Since I'm currently between prepping casseroles and about to attempt a turkey breast, with a husband who is looking pretty hungry, I'll make this quick. I haven't had time to view this podcast yet but did read the dispatch, and although I am an aging boomer, I think can relate to Peter in a way: I was raised in a church culture but drifted away with my first marriage, began attending church again in my second, drifted away again when we retired and moved to another state, and am drifting back. I still search for sincerely believing what I have been taught to believe. But something has changed. I find that I am more demanding, more outspoken, and for example, I absolutely insist that any church that I belong to will be inclusive of the LGBT+ community. Fortunately, my church is Presbyterian USA, which is gay friendly but leaves the gay marriage issue up to the individual churches. I had a frank talk with my pastor recently about it, and was excited that our church is supportive of gays and gay marriage. I've taken a stand on Facebook, which I absolutely never do. Never a political stand, anyway. I am straight, white, and was raised in a very conservative family, by the way. But thank God I have learned to think, and feel, for myself. Happy Thanksgiving, Soul Boom Team!
Yes! I sent my pastor a news story about a new church that has proclaimed it’s inclusivity and she replied that our synod is actually sponsoring them. I was thrilled to hear this news. People need to be acknowledged and loved for who they are.
Whether or not such concepts are Biblically supported, maybe ‘houses of worship’ were/are actually divinely meant for the parishioners — intended to be for the soul/spirit what health clinics/spas, even hospitals, are for the body and mind. And maybe the Ten Commandments were not meant to ‘obey’ in order to appease/please God but rather intended for humans’ benefit, to directly or indirectly keep people safe and healthy.
I also don't perceive God as being in singular humanoid form, let alone with gender. Nor does God need or desire to be worshipped (or perhaps even thanked) — which, at least to me, are much more traits of frail, shallow human nature.
As for Jesus, he was/is largely meant to show to people that there really was/is hope for the many — especially for young people living in today’s physical, mental and spiritual turmoil — seeing hopelessness in a fire-and-brimstone angry-God-condemnation creator requiring literal pain-filled penance/payment for sinful human behavior.
Also, maybe the Biblical books' content are more revelatory of the writers' perceptions of (their) God's nature than a fully accurate portrayal of God's actual nature?
Too many institutional 'Christians' seem to create their Creator’s nature in their own fallible and often angry, vengeful image. That could be at least partly why the Book of Enoch, which reflects an unusually more compassionate God, concerned the angry-God theologians and scriptural decision-makers enough to omit it from most Biblical canons.
If the Divine is as vengefully angry, even seemingly blood-thirsty, as institutional Christianity generally portrays Him to be, is anyone — including supposed ardent followers or conservative Bible believers — truly safe or really ‘saved’? One could reasonably theorize that He’d be especially peeved by those self-professed Christians He’d (likely rightfully) deem as fake or frauds.
After all, Jesus, as God incarnate, was/is about non-violence, genuine compassion, love, charity and non-wealth. His teachings and practices epitomize so much of the primary component of socialism — do not hoard gratuitous wealth in the midst of great poverty. But, they are not practiced by a significant number of ‘Christians’, likely including many who idolize callous politicians standing for very little or nothing Jesus taught and represents.
It's Thanksgiving again, yet many people, including children, are still going hungry. No wonder food banks are strained. Unmet food needs are exacerbated by price inflation, while corporate profits and payouts to CEOs correspondingly inflate.
A big fan of Christ's message and miracles, I would gladly give thanks every Thanksgiving Day — if everyone else on Earth had enough clean, safe drinking water, nutritional food and societal stability to maintain a normal, healthy life. But for now ...
