I am a progressive ELCA pastor who is passionate about lots of things, mostly, the liberating nature of God who is known as love, justice, inclusion, and healing from all sorts of trauma, including those inflicted by religion. This is my personal page. The viewpoints are mine. Matthew 25 is a guiding principle for life and ministry, "When did we see you, Jesus, and do?" When did we not?"
Welcome to RDP Writes. Who/what is RDP? RDP is a nickname one of my choir members gave me after I earned my doctorate in 2020. It is short for Rev. Dr. Pam (which is the license plate my family gave me after that event as well.) RDP is also a hat-tip to RBG, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the supreme court justice who died that same year. Rest in peace dear champion of justice.
I have been an ELCA pastor for more than 30 years, and a bishop’s assistant for a few months. The older I get, the more I realize that I have some things to say and I don’t just want to say them on social media. As a pastor, I am passionate about the liberating nature of God. Here’s my Thesis. God liberated creation from chaos in the beginning. God liberated the Hebrew people at the Exodus, and liberated us from the powers of sin, death, and all those forces that oppose God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I believe God is love, and that love is liberating. It is especially liberating to those who have lived under the thumb of opression of any sort. That’s why I stand with Black Lives Matter, LGBTQIA2S+, those struggling with economic or political oppression, those recovering from religious trauma, those who have survived or are surviving domestic or sexual violence of any sort, and those struggling with addictions – just to name a few. I am Christian, but also passionate about inter-faith work.
I am also still listening and learning. Everyone has a story and it is their story to tell. May our stories bring healing and liberation to each other.
The fuller quote from the Prologue to the Gospel of John is this –
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him. (John 1:9-10)
Recently, some powerful events converged in my life and consciousness. I need to write. That’s how I process. Maybe someone else can benefit.
On January 3 – The US kidnapped the leader of a sovereign nation, Venezuela and brought him to the US to stand trial. Venezuela is twice the geographic size of California in the northeast portion of South America.
On Tuesday, January 6, I buried the last WWII vet in my congregation. He had been an enlisted man, reenlisted three times and was highly decorated. He had served in Normandy, Battle of the Bulge, earned five combat stars, a Purple Heart, and at least a dozen more medal-worthy honors. He had marched past concentration camps and was told to ignore them, “the Red Cross is taking care of them.” He helped liberate countries and camps!
Yesterday, January 8, ICE (Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement) shot and killed a 37 year old citizen. She was a mother of a six-year old. She was a college graduate with a degree in English. The national leadership spin blames the woman. The “Secretary of State” called her a domestic terrorist. The local and state leadership in Minnesota, and the numerous videos taken in live-time, beg to differ.
In a similar light, I realize that most of my passport stamps in the last 25 years have come from El Salvador. The Lutheran Christians I know and share a devotion to the ways of Jesus, were strongly influenced by the life and ministry of Oscar Romero. It is within my own lifetime that Oscar Romero, priest, Archbishop, and now Saint, was called a communist subversive, a left-wing guerrilla and was murdered while leading worship. Here’s a quick quote.
When Saint Oscar Romero was appointed Archbishop of San Salvador, he could not have known how radically his life, his heart, and his involvement with the people of El Salvador would change, placing him at the forefront of a lived theology of liberation. The people of El Salvador were living under an oppressive and violent military government that sought to silence, through torture and death, anyone who spoke out against its corruption. Saint Oscar was one who spoke out. He did this through his homilies which articulated his support and commitment for peace, non-violence, and human rights.
It was the US that trained the Salvadoran death squads and supported the regime that vilified and assassinated Romero. Our national media was not kind to him. The current world powers would not tell the truth at that time.
History will remember our generation
Bringing it all together . . .
My husband was an American Studies major in college – he knows about history, constitution, and powers that our THREE BRANCHES of government have and don’t have. His experiences and mine, combined – well, sometimes it feels like, as they used to say, like we “know too much about how they make the sausage.”
