What would we do without work…..I know, I know, lots….but in fact, we would die of hunger, if not sheer boredom. Remember when summer vacation started and you were out of school? Wasn’t that the greatest feeling in the world, to have the whole summer ahead with a blank slate. That does go well for a while, and gnawing boredom sets in. At first it is barely felt, but then, it grows a little more each day. Suddenly ‘sleeping in’ runs out about 10AM, give or take….Eating is nice if someone has worked to get some food for you. Getting dressed comes next…if someone has worked to get some clothes for you….Using the cell phone, computer, TV, IPad, IPod, etc. is available….which again…is just fine if it is there, (like) someone has worked to get those for you. And on it goes…can’t go out to eat, can’t drive, can’t use a bike. Wait a minute!!! Don’t have a bed, blankets, stove, cups, house, garage, and all listed above…..unless…..someone else has worked to provide it for you.
Working gives us self esteem, hope, accomplishment, pride, and money to purchase the things we need. We begin our working life by putting away toys that someone else has purchased….in a bedroom that is comfortable, because someone has…etc. We help with food preparation, keep the garden free of weeds, and mow the yard whenever necessary. Sometimes these chores are ‘without’ monetary pay…..because our pay comes from the rewards of working together in our home, so that adults can work, and we can share in the reward…Seems like a big circle, doesn’t it!
Working is truly good for the soul….it gives us life and purpose and a reason to learn, accomplish, and achieve goals. It feels good to purchase your first car, to decorate your first apartment, and the pride that goes along with it, is truly amazing.
So whether it is plowing or purchasing, digging or darning, selling or sailing, raising or razing, work is good. We learn not to be ‘lumps’ (someone has to take care of.)…Incidentally being a ‘lump’ only lasts so long…After a lump becomes an adult, and does not work because HE/SHE DOESN’T WANT TO…then he will find himself with other lumps. Those lumps will go on to find ‘lumping’ is not too acceptable with the established majority of worker bees, and life as he remembered it ,in 2nd grade, when those with a work ethic ‘worked’ to make his life pleasant, will fade into oblivion.
Yes, it is a big circle…..and you need to decide which circle you want to be in…..jump in the moving walkway of life and enjoy work….Pass on the good ethics and morals that work entails… oh yes,and keep the walkway running smoothly, for other workers….someone has to!
Been trying not to comment on Planned Parenthood, but I have to. At least I’ll start out and see what happens.
I have sensed for a long time the ‘agenda’ of who ever wants to stir the pot of problematic indecision. I guess I can only discuss it from my point in living these past 70 plus years.
My most bitter disappointment is having to face the fact that religion comes in many forms and is used as a sledgehammer to address situations some people don’t care for, to enhance their agenda. I see some of you wincing, some exclaiming how wrong I am, and others shrugging.
There are lots of things in life aimed at making people wince, scream, and walk away. If it happens next door, you are ready to stand and push the morality you live by. If it happens in Egypt, Germany, England, Syria, or Iraq, we think ‘oh no, when will it ever end’….and then go on living our day. ‘Well, it’s kind of numbing after awhile’, you say…..and you are right.
When a politician becomes a part of criminal activity, we gasp, knowing that we expected more….and sure enough, got less. And we go on….
When there is an auto accident that claims lives in another state, we think ‘what a shame’ and we go on….
When a couple become parents to a newborn who lives only a few hours because of birth defects, it does touch us…for awhile, and we go on.
WHY?……….
Me thinks it is because we really don’t have the answer and therefore can’t handle the problem thinking through our own personal moral and character beliefs and ADMITTING we don’t have the answer.
Playing God is always a good way out….think how many times a day we rate others actions and reactions. Think how we smirk at their dress or their language. Think how we roll our eyes when their opinions don’t quite match ours. And then there is religion…..we really don’t like to get involved with that, do we. We and they…..We think, they think, we believe, they believe.. We forgive this way, they forgive that way. We think this law is okay, they think that law is okay. We think they tread on us, and visa versa.
Now we don’t really play god with the big stuff…..mostly it is small time, cause we are educated enough in our every day living to make those decisions. Oh, please, you know that is wrong…..we are God all the time, otherwise confession and prayer would not be so important. We know we screw up….but there are small ones and big ones….right!
