ACORN leader says critics mounted ‘McCarthy-era war against the poor’ after report clears organization of wrongdoing

The former president of the now-dissolved activist group ACORN struck back at Republicans, Democrats and even the Obama Administration Thursday after a federal report cleared the organization of misusing federal funds and election fraud.

In an exclusive interview with Raw Story -- her first public remarks since the report’s release -- ACORN's Bertha Lewis said the findings of the Government Accountability Office proves the withering criticism against ACORN that all but shuttered the group was an orchestrated right wing attack against the poor.

“This was a McCarthy-era style war against the poor and minorities, nothing more,” the group's former leader told Raw Story.

“This proves the right will resort to anything to maintain power to continue the war on poor black and brown people,” she added.

“Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh can call me a racist all they want to,” she said. “But there is no way there was not a racial element and class element to this whole attack.”

Full Story on ACORN

Opening Litany for the 11th, Psalm 25,

Psalm 25: 1-10 - This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet, therefore in using the first ten verses I attempted to follow that patterning in English.

Pastor: All gather before you O Lord as we lift our souls to you.

Congregation: Be merciful onto us O Lord and do not let us be put to shame for we put our trust in You O Lord our God.

Pastor: Can anyone whose hope is in the Lord be put to shame?

Congregation: Doomed however are those who are treacherous without excuse, for they will be put to shame.

Pastor: Evermore you will show me your ways, O LORD and teach me to walk in your paths; You O Lord guide me in your truth and teach me your ways,

Congregation: For you are my God and my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Pastor: Gracious Lord, Remember your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.

Congregation: Heed not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways;

Pastor: Instead, remember me according to your love, for you are merciful, O LORD.

Congregation: Just and upright is the LORD who instructs sinners in the ways of righteousness.

Pastor: Kindly the Lord guides the humble in what is right and teaches them the ways of grace and mercy.

Congregation: Lord our God, all your ways are loving and faithful for those who walk in your ways.

Opening Litany for the 4th, Psalm 66

Psalm 66

Pastor: Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of the Lord’s name and raise your voices in glorious praise!

Congregation: O Lord, How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that those who would do evil cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you and sings your praises.

Pastor: Come and see what God has done, and the awesome works the Lord has done for us. The sea was turned into dry land and the people passed through the waters on foot, safe from the armies that pursued them, let us rejoice in our Lord forever.

Congregation: The Lord rules forever and watches all the nations of the earth who would rise up in rebellion against the graciousness of God extended to all people.

Pastor: Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of praise be heard in the land;

Congregation: For the Lord has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping from the path of Grace.

The 6th Sunday after Pentecost

Luke 10: 1-20

Wonders and Joys in the name of Christ
We all look for the wonders and joys
In a world full of hurt
---- pain
look for wonders and joys
in a world full of (my) needs
sent with nothing into the world
to heal
sent with nothing
except the God of love
to heal
and our Lord saw Satan fall
as the people trusted
Fall
As they healed in the name of Christ
And begin to raise his ugly head again
When they said
---- look what I did
Wonders and Joys in the name of Christ
In the name of Christ

party

Sunday July 4th, Isaiah 66: 12 for this is what the LORD says: "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. 13 As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem." Peace will come, not by our hand steeped in violence, or the weapons we carry in them, but from the Lord who created all people and declared all creation good. Peace will even come to Jerusalem, not through walls and security forces and the rockets’ red glare, but through the one who returned to her to face once again the cross of anger and separation and bring to all, on both sides of rockets, security forces and walls, the gift of salvation and forgiveness. The Lord will come and bring peace to her children who only want to fight. Perhaps we want to grow up and stop fighting now and work for this plan for peace that comes from God, not against it. It will be a much better party if we do.

