From a Theology forum I am on

First I love this discussion as it has been civil and seems there is an exchange of ideas on a point that has been discussed in theology circles for decades. The problem with any assertions is that it is based on personal bias. So no two people will ever see the issue, especially this issue from the same point. I think the simplest answer to why all the divisions within Christianity and it is overly simplified here is - Humans. As you can see by the answers and discussion here, once a human has become involved everyone stakes out their corner, and then they defend it and believes it is right. Wars have been fought over who has the right way to believe. There are still wars going on but only now it is in media, in forums, and many other nonviolent ways to push an agenda of belief.

I am one that when someone or a church or organization takes a position I feel at conflict with, whether it is a Baptist, a Wesleyan, Catholic, reformed Catholic, or many others, I refer back to the Bible. I try to find the version they typically use to see the words they are basing it on. I want to understand how they came to the viewpoint they have. I ask questions. I do not start with condemning, I start with trying to understand. One of the main tenants of the Christ when he was just plain ole Jesus of Nazareth and teaching others.

I have never understood those that hate on Calvin or Luther or Wesley or Mennon or any of the reformers, nor the protestant hatred of Catholics. We all have the same roots and foundation in our religion, the teachings of Jesus, through his disciples. We as the inheritors of this legacy and this religion have allowed those foundational teachings to be corrupted and misused by those put in charge and allow hatred to be bred into us when Christ preached love and understanding above all else.

I chose love and understanding.

Tut's Death

 Archbishop Desmond Tutu, October 7, 1931, to December 26, 2021.

It is with great sadness to report the passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, an Anglican Archbishop of South Africa.  He passed away on December 26^th, 2021 from cancer in Capt Town South Africa.  He said that he was attracted to Anglicanism because of its tolerance and inclusiveness towards all. He fought against oppression and the marginalization of people.  He found a way to blend black theology and African Theology into his Angelican training and teachings.  He went on later in life to advise many world leaders.  He was at the forefront of religious leaders worldwide.  His impact has been felt in all corners of the globe. 

Archbishop Tutu came to prominence fighting against the Apartheid government of South Africa.   His mantra or slogan for his peaceful campaign to change the form of government was “No Future Without Forgiveness”.  When Nelson Mandela was elected to head a new unified government, he chose Archbishop Tutu to head up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

In 2010 Archbishop Tutu retired from public life, giving his reason for retirement was he needed to spend more time with family, to read, to write, and to think and pray. 

Among his over 100 awards and honors, he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 and Pacem in Terris Award by Pope John XXIII in 1963.

 

Rest in Peace Archbishop Tutu, you have served God well and helped improve this world in many ways.  

Big Pharma

 I think big Pharma is nothing more than the result of hyper-capitalism.    While I abhor over regulations I think there is a point where this government or any government with democracy at its base need to take the health and welfare of the population as a whole and use the minimum of controls on hyper-capitalism as it is as destructive as any form of fascism, communism, and socialism.   Teddy Roosevelt knew this, Truman knew this FDR understood this.  That is why they control out of control giant corporations.  The issue now is that the extremes of the political system have slowly gained control and they themselves do not have the greater population health and welfare at the center of the policies, they have the agenda of destroying the other party as the agenda, and we the people suffer because of this.    I have no issue with conservatives or liberals.  I can see how some policies from both extremes can help us all, but when it gets to the point that nothing is done except finger point, then you have emasculated the entire system for a single agenda.    My generation is to blame for this game of brinksmanship.  It was how we were raised in the '50s and '60s and we have carried it over into adulthood.   Those coming behind us have seen nothing but the damage it has caused.   Just an old guy's opinion.

Christmas Message from Reformed Catholic Church.

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDING BISHOP                         19 E. Eldridge St. Manchester,

 Reformed Catholic Church                                               Manchester, CT 06040 

 www.reformedcatholic.org                                               562-708-7198 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DECEMBER 10^th, 2021

To the Faithful of the Reformed Catholic Church and all People of Goodwill:

As we prepare for the celebration of Christmas, we are thankful for the good news that opens up for us the beautiful message of this holy season: God loves us, ALL OF US, so much that he sent his only Son to redeem us and show us the way to Heaven. God’s plan was to redeem all of humanity; it is all-inclusive. We at the Reformed Catholic Church take this message seriously and invite all who wish to do so to join us in celebration this Christmas, either in person or online. We invite you to join us in worship throughout the rest of the year as well.

The best gift we can give each other is to share our faith with loved ones and strangers alike, proclaiming the joyous tidings that “God is with us!” We should reach out to one another with all the blessings God has given us, especially the gift of peace. Our world, our country, and our homes are often witnesses to violence, prejudice, and fear. Christmas is a time for us to counter these ills by loving each other as deeply as God loves us.

Our Reformed Catholic community wishes all of you--no matter your denomination or religious beliefs--peace and goodwill. We want to assure you of our prayers and best wishes during this joyous season and always. Let us pray:

Loving God, may Your blessing fill us with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the magi, and the peace of the Christ child. May we all find greater understanding and reconciliation after this past, challenging year. May our faith and belief be deepened in this time of joy at Your Son’s birth. May Your blessing provide us with the grace for a better, happier new year. May almighty God—Father-Creator, Son-Redeemer, and Holy Spirit-Sanctifier--bless us now and forever. Amen.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

The Bishops & Board of Directors of the Reformed Catholic Church  

My Ordination Sept 4, 2021

 

L to R  Father James Morgan, Bishop Shane Slivnik, Mr, new Deacon, Presiding Bishop Chris Carpenter, Monsignor  Father Andrew Barreras

My Christmas Message

 This was written for the Reformed Catholic Church.

