even the dogs

 Mark 7:24-37 is the Gospel text for Sunday, September 5.

A gentile, unclean.  A woman, never one of power and not one with whom a Rabbi should be talking.  The marginalized and disenfranchised came to Jesus.  Jesus at first put her in her place, acknowledged the social mores of the time.  Then He shattered them.  She "talked back."  She persisted.  She stood up to Jesus and debated Him, the Rabbi.  She also recognized who Jesus was - a powerful man who could help her daughter.  It worked this time.

Our social mores, religious practices and pieties hurt people.  We set up these precepts of humans as a reflection of our own bigotries, ideologies and false beliefs of superiority.  Jesus knocked them down with His words and actions.  After two thousand years, should not those who claim to follow Jesus also knock down the divisive, derisive, discriminatory and destructive expressions of empire?  Should we who claim Jesus' name not be tearing down political and economic systems and social practices that marginalize and disenfranchise some for the gain of others who are just like us?

Should women not have equal pay for doing the same jobs?  Should they not be represented equally in the government of, by and for the people?  Should they not be able to make their own decisions about their moralities, particularly concerning their own bodies?  Should those of different ethnicities, faiths and sexual orientations not have equality and equitable treatment in our society?  

Should we not be tearing down the systems that promote the greed, lust for power over others, desire for status above others and normalized hatred as a people who claim Jesus?  Yes.  But do we?  No.  We reflect empire, rather than address it with the Gospel.  In fact, we twist the Gospel to suit our empire values.  It is idolatry.  For people who claim devotion to a Lord who reached out to the marginalized and disenfranchised, and who addressed the corruptions of empire in politics and religion, it is at the very least hypocrisy.  

And the demons win because the church in America that claims to be of Jesus, walks away from those whose lives are being destroyed by the powers and principalities that occupy them.  They win because the church in America has become the church of idolatry, hypocrisy and evil forces.  It has become the promoter of empire and its evils in ideology and practice.  Oh, there are some who give lip service to Jesus, but there hearts are far from Him.  There are others who do live loving, generous and faithful lives, but they are often silent about the evils of the systems that hold down, back and out their sisters and brothers.  There are others who do speak, write and demonstrate, but they are marginalized for doing so by the public AND the church (i.e. Cornell West, William Barber, Jim Wallis, Michael Eric Dyson, Dr. Jacqui Lewis, Jacqueline Grant, Traci C. West, Yvette Flunder, David Eng, etc.).  The church is afraid to "lose members," if it makes a stand for those who are marginalized and disenfranchised among us.

But Jesus.  Jesus reached out to powerless, gentile, female dogs.  Jesus did not dismiss their cries or their attitudes, their begging or their debate.  Jesus saw the need and practiced the Agape Love that He preached, according to Mark's Gospel.  He healed the people in the Greek ten cities region that were influenced and occupied by Rome.  He built bridges and not walls.  He tore down barriers.  He touched lives and changed them.  And His followers did the same in the First Century, until empire subjugated the movement into an institution to serve her.  

And Jesus' followers today?  We have seen where the institution of church has gone in ideology and practice.  The movement of followers of Jesus is something else, within and beyond the institution.  Of which are you a part?

The Gospel of Jesus is relevant in resistance to empire and its values.  It is rendered irrelevant in compliance with it.  In that context, it is just one more tool used to hold God's children down, back and out.

So the question is, will the followers of Jesus be relevant or irrelevant in the Kingdom, here and now?

Pastor Jamie

"Precepts as Doctrines"

 I choose not to shorten the text as does the Lectionary.  The Gospel lectionary text for next Sunday is Mark 7:1-23.  I am not afraid to offend with the truth of Jesus here.  If you are offended, you may leave as did those from last week's lectionary.  Thanks.

Thank GOD we are back in Mark!

The corrupt religious cult leaders accused Jesus and His disciples of uncleanness.  They just loved to weaponize the Word for their own purposes - to judge others out of hatred, to exercise control over their lives in order to gain more money from their sacrifices in the Temple, to give the appearance of being authorities by their abuses of power, and to appear to be upright to gain status over others.  These are, of course, BOGUS claims.  Their unfaithfulness to God's Word is the stuff of Gospel corrections and admonishments, as we have in this text.

Jesus, quoting Isaiah 29, accused them of giving lip service to God but their real devotion and obedience to other gods, including themselves.  They used their own, twisted precepts to get what they wanted, as do we.  Prosperity Theology, Purity/Holiness Self-Righteousness theologies, Personal Salvation theologies, Church growth theologies with Blessed and Highly Favored theologies serve self as god, rather than Jesus.

As Jesus graphically pointed out (perhaps why the lectionary folk were offended), regulating purity and holiness, false pieties produce SHIT just like anything else.

