DOCSLIB.ORG

“Piece of Mind on PEACE”

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
“Piece of Mind on PEACE” “Piece of Mind on PEACE” West Virginia Institute for Spirituality 2013 Daily Advent Reflections You may access these reflections on the West Virginia Institute for Spirituality website: wvis.org Introduction During a recent West Virginia Institute for Spirituality staff meeting a question was raised regarding our desire to create an Advent reflection book. There was a unanimous yes! The next question was a little more challenging. What will be our theme? We stopped to ponder what was in our minds and hearts? At that time, both the national and international headlines were troubling. Syrian men, women and children died from a deadly gas attack. There was a threat of a U.S. strike on Syria. There were reports of a shooting at a naval shipyard in Washington, D.C. Then news reports of a terrorist attack on innocent people who were shopping at a mall in Kenya. This news comes to us as we’re reading our morning papers, listening to the radio in our cars, opening our e-mail, or watching television in the evening. In the darkness of so much violence, it seemed that an obvious choice of a theme would be PEACE. It’s important for us to ask: How am I called to be a peacemaker now in a culture of escalating aggression? Advent is a time when we listen with renewed hope to the words of the prophet, Isaiah. Isaiah proclaimed that the name of the child to be born to us is: “the Prince of Peace”. In her book, She Who Brings Peace, Megan McKenna writes; “This is the time for the child to be born in each of us who bear the name of the child: Christian and Peace, to be initiated into being peacemakers and the presence of peace on earth”. May these reflections on “Peace” written by our Associate Spiritual Directors bring you peace and continue your own initiation in being peace to all people. May you have a blessed Advent and a joyous, peace-filled Christmas Season. Sr. Molly Maloney, O.S.F. Recommended Reading through the Christmas Season: The Decalogue For A Spirituality of Non-Violence, Rosemary Lynch, O.S.F and Alain Richard, O.F.M. Living Peace: John Dear, S.J. She Who Brings Peace, Megan McKenna December 1, 2013 First Sunday of Advent “Peace begins with a smile.” Mother Teresa Let us prepare for the birth of Jesus, the “Prince of Peace”, with a smile. Then I ask, what do I have to smile about for the world I live in today is anything but peaceful? The media continually reminds me of the violence, greed, injustice, inhumanity going on around me. How can a smile make my world more peaceful? When Blessed Mother Teresa said “Peace begins with a smile.”, what did she mean? Perhaps she meant that peace begins with a kind gesture toward others. Certainly, a smile is a kind gesture. It costs nothing – there are those who say it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown. For sure, to smile makes me feel better than to frown. However, when I smile I should really mean it. A genuine smile will show not only on my mouth, but my eyes, my whole body – my heart! In addition, I can make my world more peaceful by following the example set by Jesus during his public ministry. He made time for quiet and prayer. By taking time for quiet and prayer in my busy life, I will be more at peace. I will be better able to share peace with others. Today, as we begin this Advent Season, let us take more time for peace in our lives and to share that peace. Suggested Practice (s) of the Day: Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It may be the only sunshine he sees all day. (H. Jackson Brown, Jr.) Pray for peace. Do an act of kindness for someone in need – ‘Pay It Forward’. Margaret (Susie) Pace WVIS Associate Spiritual Director [email protected] December 2, 2013 – First Monday of Advent “The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.” Mahatma Gandhi Living in a retirement community, the aging process becomes very apparent. We arrive by Divine Providence. We are all created for good purpose. But are we really doing what we are created to do? Not at all! Genuine love never forces us to willingly choose anything. Forcing is controlling, and in turn controlling with the love of power and not the power of love. The power of love and the love of power are two very powerful forces. One loves and brings people together but the other divides people. The power of love is a magnificent source that makes you aware of other people’s sufferings and needs. By allowing the power of love to reign in our lives, eventually the power of love will overpower the love of power. May God continue to abundantly bless our nation and us all. …”for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NRSV PRAYER: Thank you Lord, for the unexpected serenity that comes with growing old in the faith. Growing old teaches that this divine serenity doesn’t necessarily mean lack of pain or that things will be as we want them. May healthful life’s choices allow us always to praise you, to serve you, and to love you. Lord, the world continues to be full of violence and suffering. Strengthen the hands of those who work for peace. In Jesus name we pray, Amen Virginia H. Masters WVIS Associate Spiritual