Stop trying to live others life's - live your own!

Today I am going to just ramble or vent a bit. I hope you will excuse me for doing so. Last night I met with a child of a friend at their request to talk to her about her attitude. During the conversation I said, "Why is it your teacher gives you a glowing report. She says you are the best student in your grade in the entire school and you are the most respectful child she has ever met. She claims she can only describe you as excellent - perfect", but that is not how your parents describe you.

She replied, "I am not the same at school as I am at home".  The first time I met this child several years ago I told her uncle they are going to have problems with her. She is "intelligent" and she knows it. The things they believe is cute now is not going to be cute in a few years. Well my prophesy was correct.

At home she wants to do things when she wants to do them and not when she is told to do them. If you cross her she yells and walks off.  You get the "whatever" with the hand in the air pointed towards you. If you try and talk to her she plays the I 'am sorry bit' and cries to make THEM feel sorry for her. She has the technique of getting and doing what she wants down pat. She has no problems calling cousins and siblings stupid because they do not excel in school as she does.

I ask her, "Why are you not the same at school as at home? Why are you not the same everywhere? Are you telling me that sometimes you are a phony - fake? Her reply was, "I do not know why I am different at school".

During my 3 a.m. prayer session it hit me like a ton of bricks - Tom why are you not the same everywhere with everyone?

My answer was - I was taught that I am to meet the expectations of those I am accountable to. That is a lesson I wish I had not learned so well. It has at times made my life miserable. I really did not want to be the best at everything I tried. I wanted to do MY best, but not try to be better than everyone else. I did not want to compete. I wanted to be good, fair, just, humble, faithful and loyal, but I personally did not have a need to be perfect all the time and I wasn't no matter how hard I tried.

Many in my family tried to live their life through me. I was the only one to go to college even up to today. I was the only minister. I was the only business owner, except for two uncles and grandfather. I was certainly the only one to graduate cum laud. All I wanted was to be was a minister from age six.

I was told in the seminary (cemetery) that a good minister has to appear to have all the answers. After all that is why they pay you and come to you for advice. I felt inadequate because I did not and do not have all the answers and it took me about ten years to realize I could just tell the people "I do not know". That was hard because I personally felt I had failed them. The authority figures in my life had told me I would be a failure if people thought I did not know it all.

Then came the time when I began not to agree with everything the hierarchy of my denomination handed down for us to teach. Do I tell the people I do not  believe abortion is an unforgivable sin and if it is forgiven the bishop must forgive it? Do I tell them I believe that having children they cannot afford is a bigger sin than using artificial birth control? Do I tell them Christ was not born in the month of December? Do I tell them the Shepherds did not arrive when Christ was a baby in a manger? Do I tell them that infant baptism is a ritual and it is okay, but I really believe it is best to wait until the children can acknowledge their own baptism? Do I tell them that I do not believe once saved always saved? Do I tell them I thing the Church is wrong to deny Communion to divorced and remarried couples or gay and lesbian couples? Will I be honest with myself or meet the expectations others place on me. Eventually, I began to preference things that I really did not support with - "THIS IS WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES" and people in my parish knew that I did not whole heartily agree and then I would say other Christians believe -----.

Oh believe me when I say, it caused a lot of flack for me by some, but the majority supported me and did not want me to change. They were looking for truth and wanted to have the opportunity to pray, study and reason what was the truth. I would say the majority of Christians want to be TOLD what to believe.

Back to the beginning why have I spent my life trying to please others? All I really ever wanted was to please is God and myself. Why do I have to guard what I say so others will not be offended? What right do they have to impose their beliefs on me or what right do I have to impose my beliefs on them?

I sympathize with the gay and lesbian community. Their sexuality is between them and God as long as they obey the laws of the land (and lot of laws need to be changed) and they do not physically or emotional hurt others that is between them and God. What right do I have to judge them?