Corporate media is owned by wealthy individuals and their corporations. If you don’t believe it, track the companies that advertise. Research them, their profits, their stocks, and you will see how they must present “the news” in the best interests of their stockholders and advertisers. When they appear to give a balanced report, it is often skewed toward their corporate interests. The recent Minnesota stories are a classic example. Video evidence shows ICE shooting through the windshield first, and then the driver’s side window – three shots in all. Video oevidence and training manuels are cleara that law enforcement training teaches that if a vehicle is moving toward you – get out of the way. It also teaches NEVER to shoot into a moving vehicle. Audio reveals that the women received shouted instructions to both get out of the way and get out of the vehicle. She was shot through the windshield while a masked agent tried to open her door. Our Secretary of State calls her a domestic terrorist. The feds won’t allow Minnesota authorities to have access to any of the evidence (that isn’t already on social media). Without cell phones, the federal narrative would have stood. Unchallenged.Think about that for a minute. This is all why it was so critical for them to do their best to defund and try to destroy Public Radio and Television. They are not corporately owned. CPB is no longer. Same with VOA. Voice of America which was established in 1942 to broadcast to places where news was censored. The executive branch has managed to shut it down. I work to help our local public media. I also listen to international news and how they report stories about us.
2. The 100 year old that we buried this week and all the other veterans and support people who stood with the Allies during WWII, fought against the Nazis and Fascism. They liberated concentration camps and occupied cities and whole countries that Germany annexed. Everyday German citizens were terrified of getting in trouble, and most of them stayed silent. In that day, far too many stayed silent. In our own day, far too many stay silent. History tells us that silence only helps the oppressors. History also gets to the bottom of the issues. That’s why the folks on the “right” don’t want us teaching history in a way that looks like anyone was oppressed (certainly not by our elites).
3. Our Executive Branch is trying to “take over” Venezuela and has kidnapped its president who was by any stretch – not a great guy – but what we did is against our own Constitution and any international agreements we have. They are also threatening to take over Greenland which is part of the kingdom of Denmark. In the first place, Greenland doesn’t want us. They too have their own sovereign form of government. What do we look like when we start trying to “annex” other countries at the whim of a wannna-be-dictator? Yep! We look like the folks my 100 year old veteran friend and his buddies were willing to die to stop!Millions of innocent people were murdered in the name of law and order. To answer my own rhetorical question, we look like a special kind of something.
History will remember our time. It will have nothing to do with the spin our national leadership is trying to superimpose upon our nation’s executive actions.It will remember January 6, 2021. It will remember January 2026.Our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be hearing the truth about our generation. What side of the truth will you be on in their recollections? Our country has similarly destabilized nations all over the world in the way it did El Salvador. Our federal government is even now, doing its best to destabilize cities that traditionally vote blue. They are trying to stir up a violent response so they can feed their own narrative that the “left is so violent.” (Remember ANTIFA?) If the federal actions are met with violence, they will claim more justification for more violence, and we will be heading toward Marshall Law. We are not there YET, but the threat is knocking at the door. Anyone who remembers the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s, knows that it was only nonviolent protest, response, and education that brought our country new rights for minorities and women.
History will remember our time.
For my part, I will continue to preach about the One who brings light and love to the world. It doesn’t mean closing my eyes to the facts and remaining silent. It means bearing witness to hard truths. The God that I worship and serve is the Great Liberator of the Oppressed, and through Jesus, experienced the violent evil of the world – and rose above it.
Yesterday’ preaching text was Luke’s version of the Lord’ Prayer. I am always taken by the communal nature of the prayer – i.e. “our bread, our trespasses/sins/debts‘ deliver us, lead us not . . .”
I became more aware, sometime in the last 2 decades, while co-leading a Bible study of this text/prayer just how communal it was. I was teaching about “ give us this day our daily bread” in a community where hunger and need for clean drinking water were daily issues. Who was I to have such regular abundance when these new friends, these children of God, these people who also prayed for “our daily bread,” would go hungry more often than not?
There are definitely orchestrated political and economic policies and events which exacerbate (if not institute) these situations. In the US it is frowned upon to mention such things from the pulpit, lest the preacher be deemed “too political.”
