Now that the blog is back, time to explore some of the issues that the visits bring up. Issues usually being the theme of the Mass or service and analyzing the thesis statement of the sermon. Before I get into that though. Blessed Sacrament really is a beautiful church, I arrived early today for the church visit so explored the grounds again and found more Mary statues, one of which was in a garden. The day was beautiful as well and not too hot.
When I arrived at the Mass I found the parking lot pretty crowded. Inside the church it was as well. It was largely made up of older folks with one or two families present before the music began. The Mass also started ten minutes later because two of the ministers didn't show, which annoyed the priest who was doing the sermon understandably.
We all stood, there was a song about being the City of God, the "Peace be with you," "and with your spirit." Call and response...the readings which were based around Jesus asking his followers to deny themselves in order to be like him and to follow him. I'll get into this more in the analyzing of the sermon.
The sermon was based around why Jesus is needed. That humanity's sin at the beginning was infinite so needed an infinite sacrifice to atone. The priest followed it up on why there was the Sacrament of Atonement and the Sacraments in order so that we can be saved through God.
How can any finite action go on infinite? This seems to be the basis of original sin, and part of why I don't believe it. Is it right to punish a child because one of his parents was a murder? This is basically the actions we see take place in the Bible and the psychology behind the atonement.
The idea of the atonement that I also have is how it allows a get out of jail free card. You could be a psychopath or serial killer, but if you accept Jesus in the end, you are okay. The saving through grace and belief really doesn't involve much work if it is taken just at it's word.
I am at the point now, where humans overall and throughout history have done a lot of terrible things to each other. They have also done good too. I don't see how paradise or Hell is really just either way and that the legitimate problems of murder and rape aren't really dealt with...
The final thing is on the denying oneself for God. What is being denied? For many Christian, Muslim, Jewish and other communities...this means if you are Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Queer or otherwise, denying your love for your partner. This isn't healthy and is in no way good. It has real effects on people and is being done for reasons that can only be justified by claiming the supernatural (of which there is always the possibility of - The Supernatural - but no concrete evidence). This can also happen in regards to women in leadership roles as if she is a good leader and would be able to lead, is kept from it by men quoting scripture and asking her to deny her pride. How is this just or good? These are a few of my big issues with the denying self issue and how it is tied to sin.
Sin I guess is the final thing...again, I don't think humans are good or bad. We're very much a mixture...but sin assumes we were once perfect or that a perfect human has existed. I haven't seen that. Even the character of Jesus as he's written isn't perfect. He gets angry, he's violent and not to the killers and rapists...but to merchants. He also only ever calls a women by their name once. He certainly did a lot of good, and was most likely a mad sage who may or may not have been divine, if in fact the divine exists. For me, where I am inspired the most from Christianity isn't in the mythos of Original Sin, Virgin Birth, the Resurrection or even Jesus's miracles...for me the inspiration is in the actions that we can see as good, in the words that were good. Giving to the poor, turning the other cheek and the times the stories actually inspire the followers to do good. The Desmond Tutu's of the world like my friends who are in the priesthood in the Episcopal and Catholic Church, etc. and my friends and family who I see living that action.
I can't believe because of the issues surrounding the unproven Supernatural as well as some of the things that I don't think are ethical (treatment of Gays and women in some sects), but I do still find inspiration in some of the stories, especially when they are taken as stories and not reasons to persecute or as fact...and for the times when it does inspire equality and fighting for the persecuted and the poor.
What a great service there was today. First, it was a pretty full Saturday, many more people where there than one of the Holy Days. The age range was all over the place, though there were many older folks. The music was the thing that stood out the most, besides the sermon which I will get into later. The music was sung by three women and was one of the best traditional church music I have heard, especially when they sang the psalm, "The Lord is my Shepard," Which was also the theme of the Mass.
The readings leading up to the sermon were about Peter and how Jesus is the messiah and is there for those who seek him. Later was the reading about Jesus making allusions to being the Shepard and the Pharisees being thieves in the fold.