Instead, we need to find our faithfulness in following Jesus' Law of Agape Love in Grace.  We need to purify our motives and live guileless, agape loving, self-sacrificing, humble and generous lives, instead of the self-serving lives that the false teachers and prophets promote in the church.  It was true then, and is still true.

We right now see the mess that the falsehoods of laissez-faire Capitalism have brought us to, and we can see, if we will, how the church in America with Jesus' name on it has promoted these falsehoods as well.  Peoples' hearts and minds have been polluted with the twisting of the Gospel of Jesus in this nation and across the world, thanks to the American Desolating Sacrilege which began long ago.

Outward pieties mean NOTHING to God.

Do you want to show your love and respect for God?  Do you want to be right with God?  Respect God's Word by living Jesus' Gospel Way in the world.  Strive to live Agape Love (active commitment on behalf of the other, even stranger and enemy, and especially the most vulnerable among us) in Grace (undeserved loving mercy, given freely).  Jesus COMMANDED it.

Then, the world may be saved, from sin and ultimate death, and so may you and I be saved.

Pastor Jamie

Coming or Going?

 John 6:56-69 is our lectionary Gospel text for Sunday, August 22.

Jesus had His best day and worst day on the same day.  He raised an army of 5,000+ and fed them, but then He talked to them until they were offended and many or most left.  His 12 and some others only remained with Him.  Jesus turned to Peter and said, "What?  You're still here?"  And Peter made His confession that only Jesus had the words of eternal life.

Thousands left because He told them the truth.  (Read that again, pastors.)

But then, as the disciples, turned Apostles lived what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled as Kingdom of God values, thousands were touched and moved and gathered to live in Jesus' Way.  The First Century community, movement of followers of Jesus changed their world and ours.

This message of Jesus came under empire's corruptions among the religious leaders and in the religious institution.  It was a new iteration of an old song.

In our iteration of empire, the desolating sacrilege was not Rome's entrance into the Temple cult, but Reagan/Falwell getting together to twist the Word of God to fit empire values - the ideals and values for greed, lust for power over others and desire for status above others which is still empire.  Jesus' Way did not fit in with their ideals or pieties and did not get them what they truly treasured, so they changed it.  They gave lip service to Jesus while giving their devotion to empire.  It was/IS their golden calf - their Ba'al gods' promise of providing what the people want.  They had "itching ears" to hear what they wanted and gladly are "blown about by every wind of doctrine" that will serve their desires.  Laissez-faire Capitalism, Military/Police might, Fame, False Superiority and Bigotry are their gods.  Holding the many down, back and out for the sake of the few "elites" is still the goal of empire, and the divisions, hatreds, violence, depravation and destruction of God's children and God's creation are the biproducts. 

So, many are offended with Jesus. or just continue to give Him lip service while giving their devotions to Ba'al/empire.  Tony Campolo once said, "Sometimes for the church of Jesus to thrive, the right people must come, and sometimes the right people must go."  Would that the purveyors of empire would just leave and take the name "Christian" off their twisted cult beliefs, ideologies, words and actions.  Then, the followers of Jesus could transform the world.

But many hear us calling ourselves "Christians" and associate us with what they are doing.  Instead of "People of the Way of Jesus," we are lumped in with them, in their perspectives.

It is time to distinguish ourselves from the empirical, American civil religion, right wing institution that claims Jesus name, and live what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us, as we have witness in the Gospels, on how to live the Kingdom values of Agape Love and Grace in the world.  Then lives will be transformed, communities, the church and the planet.

Pastor Jamie

taking Jesus in

 John 6:51-59 is the lectionary Gospel text for Sunday, August 15.

Jesus fed the 5,000 and they continued to follow Him.  He preached to them, and as often happens with preachers, the more He talked, the further in trouble He got.  Jesus always seemed to take it that one step further than they were ready to go.  Ain't that just the way.

Jesus claims to be the Bread of Life, offered for the salvation of the world.  Then, Jesus says that they must eat Him.  No, it was not a derogatory comment.  They would have to take Him in to themselves, receive Him, the gift of His flesh, the Passover Lamb, the body and blood of redemption, atonement for salvation.  They were offended by it.  It wasn't kosher.  Their pieties and embedded theologies could not allow them to accept this from the Rabbi.  Jesus "upped the ante" and said, "Whoever eats me will live because of me."

Take me within you.  Take in my gift of atonement in redemption.  Take in my Way of walking with God in Agape Love and Grace.  Take in my beliefs, my principles, my Kingdom values and my Way of walking in faithfulness.  Take it all in.  Be ALL IN.

But they would not allow it for themselves and tried to deny it to others.  Their greed, lust for power over others and desire for status above others were threatened by Jesus' Way.  They were empire, and Kingdom values do not allow for empire's values.