I mentioned them from the pulpit yesterday. I spoke of starving children in Gaza and the forces that were letting food ROT rather than let it feed the hungry. That’s about as far as I went with it when I started to note a few people giving each other that look that says “she’s gone about as close to the line as she can without crossing it.” I will respect that look until God calls me to do otherwise. I have been with this beloved congregation nearly 13 years and I love what we are able to do within the constraints of communal decision-making.
So, I started this blog – for those things about which I feel compelled to explore further. It reflects my opinions in the midst of my own calling and discernment to see Jesus “in the least of these.” (Mt 25) and to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with my God.” (Micah 6:8)
I stumbled across this hymn today by a very talented contemporary hymn writer. Musicians, artists, and poets have the ability to take us into places that preachers often cannot. You may recognize the tune from “Oh sacred head now wounded.”
What we have done/not done for the “least of these” is our message on how we have treated Jesus.
Luke 14 – 25 Now large crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.
Paraphrasing Martin Luther.
“What does this even mean?!!!
This passage has been troublesome for me and many for a long time. Our congregation has a Wednesday morning Bible study group that has been together for a while now. We discussed the passage just yesterday. There were as many thoughts as there were people in the group. It is difficult to overlay our admittedly middle-class US lifestyles over this in a way that makes sense in any meaningful way. Though I think “hate” is a strong word for translation, I’m pretty convinced it is a First Commandment situation: You shall have no other gods.”
The first disciples who were called by Jesus literally left their nets, the family business, and everything else to follow Jesus. But we have families. And we have stuff. And we have responsibilities – God knows!
It has been quite a week. My husband and I live in a small city, a college town. Last Friday, we were eating out at a really nice restaurant for the first time in a long time. By “long time,” I mean that our anniversary was on June 1 (40 years – yay us!) and we were having our first nice meal out since before then. I got a call about a church related crisis during the meal. I won’t go into details. We did order dessert. But then, we went and addressed the situation. We were out until 11 pm until things were adequately sorted out for the night.
I spent an afternoon in court related to that event and more time during the week.
A couple of evenings ago, a dear friend, colleague, and parishioner – all in one – had a medical emergency. Because of our relationship, and my husband’s no-nonsense attitude and professional experience, he had been named Power of Attorney for healthcare by this beloved Child of God. That was before dementia started to steal her away from us. We, her out-of-state family, and the nurse at the facility agreed it would be best to have her checked out at the local hospital. This was early evening. She went in by local ambulance. We met her in the Emergency Department. Having worked in hospice for decades, hubby is big on individual dignity and autonomy in healthcare.
We had many conversations with her out-of-state family and her local friends that night. The attending physician wanted to transport her to a larger hospital 45 minutes away, in the opposite direction from all of her support people. If we could take her 45 minutes in the OTHER direction, she would have had many, and I mean MANY people who love her, who could visit and offer support as needed. We all decided that our friend should not be transported until morning because an overnight transport would frighten her and take her out of her support community. And she was at a point in her life where she wished no extraordinary measures be taken to prolong her life. Her wishes had been put in writing quite some time before her memory started going. A transport would temporarily rescind her wishes. If she were in transit, they would be required to resuscitate her by any means necessary. We talked with this friend, who seemed relieved to not travel overnight. We talked to the Dr who seemed to understand. We thought everyone was on the same page, finally. We could weigh more options in the morning. Exhausted by decision fatigue, my husband and I left for home at about 10:45. At 10:58, the ER doc signed orders to have her transferred to the community that no one else agreed to. (Paperwork later showed that this was a “non-emergent” transfer. No lights, siren, or rush.) The ER doc called at 1:30 am to leave that message that she had been transported. We were so exhausted, we did not hear the notification and only found out at about 7 am.
My husband took the next day off work to be with her, answer questions, and communicate with everyone who needed information.
Another friend is with her today.
I will go tomorrow (Friday).
Family
Today is still only Thursday. On Monday, we received notice that my husband’s uncle passed away. This was someone who was in the family business with hubby’s dad and grandpa. They lived in the same small town. The cousins all grew up together, went to Catholic School, mass, and high school together. They had family meals where grandma would make homemade ravioli from scratch – sauce, sausage, dough, and everything! They dropped in on each other’s homes without notice. They were very close. The funeral is on Saturday. We had talked about going. The funeral is a five-hour one-way drive. On a Saturday. We are both preaching on Sunday. I found myself sending this text to hubby’s three sisters this morning.
