“If you live your religion you will become different.” (Dom Helder Camara) If you haven’t met Camara, I introduce him to you today. He was a Brazilian Catholic archbishop during the dictator years. Another Dom-quote that I like: “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor they call me a communist.” Some people have a hard time understanding “poverty “. How has your religion caused you to live differently? ;-) Jack
FROM WILLMAR REV: When I was a child, I spake like a child, "I don't smoke or chew or go with girls that do!", but when I became a man, I put away childish things and decided, "Whether I eat or drink, or whatsoever I do, I'll do all to the glory of God!" Good Morning, Jack! 0;-)===JACK: One of things that I celebrate is the reduction of tobacco use. I remember spittoons and people using them. I remember church council meetings in smoke-filled rooms. I remember members of the Ladies Aid who were avid smokers. How about at the Willmar Racetrack? Any girls there who "smoke or chew" or drink a Bud?===REV: There are!! The smokers, out and away from the grandstand and up on the small hill before the parking lot! The Bud Lights, drank only in the designated drinking sections of the grandstand. When I make my way from down on the track and the announcer's stand, after the prayer and the leading of our National Anthem, I make sure to walk through the back of each section and in front of the hill saying hello to everyone I meet. Most generally welcomed by all, especially the little kids who run up and give me hug! Love the experience!! I’ve had a few offers to buy me a beer—“Root Beer only, please!!” ===JACK: As you describe your walking experience from the track back to the fans-area, I think of the song, "I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked." I betcha that you've sung that song before.===REV: Sorry to have to admit it-- but have heard it sung more often out and away then in our own churches where I have attended or lead songs. Beautiful song!! 0;-/===JACK: Here's a suggestion...Why not sing as a part of one of your upcoming sermons...encouraging your listeners to follow in the steps of Jesus? It could be very effective.===REV: You are so very gracious in suggesting this, having not heard me sing-- might do better using it as one of my posted hymns, following one of my daily Facebook devotionals. 0;-)===JACK: You're never too old to try something new.
FROM GOOD DEBT JON: "When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist?" This seems a bit disjointed what does he mean? Communist doesn't make sense in this quote?===JACK: I think that you have to read some of the history of Brazil when Camara was the Catholic Archbishop. He was one of the activist priests on behalf of the poor and was accused of being a communist. During the Senator Joe McCarthy days in the USA the word "communist" was used in a way that did not jibe with the true meaning. BUT....I think that you will be inspired by the Camara story.
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: I enjoyed your WW again this morning. Thought-provoking once again. I would say that, as we all live out our religion, we bit-by-bit become different in that we (hopefully) take on more and more the mind of Christ.===JACK: Since you have an interest in how Catholics and Lutherans "fit" together, the story of Archbishop Camara is one that you appreciate exploring further. ===SHARON: Thanks for your e-mail. I've been googling Dom Helder Camara and found that he was a liberation theologian Archbishop. Didn't find any exact examples of his Lutheran relationships but am getting a book which has to do with the relationships of Catholics and Protestants in Brazil. Always interested in the ways religious folks have managed to be reconciled in Christ. Thanks for alerting me to that evidently happening for Dom Helder Camara and the Lutherans fitting together. ===JACK: Lutherans did not specifically work with him, but many progressive Lutherans bought into liberation theology.
FROM NORM'S BLOG: We often see people in the news self-righteously proclaiming their religious beliefs while committing what amounts to crimes or we find out later that the supposedly pious church leader was in fact a pedophile. They were talking about religion, but not living it.
I’m not sure that I even like using the word religion in today’s quote, better to use faith or beliefs. The word religion carries with it too much of the baggage of dogma and fabricated doctrine with it. One of the groups that Jesus often took to task in his teaching were the Pharisees and scribes of his day (see Luke 11:37–11:54, Matthew 23:1–23:39 and Mark 12:35–12:40). Those religious posers had allowed their own egos to get in the way of their faith and preferred to talk about their religion, rather than live it.===JACK: Let's not let "them" steal the word "religion" from us. They've already stolen the word "evangelical". Today it is associated with a political group in such a way that some people that we of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) is part of the Evangelical Right. Wrong! Nothing's farther from the truth!
FROM THE TYCOON: That is a great quote. ===JACK: The life of Dom Helder Camara was a great life...worth at least a Google search.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: It has caused the focus of my life to be on doing what I can for others. It has helped me be compassionate and caring, both to my family and to those i come in contact with. It caused me to use my musical talent and speaking ability not only to entertain, but to enhance our worship services. When we really committed, it changed our lives from the "Country Club" social group to church family: Quite a turn around!! (Once one of our golfing buddies asked Bill how it felt to go from a Cadillac to a Ford? He immediately said, "I'd say It feels like going from Death to Life!" Our friend didn't have an answer for that, (Oh! Well that's great, Bill, I'm happy for you!")
I think it impaired his golf game a bit...we won the match~!===JACK: I'm always impressed by church members who live out their faith. But, it seems as tho the pastor's family was "expected" to do so. Maybe that's a burden that we laid on ourselves. Not until retirement did I feel as tho I was "paid to be good." Now, I feel as tho I'mn good for nothing.
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