As we about our celebration of Christmas, we are thankful for the gift of faith, a gift of good news that opens up for us the beautiful message of this holy season, namely, that God loves us, all of us so much that he sent his only Son to redeem us and to show us the way to the Father in heaven. God’s message was to redeem all of us, all-inclusive. We at the Reformed Catholic Church, take this message seriously and invite all who wish to join us in Celebration and Join us the rest of the year as well.

The best Christmas gift we can give each other is to share our faith with loved ones and strangers alike, proclaiming the joyous tidings that 'God is with us. We should not just share our faith, but we should reach out to one another with all the blessings God has given us, especially the gift of peace. Our world, our country, and our homes are often witnesses to violence, prejudice, and fear. Christmas is a time for us to counter these ills by loving each other as deeply as God loved us by sending us his son. Our Catholic community wishes peace and goodwill to all, assuring you of our prayers and best wishes always.

Heavenly Father, may Your blessings fill us with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the magi, and the peace of the Christ child. May we all find peace and understanding from this past trying year. May we find our faith and belief in this time of Joy of Your Son’s birth. May Your Blessings provide us with a better new year. Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit bless you now and forever.  Amen

Today

 Well in the last few days I have been called unpatriotic, scrum, liar, and a few others I will not share at all. This happened all because when asked my opinion I shared it and it did not match the person that actually asked the question viewpoint.  This even happened on some of the forums I follow and write on. Now on forums, you are not asked, you just reply, I fully expect hate, hostilities, and insults.  

The norm of life has become hate, hostilities, and insults That is the accepted norm anymore. The art of discussion goes away if passionate beliefs are involved.   That said, it has been my observation as we creep closer and closer to Christmas day, this time of the year,  people tend to get more defensive to their own beliefs and resort to anger and insults to those that disagree.  It seems that the whole purpose of the celebration of Christmas has been lost to hate, anger and commercialism.

Thanksgiving Thought

  

When most of us read the scriptures we read the Bible from the viewpoint of the 21^st-century human.  That means we read it from a perspective and understand being born to freedoms of some type.  Now I know, some will point out that parts of the world still are oppressive and slavery still exists.   All true, but the majority of the world people have some level of freedom.    Reading the Bible this way is a mistake.  You have to place yourself in the Middle East, the Holy Land in Jesus' time.   Jesus was not born free.  He was born into an occupied territory.  He was born into a type of captivity. He was born into oppression, slavery, and captivity.  These factors cannot be changed just because your master and oppressors give you some freedoms of movement and leeways in some practices to include your religion.  You are still under their thumb and control.

So let us put ourselves in that mindset and remember that there is a lot unsaid.  Think of the sermon on the Mount.  Jesus did not spend time telling those gathered of their plight, of their oppression, of the fact they were Jews and hate and looked down upon by the Romans that were their masters.  He did not have to.    It was just understood.  Think of coming into the middle of a movie with no idea of the story arc.  That is what we have in the Bible.  I know some of the modern Bibles add footnotes to explain as much as they can, but the original authors were not writing for the century’s they were writing for the now. The audience already knew what was not said.  We do not.   This has led to centuries of assumptions.  This has led to centuries of possible misunderstanding of what is said and meant.

Take the time to reread your favorite passages, clear your mind of your perspective of now and of your preconceived assumptions.  Instead, read it with thoughts of the situation that Jesus lived in and realize that most of the statements he makes are answers to questions not yet asked but needed an answer.   I have a feeling that you will find a deep appreciation for the brilliance and the genius of Jesus of Nazareth before he became Jesus the Christ.   A true genius in Philosophy, strategy, and tactics to turn the tables on the masters that oppressed his people.  He set in motion a truly beautiful thing once you understand his motives and his plan.

Thought

 God wants full custody, not weekend visitation.

Day of the Dead

 In recent years, the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead (November 2) has gained visibility in the USA and around the world, thanks in great part to media and movies including Pixar’s animated feature Coco. It is a colorful part of Latin American Catholic culture.

For Americans, and perhaps people from other countries where this celebration is not a longstanding tradition, this folkloric holiday could simply seem like a “Mexican Halloween,” in the worst possible sense. It could appear as a pagan celebration that invites people to celebrate the darkness of death or even worship it (associating it with the “Santa Muerte” or “Saint Death” cult). Some even feel it is to seek to communicate with the dead through pre-Colombian rites and rituals.

This is the danger of learning about other cultures from movies, on one hand, and on the other, of misunderstanding the process of inculturation which the Church has practiced since its founding and in all the different forms of the Catholic Church.

Let us begin with what the Day of the Dead is not. To quote a 2019 article from Vatican News: “It must be made clear that in Mexico this celebration is not a ‘satanic cult’ or something related to a ‘cult of death.’” Nor is it generally understood exactly as it was depicted in the film Coco. This movie did incorporate many real elements of Mexican culture. But let us be honest here, subsidiary Pixar is not a reliable source for information on the way Catholics in Mexico celebrate the Day of the Dead.

 Using a well-written passage from Aleteia, let me quote them on what it is. First of all, returning to the Vatican News article, “it forms a part of a belief that has its roots in the Prehispanic world.” Among the cultures that existed in what is now Mexico before the coming of Europeans, the article goes on to explain, there was a general belief in an afterlife, including something analogous to Purgatory. For the dead to reach their destination in the afterlife, they needed certain essential objects, and once a year they visited the earth. During this occasion, the living could offer them food and objects to help them along.

