Criteria for a Church

Several years ago I was inspired by Dr. King's sermon "Guidelines for a Constructive Church".  I gave a message at my church called "Criteria for a Church".  I have misplaced that sermon.  It is in my papers somewhere.  As I recall I had either five or seven criteria.  At this point I can only recall four.  Which is my outline for this blog.  1. Does the Church discriminate against people? 2. Does it discriminate against ideas?  3. Does it help people? And 4. Is it there for you?
  Are people welcomed in the church?  Stupid question.  People are always welcomed in church.  But are they?  Who leads? Who preaches?  Who can sit in the pews without being judged? Judgement is a form of discrimination. Churches as private institutions have the legal right to discriminate.  But they don't have the right to my support for doing so. 
   I also don't support the discrimination of ideas.  This comes down to something we could call openess of canon.  What is Scripture?  How many psalms in your Bible?  My Scripture is still being written for I believe that God is still speaking to us.  My Canon is totally open.  And growing.  I honor the Bible and "Illusions" as being Holy.  And alot of other writings.
   The acid test of any religion should be whether or not it helps people.  Most churches do.  Some churches are entertainment centers and social clubs as Dr. King preached.  And I am not against forming friendships in church or having gamenight.  But the primary thing should be helping people.  The third book of John gives us three ways of helping people.  To heal, to prosper, and to grow spiritually.  If the church isn't doing that, then why is it called church?
   And if it isn't there for you, why call it church?  This has to do with accessibility and availiblity.  My mother died in the last days of July.  We buried her in the first days of August.  The church I was considering joining took August off.  They couldn't support me in my time of loss.  I didn't join that church.  Some churches take off the whole summer.  I recall several years ago when Christmas fell on Sunday.  Churches took that day off, including mine.  The anniversary of the Church and the doors are locked.  Holiday number one and the sanctuary is dark.  Some depressed guy showed up and found no one. He went home to  his whiskey, passed out drunk in his bathtub. That's my sick imagination.  Church has to be open for business every Sunday. Or call it a Center.  Don't defame the name Church.
    So those are some of my  critera for a church.  You can see that 99 % of churches don't cut it with me.  I am a friend of churches to the degree that they meet my criteria.  I support most of what they do.  There is only one church that I am a member of, and one organisation that I belong to that meet my criteria. Astara is the organisation and the Church of the Larger Fellowship, Unitarian-Universalist.  There are others.  But those two have earned my trust.  The best church is the church you carry within yourself.  Meditation and study are things you can do most anywhere, most anytime.  I had those before I started going to church and I will have those when church is not there for me. So I invite the reader to develop your own criteria for a church.  Then support the church of your choice. And always build the church within.

In Peace, Love and Light,
Enoch

The Green Hornet Lives!

The Green Party has a chance to move into one of the top two spots for 2012.  In other words be a contender.  Two times in our history a major party has died.  The first one was the Federalist party.  It died because it took the wrong stand on the War of 1812.  They were against it. The result was the so called "Era of Good Feelings", which led to the confusing election of 1824.  That led to the resumption of the two party system and more organized parties.  The second party to die was the Whig party.  They refused to take a unified stand on slavery.  That led to the rise of the Republican party.  The Republican party took out the Whig party.  Sorry for the history lesson, but the point is you can't make the loveseat longer.  You have to push someone out.  The Green Party  (in my analogy the Green Hornet) has to sting either the Republican elephant  or Democratic  donkey and get them out of the loveseat.  Providence has given us two issues that neither party wants to touch. (Remember the war of 1812 and slavery).  Term limits and campaign finance reform.  The two issues have been talked about for twenty years and really nothing has been done.  Okay McCain-Feingold, which the Supreme Court struck down. I believe that the majority of Americans would like to see term limits and some kind of campaign finance reform. Certainly, the  majority of moderates and independents.  No body in office now wants limits on terms or campaign finance.  If the Green Party could find some kamikaze candidates who would be willing to get these reforms enacted and then retire, then they have the chance to take out one of the two current parties.  Can the Green Hornet take out the two headed snake that runs our nation?  I think so.  The two issues work in tandem.  If you had a strong term limits law you could live with a weak campaign finance law. And vice versa.  Okay here is my idea for term limits: 12 years max for Senators and 12 years max for Representatives.  A partial term would count as a full term. Well, I stole this idea from the Contract with America.  You recall 1994? If you can't get the job done in 12 years, then why did we hire you in the first place?  On campaign finance reform, there should be full disclosure if nothing else.  We have the technology to publish contributions almost immediately at a low cost.  It should be done.  I would also like to see a rule such that a candidate for Federal office would have to raise half of the money from living beings in the state the candidate is running in. Pacs, Unions, and Parties would be limited to matching the money raised for a candidate.  Did that make sense? I am running for Senator in Maine.  Citizens of Maine donate 1 million dollars to my campaign.  That means that my campaign could only accept one million dollars in soft money from  Pacs, Parties, or Unions.  I hope that makes sense. This would make every election semi-local and semi-national.  I would like to cut out soft money all together, since by law Pacs, Parties and Unions don't vote, but we are living in the real world.  I hope the Green party will seize these issues and use them as a club to get into the game.  To have a 50-50 chance to govern.  It has happened before.  It needs to happen again.

