I am a big fan of demystifying churchey words, not because I am irreverent, but because I don't want their effect to be lost. So, "holy". I would describe "holy" as 'designated for a particular purpose'. People have holidays (holy-days) designated for remembrance of certain religiously significant events. A holy day, or holy place, or … Continue reading My Toothbrush is Holy
Tag: religion
A Path for Miracles
"A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of … Continue reading A Path for Miracles
To Give Meaning
"In the beginning was the Word..." -John 1:1 "What makes us sick are those things we cannot see through..." - Alice Miller, 'The Drama of the Gifted Child' "Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate" - Carl Jung Recently, I was considering the mystery of … Continue reading To Give Meaning
I am the Pharisee
The topic of conversation was the process of head-knowledge becoming real at the heart-level. Then the person I was talking with asked me, “How do you know when that change has occurred?” Unprepared to answer that question, I briefly paused and then gave the first answer that came to mind: “When I no longer feel … Continue reading I am the Pharisee
The Wrong Question
"What does the Bible say?" That is the wrong question. Looking for the divine, tradition misses the humanity, misses the incarnation of God's Spirit, misses the Spirit dwelling among us. So, the real question is, "What did God say to this person in that instance?" or "What did this person say to those people in … Continue reading The Wrong Question
Whoever is Not Against Us is For Us
This story may be found in Mark chapter 9. Jesus was told, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn't following us." Jesus responded, "Don't stop him." As Jesus explained his point, one thing he said was "Whoever is not against us is for … Continue reading Whoever is Not Against Us is For Us
More Thoughts About Sex
Just brainstorming some practical considerations. - Both of these things are true: 1.) There is way more to life than sex. 2.) Sex is very important. - Just how important it is, especially to a male, particularly to his emotional well-being, is a question that could use some illumination. I say this as a Christian … Continue reading More Thoughts About Sex
The Counselor
In a recent post, On Your Own Terms I mentioned Jesus’ words to His disciples in John 16:7, “It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away, the counselor will not come to you.” It is for your benefit, so that the Counselor, the One who comes along-side, will minister … Continue reading The Counselor
On Your Own Terms
The twelve chapter of the Gospel of John opens like this: “Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, the one Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for Him there; Martha was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. … Continue reading On Your Own Terms
The Seasonality of Revelation
In the Gospel of Mark, chapter two, is the following story: “Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. People came and asked Him, ‘Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus said to them, ‘The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom is with them, can they? … Continue reading The Seasonality of Revelation
Andrew K. Banks 