Director [email protected] December 3, 2013 – First Tuesday of Advent “Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means; through dialogue, education, knowledge; and through humane ways. Dalai Lama XIV Prince of Peace is one of the prophetic expectations of ancient Israel for its Messiah (Isaiah 9:6). It is one of the titles historically associated with Christ in the Church’s observance of Advent. It is the promise of the coming Christ as Prince of Peace and the Reign of God that motivates this deep Christian witness to the hope this promise contains. There is, however, a crucial point that cannot be missed in our Advent-inspired longing: that is, God can do nothing to us, we are not willing to allow God to do through us. Peace has never been, nor will it be an exterior reality. As the Dalai Lama reminds us, peace is a state of being that flows into constructive engagement with the world around us. Peace isn’t the absence of conflict, but the courage to be peaceful within ourselves even when we exist within a world rife with such conflict. It does little for us to pray for peace in Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, or any other region of conflict in the world if we are harboring unforgiveness or hatred toward others in our own heart. The welcoming of the Prince of Peace into our lives is to welcome soul development. Soul development is the rich soil from which peace can be cultivated. It is then that this inner state of peace can translate into meaningful and constructive action in the world. We know that within a system, when one aspect of the system experiences change—no matter how small—the whole system is affected. So, with the proverbial hymn we can proclaim, “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.”. Practice for the Day: World peace begins with inner peace. Take an opportunity at mid-day to stop, take a deep breath, and be aware of the moment. From this moment of peace, all peace flows. Michael C. Richards, D.Min. WVIS Associate Spiritual Director [email protected] December 4, 2013 – First Wednesday of Advent If you seek peace and tranquility, you will certainly not find them so long as you have a cause for disturbance and turmoil within yourself. St Ignatius of Loyola Today is Wednesday, December 4, 2013. On March 5, 2014, Ash Wednesday, we will incorporate the spiritual tools of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as part of our Lenten journey to Easter. Advent is a penitential season too. How many of us neglect to incorporate one or all of these spiritual tools as part of our journey to Christmas? How many of us are so caught up in the disturbance and turmoil within ourselves as we worry about what gifts to buy, cards to send or party to plan? Do we lose sight of the opportunity for inner peace by practicing one or all of these spiritual tools during our Advent journey to Christmas? Practice for the Day: Use December 4, 2013 to refocus. Decide today which of these three spiritual tools you have been neglecting during this Advent penitential season. Once you have decided on which of these three tools you will select, then resolve to incorporate this tool into the remainder of your Christmas preparation. Merry Advent and a Joy-filled Christmas Season. Bob Harrison WVIS Associate Spiritual Director [email protected] December 5, 2013 - First Thursday of Advent “If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.” Thích Nhất Hạnh, Being Peace In my work as a school based Occupational Therapist, I have the task of providing calming activities to students who respond aggressively to the expectations and demands of their day.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • July 2020 Peace-Tohickon Evangelical Lutheran Church 100 Old Bethlehem Road, Perkasie, Pa 18944
    July 2020 Peace-Tohickon Evangelical Lutheran Church 100 Old Bethlehem Road, Perkasie, Pa 18944 (215) 257-3294 Website: www.peace-tohickon.org Email: [email protected] Dear Members of Peace: This morning I led worship, and preached from my kitchen table for the sixteenth week. It has been an interesting, and on occasion, difficult experience. But, one that we navigated together. We learned and grew and discovered that church isn’t a place we go to, but rather an experience we live. Sixteen weeks on Zoom, plus the first week when we hadn’t figured Zoom out. It really doesn’t seem possible does it? And now, here we are on the brink of gathering together in person again. Oh, for sure, things will be different. Masks will be required. Hand sanitizer will be in generous supply and should be used unsparingly. We will be social distancing in marked pews, so your view may be a bit different than usual. There won’t be any communal singing (and that may be the hardest change for most of us). No coffee hour and indoor fellowship. And we will be live-streaming the service for those who are unable, or unwilling, to join us at this time. We will not be returning to ‘normal’ but we will be returning to our worship space. There have been so many disciples who have gone above and beyond to help our community feel connected. I can’t possibly name them all with running the risk of accidently leaving someone out. But, you all know who you are.
