The beauty of Christianity

James_Lai

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This includes our musical notation. The soloist is the priest, while the choir is what I sing as a psalti.

Hands down absolutely beautiful and spiritual chanting. The song of the soul. Touching deeply and helping to set your mind in the right state towards God.. Thank you for sharing!

When in a church, hearing this is like you’re already in heaven! Especially surrounded by the beautiful architecture and paintings.

Spiritual melodies and voices… I listen to contemporary church praise and often it’s worldly music that feeds you carnally. All expressions of faith and love are good and worthy, but to be in the right state of mind for worship probably traditional musical styles are more appropriate.

I memorized some verses from the New Testament in Greek. Of course even koine is more complex than modern Greek, so it’s cool to try and learn reconstructed authentic phonology.

Needless to say, Pater Imon is among those passages I know by heart
 
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enoob57

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The Scripture fills me with the knowledge of God...

Are there parts of scripture that are most beautiful to you?
I would say for myself the unified whole of Scripture as it teaches us of God by how He has dealt with all things... the more I know and understand what He has written the more my Love for Him increases...
Psalms 119 all...
 
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Tolworth John

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All belief systems are beautiful in their own ways.

Beauty is in the eye of the onlooker!.

The problem is, if Christianity is true, then as you say it is beautiful, but that truth and beauty makes All other beliefs hidiously ugly.

The amasing beautiful thing about Christianity is not that believers strive to reach up to God, but that God reaches down and lifts the believers up to him.
 
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Halbhh

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Hello.
How are you all doing? May God bless you abundantly in all things, especially with spiritual gifts.

Christianity is a beautiful religion. The architecture, the art, the philosophy, the music, the traditions, the literature etc are so beautiful, it’s amazing. All belief systems are beautiful in their own ways.

What kind of beauty in Christianity touches and inspires you most?
So much. But at the moment, I'd like to offer a short song, and a passage


“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.

2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a ruler and commander of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."

10 "As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
for an everlasting sign,
that will endure forever.”​

Isaiah 55 NIV
 
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James_Lai

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Beauty is in the eye of the onlooker!.

The problem is, if Christianity is true, then as you say it is beautiful, but that truth and beauty makes All other beliefs hidiously ugly.

The amasing beautiful thing about Christianity is not that believers strive to reach up to God, but that God reaches down and lifts the believers up to him.

I think beauty is universal, even if one disagrees with Islam, for example, they can still enjoy the Taj Mahal or the sound of Adhan by a gifted mu’addin.
 
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James_Lai

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So much. But at the moment, I'd like to offer a short song, and a passage


“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.

2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a ruler and commander of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."

10 "As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
for an everlasting sign,
that will endure forever.”​

Isaiah 55 NIV

Empty grainery, wow! Cool sound. Beautiful acappella singing of this timeless hymn.

Isaiah preaching - beautiful ideas eloquently worded!
 
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Halbhh

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Empty grainery, wow! Cool sound. Beautiful acappella singing of this timeless hymn.

Jesus preaching - beautiful ideas eloquently worded!
Yes, that passage is actually from the Old Testament -- I call that chapter from Isaiah 'the gospel in the Old Testament'. :)
 
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Andrewn

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they can still enjoy the Taj Mahal or the sound of Adhan by a gifted mu’addin.
I haven't been to the Taj. But I find the sound of Adan quite appalling, especially when shouted from loud speakers. It is an example of the ugliness in Islam.
I think beauty is universal,
The decorations inside some mosques can be beautiful.
 
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James_Lai

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I haven't been to the Taj. But I find the sound of Adan quite appalling, especially when shouted from loud speakers. It is an example of the ugliness in Islam.

The decorations inside some mosques can be beautiful.

I understand about the average Adhan/Azan call, especially coming out of low-quality speakers - that’s why I said by a talented mu’addin :)

Some are truly beautiful.

 
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Martinius

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Hello.
How are you all doing? May God bless you abundantly in all things, especially with spiritual gifts.

Christianity is a beautiful religion. The architecture, the art, the philosophy, the music, the traditions, the literature etc are so beautiful, it’s amazing. All belief systems are beautiful in their own ways.

What kind of beauty in Christianity touches and inspires you most?
Some of the architecture is beautiful, but in some cases over the top. I like simplicity for the most part. Much of the art is beautiful. A lot of great literature.

What touches and inspires me the most is the core message found in the Gospels. It forms the basis for how I approach life. And there are many wonderful examples of how others have truly lived the Gospel, from the early days of the church until today. I cannot pretend to be on their level, but can keep striving to be a better person and disciple each and every day.

