Corporations as persons

Now that the Supreme Court has given corporations unlimited power to influence politics it may be a good time to review the process whereby corporations were given the status of person in our nation. What follows is just a brief explanation of that process and I would encourage you to read the full article at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/what-would-democracy-look-like/555

The American war over corporate power is heating up again. A current struggle centers on the question of whether corporations should be “people” in the eyes of the law.

In October 2002, Nike appealed a lawsuit against it to the Supreme Court, asking it to rule that Nike's letters to newspapers about treatment of workers in Indonesia and Vietnam are protected by the First Amendment.

In Pennsylvania, several townships recently passed laws forbidding corporate-owned farms. In response, agribusiness corporations threatened to sue the townships for violation of their civil rights—just as if these corporations were persons.

Imagine. In today's America, when a new human is born, she is instantly protected by the full weight and power of the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Similarly, when papers called articles of incorporation are submitted to governments in America (and most other nations of the world), another type of new “person” is brought forth into the nation.

The new corporate person is instantly endowed with many of the rights and protections of personhood. It doesn't breathe or eat, can't be enslaved, can live forever, doesn't fear prison, and can't be executed if found guilty of misdoings. It is not a human but a creation of humans. Nonetheless, the new corporation gets many of the Constitutional protections America's founders gave humans to protect them against governments or other potential oppressors. How did corporations become persons?

After the Revolutionary War, Thomas Jefferson proposed a Bill of Rights with 12 amendments, one of which would “ban commercial monopolies,” forever making it illegal for corporations to own other corporations, to do business in more than one specific product or market, and thus forever preventing another oppressive commercial juggernaut like the East India Company from arising again in North America to threaten democracy and oppress the people.

But Jefferson's amendment failed and the corporations fought back. Now those corporations use the club of the amendments that did pass to influence elections and legislation favoring them—in the name of their rights as persons.

An historic goof?
What most people don't realize is that this is a recent agreement—and it is based on an historic error. Only since 1886 have the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment been applied explicitly to corporations. For 100 years people have believed that the 1886 case Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad included the statement “Corporations are persons.” But looking at the actual case documents, I found that this was never stated by the court, and indeed the chief justice explicitly ruled that matter out of consideration in the case.

The claim that corporations are persons was added by the court reporter who wrote the introduction to the decision, called “headnotes.” Headnotes have no legal standing.

It appears that corporations acquired personhood by persuading a court reporter and a Supreme Court judge to make a notation in the headnotes of an unrelated law case. In Everyman's Constitution, legal historian Howard Jay Graham documents scores of previous attempts by Supreme Court Justice Stephen J. Field to influence the legal process to the benefit of his open patrons, the railroad corporations. Field, as judge on the Ninth Circuit in California, had repeatedly ruled that corporations were persons under the 14th Amendment, so it doesn't take much imagination to guess what Field might have suggested Court Recorder J.C. Bancroft Davis include in the transcript, perhaps even offering the language, which happened to match his own language in previous lower court cases.

Alternatively, Davis may have acted on his own initiative. This was no ordinary court reporter. He was well-connected to the levers of power in his world, which in 1880s America were principally the railroads, and had, himself, served as president of the board of a railroad company.

Regardless of how it happened, an amendment to the Constitution, designed to protect the rights of African Americans after the Civil War, passed by Congress, voted on and ratified by the states, and signed into law by the president, was re-interpreted in 1886 for the benefit of corporations. The notion that corporations are persons has never been voted into law by the people or by Congress, and all the court decisions endorsing it derive from the precedent of the 1886 case—from Davis' error.

Other legal errors have been corrected with time. The notions that women aren't persons under the law, (affirmed, for example, in the 1873 Bradwell v. State case) and that blacks aren't entitled to equal protection (decided in the Dred Scott and Plessy cases) were superseded by court cases affirming the full rights of African Americans and women under the law. The establishment of corporate personhood, on the flimsy foundation of a court reporter's insertion of a phrase into a legal summary, may be the next mistake to be corrected, particularly if grassroots efforts continue to challenge the legitimacy of corporate personhood.

The Presentation of our Lord

Luke 2:22-40

in the midst of our rituals
made up of what we feel
and our understanding
of what and who God is
we sometimes encounter
in spite of all that we place in the way
God
pure and simple
shining like a ray of joy
into our hearts
and our rituals
Our understandings
make sense in a new way
for we have seen
seen the one promised
to save the people
and bring life to the world
Anna and Simeon came to such a moment
a pureness of time
wrapped in a blanket
helpless
and they felt complete
so now dismiss you servant in peace
allow not this moment to lapse into a memory
for my eyes have seen salvation
prepared for all people
A light to guide all nations
for the glory of Your people
the memory
the moment
the world
Alive
and remembered.

4th Sunday after Epiphany

Luke 4:21-30

Today is the day
No more waiting
No more getting ready
Jubilee is here
And the world will be set right
--with God
---------- and our neighbor as ourselves
and with a collective sigh
all thought he was cute
------ and naïve
---------and would learn some day
the way the world really is
“You can’t trust those people”
“They are not like us”
“We are the chosen
------ frozen
---------- righteous
of god
in our image
and the young Jesus reminded them
of the limitlessness of God
and God’s view of neighbor
and reminded them of the difference
between the world as is
and the world will be
but he walked right through the crowd
set to enforce
with force
what is
and went on his way
to what will be

Who, Me?

Sunday January 31st, Jeremiah 1: 4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." The young man Jeremiah is called to step forth as a prophet and this raises the question for you and me, “What is God’s plan, God’s calling, for you”? What does God have in mind for you to bring to the world as the gift you have already been given? Most of us would scoff at such a prospect and so did Jeremiah. It is not a matter of what we think we are capable of, it is a matter of what God is calling you to do and has already gifted you to do whether you are ready to accept it or not. Spend some time in prayer this week. Ask God what it is that God would have you do in this world. Ask God what gifts you have been given to share. Ask God what message you have been given to bring forth. In most cases it will be like the answer John the Baptists gave to some who asked, you are called to go about that which you already do, but with the justice of God as your guide. It may be that God has another path for you, one you may have never imagined for yourself. If you follow that path, be ready for an adventure which is not always full of smiles.

