Liturgy Lesson for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity: For the Kingdom!
August 30, 2011
The Church has set aside saints’ days, (such as St. Bartholomew this past Wednesday) in honor of the first martyrs and those mentioned in the Gospel as most nearly connected with our Blessed Lord in the work of establishing His Church and in honor of all those who surrender their lives for the Lord’s use. Saints’ days were established for us to study and emulate their virtues and thank God for their examples. It’s important to note—we don’t pray to the saints or address them directly in devotion, but we share of their prayers in Heaven. The first record we have of a saints’ day traces to the second century, although it probably existed earlier and grew from ancient Christians meeting at martyrs’ graves on their death anniversaries to celebrate their Godly virtues and bless God for their pure and heroic lives. The great truth for us in observance of saints’ days is that the saints on Earth are fellow-citizens with the saints in paradise, and all, whether living or dead, are members of one great Heavenly Christians we meet, our spirits can “bear witness” with the saints because we resonate on Christ’s spiritual frequency—one Faith and one Baptism for the remission of sin—rewired to our Lord’s specification. And, we can take joy that we’re empowered—just as St. Bartholomew was—to preach His Gospel, with hearts that have “no guile” as Jesus said of Bartholomew—regardless of the cost. And, like him, when our hearts have no other agenda, we have a great company with us to God’s purpose in our lives. For the Kingdom!
Book Recommendations from Terry Mayclin
August 29, 2011
Terry Mayclin has submitted recommendations for the following books available in the All Saints Bookstore:
The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living As If He Doesn’t Exist by Craig Groeschel
The author cites Titus 1:16 on the flyleaf: “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.” Easy to read, but “pokes you in the eye” all the same. It brings into sharp focus that it is not enough to “talk the talk”—you gotta “walk the walk” as well. As Father Chip says, being a Christian is not about attendance at a Sunday morning social club.
Hope Unseen: The Story of the U.S. Army’s First Blind Active-Duty Officer by Scotty Smiley
Scott Smiley tells his story of struggle and faith after losing his eyes and almost losing his life to a roadside bomb. Recently married; a superb athlete; graduate of West Point, the USA Infantry School, Jump School, and Ranger School; and on a career fast track as an Infantry Officer, he has to come to grips with not only his mortality, but with life as a person with a disability.
WEIRD: Because Normal Isn’t Working by Craig Groeschel
The book is dedicated to everyone who is sick of normal and is ready for something better. The author says that by the standards of today, normal is that wide road Jesus talks about in the Sermon on the Mount, what Jesus describes as the narrow path leading to the narrow gate; that’s just plain weird. He says, “When people describe my lifestyle or family as weird, I find comfort.”
Rector’s Devotional: Worship
August 26, 2011
Bible Reading: “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him; Worship the LORD in holy array.”–1 Chronicles 16:29
Bonus Readings: Psalm 22:3; Nehemiah 8:6; Psalm 95:6 ; Psalm 96:9
We take it for granted…measure it out…choose the style we will be part of…critique those who lead it, and whether or not it “works” for us. Although it has eternal and immediate effect on our lives, oddly enough, it’s the last thing on our “to-do” list, even though it’s one of the few things that actually transcends our own selves. Oh, yeah. And I’ve been guilty of this particular shortcoming. Note to self: Start wearing my safety glasses to do these devotionals…they poke you in the eye!
So…Worship. Giving ourselves, body, soul, and spirit to the Lord. How is it shaped? What powers it?
A missionary I know, serving in an incredibly dangerous place, wrote this: “The point of the spear in dark, unreached places must be worship. ‘The Lord inhabits the praises of his people’– Psalm 22:3. God is moving here in this country and we believe this is the result of years and years of focused prayer and worship. The rule for [the community] is two hours of day per each person in the upstairs chapel; while this may seem a like a lot, it actually feels like not enough.”
I was taken by his missive on the power and need for worship…it overran my defenses and convicted me by its truth. Worship is essential to our growth, as a parish, as a Church, and as individuals. It fills our spiritual tanks and facilitates evangelism. And it might involve asking what God wants us to do in places and circumstances we don’t like, and worshipping in ways we don’t immediately warm to.
Encyclopedia Britannica defines worship: ”the response to the appearance of that which is accepted as the holy–that is, to a sacred, transcendent power or being.” Response, then. From our hearts.
