Many years ago I resolved never to bother with New Year's resolutions, and I've stuck with it ever since. ~Dave Beard
Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page. Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past. ~Henry Ward Beecher
Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin
Moral of this weeks story is, working on 5 blogs at the same time ensures that none of them will be done on time. What can I say, I caught the bug this week. SO I’m scrapping everything (for now) and starting anew.
Maybe it’s the New Year approaching that’s got my creative juices flowing right now. This is the perfect time of year to reflect and set goals for next year. It’s like a clean slate, spawned by the renewing promise of Christmas to the passing of this year and the start of the next. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I love this notion of a clean slate. It’s freeing and full of possibility, it allows you to dream and hope and let go. I don’t think that this feeling should be reserved only for New Years. I believe you can wipe the slate clean whenever you want. But in the spirit of New Years, here for your enjoyment, is my New Years Resolution.
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice” Ephesians 4:22-31 That right there is real Christianity!
This year I will put away the old me and put on the new me. Not all of me, some parts are pretty neat, but the parts that are no longer serving me, the parts that aren’t serving anyone, and especially the parts that are hurting me and the ones I love. And I will replace those parts with parts of me that do good, that love, that are happy, that are moving forward, reaching goals and working towards achieving emotional, spiritual and financial stability for me and my family.
I will put off deceitful lusts, those people and things that I falsely feel like I need. Wants that don’t serve the purpose of helping me to reach my important life goals. Things that are holding me back. Junk that is weighing me down, I will put those aside and make room to let in the things that I need.
I will be renewed in the spirit of my mind and get to know me again. One thing I learned this past year is the person I know the least about is myself. I have spent a lifetime getting to know other people and how I might be able to help them get what they want and now I’m wondering what it is that I want. I’m not quite sure about that one yet but I’d very much like to figure it out. Zechariah 2:8 says that we are all God’s favorite “For he that touches you touches the apple of his eye.” Think about that next time you need an ego boost. Seeing how I am God’s favorite and all I think I’m worth getting to know a little bit.
I’m worth taking good care of too, I’m not only God’s favorite I’m also his house, ya know. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;” 1 Corinthians 6:19 and no New Years resolution would be complete without the good ol’ loose 40 pounds goal. And speaking of taking care of myself, besides the debauchery that inevitably ensues a night of drinking (see Ephesians 5:28) I also kind of enjoy my liver being in working order so for those who laughed at me for bringing root beer to the party, I may be doing that a lot from now on.
The sun will not set on my anger, I will put off all bitterness and forgive those who have wronged me in the past. Bitterness and anger have never been my thing. Not because I am such a holy and righteous person, it’s just never appealed to me. I’ve never understood the draw to war and hatred we humans seem to have. The only person it hurts is the one harboring the ill will. But this year that all changed. I felt betrayed by someone who I loved very much and was filled with anger and resentment. Even though I knew it was eating away at me and it was serving no greater purpose I could not seem to let it go. So my New Years resolution is to let it go, forgive, forget and move on. Everything happens for a reason “and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. “ Romans 8:28 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
This year will be a year of rebuilding. A year of hard work and labor and I will do my best to bear each burden with a smile. I will pray for the strength and energy to face each challenge as it comes my way. “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle.” Phillips Brooks (almost a thousand years before JFK, but he was pretty cool too…good thing I looked it up.)
So there it is, a revamping of the old me in 2011. Wish me luck. And above all “be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
You Can't Teach An Old Liberal New Tricks
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. “ Luke 2:10-11
I’ve been thinking recently about how similar all of the worlds religions are to each other, and how we can be at war with one another at the same time. Since becoming a Christian I have been picked on, laughed at, argued with, lectured, avoided and probably a number of other things I’m not even aware of. But have I, or my beliefs really changed so much? I went from worshiping a virgin Goddess who gave birth to God who sacrifices himself so that his body may become the harvest that we eat to survive to believing a virgin gave birth to the Son of God who went on to sacrifice himself so that the world could be saved. Sorry, not seeing the horribleness of this transformation people. I'm still Amanda! If I like Campbell’s chicken soup and you like Lipton’s, does that mean we can’t eat together? They are small cans of soup, can’t we just make our own in peace.
