http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDjJDFRvbEM
I was of course searching for answers on youtube and this was one of the first videos. For what its worth, I don't think there is one right answer. If it gives you meaning to believe in a spiritual resurrection, scriptural or not, I don't see a huge problem.If you believe 40 virgins are going to be waiting on you in heaven hey, get some. I will say though if our beliefs about afterlife become so hard core that we would hurt ourselves or someone else then that would be a big problem.
I don't understand that if Jesus' birth story is not how it was portrayed in the bible, then why do we still engrain it so deeply into our children. We make them learn it and perform it every year! If we are to be connected to Christ through the stories about him then shouldn't we celebrate his life by living like him and not dressing up like shephares, angels, and wisemen?
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Decisions, Decisions
I too am excited about this project thing we are working on! I love that we are putting our learning into action and may make positive changes around us! GO Team Creepers!
I went to church today for the first time in almost a year. I have been eating more vegetables and walking more. I try really really hard not to sleep in class and to ask questions when I am lost. I was thinking last week after our planning session in class that I wonder how many of us are making changes in our lives so that we can be the change we want to see in the world. Our choices do matter. Sometimes I know the business of everyday life swallows me up and I don't think about the choices I make. Some choices don't seem like that big of a deal like eating one cookie or three, two pieces of pizza or 4 but when you don't think about it those choices they really can add up! When I begin to think about it I realize how lazy I am! Good students study and do their assignments on time- I don't but I wanna be a good student! When we start to think about the min to min choices we make I know I could be a whole lot more productive with my time! That's why I decided to make time to blog tonight instead of harvesting my crops on farmville or watching you tube videos! I hope that you guys are all making better, more thoughtful decisions! I look forward to working with ya'll on our project! Woot! woot!
I went to church today for the first time in almost a year. I have been eating more vegetables and walking more. I try really really hard not to sleep in class and to ask questions when I am lost. I was thinking last week after our planning session in class that I wonder how many of us are making changes in our lives so that we can be the change we want to see in the world. Our choices do matter. Sometimes I know the business of everyday life swallows me up and I don't think about the choices I make. Some choices don't seem like that big of a deal like eating one cookie or three, two pieces of pizza or 4 but when you don't think about it those choices they really can add up! When I begin to think about it I realize how lazy I am! Good students study and do their assignments on time- I don't but I wanna be a good student! When we start to think about the min to min choices we make I know I could be a whole lot more productive with my time! That's why I decided to make time to blog tonight instead of harvesting my crops on farmville or watching you tube videos! I hope that you guys are all making better, more thoughtful decisions! I look forward to working with ya'll on our project! Woot! woot!
One confused Jive Turkey...
There seems to be a great divide within me these days. There is a "the way I use to be" and the "I don't know anymore". I'm not sure how to reconcile the two. I use to be in the candidacy process, I use to be a children's minister, a religion major, headed to seminary. I use to be in love with a God I thought was so real, alive, and ever present. Something happened.
The bible became a fable, the mysteries of faith- a lie. I no longer felt God's presence and could say with no fear that God was not real. I scoffed at Christians and began to hate the very kind of people that I use to be.
I have been asking myself lately... Am I mad at God? Do I still believe in God. Am I angry at some church experiences or hurting over old situations. Why do I feel so negativly towards Christianity? To be honest I have been caught up in blaming the extremes on why the church is the way it is today. I haven't stopped to look at myself. For all the good churches do I seem to want to look past it and just pick on the bad parts.
We all long for a connection. We want love and community. Are religions just a way to fill that need for connection or is there more to religion than that? Religion can help us figure out the kind of people we want to be. I want my religion to be more than a moral code. I want this God thing to be real, to be touchable, maybe even to be infallible. I guess maybe I'm thinking of God and faith as something conceptual. Maybe I should think of them as verbs- like the faithing.
What if God is found in our doing. Maybe we are God to each other. Maybe through all my internal confusion I will have better understanding one day..... until then I'll remain one confused jive turkey.
The bible became a fable, the mysteries of faith- a lie. I no longer felt God's presence and could say with no fear that God was not real. I scoffed at Christians and began to hate the very kind of people that I use to be.