What was taken from the readings by the priest was that Jesus is there for those who need him. He didn't take the tact of seeing outsiders and unbelievers as thieves in the fold, which was how an Evangelical church called Blue Sky I went to years ago interpreted it. This fit in with the loving compassionate Jesus that honestly is the one I wish we would see more of in the world.
What I mean by this is what each person believes God or Jesus wants is different...just like the Bible. Each person interprets it in their own way because there isn't a physical entity that can be judged. We're going off the words of the past and the words of priests and pastors. From that though can come great inspiration for good and for evil.
My hope is that the inspiration for good that I have seen it (and what Jesus the man means to me) becomes prevalent and not the Dominionist Jesus who persecutes Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgender folks and keeps women unequal. Like any idea or like any living person today, how we choose to use that inspiration is entirely in our hands.
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is a smaller Catholic Church connected to a school. It is beautiful inside with the stations of the cross and life size colored statues of Jesus and Mary, as well as the Golden Eucharist holder and open Bible on both sides of the altar.
Before I arrived and read the magazine they had for vocations. Apparently Vestel Virgins are a still a thing, you just have to talk to your Bishop...it only applies to women though, which again with the obsession with female sexuality that religion seems to have (like the native religion Cuzco where the Priestesses were kept locked away for their virginity to remain pure).
The congregation is old and when I arrived contradictory. Everyone who came sat in their own pew and had distance between them. It was private, though before I'd heard two people conversing about life and in one case what sounded like fighting. Once the service started everything settled down, and an older woman announced the theme as being a journey as we would be journeying with the apostles.
The theme I got was different. First, before we get to the sermon. Besides the fact that sound carries (so the fighting was loud before the service as well as every conversation) the music wasn't my thing.
Now for the pros. The priest was one of the most humble of men. His favorite quote was him admitting that he doesn't have what the congregation has. That the priest may be a stand in for the Sacrament but based off the readings...Jesus is where two or more people in relationship are. This was the story, which the priest saw as a metaphor since the town the apostles were heading to there is no archeological evidence for of it even existing and Jesus appearing and speaking to them (them discussing the Bible amongst themselves lead to them returning to the "City of Peace" Jerusalem, after the conflict and lost place they were. I think this shows that to do good and to live with virtue there has to be those who you are being or virtuous to. He expressed how this was important to him and his ministry as a priest. It was a powerful sermon and definitely the best part.
I had to leave early to catch the next Church visit but I plan on visiting again...at the very least to talk to the priest who was definitely one of the most humble and smart men I've heard up on the podium.
Maundy Thursday, the day of Holy Week that celebrates Jesus's foot washing of his disciples and his famous, "Love one another as I have loved you." Essential Christianity and Christianity at its best. The first thing I noticed besides how there were half as many people as Ash Wednesday was the color change. The priests were wearing white and the tapestry was also white a lamb that had a halo around it. The congregation was also quite as the choir practiced. I had come early worrying about getting seating because of my last experience here.
The service itself was beautiful. It emphasized community and living love out to the world. This was symbolized in the hand washing which was done instead of foot washing...I'm guessing to save time, and feet are something that is pretty vulnerable and hard to share (touching a person's feet anyway) so I can understand why it wasn't done. I don't know how I'd feel having my feet washed by a stranger even if it did feel good and refreshing.
The hand washing still served the same purpose, it was a small symbolic and kind act to share with a stranger. I had my hands washed and dried off by another and I dried off another's hands too. It made me sad in hindsight that we aren't able to share this a lot of the time with the people we meet because I know I at least can be an island at times and enjoy my space...which makes it hard to reach out to another unless they are already a connection...a friend, partner or family member.
That is why I think there is power in the "As I have loved you, love one another." To give up the clothes on your back to a stranger, to give up your possessions to service to God and the poor. These are radical life changing things...things I hope to strive for...though I still hold on to practicalness. Money for living, community and self. When the fact is, all that is much bigger than me and what I am aware of.