I do not want to anyone come back and say their actions emotionally offend me because it goes against what I believe God said - you should not be so emotionally weak. You can hold to your beliefs and let others do the same if you are really as faithful as you say you are.

I think a lot of Christians today have confused following God with trying to be God.

I am now getting nearer 80 every week and I frankly no longer care what others think of me and my beliefs if I feel I am right with God. I do not have to conform to anyone else belief system.  You have no right to judge me and I have no right to judge you. I can forgive the offences you did to me, but I cannot forgive the offences you did to others.  Only God and the ones you harmed can do that. By the way no other priest, bishops, cardinal or pope can forgive your sins either.

So in closing, I frankly do not care what you think of my of my political, personal or religious beliefs! I just want to be who God created me to be and please Him.

If you are allowing others to live their life through you or put demands on you to meet their expectations of what you should be or do my advise to you is make your own decisions and make yourself happy.

I just typed and did not worry about grammar or spelling or anything else. Please forgive me and do not nick-pick me. I actually have stupid people come back and say, "You were never a priest you misspell this or that or your grammar is terrible and you do not know where a comma, period or question mark belongs".  Hate to tell you priest are not perfect and they have the same bodily functions you do.  

Many people think they are a Christian, but are they?

If you conducted an informal opinion poll near where you live, and asked ten people to explain what it takes to make someone a real Christian. You might get ten different answers. Ask yourself, "Am I a real Christian.

Maybe you were raised in a Catholic or Protestant home. No matter what your background, I encourage you to take an honest look beyond the myths about what makes someone a Christian.

Let's explore what some say makes us a real Christian:

1.    I've been a Christian all my life; I was born in a Christian home. But since when does where you're born determine what you are? Someone may have been born in a stable, but that doesn't make him a horse. Nor does being born in an airport make someone an airplane. Grace Poe who is running for President of the Philippines in 2016 was born in the Philippines, but some say that does not make her a Filipino. Those same people may say they are a Catholic Christian because they were born in a Catholic Nation. Be thankful for where you were born and for the family and church in which you were raised, but don't assume that automatically makes you a Christian.

2.    A Christian may know that he or she is valuable in God's eyes because He made us and loves us, but you could develop a certain sense of well-being and self-worth apart from knowing what the Bible teaches us about thinking right in an un-right world. So thinking positively about life in general and about yourself in particular doesn't automatically make you a Christian.  Living a clean and moral life doesn't make anyone a Christian. Many atheists live a decent, straight life.

3.    Last Sunday four out of ten Americans went to church. But does that mean that all these people are Christians? Of course not. Even some thieves go to church. Some people go to church because it's a social habit. Others attend because their family makes them go. Some Catholics go to Mass on Sunday out of an obligation. It is true that Christians go to church and take an active part in church life, but attending church doesn't make you a Christian.

4.    Many of us were taught since childhood to give a portion of our income to charity or to the church. Whether rich or poor, we feel it's our "Christian" duty. But that's not what makes somebody a Christian. Yes, Christians give to others more than anyone else. They help the needy and less fortunate. But you can give away everything you own and still not be a Christian.

5.    Maybe you were baptized as a child or young adult. That doesn't necessarily mean you're a Christian. Many violent inmates in penitentiaries were baptized years ago, but few people would automatically consider these inmates Christians. Maybe you take Communion every Sunday if you're a Christian, that's great! But, both baptism and Communion are Biblical and God commands Christians to observe both. But, receiving either one won't make you a Christian.

6.    Eight out of ten people in America say they believe God exists. But are they all Christians? You can be a Muslim and believe in God, but "believing in God" does not make you a Christian. Belief, on its own, makes no difference. That is why belief, by itself, doesn't make someone a Christian.

7.    Many people talk about Jesus Christ and even speak well of Him. They may be teachers, ministers, church leaders, or "just plain folk." But, they may not even believe that the Bible's message about Jesus is true. Are these people truly Christians?

8.    Someone can pray and still not be a Christian. Hindus pray all the time. Muslims pray five times a day. Praying in itself doesn't make someone a Christian.

