STEP 22 ONE BASIC TRUTH – THE NEED FOR FAMILY
It's time to share one imperative, one truth that simply must be observed if any change/growth is to happen with any of us. WE SIMPLY CAN NOT DO IT ON OUR OWN! Certainly we believe on our own. We meditate on our own. We can pray on our own. There are many things spiritual that we are able to do alone. But we can not grow without others. We meet God only through others, through the interaction, the challenge, the imperfections, frustrations, love and support of and from another. This is the family, what Jesus was talking about when I said that those around him, those with whom he was debating, sharing, risking, loving, these were his family.
Discipleship is risky, dangerous, unusual – an adventure not to be entered into lightly. Few can do it on their own. Indeed of they start alone they will (must) soon join others for the very process necessitates it. Jesus made the decision to journey in the desert, alone. But he immediately called others to join him. If he needed others, why would we think we can do it alone?
There are millions of people in our society who have left organized religion but who are self declared “spiritual”, many of whom have adopted parafanalia from various groups and beliefs. Wicken, Buddhists, Native American, Christian, New Age, etc. The deceive themselves into thinking all is fine and maybe it is. But what it is NOT is growing. Growth is only possible if you are on a path and that path is shared, not necessarily with one who has identical words, visions and pasts, but one that is close enough to shout to, to share with, to support and be supported by, in a word, to love.
To chose the road of discipleship is to risk and few of us have the resources and confidence to risk alone. Only in the company (family) of others do we have the freedom to journey. And I mean this in the most real of terms. Financial, spiritual, social. Like the early church. They shared. They risked. They grew. They journeyed.
Jesus didn't leave a belief. He left a WAY. A way of life that had love as its centre. A way that people in all cultures and times could emulate. Not copy. For in each time and place the specifics might be different, spelled out in new words, customs and details. But the questions being the same: HOW CAN WE GROW IN FAITHFULNESS, EVEN TO THE STATURE OF CHRIST? The early church developed different doctrines in different places in answer to that question. Told different stories and shared different rituals to claim and make the truths they knew into actions. Only a community of faith could nourish, sustain and pass on the WAY. A person may not believe in organized religion but you can not grow spiritually without others. The challenge is to be with others that resists limits and begins to insist on rules other than love.
Whoever is reading these words is reading them by themselves. If they agree, great. If they don't share them with another they are dead as is any truth that is within them. If they are shared then there is life and hope. If they are disagreed with, debated, changed, acted upon, then the WORD of God is alive and well.
I know that it is common knowledge that we are never to talk about politics and religion. That is true if you think that you know and have all the answers and that you don't want to change/grow. I pity you and your unlived life. If you would go for it in any way, if you realize there is any kind of spark in your soul, any hint of something bigger than you are, I urge you, beg you, please talk about it with someone. Anyone. Everyone. You'll find that others are much more like you in your questions than they are dissimilar. Start by sharing some questions. Then by sharing some answers. Then by some shared doings. Don't get too organized but you'll find that you'll probably need some framework in order to feel safe, in order to be risky in some other aspect.
Go to where you can search and share. Have fun. Be joyful. Be very aware that all of this takes others. You simply can not have fun and be joyful by yourself. And if the journey is not basically a joyous one you will not stay on if for long. If you do these things you will create family. Welcome to discipleship!
Give me a shout if I can be a help or just to share news. News is to share, you know!
"As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of being." - Carl Jung
"The only way to have a friend is to be one." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Learning From My Son
STEP 21 LEARNING FROM MY SON
Judy and I are spending a few wonderful days visiting my son and family in Ottawa. A glorious winter setting of warmth, good food, fire place, shared memories and hopes. If I am a complete failure in all other aspects of life, if I arrive at some pearly gates and a St. Peter has before him multiple sheets of my failures and shortcomings I am confident that if I remind him that my son is my son I will be welcomed into the fold on that recommendation alone.
He is well aware that he is a child of God. I am his favourite preacher but he still supports and frequents the Unitarian Church and the Friends. He is a wonderful father and friend to many, including his fellow workers. He strives to live faithfully in his urban society and job, having no television or car. Every time we visit I am amazed at feeling so much at home in his home and by how encouraged and invigorated I am by the whole experience. Even with all the busy people traffic and the noise from the children I am getting so much done! I'll write a bit, share a bit, read stuff to him, read stuff that he has to share, talk some more, write some more, shovel some snow, eat some chocolate, drink some wine, write some more, listen to some music, play some music, write some more, eat some more, sip some more, play with my grand daughter some more, etc, etc.. How the time flies. How the pages get filled!
When I become discouraged, as I often do, I only have to think of him to be smartened up. What a gift to me and to the world! When I leave here in a couple days I'll have more contacts and resources than I'll be able to use in a month. And enough new ideas to toss around for a year.
How rare and wonderful to have family really be connected at the sole level. So often family are just family, loved but not really shared with because of the differences in values and perceptions. The family I came from is like that. We enjoy each other but on an increasingly superficial level. We long ago learned what topics we could talk about and what we couldn't and so we do and don't. There's no sense in arguing at our rare and brief reunions.
Discipleship calls us to a love that is deeper than family, that indeed goes beyond any bounds or limits, that is scandalous in its unidentifiability. It has no rules other than itself and recongizes to critique. It is more important than any earthly marriage and in fact is radically anti “family” in value, much to the shargin of our so-called fundamentalist cousins. The earliest, the very first mention of the early Christians (The People of the Way) was in a journal of a Roman governor of a province in Asia Minor complaining about this new group who was destroying the peace of the countryside by urging children (adults) to leave their families and who were even destroying marriages! Imagine putting faithfulness and love before the customs and bonds of society!
We forget or tend to ignore the fact that Jesus was killed for some very good reasons and his followers were not popular with the establishment until the movement was watered down and adopted by Constantine some two hundred years later. How wonderful to share God's Call with others! Doubly wonderful when it is one you are already one with. Family within Family. Thank you, Son.
"Don't expect miracles, but recognize them when they happen." - Traditional Jewish saying
Judy and I are spending a few wonderful days visiting my son and family in Ottawa. A glorious winter setting of warmth, good food, fire place, shared memories and hopes. If I am a complete failure in all other aspects of life, if I arrive at some pearly gates and a St. Peter has before him multiple sheets of my failures and shortcomings I am confident that if I remind him that my son is my son I will be welcomed into the fold on that recommendation alone.
