Easter - Unity of Bellevue -Bellevue, WA - April 24th, 2011

      After hearing the stories from the Old Testament in my visit to St. Sava it was nice to be embraced by the music and silence of Unity of Bellevue this Easter day.

    How can Easter apply to me? Me a non-believer who doesn't believe the Nicene Creed or the physical resurrection of Christ. The fact is as I discovered today, there are still messages that can teach within the story, just as their are in all the Old Testament stories that I heard the day before.

    First, let's talk about the basic story of Easter and quote part of the Nicene Creed.

     He was betrayed, suffered, died and was crucified. He rose again on the third day...

      The sermon focused on those three events. Betrayal, Crucifixion and the time before the Resurrection and how we all can experience that as well. Every betrayal is a time to learn and chance to live with right action, when we are crucified is when we can show compassion and love as Jesus did in the story (Forgive them Father they know not what they do) and the silence...the three days in the tomb...the time alone where the transformation occurs. Jesus exists as the example of how we can act in those instances of extreme suffering. Just as Jesus represents all those who wrongfully suffer (the sermon I posted 2 posts ago about the gay kid bullied to death as an example). It's from there that it reminds to act with goodness, just like much (not all) of the actions that Jesus does in the Gospels.

    After doing a lot of study through contracts I know there is much still to learn. Marcus Borg and N. T. Wright are good folks to read about 2 major interpretations of the Gospels though, and I still have learn more about the other faiths and philosophies as well that will be an appearance in this blog. Suffice to say though, today was hope.

     I do wish I had a TARDIS to check up on the sources and see first hand what the writers who wrote long after the death of some of the people believed them to have said. Whether it's the Odyssey, the Analects of Confucius, The Tao Te Qing, the Iliad, the Torah or the Gospels...I don't know if the miracles happened...I doubt the probability of them, but I would like to know for certain.

     It was a great sermon and very gnostic in it's approach to the Testament. With Judas knowing what Jesus wanted more then others because of the miracles he'd seen...effectively facilitating the resurrection.It was very much the Gospel of Thomas rather then that of the Gospel of John (which explicitly states Jesus as God in the introduction) hadn't had as much influence over the canon. Oh to see the debates over what would be considered Canon at Nicene and before in the early Church... 

    It reminded me of Be Alef Synagogue and I understand now why they share the same building.

    There were time of meditation to reflect on the story and the music was extremely good. It started with a Jazz Choir, had a classic "The Prayer" sang by a man who held a candle to Josh Groban and then a passionate celebration in the end in song.

      In church today I experienced one of the diverse interpretations of the Gospels and shall be writing on the differences in other communities when I visit them as well. 

    Happy Easter everyone.
    

Holy Saturday - Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church - Issaquah, WA - April 23rd, 2011

         How to describe Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church? First I must describe the location. It's in a rural area near my house on a private road. There is a pasture with Pony's next to the Church and a large house behind the Church.

     Then there was the Chapel. Paintings of saints and characters from the Bible posed with Golden Halos, in paintings painted gold. There wasn't holy water at the entrance like there is with Catholic Churches, and the altar was carved out of wood and covered flowers and had a red tapestry underneath the arch on the altar. This was the first room.
 
   The second room was smaller and had a golden cross that looked like it had a sun upon it, and a great candle holder with seven candles ornately made of gold. There was so much gold in both the paintings and symbols. The Priests garbs were also gold.  

     Today was vespers and the holy liturgy. I was not able to stay for it all so I shall describe what I was there for. The vespers were readings from the Old Testament along with chants and prayers to the Trinity. I was there for Genesis, Exodus, Jonah, Isaiah and Kings. It was here I noticed what my friend and I had been talking about the day before.

    In Exodus God leads Pharaoh on for the soul purpose of showing his glory. Rather then having Pharaoh become compassionate towards the Jews he ignites Pharaoh's anger...all this is a show of power to get the Jews to worship and honor Him...to FEAR Him. 

   In another story a Prophet get's God to heal a boy who is sick. Because "God why have done evil against this boy?" Because the Prophet calls God on it. God lets the prophet heal the boy and "Repents of the Evil He (God) committed."

     The God of religion is so much like us (better and worse in some instances). He does good and evil. He contradicts Himself. Is jealous, wrathful, compassionate, and all the other human emotions. The God in the Bible feels bad over some of His actions. Whether it's the flood, the child or other actions. But I have trouble seeing the character as All-Good and All-Benevolent given these actions...as well as the existence of Heaven and Hell.

  If either exists then there isn't justice. Eternal punishment or reward for Temporal actions, is not just. There isn't an equal give or getting...it's eternal, infinite, for something that was finite. This is something my friend told me yesterday that stuck with me. She's right. How is infinite punishment or reward just given finite actions?

      Hearing these Old Testament stories really gave me an appreciation of the past and how far we have come. Ethically most people are aware of the Good have moved on from an "Eye for an eye." Or killing for ideology...most people just want to live. So many people asked questions and many of them died as heretics for asking those questions...thankfully it is not that way in as many parts of the world as it was before...though it still happens.

   When any book, Holy or not, is put above free thought and then used to suppress questions of it...evil occurs. Closed systems aren't just in religions though, that same mentality has exists and does exist within countries and communities. The State can be God, or any ideology can be God. Any thought of what a person believes God to be...can be worth killing for. Worth doing evil in It's name. As our ancestors did in the past and that is still done to this day.

   Easter or sometime after I'll be doing a reflection on Christianity...but this where I am currently. I don't think I would ever convert to any of the Abrahamic faiths. The Books of the Word have to many contradictions, and the God is like us (not all Good or all benevolent)...not better or worse in the stories, just more powerful. There is still more to explore and discover in the stories and life. Religion tells us a lot about ourselves and people. I intend to continue to discover, experience and learn as I continue the blog.

   Tomorrow is Easter. Let's see what it brings.