Coffee Klatch

One of the biggest mathematical miracles in the world revolves around Moses and the people of Israel. Moses and the people of Israel were in the desert, but what was he going to do with them? They had to be fed, and feeding 3 or 3 1/2 million people would require a lot of food.

According to the Quartermaster General of the Army, it is reported that Moses would have needed 1500 tons of food each day. Did you know that to bring that amount of food each day, two freight trains, each a mile long, would be required? Besides, you must remember, they were out in the desert, and they would have to have firewood to cook the food. This would take 4000 tons of wood and a few more freight trains, each a mile long, for one day. And just to think, they were forty years in transit.

Oh, yes, they would have to have water. If they only had enough to drink and wash a few dishes, it would take 11,000,000 gallons each day, and a freight train with tank cars 11.8 miles long, just to bring water. They had no lakes, and only a few wells. How were they to get water?

And another thing! They had to get across the Red Sea in one night. Now if they went on a narrow path, double file, the line would be 800 miles long and would require 35 days and nights to get through. So, there had to be space in the Red Sea 3 miles wide so they could walk 5000 abreast to get over in one night.

But, then, another problem… Every time they camped at the end of the day, a campground two-thirds the size of Rhode Island, or a total of 750 square miles, was needed. That comprises an area 25 miles wide and 30 miles long. Think of it! This space just for nightly camping.

Do you think Moses figured all this out before he left? I think not. You see, Moses believed in God, and that God was going to take care of these things for him.

Let us take courage–we have the same God! And we think our problems are so big.

Hymns vs. Praise Choruses

Some time ago an e-mail was circulating regarding the Protestant traditions of hymns and praise choruses. Well, someone has crafted a response to bring balance to the discussion.

First, the original:
___________________________
“An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was. “Well”, said the farmer, “It was good. They did something different, however. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns.”

“Praise choruses?” asked his wife. “What are those?”

“Oh, they’re OK. They’re sort of like hymns, but different,” said the farmer.

“Well, what’s the difference?” asked his wife.

The farmer said, “Well, it’s like this–if I were to say to you: ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well, that would be a hymn.

If, on the other hand, I were to say to you:

‘Martha Martha, Martha,
Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA,
the cows, the big cows, the brown cows,
the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows,
the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn,
are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, the CORN, CORN, CORN’

Well, that would be a praise chorus.”

Now, the rebuttal, so to speak:

____________________________
A young Christian went to his local church usually, but one weekend when he was traveling, he attended a small town church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.

“Well,” said the young man, “It was good. They did something different, however. They sang hymns instead of regular songs.”

“Hymns,” said his wife. “What are those?”

“Oh, they’re OK. They’re sort of like regular songs, only different,” said the young man.

“Well, what’s the difference?” asked his wife.

The young man said, “Well, it’s like this: If I were to say to you, ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well, that would be a
regular song. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you:

Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry
Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.
Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by
To the righteous, inimitable, glorious truth.

For the way of the animals who can explain
There in their heads is no shadow of sense,
Hearkenest they in God’s sun or his rain
Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.

Yea, those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight,
Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed.
Then goaded by minions of darkness and night
They all my mild Chilliwack sweet corn have chewed.

So look to that bright shining day by and by,
Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn.
Where no vicious animal makes my soul cry
And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn.

“Then, if I were to do only verses one, three and four, and do a key change on the last verse, well, that would be a hymn.”

You can see in the right sidebar, in the section called Orthodox Links, that I’ve provided some links to websites that can introduce you to what the Orthodox Church is all about. I found another good site today that has some excellent links to articles and essays that discuss not only Church History and Dogma, but the Orthodox views on all kinds of things, including prayer, the Bible, icons, symbolism, worship, sacraments, etc.

Here is a really good quote from the website (it’s from Christ the Savior Orthodox Church in Cincinnati, OH) that summarizes who the Orthodox Church is:

THE ORTHODOX CHURCH is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn’t non-denominational, it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost nearly 2000 years ago in 33 A.D.

If you’re at all curious, I encourage you to visit the website and take a look at some of the articles they’ve made available. They’re VERY helpful and informative, and still easy to read. Find out more about the Church that has stayed faithful to the doctrines taught by Christ and His Apostles and clarified by the Seven Ecumenical Councils. (So many Americans are unfamiliar with the Orthodox Church; be the first on your block to know about it!)

In an ancient monastery, a new monk arrived to dedicate his life to God and to join the others copying ancient records. The first thing he noticed was that they were copying by hand books that had already been copied by hand.

