Sunday, March 09, 2008
Movement
Some of the following info is extracted from "An Overview of American Transcendentalism" by
Martin Bickman, University of Colorado
In the 1830's to 1840's The American "Movement" of Transcendentalism was being shaped. From what i have read it never did take a distinct form agreed on by all who were a part of the "Movement" (as opposed to the "Establishment" as Emerson called the traditional static Church of that day). I was reading Walden by Thoreau and though i should do some brief research of where these great insights (key word for transcendants) were coming from. He talks about division of labor and to what extreme would it continue- should others think for us as well as build our houses and make our clothes? It made me think of my disgust with today's church once again. I was saying yes yes yes! That is a key problem with the Church is we let "leaders" think for us. I am going on record God does not desire this for us. Yes it is dangerous to allow God to direct us directly and yes there is room for input from others just not the fear driven control of so called pastors of today. It is a disease! OK I won't go to far down that road because i would be wasting my breathe.
Two back to back quotes were laid out in this article and I would like to expound on them a bit.
A Unitarian minister Orestes Brownson said
"Every positive form, however satisfactory it may be for the present, contains a germ of opposition to future progress. It contracts, by the very effect of its duration, a stationary character, that refuses to follow the intellect in its discoveries, and the soul in its emotions."
The disease it contracts is due to stagnation and that stagnation is a frozen ( when I was little we used to call them the frozen chosen when making fun of other Christians who weren't as charismatic as "us") state caused by fear and fragility. Many diseases are contracted due to stagnant water. I just picture a birdbath in the backyard overflowing with diseased mosquito larvae while we BBQ yards away unaware on the imminent danger.
Basically the fear of something worse is greater than the hope of something better.
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his "Divinity School Address of 1838: "But the word Miracle, as pronounced by Christian churches, gives a false impression; it is Monster. It is not one with the blowing clover and the falling rain."
This quote was referring to the unhealthy emphasis on Miracles in that day as a proof of Christ's existence and power. It was a symptom of the materialistic nature- the senses were emphasized over higher intuitions popular among mystics throughout time. I called it the Thomas syndrome. I have a friend now who is really into Miracles. It is a trend and he is recommending books to read and teachers to listen to and seminars to travel to and attend. I don't read modern Christian books anymore because well they are crap really. Anyone can publish a book these days. This person like a lot of other Christians have a new "new thing" every few years and it is always the revival that will propel them to knew places in there relationship with God. They seem to be so focused on the new philosophy of the day that i believe they miss God. I believe the same thing happens in churches every week. I have done it. Meetings, strategy, talking about ministry and ministering but never doing it. Just doing events where most people had heard the same old stuff over and over again.
Christians often look for the fantastic and miss God in the amazing everyday Providences. We need to calm down and enjoy him. Miracles might happen but they usually don't by their very nature and i don't need them. Beware the generation that needs miracles to believe it is an unbelieving generation. I don't believe that miracles help people who don't believe they will still play the sceptic.
This entry is not about miracles really. It is about fear of trusting in God, fear of changing established forms, fear of going after the ideal and settling for mediocre.
Martin Bickman, University of Colorado
In the 1830's to 1840's The American "Movement" of Transcendentalism was being shaped. From what i have read it never did take a distinct form agreed on by all who were a part of the "Movement" (as opposed to the "Establishment" as Emerson called the traditional static Church of that day). I was reading Walden by Thoreau and though i should do some brief research of where these great insights (key word for transcendants) were coming from. He talks about division of labor and to what extreme would it continue- should others think for us as well as build our houses and make our clothes? It made me think of my disgust with today's church once again. I was saying yes yes yes! That is a key problem with the Church is we let "leaders" think for us. I am going on record God does not desire this for us. Yes it is dangerous to allow God to direct us directly and yes there is room for input from others just not the fear driven control of so called pastors of today. It is a disease! OK I won't go to far down that road because i would be wasting my breathe.
Two back to back quotes were laid out in this article and I would like to expound on them a bit.
A Unitarian minister Orestes Brownson said
"Every positive form, however satisfactory it may be for the present, contains a germ of opposition to future progress. It contracts, by the very effect of its duration, a stationary character, that refuses to follow the intellect in its discoveries, and the soul in its emotions."
The disease it contracts is due to stagnation and that stagnation is a frozen ( when I was little we used to call them the frozen chosen when making fun of other Christians who weren't as charismatic as "us") state caused by fear and fragility. Many diseases are contracted due to stagnant water. I just picture a birdbath in the backyard overflowing with diseased mosquito larvae while we BBQ yards away unaware on the imminent danger.
Basically the fear of something worse is greater than the hope of something better.
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his "Divinity School Address of 1838: "But the word Miracle, as pronounced by Christian churches, gives a false impression; it is Monster. It is not one with the blowing clover and the falling rain."
This quote was referring to the unhealthy emphasis on Miracles in that day as a proof of Christ's existence and power. It was a symptom of the materialistic nature- the senses were emphasized over higher intuitions popular among mystics throughout time. I called it the Thomas syndrome. I have a friend now who is really into Miracles. It is a trend and he is recommending books to read and teachers to listen to and seminars to travel to and attend. I don't read modern Christian books anymore because well they are crap really. Anyone can publish a book these days. This person like a lot of other Christians have a new "new thing" every few years and it is always the revival that will propel them to knew places in there relationship with God. They seem to be so focused on the new philosophy of the day that i believe they miss God. I believe the same thing happens in churches every week. I have done it. Meetings, strategy, talking about ministry and ministering but never doing it. Just doing events where most people had heard the same old stuff over and over again.
Christians often look for the fantastic and miss God in the amazing everyday Providences. We need to calm down and enjoy him. Miracles might happen but they usually don't by their very nature and i don't need them. Beware the generation that needs miracles to believe it is an unbelieving generation. I don't believe that miracles help people who don't believe they will still play the sceptic.
This entry is not about miracles really. It is about fear of trusting in God, fear of changing established forms, fear of going after the ideal and settling for mediocre.
hd 8:02 PM
1 Comments:
A month or so ago, I had some sort of relief to my guilt about not doing the organized church thing. It came as a result of watching a series on Jewish American culture on PBS. (I love Matisyahu's music, by the way. It speaks to me.) One segment of the show was about a rabbi who went against the grain of accepted Jewish culture. He began asking American Jews to integrate their faith and life. He was not very liked. And he was questioned a lot...or so the production said. My resulting thoughts made me feel like I'm at least in the beginning stages of something that is potentially pleasing to God...wanting a more authentic way to live out faith.
A little while after watching that show, I began thinking about what characterized Jesus. Rebel was one characteristic that immediately came to mind. I wondered how difficult it must have been for people to follow him because his words and actions frequently were in stark contrast to Jewish leadership and centuries of tradition.
All that to say that forward movement is difficult. It takes people willing to be looked down upon (as I often feel when in Christian circles and am honest to say that we aren't attending any church) and to wrestle with the complexities of living authentic faith. Maybe my steps forward are too slow and show very little trust in God. Dunno. I'm still working it all out.
A little while after watching that show, I began thinking about what characterized Jesus. Rebel was one characteristic that immediately came to mind. I wondered how difficult it must have been for people to follow him because his words and actions frequently were in stark contrast to Jewish leadership and centuries of tradition.
All that to say that forward movement is difficult. It takes people willing to be looked down upon (as I often feel when in Christian circles and am honest to say that we aren't attending any church) and to wrestle with the complexities of living authentic faith. Maybe my steps forward are too slow and show very little trust in God. Dunno. I'm still working it all out.