maturity

Monday July 5th, Galatians 6: 1-3 Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived. Laws are most often about someone else. That is why it is so hard to get realistic ethics laws passed in hallowed halls of government, everyone is so busy pointing fingers and posturing politically they can’t sign anything. What God calls us to do is the more difficult task, to govern ourselves first and foremost. And the standard by which we are judge ourselves governed is how well we stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed and share their burdens. Every society will be judged by how it treats the most vulnerable in her midst. It is what we are to be doing as individuals and as a society. It is what we are to be doing as cities and states and nations. Most of our energy is spent on the business of controlling someone else so we can go on and on in our uncontrolled opulence. I looked forward to that point where my children would enjoy giving at Christmas more than getting. God is still looking forward to that same maturity in our day to day lives.

start living

Tuesday July 6th, Galatians 6: 4-5 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. One of the tasks the confirmation class goes through before being confirmed is to write their own mission statement. I use the material in “The Path” by Laura Beth Jones. If you haven’t looked into it, do so. If we are each focusing on who God has called us to be and what we are called to do in the creation, we, as well as those around us, will be happier. Very few adults have their own mission statement. For them it is getting by for today as best you can that seems to rule. One thing to remember is that each and every one of us lives according to a mission statement, written or unwritten. God calls us to live our mission however, not just a cog in the wheel of someone else’s mission in life, but as a called and blessed child of God. If you don’t know what your mission is, get a copy of “the Path” and get started writing, then get started living.

think what you are missing

Wednesday July 7th, Galatians 6: 7-8 Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. That real life, what we call eternal life is something that starts now and is brought to perfection in the life to come. Most of us spent our lives living in lots of directions other than the one God has for us. Sooner or later we will all “get” it, but for most, we “get” it after most of our life is over. That is where grace comes in. As my children get older and off on their adult life, getting married, having kids etc., it is fun to watch them “get” it. Sure would be nice if God could watch more of us “getting” it. Most of us however spend much of our lives in that adolescence “it is all about me” life. God is patient, but think of what you are missing.

local fields

Thursday July 8th, Galatians 6: 9-10 So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. It is not about running around frenzied and trying to save the whole world, it is about loving ourselves as the children of God and loving the others God has placed before us as the children of God. No evangelism plan will work if it is not God’s plan. Our job is to lovingly harvest, starting in the fields closest to us and working outward from there. Don’t forget, the local fields are the toughest.

nice wolf

Friday July 9th, Luke 10: 1-2 Later the Master selected seventy and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he intended to go. He gave them this charge: "What a huge harvest! And how few the harvest hands. So on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands. 3"On your way! But be careful—this is hazardous work. You're like lambs in a wolf pack. Don’t ever forget that you are in the middle of a wolf pack. And don’t ever forget that the wolves don’t always look like wolves; often times they are dressed up in sheep’s clothing or perhaps designer gowns or work cloths just like us. When someone comes to the Lord, remember, you are simply gathering what God has placed before you to do. When you do the work it God it helps to go in pairs, it helps keep you honest and that way everyone has someone to pray with.

Thanks Harry

Saturday July 10th, Luke 10: 5-6"When you enter a home, greet the family, 'Peace.' If your greeting is received, then it's a good place to stay. But if it's not received, take it back and get out. Don't impose yourself. 7"Stay at one home, taking your meals there, for a worker deserves three square meals. Don't move from house to house, looking for the best cook in town. 8-9 "When you enter a town and are received, eat what they set before you, heal anyone who is sick, and tell them, 'God's kingdom is right on your doorstep!' No pastors in Cadillac Escalades or private jets, this is down to earth kingdom work. My father once greeted the new pastor in town at the local coffee shop and asked to speak to him outside. Once outside he wanted to know what the “h” he thought he was doing dressed like that. He reminded the new pastor that this was a farming community and if he walked in the coffee shop in a coat and tie, they would speak nice to him, but not honestly. He went home to change into blue jeans, T-shirt and everyday shoes. That day he moved from preacher to pastor, and thanked my father for it.

Opening Litany for the 27th, Psalm 16

Psalm 16

Pastor: Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge.

Congregation: We said to the LORD, “You are our Master! Every good thing we have comes from you.” The godly people in the land are our heroes and we take pleasure in them!

