OurPrayerGroup

2009-10-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

8th Day

On, the eighth day God blessed what he had blessed. He remembered us in him. And, with his breath he formed the pre-existent idea of our existence and reality inside of the World and him into the everlasting reality of its truth. Thus, God our Father made himself Jesus Christ (the fullness of his image and likeness in us), our King of Kings.

Figure 1 Morning Light Skips Across the Waves

Morning Blessings
(to be said upon arising)

My God, the soul you have placed… within me it is pure. You created it; You formed it; You breathed it into me; You keep it within me; and You will eventually take it from me… and return it to me in the time to come. So long as my soul is within me, I gratefully acknowledge your presence… Adonay my God and my ancestor's God, Master of all creation, Lord of all souls, Blessed are you, Adonay, who restores souls to dead corpses.

Elohay n'shamah shenataeta… bee t'horah hee. Atah boratah, atah yotzeratah, atah n'pachtah, v'atah m'smarah b'keer'bee, v'atah ateed l'talah meem'ehnay… v'l'hachazeerah bay l'ateed l'bo. Kal z'man shehan'shamah v'ker'bee modeh aenee l'pneach… Adonay elohay v'elohay a'botay, rabon kal h'maeseem aedon kal n'shamot. Baruch atah adonay ham'chaezayr n'smot l'pgadeem mateem.

1) Blessed are you, Lord, our God… Ruler…of the Universe who opens… the eyes of the blind.

Baruch atah Adonay, Elohenu… melek… h'olam, pokay'ach eevreem.

Some metaphysicians correlate ocean waves in dreams and in the collective human psyche with problems we are experiencing together. But, I see them along with the sea turtle’s return as good news signaling the coming of Christ Jesus the Messiah for the 3rd time. See http://www.ourprayergroup.blogspot.com October, November 2006 postings for more on this, along with some Biblical references to turtle doves and sea turtles.

Figure 2 Morning Waves I Along with some Shore Birds: “Thanks be to God for His many blessings that we share in our lives here on earth.”
2) Blessed are you, Lord, our God… Ruler… of the Universe who clothes the naked.

Baruch atah Adonay, Elohenu… melek… h'olam malbeesh aerumeem.

Figure 3 Morning Waves II Middle Ridge

3) Blessed are you, Lord, our God… Ruler… of the Universe who releases the bound.

Baruch atah Adonay, Elohenu… melek… h'olam mateer aesureem.

Figure 4 Morning Waves III Ocean Spray
4) Blessed are you, Lord, our God… Ruler… of the Universe who lifts up the bent over.

Baruch atah Adonay, Elohenu… melek… h'olam zokayf k'fufeem

Figure 5 Morning Waves IV Breaking Wave
5) Blessed are you, Lord, our God… Ruler… of the Universe who spreads out the land on the water.

Baruch atah Adonay, Elohenu… melek… h'olam rokay h'aretz al ham'ayeem

Figure 6 Morning Waves V Middle Trough
6) Blessed are you, Lord, our God… Ruler… of the Universe who has provided my every need.

Baruch atah Adonay, Elohenu… melek… h'olam sheasah lay kal tsar'kay

Figure 7 Morning Waves VI Some Light patterns captured between the waves.

7) Blessed are you, Lord, our God… Ruler… of the Universe who makes firm our steps.

Baruch atah Adonay, Elohenu… melek… h'olam hamaycheen meetsaday g'aver

Figure 8 Morning Waves VII Reaching the Shore

8) Blessed are you, Lord, our God… Ruler… of the Universe who strengthens Israel with might.

Baruch atah Adonay, Elohenu… melek… h'olam ozer Israel b'gevurah

Figure 9 Morning Waves VIII Light Sparkling on Waves

9) Blessed are you, Lord, our God… Ruler… of the Universe who crowns Israel with glory.

Baruch atah Adonay, Elohenu… melek… h'olam oter Israel b'teefarah

Figure 10 Throne of the Sea Turtle, Isle of Palms Beach just North of Charlestown SC.

For information and videos about groups in South Carolina helping Sea Turtle, see the Sea Turtle Rescue Hospital video at the Charlestown, SC Aquarium’s web site. http://www.scaquarium.org/STR. There are also groups elsewhere if you do a google search on “sea turtle rescue”.

Figure 11 Morning Waves IX A wave does a sashay in the middle of the camera’s view
Definition of sashay: a. To walk or proceed, especially in an easy or casual manner. b. To strut or flounce in a showy manner

10) Blessed are you, Lord, our God…Ruler… of the Universe who gives strength to the weary.

Baruch atah Adonay, Elohenu… melek… h'olam h'noten layoayf poaych.

Figure 12 Morning Waves X: Some Blue and White Waves revea what is called a meditation on “The Three Diamonds”, 1) Absolute consciousness of God’s Light from Heaven, 2) Absolute consciousness of God’s Light inside the Human Heart, 3) Absolute consiousness of God’s Light on Earth

11) Blessed are you, Lord, our God… Ruler… of the Universe who removes sleep from my eyes,
slumber from my eyelids.

Baruch atah Adonay, Elohenu… melek… h'olam h'ama'aveer shenah mayaynay vt'nomah mayaf'aypay.

12) Blessed are you, Lord, who compassionately bestows goodness to those of his people who have struggled to understand him..

Baruch atah Adonay, gomayl h'asadaym tobaym l'amo Israel.

Figure 13 Morning Waves X, A View Farther Out

12) Blessed are you, Lord, who compassionately bestows goodness to those of his people who have struggled to understand him..

Baruch atah Adonay, gomayl h'asadaym tobaym l'amo Israel.

Figure 14 Family Taking a Morning Walk Along the Sea Shore

YHWH School of Christianity
Scheme for Transliteration of Hebrew Vowels into English

vowel name sign sound additional symbol

qamets, patah a as in yacht sof pasuq

hireq ee as in bee appears below last word in a verse

tsere ay as in hay (transliterated as )

seqol eh as in bed

holem o as in low

qibbuts, shureq oo as in zoo

shewa silent/short-sound (transliterated as ' )

qamets shewa o as in (obstruct)

patah shewa a as in (around), that is ae

segol shewa e as in (effect), that is e as opposed to ee

2008-12-28T13:53:00.000-08:00

Day of the Holy Name of Jesus 2008/2009
Partners in God, partners in Christ, we are one family.

Vista up the river valley from top of canyon rim overlooking Mt. Zion National Park, Western US
Yearly Prayer Calendar:

View from above of part of the Angel’s Landing rock formation from lunch stop at the top of the eastern canyon rim. Christmas vacation hiking trip to Zion National Park 2005

Water Flowing down the rocks into Petroglyph Canyon Mt. Zion National Park, US

Holy Days 5768-5769/2009 Confession of St. Peter (Jan 18 Psalm 23), Conversion day of St. Paul (Jan. 25 Psalm 67), Tu B’Shvat (Festival of the Trees) February 9,
Ash Wednesday (February 25), Saint Benedict’s day (March 2), Purim (March 10), Saint Gregory’s day (March 12), Saint George’s day(March 23),
Passover (April 9), Easter (April 12),St. Mark (April 25 Psalm 2), Lag B’Omer (May 11), Shavuos (May 29), Pentecost (May 31),
St. Peter and St. Paul’s day (June 29 Psalms 66, 87,97,138), Independence Day U.S.A.,St. Mary Magalene (July 21 Psalms 30,42,116,149),
St. James day (July 25, Psalms 7, 33,34), St. Ignatius Loyola'Saint Bernard’s day (August 20), Saint Barthomew’s (Nathaniel’s ) day (August 24 Psalms 15,67,86, 91),
World Peace Day (September 21), Rosh Hashanah (September 19), Yom Kippur and Gabriel, Michael, Ariel, Raphael and All Angels day (Sept. 29),
Shemini Atzeret October 10, Saint Francis of Assisi’s day Oct. 4 , St. Luke (Oct 18 Psalm 103), Saint James of Jerusalem day (Oct 23 Psalm 1),
All Souls/All Saints Day (Psalms 111,112,148,149,150), Veteran’s Day(Nov. 11) St. Martin's day, Saint Margaret’s day (Nov. 16), Thanksgiving day,
Saint Andrew’s day (Psalms 19,24,96,100), Channukah (December 12), St. Thomas’s day (Dec. 21 Psalms 23,27,121,126),
Christmas,St. John’s day (Dec. 27 Psalm 92,97,98,145), Holy Innocent’s day (Dec. 28, Psalms 2,26,19,126), Day of the Holy Name of Jesus (Dec. 31, Psalm 8).

[For Bible readings and Psalms that go with these Holy Days see the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer (both the two year daily office
and the two year lectionary readings) or the three year revised common lectionary at http:\\divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/lectionary .
The revised common lectionary was created for the occasions of common prayer and worship services among Protestants, Catholics and Jews.
It has more readings from the Old Testament than the ordinary episcopal or catholic lectionary.
Using these two or three year daily offices is an excellent way to keep track of an intention for reading most of the Bible in two years.
The best translation of the Bible I have found is “The Amplified Bible” published by Zondervan.
It has cross-references in the text to related passages and prophecies which make this translation even more of a “Tree of Life” than others.]

New Moons of Shevet (January 26), Adar (February 25) , Nissan (March 26), Iyar (April 25), Sivan (May 24) , Tammuz (June 23), Av (July 22), Elul (August 21), Tishrei / Rosh Hashanah (September 19),Yom Kippur (September 28), Succos (October3), Hoshana Rabba October 9,. Shimini Atzeres October 10, Simchas Torah October 11,Chesvan (October 19), Kislev (November 18),Tevet (December 18) (months of correct eating, laughter, speaking, thought, movement, seeing, hearing, action, feeling, smell, relaxation, judgement) tribes of Asher (Psalm 100 ), Naphtali (Psalm 98) Judah (Psalm 92),Issachar (Psalm 95), Zebulun (Psalm 96), Reuben (Psalm 90), Simeon, Gad (Psalm 94), Ephraim (Psalm 97), Menashah (Psalm 97) , Benjamin (Psalm 93), Dan (Psalm 99))

Vista overlook, Zion Canyon Christmas vacation 2005

[According to Jewish tradition, Moses gave the eleven psalms 90-100 to eleven of the tribes of Israel., the tribe of Simeon was excluded because of the events in Numbers 25-1:15. Psalm 91 was given to the tribe of Levi. Psalms 95 to 99 have been called the “Coronation Psalms” and are used in the Jewish Saturday Morning Kabbala Shabbat service. For some Baptist Christian Hymns related to the Messianic age see “The Coronation Hymnal”, by A.J. Gordon and A.T. Pierson, Revell and Co., N.Y., Boston, Chicago.( which is now out of print, but copies are available in several University
libraries)

Jewish and Christian Blessing
“May the eternal light and good energy in the Lord Bless you, protect you, and keep you,
May he lift up his face upon you while being gracious unto you,
May he uphold you and that which you value, and give you peace. ”

Area north of the Angel’s Landing rock formation.

Please pray with us assisted and helped by the prayers at
http://www.yhwhschofchrist.org/prayers
(you may register there and post your own prayers if this is helpful to you)

Irish Prayer and Blessing
“May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back.
May the Sun(Son) shine warm on your face, And the rain fall soft upon your fields.
And May God hold you in palm of his hands.”
(Until we talk and pray together again and he blesses you again through us)

2008-11-16T08:29:00.000-08:00

Light Upon the Path 2
22
Photo taken 10/26/2008 at 10,500’ latitude 35 deg. 10 min. longitude 93 deg. 20 min. from Cessna 182 8189G
while flying south easterly from Little Rock AR toward Greenville,MS
(for an enlargement of the photo click on it in your browser)

Another interpretation of how to understand a short summary of the Bible
hidden in, Genesis, the first book of the Torah.

We meditate while looking at the first words of the 12 Torah portions in the standard
yearly lectionary. This allows us to see the process of spiritual enlightenment
(working out of the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit) occuring in us through the soul and spirit of the prophet (man of God) Noah.
It occurs as a repeated yearly unfolding during this time of the Holy biblical year.
Furthermore, each of the twelve first words can be meditated on in terms of the individual
Hebrew letters and their corresponding sounds* .
See previous posting for more discussions about the significance of the Hebrew letter
Vav** as it appears in the Torah.

1) B’rayshit In the beginning
2) Noah the soul and spirit of Noah (with God’s help)
3) Lech Lekha separated and walked forward
4) Va-yera and appeared as
5) Hayyei Sarah
6) Toledot the story of Sarah’s life
7) Va-Yetze It left (Beer-sheva…the well of the seven)
8) Va-Yishlah and sent (messengers ahead to Esau)
9) Va-Yeshev while staying in place
10) Mikhetz to the end
11) Va-Yighehsh as it ascended
12) Va-yehi. Unto its place in heaven

*See “The Cipher of Genesis” or “Song of Songs” by Carlo Suares for much more on this.
** When you (a man or woman of God having done your share of your duty to God and Country) meditate on it as you prophesize... Vav becomes the light sword of the Holy Spirit of God's Truth in us . As an example of one way to do this through meditation you can autiot or spell out the letter as a set of hidden letter eg. Vav Aleph Vav for the letter vav. Then meditate on the meaning (conceptual value or purpose) hidden inside of the meaning of the letter.

Photo from 13,500’ 104 deg. 30 min. longitude 37 deg. 10’ min. latitude. The mountains in
The center of the photo are called the Spanish Peaks.
10/24/2008
for more photos from recent flight up the Red River Valley, Jackson, MS to Colorado Springs,CO and return flying along above the Arkansas River to Dodge City, KS, Fort Smith AR,Little Rock AR, Greenville, MS see postings at http://www.yhwhschofchrist.org/news

2008-05-19T15:31:00.000-07:00

May 4 Pentecost/ June 9 Shavuous 2008

Thought for the last millenium and also the next:
"A committment to upholding a truth that we both know about together is more fundamental than hoping for one that we don't [know about]. But, both are important."

Continuation of Translation of parts of the 1st chapter of Genesis
(untransliterated Hebrew script and some of the ideas for these translations are taken from the book “The Linear Chumash by Rabbi Peasch Goldberg, Feldheim Publishers, Jerusalem/ New York. See last year’s postings for the rest of translations of the first 5 of the 10 sayings of God in Genesis chapter 1)

View looking down on the Colorado River below, toward the east, from Plateau Pt. (3640’), Grand Canyon, AZ The Bright Angel creek (not visible) goes off to the upper left from near the middle of the picture. The rock formations in the background are called the Zoroaster temple (7136’) and the Brahma temple.

Grand Canyon Rock layers from top to bottom:
Kaibab Limestone (deposited 250 million years ago)
Toroweap formation (d 260 m years ago)
Coconino Sandstone (d 270 m years ago)
Hermit Shale (d 280 m years ago)
Supai Group (d 300 m years ago)
Redwall Limestone (d 330 m years ago)
Mauv Limestone (d 530 m years ago)
Bright Angel Shale (d 540 m years ago)
Tapeats Sandstone (d 550 m years ago)
Vishnu Schist
Rock layers less than 250 m years ago have been eroded away
Rocky mountains begin to form 60-70 m. years ago

(information from http://www.bobspixels.com/kaibab.org/geology)

Picture taken 5/10/2008. You can take a short ½ day 12 mile mule trip from the south rim lodges (which are situated at 6860’) to get here/there and back.

The 6th saying (7th utterance) of God occuring
in the 1st chapter of Genesis, 1st of the fifth day

“V’omer Elohaym
God said:

Yeesheer’tzu hamayim.
Let the water swarm

shehrehtz nehphehsh hayah

with creeping living souls

v’oph
and birds

V’ophayph
shall fly

al haerehtz

over the earth

al ph’nay
on the face of

r’kay hashamayim
the expanse of the heavens.”

