I'm not a religious guy but this story is pretty fucking cool! Edited to Add Picture

[Fantastic Anarchist]

Found on Facebook. I verified with Snopes, but the story is "undetermined" which has a cool story of their own, so check out the link.

Editing again: It appears that this may not be true, but the story at the Snopes link is really good, too. When I originally checked Snopes, it has it as undetermined, so we may or may not know. Thanks to everyone for assisting.

Story:



Edit to add another picture. Thanks Bunnies!

Pastor Jeremiah Steepek (pictured above) transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the 10,000 member church that he was to be introduced as the head pastor at that morning. He walked around his soon to be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people for service....only 3 people out of the 7-10,000 people said hello to him. He asked people for change to buy food....NO ONE in the church gave him change. He went into the sanctuary to sit down in the front of the church and was asked by the ushers if he would please sit n the back. He greeted people to be greeted back with stares and dirty looks, with people looking down on him and judging him.

As he sat in the back of the church, he listened to the church announcements and such. When all that was done, the elders went up and were excited to introduce the new pastor of the church to the congregation........"We would like to introduce to you Pastor Jeremiah Steepek"....The congregation looked around clapping with joy and anticipation.....The homeless man sitting in the back stood up.....and started walking down the aisle.....the clapping stopped with ALL eyes on him....he walked up the altar and took the microphone from the elders (who were in on this) and paused for a moment....then he recited

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

After he recited this, he looked towards the congregation and told them all what he had experienced that morning...many began to cry and many heads were bowed in shame.... he then said....Today I see a gathering of people......not a church of Jesus Christ. The world has enough people, but not enough disciples...when will YOU decide to become disciples? He then dismissed service until next week.......Being a Christian is more than something you claim. I'ts something you live by and share with others.

[QC]

1. He's certainly a very strange looking man.

I can understand why so many people were afraid to approach him.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

2. Why?

Interesting. I'm not trying to judge you, but why can you understand it?

I've talked to a lot of people that look like him. Most have been great people with a lot of fascinating history to impart. Give 'em a fair shake.

[QC]

4. The graphic you posted is a sort of stick figure

of a man frowning.

I suspect that the owner of the site has somehow substituted it for the image you linked to. They probably don't allow hotlinking.

As for the story, I think it's great. I have seen church ushers act more like doormen at exclusive clubs myself, so I appreciate what he's doing here.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

5. Not sure what picture you are seeing.

The same picture is in the Snope's link. The guy has a heavy beard so I can't tell if he's frowning.

[QC]

7. Here's the picture I'm seeing:

[Fantastic Anarchist]

8. LMAO!

Well, now I can see why!

Did you see the guy at the Snope's link?

I think you'll have a different opinion. I'm wondering why you're seeing a different picture, though. Maybe browser differences?

[QC]

11. I think Snopes uses that image when people try to hotlink

graphics from their site.

Your browser is pulling the legit picture from your cache. The rest of us are seeing Mr. Frowny.

You might want to copy the Snopes graphic and put it on Tinypic.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

17. Ahhhh, okay. Thanks. (Edit Attached)

I'm using Chrome and I can see Bunnie's same hot link fine.

I hope no one else saw what you saw! LOL

[bunnies]

3. ...

[Rex]

10. Need to make that into my new avatar!

Hehe I like it!

[bunnies]

12. lol!

You should definitely do it.

[Rex]

15. Ill save it later at home and see if I can make it into a tiny gif!

[QC]

23. Here you go!

[Rex]

25. Awesome! TY!

This is one reason I LOVE DU! Gonna stick it into the photobucket account. THANK YOU!

[Fantastic Anarchist]

28. LOL ... glad I could help indirectly!

[Rex]

30. I am too!

[Fantastic Anarchist]

33. Cheers!

[bunnies]

56. Oooh.

I love the new look!

[savebigbird]

55. It's Mr. Yuk!

He saved my life a few times as a kid, I like to think.

[bunnies]

6. I saw this same thing on a documentary.

Wouldnt surprise me at all if its true. I love it.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

9. I am not a fan of organized religion, but that is a cool story.

[bunnies]

16. Same here.

To say Im not a fan would be a bit of an understatement. But I love to hear that some church leaders actually practice what they preach.

I saw a study not that long ago about a homeless person asking for donations and actually more non-religious people gave than did religious. I was not surprised.

edit: this the pic you were going for?

[Fantastic Anarchist]

18. Mine was an exteme understatement.

And yes, that is the picture. Thank you.

Remember, Leo Tolstoy was a Christian anarchist. So, a few do practice what they preach.

[Tx4obama]

22. That photo is NOT the pastor, it's a photo of an unidentified homeless man. n/t

[bunnies]

34. Christian anarchism confuses the hell out of me.

They're pacifists, right? Yet theres so much violence in the Bible. Stone 'em for this, stone 'em for that, die, die, die. Dont get me wrong though, I personally prefer non-violence... I just dont think the Bible does.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

35. I'm not a Christian. I'm a Jew ... lol

But yeah, eh, too each their own, right? It's actually my part that has more violence.

But, I don't do religion. I do, however, respect those that will live up to the principles of what they profess. Tolstoy certainly did.

[bunnies]

36. lol.

I like your style.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

38. And I yours.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

21. Added Bunnies's picture to the OP. Thanks! nt

[kalli007]

14. Neat story- but Snopes basically says its untrue.....

And the photo being portrayed as him was a homeless man.

