it was after the early 1st Century, when people strove to live what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled and it changed the world (Acts). 

Church buildings are grander.
Church bands and choirs more professional.
Preachers are more entertaining.
Church membership has greater prestige.
Church practice and protocols are geared to indoctrinate, rather than share Good News.
The church has a friendly face, smiling leaders and cool, fresh, dope language.
Many churches lure folk in, while at the same time despising who they are, in an attempt to
       eventually get them to conform to their views, all while giving their tithes and offerings.
The church ignores the plight of the poor and most vulnerable, finding it more fashionable to blame
       them for their own plight rather than address the injustices that cause it, because it would be risky
       to confront the powers and principalities it really serves.
Clergy, largely untrained, share false messages of prosperity through giving to the church, supernatural interventions for those who are well enough indoctrinated into their belief systems, the justified (through scripture) hatred of those who are different (faith, sexual orientation, economic class) and a sense of "superiority" of one measures up to their standards of "purity" and "holiness". This is NOT what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled.

The message of the one worshiped, and whose name they claim is about not judging, forgiveness, sacrificial giving of self for other and living Agape Love (unconditional active commitment on behalf of the other) in the world, especially among the most vulnerable (hungry, naked, strangers (resident aliens) and those imprisoned).

But, as I earlier noted, it is nothing new.

"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."  II Timothy 4:3

"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."  Philippians 3:19

"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."  Ephesians 4:14

"Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes ($1,000 suits), and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have the best seats in the synagogues (pulpit thrones) and places of honor at banquets (head tables with china and linens)!  They devour widows' houses (take the last little bit from the vulnerable in their tithes) and for the sake of appearance say long prayers (entertain in worship).  They will receive the greater condemnation."  Jesus  Mark 12:38

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees (legalistic church leaders), hypocrites!  For you tithe mint, dill and cummin (show your opulent wealth), and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law (Agape Love); 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!"  Jesus  Matthew 23:23

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits."  Jesus  Matthew 7:15

"You cannot serve God and wealth."  Jesus  Luke 16:13

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  Jesus  Matthew 6:21

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and do not do what I tell you?"  Jesus  Luke 6:46

Pastor Jamie

The Parable (true story) of A Local "church"

A young man showed up at the Coffee House during Spoken Word/Open Mic night.  He had gone down the street to attend the Bible Study of a new, growing congregation.  He had come from Las Vegas to meet the musician from that church who, according to the story he told the few people at the Coffee House, may have influenced him to go on living.  The Bible Study was cancelled and the church closed, but a neighbor told him that we were a ministry and might be able to get him in contact with them.  We did.  He found out that someone would be there the next day.  The young man stayed and shared his story of horrendous loss, incarceration and lost hope.  He told us about how inspired he was by the music of the church musician down the street, and gave him credit for saving his life.  The four people sitting with him shared their words of understanding, wisdom and hope.  His eyes welled up and he expressed gratitude.  When the four who were present at the Coffee House asked him where he would stay overnight, he said that he would sleep in the bus station.  We contacted friends who own a B&B, but they were full.  The small fellowship of four people provided him with a room at $120, which would also provide him with a hot breakfast the next day. 
The next day, he met the pastor and had some pictures taken with him.  The musician he had hoped to meet and thank was not available to him, but he left him a note at the church.  He was thrilled to be able to do that.  He texted the pastor at the Coffee House to thank the folk there the night before and let him know that he did make it to the church.  He asked if there was an agency that could help him get back home.  He was estranged from family over some horrific events that brought him to the despair that the church's musician had eased.  He was not sure he could count on anyone in his life to help him.  The Pastor suggested that he ask the leaders of the church he came to visit.  He assured him that they would help - that helping him would be a blessing to them and they would surely do it. An hour or so later, the young man came to the Coffee House and said that he finally found someone in his family to wire him some money for the trip home.  He waited at the Coffee House for the money to come through and then left, thanking the pastor for all the small fellowship had done for him.
Two weeks later, the small fellowship that meets in the Coffee House is having their last worship together, because so few people attend, and those who do actually have other churches they attend and support.  The large, young, growing congregation down the street is still growing in membership.

James 2:14-17

this electon year

What we’re seein’ here, in this election year

    Is the outrageous becoming routine, the absurd becoming the normal seen

    Is repugnance as our sought after standard, what was once repulsive the optimum shown

    Is the ridiculous as commonplace, incompetence and ignorance proudly worn

    Is hatefulness what is preferred and intolerance the goal

    As eyes burn bright with entitled anger, leads to the death of our nation’s soul

    And what is shown with the intolerance, the bigotry and hatred from manufactured fear

            in full recognition that Reprobates are in office here.

