One of the reasons I am passionate about Middle Church is that we have been addressing economic justice for more than 50 years. Olga Downey was an older woman who helped start the clothing closet. She got her clothes from that closet, saved her money, and left us an endowment that funds our children’s ministry to this day. Lucille Bodden followed Olga in running the closet for a long time, and on a fixed income, was always faithful and generous in giving money to fund the ministries she loves. And now, due to some wonderful volunteers, our closet is getting boutiqued in a larger space so that our clients can feel clothed also with care. We feed close to 1,500 people each month with lunches in the park, bags of food to take home, and warm meals on Sundays. We also partner with New Alternatives and Momentum to feed homeless LGBTI youth and people living with HIV/AIDS. Generous people: people of means, people who struggle, people who give time, and people who give funds make ministry happen at Middle Church.

It is also true that our investments–Olga’s fund and Collegiate investments–fund more than 75% of our ministry. That means Wall Street is a partner in our ministry.

I want to change the conversation, Middle family. I am bored with political rhetoric about class war fare. I want us to talk about class collaboration. I grew up in the Black Church, where the milkman and the accountant sat together on Sunday, taught their children to lead on Wednesday, marched for justice on Saturday, and gave what they had in time, talent, and treasure to make the church run. Once enslaved Africans were free, there was always an economic gap. But folk did not forget from whence they came, and they reached back and pulled someone up and helped someone out. The early church was like that, learning from its Jewish leaders, including Jesus himself, that in God’s Economy, the poor, the orphaned, the widowed, the sick, and the lame were the responsibility of the community.

Class collaboration means that a faithful coalition of people realize that they can have a greater impact toward a more just society when they pool resources, enact strategies, build bridges, challenge the status quo, and speak truth to power. The early church learned that some have gifts for prophetic speaking and others have gifts for making sure people got fed. I think we need to resurrect these ideas and ideals and not waste time on us-versus-them tactics.

People of faith know that God’s Economy does not have to be a dream; it can be a reality in this time and place. This is, to my mind, what it means to be faithful. How do I care for my family, save for our future, and help others care for their family and future as well? How do I share of myself and my resources for the greater good of humanity? On several occasions, Middle members have made donations directly to Middle Church to benefit someone else. “Give this to someone who really needs it…” This is the kind of partnership I want the Church to explore. Can we adopt a family or a classroom or create a scholarship fund or mentor children so they are ready for college?

I must admit, I am outraged at the state of our economy. It is not acceptable for a nation with this much wealth to have people living on cardboard outdoors, to have children who only get one meal a day at their school and that one meal threatened with tax cuts. It is outrageous to have older people have to choose between medication or food. Even still, I am less concerned about how we got here, whose fault it is, and whether someone else could have done it better than I am with what can we do now and how will we pull together to do it!

I want Middle Church to keep on feeding and clothing those who need our help. And I want us to change the story and the conversation as we work for a more just society in which food, clothing, clean water, shelter, and health care are guaranteed for everyone in this nation, everyone on our globe. This means coordinating work with other partners. This means marching and writing and blogging and talking about solutions to these systemic issues. This means asking the hard questions, holding leaders accountable, and being will to be part of the solution. I don’t think any one person can fix this thing, but I know by God’s Grace and Spirit, WE can fix it together!

Several of our Middle family has been connected to the Occupy Wall Street movement since it began on September 17. Some have been organizing on line, been at the scene downtown. On Wednesday, some of our staff and lay leaders participated in the march at Wall Street. As we were standing and waiting, singing and strategizing, there was a great brass band rocking tunes that reminded me of a cake walk in Louisiana. There were union guys in purple shirts, dreadlocked children with their parents, and cameras everywhere ready to capture the moment. In my head, Gil Scott Heron’s “The Revolution will not be televised” was playing, because in fact this is a revolution and it is being televised and U-tubed and blogged and tweeted.