Pastor: Troubles seem to multiply for those who chase after other gods.

Congregation: We will not take part in their sacrifices or pretend to follow in their ways for the LORD alone is our inheritance, our cup of blessing.

Pastor: You guard all that is ours. The land you have given us is a pleasant land and a wonderful inheritance!

Congregation: We will bless the LORD who guides us; even at night our hearts instruct us to follow the ways of the Lord. Therefore we know the LORD is always with us and we will not be shaken, for the Lord is right beside us at all times.


Pastor: No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. I rest in safety knowing the Lord walks with us and will not leave us to the powers of death.


Congregation: The Lord will show us the way of life, granting us joy of living in the presence of the Lord forever.

St. Thomas, Apostle - July 3rd, 2010

John 14:1-7

I don’t know
--- and I’m scared
of what I don’t know
and where I haven’t been
My doubts come
to the surface of my mind
------- and sing in fear
------- of who I am
---- and who
I don’t know who I am
Sing
with a trembling voice of humanity
a song of being lost
of not knowing
---- and therefore
-------- not wishing to find out
-------- what this life
---- called upon by this one we call
---- Messiah
-------- is all about
Thank you
for echoing my fears in this world
for saying that which I feel
in
I don’t know
and leading me
---- into new life
full of doubts
and faith

Peter & Paul, Apostles - June 29th, 2010

Mark 8:27-35

Your life
that precious gift of God
Lived out in so many ways
Here
In this place
Lived with joy
And pain
Love and sadness
It is ours
This gift
Until we hold so tightly
That our vision fades and we see
Only this
----(take up thy cross
----give of the one gift
----that seems most precious)
life

we see on the leaf
the fuzzy green worm
content
living on all God has given it
living
content
within the boundaries of its life
happily seeing no more than
the next leaf
until
an end comes to all that is
within its boundaries
and it finds itself hanging there
a lifeless form
from which will emerge
a new life
that will soar on the winds

life
within your boundaries
confined
willing to take up the cross
to follow
without feeling the confines
of this world
knowing
the gift has been given
of new life
beyond the boundaries.

Luke 9:51-62

But first
But first just
But first just let me…
just let me find one more reason
I can’t do
that which I really need
--- want
------ to do
one more reason to avoid
---- change
one more reason to know
-- have
---- hold
------ plan
-------- control
-- tomorrow
one more reason to lay my life
in my hands
and still say I trust you
---- with my words
Jesus simply said
---- follow me

uncircumcised shall not enter the kingdom of heaven

Sunday June 27th, Galatians 5: 1&2 Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. I am emphatic about this. The moment any one of you submits to circumcision or any other rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ's hard-won gift of freedom is squandered. The question for Paul and for the Galatians was whether someone “had” to be circumcised in order to be a Christian. That may not seem like much of an issue today. What is at issue today are the many other litmus test the children of God have devised to prove you are a true Christian. Keep in mind that any litmus test is always for the other and is devised for the strengths and/or phobias of the giver. Christ made you free so that you could bring that freedom to others. Christ did not make you free so that you could impose a new slavery on someone else and in the process burden yourself. But we all do it all the time. Just ask your friends who don’t go to church why they don’t go to church, or if they say they don’t believe in God, ask them to tell you about that God they don’t believe in. You will get a vast array of assumptions, true or not, about the rules and slaveries of the Christian walk. In the face of this, our calling is to preach salvation by Grace, nothing more, nothing less. What difference would it make in how you live your life today if you knew, really knew, Jesus loved you and you were going to spend eternity in heaven? Now go live it in grace.

pity party

Monday June 28th, Galatians 5: 13 It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For a young child, learning to ride a bike is an exhilarating sense of freedom. One of the essentials for learning to ride a bike is balance. You maintain that balance by looking ahead, where you are going. The minute you look down, look at yourself, you lose your balance and fall. I have the scars to prove it. Our exhilarating freedom in Christ also requires balance, and that balance comes from looking ahead to where Christ is leading us. The minute we look down, focus on our situation, or our needs, or our wants, or our desires, or our pity party, or our, our, our, we lose our balance and fall. And I also have the scars to prove that.

