Incense

You know, I've always heard of the use of incense in church. It was never in the church I grew up in, so it was a concept and a tradition that I was pretty unfamiliar with. UNTIL TODAY. I thought I'd finally check it out, and try to understand it. I never really grasped the point of it. My initial thoughts was that it was something to do with the Holy Spirit and the burning and smoke is supposed to symbolize some part of God's presence that we can sense but not necessarily see. I've grown up in a church where the use of burning candles was always an important symbol to represent the eternal flame of Jesus. It was to represent his presence in worship and his presence in our lives always. But incense just didn't makes sense to me. So I looked it up and here's what I learned...

Incense is intended to burn for the smell. And despite the common misconception, incense is the actual substance, not the aroma it produces. Pretty cool. It's used traditionally for religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, and meditation. And I was partially right in my assumptions from before, because incense is intended to create a spiritual atmosphere.

 I also learned what I had always thought, but never been sure about: incense was a tradition as a part of the catholic church. It turns out that incense is also common in Orthodox and Anglican churches. Some new information to me was that it's also extremely common in eastern art, households, and religion. For instance, Japanese, Tibetan, and Indian cultures all use incense as well.

The wikipedia page explores incense in much more depth, so you should check it out!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incense

Media in worship

My research paper was all about the use of media in worship, so I thought it would be appropriate to express my feelings on the matter. A while back I posted about Z-church, an online worship experience. But here, I'm going to delve more into my reaction to things like that.

I grew up going to traditional church services. I would sit in an aisle inside  wide, ornate sanctuary. With 500 other members, I would listen to a minister preach from the pulpit. We would take communion and sing hymns. To me, these kind of experiences were what defined church. There was no media, apart from the microphone up on the pulpit and lectern. This traditional approach is what naturally became the "right" way to worship for me. When I would visit friends' churches and see massive projector screens and a full band, something felt off. I never saw it as wrong. I just simply didn't feel as connected as I normally did back in the style of worship I knew.

To me, the use of media in worship matters. I can't grow in the same strong relationship with God during a church service if there are distractions from technological aids. However, to some, it's what keeps them interested, focused, and engaged. Ultimately, that's what matters. If you can still get everything you're looking for out of a service that provides flashing light and loud music, then I'm happy. Who's to say what is the right way to worship? I think the right response to that question would be the acceptance that there really is no right way. Worshipping is connecting with God. So with media or not, if the goal is reached, that's all that truly matters.

Cairn Christian Church

I thought I'd just post on a visit I made back in October. I visited Cairn Christian Church. My old youth minister referenced me to it. It was a Disciples of Christ Church, the same denomination that I grew up apart of. It was a great experience. Especially just being a matter of weeks into college, it was comforting to go to an experience that was familiar to me, Sunday church service.

it wasn't the 600 people, the full 60+ person choir, the massive organ, the wide, endless rows in the sanctuary, and the enormous building I was used to. Sure it was all different, but it was familiar. We still had communion. There was still a welcoming, friendly community. I think I may have met everybody in there that day (But that's not saying much, as there were probably no more than 30 people present). Nonetheless, it was the tradition, the environment, and the experience that was familiar to me.

It was really great. And if only the church weren't 30 minutes away by bus, I'd go more often. Maybe when I have a car, I'll get that luxury. That Sunday service for me is just a pleasant and comforting constant in my life, and I'm definitely looking forward to summer to be in that position again (as well as the opportunity to hang out with friends and family and not do schoolwork for months). It's a great church, everybody should check it out! Here's their church website: http://www.cairnchristianchurch.com/

Homosexuality in the Bible

Homosexuality in the Bible. It's a big topic. BIG. And it's unpopular to be on the side that opposes gay marriage. Many people tend to think that those people are crazy, psychotic religious groups. And although there is a portion of that side made up by those types of people, there are also some who look at the Bible with an understanding of the historical, metaphorical and contextual context yet still do not condone gay marriage. One of my best friends has that mindset, and he sent me an article that nicely wraps up the other side of this argument with a balanced, respectful, and intelligent perspective on Biblical evidence that points to why the right for gays to marry is receiving such criticism.

Something I just want to mention quickly about the side that condemns gay marriage: That decision is not based on some sort of belief to keep homosexuals from gaining equal rights. It is a decision based on love, and trying to prevent people from doing things against the will of God. I'm no expert, but I do think I have a decent grasp on that side of the argument, and I think that's a really important point to understand, even if you don't choose to read the article. But definitely read it, so you can understand much better too!