    [Show full text]
  • Buffy's Glory, Angel's Jasmine, Blood Magic, and Name Magic
    Please do not remove this page Giving Evil a Name: Buffy's Glory, Angel's Jasmine, Blood Magic, and Name Magic Croft, Janet Brennan https://scholarship.libraries.rutgers.edu/discovery/delivery/01RUT_INST:ResearchRepository/12643454990004646?l#13643522530004646 Croft, J. B. (2015). Giving Evil a Name: Buffy’s Glory, Angel’s Jasmine, Blood Magic, and Name Magic. Slayage: The Journal of the Joss Whedon Studies Association, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.7282/T3FF3V1J This work is protected by copyright. You are free to use this resource, with proper attribution, for research and educational purposes. Other uses, such as reproduction or publication, may require the permission of the copyright holder. Downloaded On 2021/10/02 09:39:58 -0400 Janet Brennan Croft1 Giving Evil a Name: Buffy’s Glory, Angel’s Jasmine, Blood Magic, and Name Magic “It’s about power. Who’s got it. Who knows how to use it.” (“Lessons” 7.1) “I would suggest, then, that the monsters are not an inexplicable blunder of taste; they are essential, fundamentally allied to the underlying ideas of the poem …” (J.R.R. Tolkien, “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics”) Introduction: Names and Blood in the Buffyverse [1] In Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) and Angel (1999- 2004), words are not something to be taken lightly. A word read out of place can set a book on fire (“Superstar” 4.17) or send a person to a hell dimension (“Belonging” A2.19); a poorly performed spell can turn mortal enemies into soppy lovebirds (“Something Blue” 4.9); a word in a prophecy might mean “to live” or “to die” or both (“To Shanshu in L.A.” A1.22).
    [Show full text]
  • Switch Journey Guide
    1 WELCOME! HOW TO DO THE JOURNEY The SWITCH Journey is a six-week experience exploring the values of Prince of Peace. Each week follows the same three-part rhythm: WORSHIP ON THE WEEKEND Each Journey week begins here. In worship, you’ll be introduced to a new value, will be provoked by art and music, encouraged by preaching to live out our values, and will join others in giving praise to God. It’s important. Be there! GO TO YOUR JOURNEY GROUP In this fun and relational environment, you’ll share what you’re learning, dig deeper into scripture and conversation, and strengthen relationships. DO YOUR CHALLENGE At the end of each Journey Group, you’ll receive a challenge to live out the week’s value. Do the challenge during the week and record what happens in the guide. You’ll also see some family challenges and social media prompts (if that’s your thing) to consider doing as a way to engage more fully as a community. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Week 1 - SERVICE…………………………………………… page 5 Journey Group Material Individual Guide Week 2 - WORSHIP……………………………………… page 15 Journey Group Material Individual Guide Week 3 - INVITATION………………………………… page 23 Journey Group Material Individual Guide Week 4 - TRANSFORMATION………………… page 31 Journey Group Material Individual Guide Week 5 - CONNECTION…………………………… page 39 Journey Group Material Individual Guide Week 6 - HOPE………………………………………………. page 47 Journey Group Material Individual Guide Extra Value Challenges……………………………….. page 55 3 ver time, we begin O to live passively. For the next few weeks, we will be taking a deeper look at six key values that shape who we are and who we are becoming as a community of disciples.
    [Show full text]
  • The Peace of Christ Dr. Glenn Robertson Luke 2:14 When I Was A
    The Peace of Christ sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Dr. Glenn Robertson 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the Luke 2:14 angel, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When I was a child, I loved snow. Snow meant snow days. You might get out Where is this peace on earth? of school. Yet, in Northern Oklahoma, that required a good bit of snow. Yet, The angel said there would be peace on earth. Where is it? The world I still loved snow. I remember coming home one night in my high school doesn’t ever seem to find peace. Peace seems to elude people as well. years. I came home, late in the evening. We had a blanket of snow on the ground. The moon was bright shining through a light cloud cover. It was So, is the angelic message wrong? Is it just a pie-in-the-sky wish. Does it blue above and white below. Our house sat on an acre of land out on the prove that the Bible is wrong, just a myth? Isn’t it what the angels edge of the city. It was quiet. Snow dampens sound. It was winter and all proclaimed: Jesus has been born, now the world can have peace? was quiet. It reminded me of the Christmas hymn, Silent Night. That picture still paints a peaceful scene for me.