Anger

Tuesday June 29th, Galatians 5: 14 For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then? The book, “Wishful Thinking” by Fredrick Buechner has been stolen from me more than any other book. To date, I have purchased 27 copies and have one in my library. I call that an excellent endorsement of the book. From that book I will share with you the definition of “Anger.” Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack you lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back – in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.

live to enjoy the process

Wednesday June 30th, Galatians 5: 19-21 It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. Paul, it sounds so bad when you put it that way, it sounds like the political rhetoric in the just say no culture. All I was trying to do was watch out for old number one. Or perhaps all I was trying to do was insert myself as number one instead of holding God in my heart as number one, which is like putting a one way valve in the wrong way. Here is the way it goes, love comes from God, if we are connected it flows through our hearts and out into the world around us. If we try to put ourselves as number one, all we succeed in doing is stopping the flow that was meant for our heart. Nothing good in, nothing good out. We don’t stop God however and perhaps one time or another the network of God goodness flowing through others will come back upstream and flood our heart enough to prompt us to turn the valve around. Until then we are set to suffer with who we are rather than live with who God called us to be. But someday, someday, God will win and I just pray that you may live long enough to enjoy the process.

illegal is illegal yes, but ungodly is ungodly

Thursday July 1st, Galatians 5: 25-26 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original. In the beginning God created all that is and called it good. The sin of humanity is that we are always trying to rend asunder what God has joined together (Coffin). When we compare ourselves to others with the assumption that we, or our group, or party, or ethnicity, or religion, or, or, or are better, we are in essence saying that we are a better judge of “goodness” than God. When we pursue policies that create second class citizens of the world, we are in essence saying that our view of God is “second class.” In the end, we say more about ourselves than the other. God doesn’t do border fences and papers please, whether they be in Berlin, Jerusalem or the Arizona. Perhaps if we see one another as an original creation of God, and treat one another as an original creation of God, and accept one another as our brothers and sisters through Christ we wouldn’t feel the need for the fences. Illegal is illegal, yes tis true, but so is the phrase ungodly is ungodly and the Arizona law dealt with the first by embracing the later as their identity, as did the Pharisees in Jesus’ day.

far more difficult to live with than wrath

Friday July 2nd, Luke 9: 51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them, 56 and they went to another village. When Jesus got to Jerusalem, he was eventually rejected there by the powers that be also. The Gospel is a threat to all who want to draw lines in the sand, and that is some of us all the time and all of us some of the time. As the children of God, we are still sent into foreign territories to get things ready for the coming of Christ. These foreign lands do not always require a passport however, sometimes these foreign lands are the neighborhood grocery, the athletic club, half way around the world, and sometimes even our own families and congregations. Every time our anger seems to beckon us to call down God’s wrath on someone or some group, it is good to remember that none of us escape judgment in total. Often the call for God’s wrath says more about who we are than it does about the other for whom we wish to call down the wrath. In God’s world what you call down is far more difficult to live with than wrath, it is love..

holy humor

Saturday July 3rd, Luke 9: 57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." 59 He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." 61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." 62 Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." The Call to follow God is a call to love one another. The call to love one another is a call to put God first in our lives, ahead of our own desires. That sounds good on paper, but don’t ever kid yourself that it is easy. It takes a lifetime, day after day, one day, one moment at a time. And it always requires a good natured look at our own foibles first and foremost along the way. Being a child of God requires a good sense of humor to laugh, and sometimes cry, at ourselves most of all.

John the Baptist - June 24th, 2010

Luke 1:57-80

The child would lead them
Blessed by the heavens
Lead them to the one promised
from days of old
Lead them
to the one who would bring life
Lead then
to the light of the world
This small child
beyond the hopes of the people
beyond the dreams of the people
This small child
would lead the way to turn nations
powers
and the expectations of what should be
upside down
Named not to follow the foot steps
but to lead
and show the world
the way to light.

