When I was in New Orleans, I wasn't a practicing Catholic. So, while I knew every year when Ash Wednesday (The beginning of Lent and the day after Mardis Gras) was, I wasn't into participating in Lent. Now that I am a practicing and participating Catholic, I always forget when Ash Wednesday is coming and don't remember to sacrifice anything until a week after Lent begins. That leaves me trying to figure out what I haven't done for a week so I can continue to sacrifice it for the rest of Lent. It's hard. I even did it this year. But then Father John said it plain - "There's only one thing we need to give up for Lent-....
-Sin."
Sin brings about distance from God. What are the things that separate us from the glory of God? Let me give you a hint…It’s not cheesecake. Hell, it’s not cigarettes, alcohol (Maybe sometimes), it’s not soaps, gambling, gossiping, eating out or buying
purses. It IS lying, cheating, stealing, killing, sleeping with the wrong
people, and any other sin we do over and over without accepting responsibility
for. And then who do we blame, we blame God for not answering our prayers. We
blame God when we give up trivial things for Lent and still don’t feel the
blessings God has for us.
"It's not God's fault."....
Take responsibility for your own actions. Stop sinning. Stop naked-dicking everyone
and anything and thinking it’s OK because you gave up Ice Cream for Lent. Take
a look at our role in the existence of evil in our world. You know your
favorite drinking partner ain’t shit, yet you continue to talk to them about who
you are dating. You keep hanging in the hood and getting arrested. Stop
hanging! Quit hanging with losers and wondering why you keep losing. ....
Repent. Repent from everything. Repent for loserdom. Repent from niggardom. Repent from naked-dicking. Repent from everything you know you do to yourself to make your
life miserable.....
To make simple and easy for you, try not being an asshole for forty straight days.
Then get ready for the blessings.....
BTW If any of the words are foreign, I implore you to dig through my blog. I have full encyclopedic entries on many of the words you may have trouble with.
Life is good. I'm sharing it with the world. So this is life the way I see it...
Friday, March 13, 2009
What I Learned in Church ... Three Weeks Ago
I have been in church (Dad). Tax season (and the ladies have) has just had me so busy lately. But the point of last week’s as well as this week’s sermon has been to keep movingtowards God's will with or without evidence. So, I am getting organized despite the many, many distractions to that goal. ....
Last week we discussed Job's trials. He asked - what is the purpose? His trials seemed unending. He could not imagine there ever being any light in his life because it was just that dark for him. Then Saul discussed the difference in motivations between him and
other “prophets”. Some accepted gifts which he refused. Some lived a lot better
and he stayed away from even normal accommodations when traveling. So what was
his “purpose”. And then there was Jesus.....
The lines he faced seeking healing in his travel…HIS work was unending. And then he died for all of our sins! ....
These men who laid the foundation of our faith obviously did not do it for the glory.
There was none. Life was not as bad for contemporaries like Martin Luther King Jr.
He still spent many nights in jail, took many beatings and ultimately died.
For what?....
And then this week I was throwed off by the first text. It was the beginning and end of an entire chapter in Leviticus about determining if someone had leprosy and what to do to cure them of it. But then Saul says – “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you
do, do it all for the glory of God”.
That was in reference to manners and hospitality when you are entertaining or
being entertained by people of different backgrounds and/or beliefs. And it was
all wrapped up with Jesus running to the outskirts of town to get a break from
healing. Father John proceeded to ask "Why is there confusion about what
God wants?” ....
Since I was still working on last week, it was easy to go back to my question – “For what?” If we do it for God’s glory and there is no promise of reward in this lifetime,
what is our motivation. After all we are here in this world of pay raises and
fifteen minutes of fame and the unending popularity contests. ....
Working where I do, I learn it is the most humble of us who don’t have to worry about money and/or recognition. Hell, it’s the brokest people who want the flashiest cars. And during tax season, the naked-dickers come out the wood works. High-fallootin
and flashing the “Gs” they get for babies they don’t take care of. “Sorry baby.
No college fund. Mommy got to put rims on the 87 Hyundai and then hit the
Verr-sai-chee outlet.” All the while, the millionaires amongst us are happy to
hop in an Escort or low-key Honda Accord (The square one! Not the 97s!) and
ride on home.
