So the rest of the evening, about 30 min, was talking about how we can embody the alt.way of Jesus. It was pretty good stuff and I think I need the evening to process it all…as a former employee of the Empire (i.e. United States Senate staffer) and political science major, some of the talk didn’t sit well, but in a sense that it grated against what I’ve studied and lived. And now as I train to be a pastor and grapple with how does it look to cultivate alternative communities that embody the different, alternative Way of Jesus, there is cognitive dissonance. I’ll give some more thoughts tomorrow…

(internet shut off…)

9:00–American will have its own religion…its own distinctive message of salvation and manifest destiny, set apart people group, and own creed. Its own symbols and enemies and deity. But in it all do we hear the cross, the enemy love of Jesus, the BLESSEDS. Does it look like Jesus. American can say one nation under God, but what is the character of that God…and is Americas gospel reflective of the gospel of our Lover Jesus…Reading Gal 1:6-7

8:57–Caesar has colonized our creativity and economy (God on money) and creation (pictures of Mt Rushmore). And then we try and brand Empire with the Cross…the SUV with the Jesus sticker. It becomes legitimization of everything that stands against the Cross.

(read quote from Hitler who thought he was doing the work of the Lord by coming against the Jews. Then Truman quote thanking God for bringing the A-Bomb to them instead of the enemy and sought guidance from god for its use.)

8:55–Can we serve two masters? How can we wait on God to move in history when we can move it now…Many will remain faithful, like those in the military will plunge themselves on their own swords rather than kill others. Eventually Empire takes notice of the spread…Constantine becomes a Christian/ For many, people see that the Cross of Christ was exchanged fro the sword of Rome. CHristians begin to kill, and ask Gods blessing. Religious leaders will do horrible things in the name of God and ridding the wordl of evil. Instead of following tragectrory of Abraham and Sarah, they follow the way of Empire.

Since the Church has become respectable, the Church has been able to be prostituted for any cause…especially war and killing.

singing now about Babylon and rising no more.

8:50–They were athiests and faithless because they rejected the religion of Empire Rome and turned into a new citizenship. So the Christians described the Empire as a charming Adulteress. John in Revelation described Empire as the great whore and called the Church to come out of her. Empire offers a cup to drink to all the world…but its a fraud. THere is a cup however that is the true Cup. What is highly regarded among men is detestable in Gods sigh. Romes splendor is false and comes on the blood of the innocent.

8:45–The early christians were called to make disciples of the nations, meanwhile the nations would be trying to make disciples of them.

We are fools for Christ…Paul

I recognize no empire of this present age–Acts of the Martyrs

Christ in disarming peter diarmed every soldier–Tertullian

If everyone were to act as you christians the national government would soon be left utterly deserted and without any help––Origen

(they’re reading a bucnh of quotes of early church and other ancient peeps)

emperors could only believe in christ if they were not emperors–as if christians could be emperors–tertullian

8:30–We’re back

(just said Lords Prayer…30 min intermission)

8:00–Jesus died for the sins and died because of them. Quoting Paul: Jesus triumphed over the powers and made a spectacle of them…thats bad exegesis. Im not sure the powers were the earthly powers, but the spiritual ones: think Cristus victor. Taking about enslavement to powers…which ones? Simply Rome or America…or the ethical powers of the Dark One?

Now we are to take on the nature of Christ in the face of the patterns and kingdoms of this world, the pattersn of the kingdoms of all the world.

(my question at this point is: what was the point of the cross in their eyes…was it to simply disarm the political/earthly powers? to disrobe the systemic powers of the world? hmmm so Jesus’ cross procession mirrors Roman Imperial processions? how about OT prophetic procession…just a thought)

7:55–Did they really know what sorta king they were in for with the TRIUMPHAL ENTRY. His revolution is not about how the kindom will come with a horse and entourage…but with a donkey. Peter protests this and says the meak and mild will not cut it…Operation Silent Lamb not good enough. jesus scolds because Peter is still thinking wiht the mind of Caesar and later attempts to fight with the tools of Rome (sword). When Jesus disarmed Peter, he disarmed all Christians. His was a suffering revolution.

Jesus’ throne was a cross…Mark portrays his march to the throne in the lights and eyes of the Roman Inauguration:

Pretorian Guard: proclaim Caesar as one who is glorius

Purple Rob/Scepter:

Ceremony includes gathering of people shouting triumphant over all other pwoers

Followed by slave who would kill a bull as sacrifice

Proceed to Head Hill which is the Center of Rome

Offer Cup of wine and mhyr

Following that would be Caesar rising to throne of power with someone on left and right

Lastly, divine miracle…like solar eclipse or flock of doves flying…

I like that line: Jesus’ kingdom is an upside down one not with FISTS but with a TOWEL…AWSOME!

