jerryb

Hi October I love your quote "It is Jesus life that matters". That is my feeling EXACTLY! Why can't we see that it is OUR life that matters also...not our politics...our dogma..or our "spiritual pedigree". Max Lucado writes about some hungry people coming to a bakery to buy bread.But the baker says to them..."before I give you the bread,,,let me show you our bakery...WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR BAKERY". So he shows them the new oven,explaining all the latest tecnology,and they answer,"but WE JUST WANT BREAD". But he continues to show them several more pieces of machinery,again they say, "we just want bread". Finally, as he is showing them the last feature of the bakery, he notices that they are starting to leave,and says to them, "wait,don't you want some bread?" They answer,"NO, WE HAVE LOST OUR APPETITE." So it realy is our life ALONE that matters! Blessings my friend, Jerry

Well Demas...you asked,so here goes. I think Jesus was executed by the Roman goverment for sedition....the mode of death was by crucifixion.....He was buried in an UNMARKED common grave( as was the Roman custom),and His bones gradualy returned to dust like everyone else. I believe that He was forgotten by most if not all of His twelve disciples...who the bible says "returned to their former occupations. HOWEVER....I am much more impressed by how He lived than by how He died. And I do believe that millions of people ,including me, have experienced SPIRITUAL RESSURECTION by following His example. Blessings to you my friend, Jerry

Hi Demas, I believe that Jesus died as an enemy of the state. If that is true, then he was probably buried in an unmarked "common" grave with other "trouble-makers" of the Roman Empire. And if you believe the gospel record, it says that "They all forsook Him and fled". So it is sadly possible that JESUS DIED ALONE! And there may have been no witnesses to the ressurection. A different take I realize,but....is it possible that is how it happened? Blessings, Jerry

Most definately, Jerry! One of the things that fundamentalism ingrained into my psyche was the notion that if ANY of it falls, then ALL of it falls. In other words, if I rejected fundamentalism, it was *exactly* the same as rejecting God, the Bible, faith, Jesus Christ, heaven, etc. Fundamentalism says that we have no right to look at our belief system critically and to accept (or reject) only the parts that makes sense to us. It insists that the baby must be thrown out with the bathwater. It is so successful at this lie, that most of the stuff you find on the internet (or in literature) that has to do with leaving fundamentalism entails that you leave Christianity altogether. And many have. Maybe that is a good thing. In my own experience, I walked away from Christianity when I left fundamentalism. I threw out all of my Bibles and Christian music. I felt I could no longer be a Christian if I wasn't a fundamentalist. It took a while but I am not searching through my soul and my life for what can be salvaged. I am not so sure that I am looking for the "truth" (as it seems to be very subjective) but I am looking for what is meaningful, what is transforming. And I'm learning that it is beneficial (and probably necessary) to be critical of what I hear and read that claims to speak for God. This turn in my path requires discernment like nothing else I've ever known. It also requires letting go of the anger and bitterness, but that is itself a process. But it is also leading me into a freedom that I never thought possible. I don't have to be right. And I don't have to convince others that they are wrong. And I certainly am not going to give the welfare or salvaging of my soul to *anyone* else except myself and God. wayfarer <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Good post Wayfarer, I really relate to what you said..("It's leading me into a freedom that I never thought possible") I too have found such a freedom. Just tonight as my wife and I were having dinner, I suddenly felt compelled to say," It's so wondeful to not be afraid of God anymore". Having been in a fundamental church for over twenty years....I now cherish this wonderful freedom of grace. Thanks for reminding me. Blessings to you, Jerry

Greetings Mow, I believe I have to agree with October on this one. Maybe the best thing to do when miracles happen,(and I believe they do) is to continue to thank God...even if we can't prove God intervened. I think that as we watch our minds approach our souls,we will stop putting labels on everything that happens to us, and just be grateful for the good times. Chopra says" the more we get to Know God,we will finally realize that when we pray....we are really praying to ourselves" I know that is a bit hard to accept, but lately when I pray,I ask God to help ME answer my own prayer if possible. And you know what...sometimes it is possible. Blessings to you my friend, Jerry

