tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28457124718974683862024-03-12T21:01:21.712-07:00Jennifer BridgeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-43483801202505818172013-12-06T12:50:00.000-08:002013-12-06T12:50:52.013-08:00Did that really happen?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've just started a new blog called "soundtrack of my youth" which I plan to be a series of short autobiographical stories of my childhood that I could share with my children. I have no family at all - no parents, siblings, aunts etc so I am the only source of historical information for my children. As I was setting up the blog I decided to close this one down. I felt my faith journey had come full circle back to agnostic/atheism. I hadn't posted for a while and feel I had nothing to say. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was writing the blog I recalled a film we had seen at school about a quadriplegic woman who had become paralysed aged 17 in a diving accident. On the one hand it was a moment from my past but on the other hand, out of all the years at school it was one of the few things I remembered. I recalled feeling cynical at the time that this was a paralysed woman who was happy. The subliminal message I was sure the nuns were giving us was that only our brains would bring us happiness, not the pursuit of carnal pleasures. </span></div>
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Well, in sharing this blog, my friend Jane remembered her name, it was Joni. A quick google search and I had not only found the woman but the video too. And then I felt the pangs of guilt for closing this page down. I feel embarrassed and awkward about my "faith" journey. All my "clever" friends bar 3 are atheists (& one of them in my vicar & the other his his wife LOL).</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I've put this blog back up, knowing that some who read it will sneer at me and think less of me. Anyway, to get to the point - here is the story of<a href="http://www.joniearecksontadastory.com/" target="_blank"> Jony Earikson Tada</a> who it turns out is an evangelical Christian. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-78150719057591601732013-05-25T08:58:00.001-07:002013-06-27T23:33:15.870-07:00<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I haven't posted for a while as I've been having a bit of a crisis of faith. In fact it's been so long I couldn't remember where my blog was so I googled myself to find it and whilst I was looking, this picture popped up.....make of it what you will. My Christian friends will say "Ah, a God-incidence". My other friends will say "Coincidence".</span><br />
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-21588266341191991672013-03-23T05:14:00.002-07:002013-03-23T05:23:35.334-07:00Jesus-lite is not for me<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reverend Giles Fraser has written a brilliant piece in the Guardian today that encapsulates in a few words, thoughts that I, in two years of writing a blog have consistently failed to express. Whatever your persuasion, it's well worth a read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://gu.com/p/3ejgk" target="_blank">"I bang my head against the wall when evangelicals turn Jesus into Cheesus"</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One paragraph really spoke to me -</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"And when such people speak of Cheesus they have to wear that sickly smile too. It's that I-know-something-you-don't smile. Patronising, superior and faux caring all at the same time. And if you disagree with them they will pray for you. It makes you want to bang your head against a brick wall."</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That was definitely how I felt when I first starting going to an evangelical church. BUT, and that is a big BUT, I came to understand that my reaction told me more about myself than those being kind to me. I felt they were "patronising, superior and faux" but I was wrong. They were the genuine article (in their own minds). If there was one place where I would find authenticity, it was with these people. They really believed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even though I have never made it over to their side, I've always felt welcomed and cared for, though, in the spirit of authenticity I have to repeat that I'm an atheist with Christian lapses.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Atheist friends, who are in the vast majority in my life, ask me, "Why do you go to church?". I can't answer with any intellectual rigour except to say that I feel life is generally better when we as a family go.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the moment, we are living far away from "our church" but to whom have I turned when in need? My vicar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't really believe there is life after death, but I do hope I'm wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I feel that the belief system that I have tried to adopt helps me to be a better person. I know atheists who live more moral and ethical lives than me, so perhaps that just makes me feeble-minded....easier to take a fully constructed mode de vie off the shelf than think one up for myself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think this is something that Alain de Botton in his book "Religion for Atheists" recognises. He has come to understand that there are aspects of the community and ritual found in church that are absent from, but would be beneficial in atheist life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818;"><i>“Differ though we might with Christianity's view of what precisely our souls need, it is hard to discredit the provocative underlying thesis, which seems no less relevant in the secular realm than in the religious one--that we have within us a precious, childlike, vulnerable core which we should nourish and nurture on its turbulent journey through life.” </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I do feel nurtured when I go to church and more importantly am reminded about being aware of others, thinking of others and what I can do for others. This is a fundamental difference with all the "New Age" philosophies that abound. They are, in the most part, about "me"...what can I do for "me" to make me "better". They are, in my view, about going into the self and are self-absorbing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Returning to Rev. Fraser, he says in his final paragraph, "It can easily transform Jesus into Cheesus, which is a form of Jesus-lite, a romantic infatuation, a Mills and Boon theology that makes you feel all warm inside."</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"The disciples run away, unable to cope with the impossible demands placed upon them. The hero they gave up everything to follow is exposed to public ridicule and handed over to Roman execution. And the broken man on the cross begins to fear that God is no longer present"</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like, Rev. Fraser, I feel this is glossed over in many re-tellings of the Easter story. The Evangelical focus on the resurrection fails, in my view, to address the reality of the existential crisis that occurred in the days before the crucifixion. I believe that, it is this existential crisis that speaks more powerfully to all humanity and relates to our daily lives. The fact that this was then followed by the crucifixion and resurrection (if it it is true)....is the real Easter miracle.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-82276248459507852932013-02-24T03:46:00.001-08:002013-02-24T03:53:46.493-08:00Temptation<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the Bible, Jesus' temptation for 40 days outside the city walls is described in Matthew 4:1-11. I've put the relevant section at the bottom of this blog.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">This speaks, very strongly to me today. I have again given up alcohol and unhealthy food for lent. I think I'm on day 11 at the moment but have lost count. It does clear my mind but also allows other thoughts to bubble up. </span></span><br />
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I feel that I am "in the desert". Other translations describe Jesus as being outside the city walls rather than the desert. I am physically out of the "city walls" of home and in a different land.</div>
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I have been tempted.</div>
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Whether it is tempted by the hot buttered toast I made for my son for breakfast or other temptations.</div>
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I know that many of my friends are atheists and I describe myself as an atheist who has Christian lapses and I am by nature atheist but hoping that I am wrong.</div>
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Alain de Botton has written a fascinating book, where he explores what atheists could learn from religion.</div>
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Whilst I have turned to the bible for inspiration I know that many people of other faiths or non-faith do a similar thing - it might be called "detox" or "retreat".</div>
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I'm also reminded of a lovely part of the film "Evan Almighty" where the "God" character Morgan Freeman explains how we can learn lessons from life. You can watch it here - </div>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/r4EF2n7vJdM">Evan Almighty</a></div>
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He says "If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience, or does he give them the opportunity to be patient?"</div>
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I'm fascinated by this thought process. Have I asked for something subconsciously or otherwise? Recent experiences have forced me to articulate what I do and don't want from life. If hadn't had those experiences I would not be so clear in my thinking.</div>
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This quote from Proverbs 26:24 (NIV translation) came to me today as well - </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">"Enemies disguise themselves with their lips </span><span style="background-color: white;">but in their hearts they harbor deceit".</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The Message translation puts it even more strongly - </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Your enemy shakes hands and greets you like an old friend,</span></div>
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<span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Prov-26-24-Prov-26-26" style="position: relative;">all the while conniving against you.</span></div>
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When he speaks warmly to you, don’t believe him for a minute;</div>
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<span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Prov-26-24-Prov-26-26" style="position: relative;">he’s just waiting for the chance to rip you off.</span></div>