Genesis 1:20

Another view of the Colorado River from Plateau Pt. Rock formations on the right of the river are (from right to left) Cheop’s pyramid, Horus temple, Tower of Set. On the left of the river canyon is the Dana Butte.
Picture taken 5/10/ 2008

The 7th saying (8th utterance*) of God occuring
in the 1st chapter of Genesis, 1st of the sixth day

Havatsu Falls, Havatsu Indian Reservation AZ located in a side canyon further down the Grand Canyon toward the west. It is assessable from a parking area at the trailhead after a 10 mile hike down the canyon to the Indian village there. 5/2008

V’omer Elohim
And God said,

Totzay haeretz
Let the earth bring out

nehphehsh hayah
living souls

l’maynah
each of their own kind

bheehaymah
animals

v’rehmehsh
and creeping things

v’chay’tu erehtz
land animals

l’maynah
each of their own kind.

Vay’hay kayn
And, it was so.

* If we count Barashayt as the 1st utterance but not a saying.

Genesis 1:24

Havatsu creek, Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) campground, Havatsu Indian Reservation NW AZ. Although the outside temperature was in the 80's the water was very cool (maybe 70 degrees) because of loss of heat descending down the falls and across the rocks. 5/2008

The 8th saying (9th utterance) of God occuring
in the 1st chapter of Genesis, 2nd of the sixth day

V’omer Elohim
And God said,

Nashehh Adam

Let us make man

bh’tzal’maynu
in Our image

kheed’motaynu
in Our likeness***

Veeyeer’du
and they shall rule

bheed’agat hayam v’bhof hashamayeem

over the fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens

v’babh’haymah v’bchal haretz
and over the animals and over all the earth.

v’bachal harehmehsh haromaysh al haretz
and over every creeper which creeps on the earth.

Genesis 1:26

*** these words are also reflected as an important part of our own lives when we observe the Jewish community blessing, the birchas hamazon said after meals on the Sabbath and Holy Days.
“Blessed are You, Lord, Our God, King of the Universe Who yotzered (fashioned) Adam (mankind) , in his image and his likeness and tikayn( prepared) for him a structure unto our untoness.

According to my friends, the rabbis in Brooklyn NY, the image mentioned here is the intelligence and spiritual free will of man.
The image of the likeness is his or her physical body which serves as host to the soul or image.

Baruch atah Adonay, yotzeayr h’Adam.
Blessed are thou Lord, who creates man in two parts.

But, note, why does the first part of the verse not say yotzeayr (forming us with his imagination) when Elohim God creates us in his image and likeness? This is because Elohim God inside of us is asehh or making us (creating us in four parts with his own hands) in this verse. For Jews the Spirit and Soul of the Holy One of Israel and his Bride (What Christians call our Holy Spirit) according to the Torah,is Bahir (inside of the mountain of God in us) at this time. Begotten creation (as when we say in the Eucharist that Jesus Christ was created, begotten, not made by God and the Virgin Mary) occurs on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This is the Unity School of Christianity. The Yotzer, or the formation of man's image and likeness as a part of God in our imagination occurs during the Passover Seder. It is also reaffirmed with denials and affirmations during the two months of the Jewish lunar fall calendar after Elul. This is Our Prayer Group YHWH School of Christianity. Making (as Moses inscribed or made the tablets of the Ten Commanments when God lifted up his face upon him)* occurs at Shavuous. This is YHWH School of Christianity informing Our Prayer Group.

*and as the prophet Isaiah explains in his transcendent teachings that God made humankind out of a potter's clay turned in four directions being assisted by the instruction and knowledge of his four archangels...Ariel, Gabriel, Raphael, Michael
The 9th saying (10th utterance) of God occuring
in the 1st chapter of Genesis, 3rd of the sixth day

Vay’bharehch atam Elohaym
God blessed them

V’omehr lahehm Elohaym

And God said to them,

ph’ro urabho

Be fruitful and multiply

umeel’o et haretz

and fill the earth

V’cheeb’shehha ur’du
and conquer it and rule

bheed’agat hayam v’bhof hashamaym

over the fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens

v’bchal hayah

and over every living being

haromaysheht al haretzwhich creep on the earth.

Genesis 1:27

Navaho falls, located around the corner from the Havatsu falls.

The 10th saying (11th utterance) of God occuring
in the 1st chapter of Genesis, 4rd of the sixth day

V’omehr Elohaym
And God said,

Heenayh natatay lachehm et chal eyshehv
Behold, I have given to you every herb

zray zehra
seed of a seed**

ashehr al ph’nay chal haretz

which dwells on the face of the earth

v’et chal haaytz ashehr bho ph’ray aytz
and every tree which bears a tree's fruit

zrav zehra
as a seed of a seed**

lchehm yeeh’yehh lach’lah:
which will be your food.

ul’chal hayat haretz v’bhof hashamaym

and to all living creatures and the birds of the heavens

ul’chal romaysh al haretz
and to all which creeps on the earth.

ashehr bho nehphehsh hayah

which bears a living material soul [outwardly visible]

et chal yehrehq ashehv l’ach’lah
all green herbs…for food.

Vay’hay kayn:
And it was so.

Genesis 1:30

** Note to the above: the words seed of a seed remind us of the philosophical term “concept of concept” see last year’s blog for the 1st part of an amateur philosophical/ theological paper about this.

Flying back up the Pearl River after departing from New Orleans Lakefront Airport 3/15 2006. The first part of the trip passed the north shore area of Lake Pontchartrain then kept a straight line course at about 3000’ as I flew to the Vicksburg MS area. This is indicated on the altimeter and Garmin 300 GPS in the above photo. The last leg of the flight continued to return the aircraft to its base at Jacobs Aviation, Hawkins Field Jackson MS.

Cockpit instrument rack as viewed from the pilot’s seat in an instrument flight rules equiped (IFR) Cessna 182, N8189G. On left of center there is clockwise from upper left : the altimeter, the two very-high frequency omni directional receivers (VOR) course deviation needles. These are tuned from the frequencies set in radios stacked in the second level on the middle (above the required transponder which identifies the aircraft to flight controllers. Finally finishing the trip around the circle there is the vertical speed indicator. On the right of center there is…moving down from the top from left to right .. the left fuel tank fuel indicator, ammeter, right fuel tank fuel indicator. Then on the row below that, again moving left to right …cylinder head temperature, oil temperature, and oil pressure . Below that the circular gages indicate engine manifold pressure and engine revolutions per minute (RPM) gage respectively . Note the Garmin Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) 300 receiver directly below the radio switch panel. Its moving map display allows for much better display of map and other routing information for a single pilot than previously.

God be With You till we Meet Again
United Methodist Hymnal
Hymn 672
Nashville, Tenn 1989

God be with you till we meet a-gain;
By his coun-sels guide, up-hold you,
With his sheep se-cure-ly fold you;
God be with you till we meet a-gain.
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Je-sus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet a-gain;
Neath his wings se-cure-ly hide you,
Dai-ly man-na still provide you;
God be with you till we meet a-gain.
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Je-sus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet a-gain;
When life’s per-ils thick con-found you,
Put his arms un-fail-ing round you;
God be with you till we meet a-gain.
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Je-sus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet a-gain;
Keep love’s ban-ner float-ing o-er you,
Smite death’s threat-ening wave be-fore you;
God be with you till we meet a-gain.
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Je-sus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.

Words: Jeremiah E. Rankin, 1880
Music: William G. Tomer, 1880

2008-01-27T11:49:00.000-08:00

Breathing and sitting meditations, the name of God sings an old song, walking meditation, some teachings from the Haggadah and a parable.
Easter/Passover 2008

Waves breaking along the shore of the island of Oahu, Hawaii
Picture taken July 2006 after a short climb to reach atop the U.S. Army Diamond-head defensive fort which overlooks and protects the city of Honolulu from there.

Some Sutras for OurPrayerGroup

Hail Mary! Hail Jesus! Hail Soul of Christ!
Blessed art thou among women Mary.
Blessed art thou among men Jesus.
Pure art thou my soul of Christ as that of He who created, formed, and makes you... He who creates, forms, makes you from himself, the World, and us...He who breathes life into me, will take it from me, and return it to me in the hereafter.
And, blessed is the fruit of God’s womb that bore you three inside of us.
No birth, no death is there in our here and now.
Good Jesus hear us, if ever we loved thee tis now.
From the wicked foe defend us.*
At the hour of our death call us unto thee,
that thy wounds hide our souls of Christ in thy eternal kingdom, power, and glory...
until God reigns and rules its time for them to rise and shine forth in all of us and thee.

*portions of this prayer are inspired from a prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola which has been published in his spiritual exercises. A good translation of St. Loyola's wondelful and useful directions for meditation of the spiritual exercises (by Louis J. Puhl, S.J.) may be purchased, while they last, from St. Andrew's Cathedral's bookstore (Episcopal) in downtown Jackson, MS.

Breathing in, we go back, we go forward
To God’s island of Christ inside ourself .*
There is an eternal tree of life
There is water, there are birds,
There is sunshine and fresh air.
Breathing out, we feel safe .**

Breathing in, breathing out,
God’s loving seed of faith and hope is blooming in us as a flower.***
We are fresh as the resurrection dew.
We are solid as the mountain
Here there is freedom and truth.
We are firm as God’s own earth in us.
We are the water of Christ’s baptism reflecting what is true.
Here there is goodness and beauty.
We are the space of God’s universe. We are free.

*Dear prayer friends, the Pure Land, the Kingdom of Heaven… is within us and among us. Breathe we are alive…please wake up to who we are! God has a plan for us! We have places to go together and things to do together!
**For all of us as Individuals and collectively together. For Christians try a ha-tha ra-ja 4:8:16 left right ratio alternate nostril breathing here (also called Sun Moon mental breathing). For Buddhists or Jews you will want to use a 4:4:8 in/hold/out ratio wisdom physical body wisdom breath to get here/there.
*** The starting form for these sutras are take from the Rev. Thich Nhat Hanh’s books and teachings . Please see previous blogs for more details.

We’ll Never Say Good-bye
Christian Hymn, Lyrics by J.H. Tenney, music by Dr. Adoniram Judson Gordon 1895

“There is a land far out of sight, A calm untroubled shore,
Where they who said on earth good-night, Now meet to part no more.

We’ll never say good-bye in heav’n, We’ll never say good-bye,(good-bye,)
In that fair land of joy and song, We’ll ne-ver say good bye.

Each day as pilgrims reach that strand, All hearts with rapture swell;
Wel-comes are heard on ev-‘ry hand, But nev-er one fare-well.

We’ll never say good-bye in heav’n, We’ll never say good-bye,(good-bye,)
In that fair land of joy and song, We’ll ne-ver say good bye.

For-ev-er with the Lord they reign, His face for-ev-er view;
For them no sin, no grief, no pain, No tear-ful last a-dieu!

We’ll never say good-bye in heav’n, We’ll never say good-bye,(good-bye,)
In that fair land of joy and song, We’ll ne-ver say good bye.

Je-ru-sa-lem my glo-rious home, Thou ci-ty built on high,
When shall I to the man-sions come, No more to say good-bye!

We’ll never say good-bye in heav’n, We’ll never say good-bye,(good-bye,)
In that fair land of joy and song, We’ll ne-ver say good bye.

Lyrics and music Copyrighted 1883 (at that time, by John J. Hood)
From “The Coronation Hymnal” By A. J. Gordon 1895

A sitting meditation from the books, “Present Moment, Wondelful Moment” and "Be Free Where You Are",by the Rev. Thich Nhat Hanh

Breathing in,I know I am breathing in,Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.
Breathing in, I notice that my in-breath has become deeper, Breathing out, I notice that my out-breath has become slower.
Breathing in I calm myself, breathing out, I feel at ease.
Breathing in I Smile,Breathing out I release.
Breathing in, I dwell in the present moment, Breathing in I feel it is a wondelful moment. ****

****These lines of the Sutras are designed to be used to concentrate and contemplate in a stable yogic sitting pose. Try an easy heart breath with ratio 5:5:5.

Central to the Jewish teaching for Passover in the Haggadah there is the discussion of the four different types of sons:

1) The wise son or daughter, who asks to be taught, whom we should tell everything (so he or she can be independent of us) when we are teaching him,

Chocham, mah hu omayr? Mah haodot v’ hachukim v’hamsh’phatim aser tzoach Adonai Elohaynu etachehm V’af atah ehmor lo k’heel’chot haphehsah. Ayn maph’tirin echar haphasach aphikoman.

The wise son, what does he say? “What is the meaning of these laws and ordinances which the Lord Our God has commanded us?” What then do we say to him to teach him about Pesach? Nothing is left out, including the rule that nothing is eaten after the Afikoman

2) The evil son who thinks he is different( better) than others. For, he thinks that we don’t need to interact and work together with others. Him, or her we should confront. But, not because he or she is different from us. Indeed they are our sons and daughters too.

Rash amah hu omayr? Mah haobodah hazoach lachehm? L’chehm v’lo lo.

The wicked son, what does he say? “What is the meaning of this that is commanded to you?” (that is he says this to you and not himself).

Vol’phi shehhotzi et atz’mu mean hach’lehl v’chehpahr baakehr. V’af atah hak’hayh et sheenavm emar lo:

Because he says it this way he has removed himself from us (the community)… even he has denied the laws said to him.

Bobor zehh ashah Adonay Eloheynu B’tzati meemeetz’rim. Li v’lo lu. Elu hayah sham lo hayah neeg’al.

Answer him by saying it is because of that which has been done by the Lord God for me when I came out of Egypt. “For me” and not “for him”. Had he been there, he would not have been redeemed.

3) the simple son or daughter, whom we should assist by teaching him or her to expect miracles and giving them a simple and easy to understand answer.

Tam mah hu omayr? Mah zoat? V’amar’ta elav. B’chazehq yad hotzianu Adonai meemeetz’rim, meebayt abhadaym.

The simple son, what does he say? What is this? And, the answer to him:”With a mighty hand Adonay brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage.

4) What about the naïve but potentially good son or daughter who hardly knows what to ask as a question or how to ask it? Them we should assist by treating them special and using all our advanced techniques of breathing, assisted contemplative prayer. But, we leave out the part above about the miracles and the mighty hand,

V’shehaynu yoda lee’shol et patach lu? Shehnehmar: Vhagad’ata bhayom hahu limor:
Bhovor zeh ashah Adonai Eloheynu bh’tzati meemeetz’raym.

And, what about him who does not know how to ask the question? (We quote from the Torah) “And, on that day you shall teach him.” “We do all of this because the Lord Our God brought us out of Egypt.”

Walking Meditation by the Rev. Thich Nhat Hanh

We have arrived We are home
In the here, in the now.
Dwelling with God and in her
We are solid, we are free.
Dwelling together in a Kingdom of Heaven of God and Christ on earth. *****
*****These lines are for walking meditation, try a breathing ratio of three steps on the in and three steps on the out, centering in the lower dan tien (3rd chakra).

Breathing in his breath a lotus of his happiness blooms in us,
Breathing out of us her breath we help God guide the World.
It is a gentle touch… soft like a gentle breeze swaying bamboo along a river’s shore
Or an angel whispering a message of the hope of salvation to our heart and mind,
Who already knows that at its final confirmation there will be in the World and us a greater joy and louder silent shout of universal delight.

Parable which tells about God’s
four sons and his daughter
(the Shekinah)
(written in 1983)

Once, now, and in the future God is a King. He has/had four Sons and a daughter who lived here on earth. Each of his sons and the daughter were unhappy and wanted to leave and find fame and fortune for themselves. So God decided to divide up the portions of his Kingdom as an inheritance unto his sons. But, he was concerned that even though they said they told him they wanted to work together to find wealth, they would fight among themselves after he had left. So he gave each son and the daughter only enough so that they would still need the portions of the other four in order to prosper. But, each son became too proud to ask for help from his brothers and his sister. Instead each convinced himself that his portion was sufficient unto itself. Worse yet the daughter didn’t do anything to help or say anything (while God was trying to speak through her to everyone) while this was happening. She was the One God normally used to help others and heal with his Words (if people took time to listen to this still small voice of God which she spoke for him inside of them). Sure as the lack of love that grew inside of them for each other the Kingdom fell apart. Each of the sons blamed the others for the disaster. The daughter was left without anyone to protect and defend her.