Our great hope, who drove a Chrysler 300 until he wasn’t allowed to drive himself anymore, says it will get worse before it gets better. Perhaps it is time to let go of the world as we knew it. It is definitely time for a change. Job’s life didn’t turn around
until he stopped looking at the world and went within himself to see the glory
of God. Saul died a martyr (possibly under house arrest). We don’t know of
Paul(Saul) ever complaining about his lot. In fact he was so happy to serve, people
jumped to convert to Christianity. And we all know of Jesus. White or Black, he
is always portrayed as a raggedy dude who lived in caves and slept on floors.
Buddha is fat. Mohammed was an illiterate dummy. And Vishnu was and eight armed
elephant thing. ....
Perhaps having to focus on someone else’s glory, will give us a chance to step away
from the pity party that is our life. Life get’s so much easier when we give up
our hang ups and focus on something bigger than our petty lives. All successful
people put God (Whatever that means to you) first, family second and then the world
gets the scraps. ....
So, for what? For God. For our families. The one we are born with and the one we build. For the future. I never understood until recently when people say – sacrifice is
its own reward. I can see myself giving up my life as I knew it for the family
I’m building. Can you?....
Just ask yourself - Why am I doing it?
Me?
I do it for Hip Hop!
Last week we discussed Job's trials. He asked - what is the purpose? His trials seemed unending. He could not imagine there ever being any light in his life because it was just that dark for him. Then Saul discussed the difference in motivations between him and
other “prophets”. Some accepted gifts which he refused. Some lived a lot better
and he stayed away from even normal accommodations when traveling. So what was
his “purpose”. And then there was Jesus.....
The lines he faced seeking healing in his travel…HIS work was unending. And then he died for all of our sins! ....
These men who laid the foundation of our faith obviously did not do it for the glory.
There was none. Life was not as bad for contemporaries like Martin Luther King Jr.
He still spent many nights in jail, took many beatings and ultimately died.
For what?....
And then this week I was throwed off by the first text. It was the beginning and end of an entire chapter in Leviticus about determining if someone had leprosy and what to do to cure them of it. But then Saul says – “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you
do, do it all for the glory of God”.
That was in reference to manners and hospitality when you are entertaining or
being entertained by people of different backgrounds and/or beliefs. And it was
all wrapped up with Jesus running to the outskirts of town to get a break from
healing. Father John proceeded to ask "Why is there confusion about what
God wants?” ....
Since I was still working on last week, it was easy to go back to my question – “For what?” If we do it for God’s glory and there is no promise of reward in this lifetime,
what is our motivation. After all we are here in this world of pay raises and
fifteen minutes of fame and the unending popularity contests. ....
Working where I do, I learn it is the most humble of us who don’t have to worry about money and/or recognition. Hell, it’s the brokest people who want the flashiest cars. And during tax season, the naked-dickers come out the wood works. High-fallootin
and flashing the “Gs” they get for babies they don’t take care of. “Sorry baby.
No college fund. Mommy got to put rims on the 87 Hyundai and then hit the
Verr-sai-chee outlet.” All the while, the millionaires amongst us are happy to
hop in an Escort or low-key Honda Accord (The square one! Not the 97s!) and
ride on home.
Our great hope, who drove a Chrysler 300 until he wasn’t allowed to drive himself anymore, says it will get worse before it gets better. Perhaps it is time to let go of the world as we knew it. It is definitely time for a change. Job’s life didn’t turn around
until he stopped looking at the world and went within himself to see the glory
of God. Saul died a martyr (possibly under house arrest). We don’t know of
Paul(Saul) ever complaining about his lot. In fact he was so happy to serve, people
jumped to convert to Christianity. And we all know of Jesus. White or Black, he
is always portrayed as a raggedy dude who lived in caves and slept on floors.
Buddha is fat. Mohammed was an illiterate dummy. And Vishnu was and eight armed
elephant thing. ....
Perhaps having to focus on someone else’s glory, will give us a chance to step away
from the pity party that is our life. Life get’s so much easier when we give up
our hang ups and focus on something bigger than our petty lives. All successful
people put God (Whatever that means to you) first, family second and then the world
gets the scraps. ....
So, for what? For God. For our families. The one we are born with and the one we build. For the future. I never understood until recently when people say – sacrifice is
its own reward. I can see myself giving up my life as I knew it for the family
I’m building. Can you?....
Just ask yourself - Why am I doing it?
Me?
I do it for Hip Hop!
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