Even if we could find someone to cover our Sunday responsibilities, we are probably too tired to make the drive. It is one of the many decisions we have had to make in the past 40 years or so in which we have chosen the person in the greatest perceived crisis to direct our attention toward.
I have always felt that to apply this verse from Luke to my own life and ministry would have been self-aggrandizing. Who am I to say I am that unselfish or such a good follower of Jesus. I’m not. I try, but I always fall short of my own expectations. I can only imagine the Almighty frequently doing a facepalm about me. i can twiddle away time with the best of procrastinators. I didn’t always handle our stress in the best way. Sometimes, I just wanted to forget, or not feel. There is an old theological saying that goes back to the Latin which is basically that “we are all saint and sinner at the same time.” Lutheran theology generally leaves us pretty humble.
I know this has often left us letting family down. We have grown children. We tried to make family our priority as much as we possible could, but we couldn’t always. There is no way to take back time we missed with them. We did the best we could as much as we could. We had vacation time, and took some cool vacations, day trips, and adventures in our own home, but when they had weekends off, we usually worked. I’ve missed some big extended family Easter Dinners when we only live a half hour from hubby’s family – because after Easter at church, my energy and ability to socialize were running on empty. Same with Christmas.
We will try our best to pay our respects to Uncle Julius. Somehow. He was a pretty remarkable guy who paid some big prices for being a truth teller. I’m pretty sure he would understand. But, he’s already on the other side of these kinds of worries. RIP.
I don’t think those early disciples that were simply called to “follow me” had any idea what Jesus had in mind when he talked about making choices between following him and family priorities. Certainly, there is a weird balance between self-care/family-care and outward ministry. I do know, that in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus already had his “face set toward Jerusalem” by chapter 14. That means, he was trying to prepare the disciples for the awful things to come.
I am relieved by the Gospel of John’s account (ch 21) in which even though Peter denied even knowing Jesus 3 times during the “night in which he was betrayed,” AFTER the resurrection, Jesus addressed Peter directly.
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”16 A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
God be merciful to all those who are trying to be faithful followers, screw it up, try again, screw it up, try again . . .
Help us to choose our priorities well. Help us to hear your words of absolution when we cannot declare them to ourselves. Give us rest when we need it. And give us clarity of YOUR vision for all your children.
(Theology of the Cross vs Prosperity Gospel/Theology of Glory)
John 2
On the third day,
There was a wedding in Cana of Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to the woman, “What concern is that my hour has not yet come to you and me.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever, he tells you to do.” Now standing there were six stone jars of water for the Jewish Rites of purification each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
Jesus said to them. Fill the jars with water. And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them. Now draw some out and take it to the chief steward.
So, they took the water from the steward, tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from though, the servants who had drawn the water knew the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “everyone serves the good wine first. And then the inferior one after the Guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.
Jesus did this, the first of his signs in Cana of Galilee and revealed his glory and his disciples believed him,
Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator, our Savior, Jesus, and the Spirit that dwells within and around us.
The Wedding at Cana
In our lectionary cycle or cycle of readings for the church year – his comes up every three years, right, after Epiphany. It’s in the Epiphany Season introduction (proper preface) to our song: “Holy Holy, Holy.” It was part of the story of how Jesus was made known (epiphany)
The preface includes the wedding at Cana at Cana as a sign of Jesus being revealed, The Epiphany is about Jesus being revealed in many different ways.
I used to preach on this text – I preached about how much wine Jesus made. – The physical miracle. The amount of gallons was astonishing. So, to get that out of the way – scholars believe that six cisterns equated to 120 or 180 gallons. of wine or 340 to 510 bottles of wine.
My Christian friends who believe that drinking alcohol is always a sin don’t know what to do with this text.
Because from the surface, it looks like Jesus is encouraging drunkenness.
He is not encouraging drunkenness.
