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The Idolatrous Economic Excuse For Tolerating Injustice

Take care not to store up possessions on earth that can be spoiled by worms, eaten by moths, or stolen by thieves.  Instead, give away your possessions to the ones in need, and then you will be storing up great possession in the spirit-world above, where nothing can be lost or stolen.  For where you store your valued possessions is where your heart will be.... No one can be loyal to two rival chiefs.  You will have to choose between them.  You will either hate one chief and love the other, or honor one and resent the other.  You cannot be loyal to the Great provider and to possessions at the same time Matthew (Gift from Creator tells the good story) 6:21, 24 First Nations Version Spiritual warfare is resistance to empire, to the political and economic manifestations of Babylon in our own time and place     --Richard Beck in Reviving Old Scratch Earlier today, I was listening to the news and there was a report of a Senator describing his opposition to bill that reduced drug costs, expan
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What God thinks is important in Candidates..

 “ Is this what makes you a king, having more cedar than anyone else? Didn’t your father eat and drink and still do what was just and right? Then it went well for him! He defended the rights of the poor and needy; then it went well. Isn’t that what it means to know me? declares the LORD .” Jeremiah‬ ‭22:15-16‬ ‭CEB‬‬ ““ Watch out for false prophets. They come to you dressed like sheep, but inside they are vicious wolves. You will know them by their fruit. Do people get bunches of grapes from thorny weeds, or do they get figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, and every rotten tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit. And a rotten tree can’t produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, you will know them by their fruit. ” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:15-20‬ ‭CEB‬‬ During the reign of King Joakim,  (600 years prior to Jesus),  the small country of Judah was a relatively small pla
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Hearing from God

"The Spirit who inhabits us is not mute, restricting himself to an occasional nudge, a hot flash, a brilliant image or a case of goose bumps" -- Dallas Willard "So pay attention to how you hear.  To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given.  But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them." Luke 8:18 Here is a confession.  My most challenging and rewarding class that I have ever taken (high school, college, graduate schools combined) was called  Advanced Choir.  I know that sounds crazy in light of years of difficult science, Seminary, and organizational management courses.  Yet, when I reflect back, its high school choir that required the deepest level of focus and understanding. I am a person with a very average voice who grew up in a family without a significant musical history.  The advanced choir in high school, was one of the top competitive choirs in the state of Ohio, with
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Election Day Wisdom for a Redeemed People

“ When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?” “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the LORD’s army.” At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?”” ‭‭Joshua‬ ‭5:13-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “ The bigger agenda is not a call to politicize the body of Christ but to faithfully reflect Christ and his concerns for the whole world in all of our public engagement” — Richard Cizik in New evangelical manifesto Yesterday, I was watching the Cleveland Browns lose with a bunch of Die hard Browns fans in Naples Florida when one of my newly found comrades in the 100 year war (slogan adopted by Browns fans to deal with the misery of losing for soooo long) said "Everytime a political commercial comes on, I turn away as it literally turns my stomach.  It feels so hopele
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Thoughts after watching "Birth of a Nation"

" Blackness is always assumed to be the problem"      -Drew Hart in "The Trouble I've Already Seen" Matthew 25:40  "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.  NIV Today, Amelia and I went to see the movie " Birth of a Nation " based upon the life of Nat Turner.  Nat Turner was born at the turn of the 19th century as a slave in Virginia.  He would lead a violent insurrection that led to the death of 55 Whites, mostly slave owners and their families.  Local government and Slave owner families responded with violent reprisals against hundreds of slave and Free Black men, women, and children.  The insurrection created a ripple effect where laws and processes were enacted that severely limited the ability to Blacks to congregate, read, or preach.  In fact, one could say that a fear-based legal and social culture was promoted, in which has extended to
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The Healing of Humility

"Pounds like thunder within my breast All the anger, all my humanness. And, though I call you Lord, I must confess I''m a stranger to your holiness A stranger to your holiness" --Steve Camp in Stranger to Holiness (1985) "*Reads news* *Looks in mirror* I will not despair.  I will defiantly identify in myself that  Which I hate in others and I will be kind" --Nadia Bolz-Weber @sacrcasticluther 7/16/16 “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” Matthew 5:5-7, 9 NLT We live in unprecedented times.  The degree of violence, mistrust, deception, and division within our communities seems like it has been building and building and there is a sense of an impending explosion.  We have seen tragedy upon tragedy
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What Are You Seeking

“We need to be willing to replace our agendas with God’s agenda, put God’s will above our wills, and replace our priorities with God’s priorities.” — Richard Stearns in Unfinished “ The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” ” John 1:35-38 ESV Lately, I have been studying the gospels, looking at their applications in regards to concepts of community, discipleship, and Jesus' understanding and use of power.  I took several months to go through the book of Mark and now have begun the gospel of John. In this early scene from John's gospel (John 1:35-38 above), we have the well known prophet, John the Baptist revealing to his own disciples, and previously, to the scribes,
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