The Kneeling Christian
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1 | Mysticism Mysticism: a False Model of the Christian's Communion with God and Sanctification by Pastor Mark R. Perkins H
Mysticism: A False Model of the Christian's Communion with God and Sanctification By Pastor Mark R. Perkins Human spirituality has suffered more from the assault of mysticism than from any other enemy. Even among Christians, mysticism is overwhelmingly misunderstood, rampantly practiced against every caution, and is a vital conduit for the introduction of a great volume of false doctrine into the world. Today, mysticism is wildly popular among Christians. Movements such as contemplative spirituality, spiritual formation, and in large part the charismatic branch of evangelical Christianity all have significant elements of mysticism. Because of extensive involvement in mysticism, the result to Christianity through the ages has been nothing less than devastating. In generation after generation mysticism has produced heresy and war, and from association with the name of Christ has done significant harm to the reputation of Christians and the church. The purpose of this presentation is to define mysticism, and then to determine whether the biblical description of communion with God, and of sanctification, meets that definition. Other benefits will accrue in the journey. The Definition of Mysticism According to the concise Oxford English Dictionary, a mystic is “a person who seeks by contemplation and self–surrender to attain unity with the Deity or the absolute, and so reach truths beyond human understanding.”1 While anything mystical is something “having a spiritual, symbolic, or allegorical significance that transcends human understanding… relating to ancient religious mysteries or other occult rites.”2 The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church adds this illumination, “In modern usage ‘mysticism’ generally refers to claims of immediate knowledge of Ultimate Reality whether or not this is called ‘God’) by direct personal experience;”3 Finally, Francis Schaeffer emphasizes the unintelligibility of mysticism, “Mysticism is nothing more than a faith contrary to rationality, deprived of content and incapable of communication. -
Praying with Body, Mind, and Voice
Praying with Body, Mind, and Voice n the celebration of Mass we raise our hearts and SITTING minds to God. We are creatures of body as well as Sitting is the posture of listening and meditation, so the Ispirit, so our prayer is not confined to our minds congregation sits for the pre-Gospel readings and the and hearts. It is expressed by our bodies as well. homily and may also sit for the period of meditation fol- When our bodies are engaged in our prayer, we pray lowing Communion. All should strive to assume a seated with our whole person. Using our entire being in posture during the Mass that is attentive rather than prayer helps us to pray with greater attentiveness. merely at rest. During Mass we assume different postures— standing, kneeling, sitting—and we are also invited PROCESSIONS to make a variety of gestures. These postures and gestures are not merely ceremonial. They have pro- Every procession in the Liturgy is a sign of the pilgrim found meaning and, when done with understand- Church, the body of those who believe in Christ, on ing, can enhance our participation in the Mass. their way to the Heavenly Jerusalem. The Mass begins with the procession of the priest and ministers to the altar. The Book of the Gospels is carried in procession to the ambo. The gifts of bread and wine are brought STANDING forward to the altar. Members of the assembly come for- Standing is a sign of respect and honor, so we stand as ward in procession—eagerly, attentively, and devoutly— the celebrant who represents Christ enters and leaves to receive Holy Communion. -
Prayer of Supplication Almighty God, Your Son Jesus Christ Was Lifted High Upon the Cross So He Might Draw the Whole World to Himself
UMC of Cucamonga “Tenebrae Service” Prayer of Supplication Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross so he might draw the whole world to himself. Grant that we, who glory in his death for our salvation, may also glory in his call to take up our cross and follow him; through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen. Message : Lamb of God It’s dark outside this evening. It’s appropriate for us to gather at this time for a service of Tenebrae, a service of darkness, when we remember Jesus’ death on a cross. But there’s a big difference: the darkness we are experiencing is natural. The sun has set and the stars and moon are out. The darkness that covered the land of Israel on the Friday afternoon when Jesus was crucified was different. Supernatural darkness covered the whole land. Jesus was crucified at mid-day and died in the middle of the afternoon, so the sun was out – yet it could not be seen. Passover is always held during a time of the new moon – there is no way it could have been an eclipse. The darkness represented all the forces of evil and the darkness of our sins as they gathered at one moment. I believe it would be truly frightening to experience, regardless of our modern scientific knowledge and sophistication. That’s because the darkness was palpable and true evil was present. If we had been there, we would have wondered, “What’s up?” What happened that afternoon was foretold. It fulfilled God’s Law. -
