The Age of Distraction: Part I

[Justin-H.S.]

Jonathan Pageau recently brought up an important point in the world's lop-sided attempt at social justice sans worship of God. Proponents of Social Justice will take the Sermon on the Mount and run with it to the exclusion of His excoriation of Judas when he advocated for selling the expensive perfume to distribute the money to the poor. The point being: Worship of God comes first, then you can do your social justice.

I just read an article on DTTW where they say a similar thing, but this time using the example of Martha and Mary. Mary chose the better portion of Worship of God before the distraction of work that Martha chose.

If we do not think that our distractions are taking us away from God we must look to the psalms. “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not, They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusts in them. (Psalm 115: 4-8). When we take our focus away from God we make everything else into god’s.

The Age of Distraction: Part I - Death To The World

 

[Pavel Mosko]

It's interesting this stuff. In the states this sort of thing has been going a century ago with "The Social Gospel" where various Protestant churches became very very involved in social welfare, but also more and more liberal/ humanist in their doctrine.


And it should be noted that the English word, for worship comes from the root word of worth.. Which has direct bearing on the Gospel story, setting our priorities on what is most valuable.

 

[Justin-H.S.]

It's interesting this stuff. In the states this sort of thing has been going a century ago with "The Social Gospel" where various Protestant churches became very very involved in social welfare, but also more and more liberal/ humanist in their doctrine.


And it should be noted that the English word, for worship comes from the root word of worth.. Which has direct bearing on the Gospel story, setting our priorities on what is most valuable.

Question is: How do we worship God first in our everyday life even when performing the most mundane tasks like making coffee?

The monastics have it down, it seems. They're always glorifying God with prayers or just comments they make among themselves. Is that how we worship God at all times?

 

[SingularityOne]

Question is: How do we worship God first in our everyday life even when performing the most mundane tasks like making coffee?

The monastics have it down, it seems. They're always glorifying God with prayers or just comments they make among themselves. Is that how we worship God at all times?

Watchfulness, stillness, and ceaseless prayer. The Jesus Prayer.

 

[Justin-H.S.]

Watchfulness, stillness, and ceaseless prayer. The Jesus Prayer.

 

[SingularityOne]

Great video! Watched it a few weeks ago. I love that channel.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Watchfulness, stillness, and ceaseless prayer. The Jesus Prayer.

this.

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

I got this quote from Twitter :


"It is not proper for anyone to engage in any accessory work, or rather distraction, during the time of prayer. For the angel who attended Antony the Great taught him this clearly."
- St John Climacus


https://twitter.com/ChHunter66/status/1317544500642926592


.

 

[bèlla]

Social justice often justifies unloving behavior in the name of their cause. We aren't excused from loving our neighbor when championing the welfare of others.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

 

[AMM]

I got this quote from Twitter :


"It is not proper for anyone to engage in any accessory work, or rather distraction, during the time of prayer. For the angel who attended Antony the Great taught him this clearly."
- St John Climacus


https://twitter.com/ChHunter66/status/1317544500642926592


.

I heard a story once where a man asked his priest “can I smoke while I pray?” And the priest responded “absolutely not... but you should certainly pray while you smoke”

St John Climacus and St Antony didn’t say that a man should only pray and never work. Think of St Antony relaxing and talking to the hunter with his bow, or St John the Dwarf who fled (temporarily) into the desert so he could pray without having to work.

 

[AMM]

Jonathan Pageau recently brought up an important point in the world's lop-sided attempt at social justice sans worship of God. Proponents of Social Justice will take the Sermon on the Mount and run with it to the exclusion of His excoriation of Judas when he advocated for selling the expensive perfume to distribute the money to the poor. The point being: Worship of God comes first, then you can do your social justice.

I just read an article on DTTW where they say a similar thing, but this time using the example of Martha and Mary. Mary chose the better portion of Worship of God before the distraction of work that Martha chose.



The Age of Distraction: Part I - Death To The World

St John Chrysostom says that if a man comes to the Church or the priest/bishop with a sum of money and asks, “should I give this to the poor or to the Church?” Then the priest should always encourage him to give it to the poor. However, St. John continues, if the man has already given (or decided to give) the money to the Church, he has done a great and glorious thing, and no one should fault him or reproach him for giving to the Church.

 

[Justin-H.S.]

Social justice often justifies unloving behavior in the name of their cause. We aren't excused from loving our neighbor when championing the welfare of others.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

Yep, it's a real struggle to do that most times. There's a book by Rod Dreher called: Live not by Lies. I think all Christians should read it and prepare for when their unloving behavior will be aimed at us.

 

[JamesTheJust]

Thanks everyone for the informative and helpful post and replies.