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mariacallous · 7 months ago

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Editor's note: This is an adapted excerpt from “The Contemporary Black Church: The New Dynamics of African American Religion,” which will be published by New York University Press in August 2024. Data cited in this article is from the cumulative file of the 1972-2022 General Social Survey.

In recent decades, we have witnessed major structural transformations and cultural developments that have profoundly impacted the Black Church, and these changes have strongly influenced political attitudes and political affiliations among African Americans. Today’s Black Church is primarily comprised of four traditions: Baptists, Methodists, Holiness/Pentecostals, and non-denominational Protestants. Some quick religious history and demographic information sets the tone for understanding changing politics among African Americans; the former traditions were established more than a century ago, while non-denominationals (i.e., nondenoms) were nearly nonexistent but have multiplied their flock several times over since the late 1980s.

Data from the 1972-2022 General Social Survey (GSS) indicates that Baptists comprise the largest Christian tradition in Black America by far at 43%, and they along with Methodists (five percent) help to comprise the “mainline” branch of the Black Church’s denominational family tree. Conversely, Holiness/Pentecostals (six percent) and nondenoms (12%) comprise the “evangelical” branch of the tree. It’s also worth mentioning that the percentage of religious nonaffiliates (or African Americans who do not claim to follow any particular faith) has sharply risen to 20%. In today’s world, religious “nones” are now the second largest religious classification of Black America, and it continues to grow as mainliners (in particular) lose members.

African American political alignments have changed along with their religious affiliations, and this helps to explain a burgeoning diversity within Black America. Black America is not the political monolith that many people inaccurately believe that it is. For example, recent GSS data shows that there has been a double-digit decline—by as much as 43%—in the percentage of self-described political “liberals” among Baptists, Holiness/Pentecostals, nondenoms, and religious nonaffiliates. Most of these ideological switchers now describe themselves as political “moderates.” Furthermore, there has been a double-digit increase in the percentage of African Americans who claim to be political “conservatives” among nondenoms, Black followers of historically white evangelical traditions, Catholics, and religious “nones.” Indeed, only 13% of Black nondenoms claimed to be politically “conservative” in the early 1980s. However, at least 25% do so today, and there is no reason to believe that this slow but steady trend will reverse course any time soon due to changing ideological alignments among African Americans overall.

A driving assumption in the study of U.S. politics is that African Americans overwhelmingly identify as Democrats and consistently vote for Democratic candidates when exercising their right to vote. However, these expectations—like those for Blacks’ political ideologies—can no longer be accepted at face value. It is true that nearly 70% of African Americans across most religious classifications align themselves with the Democratic Party. However, there are some notable exceptions. No less than 77% of Methodists and 74% of Baptists think of themselves as “Democrats,” while only 60% of nondenominational Protestants do so. Moreover, one-third of nondenoms view themselves as “independents,” while more than half of religious nonaffiliates do so. These latter findings are especially important considering that nondenoms and “nones” are the two fastest-growing religious categories among African Americans in the post-Civil Rights era.

To be sure, the strength of African Americans’ affiliation with the Democratic Party has substantially weakened over the decades. In the early 1970s, 78% of Baptists viewed themselves as Democrats. However, only 68% do so now. Nondenoms and Catholics also experienced double-digit declines in alignments with the Democratic Party, while Holiness/Pentecostals, Baptists, and “nones” experienced double-digit increases among members who view themselves as independents. Although a whopping 90% of Methodists affiliate with the Democratic Party today, only 43% of religious nonaffiliates do so. This is by far the lowest percentage for any religious classification in Black America.

It is important to note that while many African Americans are moving away from the Democratic Party, they are not moving towards the Republican Party in any meaningful way. The percentage of Black Catholics who view themselves as Republicans increased by nine percent, while nondenoms and “nones” respectively increased by four percent and three percent. A multifaceted explanation for this boils down to the fact that many African Americans still don’t “trust” the Republican Party to address persistent racial discrimination and inequality. Nevertheless, Blacks’ commitment to social conservativism on various issues (such as homosexuality, for example) remains resolute, and affluent African Americans increasingly believe that they personally stand to benefit from conservative Republicans’ attention to lower taxes and other financial incentives that enhance their earning power. Thus, there is strong reason to believe that Black support for the Republican Party could expand with the passage of time.

What does all of this mean for the upcoming 2024 presidential election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump? In short, we cannot presume that the Black vote will automatically go to President Biden. In an election that will likely be decided at the margins, Biden will have to work to garner segments of the Black vote—particularly nondenominational Protestants and religious nonaffiliates. For instance, (1) Baptists and Methodists are statistically more likely to vote in presidential elections, and when they do vote, they do so overwhelmingly for Democrats. This is primarily because clergy within these mainline denominations led the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s (remember, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was Baptist). However, (2) nondenominational Protestants are significantly less likely to vote for Democratic candidates than Baptists and Methodists and are twice as likely to vote for Republicans. And finally, (3) while religious “nones” tend to vote for Democrats, they don’t turn out to vote nearly as consistently as Baptists and Methodists. Thus, if the Democratic Party wants to garner the support of these different blocs in Black America, it must figure out a way to bridge a gap between believers who comprise the backbone of the Black vote and nonaffiliates who require an additional layer of motivation to cast their vote since they consider themselves to be “independents.”

So, while President Biden has some work to do, there is room for former President Trump to make gains among the fastest-growing Christian tradition within the contemporary Black Church—those nondenominational Protestant voters who identify as “conservative” and/or might vote for Republicans on the basis of their privileged pocketbook rather than what could seemingly be beneficial for Blacks in general. Trump must also hope that the “nones” sit out this election cycle.

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gisellelx · 8 months ago

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Do you think Carlisle was still going to church even tho he was a vampire?

I've done a LOT of thinking and research about this, over the years, so apologies for the length here. I actually dropped most of my headcanon about this on the ole' sideblog not too long ago. But since I am 150% committed to the bit over there, there's no room for explaining why my reading leads to my writing that Carlisle thinks a particular way, since he presumably has no knowledge of the text.

A lot of misunderstandings about Carlisle's relationship with religion, IMO, come from trying to view him and his father through the lens of contemporary American evangelical Christianity. Evangelical Christians, as we know them in the US, are a very, very recent development--they date back to roughly the Regan era, and if they claim denominational affiliation (many do not), they are typically Pentecostal, Methodist, or Baptist.

Carlisle canonically is the son of an Anglican priest. This was the 1640s-1660s, and one of his scant human memories is of the Protectorate, meaning that either his father loved Cromwell or hated Cromwell. Given that, plus the rest of what we know about his dad--that he believed in evil, and hunted demons (anachronistic btw), it seems likely that he was a Puritan. Americans are familiar with the separating Puritans as part of our country's founding mythos--the settlers who came seeking freedom to practice their religion and you know whoops just accidentally did a genocide but not before having a big meal with the Wampanoag!

But there was a second set of nonseparating Puritans who stayed in England, and tried to reform the Anglican church from within. So if we take at face value that Carlisle remembers his father as "Anglican," plus the attitudes toward evil and strong memory of Cromwell, this is likely where Carlisle landed. His church upbringing would've been heavy on the fire and brimstone in the preaching, but still based on an order of worship derived from the Catholic service, with an order of confession, weekly readings from the Old and New Testaments according to the lectionary (as opposed to the modern nondenominational practice of reading whatever the heck the pastor feels like/following a newer bible reading schedule), the recitation of the Lord's Prayer and the creed, and music of psalmodys, occasional hymns, fractions and collects. Communion would've been celebrated frequently.