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No matter how cunningly he conceals his malice,</div>
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<span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Prov-26-24-Prov-26-26" style="position: relative;">eventually his evil will be exposed in public.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I'm in a country where I'm trying to communicate in another language so there's always the strong possibility of misunderstanding and mistranslation to add to the confusion but that doesn't mean that deception doesn't exist.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">As usual, I am left with more questions than answers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="text Matt-4-1"><span class="chapternum" style="bottom: -0.1em; left: 0px; line-height: 0.8em; position: relative;">4 </span>Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted<sup class="footnote" style="vertical-align: top;" value="[<a href="#fen-NIV-23211a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4%3A1-11&version=NIV#fen-NIV-23211a" style="color: #b37162; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top;" title="See footnote a">a</a>]</sup><sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23211B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup> by the devil.<sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23211C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup></span> <span class="text Matt-4-2" id="en-NIV-23212"><sup class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">2 </sup>After fasting forty days and forty nights,<sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23212D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></sup> he was hungry.</span> <span class="text Matt-4-3" id="en-NIV-23213"><sup class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">3 </sup>The tempter<sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23213E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup> came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God,<sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23213F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></sup> tell these stones to become bread.”</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Matt-4-4" id="en-NIV-23214"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><sup class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">4 </sup>Jesus answered, <span class="woj">“It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’<sup class="footnote" style="vertical-align: top;" value="[<a href="#fen-NIV-23214b" title="See footnote b">b</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4%3A1-11&version=NIV#fen-NIV-23214b" style="color: #b37162; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top;" title="See footnote b">b</a>]</sup>”<sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23214G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></sup></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="text Matt-4-5" id="en-NIV-23215"><sup class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">5 </sup>Then the devil took him to the holy city<sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23215H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)"></sup> and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.</span> <span class="text Matt-4-6" id="en-NIV-23216"><sup class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">6 </sup>“If you are the Son of God,”<sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23216I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></sup> he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Matt-4-7" id="en-NIV-23217"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><sup class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">7 </sup>Jesus answered him, <span class="woj">“It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’<sup class="footnote" style="vertical-align: top;" value="[<a href="#fen-NIV-23217d" title="See footnote d">d</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4%3A1-11&version=NIV#fen-NIV-23217d" style="color: #b37162; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top;" title="See footnote d">d</a>]</sup>”<sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23217K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)"></sup></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="text Matt-4-8" id="en-NIV-23218"><sup class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">8 </sup>Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.</span> <span class="text Matt-4-9" id="en-NIV-23219"><sup class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">9 </sup>“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span class="text Matt-4-10" id="en-NIV-23220"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><sup class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">10 </sup>Jesus said to him, <span class="woj">“Away from me, Satan!<sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23220L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)"></sup> For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’<sup class="footnote" style="vertical-align: top;" value="[<a href="#fen-NIV-23220e" title="See footnote e">e</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4%3A1-11&version=NIV#fen-NIV-23220e" style="color: #b37162; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top;" title="See footnote e">e</a>]</sup>”<sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23220M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)"></sup></span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span class="text Matt-4-11" id="en-NIV-23221"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><sup class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">11 </sup>Then the devil left him,<sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23221N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)"></sup> and angels came and attended him.<sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23221O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)"></sup></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span class="text Matt-4-11"><br /></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-83864072335242644722013-02-16T23:30:00.000-08:002013-02-16T23:30:18.101-08:00Disconnect<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am feeling a very strong disconnect between the words of Jesus and the whole structure of the church (Catholic / Anglican etc). I cannot see the justification for the amount of money the church hordes. How much good could be done with that money? The church hordes money, and has incredible wealth in buildings etc and yet takes more from the people. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can see no link between the man that was Jesus and the robes that Priests and Vicars wear. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my mind it's becoming more than a disconnect, it's becoming a chasm. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I think of Jesus, he was a man who had no possessions, no ego, what he had he gave away, he did not wear special clothes. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then I think of the gargantuan structure of the church and I cannot see a link.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just imagine if the next Pope did a Bill Gates and gave away 90% of the wealth of the church. How much good would that do? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-67977881112643869792013-01-04T12:29:00.000-08:002013-01-04T12:30:25.420-08:00Bear Grylls and Christianity<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">Over the Christmas break I spent an enjoyable few evenings with my two children listening to the audiobook of Bear Grylls' autobiography. Something he said in chapter 25 has stuck with me. How often have I over analysed, over complicated faith? How often have I tied myself in theological knots, ending back at the point of atheism? When he was 16 he had a low point with the death of someone close to him. He said this;</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 0.6em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I remember sitting up a tree one night at school on my own, and praying the simplest, most heartfelt prayer of my life.</span></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 0.6em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">‘</em>Please, God, comfort <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">me.’</em></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.6em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">Blow me down … He did."</span></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.6em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.6em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">This experience sounds very much like that of a friend of mine who as a teenager was suffering some anxiety and worry about something. She asked God to comfort her and instantly she felt a protective cocoon of warmth and love.</span></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.6em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.6em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Neither of these were Damascene moments but rather a gentle warm glow of a hidden ember than causes a log to gradually catch fire, slowly emanating warmth. </span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-73534805688575253652012-11-27T00:43:00.000-08:002012-11-27T14:18:42.533-08:00Women Bishops<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
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</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">Initially I was surprised to see that I had neglected this blog for so many
months but this lack of posts is symbolic of my lack of progress on the
"faith situation". I've been in a bit of limbo and slipped back into
atheism. I have started to feel inauthentic and stopped describing myself as a
"Christian".</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;">I've been trying to make sense of the "Women Bishops" vote. If
God exists and he has a plan then what was the purpose behind what
happened?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;">It's trying to find answers to questions such as this which leads me to love unintended consequences. If you want to read more about that then try <a href="http://www.freakanomics.com/"><span style="color: #0000f6;">www.freakanomics.com</span></a>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">It occurs to me that one unintended consequence of the failed vote is that everyone is talking
about the Anglican Church and getting really passionately vocal (for and against), including me. My outrage at the vote has, curiously, drawn me back towards faith.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">Last week my friend said "It makes me SO angry that I want to become a
woman bishop, and I'm an atheist".</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">I replied that when looking at the New Testament, Jesus was very much ahead
of his time in how he treated women and put women to the fore. I spoke about
the story of Mary and Martha. My friend stopped me and said "You
talk about Jesus like he was a real person". I said "He was!".
