Sun at Xmas, Auckland
Its Saturday, and this morning I walked to get the paper with my son, who commented that I find it hard to relax. Today we are going to try. Our agenda is to read, to swim… not to do touristy stuff.
We did that yesterday, and can do that tomorrow or the next day or the day after that. Last year was brutal, and this year will be different.
I need to enjoy my down time.
I 8For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later about another day. 9So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; 10for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labors as God did from his. 11Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.12Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.
The other error is to see everything as works or ritual.
Consider for a second this comment.
Well, I’m somewhat familiar with the world of gnostic-pagan-ancient witchcraft revival [because when you attend a strict religious school, teenage rebellion is reading books from the New Age section]. These spiritual movements are more pageantry, than anything of substance. A witchcraft-book will have over 100 pages explaining the proper way to sit in a magic circle.
Like the New-Age faiths, Modern Christianity spends more time on pageantry than spiritual affairs. You can’t rely on good works and faith in Christ, to ensure salvation – those virtues are irrelevant, if you’re praying the wrong way. [For example, apparently my Anglican fiance will burn in Hell, because he's praying the wrong way] & the attitude I encounter from most devout Christians,
the error here is a combination of both. There is a certain conflation of the wiccan idea of formulae: If I pray this way or that way I will be saved, and if I don’t i won’t. Well, I am fairly sure that Ratzinger himself does not say this. And since much of my theology comes from Anglicans (from CS lewis to JI Packer to Os Guiness to Pete and Samie Grieg, I am not going to damn Anglicans.
When we are saved we have the spirit. And the Holy Spirit guides us into truth. We can’t save ourselves or preserve our salvation… God does this for us.
But we must let the word get deep into our being. And part of this is times of rest: holidays and sabbaths.
So today and tomorrow I am going to chill.
Well, I am fairly sure that Ratzinger himself does not say this.
Actually, he does.
I am not going to damn Anglicans
I appreciate your tolerance of the Church of England. However; you’re an outlier. There’s too much dissension within Modern Christianity – denominations compete like sports teams.
I’m more likely to be damned, than told about Christ’s love. You can’t blame apostates for their loss of faith, considering the hostile environment within Modern Christianity.
Bringing the topic back to gnostic-pagan-mysticism; Aleister Crowley said it best:
“The supreme satisfaction is to be able to despise one’s neighbor and this fact goes far to account for religious intolerance. It is evidently consoling to reflect that the people next door are headed for hell.”
PS:
Gnosticism isn’t absolute evil.
I’ve always been drawn to my local Freemason-esque organizations [women can't be Masons, but they can join similar groups, such as the Order of the Eastern Star]. These organizations are deeply committed to charity, and help raise awareness for childhood illnesses [I believe the Shriners have actually founded childrens' hospitals].
…I wish the harmony and compassion I encounter within gnostic organizations, existed within Christianity.
Edit:
I forgot to wish you a good luck on your vacation [& I apologize for bombarding you with my musings pertaining to the deterioration of American Christianity].
Firstly, ratzinger has to argue that protestant clergy are invalid or he will be invalidating catholics in areas where there are protestant bishoprics such as England.
I think Apostolic succession is not something that follows a dynastic line and would argue that the roamn rite is invalid. Eldership is… but there are no grades. The structure of the temple is broken.
What Ratzinger is not going to say is that the Orthodox or Protestants are antichristian. He is going to say they are in error.
On American Christianity… Dunno. I’m not American.
What Ratzinger is not going to say is that the Orthodox or Protestants are antichristian. He is going to say they are in error.
Whenever I’ve had a Priest/Nun/devout Catholic individual explain the “errors” to me, they carefully phrased their sentences to imply that God frowns upon non-Catholic denominations of Christianity. They’re lesser. Protestants may be saved…but Catholics are more saved.
I believe in the mid-20th century, there was a popular movement within American Catholicism that actually promoted the concept of non-Catholics not being saved. Feeneyism? It’s influence might still be around.
& I didn’t intend to solely criticize Catholicism – nearly all denominations of American Christianity write off the others as “misguided” “lost” “in error”. The Anglican Church actually has this within its own denomination.
…I just want everyone to get along…
On American Christianity… Dunno. I’m not American.
Well, I meant American because it’s in awful shape, and full of snake-oil salesmen. New Zealand Christianity sounds less crazy, and less corrupt.