Hi Soma, I like your idea of becoming,(and recognizing) that we ARE the witness. I think that if we could truly learn to be the witness....it would revolutinize our spiritual life. Depak Chopra says,"The soul is comfortable with uncertainty". I'm really working on that one, because I believe that the biggest hindrance to becoming the witness, is our need to always KNOW all the answers. Blessings to you, Jerry

Wayne Dyer is certainly not an orthodox or official Christian but his appearances on PBS from time to time are quite inspiring. His latest is called INSPIRATIONS. It's a book, too and a DVD available only through PBS stations for now (I think). Any Dyer books or tapes are worth purchasing or borrowing IMO. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi Mystic, Wayne Dyer has absolutely helped revolutionize my spiritual life. I have most of his books and tapes, and just saw the last few minutes of his PBS appearance last night....it was awesome,especially the part with his 90 year old mother. Blessings to you, Jerry B

Good Point Beloved, I like the term'bouncers at the door'. And that is exactly what some churches are. I wish we could see the 'spiritual arrogance' in that,especaially when Jesus said, "I am the door"!

But ... can't any human institution be the sword which keeps us out? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Mystic, Good point. It's possible that a human institution can keep us out....but probably not with as much'authority' as the organized church. Peace, Jerry

Good post Soma, I really have come to believe that, the feeling of separation from God is responsible for so much of the pain caused by the organized church. And I also believe that many times the church 'uses' our since of alienation to bring us 'into the fold' so that the chuch can show us the way back to God. I cringe everytime a fundamentalist says," Let me tell you the TRUTH" Strange how they seem to be the only ones that have that TRUTH...all tied up in a neat little package. Sorry...guess I'm ranting a bit...but I've BEEN THERE! DONE THAT! And got the tee shirt! Blessings to you, Jerry

I am a bit burned out and am finding I don't feel I have much to contribute right now. I still read the board everyday though. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> AR Miss You !!! Get unburned and come back when you're ready, not before. Dr. flow.... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> AR...I second Flow's post. We do miss you,but I also understand that 'burned-out feeling. Take care. Blessings to you my friend, Jerry

Great post Mystic, Another scripture came to mind as I read what you said about us all being divine. IJohn 4:17..."We are all Christs in this world"....wouldn't it be great if we could all just BELIEVE that! Blessings' Jerry

Hi Flow...as always,you are an encourager. Thank you. I'm really working on the 'silence' part of your equation. I recently began reading 'Peace is every step' by Thich Nhat Hanh and He is helping me stop and breathe,and wait....amazing how that helps. Blessings Friend, Jerry

It's a journey we are on. I have often found myself so enamored with Buddhist insights that I have thought about leaving Christianity behind. But the Bible really has a hold on me! And the progressive Christians I know and love in mainline congregations all over the planet are a network of love and compassion I can count on. I give Alan Watts the credit for letting me know that Christian myth and ritual is a good representation of the perennial philosophy or Mysticism which is the core, the heart, the foundation of all wisdom. Moses met God at the Burning Bush. Jesus met God in the wilderness. Buddha met God at the Bo Tree. Mohammad met God at a little shack or something like that where he communicated directly with God. You can and do. I can and do. Borg in THE HEART OF CHRISTIANITY argues that the born again metaphor is too important to give away. Indeed "emerging Paradigm" or Progressive Christians have a great way to be born again or born from above, the way of the journey of humility and openeness. Christianity offers so much wisdom as do other wisdom traditions. Here in the USA there is every reason to stay connected to any congregation where the "emerging paradigm" is either accepted or embraced and there are many. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Mystic......Thanks for reminding me of the 'progressive network of love'....I too believe it is there...maybe not always as sharply defind as I wish...but still there. Thanks for your encouragement Blessings, Jerry

Thanks Cynthia.....guess I sounded a bit hopeless in this post. But I really am not hopeless....just hoping that I can be more realistic in my new faith.' You are right though....all the 'good stuff' is left....and I intend,by God's help, to find it. Blessings to you, Jerry

Hi Soma, I believe when you said.."God is in the present,guiding us away from the manipulators", that you were right on target. I've been in church services where the minieter would make a statement, and then LOUDLY say to the audience,"SAY IT!" If that isn't manipulation, I don't know what is. I think one of the strongest enticements for fundlamentalism is the fact that people don't have to think for themselves. Their leaders do their thinking for them,and that's just fine with people who don't want to do the hard work of spiritual growth. And you are so right about 'living in the moment'. It is our only hope for true progress in today's religious climate. Blessings my friend, Jerry