LET’S LOOK AT ME…..
I’m here to say I’ve had a pretty wonderful life, compared to most people. And yet, there have been some bad times. I’ve often said that some people could not have handled some of the things that happened to me…..and visa versa. I know of some pretty bad things that others have incurred, and they have survived, continuing to become wonderful human beings, with souls of gold. But let’s use me…… and I’ll go right to the core of this post…..I aborted at home at almost 6 months, and prior to that had 4 miscarriages. A year later we adopted a wonderful little boy thru state where we lived. We had him until he was twenty and because of his fetal alcohol syndrome, he felt his life would be better if he went out on his own and cut all communications with his family, and friend. We did not know he had this syndrome and neither did he.
AND OTHERS…….
I know of a wonderful gal who had 5 children and 5 abortions….why? Was it because of money, anger, molestation, fear, her health, the fetus’ health…..who knows. Maybe all of them……it is not for me to judge. Her shoes weren’t mine and mine were not hers. We all know of girls who ‘went away’ when were in high school in the 50’s and 60’s. Their shoes weren’t mine and mine were not theirs. Lives so young, so full of trauma. Decisions had to be made….and they were.
Many wonderful souls have died because of disease, time, starvation, and lifestyle.
Other pregnant women in countries whose names we cannot pronounce, or sadly even remember, lose their babies to lack of good nutrition, or good drinking water, a warm place to sleep, and most often, poor sanitary conditions when giving birth.
COMMON CAUSES…STILL PROBLEMATIC
Many families have children with diseases that should some day be eliminated.
Stem cell research shall become a ‘giver of new life’ for children of birth defects that have stalked generations.
Good nutrition, water, and being in a safe place should be put into operation at once, for everyone.
Molestation, lack of money, anger, and no family support….should be a thing of the past..
But alas, after all these years, they still remain.
TO ACT.. IS TO REACT… AND NOT OVER-REACT….
Traumatic ‘you tube’ film shows in households all over the world. Ugliness is always around….but how we handle it proves our character and worth.
Would I have a tough time watching an amputation…..you bet. Would I have a tough time watching war and the horrendous pain inflicted on men and women….couldn’t do it. Would one wince while pulling critically injured people from auto wreckage….of course. Would it be easy for me watch the caring of severe burns…couldn’t do it. BUT PEOPLE DO…..BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO….to help, aid and assist the strangers they come to care for.
And so it is with research…..and religion…..They need to cross and match. The realization that human beings are helpful and helpless has to be discussed. We cannot hide our beliefs any longer. We need to take them out and look closely at why we believe what.
Planned Parenthood should be a place to learn and discuss openly optional birth control methods. We can continue to scare one another into not getting pregnant. How well has that worked…..?
Most of all Planned Parenthood should be planned for and around adoptive parents to receive babies that because of personal reasons, the mother chose to do so. I say personal reasons, because I know there are many….and ‘walking in shoes’ is not for discussion here.
Having adopted, and watching the process with others today, it has become much more of a business than ’tissue’ donations ever were. Who is to say who will be a good or bad parent…..and how do those rules apply to ‘anyone’ who becomes pregnant…there isn’t any is there…except and until the child is hurt or found not to be cared for, or starved, etc. I remember seeing scrapbooks potential families had to design to show their home and back yard and family and how the room would be furnished, and all the outdoor swings, etc. WHAAAAT!
Are you getting the picture now about what is moral to who….The laws governing parenthood are kind of not working, right. ‘Don’t tread on me’… it is my right to get pregnant….and the laws say yes. How we work thru this ….should be a part of planned parenthood.
SO ….WHAT DO WE DO….
We change our attitude on who can be a parent and why. We modify our reasons when it becomes a moral disaster to get pregnant within today ‘s lifestyle. We encourage good healthcare, before pregnancy, and birth control to avoid another moral disaster, finally admitting that we can’t make everyone into the same mold, that is to act, look, live, and believe like us.
