Whoa
In direct contrast to the post previous. What do you think of this? Warning: some off-color language.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
On spirituality all the time. . .
Let's face it. . .Christmas, Easter, and most of our Christian holidays were plunked into pagan holidays to "sell" them and foster Christianity. Now we have Lent, which is not a Biblical concept, rather it's a pagan-rooted ritual that couldn't decide if it should be practiced for 40 hours or 40 days. Jesus never practiced Lent, nor did He command His disciples to do so themselves...or to take that to the Nations.
I think, though, we were supposed to keep Passover.
We don't.
I understand the idea: Give up something, think about what we do, become better people (after all, it's all about US isn't it?) It is what it is. . .but I guess I've just never followed along without asking a question or two...and, of course, I always get my hand smacked. Whatever. Still asking.
.
So, I asked the Lord..."Lord, what do you think about this Lent thing?" I can't say that a bolt of lightning came down and illuminated my very being, but I'm pretty sure that He gave me John 13:1-17 as a base thought.
I can hear Him saying,
"Giving up chocolate, cursing, coffee, meat, for 40 days means nothing to Me. Here is what I'd like you all to try to give up forever:
Grudges
Hatred
Bigotry
Gossiping
Anger
Killing--physically, emotionally, or spiritually
Jealousy
Envy
Materialism
Selfishness. . .
replace all of these with love, instead.
....Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."
I think, though, we were supposed to keep Passover.
We don't.
I understand the idea: Give up something, think about what we do, become better people (after all, it's all about US isn't it?) It is what it is. . .but I guess I've just never followed along without asking a question or two...and, of course, I always get my hand smacked. Whatever. Still asking.
.
So, I asked the Lord..."Lord, what do you think about this Lent thing?" I can't say that a bolt of lightning came down and illuminated my very being, but I'm pretty sure that He gave me John 13:1-17 as a base thought.
I can hear Him saying,
"Giving up chocolate, cursing, coffee, meat, for 40 days means nothing to Me. Here is what I'd like you all to try to give up forever:
Grudges
Hatred
Bigotry
Gossiping
Anger
Killing--physically, emotionally, or spiritually
Jealousy
Envy
Materialism
Selfishness. . .
replace all of these with love, instead.
....Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."
John 13:17
Sunday, February 10, 2008
...journeys...
I've been contemplating, among many things...exactly what Jesus sent Mary (an "apostle" which means "sent one") out to tell the others after His resurrection...as to what their task was.
One of the gospels has a questionable ending, scholars say it was added--verses 9-19 of Mark 16. The verses are from another document dated to the first century, maybe the second half, missing from the oldest Greek manuscripts and others.
The ending in this gospel has the damning verse (16)--much different than the others. The others have the disciples going out with good news--not the "follow Him or fry" stuff. Read 'em again.
And atheists will tell you that because this gospel is the oldest and it simply ends with an empty tomb, that the actual resurrected Jesus was never seen.
One of the gospels has a questionable ending, scholars say it was added--verses 9-19 of Mark 16. The verses are from another document dated to the first century, maybe the second half, missing from the oldest Greek manuscripts and others.
The ending in this gospel has the damning verse (16)--much different than the others. The others have the disciples going out with good news--not the "follow Him or fry" stuff. Read 'em again.
And atheists will tell you that because this gospel is the oldest and it simply ends with an empty tomb, that the actual resurrected Jesus was never seen.
What do you think?
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
heresy ramblings
Pat is a friend of mine...and elder and minister as well....who has just freed herself from a particular bond. I'm very proud to call her friend and sister; and proud of her standing up for what is right and loving.
She just posted an interesting thought on her blog. Check it out. I'm loving the fact that while we knew each other...now we are really getting to know each other through blogworld. I hope that's a good thing!
Mike has a great blog that I recently discovered. I love his succinct posts...and the laughing and personal head smacking revelations that come to me when I read his questions. He posed the "what's heretical about this blog?" question to me.
Heresy is not a bad thing; we all know that now....there are enough of us asking these questions...and thank God we are able to ask them even among our more traditional friends. That's what I've loved about discussions at my other blog and with friends' blogs. So far we have been able to discuss without getting personal or cruel. That's what it's about...being able to be open, accepting, and respectful.
I only know 2 things for sure: Jesus IS, and God is Love. Everything else is up for grabs and discussion. I've had a Jesus revelatory experience and I wish all others would have it, too. If I hadn't had that experience I don't know where I'd be today. Life changing...and yet, like the disciples, I continued to dabble in doubt for years. God just kept pursuing me, though. I actually have had people ask me, "Why would GOD talk to YOU?!?" A better question to them might be, "Why not?" or
"Why isn't He talking to YOU?!?" I actually posed that last question to one woman and watched the blood drain from her face. Oops.