Themes of SM Expression Charles Moser and Peggy J
3 Themes of SM Expression Charles Moser and Peggy J. Kleinplatz SM (also known as BDSM, i.e. Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission and Sadism and Masochism) is a term used to describe a variety of sexual behaviours that have an implicit or explicit power differential as a significant aspect of the erotic interaction. Of course there are other sexual interactions or behaviours that have an implicit power differential, but that power differential is not generally eroticized in non-SM interactions. Sex partners may even disagree if a particular interaction or relationship constitutes SM, each seeing it from a different perspective. The boundaries between SM and non-SM interactions are not always clear, which is why self-definition is crucial for understanding SM phenomena. Colloquially the set of SM inclinations has been referred to deris- ively as an interest in ‘whips and chains’, but is much more complex and varied than suggested by that description. Practitioners use both numerous academic terms and jargon (e.g. S/M, B/D, WIITWD [i.e. what it is that we do], D/s, Bondage, Leather, Kink) to refer to these interests. They have been labelled controversially in the psychiatric liter- ature with diagnostic labels such as paraphilia, sadomasochism, sexual sadism, sexual masochism and fetishism. There is no evidence that the descriptions in the psychiatric literature resemble the individuals who self-identify as SM participants or that SM participants understand the implications of adopting the psychiatric terms as self-descriptors. Judging from the proliferation of SM themes in sexually explicit media, references in mainstream books, film and the news media, as well as academic studies and support groups, it is reasonable to conclude that SM is an important sexual interest for a significant number of indi- viduals. -
“Why Do We Do THAT?”
“Why do we do THAT ?” Exploring the “what” and “how” of freedom in worship – #6 Kneel – v. To fall or rest on bent knees. (Am. Heritage Dictionary) For me, the concept of kneeling has two prominent associations: (1) a scene from the Middle Ages in which a knight, fully-armed, kneels before a king to receive a particular title or rank of significance; and (2) within the Catholic church, where parishioners routinely kneel at designated points in the Liturgy. The obvious problem, however, is that very few of us (i.e. modern-day Protestants) have any relevant understanding of the act of kneeling in any context, and most especially not within the context of our contemporary worship service. But before we simply write off the practice of kneeling as something both chronologically and culturally irrelevant, let’s take in a little “food for thought.” As previously mentioned, kneeling was a common expression of humility in the Middle Ages, where kingdoms, manors, knights and lords comprised the culture’s operating paradigm. One in a position of service might approach the lord of the manor (the ruler of the estate), bow on one knee, and with a lowered head utter the greeting, “Your lordship.” Anything less would have been taken as an act of insubordination. In Biblical history, specifically in the third chapter of the book of Esther, kneeling is mentioned in a similar context. In verse 2, Mordecai refuses “to kneel down or pay honor to” the prime minister, Haman, much to the king’s fury. In cases like these, the physical gesture of kneeling communicates a visible, intentional lowering of self in submission to someone in a position of greater authority. -
The Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church Together with The Psalter or Psalms of David According to the use of The Episcopal Church Church Publishing Incorporated, New York Certificate I certify that this edition of The Book of Common Prayer has been compared with a certified copy of the Standard Book, as the Canon directs, and that it conforms thereto. Gregory Michael Howe Custodian of the Standard Book of Common Prayer January, 2007 Table of Contents The Ratification of the Book of Common Prayer 8 The Preface 9 Concerning the Service of the Church 13 The Calendar of the Church Year 15 The Daily Office Daily Morning Prayer: Rite One 37 Daily Evening Prayer: Rite One 61 Daily Morning Prayer: Rite Two 75 Noonday Prayer 103 Order of Worship for the Evening 108 Daily Evening Prayer: Rite Two 115 Compline 127 Daily Devotions for Individuals and Families 137 Table of Suggested Canticles 144 The Great Litany 148 The Collects: Traditional Seasons of the Year 159 Holy Days 185 Common of Saints 195 Various Occasions 199 The Collects: Contemporary Seasons of the Year 211 Holy Days 237 Common of Saints 246 Various Occasions 251 Proper Liturgies for Special Days Ash Wednesday 264 Palm Sunday 270 Maundy Thursday 274 Good Friday 276 Holy Saturday 283 The Great Vigil of Easter 285 Holy Baptism 299 The Holy Eucharist An Exhortation 316 A Penitential Order: Rite One 319 The Holy Eucharist: Rite One 323 A Penitential Order: Rite Two 351 The Holy Eucharist: Rite Two 355 Prayers of the People -