We gently understand the loss of children, and further research the reasons for birth defects, in order to negate those defects. We do not sensationalize pain, sadness, loss, and death when it comes to abortions or miscarriages….but instead encourage families of unwanted pregnancies to pass on their ‘gift’ to a family unable to have children.
We make adoption available, and don’t charge 2o% minimum of your yearly gross earnings…..We charge for prenatal care and having the baby, period.
We understand that some people do not want or need children…..and teach them that it is okay. Birth control is a gift to people who don’t want children, just as the opposite is of families who do, can’t, and want to adopt.
And maybe we take a second look at research of human tissue of all kinds, knowing that we already donate cadavers, eyes, lungs, brains, virtually everything we have to find the answer… Everything that God has made helps us understand everything that God has made, better, especially when we do it with kindness, understanding, and tenderness to others just like us.
just can’t pass this one up……how sad it is that an organization of the NFL’s so-called caliber cannot count on it’s own morals and ethics enough to respect women…and to prove (not improve) its position.. has to employ/acknowledge the very center of conflict….in order to “relieve” its own stupidity to the public…….CHOSEN LADIES…..go to women’s shelters every day before negotiating….Remember the eyes of the children who live in fear….and the ‘lost’ future of the women who seek asylum there…
Each time I read more of this letter, I see the writer, sometimes, just beside himself…..Exasperated, even exhausted! One can see him pacing in the after glow of the sunset, knowing he would have to continue on thru the night.
He further reminds his newbies, he is not asking for the moon. He doesn’t need a big paycheck, not a palace for the duration of the stay, and certainly not taking from those who are disadvantaged, to pay the bill.
The key word here in these pages is ‘compelled’. He is compelled to speak of Christianity. He can’t leave the subject alone. He needs to shout about his Christ, and your Christ. How exciting is that! How many times have you been COMPELLED in your Christian belief? I know I should be more like Paul, so motivated, even at times obsessive in my description of what is Christ all about, and what he means in my life, but I’m chicken. I am not an outgoing ‘evangelizer’, sounding off on busy corners or handling out pamphlets door to door……SOMETIMES I WISH I COULD BE!! I’ve come to understand there are lots of ways to teach and learn about Christ, just like there are lots of ways of healing. Some are loud and even shocking in certain circles, and some are as quiet and calming as the dove cooing before a rain. I understand now we all have healing qualities within….we just have to figure out what they are…ahh, to be compelled in the name of Jesus!!
Chapter 10 looks further into learning and teaching…I like the way Paul talks of drinking of the cup of blessing and having a portion of the loaf of bread….In doing this we take in the very life of Christ and become united. Introducing his thoughts, his teachings, and his promise of eternal life, leaves us enriched.
Paul says there are all kinds of food..real and religious. Be choosy….. eat and share the best from your table and from the table of others. There are many ‘foods’ that should not be eaten, as they have been contaminated by bad teaching. Choose only the best for your body, your life, and your continued service in Christ’s name. Be compelled!!
I know, it’s been awhile…..but I’ve had company for the past two weeks…and time was spent being a tourist. But on to Corinth.
Chapter 7 gets in to the discussion of marriage…I could go on and use my own words, however, I have a Bible Handbook from the 50’s that belonged to my parents….Think I’ll quote their remarks as it is much better than mine.
” Evidently they had written asking if it is legitimate for Christians to marry. Strange, they were puffed up over the case of incest, 5:2, and yet had scruples about lawful marriage. Paul advises marriage, except for those who have the ‘gift’ of sexual control. Paul himself was not married,8. Some think that he may have been a widower and lost is wife while yet young: for two reasons: one, he was a member of the Sanhedrin, Acts 26:10, ‘vote’, for which it is said marriage was a necessary prerequisite; the other, this chapter seems to have been written by one who knew something of the intimacies of married life.”
I think the chapter discusses morals and ethics….during this period in Corinth. I also am smart enough to know there have been modifications thru the years concerning marriage, divorce, and everything in between. Having been divorced once myself, it was not the easiest thing for me to do almost 40 years ago…it was the hardest thing for me to do. I wish I could agree with marriages being made in heaven, but I think marriages are made by people.
That’s another discussion for another day.
