BishopM

Without a doubt, Brother Scandal is one extremely sharp fella.

Without a doubt, Brother Scandal is one extremely sharp fella.

I'm happy, that's why.

...noobs...brings back great memories

I'm really slacking today at work
I guess I should feel guilty but.... I don't!

...noobs...brings back great memories

Good Morning Commiesunity!
I'm at the new factory today and they are making buns...its funny...cuz literally 10s of thousands of buns are flying all around the place on automatated systems. It made me laff
Blessings to the thread - Bji

This is a good question, LI, and one that certainly should be asked...+1
The theological answer is 'Yes' pain could be felt by Jesus. How? The incarnation offers that God and the human man, Jesus, existed in a state of hypostatic union (a seeming duality of both God and Man, yet in reality existing in a state of non-duality [no separation between the fleshy Jesus the man and the Spirit of God which infused his every thought/action]). If Jesus had not felt pain on the cross then his efforts would have been only a demonstration of his Diety, and not his human nature. Thus, there would be no salvation. In fact, this is what makes Jesus the Christ-Man, unique, in world religions. He is the only one to have claimed to be one with the Father (again, hypostatic union).
Brother LI, this is tough stuff to understand. So, bear with me when I try to answer. I'm not known for being the most 'eloquently spoken' Bishop, after all....
And, BTW, I've been getting a kick out of your youtube siggies. Those last 2 with the Indian song translations were pretty funny
Blessings - BishopM

I still the bishop even if he is just a thinker

I used to work for a Global Manufacturer of Building Products. I worked in a couple of their factories first in various leadership roles, then I moved to their corporate offices in their IT department where I worked for 10 years. I was shocked at the difference in culture at the plants and at the WHQ. At the HQ, I had to attend perpetual 'diversity' meetings of every manner...it was never ending. It became so perpetual that I thought that the company's core competency had become 'Human Resources'...not manufacturing...it was ridiculous...dozens of people shot up through the ranks as 'diversity professionals'...
That company also became 'safety' freaks! As soon as our daily diversity meetings were over, we'd have to go to 'safety awareness' meetings where we would discuss how to be safe. Remember now, we were working in the corporate environment where the highest risk of danger was having your coffee too hot...so it was lame...meanwhile in the factories people were losing limbs...
Corporate offices can tend to lose all types of focus...so when I see the stuff AJ is talking about...I complete ignore it as 'noize'...

I remember back in the late 70's, I turned a patient over to get a rectal temp ( I was doing vitals ). When I turned her over, she breathed her last breath and expired. I thought I killed her. I kept thinking over and over, " If I would have left her on her back, she would still be alive "... I suffered terrible guilt for months until someone said just about what TBone said to me. Since then, I've had lots of people pass in my presence. Have even washed them up, dressed them and repositioned them after their passing so they looked 'presentable' to their family members. In some sort of odd way, I reconciled it to myself that it is part of the job even though it is unpleasant . Death is, after all, a part of life and no one will escape it.
The best thing I see from your experience is that the man did not die alone. Your job was done when you gave him the most important element in your field....compassion and comfort.

Hey Commiesunity,
Sorry long time no chat! I logged out a couple weeks ago or so and then couldn't remember my userid/password
I hope all is well with everyone! We're doing great. AAm goes for her biometrics for her naturalization on 2/28!
As always, blessings to the thread!
Your Bishop

Classic Thread... +1

In my pre-Bishop existence I was married/divorced. Now, with AAm, I did the RCC annulment of the prior marriage / RCC marriage counseling / RCC marriage in the Church by our Priest. I have to tell you honestly, I was very skeptical of the need for any of that and made that known to our Priest. However, now that I have gone through it all I realize just how deep of a blessing that entire process can be...it turned out to be a very great experience, a real cleansing of my soul prior to marriage to AAm. I don't expect people to understand this at all from a Spiritual level, and I also agree that this process obviously belongs to the Catholic Church only, but in general I think we can all agree with the Pope that taking some time to know what you're doing before you get married seems to be a step that a lot of people bypass today (I'm guilty too, obviously, in my younger years)...
BTW Some Old Guy, we too couldn't get through this process within the 90 window of the K1 visa. So, we did the civil ceremony to meet the K1 requirements. We did our RCC wedding after AAm had been in the USA for about one year, and after going through this process. It truly was a tremendous event
Peace to VJ - M