At this point it is still possible to object, being easy to state, “See? It’s a pagan celebration that Catholics should avoid.” However, let us consider this; when Catholic missionaries arrived in the Americas, they realized that in these beliefs and celebrations there were elements of truth that were a common ground that could help the indigenous peoples understand the Catholic faith. These partial truths are what the Church calls “semina verbi” or the “seeds of the Word”—a term coined by St. Justin Martyr in the second century (originally in Greek, “logoi spermatikoi”).

The missionaries engaged in what is known as inculturation: they took the elements of truth they found and some of the cultural manifestations that accompanied them, and infused them with the Catholic faith, transforming the feast of the god of the underworld into a celebration of All Souls Day. In this way, the missionaries introduced Catholic teaching, and this helped transform the culture as a whole.

Inculturation is something that had been used in some form or another since St. Paul. St. Paul himself, when speaking at the Areopagus in Athens, did not say, “Forget everything you know, because it’s all wrong.” Instead, he quoted a pagan poet and referred to a pagan altar “to the unknown god,” saying, “What you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:22-31)

Many folkloric traditions surrounding Catholic feast days have been adopted over the centuries from non-Christian traditions as part of inculturation. Even some aspects of Catholic iconography, terminology, and philosophy (used to elucidate theology) have non-Christian origins, such as Greco-Roman mystery cults and Neoplatonism.

While anti-Catholic rhetoric from atheists and non-Catholic Christians often exaggerates how much the Church has adopted from these sources and claims it has harmed the faith, the fact of inculturation is undeniable and quite positive. Grace builds on and perfects nature. In His providence, he has guided humanity towards the truth and prepared us to receive the Gospel. When human beings strive forward, even with some mistakes, God takes what is good and makes it better, while purging what is mistaken or evil.

We must recognize the feast as an essential element of Mexican tradition and identity and warn against the corrupting influence of … none other than the United States, with its distortion of Mexican culture and its confusion of Day of the Dead with Halloween. At the same time, we must warn against the cult of Santa Muerte, a recent invention tied to the culture surrounding drug trafficking and not specifically related to the Day of the Dead.

Can Catholics celebrate the Day of the Dead? The answer is clearly “yes,” if those Catholics or any other Christian denomination understand properly as the celebration of All Souls Day with certain cultural, folkloric aspects of Mexican culture.

So, we say to the Faithful of the Reformed Catholic Church and all People of Goodwill, enjoy this special day and treat it with the respect and reverence it is meant to have. 

Borrowed from Richard Rohr website

 Richard Rohr and author and a priest had a website called "Center for Action and Contemplation"  He sends out a daily point to meditate and contemplate.  All are geared towards improving a person's perspective on life.  That is how I view them anyway.   Today's missive caught my attention more than usual,  So I posting in part.  To enjoy the rest go to his website  https://cac.org/

Living with the Land

 

 

 

In the West, most Christians have been shaped by culture and faith into a paradigm that normalizes acquisition, at great cost to others, ourselves, and the land itself. As Richard puts it, “Perhaps the primary example of our lack of attention to the Christ Mystery can be seen in the way we continue to pollute and ravage planet Earth, the very thing we all stand on and live from.” Theologian, scholar, and Cherokee descendant Randy Woodley describes the difference between the attitude of early North American settlers and the Indigenous people who were already present on the land. He writes:

The very land itself meant something quite different to the newcomer than it did to the host people. Something was missing. The difficulty, as the Natives saw it, was with the settlers themselves and their failure to tread lightly, with humility and respect, on the land. The settlers wanted to live on the land, but the host people lived with the land. Living on the land means objectifying the land and natural resources and being shortsighted concerning the future. Living with the land means respecting the natural balance.

To Indigenous peoples, the problems of a Western worldview are obvious. The way of life demonstrated by Western peoples leads to alienation from the Earth, from others, and from all of creation. This lifestyle creates a false bubble called “Western civilization,” which people in the West think will protect them from future calamity. This false hope is detached from all experience and reality.

The problem is that the Western system itself is what brings the calamity. There is little doubt that much of what we are experiencing today as so-called natural disasters have their origin in human carelessness.

How do we avoid the impending disaster brought on by a settler lifestyle of living on the land and against nature? The answer is simple: we learn to live with nature. [1]

 

A thought on Salvation

 In all my reading and discussions on salvation and what it is or what it takes to obtain salvation, I have always been amazed at how complicated we tend to make this simple process.   Maybe it is just me that thinks it is simple as it appears to me this point of our existence has been argued over for centuries.  

For me is a simple formula.  Believe in Jesus' teachings, follow the Christ's message, and accept God's love and love God back as your savior and you will attain salvation.   

First, you have to understand that Jesus was not Christ.  He only became "the Christ" after his death and resurrection.  Second, you have to understand, even if you believe or do not believe in the Trinity, Jesus' teaching was about the two existing components of what we later labeled as the trinity.  He spoke of his father, Our God, he also spoke of the kingdom to come, in essence, the holy spirit.   Once he was crucified and arose, then ascended, he then became part of the Holy trinity.  However, you see this final form, this is now the way to salvation.  You can do the works, you can feel you attained grace or any other items you feel you need to check off a list for salvation,  until you live the simple formula I laid out, I do not believe you have attained the salvation you seek.  As you have to save yourself before you can be saved by any other means. 

A Prayer for October

Heavenly and Blessed Father,

We welcome the new month of October with great expectation and hope

Lord, it is difficult to find words to express my gratitude for all the ways You have blessed my life and the lives of those close to me.

As I prepare for this new month, I know that I cannot do it without You. Your love and strength empower me.   Your presence guides me and will be my beacon in this new month.

Thank You for Your unconditional love.  I embrace Your love and peace.

