Third Sunday in Lent: Social Responsibility Is Not Outdated

Today's Scripture Readings

Exodus 3:1-15 (NRSV)

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, "I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up." When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." Then he said, "Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." He said further, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Then the LORD said, "I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" He said, "I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain."

But Moses said to God, "If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM Who I AM." He said further, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God also said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you':

This is my name forever,

and this my title for all generations.

Psalm 63 (BCP., p.670)



1 Corinthians 10: 1-13 (NRSV)

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.

Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play." We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

Luke 13: 1-9 (NRSV)

There were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them--do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did."

Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, 'See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?' He replied, 'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"

Blog Reflection

One of the more devastating consequences of individualism without community, is that social responsibility becomes obsolete.   When we adopt a philosophy of "I am an entity in and of myself only" opportunities for the growth of everyone perishes with far reaching and devastating results.

The continual use of chemicals that damage the environment for every living being, is considered an "unavoidable consequence" for the growth of multinational corporations.  The punishment of middle class income due to the abuses of Wall Street executives and corporate CEO's, is just capitalism that supposedly protects the working class.  One individual becoming wealthier and more powerful, at the expense of those who become poorer and more destitute happens because low income people learn to fend for themselves, because, the government just cannot meet the needs of everyone.   It is okay for the government to go into a sequester of spending cuts that hurt education, federal workers, funding for health care, police protection, and immigration reform, is okay, because it is more important to save those tax breaks for only 1% of Americans, or gain the political advantage.   If Supreme Court Justice Anthony Scalia suggests that The Voting Rights Act is no longer necessary because it gives "racial privilege", and racism is somehow a thing of the past.

Our readings for today speak to the issue of social responsibility.   There are far reaching consequences of sin.  Sin that disrupts the work of justice on behalf of the oppressed and marginalized of society, is not the problem of a few.  It carries with it the destruction of the human community for generations to come.  Still think this is not the case?  Just think of how the Holocaust in Germany and all through Europe that occurred in the 1930's through the middle of the 1940's continues to impact the relationships with Jewish people and non-Jewish people alike.  There remains not only a cultural divide, but an atmosphere of distrust between individuals of different races, religions and nationalities.

When the children in our schools are not protected from bullying because of their gender, gender identity/expression, race, sexual orientation, religion or any other reason, no person, no child is really safe.  Everyone's true identity as children of God, with whom God is well-pleased becomes corrupted by prejudice and misinformation.

Our Gospel narrative for today tells of Jesus having a conversation with those who have taken some social action, without the thought of what it might mean for others.  Jesus' response to them is a prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.  The decision of a few to use violence as a means for confronting violence, only results in more violence.   The Gospel response to violence is non-violence.  Not just for the sake of a few, but for the sake of all.  The impact of drone missiles killing families in Pakistan, means that the world is deprived of whole generations of individuals who can make a difference.  It is one thing to object to LGBT discrimination by way of peaceful Pride parades, attendance at hearings and participation in lobby days.   It is quite the violence to respond to LGBT violence by way of glitter bombing and pie throwing.   It is violence by which LGBT people experiencing the effects of the violent rhetoric of Christianists, by opposing all religions individuals and groups and stereotyping them as irrational, etc. 

Jesus presents us with another message as part of the first one.  Our work as Christians is to produce good fruit not just for us, but for all.   A tree that will not produce what it is given life for, can only be good for pretty much nothing.  Failing to use the great gifts we have all been given to benefit others and to contribute to the common good of all, is to allow the fruits of all that God has given us to dry up and become tasteless and only good for waste.   On the other hand, a tree that is full of good things, that produces fruit that gives life to all, is a tree that gives and gives, and life continues to develop and grow with the culture, as opposed to working against it.

This past week Bishop Marc Handley Andrus of the Episcopal Diocese of California, wrote a friend of the courts brief to the Supreme Court asking them to strike down Prop 8.  In his remarks that are included in an excellent article in The Washington Post, he wrote:

On marriage equality, our church has traveled on pilgrimage with our culture. Sometimes we have led in advocacy for marriage equality, and sometimes we have learned from the culture and from leaders outside the church. We have developed rites for blessing and marriage for all, and we have extended the support of the church to LGBT people in the form of premarital counseling and the integration of same-sex couples into loving communities of faith. The historic social prominence of The Episcopal Church lays some extra responsibility on us to use our influence for good. Thus we have advocated with courts and lawmakers at every level of government to promote marriage equality.

