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First off, I must state that it is best for one to read the first post and then the second post and then the third post if one cannot recall what the CRA is or why it concerns me. Secondly, I must explain that the Relationship with Self section is the section that is {mostly} available for viewing in the sample assessment. Therefore, I will be able to make direct quotes without violating intellectual property rights, as the Center for Relationship Enrichment has already made the questions available in the public domain. I will have to be more vague for the other sections, but I still think this is a good approach to use when I am able.
What I have decided to do is to quote a question-not all of them because there are too many-and then try to offer a contrast, such as a Bible verse or a quote from a Christian thinker. My goal is to show first that the approach of the CRA is not entirely Biblical {if it is at all Biblical}, and secondly that the Bible "does "have something to say about these issues.
I feel the need to remind all readers that the assessment claims to "help you assess your relationship with the Lord, yourself, and others. Most importantly this assessment will help you "better understand what difference Christ is making in your life and relationships"." The second a survey asserts that it can guage one's relationship with Christ, one "must" assume that there is a certain theology embedded in the survey. If the theology is false, the survey is invalid.
Let's go to the questions. I will list the number and quote them entirely, in the manner in which they appear in the sample assessment. I will bold them so that one is easily able to separate the question from the commentary beneath it. My personal comments are italicized, so that they are easily distinguished from the quotes from Scripture.
* 40. I CAN PUT INTO WORDS WHAT I WANT OR NEED.
And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. {Luke 9:23 therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. {I Peter 4:7}
"My point here, by the way, is that though this question addresses blame-shifting, I think it is approaching the situation incorrectly. A person who is sitting around obsessing over how they feel and whose fault that might be isn't living with the sense of urgency and Christian should have. I find it more concerning that this test assumes that one should be so hyper-aware of how everything effects one's emotions, when the Christian life is a life lived soberly and sacrificially."
* 43. AT TIMES, I TELL MYSELF THAT I SHOULDN'T BE FEELING A CERTAIN WAY.
It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart...{Philippians 1:7}
"This question is really too vague. Maybe this person shouldn't feel a certain way. Maybe they should. It really depends on whether or not they are being unreasonable, and whether or not the situation really merits such feelings. If one feels good about sinning, one is wrong. I do not see how this question could possibly offer assistance or insight into one's Christian life."
* 44. I OFTEN FIND MYSELF ENGAGED IN HEATED ARGUMENTS WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CLOSE TO ME.
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. {Matthew 5:22}
"This is one of the better questions. Obviously, since Christians are called peacemakers, this sort of behavior would reveal an area where one is not submitting to the Spirit of Christ."
* 47. I FEEL I DO NOT HAVE MUCH TO BE PROUD OF.
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. {I Timothy 1:15}
"Paul would have failed this portion of the test, I think. But then again, he had an unconventional way of looking at life:"
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." {I Corinthians 1:26-29}
* 50. SOMETIMES I HAVE BEEN SO ANGRY THAT I HAVE WANTED TO HIT SOMEONE OR SOMETHING, OR BREAK THINGS.
And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. {Matthew 21:12}
"Sorry...I couldn't resist."
* 53. I TAKE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD MYSELF.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. {Romans 12:3}
"The Bible does not encourage one to have a positive attitude about oneself. Rather, one is to think soberly and realistically about oneself."
* 57. I UNDERSTAND HOW MY FEELINGS INFLUENCE MY THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. {Romans 12:2}
"I don't want to rush past this one, because I think this is very important. Embedded in the test is the assumption that feelings" dictate thoughts and actions. The question above implies that perhaps, if one is aware enough of one's feelings and their impact, this can be controlled. But the Bible says nothing of the sort. Though the Bible does not deny the existence of feelings, it is very clear that transformed lives are born of renewed minds. This is another instance where I believe the test to be focused on the wrong issue.