Some time later God returned from heaven in order to find out what had gone wrong. Even though the Kingdom had been left in ruins, three of his sons had become authorities teaching others how to live better and be happy. So, God, the King disguised himself as a beggar. He went to each of the different authorities representing them in order to find out how to be Holy and prosper.

1) And, the authority set up by the first son had a special day, the Sabbath, and a large collection of rules set aside as Holy. They said he should obey the rules and worship the King who had left and rest on this special day. Then he would see how foolish all the rest of the men and women were to go around not paying attention to these rules and conducting business while the King's people were worshipping him.

2) And then the King went to the authority set up by the second son. This authority said that they had special people called priests set aside as Holy. And these priests had special powers or charisms that were hidden to most of the men and women. They told him that if he would confess his sins to these priests he would see how foolish all the rest of the Kingdom was to try and solve their problems themselves. Why should he tell his sins to ordinary people who didn't understand when these special Holy people better at forgiving mistakes and keeping secrets.

3) Then he went to the authority set up by the third son. This authority said they had a special book set aside as Holy. If he would study and memorize the passages in this book he would see how foolish all the rest of us (other than them) were. The King smiled as he recognized a few of the words in the book as his own. But, they had taken the four or five pages of clear instructions that he had given them and made it into a very long book of over 1000 pages.

4) Finally he went to the fourth son who was not a recognized authority at all. He was a prophet, but he didn’t know it. He and the sister had been left by the others to fend for themselves. So, then, God asked him what he had set aside as Holy. But, the fourth son said, "Old beggar man you must be mistaken. Why do you ask me that question for I am just an ordinary person not much different from you. I have tried all my life to find out what is Holy. But each time that I think I have found it I am told that I must take away the heavenly inheritance of some of my brothers and sisters. These people are very dear to me, some of them have even been my benefactors. Wherever I go, I take them with me. I would never be happy if I went off to heaven and left them behind. So I have given up what is Holy. The other sons and daughters think I am foolish and have taken what my father left me and my sister away from us... so we will not use it unwisely. What hope is there left for me or her to find my Father again. To tell you the truth I do not know whether he is alive or dead."
And then the old man said: “Young man if you do not know what is Holy, then what do you know.” And, the young man said, “Not so much.” “I do not even know that I don’t know anything.”
Then the old man said, "Young man, why do you tell me this? Perhaps you need someone to know these things for you and be God for you?"
And the young man thought about this and he said: "Yes, I do." Then all of a sudden, before his eyes the old beggar man turned into a King. It was as if the words he spoke were his Father’s words.

And this is what the King, an old beggar man, said: "You are like the other three sons and my daugher. You neither know who you are or who I am. For, if you knew who you were, you would know who I am. And, if you knew who I am you would know who you were. I am the name of God and whosoever knows me, in him or her shall the name of God be known.”

I am your Father the King. Everything you are I am. And, everything I am you someday shall be. Remain in me and you will someday be the name of God. Then whosoever knows you and glorifies you, in him or her shall the name of God be known and be glorified.” Now the other sons have possession of the Kingdom. In time they shall be known just as they have chosen to know others.

And then the Old man became sad and said: "All I have to give you and your sister, the Shekinah, now is the love that has been given to me. I am afraid that it is only a tiny spark, a seed, a glimmer of my hopes and dreams that some day we will all be united again and prosper together. But, this seed if it is nurtured can grow into a large tree full of the happiness of eternal life.

“How shall I know this love in order to nurture it”, said the Son.

And, then He said, “This love is who it is and this love tries to keep its
promises and it does what it says it is going to do.”

“And, why is this love who it is and why does it do that?”, said the young man. (his sister wanted to know also for she was listening to all of this)

“That is because this love knows where it has been and where it is now and
where it is going later all in One present moment”, God said.

“How can I and my sister know this love when it seems that the other four sons
are more powerful than we. For they are admired by most in the World. We have no choice about whether we can change this, for what we do is controlled by something outside of ourself”, he
said.

And, the Old man thought a while and then he said,
“ You already have this love and it is who it is inside of your heart and mind.

“Unfortunately, just now you don’t know it enough. But, if you and your sister trust my spirit inside of all of us (which is inside of your heart) and remain in me you will
know it more and more. And it will know you more and more. For the Self
knows itself when it is in itself(in you) and when it knows itself, then it is in
itself (in me). I have made the World out of nothing. But, I have made you out of something, myself.”

Now, it was the fourth son's and his sister’s turn to smile. They thought carefully for a while. Then they said: "Your love and your hopes and dreams are what is most important. We have no other inheritance left so you yourself shall be our inheritance. And, it became so!

2007-12-25T08:35:00.000-08:00

Day of the Holy Name of Jesus
December 31, 2007
Psalm 8

photo taken 5/2004 kayaking near the mouth of the Columbia River (where it empties into the Pacific Ocean)

Partners in God, partners in Christ, we are one family.
Have a blessed, safe,healthy,happy, and truthful 2008 Epiphany,Tu B'Shvat,Lent,Purim,Easter,Passover,Ascension, Pentecost,Shavuous season
this year.
Being One in Jesus Christ today, we are One in God Our Father,
Being One in God Our Father today, we are One in Christ Jesus forever.

Yearly Prayer Calendar

Holy Days 5768-5769/2008 Confession of St. Peter (Jan 18 Psalm 23), Conversion day of St. Paul (Jan. 25 Psalm 67), Tu B’Shvat (Festival of the Trees) January 22, Ash Wednesday (February 6), Saint Benedict’s day (March 2), Purim (March 21), Saint Gregory’s day (March 12), Saint George’s day and Easter (March 23), Passover (April 19-27), St. Mark (April 25 Psalm 2),Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ into his eternal rule in God's Kingdom of Heaven in US, May 1, Pentecost (May 4), Lag B’Omer (May 23), Shavuos (June 9),St. Peter and St. Paul’s day (June 29 Psalms 66, 87,97,138), Independence Day U.S.A.,St. Mary Magalene (July 21 Psalms 30,42,116,149), St. James day (July 25, Psalms 7, 33,34), St. Ignatius Loyola's day (July 31), Saint Bernard’s day (August 20), Saint Barthomew’s (Nathaniel’s ) day (August 24 Psalms 15,67,86, 91), World Peace Day (September 21), Rosh Hashanah (September 29-30) along with Gabriel, Michael, Ariel, Raphael and All Angels day (Sept. 29), Succoth October 14, Saint Francis of Assisi’s day Oct. 4 ,St. Luke (Oct 18 Psalm 103), Saint James of Jerusalem day (Oct 23 Psalm 1), All Souls/All Saints Day (Psalms 111,112,148,149,150), Veteran’s Day (November 11), Saint Margaret’s day (Nov. 16), Thanksgiving day (November 27), Saint Andrew’s day November 30 (Psalms 19,24,96,100), St. Thomas’s day (Dec.21 Pslams 23,27,121,126), Channukah (December 22, Christmas December 25,St. John’s day (Dec. 27 Psalm 92,97,98,145), Holy Innocent’s day (Dec. 28, Psalms 2,19, 26,126), Day of the Holy Name of Jesus (Dec. 31, Psalm 8).

[For Bible readings and Psalms that go with these Holy Days see the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer (both the two year daily office and the two year lectionary readings) or the three year revised common lectionary at http:\\divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/lectionary . The revised common lectionary was created for the occasions of common prayer and worship services among Protestants, Catholics and Jews. It has more readings from the Old Testament than the ordinary episcopal or catholic lectionary. Using these two or three year daily offices is an excellent way to keep track of an intention for reading most of the Bible in two years. The best translation of the Bible I have found is “The Amplified Bible” published by Zondervan. It has cross-references in the text to related passages and prophecies which make this translation even more of a “Tree of Life” than others.]
For about 1/3 of the Psalms as of now, some excellent contemporary translations,discusssions, and music are available. See the website of the New Zealand Christian Musicians who are called the Sons of Korah. CDs are available from www.familychristian.com.

New Moons of Shevet (January 8), Adar I (February 7) , Adar II (February 24), Nissan (March 29), Iyar (May 5), Sivan (June 4) , Tammuz (July 2), Av (Augus 2), Elul (August 14), Tishrei (August 31) , Rosh Hashanah (September 29),Yom Kippur (September 22), Succos (September 27), Hoshana Rabba October 3,. Shimini Atzeres October 4, Simchas Torah October 5,Chesvan (October 23), Kislev (November 22),Tevet (December 22) (months of correct eating, laughter, speaking, thought, movement, seeing, hearing, action, feeling, smell, relaxation, judgement) tribes of Asher (Psalm 100 ), Naphtali (Psalm 98) Judah (Psalm 92),Issachar (Psalm 95), Zebulun (Psalm 96), Reuben (Psalm 90), Simeon, Gad (Psalm 94), Ephraim (Psalm 97), Menashah (Psalm 97) , Benjamin (Psalm 93), Dan (Psalm 99))

[According to Jewish tradition, Moses gave the eleven psalms 90-100 to eleven of the tribes of Israel., the tribe of Simeon was excluded because of the events in Numbers 25-1:15. Psalm 91 was given to the tribe of Levi. Psalms 95 to 99 have been called the “Coronation Psalms” and are used in the Jewish Saturday Morning Kabbala Shabbat service. For some Baptist Christian Hymns related to the Messianic age see “The Coronation Hymnal”, by A.J. Gordon and A.T. Pierson, Revell and Co., N.Y., Boston, Chicago.( which is now out of print, but copies are available in several University
libraries)

Irish Prayer and Blessing
“May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back.
May the Sun(Son) shine warm on your face, And the rain fall soft upon your fields.
And May God hold you in palm of his hands.”
(Until we talk and pray together again and he blesses you again through us)

Know that wherever I am and God is, God’s Son (Jesus Christ) is! And, we know that wherever I am and God (Christ Jesus) is, and I am who I am are, God (the Holy Spirit) is! So, then...
May the Light of Jesus Christ surround you ...
May the Love of God Our Father give you his highest blessing (that of the knowledge of his/our blessed peace that comes from the wholehearted obedience to the Words of Our Father in Heaven in US and sincere and compassionate participation in the imaginative unfolding of God's eternally restful and creative mind). May God guide you towards the final completion and fulfillment of his wise plans for all of us...
May the Power (good will) of Jesus Christ and Christ Jesus protect and defend you and give you spiritual understanding and joy.
(through knowledge of the certain truth in the Holy Spirit of his omnipresent, eternal Word, and his good name)
May the Presence (knowledge, wisdom, meritorious and graceful blessings) of God over-watch you as you go about your work.
(go before you, save you and help you... follow you, sanctify and redeem you.)
May the Power (renewed good will) of our director of the angels of God’s good name (the Lord God of Hosts) protect all of us who serve those who serve God and may
the Divine Love and Light of the incarnated, healing Jesus enfold and surround the souls of us all as we dwell together forever.

Jewish and Christian Blessing
“May the eternal light and good energy in the Lord Bless you, protect you, and keep you,
May he lift up his face upon you while being gracious unto you,
May he uphold you and that which you value, and give you peace. ”

2007-11-07T16:12:00.000-08:00

Some thoughts for Veteran’s Day 11/11/07 and Thanksgiving Day 11/22/07

Limestone graveled mountain road going down about 12 miles into the Copper Canyon area. It leads through the small Tarahumara Indian villages of La Bufa, Cerro Colorado, the gold mining town of Batopilas, the side canyons and sparkling pools of the Rio Batopilas. Also there is a Spanish mission next to a 400 year old “lost Jesuit Cathedral of Satevo”. The view is from higher up in Central Mexico (Chihuahua State) down to the river flowing through the lower canyon area.
3000’ foot drop, elevation at canyon bottom about 1640’
Christmas vacation 2005-2006

How do we deal with a situation when those who ask for our help and whom we trust don’t reciprocate?

Jesus Christ said to Saint Andrew, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains [just one grain, it never becomes more, but lives] by itself alone. But, if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest.”

God said to Moses:
“Go down Man of God, speak for me,set my people free.”

(be faithful to those of us that uphold God’s truth by taking responsibility for not accepting the way things are when those around us do not keep their words*)

 sometimes the best way to do this is through our own actions, sometimes we have done all we can and we must give up all our hard work over a long time and walk away from situations and depend on God and the good consciences of all of us.

Indian man, near Creel Mexico in the state of Chihuahua, taking his wife to town along a dirt road.
Elevation about 7668’
bicyling trip Christmas vacation 2005-2006.

The love of Christ and the fear of God is our mindfulness,
Hearing the Word of God and following his or her will is our breathing,
There is a Holy Spirit in our body and our blood, a complete fullness made up of an invisible faithfulness and truthfulness which works with God’s help in harmony, through fellowship and trust, with all believers in his Son Jesus Christ’s good name.

Daily Mindfulness Teaching for the One Human Holy Spirit who is God’s Son, Christ Jesus(a poem written to tie us all in love and trust, for as long as we are true to God and he to us)

Awareness and faithfulness~ are reflections of two truths*.
Truth is a heart that listens** and is faithful and aware,
Along with a mind that believes what is right for all of us.

Goodness~~ is a heart that loves and gives
Beauty is a reflection of what is good
And a mind that is open***.

~ God is a mind that is and knows no limits (is faithful toward our hopes and prayers) yet still is what he or she or it is (aware) until that knowledge blossoms (becomes true) in us.
~~ Jesus Christ is he or she who is the Prince of Peace, heals and saves us all (being what we need him to be in order to do this) and sanctifies the name of God. God has no Son or Daughter but him or her.
* or alternatively, toward two truths. “Jesus said, One person cannot ride two horses at once, nor stretch two bows, nor can a man serve two masters, as he will respect one and despise the other. “ The Gospel of Thomas, verse 47 op. cit. Also he said,
“Do not let your left hand know what your right is doing.” Op. cit. verse 62. So, this said, if we are aware of our own shortfalls in this area and ask God for help. it is possible for the Holy Spirit and thus God in all of us to do all of this for all of our benefit. “Jesus said, If two make peace with each other in a single house, they will say to the mountain, ‘Move from here!’ and it will move.” Gospel of Thomas, verse 48, op cit.

** the Holy Spirit is a heart that listens, eyes and ears that see and hear what is good, a mouth that speaks what is true, and strong arms and legs that lift up the fallen, walks with them and leads them in the right direction.
*** To say that it is a reflection means it does not have an independently existing self. Two reflections can be an image (perceptive reflection) and a likeness (conceptual reflection)making up the soul and the spirit of a human being. So, a reflection may or may not be a part of an independently existing object or person. For instance, the heavens and the skies are beautiful. But, so can be a person, a woman for example. As Dr. Immanual Kant has said in his section distinguishing the transcendental logic into a transcendental analytic and a transcendental dialectic... ,"the conceptions of pure reason are not obtained by reflection...but by inference and conclusion." The Critique of Pure Reason, Great Books # 42 edited by Dr. Mortimer Adler page 112. Another definition of beauty is needed in this case. Consider, “Beauty is controlled grace” a definition due to Leonardo da Vinci. This builds on the term grace which is sometimes defined as “Love that gives”. Also, I believe beauty may be due to an essential symmetry or a basic economy of expression in a humanly constructed definition containing a creative seed of truth or knowledge that can expand on itself growing into a material, psychological entity or living being (yet start over from the beginning or some midpoint along its path and reproduce itself if necessary). Mathematical proofs, a set of physical concepts and axioms or a well written and designed computer program can fall in this category. These three or four examples and definitions of beauty seem to me to fit well together into a shared human linguistic environment and belong to a common semantics or context that I commend unto you as part of a larger set of metaphysical definitions of heavenly terms. See previous blog for more on this.

Indian girl near waterfall on the rushing Cusarare River
Chihuaha District, Sierra Madre mountains in central Mexico
Elevation about 7220’
Hiking and bicyling trip Christmas vacation 2005-2006

This is the first part of an unpublished paper which fell into the earth back in 1974. At that time aprevailing opinion among academic philosophers was that idealism can hurt the innocent and that there was no such thing as a “Concept of a Concept.”
Now, 33 years later it seems, in the light of new discoveries in the philosophy of science and religion to be a good time to share it with others. Its topic for discussion is aimed to try to understand the transcendental idealistic epistemology (philosophy of knowledge) of Immanuel Kant.

