Week 6, Noah Part A

Well we've finally arrived at Noah and the flood. The message here is that God is pissed, and remorseful about creating us in the first place. It turns out human beings are a murderous and violent lot and God wants to wipe us out. Woman may have eaten the fruit but it's the male population that brings violence.

God does however find favour with a guy named Noah who is described as "righteous, blameless among the people of his time and he walked with God". 6:9.

(I owe a lot to Noah, he saved my butt).

God tells Noah to take two of every animal and gives him very specific instructions on how to build an arch. Noah was 600 years old when the flood came. What? Yes. That's 600 years old.

A couple of things to note here. Man's relationship with the animal kingdom changes. Not only do animals now fear man but human beings begin to eat meat. God also decrees that man will be mortal and his days will be numbered, up to 120 years! The world has changed.

I'm a little puzzled here. How did we get to a point where our average age is only around 80?

Anyway, the flood lasts for forty days. That the same amount of days that Lent lasts, so I figure it's a good lotto number. In fact there are lots of numbers in Genesis 7, who knew?

Next comes a very poetic part that I like very much. Noah sends out a dove who returns to the arch, he waits seven more days and sends out the dove who returns with an olive branch. I think that's where we get the idea of extending an olive branch as a show of friendship and reconciliation.

The great part is that God promises never to flood the earth again. Obviously he feels some remorse, after all we are a charming and entertaining bunch. And to seal the deal he says" whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth ." 9:15.

As I read this the rainbow which is so beautiful and hopeful takes on a new meaning for me and I hope I see one soon. It's been a long time since I've seen a rainbow in the sky.

When is the last time you've seen a rainbow?

Ahs Wednesday!

In Medieval times when someone was going through a tragedy or time of mourning they would shave their heads, dip it in ashes, wear a sack cloth and wander through the community. It symbolized the great pain and suffering of the individual.

Ash Wednesday still carries this message of mourning because this is time that Jesus went into the wilderness with the knowledge that he would be horribly killed.

In NYC you can go to the Church of the Epiphany all day till eight tonight and receive ashes. The priest will bless you and then mark your forehead with the cross in ashes. I'm sure you've seen some people walking around with them today.

There is a more formal service at seven tonight. All are welcome!

What does ash Wednesday mean to you and your family?

SHROVE Tuesday!!!

Pancakes were served at the church of the Epiphany on 74th and York yesterday. We were served regular and blueberry pancakes, with homemade sausage compliments of Joesph Zorawick. Yum Yum!

Our head priest A. Mullins not only served the guest but made a great blueberry maple syrup.

Thanks to ALL !!!!

Lent for Me

The period of Lent has been celebrated since around 1000 A.D. It was considered a period for fasting and the church suggested that congregations eat, no meat, butter, eggs or milk. The idea here is not to make you suffer by taking away something you love. The idea here is that by giving up something you are not only exercising self discipline but you're telling God and Jesus that you are at least trying to identify with what our Saviour was going through, as he reflected in the wilderness, and had to come to terms with the horrible journey that was about to begin.

So if Jesus is your friend, as a friend you'll want to show some empathy and Lent gives you the opportunity to do this by giving up something. And if you don't want to give up anything this year don't worry. ( I didn't give up anything last year) At least think about it.

I humbly suggest that you just DO something. Go to a church service, go to Ash Wednesday, volunteer at a homeless shelter. Do anything that breaks your routine and is not about you.

What to give up? Well, think of the regular New Year's Eve Resolutions, no smoking, no drinking, no cookies or cake. I am going to give up all alcohol. This year I want to give up something that has a little sting. If I give up ice cream for example, it'll be a no brainer. I don't eat ice cream so it's like I'll be celebrating a faux Lent.

As write that I say wow, forty days? Giving up those Bloody Mary's for brunch? Can I really do this? Well, this year I'm going to try and I'm sure I'll be better for it. How about this. No beer,( I love beer so this will be hard). Only one Bloody Mary at brunch and a glass or two of wine but only at "special dinners". Ok, I'm on. I'll keep you posted.
I think I'll start there.

Lent

Lent is a forty day period...a time to let go of sins. The church at this time is stripped of flowers and according to my Episcopal calender the priests will be wearing purple robes that signify penitence and expectation. It's a solemn reflective time.