What about the charge that we have thrown away tradition? Over and over I’ve heard people jokingly (mostly) call our church, “Catholic light,” and claim (this, almost always derogatorily) that The Episcopal Church has no clear moral standards. It is easy for such a church, the argument goes, to irresponsibly accept culturally-led innovations like marriage equality.

The second thing about Episcopalians and marriage equality, then, that is important to say at this moment is that we are a church that believes Christ continues to be with the world, moving with us, helping us find meaning in moments of joy and also loss and pain. The Christ whom we recognize is the one who speaks in John’s Gospel, saying, “There are many things I would teach you but you cannot bear them now … the Sprit will lead you into all truth.” For Episcopalians, tradition is a moving force that is not only dynamic but that changes quality over time, and we might liken the change to be one of more light being cast into the world. 

Our journey through Lent now has three weeks before Holy Week.  As we continue our practices of fasting, prayer, and alms giving, perhaps it is a good time to consider very carefully our social responsibility to one another in our behaviors, attitudes and actions.  It is a good Season to remember that we are God's children with whom God is well-pleased, and so are others who are different from us.  We do not need every person in the world to think like us, act like us, or even agree with us.  But, what we do with that, and how we deal with that, reflects not only what is in each of us, but what becomes the narrative of society as a whole.

The Eucharist is about everyone coming from every where to be nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ.  There are no people who are not welcomed to the Table of the Lord.  No one is less fit to place themselves to receive the Presence of God and grow into the people that God wants each of us to become.  In the Eucharist we should welcome and respect others, because we are welcome and respected by the One who gives of Himself totally and completely for the good of all of us.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves
to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and
inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all
adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil
thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus
Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (Collect for the Third Sunday in Lent, Book of Common Prayer, p. 218).


Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on
the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within
the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit
that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those
who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for
the honor of your Name. Amen. (Prayer for Mission, Book of Common Prayer, p. 101.)


O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know
you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend
us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that
we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of
any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. (Collect for Peace, Book of Common Prayer, p. 99).

Second Day of Christmas: St. Stephen: Religious Exceptionalism and Intolerance Kills Again

Scripture Readings

Acts 6:8-7:2a,51c-60 (NRSV)

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. They set up false witnesses who said, "This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us." And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Then the high priest asked him, "Are these things so?"

And Stephen replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. You are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it."

When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died.

Matthew 23:34-39 (NRSV)

Jesus said, "Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, `Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

Blog Reflection

The commemoration of St. Stephen the day after the Christmas Season begins seems like we turned from one chapter of the story to another.  In a sense we have.  In a sense we have not.

Yesterday we celebrated God coming to us in Jesus Christ.  As one so fragile and helpless.  Jesus came to help heal our wounded relationships. 

Today, we commemorate the first Martyr of the Christian Church; St. Stephen. One of those relationships God came to heal us from is religious exceptionalism and intolerance.  What we need to understand to heal those broken relationships from this Holy Day in our Church calender is that religious exceptionalism and intolerance kills a lot more than a body.  It kills community.

Christians were the new group in town.  Jesus had ascended.  The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost.  The newly forming Church was gaining popularity.  Those who wanted to protect the exceptionalism of their own religion were challenged to be more inclusive of new ideas and the ways in which people understood their relationship with their God.  As Stephen makes the case for this new religion full of this zeal he has for being Christian, the existing religious establishment just would not tolerate it.

Sadly, what has happened to the Christian religion over these many centuries is that we have forgotten the lessons of how much religious exceptionalism and intolerance kills.  The Christ Child came to heal broken relationships, by helping us understand what is so broken and wounded about them.  The Church in the 21st Century is still learning how broken our relationships are.

What we have seen over the 20th Century with the rise of fundamentalism that makes use of the modern invention of Biblical literalism, is one form of religious exceptionalism and intolerance taken over by another sad example. The American Family Association. The Family Research Council(s) all over the country.  Focus on the Family.  The Trinity Broadcasting Network. These are a few examples of fundamentalist organizations that promote religious exceptionalism and intolerance. 

At the same time, in the Catholic Church, we have seen religious exceptionalism and intolerance rise through the use of a authoritarian model in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  It's pages are full of very great insights. However, the intent appears to be to create a faithful following that does nothing more than recite the teachings only for the purpose of ending all conversations that would contradict them. The Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and Relevant Radio have done a good job of supporting and creating more individuals to promote this form of religious exceptionalism and intolerance. Here in Minneapolis and St. Paul we have a follower of the great "orthodox Catholic" networks. The person I speak of writes comments in any newspaper piece where Catholicism is written or spoken about. His comments are written for one purpose. To make sure that the teachings of the church are explained in their entirety.  Anyone who does not agree with what he writes, whether Catholic or not is immediately and violently torn apart by the commenter.