9.    Christians love the Bible. Some of us read it daily. But just reading the Bible doesn't mean you are a Christian. Karl Marx read the Bible even though he eventually rejected the Bible's authority, and during his adult life called himself an atheist, a communist--anything but a Christian. Nikita Khrushchev, the former premier of the USSR, read the Bible. Yet later he made it his ambition to bury the church. Just reading the Bible won't make you a Christian.

If thinking positively, living morally, going to church, giving to others, receiving a sacrament, believing in God, talking about Jesus, praying, and reading the Bible doesn't make you a Christian, then what does? What is a real Christian?

Being a Christian is believing in Jesus Christ as your savior and making every effort to live a Christian life – the life Jesus Christ called us to live. If you are knowingly fooling around with sin; if you are playing with immorality; if you are not being truthful in your business; if you are dishonest in your school, in your work, in your play, in your home -- then you are not trying to live the life Jesus Christ called Christian to live.

When you come to Christ, He forgives your sins and purifies your heart. That doesn’t mean you suddenly become holier than everyone else. On the contrary, you become more conscious of your shortcomings. But, God makes you righteous and gives you the power to live a more righteous life.

The way of life in Christ is also the way of love. Today, the word love has been robbed of meaning. It's used to describe a person exploiting the emotions of another for his own satisfaction and selfishness. But that is not love. True love wants the very best for someone no matter what it may cost us.

The way of life is also the way of obedience to God. I have written in the past that I do not believe perfection is possible, but Christians make an effort to be obedient to God in all things.  Christians give God authority over their lives. We will go wherever He wants us to go, do whatever He wants us to do and we do not care what it may cost in terms of comfort or reputation.

Life with Christ was not only God's original design for us; it is the way God intends for us to live today. A real Christian knows without a doubt he or she has eternal life. A real Christian knows without a doubt that they are a child of God. A real Christian believes God created everything - Christians may disagree how that creation came about, but we do not deny God is the creationist of all. A real Christian must have a spiritual birth. This happens when we repent of our sins and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

I again encourage you to take an honest look beyond the myths about what makes someone a Christian, re-evaluate your Christian life today.

At what age are children old enough to take communion?

 

Churches such as Methodist, Presbyterian and some nondenominational churches believe that children should not be excluded from Communion because it sends the wrong message to children. They suggest that Jesus forbid the exclusion of children from His presence, so excluding children from the communion table says they are unwelcome and unloved by God.

The Catholic Church says that children can understand that communion is a mystery and should be taken with understanding, much as the position Paul took in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29, “So if anyone eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily, that person is guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgement upon yourself.”

I do not think children that are unable to comprehend the meaning of communion should be allowed to take communion. I believe if children don’t feel they are excluded from God, it is possible that excluding them from participation at the communion table can create a healthy spirit of anticipation for later inclusion in the sacrament. Churches who believe that children should understand the sacrament before taking their first communion can encourage parents to educate their child about the sacrament, provide classes that educate children or include an explanation prior to communion and in kids’ Sunday school classes.

Some say parents should decide when their child is capable of understanding why we celebrate communion. I do not agree with that because some parents are irresponsible in taking communion themselves. It is naïve for us to think that all parents partake of communion with the right attitude. I know of people that took communion from me that took it because they would be embarrassed not to and in reality they should not have been taking it.

I have had parents in my parish tell me I have told my child when they feel they are old enough to date, drink, smoke, have sex or use drugs they can as long as they tell me in advance. I have had parents tell me I have told my child if they are going to have sex, drink, smoke or use drugs I would prefer they do it in our home. Do we want these same parents allowing their children to make the decision as to when they should take communion? I don’t think so.