Ah. Then it’s a matter of the heart…that’s where real worship comes from–the inside, out. Not rules. Not canon. Not even tradition, or what has “always and everywhere been taught,” but…our hearts…our center. Probably more accurately described as our spirits. That’s what the Lord wants from us…our real selves. He even chided Israel about this when He told them that their lips praised Him, but their hearts were far from Him.
So…what do we do? Simple enough–and we pray that solution every week we’re in the Holy Communion service in our sursum corda–lift up our hearts! The response “we lift them up to the Lord” speaks volumes. But…why are we lifting them? Consider this, from the Litany:
Miserere mei, Deus. Psalm li.
Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness; according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences. Wash me throughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my faults, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear when thou art judged.
Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. O give me the comfort of thy help again, and stablish me with thy free Spirit.
Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou that art the God of my health; and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall show thy praise.
For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee; but thou delightest not in burnt–offerings. The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
-Amen.”
So, it’s all about God’s Amazing Grace, then. HE is the King of Hearts. The Rock That Is Higher Than Us falls on us, and gives us the “broken and contrite heart” where God can work. Not in our self–sufficiency, but in our spiritual bankruptcy. Not in our ability, but our weakness. We admit our resourcelessness, and He provides. That includes worship. His free spirit means we can worship with any Christians, anywhere, in any style. Of course, we know what resonates best with us, but I think our God has many ways that please Him. It’s His Spirit that will enable us to be open–minded to embrace them.
Like my friend the missionary, we realize we need that connection to God through His Holy Ghost. And, fellow travelers…we need that circuit open and flowing power all the time. If we think otherwise, we’re just fooling ourselves. Maybe we say that we’re not missionaries in fear for our lives, and we don’t feel the need for worship. I’ve sure been there and done that. The truth is, if we wear Christ’s mark, we’re all missionaries, right where we are. Salt and Light to the world, and exposed to darkness we might never expect…even if it may not be readily apparent.
By really turning our backs on our old selves and lives, we’re on the Devil’s hit list, just as certainly as our missionary brethren are. But, if we’re waiting for Satan to present himself in a red suit with a pitchfork and a business card, we’ll have a long wait.
Our old adversary loves to work in our lives behind the scenes…distracting, offending, tempting, twisting…that’s his thing. Have a look at Galatians 5, St James 3:16, or 1 St. Peter 5:8. He wants to keep us from discernment, and sure–as–shooting, keep us from worship, especially any kind of worship we open our broken hearts to a filling, healing, empowering Holy Ghost…where we might be reconciled to our brothers and sisters, or where God’s supernatural presence might touch us deeply and set us free.
Yeah, that Old Liar really, really doesn’t want our hearts connected to God’s directly in worship. But, like we like to say around All Saints…Satan doesn’t get a vote unless we give it to him. What, then, is our ultimate solution? Jesus’ Lor dship…living, moving, having our being in Him. Casting ourselves, whole, into worship. Deep devotion.
The Church Fathers knew it…that’s why we sing this to the Lord daily in our Morning Prayer office:
Venite, exultemus Domino.
O COME, let us sing unto the LORD; let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; * and show ourselves glad in him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God; and a great King above all gods. In his hand are all the corners of the earth; and the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it; and his hands prepared the dry land. O come, let us worship and fall down, and kneel before the LORD our Maker. For he is the Lord our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth stand in awe of him. For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth; and with righteousness to judge the world, and the peoples with his truth.
Holiness…us reserved for God, and in awe of Him…not vice versa. It’s all about Him, not us…God–shaped, not us–shaped! The creation loving, adoring and seeking unity with the Creator. Allowing the Holy Ghost that Jesus promises us to change our shape to fit His mold. Throwing ourselves into it, like David did. That’s worship–real “people’s work.”
So that’s our ticket: a “Jesus–is–Lord–and–sends–us–the–Holy–Ghost” thing. He leads us into all Truth…including worship in Spirit and Truth.
Food Pantry Donation Sunday: Peanut Butter on September 4
August 24, 2011
Our All Saints Food Pantry receives a majority of our food from Daily Bread Ministries (a Christian Food Bank). The food we do receive is typically perishable and must be frozen or refrigerated. In order to supplement our pantry with non-perishable food staples, we are asking for donations.
