Monthly Archive for January, 2011

Elusive & Enigmatic

Published on January 31, 2011 in Daily Commentary. 0 Comments

I am sure you know what ELUSIVE means but let me refresh your memory of the adjective ENIGMATIC which comes from the noun ENIGMA which means puzzling or inexplicable- perplexing and mysterious. I am talking about Jesus of course. But, which Jesus?

1-The Jesus of the Gospels, from Nazareth who walked the dusty trails of Galilee: the human son of man? 

2-The mystical Jesus of Paul who was the son of God crucified in the heavenlies, but not historically here on terra firma? 

3-The Jesus of the Rex Deus who came from the Egyptian line of Theraputae mystic healers that survived the cross and lived to be seventy? 

Any “in good standing Christian” would say #1! Well, at least any mainstream fundamentalist here in the Bible Belt would say such. But, before we judge we should remember the wisdom of MIDRASH which is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. Midrash is a way of interpreting biblical stories that goes beyond simple distillation of religious, legal or moral teachings. It fills in many gaps left in the biblical narrative regarding events and personalities. 

Midrash is using Scripture to create new guides to for behavior in the current environment! 

In other words it is receiving the wisdom from the past, filtering it by the Spirit, and applying the eternal principles to today’s situation. Want a simple example? Today, it’s okay to eat white meat- PORK! The STORIES of the past have FRESH meaning for today if we’ll get out of the RELIGIOUS BOX and have a peek at the reality of life. With that said, Jesus will always remain elusive and enigmatic; however, God is not! 

God is WITHIN and PURE LOVE!

A Schizophrenic Message?

Published on January 30, 2011 in Daily Commentary. 1 Comment

If one reads the Bible literally, it’s near impossible, if using something akin to rational thinking, to find the unity, oneness, or compatibility of the various scriptures, Of course, and good fundamentalists can MAKE IT FIT: logic notwithstanding.

Let me take two broad themes from the New Testament- messages reportedly delivered by Jesus (from the Gospel of Mark particularly). 

1-Jesus is the apocalyptic prophet foretelling of earthquakes, wars, famines, darkened moon, falling stars, and all manner of nasty stuff. 

2-Jesus is the peace maker who foretells of a quiet growth, planting of seeds, a fruitful harvest, and an expanded kingdom where birds take shelter in the trees of life. 

SAY WHAT? 

What if we looked at all of this colorful language from a more spiritual, metaphorical, and mystical vantage point? Could it be that BOTH happen and that Jesus really wasn’t schizophrenic after all? Could it be that he (or whomever the author was that was making the point) was referring to the fact that in life here on earth we all go through a transformation, much like the butterfly? Could the message perhaps be speaking of the death of the go (all that bad stuff) and the birth of the higher self- our spiritual essense? 

I’m sure that there are other approaches, ideas, and thoughts. What’s important is that we not try and FORCE a message, demand a doctrine, or think only our ideas are the true and valid ones. Sharing life is what makes life exciting, even when you may not like what’s been shared.

The Bridge From Here To There!

Published on January 29, 2011 in Daily Commentary. 0 Comments

Where does the child, the son, come from? And the people said, from Mom and Dad!

Okay, let’s take this thought a little deeper. Where did the “Son” (of God) come from? Ah, now we’re a bit deeper into the rabbit hole now aren’t we! Well, in the beginning, or shall I say a LONG time ago there were the Platonists (remember Plato and his philosophical schools?). They saw God as an Absolute, Purity, and transcendent. God was totally separated from material universe. 

Worse yet, we down here could not touch him up there. 

Additionally we have a concept called Stoicism which was looked upon as WISDOM, Mother Earth down here and immanent. We were given reason and intellect by what became know as Sophia. Philo began dropping some hints that the two beings were really one. Eventually Hellenistic Judaism married the two concepts into what’s today called the Son of God! 

Jesus thus became that intermediary Son. The MALENESS of God out there with the FEMALENESS of Wisdom down here 

Paul brought this Spiritual Son into the full light through his seven epistles, speaking of CHRIST or the CHRISTOS (a title, not a proper name) in the broader sense of both Greek and Jewish images. Paul’s idea of the Spiritual Son (not an historical Jesus) absorbed both the Logos and personified Wisdom! For Paul, the Christos (the heavenly spiritual Son) was the bridge that allowed us down here to reach up and touch the Hold One up there. 

We’ve come a long way since then, but in some other ways, we’re still living a 2,000+ year old religious paradigm. But, the GOOD NEWS is that LOVE still makes the world go round!

Lost In The Wilderness!

Published on January 28, 2011 in Daily Commentary. 0 Comments

In some sense we humanoids are all lost in the wilderness. The vast expanse of society seems to envelop and hide us. People throng to social networks (ie. , Facebook) so they can be LOST but yet feel a connection to other beings. However, I want to address one of the strangest Christian oxymorons.

Why do the epistles (Paul and all) not speak of the things we find in the Gospels? 

Almost one hundred percent of the historical Biblical scholars agree that the works of Paul came before the Gospels by anywhere from 25 to 50 years. While most agree that Paul only wrote seven of the thirteen epistles initially credited to him, all of them leave so much OUT that the later Gospels ADD IN. So, let’s take one example. 

