Two incredible words. How could we miss them? How could we not see what the message is? Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer as a principle to follow- not as words to recite. And what’s so amazing to me is how much PUNCH there is in just the first two words, if we’d think about it. So, if you’re going to keep reading, you’re going to have to think about it. Jesus doesn’t waste words in any of His communications and the OUR FATHER is a classic example. Here’s what I see in these lead off words to the prayer that every Christian child learns and knows. Continue reading ‘Our Father!’
Monthly Archive for May, 2007
From May 15-19th, I shared some of my views on the second creation story found in Genesis 2 and 3. You can go back and read those if this doesn’t make any sense. If after reading them nothing makes sense, then we have a lot in common (just kidding of course- I think).
While I see the creation stories as MYTHS, and not LITERAL, I nonetheless see them as TRUE. Work on that, and the TRUTH from the story will set you FREE. Here’s my 6th and unplanned revisit and redo of the Garden Story. Continue reading ‘#6- The Garden Revisited’
Thank you so much St. Augustine for your view on hell, the depravity of man, the anger of God, and of course original sin! How’d he get the name “Saint“? We come into a broken world, but unbroken. We come into a sinful world, but not yet sinners. We have to make that decision on our very own. As an offense against God by man’s first parents, it made every man an automatic sinner, born without sanctifying grace. Really? Continue reading ‘# 26- Original Sin Isn’t!’
The West & the East and the Yin-Yang! The duel concepts of yin and yang – or the single concept Yin-Yang – originate in ancient Chinese philosophy and metaphysics, which describe two primal opposing but complementary principles or cosmic forces said to be found in all non-static objects and processes in the universe. The concept is the cornerstone for Taoism and traditional Chinese medicine. And while these are concepts from opposite sides of this planet, they are true for both. Here’s why. Continue reading ‘Holy Spirit & Mindfulness’
With all good intentions we’ve taken the “Abba Father” that Jesus told us about and we’ve put Him on a Wheaties cereal box. I can only tell you this because I am only now being able to SEE God as more than Abba Father. We all know that He is Spirit, Consciousness, Allness; however, we’ve let our ego take the symbolism of Daddy God to a dangerous degree. Continue reading ‘# 25- Anthropomorphic Arrogance’
Don’t look now but there’s a good chance “one of them” is very close to you, and hopefully not you nor I. Pharisees are not relics of the past, but the self righteous fundamentalists of today. They come in every color, creed, and denomination: even in non denominational clothing. And, I doubt that Jesus has changed His feelings about them today from what He felt and said 2,000 years ago. Saying prayers is NOT praying. Continue reading ‘Pity The Pious Pharisees’
How foolish we are to think that we know so much, that are there are no mysteries that we can’t uncover, nor any explanation of the things of God that we can’t unravel. How utterly, utterly insane we are in such things. And yet we turn around and call God Infinite: we the finite, are going to figure out that which is infinite. Yeah, sure. How about a great investment in a multi-level plan to build a sustainable community on the moon. Interested? It’s more attainable than the so-called “systematic theology” that we have made out religious god. And? Continue reading ‘Beyond Intellectualism’
It came to me when my thoughts were not there. Isn’t that they way it happens so many times with God? Here I am pulling down some old branches from the trees on my side yard and as one snapped and broke lose a thought clicked in my spirit man and the words were, “The desert journey is almost over, only six more weeks to go“. While the last three years have been a “desert experience” in many ways (and that’s more of a good thing than a bad one), it’s been so fruitful in experiences in God and out of any human control. I couldn’t do anything if I wanted to. And I WANTED TO! Many times. Many friendships have fallen by the way side. Many acquaintences have just disappeared into thin air. And other relationships that were frequent are now very infrequent. But, there have also been deeper and new relationships. Here’s my interpretation of the word. Continue reading ‘The Joshua & Caleb Tribe’
Okay, enough already!
If there is a core message (and there are many) in the second creation story which according to experts was written around 1,000BCE whereas the creation story in Genesis 1 was written 500 years later (500BCE). For me, and this is a personal position that I take (and far more people down through history than you can imagine as well), the so-called FALL of man is summed up in three words or concepts: separation, belief in two powers, and limitation. Let’s review it. Continue reading ‘# 5- The Garden Revisited’
Decided & Determined
I guess that you could say that I made the decision, but I’m not all that sure about it. Once you turn your life over to God, as much as you possibly can at any given moment, do YOU really make any decisions? Yeah, sure, but they are mostly of a Ps. 37:4 vintage. Co-decisions at best. But once you agree to go along with that decision, there’s always the option of backing out. So maybe that’s where I, or we as individuals, come into the decision a little more forcefully. Are we DETERMINED to stay the course of the DECISION, or will we opt out in case things aren’t going as we’d like. We all know that the cross wasn’t something that Jesus looked forward to, but He was determined that it would be God’s will, and not His. Here’s my situation. Continue reading ‘Decided & Determined’