Finding My Way Again.

 Many moons ago, well in 2012 actually, I was attending St Columba's Presbyterian Church in Napier. I had joined with St Columba's after St Stephen's Pressy Church in Wickcliffe Road had closed, and after a short time at St Paul's in the city. I was an elder at St Columba's. It was a congregation that became like a family for me. While I did have my differences with it at times, it was still good for me.

While there, I worked on the production of the 'Halo' magazine with four amazing women: Dot McLeod, Sue Read, Caroline Smithers and Frances McLay. When I left to shift to Masterton, where the rent was cheaper at the time, they presented me with a book to say farewell. That book, written by Brian McLaren, is titled 'Finding Our Way Again' with the subtitle 'The return of the Ancient Practice.' I keep returning to it time and time again for comfort, guidance and to seek help and certainty with my spiritual life. It is the first book in the Ancient Practices Series edited by Phyllis Tickle. The other books in the series are: In Constant Prayer by Robert Benson, Sabbath by Dan B Allender, Fasting by Scot McKnight, The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher, The Pilgrimage by Diana Butler Bass, The Liturgical Year by Joan Chittister and Tithing by Douglas LeBlanc. At this stage I have only read Brian McLaren's book.

I have said previously that I have decided to become a 'Follower of Jesus,' as apposed to calling myself a Christian. I am also well aware that there are a great number of people these days who say they prefer to adhere to the New Testament rather than the Old Testament.

In my daily devotions my 'Mantra' consists of two verses from two Psalms and a verse from Isaiah: Psalm 16:8 C.E.V. 'Lord, I will always look to you as you stand beside me and protect me from fear,' Psalm 91:2 C.E.V. 'Lord, you are my fortress, my safe place, my God, and I trust you,' and Isaiah 46:4 (b) C.E.V. 'You created me, you carry me, you will always keep me safe.'

I am likewise now guided by Jeremiah 6:16 C.E.V. The Lord said: My people, when you stood at the crossroads, I told you, "Follow the road your ancestors took, and you will find peace," As I am at the Crossroads I reckon I can find my way by returning to the ancient practices because did not Jesus say: Matthew 6:17 C.E.V. "Don't suppose that I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I didn't come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning."

On past experience it has taken me about 3 - 4 years to read through the Old Testament in it's entirety, so let's see how I go. All those, so and so begat so and so, and the family trees don't excite me much. And as I am going through Genesis, at the moment, all the lies and bad things said and done often make me feel that I'm not half as bad as I actually am.

May God bless you and give you peace.

Umm

 Some 18 months or so ago, my wife suffered a major stroke that necessitated a thrombectomy. That is when a tube is put into the brain via an artery in the groin and up via the aorta and carotid arteries to remove the clot causing the stroke. Thankfully once the clot was removed she recovered nearly all the physical uses of her body. Her cognitive ability has retained some lapses, however, and she has lost the ability to reason, solve problems and large parts of her memory. As a result I have become her full-time care-giver. This is a task I love, and one that I believe God has given me.

As a result of the above, when things at my church became untenable for me, I left Christianity and became a follower of Jesus. That is detailed in my previous blogs. Although I miss most of the people from that congregation, the dreams I have experienced since then, along with the answers to my prayers, have shown a positiveness that indicates God is happy with me caring for my wife as my primary job at this time.

Each morning I do my own readings from the Old Testament followed by the same from the New Testament. From those readings I take verses that I post via my twitter account. Likewise any matters that I feel I need to look further into I undertake the research.

The other day I had finished the Old Testament so had returned to the start to read through it again. The last time took me about 3 years. I have a funny relationship with Genesis. My first job was as a Communications Technician with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. I worked on airborne radio and navigation equipment. During my time we changed from valves to transistors. As a result, science held a premium place in my beliefs. That made for an interesting take on Genesis but it was not one that led me to doubt the reality of Creation. As a matter of fact, as most of you will realise, a great number of Scientists are Creationists. I smile to myself as the years go by and science edges closer to creationism; although many try to avoid saying so!

So my readings covered the eating of the fruit from the tree in the Garden of Eden and also the Cain and Abel sacrifice problem. In the past I had put those matters to one side as they seemed to need deeper thought than I could give them. This time I had a bit more of a look. It appeared to me that God was being a bit petty in getting upset just because Adam and Eve now had the knowledge of what was right and what was wrong. After all, doesn't God want us to keep away from what is wrong but hold onto what is right? Well yeah, he does. Of course, though, the first thing he wants us to do is obey him. He told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit but they went ahead and ate it. They disobeyed him. The punishment? Well you can read that yourself. If they hadn't eaten the fruit we wouldn't have needed all the rules that regulate us now. Well, that's how I read it.

And Cain and Abel? Well, give God your best and do so willingly. Be happy and satisfied with what you have. Work hard, love a lot, pray a lot.

May God bless you all.    

Saturday or Sunday?

