Jesus said, as He addressed the people:I agree with you there. I'd just like to know if we are going to meet in Heaven. That's assuming I get there as well.
It doesn't feel like Heaven here sometimes.Jesus said, as He addressed the people:
The Kingdom of Heaven IS AT HAND, turn to YHWH; seek His Kingdom TODAY (not tomorrow), and keep seeking His Kingdom (everyday; never stop).
Later, He told His disciples, (living on earth), the ones who remained with Him, "You are already in the Kingdom, now start acting like it (living like it)." It is not, it was not, something far in the future to wait for.
No doubt. All according to YHWH'S Plan.It doesn't feel like Heaven here sometimes.
JeffNo doubt. All according to YHWH'S Plan.
Keep seeking , never give up, and perhaps soon you will find those who are living, today, on earth, in His Kingdom now, the way Jesus told His disciples in the first century. (it never changed since then - it is the same as Jesus says in Scripture)
In most ways I'm actually very much like my parents. I am a baptized believer in Christ. I obey the laws of the Torah. And I'm very big on helping the poor and oppressed. BUT there was one thing my parents lacked: they had no sense of the sacred. Everything was ordinary to them. No matter have beautiful something was, no matter how poetic, or rich, or meaningful, it gave them no sense of transcendence. I'm definitely wired differently.
I keep Shabbat in ways my parents didn't, lighting Shabbat candles, having a special Shabbat meal with a white tablecloth on the table with my best kosher dishes, etc.
I enjoy liturgy. To my father it was empty ritual. To me it is anything BUT empty. It is rich and full of the holy spirit. It is poetry in motion. A beautiful church gives me a sense of the transcendence. Music can make or break the sense of worship for me.
I believe in the Sacred, the Holy. Holy means people, places, things, and times that are set apart for God's purposes. God works through ordinary people and ordinary objects to accomplish his purposes. We see this in things like baptism and communion. We see this in how he set Israel aside as his covenant people. We see this in how he set aside the 7th day and blessed it.
I believe in the holy sacraments -- outer actions through which God works to bestow grace. It may look like I'm doing something when I receive communion, but it's really God who is doing something for me.
I believe in sacramentals -- sacred objects that remind us in one way or another about God. Holy water (the waters of baptism), prayer cards, a mezuzah, tallitot, a crucifix, etc.
I believe in a Sacramental Universe. Choose your metaphor: "God is reflected in his creation," "God's fingerprint is on all he created," "There is a little bit of God in each and everything he created." Because of this, all of creation, even in its fallen state, yearns for union with God, praises him, worships him. The rocks and trees and rivers really do sing to him, clap their hands, etc., just in their own way. A rock may not have the kind of consciousness that compares to our own, but this is not to say that a rock has nothing.
I view my parent's Christianity as colorless, toneless, without beauty. Mine? Well, it "paints with all the colors of the wind."
That if we mentioned God, we were either mentally ill or it affected our real walk with God. That the minute we suggested Jesus may be the way the truth and the life, for example we made ourselves a target of Phariseeism.
If ever there was a Bible verse asking people to be diligent and not idle, perhaps somehow my dad got the message. He was often the last one to leave his office. He sometimes went to work on the weekends or was reading with an open briefcase beside him while we watched TV in the family room. He did not have as much time to spend with his children as he was working at his office or out of town on business. By the time he retired at 70 due to poor health, he had been promoted to be senior vice president of a company. Dad was Protestant/secular. Later in life mom returned to church attendance. She wanted to attend Mass. Mom did meals on wheels, was a reporter for a small town newspaper and took communion to local Catholic prisoners. I asked her if she was able to preach to them. She did not respond. She used to support Mother Theresa's charity. I read that Mother Theresa was not allowed to preach to people in India, only to give alms. Mom used to meet for breakfast with Catholic ladies her age. She was greeted around town. I was inspired by my parents to keep trying. I did not convert to Catholicism nor was I put in charge of a thousand workers like my dad was. My dad was invited to numerous weddings, funerals etc. He is taking care of mom who is ill with advanced stage dementia.My parents came from the Anglo-Irish Catholic tradition of "don't blow your own trumpet. Just do it."
