Alter vs Altar

If you wish to alter, spending time at the altar is a good place to start.

Merry Christmas and Holiday Blessings to All!

Merry Christmas and Holiday Blessings to All!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

  Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Golden Rule

“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets."

- Matthew 7:12, NRSV 

Something by Hal Lindsey

 

In the last few years, there has been a disturbing movement in the Church to disregard or even disavow the Old Testament. It’s part of a misguided attempt to make God’s message more “agreeable” to modern minds. But Jesus and the New Testament are intrinsically linked to the Old Testament. The Lord tied His own credibility to that of the Old Testament. He proved His authenticity through an appeal to Old Testament prophecy.

The previous excerpt is from a recent post by Hal Lindsey. I thought it was a bit relevant to some things on this blog. Anyhow, I enjoyed reading. Hope you will, also. Read fully at the link below. Blessings!

The Hal Lindsey Report | Hal Lindsey

Reference:

https://www.hallindsey.com/ww-11-14-2021/

Monsters and the Bible

Monsters are an ever-present feature of modern cinema, from Dracula to the Kraken. However, monsters are by no means a modern invention, and many of the same creatures that inhabit our modern horror movies have roots that stretch back thousands of years…. (biblicalarchaeology.org).

Firstly, Happy Halloween! The foregoing excerpt is from an article by Nathan Steinmeyer titled: Biblical Monsters Seven mysterious creatures of the biblical world. The article is published on Bible History Daily and from the BAS (Biblical Archeology Society) Library. Anyhow, if biblical monsters interest you, I encourage you to read the full article at the following link. Blessings!

Biblical Monsters - Biblical Archaeology Society

Reference:

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-monsters/

On new posts

In case there are no new post to read, it is either that I am on a hiatus or simply not posting. In the past I have posted regularly on here; however, in the future posts may or may not appear regularly.

Church business or business of the church

 “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone."

- Jesus

 

I will say a few things in case anyone doesn't want to read further after what I’ve said. Of course, something we don't read could be an idea which never crossed our minds, previously. This may almost be a brief rant, but it’s not intended as a diatribe. Yes, the introductory quote will be relevant. That quote is relevant in Christianity because if Jesus didn’t want to be called good, it’s probably a beneficial concept to pursue ourselves. “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone." I know many who consider themselves progressive Christians. There is nothing wrong with being a Christian wanting a better Christianity. Certainly, some portions of Christian history aren’t all that admirable; however, some were indeed. For example, Mother Teresa and many others were exemplary in their faith. We can’t change history. We must take the good with the bad, and then again often this is true for all aspects of life. My concern in this post is that if we really shouldn’t call ourselves good, we should be careful in judging others. Well, that is my introduction, here we go.

First and foremost, if we judge, we are not progressives. We are simply someone being critical of someone who has a slightly different worldview. We may as well accept we are also fundamentalists with a different worldview than the one we believe is wrong. A good question I like to ask is can I prove the other person is wrong in their view? Furthermore, if we answer yes because it's how we interpret Scriptures, I rest my case. We are then obviously fundamentalists like any other, but with a different view (or a different type). Based on my experience, if one is really searching, our worldview might change more than once throughout our life, depending on many factors. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t question or challenge what doesn’t seem right.

We constantly must evaluate right and wrong as we grow in our spiritual lives. I personally question many things. A good example for me is should the Lord's message be given freely? I have always thought, yes. Did Jesus say in The Great Commission go into all the world and charge a hefty fee for the good news? Some aspects of church have become a business. Yes, there are some who have private jets, and all sorts of things to aid in spreading their message. A lot of that message is interpretation of Scripture by them. Sadly, Scriptures are often interpreted for someone's own personal benefit. If we look at church history, not just using a Sola-Scriptura worldview, we might learn that some of the customs of the early fathers were not the way we've interpreted them to be today. This is probably why many prefer not to study history that much. There’s much in Scriptures that can enlighten us about making a living from the Good News. For instance, from Scriptures alone we know that Saint Paul was a tent maker. He worked secularly. Don't get me wrong, everyone knows if one is fair and honest in what they do. Do your own self-analysis. It is always good to check where we are at a certain moment in time like the present. I will stop here. Blessings!

