A refresher on manners for the Holidays

A refresher for some manners to remember for the Holidays

Aunt Eliscia (from the film Gigi) tells her niece "Bad table manners, my dear Gigi, have broken up more households than infidelity."

Although this is not (specifically) about table manners, I've been thinking about some of my own graces that I need to brush up. Maybe you do too.

1) say Please.

  I was reminded of this when visiting my hair-dresser and was asking if I might please, have a piece of candy from their candy jar. My hair dresser said "of course" and then went on to tell me that no one ever asks.

Please is a graceful word, devoid of entitlement.

2) Say Thank you

  Expressing thanks to someone who does (even the smallest ) kindness, is acknowledging their intersection in your life's path. Yes God -and the universe does want the best for you, in your life's journey. Putting people in your life to help you is part of the way that happens. Say Thank you, when it does.

3) Do not arrive at someone's home (this holiday season) empty handed.

 If you are visiting a friend-co-worker's- or acquaintance's home, bring something

to thank them for their hospitality. My personal favorite for this, is that I bake bread for them and bring it with me to their home. Very few people refuse home- baked bread.

4) Acknowledge their decorations (if they have them)

   I don't care if their Christmas tree looks like the dog's breakfast, or their decorations are chicken wire and toilet paper. If they're making an effort, acknowledge it. Just like ALL dogs go to heaven-ALL Christmas trees are beautiful-it's a rule. Offering "Oh, what a lovely tree" or noticing a specific ornament will be meaningful to your host or hostess.

5) Be receptive to courtesy.

 My reference point about this will appall most of you. In the film Erin Brockavich, Erin tells her boss (after a meeting with clients) to have a (bleeping) cup of coffee with these people.  Have the cup of coffee, the glass of eggnog, take a seat--sit deep--visit a (short) while. Being receptive to courtesy shows that you are (essentially) not in a rush to get away from them.

6) Honor your commitments.

  Don't blow someone off because you have a "better offer" and expect your original friend or acquaintance to be "understanding".  Talk about bad manners...geez.

Judging Halloween

Friends and family who know Walt and me, know we have a huge enthusiasm for Halloween.

Unlike many haunts, we stay away from anything too gory or gruesome--no hacking murders or demon babies. Mostly historical figures on the tombstones (some fictional) and Universal Monsters for the haunt.

When we moved to our present home, I assumed we would have opposition to our huge yard haunt. The subdivision doesn't allow Trick-or-Treators , so I was determined that Halloween would be a barren source of amusement this year. I thought, "We'll probably do this one year, and then I'll have to find someone to bequeath our Halloween decorations to".

Several of our dearest friends, in the past, have not shared our enthusiasm for Halloween, so our efforts were met with some "tolerance", I think.

 This year, several things changed for us. #1 is we own our own home. My attitude seems to developed into a "nobody is going to tell me what to do on my own land" sort of thing.

#2 We have some neighbors that we absolutely adore, who have become good friends.

#3 (and perhaps most important for me) My usual Fall Lung issues, seem to not be bothering me, at all. (Thank you, Jesus!)

So the last week of September, Walt set to the task of sorting out our decorations, and we began setting up Halloween. First in the house and then out on the front lawn.

I warned our neighbors, that I expected the HOA to be unhappy with us...but we'll just see.

 Several things happened in all of this, that I never anticipated. A couple that moved in, just down the street, started putting up scarecrows and fall leaves and mums in their yard.

Our next door neighbors (whom I expected to meet our Halloween decorations with a patient indulgence) have been participating in our haunt, helping to build props and liking indoor decorations and giving us a decoration she found in her travels.

 The other residents have stopped by and told us how much they love the decorations. The new neighbors even gave us a hand-made trophy for Best Decorations.

 I find myself meeting this season with an odd amount of calm and joy.

I'm not worried about someone "stealing our tombstones or other props" (as has happened in neighborhoods before)

We had so many issues previously, it led me to create this poem and post this sign:

ATTENTION!!!