Since I'm currently between prepping casseroles and about to attempt a turkey breast, with a husband who is looking pretty hungry, I'll make this quick. I haven't had time to view this podcast yet but did read the dispatch, and although I am an aging boomer, I think can relate to Peter in a way: I was raised in a church culture but drifted away with my first marriage, began attending church again in my second, drifted away again when we retired and moved to another state, and am drifting back. I still search for sincerely believing what I have been taught to believe. But something has changed. I find that I am more demanding, more outspoken, and for example, I absolutely insist that any church that I belong to will be inclusive of the LGBT+ community. Fortunately, my church is Presbyterian USA, which is gay friendly but leaves the gay marriage issue up to the individual churches. I had a frank talk with my pastor recently about it, and was excited that our church is supportive of gays and gay marriage. I've taken a stand on Facebook, which I absolutely never do. Never a political stand, anyway. I am straight, white, and was raised in a very conservative family, by the way. But thank God I have learned to think, and feel, for myself. Happy Thanksgiving, Soul Boom Team!
So important to make spaces where everyone feels that they belong.
Yes! I sent my pastor a news story about a new church that has proclaimed it’s inclusivity and she replied that our synod is actually sponsoring them. I was thrilled to hear this news. People need to be acknowledged and loved for who they are.
Whether or not such concepts are Biblically supported, maybe ‘houses of worship’ were/are actually divinely meant for the parishioners — intended to be for the soul/spirit what health clinics/spas, even hospitals, are for the body and mind. And maybe the Ten Commandments were not meant to ‘obey’ in order to appease/please God but rather intended for humans’ benefit, to directly or indirectly keep people safe and healthy.
I also don't perceive God as being in singular humanoid form, let alone with gender. Nor does God need or desire to be worshipped (or perhaps even thanked) — which, at least to me, are much more traits of frail, shallow human nature.
As for Jesus, he was/is largely meant to show to people that there really was/is hope for the many — especially for young people living in today’s physical, mental and spiritual turmoil — seeing hopelessness in a fire-and-brimstone angry-God-condemnation creator requiring literal pain-filled penance/payment for sinful human behavior.
Also, maybe the Biblical books' content are more revelatory of the writers' perceptions of (their) God's nature than a fully accurate portrayal of God's actual nature?
Too many institutional 'Christians' seem to create their Creator’s nature in their own fallible and often angry, vengeful image. That could be at least partly why the Book of Enoch, which reflects an unusually more compassionate God, concerned the angry-God theologians and scriptural decision-makers enough to omit it from most Biblical canons.
If the Divine is as vengefully angry, even seemingly blood-thirsty, as institutional Christianity generally portrays Him to be, is anyone — including supposed ardent followers or conservative Bible believers — truly safe or really ‘saved’? One could reasonably theorize that He’d be especially peeved by those self-professed Christians He’d (likely rightfully) deem as fake or frauds.
After all, Jesus, as God incarnate, was/is about non-violence, genuine compassion, love, charity and non-wealth. His teachings and practices epitomize so much of the primary component of socialism — do not hoard gratuitous wealth in the midst of great poverty. But, they are not practiced by a significant number of ‘Christians’, likely including many who idolize callous politicians standing for very little or nothing Jesus taught and represents.
It's Thanksgiving again, yet many people, including children, are still going hungry. No wonder food banks are strained. Unmet food needs are exacerbated by price inflation, while corporate profits and payouts to CEOs correspondingly inflate.
A big fan of Christ's message and miracles, I would gladly give thanks every Thanksgiving Day — if everyone else on Earth had enough clean, safe drinking water, nutritional food and societal stability to maintain a normal, healthy life. But for now ...
.
Please just pass me the holiday turkey, peas
and the delicious stuffing flanked
by buttered potatoes with gravy
since I’ve said grace with plenty ease
for the good food received I’ve thanked
my Maker who’s found me worthy.
It seems that unlike the many of those
in the unlucky Third World nation
I’ve been found by God deserving
to not have to endure the awful woes
and the stomach wrenching starvation
suffered by them with no dinner serving.
Therefor hand over to me the corn
the cranberry sauce, fresh baked bread
since for my grub I’ve praised the Lord
yet I need not hear about those born
whose meal I’ve been granted instead
as they receive naught of the grand hoard.