    [Show full text]
  • Buffy & Angel Watching Order
    Start with: End with: BtVS 11 Welcome to the Hellmouth Angel 41 Deep Down BtVS 11 The Harvest Angel 41 Ground State BtVS 11 Witch Angel 41 The House Always Wins BtVS 11 Teacher's Pet Angel 41 Slouching Toward Bethlehem BtVS 12 Never Kill a Boy on the First Date Angel 42 Supersymmetry BtVS 12 The Pack Angel 42 Spin the Bottle BtVS 12 Angel Angel 42 Apocalypse, Nowish BtVS 12 I, Robot... You, Jane Angel 42 Habeas Corpses BtVS 13 The Puppet Show Angel 43 Long Day's Journey BtVS 13 Nightmares Angel 43 Awakening BtVS 13 Out of Mind, Out of Sight Angel 43 Soulless BtVS 13 Prophecy Girl Angel 44 Calvary Angel 44 Salvage BtVS 21 When She Was Bad Angel 44 Release BtVS 21 Some Assembly Required Angel 44 Orpheus BtVS 21 School Hard Angel 45 Players BtVS 21 Inca Mummy Girl Angel 45 Inside Out BtVS 22 Reptile Boy Angel 45 Shiny Happy People BtVS 22 Halloween Angel 45 The Magic Bullet BtVS 22 Lie to Me Angel 46 Sacrifice BtVS 22 The Dark Age Angel 46 Peace Out BtVS 23 What's My Line, Part One Angel 46 Home BtVS 23 What's My Line, Part Two BtVS 23 Ted BtVS 71 Lessons BtVS 23 Bad Eggs BtVS 71 Beneath You BtVS 24 Surprise BtVS 71 Same Time, Same Place BtVS 24 Innocence BtVS 71 Help BtVS 24 Phases BtVS 72 Selfless BtVS 24 Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered BtVS 72 Him BtVS 25 Passion BtVS 72 Conversations with Dead People BtVS 25 Killed by Death BtVS 72 Sleeper BtVS 25 I Only Have Eyes for You BtVS 73 Never Leave Me BtVS 25 Go Fish BtVS 73 Bring on the Night BtVS 26 Becoming, Part One BtVS 73 Showtime BtVS 26 Becoming, Part Two BtVS 74 Potential BtVS 74
    [Show full text]
  • December 26- Christ a Daily Devotional for Advent
    10460 Frankstown Road Pittsburgh, PA 15235 412-371-2307 www.hebrononline.org December 26- Christ A Daily Devotional for Advent Advent is a time of expectation and hope. Hope, not in an ideology The Word Became Flesh or thing, but in the person of Jesus Christ. Everyone wants hope. John 1:1-18 Everyone needs hope. “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming” which is a translation of the Greek These verses are usually the first ones that new students of New word parousia. Advent began in the 4th and 5th centuries as a time of Testament Greek encounter. What a wonderful way to begin! The first fasting and prayer for new Christians. It gradually developed into a sentence has been of great influence throughout the history of the church. We see here the eternality of the Word (In the beginning was season that lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas. It not the Word), the deity of the Word (was God), and the distinction of the only symbolizes the coming of Christ’s birth, but also when He comes Word from God the Father (was with God). It beautifully and elegantly again. avoids the pitfalls of polytheism (many gods), and Unitarianism (one god in one person). This verse is a great support of our Trinitarian The advent wreath first appeared in Germany at a mission for understanding of God (one God in three distinct persons). Our God is children. A Lutheran pastor placed twenty small red candles and four both relational and loving even before creation! large white candles on a wreath created out of the wheel of a cart.
    [Show full text]
  • Slayage, Number 18: Battis
    Jes Battis Demonic Maternities, Complex Motherhoods: Cordelia, Fred, and the Puzzle of Illyria "In fact it is not a question of a human incapacity for a state of absolute happiness, but of an ever insufficient knowledge of the complex nature of the state of unhappiness." Primo Levi, If This Is a Man; and, The Truce (23) "I am only bothered because I am bothered." Illyria, "Timebomb" (5019) This is chapter five of Blood Relations: Chosen Families in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel © 2005 Jes Battis by permission of McFarland & Company, Inc., Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640 | www.mcfarlandpub.com. You can order the book from Amazon here or from McFarland here. Cordelia Chase has what is perhaps the most exotic story arc of any character within Buffy or Angel. She begins as a self-centered, acerbic, and popularity-obsessed teenager in the first season of Buffy, and finishes her tenure on Angel as a "higher being", whose last favor to Angel is to remind him that he is capable of leading his extended family without the nefarious resources of Wolfram and Hart. In many ways, Cordelia defines herself in opposition to Buffy, and in just as many ways she resembles the Slayer, and shares her role as mystical protector. Her relationship with Angel, which begins as a slightly predictable romance, deepens over the course of five seasons into a complex familial attachment based on mentorship and unconditional love. And we, as the audience, get to watch Cordelia evolve from the catty teenager who ruthlessly teased Willow, Xander, and even Buffy herself, to the functional "heart" of Angel Investigations, as well as a co-parent to Angel's son, Connor—a relationship whose incestuous elements are indicative of the erotic flexibility that "family" continues to possess within both shows.1 More than any other character, Cordelia reminds the crew that they are, indeed, family; and, more than any other character, she criticizes, upbraids, and pushes her family-members beyond their alleged limitations.
