Messages I'm Down With...

[thalassa]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d8fV7ONAxM

[Medusa]

That guy rocks.

[LiadanWillows]

Though I usually do not enjoy sermon's I found this one very interesting. It helped me kind of sort through my life when I felt abandoned by friends.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG498iLSVT4

[Dumuzi]

That guy rocks.

I know it seems hard right now, but I wanna F you, I wanna F you so hard.

[thalassa]

Liadan, that one is pretty darn good too!


...these are two of my faves--prayers attributed to St Francis of Assisi


The Canticle of the Sun

by Francis of Assisi

Most high, all powerful, all good Lord! All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing. To you, alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which you give your creatures sustenance.

Be praised, My Lord, through Sister Water; she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten the night. He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.

Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Be praised, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of you; through those who endure sickness and trial. Happy those who endure in peace, for by you, Most High, they will be crowned.

Be praised, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whose embrace no living person can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Happy those she finds doing your most holy will. The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks, and serve him with great humility.


(translated by Bill Barrett from the Umbrian text of the Assisi codex.)




Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.


O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen



...obviously, I don't agree with all of it, but I'm down with the overall message...

[Medusa]

I know it seems hard right now, but I wanna F you, I wanna F you so hard.

Really? I don't.

[Tylluan Penry]

My problem with the 'Make me an instrument of your peace' is that Margaret Thatcher once quoted it as though it was her own sentiments (she did acknowledge St Frank, but only in passing) and I really really believe that woman was criminally insane. I can't think of any US politician with whom I could compare her... any suggestions?

[thalassa]

Some reasons why not all Christians think that non-Christians are hell-bound... (http://www.internetchurchofchrist.org/pearl-doallnonchristiansgotohell.html)

[Hawkfeathers]

I actually like Joel Osteen.

*ducks & runs for cover*

[thalassa]

this might not be * precisely* the best place for it...but I found this article/vidoeto be quite interesting (http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/31/do-you-speak-christian/)...

[thalassa]

a blog post from a Christian mom blogger about her experience at a Lughnasadh ritual (http://soullibertyfaith.com/?p=976#comment-1631)

[Dez]

a blog post from a Christian mom blogger about her experience at a Lughnasadh ritual (http://soullibertyfaith.com/?p=976#comment-1631)

That was awesome.

It actually made me cry a bit.

[thalassa]

the following is from a post @ The Progressive Christian (e-zine sort of site) on the Rick Perry prayer event, The Response (http://tpcmagazine.org/article/five-scriptures-you-wont-hear-rick-perrys-prayer-event)--the whole post is good, but here's the kicker:


...the problem isn't one politician but rather a nation that has embraced an unhealthy political arrogance undergirded by even unhealthier religious hubris. The "prayer" that is most needed at this time is for each of us, believer or not, to go into our own heart and find the humility and empathy that is at the core of righteousness, political and spiritual.

[thalassa]

...lol, now that I have been reading thru the rest of the site (there are many messages I am down with--I'll probably add more), I followed a link to a NPR segment I must have missed...from the article:


"There are two things in my life that are an absolute," the megachurch pastor told his flock. "I did not ask for either one of them, both of them were imposed upon me, I had no control over either of them. One was the call of God on my life... and the other thing ... was my sexual orientation."

Jim Swilley — a twice-married father of four, a man who comes from a long line of evangelical preachers — revealed a secret he'd been holding onto most of his life:

He's gay.

read the rest, listen to the story and watch the video...
(http://www.npr.org/2010/11/14/131312723/out-of-the-closet-in-the-pulpit-of-a-megachurch?ps=rs)

[HopesOfTheSerene]

Just read...
a blog post from a Christian mom blogger about her experience at a Lughnasadh ritual (http://soullibertyfaith.com/?p=976#comment-1631)... Uber! :)

[thalassa]

There's a movie on Netflix (if you don't get it, you might be able to find it elsewhere), called For the Bible Tells Me So (http://www.forthebibletellsmeso.org), that shows the better side of Christian religions and Christians towards homosexuality...and exactly how difficult it can be for families to overcome growing up or being part of denominations that don't share those views. Its really quite excellent. Particularly wonderful are some of the quotes by Desmond Tutu. In parts its sad, but overall...its inspiring. And I think its important to remember (particularly in the Pagan community), that Christianity, once you get past doing religion with Jesus, isn't the caricature that people like Rick Santorum or Pat Robertson make it to be.