"Do not lie to one another...but clothe yourselves with a new self...which is ever in the process of being renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon]knowledge after the image (the likeness) of him who created it." St. Paul Colossians 3

"Let not mercy and kindness forsake you...write them on the tablet on your heart." Proverbs of King Solomon, chapter 3

"And, God said, Let US[the Elohim Gods as US inside of the Father,the Son, and the Holy Spirit part of God inside of US] create [make] them [mankind] after Our image, after Our likeness, and let them [God in US reflected back as humankind in US] be free [have complete authority over the rest of creation]."

"And Jesus increased in wisdom (in patience, fear and honor of the Lord, peacefulness, trust and obedience and knowledge of him)in stature (depth of personality, character and strength) and years, and in favor with God and man." Gospel of Luke chapter 3 verse 52

Dr. Reinhold Neibuhr, a liberal realist, has said, “forgiveness is the final form of love.” And,”knowing this is our salvation.” But, suppose you believe that knowing that the final form of love is forgiveness is our salvation. Then you have to believe that this knowledge is not the end. There must be something(knowledge…life) afterward. Faith and hope are an important (in fact) interdependent part of love. In addition to hope faith can be a transforming power of God inside of our souls. All three of these wonderful ideas or concepts exist for us, with God’s help. In a non-temporal transcendental ideal part of the present moment. This being so, then, for those who have faith and hope in it, there must be such a thing as a concept of concept. What is it then?

Concept of a Concept
Part I

First definition of a concept....

--concepts form the meaning of meaningful words;
--concepts, smaller than a judgement, larger than a sense impression are units of thought;
--well-defined relationships between concepts are themselves concepts.

But beyond this, it is possible to list in more detail the most important ways concepts work for us.

With development of appropriate practical backing they:

--Define object precisely, for our future reference and mutual communication;
--Abstract what different recurring experiences have in common, saving us effort in the way we describe things;
--Make us able to imagine things, thinking about what isn't present;
--Spur problem solving, breaking us out of areas of mental confinement;
--Cue discoveries, the bright ideas we need to stimulate us forward;
--Help us learn how something works, and to remember what we have learned;
--Increase our understanding, making it easier to form still more concepts.

Stating a judgement involves conepts. Also, in making some decisions, we go through a process of trials and errors performed mentally, before reaching a decision. Concepts make this "idea testing" possible.

Even more fundamental than all this, is the way in which concepts develop our first perceptions of the world. Some everyday examples of how concepts do this include:

--the permanancy of concret objects;
--the switchboard of three-dimensional space;
--which way is [up] and right-handedness;
--the rules of logical thought.

II

Here are some objections, straight from Plato's dialogues, to studying concepts for their own sake:

The first comes from the dialogue of Socrates with Meno:

MENO. But how will you look for something when you don't in in the least know what it is? How on earth are you going to set up something you don't know as the object of your search? To put it another way, even if you come up right against it, how will you know that what you have found is the thing you didn't know?

Indeed. And, this can be followed up with a second, more specific, objection to studying concepts and though processes: It is held that the study of the method of thought for its own sake is of no use, except when almost superfluous. In otherwords, isn't it ridiculous to separate the study of thought from the day to day problems which we use if for?

Plato, stated this in his Socratic dialogue Charmides:

SOCRATES. And if a man know only, and has only knowledge of knowledge, and no further knowledge of health and justice, the probability is that he will only know that he knows something, and has a certain knowledge, whether concerning himself or other men.
CRITIAS. True.
SOCRATES. Then, how will this knowledge or science teach him to know what he knows? Say that he knows health; - not wisdom or temperance, but the art of medicine has taught it to him; - and he has learned harmony from the art of music, and building, from the art of building - neither, from wisdom or temperance: and the same of other things.
CRITIAS. That is evident.

Well, we won't try to hide it: in contrast to these carefully worded sentences, the rest of this section of this book will list instances in which the study of thought processes has value to us - instance in which it has a very real value.

All along it must be kept in mind that steps forward in knowledge proceed awkwardly. The initial coneption of a new discovery always has many details that are wrong. Socrates takes a critical position in those two quotations. But, he later states that for his part the desire to know what is good (not necessarily the actual knowledge itself) is the most important thing. The sum of what we don't know is so vast -- we will never get anywhere without a lot of pure desire to step beyond what we don't know with what we aren't sure of. There is no way to obtain knowledge without making mistakes and blunders. There is no roal road to any difficult art or skill.

WE SUMMARIZE: Our progress will depend on how important we conclude that it is to try to do what we aren't sure of; what we don't seem capable of; what we haven't been prepared for; and to what extent the theory that we do construct being built on hard-learned experience, does not outdistance our capability to produce results.

III

Not attempting to formulate any new principles, we will work with familiar ideas, elaborating them, the method can be called the study of concepts through concepts. Lets lay this technique out in part before hand:

.... We trace out the definition of a lessor known concept by recognizing in it the same elements as are present in a better known concept. In literature this method is used in the form of metaphors and similies. In ordinary speech it is the method of analogies.

....Since we are actually hunting concepts, we can bring one out in the open, so to speak, by asking questions about. These questions will expose what dols the concept together.

.... By seeking out those elements in concepts that constantly reoccur, we obtain the most economical description of them.

.... We wait for it (the work) to mature; repeatedly changing its presentation, searching for the best presentation of what [seems] profound; convinced that simple and elegant solutions are the shortest distance between two points. The work will be the product of many months, even years, of stubborn thinking and the subject of pride.

In the dialogue Theatetus, Plato first considers the claim of sense impressions (by themselves) to be knowledge. A rational argument is then given to discount this possibility. It is asked how false judgements are possible under these circumstance. A model is given that compares this to sense impressions not fitting the patterns in wax formed by objects. Then examples of false judgements are given which don’t fit into this paradigm of knowledge.
Then the possibility of true belief being knowledge is considered. First “having” knowledge is compared to holding birds (ideas) in cages in our minds. The cages are the truths of experience which constrain statements we can make about the ideas. In this situation it is argued that it is possible to make false judgements when we depend on these cages to interprete our factual
experience. An example of a lawyer twisting the facts of a case to make the jury come to the wrong conclusion is given.
Finally a definition for knowledge is given which is somewhat better. Knowledge is said to be true belief along with an account or logos. This account justifies our thoughts by making a sound (based on sense impresssions) rational argument about the experiences we have had. In order words we are saying that in some sense knowledge is “assured belief”. Here we see the importance of having a logos about God if we are to hope to be able to know him.
However, the limitation of even this definition of knowledge is explained further on in the dialogue. If an account is a rational logical demonstration (two different methodological approachs to do this will be explained later in this discussion), it must start with certain “unknowable”, “first order facts”. This is because we have already declared knowledge based on objects ( or sense impressions) not be knowledge by themselves. But any argument will then just be a series of rational exercises (tautologies) which come to no new conclusions about these unknowable starting points. The conclusions cannot be new because they cannot
be any more knowable or true than what we started with.
It wasn’t until Immanuel Kant that human philosophy explained how it was possible to have synthetic a priori truths. It we assume we humans have certain abilities (what Jesus called talents) in our minds Then, by postulating the truth of these God given abilities the truth of these postulates themselves can
be determined and influenced by the way we perceive reality. The objects that Plato called unknowable in themselves are this way because we don’t have access to studying their true nature. This is because they are in a sense outside of us. But our postulates about what is inside our selves are accessible through our subjective intuitive and common sense minds. So these talents can be good
starting points along with our experience about the World they can help form knowledge when we have a logos (or account of the connection between what has happened to us and what situation we started with). They then form an innate nature common to all of humankind.

IV

THE MIND AS A SWITCHING YARD----PASCAL "ONE MUST

SUBSTITUTE DEFINITION FOR THE DEFINED."

Names are associated with objects; so are their meaning. But an objects's name can be one the tip of the tongue when a corresponding meaning isn't: how else do we know sounds when we hear them, or other things when we see them. The answer is that our mind automatically deals with things by sorting them into pre-established groups. We have, in our mind, a switching yard. If we want to know what a song or anything else is, we must ask ourselves question about the mental defintion of it. It will be helpful to discuss the nature of this mental switching yard, in order to understand how to ask these questions.

Suppose that pieces of information start off in the mind like freight cars start at the high point in a railroad switching yard:

-- They coast down the hill; switches guide each one into its proper siding. There the cars wait, with others of the same destination to be sent to form a train [ see classification type expert system which is defined below];

-- Each time we send a "new" object rolling down the hill, new switches are added, and the network becomes better at sorting out information;

-- As we look at a scene of things in front of us, the mind couples thought onto the corresponding parts of the scene -- and all of a sudden, what isn't a blur, is a series of meaningful images moving through the mind [ see backward oriented reasoning as defined below].

In a freightyard the starting points of the cars is on a hill. But, before getting to the bottom of the tracks the cars may reach resting places. To get out of these resting places often requires some extra help [see genetic algorithm as defined below]. This is the case if there are substantial depressions in the ground: or it may be that only a little push is needed; if they, (the thoughts) are stuck on a rise in the ground level.

As images come through the mind to be sorted into concepts, they too reach resting places. These are resting places in the switchboard of the mind, speaking figuratively. If the route doesn't take us the full distance (does not give us enough understanding), there may be valleys; and in this case the help of other concepts needs to be introduced (more new switches added- things we haven't classified yet). There may be rises. In this case we just need to reflect on the situation. We must conciously give the cars a little push in our mind.

It is possible to push this metaphor too far. But it does provide the means to understand the quotation at the beginning of the section. The quotation in French is "Substitutuer mentalement les definition a'la place des definis". this means "Substitute mentally the defining facts for the defining terms".

Faced with a problem, not sure how to solve it, there is a reason for much of the uncertainity that occurs. We often fail to spell out the meaning of the ideas involved in the problem. This is when we should go back [see examples below] to the definitions of the ideas that we have in our minds:

-- Since the switching patterns branch out as they get more specific; our questions go from the general to the particular, the identification process quickly sorts one thing out of myriads of possiblities;

-- The "unknowns" in the problem are interpreted in terms of the conditions and data that are given; new connections are formed mentally; we see things clearer and in a concious sense;

-- By varying the conditions of the problem, the mind searches for a related problem that it has solved before; the general idea of a solution emerges; patiently, the problem solver waits until all the troubling points are dealt with, to insure that all the information is accounted for.

Second definition of a concept----

A concept is a rule that may be used to decide if a object falls in a certain group. It is an abstract way of grouping thoughts. It deals with the information associated with the object of thought by asking questions about it. This may be a simple process like the way we classify concrete objects by the "marks" of sense impressions: such as physical size or texture (this process is instinctual in simplier animals). Or it may be a more complicated process using a lot of other concepts.

2007-09-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

October 4,2007
Be still and know* that:

“Before Moses I AM**, and before Moses Our God who created wisdom and understanding in Moses and helped heal Miriam is"
"Before Isaac I AM, and before Isaac Our God who created love and truth in Isaac and helped him bless Jacob and his Sons is"
"Before Noah I AM, and before Noah Our God who created goodness and beauty in Noah and walks with him Jesus Christ, you and I in righteousness and faith,... is."
"Before Adam I AM, and before Adam Our God that created and blessed humankind is."
Be still and know that: "He now still is, will be and so ever will be and art.”
“For, wherever I am and God is, and I am who I am is, God is.”

* recognize, imagine, depend on...take refuge in, become aware of and blessed by his loving kindness...strength...patience...obedience...righteousness...majesty, understand.
** according to Psalm 46 the person referred to here is the Lord God of Hosts, the instructor of Abraham and Isaac, the refuge of Jacob, Moses, Joshua...He whose name itself is a refuge and is high and lifted up...being three times Holy.

Now, we are also praying, “Only the best for Our Prayer Group YHWH School of Christianity.” “This includes the World, God and you and I.”

May God richly, heartily bless the spirits and souls of each of you in us and with us for a good 2007-2008 Christian-Jewish year.

Two views of the Mountains above the Lake O’Hara region in Alberta, CANADA.
The first one shows the top Mt. Victoria, then to the right Mt. Huber and the Abbott’s Pass Glacier. Abbott's Pass leads, on the other side of the mountains, to the Lake Louise Caroline (Queen Victoria's daughter) area.
The view in the set, in the third frame below shows the area to the left of Mt. Victoria which includes Cathedral mtn. and the top part of Lake O’Hara.

you may click on above image to enlarge in your browser

Four more views (clockwise this time) of the mountains above the Lake O’Hara region in Alberta, CANADA.
They were taken from the top of the little O’daray peak . From upper left clockwise
1) the area to the right of Mt. Huber and Abbott’s pass,
2) the Selkirk Mts,
3) the Bugaboo mtns in the background, and
4) a twin peak to the right of the O'darays.

Our Prayer Group YHWH School of Christianity teaching explaining 39 ways God’s divine order of biblical creation in 1st chapter of the book of Genesis helps us and the present moment Elohim God [Gods] of Our Prayer Group YHWH School of Christianity create the world with Hebrew words:

Each line lists from left to right, 1) # of occurances of this Hebrew word in chapter 1, 2) the Hebrew word
3) a new theological translation of it, 4) verse numbers from Chapter 1 where it occurs

4---bara---creation through contemplative thought---1,21,23,27
1---r’dot---she moved the spirit of God in it and us--- 2
10---v’omer---and he said---3,6,9,22,25,20,24,26,28,29
6---v'yar'ah---and they saw that it was good[fixed in its own purpose]---4,10,12,18,21,25
3---v’yabh’dayl---and he distinguished [through discriminative understanding]---4,7,14
3---v’yeek’ra---and she called [named as a meaningful word]---5,8,10
6---v’yaysh---and he made[turned the truth of the key of its realization inside of its real eternal substance]---7,11,13,16,25,26
2---v’yabheerehch---and she blessed [brought into our awareness]---22,24
1---v’yatayn---and put [gave,placed]---17
1---n’tz’l’mu---he made in the image---27
2---totzaya---she brought out [facilitated ]---12,24

Note: wherever "v" [corresponding to the English word and], eg. v’yar’[he saw] appears it means the creation is occurring through means of God’s eternal light and life emanating into the lower earthly and human realms. And, it means this particular kind of spiritual light is being distinguished here in this part of the Bible from his/her light and life as it emanates into the upper heavens in other parts of the Bible.
Also, at this point, a matter related to the Jewish oral tradition of prohibiting any alteration of the Torah needs to be discussed:
These translations are different than the usual ones. The normal translation of what has already been written does not divide the work between he and she. At his/her highest, and at his/her beginning in us God is one person and one name, not two people acting together. But, as discussed in an earlier blog, it can be helpful to meditate on his truth, her truth as it grows inside of us by considering it a correspondence between what is and what is. This is supported by another part of the Jewish tradition which teaches it takes two persons along with God...1) a dreamer and 2) an interpreter for a dream to come true. Also, there are the following rules of interpretation of the Torah (by the rabbi Ismael, some would say the rabbi who is our rabbi Ismael...) which support this:
(the numbers to the left and before the logical statements refer to his 13 rules for elucidation of the Torah which are accepted by most Jews)
2) the female and male conjugations being part of similar[the same word] clarify it [the word] in a different context.
4), 5) , 12), 13) the female being made out of the rib of the male by a a general statement of God and is therefore a specification of his words and equally able to speak for the general context of them, to single out something for discussion which was not similar to the general category, a limitation of the context of it,
Moreover, the female teachers of the Torah being allowed to help the male teachers in this way they will be able to increase the elucidations of the context for all of us, or as a third party to reconcile the context.
Moreover, to no lesser a degree we have been given the verses below from the teaching of Jesus Christ and the prophet Isaiah:

“Wherever two or three of you come together in my name, I am [I am who I am] there.“

“Go[come] through the gates and cast ye up. Cast ye up, clear the way, take the stumbling block out of the way of My people. For thus saith the Lord God of Hosts the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, and whose name is three times Holy.” Isaiah 62:10 This is a verse which is part of many Jewish High Holy Day Prayerbooks.

