#church sermon

[jambandatl]

Dreamology

Dreamology: A Modern Interpretation of Oneirology with AI, Quantum Knowledge, and Neuroscience Dreams have fascinated humanity for millennia, serving as both a source of wonder and a subject of inquiry. Traditional oneirology (the study of dreams) has explored their psychological and physiological dimensions, but with the advent of modern technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum…

[potato-lord-but-not]

My personal headcanon is also that John is fascinated by human religions and theology, and sometimes will just sit and ask Oscar questions for hours on end. When he finds out that Noel has this whole *OTHER* religion that John knows nothing about he just goes heart eyes.

Noel, having a unique relationship with his own spirituality, is like "well, let's start with things like food" to try and start with something that is a little less raw and lets John start helping him in the kitchen AKA putting him to work with grating and squeezing (spoken from experience of walking into my friend's house and immediately getting press ganged into being an extra set of hands helping with latkes)

Also the idea of John being so proud to share what he's made with Arthur??? T-T fucking adorable

100% ALL OF THIS !!!!!! John loves learning about religion because he now has the ability to be an outside observer instead of the subject of worship. like yes he knows some basics about most religions but it’s the little added human aspects that intrigues him the most.

[theunsleepinghimbo]

severance, since episode one’s dry, substance-less and foodless dinner, has been a fantastic vehicle to showcase how social and personal philosophies built on the backs of established hierarchies can both be interesting to unpack and still riddled with problems. it goes from ricken’s friends’ imposing questions about mark’s severance and their earnest belief that either he’s a child being taken advantage of or a grown adult on easy street and in full control, to the conversation with fields in season two about how innies have distinct souls. in both cases, the audience is shown the naked self-interest of these ideas. ricken’s friends are obsessed with either simplifying their lives or treating mark as an absent political cause to improve their moral image, and fields + burt Have to believe that innies have souls because if not, they won’t go to the same place. these are both fascinating positions to hold, but i don’t think the show shies away from trying to truly grasp them, and i’m happy the audience won’t either.

[oldtestleper]

everyone seems to think burt had to sever because hes gay but that doesnt make sense because if being gay barred you from heaven fields (also gay) couldnt meet him there. no. he was torturing people in lumon's basement

[aunti-christ-ine]

[andillwriteyouatragedy]

what if burt..... has always been innie burt.

[soisaidfine]

Ethel Cain: a mother is a very special thing: my great-grandmother’s funeral back in 1995 ♡

magnolia-grove asked: where do the sermon samples on Strangers come from?

mothercain answered (Feb 3, 2023): my great-grandmother’s funeral back in 1995, same as family tree intro ♡

Ethel Cain: Family Tree (Intro), Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, Outside Lands Music Festival (August 2023)

sermon: “a woman, a mother, a mother is a very special thing. other than the lord jesus christ, i think that a mother is one of the most precious gifts that god gives to this world, cause a mother is the one who loves and has the warmth and always seems to be there when we need it. a mother is a very special thing. a mother is a very special thing.” - Family Tree (Intro) - Ethel Cain

. . .

sermon: "God is telling you and I there is death, for all of us. But then we find that the scriptures also tell us that we have a great promise, that there is a better place for those who believe in the lord Jesus Christ" - Strangers - Ethel Cain

. . .

'So I met him there and told him I believe (I believe, yeah)' - Sun Bleached Flies - Ethel Cain

. . .

'Jesus is the real thing. Are you the real thing?'

Sermon, Perry First Church of God, Perry, Florida

[mythmerth]

all I’m saying is that rewriting merlin in a fic with a nativity style start wouldn’t even be that crazy. like uther as herod. hunith and baby emrys flee out of Camelot to ealdor. a prophecy of reform. an all powerful baby. druids as the ‘wise men’ bringing gifts. Magic. immortality. like you can’t even lie and say that wouldn’t work it would work dare I say too well

[jambandatl]

Endless Love

The Leap of Joy in Art and Theology Introduction: The Power of Expression Good morning, church! Today, we explore the story of Mary and Elizabeth in Luke 1:39-56, a story rich with joy, faith, and divine connection. Elizabeth’s baby leaps in her womb at the presence of Mary and the unborn Savior, Jesus. This moment is not just a profound theological revelation but also an example of how…

[sports45]

Trump demands apology, criticizes bishop’s prayer service remarks

President Trump early Wednesday morning slammed the reverend at a National Cathedral prayer service for the inauguration who called on him to have mercy on transgender children and immigrant families.

Trump, in a lengthy post on Truth Social, called Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s remarks “nasty” and not smart.

“The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart,” he said.

Read more

[viridianstarlight]

Do you know who you are?

To the world these days, or at least my generation and younger, personal identity matters a whole lot to people.And to these same people, your identity can be whatever you want it to be.