One thing I noticed too was the dichotomy surrounding the Eucharist. After the reading about the last supper the priest emphasized we were to eat the bread and wine in memory of Jesus as he asked...there was nothing about him being the literal body and blood, not until we got the Eucharist. It was a realization that the practice of the Eucharist and seeing it as more than just a memory of a supper shared, probably came around later. Since during the supper Jesus emphasized how he was Teacher and Lord (which in the context felt like a Lord and his vassals not God).
It was a wonderful service, and I once more left before the Eucharist since I'm not a Catholic and I'm not about to eat at someone else's table out of respect unless I'm invited too.
What a great return to Saint James Episcopal Church...the last time I was here was during Ash Wednesday for a noon service. This time I got to talk to the priest at the beginning of the service as well as another member of the congregation.
The church was draped with the colors of Holy week...Red. Red for the suffering and blood, the action of the Christian story.
The service began at the Baptismal font, where there was the confession of sin before Kyrie within the service and the readings. I love the High Church service, it seems designed to create as much reflectiveness as possible outside of a Buddhist meditation.
The readings dealt with the idea of the Trinity and the first reading was God becoming the Son of Man and later Paul's letter to the Corinthians where he says the priests and ritual and the non-believers and wisdom. It perfectly expresses my hangups surrounding the supernatural and faith. To those who belief what happened is apparent, but if not...than you aren't going to get it. This goes for any great claims for me that involve some sort of supernatural premise.
This was contrasted with the reading of Jesus knowing about his death and saying he will be bringing all people too him...which is a pretty universalist Jesus, which is a contrast of no one knowing the Father except through him...it really showed why there are so many interpretations of who Jesus was.
The sermon focused on Jesus and how he used the Bible to inspire his action. I liked how the priest related to us using it to live like Jesus did...to live as he did. This struck me as practical and how the good can be taken out of the Bible and how it can inspire right action (just as it can inspire bad), but how following the actions of Jesus's action...caring for the poor, calling out hypocrisy...these are things that do make a difference and how I am inspired by the story of Jesus Christ.
First want to start out by saying, next time in Oregon I will be visiting other denominations and religions. I'm planning on moving down there eventually so there shall be much exploration of the religious communities down there.
Now, the visit. Saint Mary's is one of the most beautiful Churches I've ever been in. It reminded me of the Churches and Cathedrals in Italy and had a very calm ambiance. The stained glass windows had the stations of the cross, their were two beautiful images of Mary on the sides of the seat and in the center was the Vatican II Altar as behind it underneath Jesus on the cross was the pre-Vatican II Altar against the wall.
The place spoke of it's one hundred year history simply in the artifacts that made up the inside of the Church.
The sermon was about the calling of people to be "Shepards" and used one of the Old Testament Prophets and Jesus when he realized the people needed a Shepard. The thing that stood out to me on the Jesus story was it involved him running away from the people to a different town because he was tired...this surprised me in a big way since I'd always been told God comes to those seeking Him and if Jesus is God he wouldn't run away, since the story sounded as if the people had been seeking him.
As a counter part this is good on the part of a teacher. Words and messages can only really be fully appreciated and applied when brought beyond the person. Whether it's Buddha or anyone else from philosopher or scientist...it reminds me of a quote my friend told me:
"Religion is like a boat. It's good to bring you across the river, but once you reach the other side it would be silly to carry it."
To carry the analogy further one could break the boat and carry the pieces and use them for fire wood later on for the journey on land or to rebuild it later along a different water source. What we read and learn doesn't leave us fully. It shapes us in the moment of reading and in applying it. But it is no longer the person who it was learned from, it isn't the teacher it is something different.
On the core message of the sermon, we all will be servants and leaders at different points in our lives. It comes with following passions, with applying the knowledge learned and by living virtuously. If religion inspires you to live it more, more power to you...but I'm becoming all the more certain that I won't be joining any religious groups houseboats. Too much of it doesn't make sense to me and doesn't seem to help necessarily with promoting virtue in how we live and treat our fellow men.
After being away from faith communities for some time, it was great to see visit a faith again that captures what I believe are some of the best parts of religion, specifically Christianity. What are the things I found to be the themes of today's service: community, change and virtue (accountability to living virtuously as well).
