WTF?
Ok, ok, my sabatical was longer than I thought it would be... so what. Anyways, I just got back home from a 2-day spiritual retreat with my church. It was awesome! The goal of this retreat is to remove the baggage that hinders us from becoming the people that God desires for us to be. It was a powerful time of honesty and healing as people's lives were changed for the better. It is moments like these that affirm my decision to join the clergy. It saddens me to see people who are suffering because they feel that they are unloveable. However it is amazing to see people transform and realize that God loves them and wants the best for them. I know that some people might frown on the idea that I believe that organized religion is the answer to peoples problems. However I feel that the problems that people have with religion lies in the fact that religion can often times be practiced in a disorganized manner that seeks to benefit the few. Even AA and NA acknowledge the "higher power" as a necesary revelation one must accept in order to change. I might seem arogant because I lable this "higher power" in a specific name. But is it not as arogant to claim that there is no "higher power?" The truth is, I do not care. I believe what I believe because I believe it. Is it always logical? No. Is it always easy? No. But at the end of the day I can sometimes sleep at night feeling assured that my life is making a positive impact on the lives of others. My goal is to be a loving person as much as possible. Do I fail? Yes. Do I fail big time? Yes. But it is all worth it when someone thanks me for what I mean in their life. I know that is a bold statement, yet I feel that it should be the goal of every person to be a blessing to at least one person.
posted by Pastor Stew | 10:20 PM
4 Comments:
I agree with you. I think it is more important to be someone's "angel" than to play a part in the organized religion theatrics when you don't truly believe. I don't even know if what I wrote makes sense, but you have a great point and I agree.
Glad your back and thinking Stu.
I have to admit though I cannot formally back this thought I have a hard time believing all the time that God just wants what is best for me or has any real ability to do anything about what is best for me. Maybe this is becuase I focus still so much on losing mom but I just see that as not what was best for me, so I how do I jive the two?
Death is always a difficult subject. It is especiall difficult when the death is sudden or happens to one who is young and full of life. I cannot imagine what you were and are currently going through. However, I believe that death is never God's plan. The theme of Scripture is the constant intervention of God on the side of life. At the same time, it is impossible to understand the full ramifications of death while we are still alive. I guess I am comforted by the fact that Jesus wept for His friend Lazarus who had died even though He would raise Him from the dead. However, the miracle of Lazarus is not in his raising, in fact the dude eventual died again, but the miralce is in the fact that God desires to encounter us in our suffering to attempt to reveal His desire for life everlasting. However, I must admit that Heaven comforts me little because I cannot experience it. Yet, I believe that God's plan is to recreate life in a way that is free from the corruption of death.
I know, I know, this is a crappy answer. But then again Don't ask me, I am only a pastor.
Nice to have you back dear.
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