Let Down Your Walls.

All profound truths are simple:

The cause and the purpose of life is love.

What stops us from loving is fear.

Fear erects walls around us.

In order to love we must overcome our fears and let down our walls.

We must open our hearts.

And give love.

To everyone.


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Something's Wrong.

You may think that everything should be O.K..

But everyone knows that something has gone drastically wrong.

The world is unjust and unforgiving.

Inequality is extreme.

Religious and ethnic violence is increasing.

Persecution of minorities is rife.

The world is ruled by ratbags and madmen.

War rages on.

Refugees are ignored.

Many die of hunger.

It's not a good report card.

We can do much better.

But while we are all distracted.

While we are all corrupted and controlled.

While we remain passive.

Nothing will improve.

Evil hidden in our multi-media network corrupts us by stealth.
It distracts us and leads us astray.
It hardens our hearts and feeds our fears.

So be discriminating in your viewing.

And your listening.

Take an interest in something outside of yourself.

Then perhaps you will begin to see.


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The Religious Left.

Recently we have been hearing the term The Religious Left.

But what is The Religious Left?

It is a term that refers to people who are left-wing politically but still believe in God.

So in fact it is quite a large demographic.

It includes Progressive Christians but it is not confined to church-going people.

It has developed because there are many people who contend that God is not confined to right-wing political thinking.

The Religious Left has a strong sense of Social Justice and tends to embrace more liberal and tolerant social attitudes including acceptance and affirmation of gays and lesbians.

We also have a strong commitment to the Gospel of Love.

So when you use the term religious be aware that it does not just refer to right-wing politics.


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Gay Church.

With the legalization of gay marriage in Australia the debate begins about blessing same-sex marriages in Churches.

I am gay.
I am also a full member of the Uniting Church in Australia.
I receive communion.
I am on the Church Council.

And my relationship with God is strong.

God accepts and loves me as I am.

I have never experienced condemnation or disapproval from God.

These things exist in the realm of humankind but not in the realm of God.

So I see no obstacle to blessing same-sex marriages in church.


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How to Live.

Most of us wonder what is the purpose of life.

Most of us ponder how we should live.

After many years of searching, questioning, studying, and experience I have come to the conclusion that love is the source and the purpose of life.

The Alpha and Omega.

The Beginning and the End.

Our experiences will tell us that when love is present we feel O.K. and we are able to cope with life and we have mostly positive experiences.

When love is absent we feel cold and empty and we cannot cope with the bad experiences that follow.

But it is when we learn to give love that we find the ultimate answer because then love is always present.

Jesus said to love God and love your neighbor.

He even said to love your enemies.

And so we must overcome our fears and give love.

To live with your walls down and your heart open, to give freely to those around you, and see each person as a unique individual, to let go of your judgements and prejudices and know that everyone is your brother or sister in the Family of Humanity with God Himself as our Father/Mother.

This is how we should live our lives. 


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The Flame.

As the institutional Church slowly dies it is up to we who are left - a handful, a dozen - to meet perhaps in private homes for worship and a meal.

There may be no minister, no priest, no hierarchy to govern us.

We must fend for ourselves and do our best with limited resources.

We must share leadership and duties.

In this way we will keep the flame alive until the time when growth begins to come.

But we must not cling to outmoded doctrines and creeds.

We must embrace change and innovation and do our best in our daily lives to reflect the Love of God we experience in worship.

Knowing that the flame is Love.


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Hanukkah.

Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights commemorates the consecration of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

It falls on the 25th day of Kislev which is near the Winter Solstice - The Birth of the Sun in Pagan religions.

Its observance involves the lighting of the Menorah or nine-branch candlestick.

One candle is lit on each night of the eight day period* from the central candle - the Shamash or helper.

This is also a Light festival and it falls near Christmas which is the day we celebrate the Light of Jesus born into the world.


* The candles of the menorah had miraculously lasted for eight days with only one day's oil.

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The Good News.

The good news is that God does not punish us.

There is no Judgement - personal or collective.

And therefore no hell.

God is wholly good.

Like a loving Father.

He helps us.

And guides us.