The Church of Christ in Issaquah is a small Church near the Issaquah Elementary School. The congregation is largely made up of families. I was treated with kindness and ran into two people who went to my high school, one of whom preached the sermon today. On a side note, these were the fourth and fifth persons I'd met from my high school that day. The congregation was close and this is where my first point comes in of community. During the announcements there was talk of the Home Meetings that happen every Sunday. All members of the congregation meet up at the designated houses to talk about the Bible and God. This reminded me of Mormon Home Teaching (where Elders (guys around eighteen or older) who come over and preach the church lesson of the day. This is also done by the parents for the children in the Mormon Church.
The second thing that I see in religion at it's best in what it can is change. The change I'm referring to is personal change. In the sermon a personal was story told of going from selfishness to selflessness when God was accepted into their life. This was powerful as the person had been a major partier before hand and had found virtue through living for God.
This in turn brings us to the sermon. The sermon was about Joseph. You know the prophet in the Bible with the twelve brothers who had an amazing technicolor dream coat (musical reference here). Well the story was about how Joseph stood on the path of rightesouness even after he'd been given the world (made leader of a house of noblemen (Potiphar) and he resisted the noblemen's wife and ran when she tried to seduce him when they were alone. She then claimed he tried to rape her and Joseph was throne into prison. The sermon focused on Joseph living with virtue when temptation was there and how the Devil and sin are like a lion who creep up on us and catch us off guard if we do not run from it and resist it. He used what Jesus said in that "If you sin with your eyes, poke them out. If you sin with your hand, chop it off. ect." It was a good sermon on life with virtue and how God can help with that.
I've noticed with personal relationship to something seen as higher (Whatever interpretation of God, Guru, Buddha, ect.) That it can be an excellent tool transformation, growth and accountability. Whether any are actually as they are described...I do not know, and honestly would like too.
As I write once more my exploration and journey continues as I explore the faiths and faith communities of this astonishing world.
First many of you may be wondering why I'm choosing to blog about a show, a musical at that. I have a few reasons, first is its interpretation of Jesus, and from this are all the issues it talks about in relationship to humanity and what makes us human. I wish to touch on these themes in more than just the people who I talk to and the churches that I visit. Books and plays are also fair game for knowledge, growth, learning and experiencing of an individual's faith or one's own faith. In writing this I'm extending the blog to these areas.
The story of Jesus is a timeless story and the musical expresses as much in it's presentation. The story is based around the possible relationship between Jesus, Judas and Mary.This is a musical that has always meant so much to me. I grew up watching this show with my family. I think it was the rock that drew me in initially...as well as the characters. I'd only knew Judas as the 1 dimensional villain from Church and the Children's Bible books I had...and if he did exist, like all humans he was more complicated than a simple villain. "Jesus Christ Superstar" explores this and it immediately drew me in as a middle schooler and teenager. As a kid I also always like orcs and trolls and hated how an entire race could be made a one dimensional villain...I countered by twisting this around with my brother and was eventually rewarded as I got older in stories that explored orcs, trolls and in this Judas a shade of gray...human, flawed, relatable.
When I arrived the first thing I noticed was the stage: It was a broken down area blocked off by a fence reaching over fifteen feet high, covered in barbed wire. As we waited for the show to begin we heard the sounds of helicopters buzzing and search lights went over us and the stage before it went quite. Then the apostles and Mary entered. They were dressed like anarchists I've seen at Evergreen. Old hoodies that were to big, gloves where the fingers stick out, shirts that were un-styled and grungy hair...no one looked like they'd had a bath in ages, and all had a sense of anger and community about them. They greeted each other by placing their right hand against one another's hand in greeting. In them I saw so many Greeners (Evergreen students) whom I know in those people representing his apostles.