In my pre-Bishop existence I was married/divorced. Now, with AAm, I did the RCC annulment of the prior marriage / RCC marriage counseling / RCC marriage in the Church by our Priest. I have to tell you honestly, I was very skeptical of the need for any of that and made that known to our Priest. However, now that I have gone through it all I realize just how deep of a blessing that entire process can be...it turned out to be a very great experience, a real cleansing of my soul prior to marriage to AAm. I don't expect people to understand this at all from a Spiritual level, and I also agree that this process obviously belongs to the Catholic Church only, but in general I think we can all agree with the Pope that taking some time to know what you're doing before you get married seems to be a step that a lot of people bypass today (I'm guilty too, obviously, in my younger years)...
BTW Some Old Guy, we too couldn't get through this process within the 90 window of the K1 visa. So, we did the civil ceremony to meet the K1 requirements. We did our RCC wedding after AAm had been in the USA for about one year, and after going through this process. It truly was a tremendous event
Peace to VJ - M

Matthew 19:21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.
At no point did Jesus say to give everything to the government. He wants us to make the CHOICE to help others. We are to be kind and loving INDIVIDUALS. Jesus came to change people; not decide if governments should be socialist, capitalist, etc.
Argue health care all you want; but pulling Jesus into the argument is a no win situation.

For me personally, prayer is a form of discipline. I don't think I ever pray to God asking for anything. God has given me all that I need, but its up to me to act upon his gifts...not beg for more because I can't control my own outcomes!
Instead, my prayer discipline is to simply attempt find time each day to sit perfectly still and be silent. The 'discipline' part of sitting perfectly still and being silent is that the only activity you'll register during silent/stillness are the activities of the mind, which is always churning; controlling it is then the exercise and discipline. For me personally, if I'm able to silence my own mind during this exercise, I feel closer to God. He doesn't need to give me a sign or a megaphone message.
Almost everybody who fully participates in life subjects themselves to some sort of discipline by which they structure their life. Prayer, especially meditative prayer, has been helping people order their lives since...well, since time began I suppose...
Blessing and great questions!
Bishop

Brother Steve, you're going to have to step aside and let the wife win this one

I wouldn't ask the kid's parents to pay. If I'm hosting the party and inviting the participants, then I'll foot the bill. That is part of the privilege of hosting and what makes its fun