Grave-robbers, Thieves and Vandals,

say your prayers and light some candles.

These grounds are protected by an old gypsy curse

And just when you're thinking

it couldn't be worse!

Our video surveillance will give you chill

if One doesn't catch you,

the other one will!

No one walking up to us and informing us that Halloween is Satan's holiday.

No one (as of yet) telling us how we are damned for our enthusiasm for the holiday.

No one found paws up because of our animated Butler.

 This Halloween, I think we did our decorating for the best reason of all---for ourselves.

And , I think, it's working out best of all of our Halloweens.

Until next time,

eat something wonderful (like candy corn)

and live a life worth loving!

-Kim

Spirit Communication and The Church

Spirit Communication and The Church

     Throughout the ages, religious officials have banned all forms of spirit communication and divination, touting that it opens one to demonic influences.

Church councils and institutions have reinforced this attitude. In the fifth century, a synod held by st. Patrick, declared that any Christian who believes that a spirit can be seen in a mirror shall be anathematized , and must be excluded from the church until he or she renounces this believe and performs penance.

If you think the narrow view held by some of our fundamentalist Christian brethren is only in the past, think again.  According to a 1979 press account, two women were banished from a Baptist church in Independence , Missouri because they "told fortunes" by means of a crystal ball.

My own experience is proof that the Bible belt is still fascined tightly around Melbourne, Florida. After being a member of a United Methodist church for 6 years, I was told by the Pastor that I was not welcome to "teach or hold a position of responsibility" because I posted on Facebook that I read Tarot Cards. Bear in mind, that said Pastor had been told what I do for a living, six years prior to this incident.

     There are several passages in the Bible that prohibit the summoning of spirits and various other forms of divination among them:

 "Do not resort to ghosts and spirits, nor make yourselves unclean by seeking them out. I am the Lord your God." -Leviticus 19:31.

“I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community." Leviticus 20:6 NLT.

“Men and women among you who act as mediums or who consult the spirits of the dead must be put to death by stoning. They are guilty of a capital offense.” Leviticus 20:27 NLT

     There are several powerful points to be made in rebuttal to these condemnations. The first being that if one was to never participate in any form of divination, what of Joseph and his silver cup (Gen. 44)? Jonah and the casting of lots (Jonah 7:1)? Daniel and the interpretation of dreams (Daniel 2:24-49) ?

     It is important to recognize that many of these gifts of divination and mediumship are described most accurately in the New Testament as gifts of the Holy Spirit (i.e..Words of Wisdom, Prophecy, Speaking in Tongues see the book of 1rst Corinthians 12:7-11)  A valid argument can be made that Jesus' coming in the flesh changed the relationship between the Holy Spirit and mankind, and in so doing, nullifying certain aspects of the Old Testament Law, that are no longer appropriate for humanity to observe now: "When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became an adult I did away with childish things." -1 Corinthians 13:11

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit og God moves among or rested upon chosen individuals for periods of time (reference 1 Samuel 10:10 and 1 Samuel 16:14)

In the New Testament , Jesus taught His disciples and all believers of the "new relationship" they (we) would have with the Holy Spirit: "(The Holy Spirit) Abides with you, and will be in (John 14:17) . The change in that relationship would seem to indicate that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit permits believers to explore experience areas of spirituality previously forbidden in the Old Testament.

     Among those lines of thought, most of the a-fore mentioned prohibitions of the Old testament when quoted (if accurately) are quoted out of context.

For example: Leviticus 19:31 "Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. "I am the Lord your God." Is receded by the verses:

19:19 "You asre to keep my statues. You shall not breed together two kinds of your cattle; You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear a garment upon you of material mixed together."

And Leviticus 19:28 "You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead, nor many any tattoo marked on yourselves. I am the Lord"

Points one might wish to bring up to the next well-meaning fundamentalist standing before one, who is :

1) Wearling a poly-cotton shirt or blouse.