With complimants to David Hayward at nakedpastor.com

Luke 8: 26-39

Jesus heals a demon-possessed man

In this foreign land
Far across the lake
Where we find people of strange values
------ language
----------- ungodly ideas
We follow Jesus
And encounter
As expected
One wild and filled with evil
And as unexpected
One love by Jesus.
What have you to do with us
Jesus
Son of the Most High God?
Who do people say I am
Who do you say I am
As the disciples
And you and I stand
Not understanding what has just happened
As the many descend in uncleanness
To the depths of the chaos waters
And the followers stand in jaw dropping fear
That God’s love might
Just might
Extend
Even across the pond to the other side
Where the people react
As we react
In fear of our bottom line
What is in it for me
And how do I measure
Economy
The cost
While the disciples
You and I
Still stand jaw dropped
While the new evangelists
Gets to work in the Kingdom
Which just became visible
As near.

I've found it!?!?

Sunday June 20th, Isaiah 65: 1 "I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, 'Here am I, here am I.' A few years ago there was a rash of bumper stickers with the words, “I’ve found it.” Interesting anthropocentric arrogance. It reminds me of the time in the store when one of my children wandered off. I followed them, remaining somewhat out of sight just to see how long it would take for them to notice they were lost, and then be near and use it as a teaching moment. When they finally realized they are lost and cry out, you can descend on the scene and use the moment to comfort and teach. Sometimes however, my children would simply respond with “O there you are” as if they had found me and then prepare for their next getting lost session. So it is with humanity. Wander away through the aisles of life, unaware of being lost until some calamity strikes, we cry our, God appears and we assume that God was the one who was distant and we somehow, through out on holiness, found God. The reality is that God is the one sneaking around the aisles of life waiting patiently for us to realize we need God in our lives and then comes from around the corner to comfort and teach. God is happens again and again is a sign of grace.

human husbandry best left up to God

Monday June 21st, Isaiah 65: 8 This is what the LORD says: "As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes and men say, 'Don't destroy it, there is yet some good in it,' so will I do in behalf of my servants; I will not destroy them all. 9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah those who will possess my mountains; my chosen people will inherit them, and there will my servants live. We can prune trees, cultivate gardens, even practice animal husbandry, but the cultivation of the human species is best left up to God. We have tried, and we are all familiar with the results of trying to play god by our rules, ethnic cleansing, war, genocide, gas chambers and draconian immigration policies. And yes Arizona, they do all fit in the same category. The difference between God’s attempts at human cultivation and human cultivation is that God loves us and takes the spoils of the messes we have created and tries to work them to the good. Humanities attempts are only thinly disguised attempts of two year old tyrant having a temper tantrum.

single line children

Tuesday June 22nd, Galatians 3: 23-24 Until the time when we were mature enough to respond freely in faith to the living God, we were carefully surrounded and protected by the Mosaic law. The law was like those Greek tutors, with which you are familiar, who escort children to school and protect them from danger or distraction, making sure the children will really get to the place they set out for. When our children are young, we need to deal with them with lots of love and limits, which is another way of saying the law. Don’t touch the stove, Don’t play in the street, Don’t hit, and sometimes there is a time out or some toys taken away. As they grow in years, they learn to make their own good decisions (hopefully). Part of the process of learning to make good decisions is making some bad decisions. Until we as individuals, we as cultures, and humanity in general, reaches the state of maturity where we can freely respond in faith to the living God, there are always some of those laws to keep us in line. It is an ongoing process. One sure way to know you have not reached maturity is to think you have reached maturity. In the mean time, we live in the tension between Law and Gospel.