I suspect, that as a vampire, Carlisle still finds a great deal of solace in that worship pattern. It is one of the few things that is very little changed in his long life. I think he pops into an Episcopal church once every couple years, and when a congregation sings the oldest collects, it moves him to what otherwise would be tears because some deep part of his mind remembers the music the same way an elderly patient with dementia would.

So yes, I think he goes on occasion. I definitely meant this kind of as a shitpost when I wrote it, but it also rings true--he still takes seriously the trappings of the faith practices he grew up with. They are meaningful to him. I loved the new canon introduced in MS that he likes popping into churches when the family are out hunting because it felt very in character and also gives him a really delightful soft side.

He doesn't go often. He doesn't feel like he has to. But he still does find meaning in it all, and to him, it still matters.

#long post #meta #asks #Carlisle Cullen #mind you I HATE #the other church related new canon from MS #about the funerals #Stregoni Benefici has a lot of Carlisle in and around church #and I did my level best to make sure it was accurately depicted

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odinsblog · 8 months ago

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OMFG. I always like to think that I would be a great father, but Hoo boy, the stories my sister tells me sometimes got me thinking that maybe I might not be as great as I believe

My sister called me this morning and she was fucking hot

She just had the interiors of her house professionally painted. Something she and her spouse been wanting to do for years, but they kept putting it off because they always had other, more pressing uses for the money, right?

So they splurged

And then, this morning she called me so mad that she could hardly articulate her words (she’s a communications grad and former news producer, so it really takes a lot to leave her speechless)

I was trying to get whatever happened out of her and she sent me a text with a picture

Their 9yr old son took a giant permanent black marker and wrote across the wall, and his bedroom door, and the wall on the other side of his bedroom door: “NO ONE IS ALOUD IN MY ROOM”

Like ….. in huge, giant ass letters

LMAO, all I could think of to calm her down was, showing her this video and asking if she was going to discipline him for misspelling the word ‘allowed’?

My sister has always impressed me because of her parenting decision to never use corporal punishment with their children. Like, “not sparing the rod” is big in Black families (esp Pentecostal ones) and it’s definitely not how we were raised, so kudos to her. Breaking the cycle and all. Good job, sis 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

HOWEVER ….. I gotta say, I’m wondering if she’s gon be able to stick with that one today

Nah, she won’t. She definitely might be tempted to, but I know she won’t. She sees the value of talking things out, and not setting an example for violence solving problems. But she will absolutely teach him about consequences fo sho

But I am seriously dying to find out what his punishment is going to be

#whew boy #parenting

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depressionanddeconstruction · 5 months ago

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*pinned post*

I'm Katherine. She/her. White, cis queer woman.

This is gonna be SO long. I'm so sorry.

TL;DR : uhhh...i'm Christian but hopefully not one of THOSE Christians? (trying, learning and working not to be)

Let's start with side blogs, then a cut.

@toodepressedforinstagram personal blog. Ranting, shitposting, whatever I want.

@fandomofisolation tv shows, books, movies, etc. Currently there's a lot of Our Flag Means Death, 9-1-1 and Supernatural (i know, yikes, haha)

@tellmethestoryofyourtattoos art, photography, travel, stories, cute animals

@clearancelevelneedtoknow human rights, social justice, education, science, resources

@justspngifsrbs reblogging Supernatural gifs (made at the peak of my relapse into an obsession with that stupid, brilliant, awful, wonderful, hilarious, tragic mess)

I have one other secret side blog. If I liked a bunch of your posts that don't fit the theme of this blog or any of my other side blogs, you'll know what my secret side blog is about and why it's secret.

If you're here because you saw that I followed you or liked a bunch of your posts, here's what you should know:

Sometimes, the discrepancy between the vibes of this blog and the blogs I follow or the posts I like may give you pause. I get it. Don't worry, I PROMISE I am not trying to evangelize you. I use tumblr for a lot of different things. This was my first tumblr blog and is therefore still my main blog. Over the years, I've made others for different areas of my interests. I mostly reblog from the side blogs listed above.

Now. If you found me through one of the posts that I made on this blog itself, there are some things you should know about me which will allow you to contextualize the stuff I say here.

I AM a Christian. I don't really know how to define that except to say that I believe in a higher power, who has consciousness and will. And I believe that all of reality originated from and is still maintained by that higher power. My concept of that higher power aligns most closely with the Christian concept of God.

I am currently deconstructing and reconstructing my faith.

I grew up in a family that attended a church that's part of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Newfoundland and Labrador, which is in turn part of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship.

Some stuff about NL pentecostal culture:

- no drinking, smoking or drugs. Most are teetotalers (if someone in the community does drink or smoke, it's a little rebellious/scandalous/taboo). For communion, we use grape juice.

- no sex before marriage

- teeeeeeeechnically, no divorce either

- gambling is also taboo. Older people in small, rural towns even avoid playing cards altogether, just because of the association with gambling.

- my mom's generation is weird about dancing. She almost didn't let me go to prom because it was a dance. It's basically like the movie Footloose - "dances are events where teenagers might engage in risky behavior like drinking, drugs and sexual promiscuity. Therefore, dancing must be banned." That's on its way out, I think.

- similar to the dancing one, my grandparents' generation was weird about movie theatres. That has passed.

- women CAN be pastors (clergy). Divorced people cannot.

- divorced people and unwed mothers are allowed to volunteer at church stuff (as layfolk) but gay people are not.

- my church is trying to be diverse. That means they're trying to create a community that welcomes, includes, celebrates and values people of all ethnicities and cultures. They're not perfect but I can say that they're trying.

- they're pretty chill about mental health stuff, as far as i can tell.

- at my church, the lead pastor is a white man (the lead pastors at most NL pentecostal churches are white men, and the leaders of the paonl are white men). Two other pastors are white men. One is a white woman. One is a woman who is either white or mixed race. I do not know for sure. I've never asked her. Three other people on staff at the church in layfolk paid positions are two white women and a woman of colour. There are also nine women on staff as part of the "Community Connections and Conversation Cafe (ESL)" team. Four are white, five are women of colour.

- so basically, I can say that they are not intentionally, maliciously, overtly misogynistic, racist or ableist. Obviously they are still part of a religious institution that exists in this province and country because of settler colonialism. Obviously the same systematic inequalities that are inherent in schools, healthcare, government and all colonial institutions are also inherent in this one. I can say that, within the obvious limitations of that context, they are trying to be feminist, accessible and anti-racist.

- they're struggling with fully embracing non-cishet folx. I know that within the NL pentecostal community, there are individuals who support me and are fully affirming of my relationship with my wife as a normal, healthy, God-honouring relationship. But they are the minority. And like officially, my wife and I are not allowed to volunteer at any NL pentecostal churches or with any NL pentecostal events. We are welcomed and accepted and included as attendees when we go to church. It's just that, for us, volunteering with kids and youth programs has always been an integral part of faith and participating in church so it kinda sucks that we can't do it anymore.

- the bible is the "inspired, infallible, authoritative" word of God

Some stuff NL pentecostal churches believe:

- God is sort of like a person, more or less. An intangible, invisible, immortal, pure-spirit, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent person-like entity. With will, consciousness and feelings. He loves, He hurts, He gets angry, He gets sad, He grieves.

- God made the whole universe from nothing, by speaking.

- God is the only God. He's the only entity like Himself that exists, and everything else in existence came from Him. I am pretty sure that PAONLers believe that if there is some kind of spiritual entity that is neither God nor human, it's either an angel or a demon. Christians in general don't believe in djinn or in other deities/minor deities.

- humans were made in the image of God. So i guess it's less that God is a person-like entity, and more that humans are God-like little dudes.