* 73. WHEN I EXPERIENCE A POSITIVE EMOTION, I KNOW HOW TO MAKE IT LAST.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. {Philippians 2:5-7}
Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."...Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done."... So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. {Matthew 26:38-44}
"Jesus had the ability to make his "positive emotions" last, but he chose instead to "make Himself nothing." He likewise had the ability to avoid the excruciating pain of his death, and pled with His Father for another way, but submitted when His Father said no. Christians are called to be like Christ. The question is not whether one can make a positive emotion last, but whether one can deny oneself when it is required. Humans in their natural state are very good at grasping at pleasure. Christian maturity means a willingness to experience temporary pain for a greater cause."
* 78. WHEN I AM FACED WITH OBSTACLES, I REMIND MYSELF OF TIMES I FACED SIMILAR OBSTACLES AND OVERCAME THEM.
"Let me break this one down a bit. Who does this question credit with previous success? Myself. Who is responsible for a future success? Me again. Where is Christ in this question? Uninvited. It's not that I don't believe in personal responsibility. It's just that I don't agree with leaving a sovereign God out of the equation when one addresses facing obstacles. Si thought these verses reveal a good balance between personal responsibility and also God's sovereign actions:"
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. {Philippians 2:12-13}
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. {I Corinthians 15:10}
Okay, I am getting tired of sifting through questions that promote self-absorption and focus primarily on how I "feel" about everything. I am a pregnant woman, and I can cry at touching radio commercials with the best of them, but it is really all too gooey for me, so I think I'm done.
Purgatorio's first posting ever was on syncretism. The focus was on American Christians combining religion with American nationalism. I wish the author would do a similar posting concerning the attempt of the mainstream Christian church to combine Christian theology with secular psychology.
As I have waded through the muck of "feelings" and concern about me and my little, shallow life (for there is no true depth in a life focused on self), I feel the urge to leave off with a couple quotes from one of my all-time favorite authors, David Wells, from my latest favorite book, Losing Our Virtue {all added emphasis is mine}:
LUTHER SAW, AS WE SHOULD TODAY, THAT THE MORAL LAW WAS NOT GIVEN BY GOD FOR HUMAN BEINGS TO BECOME SELF-SATISIFIED WITH THEIR MORAL ATTAINMENTS. ON THE CONTRARY, THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW IS TO INDUCE SELF-KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-DESPAIR, WHICH COME FROM SEEING THAT THE BEST HUMAN EFFORT ALWAYS RESULTS IN FAILURE BEFORE GOD. SUCH AN UNDERSTANDING IS THE PRECONDITION FOR RECEIVING CHRIST. {p. 29}IT IS THE BIBLICAL TRUTH ABOUT THE NEED AND NATURE OF CONVERSION THAT IS NORMATIVE, NOT THE EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE ACCOMPANYING IT, AND YET IT IS HARD TO ESCAPE THE PROSPECT THAT IF GOD'S INDICTMENT OF SIN IS HEARD, IF THE CROSS IS UNDERSTOOD, THE SINNER WILL HAVE AT LEAST SOME SENSE OF BEING OVERCOME, OF BEING STRICKEN, IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. THIS MAY NOT PRODUCE THE DEEP FOREBODING OF LUTHER, THE TERROR OF BUNYAN, THE LOSTNESS OF AUGUSTINE, BUT IN SOME FASHION THE DOOM FROM WHICH THE GOSPEL IS THE DELIVERY MUST HAVE REGISTERED.{P. 38}AT THE HEART OF THIS NEW READING OF THE PARABLE IS A RATHER DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING OF THE SELF FROM WHAT PREVAILS IN CLASSICAL, PROTESTANT SPIRITUALITY. THERE, THE SELF IS NOT TO BE TREATED AS INNOCENT, NOR IS IT TO BE INDULGED. INDEED, SIN IS DEFINED IN TERMS OF SELF-LOVE, SELF-CENTEREDNESS, SELF-DELUSION. But here, in this stream of modern spirituality, the self is understood in terms of psychology. The self is unhappy, not so much because of sin, as a lack of realization, or an inability to adjust to the social environment. So CONVERSION IN THESE SERMONS WAS PRESENTED AS INCORPORATING GOD INTO THE SELF SO THAT THE SELF COULD HAVE MORE MEANINGFUL RELATIONS WITH OTHERS. {p.50}Here is what Scripture has to say about the subject:
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: IF ANYONE IS PREACHING TO YOU A GOSPEL CONTRARY TO THE ONE YOU RECEIVED, LET HIM BE ACCURSED. {Galatians 1:6-9}
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"TO HIM WHO POSSESSES DISCERNMENT, ALL PERSONAL LIFE IS MISERY, BECAUSE IT EVER WAXES AND WANES, IS EVER AFFLICTED WITH RESTLESSNESS, MAKES EVER NEW DYNAMIC IMPRESSES IN THE MIND; AND BECAUSE ALL ITS ACTIVITIES WAR WITH EACH OTHER."