Sex is not a sin.

God does not punish us for our natural desires.

Homosexuality is not sinful.

It is part of God's good creation.

Good news indeed!


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Body of Life.

The body is full of beautiful life.

Far from the negative doctrines of Paul.

Unbinding the false laws of sin and death.

We breathe.
Our hearts beat.
We see.
We move.

Our being is vibrant with energy and love.

We exist in the infinite Waters of Life!

Nice.

Far from being nasty or bad I aspire to being nice, even good.

Rejecting popular buzz-words like: wicked, filthy, sin, despicable, korrupt, rogue etc. which derive from covert Satanism in our popular culture.

I embrace the Light through virtues like: integrity, honesty, truthfulness, charity etc..

And spiritual values like: forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and love.

So, at the risk of being unfashionable, I will persist in being nice.


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Hard-Heartedness.

The world is cold, harsh, hard, and tough.....

We have no sympathy for refugees.

We have no time for the mentally-ill.

We have no compassion for the poor.

Everyone is expected to fend for themselves.

And no one will make sacrifices.

This is hard-heartedness.

It is induced by violence.

And it is maintained by fear.

So, if you want the world to be a different place, open your heart!


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Life.

At first all we know is pleasure and pain.

We pursue pleasure and avoid pain.

This leads to burn-out and emptiness.

We begin to search.

We may become aware of evil in our world.

And we set out to battle against evil and defeat it.

At last we realize that this will never work.

It just embroils us in violence.

Finally we look to Jesus.

Jesus said not to battle against evil but to love your enemies and pray for those who abuse you.

This non-violent benevolence leads directly to God.

Love God and love your neighbor, love even your enemies as Jesus taught.

God punishes no one.

All are forgiven.

And reconciled through Love.


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Knowing God.

Jesus said that the world did not know God.

The world knows the false construction of God as judge and punisher of humankind which has more to do with earthly authority than heavenly authority.

Moses said of God, "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness."  Exodus 34:6 (NRSV)

This is echoed by David in the Psalms and the prophet Jonah.

Jesus called God Abba - Papa.

He gave us the image of God as a loving Father.

He said, "'The Father judges no one.'"  John 5:22a (NRSV)

God is faithful and reliable.

God is transcendent.

God is Love.


[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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Within You.

"'The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, "Look, here it is!" or "There it is!"  For the kingdom of God is within* you.'"  Luke 17:20b (NRSV)

The reason why the Kingdom of God is said to be within you is because spiritual development is the development of the heart.

The melting of the heart to feel compassion and the opening of the heart to give love.

The Kingdom of  God is not a throne, or an army, or a parliament, or a police force.

The Kingdom of God is not a location on the map.

The Kingdom of God is a fellowship of hearts.

Love God and love your neighbor.

The rest is fear.


* Alternate translation.

[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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The Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is a realm where love is the constant reality.

The Kingdom of God is a place where no one is condemned.

The Kingdom of God is a community where understanding replaces indifference.

The Kingdom of God is a nation where fear and prejudice are unknown.

The Kingdom of God is a house where help is always at hand.

The Kingdom of God is a country where compassion and mercy reign.

The Kingdom of God is a society where no one is left behind.

The Kingdom of God is a home where God is always present.

The Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of Love.


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Assumptions.

When we make contact with the real God.

Or more precisely when the real God makes contact with us.

We are prone to making assumptions.

We assume that we are always right.

We assume that we are worthy.

We assume that we are better than others.

There are many things that we can assume.

Theological assumptions.

Philosophical assumptions.

Theoretical assumptions.

When Abraham migrated to the land of the Canaanites he assumed that God had promised possession of this land to him and his descendants.

This has been disputed ever since.

And it is still disputed today.

When Moses was presented with some guidelines for the Israelites he assumed that making more guidelines was even better.

Hence we have the 613 laws.

King David assumed that because God favored him He would destroy his enemies and make him victorious in battle.

But these things are by no means certain.

When Jesus came he clarified many of these things.

But many assumptions have been made about Jesus as well:

Jesus' Virgin Birth, his Divinity, his physical Resurrection, his Second Coming.....

