Monday, December 18, 2017
God and Sinner Reconciled
The title of this post is a lone from God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. If you understand what thear one line says, you understand Christmas. Have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year/
Monday, December 11, 2017
Where is Christmas?
For years, one if the joys of the Holiday Season is the Seasonal entertainment. I have missed it this year. It seems that Seasons Greetings have been replaced by sales pitches and soggy romances that have noyhing to do with the Season. The only Christmas fare I have seen this year have been Christmas episodes in the ancient Westerns, Bonanza and Wagon Train.
In stores, I hear few carols and definitely none with any hint of religious content.
No matter what your beliefs are, it is healthy to make certain times of the yeat special/ Much beauty and jot is lost when we make Christmas into just a long shopping spree.
I urge each and everyone to make this Holiday special. Merry Christmas to all.
In stores, I hear few carols and definitely none with any hint of religious content.
No matter what your beliefs are, it is healthy to make certain times of the yeat special/ Much beauty and jot is lost when we make Christmas into just a long shopping spree.
I urge each and everyone to make this Holiday special. Merry Christmas to all.
Christmas
Every year someone writes about the need to decommercialize Christmas. Well, this is my turn.
I love giving and getting presents as much as anyone, but some sanity is called for.
Many parents and spouses are all set to go deeply
in debt to make sure their kids and spouses know that they are loved. That should be known by the actions of the rest of the year. You cannot replace the neglect of the past with some gifts.
By all means, five gifts and enjoy the Season, Just remember that the real Season is about the unity of man and the Creator. Merry Christmas one and all.
I love giving and getting presents as much as anyone, but some sanity is called for.
Many parents and spouses are all set to go deeply
in debt to make sure their kids and spouses know that they are loved. That should be known by the actions of the rest of the year. You cannot replace the neglect of the past with some gifts.
By all means, five gifts and enjoy the Season, Just remember that the real Season is about the unity of man and the Creator. Merry Christmas one and all.
Monday, December 4, 2017
The Meaning of the Season
Every tear, folks step forward to remind us of the true meaning of the season. I do not believe they stress the massage enough, understandably, because it is wondrously weird.
And, all too often, they begin over focusing on the vagaries of their own particular dorm of theology.
The meaning of Christmas is simple. God and man are reconciled. WE become linked to our Creator and He/She is fully in our World and in our lives. This is a radical step and the first time that a religion posited the intimate link between the Divine and the human, There is nothing like it in all the history of man
Think how strange this is. Soren Kierkegaard did. He stressed the utter absurdity of the fact that the Creator of this awesome Universe could care so much, nit just about the human race, but about each individual. He believed, rightly in my opinion, that each man and woman had to find their own way to deal with that amazing, and ion the surface, absurd idea.
That is a daunting task. so get busy. Maybe the line form an old Carol qill help, God and Sinner reconciled.
And, all too often, they begin over focusing on the vagaries of their own particular dorm of theology.
The meaning of Christmas is simple. God and man are reconciled. WE become linked to our Creator and He/She is fully in our World and in our lives. This is a radical step and the first time that a religion posited the intimate link between the Divine and the human, There is nothing like it in all the history of man
Think how strange this is. Soren Kierkegaard did. He stressed the utter absurdity of the fact that the Creator of this awesome Universe could care so much, nit just about the human race, but about each individual. He believed, rightly in my opinion, that each man and woman had to find their own way to deal with that amazing, and ion the surface, absurd idea.
That is a daunting task. so get busy. Maybe the line form an old Carol qill help, God and Sinner reconciled.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Christmas
Call me old fashioned, corny, sentimental. Go ahead. I started to say, 'I don't care,' but I do. I will wear those labels proudly.
The old idea od Christmas as a time of closeness and giving is an idea that worked. It is vitally important that humans remember that we are social creatures. We need each other and, with the rise of social media, where you can claim to be 'friends' with people you never spend any real time with, even 'friends' with corporations, is a recipe for disaster.
Christmas is certainly a time for friends and family, but it can and should be a time for extending that circle. Try being a bit friendlier with business contacts and co-workers. Go out of your way to speak to everyone at Church. If you have nit been to Church in years, go, and speak to everyone you see. Volunteer at charities and Community activities.
Be human and you will gain the World. You will realize why the Creator cares so much for us.