A video on Biblical Archeology

I ran across this very informative video on YouTube at ReligionForBreakfast. A description of their site is as follows:

An educational channel dedicated to the academic, nonsectarian study of religion. We promote improving the public's religious literacy by exploring humanity's beliefs and rituals through an anthropological, sociological, and archaeological lens.

Religion for Breakfast does not endorse any particular religious tradition or non-religious perspective. Please be respectful in the comments!

The host, Dr. Andrew M. Henry, is a scholar of religious studies. His research focus is early Christianity and late Roman religion and earned his PhD at Boston University. Follow him on Twitter @andrewmarkhenry.

These videos are freely available here on YouTube. If you are an instructor, feel free to use the YouTube link to my videos in your syllabi and classrooms. I do not permit downloading my videos and re-uploading them to a separate site or channel. This is called freebooting, and it violates Religion for Breakfast's copyright.

Anyhow the video is titled Introduction to Biblical Archaeology. Hope you enjoy watching.

Reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fyI1XOselI

An article on Mary Magdalene

I have been wanting to share an article on Mary Magdalene which was recently published by Biblical Archaeology Society. The article initially raises the question, How did her reputation evolve “from saint to sinner”? I personally do not recall ever hearing that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute or the wife of Jesus while growing up in my parents’ home. Perhaps, the reason for the foregoing was because there is extraordinarily little evidence for those ideas in the canonized scriptures. I am aware of how the ideas came about and were promoted, but even with Scriptures aside, it is probably difficult to make those cases. I mean if one leaves it to Hollywood and media, they will fabricate anything and make it seem credible. For instance, they can take John DeLorean’s life and make it look like he was just a drug dealer (a tragic flaw due to desperation, no doubt) while overlooking his education and brilliance. If most people had the drive and talent Mr. DeLorean had, we would have a far more advanced society than we currently have, but I do not want to get sidetracked from the article in reference.

I am sharing the article from BAS titled: Was Mary Magdalene Wife of Jesus? Was Mary Magdalene a Prostitute? The BAS staff shares a work by Birger A. Pearson titled: “From Saint to Sinner.” Pearson’s writing is scholarly. He references Jane Schaberg, for example. I am not doing an analysis on the article. I am merely briefly describing it with the hope it interests you into reading it. I certainly enjoyed. Anyhow, enough said, for now. Read the article at the link below.

Was Mary Magdalene Wife of Jesus? Was Mary Magdalene a Prostitute? - Biblical Archaeology Society

Reference:

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/was-mary-magdalene-wife-of-jesus-was-mary-magdalene-a-prostitute/

Be still!

 “Peace! Be still!” 

~ Jesus, Mark 4:39

Hans Küng passed away on April 6, 2021

Catholic theologian Hans Küng was buried April 16 in the southwestern German city of Tübingen following funeral services. Küng, a native of Switzerland, died on April 6 at the age of 93 (www.ncronline.org/).

The foregoing excerpt is from the National Catholic Reporter. The article also reads as follows.

The world-renowned theologian planned the final ceremonies himself, with the saying of prayers that he formulated and the performance of cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach and compositions by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Due to ongoing pandemic restrictions in Germany, only a limited number of people were present. The local television broadcaster SWR carried the ceremonies live.

In the funeral sermon, Fr. Wolfgang Gramer said Küng had fought for the freedom of God's children, including in his efforts to challenge what he viewed as the wrongly understood dogma of papal infallibility. The Vatican and the German bishops had withdrawn Küng's teaching license in 1979 partly because of the theologian's critique of the dogma (www.ncronline.org/).

I personally never had the opportunity to meet Hans Küng, but if you are interested in finding out more about him, it will not be too difficult to find a plethora of material written about him or by him. The world of Theology and Ecumenism lost a hero on April 6, 2021. I do not think I can share more about him than what others have said. I strongly recommend reading more about him if you have never done so. I certainly have found him very inspiring for many years.

The Catholic Weekly said the following:

Hans Küng certainly had talent. His doctoral dissertation on Karl Barth, arguably the greatest of 20th-century Protestant theologians, became a pioneering book in ecumenical theology.

