The Importance of Character - City Church - Sandy, UT - August 31st, 2014

    My experience at City Church was mixed. There were things that were great about it (a bit of the sermon and the music) and things that weren't (tithing, tithing, tithing and argument from Authority). I'll get into it more later in the post.

    City Church is pretty close to Saint Thomas More Catholic Church, which made the drive there pretty easy. Once there I found that the area was pretty spacious and that the main area where the sermons take place looked like a performance venue. 

   The service kicked off with an add, and the add wasn't too bad. They said they were a lot about Jesus, weren't perfect (all churches need this disclaimer) but that they're willing to grow (maybe true?). After this there were three Christian Rocks songs that were pretty good and after an announcement video by the pastor. Way too much talking about the Church and donating to it, that was the the entire middle portion before the Lead Pastor's sermon. At least some of that money is going to service work in Guatemala though and service work in the area, so that was a plus in a mostly bad introduction to it. The church is also moving locations so that was talked about too. 

   Finally the sermon. What I liked about it was the emphasis on character, that people notice if you are good at what you do since that was why Joseph got promoted by Potiphar, the Warden and the Pharaoh. He was good at working and noticed attention to detail. In the story the pastor said this was true until Joseph advocated for himself and pointed out the how unjust it was that he was in prison for a crime he didn't commit and that he was sold into slavery. The pastor said God punished him for depending on the Butler whose dream he interpreted to rescue him rather than counting on God. In the story this makes sense, since God is a horrible person in the Old Testament who only values loyalty, when in reality a person has to advocate for themselves to reach their goals. Life generally doesn't hand you rewards, opportunities pop up, but they can only really happen with action...which is what Joseph did with the Butler. 

      The idea about character being noticed, being positive, not lying, working hard...these things can be rewarded depending on circumstances so I'd say this was a pretty good universal lesson. The idea of God providing everything (a deity with personality taking action in the world) doesn't quite hold up. Which is why the story works well as a metaphor and lesson on patience and forgiveness (Joseph forgiving his brothers at the end) but when it comes to a God or Gods, the fact that it is unknown doesn't really give a basis for me to take action for it. Also the Old Testament God is not a being worthy of worship given the things that orders the Israelites to do for their enemies and it's lack of love for it's own creations.

      The sermon ended with the pastor calling to take Jesus into one's heart. I really don't like when pastors do this. It's like a way of pressuring someone to believe something that there isn't concrete evidence for either way and effectively allowing the pastor power over the individual. Besides the money, and God should be followed because God (argument from authority and circular reasoning problem), it was mixed. The theme of character was a good and important lesson though. 

Lotus Hase Kannon Temple - Waipu, Taiwan - January 20th, 2014

 
  The first visit of the blog in a new country and suffice to say the experiences that stand out were the ones leaving the Lotus Hase Kannon Temple (once called the Goddess of Mercy Temple) and the thoughts on the Temple afterword. The reasons behind this are tied to the reality of the day, my own biases in regards to Buddhism and the positive I think religion can bring in the right context.

     Today was a lot. Today I had my first of training at Mark's English, my team the Seattle Seahawks competing for the NFC championship to get to the Superbowl and my thoughts in general about where I am right now and the importance of all those who are a part of me...no matter how great or how small in relationship to me.

     When I went to the Lotus Hasse Kannon Temple, which is a Temple that is so close to my apartment I can walk there in under ten minutes...I was thinking about the day. So much of my heart in Seattle (and the surrounding area), it is the closest city I can call home. Here has been the new adventure and all the sadness, possibility and joy that comes with that. Going to the Lotus Temple was a chance to see the people and gave me a better appreciation of Mahayana Buddhism which is really about the community more so than Theravada Buddhism which is so focused on the individual. It tends to be in the Mahayana sects you find celebrations of marriage, Temple vendors whose livelihood is based around the Temple. I only went into the first Hall where the five Bodhisattvas were and noticed that relationship, which is something I don't give enough credit too given how much community a part of my life. I didn't see excess, just people attempting to live who were at the very lay practicioners of the Lotus Sutra tradition in Mahayana Buddhism (the sect that founded the Temple). 

   These realizations during the walk back and during and after Seattle Seahawks game were where the learning experience really happened. The good of community can only happen in practice and when we realize it when in practice. What are the ways that bind us together? That make us friends, family, community? These are things that I think religion can reveal at its best but at its worst (as seen in sports and politics too) when it devolves into brutal tribalism where all respect towards others is lost...