    [Show full text]
  • Current in Westfield 4.15.08
    TUESDAY November 11, 2008 FREE TRAVELS ABROAD IMPACT LOCAL DENTIST / P6 THE ART OF HANGING ART / P11 DOGS NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE / P18 WESTFIELD’S FIRST COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM READY . JUST IN CASE / P2 Photo by Shane Rodimel Visit the back page for childbirth Get a healthy start for your family. education class listings. COVER STORY CERT workers Mary Ake, left, and Ulises Sirit tend to the would-be victim, while Mel Roach, back left, and Jim Ake lift fallen materials. Photo by Shane Rodimel 008 WESTFIELD’S FIRST COMMUNITY city.” The first CERT team consists of 12 members. Jim, a EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM StRENGTH IN NUMBERS small-business owner, says they understand what is re- Westfield’s first Community Emergency Response quired of them. READY … JUST IN CASE Team (CERT) consists of 12 members. “Our safety forces can get overwhelmed in an emer- By K.O. Jackson “To quote Dirty Harry, ‘you gotta know your gency. We want to limit damage, protect lives and give Current in Westfield limits. CERT helped me recognize that I could easily assistance,” says Jim. “Day in and day out I have a new After living through an Ohio tornado and the Sept. 11 be part of the problem rather than what CERT appreciation of what our safety forces do.” teaches, namely, to be part of the solution,” says disaster, Jim Ake understands the importance of having an Mary Ake got involved because “after 9/11, I wanted CERT member Ronald Roth. to do something. I wanted to volunteer. CERT makes me emergency plan.
    [Show full text]
  • Sunday, January 10, 2021 Online Worship “These Lives Are Precious”
    Sunday, January 10, 2021 Online Worship “These Lives Are Precious” GUESTS, Welcome to worship. To learn more about us, please visit our website at www.unionucc.org or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/unionneffs . If you would like us to follow up with you contact Pastor Kris at 610-767-6961, [email protected] NEW MEMBERS: For more information email Pastor Kris. [email protected] or call the church office to speak to her. We believe in extravagant welcome. We believe in God’s inclusive love. We start worship with a greeting that reflects that welcome and love. No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey and faith’s journey You are welcome here. CCLI LICENSE # 1523377 / Streaming # 20407732 One License #A714125 / Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, License #A714125 C = Congregation L = Leader P = Pastor PRELUDE He Is Born! Traditional French Carol, 19th c. WELCOME We begin a new worship series today that we pray will bring a “breather” and a sense of assurance to us all. Life is a series of exclamations from “O No!” to “Help!” to “Oh Yeah!” We can swing between disappointment, helplessness, and gratitude on a daily basis. The Book of Psalms knows all about this. Written over a span of time from exile and isolation to the rebuilding of the community, the poetry of the Psalms will accompany us in this series, reminding us that through it all, we can trust that God is, indeed, holding our lives.