He is well aware that he is a child of God. I am his favourite preacher but he still supports and frequents the Unitarian Church and the Friends. He is a wonderful father and friend to many, including his fellow workers. He strives to live faithfully in his urban society and job, having no television or car. Every time we visit I am amazed at feeling so much at home in his home and by how encouraged and invigorated I am by the whole experience. Even with all the busy people traffic and the noise from the children I am getting so much done! I'll write a bit, share a bit, read stuff to him, read stuff that he has to share, talk some more, write some more, shovel some snow, eat some chocolate, drink some wine, write some more, listen to some music, play some music, write some more, eat some more, sip some more, play with my grand daughter some more, etc, etc.. How the time flies. How the pages get filled!
When I become discouraged, as I often do, I only have to think of him to be smartened up. What a gift to me and to the world! When I leave here in a couple days I'll have more contacts and resources than I'll be able to use in a month. And enough new ideas to toss around for a year.
How rare and wonderful to have family really be connected at the sole level. So often family are just family, loved but not really shared with because of the differences in values and perceptions. The family I came from is like that. We enjoy each other but on an increasingly superficial level. We long ago learned what topics we could talk about and what we couldn't and so we do and don't. There's no sense in arguing at our rare and brief reunions.
Discipleship calls us to a love that is deeper than family, that indeed goes beyond any bounds or limits, that is scandalous in its unidentifiability. It has no rules other than itself and recongizes to critique. It is more important than any earthly marriage and in fact is radically anti “family” in value, much to the shargin of our so-called fundamentalist cousins. The earliest, the very first mention of the early Christians (The People of the Way) was in a journal of a Roman governor of a province in Asia Minor complaining about this new group who was destroying the peace of the countryside by urging children (adults) to leave their families and who were even destroying marriages! Imagine putting faithfulness and love before the customs and bonds of society!
We forget or tend to ignore the fact that Jesus was killed for some very good reasons and his followers were not popular with the establishment until the movement was watered down and adopted by Constantine some two hundred years later. How wonderful to share God's Call with others! Doubly wonderful when it is one you are already one with. Family within Family. Thank you, Son.
"Don't expect miracles, but recognize them when they happen." - Traditional Jewish saying
The WORD Must Become Flesh
STEP 20 SOME REAL IDEAS/EXAMPLES OF/FOR NEW LIFE
To enact new life a congregation or an individual must ask and answer one question: HOW CAN GOD'S WORD BE MADE FLESH WITHIN ME?” Not only how can you DO the work of God but how can you BE SEEN to BE the word of God. Not just how can you preach but how can your actions be one with what say and claim. The good news and the bad news is the same: people have long ago expected anything positive from churches/Christians. For generations new we've made noise, looked nice, asked for money and have disappointed. When the average person thinks of churches they rightly are reminded of rules, judgementalism, false piety and dress-up. Weddings, funerals, meaningless baptisms and Christmas concerts. Everyone believes in some aspect of a God, a God of love and that Jesus of Nazareth had some meaningful connection.
But when they think of churches they don't think of love. What really turns people's heads are acts of love. That was true eighteen hundred years ago and is true still. All we have to do is make love real. It's simple. It's even easy. We need to give stuff away. With no strings. What a scandle!
Look at the one great example we have, that of the SALVATION ARMY.
Here we have a hoplessly outdated church that has based itself on service. And it is thriving. Millions are given each year by outsiders simply because they know that the Army helps others. The Sally Ann is doing what all are called to do and they are supported even if their theology, dress, church organization and language is foreign to most of the doners.
How do congregations give stuff away, provide needed service to those around them? Giving to overseas churches and missions doesn't count. That kind of stuff is great but it doesn't make THE WORD to become FLESH locally. How about being honest with people? Be honest in fund raising. Don't hide the fact that the congregation is self supporting. Label your fundraising events as such. Then label your fund-giving events as such. You don't have any? Then get them! You have garage sales/flea markets or such? How many hours are spent organizing and pricing out stuff, hauling stuff in and then dealing with the mountains that are unsold? Why not advertize of a giant GIVE-A-WAY, suggesting that a donation be given on the way out with a tax reciept for anything over twenty dollars?
You might be amazed at how much less work, how much money and how different the whole event would feel. It would certainly be perceived in a new light by those outside the congregation. Take advantage of the fact that money is valued above all. Give it away. Be different. Show another way. Some might even become curious.
What else do people value? TIME. It's the thing we each have the same amount of, the thing that so many never have enough of, that of which we talk the most about along with money and the weather. How is your church spending its time? I don't mean the individual members but as a group - in the name of your beliefs? In order for God's Word to be made Flesh through anyone or group it must be recognizable. To do something in secret is just fine if you don't want any learning to come from that action. Outsiders expect a church to invite people in to the building or to an event that allows for the chance for them to be preached to. But to be just helped, or served, or fed, or taught, or cared for, without any preaching being rammed down their throats, THAT just might be a new experience for them. Of course it must be done because they are loved, because the doers WANT to do it. If not done with authentic Spirit it had best be left undone.
I truly doubt that any congregation that has debated/searched for and chosen ways to give and to serve and have followed through, in LOVE, have not grown in Spirit themselves. We are promised that what we give will be brought back to us many times over. This is true. But we must honestly DO these things, wanting to , needing to, being joyful in the doing, being seen and alive in the process, coming together as a faith family in the doing and being recognized as a faith family by others. We will be different in the eyes of others and in the seeing of that reality others will learn and make choices of their own. We need to be salt and light. Tasted and seen.
There would truly be hope for new birth if even with only twenty aging parishioners and ten thousand dollars equity left, those twenty were to chose to give all ten thousand away, to share it with those around them who were in need. If nothing else, what a way to go!
"Those not busy being born are busy dying." - Bob Dylan
"Every material possession you acquire becomes a stick to beat you with." - Roseanne Cash
"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have.... Be careful lest you let others spend it for you." - Carl Sandburg
To enact new life a congregation or an individual must ask and answer one question: HOW CAN GOD'S WORD BE MADE FLESH WITHIN ME?” Not only how can you DO the work of God but how can you BE SEEN to BE the word of God. Not just how can you preach but how can your actions be one with what say and claim. The good news and the bad news is the same: people have long ago expected anything positive from churches/Christians. For generations new we've made noise, looked nice, asked for money and have disappointed. When the average person thinks of churches they rightly are reminded of rules, judgementalism, false piety and dress-up. Weddings, funerals, meaningless baptisms and Christmas concerts. Everyone believes in some aspect of a God, a God of love and that Jesus of Nazareth had some meaningful connection.