In Light,
Enoch

Life: The Average of Our Beliefs?

An event happened here in Houston that disturbed me this week.  A young man was standing at a bus stop with his very young son.  A lady driver, under the influence of God knows what, ran off the road and struck both of them.  In a split second the young man shielded the little boy, saving the toddler's life.  Question: was this event the sum or average of their beliefs?  That is why the title has a question mark in it.
     If it was, then how much responsibilty to we attribute to each person there?  I don't much like the explanation of Karma.  He killed her in a past life, it was her turn to kill him.  I don't much like the sin explanation. This is a fallen world, they were sinners.  Therefore expect to die horrible deaths. I don't much like the negative thinking explanation.  They were negative thinkers, so what would you expect other than a terrible ending?  So who do we blame?  The driver, her dealer.  Perhaps she had a tough life.  Does blame attach itself to her traumas?  The dead father, what was his role if any?  The little child surely would be blameless?  How about a society that doesn't fix the problems of poverty and drug abuse? 
    Lord Tennyson had Ulysses say  "I am a part of all that I have met."   Shall a football player step onto the field and expect not to be tackled?  A boxer expects to get hit in the ring.  I don't have all the answers.  I thought I did.  Then I moved to Texas and discovered just how powerful and operative my thoughts were.  Yet I must take reponsibilty for my part.  I had a pure faith before I left Georgia.  I knew everything was going to be all right.  I joked with my friends that Houston was just another suburb of Atlanta.  I told them that in few months I would have my life the way I wanted it.   I wanted them to visit me.  That visit never happened. I never got my life the way I wanted it. The way I had it in Georgia.  I had opposition from my family and from my employer.  I had to change jobs, taking a forty per cent pay cut. (Sorry Jesus, there goes your tithe.) The faith I thought was strong turned out to be pathetic.  For thirteen years I have felt imprisoned.
     Yet I believe that in some way I hold the keys to my prison.  Somewhere between my feelings and thoughts, God's ideas,  group minds,  bad geography, cosmic hierarchy, and chance is my reality.  Joseph was imprisoned for 13 years, and was named Governor of Egypt.  Just a story?  How about 27 years and then being elected President of South Africa?  How do I load the dice?  How do I purify my faith? That is what I am working on.  That school of thought that will enable me to overcome.  I have no faith in Christianity, at least what I knew in Georgia.  I have little faith in the New Thought books I read before I moved. Neither prepared me for Texas.  So I am developing my own philosophy.  I have to for me. 
     I want God to ask me why I was so stubborn, rather than have Him ask me why I gave up.  I have to learn what I can control and how to control more.  I can't speak to the accident and the three people in it.  I can only learn to strengthen my faith and therefore my thoughts.  What else can I do?

In Peace, Love, and Light,
Enoch

Visiting Carmel Temple

Today I got to go to church again.  I decided to go to a place I had never been before.  It is on the south side of Houston, a little over an hour away.  The church is 40 years old.  One of the founders still helps to run it.  She led us in prayer, meditation, and opened up the floor for sharing time. Did I mention she is 92 years old?  She has her marbles and her health.  Her faith is working for her.  I talked during sharetime.  I spoke about how I am ready for the universe to show me what my next step is on  my spiritual journey. The main speaker spoke on the history of alternative/complementary medicine.  To him it is niether alternative nor complementary, but the original form of medicine.  Hospitals were set up to help the poor,elderly, and strangers.  There was no charge.  It was all free, and Government played no part in it. Private institutions took care of everything (mostly churches and/or religious orders). This form of medicine still exists-under the name of pastoral medicine.  And yes there is still no charge.  As an aside, if the conservatives would come up with a plan that would insure everyone, I would go for it.  Gingrich and his crowd have had nearly 20 years to come up with something and they have come up with  a goose egg.  Government by default must provide healthcare.  Even the Pope thinks national governments have that duty.  Okay, back to Carmel.  Several people spoke during share time.  One sweet lady talked about overcoming cancer.  She had stage 3 cancer of some sort.  She was given 1 year to live.  She was told chemo was her only chance.  Her family wrote her off.  That was 1997.  She overcame her family, her doctors, and her cancer.  And  not one iota of chemo. She looks wonderful.  There was a guy who spoke about being dead for 4 hours.  He talked to Jesus and straightened out on his life purpose.  When he woke up, they were about to perform an autopsy on him.  He looks well now.  This church considers itself a Christian church.  But it is an Essene-Gnostic-Esoteric Christian church. Fast forward to healing time.  We  formed a circle and people who wanted healing sat in chairs in the middle of the circle. We extended our hands and sent energy.  This sounds strange, but I could feel the energy in the room.  Everyone was empowered,  Healers and healees.  Spirit know no limits and there is energy for everyone.  Next came hugging time. I was somewhat uncomfortable.  Last time I wanted to hug a stranger in a darkened room- well, let's just say it was over fifteen years ago in a nightclub and I nearly got slapped.  My church will substitute handshake time for hugging time.  But that was the only thing I didn't like.  I had a good time.  And my faith is being restored such that I may be ready to start a church.  I can almost see it.  Carmel North, maybe?