[Tx4obama]

19. Nice story BUT it looks like it is NOT true

And the photo that is being used it not someone named Pastor Jeremiah Steepek

See article below...

Here: http://www.examiner.com/article/the-true-tale-of-pastor-jeremiah-steepek-it-s-true-but-not-really

-snip-

Research shows that there is no mention of a "Pastor Jeremiah Steepek" whatsoever unless it is with this story. If someone is the pastor of a close to 10,000-person church, you figure there would be some mention of him somewhere.

Next up is the picture that accompanies the story when passed around social media sites. That picture is actually of an unidentified homeless man taken in London by Brad J. Gerrard.

The story of Pastor Jeremiah Steepek is one that has been passed along for years in different variations. It could be a retelling of Rev. Willie Lyle who posed as a homeless man for four days in Clarksville, TN, in 2013, and then used his experience to deliver a sermon.

This tale is also one that is extremely similar to something that happened in the opening of am 1897 novel from Charles Monroe Sheldon called "In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?" The tale was also one that was a social psychology experiment at Princeton University in 1970.

Again, the story of Pastor Jeremiah Steepek is one that is kind, heartwarming, and one that merits much thought. It's true in some regard, but not entirely as it is being made out to be as it makes the Internet rounds.

-snip-

http://www.examiner.com/article/the-true-tale-of-pastor-jeremiah-steepek-it-s-true-but-not-really

[GiveMeFreedom]

20. Not a pic of pastor

from here: This is a picture of an UNKNOWN homeless man>.
http://bradgerrard.tumblr.com/post/11002307432/i-was-walking-down-the-street-in-richmond-saw

[Fantastic Anarchist]

26. Bummer. Thanks. The story in Snopes is a good one, too. nt

[KG]

27. of course it BS. a homeless guy would have been escorted from the premises.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

29. Touche!!!!

Yeah, should have thought about that.

[awoke_in_2003]

31. This is fairly typical...

and points to the ridiculousness of the idea of cutting the social safety net and allowing local organizations, like churches, to take up the slack. The people weren't hanging their heads in shame- they were hanging their heads because they got busted being selfish bastards.

[awoke_in_2003]

32. Oh, and I am an atheist...

and will pat that pastor on the back. He evidently takes his beliefs seriously. Maybe he will get through some peoples' heads.

[calimary]

37. I love this story. Or parable, if you will.

And I WISH there were a pastor like that, who taught that lesson, in church one fine day.

If this story is indeed not true, then that's a shame. Because it should be true, and it should be illustrated in EVERY church in this country.

[adieu]

48. I'm an atheist as well

and I know I'm far more charitable and kind to strangers and the homeless than most others are.

Most have more than a disgust for the homeless. They have a disdain for them. I might dislike a particular homeless for the smell or the uncouth look. That's expected, but I don't have contempt for them. Indeed, those homeless folks here in SF with some bravado I commend and kick in some change. (Last night, I was walking home when this probably homeless guy walked by me. We chatted and then walked over to a convenience store where I bought two large bottles of PBR, one for him and one for me. We walked over to some other homeless people playing drums on bottles and buckets. I gave my bottle to the drummer instead of drinking it myself*, then met up with a friend and went off for coffee.)

*Technically, open alcohol bottles are illegal in the public in San Francisco.

[ProgressiveJarhead]

39. My Pastor Did This In PA in 2001

Almost verbatim. It was an excellent lesson.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

43. Kudos to your pastor.

Very cool.

[Egalitarian Thug]

40. If they'd just follow their own rulebook Christians would be alright.

Alas, the number of self-professed Christians that do are such a small minority, that people can go for years without ever meeting one.

[kimmylavin]

41. True or not, I like this story.

I'm an atheist, but I remember the parables from my Catholic upbringing.
I like the lesson here.

I actually saw this yesterday, on my neighbor's Facebook page.
I love her dearly, but I am always confused as to how they justify mixing their politics with their faith.
Because she literally posted - within seconds of posting this story, this gem:
"I think that you should pay for your own mortgage, birth control and college loans. I don't think that because I'm conservative, I think this because I'm an adult."

The disconnect kind of hurts sometimes...

[Fantastic Anarchist]

45. Holy Schnickeys!

Yeah, I don't think she "got" the story.

Oy.

[ms liberty]

42. I saw this on fb yesterday.. I really would like it to be true!

If it is not true, it should be.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

46. There's another story in the Snopes link.

That one is definitely true and just as cool.

[DeSwiss]

44. K&R!!!

[Safetykitten]

47. Wow!

[dimbear]

49. A real pastor who tried this would instantly be dismissed.

That don't fly.

[geardaddy]

50. What does Mr. Yuck have to do with it?

[Metatron]

51. I thought I was the only one who recognized Mr. Yuck.

I believe Snopes uses the Mr. Yuck image when you hotlink to them.

[geardaddy]

57. Ahh.

I saw that and the the little jingle started going through my head.

[arely staircase]

52. sounds to cool to be true

but a great story. and if true, what a wonderful disciple of Christ.

[Eddie Haskell]

53. Even if not true, it's a great lesson.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

54. I suspect this is an urban legend...

A Google search of "Jeremiah Steepek" brings up only other versions of this story or reactions to it. If there were a real pastor Jeremiah Steepek, he would appear on a church website or some other such online documentation.