Proper Postures and Gestures of the Lay Faithful in the Church Ivana T
Proper Postures and Gestures of the Lay Faithful in the Church Ivana T. Meshell, Director of Adult Faith Formation Deacon Dave Illingworth has done for us some important research on the proper postures and gestures of the lay faithful in the Church. It is of great benefit for us as laypersons striving to be faithful Catholics to know about these postures and gestures, why we use them, and how we can benefit from them. For this reason, I am proud to feature Deacon Dave’s excellent work as part of my usual weekly bulletin articles. We would welcome your questions and conversation about this information so that together we might all come to a better understanding of them and be able to more fruitfully put them into practice. His reflections begin as follows: In the celebration of Mass we raise our hearts, minds and voices to God; yet we are creatures composed of body as well as spirit and so our prayer is not confined to our minds, hearts and voices, but is expressed through our physical bodies as well. We pray best as whole persons, as the embodied spirits God created us to be, and this engagement of our entire being in prayer helps us to pray with greater attention. During Mass we assume different postures: standing, kneeling, sitting; we are also invited to make a variety of gestures. These postures and gestures are not merely ceremonial; they have profound meaning and, when done with understanding, can enhance our personal participation in Mass. In fact, these actions are the way in which we engage our bodies in the prayer that is the Mass (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB.com, Posture). -
Religion and the Return of Magic: Wicca As Esoteric Spirituality
RELIGION AND THE RETURN OF MAGIC: WICCA AS ESOTERIC SPIRITUALITY A thesis submitted for the degree of PhD March 2000 Joanne Elizabeth Pearson, B.A. (Hons.) ProQuest Number: 11003543 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 11003543 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 AUTHOR’S DECLARATION The thesis presented is entirely my own work, and has not been previously presented for the award of a higher degree elsewhere. The views expressed here are those of the author and not of Lancaster University. Joanne Elizabeth Pearson. RELIGION AND THE RETURN OF MAGIC: WICCA AS ESOTERIC SPIRITUALITY CONTENTS DIAGRAMS AND ILLUSTRATIONS viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ix ABSTRACT xi INTRODUCTION: RELIGION AND THE RETURN OF MAGIC 1 CATEGORISING WICCA 1 The Sociology of the Occult 3 The New Age Movement 5 New Religious Movements and ‘Revived’ Religion 6 Nature Religion 8 MAGIC AND RELIGION 9 A Brief Outline of the Debate 9 Religion and the Decline o f Magic? 12 ESOTERICISM 16 Academic Understandings of -
The Museumification of Rumi's Tomb
International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Volume 2 Issue 2 Article 2 2014 The Museumification of Rumi’s Tomb: Deconstructing Sacred Space at the Mevlana Museum Rose Aslan California Lutheran University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijrtp Part of the Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, Human Geography Commons, Near Eastern Languages and Societies Commons, Other Religion Commons, and the Tourism and Travel Commons Recommended Citation Aslan, Rose (2014) "The Museumification of Rumi’s Tomb: Deconstructing Sacred Space at the Mevlana Museum," International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage: Vol. 2: Iss. 2, Article 2. doi:https://doi.org/10.21427/D7T41D Available at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijrtp/vol2/iss2/2 Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. © International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage ISSN : 2009-7379 Available at: http://arrow.dit.ie/ijrtp/ Volume 2(ii) 2014 The Museumification of Rumi’s Tomb: Deconstructing Sacred Space at the Mevlana Museum Rose Aslan California Lutheran University [email protected] Tourists and pilgrims from across Turkey and around the world flock to the tomb of Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 1273), one of the greatest poets and Sufi masters in Islam. Since 1925, the Turkish government has relentlessly struggled to control Islamic influences in society and to channel people’s devotion to the memory of Kemal Ataturk (d. 1938) and his secular ideology. This article argues that by restructuring the layout and presentation of the tomb complex of Rumi, and putting the sacred space through the process of museumification, the Turkish state has attempted to regulate the place in order to control people’s experience of the sacred. -