getting naked

Wednesday June 23rd, Galatians 3: 25-27 But now you have arrived at your destination: By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God. Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe—Christ's life, the fulfillment of God's original promise. 28-29 In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. If our baptism dresses us in an adult faith, most of us spend a lot of time getting naked. If this sign of maturity is to recognize there can be no divisions, humanity in general spends a lot of time and energy getting naked. Wars, vast income differentiations, health insurance discrepancies, insane increases in CEO pay while the debate for a living wage on the bottom goes on and on, “bring ‘em on” attitudes, all these and more are a sign of immaturity. Sure would be nice to elect some grownups who care that all are included at the table. The table includes things like health care, immigration, regulations (rules to play by) and love of one another.

step toward maturity

Thursday June 24th, Luke 8: 26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? The disciples didn’t get it, the religious leaders didn’t get it, even John the Baptist sent a message asking if Jesus was the one or if he should wait for another. It was the poor naked, demon-possessed man in the unclean foreign land that got that Jesus was the Son of the Most High. Sometimes you wonder if Jesus came back if the church would get it, or if it would be some wretch in Baghdad, Beijing or Mogadishu. Perhaps we should start seeing these wretches as the children of God now. It would be a step toward that maturity Paul talks about in Galatians.

damn it Jesus

Friday June 25th, Luke 8: 34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. Demons dispatched, lives set right, salvation offered, all good god stuff, but damn it Jesus, don’t mess with the economic bottom line or we will run you out of town again. Things haven’t changed much. What’s next, the Supreme Court saying corporations can act as persons in campaign spending?

one at a time

Saturday June 26th, Luke 8: 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. After all the training and seminars we go to that help us design our evangelism programs, what it really takes is the passion of lives changed. Perhaps our passion should be on changing lives and letting evangelism happen naturally. Changing a demon state Godly, one life at a time.

Opening Litany Psalm 32 - You are my hiding place

Psalm 32

Pastor: Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

Congregation: When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "— and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Pastor: Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.

Congregation: You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Pastor: I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

Congregation: Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Pastor: Welcome to Worship at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Congregation: Where we are Inspired by God’s Love to Praise, Nurture and Serve.

Sing the opening song one more time

St. Barnabas, Apostle

Matthew 10:7-16
(the photo is of Sandy Clapper, a wonderful healing nurse practitioner) 

Go into the world and do the will of the Lord
Heal
those have become ill
Bring to new life
all those who have suffered
from the pain
and hurt
of their brother and sister
in the name of Christ
Drive out
the evil that lurks in the hearts
and minds
and banks
of those who have been conquered
Show the world what Christ
what the kingdom of God
Is
and give
because you have received
the Kingdom of God
has come to this place
Announce it
in your words and deeds
Announce that what has taken place
is creation itself
creation offered
to a people
hungry

3rd Sunday after Pentecost

Luke 7:36-8:3

I came there every Sunday
I was faithful
singing the hymns and praying the prayers
being swept up in all
the joy
---- love
-------- friendship
------------ community
----in that place
feeling
knowing in my heart
the love of Christ (Your)
through the caring of others
gathered in conversation and coffee

sometimes on the way home
I would wonder
or I would read the paper
and wonder
hear the news
and wonder (Sins)
if
there was a God of love
A Christ

one day I came face to face with
who I was
face to face with the one I call me
I dropped to my knees
and cried
at my shallow life
at the pain I had given
and had been given
and I cried Lord!
---- (Are Forgiven)
Save me.
---- I need you
and through the prayerful tears came relief
and the God of Love
and I felt
---- (Go In)
peace (Peace)

Ewe hungry?