But when they think of churches they don't think of love. What really turns people's heads are acts of love. That was true eighteen hundred years ago and is true still. All we have to do is make love real. It's simple. It's even easy. We need to give stuff away. With no strings. What a scandle!
Look at the one great example we have, that of the SALVATION ARMY.
Here we have a hoplessly outdated church that has based itself on service. And it is thriving. Millions are given each year by outsiders simply because they know that the Army helps others. The Sally Ann is doing what all are called to do and they are supported even if their theology, dress, church organization and language is foreign to most of the doners.
How do congregations give stuff away, provide needed service to those around them? Giving to overseas churches and missions doesn't count. That kind of stuff is great but it doesn't make THE WORD to become FLESH locally. How about being honest with people? Be honest in fund raising. Don't hide the fact that the congregation is self supporting. Label your fundraising events as such. Then label your fund-giving events as such. You don't have any? Then get them! You have garage sales/flea markets or such? How many hours are spent organizing and pricing out stuff, hauling stuff in and then dealing with the mountains that are unsold? Why not advertize of a giant GIVE-A-WAY, suggesting that a donation be given on the way out with a tax reciept for anything over twenty dollars?
You might be amazed at how much less work, how much money and how different the whole event would feel. It would certainly be perceived in a new light by those outside the congregation. Take advantage of the fact that money is valued above all. Give it away. Be different. Show another way. Some might even become curious.
What else do people value? TIME. It's the thing we each have the same amount of, the thing that so many never have enough of, that of which we talk the most about along with money and the weather. How is your church spending its time? I don't mean the individual members but as a group - in the name of your beliefs? In order for God's Word to be made Flesh through anyone or group it must be recognizable. To do something in secret is just fine if you don't want any learning to come from that action. Outsiders expect a church to invite people in to the building or to an event that allows for the chance for them to be preached to. But to be just helped, or served, or fed, or taught, or cared for, without any preaching being rammed down their throats, THAT just might be a new experience for them. Of course it must be done because they are loved, because the doers WANT to do it. If not done with authentic Spirit it had best be left undone.
I truly doubt that any congregation that has debated/searched for and chosen ways to give and to serve and have followed through, in LOVE, have not grown in Spirit themselves. We are promised that what we give will be brought back to us many times over. This is true. But we must honestly DO these things, wanting to , needing to, being joyful in the doing, being seen and alive in the process, coming together as a faith family in the doing and being recognized as a faith family by others. We will be different in the eyes of others and in the seeing of that reality others will learn and make choices of their own. We need to be salt and light. Tasted and seen.
There would truly be hope for new birth if even with only twenty aging parishioners and ten thousand dollars equity left, those twenty were to chose to give all ten thousand away, to share it with those around them who were in need. If nothing else, what a way to go!
"Those not busy being born are busy dying." - Bob Dylan
"Every material possession you acquire becomes a stick to beat you with." - Roseanne Cash
"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have.... Be careful lest you let others spend it for you." - Carl Sandburg
STEP 18 MATERIALSIM – THE ROTTEN CORE
As grevious as is the previous sin of omission by collective Christianity it is a symptom of a much deeper and more malignant cause/condition. While maintaining the words, symbols and traditions of that which was dedicated to doing the WILL of the God of love and the Creator of all things, the soul of western churches has long been firmly in the hands of the god of materialism. I am not breaking new ground here in this declaration. Any person, church goer or not knows this. Turn on the TV evangelists. Look at a congregation's budget. Listen to what church boards discuss. Review the stats on how the average church goer spends their money. Listen to the great void, the lack of sermons (let alone discussions and debates) of how we, the wealthy and priviliged of the world can faithfully spend/share that over which we have control.
In most worship gatherings the congregation eventually join in saying The Lord's Prayer in which they recite “give us this day our daily bread...” which of course, is the minimum of what we each need. Jesus didn't suggest that we were due or deserved or we should pray for four eight course meals per day. We should pray for just enough to live and to do God's WILL.
We need to know the difference between what we need and what we want. The sad truth God calls us to share (give away) what we do not need. That's what the early church did. They really did share. Their coats. Their homes. That's what got them attention, caused others to become curious and convinced of their truths and caused the early movement (The People of the Way) to grow so that it challenged the power and assumptions of Rome. Rome eventually won much of that battle and MAMON (greed) has certainly won over LOVE today.
A great song from Gilbert and Sullivan's MY FAIR LADY goes “All I want is a room somewhere, far away from the cold night's air, with one enormous chair, now wouldn't it be lovely? Lots of chocolate for me to eat. Lot's of coal makin' lots of heat. Warm hands, warm face, warm feet, now wouldn't it be lovely?” It was sung by a street person dreaming of having the basics of life, a warm room, basic comfort and enough food, even a treat or two. These are needs. These we deserve. This we can pray for. This we can faithfully strive for and even demand. But not for more.
If we have more than this basic ENOUGH we can only faithfully strive for, pray for and demand the same ENOUGH for others. To spend time, prayer and effort striving for even more for ourselves or even maintaining an excessive condition is not only a waste of our time, etc. it is an act of sin and unfaithfulness, not only hindering and stopping the WORD of God but of poluting it and lying to the world by implying to others that that is what God , through Jesus, has to say. A congregation deciding to hire another staff person instead of training volunteers: stupid and unfaithful. Or to fund a new organ “for the glory of God”: the same (Wouldn't God be given more glory by ten thousand Africans having mosquito netting around their beds?) Most church attenders actually feel that when they are supporting their churches they are giving to others! Instead they are perpetuating the belief that God believes in what they believe in. They are creating God in their own image, the oldest and most acceptable of sins.
Conrad Black has nothing personal to pray for accept for God to be with him, as God of course is already. Very few of us has any physical needs. We all want more, always have and always will. The churches should (and can) be the place to help us figure out the difference but they won't and don't. So they shouldn't even be.