So anyway, I urge y'all to check it out, it's a fantastic article and a really good look at that side of the argument.

http://www.presbyterymiddletennessee.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/hays-article.pdf

Rob Bell

We've touched on Rob Bell a little bit in class, so I thought I'd try to learn a little bit more about him, his life, and his faith.

Rob Bell is the founder of Mars Hill, a non denominational Christian megachurch. He also has written two books and done a video series. I was fascinated to learn that his Mars Hill Bible Church was getting to be too much of a burden for him. He had to take a day off on Fridays. He eventually left the church, in pursuit of his calling to save to a broader, wider audience. So he began other projects. First he wrote a book, and then he worked on a video series. His popularity grew and grew until he finally wrote a second book. There was talk of getting his own television talk show. He was able to communicate his message in such innovative and creative ways, and it captured the attention of Christians and non-Christians alike.

As for his beliefs, he did found a Bible Church, so he believes that Scripture is indeed the authoritative source of truth. Personally, I don't completely agree with that, but only because I'm very careful when looking at Scripture, incorporating both historical and textual context into my analysis. That begin said, Rob Bell is very supportive of many ideas that are popular, and ones that I can definitely agree with. He's all about love, and social equality. He advocates a popular message, and I think that's contributed to much of his success. Click the link if you want to learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Bell

God in suffering

I love talking about God with people. Everybody always has a different idea, perception, and view on the existence and/or purpose of God. The thing that I find most often that people have issues with, is trying to understand how God can let such horrible things happen. This issue has crossed my mind, and many of those that I talk to. How can God let bombs go off in Boston? How can God cause a fertilizer explosion in West, Texas? If God is a compassionate, loving God, why is there suffering at all? It's a hard one to answer and I've come to terms with it by accepting that God is beyond human knowledge. The pain that we deal with and experience is not understood to us the way it is understood by God. I believe in a God working toward an ultimate goodness for all people, and if suffering for me and millions of people in the world is part of his plan, then so be it. I trust that through God, on the other side of it all, is His love. We just may not be able to see it just yet.

Liturgical year

Something I've always been interested in is the calendar of the church. The liturgical calendar is full of seasons and holidays that really only play a role in Christian life. So if you're not a Christian, or not exposed to Christianity much, that whole year doesn't matter much.

And even for me, an active Christian, I still don't know that much about the Christian calendar, so I thought I'd do a little research...

At first, I thought I was pretty knowledgable. I knew when Christmas was. I knew when Easter was, and I knew Lent was forty days before Easter, but other than that, I was learning all new stuff. Turns out that most of the year is taken up by a period known as ordinary time, which basically means the time where there is no special church holiday or season going on. And after about six months of ordinary time, advent follows. Advent is the first season of the year, and it begins four sundays before Christmas. Then of course, come Christmas. After a few weeks, Lent begins for forty days leading up to the Easter Triduum, which consists of Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Then the Easter season follows, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, before finally we return to ordinary time.

Easter

This past Easter weekend, I was wondering why Easter changes every year. Sometimes it's late March, sometimes it's late April, and sometimes it's anywhere in between.

After some research, I discovered how confusing and strange the determination really is. It turns out that Easter is celebrated the Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon day of the year. More specifically, the Paschal Full Moon is the Ecclesiastical Full Moon date after March 20.

Honestly, this explanation is so unfamiliar, that I question it's validity. (Maybe it's even some sort of late April Fool's Day prank). But it's so cool that these ancient traditions are still applicable to the Christian calendar in 2013.

However, that is actually only relevant to Western Christianity. The Eastern Orthodox tradition is focused on staying consistent with the originally established vernal equinox, and due to the error of the Julian Calendar, 13 days have accrued since the First Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 325 AD. Therefore, the Orthodox Easter cannot be celebrated before April 3 (the present day Gregorian calendar), which was March 21 in 325 AD. Orthodox Easter falls two weeks later than the Easter of Western Christianity.

Online Church Link

Definitely forgot to put up the link to the online church on the last post, but here it is now!

http://www.web-church.com/

Online worship experiences

My site visit paper was primarily focused on the use of technology in worship services. From there, my research led me to a number of interesting topics including online worship. Today, I discovered an article that also divulged into this new phenomenon, and I figured it was time to post about it.

Christianity has expanded to a new realm, the internet. It's worship that still allows for a fully interactive experience. There are sermon videos, live messaging lobbies, and Bible Study. There are even functions to allow for online baptism, and communion.

With all these pieces of a real service, one must ask the question, is it truly a participation in worship?