One of the prime time players in the Gospels was John the Baptizer (he really wasn’t Southern Baptist). 

So why then is it that that Paul, who sees Baptism as the prime Christian sacrament, never mentions John the Baptizer (of Jesus)? Basically until the Gospels appear John is literally LOST in the wilderness, not just one who lived there. Even one of the more prolific early Christian writers when referring to the ritual of baptism goes back to the Old Testament, and never mentions John. 

I Clement 17:1 says….. 

“Let us take pattern by those who went about in sheepskins and goatskins heralding the Messiah’s coming: that is to say, Elijah, Elisha, and Ezekiel among the prophets, and other famous names besides.” But the apparent most recent person, John, isn’t mentioned? So, back to the question, why is John lost in the wilderness, And then the bigger question. Why are so many of the Gospel concepts and alleged history not mentioned by Paul, nor any of the other epistles? 

Inquiring minds want to know: even the Spirit questions.  :-)

Jewish Myth Revisited

Published on January 27, 2011 in Daily Commentary. 0 Comments

I love it when people make an honest mistake, when they think they know what they’re seeing and act on it.

What does bother me is when people make a prediction, say something about the future, or prophecy and then pretend they didn’t miss it when it’so obvious they did. The “Day Of The Lord” from the Old Testament is one such example. This Jewish myth says that God would one day rescue the Jews from their distress and humiliation: he would establish a new covenant with his chosen people, and raise them up to rule over the earth! 

Show me where that’s happened? 

Not even their first Messiah, David, was able to deliver them long term. The six hundred plus years of post Davidic rule was punctuated with bondage and loss of sovereignty. What’s amazing is that even after the TOTAL destruction of Jerusalem and the last battle of Massada (70CE), the myth remained. And Christianity picked up on the theme believing one day in a RAPTURE of corporate earth. 

Worse yet was the premise that all of this was predicated on the achievement of Israel’s PURITY as a nation. 

And, what about GRACE? Is meritocracy the real key? I am sure the ego thinks that. The bottom line is that after the Diaspora and the destruction of Jerusalem and new mindset came into being which was that there would be a CHOSEN ELECT (not necessarily a nation since Israel no longer existed): a RIGHTEOUS REMNANT that would be saved. In case you missed that message you can hear it preached every Sunday in most Christian churches. 

Saints will be saved and the heathens will burn in hell eternally! 

Those preaching the message are of course the saints and those of you who do not agree with them are obviously the heretics, the lost, the damned, the heathens. Could it be that the Jewish myth has been translated into the Christian myth and that we need to get back to the REALITY that God is LOVE? 

Me thinks so!  :-)

Revelation By What Word?

Published on January 26, 2011 in Daily Commentary. 1 Comment

Those familiar with the New Testament and a little bit of Greek know the BIG difference between LOGOS and RHEMA!

While I don’t make the technical distinctions all that great I do recognize a very important principle about Christianity of any religion that relies upon a BOOK! The sacred BOOKS are just that for me- SACRED! Sacred and inerrant are not the same concepts. I can have a mental relationship with a BOOK, but I must have a spiritual relationship with the SPIRIT!

The Bible, all written word, is a FINGER that POINTS to that which is real.

Jesus is recorded as saying that we have made a mistake by thinking that the Spirit is found in the words of the Scriptures. Spirit is found via the Spirit. Revelation is spirit to spirit. Paul received his revelations by the Spirit5 and not from any historical man: even Jesus. Paul is very explicit in Gal. 1, as just one example, that he got his revelation(s) from God, the Spirit- as we all eventually must!

Paul was driven by INSPIRATION- not DOCTRINE!

How about you? What are you proclaiming or holding on to? Have you EXPERIENCED God? Remember, the person with an experience is never at the mercy of a person with a doctrine!

Apostolic Tradition?

Published on January 25, 2011 in Daily Commentary. 0 Comments

It’s amazing the things that we BELIEVE that aren’t TRUE!

Let us remember that at one time we thought the earth was flat (some still hold on to that idea),  we thought that the sun revolved around the earth (geocentric principle), and we thought that man couldn’t fly. There have to be hundreds of thousands of things we once thought that we now no longer believe. The real trap though is grabbing on to TRADITIONS that have been handed down for hundreds or thousands of years that aren’t true.

And, God help the person that even questions theri validity.

Someone first painted a picture of the LAST SUPPER with Jesus and the twelve apostles. This event happened in a home that was owned by other people. Do you think there were ONLY TWELVE? Were there only TWELVE apostles or is that just something we’ve accepted- traditionally? The whole concept of  twelve  apostles is a LATE (Gospels concept) offering and one to which Paul (the earlier works) didn’t support. 

But, of couse TWELVE is a sacred number in other religions and cults so why not with Christianity as well?

Of course the BIG reason for an apostolic tradition is so that the various communities could VALIDATE themselves. Being able to relate back to one of the TWELVE brought authenticity and proper standing. Where would the Catholic Church be without having Peter as the first Pope? It’s traditional! But, Paul used the word to apply to many leaders, dignitaries, and missionaries.

