The reason that Jesus went into the wilderness was to escape the temptations and distractions of society and the world.
Whilst you live in society it is very difficult to detach yourself from the values of the world.
So saints, and monks have always separated themselves from society in order to gain clear contact with God.
Jesus was called "'out of the world.'" John 15:19 (NRSV)
This is also why most of the scriptures are a mixture of light and darkness.
Because they do not receive the full revelation of God, only glimpses.
As Paul says, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully." ! Corinthians 13:12 (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.]
Sunday, 7 July 2013
Saturday, 6 July 2013
The Time.
We think that we live in a time of light.
But our world is full of darkness disguised as light.
Our culture is materialistic an superficial.
Our entertainment is dark and violent.
Rock musicians practice black magic and Satanism.
They white their sepulchers with charity and altruism.
But this is a pose.
They are servants of the darkness.
So unplug your headphones and exit the theater.
They only want you money.
And their works are the works of darkness.
But our world is full of darkness disguised as light.
Our culture is materialistic an superficial.
Our entertainment is dark and violent.
Rock musicians practice black magic and Satanism.
They white their sepulchers with charity and altruism.
But this is a pose.
They are servants of the darkness.
So unplug your headphones and exit the theater.
They only want you money.
And their works are the works of darkness.
Friday, 5 July 2013
Misunderstandings.
Judas was the first forgiven.
After the crucifixion, when Jesus went to his Father, Judas was the first forgiven.
Why?
Because Judas had misunderstood.
He had misunderstood Jesus and he had misunderstood the Pharisees.
Jesus forgave him.
God does not condemn anyone.
The disciples misunderstood Jesus all the time.
And they continued to misunderstand after Jesus was dead.
This is why Christianity developed as it did.
Misunderstandings.
Those that came after Jesus did not have the same level of understanding as Jesus.
"'The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.'" Matthew 9:15 (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.]
After the crucifixion, when Jesus went to his Father, Judas was the first forgiven.
Why?
Because Judas had misunderstood.
He had misunderstood Jesus and he had misunderstood the Pharisees.
Jesus forgave him.
God does not condemn anyone.
The disciples misunderstood Jesus all the time.
And they continued to misunderstand after Jesus was dead.
This is why Christianity developed as it did.
Misunderstandings.
Those that came after Jesus did not have the same level of understanding as Jesus.
"'The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.'" Matthew 9:15 (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.]
Thursday, 4 July 2013
How It Is.
While we are young and without experience we think in terms of what's fair - i.e. good things should follow good behavior, bad things should follow bad behavior.
But this does not happen.
Life is not fair.
Often the wicked prosper and the good suffer.
When we experience some contact with God, however, we see things from a different perspective.
God does not reward good behavior and punish bad behavior.
God treats us all equally.
The good and the bad.
God seeks the lost sheep, the black sheep, to redeem them.
No one is destroyed.
No one goes to hell.
God is like a father with a bad child.
He will not reject or condemn the child.
He will try to help.
God sees good in us, even in those we call evil.
And so we stop judging people.
We stop labeling people bad or evil.
We are all equal in the sight of God.
"'Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.'" Luke 15:7 (NRSV)
So we should work towards that end.
Not Judging or punishing.
But forgiving and redeeming.
We should think of ourselves as more fortunate.
We have had the opportunity to draw close to God.
Others have not had the experience necessary for this to happen.
This is not their fault.
So we should tell people the good news.
That all are forgiven.
[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.]
But this does not happen.
Life is not fair.
Often the wicked prosper and the good suffer.
When we experience some contact with God, however, we see things from a different perspective.
God does not reward good behavior and punish bad behavior.
God treats us all equally.
The good and the bad.
God seeks the lost sheep, the black sheep, to redeem them.
No one is destroyed.
No one goes to hell.
God is like a father with a bad child.
He will not reject or condemn the child.
He will try to help.
God sees good in us, even in those we call evil.
And so we stop judging people.
We stop labeling people bad or evil.
We are all equal in the sight of God.
"'Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.'" Luke 15:7 (NRSV)
So we should work towards that end.
Not Judging or punishing.
But forgiving and redeeming.
We should think of ourselves as more fortunate.
We have had the opportunity to draw close to God.
Others have not had the experience necessary for this to happen.
This is not their fault.
So we should tell people the good news.
That all are forgiven.
[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.]
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
The Koran.
At first sight the Koran appears to justify violence and terror.
On reflection, however, it is similar to the Bible.
The Bible can also be read to justify violence and terror.
As we are selective of the passages we read in the Bible so should we be selective of the passages we read in the Koran.