Many of these things have been questioned.

So what can we be sure of?

Jesus said that the first and greatest commandment was, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."'"  Matthew 22:37 (NRSV)

"'And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."'"  Matthew 22:39 (NRSV)

And: "'I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.'"  John 13:34 (NRSV)

This is certain.

The Bhagavad-Gita says:

"To love is to know me,
My innermost nature,
The truth that I am:
Through this knowledge he enters
At once into my Being."

"Give me your whole heart,
Love and adore me,
Worship me always,
Bow to me only,
And you shall find me:
This is my promise
Who love you dearly."

This is sure.

So; rather than assuming possession of land, or victory in battle, or winning out against our enemies; we should try to love people and make peace.

Nothing else is sure.


[Scripture quotation (Marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S,A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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Death.

Shakespeare used the word die to describe sexual orgasm.

This would seem to imply that the orgasm resulted in a spiritual death.

In Romeo and Juliet Romeo says, "Give me my sin again." as if kissing was a sin.

These ideas indicate a medieval mind-set about sex and death.

St.Paul said, "The wages of sin is death."  Romans 6:23 (NRSV)

Modern Satanists have appropriated these ideas in order to magnify the power of Satan.

By imposing the idea that sexual orgasm leads to death to God they take a power which is not strictly Biblical.

These doctrines were never intended to be implemented in this way.

And you will not find these ideas in Jesus' teachings.

They hark back to Persian mythology with its ideas of dualism.

But the idea that sex leads to a spiritual death is false.

Sex is life itself.

And the pleasure experienced in sex is not sinful.

So we must challenge these lies.

And restore sex to its rightful place.


[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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Star Wars.

The problem with movies like Star Wars is that they have the right problem but the wrong answer.

The problem of widespread evil in our world cannot be stopped with the sword.

Because evil is basically a spiritual problem it must be countered with spiritual methods.

This is where Jesus comes in.

Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who abuse us.
He said to turn the other cheek.

This approach is in sharp contrast to classical stories of good versus evil in which the good guys always win through violence.

The human reaction to evil is to attack and destroy.

But when we lay down the sword and pray for the good of our enemies something happens.

Violence begets violence.

So non-violent prayer is a way forward.

Rather than getting entangled in violence and revenge we can pray for the redemption of our assailants.

This is truly radical.

Cry out to God!

He will hear.


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Spirituality.

The religious right think that they have cornered the market in spirituality.

They think that right thinking and right politics equals God's blessing.

And absolute power.

But spirituality is not about lording it over others.

Spirituality is about giving.

Too much of our language in church is about receiving and asking for things (mostly for ourselves).

Too much of our intention is about conquest and conversion.

And too little of our action is about meeting others' real needs.

We need to learn to give love.

Not to accrue benefit to ourselves.

Then we will be a true blessing to the world.


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Pray for Peace.

We may feel powerless to stop the war machines.

We may feel depressed about the state of our world.

We may not know what to do.

Or how to help.

But there is one thing we can do.

And that is:

Pray for Peace.


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Judge No One.

"'The Father judges no one.'"  John 5:22 (NRSV)

"'Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.'"  John 5:19 (NRSV)

"'You judge by human standards; I judge no one.'"  John 8:15 (NRSV)

Jesus says he, like the Father, judges no one.

So how can we anticipate a Judgement Day?

People have been predicting this Day for thousands of years but it never happens.

Perhaps we are justified in thinking that it will never happen.

Humankind has projected its expectation of Natural Justice onto God.

But God does not work in this way.

God is wholly good, wholly benevolent.

"The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish."  2 Peter 3:9 (NRSV)

Rather than punishing us for our transgressions, God waits for us to change.

He gives us another chance.

So, like God, we should refrain from judging others.

And offer them another chance.


[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division Of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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Respect Him.

The key to sexual desire is respect.

Love brings with it desire and respect.

We must respect his wishes.

We must respect his rights.

We must respect his vows.

Then our love may be requited.


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Home.

Once we experience the Love of God and know that Love is sure.

Then any attempts to undermine, contradict, or cancel that Love are powerless.

