Job 38:1-11 and Revelation 19:4-16
On any given Sunday morning the Television is full of televangelists proclaiming the word of God as if they are God themself. For all I know, it may be going on all week long as well.
Two sections of the readings today jumped out am and I would like to speak about those. In this passage from Revelation it states Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow-servant with you and your comrades who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! In Job it states ‘Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding. These passages speak to me of humility and a realization that we are clearly not God. We may talk the talk about anything but when it comes to God we cannot walk the walk.
Tell me, if you have understanding. These passages speak to me of humility and a realization that we are clearly not God. We may talk the talk about anything but when it comes to God we cannot walk the walk.
There are several songs from the Book of Mormon on Broadway that I cannot get out of my head. In spite of it being a great play (and a great success) there is one song so blasphemous I cannot even listen to it even though I have the music in my car. In another song though, I Believe, they sing something to the effect that ' I believe, that in 1978 God changed his mind about black people'. It highlights the things that religions and people feel free to espouse, believe and proclaim as the word of God. Talking the talk about a whole array of subjects and it certainly isn't just the Church of Latter day Saints. You can think off the top of your head the things that may be simply mentioned in the Bible that churches have changed their mind about. What once was taboo or 'the word of God' and was actually sworn about, that we now know is untrue. Slavery, the motion of the planets, souls of indigenous peoples and whole array of subjects. In one of the texts in seminary about the history of the Catholic church there is a section which stated how one Pope had condemned suspension bridges as works of the devil. They can say something about making statements from the 'chair of Peter' or not but such statements go out there and it is amazing.
In Job, God asks him to make an account of what he is saying, proclaiming. In Revelation we are reminded that we are all, every human, are fellow servants. We should be incredibly careful about what we preach, proclaim or spew as the case may be.
One of the saddest things and that the song "I beleive" pokes fun at it is the length of time some churches go before they 'change their minds'. How long was it before Galileo was taken off the 'do not read' list and 'forgiven', 'redeemed' or whatever it is the official apologists have to say.
The world is changing or rather, we are catching up with the all embracing love of God. The Spirit is alive and inspiring movement. I have written about that before. How long will it be before religions embrace the created goodness of the gay community? Specifically, how long will it take for the Roman Catholic church to abandon the notion that gay people are 'intrinsically disordered'? As Job was asked to address his proclamations so too churches will be asked to answer for their proclaiming hateful and wrong spirited rhetoric. They will be asked to answer for their half-truths, coverups and fault dogmas that have contributed to so much mental anguish and even suicide among good and decent people. It's ironic especially when the Roman Catholic church has gone to such incredible lengths to cover up so much of their own evil that have been foisted on so many. There seems to be no end to the lengths they will go to bolster their own reputation even at the expense of the gay community of which the church is grandly represented.
There is a frightening array of people that see fit to proclaim what is or isn't evil; what is or isn't God's precise words; what is or isn't sin and therefore worthy of God's love. The arrogance is astounding. If this wasn't so obvious the passages today are a reminded to me that to 'speak for God' or what we even sincerely think he means is extreme arrogance. The world has seen way too much of human interpretation of what precisely God thinks. The only words I know that accurately embrace the word of God are contained in those two great commandments about love. End of story.
Job 38:1-11
In Job, God asks him to make an account of what he is saying, proclaiming. In Revelation we are reminded that we are all, every human, are fellow servants. We should be incredibly careful about what we preach, proclaim or spew as the case may be.
One of the saddest things and that the song "I beleive" pokes fun at it is the length of time some churches go before they 'change their minds'. How long was it before Galileo was taken off the 'do not read' list and 'forgiven', 'redeemed' or whatever it is the official apologists have to say.
The world is changing or rather, we are catching up with the all embracing love of God. The Spirit is alive and inspiring movement. I have written about that before. How long will it be before religions embrace the created goodness of the gay community? Specifically, how long will it take for the Roman Catholic church to abandon the notion that gay people are 'intrinsically disordered'? As Job was asked to address his proclamations so too churches will be asked to answer for their proclaiming hateful and wrong spirited rhetoric. They will be asked to answer for their half-truths, coverups and fault dogmas that have contributed to so much mental anguish and even suicide among good and decent people. It's ironic especially when the Roman Catholic church has gone to such incredible lengths to cover up so much of their own evil that have been foisted on so many. There seems to be no end to the lengths they will go to bolster their own reputation even at the expense of the gay community of which the church is grandly represented.
There is a frightening array of people that see fit to proclaim what is or isn't evil; what is or isn't God's precise words; what is or isn't sin and therefore worthy of God's love. The arrogance is astounding. If this wasn't so obvious the passages today are a reminded to me that to 'speak for God' or what we even sincerely think he means is extreme arrogance. The world has seen way too much of human interpretation of what precisely God thinks. The only words I know that accurately embrace the word of God are contained in those two great commandments about love. End of story.
Job 38:1-11
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:
‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
Gird up your loins like a man,
I will question you, and you shall declare to me.
‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
Gird up your loins like a man,
I will question you, and you shall declare to me.
‘Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone
when the morning stars sang together
and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?
‘Or who shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb?—
when I made the clouds its garment,
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
and prescribed bounds for it,
and set bars and doors,
and said, “Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stopped”?
Revelation 19:4-16
And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who is seated on the throne, saying,
‘Amen. Hallelujah!’
And from the throne came a voice saying,
‘Praise our God,
all you his servants,
and all who fear him,
small and great.’
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunder-peals, crying out,
‘Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready;
to her it has been granted to be clothed
with fine linen, bright and pure’—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
‘Praise our God,
all you his servants,
and all who fear him,
small and great.’
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunder-peals, crying out,
‘Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready;
to her it has been granted to be clothed
with fine linen, bright and pure’—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God.’ Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow-servant with you and your comrades who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’
Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, ‘King of kings and Lord of lords’.
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