Thoughtful Thursdays – Waxing Platitudes #1 – Church

God and I have a love/love relationship. He loves me and I am so grateful for that. However, the church and I have a love/annoyed relationship. See, I had to preface that with the fact that God and I are on very good terms most of the time. Well, He’s on good terms all the time, it’s just me that has to get my act together every once in a while.

The problem is that God has to leave the running of his church up to mortal, fallible people. Most of them are there just trying to do their best and run things the way they think God would want. Many of them even ask Him on a regular basis what they think He wants them to do.

The biggest problem is that we either lose our focus or focus too intently. The path is narrow and we often find ourselves walking down either side rather than right on it. We forget the greatest two commandments, Love God and Love your neighbor. We try to function as though we can see the whole situation, yet our understanding is so very limited.

I struggle from time to time finding spirituality in the church. It becomes another thing to do or they are always asking me to do more. I have two kids, two jobs and a blog. I really don’t need any more to do. But when you say no to something or express this idea, you are looked at like you have just lost your testimony and are heading straight to Outer Darkness.

When do I get to come to church on my own terms? When do I get to just be there communing with the divine and feel the genuine fellowship of my fellow saints without expectation? My family is my stewardship right now. There is no greater work than to attempt to show my wife and children Christ like love and compassion; to lead them the way that God leads us.

I have had many experiences that make me want to leave from time to time. I wonder how I can continue to put up with things. Then I remember that every time I have gotten to the point of leaving and I pray to God to help guide me, I’m brought back. The light opens up and I see the goodness and the potential that exists in the church.

It has been the place of my spiritual growth and journey. No, I don’t limit my spiritual exploration to correlated materials, but I let the Mormon brand of Christianity be the starting point for my relationship to God. I figure as long as I am led closer to God by continuing down that path, then I must be on the right one for me.

So for now, I’ll continue to say completely inappropriate things at church, like telling my Gospel Doctrine class how much I dislike the book, “Miracle of Forgiveness”. I will also put up with the looks and the groans when I say no, my home teaching wasn’t done because my family came first. It really doesn’t matter what the people of the church think, it only matters what God thinks. That is the truth that keeps me coming back.

Image Credit here - John Martin Borg 2002 - Adulterous Woman

Sunny Sunday #1 – Grace

The subject of grace has been on my mind very much lately. It is a subject that I don’t really feel like I have a problem with, but it has been at the center of what I have felt like teaching, talking and thinking about in recent weeks.

Grace, in the divine sense, usually means the predisposition of God towards us. He loves us and wants to help us. He gives us gifts to help us progress. These gifts, including the gift of salvation through the atonement of Jesus Christ, are freely given. They are given through mercy and not on merit.

God is serious when he says ask and ye shall receive. So often we feel that we must somehow earn the gifts of the spirit. That is a false heresy. God will give you gifts if you ask them of him because he loves you and for no other reason. That is the miracle of grace. You cannot earn it, you just need to be thankful for it.

I Need Daddy

"Please mom, Please! I need daddy to cuddle me" This is what Bubs woke up in the middle of the night saying. He was scared and was having bad dreams. When you were young, there was just something about being held in Daddy's arms. Not that Mommies aren't special, but their hugs are different. They are warmth, love, security and cuddles. But Daddy's hugs are strength, safety and comfort. When we're scared, Daddy's arms keep us safe from the monsters in the closet and help us deal with the monsters in life.

Then we grow up. We become the Mommies and Daddies. Life gets harder and more challenging. The problems more significant and deep. Suddenly, you aren't the one asking to be held and protected. You are the one being asked. Someone actually needs you for strength and security. Where do you find it to give to them? Life is demanding all the strength you have, just to hold together and now someone needs it from you. Not just once, but everyday. They need to see you being strong so they know they can face the challenges of life too.