 

    With misogyny so seductive, and bigotry our nation’s natural base

    And classism is just our way of life, homophobia and sexism rampant in this place

    Xenophobia an art form, Ethnocentrism our value

    A very false sense of supremacy and entitlement puffs up the tattered egos of the shallow

    Nationalistic intolerance aimed at anyone not like us

        If we can’t buy them, we’ll occupy them or destroy them, build walls and deport the rest

    Leaders reflect the lowest form, rather than lead us to places higher

       The Reprobates in office use everyone toward their desire

   

    Exploitation overseas, taking jobs away from our own

       When they’ve brought everyone to their knees their satisfaction will be fully known

    Defining immorality in solely sexual terms, regulating everyone’s bedroom and body

       While encouraging the immorality of Greed so that the few can lord over the many

    Suppressing voters over here, cuz they might vote for those over there

       While claiming that voter fraud’s at stake, though we can’t find any anywhere

    Putting up barriers for poor, minorities and the young to vote will surely win elections

       While de-regulating firearm sales – cutting out all regulations, aids their natural selection

    Implementing Stand Your Ground laws that we know simply mean OPEN SEASON

       While restricting our ability to sue because we have to keep justice within reason

   

   

What we’re seein’ here, in this election year     Is full of pros and cons…

    The cons… con – servatives, NOT conservationists

    The con everything in the obstructionist Con-gress

    The regressive faction, some who should be Con-victs

    The con – unity, con- integrity, con – tolerance, for only their con-stituency

    The con – equity, con- justice, con- fairness party

 

    And the pros…

    Pro-choice perhaps, but not a choice of more than two parties

    Pro-gressive, but with re-gressive tendancies…

    Pro- establishment, pro-machine, pro-institutional party some

    Pro- getting and staying in power, pro- oligarch, pro-pluto – crat

          these Demagogue democrats

    Pro- keeping them in their place, bringing super-predators to heel…

          while relying on the race to help them seal the election deal

    Pro- sending their jobs overseas… while claiming they want for their ease

    Pro- whatever gets the vote, until elected – that’s the joke

          a “lesser of evils” is their claim – holding voters hostage is the game

 

    One they call FAR LEFT, one is FAR RIGHT

         Some claim to be in the Center, but we know that ain’t right…

    Different stripes on the same Zebra, not making others’ lives better

         Represent only the few, not the many, no, not ever…

 

Some claim they want change, tired of always the same

        But then vote for the same lame old lines, the same names

I heard once that to do the same things time and time again

        Expecting a different, better outcome is insane   

Few are truly for CHANGE, most want to keep it the same

         One alone a true public servant… for others power and wealth - the aim

 

    While our young men lie shot down, dying in the streets

         And so many are held down, held back and held out

    Folk voting for the lesser of evils again, even for one who helped bring this about

 

 

What we’re seein’ here, in this election year         Has not changed a thing, I fear

    The exploitation overseas while bringing our workers to their knees

    The genocide of our kids on the street, taking from the poor who have nothing to eat

    Keeping the middle class and poor class down, while a few at the top still hand out the crowns

    The giving of welfare to corporate heads, as the bonuses flow the middle class nearly dead

    Always got more money for another war, paid for by the blood of our brown and black poor

    Padding the pockets of the powerful wealth, while taking away from our elderly’s health

    Scapegoating immigrants, unions and the poor as in anger the ignorant learn to abhor

    Manipulating the masses, pitting us against them, so that those wealthy powerful stay at the helm

    Drinking poisoned water, breathing poisoned air the ground we live on poisoned everywhere

    Someone making quick profit on killing everyone stuff, polluting always more cuz it’s never enough

    Privatizing prisons and privatizing schools, make it for profit, exploit all the fools

    Using the locked up and locked out for free labor while talking of blessings, prosperity and favor

    The 1% with 60%, the 99 left with 40

         In the most powerful, wealthy nation supposed to be ruled by the majority

    Pitting those with little means against those with even less, stirring up hatred among us

         So they can stay on top of the mess

   It’s Capitalism we love not Democracy, not Justice

        The Oligarchs and Plutocrats claiming patriotism are the most treacherous

   The 90’s acronym with an N or the 2,000’s with a T

        are all designed to exploit them,  exploit you and exploit me

   For the profit of the few they will frack up the whole country

        as their cronies kill everyone for the sake of more money

   As climate change is denied like affordable healthcare

        income disparities widen and unequal education leave many in despair

   The promise of more of this status quo will drive more into the ground

        unaffordable housing, unavailable food, undrinkable water abound

 

There is only ONE HOPE for us in this world, in this nation

    That rational, reasonable, loving folk stand up, speak out and get counted

    Because, my friends, we must be our OWN salvation…

  

Jamie Kaufman

Faithful

In a world in which doctrinal adherence toward purity and holiness means intolerance of any who do not hold the same value, I venture to share that I do not care about purity OR holiness.  I want to be faithful.