The great part about Lent is that this is a period where I can reflect inward on my life, change things for the better forgive myself for my sins, although this year I have sinned a lost less than previous Lents.

It doesn't matter however, where you are on the sin scale it's time to examine that, reflect and take the action that will transform yourself for the better. Lent is like an extended New Years Eve resolution but because it's 40 days you really have time to tackle those big problems.

If you've never gone to a Priest before Lent is a great time to go. Although I have found that Priests look unapproachable the ones at Epiphany are quite the opposite. You don't even have to go to church you can give them a call.

Think of then like a shrink you can talk about your problems and whatever you tell them is between you and them. These people have devoted their lives to a calling so don't be afraid to approach them.

SHROVE Tuesday

Otherwise know as national pancake day this is the day for carb lovers to eat your heart out. It's also Fat Tuesday the famous Mardi Gras celebration of drinking and dancing and whatever else comes to mind?

Why? Because this is the last day before Lent. Lent is the forty day period when Jesus went into the wilderness to meditate and combat the devil. It is the 40 day period that prepares us for the crucifixion on Good Friday and the Resurrection on Easter night.

The church of the Epiphany on 74th and York will be hosting a pancake and sausage dinner at six and all are welcome. Bring the kids and don't be shy second and thirds and fourths will be served.

Week 6, Reading

This week the required reading is Genesis chapters 6:9-9. That's the story of Noah and the flood!

At Church on Sun. Feb 22/09 The Sermon

Joe M. Zorawick gave the sermon today. Joe is a retired priest that is filling in for Jennifer who went into labour early this morning.

Joe talked about the glow of God. It's like the glow Jesus had after his transfiguration. His robes were so white human eyes could hardly look at him.

I understood that perfectly. The glow of God exists within me. I can feel it and I think others can see it. Joe said that this glow is enough to convince people that God exists. You don't have go around bible thumping or try to convince people that God exists. It's the glow that everyone can feel and understand and it's the glow that can inspire. I think Joe had it right on this count.

He also said that it's hard in the real world to keep this going. The way I have found to keep my "glow" is to write and study and pray everyday to God.

You've got to work for your glow. It can't be bought from a bottle. I don't care what the cosmetic companies say.

Joe also asked an interesting question. "If you you were to be convicted of being a Christian today what would the evidence be against you?"

This one I had covered. I have my blog, I attend an EfM course and I can hardly wait till Ash Wednesday to receive my ashes and walk around NYC with them on my forehead. I am definitely "glow addicted".

When do you feel your glow?

What is your answer to Joe;s question?

At Church on Sun. Feb 22/09 Part C

Horace White who is the most amazing Deacon I know and the only Deacon I know and is totally approachable read the Gospel according to Mark 9:2-9. The theme here as far as I understand it is transfiguration. That's when God snatches you up to heaven, bing, bang, body and all.

Jesus takes Peter, James and John and leads them to a high mountain where "his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 9:3.

Then, low and behold Moses and Elijah appear and start talking with Jesus. This leads me to believe that this transfiguration is not like the death we experience, but somehow when one is transfigured one can come back to earth in human form. This makes me think that transfiguration is something special bestowed on one from God. And... it's really rare so I won't get my hopes up.

Moses and Elijah disappear and Jesus instructs Peter, James and John not to speak of this until he has risen from the dead.

At this point Jesus has already told his followers that his will die and be betrayed.

How do you feel about the transfiguration thing?

At Church on Sun. Feb 22/09 Part B

L.N. was the second reader who read from 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 which is in the New Testament. This is as I mentioned last week is part of the letters that Paul wrote to the people of Corinth.

I've got to admit here I was a bit taken back and a little uncomfortable. Paul says that,"Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep then from seeing the light of the gospel, the glory of Christ 2 4:3."

I must admit this has not been my experience with God. My eyes were completely blinded but it was me who wore the blinders. And when I was finally able to peek out from under my darkness the light of God shone so brightly that it pushed any blinder I might have left away. God, as I have experienced him did not keep his light from me. That was my doing.

So... if you have comments... please I'd like to hear them.