My certainty surprised me. Those words have stayed with me for a week now, like
a coat I can't, or don't want to take off. I am now struggling to understand
what it is that I <i>don't </i>believe in. I believe that Jesus was a real person who
did what he said he did. Surely that counts as a mustard seed of faith?</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">It has been so exciting to see my twitter timeline awash with tweets
examining the meaning of the bible. Quite often I am reading some amazingly
insightful comments from non-Christians. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">I've copied below a few tweets that struck a chord
with me. Caitlin Moran, writing in The Times, summed it up nicely saying that
it's like being able to be an MP but not the PM or work for NASA but not go
into space.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/mikepilav"><b><span style="color: #262626; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Mike Pilavachi</span></b><span style="color: #878787; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span><span style="color: #878787; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"></span><span style="color: #adadad; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"></span><span style="color: #adadad; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">@</span><span style="color: #878787; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">mikepilav</span></a>
</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">So so sad. Just voted for another 8 years of arguing
with each other while the world watches with incomprehension. Don't give up on
Church.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;"><a href="https://twitter.com/rickygervais"><b><span style="color: #262626; text-decoration: none;">Ricky Gervais</span></b><span style="color: #878787; text-decoration: none;"> </span><span style="color: #878787; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none;"></span><span style="color: #adadad; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none;"></span><span style="color: #adadad; text-decoration: none;">@</span><span style="color: #878787; text-decoration: none;">rickygervais</span></a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">The Queen should do an episode of undercover boss
where she tries to get a job as a Bishop in that Church Of England she's in
charge of.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana;"><a href="https://twitter.com/Crispian_Jago"><b><span style="color: #262626; text-decoration: none;">Crispian Jago</span></b><span style="color: #878787; text-decoration: none;"> </span><span style="color: #878787; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none;"></span><span style="color: #adadad; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none;"></span><span style="color: #adadad; text-decoration: none;">@</span><span style="color: #878787; text-decoration: none;">Crispian_Jago</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">It was once rumoured that from the top of Canterbury
Cathedral, on a clear day, it was almost possible to see the 21st Century.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">As it is, many people, atheist or not, have gained an understanding of the
workings of the church. I had never heard of the "House of Leity".
People have had access to scripture and discussed scripture. How extraordinary
that the meaning of 1 Corinthians 11:13 is being discussed on twitter.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">I'm using the English Standard Version below but it is worth checking out
other translations.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">"But I want you to understand that the head of every man in Christ,
the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God".</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 16pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">I have to say that I'm with the Bishop of Liverpool,
who in his speech in favour of Women Bishops explained that Christ is not less
than God and therefore a woman is not less than a man. So the meaning of this
paragraph seems to hinge on the meaning of "headship". </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 16pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">Those against women bishops just lift out the middle
bit "the head of a wife is her husband".</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 16pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">Whereas the Bishop of Liverpool says "God
is the head of Christ” can't mean Christ is subordinate to God or a less
authority than God because that would be denying the full divinity of Jesus.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 16pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams
sums up how many people (not just clergy) are feeling "There will be
people feeling profoundly vulnerable, unwanted and unsure".</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 16pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">I cannot understand the line of thought of our
Dean, in saying that he voted against to prevent a schism in the church.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 16pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">Surely both positions cannot be correct. One
group is right in the eyes of God and one group is wrong. Those who have, I
imagine, studied scripture most closely must be the Bishops so I would take
their lead.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 16pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">I cannot think of a worse position than being a
Woman Bishop, who is told by a church "You are not wanted. We want a
man". I cannot imagine how awful that would feel. It would seem to me
that, the very fact that a church wants a man, is the very reason they should have to have a woman, because whilst I can understand that some people may genuinely feel it
is a faith based issue, my gut feeling is that there is a larger group who
unthinkingly wish things to remain as they have always been. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 16pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">Wouldn't "stand-in" Bishops be
colluding with those who are against?</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 16pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">Just imagine that this wasn't about
"women" but about colour. The words could not even be thought or
written down as it would be met with utter outrage but is it really any
different?</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 16pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;">I believe the church should make a decision one
way or another and some will stay and some will leave. Both positions cannot be
right.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="context">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><a class="details with-icn js-details" href="https://twitter.com/JennBridge/status/271535614510383105" style="color: #999999; display: inline-block; margin-right: 2px; text-decoration: none;"></a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-91855837732423129342012-02-25T03:50:00.001-08:002012-11-27T00:52:52.580-08:00Gay Marriage<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't know why it's called "gay marriage". Why don't people just call it "marriage" because that's what it is.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Our strong advice to anyone who disagrees with same-sex marriage is not to get married to someone of the same sex" says Ben Summerskill of Stonewall.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God gave us free-will so why is the church trying to curtail people's free will to marry as they wish?</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What happened to live and let live? </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-60613783626726953552012-02-22T13:18:00.000-08:002012-11-27T00:53:35.749-08:00Passionate about debt relief<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm making a small departure from my usual format because I want to share an amazing organisation that I have had the honour of becoming involved with. <a href="http://www.capmoney.org/">CAP Money</a> provides amazing resources that helps people sort out their finances.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since watching a video and hearing a speaker at church a couple of years ago I became motivated to train to be a CAP Money Coach and now run courses in Jersey with two colleagues (one of whom is my inspirational vicar Rev. Martyn Shea).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whatever your situation, whether you just want to do a financial health-check, or a financial spring-clean or perhaps you are ready to face up to the financial challenge of debt - then CAP is there to help. The beauty of this is that no one need to know or can guess why anyone else is on the course - confidentiality is guaranteed.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The course has three one-hour sessions which we run at times to suit people's needs. The first course we ran was in the early evening. The most recent one started at 12noon and we offered lunch, enabling workers to come during their lunch breaks. The format is simple - there's a short introduction, a stimulating video and then a workbook.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">CAP operates a really simple cash based system using three bank accounts - regular payments, savings and cash. Even if those in debt we still encourage a small amount of saving.