Paul said to be smart enough to stay married if you were, and stay single if you want to be single……and it’s okay of you change your mind about being single.
I love the discussion of consuming the meat offered up to idols….Paul says we all have eaten ‘idol meat’ at sometimes in our lives and it wasn’t the meat that made us bad. Move on in your beliefs and realize it is not the meat at all, for everything is provided by God. Be knowledgable in helping people thru the walk of realizing Christianity. Help the new believer…..
Chapter 9 talks a little about pay…..as in who does, who doesn’t, when, and why. I know this is a wide area that can be discussed forever, but my feelings are Paul says he took on the charge from Christ because he wanted to, knowing that it would not be a paying experience, and that he probably wouldn’t get rich monetarily off it. And for him, just like similar groups today, it is perfectly fine. By the same token he goes on to say he expects help…as in a place to stay, to sleep, to be safe, to eat, and to preach.
What is his point….help him out, help out the leaders of the new church, but don’t deprive your new followers to fill your pocket.
Just keep your eyes on what is right, why you have become a servant of Christ, and how you must respond to non-religious and religious in a like manner.
thanks for reading and thinking…..always ready for a response.
Uh Oh! Just when we thought the last paragraph was being written, Paul hits us with Chapter 5 and 6. He is not happy….Looks like the word of the day is ‘scandal’.
He is raising the tone of his voice to remind the newest parishioners of how they are acting, violating laws, and worst of all, not even caring. He demands to know why no one is handling the disgraceful goings-on within his church. It’s an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ position the church leaders seem to be taking and Paul says no way….deal with it.
Let’s set aside 57AD and look at the situation today….Suppose you know a trusted family member, friend, or fellow parishioner is ‘walking on the wild side’ a little too much. Mmmmmmmm, you don’t want this to continue, you know they have more brains than they seem to show, and yet, what do you say? Remember how we talked about the scary side of addressing problems as serious as this? Well, imagine it is your board member, your associate pastor, your treasurer, or your best friend you sit by each service. Oh my….addressing these kinds of problems can be a life changing action for all involved. Still, it’s got to be done.
Mmmmmm again, guess being a follower of Christ isn’t really a piece of cake after all, is it? One cannot negotiate their way out of messing up. By the same token, one doesn’t need to be banished because they did mess up. It has to be somewhere in between. My opinion is that sometimes a ‘time out’ is in order, for all those involved. It’s kind of like counting to 10, only longer.
Taking the proper approach can be a bit touchy….that’s why I, personally, have to go for the time out, if I’m to be the ‘parent’. Maybe there are others who feel the same way about the ongoing problems, so discussing in a group….(the proper way) can be good. Remember, if you/your church have let this go on for a while, you should probably feel a little guilt yourself!
So Paul goes on to remind us that he is with those who have to begin the ‘redo’. God should be right in there, in the middle of the discussions, helping both sides to understand the necessity of acceptable behavior.
Please note: I’m sure this doesn’t apply to many, but maybe, just maybe, a few of us have been on the wrong side of this conversation certain times in our lives….just say’in…
In Chapter 6, Paul reminds us that while we might have to be a judge, we will also be judged, and it is good to be talked to by those who seek the Christian framework in their lives.
So we’ll leave this story for today with the following thoughts….we are all human…we have that wonderful spark of God within, we become more educated with more study, but we are still human….and for that reason, we will always, I said, always enjoy human things. That’s how we are designed… Our ‘free will’ is part of the package, however Christ’s teachings are the pre-arranged part of the same package, if we would only open our hearts and eyes. God owns all of you..and you..and you…and you. What a deal!
Yesterday we (I mean I) discussed the downturn in the new church in Corinth…One can just visualize Paul, realizing the seriousness of the situation, sitting down to write a response few pastors would want to write.
These problems were not new in the daily life of Corinthians, however, in the Christian church, just a babe, it was just awful. Even today, as we look at some of our own local churches/parishes. we find the same problems. It isn’t out-and-out fighting, it is done in a quieter form……that being ‘sitting in judgement’ fighting.
So Paul begins…..’You are all picking sides’, he writes….all jockeying for a position that really doesn’t exist. Splitting into factions doesn’t help anyone, in 57AD or now….It is not for us to judge and philosophy…..Jesus wasn’t a ‘show off’.