At Church on Sun. Feb 22/09 Part A

Today, we first read from the Old Testament from 2 Kings 2:1-12. Kings 1 and 2 are actually one literary work divided up later by translators. The author remains in question. S.N. read from 2 Kings 2: 1-12 which talks of the ministry of Elijah. In this section Elijah and his son Elisha are on their way from the town of Gilgal and take a detour toward Bethel where they are met by a group of fifty prophets. The prophets repeat Elijah's fate which awaits him reinforcing the fact that Elijah was an important figure.

Apparently, as Elijah has explained to his son the time has come for the LORD to take him away, But Elijah must keep moving and although at every stage of his journey he tells his son to stay his son will not leave his side.

The fifty prophets follow Elijah to the river Jordan when Elijah take "his mantle,"strikes the water, "the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground. 2:14.

I thought this part was interesting because I was under the impression that Moses was the only one who parted water. I guess if you part water you're a big dude in God's eyes.

The great part here is that the LORD comes down in blazes to get Elijah. He's taken in chariot of fire, with horses into a whirlwind and up to heaven. I hope that happens to me.

I'm in the dark here because I don't know if this event can be referred to as a transfiguration or if this foreshadows what will happen to Christ minus the chariot and fire?

Week 5 Cain and Abel Part B

So Cain kills Abel and then God finds out about it. The interesting thing here is that God does not kill Cain in retaliation in fact he banishes him (which is a horrible punishment), but at the same time he protects him by giving him a mark.



Here's where your kids can argue for a tatoo.



Apparantly in "those times" a person who was found wandering about without a mark to signify his clan was summerialy killed. So God, in all his wisdom did not want Cain killed. He still loved him.



Unfortunatly the bloodlust did not stop there. Cain gave birth to Lamech who sings the praises of his acts of killing people simple because they offended him. It seems like murder has become a culturally acceptable act and this of course sets the stage for the story of Noah. Obviously God can't take this anymore and decides to do something about it.



Do take note however that Lamech the singing murdered hasa three sons. One is a farmer, one and artist and one a blacksmith. All sho live in the city Cain built. This is the first instance in the bible where civilization is giving birth to trade. And man grows from a hunter and a gatherer to enjoy the lesure time and need the singers and the dancers and the artists to amuse him .

Week 5 Cain and Abel Part A

The thing I like best about the story of Cain and able is that the active participants in man's foray into committing the sin of murder is that women are NOT a part of the picture. Seems that the murderous blood lust inflicted on the human species came from MAN.

The only thing Eve does is give birth to Cain her firstborn and then Abel. This whole disaster starts over a sacrifice that the brothers gave to God. I'm not sure when man got the idea that God would like a sacrifice but apparently he did. In fact her preferred the sacrifice that Abel made, "and the Lord looked with favour of Abel and his offering."4:5.

Cain on the other hand brought fruits and vegetables from his field. This is the first time after the fall that man becomes a meat eater and with that blood lust follows.

Again another argument for the Vegan crowd.


By favouring one brother over the other the stage is set. Will man sin? Will he resist? It seems that not even God knows the answer but he gives man the free-will to find out with dire consequences.

In a fit of jealousy Cain kills Abel... Which probably inspired God to write the sixth commandment " You shall not murder"Deuteronomy 5:17.

But don't forget the commandments were not revealed to man yet so Cain was acting out his bottom nature which in this case was to kill.

The important idea here is that Cain choose to kill. God has come to a point in his relationship with man that he has allowed for free will to exist. So we can't wine anymore about why did God make this happen, why didn't God stop that because man is exercising his right to act on his own.

At Church on Sunday Feb 15/08 Part C

The second reading this week from the New Testament was The Gospel Mark 1:40-45, the earliest gospel. Mark likes to talk about healings, evil spirits, demonology and divorce. In the passage we read today he describes Jesus healing a leper. The thing that struck me about this passage was the faith that the leper had in Jesus. He says "If you choose, you can make me clean". He doesn't say if you want, or please make me clean. He gives that choice of whether or not he can be healed over to Jesus.

Then I got to thinking. I have stuff going on in my life that is a timing issue. I have to get payments in on time and I afraid that if I'm late I'll have problems. And I've been praying " please God let this happen on this day and on this time".