Case in point...This holiday has always felt like a second chance to me. Guess that's what New Years resolutions are all about. Think about how this day must have brought hope to the people. The long cold Winter night bringing hope that the sun will be born and bring us life. Am I talking about Christmas? Not yet… The Winter Solstice is a Pagan holiday marking the beginning and the end of Winter. The days will get colder from now on, but the longest night is behind us which means the sun is gaining strength and will soon shine brightly, to bring us new life. (Sound familiar?)
OK, lets forget about the sun for a moment and lets discuss the Son. Christmas is one of the, if not the biggest Christian celebrations. This time of the year marks the birth of Jesus, God’s only son. Born in a manger (no crib for his bed, come on you know the song…) He was born in a distressing time, in a distressing place, to, well let’s face it, how distressed would you be if you were giving birth in a barn? I’m sure it wasn’t pretty, but in his birth the world found hope for new life. The Son has come to save us. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved.” Acts 16:31
Christmas is the great second chance, or is it the third chance? I seem to recall an incident with an apple in a garden. Or maybe it’s a fourth chance. There was that little matter of a few ungrateful people in the desert after being delivered from slavery in Egypt. Or wait it could be a fifth chance… Wasn’t the flood a clean slate? Oh never mind all that, to me, Christmas is a symbol of the infinite chances God gives to his people. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son so that all who believe in him shall never perish but have eternal life” John 3:16 Jesus “did not come to condemn the world, but to save it.” John 3:17
Ok, to the Christians who are still mad at me for opening with a pagan holiday, I know the Bible says Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through.” him, John 14:6 , and that we as believers need to “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15 You must also remember to
“Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will learn the truth.” 2 Timothy 2:25 Spread the GOOD news! In case we’re not on the same page here, except Jesus into your heart and be saved from sin for all of eternity = Good News, burning in Hell for all eternity for believing something different = Bad News.
A Pastor once told me that he keeps a Buddha he got on a missions trip in China on his desk . He keeps it there to remind him of the different faiths of the world. I thought to myself, “Self, this is a man who is going to change the world.” To change someone’s mind you must first understand it. Think of the last time someone taught you something, did they first approach you by telling you everything you believe is wrong? Or did they take the time to listen to you and see where you are coming from?
For everyone else, The Crusades were years ago, and despite what George Bush said, we are not starting them up again so in the spirit of the season lets all just try and get along! (Now I’ve managed to get myself into political and religious trouble all in one blog, my talents astonish even myself at times.) Even in my most anti-Christian Paganist (yes I know that’s not a word) of days, I never minded the Evangelicals. I knew they meant no harm. In fact I always thought it was noble that someone could care so much about the salvation of a stranger. (In researching and talking with people about this I have already gotten the response “Of course the Evangelicals mean harm. They mean to harm anyone who doesn’t believe what they believe. That’s exactly what the Crusades were.” OK true. But this is precisely why I’ve decided to write this blog, to show the world (What? I can’t dream big? Yes, the world.) what true Christianity is and what it isn’t.)
In this spirit of understanding, put on your listening ears kiddos we‘re learning about faiths around the world…
Hanukkah (A large portion of this information was copied from) http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/hanukkah.htm
(But not this) From ‘Meet The Parents” with Ben Stiller
Kevin: [On who inspired him to be a wood worker] I'd have to say Jesus. He was a carpenter and I figured if you're going to follow in somebody's footsteps, why not the steps of our lord and savior?
Jack Byrnes: Greg's Jewish.
Kevin: Really?
Greg: Yeah.
Kevin: Well so was J.C...
I learned a lot about Hanukkah that I didn’t know researching for this blog. I found it very interesting. Hanukkah is actually one of the less important Jewish holidays. Because of its proximity to Christmas Hanukkah has become more widely known and celebrated throughout the years. Over this time Hanukkah has become much more festive and Christmas-like. Jewish children receive gifts for Hanukkah – often one gift for each of the eight nights of the holiday. Many parents hope that by making Hanukkah extra special their children won't feel left out of all the Christmas festivities going on around them.