 The Guardian published the following about Küng:

Despite the impression that this self-confident, clever and ever so slightly vain priest may have given, Küng was not one of nature’s rebels. His chosen approach would have been to work from within, but the Catholic church in his heyday was intolerant of such dissenting voices among its priests. If the choice was silence or uneasy internal exile, he was not going to bite his tongue.

When challenged about his maverick role in the history of modern Catholicism, he remained fond to the end of quoting one of his heroes, Pope Gregory the Great: “If scandal is taken as the truth, then it is better to allow scandal to arise than to abandon the truth.”

As I said before, it will not be too difficult to find a plethora of material written about Hans Küng, or written by him. A warning, however, be prepared to be informed. I really cannot say more than others who knew him well, so I will end here. Regardless, it is an honor to do this brief homage to him. Rest in Peace, Hans Küng. A final note: feel free to click on the links to the referenced articles below to read more.

 

 

 

References:

https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/george-weigel-hans-kung-and-the-perils-of-fame/

https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/funeral-hans-k-ng-celebrated-ecumenist-great-spiritual-teacher

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/08/hans-kung-obituary

 

A reflection on the funeral

Personally, I have a difficult time accepting a government of unelected officials. Obviously, dictatorships fall into this category, but I will listen to a defense in favor depending. I can understand why England doesn't completely abolish the monarchy and that tradition, perhaps. It is constitutional and representational, after all, and this is symbolic. Please don't assume that I am making any comparisons with tyrannical dictatorships because I opened with this idea. These are just my thoughts, which I decided to write down.

I was watching the funeral for the Duke of Edinburgh, and immediately, in my mind, I object to some things simply seeing the procession into St. George's Chapel. One thing that is certain is that Anthony Fauci probably influenced...all participants wearing black masks, but this should not be a distraction...lol. All male Royals exhibit medals on their jackets. I know that many have served in the military, including Prince Philip. In my mind, however, I associate this with dictatorships. Dictatorships often will display leaders wearing a military uniform, and medals even if the person never served in the military. Why is this? Well, obviously, it's for psychological affects. Humans often respect a uniform and medals without questioning; consequently, subordination can be or come as an automatic response. Of course, some people will always question and not easily follow. Questioning all is a good thing in my mind. Anyhow, back to the funeral, which I may watch later on eventually.

I seem to have a problem with the idea that a monarch can have a lofty and expensive funeral, but a common man often cannot. I am not a communist, and I don't believe all should be equal, although I do believe in equal opportunity which doesn't necessarily mandate an equal outcome. In other words, free choices are good, but not the idea that someone makes the choice for me because I believe God has made us all unique individuals. All humans should be allowed respectful treatment at the time they pass on. Of course, a state funeral often has many other implications such as the exhibition of power and wealth, meaning we can do this because we are able, capable, and so on....

To conclude, I don't want to discourage anyone from watching the funeral for Prince Philip, I was an admirer of his. Moreover, it is a church service. After all, I am still a nonpracticing Anglican, last time I checked. So far, I have made this post about me, and how I feel about someone else being honored, and in my mind I am being disrespectful. So, I will stop here. The point I wanted to make was really to question all, evaluate, and decide what is right and what isn't. Rest in Peace Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Photo source: https://twitter.com/JustinWelby/status/1383397355936882693?s=01

Article about the Upper Room

The traditional location of the Last Supper—the Crusader era “Upper Room,” known also as the Cenacle—has one thing going for it: height. The only location-specific information we can pull from the various Last Supper accounts is that Jesus and his apostles secured a large furnished space, the upper room of an unnamed (and presumably wealthy) householder in Jerusalem (Mark 14:12-16). The Cenacle stands tall indeed, nesting above David’s tomb on the heights of Mount Zion. But who knew that Mount Zion’s Christian claim to fame has a competitor—in a basement (www.biblicalarchaeology.org)?

The foregoing excerpt is from an article by Jonathan Klawans titled: The Other Upper Room. It is published on the BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY website. Read the full article at the link below. 