And once we know that sex is not a sin then all their efforts will be fruitless.

We will live in Love and give our love to others.

Then we will be Home.


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Co-Creators.

Michelangelo said that God was somehow involved in his creativity - he was not doing it all himself.

And this is how it is if we pray and if we are sincere in our adoration of God.

Somehow the Love is shared and distributed.

And we become co-creators.


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Same-Sex Marriage.

At last after years of pain and struggle and tears

the Australian Parliament passed the Same-Sex Marriage bill.

Gay Marriage is now legal in Australia.

With the Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia

scheduled for next year this is perfect timing to

discuss the possibility of God's blessing

for Same-Sex Marriage in our churches. 


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It Matters.

What happens to the poor and the marginalized matters.

We cannot just follow celebrities and rock stars and sports men and women and aspire to fame and fortune.

We are responsible for our fellow human beings.

Be they slave laborers, or asylum seekers, or gays and lesbians.....

We are all brothers and sisters.

For God is our Father.

And we are all equal.


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The Answer.

Although I encourage people to have a positive attitude towards sex

I do not think that sex is the answer.

Many people think that sexual success will bring lasting happiness.

But an orgasm lasts a few seconds at most.

And sexual satisfaction does not last long.

The answer to life's dilemma is love.

Only love will satisfy the soul.

And to give love is the ultimate answer.

Because then we are in love all the time.


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Evidence.

If you want evidence that rock music is Satanic just look at punk rock and rap music.

Punk rock began with the words: "I am an Anti-Christ, I am an anarchist."

And it popularized self-mutilation and self-deprecation.

Rap music was criticized for its obscene lyrics and swearing.

It inspired belligerent violence in its fans.

None of these things is helpful or even tolerable.

But the catch-cry of censorship disabled any criticism.

These are both examples of the negativity with which rock music poisons its listeners.

And that's not counting backtracking and subliminal suggestion.


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Pure in Heart.

"'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.'"  Matthew 5:8 (NRSV)

Jesus said that the world does not know God.

"'Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said, "This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, in vain do they worship me."'"  Matthew 15:8,9a (NRSV)

Only the pure in heart will see God.

For "the Lord looks on the heart."  1 Samuel 16:7d (NRSV)


{Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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Moral Panic.

Because the writings of St. Paul threaten people with hell Church people are frozen in a mind-set of fear.

Objections to homosexuality and pre-marital sex are the direct results of moral panic inspired by St. Paul.

His writings on spirit and flesh are responsible for untold damage done both within and by the Churches.

But you will not find these ideas in Jesus' teachings.

In fact Jesus was known for eating with sinners and prostitutes.

His teachings are inclusive not exclusive.

It is St.Paul who excludes people from Heaven particularly those involved in sexual activity.

Paul was a member of an extremely strict sect of Pharisees who were conservative and celibate.

He never married.

The time has come to take a fresh look at Paul's writings in the light of modern scholarship.

Paul is plainly wrong when he says that homosexuals will not partake of Heaven.

Gay people are as acceptable to God as straight people.

And their love will not exclude them from Heaven.

It is time to re-vision our approach to sexuality in the light of the teachings of the historical Jesus.

Plainly God did not invent sex with the intention of proscribing it.

Only an insane God would do such a thing.

The intense pleasure associate with sex is clearly intended to encourage sexual activity not stop it.

It may be that God accepts a person's sacrifice of sexual activity.

But this is voluntary self-denial.

It is not a requirement to be universally applied.

God's Grace is inspired by Love.

And love is closer to sex than self-denial.

So we must overcome our fear with faith in the benevolence of God.

And accept that sex is an integral part of God's good creation.


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A Matter of the Heart.

Sex is not immoral or sinful or dirty.

Sex is a matter of the heart.

And as a matter of the heart sex is intimately entwined with the Divine.

The Divine is the realm of Love.

And love rules the heart.

So do not believe those who tell you that sex is death.

Sex is Life and Love.

And God is Love.


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Truth.

When God shines the light of truth upon us

what we see becomes self-evident.

And permanent changes take place.

This is how enlightenment proceeds.


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