Church playing games

“All of us have witnessed some pretty amazingly ridiculous interpretations of Scripture, undertaken by well-meaning folk who are not much used to disciplined reading of any texts. When biblical scholars engage in the same game, of course, our tools are much more sophisticated. But make no mistake: many of us really do continue to play the game.” 

The Trials of Biblical Interpretation – Don Carson

The church is playing the game that Carson speaks of.  It is playing the game in respect to homosexuality. 

It is playing the game in disciplining itself – not, humbly, to the identity of Christ – but, pretentiously, to individuals who custom their identity on sexuality.  It is playing the game by splitting hairs as to the Bible’s whole canonical message of homosexuality.  The splitting – as if such a split was merited at all – is of bad homosexuality; promiscuity - from good homosexuality; celibate same sex attraction.  [And the church knows that tacitly it is supporting promiscuity if it first supports celibate same sex attraction].

The game playing church will one day tragedise the game so that bad homosexuality is not bad any more.  Indeed, the church, in parts, has already made that leap. 

“We’ve attained the game’s topmost prize”, they say, 

“come see our openly homosexual clergy”.  

It is an insidious game with Orwellian tones.  Just as the Ninety-Eighty-Four novel had identified catchphrases such as “War is Peace” and “Freedom is Slavery”, the game has catchphrases such as “to endure we must be more inclusive”.

It is a lazy game because it adopts a worldly air in recognising that homosexuals number in most congregant’s families (‘best not offend’).  It is a laconic game because it is resigned to the Australian Government’s broadening of the legal definition of marriage.  It is a cagey game as the church has had failed attempts at homosexual restorative therapies and other such practices (‘pray the gay away’).

It is a devolution game as the church is playing the hand of the cultural Marxists and/or the libertarians and/or the humanists – the church first having failed to educate congregants to the artifices of such worldly influences.

It is a treacherous game that only serves to make the church more like the world.  It is a game of despicable betrayal as the church snubs those that built up the church in favour of those who, once brought into the fold, will only aid the church in its demise.  It is the cheap grace as identified by Bonhoeffer – the church selling grace on the market “like cheapjack’s wares”.

It is a deplorable game as the church should stand and plea homosexuality be seen for what it is. 

And homosexuality; in all its forms, is sin.

"I thought of a rather cruel trick I once played on a wasp. He was sucking jam on my plate, and I cut him in half. He paid no attention, merely went on with his meal, while a tiny stream of jam tricked out of his oesophagus. Only when he tried to fly away did he grasp the dreadful thing that had happened to him. It is the same with modern man. The thing that has been cut away is his soul."

George Orwell

Shalom,

Ozhamada

Note 1: This is intentionally written as "elder brother".  It is written as a foil to those with liberal views.  It is not intended to be pastoral.  We are caught between the truth and the relative truth - these are the times. Approach Christ with open palms, not clenched fists.

Note 2: All links good as at 18 October 2016

Note 3: Here is a wonderful link to a story of redemption. The beauty of this story is that the women's emergence from homosexuality came from in-depth absorption of the Bible. 

Book review Chic-lit

Book review, Conditioned to Death, by C. K. Cambray

It was a rare moment that drove me to chick-lit.  This piece of chick-lit was in a special genre all of its own as it also serves as a murder mystery.

The protagonist, Dawn Gray, is a co-owner of a downtown U.S. health club.  Two accidental deaths within the club premises are quickly followed by three murders.  Along the way Dawn is threatened with death, subject to violence and proposed offers of ownership buy-out.  Dawn’s paramour count accumulates as fast as the death rate.  One-by-one the paramours met every possible variety: the wealthy one, the skinny Buddhist influenced masseur, and the giant body builder.

By about three quarters of the way through the book I was compelled to keep reading only to know who copped it first.  Would the health club fail from the steady departure of members who feared for their own lives amidst the murders?  Would Dawn finally meet the perfect man and sail off into the sunset? Would the hulk of the body builder crack the skinny masseur’s skull?  Then there was the plod, who seemingly followed every lead yet never found a culprit.  Would the lieutenant reach a solution by the end of the book?