2) with their nicely trimmed hair and

3) wearing pierce earrings.

Also, the Book of Leviticus (and parts of the book of Numbers) was written specifically for a Jewish tribe of priests called the Levites. So one wonders whether these admonitions are specifically for believers after Christ walked the earth.

This is not license to "play" with the spirit realm. 1 John 4:1 states "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God."

The Bible distinctly says "test" the spirit, not to avoid them.

Crucifixion: The Holy Scandal

https://www.amazon.com/Crucifixion-Holy-Scandal-Cecile-Delacharie/dp/B078K6J4DM/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=Crucifiction+the+holy+scandal&qid=1553011996&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr0

I just watched a documentary film titled: Crucifixion: The Holy Scandal

It's free with my Prime membership on Amazon.

Before I go any further, if you are scandalized or otherwise offended by images of the Crucified Christ that are (in any way) non-traditional...this is not the film for you.

Personally, I found it fascinating how many artists have produced artworks of the Crucifixion.

Basquiate, Dali, Francis Bacon, to name a (very) few.

The documentarian takes one on a tour through many artworks , in churches , in museums, in art studios of the Crucifixion, with commentaries, by the artists and art historians.

It was mesmerizing to me.

 The central figure of this film was an artist named Andres Serrano. Over 20 years ago, he was the central figure of a controversy over the endowment for the arts. He produced a photograph of a crucifix in his own urine, which he titled "Piss Christ".

I remember this controversy, as presented on the show "Phil Donahue". I remembered thinking the photograph was truly captivating, until I learned what the fluid was.

As commentary runs through this film, I learned, I was not the only person with that view.

I was appreciative of the different depictions of the Crucifixion.

Andres Serrano was not the first to bring the crucifixion of Christ into controversy. Michalangelo produced a sculpture of a (completely) naked Christ on a cross in the 14th century.

More contemporary works include psychodrama, by an artist named Nitche (Austrian) who produces live characterizations of the Crucifixion, with animal entrails as part of the disply.

An artist named Fyre has produced a (life-size) wax model of Jesus, with all the beating wounds and crown of thorns, sitting on an electric chair.

Francis Bacons representation is a kind of primordial image, no real human figure, on a cross.

I watched all of these pieces of art with interest, intrigue, even some appreciation.

It wasn't until an interview with Andres Sarrano that I found myself so riled up, I had to produce this blog.

By his own words, he says he creates Christian art and is a Christian. He's talking about the work "Piss Christ" and begins his explanation of his perspective. He says that Christ was on the cross for days, and certainly in that time he would have urinated and deficated.

OK-so the idea of Christ losing his bodily control during his own execution, something upon which I have heard a scientist expound. I am not offended, not even surprised.

 But if one says one is a Christian, I would think, that one had actually read (at least) one of the gospel books.  According to Mark's Gospel, he endured the torment of crucifixion for some six hours from the third hour, at approximately 9 am, until his death at the ninth hour, corresponding to about 3 pm.

Am I THAT much of a stickler? I have to admit...sometimes I am.

According to the text that are originally authoritative for the event to which the artist was alluding, Jesus was on the cross for 6 hours.  Some remarks are actually made about him passing so soon (as other criminals did linger for days). Some liturgists, I've heard, believe that this "quick passing" was a "mercy to Jesus".

I don't embrace that concept, as , the account(s) describe him being scourged before he was forced to carry his own cross, down the via dolarosa, to Calvary. I've seen many treatise on whether the cross was the cross entire or just the petibulium (cross piece). I've seen many discussions and theories as to whether He was pierced through the palms of His hands, or His wrists.  I've seen exortation as to why crucifixion is actually excruciating. I have never heard anyone suggest he was executed over a number of days.

  For the sake of some sort of authenticity, at least read the text to which you are making allusion.