Body

15 Jul 2012 4 Comments

by Lori in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

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Ok, you know it is trouble when I say, “I was reading Bonhoeffer this week.” Well, I was.

The section I was reading was discussing being the body of Christ, and what that REALLY means. It was pretty heavy stuff. Funny how you can read the Word, and just not GET what Christ is saying. No wonder the poor disciples stayed confused.

The Church is the Body of Christ. This I know. No really. The Church is the Body of Christ. He is our head. We are the members. He died in the flesh. To rise in the flesh. His Spirit in our flesh. The Church is a moving breathing being. Why then would we want to hurt it? It is part of us. Literally connected on a level that I will never fully comprehend this side of Heaven. Never.

Could you imagine your own body parts doing their own thing? Hurting each other. Fighting. We would never get anything done. We also would not survive long. Think about when you are sick. How an infection in on part affects the way your whole body feels.

The Church is the same. Divisiveness. Bickering. Gossip. They have no place in the church or the Church. It is not healthy. A healthy Church follows Christ. The Bible says it all.

Also, read a little Bonhoeffer. It is good for you!

Matthew 5:29-30 ESV

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

John 12:24 ESV

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

1 Corinthians 6:15-17 ESV

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

Luck

17 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by Lori in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , ,

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These clover are growing under our trampoline in the backyard. This space is D’s “garden”. His hiding place when he is upset. The place he asks me to come when he wants to talk.

Speaking of talk, he asked me in the car on Thursday if God has a wife. I immediately said no. Then, I had to correct myself. The Church is the bride of Christ. Do we deserve Him? Do we respect Him? Do we follow Him? Do we OBEY Him? This is how I should disciple my children, by obeying Christ. Teaching them the scriptures. Oh, how unworthy am I.

I am reading Discipleship by Bonhoeffer. This book is so deep, it makes my head hurt. It also makes my heart hurt. I have just started the section where he discusses the Sermon on the Mount. David Platt (author of Radical) started a sermon series in December on Matthew. Can’t wait until I get to his sermons on Matthew 5-7. David and his wife just returned from China in December with their baby girl. I highly recommend you Google him and read their story.

Today is St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick was born in Scotland in 387. He lived in Britain until he was 16, when he was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave. During his time as a slave, he turned to God, praying to him a hundred times a day. He learned the culture there, which was pagan. After 6 years, he escaped Ireland and went back to Britain. He began studies to become a priest. After becoming a priest, he returned to Ireland to bring the Gospel there. He died on March 17, 460 or 461.

St. Patrick used the shamrock to discuss the Trinity.

Here is the prayer of St. Patrick or “St. Patrick’s Breast-Plate”:

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today                                                                                                                                                                                      God’s Power to guide me,
God’s Might to uphold me,
God’s Wisdom to teach me,
God’s Eye to watch over me,
God’s Ear to hear me,
God’s Word to give me speech,                                                                                                                                         God’s Hand to guide me,
God’s Way to lie before me,
God’s Shield to shelter me,
God’s Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.

Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me,                 
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,            
Christ within me,
Christ beneath me,          
Christ above me,
Christ at my right,            
Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop [deck],
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

Luck?