- humans have souls, which are...from what I understand, one of the three essential things that make up a human (body, mind and soul), and are sort of like intangible, immutable, immortal imprints of one's identity and one's choices on earth. I think many people think that a version of your consciousness is stored in your soul, which will have awareness after your earthly body dies.

- the trinity: God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit, three in one

- Jesus is the Son of God. He was fully God and fully man. Virgin birth. He died and came back to life then ascended to Heaven where He is now chillin and will eventually come back to earth "in power and glory to rule a thousand years"

- the Holy Spirit allows people to speak in "toungues", which is a supernatural prayer language unique to each person. It is the Holy Spirit speaking directly to God the Father through a believer's mouth, without involving the believer's brain. It cannot be understood by any human, including the one speaking it (unless the Holy Spirit gives someone else the supernatural gift of interpretation).

- angels, demons, demon possession and miracles (including raising people from the dead, healing the body, and "signs and wonders") are all real, actual things that exist and have happened and do still happen today

- believers are supposed to get baptized in water as a public declaration of their faith

- believers are supposed to participate in communion (which, for pentecostals, is the metaphorical, not literal, consumption of Jesus' flesh and blood) as a reminder of Jesus' death and resurrection until He comes back

- anyone who is "saved" goes to Heaven

- on the topic of Jesus coming back, NL pentecostals believe in "the Rapture" which is supposedly when Jesus comes back, all believers living and dead will be raised up into the air, like being beamed up onto a spaceship. Or they'll just vanish into thin air, leaving behind clothing, shoes, glasses, etc., if you believe the "Left Behind" book series.

- there is an eternal afterlife, and the only two options are Heaven or Hell

- preeeeeeeetty sure PAONLers officially don't believe in ghosts. I'm pretty sure they think the door to another plane of existence is one-way only. Like I said, only two options, and PAONLers believe that both those options are eternal and irrevocable.

If you're into theology, and these words have meaning for you, here are some terms that apply to NL pentecostals:

- anyone who is not "saved" goes to Hell

- God doesn't want anyone to go to hell so He sent Jesus to take our sins upon Himself

- When Jesus was dying on the cross, He assumed all the guilt for all humans who ever were and ever would be

- the only way to be "saved" is to believe in Jesus as the Son of God who died and came back to life, accept Him as your Lord and Savior, and profess said belief and acceptance

- Protestant

- Evangelical

- Charismatic

- Biblical inerrancy

- Finished Work Pentecostalism (progressive sanctification)

- Trinitarian

- Premillenial dispensationalism

- Pretribulation Rapture

- Arminianism

- Security of the believer (conditional upon continual faith and repentance)

- Continuationism

So that's where I come from. That's how I grew up. That's what influenced the beginning of my faith.

Now. Where am I going? Well, I don't know. But like I said, I'm still a Christian. That label still feels right. I'm currently in the process of deconstructing and reconstructing. I don't want to just take away from everything I was taught by the Pentecostal Assemblies of Newfoundland and Labrador. I only want to add to it. Not in the sense that I want to believe everything. That's admittedly rather difficult, because a lot of different Christian beliefs are opposites of each other. I want to add to what I've been taught in the sense that I want to know, and understand, what other sects believe and why. I probably won't know, within this lifetime, which view is "right". Maybe it doesn't matter.

My wife, who is very wise, said, "I just don't have the energy to try to figure it all out. I know I love God, and we have to love other people. I guess we'll find out the rest eventually. I am hanging on to my faith with my last little bit of strength. So I just want to use that bit of strength to focus on loving God, being loved by Him, and loving everyone else the way He loves them."

Some highlights of my current belief:

- "God" is an entity. God has consciousness and will. God is the only *anything* that is real and has always been. All of reality as we know it flows from, is part of, and is maintained by God.

- i think that God's form is pure energy. And I think that energy is love. I think God = love = energy. I don't just think that all love is from God; I think all love is God. Same goes for energy. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. God always was, always is, and always will be. All of matter is made of molecules, which are made of atoms, which are made of protons, neutrons and electrons, which are made of quarks, which are energy. God is over all and through all and in all. So I think that all of reality is energy which is love which is God (like the force in Star Wars). And love, as a force, is the most powerful force in reality. Stronger than gravity (like in the movie "Interstellar"). Faster than light. More powerful than life and death.

- science is legit. Science is just an attempt to understand reality. If all reality is God, then science is one way to understand God. Science, math, art, music, language, belief, thought, relationships between humans are all ways to understand, and engage with, the divine. So whatever the scientists can prove with evidence and solid methodology and peer reviewal, i'm on board. Evolution? Yep. I'm good. Climate change? Yeah. Same page. Age of the earth? Yes. Dinosaurs? Yes. Hominids other than homo sapiens (e.g. H. neanderthalis)? Yes. All of it. Whatever science is offering, I'm taking.

- Trinitarian vs Oneness (i.e. is God three in one, God the father, God the son, or God the Holy Spirit, separate entities but all God? Or are the father the son and the holy spirit all different forms of the same dude - just God?) My belief: yes? Both? Who cares?

- was Jesus fully God AND fully man? Was Jesus the Son of God? Or just a normal human fully filled with the Holy Spirit? My belief: Yes? Both? Who cares?

- did Jesus actually die and come back to life? My belief: mmm.....yeah, I'm still feelin' that it's a yes on that one. That's important to me. Haven't let go of that one yet.

- is the Bible infallible and inerrant? My belief: ummmm.......I don't think so. I am no longer really vibing with that particular theology.

- did God make the world in a literal seven days in the exact order described in Genesis chapter 1? My belief: nahhh.

- When Jesus comes back, are believers, living and dead, going to float up into the air like they're being beamed up onto a spaceship? My belief: I mean, I feel like this could go either way. On the one hand, I see no reason to take that literally. On the other hand, why not? I'd believe weirder.

- are angels and demons real? My belief: well, i think so. But i doubt that they are anything like what we think. I believe in a spiritual realm and i believe that there may be entities that exist on that "plane".

- do people get possessed by demons and can those demons be cast out of the hosts? My belief: i'm thinking yes and yes.

- does each individual human have a specially-assigned guardian angel? My belief: i mean, I feel like that's unlikely,but what do I know?

- are people who speak in tongues really filled with the Holy Spirit? Is that a legit supernatural event? My belief: yeah, I think so. Why not? I'd believe weirder.

- do miracles still happen? Like raising people from the dead? Healing the sick and injured? Signs and wonders? My belief: yeah, I think so. Why not? I'd believe weirder.

(To be continued. I am working on this post in fits and starts. I will talk more about my de/reconstruction journey eventually)

#tw hell mention #cw hell mention #tw religious themes #tw religion #cw religious themes #cw religion #tw homophobia #tw transphobia #cw homophobia #cw transphobia #religion #christianity #christian faith

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riverdamien · 5 months ago

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Peniel Temenos Catholic Worker Summer Newsletter

Post Office Box 642656

San Francisco, CA 94164

www.temenos.org

415-305-2124

Fr. River Sims, D.Min., D.S.T.

Director

==================================

Summertime: A Time of Creation and Rest!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

in the new light

of each day's questions.

I am never prepared

Today, again, I have nothing

to offer but a handful

of old prayers, worn down

by the relentless abasion

of doubt and a fragment

of dream, that plays on in my head

only half-remembered. Still,

the doves coo and circle

through the pines

as they do when I pass

each morning. Their

sorrow is so nearly human, it rings

sweet with regret. By dusk,

the trees will bow down, and I too, will

make my appeal will

find again your mercy,

your solace.

(Elizabeth Drescher)

(How will we embrace Wisdom's life and love these days?

