Jack’s Winning Words  2/12 /20 “When I do good, I feel good.  When I do bad, I feel bad.  That’s my religion.”  (A. Lincoln)  When I keep the Commandments and follow the teachings of Jesus, I feel good.  When I confess my sins and have to apologize I don’t feel so good.  It’s said that Lincoln never belonged to a church, yet he and I have a similar religion.  I read that going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes you an automobile.  What’s your religion?  ;-)  Jack FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  Somewhere in Genesis?..."If you do what is right, will not your countenance follow?"===JACK:  Google says that you're right  (Genesis 4:7)...and I'm impressed.  I like the modern translation...""You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” FROM WILLMAR REV:  "Redeemed" through the sacrifice of Christ . . . happy to know, sad at times realizing why!?!? 0;-)===JACK:  Before we named the W.B. mission congregation, Holy Spirit Church, it was known as Redemption Lutheran Church. ===Rev: Do you good folks have this song in your Lutheran hymnals?    Redeemed how I love to proclaim it! ===JACK:  No, it's not there, but we do have: "I know that my Redeemer lives.  What comfort this sweet sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives."===REV:  Sweet indeed! FROM OPTIMISTIC TERI G:  For your Optimist members....not the stroke; the positive effect of OPTIMISM in one’s recovery...See the attached story: Another win for optimism! Recovery after stroke https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/12/health/optimism-stroke-wellness/===JACK:  ...Terri G - Always looking at the "sunnyside of everything." FROM BB IN CHGO:  In my almost senior years, I’m finding the confession part much easier.  I no longer have a desire to even appear “squeaky clean”.  I’m more willing to embrace my humanity/fallibility and hope that our collective imperfections are part of our unique contribution to life.  I now wonder if the “for better, for worse” in the wedding vows has little to do with outside circumstances and everything to do with our personal character – embracing our shortcomings as well as our successes. ?===JACK:  I like your comment about, "for better, for worse."  Maybe it could also be part of the baptismal service...and for confirmation.  In fact, God is always there for us, both in the better and the worse.  At the heart of Luther's theology was the phrase: "Simul justus et peccator,"  we are at the same time, justified and a sinner...better and worse.  And, God loves us as we are. FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  My religion?  Do unto others as you would have them do to you!===JACK:  Many religions have the Golden Rule as a faith statement. FROM ST PAUL IN MESA:  but its also true the practicing your religion in a community of faith  (i,e, a church)  has a way of enhancing and deepening your faith.   ===JACK:  Of course, it depends on the church.  Many "church" people are supporters of the current administration and their policies.  Is religion religion?  Is church church? FROM NORM'S BLOG:  Lincoln was not a member of any organized religion, but he certainly did a lot more good in this world than many of his era that were church goers. Religion is sometimes defined as the practice of one’s faith, what one believes in. One would be hard presses to find a better example than Abe Lincoln of someone who practiced what they believed in.  So, the question, “What’s your religion”, really boils down to what do you believe and do you practice what you believe? Churches tend to build complex sets of rules and rituals for the practice of beliefs, turning them into dogma which cannot be challenged. Disagreements over that dogma has lead to the splintering of churches or religions, not matter what beliefs  they were originally based upon. That is why we have so many different faiths and denominations and sects within faiths. At their core, most are defined by a belief in a supreme being (God in whatever name is used). Once you get past that simple core belief, one begins to encounter the hand of man in the accepted practices of worshiping that God. Let the dogma begin. Most practitioners of religion eventually find a set of dogma that they can accept and settle into one of these groups, secure in their knowledge that they are practicing the one, true religion, while all others are doomed.At least the religion that Abe Lincoln professed has very simple and straightforward rules – do good and feel good about it or do bad and feel bad about it. Jesus put it that we should love others as He has loved us and do unto others as we would have them do to us.  I suspect that you would end up doing good if you accepted that as your religion. Leave the dogma stuff to the people who are more concerned about perpetuating their institutions than about the faith that underpins their religions.===JACK:  Good stuff.  Thanks.