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the UK there is CAP Money plus which is staffed by people highly experienced in dealing with the most serious end of debt e.g repossessions, mortgages, bank loans and worse. Any lawyers reading this, please can I encourage you to send clients with financial problems in the direction of your local CAP Money Centre.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One person who recently completed the course said that he had received help elsewhere but doing CAP was the first time that he felt hope.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another person who has completed the course has been so emboldened by their success at organising their finances that they are now feeling confident enough to tackle other challenges in their life. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope you will find time to click on the link above and watch some of the video clips. CAP is a most extraordinary organisation providing practical help to people in need.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Perhaps you will be inspired to do the course or train as a CAP Money Coach.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As an aside - </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have spoken about God-Incidences in the past. One of the motivating factors in doing the training was a desire to do something practical in honour of my dear friend who committed suicide two years ago and died on 23rd February. The God-Incidence - when I signed up for the training it was on my friend's birthday. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-81019141402037810662012-02-21T04:00:00.000-08:002012-11-27T00:54:57.390-08:00More God-incidences<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A twitter friend has sent me some bible verses. They feel like the most awesome gift. A gift from God? There's a recurring theme of God-incidences here. The timing is, as often, impeccable. At the precise moment last night that I was feeling really low - a combination of factors including a sick child throwing up all night and then a gift of bible verse. This, I imagine, is how the lady felt when the Milk Tray man delivered the chocolates. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Deuteronomy 1:29-33</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New International Version (NIV)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">29 Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. 30 The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the wilderness. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">32 In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God, 33 who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Revelation 3:20</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New International Version (NIV)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Luke 11:9-10</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New International Version (NIV)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Matthew 14:22-33</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New International Version (NIV)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jesus Walks on the Water</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">29 “Come,” he said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-30140490636878192782011-11-14T06:34:00.001-08:002012-11-27T00:55:26.412-08:00Coincidence or God-incidence<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have always been in awe of my friend Janet's absolute faith in God. She puts all her trust in him. When she went off to be a missionary in the Congo she gave away her car. She had absolute faith that if she needed a car in the future God would provide. When she returned from Congo she found she did need a car. What she did not know was that a friend of hers was thinking of selling his car on Jersey Insight but when he slept on it, he woke feeling a strong urge that he must give his car away so he phoned Janet and gave her his car. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was telling my two children this story yesterday as we were walking back from the COOP. We have a Christmas Fayre at church on December 3rd 2011 and I was explaining how important it is not to cling on to possessions and give them more worth than they deserve. I then told them Janet's story. Just as I finished Maia said "Look Mum, a pound note". She immediately said her brother could have half (so she gave freely). A few steps later Max said "Another one!".
I think they really believed those notes had come from God. When we got home, Maia packed up boxes of toys for the Christmas Fayre!
Christian friends call this a "God-incidence". I find the word clunky and contrived. I know what they are saying. I've written a previous post on this sometime ago.
Jung calls it "acausal synchronicity".
Whatever it is labelled, it was a special moment.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-47603070431331844072011-11-02T14:53:00.000-07:002012-11-27T00:58:17.686-08:00My feeble faith<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I haven't posted for a while. I've stagnated for the past few months and I've had nothing to say. I still attend St. Mark's and love it. It is like a family...and all that a family entails. Perhaps I was becoming complacent in where I was at. I had a useful nudge a couple of weeks ago. I was asked if I would consider helping with the Sunday School. My initial reaction shocked me. The instant thought that formed in my mind was "I'm not prepared to indoctrinate children". Suddenly I realise that my faith, not even the size of a mustard seed was more feeble than I knew.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm prepared for others to indoctrinate my children in Sunday School? But I'm not prepared to take the responsibility myself - hmmm - well that tell you more than I really want you to know about me but in the spirit of openness on this faith journey I feel compelled to share.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Early on at St. Mark's I was collared by a faithful Christian. She said in an aggressive tone "Why do you bother bring your children to church if you don't believe?" The answer is simple. I am confused and I don't know. I feel I must give them the opportunity to make their own mind up about it all. Whether that will work in practice, I don't know.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My daughter seems to share my ambiguity but is currently probably more "faithful" than me in that she willingly identifies herself as a Christian. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My son seems to share his father's firm atheist beliefs and just says "I hate church".</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can only respond on a non-intellectual level. Whether the specifics in the bible are true or not, metaphorical or literal - I KNOW that our life as a family is significantly improved, since going to St. Mark's. I feel enriched and nourished by the friendship, the community and most importantly that thing I struggle to understand or define....the holy spirit.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So far, the atheist world has yet to provide anything that comes close to the church in what it offers. Somehow a bacon roll & the Sunday papers, whilst having a certain instant gratification pleasingness about them, don't really cut it when compared to the fullness and what is on offer at church.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-69679640096553819032011-06-12T23:53:00.000-07:002012-02-21T04:03:10.194-08:00Calling on God's help<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It takes a really strong atheist not to call out to God in their moment of need. A number of people have told me how when they/their children were ill they have called out to God "If you're real, if you are there, please help me?" but then once things are fine we can forget to say thank you and keep saying thank you. There is a lovely part of the service at our church - where it says "Say thank you to God" and it's a good reminder to do that each week.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today I said that prayer "God, please help" and thought how often have I sinned (my arrow has fallen short or I have strayed from the path - to give an accurate definition of sin) and not said "sorry" to God. We so often want his help on our terms and then slip back into our secular world.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-85354751075687509072011-05-20T02:11:00.000-07:002012-02-21T04:04:06.284-08:00Breath = Spirit...more God-incidences<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can't help but observe that whenever I am feeling far away from God and in my non-theist mood that I am brought back by circumstance. Atheists would say "coincidence", Christians clumsily say "God-incidence". My intellect is stunned into silence by the beauty of the sea as I walk M&M to the bus stop in the morning and my spirit bursts forth with abundant joy.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last Sunday I wasn't going to go to church but the previous Thursday we had a worship group rehearsal for a service on Friday and we also practiced Sunday's music - so I was committed. Was it a "coincidence" that the vicar spoke of guilt and suicide in his sermon on the birthday of my dear friend who committed suicide? Was it a "coincidence" that his mother (a staunch Roman Catholic) was there in an Anglican church as a carer for a young man who attends our church and thus heard the sermon? Was it a "coincidence" that we had the opportunity to sit down for a cup of tea on his birthday?