   That is the potential, and that's what I found today in my experience in teacher training, in the Temple visit and in my community celebrating the win of the Seahawks. Today was positive in so many ways, for today I got to experience just how close home is and the home others find. 

Evening Mass - Saint Joseph's Catholic Church - Issaquah, WA - October 19th, 2013

   
     After a long day at work and a car limited to the Issaquah/Bellevue area I decided to do an impromptu to Church visit. First thing I got to say is, if I had a lot of free time and transportation I would probably be visiting a lot of Catholic Churches for this blog. Most have daily mass at 9am and they are in almost every city or town I've been in (can't say the same for a lot of other denominations and religions I've visited). Each experience is different too, some are more conservative congregations, while others are more liberal...the aesthetics also vary depending on the Church.I've been to Saint Joseph's before and it is close to my work so I decided to drop in since I wouldn't miss too much of the service.

    As for the substance of the Mass, today was a good day that actually tied into my own philosophy and depending on how you do it can be very practical. The moral of the sermon was if you become like a child and depend on God then you will find peace and grow. Luke was used as the example and the reading was about how a widow was persistent for a corrupt judge to rule in her favor and how he eventually relented because of her persistence, the moral was "If a corrupt person will relent, what about someone Good like God?"

     I saw how this could be applied to "The Way" in Taoism or even Buddhism. I haven't found any good evidence that anyone has physically met Jesus post death, or anyone who has died...but from when people describe prayer to me and the times I've prayed in the past it is a reflective process. It forces you to look at yourself and desires. From that place it is much easier to get rid of Ego, whether God is the reason or seeking Enlightenment or following "The Way" the end product can make you unselfish, and if you seek that place like a child or the idea of child (Innocence) than you will find some part of it and grow.

     That is what I got out of the experience of Mass today and the sermon.

   Also, the new responses the congregation does are a bit hard to remember. What was once "And also with you" when the priest says "Peace be with you." Is now "And with your spirit." Which also seems a bit more vague...the definitions of spirit(s) range all over the place versus "and you" which is very clearly talking about the person and wishing them well.

     That's all on that, tomorrow I plan on visiting some more Churches and continuing the adventure.  

Ash Wednesday - Lentin Reflection - Saint Michael Parish - March 9th 2011

      This is my first time taking part in the 40 days of Lent. Lent it the Holiday celebrated by Catholics, Lutherans, Orthodox and Anglicans in honor of Jesus's fasting for 40 days. The 40 days of Lent are the lead-up to Easter Day and the resurrection. This is a time, when each moment should be done with awareness (if it wasn't before) and with the awareness of Christ in one's life. Ash symbolizes mortality. Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust...in the end it's what our bodies become.

     Ash Wednesday was the largest Catholic Service I've ever attended. Saint Michael is a big parish, and every pew was filled. One of the readings was about not parading virtue in the streets (like the Pharisees did of old apparently) (which having an ash cross on ones forward kind of contradicts). But I think what the cross serves as, is a reminder of the community supporting you in your Lentin fasts. When the Priest was blessing the ashes he accidentally called them "Holy Asses," before he corrected himself. So that was moment of humor in one of the most beautiful services I've attended. (The music was old Latin sometimes and their was so much passion in the singing that day). I received the ash cross on my forehead that mass and the old woman told me what she told all of us, to "Return to the Gospel," which to me meant returning to the virtue within the Gospel (not the vice and evil within the Gospel).

     As you know, I'm not a Christian. So why am I taking part in Lent? Because I am aware of the ways I fall short. There is something to be said for days that are deemed significant, like Christmas, Easter, Ramadan, The New Year, Ash Wednesday, Rosh Hashanah, and others. When there is community support in act, like with AA (alcoholics anonymous) or NA (Narcotics anonymous) a person's will grows, because it is part of the communities will. I don't really want to publicize everything I'm giving up on a blog (though if you ask I will tell) except for some obvious ones like coffee (and giving up meat on Fridays, I failed on that on Wednesday), as I plan to better live with compassion, courage, temperance and humility in my speech and actions. These are things I CAN get better at.

    I am so lucky for all the support I have. I have never worried about going hungry, lack of transportation, being homeless, being unable to afford an education, been mortally sick or an unhealthy body. This month and beyond this month I want to be better at helping those who aren't as fortunate as me. I'm graduating in a week and I need to responsible for more then just myself. Who ME is, is a part of everyone else, and who I am is a part of others too...  

    So to those practicing Lent, know you have my support, and if you want to do anything to serve the community with me, let me know. I'll be looking for opportunities to volunteer and get involved and to help others wherever I am.