In the Message Bible….I love what it says….”Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women(my goodness “women”) that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “some bodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have a saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.” (very cool)
Boy, oh boy, Paul is making it clear…..he was right then and he is right today….Do you see similar signs in your church? Do you see and hear those who tout a philosophy that always seems to make the other guy/congregation look inferior? Sorry to say I do…
The problem we all have in facing this tension in the church, is that we don’t want to come off as one of those ‘know-it-alls’ Paul mentions. We are not the judge and jury…..we leave that to God, however, there are ‘living laws’ that we must learn to abide by if we are to continue the Christian path.
Maybe as we continue to read this wonderful example of daily life in the early church, we can also contemplate how we solve the same kind of problems now occurring in some of our congregations today.
Do we go to the pastor, do we plead in front of the church board, do we have a pastor/parish committee, do we come together in Christian discussions, hoping not to hurt, but to help? Do we stay…..or do we go? It’s tough….very tough…If it wasn’t, congregations would be addressing and solving, instead of moving on, in hopes of finding a quiet, stable, loving atmosphere, at a new address down the street.
Paul is doing pretty well so far….actually his letters proved to be real winners…..cause we are still here, this evening, discussing the early church.
Well…..in case you’ve jumped ahead and actually turned to lst Corinthians, (even if you have’nt) there is a lot go’in on. Yesterday we got a taste of what Corinth was like…..in 57 AD.Today it matches any large city, almost anywhere in the world. Truth be known, many small towns have come to share the same kind of reputation, as Corinth,too. This is stated to kind of set everyone straight, in case they thought their burg was the perfect.
But, I digress…..
One would like to think that as soon as they were “Christianized”, all was well, that they become impeccable human beings. I wish…we wish, but it just ain’t so……
Now here is Paul, miles away, getting Fedex deliveries everyday from his church friends, giving him the worst news possible. His flock, his group, his parishioners, had truly begun to ‘backslide’ my friends, ‘backslide’, and what do you think Paul was thinking? To say the least, he was not a happy pastor.
So begins the saga of 1st Corinthians…..and those brothers and sisters in 57AD… are just like you and I….They were brought together to learn about God, to accept Christ, and not only be schooled in Christianity, but to ‘live’ in Christianity.
Seemed like everything was going well when he moved on….this new church seemed to be stable, attendees seemed well versed, and even better, they were committed. There was, however, a crack in the armor. Budgets were off, pledges were not coming in, and there was talk of going back to some idol worship.
The ‘in-fighting’ was an embarrassment…There were lots of new churches and instead of continuing to work together, they started being a little on the selfish side…..Salvation and holiness moved to go on the backburner, as the illuminating speeches of Paul, heard just months ago, languished in file drawers of church offices all over town.
What will Paul do….how will he bring his new followrs back into the fold…what methods will he use….will he be critical, indignant,or keep his cool and be a gentleman…..or all of the above?
We’re beginning a study of 1st Corinthians and my, my. Corinth, population 400,000, was situated on the isthmus of Greece. It was on the principal trade route of the Empire, and thru its harbors flowed the commerce of the world…and that’s a quote!
But here’s more……another quote…..”A renowned and voluptuous city, where the vices of the East and West met”.
My, my, boys and girls…..what is goin’ on?
Paul sure had his hands full, and probably had a stack of paper, to write about the solutions for this party town….in 57 AD
My hubby and I were talking about morals, ethics, and general living when he remarked about Gene Autry’s Cowboy Code…We Googled it and here it is…..for you to ponder
GENE AUTRY’S COWBOY CODE
1. The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.
2. He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.
3. He must always tell the truth.
4. He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.
5. He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.
6. He must help people in distress.
7. He must be a good worker.
8. He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
9. He must respect women, parents, and his nation’s laws.
10. The Cowboy is a patriot.
As we come together in this 21st Century….it would seem that Gene Autry’s words, from the 40’s, are a little outdated…..But the truth be known….they are so very necessary in today’s world of self. Check out your code of ethics this week….see how yours stack up!
seriouslyscorpio 