I will keep my eyes focused on You. In Jesus' name, I pray, 

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:  As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever, Amen. 

daily thought and scripture verse

 16 Therefore do not let what you consider good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God does not consist of food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For the one who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people.  Romans 14:16-18 (NET)

My words of wisdom for the day:  We spend too much time using our outer ears on the side of our heads listening for God's voice and words when we should be using our inner ears to hear God's words in our hearts. 

Random thought

I am going to go out of the lines and be somewhat esoteric on this one. I think as we have moved further and further away from the time of Jesus, the further we have moved away from the true teachings and understanding of what he wanted us to learn and spread. Does it matter if some of the wisdom comes from the various Christian denominations, Gnostics, Islam, Hindu, Buddhism, or any other belief pattern, is not the main goal to become a better person and to find a form of salvation and to continue our journey?

I mean I know I have spent years trying to live a better life to do what is needed to find salvation and to move to the next step in the journey of the soul. I think we all are in our own way. That said is it not then on us to follow the teachings of accepting others and cast no stones if we are sinful? Then why do we spend so much time condemning others that follow a different path if their intent and their understanding go to the root foundation of the Christ's teaching? Just my opinion and thought.

A morning prayer

 

Most Holy and Heavenly Father,

 

Good morning, Father,  thank you for this day,
Help me to follow you in every way.
Let me speak as you speak, and do as you do;
Let me help others, as you help them, as you have helped me, too.

Help me, to be honest, don’t let me play games,
Help me to grow, yet still stay the same.
Help me not to be selfish, to give of my heart, my mind, and my labor;
Give all - not just part.

Help me to love others, my family, my friends,
Bless all of my foes, help me make amends.
Help me be kind, Father, where I am needed, let
Me give warm attention and see all needs are met.

Help keep me busy, to strive for the best,
Help me not to be lazy, but find needed rest.
Let me come to you, Father, throughout the day,
Often to thank you, often to pray.

 

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

philosophy thought

So I was talking to a philosophy teacher and religious studies are also being taught by him now.  He made an interesting point, comparing how you have to read both.  When reading the New Testament you need to read it the same as reading a philosopher for understanding.   By this, he meant when you start a new chapter in a book of the bible.  Ask yourself, is there a Question? if so what is the questions being answered.   This amazingly can help add clarity.  Did john this was tonight

 

Perished

 An God said those who cast doubt towards me and my powers shall perish by those doubts.

Thoughts

 YOUR CAPACITY TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO LIVE A TRUTH COMPLETELY OPPOSITE TO YOUR OWN TRUTH, WITHOUT SHUTTING OFF YOUR COMPASSION FOR THEM, THIS IS A REFLECTION OF HOW POWERFUL YOUR LOVE IS.

A Journey Through the Beatitudes Novena.

 I invite you to join me on a spiritual journey as we pray A Journey Through the Beatitudes Novena.  This special novena will guide you in finding true happiness as a disciple of God.

Blessed are the poor in spirit.  Blessed are those who mourn.  Blessed are the meek.

For centuries, prayer has been a powerful prayer instrument that brings people closer to God and to a deeper understanding of our faith.  During difficult times, prayer can truly point the way to a better life.  That is why many Catholics are celebrating the Beatitudes Novena.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.  Blessed are the merciful.  Blessed are the pure of heart.

Through the Beatitudes - or, as Pope Francis refers to them, our “Christian’s identity card,” - Jesus tells us how to find happiness and spiritual blessings.  These guidelines tell us how to be true disciples of God.

Blessed are the peacemakers.  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness.  Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  

It’s my prayer that you will join me in reflecting during the Beatitude Novena.  I know it will encourage you and strengthen your prayer life as you seek to become closer to Our Lord and pray for lasting happiness.

CONCLUSION SHOPPING

Are we reading scriptures, the Bible for support for our own agenda, viewpoints, and conclusions?   Are we just trying to find something that agrees with us and our thinking?  These are questions I have pondered for quite some time now.   I have seen a person make a statement that is very negative and can only be called hateful.  Then try to twist a single sentence from the Bible to support their statement.  This is nothing more than conclusion shopping in the Holy Scriptures.  So are you one of those that spend your time in the scriptures looking for something you have already decided, a viewpoint, or in support of your own agenda?  OR  Do you read the Bible to learn the meaning of the divinely inspired words of God, seeking His guidance, His wisdom, and His love?   Do you read the Bible with no pre-conceived viewpoint, no agenda, no desire to support what you have come to believe?  These are questions we need to be asking ourselves each time we open the Bible, go to a Church service or any other type of function related to faith.   Do not seek God through your own view and eyes of who he is, but rather seek God through the words and the eyes into his heaven.   Just my opinion.

An interesting opinion

I had an interesting conversation this past Saturday, 7/17/2021, with a gentleman about my age that figured out that I had a Theology Degree.   He started off with the normal greeting, introduction and then added he was a devote Roman Catholic.   Now from my perspective, this could mean a tense conversation as I am liberal in religious views in certain areas.  It also could mean a nice casual generic conversation. 

Well, it turned bad quickly.   After a minute are two he state, paraphrasing to remove some colorful language that Martin Luther was wrong and ruined everything for Christians.   I, of course, being curious asked how Luther ruined everything?

This is what he said that led me to stand speechless for minutes.  "Well you know without him there would not be Bibles in anything but Latin and we would only have to wait for our priests to tell us what the Bible says.  No reading, not thinking,  just listen to what they tell us what we need to know.  But bo, Lother had to protest and start everyone wanting to know what he was talking about.  Soon there was an English version and everyone was reading it and asking questions.  The Bible is the word of God and no one should question it.  It is just wrong and that why I think he ruined everything."