You are identified by your gender, and they say your gender can be whatever you want on any day.

You are identified by your sexuality and relationship status.

You are identified by the colour of your skin.

You are identified by your job.

There’s more, but I think you get the idea.

So in the eyes of these people, I am male, straight and single, white, and a cafe worker. But I don’t really think that describes ‘Cory’.

But we Christians have a different view of identity. Here’s what the Bible says about who we are.

Psalm 139: 15-16 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

To start with, God knows exactly who you are. He knows everything there is to know about you. So if anyone can show you who you are, it is God.

1 John 3: 1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.

We are called God’s children. We are adopted in to the King’s family.

Romans 8:16-18 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

By being adopted in to the King’s family, we are made co-heirs with Christ, sharing in His sufferings and glory.

Isaiah 43:1 But now, this is what the Lord says— He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

We belong to God.

Romans 6:6 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

Thanks to Christ’s death and resurrection, our faith in Him clothes us in His righteousness and redeems us of our sins. God looks upon us and sees the perfection of Christ.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

God is perfect, and so is everything He creates. God does not make mistakes. You are His masterpiece, the crowning reflection of His perfect creativity.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?

Your body is a holy space where God dwells.

Ephesians 1: 4 Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. 

God created the world in the first chapter of Genesis, and even before then, He knew you perfectly and has loved you perfectly since then.

1 Corinthians 12: 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

You belong as part of something greater than yourself, and you cannot function to your greatest potential separate to the body.

You were created to do things that other parts of the body cannot do, and you were created to benefit the body just as other parts were created to benefit you.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

You are a royal priest of the King. In the old testament, only the high priests could enter the holy of holies within God’s temple. But we, belonging totally to God and being chosen by Him, can enter the presence of God at any time.

And this is all thanks to Christ leaving heaven to become a man, taking our sin to the cross and dying in our place, taking our judgement, and in return sharing His righteousness with us.

Do you know who you are? God does.

[fromhisgrace]

Comparison

(notes from a mini - sermon i heard yesterday!!)

Galatians 6:4 | 1 Samuel 17:38-40

• normal part of life

• comparison is a thief -> steals identity and purpose

• David called a runt by his father while Saul was described as ‘very handsome’. yet David didn’t compare himself because…

• …David knew his identity and his purpose !!!

• which comparison is a thief of!

• David knew his identity: he was A Part of Gods Kingdom -> gave him assurance

• my identity only in Jesus, not other things (e.g. talents or no. of friends)

• if you don’t have a purpose, you’ll only follow others…

• … pursue YOUR identity and YOUR purpose - we are all people different

• we all have a purpose - God makes no accidents/mistakes

• your identity ≠ your purpose (e.g. purpose may be to be a teacher but identity is always that you are a Part of Gods Kingdom)

• social comparison is double edged sword - not purely negative-> can allow for growth

• Saul’s armour didn’t fit David (1 Samuel 17:38-40) -> others’ situations don’t fit us !!

• comparison can be inspiration or contradiction (of Gods word/gifts/plan)

• don’t subtract God’s Gifts to you for what seems appealing (e.g. don’t wish for a flashy lifestyle when your lifestyle now makes you seem warmer/kinder to others)

• comparison can inspire improvement (e.g. to be more like a friend whose very kind)

• if you cannot control comparison, TRUST GODS PLAN (Jeremiah 29:11)

• …for God has planned your steps

[aunti-christ-ine]

[chappellcasual]

casually having jlaire and hiccstrid videos comfort me after my 42-year-old dad called me a 'big back' after eating two bags of chips 💋

[httpsoftbunni]

The Path of Purification and Healing the False Self

In esoteric Christianity, the spiritual journey is traditionally divided into three stages, known as the Threefold Path: Purification, Illumination, and Union. These stages map the soul's ascent from the ego-driven state of separation to its ultimate reunion with God. The threefold path reflects not only the individual’s inner spiritual process but also echoes the stages of the mystical ascent described in many Christian writings, from early church mystics to the Desert Fathers.

Let’s begin by fully exploring Purification, the first stage in this journey.

Purification: The Beginning of the Threefold Path

The Threefold Path provides a systematic blueprint for the transformation of the soul, and the process starts with Purification. In this stage, the seeker embarks on a path of cleansing both internally and externally, purging the soul of attachments, illusions, and distortions created by the ego. The aim is to prepare the soul to receive divine illumination, which can only occur when the inner being has been sufficiently cleared of the barriers that obscure spiritual truth.

At the heart of purification is the dissolution of the false self, or ego. The ego is the part of us that is driven by pride, fear, and desire for control. It identifies with the body, with material possessions, with societal roles, and with the world of forms. The ego is, in essence, the accumulation of conditioned responses to the world, built upon experiences and traumas that reinforce the illusion of separateness from God.