When I heard those words from the leper, "Jesus you choose". I thought for a moment. What am I asking? What am I doing? Why am I frantic? Why do I worry? Yes I believe like the leper that all can be erased in a moment and it's no big secret what I wanted. But, I was not factoring in the wisdom of God. There is nothing that God has ever done in my life that was not perfectly timed for lessons to be learned. This timing thing that was bothering me was just me living in my material world- selfishly.

So I changed my prayer and said. "God, whenever you're ready I trust your timing this is your choice and only my material desire. I'm sorry I bugged out". Immediately, I felt better I felt all that worry and anxiety lifted and I hope it lasts. I have tendency to vacillate.

However, in all fairness I have found in my brief experience with God that when it comes to the timing of the things in my life I can only see as far as my hand. It's God I must trust to see the bigger picture and guide me- that's the key for me, trust issues.

How do you pray when you ask something of God?

At Church on Sunday Feb 15/09 Part B

The six o'clock service is a bit shorter but we still read two passages. Tonight we read from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 in the New Testament. The apostle Paul ( one of Jesus' followers) is the author of this section which are essentially letters that he wrote to the Corinthians a people who lived in Corinth. a thriving city a dominant commercial center ( like New York) as early as the 8th Century B.C. Paul was concerned about the problems that the church was having here and wrote these letters to help sort things out.

In Corinthians 9:24-27, as Andrew Mullins pointed out to me Paul draws a parallel between the preparations that a professional athlete must endure, both physically and mentally to secure a "material prize" and the spiritual preparations required to secure one's faith. I love the part that says ,"So I do not run aimlessly, not do I box as though bearing the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to other I myself should not be disqualified".

Paul is talking about the self discipline that is required as part of one's faith and that really struck me. I didn't just knell and pray and attend services. I joined bible class, I applied myself, I thought about the relationship I wanted with God and I think I'll forever continue to do so. Faith for me was something I had to work at and I think this is what Paul is getting at. Believing is one thing but being an active participant in faith is quite another.

How can you participate in your faith this week?

At Church on Sunday Feb, 15/09 Part A

This Sunday I went to the six o'clock service at my church the Church of the Epiphany on 74th and York in Manhattan. I said it before and I'll say it again this is a SPECIAL place it's a place where I find God and a place where the prayer and service confirm and reaffirm my belief in God. As they say in business you can tell a company head from the receptionist. If she's great the boss will be great. These things trickle down from the top and it's no surprise that the Reverend Andrew Mullins has built an awesome ministry.

Since my priest Jennifer Linman is as big an a house awaiting the birth of her firstborn ( she usually hosts the six o'clock ) I was privileged to have Reverend Mullins take charge. There was also a guest priest in training George Baum present.

It's a small service usually five to ten people but it really packs a punch. And this way I don't feel so back if I miss the formal eleven o'clock.

Week 5, Required Reading.

This week I'll be reading Genesis 4, the story of Cain and Able. We've got jealously, murder, intrigue, and banishment all the ugly things that God DID NOT create in Genesis 1. It seems that man, living in the material world void of spirit created these earthy errors.

Read on and see what you think.

Punishing Adam

Adam gets the dog here. Poor Adam. God curses the ground so that Adam will have to toil and till the rest of his life. Not only that but God says that the land will produce "thistles and thorns" which will really make it a pain in the ass to get anything out of it. And here comes the big line I've heard at every funeral I've ever attended , "for dust you are and dust you shall return"3:19.

When I look at all the incredible productive and fruitful farms in the land you can't help but admirer humanities ingenuity at overcoming this dreadful curse. Where there's a will there's a way.



So Eve gets a husband as punishment and Adam shall toil a thorny land just to eat. Not only that when he dies he'll return to dust. God says nothing about what happens to Eve when she dies. What do you think?



In the end Adam finally names his wife Eve, and God takes the time to cloth them like a loving father. For all you fashionistas out there it appears that God had sense of fashion. Maybe you're on to something.



Finally, the thought for the day....God delighted in us and therefore he saved us. How have you delighted God today?

Genesis 3 Punishing Eve

After he's finished with the serpent God punishes Eve. He gives her two punishments. First he commands that she will have pains in childbirth. I guess he forgot to mention the invention of the epidermal. I've talked to a lot of woman who have given birth and sometimes it's painful, sometime you get a caesarian and sometimes it no big sweat. So this punishment was really a pseudo punishment.