In our Anglican/Episcopal tradition we have seen many incredible strides.  Women are allowed to be ordained in all forms of Church ministry.  In most recent years and not without difficulties LGBT people can be ordained to all forms of Church ministries too.  Reconciliation has been sought with Native Americans, with a commitment to honor the cultural traditions they come from. Opposing the religious intolerance that continues to vilify Jewish people and Muslims is something we are talking openly about.  Yet, within our own progressive bodies, there remain those who would prefer to encourage religious exceptionalism and intolerance. 

St. Stephens' example of being forgiving and praying for the mercy on his persecutors is outstanding. In the midst of his terrible death by stoning, he is more concerned with keeping his own salvation and praying for those who are killing him.  Among the people in attendance of his stoning is Saul who would later become Paul.  Stephens' witness to the transforming power of God's saving love becomes a vehicle through which Saul would one day be where Stephen is.  One day, Saul when he is known as Paul will be the victim of religious exceptionalism and intolerance.

The coming of Christ at Bethlehem is a reminder that as Christians we are not always going to get it right.  As a human being from birth until death we never stop learning and growing in our understanding.  So the Church needs to continue to learn and grow because of those who lead it until Christ comes again.  That learning and growing happens as we are open to the transforming power of God's unconditional and all inclusive love and grace. 

The Church has it's history of burning heretics at the stake. Whipping those who do not share their views. Burning individuals who are thought to be witches. Many who supported discrimination towards Native Americans, African Americans, Irish people, Jewish people, Muslims, Atheists, Wiccans, Pagans and so forth. Christians at one point supported the idea that women should live in subordination. There are Christians who even today support such thinking. While there have been many strides towards greater acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, there are many who still prefer to reject us because of religious exceptionalism and intolerance.

A compelling case can also be made about religious exceptionalism and intolerance on the part of LGBT people and others.  As painful as being rejected because of our sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression is, returning that rejection by suggesting that all Christians are gay haters is not helpful.  I know of way too many openly LGBT ministers and priests who receive uncalled for violence from the oppressed who become oppressors.  The wounds to our communities will not be healed if we continue to take part in further wounding broken relationships. 

As we celebrate this Second Day of Christmas with the Holy Day of St. Stephen let us speak the truth in love, but always with a respect for diversity and a tolerance for perspectives that are not the same as ours.  This is something I need to pray about and work for too. 

The Christ Child has come to heal our broken relationships.  He does that by helping us to understand where and how they are broken.  Are we paying attention?


Prayers

We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the
first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed
for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ, who stands at
your right hand; where he lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. (St. Stephen, Book of Common Prayer, page 237).

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of
your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our
hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (First Sunday after Christmas, Book of Common Prayer, page 213).

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen.  (Prayer Attributed to St. Francis, Book of Common Prayer, page 833).

  

Called by Jesus to Justice and Equality. Not Dominionism.

Scriptural Basis


Mark 3: 7- 19a (NRSV)

Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him; hearing all that he was doing, they came to him in great numbers from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush hi for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, "You are the Son of God!" But he sternly ordered them not to make him known. He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons. So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 

Blog Reflection

In his book: "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism" Bishop John Shelby Spong says of Mark the Evangelist: 

"[Mark]...grasped neither the great philosophical thought processes of his day nor the nuances that lay behind the popular mythology.  He simply accepted the street version of this mythology without question.  He shared without demurrer in the popular conclusions of that time regarding not only demons but also certainty that the earth was flat, the conviction that God dwelt just about the blue canopy of the sky, adn that the sun rose and set as it circled the earth.  The earth, for Mark, was not just the center of the universe, it was also the extent of all that God had made.  To the author Mark there was no reality beyond that which could be seen, and thus no explanations were necessary beyond the supernatural one that explained quite adequately for that time and place what a pre-scientific world could readily observe." (Page 130).

One of the greatest tragedies of Christianity is what Rev. Canon Gray Temple calls "supercessionism" in his book Gay Unions: In Light of Scripture, Tradition and Reason.  The idea that all world thought, religions, morality, world governments etc must supercede into how Christianity defines it.  

The problem with this ideology is what version of Christianity gets to define what?


This past week I came across a blog post in Right Wing Watch.  The article is about Texas Governor Rick Perry who is putting together a prayer gathering.   Among the groups with which he is teaming up with is The Southern Poverty Law Center's Designated Anti-Gay Group: The American Family Association and others who have become part of a movement called The Dominionists.