These verses along with the affirmation, along with one the Lord God of Hosts has given his archangel Gabriel to keep in mind. “What’s not on the up and up, is not up.”

Neatly sum up how I believe God wants the top part of his name to manifest itself in us.

“Upon what were the foundation of it fastened, who laid its cornerstone?” Job 38:6

“I have laid a precious cornerstone of truth [sure foundation] in Zion.” Isaiah 28:16
Psalm 118:22, Jermiah 30:21

Here are some very precise, very good and very beautiful verses in Hebrew related to those above:

“And, Elohim put them [the sun and the moon] in the expanse of the heavens.”
Genesis 1:17

“Va’yatayn atam Elohim bheeroqay hashamaym.”
Below some are the rest of the verses connected to this verse and which expand on it.

1st saying of the 1st day

In the beginning God created (through concentrated thought with contemplation and insight) the heavens, making use of the eternal light coming down from the crown on his head as wisdom and understanding in his soul.”

“B’rayshayt bara Elohim.” Genesis 1:1

2nd saying of the 1st day

“And Elohim said, “Let there be eternal light [from above], and there was eternal light [below].” Genesis 1:3

“Yeehay Or v’yeehay Or.”

Lake McArthur, mountain lake next to Lake O'Hara

3rd saying of Elohim God, the 1st of the 2nd day

“Let there be an expanse in the midst of [between] the heavens, and let it divide between the waters there[here].” Genesis 1:6

“Y’hay rakay bh’tof h’maym v’yhay m’beedayl bayn mayem v ‘m’ayem.”

4th saying of Elohim God [1st of the third day]

“Let the waters be gathered underneath the heavens in a place of oneness [for uniqueness and goodness to dwell]
So dry land [faith in earthly things in us] may appear.” Genesis 1:9

“Yekavo h’maym meetachayt h’shaym ehl Makom ehchad v’teerehh h’bhshah.”

5th saying of Elohim God 2nd of the third day:

“May there be vegetation along with vegetation on the earth in us{alt. et the earth be covered with vegetation], may herbs be there…seeds along with seeds… producing seed, fruit trees producing fruit [making] each from its kind as its seed enters the earth inside of us.” Genesis 1:11

6th saying of Elohim God 1st of the fourth day:

“Tar’shay h’araytz dhshay ashehv maz’raytz zeerah ahtz bhoray aeesheh bhoray l’manu ashehr zer’au.”

“ Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to distinguish between the day and between the night and they shall be markers for the holy festivals and for days and for years.”

“Yeehay m’orot bheer’kay h’shamaym l’habh’rayl bayn h’yom v’bayn h’laylah v’havu lotot v’moadaym v’laymaym v’shanaym.”
Genesis 1:6-12

And, finally:

“And, Elohim put them [the sun and the moon] in the expanse of the heavens.”
Genesis 1:17

“Va’yatayn atam Elohim bheeroqay hashamaym.”

parable about three different ways or perspectives that God’s eternal light manifests itself inside of us in heaven and on earth

Parable about who is right, the King or the courtiers

There was once a wise and good King who lived in a Kingdom which at the same time was far away from us…and yet very near . And, this King had a group of courtiers who always had and always will vie for his attention and favours. And one day one of the courtiers said to the King…come visit your people in our churchs, synagogues,temples and mosques (the Kingdom of heaven on earth) and it will be very well for all of us. Also, please bring your Son along. But, the King thought about it and said, “No, I have another Kingdom (the Kingdom of Heaven of our spirits and souls inside of the human heart) that is far above us in the sky, but also very near. If you cannot find God inside of the human heart, you cannot find him anywhere. But, if you can find him there you can find him anywhere. So, it is better for you to come visit me there and then it will be very well for all of us, and not just some. So, they said alright we will do this. But, they did not. For the courtiers thought about it awhile and decided it was better for them to stay in their homes, churchs, synagogues, and mosques and keep asking the King to visit them there. They met together and thought they could outsmart the King. Thinking it would shame him, they held a banquet for the benefit of the whole Kingdom but did not invite him. So when they saw him again they asked him, “When will you be visiting us in our home?” But, the King said instead to them, “I visited you some time ago. But, recently we were talking and I invited you for a visit and you said that you would come but you did not. Isn’t the truth in your words more important to me than feasting with you for the benefit of all of us ”
Now you tell me, Who is like unto that King? Was the King right or the courtiers? And, who is the King in that realm and in us?

In the end, in the sense of how they are related to our everyday goals, our own words matter little compared to what we do during our lives. However,there is an even high judgement than this that we must face. For, at the level of our soul's progress in heaven and the development of its capabilities...knowing that God's truth can manifest itself and participate in the words we speak to each other and ourselves is more important than any deeds we might do in an earthly realm.

So, what is the Truth of the words of the courtiers that the King is speaking about in the above parable?
The Bible gives us two very different explanations about what the truth is that Jesus Christ has left to us in the Gospel according to the Book of John. One explanation is given to his disciple Thomas:
"Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me." John 14:6
The other explanation was given to those who were crucifying and hurting him and whose souls he was trying to save and to help:
"Pilate said to Him, Then You are a King? Jesus answered. You say it [You speak the truth correctly here for at this point it is you who are who I am and am trying to help] For I am a King, This is Iwhy I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the Truth. Everyone who is of the Truth [who is a friend of the Truth] hears and listens to My voice." John 18:37 Amplified Bible with some phrases added to further amplify it by Andrew.
Jesus Christ has said that he is the vine and we are the branches. But, those branches of us in him that promise to keep faith with God and his purposes in any of us, but intentionally don't...in order not to be God...they are committing a sin against the Holy Spirit and can no longer in us or him.
For as I have been told, and so I do believe...
"If your refuse to take up your cross and follow Me, you are not Mine."
"Whosoever finds his [lower worldly]life will lose it [the higher heavenly life], and whoever loses his [lower worldly] life on My account will find it [the higher heavenly life on earth]." The Gospel of Matthew chapter 10
Inotherwords, "When the Bible is right, somebody is wrong."

2007-05-06T17:46:00.000-07:00

One View from the Top of Mount President in British Columbia, Canada

(you may click on the above image in your browser to enlarge it)
May 6

Be still and know that Jesus Christ in us is Christ Jesus [and Christ Jesus in us is Jesus Christ].
Seven Thoughts About The Foundation of Our Righteousness
(Yesod)

1st day of the weekly count, 36th day of the omer count
Chesed of Yesod
Watchfulness
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for
They are the children of God.”

2nd day of the weekly count, 37th day of the omer count
Gevurah of Yesod
Zeal
“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst
For righteousness, for they shall find it.”

3rd day of the weekly count, 38th day of the omer count
Tiferet of Yesod
Cleanliness
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall find
mercy.”

4th day of the weekly count, 39th day of the omer count
Netzach of Yesod
Separation from the World-
“Blessed are you who are persecuted
for my sake, for great is your reward
In heaven.”

5th day of the weekly count, 40th day of the omer count
Hod of Yesod
Purity--
“Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.”

6th day of the weekly count, 41st day of the omer count
Yesod of Yesod
Saintliness--
“Blessed are they that mourn,
for they shall be comforted.”

7th day of the weekly count, 42th day of the omer count
Malkuth of Yesod
Fear of God--
“Blessed are the meek and poor in Spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

St. Paul's beautiful words, which teach us how to pray
for what God wants for all of us to have happen:

"For in this hope we were saved.
But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope.
For how can one hope for what he already sees?
But, if we hope for what is still unseen by us,
we wait for it with patience and compromise.
So, too the Holy Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up
in our weakness;
for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it
up worthily as we ought,
but the Spirit himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads
in our behalf with unspeakable yearning and groaning too deep
for utterances.
And, He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind
of the [Holy]Spirit [what his intent is],
because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf
of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will [Ps. 139:1,2]

Romans 8:24-26

"Moreover,[let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And, endurance (fortitude) develops character [ approved faith and tried integrity]. And, character produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope [of eternal salvation]. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us."
Romans 5:3-5

May 13th

Seven Ways We Serve Others
(Malkuth)

1st day of the weekly count, 43rd day of the omer count
Chesed of Malkuth
By generosity:
“Give till it hurts”. Saint Teresa of Calcutta
"Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor;
be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord."
Romans 12:11

2nd day of the weekly count, 44th day of the omer count
Gevurah of Malkuth
By Friendliness:
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
"Contribute to the needs of God's people[sharing
in the necessities of the saints]; pursue the practice
of hospitality."
Romans 12:13

3rd day of the weekly count, 45th day of the omer count
Tiferet of Malkuth
By seeing good in others:
with God’s help,We see the Christ in you.
"[Let your] love be sincere (a real thing)."
Romans 12:9

4th day of the weekly count, 46th day of the omer count
Netzach of Malkuth By standing by our friends:
We will walk with you till the Son of God always shines.
"hate what is evil [ loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror
from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good."
Romans 12:9

"Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing other's joy]
, and weep with those who weep [sharing other's grief]."
Romans 12:15

5th day of the weekly count, 47th day of the omer count
Hod of Malkuth
By loving our enemies:
we are the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World.
"Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude
toward you]; bless and do not curse them."
Romans 12:14
"Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest
and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of
everyone."
Romans 12:17, Proverbs 20:22, II Samuel 16:12

"Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family]
giving precedence and showing honor to one another."
Romans 12:10

6th day of the weekly count, 48th day of the omer count
Yesod of Malkuth
By setting a good example:
we are the holiness of what is holy
Inside of those who are holy.
"Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient
in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer."
Romans 12: 12

7th day of the weekly count, 49th day of the omer count
Malkuth of Malkuth

By taking responsibility
“We are servants of the servants of the Lord.”

Additional Prayers associated with Counting the Omer
( starting with the second day of Pesach and continuing 49 days until Shavuot). This prayer which is said along with the Omer count after Pesach (and on other Holy days) is sometimes called the 42-letter name of God by Orthodox Jews. It is hidden inside of thousand of pages of prayers in several dozen of volumes. However, since we believe that you cannot copyright the name of God , it is included here translated:
"We beg you? With the strength of your right hand's greatness, untie the bundled sins. Accept the joyful prayers of your people, purify us with your awesomeness oneness. Please strong One, guard those who encourage your uniqueness. Bless them, purify them, show them pity, may your righteousness always recompense them. Powerful Holy One, with your plentiful goodness guide us. One and only Exalted One, depend on your nation, which speaks about Your holiness. Accept our prayers, knower of mysteries. Blessed is the Name of His glorious Kingdom forever."
And, just for good measure and the benefit of all of us ...here is an additional , even more ancient transliterated prayer, associated with what is called the 11-letter (11 Hebrew letters that is) name of God, that according to the Torah, the prophet Moses said to ask God for his sister Miriam's healing. " Ayl Na Raphaa... Na Lah." It can be translated as, "Please Lord...please heal her." Please heal the spirit of our lady (the Shekinah, whose body is the Church of all believers) our divine companion whose spirit is surrounded by the souls of four archangels. It comes from some of the first Torah portions in the book of Numbers. Traditionally it is read and prayed as a community in the congregations the 1st Sabbath after Shavuous.
Sometime later after Moses healed Miriam with this prayer, God's Spirit in Moses descended on the prophet Elijah, a Man of God, (the word of the LORD came unto him) and he obeyed it in order to heal a widow who feed him and with whom he sojourned. Then, with God's help, he blessed...resurrected, revived and brought back the soul and spirit and body of her Son to her. "By this she knew that he was a Man of God and that the word of the LORD in his mouth was truth."
1 Kings 17:8-16(17-24).

Prayers for the New Month
During the additional prayer service for Holy days and blessing of the new month some congregations include an intention or supplication. at this point, based on what is called the 22-letter divine name. May it be your will O Lord my God and God of my forefathers that for the sake of your good name you be near me (us) when we call to you…that you listen to our prayers and hear our intentions and pleas at all time as you heard those of Jacob. May you bestow on us generously our food, clothing, and sustenance from beneath your opened hand. May you grant that we find favor, kindness, and mercy in your eyes; just as you granted Joseph, your righteous One, favor, kindness, and mercy and covered him in a beautiful woolen tunic (coat of many colours). May you perform wonders and miracles with me (us), grant me (us) success in our ways and place in our hearts the power of understanding, to understand, and to be wise, and fulfill the words of your Torah's teaching and its mysteries; save us from mistakes and sins, and purify our hearts and thinking for your service. May you lengthen and prolong our days and the days of our families with goodness, sweetness, and an abundance of peace and strength.

Torah Reading
(Seven blessings are required when the Torah and the haf'tarah are read:
one before the Torah reading, one after
one before the haf'tarah reading, four after)

There is none like You among the Gods, Lord, and there is nothing like Your works. Your kingdom is a kingdom for all eternities and Your rule is from generation to generation.
The Lord reigns, the Lord has reigned, the Lord shall reign for all eternity.
The Lord will give strength to his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

Father of compassion, do good, according to your favor, with Zion, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
For we trust in You alone, King, God, exalted and uplifted, Lord of Worlds.

Ayn kamoach va'Elohaym, Adonay, v'ayn k'maashehyach. Mal'chot'ach mal'chot kal olameem umehm'shal't'ach b'chal dod vadod.
Adonay melech, Adonay malach, Adonay yeem'loach l'olam vaed.
Adonay oz l'amu yeetayn, Adonay y'varech et amu vashalom.

Av harachmeem, haytayvah veer'tzon'ach et Zion, teev'neh chomot y'rushaleem.
Kay v'ach l'vad batah'nu, melech, ayl ram v'neesha, adon olameem.

When the Ark would travel, Moses would say, 'Arise, Lord, and let Your foes be scattered, let those who hate You flee from Your Presence.' For from Zion will the Torah come forth and the Word of the Lord from Jerushalem. Blessed be He Who gave the Torah to His people Israel in His holiness.

In Him do I trust, and to His glorious and holy Name do I declare praises. May it be Your will that You open my heart to the Torah and that You fulfill the wishes of my heart and the heart of Your entire people Israel for good, for life, and for peace. Amen

Vay'hay been'sa hadon,vay…omer mosheh, komah Adonay v'yafeh…tzo y'veh…yach. v'yaneh..su m'shan'eh…yach meeephaneh…yach. Kay m..tzion taytzay Torah, vd.var Adonay meeJerushala…ym. Varuch shehnatan Torah l'amu Ish.rayl veeq.doshatu.

Bayh ana rachaytz, v'leesh'mayh qadayshaya yakayra ana aymar tush'laym meesh'alayn d'leebay, v'leeba d'chal
amach yeesh'rael l'tav ul'chyan v'leeshalom, amayn.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord, the One and Only.

One is our God, great is our Lord, Holy (on Hoshana rabbah: and awesome), great is our Lord.
(congregation)

Declare the greatness of the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name together.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness, and strength and beauty, and eternity, and glory, for all heaven and earth.
Yours, Lord, is the Kingdom, and the sovereignty over every leader. Exalt the Lord, our God, and vow at His footstool; He is Holy! Exalt the Lord, our God, and vow to His holy mountain; for holy is the Lord our God. (congregation)

May the Father of compassion have mercy on the nation that is borne by Him, and may He remember the covenant of the spiritually mighty. May He rescue our souls form the bad times, and upbraid the evil inclination to leave those borne by Him, graciously make us an eternal remnant, and fulfill our requests in good measure, for salvation and mercy.

Sh'ma Yeesh'rael Adonay Elohay…nu Adonay Echad.

Echad (Hu) Elohay…nu gadol Adonay…nu,

Gad'lu la Adonay etay un'rom'mah sh'mu yach'du.