Hey Brother DEDixon,
I have to admit that when I read your friends quote that "since he isn't so good and since God created him in his own image then God can't be so good either", that it gave me a lighthearted chuckle! In my mind I picture (rightly or wrongly!) that your friend is quite good natured, and probably pretty clever! I may have to steal his line the next time I dig myself into another hole!
Anyways, I remember when I was taking a class on Genesis in college way back when...I had to write a brief summary on this same question which you've asked in your post. I still have that paper and I've posted it below, for whatever it is worth, in its entirety below... ... I don't know if I would answer the same question today as I answered at the time of this paper, but, I gave it a shot!
"As a young child I often wondered why God created the earth, and specifically why he created mankind. I often thought that God created mankind because he was lonely in Heaven, all by himself. I also believed he made the world for us to have a place to live with him. In my childhood home we also had a picture of Michelangelos Creation of Man from the Sistine Chapel. I often wondered why Michelangelo painted God to look like an older man and why Adam looked so young. Truly, a childs mind is wondrous! Now that Im an adult who studies the bible, when I read Genesis 1:26, Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness… I realize that God did not make us because he was lonely. Likewise when I read Genesis 1:27, God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him… I realize that God didnt create mankind in his physical image, but rather in his spiritual image.
As an adult, when I began reading the bible seriously I was amazed that God said, Let Us make man in Our image. Why did God not continue with the same pattern of thought He utilized during His first five days of creation, by simply saying, Let there be…? There is a definite change of language in the sixth day regarding the creation of man. God seems to be conferring with someone regarding the creation of man, whereas the first five days of creation God appears to work alone. There is a special somberness reflected biblically with the creation of man in Gods image, exhibited through this consultation with this assembly of celestial beings, or heavenly council. According to the Interpreters Bible Commentary, What seems to be significant is the idea that for the creation of man it was fitting, if not necessary, that there should be something like cooperation on the part of the whole company of Heaven. Obviously my boyhood thoughts were incorrect! God did not make man because He was lonely, for He was with the celestial beings which comprised the whole company of Heaven. Specifically though, I considered this to be the first Biblical reference to our God of the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, from whence we would receive mankinds image. The Interpreters Bible Commentary agrees, A further possibility should be considered: whether there is not here an attempt to give expression to the feeling that God could not be adequately expressed as a bare unity. The Wesley Notes of the Bible also agrees that Genesis 1:26 points to the Trinity, Let Us make man in Our image…the three persons of the Trinity consult about it, and concur in it; because man, when he was made was to be dedicated and devoted to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. It is this spirit of our Triune God which truly encapsulates the image of God which mankind will receive. The biblical evidence that God was not alone at the moment of mans creation is further evidenced in Genesis 3:22. Following Adam and Eves betrayal, God spoke, Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever. Clearly, God again refers to other celestial beings at this point. The fact that God is referencing other celestial beings is again proven two verses later in Genesis 3:24, So He drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life. This realization that the Triune God of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit did not create mankind out of his own loneliness, as I thought when I was a child, brought me great comfort.
As I continued to study the bible, I still wondered exactly why God created mankind in His own image. As Genesis 1:26 clearly states, after God conferred with the Heavenly Council it was agreed that He will create man, in Our image. One might then determine that the other celestial beings were already made in the image of God as well, which mankind must share to some extent. Yet, in Genesis 1:27 God clearly states that He, God alone and only God, created mankind, God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary agrees that God communicated with other celestial beings prior to His own act of creating man, The Bible accepts the picture of the assembly, but Yahweh alone makes the decision. This exemplifies the sovereign nature of our Triune Lord, as he creates mankind through His own creative act and in His own image of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, endowing mankind with His nature and His image.
Like many youngsters, I also wanted to touch God. The Interpreters Bible Commentary states, The early thinkers about God thought of him as corporeal. So does the child. As an adult, I realized that Gods creation of mankind in His image means much more than corporeal identity. The Interpreters Bible commentary continues to elaborate, The image included likeness to Him in spiritual powers the powers of thought, the powers of communication, the power of self-transcendence. Therefore my picture of God was expanded from my childhood vision; He created mankind in His image at the soul level, not simply corporeally. God created mans body first to serve as the vessel for the soul which He would breathe into us as the breath of life. It is in this manner that we are able to holy, because we are endowed with His Image of holiness. The New Interpreters Bible Study elaborates on the thoughts of church father Augustine, Augustine, for example, believed that the image of God referred to the rational soul, placed by God in the human body, which was created out of the ground. Wesleys Notes on the Bible concurs with Augustines thoughts, Gods image and After his likeness are two ways to express the same thing. Gods image upon man consists: 1) In his nature, not that of his body, for God has not a body, but that of his soul. The soul is a spirit, an intelligent, immortal spirit, an active spirit, herein resembling God the Father of the spirits and the soul of the world. 2) In his place and in his authority. Let us make man in our image and let him have dominion. As he has the government of the inferior creatures, he is as it were Gods representative on earth.
As a child, I had a great heart for God. As an adult, I still have a great heart for God. However, as an adult Ive now the ability to read Gods word and understand in a more faithful and intellectual manner. Truly, mankind has been blessed with the image of God. It is a responsibility we should joyfully accept!"
Bibliography
George Arthur Buttrick, Nolan B. Harmon. The Interpreters Bible, a Commentary in Twelve Volumes. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1952.
John Wesley, G. Roger Schoenhals. Wesley's Notes on the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1987.
Raymond Brown, Joseph Fitzmyer, Roland Murphy. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Company, 1990.
Walter Harrison, Donald Senior, Abraham Smith. The New Interpreters Bible Study. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 2003.
Blessings!