A crowd of thousands in business suits and bandanas, sweat pants and saris, clergy attire and mohawks moved and pulsed like one body. This is what America looks like, we chanted, claiming our 99% status and in our great diversity of person and perspective collaborated on at least one message: This ain’t working so well and we have to change it. I heard another song in my head, a spiritual: Hush, hush, somebody’s calling my name… Oh my Lord, oh my Lord, what shall I do?

God is calling us to God’s way of thinking, to God’s Economy. You may wonder what that looks like. Jesus tells a story in the gospels (you heard it in September in worship) in Matthew 20:1-16. Workers who are hired early in the morning to work in the vineyard get the same pay as those who came at the end of the day. There is something about the way God loves us that is about ALL of us having what we need! Enough food, warm clothing, safe places to live, a living wage, affordable healthcare, access to education for our children. These are not luxuries, people of God. And there are enough resources in these United States to take care of all of us and then share with the world.

People of faith: wealthy people, middle class people, working class people, and poor people–we need to UNITE in our common call to be the people God created us to be. We are responsible to and for one another, we have to do this better; it is our watch and we must take care of business!! We must partner with one another, reach across the aisle as necessary, find partners, and build bridges so we can heal this land.

It is too simplistic to demonize all of the people who make more money than we do. Good people with wealth share it every day. Look at Stephen Jobs and the legacy he leaves with us, rest his soul. The problem is a system that allows lobbyists to protect corporations from the appropriate tax; the problem is a tax code with loopholes that poor people will never find or fit through; the problem is that people of faith often don’t dare even whisper, “I wonder if we can take this on, demand something different, build a bridge over which the poor can walk toward a better life?”

Middle is going to stay connected to this movement, just in case this is the revolution we have been waiting for. I am not looking for us to throw verbal bombs or to participate in vitriol and hatred. And I know that we who believe in freedom will not rest until it comes. Let’s turn our restlessness into revolution, our anger into action, our despair into demonstration. And let’s never forget the Power at work within us that is able to do more than we can ask or imagine–that Power is Love.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Cowardice asks the question – is it safe? Expediency asks the question – is it politic? Vanity asks the question – is it popular? But conscience asks the question – is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right.”

On Sunday, after we have worshipped our God, after you have had some brunch and talked a bit with your neighbor about the economy, after our volunteer training, Trish and John will lead a coalition downtown. They are taking sandwiches and Spirit with them; they will sing and offer hope and prayers…

Because it is right. And we’ve got the Power!

Love and Light,
Jacqui

For a list of Occupy Wall Street solidarity events and Facebook pages, click here.

Friends, in the Christian tradition, Palm Sunday begins a very holy journey toward new life. It is a journey of remembrance of events that happened in ancient Palestine, when a Rabbi named Jesus rode into Jerusalem for the Holy days of Passover. He rode in on a borrowed donkey, and was greeted with palms and excitement from those who thought he was the much awaited Messiah. What also awaited him was a trial, torture and an execution, because many believed him to be a heretic, a rabble rouser and an enemy of the state.

I don’t think the historic Jesus was trying to create a new religion, but I do think he took exception with the religious and political authorities of his day. I think he was offering a radical re-visioning of culture and the praxis of a life of faith. I think he was crossing cultic and cultural boundaries– welcoming women, children and the disenfranchised into more power-full relationships with authority. And I think he held a deep critique of economic disparities present in the Roman Empire. This is why he addressed the issue of money so many times in his preaching and teaching.

Beginning April 30 through May 2, Middle Collegiate Church and The Middle Project will hold their fifth annual conference for leaders in multicultural/multiethnic congregations. This time we will focus on faith, justice and the economy. This conference may not feel as warm and fuzzy as some of our others, where we have celebrated the joy of worship in our congregations, highlighted the use of the arts, and encouraged leadership development and intercultural relationships in congregational life. But it is no less important; in fact this may be one of the most important conversations we can have as multicultural/multiethnic congregations in this moment in time. We understand that we can change our culture as we rehearse the reign of God in our congregations. We understand that race, class, ecological, economic, gender and sexual orientation justice are inextricably intertwined.