L'ach Adonay hag'dulah v'hag'vorah, v'hateeph'ehret, v'hanaytzach v'hahod, kay chol vashamyeem uvaarehtz. L'ach Adonay hamam'lachah v'hameet'nashay l'chol l'rash. Rom'mu Adonay Elohaynu
, v'heesh'tachav lahadom rag'laav, qadosh hu. rom'mu Adonay elohaynu v'heesh'tachav l'har qad'shu, Kay qadosh Adonay Eloheaynu.

Av harachmaym hu y'rachaym am amosaym, u'yeez'chor b'rayt aytanaym, v'yatzayl naph'shotay…ynu meen hashaot haraot, v'yeeg'ar v'yay…tzer hara meen han'shoaym, v'yahon ota…nu leeph'laytat olamaym, veeymalay meesh'alotay…ynu b'meedah tavh y'shoah v'rachmaym.

1)
Blessed be the Lord who is to be blessed and who is blessed(already)

Blessed be the Lord, who is blessed for all eternity.

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Lord, Giver of the Torah.

(after the Torah portion is read)

Bar…chu et Adonay ham'vorach (reader)

Baruch Adonay ham'vorach l'olam vaed (congregation)

Baruch atah Adonay Elohay…nu meh..lech holam, aser ba…har ba…nu meekal haolmeem, v'na…tan la…nu et toratu. Baruch atah Adonay, notayn hatorah. (reader )(amayn -- congregation)

2)

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, Who gave us the Torah of truth and implanted eternal life within us. Blessed are You, Lord, Giver of the Torah.

Baruch atah Adonay Elohay…nu meh…lech haolam, aser na…tan la…nu torat emet, v'chay olam nata b'tochay…nu. Baruch atah Adonay, notayn hatorah. (reader) (amayn --- congregation)

May Shebayrech (prayer for the offering given to satisfy the instructions in the Torah about Holy days. According to tradition, the prayer at this point may also contain intentions and requests for a sick person to be healed or a blessing for auspiciousness, good fortune, and wellness upon a birth or Bar Mitzah)

He who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Issac and Jacob—may he bless this entire holy congregation along with all the holy congregations; them, their wives, sons, and daughters and all that is theirs;

May shebayrech aboteynu, Abraham, Issac, v'Yaqov, Hu y'barech et kal hakahal hakadosh hazeh, eem kal q'heelot hak'odesh haym, un'shayhem, ub'nayhem, ub'notayhem, v'kal asher lahem.

3)
Prayer said before the haftarah reading

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, Who has chosen good prophets and was pleased with their words that were uttered with truth. Blessed are You, Lord, Who chooses the Torah; Moses, His servant, Israel, His nation; and the prophets of truth and righteousness.

Baruch atah Adonay Elohay..nu, mehlech haolam, aser, bahar been'vaym tovaym, v'ratzah, v'rav'rayhehm, hneh…marym, veh…emet, varuch atah Adonay, hvochayr, vatorach uv'msheh av'du, uv'du, uv'ish'rael, amu, uveeh'vay, ha…ehmeht vatzeh..dehk.

Some Ways To Understand The Ten Commandments*
(benefiting from an understanding of truth which involves both mindfulness and faith)

The Ten Commandments

1st and 6th
“I am the Lord thy God who brought you out of the land of Egypt” “You shall not murder”

“A..nokay Adonai Elohehyach hotzaytayach mayehrehtz maytz’ryeem” “Lo teer’tzach”
These two commandments are interconnected on the heavenly level. That is, not to acknowledge that “I am who I am”, (that is, that God is who he is…God is that which is God and yes he is himself or herself) is to kill God metaphysically inside of all of us. This is the fundamental cause of the destruction of our shared divinity with him or her inside of us. On the earthly human level, after it occurs collectively in the heavenly realm, it then translates into the individual and more easily perceivable human level of killing each other.

2nd and 7th “You shall have no other gods in my presence” “You shall not commit adultery”

“Lo yeeh’yeh lach elohaym a’chayrm al phanay” “Lo teen’ach”
A similar order of ethical destruction occurs here when these commandments are not followed. For, when our faith wanders so can the good from us…that God has prepared and planned for us.

Some beliefs which both Christians and Jews can share

We believe in a God who exists everywhere through his own nature and being.

We believe in God our Father more than we believe in any arrangement of his or her
archangels and angels...we believe in God the Holy Spirit more than we believe in any arrangement of Spirit and Truth ( of any arrangement of Boddhisattvas... that is, human knowers of human knowing or knowledge) inside of us.

We believe in him more than any belief in the inerrancy of scriptures that might be written by us to help us understand him or her or the infallibility of any leader anointed by us to represent him or her. (But, we do give honor to and respect the individual dignity of all these representatives of God in us and all these scriptures which are inspired with the Spirit of his and her Truth.)

We believe in a God whose Son is rational and who is in his or her Son and whose Son is in him or her.

We believe in a Holy Spirit in whom there is the Father and the Son... and a Father and the Son in whom there is the Holy Spirit.

We believe in a God who believes in us and the sanctity of our souls and spirits (our names) in him as much as we believe in him and the sanctity of his or her name in us.

3rd and 8th “You shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in a vain oath.” “You shall not steal (kidnap)”

“Lo teesha et shaym Adonai Elohehyach lashv’” “Lo teeg’nov”
All things come to those who keep faith with God’s divine plan and order and trust, honor, praise and remain in him. But, those that grasp after their good and try to lay hold of it illegally before its ready to be given to us will never find it. Note: the literal translation of the Hebrew word teeg’nov is kidnap

And, here also:

4th and 9th “Remember the Sabbath day in order to sanctify it.” “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

“Zachor et yom hashavat l’kad’shu shaysheht” “Lo ta’nehh bh’rayach ayd shakehr”
To rest in the Lord is to learn how to remember how what he has already given us in the past must always be the foundation of the best of what the future (in the present moment then) can hold for us. Note: the Torah does not say here remember the Sabbath day because God has sanctified it…but “remember it in order that we may sanctify it (inside and outside of us). Considering how much good God has already given to us, why then do we need to try and takes someone else’s away from them.

5th and 10th “Honor your father and your mother.” “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, his wife, his servants, his ox, his ass, nor anything that belongs to him”

“ Ckaybayr et abayrach v’et eemehach.” “L’o tayh’mad bhayt rayehach l’o tayh’mad asheht rayehach v’aymatu v’shoru v’chmru v’chol ‘shehr l’rayehach.”
For men and women of God to honor their father and our mother is to honor God in them (us), for without our fathers and mothers we would not have been created with God’s help on this earth. Even the angels sometime envy those souls who are living today in human bodies. But, for them to do this does not honor their spiritual God who created them. A wife (or a husband) along with children and the blessings they bring are certainly some of the most precious things we can have…But, so too, even more so, is our relationship with God and the limitlessness of our faith in the timeliness and sufficiency of his providence for us.

Other arrangements for Meditation of the Ten Commandments

Catholic/ Lutheran

1st “I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods”

2nd “You shall not make for yourself an idol.”
3rd “You shall no take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”

4th “Remember the Sabbath day.”

5th “Honour your father and your mother.”

6th “You shalt not murder”

7th “You shalt not commit adultery”

8th “You shalt not steal”

9th “You shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

10th “You shalt not covet your neighbor’s wife”

Protestant

1st “I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods, You shall not make for yourself an idol.”****
[Isaiah 42:8;48:11]

2nd “You shall no take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”

3rd “Remember the Sabbath day.”

4th “Honour your father and your mother.”

5th “You shalt not murder”

6th “You shalt not commit adultery”
[Proverbs 6:25,26;Matthew 5:28;Romans 1:24; Ephesians 5:3]

7th “You shalt not steal”
[Proverbs 11:1;16:8;21:6;22:16;Jer. 17:11;Mal. 3:8]

8th “You shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
[Exodus 23:1;Prov. 19:9;24:28]

9th and 10th “You shalt not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not covet your neighbor’s hourse.”
[Luke 13:15;Dol. 3:5]

)

****This commandment is sometimes stated as “You shall have no other God beside me”. Also, some Jews have said that because of this commandment it is impossible for Jews to practice or believe in Christianity. I do not agree with this. God is One. This is certainly true. But, when we say this if we mean to say that God being One himself, he is not also One with his Only Son Jesus…then God, the moment we say this, becomes no longer just One himself…but much more (another, also, two in fact). Jesus Christ has said that the time will come when we, his students, will worship God together with him in Spirit and in Truth. To worship God as One is to worship him in Spirit. To worship God as Truth is to worship him as a correspondence between what is and what is. When many more Jews and Christians come to realize this then the abode of God will be with men here on earth [Rev. 21:3-4, Ezekiel 37:27, Isa. 25:8;35:10] and he will live among them as truth to and from truth and they shall be his people dwelling in his Holy Spirit receiving from and giving to each other as to and from his love.

4)

After it is read the following blessings are recited:

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, Rock of all eternites, Righteous in all generations, the trustworthy God, Who say and does, Who speaks and fulfills, all of Whose words are true and righteous. Trustworthy are You Lord, our God, and trustworthy are Your words, not one of Your words is turned back to its origin unfulfilled, for You are God, trustworthy and compassionate King. Blessed are You, Lord, the God Whos is trustworthy in all His words.

Baruch atah Adonay Elohay..nu mehlech haolam, tzor kal haolamaym, tzadaq b'cal hadorot, hayl hanehman haomayr v'asheh, ham'dabayr um'kaym, shekal d'varav emet vatzehdehq. Nehman atah hu Adonay Elohay…nu v'nehmanaym d'vareh…yach v'davar echad md'vareh..yach achor lo yashov rayqam, kay ayl meh..lech nehman v'rachman atah. Baruch atah Adonay, hayl haneman b'chal d'varav.

5)

Have mercy on Zion for it is the source of our life; to the one who is deeply humiliated bring salvation speedily, in our days. Blessed are You, Lord, Who gladdens Zion through her children.

Rachaym al tzion kay hay bayt chay…nu, v'laal'ovat neh…phesh toshay… beem'hayrah v'yamay…nu. Baruch atah Adonay, m'shamay…ach tzion b'vnay..yach.

6)

Gladden us, Lord, our God, with Elijah the prophet and Joshua the high priest, your servants, and with the kingdom of the House of David, Your anointed, may he come speedily and cause our heart to exult. On his throne let no stranger sit nor let others continue to inherit his honor, for by Your Holy Name Your swore to him that his lamp will not be extinguished forever and ever. Blessed are You, Lord, Shield of David.

Sham'chay…nu Adonay Elohay…nu b'Elija…hu v'Jehoshua Cohen Gadol hanaveem av'deh…ach, uv'mal'chot bayt David m'shaycheh…ach, beem'hayrah yavo v'yagayl leebay…nu, al kees'u lo yay…shehv zar v'lo yeen'chalu od achayraym et k'vodu, kay v'shaym qad'sh'ach neesh'vay…ta lo, shel yeec'beh nayru lolam vaed. Baruch atah Adonay, magayn David (congregation says amen)

7)
For the Torah reading, for the prayer service, for the reading from the Prophets and for this Sabbath day that You, Lord, our God, have given us for holiness and contnentment, for glory and for splendor---for all this, Lord, our God, we gratefully thank You and bless You. May Your Name be blessed by the mouth of all the living always, for all eternity. Blessed are You, Lord, Who sanctifies the Sabbath

Al hatorah, v'al havodah, v'al han'vaym, v'al yom hashabat hazeh, shehnata…ta la…nu Adonay Elohaynu, leeq'dushah v'leem'nochah, lchavod ul'teeph'a…ret. Al hakol Adonay Elohayn..nu an'chanu modaym laf, um'varcaym otach, yeet'barach sheem'ach b'phay kal chay tamayd l'olam vaed Baruch atah Adonay, m'qadaysh hashabat. (congregation says amen)

May Shehbayrach

He who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Issac and Jacob—may he bless this entire holy congregation along with all the holy congregations; them, their wives, sons, and daughters and all that is theirs; May the Holy One, blessed is He, pay their reward and remove from them every affliction, heal their entire body and forgive their every iniquity, and send blessing and success to all their handiwork, along with all Israel, their brethren. And, let us say Amen.

May shebayrech aboteynu, Abraham, Issac, v'Yaqov, Hu y'barech et kal hakahal hakadosh hazeh, eem kal q'heelot hak'odesh. Haym, un'shayhem, ub'nayhem, ub'notayhem, v'kal asher lahem. Hakodosh baruch Hu y'shalaym sh'charam, v'yasayr mayhaym kal mach'lah, v'yeer'pha lchal gofam, v'yees'lach lachal onam, v'yeesh'lach baruch b'hatz'lachah b'chal mashaych y'dayhehm, eem kal Israel achayhehm b'namar amen.

On returning the Torah to the Ark, the cantor says:

Let them praise the Name of the Lord, for His Name alone will have been exalted.

Y'hal'lu et Shaym Adonay, kay neesh'gav sh'mu l'vdu

the congregation responds:

His glory is above earth and heaven. And He will have exalted the pride of His people, causing praise for all His devout ones, for the Children of Israel, His intimate people. Halleluyah.

Hodu al eh…retz b'shama…yeem. Vaya…rehm qeh…ren l'amu, t'haylah lchal chasayrav, leev'nay Israel am q'rovu, hal'loyah.

Some Numerical Calculations Concerning the Age of God’s Only Son in all of us

A Lotus of Happiness and a Tree of Eternal Life
For all Those Praying with the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, Virginia Harrell, Alma May Calohan, William Monroe Calohan, William Franklin Calohan,Henry McKnight and
Andrew Harrell

Hail Mary, the Lord is with you.
Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
Pray with each of us and all us now...
as you remember with us our faithful past, sharing together a joyful present moment, and expecting a hopeful future.
I am who I am (a lotus of happiness), growing up inside of God’s ocean of compassion inside of all of us.

I am that I am (a tree of eternal life) that God has planted, long ago, deep inside of us.

My roots go through his and her Earth, and Sun and Moon and heavenly stars inside of you.

Grow strong and healthy and fruitful dear tree of eternal life, grow beautiful, joyful, compassionate, kind and loving dear lotus of happiness so we can patiently bear eternal good faith and mindfulness together that benefits us all.

Adam to Shem
(Gen. Chap. 5)
135
105
90
70
65
162
165
187
182
500
___

1661 years

Shem to Abraham
(Gen. Chap 11)
100
35
30
36
30
72
30
29
70

396 years

Biblical Arch. Society estimates that Abraham lived on earth at or around 1800 B.C. +- 100 years
Therefore from Adam to Christ is approximately
1661
396
1800
3857 years

From Christ to us approximately
2007 years

For a total of

5857 +- 100 years

Since the creation of the Olam ( that is, what our Eastern Buddhist and Vedic yogi prayer friends call the tantric world of creation }

By these dates someone could argue, optimistically, that we have at least 17 years before the final judgement (which occurs at or around the year 6000)

If, however, we take my friend Dr. Ballard’s date for the flood at 3500 BC ( which puts Abraham at 2730 B.C., we get a current date of 6794. This would argue that Christ returned to us in AD 1203 (about the time of St. Francis). Another calculation, along the lines set out by Isaac Newton argues for a date of AD 1902 (around the time of the 1st World War).

note added 10/4/2007: since this blog allows you to go back in time and edit your earlier thoughts, I am adding at this point a reference to the calculation done by Archbishop James Usher that according to
the ages in Genesis the World was created in 4004 BC. I have not seen this calculation (it is referred to in the "What the bleep,do we know? Quantum edition DVD, Goldman Meyer films 2004". A clear suggestion that the third coming was 1996 (since 4004 + 1996=6000) follows from it. Thus the consequences, for our theology, come out very close to the one I have done, by the above reasoning.

"Preach, saying, the Kingdom of God is at hand." Matthew 10:9
For the Kingdom of Heaven and a life lived in partnership with God and his Son Jesus of Nazareth is not something which is beyond our reach in the future or the past. But, it is at hand...available in the fullness of time which is the present moment.