In esoteric Christianity, sin is understood not merely as moral failure, but as the condition of living in separation from God, which is perpetuated by the ego. The purification stage, therefore, involves confronting the ways in which the ego has created false attachments, desires, and fears, and how these patterns keep the soul trapped in duality and suffering.

Purification requires a deep commitment to spiritual discipline and self-awareness. It often involves painful encounters with the shadow aspects of the self—those parts of the ego that have been repressed, denied, or hidden from conscious awareness. However, this process of self-confrontation is essential, as it leads to the dissolution of the ego’s control and opens the way for divine light to begin illuminating the soul.

Spiritual Practices for Purification

One of the most powerful tools in the purification process is the practice of self-examination. In this practice, the seeker regularly reflects on their thoughts, words, and actions, seeking to understand where the ego has been in control and where alignment with divine will has been lost. This leads to a deepening awareness of one’s inner state and the recognition of those aspects of the self that need purification.

Confession, whether in the context of a sacrament or as a private practice before God, serves as an act of humility and release. By naming the aspects of the ego that have been uncovered through self-examination, the seeker begins the process of letting go of the false self and its attachments.

Prayer is central to the purification process, particularly forms of prayer that focus on inner stillness and receptivity to divine grace. As mentioned earlier, contemplative prayer, such as the Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me"), is a method used in the esoteric tradition to quiet the mind and focus the heart on God’s presence. Through repeated, focused prayer, the ego's hold is gradually loosened, and the soul begins to experience a deeper connection with the divine.

Fasting, both from food and from other attachments, is another essential practice in purification. By fasting, the soul learns to let go of its dependence on the physical world, training the body and mind to surrender cravings and desires to God. Fasting also has a symbolic dimension: it mirrors the soul’s hunger for God and teaches the seeker that true nourishment comes only from the divine.

In the esoteric Christian tradition, the heart is seen as the center of spiritual perception. However, the heart is often clouded by the impurities of the ego—anger, envy, pride, and fear. Purification of the heart is therefore a crucial step in this process, as it allows the soul to perceive spiritual truths more clearly.

The purification of the heart is a gradual process, often aided by practices of forgiveness and compassion. By learning to forgive others and to release judgments, the seeker begins to free the heart from the ego's need for control and superiority. Compassion, especially toward those who have wronged us, dissolves the barriers created by the ego’s desire for separation and division.

The Role of Grace in Purification

While purification involves active participation from the seeker, it is ultimately a process guided by divine grace. The soul, on its own, cannot achieve purification through mere willpower or effort. It is only through God’s grace that the ego can be dissolved, and the soul can be restored to its original purity.

Grace is often described as an unearned gift from God, a divine force that works within us to transform and heal the soul. In the purification process, grace acts as both a healing balm and a purifying fire. It burns away the impurities of the ego while simultaneously restoring the soul’s capacity for love, compassion, and divine awareness.

The seeker’s role is to remain open to grace, to be willing to surrender the ego’s resistance to transformation, and to trust in God’s ability to heal and purify. This requires a deep act of faith—a recognition that true purification can only occur when we allow ourselves to be guided by a power greater than the ego.

The Fruits of Purification

The path of purification, while often challenging and painful, ultimately leads to profound spiritual growth. As the ego is gradually dissolved, the soul begins to experience greater freedom, clarity, and peace. The attachments, fears, and illusions that once defined the false self are replaced by a deeper awareness of God’s presence within and around us.

One of the key fruits of purification is inner peace. As the ego’s grip loosens, the constant striving, anxiety, and fear that characterize the false self begin to dissipate. In their place, the soul experiences a deep sense of stillness and trust in God’s providence.

Another fruit of purification is greater compassion. As the seeker releases the ego’s need for superiority and control, they become more open to others, seeing them not as competitors or threats, but as fellow souls on the same journey toward divine union. Compassion flows naturally from a heart that has been purified of ego-driven judgments and desires.

Finally, purification leads to a greater capacity for divine illumination, which we will explore more deeply in the next lesson. As the soul is cleansed of egoic attachments, it becomes more receptive to the light of God’s truth, allowing divine wisdom to flow more freely into consciousness.

Purification is the essential first step on the spiritual path in esoteric Christianity. It involves the deep cleansing of the soul from the illusions, attachments, and wounds created by the false self. Through practices of self-examination, prayer, fasting, and purification of the heart, the soul becomes more receptive to divine grace and begins to experience the fruits of inner peace, compassion, and clarity.

However, purification is not the end of the journey. It is merely the gateway to the deeper stages of spiritual transformation. In the next lesson, we will explore Illumination—the second stage of the threefold path—and examine how the purified soul becomes a vessel for divine light and wisdom.