|
He who knows and does not know that he knows: he is asleep. Let him become one, whole. Let him be awakened. He who has known but does not know: let him see once more the beginning of all. He who does not wish to know, and yet says that he needs to know: let him be guided to safety and to light. He who does not know, and knows that he does not know: let him, through this knowledge, know. He who does not know, but thinks that he knows: set him free from the confusion of that ignorance. He who knows, and knows that HE IS: he is wise. Let him be followed. By his presence alone man may be transformed. I who know, and do not know that I know: let me become one, whole. Let me be awakened. I who have known, but do not know: let me see once more the beginning of all. I who do not wish to know, and yet say that I need to know: let me be guided to safety and light. I who do not know, and know that I do not know: let me through this knowledge, know. I who do not know, but think that I know: set me free from the confusion of that ignorance. He who knows, and know that HE IS: he is wise. Let him be followed. By his presence alone man may be transformed. We who know, and do not know that we know: let us become one, whole. Let us be transformed. We who have known, but do not know: let us once more see the beginning of all. We who do not wish to know, and yet say that we need to know: let us be guided to safety and light. We who do not know, and know that we do not know: let us, through this knowledge, know. We who do not know, but think that we know: set us free from the confusion of that ignorance. He who knows, and knows that HE IS; he is wise. Let him be followed. By his presence alone man may be transformed. As with our forebears So with our successors. So with us. We affirm this undertaking. So let it be. I wish all religion can have honest argument on the facts regarding their believes and the messages conveyed like the one below. If religion is for God and Him only and if what you say is the right message delivered to you, why should you be afraid of exposures? shouldn't you be glad that people have positive and negative interest (queries) to knowing deeply about the religion of God. go away Haruna
If Yahya have nothing to hide, he will therefore, not needing to establishing a Stifle laws to scare the journalist away from scrutinising event of the state. The deterrence of human from progressing or gaining knowledge of interest is fear and the leaders are well aware of this fact from the beginning and use them to their own advantage. Where are all those prayers we had and still perform in worshipping places eons and eons of years from the beginning of civilisation to eradicate hunger and wars? Is God not listening or is it that we are worshipping in a wrong way? These are some of the questions we needed to asked ourselves.
Why are the poor getting poorer and the rich richer? why is it that only developing countries suffer from wars hunger and disease even thus they are the richest in natural resources?? Are we going to get free entrance to heaven and enjoy for a change of been the poorest yet the most God abiding people??. What is clear to me is politic and religion played a major part. Edi
Question from Tom Weller of Panama City, Florida, writes:
In your recent response about Darwin (in which you suggested the atonement theology will no longer be an adequate way to interpret the Jesus story) you said, "The traditional meaning of the Eucharist will have to be revised." Looking at the Eucharistic prayers of various denominations, including the United Church of Christ, I find them all focused on sacrificial death and atonement, all including the "words of institution. " Is there a Eucharistic prayer that is not so focused that you are aware of or that you like? Or, perhaps, have you drafted a proposal of your own that we could see?
Dear Tom,
I have run into many Eucharistic prayers that are almost a denial of sacrificial thinking; the Church is certainly moving in that direction. I have never tried to write one, since liturgy has never been my talent. I do believe that Darwin's thinking will finally force the Christian Church to alter the way it talks about God, Jesus, salvation and human life. When that insight finally dawns on the Christian consciousness, the result will be a reformation so total that it will put the Reformation of the 16th century into the category of an afternoon tea party.
We will have to recognize first that we cannot define God; we can only experience the sense of transcendence, wonder and awe. When we talk about God, we are not talking about an external being, we are talking about a human perception and, as such, God is ever changing. When we talk about human life, we are not talking about a fallen sinner, but about an incompletely evolved creature that cracked the boundary into self-consciousness and needs to be empowered to become whole, something more than a survival-oriented creature. When we talk about Jesus, we are not talking about an external savior who came to rescue us, but a life in whom and through whom transcendence has broken into history.
Jesus does not save us from a fall that never happened or restore us to a status that we have never had. He empowers us to be more deeply and fully human and to enter higher and higher levels of consciousness where we finally discover that we live in God and God lives in us. The Eucharist then becomes a celebration of who we are and a call to walk more deeply into the meaning of humanity.
It was my work trying to understand life after death that drew me in this direction. I think we are headed for the most exciting century in Christian history. I anticipate that most of what we call religion today will die in the next century. Rigor mortis has already set in. Out of that death, however, will come a new beginning. I am glad that I have lived to see the birth pangs. Hard labor is ahead but a new creation is being born and in that new creation God will be newly experienced and newly discovered — not as a Being who lives above the sky, but as the presence that is revealed in the heart of the human.
Take these thoughts to your next Eucharist.
– John Shelby Spong
|
To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