Jesus is my authority.  His fulfillment of Law and Prophets in Agape Love is my only doctrine.  His regular disregard for the Law of Moses (as recorded in the Gospels) was fulfilled in loving acts designed to lift people up as children of God.  Jesus did not make it about Praise and Worship of Him or tithes to His "organization".  Jesus made it all about Agape Love.

Agape Love is active commitment on behalf of the other, even stranger and enemy according to the Jesus of the Gospels.  It is central to His teachings.  He commanded it and modeled it in how He lived, according to the Gospels.

So, to follow Jesus is to follow what Jesus taught, commanded and exemplified.  It means to live His New Commandment, to love one another as His mandate, especially with the hungry, strangers, naked, sick and imprisoned.  It means sacrificing self for the other, even stranger and enemy.  It means going the extra mile, forgiving those who wrong you, not judging others for any reason.  It has nothing to do with purity and holiness.  In fact, Jesus defined righteousness in terms of how the Pharisees and other religious leaders were not living love for people.  He calls His followers to make sure our righteousness (Agape) exceeds that of them.

In a world in which doctrinal adherence toward purity and holiness leads to division, abuse, exploitation, discrimination, marginalization, estrangement and intolerance, I believe that Agape Love, when embraced as teaching and practice can bridge gaps and unify God's people.  Believing that there is NOTHING more important than living Agape Love as followers of Jesus leads us to faithfulness to God and one another.

THEN, when we all live this love for the sake of other, all will receive as well as give and the well-being of all in the creation will be restored.  Justice and Peace will result.  Joy will replaced bitterness and depression.  Life will be the result, abundant and forever.

Live what Jesus taught.

Pastor Jamie

As a Pastor, I will be voting for...

We just had Franklin Graham here, rallying people to vote according to their "Christian values".  I know what that means.  You know what that means.  It means that those who are intolerant of people of other faiths, other sexual orientations, other ethnicities or other views on economic justice from the "majority" view are rallying to "take back America", as the more secular racists, sexist, homophobic, greedy, religiously intolerant put it.  It means that the radical intolerance of others, now mainline and normative in larger and larger segments of society is popular and growing.  It means many things, but certainly does NOT mean a resurgence of "Christian values", at least not according to the teachings, commands and examples of "the Christ".

I believe that those who represent religious non-profits and blatantly tell folk who they should vote for should lose their non-profit status.  They should pay taxes for the right to be publicly partisan.

That being said, I will tell you exactly who I think you should vote for...

First... Do not let the claim of being "Christian" fool you.  Does the candidate who is campaigning on their "Christian" faith practice what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled as we have that in the Gospels?  It is VERY EASY to read what Jesus said in all four Gospels.  Take the time to do that, and then compare what Jesus teaches as principles for living to what the candidate stands for... (tip - it is possible that one who does not claim to be a "Christian" is more Christ-like in ideology and practice than those who claim the name).

I will vote for...

The candidate who most exhibits Agape Love (active commitment on behalf of other, according to Jesus - (Luke 10:25-37) - even stranger and enemy, and especially those most vulnerable), the central teaching and command of Jesus, in what they say AND DO as a government official...

The candidate who will most follow Jesus' command that we FEED THE HUNGRY/CLOTHE THE NAKED, welcome THE STRANGER (yes, immigrants and resident aliens), visit (and CARE FOR) the SICK and IMPRISONED (and bring about justice in the system that puts them there)... the one who helps the most vulnerable among us, knowing that, at least according to Jesus, one's salvation is contingent upon THAT...  (Matthew 25:31-46)

The candidate who does not de-value, de-humanize, work to disenfranchise or marginalize ANYONE, but speaks and acts to include ALL within the nation, living the principle of Agape Love and a stubborn refusal to Judge anyone, as Jesus commanded (Luke 6:37, 38)...

The candidate who has a value for forgiveness and mercy... NOT just punitive action and attitudes of legislating people's lives, looking for reasons to punish, but looking to lift people up and help them redeem their own lives... (Matthew 9:13)

The candidate who understands that CLAIMING a faith that directs one's life and LIVING that faith are very different... who humbly LIVES IT without exploiting it to gain power and then abandoning its principles at every turn... as Jesus said, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord', and do not do what I tell you?" 

I do not care if the candidate claims to be "Christian".  My question is, which one most exhibits the teachings, commands and examples of Jesus "The Christ" in their governing - both words and actions?

As a person of faith, I am compelled to vote for the one who is most inclusive, representative and loving of all, which is consistent with the teachings of Jesus.  It must be the one who faithfully represents, advocates and protects the most vulnerable in our society.  My morality is NOT only measured in sexual terms or in purity, but also regarding the use and misuse of Power and the immorality of Greed.  I am not concerned about being "holy", for GOD is holy, but about being FAITHFUL to the one who commands Agape Love in Forgiveness and without Judging others.