I also learned that the Jewish calendar is lunar based, which means every year the first day of Hanukkah falls on a different day – usually sometime between late November and early December. This is the same with the Winter Solstice too.
In Hebrew, the word “Hanukkah” means “dedication.” The name reminds us that this holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C.E.. In 168 B.C.E. the Jewish Temple was seized by Syrian-Greek soldiers and dedicated to the worship of the god Zeus. This upset the Jewish people, but many were afraid to fight back for fear of reprisals. Then in 167 B.C.E. the Syrian-Greek emperor Antiochus made the observance of Judaism an offense punishable by death. He also ordered all Jews to worship Greek gods.
Jewish resistance began in the village of Modiin, near Jerusalem. Greek soldiers forcibly gathered the Jewish villages and told them to bow down to an idol, then eat the flesh of a pig – both practices that are forbidden to Jews. A Greek officer ordered Mattathias, a High Priest, to acquiesce to their demands, but Mattathias refused. When another villager stepped forward and offered to cooperate on Mattathias' behalf, the High Priest became outraged. He drew his sword and killed the villager, then turned on the Greek officer and killed him too. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked the remaining soldiers, killing all of them.
Mattathias and his family went into hiding in the mountains, where other Jews wishing to fight against the Greeks joined them. Eventually they succeeded in retaking their land from the Greeks. These rebels became known as the Maccabees, or Hasmoneans.
Once the Maccabees had regained control they returned to the Temple in Jerusalem. By this time it had been spiritually defiled by being used for the worship of foreign gods and also by practices such as sacrificing swine. Jewish troops were determined to purify the Temple by burning ritual oil in the Temple’s menorah for eight days. But to their dismay, they discovered that there was only one day's worth of oil left in the Temple. They lit the menorah anyway and to their surprise the small amount of oil lasted the full eight days.
This is the miracle of the Hanukkah oil that is celebrated every year when Jews light a special menorah known as a hanukkiyah for eight days. One candle is lit on the first night of Hanukkah, two on the second, and so on, until eight candles are lit.
Kwanzaa (Information gathered at)
http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml
Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community and culture. Celebrated from 26 December thru 1 January, its origins are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa from which it takes its name. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits" in Swahili, a Pan-African language which is the most widely spoken African language.
The first-fruits celebrations are recorded in African history as far back as ancient Egypt and Nubia and appear in ancient and modern times. Kwanzaa builds on the five fundamental activities of Continental African "first fruit" celebrations: ingathering; reverence; commemoration; recommitment; and celebration. Kwanzaa, then, is:
a time of ingathering of the people to reaffirm the bonds between them;
a time of special reverence for the creator and creation in thanks and respect for the blessings, bountifulness and beauty of creation;
a time for commemoration of the past in pursuit of its lessons and in honor of its models of human excellence, our ancestors;
a time of recommitment to our highest cultural ideals in our ongoing effort to always bring forth the best of African cultural thought and practice; and
a time for celebration of the Good, the good of life and of existence itself, the good of family, community and culture, the good of the awesome and the ordinary, in a word the good of the divine, natural and social.
(The following holidays were found on)
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/winter-holidays-around-the-world.html
St. Lucia’s Day: This is a winter holiday celebrated on December 13 in Sweden in honor of St. Lucia, who lived in the third century and is regarded as the patron of light. Young girls bedeck themselves in white colored long dresses with red sashes, and wear a wreath made of lit candles on their heads. They sing songs in order to wake their families up and bring them twisted saffron buns, known as ‘Lucia cats’ and coffee.
Eid-al-Adha: This is a feast that is celebrated by Muslims following their pilgrimage to Mecca that lasts for three days, and begins on January 10. It is a commemoration of Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, at the behest of God. Muslims consider Ishmael to be the Arabs’ forefather. (Hey I know this guy… Genesis 22)
Las Posadas: This is a traditional winter holiday celebrated in Mexico between December 16 and December 24. In English, the term Las Posadas translates to ‘the Inn’, and therefore is a re-enactment of Joseph searching for a room at the inn. Hence, every Christmas, there is a procession carrying a doll, which represents Christ as a child and the images of Mary and Joseph riding a small donkey, which goes through the streets.