The whole life of the psychic self is misery, because it ever waxes and wanes; because birth brings inevitable death; because there is no expectation without its shadow, fear. The life of the psychic self is misery, because it is afflicted with restlessness; so that he who has much, finds not satisfaction, but rather the whetted hunger for more. The fire is not quenched by pouring oil on it; so desire is not quenched by the satisfaction of desire. Again, the life of the psychic self is misery, because it makes ever new dynamic impresses in the mind; because a desire satisfied is but the seed from which springs the desire to find like satisfaction again. The appetite comes in eating, as the proverb says, and grows by what it feeds on. And the psychic self, torn with conflicting desires, is ever the house divided against itself, which must surely fall.
- Book II, Sutra 15 from "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: The Book of the Spiritual Man", An Interpretation By Charles Johnston (1912)
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I feel really blessed. You see, lately I have discovered that in addition to my healing powers that I was given at birth, and the offshoot powers that come with that, the Gods and Goddesses have granted me an extra ability. As it was given to me freely without my knowledge, I still haven't learnt to control it fully yet, and indeed, if I had requested this ability, it may have made the last few weeks make more sense to me.
What is this mysterious ability? The Gift of The Gods that will enable me to save The World?
The Ability to raise my core temperature to epic feverish proportions and to sweat profusely in times of stress. At first look this seems like the idea power to bestow upon a teenage boy who doesn't like school, could you imagine it? "I'm getting stressed about double maths" - cue sweat and "Miss, I feel like I'm going to pass out Good grief, boy, you're sweating profusely and running a temperature, go to the nurse and we'll get one of your parents to collect you!"
Basically, I've spent the last three weeks, with fevers and a tickly cough in my throat, yet doctors couldn't find any cause for them in fact it was dubbed "a virus" at first in order to get rid of me without the need to give me any anti-biotics. But as my persistence grew, I unfortunately got to the stage that I dread. the threat of a needle being stuck inside my skin and precious fluids extracted. I think this was the Doctor's sneaky attempt to witness my new power and/or try to steal it's secrets for himself! Immediately I was flushed and sweating profusely, despite having, a few moments before, really good Blood Pressure. To say I went to pieces at his threat was an understatement - a grown man of nearly 39 reduced to near tears (I would've cried if there was any fluid left in my body - all my water content was leaving via my forehead), oh, he made promises of Valiums to calm me, but when I last was tricked into one, over 10 years ago, it took three members of the nursing staff to restrain me, while all the time I begged them not to do it (it must've looked a bit like the scene where the Hobbits cook Gollum's fish). So there you go a fear of needles that manifest into Hulk syndrome. If Valium was enough to calm someone down, then Dr Banner would never have to Hulk out, would he?
So there we have it, my new mystery power - I'm now a Fever Guardian. When my stress gets high, my blood boils without any pressure, my head becomes a lake, my palms a pair of Icelandic Hot Spring Pools. Just to clarify, in case any of you were bothered, but after me and my beautiful wife of many lives worked this out, that my fevers started when my daughter was allowed to leave the country with her mother for good, I didn't go to the b-word test appointment, there is no way that I will let this gift fall into the wrong hands - especially as I have no idea what the off-shoot powers will be.
How will this help me Save The World? Well if I can find a way to harness this energy that I'm obviously pulling in from somewhere, then it will help the Energy Crisis. The sweaty bi-product? I could bottle it for countries with no water supply, it already has electrolytes in it, so will be classed as a medicine!
Blessings and Namaste
Source: http://asatru-religion.blogspot.com
Water is always speaking to us if we listen
Meditation on water has been proven to affect the molecular organization of water. Water is an amazing spiritual source for humans. It easy to take for granted and one could probably study it all ones life and not know all its mysteries.