God directed adventure

Monday February 1st, Jeremiah 1: 7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. If you find yourself in a God directed adventure, you may find yourself in some hot water from time to time. So it goes. When you find yourself in such a fix, remember, you are not alone. The Lord will be with you, and sometimes even rescue you, though not always on your timetable. This is not a pleasure cruise, but it is an adventure that will finally bring meaning to a life that to this point has had that vague longing at its core. Worried about getting ready for the adventure, don’t worry, or as the angels would say, “fear not.” As in most of God’s calling, the readiness is in the calling, you are already packed and you don’t even know it. All it takes is the willingness to respond with even a half hearted yes. There will be lots of learning for sure, but it is along on the path, not before you start, otherwise you will never start. So start your journey today, and fear not, enjoy the adventure and whenever possible, have fun.

Wow, dude

Tuesday February 2nd, 1 Corinthians 13: 1 What if I could speak all languages of humans and of angels? If I did not love others, I would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 What if I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge? And what if I had faith that moved mountains? I would be nothing, unless I loved others. Wow, dude, what if I could be the winner of survivor, or maybe able to make it to the top level of the latest video game, or wow, like chosen as winner on American Idol? Well, without love, you are just another self-absorbed blowhard, of which the world already has way too many. Try being something the world needs and looks up to. Chances are you already have the tools necessary, all you need is a focus. God has already called you for mission, that empty feeling inside is your lack of response. Did you ever think that all those closed doors are trying to move you to that one open door you have been trying to avoid? That emptiness inside could be the beginning of your calling and it could be many things, but whatever it is, if it is God’s calling, it is filled with the love of God.

not just for weddings

Wednesday February 3rd, 1 Corinthians 13: 9 We don't know everything, and our prophecies are not complete. 10 But what is perfect will someday appear, and what isn't perfect will then disappear. 11 When we were children, we thought and reasoned as children do. But when we grew up, we quit our childish ways. 12 Now all we can see of God is like a cloudy picture in a mirror. Later we will see him face to face. We don't know everything, but then we will, just as God completely understands us. 13 For now there are faith, hope, and love. But of these three, the greatest is love. Whatever you try to do rest assured that you will not get it completely right no matter how hard you try. So therefore there is no use getting too uptight about it. Give it your best. Let love be your guide. Let God’s love be your illumination. Remember there is a good deal of danger in trying to do it all perfectly right, the main one being that it is a good excuse to do nothing at all. It is also a way of saying, I am in charge and I don’t trust God to work things out the way God wants them to work out. Too many of us fall into the trap of trying to use the scripture the way a drunk uses a lamppost, for support rather than illumination (WSCoffin). In the next life we will get to see what it was suppose to look like, what the panoramic view back shows, but for now, let love guide your ways. In doing so, I think you will find that when we do see that great panoramic view, we will see that our few brush strokes were just what was needed in that time and place, and it was God’s hand that was guiding us all along.

Look what we taught him

Thursday February 4th, Luke 4: 21 and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked. Some of those gathered must have been proud of him. That young Jesus, he did so well. Look what we taught him. They were right of course, they did teach him. Part of who Jesus was, was formed listening to the word and being part of the community of faith. But as with most communities of faith, it had its limits also. There were the others listening to him, the movers and the shakers who heard the jubilee language and ask, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” The very words invoke limits and preconceived ideas. Just who does that uppity kid think he is? God’s love on the other hand knows no limits, God’s vision knows no limits, and God’s forgiveness knows no limits. Sometimes breaking the mold is hard. Sometimes it is the only thing that can bring growth. Be open to the word of God in your midst coming from even the cute little places, and be open to your ideas of the kingdom breaking in and your concept of it breaking apart. Remember, God and the kingdom knows no limits.

Limited views

Friday February 5th, Luke 4: 24 "I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian." Limited views of the Kingdom allow us to believe that the Kingdom is only for us, or those who believe like us. Mold breaking is hard, and painful. Nazareth was a small Jewish community in the midst of a diverse Galilee and close to the very cosmopolitan Zippori (Sepphoris). Nazareth was this nice pure town. Now Jesus, after introducing jubilee language, drives the thorn deeper by using examples of the wideness of God’s mercy to show that maybe there is something beyond their narrow fundamentalists view. Have you had a time when you had to break your preconceived ideas of another? Was it painful? Was it best in hindsight? The Kingdom of God is not limited, it is open to all. God created all and called it good. We on the other hand are still working on that one. For help you might try signing the Charter for Compassion. (http://charterforcompassion.org/)

the stage was set

Saturday February 6th, Luke 4: 28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. OK, so much for that cute little homeboy, let’s kill him. When you are doing God’s will, expanding the Kingdom beyond the comfortable borders of others, you are bound to ruffle a few feathers. When that happens, remember that those feathers that have been ruffled are the children of Gods also. Sometimes it is best to just walk away and bring them the Gospel another day and another way. Sometimes it is best to stay and stand your ground. Death for Jesus would have to wait for another day, but the stage was set, the powers of this world were on notice, God’s kingdom welcomes all and all our attempts to kill that notion are in vain.

Kate McGarrigle

OBITUARY: Kate McGarrigle. Singer. Born Quebec, February 6, 1946. Died Montreal, January 18. Aged 63.

rest in peace, and thank you for the blessings your life brought to the world.

WITH her older sister Anna, Kate McGarrigle made some of the most beguiling folk-pop records of the past 40 years. Combining a rich seam of traditional folk influences with poignant and poetic contemporary songwriting, the sisters created a uniquely warm sound, characterised by exquisite two-part harmonies.

Their voices ranged from the sweet and yearning to the haunting and plaintive, and their records exuded an intimate quality that made the listener feel they had intruded on a relaxed Sunday afternoon session around the piano in the McGarrigle family parlour.