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Hebrew word for breath and spirit is the same. Is it a "coincidence" that as I felt my spirit crushed I gained asthma at the age of 32?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is it a "coincidence" that as my spirit was re-awakened I suddenly had no need of the crutch of cigarettes as I no longer wanted to self-sabotage and was ready to let the breath / spirit in?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No answers I'm afraid - just more questions.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-87757961220643694872011-05-19T14:29:00.000-07:002012-02-21T04:04:36.993-08:00The Devil himself<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When asked, on his death-bed, whether he renounced the Devil, Voltaire is reputed to have said - "Now is not the time to be making enemies".</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I found the above joke on someone's facebook page. It made me chuckle. It's one of those clever throw away lines not to be given too much thought to isn't it? or is it?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I laughed. I re-posted it and then I thought "Hang on a minute". So Voltaire is on his death-bed and he is hedging his bets? He must believe there is something or someone out there or he might say "Matters not as there is no heaven and hell".</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yet he did not do what God asks us to do (according to the Bible) which is to "put our trust in Him". Here are some quotes from the Bible asking us to do just that "put our trust in Him?”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What he does is hedge and I think that is borne out of a mistaken belief of what hell is like. I have heard people talking of "having a party in hell" as "all my friends will be there any way".</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If there is a hell, and I understand it to be simply, without God for eternity - then that doesn't sound much like party</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 Samuel 27:12</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And Achish trusted David, thinking, "He has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 Samuel 27:11-12 (in Context) 1 Samuel 27 (Whole Chapter)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 Kings 18:5</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 Kings 18:4-6 (in Context) 2 Kings 18 (Whole Chapter)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 Kings 18:21</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 Kings 18:20-22 (in Context) 2 Kings 18 (Whole Chapter)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 Chronicles 5:20</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And when they prevailed over them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried out to God in the battle, and he granted their urgent plea because they trusted in him.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 Chronicles 5:19-21 (in Context) 1 Chronicles 5 (Whole Chapter)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Job 15:31</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself,for emptiness will be his payment.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Job 15:30-32 (in Context) Job 15 (Whole Chapter)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him;let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Psalm 22:7-9 (in Context) Psalm 22 (Whole Chapter)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The LORD is my strength and my shield;in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;my heart exults,and with my song I give thanks to him.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Psalm 28:6-8 (in Context) Psalm 28 (Whole Chapter)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For our heart is glad in him,because we trust in his holy name.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Psalm 33:20-22 (in Context) Psalm 33 (Whole Chapter)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Psalm 37:4-6 (in Context) Psalm 37 (Whole Chapter)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">[ In God I Trust ] To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;all day long an attacker oppresses me;</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Psalm 56:1-3 (in Context) Psalm 56 (Whole Chapter)</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-87909186418793019132011-05-06T13:18:00.000-07:002012-02-21T04:05:33.418-08:00http://lostintheheartofsomewhere.blogspot.com/<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm copying this wholesale from the blog in the title. My lodger did not like having anything to do with Harry Potter in the house and she would say "Which part of 'have NOTHING to do with the occult' do you not understand?" I couldn't answer. However, I've just been sent this and it articulates much of what I have thought about Harry. I just dismissed my thoughts as being ill-informed but maybe JK Rowling is having the last laugh.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tuesday, December 07, 2010</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Harry Potter and the Fire Breathing Fundamentalists</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jerry Bowyer. This article was first published a few years ago upon publication of the final instalment of Harry Potter. With the release of the first part of the final movie, it seemed the right the time to give it a fresh airing ...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">KKLA is the largest Christian talk radio station in America. I hold a dubious record there – I am responsible for causing the largest number of complaint calls the station had ever gotten in a single day. The topic? Harry Potter.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Bowyers love Harry Potter: the novels, the movies, the video games, the midnight bookseller parties, we’re game for any of it. It didn’t start that way; ten years ago my mother wanted to give Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to one of my girls as a Christmas gift. “No way,” I said. “We don’t do witches and wizards here.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A couple of years later my mother-in-law asked the same question. By then I’d become a little less rock-ribbed and quite a bit more disillusioned with the religious right wing of the conservative movement. Gracie loved the books and started sharing the story with me. As I noticed more and more references to classical and medieval literature my guard started to fall.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eventually I went to see the movie version with my whole family. When I left the theatre, I knew two things: first, that I had been an ignorant blow-hard. This wasn’t Wiccan propaganda: it was standard-issue fairy tale magic like Cinderella and The Wizard of Oz. Second, that Joanne Rowling had spent a great deal of time immersed in The Greats – the long line of literary masterpieces that range from The Lord of the Rings and Narnia back through Dickens, Austen, Shakespeare, the Arthurian Legends, the Church Fathers, the Scriptures themselves, and into the best of the pre-Christian Greek classics. In other words, Rowling was one of us.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not long after that, I got to know John Granger and his book, The Key to Harry Potter, and I knew that I was not alone.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I shared what I had learned with the radio audience. Harry is a lot of things. He’s a little bit Prince Harry forced to grow into the great warrior Henry V. He’s a lot more of the young Arthur, taken from his family at a young age, forced to live under the neglectful care of an inferior family, kept in the shadows of a bullying older adopted brother and unaware of his great origins. Eventually he is mentored by a great wizard (for young Wart, that’s Merlin; for Harry, it’s Dumbledore – a member of the Order of Merlin). Both lead quests to find a cup. Both (spoiler alert here- and from now on) end up procuring a great sword out of a lake in order to proceed with the quest.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m afraid the Arthur stuff doesn’t do much for many American evangelicals, though. It’s a little too British for Americans, plus it smells suspiciously Roman Catholic to a lot of Evangelicals. While I got lots of appreciative remarks, I didn’t make much headway with the fire breathers.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next I tried the more recognizable Christian material. In Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, Harry confronts Voldemort (whose name means “will to death”) by traveling down into a great cavern where he slays a serpent to win an (eventual) bride. He fatally wounds the serpent in the head. He’s rescued by a bird who descends upon him and the bride, a kind of bird whose “tears have healing powers, and who are able to bear immense loads.” The bird bears them up out of the cavern. “There, how’s that?” I thought. The problem is that very few Christians seem to be aware of descendit ad infernum, the descent into hell. Don’t the schools teach Dante? Don’t the Churches teach the Apostle’s Creed? Well, as a matter of fact, no, they generally do not. The Proto Evangelium, the first gospel in which God told Adam and Eve that He would send Someone who would rescue their descendents by crushing the head of the serpent doesn’t seem to get a lot of play either.