There is some good news, GOSPEL in this for all people. For many generations the early followers of Jesus of Nazareth kept mainly faithful to his WAY, to the point that the fundamentals of Roman might were threatened. If we allow the Christ Child to not only be born among us but to be raised within us, we too can be strengthened guided, and enabled to confront the power and habit of gross materialism and greed that has so captured our society and churches. We CAN become the light we are called to be. It will take a new paradymn, new imagry and above all, action. It will require the death of much we have long taken for granted. Christians must become disciples and not mere believers. (I am certainly not a Christian, but that is for anther STEP.) And the newly born will most certainly be branded as radicals, non-believers, communists or whatever other names people use when they run out of reason. We must realize once more that we are to take the Gospel seriously when we are reminded that Jesus never thought that his WAY would be a majority movement, that it was to be SALT to the stew of the world,
and LIGHT for the valley. It will be nearly impossible for individual congregations to lose their desire to be popular and successful and to be instead, faithful. Most will die in their attempt to survive unfaithfully. Such waste. Such sadness.
But what room for resurrection! What opportunity for some crazy disciples to band together enough to attempt faithfulness in this materialistic and cold culture! This would be as radical, newsworthy, frightening and wonderfully loving as were those People of the Way nearly two thousand years ago who lived in an empire of materialism and militarism. (Sound familiar?)
What do we do? If you are in a church, pray for it. But then DO it. If you “pray for the world” and then hop into your gas guzzler and drive home, DO something about it! Make a change! If you pray for the poor and put an extra ten dollars into the plate, pray for forgivenss most certainly, but more importantly, curb your wants and give MUCH to the needs of those who seriously have needs (probably not in North America). If you pray for those in power, in government, and DO nothing, you are being a stupid hypocrite. There is plenty you can DO. So DO. If you pray for the homeless and there are three hundred (pick any number) empty bedrooms in the houses of the congregation, shudder and be truly fearful for your churches (and your) lack of love and faithfulness. You truly deserve to die as a so-called People of God.
Most congregations will eventually will/should die but just maybe your church
congregation has within it enough of the faithful to enact change, to search, to pray, to do, to let die and to nourish new life to enable resurrection within it. Don't count on it but miracles do happen.
Christianity has made a huge mistake in understanding the concept of resurrection. Because one example/experience of this created our faith the whole idea has been relegated to that event or to some heaven/last day occasion. If we open our eyes a bit we can see that resurrection is not a miracle: that is the way that God usually to works. It usually takes death to allow for new life. Look at the world around us. That's how it works. True newness is in the genes of the newborn. Call it evolution or just LIFE. Look at the seasons. View the mini life and death of night and the new day. To make life the circle has to be completed by death. Death and resurrection is what we should expect. It is a miracle if we see God within and through it. That we must also do. We can always count on the cycle of life/death and shouldn't be surprised and/or disappointed to see that this truth is alive and visible with an institution especially one that claims to be of God. On the other hand, to have change demonstrated within a live, now that's really against the odds. A true miracle. In that we can really see God at work. There we can truly meet God, Emmanuel.
I have rarely been part of that reality but I know it is possible. Where a church is open to this, HALLELUIAH! Let's search for these rare examples and give them what they need. And let's equally recognize those what are just going to die and help them along speedidly. I would be honoured to be a resourse in either situation.
"If any would follow me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and do so... For what would it profit any it they gain the whole world and waste their life?"-Jesus of Nazareth (Luke 9:23-25)
"This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." - Jesus quoting Isaiah (Mark 7:6)
As grevious as is the previous sin of omission by collective Christianity it is a symptom of a much deeper and more malignant cause/condition. While maintaining the words, symbols and traditions of that which was dedicated to doing the WILL of the God of love and the Creator of all things, the soul of western churches has long been firmly in the hands of the god of materialism. I am not breaking new ground here in this declaration. Any person, church goer or not knows this. Turn on the TV evangelists. Look at a congregation's budget. Listen to what church boards discuss. Review the stats on how the average church goer spends their money. Listen to the great void, the lack of sermons (let alone discussions and debates) of how we, the wealthy and priviliged of the world can faithfully spend/share that over which we have control.
In most worship gatherings the congregation eventually join in saying The Lord's Prayer in which they recite “give us this day our daily bread...” which of course, is the minimum of what we each need. Jesus didn't suggest that we were due or deserved or we should pray for four eight course meals per day. We should pray for just enough to live and to do God's WILL.
We need to know the difference between what we need and what we want. The sad truth God calls us to share (give away) what we do not need. That's what the early church did. They really did share. Their coats. Their homes. That's what got them attention, caused others to become curious and convinced of their truths and caused the early movement (The People of the Way) to grow so that it challenged the power and assumptions of Rome. Rome eventually won much of that battle and MAMON (greed) has certainly won over LOVE today.
A great song from Gilbert and Sullivan's MY FAIR LADY goes “All I want is a room somewhere, far away from the cold night's air, with one enormous chair, now wouldn't it be lovely? Lots of chocolate for me to eat. Lot's of coal makin' lots of heat. Warm hands, warm face, warm feet, now wouldn't it be lovely?” It was sung by a street person dreaming of having the basics of life, a warm room, basic comfort and enough food, even a treat or two. These are needs. These we deserve. This we can pray for. This we can faithfully strive for and even demand. But not for more.
If we have more than this basic ENOUGH we can only faithfully strive for, pray for and demand the same ENOUGH for others. To spend time, prayer and effort striving for even more for ourselves or even maintaining an excessive condition is not only a waste of our time, etc. it is an act of sin and unfaithfulness, not only hindering and stopping the WORD of God but of poluting it and lying to the world by implying to others that that is what God , through Jesus, has to say. A congregation deciding to hire another staff person instead of training volunteers: stupid and unfaithful. Or to fund a new organ “for the glory of God”: the same (Wouldn't God be given more glory by ten thousand Africans having mosquito netting around their beds?) Most church attenders actually feel that when they are supporting their churches they are giving to others! Instead they are perpetuating the belief that God believes in what they believe in. They are creating God in their own image, the oldest and most acceptable of sins.
Conrad Black has nothing personal to pray for accept for God to be with him, as God of course is already. Very few of us has any physical needs. We all want more, always have and always will. The churches should (and can) be the place to help us figure out the difference but they won't and don't. So they shouldn't even be.