Yet, the strength is there. It is within us. We underestimate the strength we have. The resiliency. The testing and trying we experience is to bring out that strength. I spent Sunday watching the great movie classic The Ten Commandments. Though not necessarily historically accurate, it is uplifting the way it shows Moses being prepared to lead the people. As he is banished to die in the desert by Ramses, voice over says the following:

"Into the blistering wilderness of Shur, the man who walked with kings now walks alone. Torn from the pinnacle of royal power, stripped of all rank and earthly wealth, a forsaken man without a country, without a hope, his soul in turmoil like the hot winds and raging sands that lash him with the fury of a taskmaster's whip. He is driven forward, always forward, by a god unknown, toward a land unseen... into the molten wilderness of sin, where granite sentinels stand as towers of living death to bar his way. Each night brings the black embrace of loneliness. In the mocking whisper of the wind, he hears the echoing voices of the dark... Moses! Moses! Moses! Moses! Moses! Moses!

His tortured mind wondering if they call the memory of past triumphs or wail foreboding of disasters yet to come or whether the desert's hot breath has melted his reason into madness. He cannot cool the burning kiss of thirst upon his lips nor shade the scorching fury of the sun. All about is desolation. He can neither bless nor curse the power that moves him, for he does not know from where it comes. Learning that it can be more terrible to live than to die, he is driven onward through the burning crucible of desert, where holy men and prophets are cleansed and purged for god's great purpose, until at last, at the end of human strength, beaten into the dust from which he came, the metal is ready for the maker's hand."

When we need strength we must remember that, "It is in giving that we receive." Our strength will come by giving strength to others. One day we will look back across the desert of affliction, we will realize just how far we have come by the hand of God, our eternal Father who gives us the strength we need.

Religious - Symbology - Part 3

Temple worship has often been called and is certainly thought of in the church today as the highest form of worship. Everything about the temple is there to point the way back to God. Every act, the building itself, the process of preparing to go to the temple and most importantly the work that goes on there is meant to teach us.

Judeo-christian Religious rites over the years have focused on basically one thing. The need for a Saviour and his mission on earth. From the sacrifices made in ancient times that represented the sacrifice which the savior would make, to the last supper which represented the sacrifice made. The temple is no different.

We must prepare ourselves to enter by living certain standards. Many have found this unfair, but in a very real way it is part of the symbolism meant to teach us. We must prepare to meet God, so before we symbolically go to seek Him in the temple we to must prepare ourselves. We obtain a recommend to go. This again gives us a chance to give an accounting of our deeds and in a way is symbolic of the final judgement before entering the kingdom of God.

Then we enter the temple. Every aspect of the building itself is to lift us higher and make us feel as though we have entered a place apart from the world. They are lit as a light to the world. The ceremonies are symbolic re-enactments of our journey through this world and back into God's presence. We are symbolically clothed in power and taught, symbolizing how in life we seek wisdom and knowledge from God.

What makes temple work the most sublime of all work is that the work is service. We help those that cannot help themselves as the Saviour helps us. Not that we do the work of the Saviour, but just as those beyond the veil cannot do this work for themselves, neither can we bridge the gap between sin and death and make it back to God without a Saviour. By doing this work, we are not only doing the Lord's work, but we are reminded that we must have a Saviour.

Thus, the work we do in the temple today, is symbolic of our need for a Saviour and our journey back to God. Though the acts may have changed from ancient times, the message is still the same. The symbolism of the temple should help us draw closer to God. We must learn to see beyond the mechanics and into the principles they represent.

Religious - Symbology - Part 2

The LDS temple is often one of the most misunderstood complex symbols of the LDS faith, by both believer and non-believer. Often non-believers will balk at the complex symbolism contained therein and find what goes on there strange. Believers will often take things more literally then they probably should be taken.

Temple service and ritual is nothing new. It is a representation of returning to the presence of God connecting with the unseen spiritual world to which we want to return. In truth the modern temple is no different. It is built palatial, representing the kingdom of God. Every aspect of temple worship and preparation to enter the temple and even the temple itself, symbolize our journey back to God. it is meant to teach and uplift, to be a place apart from the world and close to God.

This post nor future posts will deal with the specifics of what goes on there. It is meant only to demystify some of the symbolism. When you realize that everything connected with the temple is symbolic then it really doesn't feel so strange. The mechanics of the temple are most likely a more modern construct, designed to teach a people through ceremony and repetition. While based upon ancient principles, the ceremonies themselves were designed to teach the people in the early church in ways they could understand. It is much like the parables of Jesus. He taught the people through stories containing symbols in their everyday life.