If you are a Protestant pre-millenenialist or a post-millenenialist, the above numerical calculations of possible dates of the return of our Lord Christ Jesus to us refers to the final judgement at the third coming. Most post-millenenialist’s believe he has already come for the second time (see en.wikipedia.org’s article on a summary of Christian eschatological differences). My dear relative the Baptist Adoniram Judson Gordon wrote his first book “Ecco Venit” in the 1860s on this subject. It contains many scriptural references and philosophical arguments for the theological position of pre-millenenialism. How am I to characterize the theology contained in the postings in this blog over the last year? It aims to help Christians understand how to practice Judaism and Jews how they can believe in Christianity, and is a kind of post-millenenial non-dominism (see wikipedia.org for an explanation of what theological dominism is).

Two strong arguments which justify it are: 1) It should be self evident to us that God wants to help everyone by his teachings (God’s heavenly kingdom of faith, love, and hope is not just for some, but for everyone).. for as many passages in the scriptures say, He is not a respecter of persons in a way that works against us, but in the way that works for us .Another is, 2)

Question #1 If Jesus Christ were to return to us today would you expect or want the same thing to happen to him as the first (first two times) time?

I hope that you wouldn’t. Because that would be a sin against the Holy Spirit, wouldn’t it? And, why, assuming You or I or the One true Church and the One true Soul of him in us had any choice about, would we to want to have that happen? For some scripture verses related to how we can improve ourselves in this regard see the verses from Romans listed in the last week of the Omer count above. Also, “The Enduement of the Spirit”. This is Chapter V of the book the Ministry of the Spirit by Rev. A. J. Gordon mentioned the paragraph above. It has some helpful teachings related to this (even though its stated theology may contradict some of the self-evident tenets stated above). For a beautifully written book representing an alternative theological viewpoint to that in the Ministry of the Spirit I recommend Henry Drummond’s “City without a Church.”

Moreover, there is another amateur theological question, the answer to which affects how we answer question #1.

Question #2 Do you believe that while he was on the cross, Jesus Christ’s soul went down to hell to help save those souls and spirits living there?

St. Francis clearly believes this, for as he is praying with the Church and us he is saying:

“ O Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace:
Wherever there is darkness, let there be light.
Wherever there is despair, let there be hope.
May I seek not so much to be understood
As to understand… to be loved as to love.
For it is in dying this way,
That our souls and spirits are raised to eternal life.”

And, the writer of the Gospel of John agrees, for he has said that
Jesus Christ is the "Light that shines in the darkness".

The good energy (in addition to the good knowledge of Christ we can receive by faithful study of the scriptures) that we receive as result of our own compassionate, kind actions is an important part of any salvation or healing that God or his Son can effect for us. But, even more than this and more important than this is God’s compassion for and loving kindness for us and our souls and spirits. If we say that Jesus Christ is ministering to us today through the Holy Spirit, the spirit of which comes to us from his Church among us, then how can this compassion, loving kindness, joy, equanimity reach down from the heights of God’s spirit which is hidden inside us throughout the ages into the souls and spirits of those living in the lower realms? Sometimes preaching the Gospel and witnessing it to all the World and being there for those who choose to come for help is not enough. Sometimes Jesus Christ himself has to be the one who represents his Gospel of salvation to us and is the instrument of effecting God’s eternal rest and peace of mind inside of our own hearts and minds. Does this mean that when he does this the same thing is going to happen to him as the first time he did it? I hope not and I hope your faith from what you know about happened to him the first time is what keeps this unnecessary tragedy from reenacting itself inside us again.

A full Kaddish combined with a rabbi's Kaddish for Christians who study the Torah, the Talmud, and the Kabbalah and pray the Amidah*****
(for those who pray it, may it be a sealing, filling, anointing of the Holy Spirit inside of us)

preliminary notes on the transliteration scheme used for this translation of the Kaddish as it compares to the more tranditional Ashkenazi Hebrew to English one:

Ashkenazi English
ei iff ay (iff is a mathematician's shorthand for if and only if)
s iff t
bb iff bh
w iff silent h at end of word
ee iff e or i
v iff b
u iff o

Yit’gadal v’yit’kadash sh’mayh raba.

May (God’s) great name grow sanctified in us

(Amen)

B’alama de b’ra cheer’otayh.

In the world that he created and willed.

V’yam’laych mal’chotayh, b’chayaychon v’b’yomaychon

May he establish this sovereignity in your lifetime and in your days.

vb’chayay d’chal bayt Is’raayl.

And in the lifetimes of all Israel.

B'agala vbhz'man karayv

May these days (that have been foretold) come quickly and soon.

v’am’ru: Amen (here the people say amen)

Y’hay sh’mehh raba m’barach l’olam vl’al’may al’maya.

May his great name be blessed in the universe inside of that which flourishes (or prospers) inside of the flourishing (prosperity)

Yit’barach v’yishtabach v’yitpaar v’yitromam v’yitnashay v’yithadar v’yitalehh v’yithalal sh’mayh d’khuhd’sha b’rayach Hu

(B’rayach Hu – Cong.)

Blessed and praised and glorified and exalted and supported and strengthened and raised up and praised Holy in worshipful song be the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He.
(here the congregation says Blesed be He)

L’ayla meen khal beer’cata v’shayrata tuhsh’bh’chata v’nehchehmata,

Though its well-being flourishes beyond all blessings and songs…praises and consolations.

damayran b’al’ma. Vam’ru: amayn. (amayn-cong.)

That are said where it prospers (or flourishes)…now we say Amen
(here the congregation says amen).

Kabayl b'rachmaym vbh'ratzon et t'pheelatanu.
Accept our prayers with compassion and favor (cong.)

Teet'paybayl tz'lot'hon v'bhaot'hon d'chal bayt Yisrael kadam Abohon day bheeshamay.

May the prayers of all Israel be accepted by their Father in Heaven.

Al Yish’raayl v’al rabbanayn. V’al tal’maydayhon v’al khal tal’mayday tal’maydayhon. Va’ khal man d’as’qayn b’oray’ta, dhay b’at’ra hadayn v’day b’khal atar v’atar.

Upon Israel, upon the teachers, their disciples and all of their disciples and upon all those who engage in the study of Torah, who are here or anywhere else.

Y’heh l’hon vl’chon sh’lama rbha, cheena v’chees’dha v’rach’mayn, v’chayayn adaychayn, vm’zonay r’vaychay, v’phehr’aqana meen k’adam abohon dhay beesh’maya (v’araa). V’am’ru: amayn. (amayn – cong.)

May they and you have abundant peace, grace, kindness, mercy, long life, ample nourishment, and salvation from before their Father who is in heaven (and on earth). Now we say Amen (here the congregation says amen)

Y’hay sh’alma raba meen Sh’maya, v’chayaym (tobaym) alaynu v’al chal Yish’rael v’eem’ru: amayn. (amayn-cong.)

May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life(goodness) upon us and upon all Israel. (here the congregation says amen…) amen.

Asehh shalom bheem’romayav, Hu bh’rachamayav y’ashehh shalom alay…yanu v’al chal Yeesh’raayl. V’eem’ru. (amen- cong.)

May He who makes peace in the high heavens, may He, in His compassion, make peace upon us, and upon all Israel. (here the congregation responds amen) Amen.
*****The Kaddish is somewhat of a different prayer than the Kaddosh (some of the Kaddosh prayers are included the April 10 posting of this blog). This posting has the Amidah with its 18 intentions and requests said to God to give us knowledge of him, his Son, his Holy Spirit in us and their will for us for our repentance, forgiveness, redemption, complete healing, a good year, justice for us, peace in and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, answers to our personal intentions, and thankfulness for the nearness of his Son the anointed One, the Christ to us and all Israel during the year. According to tradition the Amidah needs this full Kaddish to come after it for its completion...the earlier blog posting also includes the Baruch shamar v'hayah holam..omayr v'oseh, Baruch Hu (the blessing of the One who acts as well as speaks and by whose speech the world came to be), the Ha El, Et Shem, and Shoken Ad prayers and the Yishtabach which embellish and add to the Kaddosh) The Kaddish blesses God in all directions (10 in fact) inside and outside of the present moment in the world to come on earth and in heaven (above, below, around…past, present, future). Thus when we say it we don’t request a change in our situation only our awareness or mindfulness of our circumstances in it. The Kaddosh blesses God and exalts God in an upwardly direction toward his throne or most high place in the heavenly realms. All study of the Torah, all blessing prayers of the departed souls of those near and dear us can benefit from a Kaddish. And, all prayers in which we request God’s help and providence in more human terms can benefit from a Kaddosh. This prayer is addressed to Christians because there are many complexities and traps involved in learning Judaism as a Christian and I believe this blessing is much needed nowadays to bless, help, and benefit us all together as servants of God. The full Kaddish which contains additional lines requesting Our Father in Heaven to hear and answer the prayers in the Amidah is,by tradition, said at the completion of this service. The rabbi's Kaddish blesses us and our study of the Torah whether we are in Church (Temple or Synagogue) or not. Combining the two eliminates any confusion about whether we, who write these prayers, want all of the prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ, who are trying to learn things as they go along, to be answered.

2007-04-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

Lag B'Omer May 6, 2007
(33th day of the counting and meditation
about how God's Holy Spirit expresses himself
inside of us from Passover to Shavuos)

Near The Iceland Trail, British Columbia Canada

Hallel ( the Hallel (Psalms 113-118) is chanted at this point. Since the Holy Spirit dwells within the hearts and minds of those who call upon him, it is acceptable to chant these Psalms in your own language. However, considering that Jesus Christ probably prayed and chanted these prayers on Palm Sunday during the days before he was crucified there is also merit in studying the original Hebrew. On Rosh Chodesh and the last six days of Pesach a half Hallel which has the lines of Psalm 115 1-155 and Psalm 116 1-11 omitted is chanted. During Hannukah/Christmas Christian hymns can and should be sung. For example: Joy to the World, Angels we have Heard on High, Hark the Herald Angels Sing go very well with the Hallel)
In the Seder the whole Hallel is divided into two parts and also with respect to the teaching and chanting portions by four cups of wine (which represent the salvation, redemption, sanctification, and justification of our souls). Psalms 113 and 114 come before the ratzah. the motzah, and the Matzah (see the grouping of the 15 Seder steps elsewhere in this blog). These psalms help us remember how God reaches out to the poor and helpless (psalm 113), how the created divine environmental nature is involved in our salvation (psalm 114), After these steps and the maror, the korech, the Shulchan Orech (the meal) and the Afikiman (the Tzafun) the rest of the Barech (the after meal grace with its three portions due to Moses, thanking God for the Exodus. Due to Joshua, thanking him for bringing us into the promised land (fulfilling the justification of our souls and spirits). And, the portion due to David and Solomon (thanking him for the Holy Temple of his presence inside of US) the rest of the Hallel is chanted. These psalms (115,116,117, and 118) come after a portion invoking the help of the prophet Elijah and the Messiah to come against our enemies where a fifth cup of wine is poured. This portion is called the Sh’phach. And, in my opinion, it is better to associate the coming of the Messiah as a blessing for us all together. Therefore we should pray and ask that he bring king love and forgiveness for everyone more than he brings it just for some and retribution and harsh justice for those who are a part of us. Has not Jesus Christ already taught us that our enemies are just the ones that it is most important for our salvation and redemption that we love and forgive?

An original transliteration and translation from the Hebrew of this last part of the Hallel by Andrew as it appears written in “A Passover Haggadah” by Elie Wiesel as the fourteenth step in the Jewish Seder

Selections from some of the prayers of praise in Psalm s 115 and 116

Lo lanu Adonai, lo lanu, kay l’sheem’ach tayn, kavod, ayl chas’d’ach, ayl ameetehach.

Not for us Lord, not for us, but for the sake of the glory and grace in your name, in your loving kindness, and in your truth.

Lamah amru hagoyim, esh na elohayhem bashamayem; kola aser chaphaytz aseh.

Why should the gentile nations say, “Where is our God?”. Our God is in the heavens, and he does what he desires (wills).

Atzbayhehm kehsehf v’zahav, masheeh y’day adom.

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of the hands of man.

Peh lahem v’lo y’daybayru, aynayim lahem v’lo yayr’a.

They have mouths, but they cannot talk, eyes but they cannot see.

Az’naym lahem v’lo yaysh’maru af lahem v’lo y’dayhu.

Ears, but they cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell.

Y’dayhem v’lo y’mayshon, rag’layhem v’lo y’halaychu;

They have hands but cannot feel with them, feet which cannot walk;

Lo yeh’gu bheg’ronah ch’mohem y’h’yu ashayhem, chol aser btach bahem.

They cannot make sounds with their throats, their makers, and all who trust in them, shall become like them.

Israel, bh’tach b’Adonai ehz’ram vmageenam hu.

Israel trust in Adonai (Our Lord), He is their help and shield!

Bayt Aharon, bheetachu b’Adonai az’ram v’mageernam Hu.

House of Aharon, trust in Adonai, He is their help and shield!

Y’ray Adonai, bh’’hu Adonai az’ram v’mageenam Hu.

Those that fear the Lord…trust in the Lord (Adonai). He is their help and shield.

Adonai z’charanu y’barayach, y’barayach et bayt Israel, y’barayach et bayt Aharon.

May the Lord remember us and bless us, may He bless the house of Israel, may he bless the house of Aaron.

Y’barach yeer’ay Adonai, hak’tanaym am hag’doleem.

May all those who fear the Lord be blessed, the small and the great.

Y’sayf Adonai alaychehm, alaychehm v’al bh’naychehm.

May the Lord increase his blessings unto you, unto you and your children.

Bh’rochaym atem l’Adonai, asayh shamaym varehtz.

May you be blessed by the Lord who made with his hands heaven and earth.

Hashamaym shamaym l’Adonai, v’aretz natan leebh’nay adam.

The heaven of the heavens is the Lord’s, but the earth he gave to Adam (humankind).

Lo hamayteem y’hallellu Jah, v’lo kal yir’day domah.

The dead do not praise Jah, nor those that sink into silence.

Vaanch’nu n’barach Jah matah v’ad olam; Hallelujah.

But we will bless Jah, now and forever; Hallelujah.

Psalm 116

Ahab’tay kay yesh’ma Adonai et kolay, t’chanunay.

I love it when the Lord hears my call, receiving my appeal .

Kay heetah az’nu lay, vb’yamay ehk’ra.

For he has turned his ear to me, when I called.

Aphaph’unay chehv’lay moeht, vm’tzaray sh’aol m’tza’onay; zerah v‘yagon ehm’tz.

I have been surrounded by bonds of death, and caught in a narrow path of distress; faced by trouble and sorrow.

V’b’shaym Adonai ehk’ra, anah Adonai, mal’tah naph’shay.

I called on the name of the Lord, “Please Lord…save my my soul!”

Chanon Adonai v’tzarayq, v’Elohaynu m’racham.

Gracious is the Lord and righteous…In compassion, He is our God.;

Shamayr ph’taaym Adonay; dal’tay v’lay y’hoshay…

The Lord guards the simple; I was poor and ailing and he saved me.

Shobay nayph’shay leem’nochaychay, kay Adonai gamal alay’chay.

Rest my soul, again, for the Lord has been kind to you.

Chay cheelaytzata naph’shay meemaot, et anaynay meen deem’ah, et rag’lay meedehtay.

For he has delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling.

Et’halach leeph’nay Adonai, bh’ar’tzot hachayeem.

I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

Haem’n’ay chay adaybayr, anay an’yatay m’od.

I kept faith with what had been spoken..I cried out even.

Anay emayr’tay, kal hadam kzav.

I cried out in my affliction, “All mankind is a liar.”

Mah ashayv l’Adonai kal tag’mol’otay alay. Chos y’shoaot asha, v’b’shaym Adonai ehk’ra.

How shall I repay the Lord for all his blessings? I shall raise the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord.

N’deray l’Adonai ashalaym, nehg’dah-na l’chehl amu.

I will redeem my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

Y’kar bh’aynay Adonai hamaotah lachasaydayy anah Adonai, chay anay eb’dehach, any eb’dehach ben amehtahach;pheet’h’ta l’mosaray.