When I finally got over the shock, I did my best to try to simplify what he said to understand.  I asked if he was saying that Luther ruined Christianity because his movement made it possible for everyone to read the Bible?  He said yes, exactly.  I was dumb-struck.  I stood there staring at him for what felt like forever but sure was just one or two minutes.  I finally was able to get out that this was a new reason for hating Luther for me, having never heard this reason before. 

He proud puffed u and said, that's cause he is an original thinker.   The best I could do was Okay then.

That was pretty much the end of that conversation. 

God, Jesus and politics, an opinion

 My issue with any speaker that crosses the line and starts mixing getting people to turn back to God and Jesus and also trying to get them to follow a specific political belief can you say they are still doing God's work has the crossed the line and trying to use God and Jesus to do political work.  Both parties have been guilty of this for many many years.  I have found nothing in any version of any Abrahamic Bible or religion that says religion and politics should be one and the same.  In fact, in all my readings your belief and faith in God and Jesus should come before all others and be stand-alone free of other influences.  Just my opinion though.

Early morning thought over coffee.

 The next religious war will be waged in social media and in textbooks at universities, not by the church or by the sword.  Organized religions are ill-equipped and unprepared for this type of warfare.    We in Christianity are at the nexus in time that those that want to truly fight the good fight need to be writing and publishing and stating views to fight this war before it happens.  Just my humble opinion.

The game of pool: A question

 Well with all this political correctness and cancel culture going on around us, I got a question?  Can we still play the game of pool? 

I mean think about it.  You use a white ball to knock around all the colored balls trying to get them into a hole/pocket.  The balls are out of sight and no longer important.  We strive to see which person can use the white ball to knock all the balls off, saving the all-black ball for last.  Once you get that into the pocket, out of sight you are considered the winner.   

I am surprised we still have this game.

3 bones

God gave us three major bones.  A wishbone. This helps us with goals, planning in our life, our future, and dreams.  He gave us a backbone so we can stand up for ourselves and what we know is right and he gave us a funny bone so we can see the humor of life and enjoy the gifts given. 

A good real life parable

 This morning I walked out to our backyard to stretch after a workout. A black bird was sitting on my fence making a horrible, screeching sound.  I noticed the bird would look at me then look down. As I walked over toward it, I noticed a rattlesnake moving under the fence.   The snake is now deceased. But I was more fascinated by the bird. I really think he was warning me. Maybe God put that instinct in the bird. Perhaps God used that part of his creation to once again prove his love for me. But then I had a second thought: the next time your pastor is preaching about a particular sin and all you hear is him screeching perhaps you might try to take notice.  Maybe he sees the deadly snake in the grass.

 For memorial day

Most Holy Father, We are thankful for the sacrifice so many throughout our history have made, for the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, and for their families who had to carry on without them. It is a sacrifice that has become too easy to forget. For those who have it, freedom is like oxygen. It’s something we just have. Many will not understand just how precious either is until they are at risk of being taken away. Today I remember the many sacrifices made and debts we cannot repay. Today I pray for the God of heaven to bless the families of those who have lost loved ones while serving our nation. We pray for you, Oh Lord, to bless and comfort the walking wounded who are still with us, and bless their families as well. It is also our prayer that we remember their sacrifice and the precious gift of freedom every day, not just once a year or when they are in danger of being taken away.

In Jesus Name, AMEN

 

Mother’s Day

As Mother's Day fast approaches, we are happy to celebrate the mothers in our lives.  Our mothers have played and still playing many different and important roles in our families. One of the most important that we sometimes fail to see is how hard they work to keep us safe and happy daily.

It is no secret to us the unique role and crucial role mothers have in the life of their children and in some cases the children around their children.   Motherhood is truly a love like no other.  It is a love that is unknown or unless or until you have experienced this blessing from God.   It is also laden with heavy responsibilities. 

Let us all of the Christian faith join in celebration and prayer for all the mothers in our lives.  Remember that even Jesus had a mother here on earth, Mother Mary.  God has a love for all mothers as he had a love for Mary.   As you know, God is our Father, but he also has the heart of a mother.  He sustains us as a mother does, He comforts us as our mothers have, and he teaches us every day as our mothers have.

God has orchestrated motherhood to be one of the most unique, most rewarding, and challenging roles a woman has in her life.  Think back on how your own mother rose to the challenges and shepherded you into adulthood.  She did not stop there either.  How many times as an adult did you call your mother for advice or just to talk with her as you needed to hear her voice.  For those of us who have lost our mothers, how many of us yearn to hear her voice again to help soothe a moment of crisis. 

I want to end this with a prayer I have liked for a while dealing with mothers.  I borrowed it and paraphrased it.

Today, God, we pray for all mothers. Guide them in the various stages of life.  Remind them of Your presence through their children who have learned life at their side, who come to them for assistance, who have helped their children find their own independence, and who at some point will go to them to assist them as they age. Give these mothers and their children the wisdom to make sound decisions and the strength to accept them. Fill their relationships with love, understanding, and compassion. Let memories flow to warm their hearts. Let joy bloom each day of their lives. Amen.

An insight to share

 

A  minister friend sent me this story.

He was performing at a wedding.  As he was wrapping up his brief sermon to the people about the rites and importance of marriage, he said he decided to go off-script.  The following is the best I could transcribe what was on the video he sent.

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me change course here.  As you know we members of the clergy like our counseling sessions.  I have a total of five I put the bride and groom through, two each individually and one as a couple.  I ask a lot of questions to make sure I am comfortable performing the ceremony.    During the second individual session with the bride, she said something very profound.  Now most all of us here know this is a re-marriage. They were married to each other before.  They divorced seven years ago.  Of course, my concern is what will make this different this time.   Her answer is worth everyone hearing

Let me get it out here, I wrote it down right after she left my office.  It struck me as that valuable of an insight. 