There have been some amazing studies in japan of the snowflake pattern water makes after it has been exposed to to intention. If you haven't heard of Dr Emoto, I suggest you look him up. His information and images are phenominal.
There are also some former recon Marines in the middle east who feel like the war on terror could be won if poor villagers had access to water to create their own prosperity instead of relying on extremists for a hand out. There is a great charity at
Its been a rainy summer here in MS and I was glad to go out and enjoy a break from it and soak up some sunshine. The rain had cooled the temperature of the lake and the sun was warm on my skin and I took moment to commune with the spirit of the water. The lake seemed just as grateful to me as I was to it for my little moment in the sun and all the aeration the rain had caused really made the lake feel full of chi.
Those hearty souls in Japan can take their water and freeze it to study it I prefer my experiments a little warmer.
Its amazing how balancing water can be. It literally takes the weight of the world off of you and cools your heated brow in the summer. What a good friend it is. Whether you want to clean up, or detox or just relax water is often the solution, and a little gratitude for it is always in order.
Like all elements it is a joy when it is balance and a terror when it is not. (I'll never forget the imbalance of Katrina.) I respect it but appreciate all the good it brings to my life.
You should take a moment and do the same. Don't forget to crack a cold beer and take it with you it leads to all kinds of good meditations on the water, ask any fisherman.
POSTS
Chinese elemental theory was developed in 300 AD and is the basis for just about every other magical theory out there. Everything from fung shui...
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AUTUMN EQUINOX; TIME TO CELEBRATE THE GREEN MAN
September 21 will mark the autumnal equinox or Mabon. This is the equinox that divides the day and night equally it is also a time...
The post Messages in Water, a summer meditation appeared first on Nayleon.
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In 1692, a Boston servant girl was sent by her mistress on an errand. En route, she was asked for some tobacco by a poor woman on the street.
The servant girl, named Mercy Short, threw wood shavings at the woman and said, "There's tobacco good enough for you!" The woman cursed at her, and Mercy completed her errand. Just another day in Puritan Boston, right?
The woman who cursed her was Sarah Good, of Salem Village, who was later executed after being accused of witchcraft. When Mercy returned home she was afflicted with fits for several days, but they abated after she fasted. OK, so maybe it wasn't just another day in Boston, but it wasn't so bad. At least the fits cleared up!
Mercy wasn't out of the woods, though. About a year after her encounter with Sarah Good, she once again became afflicted with fits, but this time with a twist: the Devil came to visit her.
He was a wretch no taller than an ordinary Walking-Staff; hee was not of a Negro, but of a Tawney, or an Indian colour; hee wore an high-crowned Hat, with strait Hair; and had one Cloven-Foot.
The Devil came with specters, who looked like neighbors and people that Mercy knew. They tormented her and urged her to pledge herself to Satan by signing a red-lettered Book of Death. Only then would they stop torturing her. She didn't even have to actually sign - just touching the book with her little finger would suffice for Mercy to give herself to Satan.
Copp's Hill Burying Ground, Boston
Mercy refused, so her fits continued, but in a spectacular fashion.
* The Devil and his specters blinded her and stopped up her ears, so at times she was unaware of her surroundings and the neighbors and ministers who came to help her.
* They pinched her and stabbed her with small pins. Witnesses saw small bloody marks appear on her body, and pulled physical pins from her limbs.
* Mercy's hellish tormentors poured a white liquid down her throat, which made her "swell prodigiously, and bee just like one poisoned with a Dose of Rats-bane."
* Cotton Mather visited Mercy, and witnessed the following: "They would Flash upon her the Flames of a Fire, that was to Us indeed (tho not unto her) Invisible... Wee saw Blisters thereby Raised upon her."
* Mercy was forced to speak profanely and sarcastically about people she knew and refused to listen to discussions about God or religion.
In the late winter of 1693, Governor Phips visited Mercy at her request. She told him that the Book of Death, the Devil's book itself, was hidden in the attic of a wealthy neighbor's house. The governor directed one of the neighbor's servants to retrieve it.