The second punishment is much more fun. God says that "You' desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you."3:16. Ok, so I have to desire my husband. There wasn't any other man in the garden. Who else could Eve possibly desire? And isn't that why we woman get married in the first place? To desire and rule over generic man?



The significant thing here is that for the first time God calls Adam a husband. Adam finally goes from generic man to husband. He still doesn't have a real name and you think a guy who named every living creature would be quite apt at naming would find a name for himself, but no, now Adam's just a husband.



Does that mean he wasn't a husband before? So Eve was Eve and a wife before eating the fruit and Adam just became a husband after he partook. Finally as punishment we have a husband and wife. Is that not a punishment for both Adam and Eve. How many of you married folks have sometimes thought that your marriage was the greatest self-inflicted punishment of all? So marriage therefor is one of God's punishments. Which by the way, makes a strong case for homosexulaity.



Then God adds injury to insult and says. "he (Eve's new husband Adam), will rule over you" 3: 16. Well, in all fairness to God there is no way he actually believed that the woman who had the balls to eat the fruit in the first place was going to let generic Adam rule over her. It wasn't in her nature when God created her and it would not be in her nature after she left the garden. I think God knew full one this was a blanketed threat.

Thoughts?

Week 4 Why the Serpent?

Genesis 3.

God strolling in the garden in some organic form can't find his children. The naughty ones are hiding and in this communication with God it is the first time that God and man actually have a dialogue. No longer is God just a commanding voice, he's like a person and he's looking for his kids. Without the GPS system he can't find them.

When he finds them, like a intuitive parent he know something is up and he gruels them on what happened. First he asks Adam who gallantly blames his "wife". Then he asks Eve who passes it on to the serpent.

The serpent, by the way is a fascinating character. It seems that before the fruit was eaten we were able to communicate with the animals- like Dr. Doolittle. The serpent however has taken an interest in us unlike any other creature. And don't forget Adam was in charge of naming all the animals and he names this one the "serpent" And like a father defending the actions of his children God only directly curses the serpent. But what a punishment? God says " You will crawl on you belly and eat dust." As far as I see it the serpent already crawls on its belly so what's the big deal? The big deal is that this poor creature of God is fated to be a symbol of danger, and evil to man.

I can't figure out why God would take a creature he has created and want it to be reviled and hated my all of mankind, the symbol of man's downfall. Why didn't he pick the cat, the dog the monkey or elephant? I'm at a loss here. Maybe you have some ideas? Why the serpent?

Week 4 the Punishment?

In Genesis three God continues to communicate with man as a voice, which commands. It's not till after Eve passed the fruit to Adam that God is portrayed in human form. He's actually strolling around the garden and then" the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden on the cool of the day."


Ladies please note that only after Adam eats the fruit and before she gets he name Eve she is referred to as his wife. I don't know who was in the garden to actually sanctify this marriage but I find it interesting that Eve goes from being called woman, to wife to Eve. Adam on the other hand is still generic Adam. Even at these early stages woman is becoming a far more complex being having many roles and names.

Week 4 Genesis 2

In lines 2:21 God performs an operation. He puts Adam to sleep and takes a rib out of him to make woman. Two things I think are important here. This is the first instance where God takes a human form in our imagination. A human form that descends upon Adam and actually performs surgery. We will see this when a guy named Jacob actually wrestles with God, in the Old Testament and again surprisingly when God impregnates Mary in the New Testament. So in very rare cases God communicated with man by actually assuming some kind of organic form and changing the physiology of man or woman.

The second fact is that Adam ( which means man) and woman are still not individuals they do not have names. It is only after Eve, takes the fruit and her punishment that Adam names his wife Eve. Eve in the first person in the bible to receive a name as a individual unto her own. Adam stays generic. Eve gets named. Again woman rule.

Class 4 Genesis 2

In Genesis 2 God created man from the dust and then breaths life into him. So I can't argue here man was created first. Then God tells this unnamed man Adam that he's not to touch the tree of Knowledge. So I guess Adam wondered around the garden for awhile. God kept him busy naming all the plants and the animals which would have taken forever. I can only imagine what it was like for Adam to wake up every morning and have a line of animals in front of him a line extending for miles and miles and naming them one after another. And when he was done with that he would have had to name all the plants and the trees and the flowers.