He had to speak up. “Forgive me, Father Justinian, but copying other copies by hand allows many chances for error. How do we know we aren’t copying someone else’s mistakes? Are they ever checked against the originals?”

Father Justinian was startled. No one had ever suggested that before. “Well, that is a good point, my son. I will take one of these latest books down to the vault and study it against its original document.”

He went deep into the vault where no one else was allowed to enter and started to study. The day passed, and it was getting late in the evening.

The monks were getting worried about Father Justinian. Finally one monk started making his way through the old vault, and as he began to think he might get lost, he heard sobbing. “Father Justinian,” he called.

The sobbing grew louder as he came closer. He finally found the old priest sitting at a table with the new copy and the original ancient book in front of him. It was obvious that Father Justinian had been crying for a long time.

“Oh, my Lord,” sobbed Father Justinian. “The word is ‘celebrate’!”

Okay, it’s time for a personal update. I wrote last year about my personal spiritual journey that led to my becoming a Roman Catholic. As my family came along and began Catechism Classes last fall, we ended up questioning some of the dogmas (things you’re really supposed to believe if you’re a Catholic). Part of the questioning and learning process meant dealing with this. We ended up looking into what the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church teaches. I wasn’t willing to look any further than that because I still felt strongly the need for a connection to the ancient apostolic Christian Church.

As I mentioned in my essay (see the link below), I was concerned about discovering the ancient Church that Jesus left us. It was just getting started in Bible times, as the apostles went out to all corners of the globe, following the Great Commission and spreading the news.

Both the Eastern Orthodox and the Western Roman Catholic Churches trace their heritage back to that time and document a succession of leaders from that time to this. Their differences developed over time and were aggravated by a few events in the history of the Church. I’ll blog about those at some point, I’m sure.

Anyway, after doing more reading and talking to people and visiting a local church, we’ve begun down the path of officially entering the Orthodox Christian Church. The one we’ve been attending is part of the Orthodox Church in America, which is an autocephalous church similar to the Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Greek, etc., Orthodox Churches, but is the North American version. These all are not in conflict with each other, but are actually in full communion with each other, making up various parts of the Orthodox Catholic Church, the “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church” mentioned in the Nicene Creed.

I’ve updated my essay about my spiritual pilgrimage to reflect these recent events. You can find it online (with a printer-friendly PDF version) here: http://coffeeklatch.pfitzinger.net/essay/

I will occasionally try to blog about what I’ve been learning about this ancient form of Christianity, which, while being the second-largest single Christian “communion” in the world, is one of the least known and understood in North America. For now, please give my essay a read (or another read) or visit some of the Orthodox Links I’ve made available in the sidebar.

Thanks.

You’ve probably heard how the upcoming movie The Golden Compass is based on a book written by a militant atheist, how the books progress from something seemingly innocent to becoming very anti-God (the children apparently kill God in the end, so they (many Christians say) can do whatever they want in the misunderstood name of Freedom. The argument from many well-meaning Christians is that the movies (assuming the others will also be made into movies) and books start out fun, innocent, and exciting, so that children will get interested and then get the “true atheist message” by the end.

This post is NOT about the movie, the books, or the author. Instead, I want to talk about the Christian response to non-Christian or anti-Christian media.

Christians are called to be “salt and light” to the world. That is, to spread God’s news of salvation through Jesus Christ by what we say and how we live. Salt spreads its qualities (saltiness) to that with which it comes in contact, while light illumines the darkness, banishing shadows and exposing the truth. This requires walking a fine line between meekness and militancy.

So when Christians encounter a movie, book, or something in another medium that goes against Christianity, how should they respond? Some choose to ignore it. Others boycott it, trying to discourage other people from seeing it. Others learn all they can about it, seeking to form counterarguments and thereby “disprove” the points in question. Are any of these methods best? I will take a look at them using the example of a movie (could be any movie).

When Christians bash a movie (whether right or wrong) as being anti-Christian, insidious, dangerous, or otherwise to be avoided, that tends to draw more attention to that movie. We’ve seen it happen with The Da Vinci Code recently. Sure, I agree that it’s based on flawed research and anti-Christian ideas, but I also think that the movie and book wouldn’t have gotten so popular if so many Christians hadn’t shouted to the world to avoid them.

Granted, avoiding a movie keeps your dollars from casting their vote, as it were, in support of that movie, but loudly protesting the movie really backfires, driving more people to see the movie to find out what all the noise is about. This makes it sound like quiet avoidance might “further the cause” better.

On the other hand, reading a book or watching a movie will indeed help you learn about it, so that you can better discuss the issues with others. The tradeoff is that you spend some money to achieve this, resulting in more sales for said book or movie. Ultimately, you’ll probably do more good being able to intelligently discuss why you agree or disagree with a movie than by avoiding spending a few dollars on it.