I have been asking myself lately... Am I mad at God? Do I still believe in God. Am I angry at some church experiences or hurting over old situations. Why do I feel so negativly towards Christianity? To be honest I have been caught up in blaming the extremes on why the church is the way it is today. I haven't stopped to look at myself. For all the good churches do I seem to want to look past it and just pick on the bad parts.
We all long for a connection. We want love and community. Are religions just a way to fill that need for connection or is there more to religion than that? Religion can help us figure out the kind of people we want to be. I want my religion to be more than a moral code. I want this God thing to be real, to be touchable, maybe even to be infallible. I guess maybe I'm thinking of God and faith as something conceptual. Maybe I should think of them as verbs- like the faithing.
What if God is found in our doing. Maybe we are God to each other. Maybe through all my internal confusion I will have better understanding one day..... until then I'll remain one confused jive turkey.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Tension in Mah brain
1st let me defend myself. I do actually LOVE children. I have 3 nephews and 4 nieces. I have been a children's minister. I've babysat since I was 14. My grandma raised a lot of my cousins and I was there to help. Children are wonderful, they are the best-- but when you are around them for extended periods of time they can be overwhelming-- and you have to admit, no matter what age they do get smelly quick!! :P
There is tension in my being. "Be the change you want to see in the world." I love this idea, its all well and good but.... the rational, logical, action plan forming part of me says its a load of poop. I think it can work on an everyday level- for example you care about the environment- so you recycle. Be the change. When you are disciplining children you talk gently with clarity because you want them to respond to you by not yelling or screaming. You change their behavior by embodying the change you want to see in them. You don't agree with the current education system's method for learning- you encourage your students to blog, text in class, and really actually make them excited about learning. These things work great with the idea of being the change. When we revolutionize ourselves we can make positive changes around us.
But how does this tackle institutional greed, war, genocide, poverty, politics? There are so many things bigger than what we can tackle with simply being the change.
There is tension in my being. "Be the change you want to see in the world." I love this idea, its all well and good but.... the rational, logical, action plan forming part of me says its a load of poop. I think it can work on an everyday level- for example you care about the environment- so you recycle. Be the change. When you are disciplining children you talk gently with clarity because you want them to respond to you by not yelling or screaming. You change their behavior by embodying the change you want to see in them. You don't agree with the current education system's method for learning- you encourage your students to blog, text in class, and really actually make them excited about learning. These things work great with the idea of being the change. When we revolutionize ourselves we can make positive changes around us.
But how does this tackle institutional greed, war, genocide, poverty, politics? There are so many things bigger than what we can tackle with simply being the change.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Awkward Questions about Jesus
:) Here are some questions from kids about Jesus! I think this is fitting considering our discussion in class today. bwahhaha
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
I'm gonna be real...
I really don't know who I am anymore. A few years ago I use to get up in the morning and be excited to be awake and ready for the day. Just this last year I hated the idea of getting out of bed so much that I never got up except to go to work. Life changes. Some people go to church all the time or take care of kids, or work, or go to school or do all of those things! I just am not sure what makes me tick anymore. There are things I do- work, school, love,photography, knitting--- but what kind of person am I?
I like that in Mark, Jesus is struggling with who he is. Don't we all do it at some point or another? I really is something I identify with. Maybe who we are and what we like to do changes constantly. Jesus was human so I can see why he would have that struggle. Do I eat or do I resist, do I follow God's word or turn away, Do I love or show hate. Theses are questions we all deal with!
I'm growing into the person I need to be and its hard but I know that as long as I continue to try to live good and be happy, that everything will be ok.
I like that in Mark, Jesus is struggling with who he is. Don't we all do it at some point or another? I really is something I identify with. Maybe who we are and what we like to do changes constantly. Jesus was human so I can see why he would have that struggle. Do I eat or do I resist, do I follow God's word or turn away, Do I love or show hate. Theses are questions we all deal with!
I'm growing into the person I need to be and its hard but I know that as long as I continue to try to live good and be happy, that everything will be ok.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Jesus and the Terminator
Friday, September 10, 2010
Pilate
I don't know what to think about Pilate. He is ultimately responsible for Jesus' death. I had always thought he was an evil man but there seems to be a glimmer of compassion in him- he was trying to fix the aqueducts and he seems to care about what the people think.Andreas' forced mission from Pilate is interesting for many reasons. On one hand it makes Pilate out to be a caring and not so bad individual- he's trying to learn rather than persecute people. Although he is using Andreas to gain information that could be used against people. He mainly wants info to tarnish Antipas. I can't decide how I feel about Pilate. He seems to care about eliminating threats, as any ruler would. The image on the coin seems to be the starting point of contention between the occupying Romans and the Jews. We honestly don't know very much about him though!