There is some good news, GOSPEL in this for all people. For many generations the early followers of Jesus of Nazareth kept mainly faithful to his WAY, to the point that the fundamentals of Roman might were threatened. If we allow the Christ Child to not only be born among us but to be raised within us, we too can be strengthened guided, and enabled to confront the power and habit of gross materialism and greed that has so captured our society and churches. We CAN become the light we are called to be. It will take a new paradymn, new imagry and above all, action. It will require the death of much we have long taken for granted. Christians must become disciples and not mere believers. (I am certainly not a Christian, but that is for anther STEP.) And the newly born will most certainly be branded as radicals, non-believers, communists or whatever other names people use when they run out of reason. We must realize once more that we are to take the Gospel seriously when we are reminded that Jesus never thought that his WAY would be a majority movement, that it was to be SALT to the stew of the world,
and LIGHT for the valley. It will be nearly impossible for individual congregations to lose their desire to be popular and successful and to be instead, faithful. Most will die in their attempt to survive unfaithfully. Such waste. Such sadness.
But what room for resurrection! What opportunity for some crazy disciples to band together enough to attempt faithfulness in this materialistic and cold culture! This would be as radical, newsworthy, frightening and wonderfully loving as were those People of the Way nearly two thousand years ago who lived in an empire of materialism and militarism. (Sound familiar?)
What do we do? If you are in a church, pray for it. But then DO it. If you “pray for the world” and then hop into your gas guzzler and drive home, DO something about it! Make a change! If you pray for the poor and put an extra ten dollars into the plate, pray for forgivenss most certainly, but more importantly, curb your wants and give MUCH to the needs of those who seriously have needs (probably not in North America). If you pray for those in power, in government, and DO nothing, you are being a stupid hypocrite. There is plenty you can DO. So DO. If you pray for the homeless and there are three hundred (pick any number) empty bedrooms in the houses of the congregation, shudder and be truly fearful for your churches (and your) lack of love and faithfulness. You truly deserve to die as a so-called People of God.
Most congregations will eventually will/should die but just maybe your church
congregation has within it enough of the faithful to enact change, to search, to pray, to do, to let die and to nourish new life to enable resurrection within it. Don't count on it but miracles do happen.
Christianity has made a huge mistake in understanding the concept of resurrection. Because one example/experience of this created our faith the whole idea has been relegated to that event or to some heaven/last day occasion. If we open our eyes a bit we can see that resurrection is not a miracle: that is the way that God usually to works. It usually takes death to allow for new life. Look at the world around us. That's how it works. True newness is in the genes of the newborn. Call it evolution or just LIFE. Look at the seasons. View the mini life and death of night and the new day. To make life the circle has to be completed by death. Death and resurrection is what we should expect. It is a miracle if we see God within and through it. That we must also do. We can always count on the cycle of life/death and shouldn't be surprised and/or disappointed to see that this truth is alive and visible with an institution especially one that claims to be of God. On the other hand, to have change demonstrated within a live, now that's really against the odds. A true miracle. In that we can really see God at work. There we can truly meet God, Emmanuel.
I have rarely been part of that reality but I know it is possible. Where a church is open to this, HALLELUIAH! Let's search for these rare examples and give them what they need. And let's equally recognize those what are just going to die and help them along speedidly. I would be honoured to be a resourse in either situation.
"If any would follow me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and do so... For what would it profit any it they gain the whole world and waste their life?"-Jesus of Nazareth (Luke 9:23-25)
"This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." - Jesus quoting Isaiah (Mark 7:6)
Materialism - Our Rotten Core
STEP 18 MATERIALSIM – THE ROTTEN CORE
As grevious as is the previous sin of omission by collective Christianity it is a symptom of a much deeper and more malignant cause/condition. While maintaining the words, symbols and traditions of that which was dedicated to doing the WILL of the God of love and the Creator of all things, the soul of western churches has long been firmly in the hands of the god of materialism. I am not breaking new ground here in this declaration. Any person, church goer or not knows this. Turn on the TV evangelists. Look at a congregation's budget. Listen to what church boards discuss. Review the stats on how the average church goer spends their money. Listen to the great void, the lack of sermons (let alone discussions and debates) of how we, the wealthy and priviliged of the world can faithfully spend/share that over which we have control.
In most worship gatherings the congregation eventually join in saying The Lord's Prayer in which they recite “give us this day our daily bread...” which of course, is the minimum of what we each need. Jesus didn't suggest that we were due or deserved or we should pray for four eight course meals per day. We should pray for just enough to live and to do God's WILL.
We need to know the difference between what we need and what we want. The sad truth God calls us to share (give away) what we do not need. That's what the early church did. They really did share. Their coats. Their homes. That's what got them attention, caused others to become curious and convinced of their truths and caused the early movement (The People of the Way) to grow so that it challenged the power and assumptions of Rome. Rome eventually won much of that battle and MAMON (greed) has certainly won over LOVE today.
A great song from Gilbert and Sullivan's MY FAIR LADY goes “All I want is a room somewhere, far away from the cold night's air, with one enormous chair, now wouldn't it be lovely? Lots of chocolate for me to eat. Lot's of coal makin' lots of heat. Warm hands, warm face, warm feet, now wouldn't it be lovely?” It was sung by a street person dreaming of having the basics of life, a warm room, basic comfort and enough food, even a treat or two. These are needs. These we deserve. This we can pray for. This we can faithfully strive for and even demand. But not for more.
If we have more than this basic ENOUGH we can only faithfully strive for, pray for and demand the same ENOUGH for others. To spend time, prayer and effort striving for even more for ourselves or even maintaining an excessive condition is not only a waste of our time, etc. it is an act of sin and unfaithfulness, not only hindering and stopping the WORD of God but of poluting it and lying to the world by implying to others that that is what God , through Jesus, has to say. A congregation deciding to hire another staff person instead of training volunteers: stupid and unfaithful. Or to fund a new organ “for the glory of God”: the same (Wouldn't God be given more glory by ten thousand Africans having mosquito netting around their beds?) Most church attenders actually feel that when they are supporting their churches they are giving to others! Instead they are perpetuating the belief that God believes in what they believe in. They are creating God in their own image, the oldest and most acceptable of sins.
Conrad Black has nothing personal to pray for accept for God to be with him, as God of course is already. Very few of us has any physical needs. We all want more, always have and always will. The churches should (and can) be the place to help us figure out the difference but they won't and don't. So they shouldn't even be.