I read of a man that stated, “I have been talking about our child taking communion extensively with a friend of mine. We both have daughters who are three years old. His daughter has not yet expressed an interest in taking communion. Mine has, and we have decided to allow her to participate. My friend has a real hang up about this, believing that communion is solely for those who have already made a decision to trust in Christ. I have studied the Scriptures carefully, and there seems to be nothing directly on point that would prevent our child from taking communion. Besides Jewish children in the O.T. and today partake of the Passover meal and that is similar to communion. They both are to teach about what God has done for us.”  This statement is a perfect example of why I do not want the church to allow parents to make the decision as to what age is appropriate for their child to take communion.

I cannot find an example in the New Testament where a child or a non-Christian took the Lord’s Supper. Unlike the Passover, which was eaten by the household, the Lord’s Supper was taken when the Christians gathered together to form the body of Christ. Since the Lord’s Supper is for Christians it excludes our children from partaking of it. The reason I say this is because under the New Covenant we must choose to become a Christian it is not a birthright. To choose to follow Christ implies we know what we are doing. The Passover was a command of God that the Jews were obligated to follow and under the New Covenant we are not obligated to follow Christ or take communion.

We are supposed to partake of communion in remembrance of Jesus. Just as the Passover was a reminder to the Jews of how death passed over them, which led to their freedom from slavery, the Lord’s Supper reminds us of how Jesus made eternal salvation possible for us by becoming the perfect sacrifice on the cross so we could have freedom from the bondage of sin.

When we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we proclaim His death until He comes again. Even when our children do not partake of the Lord’s Supper, when they see us partaken of it every week, they most likely will eventually ask us why we do it, and we can use that opportunity to teach them about what it represents without them partaking of it. If they do not ask we should tell them. Remember, they are not commanded to partake of it like the Jewish children were commanded to partake of the Passover.

Young children can go through motions of eating the bread and drinking the fruit of the vine, but I do not think they can fully understand what they are doing or why they are doing it. If I am correct then how can they be taking communion in a worthy manner? If they are old enough to understand the significance of the communion and everything that goes with it, then they are old enough to make a decision to become a Christian.

While we can learn much from the Old Testament, we cannot use it to justify what we do under the New Testament. The Jews under the Old Testament were commanded to observe the Passover with their household, but Christians are commanded to partake of the Lord’s Supper together when they worship God on the first day of the week. While we should encourage our children to pray, give, sing, and listen to the priest or preacher, we must not allow them partake of communion until they become Christians because they need to know what they are doing so they can partake of it in a worthy manner.

I also believe that communion has an element of ‘unity’ in it and if a child cannot understand that Christ wants ‘unity’ in the church (body of Christ) then what is the point in their taking communion with the rest of the members. Perhaps the reason the church lacks ‘unity’ is because the parents do not understand that communion is also a symbol of ‘unity’ among the church family.

Some say that a person should not take communion unless they have been baptized. I realize some churches require baptism prior to communion and as a general rule I have no problem with that, but it is not stated in Scripture that a person must be baptized before being able to receive communion. The Lord's Supper was instituted by Jesus with His disciples the evening before His crucifixion (Matthew 26:20-28). In Matthew 28:19, after our Lord's death and resurrection, He gave the Great Commission to His disciples to go into the entire world and teach His Gospel, followed with the command to also baptize the new believers.

Communion is only to be taken by believers in Jesus Christ. Baptism is intended to be an identifying mark of believers in Christ. Therefore, some churches require water baptism before a person can partake of the Lord's Supper. However, again, Scripture nowhere gives us this instruction.

Personally I would prefer baptism prior to communion, but my heart tells me that anyone who confesses faith in Jesus should be free to participate in the unifying celebration of communion. The Catholic Church requires baptism prior to communion and I certainly do not fault that view and if I were not retired I would enforce that rule.

 

Can you explain the Trinity - I can't either?

 

Math has never been a strong subject for me.  I remember dreading algebra, geometry and algebra II.  I took a practical math class my senior year in high school where I learn to balance a check book. I had heard the course was a breeze and I did not want to jeopardize by G.P.A. by taking Trigonometry. Memorizing math formulas and the rules of math was difficult.  Every time I got a concept in math class we would move on to another concept.  I could not keep up!

