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The View from Mars
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The View from Mars
'...if I'd have had a cell phone, I would have asked them to pull over and let me out, at which time I would have called a friend to pick me up.
Yes, It was that bad.
Religiously adorned evil may be the worst kind of evil.
My Fellow Martians I am (slowly?!) working on a book that I hope to have self published, which I can leave for my grandkids. It will likely be titled '12 Stones.' The entry below has to do with clergy and being ‘religious’….yet lost. Suffice it to say that some of the most amazing people I’ve ever known are clergy. It is also true they some of the worst people I've been around are also clergy. I generally cut clergy a lot of slack, however, because it’s a difficult calling and I’d likely last about a week as a pastor! Regardless, thanks to those of you whose prayers and/or donations make this mission possible!Greg Porter
The Worst Kind of Lostness1 Sam 2:12 ‘Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.’Dear Grandchild,
Have you ever been disillusioned? In other words, have you ever thought that someone or something was great, only to find out otherwise, leaving you disappointed? I once traveled with a group of pastors to a gathering during which they spoke horribly about others. I felt kinda dirty just being around them as we drove back to Philly. This was long before we had cell phones. However, if I'd have had a cell phone, I would have asked them to pull over and let me out, at which time I would have called a friend to pick me up.
Yes, It was that bad. Religiously adorned evil may be the worst kind of evil. Israel's high priest was a man called Eli. He was a mixture of vices and virtues. However, Eli’s sons were far more vice than virtue. Eli's sons were around the temple all their lives but seemed to miss the point of the temple completely!? They were ‘around’ God (whom they called ‘Yahweh’ in the Old Testament) but never really ‘knew’ God in a personal way. They knew a lot ‘about’ Yahweh but they didn’t actually ‘know’ Yahweh. Had they done so, their lives and the way they treated others, would have been a lot different.
The worst kind of lostness may be religious lostness. It’s especially bad because it’s unaware of itself. Religiously lost people, like the older son in the parable of the prodigal, think they are found but they’re actually lost.
Their lostness goes unnoticed because, after all, they attend church and maybe even pray and read their bibles. They can quote different Bible verses and pray impressive prayers. They think that Christianity is knowing a lot about Jesus, but it’s not. Christianity is not about knowing 'about' Jesus. It's about 'knowing and being known by' Jesus, who wants to take up residence in our lives and display himself through us in every scene in which we find ourselves. We were created with one overarching purpose in mind: To image our Maker, which is another way of saying, 'to exhibit the nature and character of our holy and loving God.'
It should not surprise us that some of Jesus’ greatest opponents were politicians, well positioned rabbis and yes, even faithful temple-goers that likely even served on a temple committee or two.
As you grow up in and around the church, remember that it’s easy to miss the point of church and begin to believe that Christianity is about the church and religious rituals.
It’s not.
Church, rituals, bible study and the like are very important, they are never the chief end of the Christian faith. They are but a means to this far larger and far more important end: To know Christ and to make him known.
Much Love,Grandpa
Yes, It was that bad. Religiously adorned evil may be the worst kind of evil. Israel's high priest was a man called Eli. He was a mixture of vices and virtues. However, Eli’s sons were far more vice than virtue. Eli's sons were around the temple all their lives but seemed to miss the point of the temple completely!? They were ‘around’ God (whom they called ‘Yahweh’ in the Old Testament) but never really ‘knew’ God in a personal way. They knew a lot ‘about’ Yahweh but they didn’t actually ‘know’ Yahweh. Had they done so, their lives and the way they treated others, would have been a lot different.
The worst kind of lostness may be religious lostness. It’s especially bad because it’s unaware of itself. Religiously lost people, like the older son in the parable of the prodigal, think they are found but they’re actually lost.
Their lostness goes unnoticed because, after all, they attend church and maybe even pray and read their bibles. They can quote different Bible verses and pray impressive prayers. They think that Christianity is knowing a lot about Jesus, but it’s not. Christianity is not about knowing 'about' Jesus. It's about 'knowing and being known by' Jesus, who wants to take up residence in our lives and display himself through us in every scene in which we find ourselves. We were created with one overarching purpose in mind: To image our Maker, which is another way of saying, 'to exhibit the nature and character of our holy and loving God.'
It should not surprise us that some of Jesus’ greatest opponents were politicians, well positioned rabbis and yes, even faithful temple-goers that likely even served on a temple committee or two.
As you grow up in and around the church, remember that it’s easy to miss the point of church and begin to believe that Christianity is about the church and religious rituals.
It’s not.
Church, rituals, bible study and the like are very important, they are never the chief end of the Christian faith. They are but a means to this far larger and far more important end: To know Christ and to make him known.
Much Love,Grandpa