Forgive Me Father For I Have Sinned

As a kid growing up in the Catholic church, I had to take my First Communion and also Confirmation.  Us kids were excited to make our First Communion as it meant we could ‘partake’ in holy communion.  To most of us, we were just happy to do what that adults did.  Plus it involved eating that ‘bread’ and drinking that ‘wine’.   Bread and wine sounded not too bad.  But before we could be awarded with such a prize, we had to first go to confession.

Confession meant kneeling at the side of a small room inhabited by the father. (preacher).  We would tell him what we did wrong (sins) and he would forgive us on behalf of God.  Well the problem was, we barely knew right from wrong and had to go to pre-confession classes so the nuns could tell us what to say.  Beep!  Shouldn’t confession be a bit more private and personal than that?  A few of my friends confessed to stealing bread from the dinner table.  I confessed to lying even though I didn’t know of any recent lies I had told.  I also confessed that I had stolen dried milk and sugar from my parents.  Something kids enjoyed from time to time.  To me and my friends, confession was a joke.  We confessed what they wanted us to confess.  We were not penitent.  We were too young to understand what it really meant.  Which brings me to the reason for this post.

A friend of mine has a young daughter who is about to make her first communion.  Or is it confirmation?  They are basically the same to me.  Anyways, she told me that she’s attending confession and knowing her tender age,  (She’s not much older than my 6-year old)  I immediately remembered my first experience.  I am sure her daughter does not fully grasp the concept of confessing her sins.  Her kiddie sins.   Can you imagine that little girl going home after confession and changing her ways? Staying in her room reading her bible?  I can’t.  I didn’t.

So do you really think kids should go to confession?  Ignore the fact that confessions should be solely between a person and their God.  Remember that after God died on the cross, the way was opened for us to communicate directly with him and through and intermediary but we won’t go into that right now.  Should kids go to confession?  I think not, but then again

It’s just my take.

 

 

 

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An Innocent Man Was Tortured And Murdered, So Let’s Celebrate!

( ) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s not too often that anyone would actually rejoice and celebrate whenever someone loses their life in a gruesome way, especially undeservedly.  Worst yet, no one commemorates the day that the person die by calling it ‘A Good Day’.  Well Good Friday is just that.  It’s almost oxymoronic that the day Jesus was crucified is referred to as Good Friday.  Some might ask, “What’s so good about him suffering on a cross after being beaten and humiliated?”  Well the reason he did it makes it a celebratory occasion.  He died so we might live.  Yes, we do not necessarily condone the method he chose to obliterate our sins but it was his choice and because he did it, we have hope.  Isn’t that good? Good nuff for me.

So as we celebrate Easter and Good Friday, let’s remember what transpired on that fateful day.  It wasn’t just about HIM dying on a cross but what it symbolized.  Our sins were put on that cross.  Let’s celebrate and have a Happy Easter!

Monday Musings: Are home-based missionaries irrelevant?

Pardon me here, I don’t mean to undermine or question the good work done by those who unselfishly travel overseas, sacrificing themselves and their families in the name of spreading goodwill and the gospel.   Overseas missions are very important in reaching the hard-to-reach places and bringing them hope.  Saying this, I do however, have some questions.

Recently, I was talking to friend about his church and he boasted to me that they had missionaries in 23 countries around the world.  I casually asked him, with no intent to judge, if they had any in Winnipeg, their backyard.  He thought about it and said he doubted it.  I wasn’t about to start a debate on where and how missionaries should answer their calling but I thought to myself,   “Why does it seem that much cooler to do missionary work abroad than in your own backyard?”  The same thing can be said of adopting.  It’s more trendy to adopt say an Ethiopian child than an aboriginal kid from the reservation.  It even sounds cooler too.  Admit it.  It’s gone Hollywood.

So, is sending aid to poor people in Africa worth double or triple that of giving  our local homeless man or woman money to buy food?  I know many of us do so with altruistic purposes while some of us have personal goals and egos to feed.  but again, it’s not for me to judge and that’s not what this blog is about.