There is some good news, GOSPEL in this for all people. For many generations the early followers of Jesus of Nazareth kept mainly faithful to his WAY, to the point that the fundamentals of Roman might were threatened. If we allow the Christ Child to not only be born among us but to be raised within us, we too can be strengthened guided, and enabled to confront the power and habit of gross materialism and greed that has so captured our society and churches. We CAN become the light we are called to be. It will take a new paradymn, new imagry and above all, action. It will require the death of much we have long taken for granted. Christians must become disciples and not mere believers. (I am certainly not a Christian, but that is for anther STEP.) And the newly born will most certainly be branded as radicals, non-believers, communists or whatever other names people use when they run out of reason. We must realize once more that we are to take the Gospel seriously when we are reminded that Jesus never thought that his WAY would be a majority movement, that it was to be SALT to the stew of the world,
and LIGHT for the valley. It will be nearly impossible for individual congregations to lose their desire to be popular and successful and to be instead, faithful. Most will die in their attempt to survive unfaithfully. Such waste. Such sadness.
But what room for resurrection! What opportunity for some crazy disciples to band together enough to attempt faithfulness in this materialistic and cold culture! This would be as radical, newsworthy, frightening and wonderfully loving as were those People of the Way nearly two thousand years ago who lived in an empire of materialism and militarism. (Sound familiar?)
What do we do? If you are in a church, pray for it. But then DO it. If you “pray for the world” and then hop into your gas guzzler and drive home, DO something about it! Make a change! If you pray for the poor and put an extra ten dollars into the plate, pray for forgivenss most certainly, but more importantly, curb your wants and give MUCH to the needs of those who seriously have needs (probably not in North America). If you pray for those in power, in government, and DO nothing, you are being a stupid hypocrite. There is plenty you can DO. So DO. If you pray for the homeless and there are three hundred (pick any number) empty bedrooms in the houses of the congregation, shudder and be truly fearful for your churches (and your) lack of love and faithfulness. You truly deserve to die as a so-called People of God.
Most congregations will eventually will/should die but just maybe your church
congregation has within it enough of the faithful to enact change, to search, to pray, to do, to let die and to nourish new life to enable resurrection within it. Don't count on it but miracles do happen.
Christianity has made a huge mistake in understanding the concept of resurrection. Because one example/experience of this created our faith the whole idea has been relegated to that event or to some heaven/last day occasion. If we open our eyes a bit we can see that resurrection is not a miracle: that is the way that God usually to works. It usually takes death to allow for new life. Look at the world around us. That's how it works. True newness is in the genes of the newborn. Call it evolution or just LIFE. Look at the seasons. View the mini life and death of night and the new day. To make life the circle has to be completed by death. Death and resurrection is what we should expect. It is a miracle if we see God within and through it. That we must also do. We can always count on the cycle of life/death and shouldn't be surprised and/or disappointed to see that this truth is alive and visible with an institution especially one that claims to be of God. On the other hand, to have change demonstrated within a live, now that's really against the odds. A true miracle. In that we can really see God at work. There we can truly meet God, Emmanuel.
I have rarely been part of that reality but I know it is possible. Where a church is open to this, HALLELUIAH! Let's search for these rare examples and give them what they need. And let's equally recognize those what are just going to die and help them along speedidly. I would be honoured to be a resourse in either situation.
"If any would follow me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and do so... For what would it profit any it they gain the whole world and waste their life?"-Jesus of Nazareth (Luke 9:23-25)
"This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." - Jesus quoting Isaiah (Mark 7:6)
As grevious as is the previous sin of omission by collective Christianity it is a symptom of a much deeper and more malignant cause/condition. While maintaining the words, symbols and traditions of that which was dedicated to doing the WILL of the God of love and the Creator of all things, the soul of western churches has long been firmly in the hands of the god of materialism. I am not breaking new ground here in this declaration. Any person, church goer or not knows this. Turn on the TV evangelists. Look at a congregation's budget. Listen to what church boards discuss. Review the stats on how the average church goer spends their money. Listen to the great void, the lack of sermons (let alone discussions and debates) of how we, the wealthy and priviliged of the world can faithfully spend/share that over which we have control.
In most worship gatherings the congregation eventually join in saying The Lord's Prayer in which they recite “give us this day our daily bread...” which of course, is the minimum of what we each need. Jesus didn't suggest that we were due or deserved or we should pray for four eight course meals per day. We should pray for just enough to live and to do God's WILL.
We need to know the difference between what we need and what we want. The sad truth God calls us to share (give away) what we do not need. That's what the early church did. They really did share. Their coats. Their homes. That's what got them attention, caused others to become curious and convinced of their truths and caused the early movement (The People of the Way) to grow so that it challenged the power and assumptions of Rome. Rome eventually won much of that battle and MAMON (greed) has certainly won over LOVE today.
A great song from Gilbert and Sullivan's MY FAIR LADY goes “All I want is a room somewhere, far away from the cold night's air, with one enormous chair, now wouldn't it be lovely? Lots of chocolate for me to eat. Lot's of coal makin' lots of heat. Warm hands, warm face, warm feet, now wouldn't it be lovely?” It was sung by a street person dreaming of having the basics of life, a warm room, basic comfort and enough food, even a treat or two. These are needs. These we deserve. This we can pray for. This we can faithfully strive for and even demand. But not for more.
If we have more than this basic ENOUGH we can only faithfully strive for, pray for and demand the same ENOUGH for others. To spend time, prayer and effort striving for even more for ourselves or even maintaining an excessive condition is not only a waste of our time, etc. it is an act of sin and unfaithfulness, not only hindering and stopping the WORD of God but of poluting it and lying to the world by implying to others that that is what God , through Jesus, has to say. A congregation deciding to hire another staff person instead of training volunteers: stupid and unfaithful. Or to fund a new organ “for the glory of God”: the same (Wouldn't God be given more glory by ten thousand Africans having mosquito netting around their beds?) Most church attenders actually feel that when they are supporting their churches they are giving to others! Instead they are perpetuating the belief that God believes in what they believe in. They are creating God in their own image, the oldest and most acceptable of sins.
Conrad Black has nothing personal to pray for accept for God to be with him, as God of course is already. Very few of us has any physical needs. We all want more, always have and always will. The churches should (and can) be the place to help us figure out the difference but they won't and don't. So they shouldn't even be.
