elvinap

Calling somone a fool certainly is NOT love..Sin is removing myself from the PATH.. Both bitterness and murder are diverting us from the path laid out for us.. It hurts us, puts us out of the joy Jesus wants us to experience..Out of the Kingdom of Heaven on this Earth..

Can you see any tendencies in the church today to effectively "abolish" the Old Testament from our Christian faith? I think that many churches today honestly believe that abandoning the OT is ok because Jesus came to make new laws.. They forget that throughout the OT we see God's grace guiding his people..Yes, there came to be legalism, like in Leviticus, but this is the exception..[/color] What does a "Christian" legalism look like in a church? I am in a liturgical church.. I see legalism in the rules of dressing the the clergy and the upkeep of the altar. There is a 'certain' way the candles must be lit and only select people may touch the altar and the chalices. When the liturgy is changed just a little bit, there are complaints from many in the congregation. It is this legalism that is driving many away from organized religion.. We spend our time keeping the laws and forget to love people as they are.. JESUS DID!! I believe that when we don't love all who come, just as Jesus showed us to do, we go to the safety of hard and fast laws.. It is easier than putting effort to reach out and accept sinners (all of us). If we introduce the God of Love through our servanthood, forget judgement (that is God's job) our churches will begin to fill up again!! What does it look like in a church where there are no moral standards and no obedience expected of Christians? A church that displays the Unconditional Love of God will not be looking for someone to judge.. It is the church's job to teach the Word, but then allow the congregation to make their own choices.. If WE have shown them the WAY..the rest is between God and them. And, I am not their God!!

I believe that when I forget that I am endowed by the light of Christ, then that light won't be noticed by those around me.. I hear so much about that "bad world out there".. God's spirit was given to this body to fulfill a purpose, my job is to listen and then do that job!! My way is to remember that this Light of Christ is a permanent preservantive, if I choose it! If I look at the world as the enemy, how can I befriend them, how can I bring them into the light? Yes, I lose my way...but that constant CHRIST in me reminds me that I am to bring all to the Light.. and I can do that by Loving my neighbor as myself, and that means the world, even those who terrorize us... the love of God is unconditional, not just when I am good.+

For me.. seeking after righteousnes is looking at the path Jesus laid out for us and then calming, in the presence of a loving God, live my life as closely as possible to the pattern Jesus laid out. It is not me against the world, it is me in the world but not of the world. I believe that the resistance we meet in the world is because we set ourselves up as examples of knowing the definition of righteousness (my perception) and then make judgements.. I believe that this is what causes wars, or any disruption. Jesus walked peacefully, DEMONSTRATING the way we should live. Organized religion has misunderstood HIM. One of my mentors is a 75 year old lady who always reflects joy, no matter what pain she is enduring. She tells us of the comfort she has, knowing that a loving God is there to hold her in the palm of His hand. She never says "You should or should not".. She just loves us. Elvina in South Texas

I have always used the Beatitudes as a guide to life.. Unlike the commandmants, with the thou shalt nots, and firm warnings of the consequences of disobediance, the Beatitudes are a fulfillment of those commandments but in a gentler way.. Instead of dire consequences, the 2nd part tells of the Fruits of the Spirit..of the rewards for following the path set out by Jesus

[font="Comic Sans MS][/font]

I have not done forum before so I will just dive in and tell you who I am.. I am a mom of 5, grandmothe of 12, and great-grandmother of 9! I am 74 and lead a Bible Study in my home.. I am Episcopalian but continue to search for the essence of God ...Elvina in South Texas