Sunday June 13th, 2nd Samuel 11: 1 The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. 4 "Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him." The story is about David and Bathsheba, but it could just as well be about Goldman Sachs or perhaps the oil crisis in the gulf because it is a story about how those who pull the strings and make the rules always pull those strings and make those rules in their favor. This happens in public with a fair amount of justification. In an interview with Charlie Rose, Goldman’s CEO Lloyd Blankfein suggested that he is actually doing God’s work by keeping the economy flowing through his buying and selling. Never mind that the shenanigans have nearly brought the US, Europe and Greece to its knees and have sent shock waves throughout the world, all while paying unheard of bonuses for jobs well done while more and more victims stand in food lines. It is nice to have such an obvious villain up there to focus on, but reality is much less simple or finger pointingly fun. The libertarian influenced Tea Party while taking up the seemingly grass roots mantra of lower taxes and less government do not always realize that they are the crowds on the side of the road cheering on the right of the rich man to save his own herd while allowing him to take the poor man’s ewe without the cumbersome interferences of “big government” regulation preferring instead the unbridled pilfering of big business. In the end the “Big” always wins out over the “small” whether it be government, which at least has some of the safeguards of being a We, or business which has no intention of being other than a Me. The beauty of story is that it allows us to see what has been right in front of our noses all along. The beauty of scripture is that it points our focus in the direction of the victims and reminds us that they are our brothers and sisters for whom we are called to care and opens our eyes to see our own victimization and victimizing also.

Hell is truth seen to late

Monday June 14th, 2nd Samuel 11: 5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." 7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Hell is truth seen to late. Nathan brings the power of story to bear and he gets David to burn with anger against, unbeknownst to him, the deeds of his very own doing. The trap snaps and David hears the truth he was able to hide from his own eyes, You are the man!! Just as in AA where the number one step is to admit there is a problem, the path to wholeness is looking in the mirror and realizing “You are the man, woman, child!!!! After that healing can begin. Until then we are only a poorer version of Lloyd Blankfein claiming to be doing God work. Doing God’s work means we ate from the tree in the garden, liked it, and want more. Responding to God’s calling means we are willing to open our eyes and see our neighbor.

God absorbed

Tuesday June 15th, Galatians 2: 15 "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. The natural tendency for humanity is to move away from grace and back into the law. It is a more comfortable state for us because we get the illusionary feeling we are in charge. It manifest itself in several ways, here are a few. We want to be saved by grace, but then we see others and we are not so sure about them, we close our eyes to the oxymoron of not being sure they deserve grace. Or we want to be saved by grace, and we know we are because after all it is fairly easy, we close our eyes to the oxymoron of believing that after all we are not that bad as far as sinners go. Or we want to be saved by grace, but we are soooooo bad that there is no way God could do that and we close our eyes to the oxymoron of our real belief that if we didn’t have this bad thing we were sooo guilty feeling about then we would lose our identity, because after all, it is all about us, and we are in charge not God. All these oxymoronic manifestations are self-absorbed obsessions. Grace is being God absorbed and allowing yourself to move forward after forgiveness.

graciousness of grace

Wednesday June 16th, Galatians 2: 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" We applaud the, well, graciousness of grace, but in the end we all try to it set aside. To be saved by grace is to not be in control. To be saved by grace is to accept that everyone else on this planet can be, and most likely is, also saved by grace. To be saved by grace means that any justification for killing, rising to the top on the back of others, claiming other’s religious expressions to be wrong while yours is right, seeing a me when we should be seeing a we, are all ways of saying that some people are created in God’s image and some are not. It is a way of saying we are in charge and therefore God is not. To be saved by grace is to constantly look inward and see the ways we try to bottleneck that calling of letting the grace of God in us flow out to others. Being saved by grace means that even knowing that in spite of all our subtle attempts to bottleneck that grace, even we are saved by grace. To be saved by grace means knowing that we have been, are and always will be loved by the creator to who created all that is and pronounced it good, just like that person down the street or around the world we may happen to at the moment call enemy.

come from behind

Thursday June 17th, Luke 7: 36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When we know we are sinners, we tend to approach from behind. We are aware of our sin and we can’t believe the grace that comes with forgiveness, at least not for us. It is when we have the greater sin, that of not being aware of our sin, that we approach from the front, arrogant and full of self. The woman’s response was an intimate pouring out of herself in thankfulness that comes from encountering unbelievable grace. This extravagant response was an embarrassment to the good upstanding folk who were all too aware they were good upstanding folk. Perhaps they too would be open to God’s amazing grace if they took an honest look inside to see the extent of God’s grace in their lives . Perhaps then, they too could let their hair down and truly respond to that grace with extravagant love of their own.