Among the positions of The Dominionists is that "only Christians have the authority and power to govern in the United States." And among the many so called "rights" that Dominionists have is the right to remove even by violence if necessary anyone who does not reflect their understanding of Christianity.

This kind of thing is the problem that results if people read the Bible in particular a Gospel narrative such as the one from Mark for today's Daily Office without doing some research and critical thinking about what is actually happening in that reading..


If we read today's Gospel at face value and with a literal interpretation it may very well sound as if Jesus is organizing the Apostles to carry out the mission of dismissing demons.  Demons as the Christian Church might decide are destroying the Apostles definition of what is right in terms of the family, sexuality, women, governmental organization and so on.   

Quite frankly, this is the approach that the Dominionists who also call themselves "The New Apostles" are taking in an attempt to scare Christians into believing that everything President Barack Obama and all liberal Christians and other religions might be attempting to do in American politics. 


This kind of organizing is very dangerous in and of itself.  


This does not reflect the kind of actions that brought about Jesus' calling and naming the Apostles in today's Gospel.  That is why "The New Apostles" and "The Dominionists" are missing the mark and creating a "brand" of Christianity, that all Christians should be very concerned and skeptical about.


This criticism is no "religious discrimination."  The criticisms I offer in my blog today are coming from the dangerous roads on which Christianists over the years have been taking the Christian religion.


The results are not only creating a faith made of fear and false understandings of the Bible.  They give the Christian religion and Jesus Christ a bad name.  That needs to be a real concern of all who believe in the Name of Jesus Christ as the Name above all Names, who is the compassionate and merciful Savior.


When Jesus calls the Apostles and names them, he is calling them to be a "companion" of the Lord (Philip Van Linden, C. M. Collegeville Bible Commentary, New Testament Volume, page 911).  The term "disciple" according to Van Linden, also means "learner".   "..and to learn from him it is necessary to be with him." 


"A second part of discipleship is located in the meaning of "being named" by Jesus. (page 912).   Van Linden goes on to refer to God's naming of things in Genesis in the creation story.


Part of being with someone is so that we may learn from that person's example.  The Apostles were named so as to reflect their companionship with Jesus who was teaching from his example and commanding them to do likewise.


As we see through out the Gospel narratives Jesus shows forth God's generous and extravagant love as the poor, the sick, the marginalized and those left behind are brought to the center and given their justice and dignity.  The work of Jesus is not based on a popularity contest.  Nor is the mission of Jesus defined on singling out one group of people to be pivoted against another.  It is also not a matter of claiming a domination of one religion over another.  We would understand the whole work of Jesus better and more accurately if we pay careful attention to not only what Jesus is saying, but also on what Jesus is doing.  Jesus is running from the whole idea of domination and submission as fast as he can.  Jesus came to rescue humanity from the idea that one person, group etc dominates while another is subjugated.  


The evil that Jesus calls the Apostles by name to "cast out" is an all out hatred defined by religious, social and political oppression and violence.  At no time during Jesus' ministry did he ever demand that an individual person be "converted" to his own religion.  Jesus did call people to a repentance of heart and life.  A repentance of the desire to subjugate women, LGBT, the sick, the poor, the immigrant, the Native American, the Muslims, the Jews and others based on religious, social and political bias.  


The problem with the philosophies and maneuvering of The Dominionists and the New Apostles is that they want to push individuals through fear, prejudice and violence masked as Evangelism, as a cult.  Making Christianity into an excuse to scapegoat and destroy what they do not agree with.  This is not the mission Jesus is naming the Apostles to in our Gospel today.  This is a proselytizing through coercion, spiritual malpractice and doctrinal abuse.

I implore all Christians, non-Christians, Atheists and people of good will to work together to call the Dominionists and The New Apostles out for their reckless work of injustice and spiritual violence.   We need to respond to these individuals and groups respectfully and peacefully and take the wind out of their sails here and now.  

Let us write our State, Federal and local Governments to keep in mind that the United States has a separation of Church and State for this very reason.  The United States was not formed to be a theocracy, but a democracy.  Let us state very clearly that we cannot tolerate nor give too much leverage to a group that proposes making America into a country of religious bandits and peace stealing people.  


As Christians, let us all recommit ourselves to the true teachings of our Founder.  Let us pray and ask God the Holy Spirit to guide all of us "into all truth" and to work for peace, justice and equality for all.  Amen.


Prayers

O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and may also have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Proper 10, Book of Common Prayer, page 231).

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. (Prayer Attributed to St. Francis, Book of Common Prayer, page 833).