-------------------------------------------------

After Pentecost, we enter a season with no common focus called "Ordinary Time!" These weeks hold both the slower pace and peaceful quality of summer months and the quicker pace and flurry of activity in early fall.

These are the "ordinary" days in which we live out our daily lives.

It is time we settle into the growing season, nourishing the seeds planted in the Spring and putting down roots in our lives.

This is my 30th season of "Ordinary Time" in San Francisco and the words of Drescher I hear loud and clear in the dusk of my ministry::

By dusk,

the trees will bow down, and I too, will

make my appeal will

find again your mercy,

your solace.

What I have learned in these 30 years is that like the Apostle Peter, I am simply weak, and a sinner dependent on the mercy of God every day.

Pope Francis sums up the core of ministry, and of our daily lives in these words:

"What a good teacher our Lord is! The prophetic gesture of Jesus points to the prophetic Church that, washed of her sin, is unafraid to go out to serve a wounded humanity. Peter experienced in his flesh the wound of sin, but also of his own limitations and weaknesses. Yet he learned from Jesus that his wounds could be a path of resurrection. To know both Peter disheartened

and Peter transfigured is an invitation to pass from being a Church of the unhappy and disheartened that serves all those people who are unhappy and disheartened in our midst. A Church capable of serving her Lord in those who are hungry, imprisoned, thirsting, homeless, naked and informed. .(Mt. 25:35. A service that has nothing to do with a welfare ministry or an attitude of paternalism but rather with the CONVERSION OF THE HEARTS. The problem is not feeding the poor or clothing the naked or visiting the sick, but rather RECOGNIZING THAT THE POOR, THE NAKED, PRISONERS AND THE HOMELESS HAVE THE DIGNITY TO SIT AT OUR TABLE, TO FEEL "AT HOME" AMONG US, TO FEEL PART OF A FAMILY. This is the sign that the Kingdom of Heaven is in our midst. This is the sign of a Church wounded by sin, shown mercy by the Lord, and made prophetic by his call."

The greatest gift God has given me in these years is to lean on the mercy of God. All around us, the "throw-away" culture has no mercy; all values are relative to the logic of technology. It is easy for us to trust in power and law, rather than in the power of God's mercy.

In all these years, God's mercy has been sustaining, leading me through life's difficulties.

I invite each of you to stand in the shoes of mercy and show mercy to others, knowing that you experience mercy in the hands of God. I "try" to invite everyone to have mercy knowing that by:

By dusk,

the trees will bow down, and I too, will

make my appeal, will

find again your mercy,

your solace!

30th Anniversary Celebration

Victor’s Pizza

6 p.m.

November, 2024

WE ARE BEGGARS! WE REALLY NEED MONEY1

FOR FOOD, SOCKS, HARM REDUCTION AND OTHER SERVICES!

P.O. Box 642656

415-305-2124

[email protected]

pay pal

www.temenos.org

Temenos Catholic Worker

P.O. Box 642656

San Francisco, CA 94164

Fr. River Sims, D.Min, D.S.T.

#homeless #spirituality #povertyy #youth

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monsooninn · 6 months ago

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Berakhot 8a:15. "The Ace of Silver."

In the prior frame, we learn the Mishnah includes a set of Conditions for the onset for Mashiach ordained by Jesus Himself. The Holy Talmud was written around 500 CE. There are no other Jewish records or hints of a continuity between the two religions other than in Acts 2 which states during Pentecost that Jews should always lead Christianity in the establishing of pantheism, i.e. the spread of common knowledge about the Mysteries of the Spirit of Heaven. All of this can be found in the Torah and the Tanakh, within which are references to Buddhism, Vedanta and the gods of the ancient world, identifying them as instruments of the God Yah in the evolution of mankind.

Acts of the Apostles, (circa 70-90 CE) Chapter 2:

2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

The Values in Gematria for v. 12 and 13 explain. The Number is 8760, חזו‎‎אֶפֶס, xuefes, "the Ace of Silver, concealed right before your nose."

The Gematria says Jesus was the Ace of Silver because He was nice to everyone, and didn't care where they came from, what class they were, or what kind of work they did. This is the message of the Gospels the Mishnah says all Jews must bear to the world as the proper heirs the legacy of the Christ. The tract from the Book of Acts confirms this.

The next frame introduces the "sower", Mr. Zutra, Ha Demar Zutra, "The son of the one who understand the Myrrh", and states, no matter the time, the place, the language, the nation or the throne, Moses is still better than all of the rest, even the Son of Heaven.

Jesus Himself said this. Without freedom from delusion, freedom from slavery, from ignorance and the barbarism of the suburbs, Mashiach will not take place. We must always know Moses very well if we are to have any hopes of knowing the Mashiach.

15. Mr. Zutra said: "At the time of finding" - this is the house of the throne. Say in the evening: Ha Demar Zutra is better than all of them.

The Value in Gematria is 6097, סטז‎‎‎, stez, "that 16" "the life course" which is 209, באֶפֶסט‎, "in life there is no zero."

We are finite beings that have the ability to sense and interact with the finite, but we will never able to comprehend it or be like it. The closest we can get, according to the Torah, the Tanakh, the Mishnah, and the Gospels are to fight for freedom, fall in love and settle down in a happy marriage and honor the God of our Fathers with friends, family, and coworkers as often as possible.

This thinking appears very early in human history because of the appearance of the Jewish people, humanity's first civilization and we still flirt with the idea today. There can be no future, however, if we do not pay attention to the Torah, and entreat the Spirit of the God through the observance of Shabbos and then Shabbat.

There simply is no other way to peform as a mankind that wants to survive long and long in a state of bliss. All the scriptures, as the Book of Acts and the Talmud indicate this is our sole purpose in life.

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buggie-hagen · 8 months ago

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Sermon for Second Sunday of Easter (4/7/24)

Primary Text | Psalm 133

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

In the time of Jesus, before his death and resurrection, the 33 years he walked the earth, there was yet no New Testament written. There was just what we today understand to be the books of the Old Testament. This did not phase Jesus, our Lord. Like a good green tea, he was steeped in the Scriptures. And this was his claim about them: “Mine.” All the Old Testament is “mine.” (pause) He would show in his life, death, and resurrection, that they spoke about him. Pointed to him. Still points to him. Proclaims him. The Old Testament books were written about him. Salvation comes in the name of Jesus to all who believe. We can speak this way about the Book of Psalms. There are 150 canonical psalms. Together, they are the hymnbook of the Bible. A hymnbook much older than our comparatively “brand new” green Lutheran Book of Worship. Martin Luther would call the Psalms the “little Bible.” Why? He will say in the Psalms is “everything contained in the Bible, beautifully and briefly put together….the whole of Christianity is touched in this Book” (Luther, paraphrased). The Psalms proclaim Christ. Jesus himself would have prayed these words. And so, in our weekly Sunday morning Divine Service, as we recite the Psalm together, be emboldened, and pay attention, may the Spirit cause the psalms to sink into your hearts, we pray with Jesus when we say these words.