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I could go on for page after page: snippets from ancient hymns and creeds for instance. The most powerful spell in Harry’s world is the Patronus, in which the wizard forcefully says “Expecto Patronum”. That’s Christian Latin for “I look for the Savior”. Expecto is used in the Nicene Creed, and Patronum is used in the medieval Dies Irae as the Savior that we look for in the day of judgment. Harry uses the spell when ghastly evil spiritual beings called DEMENtors (caps mine) attack him and another innocent man near a lake. A stag (which just happens to function as a common Christ figure in medieval art) walks across the water dispelling the vile soul-destroying creatures. What’s it take, a 2 by 4 across the forehead? This is Christian stuff!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, the 2 by 4 has arrived and it’s called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In it, Harry learns that the evil Voldemort has broken his soul into shards and used those shards to possess certain objects. These are called Horcruxes. One of them is a ring (Lord of the Rings fans should find this a little familiar) and as long as the object is not destroyed the ‘Dark Lord’ cannot be destroyed either. Well it turns out that one of those soul shards in imbedded in a scar in Harry’s forehead and Harry comes to understand that the only way the evil can be destroyed is for Harry to willingly give up his life. In order to save his friends at Hogwarts School (which we learn in book 7 reminds Harry of a church) and particularly his friend Hagrid (whose name is suspiciously similar to Hagioi, which is Greek for Saints) he must allow himself to be killed by the dark lord. He makes a long walk through a wood in which he stumbles (Via Dolorosa, anyone?) all the while being encouraged by a vision of his deceased mother Lily.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This might be a good time to tell you that the Lily is often used as a symbol for Mary, the mother of Jesus, in medieval literature. I have an album in my musical collection of exceptionally beautiful hymns about Jesus and Mary, called The Lily and the Lamb. Harry goes ‘as a sheep to the shearer’ to Voldemort, where he is killed. There he meets his old mentor Dumbledore (old English for bumblebee, a medieval symbol for wisdom based on Psalm 119). While Dumbledore explains it all, the great white cloud in which Harry finds himself begins to take the shape of a familiar train station. The station’s name is King’s Cross, which is also the title of that particular chapter of the book. Harry is given the choice of going ‘on’ or going back to save his people. Harry goes back and finds that since he willingly gave his life for the people of Hogwarts, Voldemort’s curses no longer bind them. Voldemort, then, is destroyed (by his own hand in an attempt to kill Harry again) and the various races and houses of Hogwarts celebrate in a great feast, in which they ignore the walls and divisions which had theretofore separated them.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since this book has been published I have not seen a single apology to JK Rowling from any of the various fundamentalist bashers. She’d been accused of atheism (she’s an Anglican) and of being a witch (she knows nothing at all about the occult or Wicca).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why no apologies to the lady? First, it’s always tough to say you’re sorry. But deeper than that, I think the problem is that so much of the religious right failed to see the Christianity in the Potter novels because it knows so little Christianity itself. Yes, there are a few ‘memory verses’ from Saint Paul, and various evangelical habits like the ‘sinner’s prayer’ and the alter call. However the gospel stories themselves, the various metaphors and figures of the Law and the Prophets, and their echoes down through the past two millennia of Christian literature and art are largely unknown to vast swaths of American Christendom, including its leaders.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Seven years ago, Joanne Rowling was asked whether she is a Christian. Her answer:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Yes I am. Which seems to offend the religious right far worse than if I said I thought there was no God. Every time I’ve been asked if I believe in God, I’ve said yes, because I do, but no one ever really has gone any more deeply into it than that, and I have to say that does suit me, because if I talk too freely about that I think the intelligent reader, whether 10 or 60, will be able to guess what’s coming in the books.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For once, I disagree with her: I don’t think they would have guessed the ending. Most of them can’t recognize the ending of the story even after it’s been told.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh, I almost forgot the radio station. Terry Fahy, the General Manager of KKLA, told me that he’d like to have me on the station again. So, you see, there are signs of hope after all.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Labels: Arthurian, Christianity, Classics, Culture, Film, Greek, Harry Potter, Latin</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-24591884039095895292011-05-04T06:44:00.000-07:002011-05-04T06:44:48.898-07:00Getting further away<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is just a quick post. A practising Christian friend shared the other day that during open heart surgery his heart was stopped whilst he was awake and he watched his own heart flat-line and the world went mottled grey and then nothing....so no bright lights and out of body experiences. I'm hoping that someone reading this is going to give me some perspective on what happened. My first reaction was to think "Oh...so there's nothing after death after all". I shared the tale with a couple of Christian friends. One said "He hasn't given his life to the Lord. He has had a glimpse of hell - the nothing-ness of not being with God". Another friend said "Oh I wouldn't pay too much attention to that. It was during an operation". He was technically dead for a couple of minutes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the other hand, I have an atheist friend who reports an "out of body experience" - looking down at his own body and forcibly making the decision to go back.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Confused.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-69230505276226520242011-03-16T03:12:00.000-07:002012-02-21T04:05:56.824-08:00Eat Pray Love<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I read recently that Julia Roberts decided to convert to Hinduism after playing the lead in the film "Eat Pray Love". The viewing public had lapped up this film and females friends had fallen over each other to praise it saying, "You've got to see it" and not one (that I was aware of) made any comment about the "faith" portrayed in the film.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It occurred to me - would this film have been so successful if the "pray" part of the film had not been Hinduism but had been Christianity? Somehow, I suspect not...but why? This is my gut reaction - it's not based on any sound research.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've googled "Christianity Eat Pray Love" and read some fascinating reviews - showing the whole range of views but the Bible says;</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So it seems fairly straightforward, if this is to be believed then Elizabeth Gilbert has been barking up the wrong tree.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-64749108870482453432011-01-23T08:48:00.000-08:002012-02-21T04:06:18.383-08:00Falling in love again and again<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christian friends would often talk about getting to know Jesus and I would really wonder what they meant. The more I try to understand faith, the more I realise it is much less about the intellect / the academic and much more about an intensely personal relationship with Jesus.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If one views getting to know Jesus as a personal and living relationship then so much seems to fall into place. I hope I'm not stretching the analogy too far when I compare knowing Jesus to a love relationship on earth. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You could go on-line and look someone up, you could read their biography (if they have one), you could google them, you could talk to their friends, you could perhaps even email or text them. But if you want the relationship to grow deeper then there comes a point when you just have to say Hi to Jesus. And of course, if you say Hi to someone you would expect an answer. The key then is to be ready to listen out for the answer.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have felt far away from God the past few weeks but I haven't panicked about it as I recall a friend describing her marriage - sometimes there is the mundane, humdrum but then sometimes she looks at him and love outpours. They have a Christian marriage so the commitment they made on marriage is a commitment to the commitment i.e they have committed to something much bigger than two people.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think that a relationship with Jesus is like a Christian marriage whereby a commitment is made to something bigger and that it can't always be like the first flush of romance.