My opinion, but it is unfortunate that the word 'mysticism' has come to mean a deflection of 'reason' in our times. From antiquity to the present, 'mythos' has been the most creative use of 'reason' which is utilized to help people 'step outside' of their normal range of literal reasoning. That is why it is sometimes disappointing to hear literal interpreters of 'mythos' discount anything 'God-proclaimed' simply because they haven't had their prayers answered or had God appear before them. They discounted the 'mythos' which is the interiorization of God...so it becomes impossible for them to 'hear' outside of their own intellectual confines; in short it doesn't push the mind to the brink of that which is unknowable and which cannot be answered. This is the transcendence which can be achieved through reading the sacred texts, but when read from a literal point of view the mythos is stripped and the meaning is lost, and it becomes all quite silly, which is a shame.

Quick Thoughts to your great questions, Sister Sofiyaa, so please forgive my 'shortness' on these answers as volumes have be written.
- does that mean that He worshipped himelf: Nah... Jesus washed his disciples feet, settled hierarchial disputes between his disciples John and James regarding who was greater before God, and told them (on multiple occasions) that he who is least is greatest in the eyes of God. Jesus was 'selfless' and taught humility and a life of servitude. So, no need for him to worship his 'selfless self'. As 'God-Man' living both in full humanity and divinity, yet lacking any duality, through the concept of hypostatic union (same essential substance/essence - Trinitarian point of view), I like to think that when Christ prayed (such as he did always) that he was setting the example for others to follow (though this is somewhat shallow minded on my part and I should put more thought into this...).
- does that mean He killed himself? God 'emptied himself' (again, being 'selfless' in the same manner as the question above) during His incarnation in order that he could become incarnate in the fleshy body of Jesus, the man. When Jesus (the man) died on the Cross for the expiation of mankind's sins, it was the flesh that died. God did not die.
Honestly, as a Western person, I never could understand/attempt to answer these types of questions because we tend to be so rationally minded and have no interest in things that we can't 'touch/feel/explain'. It was really only when I started reading from the Hindu/Buddhist scriptures that I came to a new type of understanding which enabled me to grasp (even if only lightly!) the meaning behind the life of Christ. As an example, it is an interesting parallel between the life of Christ and the enlightened life of Siddhartha Qautama (the Buddha). For the Buddha, once he gained enlightenment he thought to himself to just live the remainder of his life in bliss. But, instead he decided to teach and to 'confront the sins' of others in order that some may find the same peace that he'd found. He didn't have to do this, but he did, and changed the world. For Christ, he bore the weight of sin for the past/present/future world through his incarnation/death/resurrection. At times I am amazed by the strength this must have taken! At times, I am bothered with my own family members and their trivial pursuits, not to mention my own trivial pursuits! I know what it means to love, but I imagine that God's love is much greater than my own, but when I think of my own powers of love I like to believe that I would be willing to 'die' for my wife/children/others. Yet, in the reality of my experiences I often find that I am easily bothered by the smallest of what I would deem 'their faults', which become my pet peeves per se. In short, I don't really have the shoulders to bear the weight of my own sins, much less the weight of my sins plus even one other person's sins, no matter how much I proclaim to love them! Yet, Christ shows us tremendous strength in his willingness to shoulder the sins of all mankind...and Buddha showed great strength is his love of mankind by teaching his 8 fold path for the remaining 45 years of his life when he probably could have just sat in a cave and been 'blissful'. Anyways, that is one reason why I admire the men, and one reason why I realize the absolute strength annd blessing of Christ's love which he demonstrated through his short life in Jesus, and on the cross.
Blessings and...as usual...I have rambled for far too long...it probably would have been better to be silent on such deep yet seemingly simple questions! <haha>
BishopM