Now in all my years reading the Psalms, by far one of the strangest ones is the one assigned for today. Psalm 133. It’s short. Three verses. Starts out well enough: “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity” (vs. 1). It’s the next verse that will trip you up, “It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes” (vs. 2). Now that’s strange to our ears. It may strike our curiosity. It took me a while to figure this one out. It’s like, why are we dousing Aaron’s head with so much oil that it spills over onto his clothing? And why is the biblical figure of Aaron, the brother of Moses, featured here and not someone else? And why is this a good and pleasant thing as verse one would say? To answer that we will begin with verse 1: “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity.” Kindred. That’s brothers or sisters, that’s siblings. Really, this means God’s people, when God’s people live together in unity. Look around. Everyone sitting here today is your brother and sister and sibling. In other words, your family. Very strange to say. Some of you are related by blood. But not all of you. It doesn’t matter if you’re related. That doesn’t determine your value here. For you are siblings. Family. You have a bond deeper than blood. Your common genetic material, your DNA, as valuable as that is, can only get you so far. There are things deeper than DNA, or certificates of the law, can get you. Especially, when we are talking about the things of God. God’s people today, as it has been since the first Pentecost over 2,000 years ago, is the Christian church-community. Wherever it is found. Wherever the gospel is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered. There you will find God’s unique people, unlike any other community on earth.

The Psalm-writer says of us, “How very good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” It’s very strange because this verse does not match up with our experience. For 2,000 years to today we do not very well visibly reflect this good and pleasant unity. As we know the church-community on earth, we know that it is divided up into factions. We have this church and that church and that church, and they couldn’t be bothered to do ministry together. Denominations add up year by year, day by day. And it is to our detriment. Even within individual congregations, there are divisions. People find clicks, favoritism is shown to those we like and those we don’t like we push away. It begs the question. As God’s people on earth, this particular group of people God has piled together, where do we find our unity? In spite of our inevitable failure to love one another as God has loved us, what is it that unifies us? And to that question, we find our good news for today. Our unity is in our common belief that Jesus is Lord. He’s the one in charge. The one to whom we are obligated. He is Lord of each of us individually, and therefore Lord of this whole church-community. So, the church-community, wherever it is found on earth, and certainly as it is found here at our church-community, has a unity. A divinely-given unity. One that cannot be taken away. For Jesus is Lord here. Not you. Not me. Not guilt. Not history. Not our little qualms. Jesus is Lord. (pause) This has several take-aways. One. The church-community isn’t only for people who have it all together. Most of us, in fact, I would venture to say, all of us, do not have it together. Our individual lives are a mess. And that mess shows up whether we’re at home, at work, at church, at the grocery store. Wherever we are, there we are. The good news for your bad situation is this, that you don’t have to have it together. God is the one who has it together. And that, my friends, my siblings, that is enough, that God has our backs. He has your back.

That Jesus is Lord is what unifies us also means that it doesn’t matter what others think or say of you. The opinions of others do not trump the opinion of God. People may say that you are unwanted. That you are not good enough. That we as the church are not good enough. That’s their loss. Not ours. We have Christ. And Christ is enough. He will see us through. If our life, or if our church depended on our own ability to live up to others’ expectations, we would never make it. But because we have Christ, even though we fail, yet in Christ we have the only victory that matters. He has won us over in his death and resurrection. And he who has started a good thing in you will not be done with you until he has completed that good thing. Jesus has been raised. So, all the world, sin, death, and the devil do not win; God wins. Here’s a sign of that victory: Thomas stuck his finger into Jesus our Lord, into his wounds. So, Jesus our Lord is a finger-stickable Jesus. He is really and truly risen. And because he is really and truly risen, we need not live in fear anymore. (pause)

Our unity is not found in what you and I are capable of. Our unity is found in Christ in what he has already done for us, in both dying and being raised from the dead on Easter. (pause) The church-community also is not unified by whatever our individual, run-of-the-mill politics may be. As scandalous as it is to say, you can be a Democrat, you still belong to this church. You can be a Republican, you belong to this church. It’s not politics that unifies the church and brings it together. It is Jesus who does.

And now, about this oil that runs over the head, beard, and clothes of Aaron, the brother of Moses. Oil was used for things other than cars or cooking. It was a sign of God’s goodness. If you had a guest in your home, you blessed them with oil on their head. Aaron, as your read about him in the Old Testament, was the first high priest of God’s people. He interceded for the people’s forgiveness. Aaron stands as a shadow of Jesus. Jesus, our great high priest. Jesus, who in his death and resurrection brought about your forgiveness. The unity of God’s people is something we do not earn. It is given. A gift of God. The past of our church-community (and of you), the present, and the future of our church-community is all in Christ, who alone keeps us together. In Christ, there are no winners or losers. We are all equal. We all confess this: “I have no righteousness or goodness of my own. All I have is Christ who has given me mercy.” That is God’s good news specifically for you, as a church-community, and as individuals, Christ has given you his mercy. You stand as a people forgiven. That is enough. How very good and pleasant.

#congregation name anonymized

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pentecostalchurchesinwollert · 10 months ago

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Pentecostal Churches in Wollert:A Journey Through Wollert

In the vast landscape of spirituality and religious beliefs, finding a community where one can feel welcomed, supported, and spiritually nourished is of paramount importance. For those residing Pentecostal Churches in Wollert, Mill Park, or Craigieburn, the search for a Pentecostal or Christian community might lead them to explore various options, each offering unique experiences and opportunities for growth. In this journey, we will delve into the vibrant Christian landscape of these areas, with a spotlight on Liberty Church, a beacon of faith and community in the region.

Pentecostal Churches in Wollert

Wollert, a suburb in Melbourne's north, is a growing community with a diverse population. Amidst its bustling streets and growing neighborhoods, one can find a range of religious congregations, including Pentecostal churches. Pentecostalism, known for its emphasis on spiritual gifts, vibrant worship, and belief in the Holy Spirit's active presence, resonates with many seeking a dynamic and experiential expression of Christianity.

Among the Pentecostal churches in Wollert, Liberty Church stands out as a beacon of faith and community. Located in the heart of Wollert, Liberty Church welcomes individuals and families from all walks of life, providing a space for spiritual growth, fellowship, and service.

At Liberty Church, the Pentecostal experience comes alive through dynamic worship services filled with heartfelt praise and passionate preaching. The congregation embraces the belief in the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, seeking to live out their faith in practical ways that impact their lives and the community around them.

Beyond the Sunday services, Liberty Church offers a range of ministries and programs designed to cater to the diverse needs of its members. From small group Bible studies to youth and children's programs, there are ample opportunities for individuals to connect, grow, and serve within the church community.

For those in Wollert seeking a Pentecostal experience rooted in authentic faith, vibrant worship, and genuine community, Liberty Church stands as a welcoming haven where they can find belonging and purpose.

Christian Churches in Mill Park

Neighboring Wollert is the suburb of Christian Churches Mill Park, home to a vibrant and diverse community. In this bustling locale, a tapestry of Christian churches offers spiritual nourishment and community for residents seeking to deepen their faith and connect with like-minded believers.

Among the Christian churches in Mill Park, Liberty Church shines as a beacon of hope and transformation. Situated in the heart of Mill Park, Liberty Church extends a warm invitation to individuals and families seeking a place of belonging and spiritual growth.

At Liberty Church, the Christian faith is celebrated through uplifting worship services, engaging sermons, and a commitment to living out the gospel message in everyday life. The congregation values authenticity, embracing individuals as they are and journeying together towards a deeper relationship with God.

Beyond the Sunday gatherings, Liberty Church offers a range of ministries and programs designed to meet the diverse needs of its members. From outreach initiatives to discipleship programs, there are ample opportunities for individuals to grow in their faith and contribute to the flourishing of the community.

For those in Mill Park searching for a Christian community grounded in grace, truth, and love, Liberty Church stands as a beacon of hope where they can find acceptance, support, and encouragement on their spiritual journey.

Churches near Craigieburn

Moving further north, we arrive at the vibrant suburb of Craigieburn, known for its diverse population and thriving community spirit. Amidst the bustling streets and bustling neighborhoods of Craigieburn, a variety of churches offer a spiritual home for residents seeking to explore their faith and connect with others on a similar journey.