    [Show full text]
  • DECLARATION of Jane Sunderland in Support of Request For
    Columbia Pictures Industries Inc v. Bunnell Doc. 373 Att. 1 Exhibit 1 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Motion Pictures 28 DAYS LATER 28 WEEKS LATER ALIEN 3 Alien vs. Predator ANASTASIA Anna And The King (1999) AQUAMARINE Banger Sisters, The Battle For The Planet Of The Apes Beach, The Beauty and the Geek BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE BEDAZZLED BEE SEASON BEHIND ENEMY LINES Bend It Like Beckham Beneath The Planet Of The Apes BIG MOMMA'S HOUSE BIG MOMMA'S HOUSE 2 BLACK KNIGHT Black Knight, The Brokedown Palace BROKEN ARROW Broken Arrow (1996) BROKEN LIZARD'S CLUB DREAD BROWN SUGAR BULWORTH CAST AWAY CATCH THAT KID CHAIN REACTION CHASING PAPI CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN 2 Clearing, The CLEOPATRA COMEBACKS, THE Commando Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes COURAGE UNDER FIRE DAREDEVIL DATE MOVIE 4 Dockets.Justia.com DAY AFTER TOMORROW, THE DECK THE HALLS Deep End, The DEVIL WEARS PRADA, THE DIE HARD DIE HARD 2 DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY DOWN PERISCOPE DOWN WITH LOVE DRIVE ME CRAZY DRUMLINE DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR? Edge, The EDWARD SCISSORHANDS ELEKTRA Entrapment EPIC MOVIE ERAGON Escape From The Planet Of The Apes Everyone's Hero Family Stone, The FANTASTIC FOUR FAST FOOD NATION FAT ALBERT FEVER PITCH Fight Club, The FIREHOUSE DOG First $20 Million, The FIRST DAUGHTER FLICKA Flight 93 Flight of the Phoenix, The Fly, The FROM HELL Full Monty, The Garage Days GARDEN STATE GARFIELD GARFIELD A TAIL OF TWO KITTIES GRANDMA'S BOY Great Expectations (1998) HERE ON EARTH HIDE AND SEEK HIGH CRIMES 5 HILLS HAVE
    [Show full text]
  • The Sounding of the Seventh Trumpet Study Guide #5 - Revelation 12-14 I
    5/13 e h Revelation The Sounding of the Seventh Trumpet Study Guide #5 - Revelation 12-14 I. Introduction A. Revelation 10 through 14 describes God's activities in the "time of the end" as he prepares a people to know and proclaim His final “7th Trumpet” message to a stubborn world. Because God is making an all out, final effort to bring the Gospel message to the world, Satan will make an all out counter attempt to harass and destroy those on God's side. B. Revelation 10 and 11 outlined the focus and historical setting of the final message which is to be given to prepare the world for the Second Coming of Christ. This message, centered around the gospel as foreshadowed in the Old Testament Sanctuary system and realized in the Cross of the New Testament, is designed to bring a special group of people to spiritual maturity as symbolized by the 144,000. C. Revelation 12 introduces this End Time group that will sound God's 7th Trumpet message of truth and warning by looking back in time and surveying the familiar historical sweep and situation which shapes them and their message, as well as verifying the time frame in which they arise. Verse 17 introduces the concept of God's remnant people, who keep His commandments and bear His testimony. D. Revelation 13 outlines Satan's final strategy to attempt to destroy this remnant people and thus silence their message, describing how the wrath of the Dragon will be directed against them through a revival of the Old World "beast" system joined by a New World Superpower which sets up an "image" to support the Beast.
    [Show full text]
  • Isolation, Individuality, and Choice in Angel Susanne E
    Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications Philosophy, Department of 1-1-2011 'Look What Free Will Has Gotten You': Isolation, Individuality, and Choice in Angel Susanne E. Foster Marquette University, [email protected] James B. South Marquette University, [email protected] Published version. "'Look What Free Will Has Gotten You': Isolation, Individuality, and Choice in Angel," in The Philosophy of Joss Whedon. Eds. Dean A. Kowalski and S. Evan Kreider. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2011: 168-181. Publisher Link. © 2011 University Press of Kentucky. Used with permission. "Look What Free Will Has Gotten You" Isolation, Individuality, and Choice in Angel Susanne E. Foster and James B. South The "Jasmine arc" comprises six episodes at the end of season four of Angel. I These episodes detail, through a series of seemingly improbable events, the birth, rise, and death of a being called Jasmine (Gina Torres), a godlike creature brought into the world by Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) and Angel's son, Connor (Vincent Kartheiser). Once born, Jasmine exerts a near magical force over humans, causing them to worship her and follow her commands. In this enthralled state, her followers experience peace within themselves and with others. But as Angel (David Boreanaz) and his team realize, as one by one they are freed from Jasmine's spell through contact with her blood, the peace and sense of fulfillment comes at a very high price. Among the significant philosophical issues raised by this sequence are three themes related to the human predicament. First, and fundamentally, is the way in which the subjective nature of the human perspective, the fact that the individual's unique set of experiences influences the way the world ap­ pears to her, makes problematic the nature of an individual's conception of the good life.
    [Show full text]