Our plan is to designate the first Sunday of every month as “Food Pantry Donation Sunday.” On the first Sunday of each month we will specify a food staple that is needed to supplement our food pantry.
We have designated Sunday, September 4 as our first “Food Pantry Donation Sunday.” Our donation request item for that Sunday is Peanut Butter.
For more information, contact Bill Wimp, outreach@allsaintsanglican.net.
School Supplies Drive Blesses Neighborhood School
August 23, 2011
All Saints delivered a sizable donation of school supplies to bless the first day of school at Larkspur Elementary on August 22, 2011. As usual our church family was very generous. Thank you to everyone who donated supplies to make this outreach effort a success.
We’re making a difference in our community by serving God and sharing the Love of Jesus with others. Thank you to Carolyn Mayclin, Terry Mayclin, Gaya Hamilton, and Allen Hamilton for helping deliver the school supplies today and for praying over the supplies and over the school.
To learn more about All Saints’ outreach projects or to volunteer to help, contact Bill Wimp, outreach@allsaintsanglican.net.
Video of All Saints’ Outreach Projects from Bill Wimp
August 20, 2011
What’s Wrong with Yoga by Father Chip Harper
August 19, 2011
“Yoga helps me stay in shape and helps me relax. What’s wrong with that, they say?
Yoga goes much deeper than that…it cannot be separated from Hindu mysticism no more than Jesus can be separated from the Father and the Holy Spirit.
What yoga is from authorities of yoga:
One of the leading contemporary authorities on kundalini yoga is Gopi Krishna. In his article “The True Aim of Yoga,” he says: “The aim of yoga is to achieve the state of unity or oneness with God, Brahman, [and] spiritual beings.”
OK, Christians…Brahman is **NOT** God. Problem there!
One of the most authoritative texts on yoga theory within the Hindu perspective is Pantajali’s text on raja Yoga titled Yoga Sutras (e.g., 596). In this text he puts forth the traditional eight “limbs,” or parts, of yoga. These are defined within the context of a basic Hindu worldview (reincarnation, karma, and moksha, or liberation) and intended to support and reinforce Hindu beliefs. Each “limb” has a spiritual goal and together they form a unit. These eight limbs are:
- Yama (self-control, restraints, devotion to the gods [e.g. Krishna] or the final impersonal God [e.g., Brahman]
- Niyama (religious duties, prohibitions, observances)
- Asana (proper postures for yoga practices; these represent the first stage in the isolation of consciousness and are vital components for “transcending the human condition” 601:54)
- Pranayama (the control and directing of the breath and the alleged divine energy within the human body [prana] to promote health and spiritual [occult] consciousness and evolution)
- Prayahara (sensory control or deprivation, i.e., withdrawal of the senses from attachment to external objects)
- Dharana (deeper concentration, or mind control)
- Dhyana (deep contemplation from occult meditation)
- Samadhi (occult enlightenment or “God [Brahman] realization” i.e., “union” of the “individual” with God).
Because the eight steps are interdependent, the steps of “postures” and “breathing” cannot logically be separated from the others. Thus, the interdependence of all eight steps reveals why the physical exercises of yoga are designed to prepare the body for the spiritual (occult) changes that will allegedly help one realize godhood status. If you read your Bible that’s exactly what Lucifer wanted:
Isaiah 14:11-15
11Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.
12How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
You see, Lucifer wanted to achieve god status. That’s the real original sin. He conned Adam and Eve to trying the same thing. That’s how we got kicked out of the Garden. We don’t get to be gods…we serve the only true God, as Christians.
This aspiration to deity is linked with a desire to control power–an ancient desire of sorcery and witchcraft of all kinds. Yoga authorities Feuerstein and Miller comment that the postures (asana) of yoga and its breathing techniques (pranayama) are much more than just physical exercises: Again, we see that the control of the vital energy (prana) by way of breathing, like also asana, is not merely a physical exercise, but is accompanied by certain psychomental phenomena. In other words, all techniques falling under the heading of asana and pranayama as, for example, the mudras and bandhas [physical positions or symbolic bodily gestures utilizing pranayama and concentration for physical or spiritual purposes] of Hatha yoga, are psychosomatic exercises. This point, unfortunately, is little understood by Western practitioners.
