Posted by
Tim Blessing on Sunday, April 06, 2008 5:59:33 PM
Church Rituals. What works and doesn't work?
I like the sermon every Sunday since to me that is the most important part of the service.
I do not take communion because I view Jesus as a Historical Figure rather than some Demigod.
There is evidence to support this thinking in John !:14-17.
I feel that he fulfilled the law of Moses and may have lived a great life, but not perfect life.
The 4 Gospels follow 4 themes: Royalty, Messiah, Healing, and Philosophy.
As a Political Scientist, I view John, which is the book of Philosophy as the most realistic of the four books.
I, myself, have been caught in hero worship to an extreme degree with one political figure not unlike Jesusfreaks.
When these people come out of this Christ Ideology they suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
That gets me back to my main point if you view a Church Service through magical terms then you are not thinking for yourself.
At least that's what I think.
I am there for the philosophy or ideas rather than the Magic.
Some people need the magic and I do not.
Communion symbolize's to me a codependence on a magical being from 2000 years ago.
I guess my point is the fact that I go to hear the word of God and I do not need an immediary.
The question is what do you do for rituals in the church?
I follow to a limited extent Norse Mythology, The Soap Opera: Guiding Light, Comic Books, and other avenues of Science Fiction.
Are Church Rituals supposed to be optimistic and decadent or grim and cold?
A Realistic and Optimistic Approach is best in my mind rather than some utopian vision of a better tomorrow.
Trinity: Past, Present, and Future.
Batman look's to the Past, Wonder Woman stand's in the Present, and Superman look's to the Future.
A Christmas Carol: The Ghost of Christmas Past, The Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future.
We acknowledge birth, life, and death. However, we ignore death as long as we can and only deal with it in terms of a funeral.
Good Friday is the death, The Last Supper is the Wake, and I am not sure of the funeral.