Being acquainted with grits and steel cut oats, popcorn begged to be admitted to the club.
When I stay with my son I experiment in the kitchen in ways that would drive my wife frantic with anxiety. Popcorn is not exactly a major risk but what about for breakfast?
With bulk popcorn and a microwave it is possible to turn out a reasonable amount of cereal in a reasonable amount of time with no oils or additives. We put it in bowls, added milk, sweetened to taste and gave it a whirl. It was declared a winner.
If you try it, be careful to get the unpopped kernels out of the mix and chew carefully in case you were not perfect. Maybe this is old news to you, but it is new to us.
Does anyone know how they get puffed wheat and rice? I have tried wheat in the microwave and all it does is burn. There are still uncharted shores to visit.
homo unius libri
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.
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 2013-370: Firsts: Shopping on Thanksgiving
Did you violate the spirit of the holiday by going shopping?
I do not mean did you have a medical crisis and need to get a prescription. What I am referring to is the merchants’ making the monumental decision to open their doors on Thanksgiving. This is one of those watershed moments that begin to change a culture.
There were two holidays that were still sacred, even to the profane. Even those who do not believe in God celebrate Thanksgiving and those who believe Jesus is a silly children’s story get into the Christmas spirit. Now one of those becomes just another shopping day, another finish-your-dessert-so-we-can-get-to-the-sales moment.
Have you ever complained about the materialism of Christmas? Have you complained about the commercialism that markets Santa Claus and wise men? Did you go shopping yesterday? Were you tempted? Would you have gone if no one would know? Then welcome to the world of hypocrisy.
If there were not so many stores that opened I would call for a boycott. I have not heard yet, but I hope the day was a miserable failure. I hope that the American people were horrified and repelled. I hope they stayed home and enjoyed family and friends. I hope but have little assurance. I do know that if the people who called themselves Christians had refused to participate the day would have been a failure.
If this was a success then expect the same on Christmas.
homo unius libri
I do not mean did you have a medical crisis and need to get a prescription. What I am referring to is the merchants’ making the monumental decision to open their doors on Thanksgiving. This is one of those watershed moments that begin to change a culture.
There were two holidays that were still sacred, even to the profane. Even those who do not believe in God celebrate Thanksgiving and those who believe Jesus is a silly children’s story get into the Christmas spirit. Now one of those becomes just another shopping day, another finish-your-dessert-so-we-can-get-to-the-sales moment.
Have you ever complained about the materialism of Christmas? Have you complained about the commercialism that markets Santa Claus and wise men? Did you go shopping yesterday? Were you tempted? Would you have gone if no one would know? Then welcome to the world of hypocrisy.
If there were not so many stores that opened I would call for a boycott. I have not heard yet, but I hope the day was a miserable failure. I hope that the American people were horrified and repelled. I hope they stayed home and enjoyed family and friends. I hope but have little assurance. I do know that if the people who called themselves Christians had refused to participate the day would have been a failure.
If this was a success then expect the same on Christmas.
homo unius libri
Opus 2013-369: Why Me?
I hope you have a happy thanksgiving.
It is so easy to fall into the trap of focusing on the struggles, failures and shortfalls of our lives. I do it often enough but by making it a habit of starting every morning with, “Good morning, Lord” I start off on the right foot. I am working on meditating and writing on Proverbs at the beginning of every day. Between the spoken words and the studied Word it puts a spring in my step.
Today is the big pause that refreshes. If you don’t have a personal faith I guess you can be grateful for the previous generations that have built our world. I can do that and also see the hand of God in the general peace and prosperity I am surrounded by.
I often wonder, “Why me?” Not in sorrow and complaint but in wonder and gratitude. I could have been born in the middle of the chaos of the French Revolution, the Mongol invasion, Haitian slavery, the Black Death. I could have been born in a poverty stricken third world country controlled by a crazy tyrant. Without pride or arrogance, I can be grateful and continue to wonder, “Why me?”
To that I add thanks.
Will things fall apart in the future? Will sickness or poverty come? Will tragedy stalk my footsteps? Maybe. I hope that I still trust my God and know a spirit of thanksgiving. Remember that when the Pilgrims celebrated their first Thanksgiving in the new world, they had suffered tremendous losses. Yet they were thankful.
“Why me? Thank you, Lord!”
homo unius libri
It is so easy to fall into the trap of focusing on the struggles, failures and shortfalls of our lives. I do it often enough but by making it a habit of starting every morning with, “Good morning, Lord” I start off on the right foot. I am working on meditating and writing on Proverbs at the beginning of every day. Between the spoken words and the studied Word it puts a spring in my step.