My mind was more suited to the humanities like religion, philosophy, government and history.  In those classes, the answer was usually subjective. In the humanity classes, thinking and discussing were at the center of learning.

Theologically, there is a mathematical concept that has confused scholars, thinkers, and Christians for centuries. The Triune God: 3 = 1 and 1 = 3.  Many non-Christians are confused by our math.  Many non-Christians see three separate Gods: The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. To be honest I have never heard anyone explain it so that I fully understood. I accept the concept on faith. How can Christians say they believe in one God when they name off three – Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

In the 3rd and 4th centuries, Christians were struggling with their one God three person concept - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Without getting into the history of the Trinitarian debate there was a few guys who seemed to solve the problem.  The Cappadocian Fathers gave us the understanding of three substances, but one essence of God. The Cappadocian Fathers stated that the Godhead - Father, Son and Holy Spirit) exists simultaneously in three modes of being, but are one in essence and unity. They have one nature and one is not subordinate to another.

Confused?  Think about the properties of water that can be found in three states (essences) - liquid, gas, or solid.  Water flows as a liquid, can be a vapor as gas, or can be frozen as a solid.  Regardless of its physical state or form it is still water.  The properties change, but water remains as water even though it can take three different shapes or forms.  Consider the sun it gives light, heat and radiation - three distinct aspects, but only one sun. The same can be said of the Trinity. God is still one God (one Godhead), but in three forms that share similar properties made up of one substance.  No illustration we use to explain the Trinity concept is going to be perfect.

Similes and metaphors may come close to explaining an idea, but never fully explain it. Trying to explain God is like trying to explain an emotion.  There are no words that can fully describe God or an emotion.  How do you describe the Divine?  How do you describe something greater than ourselves? There is a certain mystery about God that we are meant to be in awe of.

In John 3, Jesus is trying to explain to Nicodemus the relationship of the Triune God and how he must be “born of water and Spirit”. (John 3:5).  As a Jew, Nicodemus was under the covenant of Abraham and was “saved”. Jesus seeks to introduce the new covenant of Christ’s sacrifice as the Son, the need to be born of the Holy Spirit through baptism, and understanding how the Father sent the Son out of love.  These were all new concepts to Nicodemus and that is why he asks, “How can anyone be born after having grown old?” (John 3:4).  We, like Nicodemus, sometimes are confused by all the theology. We need help to understand it. Though we may struggle, Jesus made one thing clear: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

As a Christian we should seek to understand how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all God.  They are all unified, but each has distinct roles. How have you connected with the Triune God?  Do you tend to focus on one over the other?  How do you incorporate the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in your worship, devotions, and your life? The Holy Spirit is often ignored. How does the Holy Spirit work in your my life?

The term: "Tri" meaning three, and "Unity" meaning one, Tri+Unity = Trinity. It is a way of acknowledging what the Bible reveals to us about God, that God is three "Persons" who have the same essence of deity.

From the very beginning we see God as a Trinity. Notice the plural pronouns "us" and "our" in Genesis 1:26 -- Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Though not a complete list, here is some other Scripture that shows God is one, in Trinity: “And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." (Matt. 3:16-17). “Jesus said: "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30). "He who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9).

“Trinity” is not found in Scripture. This is a term that is used to attempt to describe the triune God—three coexistent, co-eternal Persons who make up God. The Trinity is a controversial doctrine; many Christians admit they don't understand it, while many more Christians don't understand it, but think they do.

Trinity Sunday, which falls on the first Sunday after Pentecost, is one of the few feasts in the Christian calendar that celebrate a doctrine rather than an event. The complexity of the doctrine of the Trinity should not prevent us from teaching it. Teaching about the Trinity not only enhances our faithfulness to the God depicted in the story of Jesus, it can enrich the church’s view of the Christian life.

“PRAISE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT”.