What do you think about Pilate?
On a side note- John the Baptist was behead in our readings and I thought I'd share this picture! (scroll down to see it!)
http://vestalvespa.blogspot.com/2005/03/easter-greetings.html
What do you think about Pilate?
On a side note- John the Baptist was behead in our readings and I thought I'd share this picture! (scroll down to see it!)
http://vestalvespa.blogspot.com/2005/03/easter-greetings.html
More on Divinity
September 5, 2010
Hey guys! Hope you are enjoying the weekend. From the reading (Now/Then 13-14) I got interested in the trinity. I decided to do some extra reading and came across some interesting discussions I thought I’d share.
1. “The doctrine of the Trinity- one God in a real relationship of real persons- is not something that can be comprehended by human reason. It is not a teaching that could ever have been invented by people at all. Rather, for this teaching we are entirely dependent upon special revelation- God’s Word- which clearly proclaims Jesus as having been with the Father- “in [His] own presence- before the world existed.” (http://moderndaymagi.blogspot.com/2006/04/trinity-false-polytheism-or-correct.html)
2. Regarding the Trinity; “One can quote scripture to support either position. One must understand that the Trinity is not self- evident and is a theology developed by man. The Trinity does not exist in the Hebrew Scriptures, however, it does exist in Hinduism.In the Hebrew scriptures, Israel is considered the Son of God or sons of God. Being called a son of God in the Hebrew scriptures does not make one divine, but only signifies the special relationship between God and Israel. God in flesh is a foreign concept in both Judaism and Islam. However, we see plenty examples of this in Greek and Roman mythologies which later Christianity borrowed heavily from.”
3. The concept of the messiah was firmly established in the minds of the Jewish people of that period. The messiah (the Hebrew mashiach) means the anointed one. This term traditionally was applied to the kings of Israel. However, the messiah who was expected to come and was waited impatiently in some circles of the Jewish people, was not supposed to be divine. He was expected to be a human being sent by God, not a god. http://onhotitems.blogspot.com/#29
These 3 things are interesting and I hope they make us think about how Jesus was perceived.I’ve often wondered about the idea of a messiah. I always thought of a messiah as being a ball breaking rebel that would overthrow the government and establish a new order. Jesus didn’t do that. Jesus claiming to be or rumored to be divine would have been a big problem for the Jews of the day… well, obviously, considering how he died…
Any-who I think its interesting to learn how other people may have perceived Jesus and to continue to look at how is Jesus divine! Happy blogging!
–May your ribs and wieners be yummy but not too carcinogenic!
Hey guys! Hope you are enjoying the weekend. From the reading (Now/Then 13-14) I got interested in the trinity. I decided to do some extra reading and came across some interesting discussions I thought I’d share.
1. “The doctrine of the Trinity- one God in a real relationship of real persons- is not something that can be comprehended by human reason. It is not a teaching that could ever have been invented by people at all. Rather, for this teaching we are entirely dependent upon special revelation- God’s Word- which clearly proclaims Jesus as having been with the Father- “in [His] own presence- before the world existed.” (http://moderndaymagi.blogspot.com/2006/04/trinity-false-polytheism-or-correct.html)
2. Regarding the Trinity; “One can quote scripture to support either position. One must understand that the Trinity is not self- evident and is a theology developed by man. The Trinity does not exist in the Hebrew Scriptures, however, it does exist in Hinduism.In the Hebrew scriptures, Israel is considered the Son of God or sons of God. Being called a son of God in the Hebrew scriptures does not make one divine, but only signifies the special relationship between God and Israel. God in flesh is a foreign concept in both Judaism and Islam. However, we see plenty examples of this in Greek and Roman mythologies which later Christianity borrowed heavily from.”