Dawn, with her multiple romances, her suspect-everyone-mind, and her perfect-gym-toned-body-but-poor-business-acumen struck me as an impeccable Trump voter.  She certainly would have voted to Brexit.

The book was published in 1992, the year that U.S. President George H. W. Bush fell violently ill at a state dinner in Japan.  It was the year that U.S.Vice President Dan Quayle erroneously corrects a student's spelling of the word potato, indicating it should have an e at the end.  In amongst such monumental events, the suffering of a fictional U.S. health club would hardly have caused a ripple.

Shalom,

Ozhamada

All links good 30 June 2016

Make a friend of a weed Purslane

Everyone seems to be talking about the Paleo Diet.  They are even sharing Paleo Diet jokes:

"I'm on the Paleo Diet, it is just that I'm the caveman who
 discovered Snickers Bars"

"How do you know if someone east Paleo? Don't worry they will tell you."

Warrigal greens (top) and cooked purslane

One thing you do learn from Paleo Diet is that where man once ate Omega 3 fatty acids in a ratio of 1:1 with Omega 6 fatty acids, the ratio is now something like 1:40.  That's a lot of Omega 6 at the expense of Omega 3.

Okay, so where do you get Omega 3s so you can balance your diet?  A weed, which is probably growing in your backyard, or within walking distance of your home, contains more Omega 3 fatty acids than any other known plant in the universe.  The weed is called purslane.

Huge patch of purslane found at Albury airport

For those in Sydney, purslane can be found on a handy wild food map.  I used the map to locate purslane in Bella Vista.

At Bella Vista purslane was happily growing in red chip bark.

While the stems are edible I choose to simply strip the leaves. I steep these in boiling water for three minutes before rinsing with cold water. Drain water before serving. By steeping them you remove excessive oxalic acid. I then serve them with a stir fry giving those at the table the option to sprinkle some of the purslane over their stir fry.   Pick purslane after noon as the plant generates an acid - malic acid - overnight to help kickstart the photosynthesis process in the morning.  By noon the malic acid is used up. Malic acid gives a sour taste.  If you have ever eaten sour lollies, like sour worms, then you've had malic acid.

Immediately near this location is the Woolworths Headquarters. Picking purslane from outside their office puts a new meaning to their marketing tagline "Fresh food people".

When picking weeds ensure that the weed:

1. Has not been sprayed with weed killer.
2. Is not subject to people or animal traffic of faecas.
3. Is free of any insect invasion.

There are a list of nutritional benefits of purslane listed on this link.  Purslane has been used in treating Multiple Sclerosis.

Shalom,
Ozhamada

P.S. there is one Sydney greengrocer that sells purslane.  Chooks love purslane and the Omega 3 passes through to their eggs.  I has been observed that chooks let loose on a new paddock will flock to purslane before any other food.  I've received fantastic feedback on this post including an understanding that Purslane is available in Cabramatta markets and that Chinese people consume it both for its digestive benefits and in addition as a medicine.

All links up-to-date at 25 February 2016

#foraging #wildfood

In the silence

Two portions of the Bible, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament, have a common thread.  They both speak of indecisiveness or inaction.  Through indecision or inaction evil runs rampant. 

In 1 Kings 18:21-22 Elijah tests the people with an either/or proposition.  Elijah’s test is one in logic.  The test requires an outcome of either follow God, or follow Baal.  God and Baal are incompatible – one is the antithesis of the other.  To that end, the test is one of polemic extremes – light or dark, hot or cold, heaven or hell:

“Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.”

The people could not choose.  They were indecisive and impassionate. Their spirituality suffered and society suffered because of pluralism. 