It is the same today.

Oh, folks are drinking the kool-aide, taking the poisoned pill of hatred and false superiority to justify their greed, lust for power over others and desire for status above others.  They have swallowed that just fine - hook, line and sinker.  They have chosen the cults of personality, false teachings and ideologies that believe will get them all that they want.  They have had "itching ears" to hear these false doctrines and have adopted them, and have "blown with every wind of doctrine" that has fed their egos, pockets and halls of injustice.  They have been very willing to take in everything that the social media, ideological networks and false teachers and liars have served them in the form of conspiracies, myths and ideologies that divide people and destroy others' lives.  It has become who they are and it seen in what they say and do.

What we take in becomes us.  What we value, we take in.  "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  Junk in, junk out.  It is reflected in our words and actions.  "By their fruits you will know them."

What will we take in?  What will BECOME US?  What will become OF us?

Will it be the beliefs and ways of empire, or of the Kingdom?

Jesus often said, as we have witness in the Gospels, "The Kingdom has come near to you."

Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God is within/among you."

So, what will we take in?  What will we become?

Will it be the greed, hatreds, lust for power and desire for status of empire, or the Agape Love and Grace of the Kingdom?

Will our embedded theologies and ideologies of the last forty years, and our pieties allow the Kingdom of God in Jesus into our hearts and minds?

Will we take Jesus in?

Pastor Jamie

Resistance

 John 6:35, 41-51 is our lectionary text for the Sunday coming up.

Jesus declares I AM... He is God... I am Who I am... here, the Bread of Life... that which sustains life.  The corrupt religious leaders of that time and place resisted that declaration and all that it/He stood for.  The question is begged - Will you resist empire or Kingdom?

Jesus commanded us to FOLLOW Him.  He also said that all who believe in Him/His Way of living with God in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now, would have eternal life.  He punctuated this by claiming again, I AM.

Jesus pointed out that the ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness that God provided, but they eventually died.  THIS BREAD sustains beyond just this part of God's Kingdom, here and now, to the other part - to life for eternity with God in love, joy and peace.  This is the LIVING BREAD, that which God gives in Jesus - His flesh.

Clearly, if you have stayed awake for any or all Gospel readings, you have heard that God wants us to have enough here and now, with justice and peace.  It is for the living of a quality of life for all people in this part of the Kingdom that Jesus teaches, commands and models the Good News of Agape Love and Grace.  It is also, incidentally, about life for eternity in heaven.

God's guidance in the Good News of Jesus is all about living Agape Love and Grace, here and now.  God's Grace in Jesus is all about salvation, here and now, AND for eternity in heaven.

It is given for ALL people.  We either believe that and resist empire, or we don't believe it and resist the Kingdom of God and Jesus' Way of Agape Love and Grace - we resist God.

The one who believes has eternal life.

Do you believe it?

Pastor Jamie

Don't get it twisted...

 John 6:24-35 is the lectionary Gospel text for Sunday, August 1.

The crowd followed from "Tiberias", a town named in honor of the Roman emperor.  It is still about Rome here, folks.  It is still about being under the occupation and oppression of empire.

The people said, "Give us this bread."

Jesus knew what they were asking.  They wanted the trinkets of Kingdom, just as they were killing themselves for and settling for the crumbs and trinkets of empire.  They would settle for barley loaves if they could get them.  They were conditioned to believe that empire was inevitable, that it was the best system going, and that it was not the system that was the problem, but rather they, themselves, somehow.  They believed that they did not have what it took to be "on top", and therefore were on the bottom.  They got the whole thing twisted.

Jesus brought Kingdom values that lifted up all, equally.  Empire created wealth for the few elites, at the expense of the many.  The Kingdom values everyone having enough and being satisfied with enough.  Empire promoted the abuses of power over others that allowed a few to control the many and exploit them. The Kingdom values each person being empowered to live their lives, make their decisions and control their own destinies because of equitable opportunities in life.  Empire lifted up status above others as a way of life, so that some felt superior to others and justified in their abuses and exploitations of them.  The Kingdom values humility, shared value for one another, equality in value and value for community over individuals.

Some in the crowd were "Wannabe's."  Though they would never be among the elites, they bought into the empire system and wanted to be on top within it.  They were true believers in this world view, and got whatever they could get under it, even at the expense of others around them.

Some in the crowd were demoralized.  They felt powerless over the system under which they lived, and powerless to change it.  They were held down, back and out so long that they believed it could never be changed, so they did nothing to change it.

Some in the crowd were simply angry.  They would take shots at whoever crossed them, whether isolated Roman soldiers in dark alleys or other citizens who irritated them.  They were striking out in futility, out of shear anger and frustration.  They were the ones who would have made Jesus a military king.

