Crazy Theological Thoughts

I don't know if you have ever watched the movie August Rush, but you should. This movie has great music. This movie should open your heart and mind to music. I was really interested by the child August Rush. He grew up never knowing his parents.  His parents grew up not knowing he was alive as well.  His parents had both been musicians when they met in New York City, afterward they lost each other they gave up on their music. August heard music all around him.  In the movie you hear the music of the street traffic.  The music in kids playing.  The music created by basketball players, and jumping rope.  It reminds me of the psalmist talking about the hills and the trees making music and clapping their hands.  Even objects like chairs, stones, buildings, power lines, and dirty old tunnels have a sound. For most of us we have a favorite type of music: classical, country, western, r&b, rap, pop, gospel, religious, rock, and more categories. ...

Matthew chapter seven can cause some very difficult problems for people.  The church has used this passage to stand against gossip and false witness.  But that would be don't judge unless you have all the facts.  But here is the rest of the story.  Judge not lest you be judged.  Are you being judged? If yes then you have a responsibility to judge those who judge you.  Maybe we do not want to go to vengeful judging. We are all judged.  We are judged by culture, fashion, religions, government, and God.  But the rest of the story is not just that you get to judge those things, but that you should judge them by the same standards they judge you.  How perfect does God expect you to be, as holy as he is.  How fashion sensitive do I expect you to be, as little as I am.  How religious do I expect others to be, no more than I expect of myself. Judge not lest you be judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and...

I recently (in the last year) found at the one of the pastors in town does not believe in Hell.  I think I posted before about the necessity of believing in the after life.  But what about the necessity of beleiving that some people will o to Hell. Previously I think my point was that it is better to believe we stop existing than we die, because eternal pain and suffering is so hard to stomach.  But what about beleiving that all people will just end up in Heaven.  (first, I would point that heaven is not the goal but everlasting life in the resurrection.) I do not presume to speak for this other person, do not assume all paths lead to heaven but that all people will be in heaven.  Jesus Christ died for all the sins of the world.  Therefore, all sins are forgiven in Christ and there is no more sin.  If there is no more sin than there is nothing that would  condemn us to eternal suffering in Hell. Problem the bible does not indicate that through...

It struck me this morning reading through John chapter six again.  (not part of my sermon) but the argument of Jesus talking about the lord's supper.  The bread for the life of the world is his flesh.  It never struck me before to think of the world in connection to the Lord's supper argument. Dr Nagel said, how can read John 6 and not think of the Lord's supper.  But if I read verse 51 as the Lord's supper it is given for the world to eat.  This would mean that it is for believers and unbelievers.  The bread Jesus gives for the life of the world is his flesh to be consumed by the world.  This can not be the Lord's supper. I agree with Dr Nagel's statement but I think we miss the greater point that the flesh of Christ was sacrificed for the life of the entire creation.  Jesus uses the kosmos translated world to mean the sacrifice is for all to eat.  But St Paul and even Jesus would indicate the Sacrament of the Altar is Christ's flesh giv...