Friday, April 16, 2010

I sit on a mower for the greater part of the summer. My ipod is in my ears around 4-6 hours a day. It is much better to listen to music than the constant loud hum of landscape equipment. Last weekend the worst thing happened. I was bouncing around, the ipod fell out of my pocket and was run over by the mower deck. It didn't survive.
When I turn it on the screen still comes on, a sign that life still exists in my fallen friend. There is little hope though that any music or audiobooks will ever be shared with me from my little pearl white buddy ever again.
Whether it's an ipod or not nothing can sustain a horrible beating and then be expected to play for us. Paul tells us that the body of Christ is like the human body with Christ as our head. If one part of that body is cut off, damaged or destroyed it the mutual responsibility of the body to get that person singing with the choir again. After all that is what we collectively make up, a sacrificial choir. Offering ourselves and our gifts as an instrument to God's glory. My question would be have we thrown some of the most valued members under the deck to the detriment of the body or are we seeking to build up what we have destroyed.
I feel very fortunate that I have had the opportunity to have been around some wonderful encouraging people in my walk with God but I know that others have not. The light is on but because of the beatings there is no music.
Because I busted my ipod I have been on ebay hunting for a deal. Did you know that you can find ipods that are refurbished? I was stoked about that because they are cheaper and they work like they were new.
"Encourage one another as long as it is called today."

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Do what?

"There are only 2 people in the world who hate what the Catholic church is, there are millions who hate what they think it is." Padre Pio.
The Catholic Church is the most misunderstood church in the world. Especially in the Bible belt where protestant churches have taught classes on what the Catholic church is. I used sit in some of the these classes. In my journey of studying the history of Christianity I took out some notes from a class I took in AIM called "Catholicism." By this time I had been studying the Catholic church, from their literature, for a couple of months and was hoping to rebuke the whore of Babylon. I read four pages of notes and realized that none of it was true. Everything I had been taught about the Catholic church was wrong. It was also equally absurd that I had been taught that a protestant church was the church of the first century only that it was founded in the 1800s. The reformation of the 1500s forever hurt Christianity. I am not saying that the church was/is perfect, it is not. I am convinced that if anyone will take an honest look at the Catholic church and their own protestant church they will either become Catholic or at least appreciate Catholicism. However, because of the misinformation there remains a wall that will forever stand and be built up by misinformed "experts" on the Catholic church.
I write this because we were eating out last night and the folks behind us were talking about what the Catholic church teaches. It was absurd but I used to think those things too.
I am eternally grateful to be a Catholic. Especially now! Look around at the continual splintering of Christianity caused by the reformation. Now it has got so bad that if you don't like what the church you are a part of teaches you just leave, start your own church and define your own doctrine. Be honest you know it happens. Some of those who worry most about my being Catholic are members of churches that were started in response to what another church wasn't doing right.
I am just rambling now but if you really want to know what the Catholic church teaches ask a faithful Catholic. There are many unfaithful ones, who claim to be Catholic, that perpetuate the misinformation. Just because their grandparents were Catholic and they went four times in the last ten years does not mean they know what the church teaches. You can also read the Catechism. If you want to ask questions ask.