High Ideals 2.

Maintain your high ideals.

Don't be reconstructed by pragmatists.

Don't be compromised by Conservatives.

Don't be converted by Fundamentalists.

Don't be seduced by Capitalists.

Don't be distracted from your purpose.

Because your high ideals are close to God.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:9 (NRSV)

[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

Photo Credit: Simon Matzinger Flickr via Compfight cc

High Ideals 1.

Maintain your high ideals.

Don't let the world corrupt you.

Don't let evil threaten or tempt you.

Because it is your high ideals that God desires.

Not lip service or hypocrisy.

Not fear or complacency.

Don't let violence or deception divert you.

Cry out to God!

He will hear.

And deliver you from evil.

Photo Credit: Cornelia Kopp Flickr via Compfight cc

The Force.

Like in the movie we are surrounded by The Force.

This is the Life Force that permeates the universe.

It is in humans and animals, in plants and trees. even in the earth itself.

But, unlike the movie, there is no dark side.

The idea of a dark side results from dualistic thinking - i.e. that everything must have an opposite  balancing equivalent.

But this is by no means true.

There are no demons, no dark powers, no devil.....

So called dark matter and dark energies are not dark but merely outside the range of our human perceptions.

They emit invisible radiation.

Dualism is like the primary school of philosophy.

It appears to be true at first but does not stand scrutiny.

So when we say "The Force be with you" we are saying to you that Life is all around you and that you are part of that Life! 

Photo Credit: libertygrace0 Flickr via Compfight cc

(The image has been slightly modified.)

Blessing.

May the Lord

Protect you

From the evil

That surrounds you.

May He touch

Your heart

And enlighten 

Your mind.

Photo Credit: Phil Heath.

Love Wins.

There is no devil.

There is no hell.

There is only the Unconditional Love of God.

Photo Credit: Love Wins.

Prayer.

It is my prayer

That you 

Turn

From the devil

And all his works.

And trust in

God's

Unconditional Love.

Photo Credit: Lucas Sts.

Gay Angels.

Gay men are Angels.

Our love is good.

And our lovers are beautiful.

Prejudice and persecution will not change that.

Our robes are washed white.

And our destination is Heaven.

Photo Credit: Pinterest.

Gentleness.

How can we overcome violence?

To meet violence with violence is only to perpetuate violence.

To meet force with force is only to perpetuate force.

To meet strength with strength is only to perpetuate strength.

This merely replaces war with Pax Romana - i.e. peace through domination. 

But could it be that we could overcome violence with gentleness?

To meet force and strength with gentle love is to penetrate to the root of violence which is fear.

And love casts out fear.

Because love is what we are protecting.

Neglect, betrayal, rejection, bullying.....

All these things are inspired by fear.

Fear of being hurt.

Fear of not being loved.

But gentle love disperses this fear.

And we are free.

Free to love.

Free to live.

Free to give from the infinite source of love within our hearts.

So give your love gently.

Let go of your fear.

And you will find that your soul, which is in your heart, is restored.

Photo Credit: Michel_Rathwell Flickr via Compfight cc

The Way.

God has sent us new revelations in the form of Progressive Christianity.

And although this involves a new way of thinking about God, scripture, and theology Progressive Christianity is not about converting other people to our way of thinking.

This is the classic mistake of conversion.

And conversion gives power to the converter.

But this is not the purpose of enlightenment.

The Buddha said: "The way is not in the sky; the way is in the heart."

So the purpose of these new revelations is not to export ideas to others but to open people's hearts.

Then, instead of scoring points for conversion, we will be meeting the needs of those who come to us.

Instead of thinking of ourselves we will be thinking of others.

Instead of taking we will be giving.

Photo Credit: Alizarin Krimson Flickr via Compfight cc

Damage.

It's no use pretending to be Progressive and then turning it back into Orthodoxy.

It's no use stealing the answer and pretending the Church has never done anything wrong.

It's no use  clinging to the old theology:

Original Sin, Penal Substitution, Mortification of the Body, Penance, Celibacy, suffering, sin, debt, fear, guilt, hell.....

All these things have damaged humanity.

And that's quite apart from The Crusades and The Inquisition.

The Church has a lot to answer for.

There will be no revival until they do.

Photo Credit: DanBengal Flickr via Compfight cc

All Souls Day.

Today we remember

All those who have gone before us:

Our parents, our grandparents, our ancestors,

The worthy and the unworthy,

A great cloud of witnesses.....

Their souls abide

In peace and joy

Face to face

With God 

In Heaven!

Photo Credit: William Turner. 

All Saints Day.

All Hallows.

All Blessings.

All Goodness.

All Saints.

You sweep away

The shadows,

The dark,

The evil that

Infects our world.

You restore

And Sanctify

Our souls

With salutary love

And perfect prayers

That lift us up

And renew our spirits.

Reconnecting us 

With

God!

Photo Credit: noursat.tv