I'm spiritual but not religious

Happiness is - I'm spiritual but not religious. How about you?

* check out my story and Facebook page.

http://bit.ly/1kEBzlZ http://bit.ly/the2agree

SBNRs, Keep reading the words are not religious but radical (really)!

The divine is the sea. All religions are rivers leading to the sea. Some rivers wind a great deal. Why not go to the sea directly?  
                                                                                                               ~ Mother Meera

                                                       Not Religious but Radical (really)!
                                                                    By S. L. Brannon
 
Is modern Christianity missing the intended "messages" in  Christ's life and ministry?  Before  exploring the issue that holds such importance for me, I must note that when I  question Christianity, I do so with a respectful and reverent heart. Much like William F. Buckley's Nearer, My God, my book The Two Agreements honors the religious tradition of my childhood. That said, I sincerely believe that  Christianity misses the mark, largely due to a misplaced focus on the "sender",  rather than the "receiver", of those messages, as well as their historical  context.  As a result, the popular  interpretation of the Gospel message holds people in the shadows and distracts  them from the good news messages Jesus taught to bring the people of His day into the Kingdom. Christ's messages were a help in relating to God. The modern
popular interpretation, however, is a hindrance.

 What is the popular interpretation of the Gospel? Most of us are familiar with it, whether we are churchgoers or not. Known by many as "The Greatest Story Ever Told", it depicts an angry, vengeful God, so fed up with His own creation that He holds it in condemnation. As an act of mercy, He sends His son Jesus to live among humankind, knowing all along that Jesus would die for our sins. According to this interpretation, Jesus could have stopped the crucifixion at any time, but instead He sacrificed Himself to save people from
eternal damnation. Humankind is seen as inherently sinful, but after Jesus' death and resurrection, we were given a choice to believe in this story or not. If we are believers, then we are saved; if not, we are damned, forever excluded from God and His Kingdom. This has been the script from which much of the world
has operated for the past two thousand years. 
 
In reality, the story is not as straightforward, or as accessible, as the  interpretation implies. This is due largely to the pressure that Christianity was under to present a single, perfect message to one audience. The result of this pressure has been to ignore certain inconsistencies. For ages, Bible scholars have noted the differing records of Jesus' life and his messages of how to live in right standing with God.  Specifically, they pointed out that while Jesus' teachings focused on obeying commandments, Paul taught that one needed to exercise faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Furthermore, a small book entitled James seems to counter Paul by requiring people to do good works in order to satisfy God.  One is left wondering what the true message might be.  However, what if each of  them is correct in their message?  In fact, that is the case. There are differing messages, each correct and each directed at a different audience.
 
Let's look at the historical context. Jesus' arrival changed everything.  His conception and birth began a time of transition, a transition from the first (old) covenant to the second (new) covenant. The popular interpretation attempts to freeze  time—and humanity—in that transition period.  However, in so doing, it attempts to return people never enslaved back into slavery (servants to a Lord). Of course, this is impossible, yet millions of Christians have been persuaded that they are servants to an angry, tyrannical God, destined to a life of condemnation and damnation. Each time the gospel is presented in a way that encourages or demands that one submit to the mindset of those souls  born under Jewish law, a horrible injustice is done to the hearers. Those receptive individuals that accept this premise are subject to feelings of fear, guilt, and shame, and are therefore easily manipulated.  How sad, for the good news declares a freedom to life, love, and liberty, to bask in eternal grace!

 My reinterpretation of that popular interpretation seeks to clear up the confusion.  he problem with our most popular understanding of the messages of Jesus does not have anything to do with the messages.  Instead, one must look at the audiences He taught.  A clue  that there was something special about the masses listening to Him is in the phrase that is repeated again and again, "let those who have ears to hear . . ."
His reason for repeating the phrase was because it was something of a prayer for those listening to get the message that was specifically intended for them.  It is important to note that Jesus also  taught in parables for the same reason, to give the lessons in a form that each audience needed at that particular time. 
 
Why is it so important to know the audience in order to unravel the seemingly mixed messages of Jesus and the apostles? It is important because Jesus taught three groups of "hearers" that comprised the masses of the original ordained church. 