3. The concept of the messiah was firmly established in the minds of the Jewish people of that period. The messiah (the Hebrew mashiach) means the anointed one. This term traditionally was applied to the kings of Israel. However, the messiah who was expected to come and was waited impatiently in some circles of the Jewish people, was not supposed to be divine. He was expected to be a human being sent by God, not a god. http://onhotitems.blogspot.com/#29
These 3 things are interesting and I hope they make us think about how Jesus was perceived.I’ve often wondered about the idea of a messiah. I always thought of a messiah as being a ball breaking rebel that would overthrow the government and establish a new order. Jesus didn’t do that. Jesus claiming to be or rumored to be divine would have been a big problem for the Jews of the day… well, obviously, considering how he died…
Any-who I think its interesting to learn how other people may have perceived Jesus and to continue to look at how is Jesus divine! Happy blogging!
–May your ribs and wieners be yummy but not too carcinogenic!
Jesus, Taste the Rainbow
{ August 27, 2010 @ 5:41 pm } · { Uncategorized }
Our ideas of Jesus being divine were formulated and put in a nice, and confusing box by both the Council of Nicaea and Chalcedon. If the council of Nicea established two of the doctrines which many Christians hold dear, does that mean if one doesn’t believe, they aren’t Christians? Early Christians were followers of the way. Was the way, believing in Christ’s death and resurrection or was it a way of life? Can one be a follower of the way and not believe in the resurrection of Christ and his divinity?
If the bible is not a historical document but a narrative exegesis then maybe its ok to just believe the truths within the bible and about Jesus. Since we are learning about Jesus and the Gospels, why can’t we taste Jesus in the many flavors he’s portrayed as… Son of God, teacher, prophet, heretic. What does it mean for Christianity if Jesus was in fact not divine. What if Jesus was just a man?
Courtney Bunce
The way I see it, the point of Nicaea was simply to better define and clarify what Christians already believed. They weren’t making up new things that Christians needed to believe. I’m not sure you have to believe every bit of what they say in oder to be a Christian; however, I do think that a vital part of our faith is believing that Jesus was Christ, God incarnate who was sentenced to death for us and was resurrected.
I think that being a follower of the way is a way of life, but what you believe (as in who Jesus was) is a major part of the way in which you live. I think its possible for someone to be a “follower” without really knowing where they are going, just as a “believer” might think that Jesus was a cool guy without thinking that he was God. I believe that the answer to that is simply getting to know Him better. That seemed really cliche. But you have to know Him in order to really follow Him.
The Bible may not be historically accurate…but it does say that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. It says that He was all of those “flavors” and even more! After reading the Bible (not that I have read ALL of it) I don’t see how anyone could think Jesus was really JUST a man.
You have an interesting perspective, Kim. And I really like your title
http://courtneysletters.blogspot.com/
Our ideas of Jesus being divine were formulated and put in a nice, and confusing box by both the Council of Nicaea and Chalcedon. If the council of Nicea established two of the doctrines which many Christians hold dear, does that mean if one doesn’t believe, they aren’t Christians? Early Christians were followers of the way. Was the way, believing in Christ’s death and resurrection or was it a way of life? Can one be a follower of the way and not believe in the resurrection of Christ and his divinity?
If the bible is not a historical document but a narrative exegesis then maybe its ok to just believe the truths within the bible and about Jesus. Since we are learning about Jesus and the Gospels, why can’t we taste Jesus in the many flavors he’s portrayed as… Son of God, teacher, prophet, heretic. What does it mean for Christianity if Jesus was in fact not divine. What if Jesus was just a man?
Courtney Bunce
The way I see it, the point of Nicaea was simply to better define and clarify what Christians already believed. They weren’t making up new things that Christians needed to believe. I’m not sure you have to believe every bit of what they say in oder to be a Christian; however, I do think that a vital part of our faith is believing that Jesus was Christ, God incarnate who was sentenced to death for us and was resurrected.
I think that being a follower of the way is a way of life, but what you believe (as in who Jesus was) is a major part of the way in which you live. I think its possible for someone to be a “follower” without really knowing where they are going, just as a “believer” might think that Jesus was a cool guy without thinking that he was God. I believe that the answer to that is simply getting to know Him better. That seemed really cliche. But you have to know Him in order to really follow Him.
The Bible may not be historically accurate…but it does say that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. It says that He was all of those “flavors” and even more! After reading the Bible (not that I have read ALL of it) I don’t see how anyone could think Jesus was really JUST a man.
You have an interesting perspective, Kim. And I really like your title
http://courtneysletters.blogspot.com/
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