Today is the big pause that refreshes. If you don’t have a personal faith I guess you can be grateful for the previous generations that have built our world. I can do that and also see the hand of God in the general peace and prosperity I am surrounded by.
I often wonder, “Why me?” Not in sorrow and complaint but in wonder and gratitude. I could have been born in the middle of the chaos of the French Revolution, the Mongol invasion, Haitian slavery, the Black Death. I could have been born in a poverty stricken third world country controlled by a crazy tyrant. Without pride or arrogance, I can be grateful and continue to wonder, “Why me?”
To that I add thanks.
Will things fall apart in the future? Will sickness or poverty come? Will tragedy stalk my footsteps? Maybe. I hope that I still trust my God and know a spirit of thanksgiving. Remember that when the Pilgrims celebrated their first Thanksgiving in the new world, they had suffered tremendous losses. Yet they were thankful.
“Why me? Thank you, Lord!”
homo unius libri
Opus 2013-368: Heresy 101: Sinful Use of Music
I have just a word of warning for those of you who are on the verge of giving in to temptation: Don’t play your Christmas music yet. It is not allowed before Thanksgiving.
I am sure that everyone who is mature agrees and is standing strong. Christmas music before Thanksgiving is wrong. You may see sales in the stores. You may be getting adds already. I understand that stores are planning on opening on Thanksgiving. I even saw a Salvation Army kettle outside a store yesterday. That does not make it right.
It is not allowed before Thanksgiving.
In case you think I am being too hard, I will allow you the flexibility of deciding whether you must wait until the day after Thanksgiving or if you can begin after dessert. In no case should it be before dessert. Be strong. Take the high road. Resist temptation.
Have you already succumbed to the siren call? Then perhaps some sort of penance is due. Maybe you can listen to rap music for the afternoon or perhaps country would punish you enough.
Remember: No Christmas music before Thanksgiving.
homo unius libri
I am sure that everyone who is mature agrees and is standing strong. Christmas music before Thanksgiving is wrong. You may see sales in the stores. You may be getting adds already. I understand that stores are planning on opening on Thanksgiving. I even saw a Salvation Army kettle outside a store yesterday. That does not make it right.
It is not allowed before Thanksgiving.
In case you think I am being too hard, I will allow you the flexibility of deciding whether you must wait until the day after Thanksgiving or if you can begin after dessert. In no case should it be before dessert. Be strong. Take the high road. Resist temptation.
Have you already succumbed to the siren call? Then perhaps some sort of penance is due. Maybe you can listen to rap music for the afternoon or perhaps country would punish you enough.
Remember: No Christmas music before Thanksgiving.
homo unius libri
Opus 2013-367: Basic Beliefs: God Is..., Part 3 of 3
In addition to being spirit and light we see that God is love.
We hear a lot about love in our day and age. It is portrayed as something of great value. It is said to be lacking. It is supposed to be a panacea for all that is wrong with our world.
The problem is that the “love” that the songs, posters and counselors talk about is not agape love. The “love” of the songs is basically lust and physical gratification. The “love” of the posters is spineless accommodation to narcissism. The “love” of the counselors is self centered.
Agape love is summarized in patience, kindness, forgiveness, self sacrifice. It is a commitment, not an emotion. Agape love is what is sometimes called “tough love.” It makes hard choices and does not make excuses. When correction is needed, it corrects. When punishment is needed, it punishes. But it always acts this way for the improvement of the target. It is full of encouraging hope based on reality. It is not about the lover or lovee feeling good. It is to make good.
It might help if we said “God is agape” rather than “God is love.”
So. God is spirit. God is light. God is love.
Something to think about. Something to believe. Someone to follow.
homo unius libri
(1 John 4:8 KJV) He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.“Love” here is the Greek agape. It is a type of love that the world does not accept. It is summarized in I Corinthians 13 where the KJV calls it “charity.”
We hear a lot about love in our day and age. It is portrayed as something of great value. It is said to be lacking. It is supposed to be a panacea for all that is wrong with our world.
The problem is that the “love” that the songs, posters and counselors talk about is not agape love. The “love” of the songs is basically lust and physical gratification. The “love” of the posters is spineless accommodation to narcissism. The “love” of the counselors is self centered.
Agape love is summarized in patience, kindness, forgiveness, self sacrifice. It is a commitment, not an emotion. Agape love is what is sometimes called “tough love.” It makes hard choices and does not make excuses. When correction is needed, it corrects. When punishment is needed, it punishes. But it always acts this way for the improvement of the target. It is full of encouraging hope based on reality. It is not about the lover or lovee feeling good. It is to make good.
It might help if we said “God is agape” rather than “God is love.”