The old idea od Christmas as a time of closeness and giving is an idea that worked. It is vitally important that humans remember that we are social creatures. We need each other and, with the rise of social media, where you can claim to be 'friends' with people you never spend any real time with, even 'friends' with corporations, is a recipe for disaster.
Christmas is certainly a time for friends and family, but it can and should be a time for extending that circle. Try being a bit friendlier with business contacts and co-workers. Go out of your way to speak to everyone at Church. If you have nit been to Church in years, go, and speak to everyone you see. Volunteer at charities and Community activities.
Be human and you will gain the World. You will realize why the Creator cares so much for us.
Monday, November 20, 2017
Think About Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is here again and rather than recite the usual admonitions about remembering all the things you should be thankful for, I want to discuss the very idea of thanks.
The medieval monk, Meister Eckhart said that really the finest prayer was a simple thank you. Makes sense to me.
When we pray, we all too often are asking for something and that is fine as long as you realize that the answer you usually get is in the form of advice, pointing you in the right direction. Rarely do you get a direct intervention, a miracle. That is just not how the Creator works. But, if we heed the advice, we usually come out in good shape. Mind you, the advice does not come as a booming voice in the sky,, although that would be way cool. No, usually you just get feelings, Be thankful for the advice.
More to the point, we need to show our gratitude f, full simply existing. We live in a grand Cosmos, full of beauty and wonder, and we need to show our Creator that we are thankfyl for our basic existence, our life.
Happy Thanksgiving.
The medieval monk, Meister Eckhart said that really the finest prayer was a simple thank you. Makes sense to me.
When we pray, we all too often are asking for something and that is fine as long as you realize that the answer you usually get is in the form of advice, pointing you in the right direction. Rarely do you get a direct intervention, a miracle. That is just not how the Creator works. But, if we heed the advice, we usually come out in good shape. Mind you, the advice does not come as a booming voice in the sky,, although that would be way cool. No, usually you just get feelings, Be thankful for the advice.
More to the point, we need to show our gratitude f, full simply existing. We live in a grand Cosmos, full of beauty and wonder, and we need to show our Creator that we are thankfyl for our basic existence, our life.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Monday, November 13, 2017
Beware of Darkness
George Harrison did a great song called Beware of Darkness, although Leon Russell did a better version. That message has never been more true.
Against my better judgment, I spent time recently reading some blogs that try to deal with some of our recently weird events. They are weirder than the events.
I have seen recent news events blamed on Satan, ancient gods and goddesses, extra dimensional travelers, aliens visitors, astrological changes, witchcraft and various branches of the government.
I do not doubt that there are evil doers, both in and out if the flesh, bit, you know what?
Who cares? Really, all of these problems have been here since the dawn of man and the only power they have comes fro our tendency to dwell on them. Why do we dwell on them? Our own flaws drive us there.
The fault, as Shakespeare wrote so long ago, is not in the stars, it is in ourselves.
Of course we mist be aware of dark forces and, when pushed to extremes, deal harshly with the,, byt for the most part, do not waste your time getting upset by such negative ranting and obsessive dwelling on evil.
Instead, focus on the good and, whenever possible, find solutions to problems. Work in tourself to drive out the dark nooks and crannies in your own psyche. Do your work, love when you can, and help whenever possible. The surest remedy for these dark times is to focus on the light,
Against my better judgment, I spent time recently reading some blogs that try to deal with some of our recently weird events. They are weirder than the events.
I have seen recent news events blamed on Satan, ancient gods and goddesses, extra dimensional travelers, aliens visitors, astrological changes, witchcraft and various branches of the government.
I do not doubt that there are evil doers, both in and out if the flesh, bit, you know what?
Who cares? Really, all of these problems have been here since the dawn of man and the only power they have comes fro our tendency to dwell on them. Why do we dwell on them? Our own flaws drive us there.
The fault, as Shakespeare wrote so long ago, is not in the stars, it is in ourselves.
Of course we mist be aware of dark forces and, when pushed to extremes, deal harshly with the,, byt for the most part, do not waste your time getting upset by such negative ranting and obsessive dwelling on evil.
Instead, focus on the good and, whenever possible, find solutions to problems. Work in tourself to drive out the dark nooks and crannies in your own psyche. Do your work, love when you can, and help whenever possible. The surest remedy for these dark times is to focus on the light,
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