Particularly my father. He was a gentle kind soul who never took himself seriously. He was incredibly hospitable to strangers as was my mother. They welcomed any of our friends into the home. Sometimes we had up to 20 people there at a time. In a small country town, it became like a hub of human fellowship, not strictly in the name of God but indirectly, as I see it now.
My father was president of a charity group called the St. Vincent se Paul for 20 years. He visited the sick and aged in hospital after Church on Sundays.
But he never once mentioned the Bible. Or did he try to evangelise to us kids. I am curious now what went on in his head. I don't think he actually prayed much. But his life was a prayer. He never held grudges, he extended his love beyond his own family. He was truly humble and deservedly popular. Some of my family made fun of his unworldliness and lack of manly leadership skills and his tendency to procrastinate on tough decisions. But these criticisms seem petty now. I believe Christ uses such humble people to spread His kingdom.
But I think my approach will be different. I see value in reading the Bible. I see talking about God and Jesus Christ as a positive. My parents may think this to be unnecessary or Pharisee like. I think its time to break that chain of thinking. I feel like I have been a slave to this "don't talk, just do" culture for too long. Nothing wrong with talking about God and the Bible. As long as you follow it up in action. As long as you don't become a hypocrite. As long as your relationship with God remains the most important thing in your life.
My parents came from the Anglo-Irish Catholic tradition of "don't blow your own trumpet. Just do it."
Particularly my father. He was a gentle kind soul who never took himself seriously. He was incredibly hospitable to strangers as was my mother. They welcomed any of our friends into the home. Sometimes we had up to 20 people there at a time. In a small country town, it became like a hub of human fellowship, not strictly in the name of God but indirectly, as I see it now.
My father was president of a charity group called the St. Vincent se Paul for 20 years. He visited the sick and aged in hospital after Church on Sundays.
But he never once mentioned the Bible. Or did he try to evangelise to us kids. I am curious now what went on in his head. I don't think he actually prayed much. But his life was a prayer. He never held grudges, he extended his love beyond his own family. He was truly humble and deservedly popular. Some of my family made fun of his unworldliness and lack of manly leadership skills and his tendency to procrastinate on tough decisions. But these criticisms seem petty now. I believe Christ uses such humble people to spread His kingdom.
But I think my approach will be different. I see value in reading the Bible. I see talking about God and Jesus Christ as a positive. My parents may think this to be unnecessary or Pharisee like. I think its time to break that chain of thinking. I feel like I have been a slave to this "don't talk, just do" culture for too long. Nothing wrong with talking about God and the Bible. As long as you follow it up in action. As long as you don't become a hypocrite. As long as your relationship with God remains the most important thing in your life.
Sounds much like my Southern Baptist grandmother on my Father's side, especially card playing, cursing, leaving the house on Sunday, dancing.......My dad was a Wesleyan pastor turned UMC pastor. My parents were very conservative Christians, more so than one might assume for the UMC in general. My upbringing was fairly strict with a lot of "thou shalt nots." For example, we were prohibited from card playing, dancing, eating in restaurants or otherwise spending money on Sunday, and cursing or its substitutes (e.g. "gosh darn"). Daily Bible reading was expected and sometimes they held daily family devotions. If you go one generation beyond that, my grandparents were end-times obsessed, repent-Jesus-is-coming-tomorrow kind of Christians. Radio preachers playing constantly. No TV allowed on Sundays. If a sunny Sunday preceded two weeks of planned rain at harvest time, the crops could spoil in the field because grandpa wasn't working on a Sunday. At grandma's house you could make candy on Sunday because that was play, but not a pie because that was work.
How am I different? Probably in three simple ways.
- Practice: My worship practice is more liturgical, formal, and sacramental.
- Emphasis: While I try not to ignore the "thou shalt nots," I am much more interested in following Christ's "thou shalts."
- Focus: I'm less end-times/salvation focused. I am content to be the best Christian I can be in this life and trust (hope?) if I do, it will all work out okay in the end. But, in the meantime, I am paying attention to today, not focusing on what happens after I leave this world.
That's a tough childhood in my book. Hats off to you, for surviving.For example, we were prohibited from card playing, dancing, eating in restaurants or otherwise spending money on Sunday, and cursing or its substitutes (e.g. "gosh darn").
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?