There is some good news, GOSPEL in this for all people. For many generations the early followers of Jesus of Nazareth kept mainly faithful to his WAY, to the point that the fundamentals of Roman might were threatened. If we allow the Christ Child to not only be born among us but to be raised within us, we too can be strengthened guided, and enabled to confront the power and habit of gross materialism and greed that has so captured our society and churches. We CAN become the light we are called to be. It will take a new paradymn, new imagry and above all, action. It will require the death of much we have long taken for granted. Christians must become disciples and not mere believers. (I am certainly not a Christian, but that is for anther STEP.) And the newly born will most certainly be branded as radicals, non-believers, communists or whatever other names people use when they run out of reason. We must realize once more that we are to take the Gospel seriously when we are reminded that Jesus never thought that his WAY would be a majority movement, that it was to be SALT to the stew of the world,
and LIGHT for the valley. It will be nearly impossible for individual congregations to lose their desire to be popular and successful and to be instead, faithful. Most will die in their attempt to survive unfaithfully. Such waste. Such sadness.
But what room for resurrection! What opportunity for some crazy disciples to band together enough to attempt faithfulness in this materialistic and cold culture! This would be as radical, newsworthy, frightening and wonderfully loving as were those People of the Way nearly two thousand years ago who lived in an empire of materialism and militarism. (Sound familiar?)
What do we do? If you are in a church, pray for it. But then DO it. If you “pray for the world” and then hop into your gas guzzler and drive home, DO something about it! Make a change! If you pray for the poor and put an extra ten dollars into the plate, pray for forgivenss most certainly, but more importantly, curb your wants and give MUCH to the needs of those who seriously have needs (probably not in North America). If you pray for those in power, in government, and DO nothing, you are being a stupid hypocrite. There is plenty you can DO. So DO. If you pray for the homeless and there are three hundred (pick any number) empty bedrooms in the houses of the congregation, shudder and be truly fearful for your churches (and your) lack of love and faithfulness. You truly deserve to die as a so-called People of God.
Most congregations will eventually will/should die but just maybe your church
congregation has within it enough of the faithful to enact change, to search, to pray, to do, to let die and to nourish new life to enable resurrection within it. Don't count on it but miracles do happen.
Christianity has made a huge mistake in understanding the concept of resurrection. Because one example/experience of this created our faith the whole idea has been relegated to that event or to some heaven/last day occasion. If we open our eyes a bit we can see that resurrection is not a miracle: that is the way that God usually to works. It usually takes death to allow for new life. Look at the world around us. That's how it works. True newness is in the genes of the newborn. Call it evolution or just LIFE. Look at the seasons. View the mini life and death of night and the new day. To make life the circle has to be completed by death. Death and resurrection is what we should expect. It is a miracle if we see God within and through it. That we must also do. We can always count on the cycle of life/death and shouldn't be surprised and/or disappointed to see that this truth is alive and visible with an institution especially one that claims to be of God. On the other hand, to have change demonstrated within a live, now that's really against the odds. A true miracle. In that we can really see God at work. There we can truly meet God, Emmanuel.
I have rarely been part of that reality but I know it is possible. Where a church is open to this, HALLELUIAH! Let's search for these rare examples and give them what they need. And let's equally recognize those what are just going to die and help them along speedidly. I would be honoured to be a resourse in either situation.
"If any would follow me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and do so... For what would it profit any it they gain the whole world and waste their life?"-Jesus of Nazareth (Luke 9:23-25)
"This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." - Jesus quoting Isaiah (Mark 7:6)
Christianity's Biggest Sin - Ignoring the Earth
STEP 17 CHRISTIANITY'S MOST GREVIOUS SIN
The Earth as a whole and all its parts is now in crisis. This is not news. Even the G.W. Bushes and Stephen Harpers of the world grudgingly acknowledge the fact of global warming, the peril it presents, the causes and the probable actions that must be taken to offset the effects. It is the single most discussed topic worldwide. Leaders have emerged to take centre stage in the campaign against the causes of this phenomonem, some of them credible in their background and some that have suspiciously just seen the light. And good for them. We need leadership from any and all backgrounds to effect change enough to make a difference.
But where is the Christian voice? Where is leadership from the Churches? I don't mean individual (Al Gore is a Christian) efforts or even special worship services at any given congregation on some National Earth Day but real, visible, audible, sustainable, prophetic leadership on this spiritual matter?
Spiritual, you say? EXACTLY! “God so loved the world...” “..and God created the Earth.....and it was good.” “The world is the Lord's and all that is thereon.” I could fill pages with biblical quotes that say what every Christian, Jew and Moslim has always known, that all the earth is holy, that how we treat the earth is an expression of our faith, that we are faithful to our calling when we are good stewards.
There is absolutely no doubt that every nearly every church has been terrible, faithless and blind stewards over the last thirty years. I need to be clear that I am painting with a broad brush here. There are some wonderful exceptions, many of which I am no doubt ignorant. In Canada I am well aware that the Menonites and Quackers have attempted to be prophetic voices of sorts and feeble sounds have come from the head offices of some of the moderate churches but there has simply not been a voice/message from the churches that has been recognizable. The only defender of the earth didn't wake up to do the job.
Now many have gotten on board for their own good reasons. People are going to die. Lives are going to change. Profits are going to be lost. The general economy of the world is being affected. The most greedy and inhuman are now concerned. And still today, where are the Christians? They are as badly divided as always, even while the world as a whole is ralying around.
This issue has exposed the shallowness of the “belief” system of current western Christianity like no other. Churches, how can you expect or ask for respect, attention and curiosity when your heads are so far in the sand? How could you have not been awakened by the words of your songs and scriptures in the last thirty years? What other forces blind you to God's WORD
"Everyone is guilty of the good we did not do"- Voltaire
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance." - Socrates
The Earth as a whole and all its parts is now in crisis. This is not news. Even the G.W. Bushes and Stephen Harpers of the world grudgingly acknowledge the fact of global warming, the peril it presents, the causes and the probable actions that must be taken to offset the effects. It is the single most discussed topic worldwide. Leaders have emerged to take centre stage in the campaign against the causes of this phenomonem, some of them credible in their background and some that have suspiciously just seen the light. And good for them. We need leadership from any and all backgrounds to effect change enough to make a difference.
But where is the Christian voice? Where is leadership from the Churches? I don't mean individual (Al Gore is a Christian) efforts or even special worship services at any given congregation on some National Earth Day but real, visible, audible, sustainable, prophetic leadership on this spiritual matter?