Maybe. It depends on what it means to worship. We're living in a world now completely dependent on technology, so whether or not it is a proper form of worship, we better start believing it is. It may be the future...

In my opinion, it just can't compare to the experience of hearing a choir echo in the sanctuary, actually taking the bread and wine for communion, or sitting in an aisle with other Christians, all showing up together at the same time to worship. It's a beautiful thing, and in my honest opinion, much of the beauty is lost when you move it to the internet. 

That's just my thoughts though. Check out the article to learn more!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/02/internet-believers-pastor_n_342479.html

Jesus' Brothers

Today, somewhat randomly, I had a sudden question come to mind, "Did Jesus have brothers?" And so I started doing some research...

Turns out that answer is harder to find than one may think. The New Testament describes James, Joseph, Joses, Judas, and Simon as "brothers"of Jesus Christ. "brothers". Those quotation marks complicate things. It's not explicitly stated that they were blood relatives, but many scholars claim that the "brothers" were in fact biological children of Mary and Joseph. And for believers in Jesus' immaculate conception, many people would also claim that by nature, Jesus could not have had blood siblings. Despite all these different claims a common middle-ground is that these "brothers" were closely associated with the family and may have been cousins, but were not direct children of Joseph and Mary.

That's basically an overview, but there is a wikipedia page on the brothers of Jesus that includes the sources that these claims originated from, and even some diagrams of a family pedigree. Take a look!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brothers_of_Jesus

Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow. The media loves him. It's a different story for the fans though. People either love him or hate him. But why? Sure, you've go the Florida State fans who hated his success at UF, and you've got NFL fans who despise his ability to win football games in the NFL despite his stats. But there're more people out there who don't like Tim Tebow. 

A large part of that is because he wears his faith on his sleeve. Tebow says that his motivation to be successful and well-known in the NFL is because it serves as a platform to bring attention to God. Essentially t's for evangelism. That has brought him a lot of love and support from other Christians out there, but it's attracted more negative feedback than he would've liked. 

Tim Tebow is a wonderful person. I've read his biography and he just encompasses so much that we value in society. He's humble, kind, respectful, driven, hard-working, a good leader, a role model, and a humanitarian.Unfortunately, because he chooses to talk about his religion and make that a focus of his life, he's faced some struggles. 

It seems that people just aren't interested in hearing about religion from. Are they scared? Are they just fed up with it? I don't know what it is, but in my personal opinion, I love Tim Tebow and it's a shame that we seem to treat people with such disdain when they try to reach out in the name of God and in the name of love.

Brite Divinity School

So I flew back home this weekend. Back to Fort Worth, Texas. Among the many great things about my hometown is the Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University. Their main focus is captured in this sentence,

"Brite Divinity School educates women and men of diverse backgrounds for the ministry and witness of Jesus Christ in the church and world. Theological education occurs through scholarship, research and reflection, balanced by community service and practical ministry experience."

That was taken straight from their website. I think one of the most important components of that statement is the "research and reflection" piece. It encompasses the idea that understanding Christianity is all about being knowledgable in the history and progression of the religion. That relates to a lot of what we're learning about in this class. Anyway, I thought it was kind of a neat parallel and if y'all want to learn a little more about Brite, check out their website! http://brite.edu/

Heaven

I recently started reading a book that was sent to me by a friend. It all started a few weeks ago when we got onto a talk about theology, as we usually do. This particular conversation was focused the idea of heaven. And after a while of discussion, he referred me to a book he read called, The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis. In his book he basically depicts his idea of heaven and hell, and uses these metaphors to explain what his idea of heaven means. This blog post isn't about C.S. Lewis' views, although there will be a post on that coming soon...

This post is focused on what different religions and people think of heaven. For instance, many Christians think heaven is the Kingdom of God we enter once pass away. Buddhists on the other hand believe in different heavens depending on the life one has lived, based on their career. In Hinduism, heaven is essentially a paradise of pleasure. There are so many different, fascinating views of the idea of afterlife. And the wikipedia page of heaven actually provides a really thorough and expansive collection of several different ideas of heaven. Check it out! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven

The Great Schism

We talked a little bit about the Great Schism today in class and I thought I'd read more into what made this event perhaps the most significant split in history.

This Great Schism was also known as the East-West Schism and was primarily the split that became the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. Something that was new to me, was that before the Great Schism, the religion is known as Chalcedonian Christianity. I guess almost one thousand years later, that word doesn't come up anymore...