Among the churches near Craigieburn, Liberty Church stands out as a beacon of faith and community, welcoming individuals and families from all backgrounds to experience the transformative power of the gospel.

At Liberty Church, the Christian faith is celebrated through vibrant worship services, relevant preaching, and a commitment to living out the gospel message in practical ways. The congregation values authenticity and seeks to create a welcoming environment where individuals can explore their faith, ask questions, and grow in their relationship with God.

Beyond the Sunday gatherings, Liberty Church offers a range of ministries and programs designed to meet the diverse needs of its members. From community outreach to discipleship initiatives, there are ample opportunities for individuals to connect, serve, and grow in their faith journey.

For those in Craigieburn seeking a Christian community grounded in grace, truth, and love, Liberty Church stands as a welcoming haven where they can find acceptance, belonging, and support as they navigate life's journey.

In conclusion, the journey through Wollert, Mill Park, and Craigieburn unveils a rich tapestry of Christian communities, each offering unique experiences and opportunities for spiritual growth and connection. Amidst this diversity, Liberty Church shines as a beacon of faith and community, welcoming individuals and families from all walks of life to experience the transformative power of the gospel and find belonging in a supportive and nurturing environment. Whether in Wollert, Mill Park, Craigieburn, or beyond, Liberty Church extends a warm invitation to all who seek to journey together in faith, hope, and love.

#Pentecostal Churches in Wollert

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automatismoateo · 1 year ago

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Anyone else hide being an atheist just for convenience? via /r/atheism

Anyone else hide being an atheist just for convenience? I’m 30 and have been atheist for almost 15 years. All of my family is religious with my grandparents, whom I am actually very close to, being hyper religious(southern Pentecostal). I have never told them I’m atheist and I’m not sure if I ever will. I grew up going to a mixture of different churches(baptist, Assembly of God, Methodist, Pentecostal, etc.) but none of it ever stuck with me. At one point I did consider myself christian but thought that every one else was just doing it wrong because of the rampant hypocrisy I saw in the church. It wasn’t too long after that I dropped even considering any of it was real. My grandparents know I don’t go to church anymore and was never baptized while I was a child. I never talk about religion with them despite them often bringing it up. Usually I will go to another room or change the subject when it happens. I really do love and admire my grandparents but I know if I ever told them about being an atheist, I could never have a normal conversation with them again. I don’t think they would denounce/disown me but every conversation we would ever have would be about it. My grandmother would also probably cry for literal days on end wondering where she “went wrong”. I consider my grandparents to be the “best version” of christians if there ever was such a thing. They are the most kind and giving people I’ve ever known. I wish I could tell them that the values they instilled in me when I was younger are partially what led me to my decision to be atheist. They are the ones who taught me to be inquisitive and not accept the status quo, how to search for answers when they weren’t obvious, to always be kind to your fellow human no matter your differences. I’ve never once heard them condemn someone else for sin, despite going to fire and brimstone churches. I just can’t actually bare the thought of putting my grandparents through the emotional trauma that would be me telling them I’m atheist. It would forever change how we interact and is just not worth it to me. I’m sure I will have to rip this bandaid off sooner or later, especially when my wife and I choose to have kids as there will obviously be a conflict in how I would like to raise them. For now though, we continue this same old song and dance. Submitted October 08, 2023 at 06:02PM by SadisticPuppy53 (From Reddit https://ift.tt/8VuJeA9)

#reddit

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venatormemoria · 1 year ago

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This is my Great Grandmother Effie Leona Pentecost Akridge, raising a roast beside her husband, my Great Grandfather Robert Hugh Akridge, at their 60th wedding anniversary party. Granny Effie passed in 2012 at the age of 95. Papa Bob held on until 2021 when he passed at the age of 99.

When Papa was 93, he went to dinner with his son, Bobby Akridge, my biological grandfather. He unfortunately choked and aspirated some of his food, rendering him unable to swallow. He lived for 6 years on a feeding tube. My mother, Pam, had been taking care of him and Granny for as long as I could remember. She ensured that their lawn was mowed and clean, their groceries purchased and put away, and took them both to doctor appointments. It made sense, with them living so close down the road, and their only living children much farther out.

With Papa now on a feeding tube and needing round-the-clock care, his son stepped in to "care" for him. While Bobby did the care tasks as he should, he did not show any care for his father in his remaining years. During visits, Bobby would often talk disrespectfully toward or about my Papa with the excuse that he couldn't hear or see well enough for it to bother him. Later, we would find out that he had been stealing money from Papa's accounts to pay his debts. My mother tried to convince Papa to take some action to protect his assets, but being a traditional man, he chose to leave everything to Bobby, as their only living child. His sister Linda followed Granny in death in 2014.

As we predicted, when Papa passed, Bobby attempted to take as much as possible from it. My mother was able to keep one account out of his hands, most of which was used to create a debt payment plan in order for my mother to attempt to purchase their home. (Another part, she sent to me to pay off my car when my family hit financial struggle, with the agreement to pay it back to her in full.) My mom genuinely wanted to keep that home and live in it for the rest of her life, when it would be passed onto another caring family member who wanted it. We had no legal power in this situation as only Bobby was named in the will.

Just last night, my father called me and during the span of the call, he informed me that Bobby had sold their beloved house on Arcadia Circle. In doing so, he also sold off their belongings, many of which were full of sentimental value. My mother had requested Granny's rings, all of which were given to her as gifts by Papa, and her shell collection from their travels. She had also informed me that her sister, Kelly, wanted the kitchen stool that they had used as kids to help Granny cook. I had also wanted to copy and preserve their photo slides from their travels.

Unfortunately, he's blocked the entire family, including my brother and I, who have never attempted to butt in or hold him accountable.

Today, I'm choosing to hold him accountable for the elder abuse he carried out, as well as appeal to the #thrifting and #secondhand communities in north Alabama. I am primarily seeking in the Arab area in Marshall County, but I have no record of where these items have gone or if Bobby has kept any. We have no way of finding out. We are asking for help in recovering these items and I am personally willing to buy them back in order to return them to my family.

William Robert "Bobby" Akridge of Canton, GA. You are a thief and a coward.

In 2011, just one year before your mother died, you let her live without power while your daughter rushed to Tennessee through storm damage and gas shortages to get her husband to MEPS to swear in. We brought them back a generator when you didn't lift a finger. Your daughter took care of them when they needed help. You only stepped in to squeeze as much money from your father as you could. I'm ashamed to know I share blood with you. You are not our family, and your actions over the years have proved that.

For those who are willing to help, I will attach whatever images I can. We are searching for pieces of a large shell collection, and a vintage Costzon kitchen helper stool in yellow. The images I currently have are low quality, and I wish I had better, but I am working with what I have from Colorado on a wild goose chase happening in Alabama.

If you are in the North Alabama region and frequent secondhand shops, thrift stores, or anywhere a greedy old bastard could take a bunch of curios to sell. They would likely have been sold locally, though some may have been taken back to Georgia. I'm contacting other family members to find out what items to request help in searching for in addition to the ones above. There were a handful of furniture items in the house that had also been built by Papa as well.

We have no idea where the projector slides are, if they were kept by him or sold. They would have been the type to fit a slide projector circa 40s to 50s, I will confirm with more info when I have it. Papa and Granny took photos along their travels after WWII before they settled down to have a family. Papa served in the Navy after being drafted.

I am just an illustrator living in Colorado with my USMC husband and 5-year-old daughter at Peterson SFB. If you are in the area and wish to help us in this quest, these items could be anywhere within the secondhand and thrifting network. I've been asking friends to call theirs and enlist as much help and grapevine gossip as I can find, with my local friends as my proxy. I mean it with my whole heart when I say that I will personally pay to back back any that are found in order to return them to my family.