Bodhi Day: This is celebrated by the Buddhists on December 8 in commemoration of the enlightenment of the Buddha. This is considered the most important holiday for the Buddhists.
As always I have found it fascinating this week to delve into the complex world of varying faiths, or not so varying as the case seems to be. If you know of someone I’ve missed please let me know I’d love to learn about it. Hope you’ve found this blog to be interesting, maybe you learned something, and I’d like to wish you have a very Merry Christmas.
I’ve been thinking recently about how similar all of the worlds religions are to each other, and how we can be at war with one another at the same time. Since becoming a Christian I have been picked on, laughed at, argued with, lectured, avoided and probably a number of other things I’m not even aware of. But have I, or my beliefs really changed so much? I went from worshiping a virgin Goddess who gave birth to God who sacrifices himself so that his body may become the harvest that we eat to survive to believing a virgin gave birth to the Son of God who went on to sacrifice himself so that the world could be saved. Sorry, not seeing the horribleness of this transformation people. I'm still Amanda! If I like Campbell’s chicken soup and you like Lipton’s, does that mean we can’t eat together? They are small cans of soup, can’t we just make our own in peace.
Case in point...This holiday has always felt like a second chance to me. Guess that's what New Years resolutions are all about. Think about how this day must have brought hope to the people. The long cold Winter night bringing hope that the sun will be born and bring us life. Am I talking about Christmas? Not yet… The Winter Solstice is a Pagan holiday marking the beginning and the end of Winter. The days will get colder from now on, but the longest night is behind us which means the sun is gaining strength and will soon shine brightly, to bring us new life. (Sound familiar?)
OK, lets forget about the sun for a moment and lets discuss the Son. Christmas is one of the, if not the biggest Christian celebrations. This time of the year marks the birth of Jesus, God’s only son. Born in a manger (no crib for his bed, come on you know the song…) He was born in a distressing time, in a distressing place, to, well let’s face it, how distressed would you be if you were giving birth in a barn? I’m sure it wasn’t pretty, but in his birth the world found hope for new life. The Son has come to save us. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved.” Acts 16:31
Christmas is the great second chance, or is it the third chance? I seem to recall an incident with an apple in a garden. Or maybe it’s a fourth chance. There was that little matter of a few ungrateful people in the desert after being delivered from slavery in Egypt. Or wait it could be a fifth chance… Wasn’t the flood a clean slate? Oh never mind all that, to me, Christmas is a symbol of the infinite chances God gives to his people. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son so that all who believe in him shall never perish but have eternal life” John 3:16 Jesus “did not come to condemn the world, but to save it.” John 3:17
Ok, to the Christians who are still mad at me for opening with a pagan holiday, I know the Bible says Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through.” him, John 14:6 , and that we as believers need to “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15 You must also remember to
“Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will learn the truth.” 2 Timothy 2:25 Spread the GOOD news! In case we’re not on the same page here, except Jesus into your heart and be saved from sin for all of eternity = Good News, burning in Hell for all eternity for believing something different = Bad News.
A Pastor once told me that he keeps a Buddha he got on a missions trip in China on his desk . He keeps it there to remind him of the different faiths of the world. I thought to myself, “Self, this is a man who is going to change the world.” To change someone’s mind you must first understand it. Think of the last time someone taught you something, did they first approach you by telling you everything you believe is wrong? Or did they take the time to listen to you and see where you are coming from?
For everyone else, The Crusades were years ago, and despite what George Bush said, we are not starting them up again so in the spirit of the season lets all just try and get along! (Now I’ve managed to get myself into political and religious trouble all in one blog, my talents astonish even myself at times.) Even in my most anti-Christian Paganist (yes I know that’s not a word) of days, I never minded the Evangelicals. I knew they meant no harm. In fact I always thought it was noble that someone could care so much about the salvation of a stranger. (In researching and talking with people about this I have already gotten the response “Of course the Evangelicals mean harm. They mean to harm anyone who doesn’t believe what they believe. That’s exactly what the Crusades were.” OK true. But this is precisely why I’ve decided to write this blog, to show the world (What? I can’t dream big? Yes, the world.) what true Christianity is and what it isn’t.)