71 Supplications from the Holy Quran
Dua Connect 71 SUPPLICATIONS FROM THE HOLY QURAN Arabic text and English translation with contemplations and references included. AUDIO RECITED BY MUFTI ISMAIL MENK Projects by Muslim Central Click on the logos to view the website IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. Al-Faatihah (Supplication for Guidance to The Straight Path): َّ َّ َّ ۡ َ ۡ ُ َّ َ ّ ۡ َ َ َ َّ َّ ِمۡسِب ٱلِ ٱلرِنَٰمۡح ٱلر ِح ِيم. ٱلمد لِ ِ ر ِب ٱلعٰل ِمني. ٱلرِنَٰمۡح ٱلر ِح ِيم. ۡ َ ٰ َ ۡ ّ َّ َ َ ۡ ُ ُ َّ َ َ ۡ َ ُ ۡ َ ّ َ َ ُ ۡ َ َ ملِ ِك يو ِم ِٱدل ِين. إِياك نعبد ِإَوياك نستعِني. ٱه ِدنا ِٱلصرٰط ٱلمستقِيم. َ َ َّ َ َ ۡ َ ۡ َ َ َ ۡ ۡ َ ۡ ۡ َ ۡ ُ َ َ ۡ ۡ َ َ َّ ّ َ ِصرٰط ِٱلين أنعمت علي ِهم غيِ ٱلمغض ِوب علي ِهم ول ٱلضٓالِني. In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds - The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, Sovereign of the Day of Recompense. It is You we worship and it is You we seek for help. Guide us to the Straight Path - The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have earned [Your] anger or of those who are astray. (Qur’an 1:1-7) CONTEMPLATIONS: “It is You we worship identifies the objective, and it is You we seek for help states the means of achieving that objective. -
The Book of Sufi Healing / Moiruddin Chishti
Th.B,.,okI SffiI [IilA[,[Ilfi +h. pow.r of Love ^^.o^ditiov'ral to work U.t^n ,ni,nacles ''dito+'' o' d ^r:':l:: ::;2::i' ^ o theinfall;bl. o^.r.dy o th. rorl of th. rose Shovkh l-lak ivnMoi di" ehis hti "'id lnner Tradition$ Int€mational One Park Stleet Rochester, Vermont 05767 www.InnerTraditions,com Copyright @ 1991by Hakim abu-Abdullah Moinuddin al-Chishtiyya All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, includint photocopying, recording, or by any information storate and ret eval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. LTBRARYoF CoNGREssCATALocTNG-rN-PuBLrcllTroN DATA Moinduddin, abu-Abdullah Ghulam. The book of Sufi healing / Moiruddin Chishti. P. cm. Reprint. Origrnally published: New York : Inner Tladitions Intemational, c1985. inlcudesbibliographical referencesand hdex. ISBN 0-89281-324-5 1. Sufism. 2. Spiritual healing. 3. Medicine,Arabic. 4.Metaphysics. I.Title 8P189.65.F35M65 t991 613-dc20 91-14595 CIP Printed and bound in the United States 1098 Text design by Studio 31 In the name oJ God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful Praise be m God, the Chefisher and Sustainer oJ the |Iorlds; Most Gracious, Most Mercifuli Master oJ the Day oJ Judgment. Thee do we wonhip and Thine aid we seeh, Show us the st,ruight waJl, the wql oJ those on whom thou hast bestowed Thy Gtace, those who have not eamed Thine anger and who go not astray. C-ontents Forewordby Abu AneesMuhammad Barkat Ali vii Shajarah,or Line of Succession,of Shaykh Moinuddin ix Notes -
October 11, 2020 Washington National Cathedral
WELCOME washington national cathedral October 11, 2020 An Online House of Prayer for All People Preaching Today Even though our building is closed temporarily, we’re The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde committed to bringing all the warmth, beauty and God’s presence in the Cathedral directly to you! We invite you to interact with us in new ways, and we hope you find a measure of comfort and God’s grace in these challenging times. Presiding Today COVID-19 closures have disrupted life for everyone, and The Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith we know this is a difficult time for many. You can help the Cathedral provide comfort and hope for our nation. Give today at cathedral.org/support Your Online Cathedral COVID Memorial Prayers Enjoy exclusive online content at cathedral.org. Saturdays, new time—7 am prayer requests The Cathedral joins in grieving the thousands of lives lost to the Submit prayers for yourself, those you love and the world. During the coronavirus pandemic, and we share the anxiety and loss in these week we offer these prayers during a time of prayer and intercession. uncertain times. We invite you to submit the names of friends or loved ones—regardless of religious affiliation—lost to the COVID-19 chapel pilgrimages pandemic to be recognized in a weekly memorial service. Join Cathedral clergy for a series of Chapel Pilgrimages, exploring the chapels and offering meditations. Next Sunday explore the bishop’s garden preaching at 11:15 am All Hallows Guild offers an online tour of the Bishop’s Garden, allowing Cathedral Canon Missioner Leonard L.