If we read the Koran in the same way as we read the Bible - i.e. editing out the violence and punishment - there is much to be learned from both the Koran and the Bible.
We should be looking at the positive teachings of Islam as we do with Christianity.
We should not let our fear take over.
On reflection, however, it is similar to the Bible.
The Bible can also be read to justify violence and terror.
As we are selective of the passages we read in the Bible so should we be selective of the passages we read in the Koran.
If we read the Koran in the same way as we read the Bible - i.e. editing out the violence and punishment - there is much to be learned from both the Koran and the Bible.
We should be looking at the positive teachings of Islam as we do with Christianity.
We should not let our fear take over.
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
My Testimony.
No doubt when I am dead and I can no longer speak for myself the forces of conservatism will claim me as one of their own.
They will put words in my mouth and say that I supported orthodox theologies like rewards and punishments and penal substitution.
They will say that I really thought like them.
This, of course, is a complete falsehood.
I do not support these things and I am certainly not coming back to judge anyone.
I understand how Jesus must feel.
"'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, and you say, "If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets."
"' Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.'" Matthew 23:29-31 (NRSV)
After his death the figure of Jesus was usurped by the forces of conservatism and turned into one of them.
They put words in his mouth and returned his teaching of unconditional love to the orthodox theology of rewards and punishments. Thus elevating themselves to the position of absolute authority and power.
They made Jesus The Christ = God.
Let these words be my testimony:
I do not support the theology of rewards and punishments.
I do not believe in original sin.
I do not believe we need sacrifice or suffering to atone for our sins.
I do not believe that God disapproves of homosexuality.
I do not believe in celibacy.
I am not sexless.
I am not conservative.
I am radical.
I believe in radical love.
And I believe that God is more radical than I am.
[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.]
They will put words in my mouth and say that I supported orthodox theologies like rewards and punishments and penal substitution.
They will say that I really thought like them.
This, of course, is a complete falsehood.
I do not support these things and I am certainly not coming back to judge anyone.
I understand how Jesus must feel.
"'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, and you say, "If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets."
"' Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.'" Matthew 23:29-31 (NRSV)
After his death the figure of Jesus was usurped by the forces of conservatism and turned into one of them.
They put words in his mouth and returned his teaching of unconditional love to the orthodox theology of rewards and punishments. Thus elevating themselves to the position of absolute authority and power.
They made Jesus The Christ = God.
Let these words be my testimony:
I do not support the theology of rewards and punishments.
I do not believe in original sin.
I do not believe we need sacrifice or suffering to atone for our sins.
I do not believe that God disapproves of homosexuality.
I do not believe in celibacy.
I am not sexless.
I am not conservative.
I am radical.
I believe in radical love.
And I believe that God is more radical than I am.
[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.]
Monday, 1 July 2013
The Blind.
When I look at the world I see some going this way, some going that way, some leading, some following, some chasing, some fleeing.....
The blind leading the blind.
Leaders who, "'lock people out of the kingdom of heaven'", who, "'do not go in themselves, and when others are going in, stop them.'" Matthew 23:13 (NRSV)
What has changed?
The leaders do not go in themselves because they use the power and authority of their position as God's representatives to subjugate the masses, not to empower them or lead them to God.
"But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears in order not to hear. They made their hearts adamant in order not to hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his spirit through the former prophets." Zechariah 7:11,12a (NRSV)
These words were, "Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another." Zechariah 7:9,10 (NRSV)
These ways were what God sought for us, not sacrifices, burnt offerings or songs, fasting, long prayers.....
Outside of the Church I see people chasing after the idols of this world: fame, pleasure, money, status, property, possessions.....
They corrupt themselves for them.
And still they find no satisfaction.
For only one thing will bring fulfillment:
Love.
[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.]
The blind leading the blind.
Leaders who, "'lock people out of the kingdom of heaven'", who, "'do not go in themselves, and when others are going in, stop them.'" Matthew 23:13 (NRSV)
What has changed?
The leaders do not go in themselves because they use the power and authority of their position as God's representatives to subjugate the masses, not to empower them or lead them to God.
"But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears in order not to hear. They made their hearts adamant in order not to hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his spirit through the former prophets." Zechariah 7:11,12a (NRSV)
These words were, "Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another." Zechariah 7:9,10 (NRSV)
These ways were what God sought for us, not sacrifices, burnt offerings or songs, fasting, long prayers.....
Outside of the Church I see people chasing after the idols of this world: fame, pleasure, money, status, property, possessions.....
They corrupt themselves for them.
And still they find no satisfaction.
For only one thing will bring fulfillment:
Love.
[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.]
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