The first two groups I describe are well-known to Christians: the believers and the non-believers, both born under the old covenant. Jesus taught that there was a way for those born under that first covenant to be
"born-again", meaning born into the second covenant. These original born-again Christians were the original ordained church. The non-believers remained under the teachings of Judaism, honoring the old covenant relationship into which they were born.  

Now, to understand the remaining audience Jesus was speaking to, one must first understand that those born in the time of Noah, up until the time  of Christ, were born into the first covenant with the Lord God, locked in by birth. This was the harsher God depicted in the Old Testament. The children who  were conceived at the same time that Mary conceived, however, were born into the second covenant of unconditional love and Grace that remains in effect today. Jesus taught them messages of their being children of God and of their oneness  with the Father God. They did not need to be "born-again" in order to enter the new covenant for they were naturally born into it.  
 
As long as Christianity chooses to ignore the error of its  interpretation, its members are destined to live with blinders on. They must selectively read and interpret chosen parts of the story in  order to hold the "fidelity" they believe is there. All the while, innocent people are accepting a role (as a lost soul) they never held as free spirits in a kingdom of unconditional love and Divine grace. These innocent people are those of us born into Grace, never to know the stinging judgment of the Holy One.

 In the second covenant, we live by free will in a life of our own choosing. By free will, we can live as people subject to the Jewish laws, as people of the transition period born-again into the church, and as people born
under Grace as children of God the Father.  The choice is ours. In the reinterpretation, I encourage the readers to enter the Silence and  become still in order that "the still small voice" rises above the noise. The
Holy Spirit is available to teach us all things beyond the bible theme and Gospel. "Let those who have ears to hear . .
  ."

Fwd: url fb page

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Steve Brannon <brandnewday1@eplus.net>
Date: Sun, Nov 10, 2013 at 11:28 AM
Subject: Re: url fb page
To: "Steve L. Brannon" <brandnewday1@live.com>

Shortened URL

 

http://on.fb.me/19ScNtK

On Sun, Jan 29, 2012 at 8:49 PM, Steve L. Brannon <brandnewday1@live.com> wrote:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Two-Agreements/107164712688988?v=info#!/pages/The-Two-Agreements/107164712688988?sk=wall

Join the conversation! Your personal experience and ideas can help build a mental health care system that works.

 

 

     I tell my personal story at the link below . . .
http://careforyourmind.org/

Peacefulness,
Steve

| Join the conversation! Your personal experience and ideas can help build a mental health care system that works.

Hello,

I'm sending out a note to my friends to ask help in promoting National Depression Screening Day. It may mean the world to someone we love and care about. Thank you.

Peacefulness,
Steve
I tell my personal story at the link below . . .
http://careforyourmind.org/


Sent from my iPad

MY TAKE : HOW CHURCHES CAN RESPOND TO MENTAL ILLNESS

Editor's Note: Ed Stetzer is president of LifeWay Research, an evangelical research organization. He blogs atedstetzer.com and his most recent book is "Subversive Kingdom."

By Ed Stetzer, Special to CNN

(CNN) - The first time I dealt with mental illness in church was with a man named Jim. I was young and idealistic - a new pastor serving in upstate New York. Jim was a godsend to us. He wanted to help, and his energy was immeasurable. He'd visit with me, sing spontaneously, pray regularly and was always ready to help.

Until he was gone.

For days and sometimes weeks at a time, he would struggle with darkness and depression. During this time, he would withdraw from societal interaction and do practically nothing but read Psalms and pray for hours on end. I later learned that this behavior is symptomatic of what is often called bipolar disorder or, in years before, manic depression.

I prayed with Jim. We talked often about the need for him to take his medicine, but he kept asking God to fix him. Eventually, at his lowest point and filled with despair, he took his own life.

As a young pastor unacquainted with how to deal with these events, I found myself searching for answers. I realized two things:

First, people with mental illness are often attracted to religion and the church, either to receive help in a safe environment or to live out the worst impulses of their mental illness.

Second, most congregations, sadly, have few resources for help.

Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter

This weekend, we learned of the death of Rick and Kay Warren's son Matthew.Those of us who know the Warrens know how they have anguished over their son's illness, seeking to keep a low profile even as Rick penned the best-selling devotional, "The Purpose Driven Life." This weekend, Matthew took his own life - putting the issue of mental illness front and center again.

Matthew had the best medical care available, a loving church that cared for him and his family, and parents who loved and prayed for him. Yet, that could not keep Matthew with us.

Mental illness is incredibly destructive, and the end result is not always ours to determine.

Matthew's life was not a waste and, yes, every day had a purpose. His pain is over now, but perhaps his life and death will remind us all of the reality of mental illness and inspire people of faith to greater awareness and action.

So, what can we do as people of faith to address issues of mental illness?

1. Churches need to stop hiding mental illness.

So often in a congregation, we like to pretend this is not a real issue because we have such a difficult time understanding it. We stick our heads in the sand, add the person to the prayer list and continue on ministering to the "normal" people. But it's real, and it isn't going away. In 2009, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index showed 17% of respondents as having been diagnosed with depression. There are people in the pews every week - ministers, too - struggling with mental illness or depression, and we need to recognize this.

2. The congregation should be a safe place for those who struggle.

We are often afraid of mental illness and the symptoms that come with it. As a result, we don't know what to do with our own level of discomfort and our fears for safety, or we just don't want to be inconvenienced.

A study from Baylor University indicates "that while help from the church with depression and mental illness was the second priority of families with mental illness, it ranked 42nd on the list of requests from families that did not have a family member with mental illness." This is a real need among our congregations, one that we absolutely cannot ignore or expect to go away. People of faith know that God has freed them to love others, and that love extends to everyone, even (and sometimes especially) those we don't understand.

3. We should not be afraid of medicine.

I realize this can be a heated debate. I also recognize that medication must be handled with care - as it should with any condition. But many mental health issues are physiological. Counseling will naturally be a part of treatment. But if we are not afraid to put a cast on a broken bone, then why are we ashamed of a balanced plan to treat mental illness that might include medication to stabilize possible chemical imbalances? Christians get cancer, and they deal with mental illness.

We've long seen the value in the medical treatment of cancer. It's time for Christians to affirm the value of medical treatment for mental illness as well.

4. We need to end the shame.

I saw it in my own family. Suicide has struck our family more than once, making the news where we wished it did not. When my aunt was arrested for gun smuggling to Ireland, our family did not think of this as an issue of Irish revolution. She was brilliant, a lawyer and a doctor, but mentally ill. Her involvement in the Irish "revolution" was one in a long line of bad choices driven by her illness and eventually led to her suicide.

Yet, it was hard to talk of these things. They had to be "handled in the dark" because "no one could know." I love my family. But shame was something that was difficult to avoid in every case.

Let's be honest. These are typically delicate situations. And we want to protect the privacy and dignity of the people we love, particularly when they are behaving in ways that might draw negative attention. But compassion and care can go a long way in helping people know they don't have to hide.

CNN's Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories

Why should this be of concern to people of faith? Simply put, there is no place where Americans are more connected and no place where grace is more expected than the church.

Mental illness has nothing to do with you or your family's beliefs, but the greater community that holds those beliefs can be key to the lifelong process of dealing with mental illness. Most research points to the fact that more religious people tend to be healthier, both physically and mentally, but religious activities do not remove people of faith from sickness of either kind.

Christians believe the church is the body of Christ—the hands and feet of Jesus—and that means going into the darkest places and the toughest situations to bring light. It means walking with those who are suffering, no matter what the suffering looks like.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ed Stetze.

Sent from my iPad

Show love. Be considerate, your faith is your faith.

Religion, organized religion, claims to know the will of God for everyone, including me. I refuse to be talked to that way. I refuse to have my children and grand-children talked to that way. I choose my own spiritual life, and it is absent man-made religion.

The Road Less Traveled

By living a spiritual life of your own choosing instead of membership in organized religion you are most definitely taking a road less traveled. However, it is the most rewarding road to travel. I know for I have traveled both!   

Sent from my iPad

AFFIRMATIONS ARE POWERFUL'

An affirmation for you:

"I am safe and divinely protected ."

Have an overwhelmingly blessed day!

Sent from my iPhone

Test