Her: That is a very good question.  Here is how it is for me.  We had issues during the last part of our 24-year marriage.  We had grown apart and at times even hated on each other.  During the seven years apart, I died inside.   I died when we signed the divorce papers, I died inside.  I felt like I had failed me, I failed him, I failed my kids.   It never changed or got better as time passed.  Then one particularly down day it dawned on me.   I had to die inside to be able to live outside.  Once I decided I needed him in my life and I wanted to live on the outside, well, it was like my soul was reborn, reenergize, that it was like springtime in my heart and soul.   I made the decision I wanted to live on both the inside and the outside.

Yes, that sounds kind of hokey to some, but look at your partner, look at your family, your kids, and those you are around.  Ask yourself, have you, they, made this same decision?   Do you want to live on both the inside and outside?  Or, are you willing to stay where you are and die a little inside each day as you fail to live on the outside? 

Now let's get these two married.

Sometimes I get asked a question

 This comes from a Theology forum I am part of.  It was asked generically in a thread I started.

Quote from: Chaplain Mark Schmidt on November 04, 2020, 11:14:51 pm

Can I ask something, Apostle Thomas was one of the three known apostles to be literate and was able to read and write.  So if the evidence that has slowly emerged that the Gospel of Thomas actually originate from his writings while he was with Jesus, does that not mean then that they become the inspired words of God or at least inspire of Jesus?

I am trying to figure out why it would or would not become inspired.

Now see I agree with this logic, but those that decided what was divinely inspired 1500 plus years ago, did not know nor have the additional information we now have.   Should it be rethought and considered? I believe so.   The issue is that it would take the Vatican, Lutherans, Anglicans, Episcopalians all the rest to reconsider its inclusion.  The argument will be how do we know we have all of Thomas's writings?  How can we include something that might not be complete?  Those are valid concerns.   

I think it deserves deep consideration.  If you take the time to read it then cross-reference the statements you will find them all stated in the Gospels and other books of the New Testament but without all the fluff and storytelling around Jesus' statements.   As you noted, Thomas was an educated and literate man.   But he also was a very no-nonsense type of person.  Think of Dragnet and the statement "Just the Facts"    So his writings were just the statements he felt were important and impactful.   He did not waste time and energy on writing the story around the statement.   

So in essence, it is divinely inspired as all he writes is in books deemed divinely inspired, but with all the story around them.  It is also why he had doubts when he was told of the risen Christ.  His nature was to prove it to me, give me the facts.  Back as the story about him shows, once he knew it was him, he was all in. 

I hope that helps to hear my viewpoint and understanding.

Using the Labyrinth

 

So I had this chance to apply a theory I had wanted to try.  I normally do not do counseling for married couples.  It is just not my area of expertise.   A couple that I have known for about 6 years asked me if I had any suggestions on how they can get their marriage back on track or at least start the communications to do that.   They went into details on what they felt were issues that they felt were causing their problems.   It struck me that there was something under this that they were suppressing. 

 So here was my solution for them to try. 

 Many of the local Churches have meditation Labyrinths located on their property.  These are used for many things.  I, myself use them to help me think through issues or to recenter.  When I am writing I use them to help fight through blocks.  So I asked them if they had ever walked a Labyrinth before.  Neither had.  So I told them this is what I wanted them to do.  Go to one of the bigger ones.  I gave them the locations.   Once they get there to get to the starting point.  Face each other, say a prayer together while facing each other and looking into each other eyes.  Then tell each other they love them.  THen ladies first as they start walking the maze patterned, she states something that she has an issue with.  He can not say a word, can not argue or rebut.   Then it's his turn.  The same applies to her.  No rebuttal, just each stating the issues all the way into the center circle.  They have to get it all out the negative.  I suggested they adjust the pace so everything is out of their system by the time they get to the center.  

 Once in the center, they were to face each other and hold hands again.  They were to thank each other for the honesty, say they love each other again, then say the same prayer from the start.  Then start the journey out of the maze pattern.  This time though to tell each other all the good things, good memories, and anything positive.  He got to start this time.   Once they got done again hold hands facing each other, say they love each other then end with the Lord's prayer.

 I told them to do all this early in the morning.   Once done go someplace and have a nice breakfast together.  They can not bring up anything said at the maze or discussion in any fashion what was said.  Talk about anything else.   In fact, not to say a word on it until the evening so both of them have time to quietly contemplate what was said by the other and reflect on it.   Only then should they have a discussion.

 I was afraid this might not work but it was at least a shot at a starting point.

 That was ten days ago.  They told me today Good Friday they had done it this morning and followed through and they feel the results were "Fantastic" as they both feel relief and understanding and feel they can now work through things.  The best thing they said this separate from each other in separate text messages.   I hope it does work.  That this helped them start on the road to communications and that they find the ability to repeat this any time they feel the need.

Jedi

 One of the fastest-growing religions in Britain over the last three years is the Jedi.    In the absence of a religion that the youth and young adults can identify with and feel includes them, they will reach out to anything that makes them feel close to any diety.   That is what is killing Christianity is we have not kept up on what will bring them back, instead of the fewer we have the more we alienate the very people we need to attract.  We do not need to sell out values, beliefs, or faith.  We need to find creative ways to make it relatable.

