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I was a part of motivating our Bellingham UCC to declare itself a Peace With Justice church. I have been making noise about moving us further toward more radical faith development. Many theologians (Paul Tillich, Jacques Ellul, Walter Bruggermann, Ched Myers, Robin Meyers, Dorothy Soelle, Cynthia Beaugault, and more) whose theology is very deep and somewhat difficult to understand, are encouraging people of faith, in this case, Christians, to be walking and putting into action the message at the root of the Hebrew Testament (old) and the message that Jesus, the man, put into action. This message is also at the root of liberation theology and it is all about us taking care of 'the least' of these, meaning the ones left out and pushed to the margins by the greed and corruption of the Empire--the poor, the widows, the orphans, the 'lepers', the stranger, women, etc. Liberation Theology, to my understanding, is all about this---taking care for the oppressed and suffering of all creation. This includes resisting Empire and creating a world that works for all. Resisting Empire in dangerous ways, the ways that led to both Martin Luther King's and Jesus's assassinations. There are many ways to resist Empire once Empire is truly known and understood, which I am not going to do today. I am encouraging my church to become invested in the Poor People's Campaign. I am seeing this movement as having the possibility of growing and offering alternative visions to Empire. I feel like PPC has the possibilty of growing and that more groups and people will see the Empire all around them and begin to see ways to resist it.

Another way in which it is difficult to try to get the members of FCCB to feel the same urgency as I do, is that they are not getting their news from truly alternative news services like Truth Out, Truth Dig, Real News Network, Popular Resistance, and more. They are unaware of the writing of Chris Hedges, Robert Jensen, Matt Taibi, Amy Goodman, Dahr Jamal, William Pittman, Noam Chomsky, and more. These Reporters/Journalists, and Theologians are all telling their readers how dangerous and corrupt are these times we are living through with the ones at the top (the obscenely wealthy, financiers/organizations, big corporations, Wall Street, undiagnosed ultrawealthy psychopaths etc.) controlling and oppressing and destroying the rest of us and our planet with all of creation. They are crying out that we need to organize and act now before we won't be able to.

This is what I feel my call to be. Occupy has given me direction and support and I am grateful! Local publication (Whatcom Watch) and local activists like Jon Humphrey and Jim Patterson. I want to be a part of a group that works together to guide and support one another, to correct each other and who read the news and know the issues and background of these issues.

Getting our local movements in touch with a larger one to work with, sharing the 'old' stories to prevent withering away into amnesia, ?remembering the ones who have gone before (what would Bill Distler do)and looking deeply to where we turn to for our deepest truth and love. Some call that God, others the universe, others nature. Doesn't matter as long as it is a place that is bigger than yourself so you are not shouldering your ideas, plans, etc. by yourself with your own limited abilities to see it all and turn to what is bigger than yourself to help grow your own divine spark.

Here are the words of my email(s):

OK, I'm getting carried away maybe? but this is another group FCCB could affiliate with. I know it seems like I keep adding more groups to add to our plate but are they really all separate issues?--- wouldn't Brueggermann say this is all Empire and actually one issue for Christians? I was thinking while doing dishes this morning about how I am feeling bad about continuing to push these ideas. But then I thought and realized, that I have to do this and share these visions with my church because if/when our society/world really starts to fall apart to the point of no return, I want to know that I did everything I could think of to try to help, that I tried my best to the point of humiliation in 'disturbing' my church community to have prevented the total collapse. Please bear with me.

I have talked about these idea with some members esp. in our knitting group. And most people don't know what Empire means or that Moses was so much more than just the guy who led us out of Egypt. He is the first prophet in the Bible and the first to stand up to Empire with a new consciousness that he shared with his community--God consciousness of a sort.

I have brought these ideas into my social justice groups and now people are using the term Empire and it has helped them to not be so overwhelmed with the horrendous things happening in our country and world. Instead of being devastated, they are now able to say along with me that oh! another sign of Empire. Some have even started to read some Brueggermann---these are people with no faith tradition who mostly don't take kindly to religion and esp. Christianity! Couldn't our members begin to know about this? My opinion is that in our resisting Empire as a faith community, couldn't we begin to have our own consciouness transformed to truly know the convenant we have with God and to live into it very deeply?

I am taking a class at Regents College at the end of June which is a part of the Jacques Ellul conference where Brueggermann will be the keynote speaker and where again I will humiliate myself, probably, by doing whatever is in my power or just plain stupid stubbornness, so I can to be able to talk to him!! The class is Mon.- Thurs. and the conference Fri. and Sat.

In regards to educating our congregation, knowing that alot of people, like me, do not get up early enough to attend the adult education classes before our service. And some people just don't want to attend another 'thing'!
I told David I would begin to resurrect the Just Peace church here at FCCB, (what is the other, better name being used??) by entering a paragraph or less for the Full Circle and Fri. Newsletter that is about justice and peace and biblical connection. I can do that with anyone else who would like to help with this. Shantel used to do this when we were more active as a JP church. I also thought about giving our congregation some homework each week to learn more about their faith tradition, what Empire is and how it shows in the world today and using Brueggermann and others to give people an idea of what they can do for themselves in the Empire today. I was thinking about how I could make a copy of excerpts from these theologians talking about Empire and the world today. In lieu of an actual class, they could at least have something short to read to help learn about biblical call to resistance to Empire--what Empire is and looks like today---what others are saying about the world today--and articles that give people an idea of something to do, to join and to talk about with their friends and family. If there was a discussion group organized at church, that would be an added bonus.

I don't know---things like that are what I've been thinking about. Our church should know the depth of the what is in the Bible and learn about our Christian heritage, stories, and messages for us giving us strength for the risky behaviours against Empire we can use. And maybe encourage members to go out on the streets with groups like the PPC (Poor Pe.....)

The status quo way of trying to make change won't work as status quo is Empire. I don't know if you think this way or not, but I and others of greater repute than I, are saying things are never going to be the way they were (you know, things we've known and loved and trusted in), that no matter who is in government, it is going to be a hard time and we have no idea how hard, yet. To try to work to get good people into office, that will support efforts to change our behaviour, to move toward a socialist way of sharing and being and acting in government and the economy and all our relations. And to get the money and resources in our economy shared as equally as possible and to have a participatory government with its eyes, heart, policies etc. on the 'least of these', on the orphans and widows and the stranger and the living earth.

We can not stop the climate change that is coming but we sure as hell can do preparation for it and to make the changes we will need to live on a compromised planet with uncertain food supplies, clean water, diseases from warmer weather stimulating the propagation of insects, etc, in places never seen before, etc. Buildings will need to be retrofitted to deal with extremes in weather can climatic conditions. Education will be so important to help people adjust physically and mentally and emotionally. Look at what our leadership is doing in regard to these items for preparation---not only nothing but allowing and promoting behaviours that are contributing to our demise.

As a Christian, witnessing the suffering now and the great potential for it in the future, aren't I supposed to be obnoxious ---pushy---audacious--offensive ---all of this with love and a passion for justice and life?

Please help me to help us experience the joy of resisting Empire and honoring our convenant with God.

Thank so much for being there for me to even write to!!!