We are usually bombarded with photos and televisions broadcasts of the millions of people starving in the Africa but rarely of the guy down the street.  If I step over that guy to reach out the ones that are across the ocean, would that make me a better missionary?  Is it still considered missionary if it’s only practiced in my neighborhood?  If I don’t adopt my cousin’s kid that she abuses and starves, but instead travel to Uganda to adopt the little girl I always wanted, am I still considered an effective missionary?  Also, is it ok if I maintain the outside of my house, keeping it clean and spotless, while inside looks like it was hit by a tornado?

Just my take.

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If faith without works is dead, how about works without faith?

Many of us believe that all we need to do is believe in God and study the bible and this should be good enough to make us  candidates for Heavenly rewards.  What we ignore is the part of the Bible that states  ’Faith without works is dead.’   To me, that means that I can believe until I’m blue in the face but if I do nothing about it, then my faith is useless.   Dead.  Which makes sense.  Why it makes sense?  Well with genuine faith and belief in Him comes the need to be like Him.  If we want to be like him then we have to exhibit good works.

Now if my faith is dead because I have no works to back it up,  how about if I do good works BUT I have no faith and/or belief in God?  I am a good person, right?  My works show that I am, so where do I stand?  That’s a good one.  One that we hear often.   I think that indeed if I go out and do good deeds, without a doubt, I am a good person.  Not Godly, but good.  So don’t I get some sort of reward for doing good? Maybe a free pass to Heaven?  Well consider this, you have a son who you love very much.  You give him whatever he wants and treat him as good as any kid would want to be treated.   Unfortunately, your son does not acknowledge you or love you.  He couldn’t care if you live or die.  But on the flip side, he is great doing his chores and homework.  He is otherwise a good boy.  Would you be satisfied?  Would his works be good enough to make you ignore the fact that he couldn’t care less about you?

My take.   And you, keep up the good work.

 

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Lead us not into temptation…we can get there on our own.

Lord’s Prayer rock, detail (Photo credit: jessamyn)

I recently blogged about the impact of the line from The Lord’s Prayer,  ’Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.’   Read here.  I blogged about how we say it loosely and never really think of how it is applied in our lives.   Another such line that I think is bloggable is the line ‘Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from all evil’.

In The Lord’s Prayer, we are asking God not to lead us into temptation but since we go there all on our own,  this makes me wonder if we are actually saying, Lord, you don’t have to come with me as I go down the road of temptation.  You stay back here while I dabble for a bit.  Hey, but be sure to stay in the getaway car so you could deliver me from the evil that I encounter.  

So if we pray to God not to lead us into temptation, who is responsible for leading us into the daily temptations we allow ourselves to succumb to?  Not HIM because I doubt he finds any delight in taking his children by the hands and leading them into any form of temptation.  He was mad when Adam and Eve allowed themselves to be tempted in the garden so that would confirm this.   Hmm….so maybe we are the culprit.  We wade into temptation all on our own, sometimes a bit too happily.    Maybe we just don’t want him around to see us enjoying the evil fruit but we sure want him around to forgive us after, right?

Lord, deliver us from the evils that tempt us.

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And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…

The Lord’s Prayer in a Cemetery in Henderson, Kentucky (Photo credit: Lori SR)

How deep is that line taken from The Lord’s Prayer?  Until a while ago, I never paid any mind to the words of that prayer.  Ever since I started uttering words, I was taught it but it had become more of an automatic recital.  It was ‘the automatic pray’.

As my faith matured, I started to seek deeper prayer sessions with my prayers focusing more on depth and meaning.  I also started to meditate, if you can call it that, on the words of The Lord’s Prayer.  I realized then that instead of being ‘The automatic pray’ it was instead ‘The ultimate prayer’.

‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’ was a very poignant line that stood out in the prayer.  I often ponder on it and it makes me search myself.  Am I really forgiving others for trespassing against me, thereby warranting God’s forgiveness?  Sadly, often the answer is a resounding no.

So saying that, should I omit that line until I could say it without crossing my fingers?  How could I in all honesty, ask God’s forgiveness while I carry around a suitcase of memories?  Memories of the trespasses against me and those who perpetrated them?  I can’t.  We can’t.