So. God is spirit. God is light. God is love.
Something to think about. Something to believe. Someone to follow.
homo unius libri
Opus 2013-366: Basic Beliefs: God Is..., Part 2 of 3
God is spirit, not material.
There is a second declaration that the professor brought to our attention.
Here again we see a place where we need to suspend our literal, physical understanding. Our common understanding is that God is “a” light. We think in physical terms and that works well up to a point. Light reveals. Light gives life. Light helps us see our steps. These are all good applications which are true, but God is more than that.
We are not talking about God being a stream of photons or energy which could be measured if we had a big enough meter. That is a characteristic, an attribute not an essential essence.
In this verse it is contrasted with darkness. Other places we see this distinction. Isaiah gives some contrasts.
You see the division of good and evil, bitter and sweet, crooked and straight.
John gives it as a mindset.
Anyway you want to slice it, to me, the light is the place to be.
To be continued...
homo unius libri
There is a second declaration that the professor brought to our attention.
(1 John 1:5 KJV) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.So we see that God is light.
Here again we see a place where we need to suspend our literal, physical understanding. Our common understanding is that God is “a” light. We think in physical terms and that works well up to a point. Light reveals. Light gives life. Light helps us see our steps. These are all good applications which are true, but God is more than that.
We are not talking about God being a stream of photons or energy which could be measured if we had a big enough meter. That is a characteristic, an attribute not an essential essence.
In this verse it is contrasted with darkness. Other places we see this distinction. Isaiah gives some contrasts.
(Isaiah 5:20 KJV) Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
(Isaiah 42:16 KJV) And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
You see the division of good and evil, bitter and sweet, crooked and straight.
John gives it as a mindset.
(John 1:5 KJV) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
(John 3:19 KJV) And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.Paul points out that light and darkness cannot be joined.
(2 Corinthians 6:14 KJV) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?I think that we are talking about the righteousness of God, the holiness of God or the purity of God.
Anyway you want to slice it, to me, the light is the place to be.
To be continued...
homo unius libri
Opus 2013-365: Basic Beliefs: God Is..., Part 1 of 3
Years ago in a seminary class the professor stated that there are three categorical statements about God in the Bible. These are in addition to the attributes stated or implied. These are statements that begin, “God is....” When I did a search for “God is” in my software I came up with 169 hits. Most of them are simple statements like “God is giving to us.” Those obviously don’t fit this category. Others are more subtle like,
The first statement,
The theological point here is that the eternal God is not a physical being. When the Son came to earth he was “incarnated.” That means He crossed a line and took on the physical nature of human beings without giving up the divine nature. In essence though, it means that we are not to think of God in physical terms.
There are numerous figures of speech in the Bible that are used to teach us about God. They help us to understand bigger lessons. There are times when the word picture is clear in our minds and seems to indicate that God is physical.
For example.
More could be said but the first point is that God is Spirit, not material.
To be continued...
homo unius libri
(Deuteronomy 4:31 KJV) (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.I want to look at the three statements given by that professor. Interestingly they are all from the writings of John, the last writer and the one with the most time to reflect. This is not intended as a required doctrinal statement explaining God. It is simply a look at some of the basics.
The first statement,
(John 4:24 KJV) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.First, lets deal with the translation. In the KJV and other older translations this describes God as “a” Spirit. Modern translations drop the indefinite article and simply have “God is spirit.” Greek does not use the articles the way we do. The definite article, “the,” is used sparingly and seems to indicate emphasis. The indefinite articles, “a” and “an,” do not exist in Greek so anywhere you see them they are added on the opinion of the translators.
The theological point here is that the eternal God is not a physical being. When the Son came to earth he was “incarnated.” That means He crossed a line and took on the physical nature of human beings without giving up the divine nature. In essence though, it means that we are not to think of God in physical terms.
There are numerous figures of speech in the Bible that are used to teach us about God. They help us to understand bigger lessons. There are times when the word picture is clear in our minds and seems to indicate that God is physical.
(Mark 16:19 KJV) So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.But if God is not physical, He does not have hands. It is just as powerful to accept this as a metaphor and learn from it. Everything is the Bible is not to be taken literally. How do you know? Paraphrasing the realtor who asked what was most important, “Three things: Context, context, context.”Try to understand the Bible in the context of the Bible.
For example.
(Psalms 91:4 KJV) He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.Does that mean that God is a chicken? If you insist that everything is totally literal that is your declaration. If you accept that this is a metaphor, then don’t insist everything is literal. Accepting the inspiration of the Word is not the same as demanding a literal interpretation.
More could be said but the first point is that God is Spirit, not material.
To be continued...
homo unius libri
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