In this spirit of understanding, put on your listening ears kiddos we‘re learning about faiths around the world…
Hanukkah (A large portion of this information was copied from) http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/hanukkah.htm
(But not this) From ‘Meet The Parents” with Ben Stiller
Kevin: [On who inspired him to be a wood worker] I'd have to say Jesus. He was a carpenter and I figured if you're going to follow in somebody's footsteps, why not the steps of our lord and savior?
Jack Byrnes: Greg's Jewish.
Kevin: Really?
Greg: Yeah.
Kevin: Well so was J.C...
I learned a lot about Hanukkah that I didn’t know researching for this blog. I found it very interesting. Hanukkah is actually one of the less important Jewish holidays. Because of its proximity to Christmas Hanukkah has become more widely known and celebrated throughout the years. Over this time Hanukkah has become much more festive and Christmas-like. Jewish children receive gifts for Hanukkah – often one gift for each of the eight nights of the holiday. Many parents hope that by making Hanukkah extra special their children won't feel left out of all the Christmas festivities going on around them.
I also learned that the Jewish calendar is lunar based, which means every year the first day of Hanukkah falls on a different day – usually sometime between late November and early December. This is the same with the Winter Solstice too.
In Hebrew, the word “Hanukkah” means “dedication.” The name reminds us that this holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C.E.. In 168 B.C.E. the Jewish Temple was seized by Syrian-Greek soldiers and dedicated to the worship of the god Zeus. This upset the Jewish people, but many were afraid to fight back for fear of reprisals. Then in 167 B.C.E. the Syrian-Greek emperor Antiochus made the observance of Judaism an offense punishable by death. He also ordered all Jews to worship Greek gods.
Jewish resistance began in the village of Modiin, near Jerusalem. Greek soldiers forcibly gathered the Jewish villages and told them to bow down to an idol, then eat the flesh of a pig – both practices that are forbidden to Jews. A Greek officer ordered Mattathias, a High Priest, to acquiesce to their demands, but Mattathias refused. When another villager stepped forward and offered to cooperate on Mattathias' behalf, the High Priest became outraged. He drew his sword and killed the villager, then turned on the Greek officer and killed him too. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked the remaining soldiers, killing all of them.
Mattathias and his family went into hiding in the mountains, where other Jews wishing to fight against the Greeks joined them. Eventually they succeeded in retaking their land from the Greeks. These rebels became known as the Maccabees, or Hasmoneans.
Once the Maccabees had regained control they returned to the Temple in Jerusalem. By this time it had been spiritually defiled by being used for the worship of foreign gods and also by practices such as sacrificing swine. Jewish troops were determined to purify the Temple by burning ritual oil in the Temple’s menorah for eight days. But to their dismay, they discovered that there was only one day's worth of oil left in the Temple. They lit the menorah anyway and to their surprise the small amount of oil lasted the full eight days.
This is the miracle of the Hanukkah oil that is celebrated every year when Jews light a special menorah known as a hanukkiyah for eight days. One candle is lit on the first night of Hanukkah, two on the second, and so on, until eight candles are lit.
Kwanzaa (Information gathered at)
http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml
Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community and culture. Celebrated from 26 December thru 1 January, its origins are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa from which it takes its name. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits" in Swahili, a Pan-African language which is the most widely spoken African language.