Both sisters were gifted songwriters, and when Linda Ronstadt scored a hit with a cover of Heart Like a Wheel from their debut album, it seemed mainstream commercial success was theirs for the taking. But the duo were determined to pursue their own path and paid little attention to the demands of a pop career. They never imitated other popular artists or tagged on to musical fashions; indeed, they seemed oblivious to them. Instead of touring they preferred to stay at home and quietly bring up their families well away from the spotlight.

Despite avoiding the glare of celebrity in her private life, Kate McGarrigle helped to found a musical dynasty: her two children, Rufus Wainwright and Martha Wainwright, became stars in their own right.

In later years the McGarrigle sisters' recordings became more sporadic, and after 1982 they released only five more albums. Yet each in its quiet way was a gem, not least the charming The McGarrigle Hour (1998), on which the sisters, their offspring, and friends sang favourite songs by the likes of Stephen Foster and Irving Berlin.

Full Article in the Australian

One of my favorite songs, which I sang in church related to text being salt of the earth is NaCl


NaCl (SODIUM CHLORIDE)
Kate McGarrigle, Garden Court Music ASCAP

Just a little atom of chlorine
Valence minus one
Swimming through the sea, digging the scene
Just having fun
She's not worried about the shape or size
Of her outside shell
It's fun to ionize
Just a little atom of Cl
With an unfilled shell

But somewhere in that sea lurks
Handsome Sodium
With enough electrons on his outside shell
Plus that extra one
Somewhere in this deep blue sea
There's a negative
For my extra energy
Somewhere in this foam
My positive will find a home

Then unsuspecting Chlorine
Felt a magnetic pull
She looked down and her outside
Shell was full
Sodium cried "what a gas be my bride and
I'll change your name from Chlorine to Chloride"

Now the sea evaporates to make the clouds
For the rain and snow
Leaving her chemical compounds in the absence
Of H2O
But the crystals that wash upon the shore
Are happy ones
So if you never thought before
Think of the love that you eat
When you salt your meat


You can listen to the song at:

http://new.music.yahoo.com/kate-anna-mcgarrigle/tracks/nacl-sodium-chloride--1462577 or by clicking on the title above in the heading.

The Conversion of St. Paul

Luke 21:10-19

In the name of Christ
We will all be remembered
not because of our greatness
but because
the little we have done
was in the name of Christ
When all the world comes crashing
down on all sides
even then
they will know
what we did was in the Name of Christ
When great armies come
and take the land
with power and might
they will know
what we did was in the Name of Christ
When all others fall away
and we stay
in love
they will know
what we did was in the Name of Christ
And in the end
Paul looked back
and saw the word of Christ
Spread throughout the land
unbounded by the divisions that power makes
and knew
what was done was in the Name of Christ

3rd Sunday after Epiphany

Luke 4:14-21

All of the hopes
All of the dreams
from generation to generation
have come to this
moment in time
In life and in light
as the world of God is spoken
Christ’s ministry in this world
Began
among a people
who saw only the child
who heard only the preconceived ideas
of what was to be
and who was to be
Until
they heard the words of promise
(The Spirit of the Lord
is upon me
to bring good news to the poor)
and they
We
Rejected the one sent
to set free the oppressed
and cringe at the thought
that at last
the time has come
when the Lord will save his people

it's not smog, God just has dirty hands

Sunday January 24th, Psalm 19: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. The story of creation is a story of the beginning of relationship. We were created from the dust of the ground, and in relationship to the Creation from which we were formed. We were created in the likeness of God with the breath of life, the Spirit within us and as such we are created in and for a relationship with the Creator. Eve, the mother of all was created from the earth man Adam, from there grew community and as such we are related one to another in Community. We live, breath, and find our being in this three-way relationship, with Creation, with Community and with the Creator. As the heavens, part of God’s creation, declare the glory of God, so too, we to are called to declare the glory of God, it is what gives live meaning by connecting to its original intent. It also calls into question how we treat those same heavens with which we are to join in glorifying our Creator. As we continue to play games trying to deny both the problems and solutions to global warming, we are sinning against not only Creation, but also Community and Creator. Now that you have been created in a loving relationship, how are you going to show the manifestation of that relationship back to the creation?

Whenever you draw a line in the sand, Jesus is on the other side

Monday January 25th, 1 Corinthians 12: 12 The body of Christ has many different parts, just as any other body does. 13 Some of us are Jews, and others are Gentiles. Some of us are slaves, and others are free. But God's Spirit baptized each of us and made us part of the body of Christ. This was a radical understanding at the time of Paul. Jews and Gentiles did not freely associate, and slavery where one person owned another, was a part of everyday life. Paul is stating that we are all part of God’s glorious creation. Whenever there is a division, whenever there is a line drawn in the sand, Jesus is on the other side of the line. When we draw lines and build fences, Christians and non-Christians, Jews and Palestinians, East and West Germany, Americans and Mexicans, Gay and Straight, we only succeed is putting a wall between ourselves and God. Where do we draw lines, whether physically or in our rhetoric today? In how many ways and in how many houses of worship do we force Jesus out, allowing him in name but not in our hearts, in the process? What can we do in our community to help erase the lines that have already been drawn? Remember, whenever you draw a line in the sand, Jesus is on the other side of that line!

self mutilation

Tuesday January 26th, 1 Corinthians 12: 15 Suppose a foot says, "I'm not a hand, and so I'm not part of the body." Wouldn't the foot still belong to the body? 16 Or suppose an ear says, "I'm not an eye, and so I'm not part of the body." Wouldn't the ear still belong to the body? 17 If our bodies were only an eye, we couldn't hear a thing. And if they were only an ear, we couldn't smell a thing. 18 But God has put all parts of our body together in the way that he decided is best. No matter how we try to draw lines, no matter how we try to exclude others, no matter what glorious, thoughtful and righteous arguments we use, whether we like it or not we are still all part of the body of Christ. Discussion on laws to limit the rights others based on their sexual preference may sound like a righteous discussion, but they are still part of the body of Christ. Putting Bible Verses on gun sights (http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/us-military-weapons-inscribed-secret-jesus-bible-codes/story?id=9575794) for our solders does not make the person on the other end of that sight any more or less righteous than the person using the sight, they are both part of the family of God. Moreover, each time we draw one of those lines, one of those distinctions we are only deceiving ourselves. With that imaginary line we are on one side and Christ is on the other. Most would consider self mutilation a form of sickness that needs to be treated, all too often within the body of Christ is it the norm.

