Speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all those abandoned by others.
[D]efend the rights of the poor and needy. (Proverbs 31:8-9)

We continue our conversation this week on the question, “Why Jesus was crucified?” We discovered one clue to the puzzle, which lay with what Jesus was teaching. Jesus lived in an oppressive and violent time. It was the time of the Roman Empire. We who grew up in the West have an idealized view of the Roman Empire and civilization. I can still remember learning in high school about the Pax Romana – Rome bringing peace and prosperity to the world. Fabulous slogan, but in essence just propaganda.

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Perhaps growing up you heard your mother guilt you into taking a shower or cleaning your messy room by declaring with biblical authority: “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” News to all the parents out there…that is not in the Bible!

However the scriptures mention “clean” quite a few times. In the Jewish laws, to be unclean or impure separated one from God. In Leviticus “clean” is mentioned in 44 verses. One of the main jobs of the priests was to check to see if the people performed the rituals of purification, and then declare them clean (or not!). In the Beatitude for Sunday we have Jesus saying: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (The same Greek word for “pure” is also used to mean “clean.”) I never knew how to feel about this beatitude because I never understood what “pure” in heart meant, and I was sure I’d only see God after I was dead.

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THIS Saturday, March 13, from 9 am till 5pm
We’ll be painting doors and trim, hanging the remaining kitchen cabinets, cleaning floors and creating the thrift store so she can open her doors to sales.

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Day Light Savings Time begins THIS Sunday!

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Someone once asked me at a Spiritual Retreat: Why was it necessary for Jesus to die? And why such a violent death? If God is God, why can’t God just forgive us? That is a good question. Maybe we should look at it again as we prepare for Easter. This is a question many have tried to answer through the ages. Each of the Gospel writers answers this question differently in an effort to make sense of Jesus’ death and resurrection and the implications for us as Jesus’ followers. In the Letter to the Romans the apostle Paul even supplies us with not one, but six different possible theories of how it is that Christ’s death saves us.

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On Sunday March 21, we will have worship at 5pm!
(There will be NO 11am worship that day, since Sunset Blvd will be closed for the marathon.)

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All you ever wanted to know about the Bible, but were afraid to ask!

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Holy God, bless the efforts of those involved in search and rescue operations. Give strength and courage to those who may still be trapped. Bring comfort to those who have been displaced or lost loved ones. Bring peace to those whose lives have been shaken to the core and hope to those who fear they have lost all they have. Amen.

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Just a reminder that this Sunday is the Hollywood festival of St. Oscar! Due to folks gathering for the Academy Awards, Hollywood and Highland will be closed as will the Highland exit off the Hollywood Freeway.

It’s always easier to avoid traffic than to get stuck in it! So here are a few suggestions:

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If these words of Jesus are really true: “You’re blessed when your commitment to God’s all-inclusive love provokes persecution” then I should feel really blessed! I would guess that all of us at West Hollywood Church have at one time in our life experienced persecution. If you’re gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, a woman, African-American, Latin-American, or Asian-American, an immigrant, a person committed to peace and non-violence, a person committed to justice for everyone, you’re going to experience persecution. Persecution is the systemic mistreatment of an individual or group by another group. The most common forms of persecution are religious persecution, ethnic persecution, political persecution and persecution based on sexual orientation or identity.

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