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As this blog develops I have noticed that there has been a gradual shift from the observed to the personal. In the older posts I shared other people's thoughts and opinions whereas now it's getting personal and that makes it harder for me to put pen to paper or finger to keyboard.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;">"He put on righteousness as a breastplate,</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's a quote from Isaiah chapter 59 verse 17. Interestingly he describes the armour of a Roman soldier hundreds of years before the Roman republic and its famous army.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The reason I mention this is that I want to discuss spiritual warfare. This is where it all gets a bit weird. I invited some friends to the Gospel Choir Concert last night and they came! This in itself may not sound particularly surprising to you but during the concert I felt a headache clamp down on the left side of my head. I am not a headache type person so it was a mystery. I took two strong pills and they did not touch the sides of the pain. I was wondering how I was going to get home I felt so bad.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then Martyn and Liz prayed over me and that brought enough respite for me to be able to drive home. I staggered into bed. Martyn had prayed that I would be well by morning and when I woke up I was much better. This incident got me thinking about spiritual warfare. Check it out on wikipedia or google it if you want to find out more.The theory is that I had taken a spiritual risk in bringing my friends to church and the devil does not want that so will do anything to stop them - make them ill, make me ill. So it is important to cast out that demon and to pray for protection. Simply you can say "Be gone in the name of Jesus".</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't know what to make of all of this. I don't know where to start or where to finish but this is what happened so it's in the blog.</span></div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-42968692401441798662010-12-19T12:23:00.000-08:002012-02-21T04:12:37.581-08:00Religious tolerance<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">OK this is going to be a difficult post. One of my major stumbling blocks in fully committing to christianity is the church's treatment of homosexuals. When I started this blog a year ago this was uppermost in my mind. I had been going to St. Matthew's Church and spent an hour and a half discussing this issue with the vicar. I remember saying "It's easy to tell a church full of people that those who have homosexual sex will go to hell but try sitting in the sauna at the gym with me and try out your argument". I never went back to that church. I just could not believe that God would make a group of people and then say "Ooh, yes I know I've made you with all the normal drives - to want a sexual relationship etc but you know what - if you want to get into heaven - you can't have sex". A christian friend said to me "God didn't make homosexuals, the devil did". So...where do I start?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I get the feeling this could be a lot more than one post - such a big topic. I am going to start with a couple of links to various sites on both sides of this argument.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you read Nicky Gumbel from Holy Trinity Brompton - founder of the Alpha course - then you'll know that he believes that someone can pray not to be gay and then get married and live happily ever after. You can even find websites with testimonies.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or for an alternative point of view you could have a look at;</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">www.religioustolerance.org/hom_bibl.htm</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's all so confusing and it's making my head hurt.</span></span></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-86157465688326999512010-12-15T14:28:00.000-08:002012-02-21T04:13:13.738-08:00How to design a perfect building?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_diWtBZyR3d0/TQlAoZNwMfI/AAAAAAAAACQ/GpxNBEgLVCc/s1600/da+Vinci%2527s+Vitruvian+Man-Golden+Ratio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_diWtBZyR3d0/TQlAoZNwMfI/AAAAAAAAACQ/GpxNBEgLVCc/s320/da+Vinci%2527s+Vitruvian+Man-Golden+Ratio.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So the idea is that God’s most perfect bit of design was man’s body and the way for man to design a perfect building is to use the proportions found in the human body that are God-designed.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Da Vinci was the first person to attempt to diagram God's perfect design.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What a wonderful example of God / science / maths combination in Vitruvian man.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm bowled over by the fact that there will be avowed atheist architects out there who will build beautiful buildings based on God's ratio and yet not see or know the link. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2845712471897468386.post-53598712682572743432010-12-14T00:22:00.000-08:002012-02-21T04:06:40.074-08:00Staying in love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Regular readers, of which I now know there are a few, will know that I have a daily battle with faith. The people I admire and am attracted to intellectually are Ben Goldacre, Brian Cox etc and Marcus Brigstocke for humour. What they all have in common is - they are atheists. I love "Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People" - Google Nerdstock and you will see where I am coming from. I've attached the video from youtube for part one from last year and hopefully you will find your way to the next parts.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are Christians I am admire such as Desmond Tutu. However, when I watched Nine Lessons last year I recognised a group of people that I felt familiar with, if that makes sense. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, I am trying to be a person of faith. I wonder where all this fits in? My recent reading of "The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman has helped. Did I think that faith was going to be a bit like falling in love? Have I had unrealistic expectations of faith that somehow the high octane head rush of falling in love was faith and if I wasn't feeling anything then there was no faith.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Perhaps faith is a love relationship with Jesus and like any relationship it has to be worked at, sometimes it can feel mundane and sometimes it can feel transcendent. People truly committed to a marriage learn to understand that they will feel different things at different times and those feelings are valid and perfectly OK. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.fivelovelanguages.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">www.fivelovelanguages.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'm thinking that perhaps, just maybe a light has gone on in my brain - albeit a a low wattage one. OK so here goes - when you meet someone and fall in love you take a chance with them. You might try to gain as many facts as you can...."Is he a sociopath?' "Is his OCD bearable?" and various other personal and social tests. You may spend hours discussing with your friends "What was he like at school?", "Do I like his friends?" "Do we share interests?" "Will he put up with me?" but ultimately there comes a point where you know there is chemistry and you just take a leap of faith and maybe that's all I need to do with Jesus - I've read and discussed and analysed and perhaps now it is time to take a leap of faith - the chemistry's there, a significant number of my friends whose opinion I value are there, our lifestyles are compatible - I've been going to Church for over a year. So maybe it's time to stop asking questions and make that commitment to the man - Jesus.</span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yesterday it was my son's school nativity. He was a Roman guard. I wasn't looking forward to going a) he hates people looking at him b) he hates singing c) all the Dads are there and I feel really alone. Max's one line was great but I could see that the singing and standing on stage was torment and he looked like he wished to be anywhere but there. Afterwards, I confided in a fellow Mum, my feelings of inadequacy, I didn't quite verbalise my inner feeling of failure that Pete had left me and it was all my fault. I shared that I found it hard with all the Dads there. She surprised me in her response. She said "Do you get to make all the decisions about your children?". I said "Yes, absolutely, but I always consult/ inform out of courtesy". She said "Now imagine every decision begins with a discussion and ends with a compromise at best. Maybe your life isn't so bad". Well, that was a wake up call. I could choose to be grateful for how easy I have it and how blessed I am that I get to make the decisions for my children.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This morning I was walking on the beach with one of my dogs as the sun was rising. It was a spectacular show. To the South - bright pink and to the North - bright orange with a cool blue in the middle. I returned to that "Poor me" scenario, thinking "I wish I had someone to walk with on the beach, someone to talk to". Suddenly my footsteps in the sand reminded me of that famous poem and a thought occurred - "I do have someone to walk with me and talk to me - Jesus".</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Footprints in the Sand<br />