Even if you are a non-christian, this can also apply to you.  Forgiving is not based on a belief.  Forgiving relieves us of the burden of hate and animosity that we carry around because we have the person in our mind and maybe plotting revenge.  With forgiveness comes great inner peace.  If you are a christian,  forgiving brings forgiveness.  It is wrong to think that one would need to be God fearing to even thing about forgiving.  It’s like saying I can’t be good because I don’t believe in God.

If you haven’t done so yet, next time you say the Lord’s Prayer, meditate on every line and feel it.  You will see why it is the ultimate pray.

Lord teach me how to forgive others so that I in turn could receive your forgiveness.  Amen

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Making The Bible Hip

A year or so ago, I was given a book  ’The Message‘ from some guy on the street.  As I thought it was just a book inviting me to his church, I paid it no mind for some time.  When I did decide to read it, I was mildly surprised to see it was actually a modern-day translation of The Bible.

Now being old school, I initially thought it was blasphemous to make The Bible hip.  How dare they!  As I continue to read, I found myself actually having an easier time being in The Word.  The translation made it more readable. More hip so to speak.

You may be thinking, It is blasphemous! The Bible is God’s word and does not need to be hip! Some things could get lost in translation.  I do see your point but then I ask, Is there an original Bible out there?  I have lost count of how many translations are there so what difference is one more? I am sorry but with the way our youths are going, I can’t see them being excited to sit down and read a book written in old English.   If one is not spiritually ready, The Bible can be hard to stay focus on.  The ‘Thee, Thou, Art etc can be a turn off.  So how refreshing is it to read it with a modern twist?   ‘Where art thou? My soul longeth for thee’ just doesn’t capture the reader as  ’Where are you? I really need you’.  Same meaning just more appealing to the reader.

I am not pushing any denomination here.  God and him alone is my denomination.  I just think that The Message really does a good job of making The Bible more appealing to younger readers (and not so younger readers) with its use of every day lingo.  As long as the real message is not lost or tainted in any way, I’m all for it.

Just my take.

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Losing Spiritual Mojo

Ever had a day or a period where you just cannot seem to arouse your spiritual self?  You read the bible, pray and do basically the same things that brought you spiritual fulfillment but now, for some reason you just can’t get going.  Your prayers that were so fervent before, lack soul.  Empty recitals. You cannot understand.  Why? How come? What have I done or not done?

You are not alone.

I consider myself a Christian, plain and simple. No frills. I love God and thrive daily to do his bidding.  I believe and trust in him.  I still consider myself an amateur in my spiritual walk.  I think I will always be an amateur, always learning how to know him more.  Even with all that, I still have my highs and my lows.

How do one have lows when they daily walk with God? I have no clue but I do and if you don’t, please share the secret.  I envy you.  The thing is, it’s not even a temptation, in case you were concluding such.  I don’t feel like engaging in anything sinful.  It’s just a feeling of disconnect.  Like HE hung up the phone while you were still on the line, without a goodbye.  Getting up to attend church becomes a chore, especially when there’s a hockey or football game on TV, I question my prayers, my beliefs and my walk.

When I get these temporary lows, I try to dive into The Word and talk to him.  Sometimes, this is like talking to a brick wall or talking to myself.  I find that the best thing to do is to keep doing what I always do until it passes. (Good thing that it does pass).

I think that this is normal for any christian, (I could be wrong).  After all, the Bible does say that in Genesis 6:3. (Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal;)

 

 

More about Happiness

Everyone wants to be happy and deserves to be happy.  (That may be up for discussion).  Happiness is very elusive and fleeting.  One can be extremely happy one minute and unhappy the next.  The good thing about Happiness is that there are ways to achieve and enhance your happiness.  Much like maintaining good health, there are things we could do to make sure we enjoy some degree of it.

I often look for self-help articles to learn how I could better enjoy my life and today I found an article entitled Train Yourself To Be Happier. There are some very good points that I and maybe you could use in our quest for Happiness.  I would like to list a couple that I found applicable but try and read the article for yourself,  it’s worth the time, unless of course you have found your own recipe for lifelong happiness or have no time to be happy.

Keep your distance from Debbie and David Downer. People who gossip and complain incessantly are sources of negative energy. “Instead, aim to surround yourself with good energy and people who have the outlook and vitality that you are seeking,” says Jonathan H. Ellerby, PhD, spiritual program director at the Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, and author of Return to the Sacred: Ancient Pathways to Spiritual Awakening. 