So it has occurred to me that there was a big time lapse between God telling Adam not to eat the Fruit having him name everything on earth and then deciding he was lonely without a mate. It's no big stretch to suggest that the command was a distant whisper by the time he got finished naming the animals and the severity of the command must have diminished. So when he finally told Eve it might have been just an aside.

Class 4, How God Communicated G1

I think it's very significant to note that God in early Genesis 1-3 communicates to man in ways that turn a couple of our ideas upside down. It has always amazed me that some people believe that God only communicated throught the male of our species. Genesis 1, puts the case forward that God not only created man and woman equally but spoke to them for the first time together.
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them". 1:27. That's God created man and woman equal right from the start.

He blesses them both and tells them to mulitply and rule over the earth. Now, how has that worked out for us? Well, we've mulitplied all right but the earth? We are not tending it as God commanded us, species go extinct, rainforests get chopped down, the water polluted. There is ceetaintly room for improvement on this count and I think we've been seeing that in last century. I remember a time when I'd go on a care drive and everyone would throw our garbage out the window onto the highway with no thought, no care: elephants we're being killed for their tusks and gorillas to make ashtrays from their hands. We've come a long way baby.

To all the vegitarioans out there just site Geneis 1, where God tells Adam and Eve what to eat, " I give every green plant for food". 1-30. God says nothing about eating meat.

So in Genesis 1, one could argue that woman should be allowed to be priests and the vegetarians have it right.

Class 4 Eve my Hero

After reading and re-reading Genesis 3, it has come to my attention that there have never been a title so inappropriate. Instead of the Fall why not the Rise, or The Beginning. Imagine what we'd all be like if we were still living in The Garden. naked, running all over breeding, and immortal? What kind of existence would this be? I think God would have been ultimately bored with us. And what would we be but uni-dimensional creatures, nothing more than an amoeba existing just to exist. No struggle no thought, no consciousness.

It is my opinion that Eve did us all a big favor. That girl is my hero. Yes, my hero.

And you know I have a suspicion that God figured this out as well. It was no mistake he left a big yummy fruit tree right smack in the middle of a Garden where Adam and Eve lived. It was no mistake that he told only Adam, yes only Adam that if he ate the fruit he would die.

The concept of death would have meant nothing to Adam at the time. The idea of Death was no big threat to Adam or Eve. Further, was Adam's job to tell Eve about God's command. She got the news over lunch. "Hey babe don't eat the fruit on that really yummy tree you'll die, now come over here and multiply".

Sin, as Mary Baker Eddy put it "has elements of self" destruction". There was no conscious idea of self destruction in the make- up of Adam and Eve as they existed in the Garden. So where's the sin here? If there is no sin in what Eve did by eating that yummy fruit, then the Christian idea of original sin (that we are predisposed due to our nature which God created makes us all sinners from the first cell division in the womb) makes little sense.

I am reminded of a quote from the psalm 17:20 " He brought me out into an open place. he rescued me because he delighted in me". The idea that God delights in me, in you, in us makes me feel like I am participating in a dance ,a journey with God, that somehow I am good enough to find favour in God's eyes has helped me to overcome the self-destructive elements in my own life. It has helped me overcome the hatred and disdain that my own family carries for me and if I can delight God then the opinion of others started to matter less and less. I came to the conclusion a while back that I wanted to continue to delight God so I took a look at the things in my life that were NOT delightful. I made a list and have managed over time to cross them out one after another.

I think Eve, in the end delighted God. She challenged him, pissed him off but caught his interest and curiously and wonder in his own creation. That's why God clothed both Adam and Eve with the compassion and love of a Father tending over his children, struggling with the fact that he may not be able to protected them from the outside world but vowing to love and to guide them forever.

Bravo Eve the mother of all!

Bible Class 4

The required reading for this week is Genesis 2-4B- 3:24. If any of you were like me when I started. The first number 2, for example starts the section of the reading and is the large number in the left hand margin of your Bible. The second number is the number of the line which is printed in tiny numbers on the page within the chapter.