The first-fruits celebrations are recorded in African history as far back as ancient Egypt and Nubia and appear in ancient and modern times. Kwanzaa builds on the five fundamental activities of Continental African "first fruit" celebrations: ingathering; reverence; commemoration; recommitment; and celebration. Kwanzaa, then, is:
a time of ingathering of the people to reaffirm the bonds between them;
a time of special reverence for the creator and creation in thanks and respect for the blessings, bountifulness and beauty of creation;
a time for commemoration of the past in pursuit of its lessons and in honor of its models of human excellence, our ancestors;
a time of recommitment to our highest cultural ideals in our ongoing effort to always bring forth the best of African cultural thought and practice; and
a time for celebration of the Good, the good of life and of existence itself, the good of family, community and culture, the good of the awesome and the ordinary, in a word the good of the divine, natural and social.
(The following holidays were found on)
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/winter-holidays-around-the-world.html
St. Lucia’s Day: This is a winter holiday celebrated on December 13 in Sweden in honor of St. Lucia, who lived in the third century and is regarded as the patron of light. Young girls bedeck themselves in white colored long dresses with red sashes, and wear a wreath made of lit candles on their heads. They sing songs in order to wake their families up and bring them twisted saffron buns, known as ‘Lucia cats’ and coffee.
Eid-al-Adha: This is a feast that is celebrated by Muslims following their pilgrimage to Mecca that lasts for three days, and begins on January 10. It is a commemoration of Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, at the behest of God. Muslims consider Ishmael to be the Arabs’ forefather. (Hey I know this guy… Genesis 22)
Las Posadas: This is a traditional winter holiday celebrated in Mexico between December 16 and December 24. In English, the term Las Posadas translates to ‘the Inn’, and therefore is a re-enactment of Joseph searching for a room at the inn. Hence, every Christmas, there is a procession carrying a doll, which represents Christ as a child and the images of Mary and Joseph riding a small donkey, which goes through the streets.
Bodhi Day: This is celebrated by the Buddhists on December 8 in commemoration of the enlightenment of the Buddha. This is considered the most important holiday for the Buddhists.
As always I have found it fascinating this week to delve into the complex world of varying faiths, or not so varying as the case seems to be. If you know of someone I’ve missed please let me know I’d love to learn about it. Hope you’ve found this blog to be interesting, maybe you learned something, and I’d like to wish you have a very Merry Christmas.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The Religion of Joanne
Joanne left this comment on my facebook page concerning my previous blog... "Coolio. I'm sure this will be interesting. I have my own religion, Religion of Joanne. I worship in my own space at my own times. My mother in law hates that we don't go to church because we have "so much to be thankful for". Well, I am thankful...every day. I don't need a building to go into to be thankful. Ok I'm done. LOL"
So many times someone says “religion” or ‘Christianity” and you think “church” or probably more accurately you think “I’m not going to church!” Personally I don’t think Joanne has it wrong.
I drive 50 minutes to church every Sunday and 50 minutes back every week. Sometimes I do it twice a week. Do I do it because I think I have to? Do I think God sits around in a big red suite with a checklist marking off who’s naughty and nice. “Oh Jimmy went to church this week, check! Diane missed this week, tsk tsk.” Of course not, that‘s Santa. I do it for me.
To me church is a community of people I know have my back. A second family. The Bible says that when you join a church you join a family, more than that you become a part of one whole. “All the believers were one at heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions were his own, but they shared everything they had” Acts 4:32. Church gives you a community of people who follow the same doctrine of beliefs who come together to support one another.
Psalm 35:18 says “I will give you thanks in the great assembly: among throngs of people I will praise you.” It also says in the Bible, “Where two or more gather I will be.” But does that necessarily have to be in church? It does go into great detail about how a church should be run, but that doesn’t make it a prerequisite to a seat inside the pearly gates, does it?
How many people are sitting in church on a weekly basis hating every second of it? How many of them are leaving their with the same sins they came in with? Is Carol, who goes to church every Sunday but then refuses to forgive her neighbor for running over her flowers any better than Mike who doesn’t go to church but volunteers every Sunday at a homeless shelter? (See Matthew 25:37) I’d say absolutely not.
If your not careful church can actually hinder your spiritual journey. What I mean by that is so often Christians think religion is designated for Sunday between the hours of 9-11. The rest of the week I can do whatever because I went to church. Psalm 1:2 says “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” “Day and night,” not once a week.
