AMAZING GRACE, HOW SWEET THOU ART! SURPRISE TOY! GO SEATTLE SEAHAWKS! SEXY SAXOPHONE AND IST, PLAYING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, NATIONAL GUARD HOLDING AMERICAN FLAG, IN SHAPE OF U.S.A., GIRL, HOLDING, OR LOCKING ARMS WITH SEAHAWK AND FALCON, PLAYER--ONE ON EACH SIDE, UNITED IN AMERICA! WHAT COULD BE COOLER! SEATTLE DOESN'T SETTLE! HEROIN HITS HOME! WHAT COULD BE COOLER, WATCHING THE GAME, IN AN ALL AMERICAN DIG, MCDONALD'S, WITH A DIET COKE AND CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, JUST, GETTING OUT OF SPIRITUAL REVIVAL AT THE CHURCH OF MARY MAGDALINE, SINGING GOSPEL AND WORSHIP WITH SISTERS OF ALL COLORS, WITH VAL AND SARI, BUSTING, MUSIC, DANCE, SONG, TO PIANO, DRUMS, TAMBORINE, SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL, SOUL! PASTOR, LINDA BOOKER, LEAVING US WITH THREE POINTS, GOING FROM ADAM & EVE, TAKING THE APPLE, TO, JESUS TURNING SATAN DOWN ON THE THREE GREAT TEMPTATIONS ON THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION, SATAN TEMPTING JESUS WITH THREE MAJOR TEMPTATION GROUPS: (1) THOSE ATTACKING THE APPETITES--FOOD, SEX, GREED, ALCHOLOL AND DRUGS; (2) TEMPATIONS DEALING WITH, THE INSULT OR QUESTING OUR INTELLIGENCE OR STATUS--AREN'T YOU THE SON OF GOD? THROW OURSELF DOWN ON THOSE ROCKS . . . (3) PHYSICAL CHALLENGES, FROM HOMELESSNESS, TO DISABILITIES, THAT MAKE US QUESTION OUR WORTH, SEEING OURSELVES AS LESS THAN WORTHY OF GOD'S LOVE, MAN'S LOVE, FRIEND & FAMILY, LOVE! PASTOR BOOKER'S SOLUTIONS, TAKING IT STRAIGHT FROM GOD: (1) TEST THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THE SOURCES OF LIGHT, CAN APPEAR TO BE GOOD, WHILE BEING BAD, OR BEING EXCLUSIVE AND LIMITED, IN GOD'S LOVE, WHO IS INCLUSIVE AND ALL ENCOMPASSING! (2) WHAT GOD TAKES YOU TO--GOD GETS YOU THROUGH! AFTER JESUS HAD PREPARED HIMSELF, FOR HIS MISSION, WITH 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS OF FASTING AND PRAYER, GOD WENT WITH HIM, INTO THE DESERT, HE WAS ALSO WITH HIM, ON THE MOUNT, DEALING WITH SATAN . . . JESUS HAD THE POWER TO KICK SATAN BACK, STATING, GET BEHIND ME SATAN! WITH EACH TEMPTATION, JESUS REBUKED THE DEVIL AND HIS MINIONS, WITH LEAGIONS OF ANGELS, CHEERING HIM ON TO HIS SPIRITUAL PERFECTION, AND MISSION, AS THE ONE PERFECT MAN, BOTH SON OF GOD, AND SON OF MARY--GET IT, MARY'S PLACE! (3) GOD'S MOST POWERFUL WEAPON, IS THAT OF PRAYER TO FIGHT THE FIREY DARTS OF THE DEVIL! PRAY ALWAYS, PREPARE YOURSELF, THE APOSTLE PAUL ADMONISHES, FOR EVERY NEEDFUL THING! IF YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A WEAKNESS FOR DIET COKE, OR ALCOHOL, OR DRUGS, AVOID THE PLACES, THE PEOPLE AND THE SITUATIONS THAT PRESENT THE TEMPATIONS TO AND FOR YOU! BE CAREFUL, TO NOT, BLAME, SATAN OR THE DEVIL, OR EVEN GOT TO TEMPT YOU--IT IS OUR OWN, IMPERFECTIONS AND WEEKNESSES, THAT CREATE THE TEMPTATIONS, THAT, PREVENT US FROM EXPERIENCING, ALL OUR GREATNESS! STAND YOUR GROUND, DON'T BE TRED ON, AND BE ALL YOU CAN BE, IN 2017! WHAT A GREAT, WONDERFUL, YEAR, THIS CAN BE FOR ALL OF US! RISE TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL--THAT IS LOVE! IN THE NAME OF JESUS--WE HAVE A VICTORY! I'VE GOT A FEELIN' EVERYTHINGS GOIN' A BE ALRIGHT--JESUS ALREADY TOLD ME SO! WADE IN THE WATER, CHILDREN; GOD'S GONNA TROUBLE THE WATER. I NEED YOU TO SURVIVE: I NEED YOU, YOU NEED ME, WE'RE ALL PART OF GOD'S BODY. STAND WITH ME, AGREE WITH ME, WE'RE ALL A PART OF GOD'S BODY. IT IS HIS WILL THAT EVERYONE BE SUPPLIED. YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO ME. I NEED YOU TO SURVIVE. YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO ME. I NEED YOU TO SURVIVE. I PRAY FOR YOU, YOU PRAY FOR ME, I LOVE YOU, I NEED YOU TO SURVIVE. I WON'T HARM YOU WITH WORDS FROM MY MOUTH. I LOVE YOU. I NEED YOU TO SURVIVE. THE CHRISTIAN COALITION OF CHURCHES, HERE IN SEATTLE, ARE MEETING, NEXT SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2017, UPSTAIRS, AT THE CHURCH ABOVE MARY'S PLACE, 1830 9TH AVE., SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 98101, AT 4:00 PM, I WILL BE SIGNING IN THE MARY MAGDALENE CHURCH CHOIR . . . I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE THEME OF THE PROGRAM IS, BUT, I WOULD GUESS EVERYONE, WHO WANTS TO ATTEND IS FREE TO COME JOIN, IN THE WORSHIP? ALL FAITHS, ALL BELIEVERS, ALL WHO WANT TO BELIEVE, ALL WHO DIG THE HELL OUT OF JESUS . . . CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS AND BORDERS! WE ARE ALL MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST . . . I NEED YOU TO SURVIVE! I WANTED TO POST THE WORDS FROM, OUR AFFIRMATION OF FAITH AND COMMUNITY BLESSING . . . POWERFUL STUFF! HEALING POWERS. WADE IN THE WATER CHILDREN!