Actually, yoga practice is intended to validate occult yoga theory. And as noted, yoga theory teaches that everything is, in its true inner nature, divine – not only divine but ultimately equal to everything else – everything from God and the devil to the athlete and the AIDS virus.
Yoga theory also teaches that in their outer nature, everything is maya, or illusion. For example, only in his inner spirit is man divine; his “outer nature,” of body and personality, are ultimately a delusion that separates him from awareness of his real inner divinity. Thus, another purpose of yoga must be to slowly dismantle the outer personality – man’s illusory part – so the supposed internal divinity can progressively “emerge” from within the person’s hidden divine consciousness.
This is why people who practice yoga only for physical or mental health reasons are ultimately the victims of a confidence game. They are promised better health; little do they suspect the end goal of yoga is to destroy them as individuals. As yoga authorities Feuerstein and Miller comment, yoga results in “a progressive dismantling of human personality ending in a complete abolition. With every step (anga) of Yoga, what we call ‘man’ is demolished a little more.” This satanic bonus should not surprise a Spirit-filled Christian who studies God’s Word. Jesus Himself told us about his nature:
John 8:44
… the devil…was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
The concept of prana (“breath”) is a key to the process. Pranayama refers to the knowledge and control of prana, or mystical energy, not merely to the control of one’s physical breath (979:592) . Prana is believed to be universal divine energy residing behind the material world (akasa). Prana is said to have five forms, and all yoga “energy” is thought to be a manifestation of it. To a Christian, the concept of God’s Breath (Spirit) is linked to the empowerment of the Christian. But this is not the Holy Ghost. Not at all. The concept of prana is an occultic (hidden) practice; the Gift of the Holy Ghost has been, from the beginning, a public manifestation of God’s Glory, as seen in Acts 2.
According to Vivekananda, all occult manifestations are accomplished through yogic control of prana: We see in every country sects that attempted to control of prana. In this country there are mind healers, spiritualists, Christian Scientists, hypnotists, and so on. If we examine these different sects, we shall find at the back of each is the control of prana, whether they know it or not. If you boil all the theories down, the residuum will be that. It is one and the same force they are manipulating. Thus we see that pranayama includes all that is true even of spiritualism. Similarly, you will find that wherever any sect or body of people is trying to discover anything occult, mysterious, or hidden, they are really practicing some sort of yoga to control their prana. You will find that wherever there is any extraordinary display of power, it is the manipulation of prana. In other words, prana, God, and occult energy are all one and the same. The one who practices yogic breathing (pranayama) is by definition attempting to manipulate occult (“divine”) energy.
OK, so the teachers of Hindu themselves acknowledge that there is no way yoga can be separated from its religious base. Among the most difficult and potentially-dangerous forms, Hatha-yoga, is ‘one of the six recognized systems of orthodox Hinduism’ and is at its roots religious and mystical.
The term hatha is derived from the verb hath, which means “to oppress,” clearly not a Christian virtue. What the practice of hatha-yoga is designed to do is suppress the flow of psychic energies through these channels ["symbolic, or psychic, passages on either side of the spinal column"], thereby forcing the ’serpent power’ or the kundalini force to rise through the central psychic channel in the spine (the sushumna) and up through the chakras, the supposed psychic centers of human personality and power.
Serpent? Seriously? We want to invite that? Can anyone remember anything from Sunday School about a serpent that was something we wanted to invite?
Westerners mistakenly believe that one can practice hatha-yoga apart from the philosophical and religious beliefs that undergird it. This is an absolutely false belief. “You cannot separate the exercises from the philosophy. ‘The movements themselves become a form of meditation.’ The continued practice of the exercises will, whether you … intend it or not, eventually influence you toward an Eastern/mystical perspective.
That is what it is meant to do! There is, by definition, no such thing as ‘neutral’ Yoga” Even when yoga is practiced innocently, it can eventually produce dramatic occult transformation. “Personality changes can be brought about in Hatha Yoga by changing the body so that it influences the mind.”
To suggest that one can derive solely physical benefits from Yoga without being affected — in some way — by its inherently spiritual foundation is to miss the mark. Yoga is not primarily about limbering up the body; it is about using physical means to achieve a spiritual end. So the question of separating the physical from the spiritual in Yoga is really a contradiction in terms. In fact, if one consults the massive amount of Yoga material available, it becomes blatantly clear that any physical benefits are secondary considerations. Yoga is consistently presented as being primarily about actualizing one’s spiritual potential, attaining “freedom,” transcending the ego, and the like.