First off wine or fermented beverages were the safest thing to drink before water treatment facilities were a thing. Second, and more importantly wine, in the Bible, among the people of Faith – wine was a symbol of God’s abundance and steadfastness
Isaiah 27. These verses are often read at funerals.
“On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples, a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines of rich food filled with marijuana. Well-aged wines, strained, clear and he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples.”
When this was written, God’s people were in Exile. They had been conquered and sent away from their community and relocated. They were war refugees.
They had no place to worship, and for them not having a worship place meant God wasn’t with them anymore.
But the prophet writes, basically, “God is still with you. And will take care of you.” For people who were now unsettled, they didn’t have their own Vineyards. They didn’t have their own community. They didn’t have their own temple.
Think about what well-aged wines would represent.
Stability. It meant they were going to stay in one place long enough to age their wines.
Not having to search for every meal, meal by meal by meal.
And so, Jesus shows up at this wedding.
And he provides this rich abundance that the prophet promised hundreds of years before.
The water turning into wine – is called his first sign.
And Jesus says to his mother that he’s not ready, it’s not my time.
because as soon as he started performing the signs, the very religious, rule following people lost their minds.
Jesus performed signs.
And extends his grace to everyone.
This wedding would have been time to go home now. Event, when the wind.
But that’s just why Jesus produced the best wine. Anyone present who tasted knew it was and it was the best. It was in abundance. It was for everyone.
My dear siblings. Our whole country has been co-opted by Prosperity Gospel. Or Theology of Glory
Prosperity Gospel. (theology of glory)
Theology of the cross
Talks about how much you will get if you call upon the name of the Lord.
On the other hand, theology of the cross. It is a very Lutheran Concept that goes all the way back to Martin Luther himself. Ask any of my Seminary professors.
It’s also a Theology of scarcity. They are always worried that there is not going to be enough. I need to make sure I have enough for me. I will take what I get and say that God blessed me.
Theology of the Cross says that God’s abundance is for everyone. Everyone – no asterisks.
You are always worried that someone might get more than they deserve.
Theology of the Cross says, we are all children of God, made in the image of God, each person on this planet. and we look out, especially for the lowly and outcast. Because that’s what God does.
Theology of prosperity says good is bad and bad is good.
Theology of the cross calls a thing what it is
Remember Mary song from advent, “my soul rejoices? Because God has lifted up the lowly.” That was T/C
Theology of the cross is about grace and inclusion. Especially to those who have been cast out of other communities.
Prosperity Gospel enslaves some to the benefit of others.
Theology of the cross liberates the oppressed.
Did you know, during World War Two? There were Christians who were very opposed to Nazism. People of our faith. Because the vast majority of other Christians, figured, if we just keep them happy, they’ll, leave us alone.
That never works out. They just find more and more people to oppress.
And they have more and more money. To tell you there isn’t enough for everybody. So you’re going to have to look out for those people. Those people, those people.
There were Christian leaders, the clergy, emergency league who stood up to that. Most of them were murdered.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The Niemoellers, you can look it up Clergy Emergency League, or the Confessing Church. All those powerful Christian writers from WWII era knew, the Theology of the Cross.
And their conscience could not let them do otherwise
The Civil Rights era, the 60s and 70s. Those black leaders that got murdered? They were all people of deep faith. Deep faith that God is what liberates? Not Power
The dedication of this church.
My husband found this when he was scanning the 75th Anniversary Book.
The dedication of this church reads,
it is our hearts desire and prayer that this Sanctuary may be a house of prayer for all people. It is erected to serve the people of this community, to minister unto them. In the name of Jesus Christ, The riches of God’s mercy and grace. It is consecrated to the Lord for Christian worship. In his name amost hearty welcome is extended to everyone.
At First Lutheran. We open our doors. Not so that people can experience us because as great as we are and you’re wonderful. You’re not Jesus.
We open our door so that the Hope House can serve hundreds and thousands of meals more than we can alone.
They’re opening up the good stuff to everybody and that is part and parcel of the mission of the dedication of this church.
I was asked to give the keynote yesterday at the people’s March.
One of our members was there.
The topic was “Hope Healing and Human Rights.’
