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Welcome to OneLife Ministries. This site is designed to lead you prayerfully into a heart experience of Divine Presence, Who is Love. While it focuses on Christian teaching, I pray persons of varied faiths will find inspiration here. Indeed, "God" can be whatever image helps us trust in the Sacred, by whatever means Grace touches us each. Please share this ministry with others, and I hope you return soon. There is a new offering daily. And to be placed on the daily OneLife email list, to request notifications of new writings or submit prayer requests, write to barukhattah@embarqmail.com .
Blessings,
Rev Dr Brian K Wilcox, MDiv, MFT, PhD
Pastor-Teacher, Author, Workshop Leader, Spiritual Counselor, Chaplain
Brian encourages support of the 4-Star Christian organization Compassion, which supports children worldwide; for more see www.compassion.com .
OPENING PRAYER
Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart
and try to love the questions themselves ...
Don't search for the answers,
which could not be given to you now,
because you would not be able to live them.
And the point is, to live everything.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps then, someday far in the future,
you will gradually, without even noticing it,
live your way into the answer.
*Rainer Maria Rilke
LISTENING TO THE SCRIPTURE
1 One day some Pharisees and teachers [scholars] of religious law [teaching] arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. 2 They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. 3 (The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions. 4 Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to — such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.)
5 So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, "Why don't your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony."
6 Jesus replied, "You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,
'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 Their worship is a farce,
for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.'
8 For you ignore God's law and substitute your own tradition."
9 Then he said, "You skillfully sidestep God's law in order to hold on to your own tradition."
*Mark 7.1-9 (NLT)
RECEIVING SACRED TEACHING
When the rabbi led in worship
each evening the temple cat would
get in the way and distract the
worshippers. So the rabbi ordered that
the cat be tied during the worship.
After the rabbi died the cat
continued to be tied during evening
worship. And when the cat
expired, another cat was
brought to the temple so that it
could be duly tied during evening
worship.
Centuries later learned treatises
were written by the rabbi's scholarly disciples
on the liturgical significance
of tying up a cat
while worship is performed.
*Anthony de Mello. The Song of the Bird." "The Guru's Cat," adapted by this writer.
There are two extremes for us to avoid regarding tradition in our religious faith. First, we need to avoid being anti-tradition. Some persons act like tradition is all-bad; yet, tradition flows into our present, and we participate in the wisdom and guidance of those of the past.
Likewise, we need to avoid a mindless adherence to tradition. This can show itself in carrying over into the past tradition that, valid and helpful in another time, is no longer such in the present. This can happen when persons simply quote Bible verses, apart from knowing or respecting the historical context that led to a practice or teaching in another time and culture.
Certainly, there are absolutes. Yet, there are many non-absolutes. Also, there are biblical teachings and practices that have an underlying validity for us, while the exact application is no longer essential.
So, we need to grasp this fact: nowhere does the Bible teach an adherence to the Bible always literally or always to be applied the same. Such a teaching is itself non-Biblical; yet, many who claim to be biblical practice such a non-Biblical faith.
So, no, maybe we do not study the metaphysics or theology of tying up a cat during worship, but religion can come over just as silly. God gave us a brain for a reason; let us use it and discover fresh ways to let tradition flow into the needs of now and prepare for those arising in the future.
QUIETLY RESPONDING
What is one teaching in Scripture you believe never changes? What is one teaching in Scripture you consider as applying literally to the past, but not so literally to the present?
What does this mean? One does not have to take the Bible literally to take it seriously.
How has tradition positively shaped your relationship with God? In what ways do you feel an over-emphasis on tradition has hindered your freedom in Christ? Explain.
Blessings!
Rev Dr Brian K Wilcox
May 29, 2009
barukhattah@embarqmail.com
* * *
*OneLife Ministries is a ministry of Brian K. Wilcox, of SW Florida. Brian lives a vowed life and with his two dogs, Bandit Ty and St. Francis. Brian is an ecumenical spiritual leader, open to how Christ manifests in the diversity of Christian denominations and varied religious-spiritual traditions. He is Senior Chaplain for the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, Punta Gorda, FL.
*Brian welcomes responses to his writings or submission of prayer requests at barukhattah@embarqmail.com . Also, Brian is on Facebook: search Brian Kenneth Wilcox.
*Contact the above email to book Brian for Spiritual Direction, retreats, or workshops. You can order his book An Ache for Union at major book dealers.
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