Quick Thoughts to your great questions, Sister Sofiyaa, so please forgive my 'shortness' on these answers as volumes have be written.
- does that mean that He worshipped himelf: Nah... Jesus washed his disciples feet, settled hierarchial disputes between his disciples John and James regarding who was greater before God, and told them (on multiple occasions) that he who is least is greatest in the eyes of God. Jesus was 'selfless' and taught humility and a life of servitude. So, no need for him to worship his 'selfless self'. As 'God-Man' living both in full humanity and divinity, yet lacking any duality, through the concept of hypostatic union (same essential substance/essence - Trinitarian point of view), I like to think that when Christ prayed (such as he did always) that he was setting the example for others to follow (though this is somewhat shallow minded on my part and I should put more thought into this...).
- does that mean He killed himself? God 'emptied himself' (again, being 'selfless' in the same manner as the question above) during His incarnation in order that he could become incarnate in the fleshy body of Jesus, the man. When Jesus (the man) died on the Cross for the expiation of mankind's sins, it was the flesh that died. God did not die.
Honestly, as a Western person, I never could understand/attempt to answer these types of questions because we tend to be so rationally minded and have no interest in things that we can't 'touch/feel/explain'. It was really only when I started reading from the Hindu/Buddhist scriptures that I came to a new type of understanding which enabled me to grasp (even if only lightly!) the meaning behind the life of Christ. As an example, it is an interesting parallel between the life of Christ and the enlightened life of Siddhartha Qautama (the Buddha). For the Buddha, once he gained enlightenment he thought to himself to just live the remainder of his life in bliss. But, instead he decided to teach and to 'confront the sins' of others in order that some may find the same peace that he'd found. He didn't have to do this, but he did, and changed the world. For Christ, he bore the weight of sin for the past/present/future world through his incarnation/death/resurrection. At times I am amazed by the strength this must have taken! At times, I am bothered with my own family members and their trivial pursuits, not to mention my own trivial pursuits! I know what it means to love, but I imagine that God's love is much greater than my own, but when I think of my own powers of love I like to believe that I would be willing to 'die' for my wife/children/others. Yet, in the reality of my experiences I often find that I am easily bothered by the smallest of what I would deem 'their faults', which become my pet peeves per se. In short, I don't really have the shoulders to bear the weight of my own sins, much less the weight of my sins plus even one other person's sins, no matter how much I proclaim to love them! Yet, Christ shows us tremendous strength in his willingness to shoulder the sins of all mankind...and Buddha showed great strength is his love of mankind by teaching his 8 fold path for the remaining 45 years of his life when he probably could have just sat in a cave and been 'blissful'. Anyways, that is one reason why I admire the men, and one reason why I realize the absolute strength annd blessing of Christ's love which he demonstrated through his short life in Jesus, and on the cross.
Blessings and...as usual...I have rambled for far too long...it probably would have been better to be silent on such deep yet seemingly simple questions! <haha>
BishopM

Hello P&R,
I'd like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays! I hope that it is a wonderful time for you and your families/loved ones!
Blessings to you and your families during this wonderful time of year!
Mark

Thanks for sharing that Sister Sofiyya. +1
Unfortunately, it would seem that most Christians have a similar experience with their own sect (mine is Catholic, and certainly no exception) where their Priets/Pastors have acted inproperly accordinging to the tenets of their own faith. My own personal experiences of 'wrong' in the Church came when I was a young teen in the 70s and it certainly drove me away from the Church for the next 1.5 decades or so. Eventually though you have to judge the faith by its doctrines and not be its 'flock'.
However, when I think of religion (all religions) I do believe that they are all based upon civility and peace, not evil. While I am Catholic, I came to this conclusion through a study of the faith, and studies of other faiths. I don't doubt is that God exists, but as for religion, I believe that God speaks through them to individuals and individuals should align themselves with the faith that speaks to them in the clearest manner. Ya...I know...that can open a can of worms. But, I believe that faiths need to be questioned and held accountable for their teachings more than the way their teachings are distorted by individuals. So, to that end, I don't find one faith to be greater than the other, but I do find Catholicism to be greater for me personally. Again, I'm highly ecumenical, which unfortunately seems to be a trait that has fallen to the wayside in modern Christianity....
Blessings,
BishopM