In Matthew 21:24-27 Jesus tests the Chief Priests and Elders with an either/or proposition. The test is one in logic.  The test requires one of two outcomes. Both outcomes are unattractive to the Chief Priests and Elders:

“Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me,  I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.  John's baptism - where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?"  They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say. 'From heaven', he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, 'Of human origin' - we are afraid of these people, for they all hold that John was a prophet." So they answered Jesus, "We don't know".

The answer: “We don’t know” is almost interchangeable with the silence that followed Elijah’s question.  Like the people of Elijah’s day the Chief Priests and Elders were indecisive and impassionate.  Jesus arguably would have perhaps preferred the wrong answer than a limp answer.  A wrong answer would at least identify that there was some passion whereas a limp answer functions as a protectionist maneuverer.  Indeed, Jesus would have perhaps preferred silence in that it would have bought mirth to him that Elijah’s question/and the people’s response was still pertinent to the very day.

The spirituality of the Chief Priests and Elders suffered and society suffered.  It was only by tearing down the temple and re-building it (John 2:19) that Jesus would set mankind straight.

Silence is often a poor response. It may be an indicator of sin of omission.  It does not allow all to be bought into the light (Ephesians 5:13).

Shalom,
Ozhamada

Throw your cloak away

A blind man, a beggar, Bartimaeus, hears of Jesus passing by (Mark 10:46-52).  Jumping to his feet to meet Jesus he "throws his cloak aside".  The episode concludes with Bartimaeus being healed by faith.


Bartimaeus boldly broke through a number of barriers to ensure an audience with Jesus:  


i) He could not see Jesus, only hear of his presence.  


ii) His infirmity put him in a poor position in that others crowded Jesus in preference to providing Bartimaeus an audience.  Many of those in the crowd where following Jesus from far away locations so they would not have known this local beggar.


iii) Jesus was on a passage to Jerusalem and his disciples were eager to ensure he did not deviate from his path.  At this point in the journey, "leaving the city" Mark 10:46, it would have been common for beggars to gather to target those who were travelling the Jerusalem road.  As people were making the journey to celebrate Passover the beggars were hoping to benefit from seasonal generosity.  The disciples were perhaps particularly weary of such groupings of beggars as they presented as a very needy group for healing ministry.

Against all these barriers Bartimaeus threw away his cloak - a most remarkable thing to do as his cloak was his sole means of worldly protection.  Bartimaeus was literally throwing away all he had so that he could follow Jesus - a message that had earlier pained the rich young man in Mark 10:21.  That the cloak was of importance as a means of protection is identified here:

"This cloak would have been his only protection from the cold at night, and his only shade from the hot sun during the day"

Source: http://bibleillustration.blogspot.com/2007/10/blind-bartimaeus.html accessed 16 May 2011

Bruce Robinson, an Episcopal priest, of St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Highland Park, Pitttsburgh, Pennsylvania,  captures the essence of Bartimaeus' contribution to Mark chapter ten very well:

"He first calls out as the party comes by, and when Jesus asks him what he wants he cuts right to the chase. No bargaining for position and status, like James and John. No trick legalistic questions, like the Pharisees. No playing to the crowd, like the Rich Young Man—who wanted to be sure that everybody knew, we’ll remember, that he had kept all the commandments since he was young. "

Source: http://revbmrobison.blogspot.com/2009/10/twenty-first-after-pentecost-2009.html accessed 16 May 2011

referenced from Wikipedia page: "Healing the blind near Jericho" accessed 16 May 2011

Many who read this will most likely identify themselves more with the rich young man than a poor blind dependent beggar.  However, it is Bartimaeus who is the last that comes first (Mark 10:31) and who is like the little child (Mark 10:15).  Bartimaeus while blind had seen (Isaiah 42:7), when others who had sight were blind.  Bartimaeus who left everything behind to join Jesus on the journey to the cross.

What cloak are you gripping onto?  Can you cast it aside for the sake of the kingdom?

Shalom, 

Ozhamada

#bible #jesus #nazarene

Now also in Russian at this linked post