Educating the heart and mind

 A thought for you.  Thomas Aquinas theological writing is the foundational basis for many of the modern Christian religions worldwide.  Many of his statements in his writings are strongly influenced by the teachings and writings of Aristotle.   Now, I admit that mostly his influence by Aristotle came through other authors, but it is still clearly there.   During the Reformation, there was a strong pull to distance one's self from this influence of Aristotle, but in my humble opinion, this ultimately failed as we are back to those influences being present.

The thing is, the one lesson that Saint Aquinas knew and rephrased but stated is missing and is hard for mankind to embrace. 

"Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all"

Think about this.  We all in here have theology at some level of what and who we are.  We have all increased our own knowledge and we all enjoy learning.  But how many of us say we spend the same amount of time on embracing the meaning of educating our heart - learning to be good people, learning to embrace others and their ideas without judging them against our own ideas.   If you are like me and we are all truthful, not a lot of time is spent this way.  Just look at the last five years in this country and you can see the majority of us embrace anything other than Jesus's teaching of peace love and harmony (my shorthand version of his teachings).

Just something for you to muse on as you spend your day reading writing and interacting with the rest of humanity.    

Women in the Bible, March month of Women

 In March we are celebrating the month as the Nation month of Women.  This is a good time for us to also celebrate the women of the Bible and the lessons that we can and should learn from them.  Many important and critical parts of the birth of Christianity and our modern-day beliefs were impacted, critically at times, by the women in the story that the Bible tells us.

The Bible introduces us to many women. These were women of strength and women of weakness., The women that are included in the Bible are included so we can learn many valuable lessons from their lives.    Many of the women provide fine examples we can imitate, others, well they provide us good warnings.  This is not an all-inclusive list as there are others I am sure I missed.  These are however the most important ones from the Bible.

Let us look at the list, then touch on each one briefly individually.  I tried to include all I know of and found about them.  I kept them in alphabetical order and as brief as possible.

Abigail                  Found in 1 Samuel

Bethsheba          Found in 2 Samuel and 1 Kings

Deborah               Found in Judges

Delilah                  Found in Judges

Elizabeth              Found in Luke

Esther                   The Book of Esther tells her story.  Interesting fact, the Jewish, the Catholic and the Protestant Bibles all have different lengths to this Book of the Old Testament. 

Eve                         Found in Genesis, John and 1 Timothy

Hannah                Found in 1 Samuel

Jael                        Found in Judges

Jezebel                 Found in 1 Kings

Jochebed            Moses of Mother  Found in Exodus, Hebrews, and Numbers,

Leah                      Found in Genesis, and Ruth

Martha                 Found in Luke, and John

Mary (Mother of Jesus)   Found in Luke, and  Matthew

Mary (Sister of Martha and Lazarus)        Found in Luke and Matthew

Mary Magdalene             Found in Luke and John

Miriam                  Found in Exodus, Numbers, and Micah

Rachel                   Found in Genesis

Rahab                   Found in  Joshua, Hebrews, James, and Matthew

Rebekah              Found in Genesis

Ruth                      Found in her own Book of Ruth also found in Matthew

Sarah                     Found Genesis, Hebrews, and 1 Peter

Shulammite girl                 Found Song of Solomon

Wife of Lot          Found in Genesis and Luke

The following is my summary of the list above and the lessons I feel we can learn from these important women.   I am sure there are many other lessons we can learn that just what is listed.    Take the time to think about their impact and their importance. 

ABIGAIL:              What can we learn from her?   We know from our readings that she was wealthy and was considered beautiful.  We know she had a balanced view of herself.   We also know she was married to a harsh man named Nabal. Nabal had a run-in with not yet King David.   To keep peace and prevent her husband's death she was willing to apologize for something that waS NOT HER FAULT.  She handles a tense, and dangerous situation calmly and did so with tact, courage, and resourcefulness.   Humility, tact, calmness, and resourcefulness are the lessons here.

Bathsheba          Mother of Solomon.  A warning example of adultery that ended in a good result as we got King Solomon from this adulterous affair.  This is a case of a King selected by God not following God’s commands and the price we pay when we do not.  The first child from this affair died.  Once David was confronted and he admitted his sins and asked for God’s forgiveness Bethsheba was then blessed with the Son, Solomon.

Deborah:             The lessons from is self-sacrificing and courage.  She encouraged others to always do what is right in God’s eyes.   She was considered a prophetess by her people.  She is shown to have been used by God to settle problems among her people.  Some consider her the Mother of Israel.

Delilah:                 Our first woman that is a warning of those that would act against God.  She was the woman that fell in love with the Judge Sampson.  She chose to set aside her love for one of God’s money.  Her greed, deceit, disloyalty, and selfish ways would have brought down Israel except for God’s favor to Sampson.  The lesson learned from her is that we all need to check our temptation and find ways to overcome them are we will end up as she did.

Elizabeth              Mother of John the Baptist.  This is one of the barren women that God cured the barrenness and gave them a child so that child could be used for God’s need.   This is a lesson in the power of prayer and willingness to do God’s bidding.

Esther:                  This was a very brave courageous tactful, intelligent, and respectful woman.  The book of Esther tells us of her life story and how she stood up to a corrupt adviser to a King that she was queen also.  She put her own life on the line by violating the rule of the King to tell him of a plot to kill all Jews, her people, in the kingdom of her husband the King.   Her courage to sacrifice her own life to save all of those of her people is a lesson later taught and proven by Jesus when he gave himself for all our sins.

Eve:                       The first woman, the example of being good and being bad.  While some tend to blame her for corrupting Adam and for bringing the original sin on us, and that is true teaching in the Bible.  She also was good as she was created for man and given innocence.  She is what I was once told like a good person that became a bad example because of others.   She listened to the wrong counsel and dwelled in the wrong desires.  She acted against a clear command of God.  We learn from her coveting that which is not our is the wrong desire to harbor.