Parents I’d caution you too. Maybe I’m so leery of saying “Oh no, dear reader, you must go to church, it is the house of God and you should worship him in it, yadda yadda yadda.” because it was so force fed to me as a child. My well meaning parents brought me to church religiously (haha get it?) for the first 11 years of my life. Sit down, Kneel, Stand up, Sing, Sit Down, Kneel… it all meant nothing to me, Eventually the idea of a cold hearted God who would caste you to the burning fires of Hell for the tiniest indiscretion (like not going to church for example) is the very thing that sent me running screaming from the church. If you want to give your children a REAL base in Christanity, which I think is great, I mean come on, "Children obey your parents in the Lord, for it is right. Honour thy father and mother: which is the first commandment with promise.: Ephesians 5:1-2 Can't go wrong there! Teach them about it, teach them to love it, and then they will probably want to go to church. My kids can't get enough, OK Eric can't get enough and Ricky is going through a praying in secret phase so no one knows (I wonder if he got that one from me, bad mommy!)
If you asked me, “Amanda, I’m thinking of joining a church, do you think I should?“ I would say “Absolutely!“ I love church, I wouldn’t want to miss a week. I think that church is beneficial to those who take advantage of it, and helps people looking to deepen their spirituality feel a sense of support and to stay on track. In MY opinion church is essential for someone trying to live a Christian lifestyle. Will it make or break your way into heaven? I doubt it. II Corinthians 5:1 says “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” I’ll see you there. :)
So many times someone says “religion” or ‘Christianity” and you think “church” or probably more accurately you think “I’m not going to church!” Personally I don’t think Joanne has it wrong.
I drive 50 minutes to church every Sunday and 50 minutes back every week. Sometimes I do it twice a week. Do I do it because I think I have to? Do I think God sits around in a big red suite with a checklist marking off who’s naughty and nice. “Oh Jimmy went to church this week, check! Diane missed this week, tsk tsk.” Of course not, that‘s Santa. I do it for me.
To me church is a community of people I know have my back. A second family. The Bible says that when you join a church you join a family, more than that you become a part of one whole. “All the believers were one at heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions were his own, but they shared everything they had” Acts 4:32. Church gives you a community of people who follow the same doctrine of beliefs who come together to support one another.
Psalm 35:18 says “I will give you thanks in the great assembly: among throngs of people I will praise you.” It also says in the Bible, “Where two or more gather I will be.” But does that necessarily have to be in church? It does go into great detail about how a church should be run, but that doesn’t make it a prerequisite to a seat inside the pearly gates, does it?
How many people are sitting in church on a weekly basis hating every second of it? How many of them are leaving their with the same sins they came in with? Is Carol, who goes to church every Sunday but then refuses to forgive her neighbor for running over her flowers any better than Mike who doesn’t go to church but volunteers every Sunday at a homeless shelter? (See Matthew 25:37) I’d say absolutely not.
If your not careful church can actually hinder your spiritual journey. What I mean by that is so often Christians think religion is designated for Sunday between the hours of 9-11. The rest of the week I can do whatever because I went to church. Psalm 1:2 says “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” “Day and night,” not once a week.
Parents I’d caution you too. Maybe I’m so leery of saying “Oh no, dear reader, you must go to church, it is the house of God and you should worship him in it, yadda yadda yadda.” because it was so force fed to me as a child. My well meaning parents brought me to church religiously (haha get it?) for the first 11 years of my life. Sit down, Kneel, Stand up, Sing, Sit Down, Kneel… it all meant nothing to me, Eventually the idea of a cold hearted God who would caste you to the burning fires of Hell for the tiniest indiscretion (like not going to church for example) is the very thing that sent me running screaming from the church. If you want to give your children a REAL base in Christanity, which I think is great, I mean come on, "Children obey your parents in the Lord, for it is right. Honour thy father and mother: which is the first commandment with promise.: Ephesians 5:1-2 Can't go wrong there! Teach them about it, teach them to love it, and then they will probably want to go to church. My kids can't get enough, OK Eric can't get enough and Ricky is going through a praying in secret phase so no one knows (I wonder if he got that one from me, bad mommy!)
