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Mysticism is also the unexplained essence of God which we can't understand because the Bible doesn't explain it. ".....God's ways are not our ways......" For instance why is the Body and Blood in communion bread and wine? We don't know----we just accept. We don't try to explain God.Mysticism is a way that we try to approach God on our own through experience. We can never approach God on our own by any means and live. We can only approach God under the blood of Christ and not through any effort of our own.
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Mysticism is also the unexplained essence of God which we can't understand because the Bible doesn't explain it. ".....God's ways are not our ways......" For instance why is the Body and Blood in communion bread and wine? We don't know----we just accept. We don't try to explain God.
Mysticism is also the unexplained essence of God which we can't understand because the Bible doesn't explain it. ".....God's ways are not our ways......" For instance why is the Body and Blood in communion bread and wine? We don't know----we just accept. We don't try to explain God.
That would be mystery, not mysticism. Big difference.Mysticism is also the unexplained essence of God which we can't understand because the Bible doesn't explain it. ".....God's ways are not our ways......" For instance why is the Body and Blood in communion bread and wine? We don't know----we just accept. We don't try to explain God.
That would be mystery, not mysticism. Big difference.
There are whole religions built around mysticism. Eastern religions are very mystical. Eastern Orthodox and some aspects of Roman Catholicism are very mystical.
From mysticism - definition of mysticism by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.
(My own highlighting.)
mys·ti·cism (ms t -s z m)n.1. a. Immediate consciousness of the transcendent or ultimate reality or God.
b. The experience of such communion as described by mystics.
2. A belief in the existence of realities beyond perceptual or intellectual apprehension that are central to being and directly accessible by subjective experience.
3. Vague, groundless speculation.
mysticism [ˈmɪstɪˌsɪzəm]n1. belief in or experience of a reality surpassing normal human understanding or experience, esp a reality perceived as essential to the nature of life
2. (Christian Religious Writings / Theology) a system of contemplative prayer and spirituality aimed at achieving direct intuitive experience of the divine
3. obscure or confused belief or thought
I'm WELS too and I've never heard of this kind of service. The article explains what this type of service is, but I don't see any endorsement from WELS as a whole that this is seeing wide-spread use in our churches. The article mentions that this type of service will be used at Atonement church through 2004.
I don't see its use widespread, either. I've seen one or two services, and played in one, and two of them were at a worship conference. They are NEVER meant to replace liturgical Sunday worship and the LCMS was wrong to go down the path it did.
Most churches don't have separate services apart from their Sunday services and that's the ONLY time I've seen these used.
They are not bad, not evil, but certainly the method can be abused. I just found them to be wonderful for meditating on God's word. It reminded me of when I actually had time to sit down, turn on some classical music and just read and study the bible with no interruptions. Just me and God, I guess you could say.
And no, before anyone goes crazy, it's not a meditation service like Yoga meditation or anything like that.
I, certainly can't speak with any authority regarding what happens at one of these services, since I've never been to one and have only read one article about them. I meditate upon Scripture when I pray the rosary, minus the prayers to Mary of course.
I went to a Taize service at an LCMS church maybe 2 years ago. Wasn't a replacement for Sunday Divine service. I think it was a mid-week Lenten service or something like that.
I have to say, I don't think it was my thing. Nothing I found particularly wrong with it, but for some reason or another I couldn't concentrate to meditate. But if others can meditate in those situations, by all means go for it. As long as it isn't used as a replacement for Divine service.
Rosary? Honestly I can't say I know the Rosery prayers. Something I might try someday, as you said without the prayers to Mary.
Edit: Just looked up Rosary prayers. . . it seems like the majority of it is dedicated to Mary. . . . hmm
Yeah, not a lot of Lutherans do pray the Rosary. But I find that, I'd say with the exception of asking for Mary to pray for us at our hour of death thing, the rest is perfectly Scriptural. Martin Chemnitz, I believe had a rosary. I don't know Martin Luther's exact stance on them. To me it's an issue of Adiaphora, as long as it's used as a tool to focus your prayer life and does not become an object of worship or you believe it has supernatural powers. I have one, I bought at a Catholic bookstore that I try to use every day. It really only takes a half hour to go through the whole thing. I find it to be a wonderful devotional. I can send you some links if you're interested.
Do they have any prayers to replace the Hail Mary's in it?
Ummm... what path is this?
I don't believe that the "Pre-Trent Hail Mary" is appropriate. It is still a prayer directed at someone other than God, which is idolatry. The phrase "Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb" is based upon Scripture (Luke 1:28), it's not intended to be prayed.
I don't believe that the "Pre-Trent Hail Mary" is appropriate. It is still a prayer directed at someone other than God, which is idolatry. The phrase "Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb" is based upon Scripture (Luke 1:28), it's not intended to be prayed.
I don't believe that the "Pre-Trent Hail Mary" is appropriate. It is still a prayer directed at someone other than God, which is idolatry. The phrase "Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb" is based upon Scripture (Luke 1:28), it's not intended to be prayed.
I didn't know there were portions of God's written word that we are not to pray. Can you list some others?
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