This is the story called the "Fall", which I happen to think was not a "Fall" at all but a significant rise in the consciousness of mankind.

I find the NIV study bible is terrific and I purchased mine at Barnes and Nobles.

Bible Class Week 3/4

The final thing I want to mention about Genesis 1, is that while I was reading it occurred to me that God was creating. Yes, God was creating stuff he'd never seen before. Out of an idea God thought the world in existence. Imagine creating water when water never existed. Imagine, thinking about all the plants and the animals and thinking them into existence one by one.

I think that when God throughr the dinosaurs into existence he concluded it was a mistake. The world he created was not the world he wanted to create and so it was destroyed. I can't imagine that the dinosaurs kept god engaged with his creation.

This would mean that there is a learning principle that I feel is at work with God. Could God be learning about this world through us? Could we be God's eyes and ears? Yes. I believe God is learning with us. Where does that leave us? Well that means that we have a responsibility yes a responsibility to live the best lives that we can so that God can experience his goodness.

When I create error in my life what an I teaching God? I'm teaching god about error and this is something that I think about every time I make decisions in my life. I ask myself what am I teaching God here.

What do you teach God?

Bible Class Week 3/3

The really big thing about Genesis 1 is that while God created everything. He DID NOT create darkness, death, sin, sickness or evil. This begs the question, who created all that bad stuff? Well, I'm not a big believer in the Devil. I think that the Devil is a metaphor for the matter that we humans choose to live in. Matter without spirit leads to all that bad stuff.

In my life I've decided to identify the bad stuff. The bad stuff is drinking. Every time I take a drink I create an error. That error leads to another error and another error. In all the time I've taken a drink to my lips it has never, never once been just one drink. After years of experimenting with this "truth" I have concluded that error leads to error. It can't be negotiated and it can't be corrected after the fact. I finally asked myself why are your following error when you have a choice? Am I that foolhardy that I can't identify an error, respect it as an error and choose not to engage that error?

What error can you identify in your life and where did error lead you?

Bible Class Week 3

So it seems in Genesis 1, that God created everything. Not many Gods... ONE GOD. That's the big point here. Written in a time where people were worshipping everything but the kitchen sink as a God, the idea that only one God existed was radical and disturbing- especially if you've been worshipping Gods and Goddesses for a lifetime.

The other thing you need to know about this section is that the idea of God vacillates between two schools of thought. Transcendence refers to the separateness of God in God's creation and immanence which refers to Gods nearness. Genesis one is an example of God's transcendence as God makes the world around him just by speaking it out loud. On the flip side, in Genesis 2 (which we will get to soon) God forms man out of clay and the act of taking part physically in man's creation becomes an example of God's immanence.

Out of this idea of the immanence of God comes a form of religions called Pantheism a term which means literally "all" is God. You'll find this belief explored in great detail in Christian Science and the writings of Mary Baker Eddy.

From the idea of transcendence we have a belief created called deism. Deism pictures God as a clockmaker who designed the universe and simply stands back lets it run on it's own.

I have come to believe that God is all. So I fit in the Pantheism category. I believe that the spirit which lives in everyone is from God and cannot be anything but good. I also believe that the matter in which we exist can be corrupted when we cease to listen to the spirit.

There was a time in my life when I didn't even know that the spirit existed and so how could I possibly listen, hear, or learn? I was communicating my entire life in the mire of my matter and what did I attract? Not people of spirit but other people, other people living in their own matter as well. Where did that lead me? It lead me to drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, anger.

When the spirit found me it took time. I did not heal all in one moment. Yes my belief came in one moment and this was accompanied by a great physical reaction a flooding with love. That's how I knew it was non negotiable. But for the first year or two that feeling would come and go flood in me and disappear and I would be back stuck in my matter. I felt like God's personal ping pong ball. I got frustrated I got angry. It was not till I applied myself through study of the bible asked questions of my priest Jennifer Linman, took chances, opened my mouth, committed to a church, attended services and courses that my connection to God god stronger and more consistent.

I guess having a relationship to God is just like having one with anyone else. I ignored God for many years and so we were both new to one another when he finally found me. Our love took time to grow and is still growing. And like all love it takes a concerted effort from both parties.

How would you describe your relationship with God?