Is this really important? Only if it helps your theology of course.

As Earl Doherty writes, “It is only with the Gospels, written a half century of more after Jesus’ death, that we find the term narrowed to a select group of men personally chosen by Jesus.” Paul only alludes to this tradition once (I Cor. 15:5-7)and even there he separates Cephas (Peter) as an addition to the twelve. Of course to challenge TRADITION is dangerous, even if that tradition is wrong!

Gospel-Colored Glasses

Published on January 24, 2011 in Daily Commentary. 0 Comments

All religions are and have been created IN TIME!

Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all came into the consciousness of man in a specific time in history and thus were a product of the environment from which they arose. This does not in any way take away or demean any of their spiritual truths- it just IS TRUTH! 

Christianity is a bi-product of the crossover primarily of Judaism and the Hellenism (Greco-Roman myths and paradigms). 

Christianity did not arise out of ISOLATION from it’s environment. It developed as a result many major influences of which JESUS became the center piece; however, Paul became the painter who gave us the canvass that now depicts Christianity as we have it (in it’s many varying distinctions but with Jesus as the core). This blending and cross breeding of many religious ideas became the hybrid that has in large part shaped the Western world. 

News Flash! There is still an Eastern world! 

 Earl Doherty writes that what we have in Christianity today is largely the result of the first Gospel- Mark. Doherty writes, “Could it be that if we remove those Gospel-colored glasses when reading the early Christian writers, we could find that all of them, Paul especially,  has been telling us in plain and unmistakable terms exactly what the earliest Christians DID BELIEVE IN, and what the Christ they all worshipped really was”? 

Glasses off: unconditional love as a life style on!

What Have I Created?

Published on January 23, 2011 in Daily Commentary. 0 Comments

I’ve been a BUILDER of sorts all of my life. It’s just the DNA of me!

>I’ve built over 600 houses, dozens of condominiums, and commercial buildings!

>I’ve planted dozens of gardens

>I love to plant and grow fruit trees

>I’m a teacher who loves to grow people

And on the other hand I am definitely not a MECHANIC! In other words, I have no interest or skills when it comes to fixing a car or repairing a commode. It seems like when I get into putting together or taking a part some small toy or object I’m always one screw short or discover the last thing to be installed just doesn’t fit. If I can’t have it shipped assembled or take it from the store complete…… forgetdaboutdit!

Many can relate to my dysfunctionality; however, there’s a more serious issue at stake here.

At least for me, and I think applicable to all, is the so-called GOD that we’ve created! What’s your look like? What have you built? Unfortunately we’ve created and built a God in our own image or at least in the image of the environment from whence we’ve come and much like our teachers have depicted. Some of the more common creations (images) are:

>A super HUMAN being (much smarter than we be).

>A tough-as-nails JUDGE (who watches to and fro of our every move).

>A grandfatherly GENIE (who gives us what we desire and imagine).

>A SPIRIT that operates on a vibrational energy level (torsion field).

I just listed a few of our wonderful CREATIONS and yet at the end of the day God simple IS and cannot be DESCRIBED, put in a box, or categorized to any finite nature. What we need to be asking ourselves ultimately is,  are we finished with the painting, is there more to draw, different colors to be used, and new nuances to be shaped?

Will you allow yourself the FREEDOM to BE- even though you’ve no clue as to what that IS? Just as important, wouldn’t that be more FUN that the dogmatic certitude that you profess to embrace that makes others uncomfortable to be around you

I Love To Tell The Story!

Published on January 22, 2011 in Daily Commentary. 0 Comments

Life is truly about STORIES!

Before we had the printing press and the homo sapien sapien advancements in writing skills, knowledge was passed down through STORIES. In fact, telling a story, metaphor, or allegory is how we best remember things. But, here’s the question. What’s the VALIDITY of the STORIES that you are living your life by today? It’s a really important question that needs an answer.

Does anyone know Katherine Hankey? Probably not.

I used one of her popular songs (written in 1866) last week as a teaching model. I’m sure many of you remember these (her) lyrics, “I love to tell the story Of unseen things above, Of Jesus and his glory, Of Jesus and his love”. We love to tell the STORY  of JESUS! But, what is the TRUTH of that story? And what story are you following?

1-The GOSPEL stories of Jesus?

2-The PAULINE mythical stories of Jesus (Christos- he was not a real person)?

3-The REX  DEUS stories of the Theraputae blood line that still exists  today?

4-Other?

Ah, we really don’t even want to go there! To visit such discussions would mean we’d have to question our FAITH which for many is as much FICTION as FAITH! But, until we TEST our faith (a serious test), then is there faith at all? Do you have to not question your faith in order to hold on tightly to the PAYOFF of certitude, acceptance of your community, and the sanity of your beliefs systems?

This is dangerous territory- the liminal twilight zone. However, once you go there and discover the nuggets of truths, you’ve never be able to go back to the religious pablum. Filet is what we should be eating as the author of Hebrews chapter 5 reminds us.

Medium rare anyone?