Wednesday, February 21, 2007
2/21/07 Ash Wednesday
"I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before Me."
So, are you a Christian? Or do you come from the Judeo-Christian cultural experience?
So, what does your God look like?
Is the white haired Father figure on a puffy white cloud your God?
Is the Great Spirit your God?
How about the Mother Earth, or the great Goddess?
Is your God the part of you that feels the feminine attributes of compassion, love forgiveness?
Is Jesus Christ your personal savor?
Many people identify with one or all of the above descriptions of the one true God.
They attend services, at church, go to mass or temple and believe they know who their God is.
Except for one thing.
If there is money to be made, then they make an excuse why they can't go to church. So money becomes more important than God.
If the big "game" of the season is being played in their town and if they go to church they won't get a "good seat" so they skip church, then that "game" be it football, basketball, baseball, soccer, is greater than God.
If you have a big paper due at school, or a project at work and you can't spare an hour a week to go to some kind of worship service because there is no time, then work, school and time have become more important than God.
If the family is leaving for vacation and "has" to leave early to travel and make "good time" then the vacation experience is more important than God.
So, for Lent, why not think about it.
In your life what have you made more important than God? What "replaces" honoring God ? Then ask yourself what will that get you?
So, are you a Christian? Or do you come from the Judeo-Christian cultural experience?
So, what does your God look like?
Is the white haired Father figure on a puffy white cloud your God?
Is the Great Spirit your God?
How about the Mother Earth, or the great Goddess?
Is your God the part of you that feels the feminine attributes of compassion, love forgiveness?
Is Jesus Christ your personal savor?
Many people identify with one or all of the above descriptions of the one true God.
They attend services, at church, go to mass or temple and believe they know who their God is.
Except for one thing.
If there is money to be made, then they make an excuse why they can't go to church. So money becomes more important than God.
If the big "game" of the season is being played in their town and if they go to church they won't get a "good seat" so they skip church, then that "game" be it football, basketball, baseball, soccer, is greater than God.
If you have a big paper due at school, or a project at work and you can't spare an hour a week to go to some kind of worship service because there is no time, then work, school and time have become more important than God.
If the family is leaving for vacation and "has" to leave early to travel and make "good time" then the vacation experience is more important than God.
So, for Lent, why not think about it.
In your life what have you made more important than God? What "replaces" honoring God ? Then ask yourself what will that get you?
Comments:
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I very much agree. I will not do work on shabbat (albeit, I do not consider Talmudic-work as work.) I have used shabbat as a day of rest and recovery all my life.
In college, there was one time that I tried to "go out" because everyone else was doing it and I felt ridiculous and horrible for stepping on God's day.
I have gotten together with friends to chat and "hang out" without doing work or having them work for me and as long as I feel we are not doing anything to violate the shabbat even though they may be non believers, I may consider it acceptable on a case-by-case basis.
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In college, there was one time that I tried to "go out" because everyone else was doing it and I felt ridiculous and horrible for stepping on God's day.
I have gotten together with friends to chat and "hang out" without doing work or having them work for me and as long as I feel we are not doing anything to violate the shabbat even though they may be non believers, I may consider it acceptable on a case-by-case basis.
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