Spiritual, you say? EXACTLY! “God so loved the world...” “..and God created the Earth.....and it was good.” “The world is the Lord's and all that is thereon.” I could fill pages with biblical quotes that say what every Christian, Jew and Moslim has always known, that all the earth is holy, that how we treat the earth is an expression of our faith, that we are faithful to our calling when we are good stewards.
There is absolutely no doubt that every nearly every church has been terrible, faithless and blind stewards over the last thirty years. I need to be clear that I am painting with a broad brush here. There are some wonderful exceptions, many of which I am no doubt ignorant. In Canada I am well aware that the Menonites and Quackers have attempted to be prophetic voices of sorts and feeble sounds have come from the head offices of some of the moderate churches but there has simply not been a voice/message from the churches that has been recognizable. The only defender of the earth didn't wake up to do the job.
Now many have gotten on board for their own good reasons. People are going to die. Lives are going to change. Profits are going to be lost. The general economy of the world is being affected. The most greedy and inhuman are now concerned. And still today, where are the Christians? They are as badly divided as always, even while the world as a whole is ralying around.
This issue has exposed the shallowness of the “belief” system of current western Christianity like no other. Churches, how can you expect or ask for respect, attention and curiosity when your heads are so far in the sand? How could you have not been awakened by the words of your songs and scriptures in the last thirty years? What other forces blind you to God's WORD
"Everyone is guilty of the good we did not do"- Voltaire
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance." - Socrates
STEP 16 BEING WHERE YOU WANT TO BE – MINDS ARE TO CHANGE
At least once a week someone will ask me if I'm not disappointed in not being in the Caribean or Mediterranean this winter instead of the cold and snow of Canada. They are obliquly referring to our plans to retire last summer and to sail to Europe this last fall. Because of engine problems it was the end of August before we could set sail. There wasn't enough time to do the leisurely exploring of the Canadian maratime proveninces we so desired before we headed across so we decided to stay here another winter. Judy soon found a wonderful job and I'm busy and challenged in many ways, not the least of which is the sharing in THIS. So, NO! We are exactly where we now want to be. No, it's not where we had planned on being a year ago. But so what? That's what you call LIFE! Make the most of it!
If plans don't work out it isn't necessarily a failure. Happiness is a state of mind that we are largely in control of. Right now I truly would not want to be in any other place or time. Judy and I are both challenged and are loved by each other, by many friends and by God. She is filling needs in her work and I have been given the time to do what I need to do. For what more could we ask? We now plan to stay in our present situation for another year or so, if possible. But who knows the future? Certainly not us! Minds are to change. What we will do is chose the path that is for us the most fun, the most challenging, the most serving in ways that we are called. If we are bored, we're out of here. Right now we are definitely not bored!
If you meet us and know of our dreams to sail around the world, yes, the boat is ready. No, we want to be here. Please don't ask us again. Thanks.
"If everything is under control, you are going too slow." - Mario Andretti
At least once a week someone will ask me if I'm not disappointed in not being in the Caribean or Mediterranean this winter instead of the cold and snow of Canada. They are obliquly referring to our plans to retire last summer and to sail to Europe this last fall. Because of engine problems it was the end of August before we could set sail. There wasn't enough time to do the leisurely exploring of the Canadian maratime proveninces we so desired before we headed across so we decided to stay here another winter. Judy soon found a wonderful job and I'm busy and challenged in many ways, not the least of which is the sharing in THIS. So, NO! We are exactly where we now want to be. No, it's not where we had planned on being a year ago. But so what? That's what you call LIFE! Make the most of it!
If plans don't work out it isn't necessarily a failure. Happiness is a state of mind that we are largely in control of. Right now I truly would not want to be in any other place or time. Judy and I are both challenged and are loved by each other, by many friends and by God. She is filling needs in her work and I have been given the time to do what I need to do. For what more could we ask? We now plan to stay in our present situation for another year or so, if possible. But who knows the future? Certainly not us! Minds are to change. What we will do is chose the path that is for us the most fun, the most challenging, the most serving in ways that we are called. If we are bored, we're out of here. Right now we are definitely not bored!
If you meet us and know of our dreams to sail around the world, yes, the boat is ready. No, we want to be here. Please don't ask us again. Thanks.
"If everything is under control, you are going too slow." - Mario Andretti
A Last X-Mass Word - We All Know the Truth
STEP 14 CHRISTMAS DAY
Merry Christmas! I really mean it. After all the grousing and criticizing I've shared with you I need to say that I've rarely had a better Christmas. Judy and I stayed over with a dear friend and her love after a great meal and woke up to the traditional opening of gifts, breakfast and yule tide cheer. I bicycled back to the boat, maneuvering over the ice and snow through the park to the boat. Some Santa had left gifts for Judy and me on board. Great feeling! A fellow live-a-board and I spent a couple of hours putting up safety railings on the dock. The folks from the third boat in our little winter flotilla forced some very smooth scotch on us. A wonderful morning. Throughout the whole day all I saw I greeted everyone I met with a boisterous “Merry Christmas”!
And to you also! Although I am often saddened by what the season is not, I am deeply thankful and appreciative of what it is. May we be open to God's blessings, every one. AMEN! EMMANUEL! GOD AMONG US!
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. Those to whom this emotion is a stranger, who no longer pauses to wonder and stand it rapt awe, are as good as dead." - Albert Einstein
Merry Christmas! I really mean it. After all the grousing and criticizing I've shared with you I need to say that I've rarely had a better Christmas. Judy and I stayed over with a dear friend and her love after a great meal and woke up to the traditional opening of gifts, breakfast and yule tide cheer. I bicycled back to the boat, maneuvering over the ice and snow through the park to the boat. Some Santa had left gifts for Judy and me on board. Great feeling! A fellow live-a-board and I spent a couple of hours putting up safety railings on the dock. The folks from the third boat in our little winter flotilla forced some very smooth scotch on us. A wonderful morning. Throughout the whole day all I saw I greeted everyone I met with a boisterous “Merry Christmas”!
And to you also! Although I am often saddened by what the season is not, I am deeply thankful and appreciative of what it is. May we be open to God's blessings, every one. AMEN! EMMANUEL! GOD AMONG US!
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. Those to whom this emotion is a stranger, who no longer pauses to wonder and stand it rapt awe, are as good as dead." - Albert Einstein
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