For a Christian, this is a “no-brainer.” This stuff is contradictory to Christ’s Lordship in our lives.
Scripture speaks:
2 Corinthians 6:16-18
16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
We gotta ask–Why do we need yoga to do that when we have Eucharistic Adoration, an opportunity to sit for as long as we want in the sacramental presence of the greatest healer who ever walked the earth?
However, Kocian “Christianizes” her yoga class by incorporating Gospel readings and Christian music with yoga postures that are designed to give worship to any one of about 3 million Hindu gods.
What’s wrong with this picture? Bueller? Beuller? Anybody? Anybody?
So, if we’re Christians, we are not involved with foreign gods…something yoga clearly contradicts.
Perhaps by analogy we might may ask if it’s possible to receive the Eucharist and not be participating in something religious. Or think of it another way. If an atheist takes and consumes a consecrated Host, could we validly maintain that has he not received the Body of Christ because he doesn’t believe that that’s what it is? Could we assert that he has merely “gone through the physical motions” of receiving but has not engaged in a spiritual activity? Technically speaking, the Eucharist has a spiritual reality independent of the receiver’s beliefs, and I propose that the same is true for Yoga. Just as the Real Presence is contained within a consecrated Host whether or not someone believes it, so also does Yoga have a spiritual component that is real, whether or not it is the specific pursuit of the practitioner.
Donna Kocian, who is one one who tries to combine Christianity and Hinduism says she wants to help people pause and find themselves in today’s frenetic world, “to pray within themselves, to pause, to reflect, to give thanks and to heal by yoga.”
Think about it – if this was possible, why couldn’t we just “Christianize” occult practices such as tarot cards and palm reading? How hard would it be to create a Christian deck of tarot cards and associate biblical prophecies with each one? And couldn’t we justify palm reading by saying that God created our bodies so when we read our palms, we’re just reading what God put there? Rationalization is not discernment!
Consider the experience of Christina Grof, who, prior to her experience with yoga, was an average housewife with normal plans for her life. She took up yoga entirely without suspicion as a practice that would help her physically during her pregnancy. After all, there are widespread claims that “during pregnancy, yoga exercises are extremely beneficial and will keep you supple and relaxed.” What Christian Grof got was far more. She found herself transformed from a “conservative suburban housewife” into a New Age leader by means of hatha yoga. All she had to do was “join a hatha yoga class for exercise” and the logical progression ensued.
One example of the physical dangers of Yoga was at common workplace where Power Yoga was offered at lunchtime for a quick pick-me-up. The yoga instructor recently had the class perform an exercise designed to stimulate the pituitary gland – and one of students did not sleep the entire following night. The dangers of any kind of yoga can be schizophrenia, mental disorders, include abuse of power, unconscious motivations of teachers and students, as well as the ignorance of the physiological and psychological effects of yoga.
Feuerstein and Bodian note that experiences made possible through Yoga include “. . . lucid dreaming, out-of-body states, clairvoyance, and other psychic abilities, as well as ecstasies, mystical states and, at the apex of them all, enlightenment.” They go on to assert that “Yoga is at home with all these mental states and mind-transcending realizations.” Given these candid admissions by Yoga masters that the development of psychic abilities is a virtually unavoidable result of practicing Yoga — in fact, it is the very goal — the believing Christian is left with a serious moral and spiritual dilemma: should he pursue an activity whose ultimate goal is to cultivate “powers” that God expressly condemns? There’s no avoiding the fact that Yoga can and does foster these abilities, and there’s no avoiding the fact that God tells us they are spiritually harmful to His children. Remember how God viewed Saul consulting the Witch of Endor in 1 Samuel 28, instead of paying attention to what God told him. It didn’t work out well for Saul.
Other health problems can be found here: Madness, Depression, Heart Palpitations Are “Common” Side Effects of Kundalini Yoga.
Christian Clergy Speak Out:
R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Yoga is Hindu and the practice imperils the souls of Christians who engage in it.