For too long Christians of the modern Western world have blindly followed people who formed blacklists and said to avoid this or that movie, song, book, or whatever. I totally agree that there are some things that Christians probably SHOULD avoid, for the sake of their spiritual health. Books on Satanism or films with graphic sexual content are good examples. However, Christians who avoid exposure to TOO much remain ignorant and narrow minded. I would argue that it is much better for Christians to LEARN about the world and society around them. You can’t be “salt and light” to the world if you totally avoid exposure to that world. Christians are NOT called to be blind and ignorant.

The Harry Potter books and movies are a good example. So are the Lord of the Rings books/movies. Most Christians would agree that they’re relatively innocent and don’t come close to advocating actual real-world witchcraft. When dealing with stories that take place in a fantasy world–that is, one that is not based on premises and concepts that are found within our real world–you have to go more on the morality of the characters, since the operating laws of physics, spirituality, and magic are changed from those in our real world.

So… how should you respond to movies like The Golden Compass? Only you can decide for yourself. It depends on your comfort level with the content and how you feel about spending your money. It can be argued either way (as you’ve seen), but I have to say it does no one any good for you to remain ignorant about something just because some Christians have said it’s bad. Don’t “dabble” in anything that’s obviously sinful or that will lead you down the wrong path, but do be informed. If you choose to avoid going to see it, make sure you know WHY you’re avoiding it and be able to explain your reasons to others.

The most dangerous thing for a non-Christian world is a well-read, well-informed, rational Christian.

Current music: Pater Noster: Settings of the Lord’s Prayer

You know, I always wanted to design an eschatological version of this game and call it “Where in the Hell is Carmen Sandiego?”. Think it would sell?

For those of you haven’t heard about this, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is a parody religion founded by Bobby Henderson who was reacting against science curriculum standards being proposed by the Kansas Board of Education a couple years ago. Here is an excerpt from a letter he wrote:

Open Letter To Kansas School Board

I am writing you with much concern after having read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of Evolution. I think we can all agree that it is important for students to hear multiple viewpoints so they can choose for themselves the theory that makes the most sense to them. I am concerned, however, that students will only hear one theory of Intelligent Design.

Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him.

It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories. In fact, I will go so far as to say, if you do not agree to do this, we will be forced to proceed with legal action. I’m sure you see where we are coming from. If the Intelligent Design theory is not based on faith, but instead another scientific theory, as is claimed, then you must also allow our theory to be taught, as it is also based on science, not on faith.

Adherents call themselves Pastafarians and I get the impression that most of them are simply using this a way of mocking those who believe in Intelligent Design. From the comments on their site, it seems many Pastafarians view all religions as superstitions made up by groups within societies to fill some emotional need that their intellects weren’t advanced enough to deal with.

Many ID-ers certainly have gotten upset by FSMism and communicated that. It’s kinda sad how many Christians have taken them seriously and tried to disprove it or argue about it. It was started by someone with a sense of humor and a disbelief in Intelligent Design. People who are reacting against FSMism should realize that and treat the issue a little more lightly.

Oh, and to further show the sense of humor behind this, it’s only permitted to worship and teach about the Flying Spaghetti Monster while wearing full Pirate regalia.

In my mind, it’s a way to play at religion and do/say “religiony” things without being committed to a serious system of beliefs. Does that show a deep need for people to believe in a higher power even when their brains are telling them it’s all made up? That’s a topic for another day.

And if you’re a Pastafarian yourself reading this and you disagree with me, then May You Be Touched By His Noodly Appendage.

Here is the most popular version of the Prayer of St. Francis. It’s a great thing to think about and consider and pray. You can find other versions of this prayer and links, background info, etc., on Wikipedia.

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

Christ is risen! This has been an Easter greeting for almost 2,000 years! And the proper response is, “He is risen indeed!” It’s always nice to hear people use these greetings on Easter Sunday. It truly is the reason for the holiday and is worth celebrating.

Oh, and last night at the Easter Vigil mass I came into full communion with the Catholic Church, celebrating my confirmation and First Communion. It was incredibly moving and joyful. And I even had a friend drive down from Grand Rapids just to be here for that. He drove back this morning after the Easter service.

In case you missed the earlier post about my becoming Catholic, I wrote an essay that explains the how and why of my journey over the last few years and why I became convinced that Catholicism is not only right for me, but is the true historical Christian Church. You can read my essay here: A Pilgrimage Ends, A New Journey Begins.

He is risen indeed!!