So, I said that I was going to become a Follower of Jesus, rather than a Christian. So what was so different about Jesus, and Christians today? Well I suppose one of the big 'things' is that Jesus was a Jew. And, if I may digress, he was also brown skinned and not white skinned like the pictures on my Sunday school (Circa 1950's) wall, and in my bible, depicted him, when he was knocking on the door asking to be let in. (Revelations 3:20)

Actually, it was not all that many years ago when the skin colour actually occurred to me. I had never taken any notice until I read the autobiography of Malcolm X. Of course, Jesus was going to be brown skinned living where he lived. I'm not sure whether it was a positive or negative thing that it hadn't mattered to me. Positive as far as my racial point of view was concerned perhaps, but I hadn't considered that others would see it as negative for people who had coloured skin. Not only negative, but completely false as well!

So, not only was Jesus a Jew, he was brown skinned as well.

We'll put the skin colour to one side; not because its not important, it is, but because I am concentrating on the Jewish matter in this article.

I presume that most people who call themselves Christians reluctantly acknowledge that Jesus was a Jew but put it to one side. Being Jewish meant that his Sabbath was Friday evening to Saturday evening yet Christians celebrate Sunday as the Sabbath.

Is this a problem?

Well there have been many, many articles, discussions, books, pontifications etc. concerning this matter. I would suggest that if you want to see the matter discussed in layman terms you read: When, Where, and Why Did the Change from Sabbath to Sunday Worship Take Place in the Early Church by Robert K McIver, Avondale College of Higher Education, Cooranbong, Australia. Copyrighted 2015 Andrews University Seminary Studies, Vol. 53, No. 1, 15-35. Read it. It is on-line as a PDF.

Okay. Let me quote a piece from a Police Procedural Novel I am reading. It is written by J R Ellis and called The Body in the Dales. The Inspector is having a cuppa with his older sister who is a Priest in the Anglican Church. She says, "Don't make the mistake of equating Christianity with the Anglican church or any other denomination. They're all very largely human constructs which may have had their day, but if they disappear, God's purposes will continue."

Sounds a bit like Matthew 5:17 in some ways: Jesus says "Do not think that I have come to abolish Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

Humans changed the early church from its Jewish origin and turned it into a Sunday Sabbath, it's not God's law and it's not following Jesus as far as I'm concerned. To me a Sunday Sabbath is, as the Police Inspector's Priest sister says, 'a human construct.' We can all see that the current 'Christian Way' has had it's day.

I pray that becoming a Follower of Jesus does not mean I become a human construct.

A step backward or forward?

So, a couple or so Sundays have passed by without me going to church. I have survived. Mind you, they have been during Covid 19 Level 4 lockdown so there haven't been any services anyway. 

My mind constantly takes me back to some of the things that caused me to leave the church I attended. While I would like to state openly what they were I have chosen not too. They were not illegal, as far as New Zealand's legal system is concerned, but were morally wrong. The case could be made, that the things that were done could well have been Gods way of going about things, but I doubt it. Using that reasoning is what has got Christianity into the mess that it is today.

I watched, one day, the leaders of a denomination and a congregation, inter-acting with the members of their congregation. They sat at the 'Top Table' and ate and spoke to us from there. My mind went back to the 1960's when young Christians wore bands on their wrists with the letters W.W.J.D. engraved on them. (What Would Jesus Do.) Can you remember those days? Would Jesus have sat separate from us? I don't think so. He would have been surrounded by us, and sharing with us; not being served separately. I'm sure Jesus' story about the Pharisees etc. sitting at the main table comes to your minds, as well as it did to mine. Snakes and vipers weren't they?

Jesus didn't operate the way Ministers and Pastors do today. Why do they believe that they are the only interpreter's of Gods word? They act as though they are privileged. They seem to forget that like us mere mortals, they are Gods servants; His hands and feet in this world.

I have even witnessed Ministers asking their congregation for items that those in the congregation cannot afford to buy for themselves. Humble? No! Sad? Yes!

Lord, I pray for the humility that I need to carry out your work in this world. I know I have let you down many, many times in the past, but now I trust that I have learned to look to you as you stand beside me and protect me, because you are my fortress, my safe place, my God, and I trust you. 

A Lost Pilgrim

Once again I find myself lost in the Christian world. Surely this should not be! We're repeatedly told that the Christian community is like a family, we are all brothers or sisters. I like the idea, in some ways, but we have all experienced family times when it's not all love and kindness haven't we?

I am taking a break from the church community I have belonged to for the past 9 years. I doubt I will return. I have just deleted a long rant that I was going to publish about my reasons for leaving etc. but have decided to put 'my big boy pants on' and not go there.

Here in New Zealand, the Methodist Church of New Zealand publishes a monthly 'newspaper' named Touchstone. The August 2021 edition contained an article written by Rev. Geraldine Coats in which she states that she has decided to no longer refer to herself as a Christian minister. Instead she has decided to call herself a follower of Jesus. She advises that she was led to this decision, in part, by some of Christianity's decisions which have destroyed her vision of a God of grace and love.

