Pleasure.

                            

Pleasure is not bad.

But pleasure is not the answer.

As we grow up we experience pleasures and they will often make us feel a bit better.

This results in a quest for more and more pleasures.

This leads to feelings of emptiness and want.

This is because selfish pleasure is not the answer.

The answer is love.

When we give love we realize that pleasure is a pale facsimile of love and we cease chasing after pleasures.

But pleasure is not bad.

Pleasure is not banned.

Pleasure in moderation is a good thing.

But love is the answer.


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Celebrate!

                   

A church friend of mine who is gay said to me: "I don't want to be just accepted, I want to be celebrated.  When straight people marry they clap and they cheer.....I want gay marriages to be celebrated like that!"

I can see his point.

To be grudgingly accepted is not equality at all.

And most Churches don't even do that.

So I look forward to the time when gay marriages are celebrated in all God's churches.


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Life!

We are surrounded by Life!

Plants grow and flower.

Trees bear fruit.

Animals and birds populate the garden.

Fish swim the seas.

We are stardust.

Children of some distant sun.

We breathe the Breath of Life.

We drink the Water of Life.

We eat the Bread of Life.

And we worship God

the Creator of Life!


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(The image has been slightly modified.)

Night Watch.

Watch over us

this night, Lord.

Rescue us

from the horrors

of night.

For darkness

cannot conquer you,

nor night, nor death

defeat you.

For the night also is yours, Lord.

Darkness is as light

to you,

and the night like

brightest day!


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(The image has been slightly modified.)

The Lighthouse.

The Lighthouse

shines

a light in the darkness.

To guide

and divine

our sacred path.

We all must

find

the light

that will show us

the rocks that

await us,

and illuminate

shadows and silhouettes

at night.


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The Black Ship.

The Black Ship

sails

the sea of humanity.

Over deeps it

prevails,

and sows the seeds

of death

in all men

and women.  Indeed

we all must

uncover

the black veil,

discover

the dogs' and the divas'

dark backwards magic.

And hear

in their music

the dance of death.


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Vegetarian.

                            

I am vegetarian.

It is clear to me that we are free to eat the fruits of the earth but not living things.

"God said, 'See I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.'"  Genesis 1:29 (NRSV)

This passage is followed by the statement that the fruits of the plants and trees are also for the animals and birds to eat.

There is no mention of animals or birds or fish as food for man.

My personal feelings are to do with non-violence.

I no longer feel comfortable killing living things for my food.

So I no longer eat meat or fish.

I will eat eggs and cheese because their use for food does not inflict pain on any living thing.

I believe that my attitude is backed up by the Biblical witness.

It is God's Will that we be vegetarian.


[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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