The Upper Room Article

 

 

 

 

 

Reference:

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/the-other-upper-room/?mqsc=E4128850&dk=ZE1130ZF0&utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=BHDWeek%20in%20Review%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=3-27-2021_Week_in_Review_Upper_Room_Bible

 

Isaiah 50

Isaiah 50

New Revised Standard Version

50 Thus says the Lord:
Where is your mother’s bill of divorce
    with which I put her away?
Or which of my creditors is it
    to whom I have sold you?
No, because of your sins you were sold,
    and for your transgressions your mother was put away.
2 Why was no one there when I came?
    Why did no one answer when I called?
Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?
    Or have I no power to deliver?
By my rebuke I dry up the sea,
    I make the rivers a desert;
their fish stink for lack of water,
    and die of thirst.[a]
3 I clothe the heavens with blackness,
    and make sackcloth their covering.

The Servant’s Humiliation and Vindication

4 The Lord God has given me
    the tongue of a teacher,[b]
that I may know how to sustain
    the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens—
    wakens my ear
    to listen as those who are taught.
5 The Lord God has opened my ear,
    and I was not rebellious,
    I did not turn backward.
6 I gave my back to those who struck me,
    and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face
    from insult and spitting.

7 The Lord God helps me;
    therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
    and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
8     he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
    Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
    Let them confront me.
9 It is the Lord God who helps me;
    who will declare me guilty?
All of them will wear out like a garment;
    the moth will eat them up.

10 Who among you fears the Lord
    and obeys the voice of his servant,
who walks in darkness
    and has no light,
yet trusts in the name of the Lord
    and relies upon his God?
11 But all of you are kindlers of fire,
    lighters of firebrands.[c]
Walk in the flame of your fire,
    and among the brands that you have kindled!
This is what you shall have from my hand:
    you shall lie down in torment.

Footnotes

• Isaiah 50:2 Or die on the thirsty ground

• Isaiah 50:4 Cn: Heb of those who are taught

• Isaiah 50:11 Syr: Heb you gird yourselves with firebrands

Source:

www.biblegateway.com 

BAS Has A New Editor

The Biblical Archaeology Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Glenn J. Corbett, a Near Eastern archaeologist and long-time associate and contributing editor to the Society, will serve as the new Editor of Biblical Archaeology Review magazine beginning March 2021 (www.biblicalarchaeology.org).

The foregoing announcement from BAS is an excerpt from a recent article. If you follow them, as I do, read the full article at the following link. Blessings!

BAS Names New Editor - Biblical Archaeology Society

 

Reference:

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/first-person-glenn-j-corbett/bas-names-new-editor/?mqsc=E4126672&dk=ZE112BZF0&utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=BHDWeek%20in%20Review%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=2-7-2020_Week_In_Review_Welcome_Glenn

Can we pray for the dead?

I am sure many read the title to this post and immediately had a response to the question being asked. One’s individual response was most likely relevant to our denominational upbringing, or current beliefs. Some Christian groups or denominations have issues with the idea of praying for those who have passed on, and some do not. In this post, I am not going to discuss the theological foundation for any arguments whether in favor or opposing. However, I will share my own belief and argument, which has changed somewhat over time. I will ask the main the question I have asked myself with relevance to the subject.

Here is the question I ask. Is God affected or governed by time? My response is that I think God is outside of the time continuum and unaffected by time. So, yes, I believe one can pray for those who have passed on. If we do decide to pray, we may be praying for them, even if years later, during the time when they were still alive on Earth, and God can still answer the prayers during that time and our time. Past, present, or future most likely have all already taken place in the mind of God. The foregoing idea just may be my own slightly radical theological view but take it or leave it. I will share some New Testament texts that may or may not be relevant.

Jesus prayed after four days for a close friend who passed away and was buried, and his friend woke up (resurrected). Read the Gospel according to John 11: 1 to 44 to get the whole story. The Gospel of Matthew 27: 50-53 makes some interesting reading, as well. Allow me to share it?

50 Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.[a] 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many (NRSV, Bible).

The foregoing verses may seem to not be related to praying for the dead, but they do seem make the point that death is seemingly not a major obstacle for God, if one believes of course. Now, doubt and disbelief are an entirely different subject not discussed in this post, but not ignored in others. I just wanted to make a quick post to make us think on this subject. Blessings

 

 

 

Reference:

NRSV, Bible.