Welcome

Welcome to All. This blog is a discussion site, looking at our lives through our experiences, our spiritual, and, not so spiritual lens, ....what our lives look like at The Front. We are and some would argue, always have been, in interesting times. Servants, past and present have been at constant struggle with whatever the issues of the day have been. Where do we even begin to name them: poverty, hunger, education, shelter, .... and did I mention poverty? Fifty-one years ago, President Lyndon Johnson declared war on poverty, a war by the way, we're still fighting. Then again, we've always been at war with poverty, and yet poverty has remained steadfast. Jesus apparently got it right: "The poor will always be with you." But Jesus was a smart man. Did he mean what we think? Does poverty always have to be with us. Let's talk about this, and whatever else, in real and truthful ways. Let's view our lives from The Front.
If you have come to help me, then you are wasting your time. If you have come because your liberation is linked to mine, then we will work together.
----(Anonymous) Australian Aborigine Activist
--mailto:--neilpitts@aol.com

Contemplative Action

The Rite of Initiation: You are going to die


A shocking statement. Perhaps. But the Franciscan Priest, Richard Rohr,,who has studied the Rite of Initiation has said the following::

"Every initiation rite I've studied had some ritual, dramatic, or theatrical way to experience crossing the threshold from life to death in symbolic form. Some ritual of death and resurrection was the centerpiece of all male initiation. It is probably why Jesus sought out and submitted to John the Baptist's offbeat death and rebirth ritual down by the riverside, when his own temple had become more concerned with purity codes than with transformation. It is probably why Jesus kept talking to his disciples, three times in Mark's Gospel, about the necessity of this death journey, and why three times they changed the subject (8:31-10:45). It is undoubtedly why Jesus finally stopped talking about it, and just did it, not ritually but actually. Death and resurrection, the paschal mystery, is the theme of every single Eucharist no matter what the feast or season. It takes us many seasons and even years to overcome our resistance to death.

"The transformational journey of death and resurrection is the only real message. It makes you indestructible. The real life, God's life, is running through you and in you already. But allowing it to flow freely doesn't come easily. When you do, the spiritual journey really begins. Up to that moment it is just religion. Everything up to then is creating the container, but you have not yet found the contents; you are creating the wineskins, as Jesus says, but you are not yet drinking the intoxicating wine."

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Evangelism: Is this really a thing? Do we need another language?

 Where do we get off telling another human being how and what to think?  We're not them.

 I was reading "Working Preacher" this morning. Working Preacher is a website intended to inspire conversation, provide thought and context for individuals'  Church sermons/homilies. This week's commentary was on presenting the Gospel to audiences who have either rejected the concept of organized religion, the concept of Jesus, or, the concept of God. I other words, How do present the Gospel to those for whom the Gospel is foreign?

 Well, this commentary achieved its goal with me.

My story: I've been well schooled in concepts relating to God, Jesus, afterlife and religiosity. I know the language well. So well in fact, that its literally written on my soul. For me, and the way my wiring has evolved, it makes sense. Perhaps it can be described as genetics of the soul.  My genetics of the soul are deep. At least 100 years deep (from what I know, my family has been associated with Zion Baptist Church for close to 100 years). Is been in the air I've breathed, the food I've eaten, the word's I've spoken and the. words I've heard. Its been in the life I've tried to live.  Its been given to me.

 But this is not true for everyone. Most of us do in fact live " Lives of quiet desperation", as Henry David Thorough might say. And in that living, that human experience there a 8 million ways of looking for something. If we're alive, what we have in common is looking for a path to experience life.  Many experience life through the senses of trauma where varieties of trauma has shaped their existence. When those of us who have lived hundreds of years through the senses of religiosity speak to those who've lived 100 of years through the senses of trauma without reprieve, relief or hope are we speaking in language that is understood?

The changes in our world are colossal and daily. It would be fair to say that in discussing concepts related to religiosity, particularly where Christianity is concerned, to audiences where unfamiliarity reigns, the existence of Jesus can't easily be explained. The concepts of the virgin birth, the resurrection, the ascension, are complicated. How do we explain them: "Jesus Saves".  Really?? What if I don't need saving? What am I being saved from?  " No one enters the Kingdom, but through me". What Kingdom?  Why do I want to enter the Kingdom? "The Kingdom of God is at hand".  Is that a fact.  I can't see it.

If I were not well schooled in the "art" of religiosity, would any of this make sense, or be compelling to me? Yes I may be looking for changes in my life. Yes, I may be looking for hope. Yes I may be looking for a guidepost. And, in the moment, some of this may be the remedy I need. But what about the endurance required for the long run?  For me, if I'm unschooled in matters of religiosity or faith, I don't hear attractive arguments. Is this even a good place to start. Let's talk about God. Who, What, Where, is God? In the words of astronomer Neil DeGrasse Tyson: "I don't see evidence".

The continued use of language such as "sin", "resurrection", and "being saved", language that is at least 2000 years old is of questionable value in a day when there is "no evidence" that these terms are related to God. Religion is a complicated matter to be contextualized for understanding. Two-thousand year old language does not contextualize or connect ancient events to present day living.  Maybe the language we're looking for is different. Maybe, we're past the time when spoken language adds relevance to the words. Maybe its time for us to realize that spoken language has always underrepresented the words. Maybe its time for us to realize that Actions do that!!

     

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