Merry Christmas

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Remembering the reason...

May you all have a joyous Christmas

If not me, who? If not now, when?

Perhaps it's the season... the celebration of Christ's birth that has turned into anything but a day to remember and be glad of His coming into this world.

Perhaps it's simply a natural next step for me.

Perhaps it's because I've reached that point in my life, the point beyond which there is no room. I can't stand by and watch my faith diminished and dismissed by those who do not believe in anything but themselves. Perhaps I'm tired of hearing how, 'as long as you're not hurting anyone' whatever immoral, damaging behavior a person wishes to indulge in is acceptable.

Whatever the reason, this is part of my stand:

MANHATTAN DECLARATION

A Summary

Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.  We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are (1) the sanctity of human life, (2) the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife, and (3) the rights of conscience and religious liberty. Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

There's a link in place at the top of this blog. I encourage you to check it out.

I've written here about how I have the overwhelming sense that there is something fundementally wrong in this country; we ARE sick and it is a sickness of mind, body, and spirit yet we are encouraged to focus on anything and everything but the spiritual.

God is real. Jesus was born, lived, and died for us.

The least we can do is accept and acknowledge the gift the likes of which the world will never see again.

To you, Lord. For you, Lord.

What an amazing experience.

My silence here is a reflection of where things have been for me, faith-wise. I've been plugging along, not overly active, engaged, or excited about my journey. I've been one-day-at-a-timing it.

Then, today, I met spirituality in an unexpected place.

The specifics aren't really that important. It's the results that have left me in a far better place than I've been in a long time.

I feel like I've moved a step closer to understand myself, which can only lead to a deeper, more meaningful understand of my relationship with God.

I've said this before - my struggles with my faith are not cause by God; they are my fault. I firmly believe that and after today, I believe it even more.

Spiritually, I take too much on to myself. I want to spare my family and friends so I try to shoulder their pain and worries. As a result, I end up feeling beat down. But, their problems are not my burden to bear.

I need to cast off the negative energy and concentrate on my own journey.

But, today has led me to another question, or maybe it's the same question but refocused.

Is religion different from spirituality?

Today was an extremely spiritual day.

As I said, I at peace, energized and renewed.

I feel God's presence.

Whichever it was, if it even truly matters, it was an amazing experience and I'm sure God approves.

Role Models?

Pastor Bill Shuler, in an article over at the Fox Forum listed the following ten reason for why we are losing our role models:

1. Honorable people are sometimes demonized for taking a stand for morality and values in the public arena.

2. High profile scandals in sports, politics and religion have jaded us.

3. Fewer dads are present in the home.

4. For so many of us, success in our culture has been defined as fame, fortune and power.

5. Image often trumps character.

6. Indulgence replaces sacrifice.

7. Self-discipline is a less-practiced art.

8. Self-seeking is an over-practiced art.

9. Some find “family values” to be a political code word rather than an ideal to be embraced.

10. Good people with deep convictions remain silent.

Given my last post, I'd have to admit to being guilty of number 10. I hope I won't do it again and I'm going to try not to but that's the most I can say until I'm tested.

As for the rest, it's all pretty much true, isn't it? We've become a nation of whiney, self-indulgent people caught up on the image of what life should be like. That big house? Gotta have one of those. The $100,000 car? Need two of them. Anyone who might have what you don't? They must be torn down and destroyed. The latest example of that is the savaging the Goselin family is undergoing at the hands of the media. They are a family that is clearly in trouble that should be left alone to deal with it. TLC should pull the show from the air... but where would the fun be in that?

Anyway, do you agree with Pastor Shuler? Do we, as a nation, need to undergo a serious re-evaluation of our standards?

From where I stand, I'd have to say yes.

Defending my faith

This has been niggling at the back of my mind since Easter.

As I was surfing other blogs, I came across one that said, in effect, that there was something wrong with Christians and their belief in a 'zombie Jesus' - no offense to anyone, of course.

I thought about replying that regardless of whether or not she meant to be offensive, there is no other way for a Christian to take a comment like 'zombie Jesus'. It is blatantly offensive.

As I was struggling to find a way to say what I wanted to say without being equally offensive, I decided it wasn't worth the effort.

Now, I am ashamed that I didn't stand up for my faith.

Christians these days have targets on their backs. It is considered perfectly fine to denegrate, cheapen, and dismiss our beliefs. It's everywhere - in the papers, in the movies, on television. Here's an example. It's just one; you can find many more:



I'm not sure what I can do but I do know one thing -

I plan on doing better the next time.

Faith... or the lack of it.

Time for a confession.

I haven't done all that well on my daily reading. I got behind and then kept trying to get caught up, which made me even further behind.

I finally realized how silly it is. The point of the exercise, indeed the point of faith, is not keeping up to an arbitrary schedule. It is simply the daily inclusion of God in my life.

I am now back on track and those 'days' that I missed? I'll catch them next year.

Time for another confession, this one a bit more difficult.

I had a crisis of faith last night. Not the kind where I found myself question whether or not God exists. I don't think I'll ever have that kind of crisis. This was the 'why me, God?' kind of crisis.

Why, in spite of working hard and a life lived in service to others, do I find myself struggling so to make ends meet?

Why, in spite of being a 'good person', do others I deem less 'good' do better than I?

Why them and not me?

Well, the problem that took me to that dark place was 'magically' resolved today. And, just as magically, I can see things better.

The fault is not with God. It never is.

The fault is mine.

He has given me so much - a loving family, a good job, a home, and talent that I should trust in.

What have I done with it?

Nothing. Instead of thanking Him daily and deeply, I bitch and moan about how 'little' I have.

Today's lesson, then?

I have more than I should, more than I deserve given my attitude. If I fail it is my fault, not His.

He has faith in me. Now I need to have faith in Him.

He is Risen

May God's blessings be your on this holiest of days.