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One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.<br />
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.<br />
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.<br />
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,<br />
other times there were one set of footprints.<br />
This bothered me because I noticed<br />
that during the low periods of my life,<br />
when I was suffering from<br />
anguish, sorrow or defeat,<br />
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So I said to the Lord,<br />
"You promised me Lord,<br />
that if I followed you,<br />
you would walk with me always.<br />
But I have noticed that during<br />
the most trying periods of my life<br />
there have only been one<br />
set of footprints in the sand.<br />
Why, when I needed you most,<br />
you have not been there for me?"<br />
The Lord replied,<br />
"The times when you have<br />
seen only one set of footprints,<br />
is when I carried you."<br />
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Mary Stevenson<br />
Copyright © 1984 Mary Stevenson, from original 1936 text, All rights reserved</i></span><i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a journey into faith I suppose there has to be a time when things get personal. I can quote the bible, I can quote believers, non-believers but ultimately I have to open up my emotions and make an emotional or rather - a spiritual - decision about belief.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now that I attend an Anglican Church, despite being Roman Catholic, I am learning about some evangelistic ways. One thing I had never heard of before was the "Testimony Dinner" where, basically, once someone has given their life to the Lord they then share their faith story. You can google "Christian testimonies" and read some inspiring stories although none of them speak to me but perhaps that is because each person's journey into faith is as unique as the person themselves.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few months ago, I started to wonder, if ever I got to that stage, what would my testimony be? What would I look back upon and consider to be relevant? How far am I along that journey now? How much if any of this blog will feature in my faith journey? I still don't know the answer. I feel I may be 10% of the way there - some days more and some days less.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is hard and very personal. I don't know who is reading this - hopefully no one - but I've come to realise that perhaps this blog is the story of my journey. I have learnt a very simple fact - for all the arguments about faith - Dawkins / Hitchens etc Versus The Bible writers et al - there is a very simple truth. The people I know who are believers seem to live happier and more fulfilled lives. Even when bad things happen they deal with them so much better. Are they deluded? Some say "Yes" and some say "No" but ultimately they lead better lives.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rather conveniently there is a Bible quotation to fit at this point. It is one I struggle with - it feels like a cop out.</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Trust in the LORD with all your heart and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> lean not on your own understanding</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">; </span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I'm feeling particularly atheistic it says to me "Look, I know some of this is a bit muddled and in fact some bits are just wrong and I know if you attack this logically you aren't going to get very far - so don't try to use your brain, don't try to think or you'll end up like Dawkins".</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I'm feeling more like taking that leap of faith it says to me "Stop stressing, God is much cleverer than you - there is no way you will ever figure this out - so just take it easy and relax into God's love. He knows how it all works - all you need to do is believe and good things will happen."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm constantly looking for evidence - but isn't the evidence right in front of me as shown in the lives of my Christian friends. The Christian life shows us a good set of rules - back to the Ten Commandments (see previous post 17 January 2010) which, if followed, enables us to lead a happy and healthy life.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think of friends who are proudly, adamantly atheist but struggle with failed or unhappy relationships, struggle with alcohol, cigarette or even computer porn addiction and I think it's a high price to pay for non-belief when life in a moment could be so much better.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Again I have to go back to a previous post where I spoke about how effortlessly I gave up smoking after years of addiction. I really enjoyed smoking but one day I asked Jesus to take away my addiction and it was gone - in an instant my life was better. I started taking the dogs for long walks, my outlook on life improved. What was amazing was I could still hang around with smokers and not have the slightest inclination to want a puff - it was like the slate was literally wiped clean.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wonder whether that is why we find the snow so beautiful. Is it God giving us a glimpse of a life "wiped clean". I woke up last Thursday to this wonderful sight - there is even snow on the beach.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Immediately, on writing that, the logical atheist inside me said "Yeah but when it melted the dog s**t was still there". </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But maybe it is as I said - just a glimpse, a taster, an amuse bouche, a metaphor of a life wiped clean.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Often I feel anxious about my faith situation. As I have said before, I am stuck in a horrible limbo - not a true member of either group and perhaps viewed with distrust by both sides? However, the great thing about the bible is that there is a quote for every situation. Check out Philippians 4 verses 4 to 7.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! </i><i>Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. </i><i>Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. </i><i> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #6fa8dc;">And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #6fa8dc;">.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">I love the line about a peace "transcends all understanding" as I certainly can't figure this out.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even when things aren't going well, or I'm having doubts about whether I'm heading in the right direction another well thumbed verse found at Jeremiah 29 verse 11, is relevant.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, as soon as I write this the doubting Thomas in me speaks up and says "Pretty convenient to pick and choose suitable verses - it's a big book and there's a lot of stuff that is irrelevant".</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then my "faith" side of my brain fights back and reminds me of John 16 verse 33.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="woj"><i>“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so it goes on - this endless battle within.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ultimately, we all have to make up our own minds and take the consequences.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="woj"><i>Peace I leave with you;</i><i> my peace I give to you. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Not as the world gives do I give to you</span>.</i><i> Let not your hearts be troubled, neither<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 6px;"> </span></i><i>let them be afraid. (</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John 14 verse 27)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll end today with a final quotation and a photo. When the snow started to melt and the children were back to school I took a detour on the way home and stopped on the North Coast of Jersey for a bacon roll and a cup of tea. How many times had I looked out to sea from that vantage point? Wow - suddenly Sark, a neighbouring Island, looked so close and so different. In a way, finding a faith is a bit like that morning,being led down a different path (or road) and seeing everything in a new light. Ezekiel 36 verse 26 seems a good place to end.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A new heart also will I give you, and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">a new spirit will I put within you</span>: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Actually, perhaps this is the crux - thanks to Nelson Mandela - "Madiba" - who could not have put this better - </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be fabulous, brilliant, talented and gorgeous? Actually, who are you not to be, you are a child of God and your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that others won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, like children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in every one of us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give people permission to do the same. As we are liberated by our fears, our presence automatically liberates others." </span><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254732223837900331noreply@blogger.com0