Fr. James Manjackal, a Roman Catholic priest raised in a traditional Catholic family in India, states: “Yoga is not an elaborate system of physical exercises, it is a spiritual discipline purporting to lead the soul to Samadhi, the state in which the natural and divine become one. It is interesting to note that postures and breathing exercises often considered to be the whole of Yoga in the West are steps three and four towards union with Brahman.”
The late Fr. John Hardon SJ also affirmed that Yoga is not compatible with Christianity. “Inner Hinduism or Yoga professes pantheism which denies that there is only one Infinite Being who created the world out of nothing. This pantheistic Hinduism says that followers will have brief tastes of heaven between successive rebirths on Earth.”
Not so, according to Scripture:
Hebrews 9:27
27And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
2 Corinthians 5:8
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Dr. John Ankerberg states in his article” Innocent Yoga,” “Regardless of the school or spiritual tradition, Yoga practice tends to alter a person’s consciousness in an occult direction. Even when Yoga is practiced innocently, it can eventually produce occult transformation.”
There are those who claim there is nothing wrong with practicing Yoga for exercise purposes only, but even the teachers of Hindu have stated that the philosophy and the practice of Yoga are inseparable. From Johanna Michaelsen’s book Like Lambs to the Slaughter (pp 93-95), she states, “You cannot separate the exercises from the philosophy… The movements themselves become a form of meditation.”
Roman Catholic priest Father Jeremy Davies, exorcist for Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the leader of Catholics in England and Wales, says that activities such as yoga, massage therapy, reiki or even reading horoscopes could put people at risk from evil spirits. “The thin end of the wedge (soft drugs, yoga for relaxation, horoscopes just for fun and so on) is more dangerous than the thick end because it is more deceptive – an evil spirit tries to make his entry as unobtrusively as possible. Beware of any claim to mediate beneficial energies (eg reiki), any courses that promise the peace that Christ promises (eg enneagrams), any alternative therapy with its roots in eastern religion (eg acupuncture).”
Julian Porteous, the auxiliary bishop of Sydney, warns that pursuing such ”alternative” relaxation techniques as yoga, reiki massages, and tai chi may encourage experimentation with ”deep and dark spiritual ideas and traditions”
OK. Let me sum this up. One of our young parishioners has a great analogy.
Let’s say I have a great cookie recipe. Really wonderful. Sweet, wonderful texture. No calories. No cholesterol. But…just a little cat poo in the mix. Would you eat it? Maybe yoga has some actual physical benefits. Will you take the spiritual sewage along with it?
Here are some alternatives:
PraiseMoves was developed by Laurette Willis, a Christian and former Hatha yoga instructor who returned to the Lord after being convicted of her involvement in yoga.
Other alternatives.
Stretching exercises from Sports Injury Clinic
Stretching exercises from the Mayo Clinic
We carry the Light of Christ!
August 17, 2011
Extended family – myth or truth?
August 15, 2011
When you are alone–and alone is defined as ‘nuclear family,’ meaning it is just you and yours–and catastrophe strikes, where do you get the help you need, spiritually and physically? How do you cope? Let me share an experience with you.
I was leading a small house group Bible study and the family that hosted the group in their home had a 26–year–old son, Brian, who died suddenly. He was a hard worker and everyone enjoyed being around him. Brian had a mental health problem, but it was under control with medication. He was making plans for the future and then died tragically from a drug interaction with alcohol. The worst part was the suspicion it was suicide.
His family had been cast out from the rest of the family as they were Jews who believed that Jesus was the Christ. They were alone, except for the small group. The members of the group came together and took care of all their day-to-day needs. They shopped for food stuff, answered phone inquires, received visitors, logged cards and flower and other donations, and acted as drivers and all–around gofers. These people became as family: they cried together, laughed together, and worshiped together. Total strangers in one sense of the word became brothers and sisters, sons and daughters to one another. This event took place over seven years ago, and the bond still exists within that extended family. Even though we don’t see each other on a regular basis, the love for all is still as real today as it was seven years ago.
You see, family is not about bloodlines as society would define them. Rather, family is who you say is family. They love you regardless of who you are as they are family through the blood of Christ. This is the family of blood that outreaches anything society can invent.
Look for small group happenings coming to All Saints Anglican Church around September of 2011!!!
The Bible
August 12, 2011
The Bible is not an account of human efforts to find God, but rather an account of God’s effort to reveal Himself to humanity. ~ Halley’s Bible Handbook
