Sunday, March 26, 2006
'Chopra, Aristole or Jesus?'
But first ...
This morning in this church.
The Reading.
The Prayer of Confession:
"Lord of Life, help us to understand the wisdom of the separation of church and state, and the importance of religious values in the shaping of a humane society. We have not only freedom of religion in our nation, but freedom from it as well. As the world grows more violent, help us to recover the wisdom of the founders, who gave us a legacy of religious freedom, and religious tolerance. In Christ's name, Amen."
The biggest challenge.
And now, to our regularly scheduled devotional ...
(gracEmail) CHOPRA, ARISTOTLE OR JESUS
Edward Fudge
Mar 26, 2006
A Bible professor summarizes author-guru Deepak Chopra's message as "Don't trust the intellect; go to the heart," then asks whether the same mindset infects much contemporary Christian thinking.
* * *
Chopra is indeed one of today's most prominent purveyors and popularizers of New Age, Hindu-oriented, "Eastern" mysticism. As such, he preaches distrust of the intellect, so that the "heart" swallows up everything else. You are surely correct that Christians in any age are always susceptible to the tossing waves and swirling winds of their own intellectual environment.
For that very reason, we need vigilantly to remain grounded in Jesus Christ, in whom God has disclosed himself incarnate, by whom he has redeemed us and received us to himself, and through whom he gives us every spiritual blessing (Eph. 4:14-16; Col. 2:8-10). Remember, however, that Christians may also be misled by the siren calls of Western logic and philosophy as well -- whether via Aristotle, John Locke, Scottish "Common Sense" empiricists, or current advocates of sovereign logic -- which preach distrust of the heart so that the mind swallows up everything else.
Far better to choose as guru ("a personal religious teacher and spiritual guide" -- Webster), but as far more than guru -- indeed, as Son of God, Savior of the world, resurrected Lord, baptizer in the Spirit, divine healer and coming King -- that man born neither in the East nor the West but in ancient Mediterranean Palestine, who saw the total picture and charged, "You shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart AND with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37).
_________________________________
Copyright 2006 by Edward Fudge. Permission hereby granted to reprint this gracEmail in its entirety without change, with credit given and not for financial profit. Visit our multimedia website at http://www.edwardfudge.com/.
This morning in this church.
The Reading.
The Prayer of Confession:
"Lord of Life, help us to understand the wisdom of the separation of church and state, and the importance of religious values in the shaping of a humane society. We have not only freedom of religion in our nation, but freedom from it as well. As the world grows more violent, help us to recover the wisdom of the founders, who gave us a legacy of religious freedom, and religious tolerance. In Christ's name, Amen."
The biggest challenge.
And now, to our regularly scheduled devotional ...
(gracEmail) CHOPRA, ARISTOTLE OR JESUS
Edward Fudge
Mar 26, 2006
A Bible professor summarizes author-guru Deepak Chopra's message as "Don't trust the intellect; go to the heart," then asks whether the same mindset infects much contemporary Christian thinking.
* * *
Chopra is indeed one of today's most prominent purveyors and popularizers of New Age, Hindu-oriented, "Eastern" mysticism. As such, he preaches distrust of the intellect, so that the "heart" swallows up everything else. You are surely correct that Christians in any age are always susceptible to the tossing waves and swirling winds of their own intellectual environment.
For that very reason, we need vigilantly to remain grounded in Jesus Christ, in whom God has disclosed himself incarnate, by whom he has redeemed us and received us to himself, and through whom he gives us every spiritual blessing (Eph. 4:14-16; Col. 2:8-10). Remember, however, that Christians may also be misled by the siren calls of Western logic and philosophy as well -- whether via Aristotle, John Locke, Scottish "Common Sense" empiricists, or current advocates of sovereign logic -- which preach distrust of the heart so that the mind swallows up everything else.
Far better to choose as guru ("a personal religious teacher and spiritual guide" -- Webster), but as far more than guru -- indeed, as Son of God, Savior of the world, resurrected Lord, baptizer in the Spirit, divine healer and coming King -- that man born neither in the East nor the West but in ancient Mediterranean Palestine, who saw the total picture and charged, "You shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart AND with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37).
_________________________________
Copyright 2006 by Edward Fudge. Permission hereby granted to reprint this gracEmail in its entirety without change, with credit given and not for financial profit. Visit our multimedia website at http://www.edwardfudge.com/.
Comments:
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BTW, the nonbeef, nonpork lamb chops are marinatin' in red wine, garlic, peppercorns, salt, olive oil and oregano even as I type.
:-P to all you meanies who won't take me at my Lenten word!