Free Market or Jesus Market?

Wednesday January 27th, 1 Corinthians 12: God put our bodies together in such a way that even the parts that seem the least important are valuable. 25 He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others. 26 If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy. A society is to be judged by how we treat the least among us. We have the largest rate of incarceration in the world. More than 5.6 million Americans are in prison or have served time there, according to a report by the Justice Department. That's 1 in 37 adults living in the United States, the highest incarceration level in the world. That should tell us that we are doing something wrong. The distribution of wealth in this country has shifted from a slope to an “L” shape. No longer do 30% own 70% of the wealth, but 5% own almost 90% of the wealth and the top 1/10th of 1% owns the vast majority of that; calls the shots, makes the laws by paying the lobbyists who write them for the legislators who are too busy raising money, from this same group, to get reelected. By not caring for the least, lost and lonely, we are destroying ourselves from the inside out. A very few are smiling about it all the way to the bank. (http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/12699486/paul_krugman_on_the_great_wealth_transfer/print)

Our Mission Statement too

Thursday January 28th, Luke 4: 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. This is considered the beginning of Jesus ministry, the official declaration of who he was and what God had called upon him to do. It is the mission statement of Jesus inc. and it is our mission statement also. It is who Christians are called to be and what we are called to do. The first thing mentioned is to preach good news to the poor, those who are poor because they have nothing, job lost, house in foreclosure, or your world collapsed in upon you as in Haiti, as well as those who are poor because they have taken everything with their corporate mergers and bailout bonuses and still find life meaningless. One can only assume, after reading the rest of the Gospel, that this preaching included more than just words, it also included actions. It is still our calling, our mission statement, our call to action.

Proclaim freedom

Friday January 29th, Luke 4: He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, Having the highest incarceration rate in the world should be a barometer of our national mental and social health. It is not so much a question of whether those individuals need to locked up as it is, why are so many drawn into that world. It is not just a matter of setting them free, it is a matter of fixing the system that is at the heart of a life of hopelessness. What directions are we taking that lead to hopelessness? Could it be that so many own so little while so few own so much? Could it be that elected officials act more out of the desire to be reelected than to help the nation, could it be that so many years after Martin Luther King, the race and wealth and power gaps are greater than before? We are driving headlong down the road away from Paul’s vision of the body of Christ, away from Christ’s vision of bringing good news to the poor. We are after all, blessed to be a blessing.

the great leveling?

Saturday January 30th, Luke 4: 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." The year of the Lord’s favor was to be the year of the Jubilee according to Jewish law (Leviticus 25:8-12). It was to happen every fifty years. In the year of Jubilee, all property went back to the family of origin, prisoners and slaves were set free, and debts were canceled and the wealth that had been accumulated would be redistributed. Imagine the implications for those who had become wealthy by confiscating the property of others—imagine, too, the implications for the AIG’s and Goldman-Sacks of today if such a jubilee were practiced in our time. It was to be the great economic leveling of society. It was God’s intention for the children of God. It never happened. Read on from verse 21 and you will see that the people even tried to kill Jesus for mentioning it. Read the paper and guess anything would be different today.

Confession of Peter

Matthew 16:13-19

(the picture is at the Sea of Galilee to commemorate the spot where Jesus tells peter to feed my sheep)

There comes a time
when we must make a stand
when we must be who we are
and why
A time
when for one brief moment
all else ceases to be important
and that something more in life
that is at stake
takes center stage
At those times
Those moments
life swings through gentle arcs
to some other point
to some other time
and life goes on
except for that point
around which all of life swings
all of life lives
that time spoken to by Peter
For us all
Who do you say I am
Who in all that is
do you say I am
Who in all of time
do you say I am
Peter answered
The center point shifted
Life became somehow new
You are the Christ
The Son of the living God

2nd Sunday after Epiphany

John 2:1-11

I watched the swallow soar around me.
Sitting there bound to earth
I watched
as each dive to the waters surface
was a gift of perfection
beheld by my eyes,
bound to my world of possibility.
I watched as more and more they circled
in ever increasing numbers
filling my heart with joy at the sight.
(Draw out)
At the sight of each dive and loop
I sat there and wondered
at the creator of all this,
(the water)
the beauty and grace of these creatures so small,
each movement a sign of glory
only roughly mimicked
(turned)
by the best of humanities efforts.
I thank you Lord for these gifts
of beauty,
(wine)
signs of your presence
signs of your grace
that points us from our own strivings
(for)
to the world you have created
and the glory of the world to come
(the feast)

dispensers of false generosity

Sunday January 17th, Psalm 96: Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. Both High and Low find refuge in the shadow of your wings,….Thank you Lord. It is easy for those on the bottom to point to the ones on the top as the problem but mostly today what you hear is the ones the top pointing to the ones on the bottom as the problem. The reality is that one group does not liberate the other or save the other or give the other meaning, but that the children of God working together help liberate one another. The first thing to be recognized is that everyone has been given gifts from God. Failure to see the “other” as your brother or sister in Christ is to “cut off your nose to spite you face.” The ones at the top however will seldom if ever see this as an area to pursue and thus the task of liberation falls most often on those at the bottom. “This, then, is the great humanistic and historical task of the oppressed: to liberate themselves and their oppressors as well. The oppressors, who oppress, exploit, and rape by virtue of their power; cannot find in this power the strength to liberate either the oppressed or themselves. Only power that springs from the weakness of the oppressed will be sufficiently strong to free both. Any attempt to “soften” the power of the oppressor in deference to the weakness of the oppressed almost always manifests itself in the form of false generosity; indeed, the attempt never goes beyond this. In order to have the continued opportunity to express their “generosity,” the oppressors must perpetuate injustice as well. An unjust social order is the permanent fount of this “generosity” which is nourished by death, despair, and poverty. That is why the dispensers of false generosity become desperate at the slightest threat to its source.” (the Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire)
In God’s world, we need one another and when we begin to recognize that, we begin to recognize the glory of God’s creation.

