Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship

Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship

This blog will be written from an orthodox Christian point of view. There may be some topic that is out of bounds, but at present I don't know what it will be. Politics is a part of life. Theology and philosophy are disciplines that we all participate in even if we don't think so. The Bible has a lot to say about economics. How about self defense? Is war ethical? Think of all the things that someone tells you we should not touch and let's give it a try. Everything that is a part of life should be an expression of worship.

Keep it courteous and be kind to those less blessed than you, but by all means don't worry about agreeing. We learn more when we get backed into a corner.

Opus 2026-286: Running Out of Cheeks, Part 3 of 5, Salute

Or consider Jesus talking calmly to the centurion in Matthew 8.  The centurion asks for help in healing his servant.  Does Jesus use this moment to reprimand the centurion?  No,

Matthew 8:13 (KJV) And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
For many people a centurion is a guy standing around in armor in a historical reinactment.  You need to understand that the centurion was the toughest of the tough.  He would have been the command sergeant major in a Navy Seal unit.  He would be the one that would get Rambo to back down.  Jesus ignored all that.

Then you have John the Baptist giving advice to the soldiers.  Did he tell them to turn in their swords and practice cheek turning?  No. 
(Luk 3:14 KJV)  And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
Then you have Peter accepting Cornelius who was also a centurion.  Did he demand that he embrace pacifism?  No.  
(Act 10:47-8 KJV)  Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
He baptized him and his family.  What you see is that these spiritual leaders did not condemn the soldiers or in any way indicate that they were out of line.

To be continued...

homo unius libri

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Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.