Human Rights
The UN Declaration on Human Rights, came about beginning in 1945 and was ratified in 1948. Countries all around the world realized how awful and dehumanizing everyone had become and the atrocities that had been committed. People from all these countries came together.
And just for a short list of the many Human Rights they expressed – They declared that every human being on this earth, man, woman and child should be free from torture. We should have free expression, children should have an education so they can develop critical thinking skills and not stumble into the hole of inhumanity of their elders.
All people have the right to asylum. They have a right to a homeland and a right to life and liberty, and privacy.
Every human should have a right to Health Care. They have a right to adequate housing.
The United States of America has stepped off the UN Human Rights Council. Now, there are some reasons for that, but we deny most of these rights now. They are only for a few.
And we here, are mostly the few that have them.
So yesterday I talked about the erosion of Human Rights. And the slippery slope of dehumanizing language. Which is how all propaganda begins.
The historic horrors of the most atrocious events in the world. Ancient battles. slavery, holocausts and genocide. They started by using humanizing words for people who are all made in the image of God.
They also used entertainment to lull all the people into self-absorption.
The Roman Colosseum.
all those things that the Roman Empire did was to distract the people from how horrible life was. They used entertainment. They called them bread and circuses.
So if you ever hear that term bread and circuses, it means somebody’s trying to pull the wool over the people’s eyes.
They took people’s minds off of real issues and the real issues were getting uglier and uglier. The world fell.
After my speech yesterday. I engaged in a conversation with the homeless, man.
and, he said he felt like he was being chased around by a giant pencil.
The eraser end first. And that his life was being erased, little by little every time that pencil caught up with him.
You know, why I went to talk to him? It was because he had a pro-life side sign and I want to have a conversation because we were closer in philosophy than he or anyone thinks.
Some dehumanize the fetus.
Some dehumanized, the woman that’s carrying the fetus
It’s all a game of language. That turns people into enemies.
Human rights.
Are things that everyone should have.
This is how Jesus lived his life! He healed. He loved and still loves without condition and he taught his disciples to do the same. Jesus says– so, you know, how, how will people know your Christians? hmmm
Oh yeah.
By your love.
To deny the humanity of anyone else.
Is to deny Jesus.
To deny these things has to go down the road to inhumanity, the same road that led to
Holocaust.
We all renounce these things. Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God, think about that and we’ll answer next week.
and we will do this again next week, as we bring in new members.
Genocide.
And crucifixion,
the crucifixion of our Lord. Jesus Christ.
In our baptismal liturgy.
Before we profess our faith, we make three very specific renunciations.
Do you renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God? What rebels against God? Think about it.
Do you renounce the ways of sin?
That draw you from God.
The devil andall the forces that defy God and if God is love of that, then hate is the opposite. (indifference comes before hate, but hate is the result.)
Next week, we will renounce these things together.
And then, we will affirm our faith in who is really our Lord and Savior.
Jesus said, you will know them. They belong to me because of their love.
The Apostle Paul said in Galatians, you will know them by the fruits of the Holy Spirit that are dripping from them.
Love, joy. Peace, patience.
Kindness.
Generosity.
Faithfulness.
Gentleness.
And self-control.
We sang earlier this morning, “Let us build a house where the prophets speak. And words are strong and true.
Where All God’s children dare to seek to dream God’s reign anew
Here, the cross shall stand as witness and as symbol of God’s grace,
Here, as one, we claim the faith. Of Jesus.
Tomorrow, we will welcome the community into this building. Dedicated to the glory of God. In service to our neighbor. To show our neighbors Jesus.
To show our neighbors, Jesus
None of us was here when this building was built. It is entrusted to us to share
To share, not to hoard -that’s Prosperity Gospel.
So let’s turn on the light. Porch light. the light that shines the love of Jesus Christ. Let us live the life that Jesus modeled and sacrificed.
For
Us
Do not let the gospel become bread and circuses.
Dig deeper.
Talk to a homeless person.
And live the sacrificial love.
Of a follower of Jesus Christ.
And the peace of God, that passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ. Jesus, our Lord. Amen
RDP WRITES 