a beautiful bride

Monday January 18th, Isaiah 62: 4 Your name will no longer be "Deserted and Childless," but "Happily Married." You will please the LORD; your country will be his bride. 5 Your people will take the land, just as a young man takes a bride. The LORD will be pleased because of you, just as a husband is pleased with his bride. The coming of the Lord into the land, or into our hearts, brings hope for the hopeless. Those who feel abandoned are not only recognized, they are loved, glorified, and cared for. This is the Christian call to care for the least, lost and lonely in the world, because in our need, in our feelings of being the least, the lost and lonely, Christ is with us. As the children of God, we must continually ask ourselves, would we, as a country, a state, a community, please the Lord as his bride? With the ever expanding separation between the rich and poor with the top 1% of the population owning more than the bottom 90% (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VHNXTBwj80). Would the Lord be pleased with fences built to separate being built both in the Holy Land and on our southern border, both with our money? Would the Lord be please with the endless debating of the value of a decent minimum wage while hardly batting an eye at the half million dollar executive bonuses at the welfare recipient of Goldman Sachs? These are examples of what we lovingly present to the Lord. Should we not instead offer justice as a bridal gift? Forgive us Lord, and love us into acting justly, Amen!!

water

Tuesday January 19th, 1st Corinthians 12: 2 Remember how you were when you didn't know God, led from one phony god to another, never knowing what you were doing, just doing it because everybody else did it? It's different in this life. The calling of a child of God is not a once in a lifetime thing, it is a daily renewal, and in that, a daily rejuvenation and igniting of our longing for the Kingdom. Each morning when the water hits your face in the shower, remember your baptism, remember again that you are a child of God. Remember again the calling you received from a loving God and the blessings of the community. Remember your promises to be with those who have been baptized in your faith community and your calling to be a blessing in your community. Plan your day to live as a baptized and called child of God. In doing so, you won’t even notice all those little gods vying for your attention, and the world will be blessed through you.

the dog ate it

Wednesday January 20th, 1st Corinthians 12:4-5 God's various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. Have you ever tried to put together a large puzzle and when you get almost the end, you look and look and look, and behold, you are a few pieces short? The picture is nice, you can sort of tell what it is, but, there is something missing. Think of what the family of God would look like of all the pieces were there. Think of the beauty, the grace, the justice that would abound. I don’t think we will ever get that in this world, but, the more we all come forward with the gifts God has given us, the more glorious the picture. The more we honor gifts that are different from ours, the more glorious the picture. The wider our view of the family of God, the more glorious and broad is the landscape in this picture we call life and the greater the blessings to all.

chocolate chip cookies

Thursday January 21st, 1st Corinthians 12: 7-10 All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful: -wise counsel -clear understanding -simple trust -healing the sick -miraculous acts -proclamation -distinguishing between spirits -tongues -interpretation of tongues. A very simple and short list. Look around, what are the gifts present in the family of God that surrounds you? What gifts do you bring to this family community? How can some of your gifts bring out the “God flavors” in someone else’s gifts? It is overwhelming to think of what might be in this world, in your community, if all the “God-flavors” were to come together in one faith based stew. Share your gifts today and help bring out the “God-flavors” in your community. I can smell the glory in the air just thinking about it. (Children’s sermon idea on this text; bake some chocolate chip cookies and leave out the vanilla and put in three times the salt. Before handing them out ask the kids if they like chips, popcorn etc. snacks with lots of salt, must will agree. Then give them the cookies explaining how you made them especially for them. You tasted the vanilla and it taste awful and you knew they like salt. Lead the conversation into how you need all the flavors to the cookies to be good just like we need everyone to share their gifts in the family of God for it to be something great, if you are nice you can end by giving them regular chocolate chip cookies)

don't make me come down there...

Friday January 22nd, John 2: 1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." 4 "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Lesson number one; you might as well do what your mother tells you to do, because sooner or later you will end up doing it anyway. Lesson number two; it appears as if even Jesus had to be prodded once in a while, so it’s OK to prod and to be prodded. Lesson number three; Others can see your gifts, and sometimes wonder why you are not using them, so use them. Lesson number four; others will appreciate your gifts. So, celebrate the life God gave you in what you do in this life.

mad dog 20/20

Saturday January 23rd, John 2: They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." This world sees limits, God’s world sees ever expanding vistas of opportunity. “There is only so much to go around so get them drunk first and they won’t notice you have switched to MD 20/20” doesn’t cut it in God’s world. When you call in and upon the Spirit, it just keeps getting better and better all the time. When Jesus turned the water into wine perhaps it was his way of saying that life is a celebration not only of what is, but of what can become. Be part of the expanding vista of hope in your community allow your life to be changed from the ordinary to the sacramental life that brings joy to all people.