Hannah:               A prophet of Israel.  Wife of Elkanah, mother of Samuel.  We learn the lesson of humbling ourselves in the eyes of God in prayer.  We learn the importance of keeping promises to God that we make.   We learn that we can endure all the trials we face through prayer and faith in God.

Jael:                       This one always amuses me.  A woman who is in all intents and purpose is an assassin, is also revered for the only time she assassinated anyone, Sisera, Chief of the Canaanite army.  She was not an Israelite, but she took a stand for the God of the Israelites in her action.   Her action of courage and her initiative to take advantage of a situation teaches us to always be aware of ways that we can serve God. 

Jezebel:               We have another bad example or warning example of a woman that worked against God.   She was the wife of the Israelite King Ahab.  Yet she chose not to worship God, instead, she worshiped the Canaanite god Baal.  She resorted to lies, murder to satisfy her selfish whims.   She was morally corrupt, unscrupulous, shameless, and unrestrained in her actions.  As I was once told in seminary – she is just an all-around bad person.

Jochebed:       Mother of Moses, wife of Aaron.  We learn from her that if you surrender to the will of God, you will see he has a plan and you will be rewarded.  When she put Moses in the reed basket to save him, she was rewarded by God by becoming his wet nurse. This led us to have the first of Israel prophets and lawgivers.  Without her act of bravery and obedience, there would be no Ten Commandments.

Leah:                     She was the first wife of Jacob.  The story of Leah is the one story in the Bible that realistically portrays the failings of the tradition of polygamy.   She was only married by her husband to get her out of the way so he could marry Rachel.   We learn from her perseverance and rely on Pray and the power of God in our prayers.   We also learn that because of this story, God, in Matthew, notes that God's standard of marriage is one spouse and not multiple.

Martha:                She was the sister of Lazarus and Mary.  Martha was willing to accept counsel and was hard-working and hospitable.  What we can learn from her is the power of absolute belief in Jesus and his ability to bring her brother back from the dead.  She firmly believes in the promise of resurrection.  She openly spoke of her feeling and her faith.  This was a time when doing this was dangerous.

 

Mary                     Mother of Jesus:  Humility, acceptance, and deep faith in God’s will.   Those are what make up this woman.  She willingly accepted the gift of God to carry his son and accepted that tremendous responsibility.   She was very knowledgeable in scriptures at a time this was uncommon. 

Mary:                    Sister of Martha and Lazarus:  She had a close relationship with Jesus.  She chose to lesson to Jesus over her household chores.  She was noted in the Bible for extending exceptional hospitality to Jesus on his visits, to included expensive perfume oil.   We learn from her about cultivating a deep faith.  To put God ahead of daily tasks first.  By this I mean, take the time to do daily worship before you do anything else is the example we learn from her.  She humbly honored and worship Jesus, as we all should.

Mary Magdalene             A loyal disciple of Jesus.  She was one of several women that travel with Jesus and his disciple, the 12 disciples.  She was generous in using her own funds to help care for their needs.  She followed Jesus to the end including his execution. She was one of the first to see Jesus upon his resurrection.    We learn generosity and devotion from her.

Miriam:                The sister of Moses.  She is the first woman in the Bible to be called a prophetess.  She played an important role in the Mosaic story and was an important counsel to Moses. She was punished for her role in speaking critically of the actions God told Moses to do.   Later after she suffered for seven days and then healed she is mentioned by God in his divine-inspired writings as one that came before the Israelites to pave the way for them.

Rachel:                 Second wife of Jacob, and sister of Leah.  She provides us the lesson of never losing hope that God hears our prayers.  That if we ask God will help us endure.  She is the other half of the lesson of the strain and issue of polygamy. 

Rahab:                  She was the prostitute that help Josuha at the City of Jericho.  She begged the Israel Army to spare her and her family.  They agreed if she followed certain conditions.  She followed them and was spared.  She later married an Israelite and this led to her being an ancestor to King David and thus also Jesus.  This story shows God’s forgiveness and impartiality on his blessings.   He blessed her for her trust in him and those he sent, this was regardless of her background and the fact she was not an Israelite.

Rebekah:             Wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau.  Through her generosity to Abrahams's servant, she was selected by God’s prophet to marry his son Isaac.   I struggle with all the lessons that can be learned from her.  There are many.  The easiest way to put it is that she learned to follow God’s will and was revealed to her.  By doing this she was blessed as were her children.    We should do the same, follow the path and will of God when it is revealed to us.

Ruth:                     Another woman with her own book in the Bible.  Her story is one of loyalty and devotion.  Not only was she those things to her mother-in-law, but also her mother-in-law’s God.   Through her hard work, and devotion she earned a good name and caught the attention of Boaz.  She married him and this made her later be considered an ancestor to King David and Jesus.

Sarah:                   Abrahams's wife and Isaac’s mother.  We learn that we can always trust God to fulfill his promises.  She provides us an example of the importance of respecting one's marriage.  She stood by her husband and helped him follow God’s direction and thus help form a nation dedicated to God. 

Shulammitre Girl:             One of the principal Characters in the Psalm Song of Solomon.   She is known for remaining loyal to the shepherd boy she was in love with.   We learn to be humble, modest, loy, and morally chaste.  She maintained her loyalty even when King Solomon tried to win her away from the one she loves. 

Wife of Lot:         This is a simple easy lesson we learn from her.   We learn the dangers of loving material things to the point of disobeying God’s instructions.  She put her love of all the things she was losing ahead of a simple command to not look back.  How many times have we all know to move forward in our life we need not look back, but can not help ourselves.