And so, yes, we will have an amazing worship celebration on May 1, with Jim Forbes preaching, stunning music, dance and powerful fellowship. And we will talk about how worship, education, community organizing and leadership development can help grow our congregations and have an impact on culture. But we will also be engaged from Saturday through Tuesday by an extremely gifted and multidisciplinary team of presenters from theology, sociology and organizing who will help us to examine, both theoretically and in practice, what faith communities should do and can do to follow in the footsteps of that Rabbi. We will think together about how to critique and improve the climate of economic justice in these United States, to make a small dent in the problems of empire, and to transform the hearts and minds of our congregants toward a more just society. Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere, we have been told.

A small band of folk got activated by the powerful message of Jesus, perhaps best “preached” on a mountainside, when before words were said, people were fed.

Come to this conference. Let’s talk about feeding the folk.
Learn. Do. Act. Heal the World.

Here are some resources for our journey toward a more economically just society:

The House of Representatives will vote Friday on a budget that would radically slash Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP/food stamps, slash funds that cover almost every other domestic human needs program, and wreck the promise of the new health care law. Click here to tell your US Rep to Oppose the House Budget Proposal.

[MoveOn.org]

Join the Circle of Protection at HungerFast.

Embrace the Darkness, Eric Law’s latest blog post.

At the end of the day today, we drove into the center of Capetown, and a cloud was nestled at the breast of this giant rock called Table Mountain, soft and misty; it seemed to want to nurse at the strength that comes with time. Or, it was nourishment itself, for the city below, full of Living Water, ready to cascade on this city and this region to bring God’s healing Grace. If you read my not-regular-enough blog for secular content, hear this: Only God’s love can do what needs to be done. It is both Living Water and a Rock in a weary land; it is a shelter in the time of storm. And if you don’t believe there is a God, what force can make beauty like these clouds.

I have looked at clouds from both sides now, from up and down and still somehow…

I think God is able.

To be Living Water and a Rock in a Weary Land

We need healing; God is able to help us.

Dear friends,

You must have heard about that largest earthquake in Japanese history on March 11th at 2:46pm, M8.8. If you have not, pls. see CNN. What is hard to believe is happening in eastern part of Japan and all the sea coasts are being attacked by tsunami. Highest tsunami is over 10M which is not possible to measure.

I live in western Tokyo prefecture, which is quite away from Sendai town (which is closest to the core) and yet have been greatly affected by it.

Fortunately I had arrived home 15 minutes before it started to occur and was with my mother. Cupboards were shook and alter got opened and inside spilt, glasses and pottery got broken and was hard to keep on standing.

It was hard for me to lift my mother and take her to safer corner but I managed. Frequency has gotten less but I feel the tremor almost every 5 minutes even now. The major quaking was so strong and long time; I was mumbling “Please stop” while holding the pottery of sideboard not to fly out. My mother was quiet but kept on eating her lunch and said “Turn the TV on”. Since then unbelievable sights have been shown on TV screen.

They assume more than 1,300 are dead or missing. Some towns were burned down or washed away by tsunami and they do not look like there were houses a day ago.

As for my house, damage was not severe but my studio’s was something to me. About 45 minutes after the measure shaking I left my mother alone at home and rushed to my studio. Liquor stores on the way smelled very strong sake. Some buildings’ signs fell on the pavement and wall tiles came down. I managed to open my studio’s door and could not move, seeing the sight inside. And I am still picking up the things on the floor and pieces of glass and china vase, trying to put things in safer places in the studio since it is still shaking. I could not reach to my computer because my piano had moved and together with pots of plants and so force blocked my way to my desk (on which computer is). I asked 2 men to help me move them and now I am writing this to you. I have mirrors on one side of my studio and they were shattered and I asked a carpenter to come tomorrow. I cut my right hands cleaning the pieces of glasses.

There are so much more work to do to clean up so I thank you for reading this and wish you a good day.