Good to hear from you again, James. I was missing you and am glad you are posting again.
Peace and blessings.
Marty
 
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angelsaroundme

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i like how it sounds. Really close and deep, so profound. How do you feel or experience it?
It feels like God would have made the world just for you. Like Jesus would have died just for you. Like you always have someone in your corner. Like, if you were sick, He'd wait by your side as long as it took for you to get well. He'd laugh with you, cry with you, sing with you, and always cheer you on. Like your infinite to Him as He's infinite to you.
 
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Reasonable Christian

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This is not entirely responsive to the OP, but the "beauty" of a given religion isn't the point. The point is whether a given religion (or other worldview) is true or false. I would urge the OP to examine the abundant evidence for Christianity and decide for him/herself whether it's actually true (spoiler: it is). While there are beautiful aspects to all regions (art, architecture, music, etc.), this hardly matters if what they teach is false.
 
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GreekOrthodox

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Today is the start of Lent for the Eastern Orthodox church and the first service of Lent is the Canon of St. Andrew. It is also nicknamed Orthodox Calisthenics as there in the final service there are over 350 full prostrations. Think 350 burpees...

During Clean Week (the first week of Great Lent), this canon is split into four parts and chanted on the first four nights of the week. However on Thursday of the fifth week of Lent, the entire canon is chanted.

The Great Canon is a conversation in which St. Andrew is speaking to his soul. It is unique within the liturgical life of the church. Though it follows the form of other canons—nine odes, with an irmos hymn which begins and ends each ode—this canon is unique both in its length and its quantity of Scriptural reference. Each ode has more than 20 hymns, all of which are saturated with references to Biblical stories.

My soul, my soul, Arise!
Why are you sleeping?
The end is drawing near,
And you are confounded,
Awake then and be watchful
Who is everywhere and fills all things.
We have sinned, transgressed, done wrong before You.
We have not watched or done as You have commanded us,
but do not give us up utterly, O God of our fathers.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

 
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James_Lai

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Today is the start of Lent for the Eastern Orthodox church and the first service of Lent is the Canon of St. Andrew. It is also nicknamed Orthodox Calisthenics as there in the final service there are over 350 full prostrations. Think 350 burpees...

During Clean Week (the first week of Great Lent), this canon is split into four parts and chanted on the first four nights of the week. However on Thursday of the fifth week of Lent, the entire canon is chanted.

The Great Canon is a conversation in which St. Andrew is speaking to his soul. It is unique within the liturgical life of the church. Though it follows the form of other canons—nine odes, with an irmos hymn which begins and ends each ode—this canon is unique both in its length and its quantity of Scriptural reference. Each ode has more than 20 hymns, all of which are saturated with references to Biblical stories.

My soul, my soul, Arise!
Why are you sleeping?
The end is drawing near,
And you are confounded,
Awake then and be watchful
Who is everywhere and fills all things.
We have sinned, transgressed, done wrong before You.
We have not watched or done as You have commanded us,
but do not give us up utterly, O God of our fathers.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.


Beautiful! People of deep and strong faith are the most beautiful thing. Thank you
 
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James_Lai

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It feels like God would have made the world just for you. Like Jesus would have died just for you. Like you always have someone in your corner. Like, if you were sick, He'd wait by your side as long as it took for you to get well. He'd laugh with you, cry with you, sing with you, and always cheer you on. Like your infinite to Him as He's infinite to you.

Great unconditional love envelops you, so beautiful description, thank uou!
 
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James_Lai

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Some of the architecture is beautiful, but in some cases over the top. I like simplicity for the most part. Much of the art is beautiful. A lot of great literature.

What touches and inspires me the most is the core message found in the Gospels. It forms the basis for how I approach life. And there are many wonderful examples of how others have truly lived the Gospel, from the early days of the church until today. I cannot pretend to be on their level, but can keep striving to be a better person and disciple each and every day.

Good to hear from you again, James. I was missing you and am glad you are posting again.
Peace and blessings.
Marty

Architecture, art, literature, how about music?

Holy lives true beauty indeed… Love examplified. Awsome
 
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James_Lai

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This is not entirely responsive to the OP, but the "beauty" of a given religion isn't the point. The point is whether a given religion (or other worldview) is true or false. I would urge the OP to examine the abundant evidence for Christianity and decide for him/herself whether it's actually true (spoiler: it is). While there are beautiful aspects to all regions (art, architecture, music, etc.), this hardly matters if what they teach is false.

Truth is beautiful indeed and lies are ugly. All faiths have some truth in them, there’s more commonality among them all than real differences.
 
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