My friend Ron and I have been meeting regularly over a number of years debating, trying to understand, working through issues of our faith. Its not that we meet with this intention, we meet because we are freinds who enjoy each others company. We are friends and pals. We mentor each other. Its just that often our thoughts turn towards our faith. We share the joy and the sadness and work through these things, constantly writing and re writing our christian thought.
We both attend church with the intent not to be differant or upset the way of things, but simply to enjoy the experience and one ness with God and to fellowship with each other. We both attend church becasue we want to, not because we have to or because of some mandate.
Increasingly we have been finding errors in our Christian thought that is further dividing us from our christian brothers and sisters. I try to discuss some of these points with them and they turn their heads in disinterest and fear. I mentioned this to a buddy at work and he said. OH OH Don...prepare for excommunication. My wife says...have you discussed this with your mom? My buddy says, have you discussed this with your pastor?
My thought change has been gradual and I am trying to complete the theology of it all and I still need to test what we beleive with the Holy Bible that I trust. I still am weighing it all with the Holy Spirit and measure it with my knowledge of God.
So I havnt really said anything yet in this post other than I have things to say. I feel in my heart that I must say these things. If I am rejected by my peers, fellow christians, family then I will wear it as a badge of honor. I have learned some things that I wont keep quiet and I wont keep secret. If I am asked to leave, I will leave quietly without anger or fanfair, but I wont remain silent. Looks like I might be a problem.
I love Jesus Christ with all my heart and I worship and revere the One True God. His Holy Spirit resides in me and I am both saved and free.
By the way RR, thanks for the Amos "snipit" It has helped to guide my understanding. We need to look to the term "know". Lord God hand picked the Israellites for a more intimate "Husband/Wife" relationship. The word "know" has deeper meaning than simply to be aware, otherwise the statement would be incorrect. God knows (aware) of everyone, but to what point of intimacy? The Israellites were chosen and through this revellation and action to this specific people, the entire world is offerred salvation. the ENTIRE world would be blessed through them.
This does not mean that God does not know the Anisshinaabe, the Siekhs, the Muslims. This also does not mean that they are not allowed to know Him. Our Lord God has made himself known to all of creation and each and every people group are responding to that knowledge. Their culture, their forced doctrines, their unseen forced doctrines all force or corral then into beleiving that their knowledge of God is the only knwoledge of God. It corrals them, loving good people, to accept things that might not be right. In the meantime, these wonderful God fearing poeple carry a Love, admiration, devotion, respect to God. Would he reject them or offer them a way?
Jesus said we would know them by their fruit and the fruit does not fall far from the tree. When I look to the Sikh people I see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, selfcontrol, faithfuilness. In fact, I see them in greater abundance than within my own christian circles. So where does that come from? That comes from a deep love for the creators spirit.
I have come to beleive that this life is merely a preparation of ones heart in order that when Lord God returns, we will either know Him or not know Him. Jesus Christ will return and those who recognize and embrace Him will be saved. His beautiful hands of love will reach out and some will reject and some will accept. It is probable that if you spent your whole life denying, then you would not know or care to know Him when he returns. It also stands to reason, that if you devoted your life to seeking God, in whatever form it takes, that your heart and spirit would be more apt to recognize and accept.
I've said more than I wanted at this time so I will stop and bid you all....
peace, love and universal brotherhood
There was a wonderful message I came across some time ago written by John Wesley in November of 1765. John Wesley was an Anglican minister and credited with the formation of the Methodist movement, a sort of “evangelical Anglican” thing. There is beauty in what he writes here. It speaks to the harm that can come from a need to speak our own understanding to those who can not bear what we say. As John Wesley writes, if you are cut off from your Christian brother because of a difference of opinion what does it profit you and what does it profit him? If you contest your minister or your brother and he loses his faith as a result, how have you helped?
ReplyDeleteIf God hides or reveals a truth, it is his will. If he reveals a truth to you, but hides it from those around you then it may be your burden alone to carry. It may be that the need to be more right in our understanding is not necessary for this time but I believe there will come a time when it is perhaps needed. In the mean time, I take great joy in finding infinite more beauty in the pages of the Bible than many are willing to see.
John Wesley writes…
But some may say, I have mistaken the way myself, although I take it upon myself to teach others. It is probable many will think this, and it is very possible that I have. But I trust, whereinsoever I have mistaken, my mind is open to conviction. I sincerely desire to be better informed. I say to God and man, "What I know not, teach thou me!"
Are you persuaded that you see more clearly than me? It is not unlikely that you may. Then treat me as you would desire to be treated yourself upon a change of circumstances. Point out to me a better way than I have yet known. Show me it is so, by plain proof of Scripture. And if I linger in the path I have accustomed to tread, and am therefore unwilling to leave it, labour with me a little; take me by the hand, and lead me as I am able to bear. But be not displeased if I entreat you not to beat me down in order to quicken my pace: I can go but feebly and slowly at best; then, I should not be able to go at all. May I not request of you, further, not to give me hard names in order to bring me into the right way. Suppose I were ever so much in the wrong, I doubt this would not set me right. Rather, it would make me run so much the farther from you, and so get more and more out of the way
Nay, perhaps, if you are angry, so shall I be too; and then there will be small hopes of finding the truth. If once anger arises, [aute kapnos], (as Homer somewhere expresses it,) this smoke will so dim the eyes of my soul, that I shall be able to see nothing clearly. For God’s sake, if it be possible to avoid it, let us not provoke one another to wrath. Let us not kindle in each other this fire of hell; much less blow it up into a flame. If we could discern truth by that dreadful light, would it not be a loss rather than gain? For, how far is love, even with many wrong opinions, to be preferred before truth itself without love! We may die without the knowledge of many truths, and yet be carried into Abraham’s bosom. But if we die without love, what will knowledge avail? Just as much as it avails the devil and his angels!
The God of love forbid that we should ever make the trial. May he prepare us for the knowledge of all truth, by filling our hearts with all his love, and with all joy and peace in believing!
RR