Some in the crowd would get it.  There IS a better way.  Jesus' Way of Kingdom here and now is a better, more sustainable life for us, and for everyone in the world.  They would organize, follow and work to resist the empire values that brought oppression to so many.  They would work to ease the suffering of those under it and to offer a different, better way - Jesus' Way for living in the world together.  They were the ones through whom the First Century world was changed for a time, until empire subjugated the movement and institutionalized it under empire, toward its own ends.

It is about the bread, but it is about much, much more.  It is about the UNITY, GENEROSITY, AGAPE LOVE and GRACE that sustains life and brings transformation.  It is about destroying a system that is hateful, greedy, abusive and inequitable through Agape Love and Grace, to be in alignment with God's Kingdom and its values.

"This is the work of God - believe in the one whom God has sent." - Jesus

So, when they demanded of Jesus, "Give us this bread."

His answer was - "You have it."  "I AM the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

Jesus' Way sustains us in the wilderness of empire.  Agape Love and Grace are the ONLY sustainable way for the world.

The "food of the world" perishes.  The crumbs from the table of the elites, the trinkets given to placate the victims, the trickled down drops from the bounty above, the false power over a few others to control and abuse them, the false status above others that justifies our hatreds out of fear - these just promote an unjust, ungodly system that hurts God's children, our sisters and brothers.

Jesus' Way of Agape Love and Grace sustains.  It delivers us from sin and death, here and now in THIS PART OF GOD'S KINGDOM.  It kills a system that devastates and destroys lives.  THAT is the Bread of Life that sustains us, if we will only come to believe in it, commit to it, apply it and live it.

Under the occupying and oppressive evils of empire, don't get it twisted - there is only ONE Bread of Life - Jesus' Way of Agape Love and Grace.

Pastor Jamie

under the shadow of empire

 John 6:1-21 is the Gospel lectionary text for Sunday, July 25.

Geographically, it does work.  The author of John's Gospel seemingly makes a mistake, for Jesus was on that side of the Sea of Galilea.  But it allowed the Gospel writer to use the Roman name - Sea of Tiberias, and signal its readers/hearers that it is a message regarding Rome's occupation of their land and lives.

It was the Passover.  And what do you do at Passover?  Bread and Wine.  But they had none.  Empire had left them without sustenance or power over their own destinies.  Jesus "tested" Philip, and Andrew chimed in with a ridiculous "helpful" offering.  Jesus gave thanks and gave out the 5 barley loaves - only the bread in John.  And they all ate and were satisfied.  And they gathered up 12 baskets of remnants.  The people saw what He had done.  The 12 tribes were satisfied with enough left over to go another day, as in the wilderness, even under the oppression and depravation of occupation under empire.  Now THAT is a celebration of the Passover they would not soon forget!

In fact, Jesus had to ditch the crowd, because they wanted to make Him King right then and there.  Their "King", a vassal sanctioned by Rome, represented empire and did nothing for God's people.  Jesus in one day gave them hope and helped them celebrate their identity as a people, even under the shadow of Rome's oppression.

Now, Jesus would show off for His disciples, walk on the water and bring them, in the boat, to shore safely through the storm.  Jesus provided them sustenance, and brought the church home safely through the storm of empire's oppressive, evil forces.

Our storm of oppressive, evil force is laissez-faire Capitalism.

The oppression of it, especially since 1981 and the corruptions that have followed since, has devastated the lives of countless millions around the world, all for the personal gain of about 1% of the population.  It has been a tool of oppression.  It excludes, exploits and withholds from the many for the sake a few.  It holds the many down, back and out, leaving them without what they need so that the few rich fools can have more of an abundance than they can ever deplete.  It occupies the nation and much of the world by occupying the halls of governance, justice and economics.  It occupies through the fear of being called "socialist" or un-American, through the social pressure to conform and through other false social and religious teachings that undergird its insidious falsehoods - the unholy gods of Greed, lust for Power and desire for Status which drive it.

The weapons of this oppressive force are white, protestant straight male supremacy and the many hatreds that it generates in order that the people will be divided, so that those who it represents can remain dominant by holding onto all the resources and power, and exploiting the masses for more.  

It claims to be righteous, as witnessed by its power, status and wealth, even claiming to be democratic while promoting its Oligarchic, Plutocratic ideals at the expense of the people.

And many under it have adopted its values and vision as true believers, gullibly hoping one day to be among the few elites who benefit from empire's oppression.  Others do whatever they must in order to secure the scraps from its table for themselves, even at the expense of others around them, and especially those not like them.  And some refuse to participate, resist its ways and speak truth to power and wealth, both within the church that bears Jesus' name and outside of it.

Which are you?

Who will be preaching THIS message from John's Gospel next Sunday?

Pastor Jamie