Dark Brightness

This is from today’s lectionary. It notes that fa;se teaching leads to asceticism. Indeed, there is a belief that no believer can have fun or enjoy the everyday goodness in creation.

1Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will renounce the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; 5for it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer.

via PCUSA – Devotions.

Paul, of course, argues that this is not a proof text for unlawfulness. It does state that pleasure is not a sin: the ancient church had both feasts and fasts. The new twist on this is the hedonist asthete: who cheerfully drinks and fornicates, while living on a restricted idet and punishes their body with excessive exercise.