My take: I liked that one.  There are always a lot of those around whether you need them or not.  You can’t help feeling the positive energy draining right out of you when they are around.  The worst part is I don’t know how to escape these types.

Don’t wait until your life is in order before reaching out to help others. Someone who’s just lost a job might think he’s got nothing to give at the moment. But in fact, volunteering or helping out a friend — especially when we’re feeling distressed — is an amazing way to enhance our overall mood. “Helping others gives you meaning and purpose beyond your own life. It also distracts you from your own woes,” says Dr. Peterson. “It’s a standard therapy technique. Depressed? Go work in a soup kitchen and you’ll understand what problems really are.

My Take:  Oh yeah, don’t we all wish that we could win the lottery so we could donate, give to the poor or do charity work? We all could subscribe to that one.

Don’t rely on others to validate your physical beauty. The rush that we get from seemingly positive comments like “Your hair looks great!” or “Wow, you lost a few pounds!” is fleeting, points out Catherine Baker-Pitts, PhD, a New York City–based psychologist specializing in cosmetic surgery and body image issues. She says that when the aura fades, some of us get depressed and start seeking out this validation again. Her advice:
• Gravitate toward people, activities and interests that feel nourishing, not punishing.
• Look at yourself with rose-colored glasses, and emphasize your own competencies rather than dwelling on critical observations.
• Connect with how you feel in your body and what your body can do for you, rather than treating it as a mannequin to be looked at in a shop window.

My Take:  Another gem.  We crave compliments and even though we think we are looking not-too-bad, we are never fully satisfied until someone tells us that we do look good. Right?

Each morning before you get out of bed, do two things:
1. Focus on something that you’re going to do that day that holds meaning for you and think about how you will do that. Let’s say you want to weed your garden. Even if you can devote only 15 minutes to it today, think about how that will help the garden look better and allow it to thrive.

2. Next, be appreciative of something and hold that thought for 20 seconds. (Do it again before lunch and at night before sleep.) “Even in difficult times, we can find something to appreciate,” says Dr. Baker. Be sure to build up your inventory, and don’t overlook something as simple as being appreciative for your cozy slippers or the soothing sound of rain tapping on the window.

My Take:  I just like this one as it is simple and I do that sometimes. It really helps to put me in a good place mentally.

These are only suggestions for Happiness. You may already have our happy places and if so, good luck.  If not, reach for it today.  I wish you Happiness!

Note:  After publishing, I was discussing the blog with my wife and she said it was missing the spiritual side of obtaining happiness.  I had already thought of that but I have an earlier blog on Happiness that already addressed that.  The Time To Be Happy Is Now .

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I don’t know how to pray!

When my then wife-to-be said “I don’t know how to pray” in the early stages of our relationship, I was taken aback.  I had asked her to say a pray for a reason I cannot remember and that was her response.  I could not fathom how someone so smart  could not say a simple pray.

I am from a staunch Catholic background so you could say I was born praying.  Everyone of my friends prayed.  Whether they meant it or not was a whole new different thing but they sure knew how to talk to the Big Guy.  This fooled me into thinking that everyone knew how to pray.

If you are one of those unfortunate ones who find it difficult to offer up prayers to GOD, just think of him as one man rolled into three of the most influential people in your life.  Your parent, your teacher and your doctor. (I am not sure how important any of them are to you but we’ll go with them as they are for most people.)

As your parent, tell him how much you love him and how you feel. Be honest, your parents know you and most of the time, know what’s on your mind before you tell them.  They wait for you to come to them.  So open up and feel free to cry on their shoulders. It’s what parents are for.

As your doctor, tell him what symptoms you are experiencing.  How would you like him to address your ailment? Whatever you tell your doctor is confidential so be candid. He can’t help you if you are holding something back. Let him know how you feel, what bothers you.

A teacher is one who guides and shapes our path in life.  As your teacher, study your textbook, (The Bible) and get ready to discuss with him.  Go to him with questions.  You may not understand everything but he does. It is his book so ask him what he meant by this or that.

My wife is now a Christian and prays publicly and often.  And to think, I questioned our relationship when I found out she didn’t know how to pray.

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