Art Clokey, Animator, Lutheran Church TV Series 'Davey and Goliath,' Dies

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The popular, animated television series Davey and Goliath, was a huge part of Art Clokey's life, said his son, Joe, following his father's death Jan. 8 at his home in Los Osos, Calif. The younger Clokey said his father, who had not been well in recent years, died in his sleep. Art Clokey was 88.
The family is planning a private funeral service for family and close friends, Joe Clokey said.
Clokey and his wife Ruth, who died in 2008, were best known as the creators of Gumby, beginning in the 1950s, which became a pop-culture icon. In 1959 the United Lutheran Church in America approached Clokey Productions Inc. to create a new television show for the church similar to the Gumby series, Joe Clokey said.
"The Lutherans contacted them, and asked them to create a show with the theme of 'God loves everyone,'" he said. "They put all of their hearts into it."
Shortly after work on Davey and Goliath began, the Clokeys were joined by children's book author Nancy Moore, who wrote many scripts for the stop-motion animated series. Its main characters were Davey Hansen and his talking dog, Goliath, who was Davey's conscience, according to the official Web site for the program. The first of 65 Davey and Goliath episodes, each 15 minutes in length, was broadcast in 1960.
Davey and Goliath adventures were known for "uplifting, moral lessons on topics such as responsibility, care for the environment, acceptance of all people, and other valuable lessons designed to affirm a child's faith in God in an entertaining way," according to the official Web site.
Art Clokey wrote some scripts early in the series, Joe Clokey said. The elder Clokey was particularly proud of two episodes he wrote, "Silver Mine" and "A Sudden Storm," his son said.
"Davey and Goliath is a wonderful show. I always tell people that Davey and Goliath represented the spiritual side of my dad. Davey and Goliath wasn't polarizing -- the message always was that 'no matter who you are, God loves you,'" Joe Clokey said. People of all faiths and backgrounds often expressed their appreciation for the show to the elder Clokey throughout his life, he said.
Davey and Goliath ended its longtime run on television in 1975. In 1988 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) was formed though a merger of three Lutheran churches. The ELCA maintains full rights to the Davey and Goliath properties, managing use of the characters and program distribution.
"We still hear from individuals, schools and congregations interested in acquiring Davey and Goliath programs," said Kristi S. Bangert, executive director, ELCA Communication Services. "Recently, Communication Services restored the originals, and re-edited and released 13 additional titles known as the 'lost' episodes."
In recent years Davey and Goliath has been referenced in movies and television programs, and the two appeared in commercials for the soft drink, "Mountain Dew." In 2003 the ELCA produced a documentary, Oh Davey … History of the Davey and Goliath Television Series, featuring Art and Ruth Clokey.
In 2004 a new hour-long program, Davey and Goliath's Snowboard Christmas was created by the ELCA and a team of animators led by Joe Clokey, through Premavision Inc. (Clokey Productions). Snowboard Christmas was broadcast on Hallmark Channel, and has been rebroadcast numerous times since.
"My dad and I worked on Snowboard Christmas. He loved seeing Davey and Goliath back in action again," Joe Clokey said.
Davey and Goliath won several awards, including many Gabriel Awards during its television run. The series founders were presented the 2004 Wittenberg Award by the Luther Institute, an affiliate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (Pa.), for outstanding contribution to church and society. In 2005 Snowboard Christmas was recognized by the Telly Awards and won a Platinum Best of Show Award for children/youth programming in the Aurora Awards.
Art Clokey was born in 1921 in Detroit. He earned a bachelor's degree from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and attended Hartford (Conn.) Seminary, where he was studying to be a priest of the Episcopal Church, when he met Ruth, a Lutheran. "They married, and went to Hollywood to make religious films together," Joe Clokey said.
The Clokeys had two children: Ann, who died in 1974, and Joe. Art and Ruth Clokey were divorced in 1966. In 1976 he married his second wife, Gloria, who died in 1998.
In addition to his son, Clokey is survived by three grandchildren; a stepdaughter, Holly Harman; a sister, Arlene Cline, Phoenix; and a half-sister, Patricia Anderson, Atlanta.
---
Information about Davey and Goliath is at http://www.daveyandgoliath.org on the Web.

US military actions enhance tribalism

An interesting article on how the U.S. war on terror has enhanced tribalism in the mid-east from Al Jazeera, link to full article at the end.

The US as a great warrior tribe

According to tribal Yemeni tradition, if a dispute has been resolved peacefully, any dagger that has been drawn cannot go back into its scabbard unless it tastes blood. Traditionally, an animal is slaughtered to satisfy its thirst and restore its holder's honour.

Since the Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact without a single shot, let alone nuclear warheads, being fired, the 'Greater Middle East' region has been turned into a real theatre of war.

From the Gulf war in 1991 through to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, from Somalia in 1993 to Yemen in 2010, and through Afghanistan and Pakistan, the US military has gone to great lengths to demonstrate its strategic capacity to act in faraway places and to prove its ability to guard and advance US and Western interests.

In no time, military means and out-right war and occupation replaced diplomacy and international law.

In return, the Pentagon's budget has almost doubled from the level it was before 9/11 to surpass the combined military expenditures of all the countries of the world, all under the guise of the 'global war against terror'.

Alas, the costly failures in Iraq and Afghanistan and other countries have demonstrated that the Muslim world is far too stubborn to be offered as a sacrifice in the pursuit of global leadership.

Tribal vs. state identities

Since then, the devastating wars of terror that have taken place in the shadows of accelerated globalisation have weakened state structures and institutions and reinforced tribal and sectarian identities. Regimes not directly affected, took preventative measures by strengthening their grip on power through increased security and tribal alliances.

The US and its regional allies have empowered and financed tribal leaders, as in Iraq and Afghanistan, to defeat unrelenting Islamist opposition or nationalist insurgencies, just as America's enemies have tried to gain the support of tribes for their cause against the "foreigners".

Washington followed in the footsteps of the UK, which boasts extensive experience of tribal politics in its former colonies, to arm and finance tribal leaders to fight its war in Iraq under the guise of "The Awakening" or ''The Sons of Iraq".

Likewise in Afghanistan, where the US built on its long experience with the northern tribes in the 1980s to regain the initiative against the Soviet supported regime in Kabul.

In the process, salient - and not so salient - tribal power has been empowered in all the areas of conflict in the 'Greater Middle East' by undemocratic leaders. Yemen, Libya, Jordan, Palestine and, even failed states like Afghanistan and Somalia, have witnessed the emergence of tribal loyalties and power.

