emm in sem

The way Christianity spread over the first three centuries when the Romans were doing their best to stamp it out, was not simply by people going into the market place and saying ‘Jesus is Lord; you must believe in him.’ They did that too, but [it really spread] by people seeing that here was a community of people who lived in a totally different way.

The Christians were known for going and helping people who were not their kith and kin, who were not part of their ethnic group or part of their business interests. If somebody was sick, if somebody was poor, the Christians would go and look after them. They’d say “why do you do that? you’ve got nothing to gain by it,” and they’d say “well, it’s because we follow Jesus and this is the way that Jesus does stuff.

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—	N.T. Wright (via hislivingpoetry)

eternallyadoring:

The annual Advent ‘Darkness to Light’ ceremony at Salisbury Cathedral. The festival begins with the cathedral in total darkness; as the choir and clergy process through the nave, the candles of the congregants are lit one by one, illuminating the thirteenth century cathedral in candlelight.

A clip of the processional is available here, around minute 5:08.

Wow. This is beautiful

(Source: qualiseram)

(Source: coronationmedia)

this-is-radiant-joy:

So this is Our Lady of Guadalupe…

this is beautiful.

(Source: seekingmybeloved)

the-ecumenicals:

Question:
What is your interpretation of Matthew 18:23-35 - insofar as
[1] What the Kingdom of Heaven is like and
[2] What, if anything, this passage says about punishment (in this life, purgatory, hell, etc.)?

“Somehow, vertical forgiveness (between God and man) is related to horizontal forgiveness (between man and man). How does this work?”
Read Abbie’s Response →

“Dropping the language of interpretation and hermeneutics, simply put, I reject Matthew’s reading, I think he is wrong.”
Read Justin’s Response →

“The takeaway for me is this: the kingdom of heaven doesn’t have a place for cruelty.”
Read Emmy’s Response →

» Previous Post: Does God Change God’s Mind? »

Religion is for lovers, for men and women of passion, for real people with a passion for something other than taking profits, people who believe in something, who hope like mad in something, who love something with a love that surpasses understanding.

“

—

John Caputo, On Religion

He goes on to say:

A lot of supposedly secular people love something madly, while a lot of supposedly religious people love nothing more than getting their own way and bending others to their own will (“in the name of God”). …Religion may be found with or without religion. That is my thesis.

knowhomo:

LGBTQ* Perspectives and Quotes

(Personal Note: I RESPECT RELIGION and FAITH. The quote below is simply to point out how we can view a situation when we break down the physical words and history. — Rebecca)

Following from: Deb Price’s And Say Hi To Joyce

A Story:

      An engineering professor is treating her husband, a loan officer, to dinner for finally giving in to her pleas to shave off the scraggly beard he grew on vacation. His favorite restaurant is a casual place where they both feel comfortable in slacks and cotton/polyester-blend golf shirts. But, as always, she wears the gold and pearl pendant he gave her the day her divorce decree was final. They’re laughing over their menus because they know he always ends up diving into a giant plate of ribs but she won’t be talked into anything more fattening than shrimp.

      Quiz: How many biblical prohibitions are they violating? Well, wives are supposed to be ‘submissive’ to their husbands (I Peter 3:1). And all women are forbidden to teach men (I Timothy 2:12), wear gold or pearls (I Timothy 2:9) or dress in clothing that ‘pertains to a man’ (Deuteronomy 22:5). Shellfish and pork are definitely out (Leviticus 11:7, 10) as are usury (Deuteronomy 23:19), shaving (Leviticus 19:27) and clothes of more than one fabric (Leviticus 19:19). And since the Bible rarely recognizes divorce, they’re committing adultery, which carries the rather harsh penalty of death by stoning (Deuteronomy 22:22).


So why are they having such a good time? Probably because they wouldn’t think of worrying about rules that seem absurd, anachronistic or - at best - unrealistic. Yet this same modern-day couple could easily be among the millions of Americans who never hesitate to lean on the Bible to justify their own anti-gay attitudes.

Rather than change I won’t recognize, I’m more afraid of getting stuck in a deep unjust rut that we all recognize, but which we ultimately despise.

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—	Rev. Adam Copeland, “A Place We Don’t Recognize Anymore”