In Peace, Love, and Light,
Enoch

When is love?

Someone tweeted "How do you know when you are in love?" First of all it is totally subjective.  And I reserve the right to change my opinion at any time.  Today is Friday, ruled by Venus.  The goddess of love and beauty.  Friday night is date night for many people.  A time to enjoy a meal, some entertainment, and somebody's company. What better way to express love and beauty?  What better day to talk about love? I know when I  am in love when I drop my scales and stop measuring.  Anything that comes after "I love you" is a measurement.  "I love you but" or "I love you when" is not love.  Love is caring no matter what, not counting the cost.  When Newt Gringrich divorced his first wife because she had cancer, that was not love.  It may have been at one time.  But it sounds more like a business arrangement.  "You are starting to cost me something, so time to cut my losses and move on".  There is a great Jimmy Stewart movie called "Seventh Heaven".  Jimmy is a sewer worker who falls for a prostitute in Paris.  They are in love because they are willing to stay together no matter what.  War, character flaws, and blindness can't put a damper on their love.  I know that is a movie.  But that story is being played out in real life over and over again.  Spouses that stay together through cancer, alzheimer's, layoff's, whatever.  There are marriages that don't last through such things. And some marriages start out as love and wind up as business arrangements.  Some marriages start out as business arangements and end up as love.  I can say that I have been lucky.  I got to see my parents and grandparents stay together till the end.  They believed that love would find a way.  And it did.  I have loved two women.  I would have married them no matter what.  Love would've found a way.  They didn't feel the same way so I expressed my love by lettiing them go.  Love is wanting what is best for someone.  To quote Leo Buscaglia "Love is open arms."  Now when I meet someone I have my scales.  Does she measure up?  That may be okay for dating someone, but it is not love.  Will lightning strike three times?  Maybe, I hope. I will be surprised if it happens. It is a great feeling.

In Peace, Love, and Light,
Enoch

10 who ovecame

Rough speech outline.  Intro the Hero's journey by Joseph Campbell.  10 who overcame.  1.  Max Cleland. 2.  Nelson Mandela. 3. Atlanta, Ga. 4. Martha Berry. 5. Winston Churchill. 6. Abraham Lincoln. 7. Martin Sheen.  8.  Old Diamond. 9. Willie B.  10.  Helen Keller.  How do we overcome adversity?  Seven days a week.  Sat-wisdom. Sun-resources. Mon-enthusiasm. Tue-action. Wed-change. Thu-multiply. Fri-appreciate. Conclusion quotes from Dr. Hill and Helen Keller.

Visit to Old Church

I went to the First Church of Divine Science in Houston.  Divine Science is a New Thought denomination, however first church is not a New Thought Church.  It is a Spiritualist Church.  A member of the National Association of Spiritualist Churches. It is one of the churches I served in as a speaker and  lay minister. Wherever I go on Sunday mornings spirit meets me there.  Today was no exception.  I was looking at some of my notebooks yesterday.  Goal statements from 15-20 years ago.  Some of them came to pass, most did not.  (Somewhere I have a note book of Science of Mind treatments that didn't come to pass either.)  Why? Why can I treat, affirm, pray, visualize and my goals do not come to pass?  In Christianity the pat answer is sin or it's not God's will or God's best.  In New Thought, the pat answer would be one is not ready for it or negative thinking negated the request.  I asked for Sundays off so that I could attend and serve in church.  I spent the next few  years working 9 Sundays out of 10. The Christian, New Thought answers don't cut it. In fact they are insulting.  I did serve in two churches,  why couldn't I continue to do that?  I got a better answer this morning.  Sacrifice.  We have to make sacrifices sometimes.  They are not pleasant or wanted.  Yet on some level they are required.  They help to build our character.  And with patience maybe some of our goals do get achieved in ways we can't even imagine.  I have pretty much given up on Churches.  But the universe has opened up a new venue for me.  Toastmasters.  I can continue to speak and minister in a new way. And I have stopped judging people for not having the life I expect them to have.  There maybe a reason for it that I can not even fathom . My personal message from spirit this morning was kind of strange.  The dear lady that gave it to me said she saw me walking around in the dark with a group of people.  I was urging them to stop until we could figure out where we were.  I made a torch and lit it.  She said my job is to be a light so that others can do what they know to do.  There's alot of symbology in the message and it will take me awhile to sort it all out.  But a good message none the less.  On an unrelated note Houston now has two Spiritulist Churches again like it was in the past.  Okay that's a rap for now.

Walking with Enoch

So here I am.  A new venue for some new ideas and old recollections.  Maybe do some speech outlines.  Maybe do some commentary on current events.  Welcome to my blog sportsfans.