But the failure of the US and its allies to attain stability - let alone to declare victory - has slowly but surely transformed the political landscape into a coalition of tribes or 'a warrior ruling tribe' over many.

full article link:

Pope Denounces World Leaders' Failure To Forge Climate Treaty

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI denounced the failure of world leaders to agree to a new climate change treaty in Copenhagen last month, saying Monday that world peace depends on safeguarding God's creation.

He issued the admonition in a speech to ambassadors accredited to the Vatican, an annual appointment during which the pontiff reflects on issues the Vatican wants to highlight to the diplomatic corps.

Benedict has been dubbed the "green pope" for his increasingly vocal concern about protect the environment, an issue he has reflected on in encyclicals, during foreign trips and most recently in his annual peace message. Under Benedict's watch, the Vatican has installed photovoltaic cells on its main auditorium to convert sunlight into electricity and has joined a reforestation project aimed at offsetting its CO2 emissions.

For the pontiff, it's a moral issue: Church teaching holds that man must respect creation because it's destined for the benefit of humanity's future.

In his speech, the pontiff criticized the "economic and political resistance" to fighting environmental degradation that was exemplified in the negotiations to draft a new climate treaty at last month's summit in Copenhagen.

....

"To cultivate peace, one must protect creation!" Benedict told the ambassadors, many of whom wore their national dress or medal-draped formal attire for the audience in the frescoed Sala Regia of the Vatican's apostolic palace.

The pontiff said the same "self-centered and materialistic" way of thinking that sparked the worldwide financial meltdown was also endangering creation. To combat it will require a new way of thinking and a new lifestyle – and an acknowledgment that the question is a moral one, he said.

"The protection of creation is not principally a response to an aesthetic need, but much more to a moral need, inasmuch as nature expresses a plan of love and truth which is prior to us and which comes from God,"

full article link

Bill Moyers interview on Wall Street Greed

this is the best interview on what is happening on Wall Street I have seen. Points fingers at both Republicans and Democrats.

BILL MOYERS: Welcome to the Journal.

The ancient Romans had a proverb: "Money is like sea water. The more you drink, the thirstier you become." That adage finds particular meaning today on Wall Street, which began this New Year riding a tidal wave of bonuses in a surging ocean of greed.

Thanks to taxpayers like you who generously bailed banking from the financial shipwreck it created for itself and for us, by the end of 2009 the industry's compensation pool reached nearly $200 billion. And despite windfall profits, the banks will claim almost $80 billion in tax deductions. And nearly $20 billion of those deductions will go to just three institutions — Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase, and Goldman Sachs.

Watch the full interview here:

Don't you just love corporate America's Christmas Spirit?

H&M, Wal-Mart DESTROY Unused Clothing Instead Of Giving To Shelters

Amid the recession and the cold winter months, Cynthia Magnus made a shocking discovery at the H&M in Manhattan's Herald Square. It wasn't a sale on the season's hottest trends--it was garbage bags upon garbage bags of unsold merchandise, most of it slashed with razors to ensure that no one would ever wear or sell it, the New York Times reports.

"Gloves with the fingers cut off," Ms. Magnus said, reciting the inventory of ruined items. "Warm socks. Cute patent leather Mary Jane school shoes, maybe for fourth graders, with the instep cut up with a scissor. Men's jackets, slashed across the body and the arms. The puffy fiber fill was coming out in big white cotton balls." The jackets were tagged $59, $79 and $129.

And right around the corner from this particular H&M is a popular collection point for New York Cares' coat drive. The organization's spokeswoman Colleen Farrell told the Times, "We'd be glad to take unworn coats, and companies often send them to us."

While H&M's destroy-and-discard policy is a missed opportunity in this time of need, the fast fashion retailer isn't the only one to practice these extreme measures. Magnus also found bags full of clothes priced with Wal-Mart tags, and each item had a hole punched through it.

Melissa Hill, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart told the Times that the company typically donates its unsold pieces to charity and would investigate why those bags was discarded.

opening litany for "Baptism of our Lord" Sunday

Morning has Broken

Pastor: We gather as God's community around the waters of new life. The word of God comes to us through the prophet Ezekiel: "I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean."

Congregation: "I will give you a new heart. I will put my spirit within you. You shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God."

Pastor: In the sacrament of Holy Baptism we are set free from the power of sin and death and are joined to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Just as God's faithful people have always gathered in the name of God, we gather at the waters of life and remember the strong name of our God who creates life, Jesus who calls us to new life, and the Holy Spirit who sustains life! Here we are reborn children of God and welcomed into the family of believers, the Body of Christ, the church.

Congregation: Through baptism, we are ushered into the family of God where we find forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit and eternal life.

Pastor: You are all called to a life of active grace by participating as sojourners at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church where we are inspired by God’s love to Praise, Nurture and Serve. As we gather in this community we come together to Praise God in worship, song and prayer, delight in the diversity of all of God’s children, support one another through the love of Christ, gather to grow through God’s grace and reach out, serve, and incite miracles. Will you live out these signs of the Kingdom in your life? If so, please respond, "We will!"

Congregation: "We will!" And we give thanks for the gift of new life. We welcome one another and commit ourselves to growing in faith with each other. After Jesus was baptized, as he was praying, the sky opened up and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: "You are my Child, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life." Today, God reminds us of that claim on our lives as the Children of God. We have been marked by love and set apart for a life of service in this world. We pledge ourselves to be faithful friends and fellow sojourners as we journey together in this adventure called life.

