Today's blog is full of anger and sorrow.
As a friend says on some of her political posts: If it's not
for you, please ignore.
In the wake of the issues involving the (former) Pastor of
my (former) church, I find the
buffeting nauseating in my little boat (allusion to a Bible
Journaling piece, that I recently did).
Last night I ran into a woman from church, I called to her
and said "Hi". She oddly said nearly the same thing another church
member said on Sunday. "I received
your email. I wasn't ignoring you. I just didn't know what to say".
Because I am having a
faith crisis, I did another entry in my Bible Journaling.
Someone else with whom I have Bible Journaled , asked what
was going on, and I told her, point blank.
Her response was to tell me she wouldn't "unfriend
me" because of this and that she would pray for guidance for me.
Although, I wouldn't refuse prayer on my behalf, to be
honest, there is a bitterness in this whole attitude that I find waring on me.
Another Bible Journaling friend wishes I didn't do
"what I do", but she "knows my heart" so we're
"ok".
So here's what I am hearing in all this:
I think this is very much a-kin to saying to someone
"You're a good person-if only you weren't a jew".
Honestly, it is that kind of non-politically correct thing,
that I am perceiving in all this.
I can deal with skeptics who "don't believe in all
that". So few of them ask me to
read for them, really, just not an issue.
But the whole suddenly "you are not my
sister-in-Christ- anymore" because "God wouldn't like what you're
doing" thing that makes my skin crawl.
To be perfectly
clear--and for the umpteenth time--I was born with these gifts. (rather like
the argument that my LGBT friends make, I'm sure). I've had premonitions all my
life. I've seen auras all my life. I've had perceptions about people all my
life. That rather tells me, that God made me this way.
Because my Bible says God made the earth and all the
vegetation, the light the dark and the humans, I would fall into the category
of a creation of God.
No one pulled off another creation in the next county, I'm
pretty sure.
So then is the issue of how I do what I do.
According to the (former) Pastor, "The Bible doesn't
say anything about Tarot Cards or reading auras to fore-tell the future".
Well, that is a completely sound statement. The Bible does not, if point of
fact, say anything about Tarot Cards or reading auras.
The Bible does, however mention a plethora of methods of
divination which are employed by both the righteous and unrighteous:
The Urim and the Thumim were stones used by the High Priests
(and consulted by the population)
6-instances in the Bible.
The casting of Lots:
The Casting of Lots is mentioned 70 times in the Old
Testiment and 7 in the New Testament.
Utilized by both Rightesous people...i..e 11 apostles
casting lots to find a replacement for Judas (Acts. 1:26)
Casting lots by un-righteous people: The sailors attempting
to find out who brought a dangerous storm upon them in the book of Jonah (Jonah
1:7)
Roman Soldiers casting lots for Jesus' garments: John 19:23-24
Other forms of divination: Putting out a fleece Judges 6:40
The "witch" or "medium"
of Endor Summons the spirit of Saul for Samuel (a righteous man) for which she
receives neither admonishment or praise. (1 Samuel 28:7)
There are 100 verses about Interpreting
Dreams in the Bible , including my favorite from Joel 2:28 "your old men
will dream dreams, your young men will have visions."
Joseph and Daniel, harbingers of the Jewish
faith, believing in the "One true God" were dream interpreters.
Numbers & Leviticus list copious amounts
of admonitions regarding mediums, mediumship, spiritists and witchcraft.
These include a form of divination which was
practiced that involved forcing children to walk across firey coals. Defiantly
not a righteous thing to do there.
So all different kinds of divination, some
practiced by righteous people, some not.
But still no Tarot Cards and Aura Reading.
The Bible does not say anything about those.
The Bible says nothing about automobiles,
the internet, cell phones, penicillin or ball point pens.
Automobiles have been known to be fatal for
people who drive while intoxicated.
The internet is widely known as a vehicle
for pornography.
Cell phones are notorious for
"sexting" and sending lewd photos.
Penicillin is a deadly poison to someone
allergic to it.
Ball point pens can be used by atheists and
people with dangerous political agendas
to write their treatise.
Most of the people who condemn Tarot Cards
know nothing about them.
Much of Tarot is based on Christian
symbology and Kabala (Jewish mysticism).
Many of the vignettes on Tarot cards are
based on stories of Christian tradition (Like Joseph of Arimathea taking Mary
Magdalen across the waters)
Adam and Eve are pictured on the Lovers Card
in the Major Arcana.
There is a Devil card in the Tarot.
The devil is mentioned in the Bible.
I could continue. My point, (and I do have
one).
Is that if a person, in this instance, a
Christian, wants to condemn another person (in this case, another Christian),
there is plenty of fodder to find in the Bible and elsewhere.
There's plenty of good guidance too.
I mentioned to a facebook friend that I
favor the concept of "By their fruits you will know them" (Matthew
7:16).
Some of you know me, to some degree. You
know I've prayed for the sick, brought food for people in need and ailing. You
know I bake bread, write cards of encouragement, talk to friends in distress.
I've been in the music ministry of the
church, in the puppet ministry, in the prayer ministry.
I baked braided bread for World Communion
day at our church. I've participated in many accountability groups in the
church. Currently, I belong to three small groups, not including my Bible
Journaling activities, all that are centered around Christ, the risen Lord.
I heard a quote, one time, from a minister
that stated that the Christian army is the only army in the world that kill
their own wounded.
My experience would tell me that this is
accurate, in many instances.
I'm not cooking meth in the backyard and
selling to school children.
I'm not dancing on a stripper pole to make
money for my family (no aspurtions to people who do that).
I'm not mean spirited.
I don't lie.
I didn't lie to the Pastor when we were thinking about joining the
church. In fact, this pastor personally, in her office, received a tithe from
me, that I told her was from a consultation I did on this given day. I didn't
hide who I was. I didn't mislead her (or anyone else).
I don't lie in wait to trap people into
getting readings from me and forsaking God in the process.
And yet...
and still...
I get the comment
from Christians...
If only,
you weren't..
a psychic...
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