if he had known

Friday June 18th, Luke 7: 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner." If the Pharisee knew what kind of Prophet Jesus was, he would know who was touching his life, and why that nerve was so raw. Jesus did know all he needed to know, all anyone needed to know, what kind of woman she was, one with a hurting heart that longed for forgiveness. Jesus knew what kind of man the Pharisee was, a good man who thought he was good enough and wanted to impress his friends with his goodness by inviting Jesus over for dinner, showing just how open and liberal he was. It would help him in his status. Liberal or conservative, we are both capable of being cold hearted and calculating for our own glory. Liberal or conservative, we are both saved by the grace of God.

forgiven

Saturday June 19th, Luke 7: 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." 48 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." She was not any greater sinner than Simon was. Simon was not any more righteous than she was. The only difference between the two was that she was aware of her sin and therefore open to forgiveness. Simon on the other hand, not so much. How do we try to keep the grace of God at bay? What self respecting and self absorbed goodness do we use to keep most of God out of our lives? What would be the cost to let it go and graciously accept God’s grace?

St. Barnabas, Apostle - June 11th

Matthew 10:7-16

Go into the world and do the will of the Lord
Heal
those have become ill
Bring to new life
all those who have suffered
from the pain
and hurt
of their brother and sister
in the name of Christ
Drive out
the evil that lurks in the hearts
and minds
and banks
of those who have been conquered
Show the world what Christ
what the kingdom of God
Is
and give
because you have received
the Kingdom of God
has come to this place
Announce it
in your words and deeds
Announce that what has taken place
is creation itself
creation offered
to a people
hungry

Statement Regarding the Israeli Military Interception of Gaza Flotilla

from Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson

On behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Lutheran World Federation, organizations that are deeply engaged with and committed to the Lutheran Christians and all persons living in Palestine and Israel, I express my deep sadness regarding events surrounding the flotilla seeking to deliver humanitarian goods to Gaza. We deeply regret the deaths and injuries that resulted when Israeli forces intercepted the boats. Our thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and the families of those killed or otherwise harmed during this incident. We note that this tragic incident occurred on the first day of the World Council of Churches’ World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel.

This incident raises many questions that must be answered. We therefore call for a full, international, and independent investigation into this matter.

While we condemn all violence in the resolution of political disputes, this incident raises a number of questions related to the just use of force. It is not clear that, in this incident, all alternatives were explored prior to the use of military force. One tenet of the just use of force is proportionality, a principle I raised during my meeting with the chief rabbis of the State of Israel during Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli incursion into Gaza which lasted from December 2008 to January 2009. This incident provides an example of how proportionality is an ongoing concern related to Israeli military action against civilians, both Palestinians and internationals.

The attempt to deliver humanitarian materials to Gaza via the flotilla highlights the ongoing blockade of Gaza with all its consequences for the 1.5 million people living there. Israel’s blockade must be fully lifted, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1860. While some humanitarian aid has been allowed to reach the people of Gaza, the economy, particularly the agricultural and fishing sectors, has been devastated. Basic goods including seeds and seedlings, plastic piping, irrigation supplies, fishing nets, engine spare parts, veterinary drugs and cement are restricted.

The World Health Organization has documented the serious deterioration in Gaza’s health system due to restrictions for patients and medical personnel attempting to travel into or out of Gaza. The welfare of the people of Gaza and the safety of Israelis will be served by opening the monitored border crossings in a secure manner for aid, trade and commerce.

This tragic event demonstrates the urgency of achieving a just peace. One role of religious leaders, including the churches, is to strengthen those voices working for peace, rather than yielding to the clamor of extremism, as we seek a just peace beneficial for all persons in the region.

We urge that this incident not interrupt the proximity talks now being conducted through the Obama administration. Instead, we expect that this incident will intensify on all sides the commitment to serious negotiations that will lead to a just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.


The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
President, Lutheran World Federation