Martin Zender points out many scriptures that attest to the fact that God makes unbelievers. Why, I don't know. I wish that everyone would know the love of Christ on this side of the realm. But, I believe they'll know it on the other side. Every knee will bow and all of that....No one getting to the Father except through Him. But where does it say that will happen on this side of life?
Actually, according to many polls by George Barna, those of us in the universalistic realm are more mainstream than one might think. In fact, I think in a recent poll, the majority of Christians don't believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father (I disagree with that based on previous sentence..just not in the way tradition has taught).
Enuff rambling.....What is heresy to you?
She just posted an interesting thought on her blog. Check it out. I'm loving the fact that while we knew each other...now we are really getting to know each other through blogworld. I hope that's a good thing!
Mike has a great blog that I recently discovered. I love his succinct posts...and the laughing and personal head smacking revelations that come to me when I read his questions. He posed the "what's heretical about this blog?" question to me.
Heresy is not a bad thing; we all know that now....there are enough of us asking these questions...and thank God we are able to ask them even among our more traditional friends. That's what I've loved about discussions at my other blog and with friends' blogs. So far we have been able to discuss without getting personal or cruel. That's what it's about...being able to be open, accepting, and respectful.
I only know 2 things for sure: Jesus IS, and God is Love. Everything else is up for grabs and discussion. I've had a Jesus revelatory experience and I wish all others would have it, too. If I hadn't had that experience I don't know where I'd be today. Life changing...and yet, like the disciples, I continued to dabble in doubt for years. God just kept pursuing me, though. I actually have had people ask me, "Why would GOD talk to YOU?!?" A better question to them might be, "Why not?" or
"Why isn't He talking to YOU?!?" I actually posed that last question to one woman and watched the blood drain from her face. Oops.
Martin Zender points out many scriptures that attest to the fact that God makes unbelievers. Why, I don't know. I wish that everyone would know the love of Christ on this side of the realm. But, I believe they'll know it on the other side. Every knee will bow and all of that....No one getting to the Father except through Him. But where does it say that will happen on this side of life?
Actually, according to many polls by George Barna, those of us in the universalistic realm are more mainstream than one might think. In fact, I think in a recent poll, the majority of Christians don't believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father (I disagree with that based on previous sentence..just not in the way tradition has taught).
Enuff rambling.....What is heresy to you?
Monday, November 26, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
short and sad
I had a rough couple of months wrestling with a ministry dilemma. I was involved with a website that promoted women in ministry; the scriptural Truth of it, and God's plan for women.
Great website, but we had a disagreement about keeping a valuable resource on the site because the author penned a Gay study NT. Some of us wanted to keep the original resource on, the voting majority wanted ALL of the author's stuff off. I could have gone along with most of that: I wasn't a voting member and I felt the women's ministry took precedence. We were all, except 2 of the founders, trying to find a common ground that all would find agreeable.
The problem settled around how to handle the whole thing. Most of us wanted quietness and perhaps to answer individual questions on an individual basis. We also wanted to keep a place for gays to come, to feel safe. We think Jesus would have wanted it that way.
I've been chastised, my discussions and arguments have been called "dispicable,"; we were under a "beguiling spirit," etc. Not much short of accusations of working with the devil. I've been accused of "influencing" one of the founders.
Gays have been judged, from what I can surmise, as unredeemable. Somehow, I missed that at the Cross.
3 of us have resigned...one woman was one of the founders.
This all sickened me, but it pointed out to me why people run from the "love" of Christianity.
Great website, but we had a disagreement about keeping a valuable resource on the site because the author penned a Gay study NT. Some of us wanted to keep the original resource on, the voting majority wanted ALL of the author's stuff off. I could have gone along with most of that: I wasn't a voting member and I felt the women's ministry took precedence. We were all, except 2 of the founders, trying to find a common ground that all would find agreeable.
The problem settled around how to handle the whole thing. Most of us wanted quietness and perhaps to answer individual questions on an individual basis. We also wanted to keep a place for gays to come, to feel safe. We think Jesus would have wanted it that way.
I've been chastised, my discussions and arguments have been called "dispicable,"; we were under a "beguiling spirit," etc. Not much short of accusations of working with the devil. I've been accused of "influencing" one of the founders.
Gays have been judged, from what I can surmise, as unredeemable. Somehow, I missed that at the Cross.
3 of us have resigned...one woman was one of the founders.
This all sickened me, but it pointed out to me why people run from the "love" of Christianity.
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