Pastor: Let us remember our promise to one another

Congregation: We welcome you to the Lord’s family; we receive you as fellow members of the Body of Christ and worker with us in the Kingdom of God. We are the collective voice of God saying, you are our sisters and brothers, whom we love; with you we are well pleased, and with you we will journey through life together in Christ. We will always welcome you as a fellow sojourner as we live out God’s calling for our lives through our combined ministries at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Worship Song
I was there to Hear Your Borning Cry

1st Sunday after Epiphany

The Baptism of our Lord
Luke 3:15-22

Open you heavens
Open you earth
rejoice for the one has come
the Messiah
the Christ
Rejoice.
and I sit amid the commotion
and my own darkness
in the midst of my night
created in the beginning
and each day made anew
by my desires to be god
to serve Me alone
And in the distance
I see the white shining of a dove
gently gliding to earth
through the heavens opened
and alight upon the one standing before me
I hear the words
gentle like soft life giving rain
and yet like thunder
summoning the world to listen
amid its self serving drown
“this is my son
my own in whom I am pleased”
the heavens close again
leaving this shining ray of hope
---- and light
amid the darkness
leaving me knowing
I could never look into the face of another
without seeing the face of God
my night vanished
to a dawn of a new world
filled with the light of Christ

Fear not, for I have redeemed you

Sunday January 10th, Isaiah 43: 1 But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. Fear not child of God. Last week we heard of God’s predestination to love in the New Testament lesson. This week we hear it again in Isaiah. Though the world is filled with war and economic uncertainty, fear not. Though greed is fueling the global warming, Wall Street and those who strive to regulate its excesses, fear not. Though hatred and death is justified in the name of a loving God, fear not. For among you will rise up a voice. It will seek peace among all the vast creation of God. It will seek peace within the created of God, you and me and our enemy. It will seek peace with God the creator, manifest in the forgiving love of Christ. Greed, hatred, war, free market and socialistic forces will still have their say; will still distort the message of God for their own satisfaction and greed, but the voice of God will rise up through your voice O children of God. God will lead you. Above the din of destruction, the sweet spirit of your voice will be heard, for God has summoned you by name. Fear not child of God, speak up O Child of God, for this day the Lord has said, “You are mine.”

returning home

Monday January 11th, Isaiah 43: 5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. 6 I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth- Let’s be honest. There are many places in the scriptures where the word of God is distorted, and the image presented is one of one group of people being saved at the expense of others. These are often written by well meaning children of God who grasps God’s grace, but fail to see the magnitude of it. Imagine if you will all of God’s creation, which God called good on the day of creation, feeling the presence of God returning sons and daughters from afar. Imagine the soldiers return from Iraq, Afghanistan and where ever else they may be serving. Imagine the Israelites and the Palestinians returning home to safety and a hope filled future. Imagine the Sunni and Shiites returning home to live in peace, brothers and sisters with one another. Imagine lives being rebuilt in the Sudan. Imagine!!! And let the voice of God, the Prince of Peace, spur you on to action to bring this day about.

Way out ahead of you man

Tuesday January 12th, Acts 8: 14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When the word comes, the community of God should be right behind. Love is only a word without hands to hold. Forgiveness, only a concept, until it is felt, words spoken. The body of Christ is nourished with the love and help of others. Faith grows in community and Peter and John brought that connection with others. It is our calling, it is our mission. When we come into the word, we come into a relationship, with the creator, with creation, with all the creatures in God’s great creation. It is what brings love from a noun to a verb, and nurtures all who come in contact with it. Where ever we go, remember that God has already been there preparing the way.

wrapped up tight

Wednesday January 13th, Luke 3: 15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. John brought the people more than just business as usual. He brought them the hope that comes from God, forgiveness that comes from God, new life and fresh starts that come from God. He brought them a peek into the glory that was coming and what the world was called to be from the beginning of time. If you have two coats, give one away, same with your food!!! Tax collectors, collect no more than what is required by the law!!! Soldiers, no more shakedowns, no blackmail, and be content with your rations!!!!! What was this teaching they wondered? Could this be the Messiah they wondered? John said, hang onto your hats, you haven’t seen anything yet!!! And in that way, John prepared the way for the kingdom that was coming. Have you prepared your lives and your heart for the kingdom that is coming or are you still hanging onto your things? Let go and Let God into your life. Sometimes we have all the loose ends so tightly wrapped up that even God has a hard time getting in.

lifelong process

Thursday January 14th, Luke 3: 16 John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. The Holy Spirit brings about change from within. We are a new creation in Christ. Fire is used for refining, not just communities, but more often lives, which is often a lifelong process. It is also often not a pleasant process and therefore avoided by many for as long as possible. The problem is that it is also a life changing process and what we miss by putting it off is the joy of the journey. Our baptism is just the beginning. But Oh, what a beginning!!!! If you are not on your journey, what are you waiting for? Hop, and hope on board and enjoy the journey.

"us and them" not "us vs. them" life

Friday January 15th, Luke 3: 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them. All too often we slip back into our old ways and twist even such good news as this into an image of God getting rid of all the “bad apples” in this world which is usually meant to be, “them” whoever the “them” of the moment happens to be. As Pogo so eloquently put it however, “we have met the enemy and he is us!!” The Baptized life is an “us and them” not an “us vs. them” life. It is the “us” that needs to have the chaff taken from us and purged, it is the “them” we are called to greet as brothers and sisters in Christ, chaff and all and in that way open the door to the possibility of the them dealing with their chaff also. In this way, creation is healed, one relationship at a time, starting with you.

Welcome

Saturday January 16th, Luke 3: 21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." In Luke, the bodily descent of the dove as a representative of the Holy Spirit is meant to represent the permanence of the Holy Spirit. It is not just some ethereal thing that is here today and gone tomorrow, it is a real thing that is here today and here tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. As the child is brought into the midst of the congregation during a baptismal service, and the hands are placed on the child, we gather as a permanent community and say, “we welcome you to the Lord’s family; we receive you as a fellow member of the Body of Christ and worker with us in the Kingdom of God. We are the collective voice of God saying, You are our child, whom we love; with you we are well pleased, and with you we will journey through life together, brothers and sisters in Christ. We welcome you as a fellow sojourner as we live out God’s calling for our lives at this time through our combined ministries at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.” God is there with each of us as we are called to be with each and every baptized, Called, Enlightened, Sanctified, for the work of Jesus Christ. And God is with us also, in our daily walk, our journey guided by the love of Christ.