7:50–And we see in this invitation of Jesus an invitation to figure out who He is…hes peculiar, a homeless rabbi, he has an upside down kingdom not with a fist but with a towel…with kids and the last seat…rather than adults or the FIRST seat.

7:45–To say God’s reign is like mustard is to relocate our hope from the Big Powers, from Empire, into the small peculiar people and crazy different alternative way of living of jesus. Jesus challenges the logic of the Imperial Cult.

The LOGIC of what the world says is reality…and replaces it with something that intitially seems crazy and stupid, but simply works over against the way of Empire.

There really is such a contrast between the categories and Way of Jesus and the categories and Way of both Empire and Religon, isnt there?! Jesus is BRILLIANT!

7:40–Jesus teaches nonviolence and transcend the categories of this world. We’re to love the enemey not as a strategy but because thats the way it is…

7:39–Jesus teaches a third way of how to overcome evil with Good, not simply passiveness or overt aggression (thank you walter wink!). If someone slaps you look them in the eye, turn your cheek, which is a posture of love. When you walk a mile with a soldier (which required civilians to carry gear), walk two…which the Roman army code forbid…walking an extra mile with them is an offer of love and friendship. Befriending the enemy is a risk to disolve the power structure…???

(ok…using some horrible exegesis on the casting of the demons out of the Gerasene possesed man..oh well)

(reading a Roman insignia relating to Caesar August as God manifest and bringing Peace on Earth, the bearer of the Gospel and good news of Empire)

7:32–It was a tumultouse time during the time of jesus; there were revolts and uprisings. Political parties like the Zealots, and Essenes, and Pharesees. But he lives with such political imagination that he doesnt live with these categories…he subverts even the political groups of his time and his own people. Jesus calls into question those campes and calls them into question through question. If we can listen with the ears of 1st centiry Mediterranean peasants we can come to understand what jesus was saying. When you understand Son of God was taken by Roman emperors, his name takes on great political weight. But Jesus isnt reclaiming Rome for God. The political language is to serve as a contrast between Kingdom of God and Kingdom Rome

‘Freedom is coming

Like a light on the dawn

Jesus breaks out chains

Lord carry is on”

(initial thought….I wonder if they read too much Emperical language back into the story…hmm)

7:26–Hes born on the run, homeless, and poor. Herod and the leigons of armies are afraid of this baby…only even when all he can do is cry and poop his pants…Herod the Great kings is afraid. And we must remember that to understand Jesus is to understand a particular time and place and specific towns and customs. Its lik trying to understand MLK without knowing about Birmingham and Boxcars.

7:24–Then God invades the world to bring down the powers in the most unlikely of ways. In the form of a child/man he comes to bring in and usher in a new way of being that subverts what Humanity views as normal. (singing the Magnificat in an original number)

7:22–While Empire uses might and Kings to declare and push agenda, God uses Prophets, who use strange antics to declare Gods decrees and unveil the sins of even Empire Israel.

7:20–God assures them He is their God and King and will protect, but the people want a king, and military, and thus security and safety. The people refuse to listen to Samuel, even after God warns what seeking after the things of Empire would bring…and God relents and gives them a King, in his anger. Prophets continue to remind them that Kings are doing what GOd said they would do. But even in this there is humor of Gods redemption eveident: small boy defets Giant and becomes King; they rally to war using very small armies. People are to trust not in size of military of might or power but Gods power. God uses the weak things to confound the wise and defeat the powerful. Amazing!

7:17–God through the Law give the people release from marginalization, debts, provide for care from orphans and widows…given strict guidelines to assure the poor are cared for and inequality is destroyed. These are the ways God brands them and sets them apart, even though the laws sound weird and crazy. God limites violence through the LAws (an eye for an eye, not 2). If you dont do the lasws you will end up like Egypt. God creating a new culture that is counter imperial. Spend years getting Egypt out of them. Slavery sounds more stable than Exodus. They want to be like other nations…rather than relying on God.

(prolly around 2500 people)

7:12–IN the mddle of an imperial genocide, God hears the cries of his people and chooses a baby, Moses. An orphaned refuge who cries to Pharoah to let people go and leads people beyond empire and into dessert. God protects thorugh the wilderness, if they will call to him and look to him.

(the show is a cool mixture of poetry, music, narrative. with a bunch of handmade instruments. very indy and organic. very beautiful)

7:10–The quest to be like God begins and continues with tower…God topples the centralization of power through the unification project of Babel. He chooses another way of being Human through an old couple. They were homeless, powerless, and the antithesis of the Babel project. Not just our story, but ours. Its about pain, struggle.

7:07–Shane and Chris taking stage–story of a God who loves huanity so much…a story started way beyond America…stody begins in a garden

7:05–Singing the “Jesus for President” theme song

7:03–Wer’re being encouraged to committ to an ethic of love and simply so outside of all associations

(almost didnt get internet…thank you Mars HilL!!)

7:01–Starting

6:55–Seated