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

We, who are homeless or suffering from multiple difficulties, believe in God who created ad blessed women, men, and children equally in God's own image.

We affirm God as a loving and forgiving God, not a condemning God.  Therefore, we refuse to be treated as inferior and less worthy human beings.  We loudly affirm that we deserve to dream a vision, hope and future.

We re-image Jesus Christ as a forgiving and healing mother, father, sister, brother, friend and Savior, who, himself, was homeless, abused and killed on a cross.

We affirm Jesus' resurrection as a mirror of our own healing from our poverty, homelessness, brokenness, bondage and destructive thoughts and actions.

We affirm the Holy Spirit as our source of strength and inspiration who empowers us to get up after every fall. The Spirit constantly leads us back home to God.

We affirm our gatherings as a worshipping community that must practice love, joy, peace, forgiveness, security and support for one another.  Amen.

COMMUNITY BLESSING

May the Lord love and keep you

May the Lord give you courage to continue on

My the Lord protect ad guide you

May the Lord show you the way

Hosanna, keep us safe

May the Lord give you strength to stay clean and sober

May the Lord fill your loneliness with love so that it spills out to others

May the Lord defend you in the presence of your enemies, and lift you up

May the Lord let his mantle fall on you

So that your sowing may lead to reaping

That you might be fruitful

May the breath of God breath on you.

SHALOM . . . PEACE BE WITH YOU!