:-)
:-P to all you meanies who won't take me at my Lenten word!
:-)
Also, note that on this NASCAR church holy day -- Bristol day race -- I am in HERE, in my home office, doin' fricking work (work-work, not personal work) 'cause I'm so dang far behind. Dr. ER is keepin' me posted on the race.
Now, to work.
Now, to work.
Grounded in which Jesus?
Jesus of the Catholic tradition?
Jesus of the Reformation?
Jesus of the Protestant variety?
SBC Jesus?
Jesus of the Conservative American Tradition?
Jesus of the Eastern Orthadox tradition?
Jesus of the Coptics?
Jesus of the Esoteric Christian tradition?
Jesus of the Cathars?
Jesus of the Gnostic christian tradition?
The Deist Jesus?
The Jefferson Enlightenment Jesus?
The Red Letter Jesus?
The Apostle Paul's Jesus?
The Apostle Mary's Jesus?
Jesus of the Catholic tradition?
Jesus of the Reformation?
Jesus of the Protestant variety?
SBC Jesus?
Jesus of the Conservative American Tradition?
Jesus of the Eastern Orthadox tradition?
Jesus of the Coptics?
Jesus of the Esoteric Christian tradition?
Jesus of the Cathars?
Jesus of the Gnostic christian tradition?
The Deist Jesus?
The Jefferson Enlightenment Jesus?
The Red Letter Jesus?
The Apostle Paul's Jesus?
The Apostle Mary's Jesus?
# posted by 
: 4:16 PM
: 4:16 PM
Yes.
The Jesus who revealed Himself to you as the conduit through which you can commune with God.
It happened to be a loving, tolerant Jesus that I met back in the summer of '71.
He is still around, despite the minor teenage devils running around earning their Devil Scout Wolf Patches by dressing up as a Mean Jesus, confusing people.
The Jesus who revealed Himself to you as the conduit through which you can commune with God.
It happened to be a loving, tolerant Jesus that I met back in the summer of '71.
He is still around, despite the minor teenage devils running around earning their Devil Scout Wolf Patches by dressing up as a Mean Jesus, confusing people.
Let's see. 100 percent Human. 100 Percent God. "Lowered" Himself. ...
Hmm. This Three-In-One God is purdy hard to deal with. ... Rather than "conduit," try:
Jesus, the more "human" side of God's personality, which showed Himself to make us aware so that we could commune with the fullness of His-Her God(s)ness.
Personally, I prefer this kind of rhetoric:
Jesus was the vanguard of God's invasion of humanity, and those who follow Him are the emerging fullness of the invasion, bringing the kingdom into reality. Not a future thing, the kingdom. A now thing.
But shoot. I just reads and ponders and prays and tries and fails to go about doin' good and repents and starts all over again all the time. Ask Mark. He's got it all down pat. :-)
Hmm. This Three-In-One God is purdy hard to deal with. ... Rather than "conduit," try:
Jesus, the more "human" side of God's personality, which showed Himself to make us aware so that we could commune with the fullness of His-Her God(s)ness.
Personally, I prefer this kind of rhetoric:
Jesus was the vanguard of God's invasion of humanity, and those who follow Him are the emerging fullness of the invasion, bringing the kingdom into reality. Not a future thing, the kingdom. A now thing.
But shoot. I just reads and ponders and prays and tries and fails to go about doin' good and repents and starts all over again all the time. Ask Mark. He's got it all down pat. :-)
ER, I love that prayer. Did you write it? If you did, kudos to you buddy, it is wonderful. If you didn't, can you plesae let me know where you found it?
Also, you might be interested in this link:
http://www.accessibleairwaves.org/viewnew/
Also, you might be interested in this link:
http://www.accessibleairwaves.org/viewnew/
Red State Blues, that was the Prayer of Confession Sunday at Mayflower Congregational UCC Church in Oklahoma City. I think, but do not know, that the pastor penned it.
Check out the Web site:
http://www.mayflowerucc.org/
Check out the Web site:
http://www.mayflowerucc.org/
Ah yes, the concept of the Trinity and disagreements over it had Christians killing each other for quite some time in the first thousand years or so. The Coptic Christians for example do not even now believe in the Trinity, where as the Catholics etc. do.
By the way did you know that in elements of the early church many held the "Holy Spirit" to be a feminine concept, similar to the Hebrew "Shekhina".
Nothing is simple is it?
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By the way did you know that in elements of the early church many held the "Holy Spirit" to be a feminine concept, similar to the Hebrew "Shekhina".
Nothing is simple is it?
# posted by : 8:28 AM
: 8:28 AM << Home