So, I must vote for... THAT CANDIDATE.

Pastor Jamie

COMMUNITY VALUE

Community Value is value for human beings for who they are in life.
No quality of buildings, yards, commercial offerings or quantity of collected wealth can match it.
No individual achievements, accumulations or assets can equal it.

Living within the same general geographical area does not make us neighbors.
It does not make community.  Nice houses and businesses, perfectly manicured yards and matching houses does not make community.

Community is people.  It is people coming together.  Ideally, it is people of very different ethnicities, backgrounds, faith practices, economic classes, sexual orientations and ages coming together.  It is folk coming together around their commonalities, choosing to stay and work and live together and striving to benefit, not just themselves but everyone in the community.  Homeless, deeply religious folk, gay/lesbian couples, young families with children, elders on fixed income, working poor and upper middle class folk coming together to benefit one another lifts everyone up.  It lifts peoples' souls.  It blesses everyone equally.  It is an arena in which we are challenged to raise our level of human development.

Segregation based on any of these differences hurts individuals, kills community and hurts especially those who are "ghetto-ized" in poor neighborhoods that get abandoned by city officials and services.  The coming together of people and the working together of people makes for healthy communities, healthy families, schools and healthy individuals.

Community is the value to which we aspire and toward which we will work.

Pastor Jamie

Fear - effective, horrible motivator

I have a fear of bats.  I have lived in homes in which bats would periodically find their way into my space.  Bats were just fine to me when they were outside, but not in my space.  I was not willing to share it with them, partly because I do not like things fluttering by my face and they are unpredictable when they are scared.  I would cower, crouched in the corner for a while, but then I would put on all manner of homemade body armor and go after the little "rat with wings".  My fear turned to indignant intolerance and finally hatred.  That bat was just trying to live.  It was just as or more scared than was I.  It was of no real, credible threat to me.  There were other ways of dealing with the situation.  Regardless, out of fear and then anger and even hatred I did battle, and to date have never lost one to a bat.

Those encounters made me a different person.  Afterward, I had some regret over who I was in them.

I see the growing indignant intolerance of people around me regarding other human beings.  It is the same process, though certainly different in scope and in character. 

Civility is lost when we objectify others as "invaders" of our space.  Our humanity is in danger when we believe that other human beings are not "entitled" to what we have, where we live or to share public forum "space".  Our civility as a nation has taken huge hits and our level of humanity has suffered for it.

What is at the center of this unfortunate new normal is FEAR.  Those who have developed a sense of "entitlement" and a false sense of "superiority" believe that those spoils are in danger of being taken away from them.  A black man was elected President, and the sense of "entitlement" over the race they were born into was threatened in their minds.  Some folk have started asking questions and raising objections to disparities in income, and the wealthy feel threatened.  Some of the same folk are raising questions and leveling accusations at those who have been in power for a long time, particularly because their being in office is tied to their wealth, and our democracy is at stake.  Those in power, with wealth are uneasy.

So, they share their fear.  They pass it on.  They make efforts to instill fear within the people "below" them, manipulating them to aim that fear, turned hatred at each other. 

It is done through the media.  It is done with every speech and debate over legislation.  It is done in commercials, in the papers, on social media and on the radio.  It is done in conversation.  The fear is aimed at "those people" who are trying to take away what you have or the power behind who you are.  It is done effectively.  Immigrants, the poor, unions, anyone not of our ethnicity or race and those of different political ideologies, those who do not share our biases or prejudices, sexual orientation or faith practice.  It is easy.  If they are different, they are a threat to you.  Be afraid.  And in stirring up that fear, and in doing it very well, we are pitted against one another so that we will not see the real threat - the ones stirring up the fear, turning it to anger and then finally hatred.

If the only difference between a poor black man or woman and a poor white man or woman is their race, then THAT is the tool of their manipulation.  It's all they need in a culture that has grown to be increasingly more xenophobic.  If people are of the same "race" but from a different ethnicity or culture, that is all that is needed in a culture so ethnocentric.  If people are the same, except for their economic level, our classist society allows the difference to be manipulated.  If folk are the same in every other respect, but have a different sexual orientation, the homophobia we are socialized to embrace as "more pure" or "more holy" is used to drive wedges between them. 

Out of our fear of those who are different, we allow those who are TRULY threats to manipulate us from fear to anger and then to hatred.  Our civility is lost and our humanity at risk because we continue to fail to see the REAL threats to our well-being - a threat to our well-being TOGETHER.

In this election season, ask yourself WHY there is so much blame being leveled at so many, and who benefits from people being pitted against each other out of fear.

We are called to live AGAPE LOVE with one another in Grace, Forgiveness and without Judgment. 
"perfect love (agape) casts out fear" - John 4:7-21
Anything else is anti-Christ, regardless of what some person who professes to be "Christian" tells you.

Pastor Jamie