When the Servant was Examining the place directed, a great Black Cat, never before known to bee in the House, jumping over him, threw him into such a Fright and Sweat, that altho' hee were one otherwise of Courage enough, he desisted at that Time from looking any further.
Finally in March of 1693 a good spirit appeared to Mercy and told her she would be delivered from the Devil's torments on Thursday, March 16. On that Thursday, the spectres came but were unable to harm Mercy, no matter how hard the Devil exhorted them. They departed and Mercy was free.
It's an amazing story, and similar to many demonic possession stories across the centuries, but Mercy had a traumatic experience before her possession that helps shed light on it.
In March of 1690, Mercy and her family were abducted from their home in New Hampshire by Wabanaki Indians. Mercy's parents and several of her siblings were killed, and Mercy was held captive in Quebec for eight months before being sent to Boston. It seems likely that her possession was a way for her to deal with horrific experience she had. It's no coincidence that Mercy saw the Devil as an Indian. Living in a society without psychological concepts like trauma and PTSD, Mercy dealt with her experiences using the ideas available to her.
D. Brent Simmons, in his book "Witches, Rakes and Rogues", notes that in 1694 Mercy married a man from Nantucket, but the marriage didn't last. Mercy was found guilty of adultery and excommunicated from the Puritan church. She returned to Boston, and her gravestone can still be seen in Copp's Hill Burying Ground in the North End.
In addition to Simmons' book, I found my information in Cotton Mather's narrative about Mercy Short, "A Brand Pluck'd Out of the Burning".
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The burning of a yule log is an old pagan tradition.
An oak or ash log would be brought into the house and lit on the shortest day of the year. It would be expected to burn throughout the longest night to guard against ghosts, goblins any any other baneful things that lurked outside in the darkness. Woe betide the household if the flames went out before dawn, though I'm sure much drinking and partying went on all the night to make sure it stayed alight.
After dawn, the ashes could be scattered around the house for good luck in the coming year.
Nowadays, if you don't fancy sitting up all night to tend a fire or don't have an open fireplace, you can drill holes in an oak or ash log to hold candles.
What the bad witch will be doing is making (or buying) a delicious chocolate yule log, decorating it with four sparklers and inviting everyone to make a wish as they light them.
Obviously, don't leave lit candles or fires unattended for safety reasons.
Here are some useful links:
www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/festivals/christmas.html
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What if it truly doesn't matter what you do but how you do whatever you do?
How would this change what you choose to do with your life?
What if you could be more present and open hearted with each person you met if you were working as a cashier in a corner store, or as a parking lot attendant, than you could if you were doing a job you think is more important?
How would this change how you want to spend your precious time on this earth?
What if your contribution to the world and the fulfillment of your own happiness is not dependent upon discovering a better method of prayer or technique of meditation, not dependent upon reading the right book or attending the right seminar, but upon really seeing and deeply appreciating yourself and the world as they are right now?
How would this affect your search for spiritual development?
What if there is no need to change, no need to try to transform yourself into someone who is more compassionate, more present, more loving or wise?
How would this affect all the places in your life where you are endlessly trying to be better?
What if the task is simply to unfold, to become who you already are in your essential nature - gentle, compassionate, and capable of living fully and passionately present?
How would this affect how you feel when you wake up in the morning?
What if who you essentially are right now is all that you are ever going to be?
How would this affect how you feel about your future?
What if the essence of who you are and always have been is enough?
How would this affect how you see and feel about your past?
What if the question is not why am I so infrequently the person I really want to be, but why do I so infrequently want to be the person I really am?
How would this change what you think you have to learn?
What if becoming who and what we truly are happens not through striving and trying, but by recognizing and receiving the people and places and practices that offer us the warmth of encouragement we need to unfold?
How would this shape the choices you make about how to spend today?
What if you knew that the impulse to move in a way that creates beauty in the world will arise from deep within and guide you every time you simply pay attention and wait?
How would this shape your stillness, your movement, your willingness to follow this impulse, to just let go and dance?
How would this affect how you see and feel about your past?
from The Invitation
by Oriah Mountain Dreamer art by Katherine Dunn"
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