Granny and Papa lived at 385 Arcadia Circle, Arab AL, 35016. The house was sold in May of 2023 and will be demolished for a subdivision. The items we seek were likely sold from the house or in the surrounding areas, most likely by William Robert "Bob" Akridge, pictured below with my then 1-year-old daughter.

Bob, the coward who sold a bunch of sentimental items under his own daughters' noses and sold the beloved family home to be demolished. This man valued money more than his own family's attachments to his own parents. My brother has no solid memories of him, and I have only two before these visits at Papa's before we PCS'd to California. None of those memories are pleasant. I hadn't even recognized him when he greeted me at his mother's funeral. He always had a habit of showing up at odd times, tried to impress folks around him and flirted shamelessly with nurses rather than caring for his father.

I would have loved to have discussed this politely, but you chose to block the entire family.

#alabama #Marshall county #arab alabama #thrifting in alabama #secondhand #please share #please reblog #anything helps

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johnhardinsawyer · 1 year ago

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Call the Midwives, 2023

John Sawyer

Bedford Presbyterian Church

8 / 27 / 23 – 13th Sunday after Pentecost / Proper 16

Exodus 1:8-22

Romans 12:1-8

��Call the Midwives, 2023”[1]

(There is a Line of Women. . .)

This summer’s big hit at the box office is a little film called The Barbie Movie, which delightfully skewers so many gender stereotypes. For most of the movie, I sat there laughing and thinking, smugly, “Well, I’ve never done that to a woman – never treated a woman that way.” There is one scene, though, that hits a little too close to home for me. All of the Barbies gather together in pairs with all of the Kens and all the Kens – strumming acoustic guitars – sing a song to all the Barbies while staring directly into their eyes. All of a sudden, I saw my college self, strumming my acoustic guitar, and singing a song directly at someone. Why did I subject this certain someone to that? The word “awkward” doesn’t even begin to describe the vibe in that moment.

In today’s reading from Romans, the Apostle Paul reminds us, “. . . I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think.” (Romans 12:3) I’m convinced that, here Paul could very well have written, “Don’t think you’re God’s gift to self-important romantic gestures involving guitar strumming and cheesy songs and direct eye-contact.”

To expand on this idea, recently, my wise friend Britt said, “A woman would never play a twenty-minute guitar solo. That’s something that only men do.” Yes, I know that this is a blanket statement and that there are probably exceptions to this rule, but I have thought about the truth of Britt’s words – and not just when it comes to guitar playing – because I’m convinced that Britt was talking about more than just guitar solos. What Britt said has made me more conscious as I meet with people here in the church and beyond. What is the gender balance, here? Does everyone have a voice? Is anyone dominating the conversation too much? And, yes, I understand that there is some irony at play in this very moment as I – someone who is male, with male characteristics and mannerisms – stands up in front of a group of people to talk for approximately fourteen minutes. Many of the best pastors and preachers I have ever known have been women and I tremble in seeking to follow their example.

I also tremble to tell the story of Shiphrah and Puah, found in today’s reading from the Book of Exodus. It is a story of terror and triumph. This summer, we have been making our way through some of the suggested lectionary passages from the Hebrew Bible – stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph – all men. We would be wise, though, to hear the stories of the Bible, listening carefully for the presence and voices of women.

There is a song that comes from the Iona Community in Scotland that gives us a snapshot of the role that women have played in shaping history, going back to the very beginning:

There is a line of women, extending back to Eve, Whose role in shaping history God only could conceive. And though, through endless ages their witness was repressed, God valued and encouraged them through whom the world was blessed. So sing a song of Sarah, to laughter she gave birth, And sing a song of Tamar who stood for women’s worth; And sing a song of Hannah who bargained with her Lord; And sing a song of Mary who bore and bred God’s Word. [2]

Last week, we heard the story of Joseph and his brothers. The story ends with Joseph inviting his brothers and their wives and servants – basically everyone in their huge family – to move down to Egypt where there is food and where Joseph can provide for them. This is what the family does. They move to Egypt and God blesses them. They become prosperous and end up having lots of children. And their children have even more children.

But, as time goes on, a problem arises – a big problem as some of the Egyptians see it: The Children of Israel – also known as “Hebrews” – are quite numerous and will soon outnumber the Egyptians. And, what’s more, a new king has arisen who “[does] not know Joseph.” (Exodus 1:8). All this new king knows is that Joseph’s descendants and extended family are becoming too numerous, and he becomes afraid. And his fear is contagious among the Egyptians. I wish I could say that fear like this – the fear of being outnumbered by a group of people who are different from you – died way back in Bible times, but people in power throughout history have tried to (how shall we say) “manage” racial and ethnic demographics – sometimes in very violent and very oppressive ways.

The historian, Isabel Wilkerson, writes that it is projected that the year 2042 will mark the first time in our own country’s history when white people will no longer be in the racial majority – something that has caused enough anxiety and fear among some white people that they have lashed out, violently, against non-white people in recent years – in a church in Charleston, in a synagogue in Pittsburgh, on public transit in Portland, and in the streets of Charlottesville.[3] Those in power have recently attached saw blades to floating barriers in the Rio Grande River to keep people out and have sought to legislate away an entire small segment of the population, based on gender identity.

Way back in the Book of Exodus, the Pharaoh is so scared that these non-Egyptian Israelites – these people who are “different” – are going to take over the country or ally themselves with Egypt’s enemies, that he takes drastic measures – brutally enslaving the Israelite people, “pressing them into hard service in mortar and brick and every kind of field labor.” (Exodus 1:14). But that is not all he does. . .

The king summons two Israelite midwives – Shiphrah and Puah – and tells them, “When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.” (1:16). Could you imagine a leader so frightened of losing power that he would order such a thing? I wish this were the only time this has happened, but you might remember King Herod doing the same thing in the time of Jesus when rumors of a Messiah being born reached the king’s ears.[4]

Now, I don’t want to speak for Shiphrah and Puah, but I imagine that they – and a whole lot of other people – are horrified by the king’s command. The thing that he asks is not really something that midwives do. Shiphrah, whose name in the original language means “beauty,” and Puah, whose name suggests a cooing or gurgling “sound that a nurturing woman makes to soothe an infant”[5] might be horrified by the king, but they are midwives – who have seen and done a lot and are strong in ways that the king knows not.

Right after the king gives them this awful command, the text tells us, “But the midwives feared God. . .” In the original language, that word for “fear” can also be translated as having a “reverent fear”[6] of God – thinking about God, in all of God’s power and mystery, with the utmost worshipful respect. And, because the midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, feel this way about God – because they fear God more than they fear the king – they decide to not do what they have been commanded to do. Instead, they disobey the law of the land and let the boys live.

There is a line of women who took on powerful men, Defying laws and scruples to let life live again. And though despite their triumph their stories stayed untold God kept their number growing, creative, strong and bold. So sing a song of Shiphrah with Puah at her hand, Engaged to kill male children they foiled the king’s command. And sing a song of Rahab who sheltered spies and lied; And sing a song of Esther, preventing genocide.[7]

Yes, I know. . . you never thought you’d hear the phrase “preventing genocide” sung to such a jaunty tune, but the song highlights just how high the stakes can be for people of faith and the lives of public witness God calls us to live.