The more I look into the reasons for this split, the more I think how petty the whole thing was. In the long run, clearly the differences were matters of identity. And as a whole, these were fundamental reasons that defined the sect, yet when I read about it, it almost seems silly to me that there were arguments about such silly things. Is it worth splitting the church over unleavened bread? Maybe not by itself, but when seen as one dividing characteristic among many, it makes more sense that two different churches would emerge. Because in the same way, the idea of universal jurisdiction was a topic that couldn't be agreed upon. And the authority of the Pope is definitely a pretty big topic that would be a possible reason to split.

Anyway, it's an interesting and comprehensive topic. It's fun learning about it, and all the complications that accompany the history of Christianity.

St. Aidan's Episcopal Church

This upcoming Sunday I plan to visit St. Aidan's Episcopal Church, the location I selected as the topic of my site visit paper.  I honestly just have no idea what to expect from it. I grew up in a very large Disciples of Christ church in Texas, so that is almost entirely what I'll be comparing my visit to. I'm going to focus on identifying the practices and traditions that are a part of their weekly worship, and how they relate to those that I'm more familiar with. In addition, I'll be very attentive as to distinguish what their beliefs are as a denomination. I'm always fascinated with the details that identify each religion, and especially each denomination of Christianity. It should be a good time, and I'm looking forward to an educational and insightful visit!

If you want to check it out for yourself, be sure to take a look at their website!

http://www.saintaidans.org/

God Questions

I found this website called gotquestions.org, where several popular questions about God are discussed. At first I was immediately frustrated to think that someone has the authority to answer questions and put an end to topics that have been debated for hundreds of years. The more I read, the better I felt about the approach to these questions though. Mostly the questions are answered with Biblical support, but for the most part, the author of these answers recognizes that a lot of these questions can only be answered with evidence, and nothing can really be completely proved right or wrong. So although I didn't always agree with the answers, I understand the perspective and respect the opinion nonetheless. 

It's an interesting website and I urge you to check it out. At the same time, take these answers with a grain of salt and understand that this is just one side of the debate.

http://www.gotquestions.org/questions_God.html

Jesus Action Figures

I  stumbled upon the greatest find today: JESUS ACTION FIGURES.

Some just portray Jesus in robes, similar to the Jesus character found in the Gospel:

Others present Jesus as a part of our American culture:

My favorite of all though is definitely...

SURFER JESUS.

They may just be silly action figures, but what does it say about us? I can imagine that a lot of people might be offended by these. Those with a really strong relationship with Jesus might see these things as idols that completely insult and disrespect their Lord and Savior. In my opinion, I think it reflects the American culture that is pretty lax about religion, and specifically Christianity. It seems that people are more interested in the historical Jesus than his purpose. Ultimately, I think people are entertained by the story of Jesus, but not captivated by it. And as a result, well...we get this:

A Look at the Gospels

The book I'm reading for the presentation is by Marcus Borg and it is basically a take on reading the Bible in light of its historical and metaphorical context. With that in mind, I've come across some really interesting perspectives and insights. I don't want to give too much away though, I'll give a much broader presentation of everything tomorrow when I present.

 Right here though, I want to include an interesting look at the Gospels. The four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, were written in the last third of the first century. At a general level, they are public biographies: accounts of the public life--the message and activity--of Jesus. The Gospels were a product of history remembered and history metaphorized. The Gospels were just these accounts written to certain communities, and that's why there are such contrasts between the books.

This is a fascinating view of the Gospels. It's just one of many insights provided by Borg in his book. I'm excited to present tomorrow and explain many more! I find this stuff to be so interesting.

The Pope's Resignation

I read an article about Pope Benedict and his intentions after his resignation. According to this article, the Pope claimed that he would "remain hidden from the world" and would live a "life dedicated to prayer." It seems that the Pope is resigning because of political reasons. Whether that's true or not, it's sad that we've reached a point where political implications are more important than the job of the pope and the progression of a religion. Pope Benedict was simply evaluating reform issues such as religious freedom, ecumenism, and liturgy. His speech makes clear that the reforms were not a break from the ancient tradition of the pontificate. Regardless, here we are today with a Pope who is choosing to resign. The idea to make changes seems to have caused such distress among people that they pressured the Pope into resignation. It makes me question whether or not we value searching for improvements and change in our life and spirituality. Do we need the traditions and consistency of this religion? Or are we really just scared that change will lead to a new, unfamiliar identity?

It just makes me think. Check it out.

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/02/14/benedict-intends-to-live-hidden-from-the-world/