Jesus then arrived in the ally (he had light at his back in his entrance). He was in a slightly white hoody and a red run down scarf. Judas was wearing glasses, had a shoulder bag and an un-buttoned button up shirt. He wore a hat which completed his almost hacker like look. They apostles and Jesus then danced as Judas sang about how worried he was about Rome turning on them and Jesus not being aware of the consequences he could have for his people. "Listen Jesus to this warning I give...please remember that I want us to live!" This is the beginning of his disillusionment as he sees the people get more and more attached to Jesus the person and not his words. "You've begun to matter more than the things you say."
This then lead into the next scene where Mary Magdalene is attempting to comfort Jesus, Judas acting out of jealousy (it seemed) and want to save Jesus's image said he shouldn't associate with her since she's a prostitute and him being seen in an intimate way could ruin his image as a Holy Man. Jesus fights him (never seen this interpretation but Jesus tearing down the Temple did show he could be violent, this also played into the anger the group seemed sometimes prone too in being counter the status quo).
The scene with Caiphus plotting with the High Priests was in a business setting. He and the other high priests were in white long business suits with a pin, and had white yamakas on their heads. They were presented as people who profited from the status quo. They wouldn't be seen again in the conference room till Judas's loss of faith. To me they represented the disconnect between materialism and faith...when we get comfortable in our situation it's easy to see those comforts as the most important thing in life.
Next is "Hosanna" is Jerusalem. Jesus directly confronts the Priests saying "Even if the people stop singing the very rocks themselves would start to sing." Throughout this Judas is in the background, happy during "Hosanna" worried during Simon the Zealots song about overthrowing Rome, in which Jesus says none of them (Judas, Apostles, Jerusalem, Rome, The Priests) understand what power is.
Pilate is introduced next. In this production Pilate is a Military Dictator who looks like somewhat like former "President" Mubarak in dress. Rome is presented as Corporate interests as he's shaking hands with businesspeople in the temple in the next scene as cameras flash...showing how it was those interests that lead to the Temple losing it's holyness in a manner of speaking. Jesus then enters with two henchmen and throws down the tables and tears down the pictures (which look Victoria Secret, and other stores that sail clothing via appeal to sex aka people wearing almost nothing to sell clothes). The main theme was money and money fell on the first few rows after the "Temple Song" ended. It was a powerful message having Jesus and his 2 apostles tear down the pictures...it was "Stop this objectification, and exploitation." In a sense, people are a temple not to be used evily.
Next it was Mary comforting Jesus and Judas's further disillusionment thinking Jesus did the Temple act to look out for the poor and now he's just spending time with Mary getting doted on like a King and lover. They fight and Judas leaves to the High Priests. Mary then sings about not knowing how to love him, Jesus then sits up and they sleep together. Sex isn't applied and one way to interpret this is he was giving Mary what she needed (comfort and connection), they then sleep. Judas sees them and runs to the priests worried that Jesus has not only lost control of the apostles (Simon the Zealot's song) but himself as well (sleeping with Mary, contradicting his teachings in Judas's eyes).
The scene with the Priests is powerful as Judas clearly is conflicted about what he's doing. "I had no thought at all about my own reward. I really didn't come here on my own accord. Just don't say I'm, damned for all time..." This main chorus echoes as he nearly doesn't take the money the priest were Jesus is. Before he leaves with the money he sits and looks like the audience...lost in thought.
At intermission I found myself lost in thought. Part of the premise of Christianity is that Jesus had do to die for everyone to live...in that way, how much free will did Judas actually have according to Christianity? In Christianity Prophecy means something will happen and Jesus said he would be betrayed so that all could live...yet he also curses the one who would betray him saying, The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." Mark 14:21
This brings up the problem of Evil and goodness of God once more...if God plans evil to happen in order for good and an innocent man suffers (or at least flawed man - Judas) then what does that say about God?
The next scene is the Garden of Gethsemane. The apostles and Mary arrive one by one and share a bong, while playing around with one another as Jesus watches in the distance. The act then begins as they sing "Look at all my trials and tribulations, sinking in a gentle pool of wine.... Always thought that I'd be an apostle, knew that I could make it if I tried.Then we retire, we can ride the Gospels so they'll still talk about us when we die."