After my experiences over the years, and I'm on the cusp of 76, I find myself in agreement with Geraldine. I have witnessed bullying, bribery, back-stabbing, lying and abuse. Geraldine's God of grace and love has been notably absent on many occasions. However (and there is always a but isn't there?) there are some good people attending Christian churches who believe themselves to be Christians, and possibly are followers of Jesus. I pray that their attempts to follow Jesus in their congregations are successful.

As for me? Well I continue my pilgrimage. Currently I am at peace with myself as I undertake my given task of loving my wife as she recovers from a stroke and the thrombectomy that removed a clot from her brain.

I will try and be a follower of Jesus.   

How am I doing?

How am I doing?

About as well as can be expected I suppose. Looking back over my blog efforts doesn't show an individual inspired by much really.

I have, however, made a huge decision. Actually making a decision is a big thing in my life. It takes a long time, a lot of procrastination, lots of 'maybes' and 'perhaps' and 'but what ifs.' Often I do see the rainbow but I'm also prone to see the dark black clouds gathering and I just know that they're going to block out that rainbow. They rarely do but then again they just might.

That decision was to give up my 'Junk Mail' rounds. I had already given up one of them which left me with three. They take about one hour and thirty minutes each to walk and about the same to fold. While the income is of help, my wife and kids have prevailed and I do my last round at the end of this month.

What am going to do with all that extra time I will have on my hands?

Well I am in training to do what I promised myself I would do in my retirement years.

I will resume my writing, and working on my jade carving and jewellery making. I will also be able to devote more time to my Church life. Since making the big decision I have put myself entirely in the Lord's hands. That decision was made at 0740 hours on Wednesday 12th September. There was no spontaneous sound of hallelujahs but there was a comfortable feel about making it, writing it down in my diary, and saying it aloud. Since that day life has not changed a lot but in myself I feel calmer. Normally I would be approaching the end of October with dread, wondering how we will survive, along with a lot of other matters.

I'm looking forward to November. I'm looking forward to goodness knows what. At least I am looking forward.

Mm, none of that is what I originally set out to blog about, but there you are.     

Christians and Pharisees

I spend a greater part of my musing wondering about those who call themselves Christians. Mostly I do this whilst I am wandering the streets of Masterton putting advertising pamphlets into those letter boxes that don't have large 'No Junk Mail' signs on them. I undertake the deliveries to supplement my superannuation. The remuneration is pretty minimal. Also, out of that minimal payment, I am required to pay income tax and also Accident Compensation Corporation dues. I stick with the belief that at least the 4 to 5 hours of walking is doing something towards my health. I counteract that goodness with lots of chocolate.

However I am getting off the subject.

I belong to a congregation that is known as a joint or uniting congregation that goes back to the days when various denominations decided that the future lay in union, rather than alone, as we all worshipped the same God. As a result the local Presbyterian congregation and the local Methodist congregation combined under the the one umbrella. Time went along, as it does, and there was the inevitable 're-think' and the mother churches decided that union was not for them so they appeared to abandon those 'joint' congregations and concentrated on more lucrative congregations.

What they did not abandon, of course, were the buildings. After all, those structures were worth 'a bob or two.'

As a result many joint congregations were left with two masters to deal with. In many cases those masters pulled in opposite directions but always required their share of the money the congregations raised.

Life went on until it didn't in many cases. The congregations became older and both the congregations and the masters lost touch with their roots and their purpose. Sunday congregations dropped to a few elderly people gathering for four hymns, two prayers and a sermon that rarely related to current events.

So, in the case of the congregation I belong to, it was decided to merge with another nearby congregation. One congregation was a Union congregation and the other Presbyterian. Both congregations were made up primarily of people who had at various times been members of both congregations. Agreement was 'sort of' reached with one of the big sticking points being the buildings. The union congregation building had some local historical significance and following the Canterbury earthquake had under gone strengthening to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars raised via many means. Financially the Union congregation was in a reasonable state. The Presbyterian congregation, not so much. Following a lot of discussion and numerous meetings agreement was reached on a merger. The use of the buildings was not settled but agreement was reached that one Minister would be shared between both congregations, in the interim, and the use of the buildings be decided later.

All were reasonably happy.

Along comes the biggest property owner of the two buildings, the Presbyterian Church. New trustees, or something, said that the merger had not been in accordance with the 'rules' and would have to be done all over again. As a result there has been a big split between the congregants. It is primarily over the buildings and at which place services should take place etc, etc.

Now I come to my point of Christians and Christianity.

Surely it is irrelevant where the services take place. This holding onto buildings is, in my mind, so wrong. In one of the cases the building complex spends the best part of six days empty. In the other case the complex houses a Childcare facility and an opportunity shop. One complex is on the main street and the other is close to the local hospital. Surely the complex near the hospital could be used to house those relatives who were visiting the sick and injured. Maybe it could be used by the homeless or those in need of temporary housing.

Surely that would be a Christian response. Let's face it, Christians follow the way of Jesus and all I see here is groups of those I call Pharisees. What did Jesus call them? Snakes and vipers wasn't it?
How very, very sad!