Your friend,

Saho

Dear Jacqui,

I’m just letting you know that I just arrived home, in my hometown Nagoya, which is not affected at all. The trip was very smooth. I’m realizing now, how much I was encouraged because of messages of the people in New York, having friends and being in the Middle community-it’s a big difference. I’m truly blessed and lucky.

And I was awed how quickly the US issued, ‘How to Help’ list when I sat there helplessly crying and not knowing what to do. My prayer extends to the US too, which has suffered also, and is still ongoing.

With love,

Junko

You can make a donation to Reformed Church World Services for their Japanese Earthquake & Tsunami efforts here. To see how Reformed Church World Services handles their disaster work, head over here.

This is like something out of a disaster movie, except it is real. Our friends in Japan have been absolutely decimated by a massive earthquake, measuring at an 8.9 magnitude, a tsunami with waves as high as 33 feet, and then two more aftershocks at 5.1 each. The photographs, shocking as they are, can’t possibly tell the story of the fear and loss. Already, 88,000 people are reported missing, so far. Please pray and, if you can, help the Red Cross address this emergency: you can donate online or text “REDCROSS” to 90999 to give $10.

God bless you, and God bless the people of Japan.

Jacqui

Fear and bigotry fuel the fires of terrorism.

Take this to heart.

Get informed. Get involved.

It is Black history month and we still have work to do. Check out the Color of Change and sign the petition protesting the brutal treatment of 15 year old Chad Holley.

Read. Get engaged. Pray. Act.

How young we are when we imitate others, mimic others. How very young we are when we learn to do the thing people affirm; how very, very young we are when we get it that the thing that delights people and makes them clap is a good thing to do.

I would like us to each think that people are watching us. We are the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world.  We need to imagine that we are a lantern on a hill and that people are gazing upon us to see what God is all about. I don’t want us to be self conscious but I want us to be other conscious, and to take seriously that we are leaders in a movement for change. What is that change? We are working to transform our culture into the Reign of God.

So, look at the person in the mirror, and know that each day we start a revolution.  RJ likes to say, “spin! Turn around.”  This is good advice. Let’s turn this thing around.

I know you want to tell me things are getting better all the time. Yes, you are right. Yet, last week a 15-year old kid in Houston was kicked and beaten by police while others watched.  We still have some things to turn around.

We have work to do.  A two year old watches television and mimics the dance.  Someone is watching you and will imitate your activism, your kindness, the way you are faithful to your values and the way you choose to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God.

Come on, turn it around; we can do this together.  Do something, one thing, every day, to make it a little better.

I was on the phone a little while ago with my mother. She is on the way to the doctor, to discuss a regimen to address her cancer–will she need chemo and radiation or just one?

It is not an easy conversation, but I send her phone love and kisses as she walks out the door with my dad.

My mom is a fiercely loving and generous person, and she is afraid right now. She is afraid that we are worried about her, she is afraid that she might not be here long enough to see RJ grow all the way up. She is afraid the doctors may not save her, not for long enough, and I understand that.

Sabrine, another mother, another brown mother a world away was afraid this week, too. Afraid for her son. Afraid for the violence and for his life.

“He kissed me goodbye and said, ‘Don’t be afraid.’ Then he looked me in the eye and said, ‘You are not my real mother. Egypt is my real mother. I must go save her.’ He gave his life for his country.”

– Sabrine, recounting her son Mohammed Badr’s goodbye as he left for the protests in Tahrir Square, Cairo, where he was shot and killed. (Source: Los Angeles Times

Mohammed laid down his life for his country, for freedom.

There is a song, Sweet Honey in the Rock sings it, known as “We Who Believe in Freedom Will Not Rest Until it Comes” (Ella’s Song).

Muhammed can rest easy now, an eternal rest. His mother Egypt is free. He did help save her.

And Sabrine, his other mother, can let fear go, release it to the wind, release it in the shouts and cheers.

Freedom has come.

Jacqui Lewis