Sunday Morning Thoughts Jan 15/12

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Tom Harpur, (wrier, columnist), says that it is " an extraordinary idea, when you think about it that Jesus the son of God would die on a Roman cross to save us all from eternal damnation", (meaning it is highly unlikely to have happened the way Christians believe it happened and would church leaders quit harping on the damnation thing).

He suggests that the "Good News" we should be getting from the Gospels is not the fact that Christ died and saved us from damnation but that everyone of us is part of one human family and that we are called to love one and other, love God, love the planet and seek  justice for everyone and everything.

I like it.

A lot.

But  the idea that we have a God who died for us, is a powerful image.

And the same God who defeats death and returns in the spring after sojourning in the underworld is an archetype, not easily expunged from the human psyche.

So why tamper with a good thing?

Well the problem according to Tom Harpur is that the main stream churches are dying.

I can't claim to know anything about it. 

I sporadically go to a non-denominational church just to keep my oar in the water, so to speak, but of course not knowing anything about a subject has never stopped me from commenting before and because we are brainstorming, here's my first suggestion:

The priests and ministers tend to stand between God and Her people.

And because humans need action, we should be able to honour God not just in our hearts but with tangible gifts.

I think the Church should consider going into the business of making burnt offerings.

I don't mean bringing in your first born or your favourite cat.

I mean whatever comes from the earth and is important to you or your neighbourhood.

 I once attended a sacred dance ritual once led by an Ojibway Catholic nun.  We were all, not just the priest or the sister,  allowed to make an offering of sweet grass and tobacco to the Great Spirit.

 It felt good, a direct gift from me to God for no other reason that the fact that She is God and I am Her daughter.

I'll probably win the Tobacco Growers Woman of the year Award for this blog

but anyway 

it's something to ponder this Sunday morning.