If you asked me, “Amanda, I’m thinking of joining a church, do you think I should?“ I would say “Absolutely!“ I love church, I wouldn’t want to miss a week. I think that church is beneficial to those who take advantage of it, and helps people looking to deepen their spirituality feel a sense of support and to stay on track. In MY opinion church is essential for someone trying to live a Christian lifestyle. Will it make or break your way into heaven? I doubt it. II Corinthians 5:1 says “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” I’ll see you there. :)
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Why I'm Here
It’s been a whirlwind of a year. Everything has changed from my address to my God. Arguably the biggest change of all is my God. Someone once said to me “if you want to know how to relate to someone, find out who they worship.” After 14 years of demonizing everything Christian (ironic considering that’s what “they” love to do huh) I seem to have fallen smack dab in the middle of the lions den, and unlike Daniel (or depending which side your on, much like Daniel), I’m not fighting it. In fact I’m embracing it, and have even become one of those “brainwashing” Sunday school teachers.
In studying the Bible I have discovered it is just about the exact opposite of the man made abomination we are lead to believe is in fact Christianity. What could be wrong with a religion that preaches “above all love one another”(Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Romans 13:9) even your enemies (Matthew 5:44) or “judge not and you shall not be judged.” (Luke 6:37, Matthew 7:1) Oh that’s right, you take power hungry humans who warp it into a witch hunt, sometimes literally, and forget all about the plank in their own eyes. (Luke 6:41)
In this past year I’ve spoken to several people who have been shocked, amazed, or often times appalled that I attend a Christian church. Many of these people are searching for a religion that does not persecute them, condemn them, or shun them to a fiery burning pit. This blog is for them. Some are quite curious as to what the Bible really says, this blogs for them. Some are running as fast as they can away from it, this blogs for them too, all are welcome here.
Over the next year I will tell you what I have learned , my personal experience, and my opinion of what the Bible says and what Christianity should be. There will be times when we will agree and I promise to say something that will offend everyone (not at once, but I’m sure everyone will get their turn throughout the year.) I’ll also include others opinions when they oppose mine for arguments sake. If you have suggestions on topics, questions, comments, or wish to send me an angry anti-religious rant feel free to message me. I probably wont know the answer, but I’ll find it. Or don’t send me anything and I’ll just go on and on topics only I find relevant. And of course there’s option C which is to ignore me all together, that’s cool too. I’m the last person who should be writing a blog on religion, which is precisely why I feel I should.
Stay tuned!
Amanda J
In studying the Bible I have discovered it is just about the exact opposite of the man made abomination we are lead to believe is in fact Christianity. What could be wrong with a religion that preaches “above all love one another”(Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Romans 13:9) even your enemies (Matthew 5:44) or “judge not and you shall not be judged.” (Luke 6:37, Matthew 7:1) Oh that’s right, you take power hungry humans who warp it into a witch hunt, sometimes literally, and forget all about the plank in their own eyes. (Luke 6:41)
In this past year I’ve spoken to several people who have been shocked, amazed, or often times appalled that I attend a Christian church. Many of these people are searching for a religion that does not persecute them, condemn them, or shun them to a fiery burning pit. This blog is for them. Some are quite curious as to what the Bible really says, this blogs for them. Some are running as fast as they can away from it, this blogs for them too, all are welcome here.
Over the next year I will tell you what I have learned , my personal experience, and my opinion of what the Bible says and what Christianity should be. There will be times when we will agree and I promise to say something that will offend everyone (not at once, but I’m sure everyone will get their turn throughout the year.) I’ll also include others opinions when they oppose mine for arguments sake. If you have suggestions on topics, questions, comments, or wish to send me an angry anti-religious rant feel free to message me. I probably wont know the answer, but I’ll find it. Or don’t send me anything and I’ll just go on and on topics only I find relevant. And of course there’s option C which is to ignore me all together, that’s cool too. I’m the last person who should be writing a blog on religion, which is precisely why I feel I should.
Stay tuned!
Amanda J
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