Civil disobedience has long had a place in the church – when people of faith have said “No” to the powers that be so that they can say “Yes” with reverent fear toward God. It’s really a question of “Who is the ruler of our lives?” Are we ruled by human beings or are we ruled by the God who made us, and saved us, and is at work within us? In in a simple, but powerful, act of nonviolent civil disobedience, Shiphrah and Puah stand before the king, and – when asked why the Hebrew women are still having baby boys – they shrug and say, “Well, the babies are already born when we arrive and it’s too late to do what you asked us to do. Maybe Hebrew women just have babies faster than Egyptian women.” (Exodus 1:19)[8] “We’re just midwives, your majesty. What do we know?” they say, as they give each other a knowing look.

As the saying goes, “Well-behaved women seldom make history.”[9] And, because – in this instance – Shiphrah and Puah weren’t well-behaved in the eyes of a very selfish and very unjust law, a baby named Moses was able to be born – Moses, who would be used by God to save God’s people, and bring them out of bondage, and lead them through the wilderness to the Promised Land. But, while today’s story points toward Moses and all that he does for his people, we don’t need to forget these brave midwives who have the courage to say “No,” even if it means risking their lives to usher new life into the world.

There are echoes of this thought in today’s reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans. . . Eugene Peterson translates them in this way:

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for [God]. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what [God] wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.[10]

“Take your everyday, ordinary life. . . and place it before God as an offering. . . be changed from the inside out. . . Readily recognize what God wants from you, and quickly respond to it. . .” Or, as one of the residents of River Woods in Manchester so aptly put it this past week when we were there: “Do your own thing by doing God’s thing.”

There are so many who have sacrificed their lives for God over the years, resulting in their own physical death – saints, and martyrs, and the like. But there are so many others who have been living sacrifices – as Paul calls them – who have placed their everyday ordinary lives before God as an offering and God has used them for good in the world, to accomplish God’s gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love purpose in the world. Many of us could name someone from our family or our past who have sacrificed their own needs and desires for us. Of course, many of these living sacrifices have been men, but so many have been a mother, or a sister, or an aunt, a teacher, a friend.

There is a line of women who stood by Jesus’ side, Who housed him when he ministered and held him when he died; And though they claimed he’d risen, their news was deemed suspect, Till Jesus stood among them, his womanly elect. So sing a song of Anna who saw Christ’s infant face; And sing a song of Martha who gave him food and space; And sing of all the Marys who heeded his requests, And now at heaven’s banquet are Jesus’ fondest guests. [11]

And sing a song of all those who – even now – are following Jesus in how they live, in what they say and do, in who they stand up to, in how they serve, and love, and spread good news. . . Would you count yourself among their number? Would I dare to count myself, too?

May we be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit in our minds and hearts, in our bodies and souls, helping us to do our own thing by doing God’s thing, not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought, but taking the gifts that God has given us and offering them to the glory of God.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

-----

[1] Based upon and borrowing from a sermon I preached in August of 2020 with the title “Call the Midwives.”

[2] John L. Bell, “There Is a Line of Women,” Iona Abbey Music Book (Glasgow: Wild Goose Publications, 2003) 128-131.

[3] Isabel Wilkerson, Caste: The Origins of our Discontents. (New York: Random House, 2020) 6.

[4] See Matthew 2:16-18.

[5] Robert Alter, The Five Books of Moses. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 2004. 309-310.

[6] https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3372.htm.

[7] John L. Bell, “There Is a Line of Women,” Iona Abbey Music Book (Glasgow: Wild Goose Publications, 2003) 128-131.

[8] Paraphrased, JHS.

[9] Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2007/09/ulrich-explains-that-well-behaved-women-should-make-history/.

[10] Eugene Peterson, The Message: Numbered Edition (Colorado Springs: NAV Press, 2002) 1557. Romans 12:1-2.

[11] John L. Bell, “There Is a Line of Women,” Iona Abbey Music Book (Glasgow: Wild Goose Publications, 2003) 128-131.

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whatisonthemoon · 2 years ago

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How Young Oon Kim Allegedly Recruited Bo Hi Pak

▲ Pictured: Young Oon Kim and Bo Hi Pak with two U.S. military, allegedly teaching them the Divine Principle

The following is an excerpt from Bo Hi Pak's "Messiah: My Testimony to Rev. Sun Myung Moon" that describes how Young Oon Kim reached out to him in order to witness to him, while they both worked on the same KMAG compound in 1957.

Then, one day, a letter was delivered to me. The sender was someone with whom I was not directly acquainted, a Miss Young Oon Kim who worked as a secretary in the KMAG chaplain’s office, which was located in the same compound where I worked. The letter’s contents were quite short, saying only, “There is a place where they discuss matters that are important to human life. Would you like to go there with me sometime?”

I telephoned Miss Kim at her desk in the chaplain’s office and told her that I was willing to go with her to this place sometime when it would not interfere with my official duties. I checked General Matthews’ calendar and made an appointment to accompany Miss Kim in the evening two days later. It was my hope that this invitation would lead me further on the pathway to the truth.

At the appointed time, I went to the place where Miss Kim had asked me to meet her, a shop in the middle of Seoul named Tonghwa Dang. It specialized in herbal medicines used in traditional Korean healing practices.

When they met up, he arrived, apparently surprised Kim had just arranged to meet with him. He consented then to an elaborate personal lecture from Kim on the first half of the Divine Principle, and by the end of this lecture he was basically convinced that her teachings were true. He wrote, "Such content of the Principle is like a bolt of lightning out of a clear sky for today's Christianity. How is the Christianity of this age going to receive such Words of God? Just thinking about this question made my heart beat faster."

Though this could very well be true, as Bo Hi Pak was actively involved in the church, demonstrating a faith or spiritual practice. Bo Hi Pak had been baptized into the Church of Christ five years prior to joining the Unification Church and even, for a moment, considered going to seminary in Columbus, Ohio, after an offer came from a minister. He decided, instead, to focus on his military career.

That said, Christian faith was commonplace among South Korean military and politicians, especially those who were in liaison positions with the U.S. Government, which Pak was since the 50s. This was partially a demonstration of commitment to western values, but for many, their faith was genuine and a vital part of their families’ history and culture. Many Koreans who fled the North due to their Christian faith were politicized, anti-communists in South Korea. Many of these Christians were also quite wealthy prior to Japanese occupation, having come from noble families that converted to either Catholicism or the missionary Protestant churches (namely Presbyterian and Methodist, but also Pentecostalism), and maintained connections to the West as well as to the Korean Zainichi community in Japan.

All of this made the North Korean’s “Marxist-Leninist” government suspicious of them, as they sought to purge Korea of individualistic, bourgeois values.

Some of these Christians also had privileges due to their connections to the Western Church (British, American, Australian, etc.) that included greater education. For those who came from noble families, they had come from families who had been entrenched in a long history of Confucian education and scholarship, and therefore were in families where scholarly pursuits were valued. This general access to higher education helped some of these Christians integrate into the South and rebuild their lives during and after the Korean War, as well as potential allies to the occupying U.S. military.

Bo Hi Pak himself was active in the Christian church while in the States for intelligence and military training, just a few years prior to joining the Unification Church. Perhaps this period of political upheaval, in the global struggle against communism that was in his own homeland, and his own Christian faith made him ripe for Kim’s theological presentation of Moon’s teachings, as she had done what she could to polish Moon’s theology with her own Western academic training.

But why would Bo Hi Pak so quickly trust and take such a meeting at face value and not assume that a meeting with a woman he had never met, arranged via letter, was something... more? Especially since he was only connected to this woman through their employment on a U.S.-Korean military base. He was, after all, translating top secret meetings between U.S. and Korean military intelligence. With his intelligence training, would he be this naive and not be be suspicious of Young Oon Kim’s witnessing?