Jesus then expresses his fear, distress and anxiety and tells Peter that Peter will deny him 3 times, and that one of his apostles will betray him. Judas says Jesus knows it is him. They argue and Judas leaves saying that things would have worked out differently if Jesus had, had a plan.
Jesus then has his moment in the garden singing about how he doesn't want to die. His passion in the song is overwhelming as he confronts a God he cannot see about his death. He ends the song accepting it. "I'll do what you started, I didn't start it. God thy will is hard. But you hold every card...I will drink your cup of poison. Nail me to your cross and beat me, but do it now, before I change my mind." The conflict is so great and shows Jesus wondering if a benevolent God who wants evil to be done to him, really even exists.
The soldiers in riot gear (the Garden is a broken area under a bridge it looked like) take Jesus away after he tells the Apostles to stop fighting them. One small moment that is powerful is when Judas had Mary retreat first...someone who he's always picked on. Judas act is to make sure the soldiers don't see her with Jesus.
The interrogation of Jesus by the soldiers is something out of the Middle East going on today with oppressive governments. For example how they go about interrogating Jesus with hitting him with their pistols, rifle buts and gloved hands is like something from the interrogation chambers Syria that Dorothy Parvaz the recently freed journalist wrote about:
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/05/2011518184325620380.html
The High Priests mock him and Judas watches in horror seeing how Jesus was abused during the arrest.
Peter's denials are next and he sings with Mary about starting over again with Jesus as Mary is now understanding his love and Peter now understands Jesus's situation (Peter gets rejected by the people and the apostles...the total outsider because of his denials).
Next is Pilate and Jesus. Pilate doesn't think Jesus deserves the time of day to even be considered and sends him on to Herod a flamboyant bisexual older male with lots of male and female concubines. He's getting a massage and is someone profiting majorly from the status quo. He sends Jesus on when Jesus doesn't do any miracles and refuses to talk to him.
Judas returns the money and pleads with the priests to let Jesus go. They say, "No" and Judas says he never knew how to love Jesus. The next scene he is given by rope by Jesus and a group of Anarchists in black dressed like death...he commits suicide in despair, blaming Jesus for it.
Jesus's trial is the next scene. Jesus refuses any "help" from Pilate and the people continue screaming for his death. Pilate keeps showing how Jesus is nothing and not worth it, while trying to make things easier for Jesus (except for the whipping) and then washes his hands and lets the people (who are dressed as middle class people who went along with the craze then went away when Jesus did nothing against Rome or to change anything in their eyes).
Jesus says his last words on the cross. "Into your hands I commend my spirit" after he forgives the people for crucifying him (one of the greatest acts of compassion and the greatest of the miracle of the story that I hope we all can live out if we're ever in that place where he was (sent to death when innocent after being humiliated). That act of compassion and love is how we all should strive to live. This is the part of the Jesus story that always meant the most to me. This total act of forgiveness is something I strive to live daily...holding onto bitterness, anger and resentment does nothing to solve problems and only hurts myself and those around me. Forgiveness allows for moving forward and moving on.
The final scene is Mary and Apostles taking Jesus off the cross. They go around him and as he is covered by the amount of people around him, a light comes down and they look up. The scene is left in a mystery and Jesus being God or an example of how we are children of God like him is up to debate. The fact that Brian Yorkey left the question open was smart in my opinion. It ends on a mystery.
This in turn is an expression of the story of religion and the mysteries that happened or were created to understand the unknown. It was the best ending the show could've had in my opinion and the show itself was a beautiful expression of the humanity of Jesus and that there are more important things in the world then greed (The scene in the Temple), violence (Simon the Zealot's song) and that "The Kingdom is not of this world." It's something deeper and more unknown than that. Maybe it's whithin, or an actual reality outside this one (Another dimension we go to after death possibly? I'm not sure...). I was lucky to have gone and recommend it to anyone asking questions, interested politics, religion and musicals. By far Andrew Lloyd Webber's greatest musical and a wonderful interpretation of the characters and events surrounding "The Passion."