Hi flow, I'm intrigued by your term"Planned obsolescence" Could you expand a little more on how you think that happened? I always look forward to your take on things. Blessings to you my friend, Jerry <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It's kind of like the wrestling smackdowns on TV I think. Just when social justice and caring about the plight of those less fortunate than the mainstream begins to gain some steam and traction as it did during the lives of FDR, JFK, MLK, Princess Diana, yes, even Pres. Bill and other secular leading lights of the type, the movements get smacked down by wars, assassinations, questionable accidents, scandalous escapades... you get the picture. It's not so much a political thing as much as it is about which white guy wins the argument Unless I'm very mistaken the timing of such interventions out of the darkness seems not to be so accidental. What we are seeing are negative reactions to the goodness preached by Jesus and exemplified in the life that we have been told that he led; and, yet when others seem to gain a modicum of making parts of His promise come true in today's realities, there are the smackdowns. It seems to have happened a little bit too often in my memory for it all to be accdental. What I believe it is is evil in action; for, those who try to emulate Jesus' works in the real world of today seem always to be unfairly punished just for trying to make the world of the common people a little more bearable. I believe also that America's spiralling descent into mainly materialistic policies that began just after the Civil War has contributed to the acceleration of this now increasingly noticeable cyclical phenomenon. This is a very ancient thing and is probably the modern and post modern version of what the ancients spoke of as the war between the sons of light and the sons of darkness which is a central theme of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Of course today both sexes are involved in these secular battles, so I substitute "children" for "sons" when I refer to the phenomenon now. But there is absolutely nothing that we can do about the cycle because it is a built-in feature of human societies IMO. G-d as the author of history planned it this way so that the dynamic interplay of the very beginnings could move humanity forward through time based upon the living, reproducing, working, and dying of us. We remember and act accordingly in loving and non-violent ways, for that is how we have been taught to survive for our progenys' sake. Planned ? Yes. Obsolescence ? Others have recently commented here that Christainity is becoming increasingly outmoded in its traditional forms and needs some sort of transformation. Maybe . But when our older vehicles become obsolete, there are new models to fill the need. Inventing new ways of belief certainly is not like buying a new model car. I believe that this website is a place where aspects of the new might be unwrapped little by little. Let us all continue doing just that. flow.... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Flow.... I like what you said about'aspects of the new belief being unwrapped little by little'. I guess I'm like a kid at Christmas....can't wait to see what's inside those beautiful wrapped packages. But I do believe you're right about that gradual unwrapping,at least that's how it's been in my experience of God. And by the way...I believe some of those'beautifully wrapped packages', are posting on this board every day. You are one of them...so keep showing us the way. Blessings to you, Jerry

Hi flow, I'm intrigued by your term"Planned obsolescence" Could you expand a little more on how you think that happened? I always look forward to your take on things. Blessings to you my friend, Jerry

Hi October, I read the editorial,and it really shook me to the core. I think the one line that got my attention was the one that said,"In America, Jesus has been KIDNAPPED by preachers and politicians". I must sadly admit that is true. But my next question is..."why are we standing by and letting that happen"? I am about ready to borrow someone's quote,"We're mad as hell...and we're not going to take it anymore" Wish I could remember who said that. Keep us thinking October! Blessings To You Friend, Jerry

Mystictrek, I'm with you on this...especially the part where you said" Christianity as we know it may not be able to recover". I am reasonablly sure that statement is true. Ever since I read Bishop Spong's book"Why christianity must change or die", I have been asking myself the question,'Is christianity willing to change THAT much'? and I'm afraid the answer is a resounding No! Have you read the book? If so, I'd be interested in your take on it. Joining you on this voyage' Jerry

Hal-le-lu-jah.....(Music!) Hal-le-lu-jah...(More music) Hal-le-lu-jah! (much more music). I'm with you flow in great anticipation. Jerry

Well Flow...it seems that they might have been"smoking' the berries and salmon. ....Sorry....coludn't resist that one. Blessings, Jerry

Awesome. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I second your awesome, Jerry