Many connections have been drawn between the Masonic rights and the temple ceremony. While I am no expert on the subject, I have read enough to postulate a couple of ideas related to this. First, Masonry was widely practiced at the time. It is symbols that the early members of the church could understand and relate to. Second, it was widely believed, though later proven wrong, that the masonic rights were started at Solomons temple. Their origins cannot be traced back that far and they are thought to only be a few hundred years old rather than thousands. It makes perfect sense to me that they might form part of the framework for the modern temple ceremonies.

Some people, however, are rather uncomfortable with this idea that the modern temple ceremony has not always been around. Well, in truth, it probably has taken many forms over the millenia. The principles are eternal, and this is simply one very beautiful way to teach them. The third and final part of this series will deal with some of the principles and symbolism surrounding temple worship.

Religious - Symbology - Part 1

Religion is full of symbols. Most people realize this, but some don't realize to what extent. Even actual events or people and their acts can be symbolic. The stories of creation found throughout the world are a great example. First they symbolize our creation by a supreme being and second they usually contain elements about how we should live our life. Creation stories are found in almost every culture throughout the world.

The Christian world believes in the symbolism of Jesus Christ. As I said, symbols do not have to be made up and can be based on real events. Christ's role as an example, teacher, neighbor and most importantly a Savior are import teaching tools to bring us happiness. While Christians consider the events to be real, the real power is in their ability to teach us how to be better and to give us hope.

We come to Christ through Baptism, which is symbolic of burying our old sinful life and rising anew in Christ. This event is then celebrated through the Sacrament or Eucharist. In the LDS tradition, we partake of the Sacrament almost every week. It sometimes goes un-noticed the symbolism of the event because we see it every week. The body and blood (water) of Christ are prepared as though for burial. We are passed the emblems of his body and blood symbolic of the gift of salvation he has given to us. But even more symbolic is that it is given to us, we do not take it of ourselves. We renew our promises made at baptism and lay or "sacrifice" our sins symbolically upon the altar of the sacrament. They are covered and buried with Christ, symbolizing Christ taking upon himself our sins.

Religious symbols are a part of everyday life, but maybe none so consuming as the symbolism of the LDS temple. Part 2 will discuss this often misunderstood symbol of the LDS faith.

Religious - Conference Thoughts - Part 2

From the talks that I listened to, I noticed a very distinct but subtle difference from past conferences. I also noticed a difference in the tone from the older Apostles to the newer ones. For many years, the church has been criticized for emphasizing works more than grace. There have certainly been enough talks in conference to support this idea. However, I think that it was really a difference in nomenclature. While LDS believe that Christ is the Savior, saving us from sin and death, we also know that we should work on becoming more like our Savior and that our heavenly reward will be based on what we work for. While Christ opened the door or built the bridge, it is up to us to cross it and learn. Many other denominations stop at salvation from Hell, and sometimes LDS folk forget that part. Though we should never forget that as hard as we work, our reward will be given because of the grace and mercy of our Saviour.

I heard several talks this time that seemed to alude to this fact. While some of the old guard talks (not referring to specific people, but to attitudes expressed) seem to leave no room for personal mistakes and growth. Many of the talks one hears now help people to realize that they can accomplish anything with the Lord and that when mistakes are made, there is a way back.

I particularly liked Pres. Uctdorf's and Pres. Eyrings talks from the general sessions. (I haven't listened or read the priesthood session yet. I was getting ready to have family over for dinner.) While they talked about obedience, they also acknowledged the love of God and how it helps us to overcome things.

While we are on the topic of the First Presidency, Pres. Monson's talk was exceptionally brilliant. I think it is the most underrated talk of the conference. It is strikingly significant because it focused on the second greatest commandment, to love our neighbor. As prophet he could have counselled us to improve aspects of our lives and continue to better ourselves. In a way he did, but specifically he taught us to stop thinking of ourselves and to think more about those around us. We must remember that the two commandments on which all of the other "hang" is to love God and love our neighbor. With such wonderful talks this conference, I hope that this one is the one that is most remembered. I think it could have the most profound effect on everyone.