The death of his faithfully beloved is difficult to the Lord’s eyes. Please, Lord, I am your servant, I am the child of your handmaiden, You have released my bonds.

L’ach ehz’bhach zehvah todah, vb’shaym Adonai ehk’ra.

I will sacrifice to you an offering of thanksgiving and call upon the name of the Lord

N’daray l’Adonai ashalam, nehg’dah-na l’cal amu.

In the presence of all his people I will redeem my vows to the Lord.

Bh’chatz’rot bhayt Adonai, bh’tocaycay Jerushalem: Hallelujah!
In the courts of the House of the Lord in Jerusalem..Halleluah!

Counting the Omer
April 2

Seven Thoughts About Loving Kindness
(Chesed)**
1st day
Chesed of Chesed
Loving kindness is compassionate
and forgiving
(it does not keep a record of wrong)

2nd day
Gevurah of Chesed
Loving kindness is stronger than death
(Song of Songs)

3rd day
Tiferet of Chesed
Loving kindness seeks more to give
than receive. (It is beautiful)

4th day
Netzach of Chesed
Loving kindness is patient
(while having integrity and supporting the rights of others)

5th day
Hod of Chesed
Loving kindness is obedient and submissive
to God’s will (it therefore shares in his glory)

6th day
Yesod of Chesed
Loving kindness rejoices not in wrong
intentions, but in the truth (2 Corinthians)

7th day
Malkuth of Chesed
Loving kindness fears God and does not consider what will happen to itself.
(This is its royalty)

**note: For those who believe we are at many moments of our lives living right now, in the fullness of time in God's heavenly present moment we will return to this topic considering passages from the Book of Romans, Chapter 12, during week seven of our Pentecost/Shavuos this year.

April 9

Seven Thoughts About Goodness and Justice
(Along with Gevurah…strength)

1st day of the weekly count, 8th day of the omer count
Chesed of Gevurah
“The quality of mercy(justice) is not strained.”
(its definition is not tightly controlled)
William Shakespeare
“Let justice roll like water and righteousness
Like a mighty stream.” Jewish Prayer Service

2nd day of the weekly count, 9th day of the omer count
Gevurah of Gevurah
“Justice is freedom combined with equality.”
Mortimer Adler, Six Great Ideas *

3rd day of the weekly count, 10th day of the omer count
Tiferet of Gevurah
Justice is everyone and everything
participating in its virtue (its good according to its kind or its concept) Plato, The Republic

4th day of the weekly count, 11th day of the omer count
Netzach of Gevurah
No good fruit (end) can come from a bad tree
(bad means). No bad fruit (end) can come from a good
Tree(good means).” Jesus Christ according to the
Gospel of Matthew
Good defines evil, evil defines good, good comes
From good, evil from evil.”
Sefirah Yetzirah, Book V.

5th day of the weekly count, 12th day of the omer count
Hod of Gevurah
Good – What is desirable for its own sake

6th day of the weekly count, 13th day of the omer count
Yesod of Gevurah
divine order—a rightful (according to a sound
everlasting principle)** procession of truth from Beginning as good faith to its correspondence And completion as a realization in one of us or
All of us or the World around us.

7th day of the weekly count, 14th day of the omer count
Malkuth of Gevurah

'You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”
Joseph to his brother, story in the Torah

*An idea is a representation in our minds of a thought. A concept can be distinguished from a perception in that it has a likeness class (that is likeness or non-visual intellectual thought as opposed to an image or perception). Concepts themselves have likeness classes. Therefore a great idea is a synonym for a likeness class of a concept.
** Being divine, this correspondence can only take place inside of a field of being which has its existence as a part of God’s name. Furthermore, in order for God to have a name he must be a unique individual, that is, a one.
April 16

Seven Thoughts About Beauty
(Tiferet)

1st day of the weekly count,15th day of the omer count
Chesed of Tiferet
“Beauty is controlled grace.”
Leonardo da Vince
Renaissance Christian Definition

2nd day of the weekly count, 16th day of the omer count
Gevurah of Tiferet
“Awareness is a mirror reflecting the four
elements. Beauty is a heart that generates
Love and a mind that is open.”
Thich Nhat Hanh,- Buddhist Gatha ***

3rd day of the weekly count, 17th day of the omer count
Tiferet of Tiferet
“Beauty is understanding that which is
desirable for its own sake. Love is aspiring
Upward toward eternal beauty.”
Saint Augustine, Confessions.

4th day of the weekly count, 18th day of the omer count
Netzach of Tiferet
“And, why do you worry about clothes? See
how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor
Or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in
All his splendor was dressed like one of these.
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field,
Which is here today and gone tomorrow and is
Thrown into the fire, will he not much more
Clothe you. O you of little faith?”—Jesus Christ
Gospel of Matthew

5th day of the weekly count, 19th day of the omer count “
Hod of Tiferet

"As long as we have bodies, we must inhabit the dwellings prepared for us by our good sister the Soul in her vast powers of labourless creation."

Plotinus, Second Ennead, Chapter 9, verse 18. The Great Books, Edited by Mortimer Adler, U. of Chicago Press.

The beautiful is that which pleases us on being seen.”
Saint Thomas Aquinas
“The beautiful is that which pleases us upon being contemplated.”
Immanuel Kant

6th day of the weekly count, 20th day of the omer count
Yesod of Tiferet
“Truth is beauty and beauty truth, that
is all you know and all you need to know.”
Keats---viewpoint of a poet
“Your love, O YHWH, reaches to the heavens
Your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness
Is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the
Great deep…For with you is the fountain of life,
In your light we see light.” View of King David
About why God is beautiful

7th day of the weekly count, 21 day of the omer count
Malkuth of Tiferet

"We must always remember that beauty is a partial thing,
that cannot be identified with what pervades the whole;
nor can several objects be stated as everything."
Plotinus ibid, verse 17.

"Pretty is as pretty does.” Protestant
Christian saying passed down in the Calohan
Family (from Alma May Calohan) to her
Daughter Virginia Calohan Harrell

*** Quoted from “Present Moment, Wondelful Moment: Mindfulness Verses for Daily Living.”( 1990) by Thich Nhat Hanh with permission of Parallax Press, Berkeley California.

April 23
Seven Thoughts About Patience and Integrity
(Netzach)

1st day of the weekly count,22th day of the omer count
Chesed of Netzach

"Let not mercy and kindness forsake you."
Sanctify the name of God
with our love
"Withold not good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it."[Romans 13:7; Gal. 6:10]*

2nd day of the weekly count, 23 day of the omer count
Gevurah of Netzach
Exalt and lift up the name of God*
"Keep sound and godly wisdom and discretion."
"Be not afraid of sudden terror and panic."
"For the Lord shall be your confidence, firm and strong, and shall keep your foot from being caught."

3rd day of the weekly count, 24th day of the omer count
Tiferet of Netzach
Bless the name of God
bring it into our consciousness
"Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord."*

4th day of the weekly count,25th day of the omer count
Netzach of Netzach

"Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all you heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding." *
Rest in the name of God
(with patience)

5th day of the weekly count, 26th day of the omer count
Hod of Netzach
Give glory to the name of God
"Happy is the man who finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding. For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit of it better than fine gold...more precious than rubies; and nothing you can wish for is to be compared to her. [Job 28:12 -18] Length of days are in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are highways of pleasantness, and all her paths are of peace "* #

6th day of the weekly count,27th day of the omer count
Yesod of Netzach
Praise the name of God
(in eternal life)
"Do not despise or shrink from the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary or impatient about or loathe or abhor his reproof. For whom the Lord loves, he corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights." *

7th day of the weekly count, 28th day of the omer count
Malkuth of Netzach
Honor the name of God
"Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labours] and with the firstfruits of all your income; so shall your storage places be filled with plenty." *

* Most of these thoughts are contained in the 3rd chapter of the Book of the Proverbs of King Solomon
# For those who gain wisdom, will eventually learn to have peace of mind, and, as my Buddhist prayer partners teach, peace of mind is, dear friends, our most precious attainment and highest happiness. For if we have this, God can supply us with the rest of the riches of the glories in Christ he has prepared for us through the divine order of his providence and the hidden protections that the small, but important, parts of each of us play in his great plans for all of us (the contributions of each of us being tied together in a huge and complex network of salvation, the stronger for the fact that the temporary loss or transformation of any part of it can be made up by the reserve forces contained in the rest).

April 30th

Seven Thoughts About Obedience and Glory
(Hod)

Some twofold thoughts from the Birkat H’shir, Blessing of Song
Which is part of the 15 expressions of praise of God in the Yishtabach prayer

1st day of the weekly count, 29th day of the omer count
Chesed of Hod
b’arachot v’hodaot
blessings and thanks

2nd day of the weekly count, 30th day of the omer count
Gevurah of Hod
k’dehshah v’malchot
holiness and dominion

3rd day of the weekly count, 31st day of the omer count
Tiferet of Hod
t’ehllah v’tiferet
psalm singing and beauty

4th day of the weekly count, 32nd day of the omer count
Netzach of Hod
Rest,eternally, in the name of God
(with patience)

5th day of the weekly count, 33rd day of the omer count

Hod of Hod
az v’mem’shalah strong help and power

6th day of the weekly count, 34th day of the omer count
Yesod of Hod
hallayl v’zim’rah
(praise or veneration and melodies)

7th day of the weekly count, 35th day of the omer count
Malkuth of Hod
song and praise

2007-04-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

Northern route up to summit of Mt. Athabasca, Canada

Some Christian and Jewish Passover/Easter Prayers for 2007

What follows below is a translation of some passages in the Jewish prayer service containing requests and intentions that Christians who practice Judaism can pray. It includes a 10-Fold list of Biblical Words of Creation of Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit in US…along with (in the next Lag B’Omer posting and the one after that) a new transliteration and translation of some parts of the Hallel and some Torah teachings on how to understand The Ten Commandments These teachings benefit from an understanding of truth which involves both mindfulness and faith. Finally, there is included the reading of a full Kaddish written for Christians who practice Judaism and study the Torah.

Y'Shetabach ( a prayer of ascents… using fifteen expressions to God of song and praise…to be said while standing)

Y'Shetabach sheem'ach laad mal'kay..nu, ha ayl hameh..lech hagadol v'hakadosh,
basham..aym vba…retz.

May your name be praised forever, our King, high God,
our great and Holy King, in the heavens and on the earth.

L'ach…naeh Adonai E'lohaynu vAylohay a'botaynu,
For thanks befit thee, Adonay our God and God of our fathers,

Shayr vchabachah, halayl v'zeem'rah,
song and praise, uplifted praise and melody,

az vmehm'shalah neht…zach g'eduhlah vg'borah, t'heelah v'teeph'…ehreet,
strength and power, eternity, greatness and might, worship and beauty,

k'duhchah vmeel'chot, b'rachot, v'hodot maytah v'od olam.
holiness and dominion, blessings and praise, forever are in you.

Barch atah Adonah, ayl meh..lech gadol bateesh'bahot, ayl hahodaot,
Blessed are you Lord, high God, greatly lauded King, God of thankfulness,

Adon haneeph'laot, habochayr b'sheeray zeem'rah, meeh..lech ayl chay holamaym.
Lord of wonders, Our God, our God of eternal life, who chooses melodious songs.

Blessed is the One*

The joy that is in this song proceeds from my mouth to thank, to praise, to glorify my creator.

Haray…nay m'zamen et pay l'hodot ul'halayl ul'shabe..ach et bor'ee.

Baruch shamar v'hayah holam. Baruch Hu.

Blessed is the One by whose speech the world came to be. Blessed is he.

Baruch oseh b'raysheet.

Blessed is the One who creates everything.

Baruch omayr v'oseh.

Blessed is the One who creates by speaking.

Baruch gozayr vm'kayaym.

Blessed is the One who sustains by decreeing.

Baruch m'rachaym al ha…retz.

Blessed is the One who has mercy on the earth.

Baruch m'racharm al hb'rayyot.
.
Blessed is the One who has mercy on all creatures

Baruch m'shalaym shachar tov leerayav

Blessed is the One who rewards those who fear him.

Baruch chay lad v'kyam l'ne…tzach.

Blessed is the One who lives forever and endures for all eternity.

Baruch phodeh vmatzeel. Baruch sh'mu.

Blessed is the One who saves by redeeming. Blessed is his name.

* here are some thoughts and comments on this wondelful prayer, gained after many years of praying it: Among many of the purposes and benefits of this prayer
it helps us better understand how our faith is "The light of the One increasing".
The One God in this prayer is undivided, but he is also an individual inside
of multiplicity. He speaks as well as acts. That is he does what he says, acting by speaking (decreeing). He has created all of us...and, he is compassionate to us all as different types of beings. Thus, when we dedicate
the merits of our own actions to the glorification and sanctification of his name, we are at the same time dedicating them for the benefit of "all sentient beings." We have preserved in him the name of a responsible person that we can dedicate the merit of our work to... not just an absolute consciousness inside of us all. Our God is both the "Totum Bonum" (total good) and the "Summum Bonum" (highest good). This prayer affirms that, for us, he cannot have one of these titles and purposes without the other; and not the other without this one.
He or she who has God's love in their heart and knows the total good that God has placed in our souls and spirits...they are themselves a source and blessing of his or her hope and this Good unto others.
He or she who has God's love in their heart and knows the highest good that God has placed in our souls and spirits...they are themselves a source and blessing of his or her faith and this Good unto others.

SOME PRAYERS THAT COME FROM BEFORE THE HOLY COMMUNION*

“Let this holy communion be to me, O God, a beginning of better things, as if only now I began to know Thee. Let me now and henceforth forsake that which has tempted me. Let me now and henceforth do those things that I have perceived to be of Thy will for me; by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and the intercession of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen”
“Take away from us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, all our iniquities, and the spirit of pride and arrogance, which Thou resisteth, and fill us with the spirit of fear, and give us a contrite and humble heart, which Thou dost not despise; that we may be enabled with pure minds to enter into the Holy of Holies: through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen”

INVOCATION
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen

PRAYER FOR PURITY

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love Thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

THE INVITATION

Ye that do truly and earnestly repent of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbors, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking henceforth in his Holy ways, draw near with faith, and take this Holy Sacrament to your comfort (standing while you are forgiven by the Almighty God ).

THE GENERAL CONFESSION

We believe in One God, maker of all things seen and unseen, and in his only Son Jesus Christ…eternal light and life to and from eternal light and life...loving and true God to and from a loving and true God...born of the Virgin Mary and Our Father in Heaven, Son of Humankind, suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified dead and buried. On the third day he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven where he sits at the right hand of the throne of God. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of life, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection of the body. Almighty God, we acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness, which from time to time we have most grievously committed, by thought, word, by deed and by omission of act against thy Divine majesty in heaven and that of you inside of our brothers and sisters, your creations, here on this earth. We do earnestly repent and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings. Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us most merciful Father; for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s in us sake, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may hereafter serve and please Thee in newness of life, to the honor and glory of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

* From a Pocket Prayer Book, Complied by Bishop Ralph Spaulding Cushman and published by the General Board of Evangelism, United Methodist Church, The Upper Room, Nashville, TN, 1941. Note there are some slight changes in the text of the general confession.

The 15 steps of the Passover Seder
(forming a Jacob’s ladder from heaven to earth)
First three
1)hakadesh
Santification

3)karpas 2) urachatz
(vegetables, wash hands)

Second three

6)rachtzah 5)maggid 4) yachatz
(wash hands,tell story, break middle matzoh)

Third three
8)maror 9) matzah 7)motzyaa matzah
(bitter herb, bread of life, grace before meal)

Fourth three
12)tzaphun 11)shulchan arayrech 10)koraych
(eat middle matzah, eat meal, bitter herb sandwich)

Fifth three
14)hallayl 15) nirtzah 13) baraych
(praise to God, prayer for acceptance, grace after meal)

A 10-Fold list of Biblical Words of Creation of Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit in US

1) YHWH Shammah (Ezekiel 48:35) The Lord is present
2) Elohim Yireh (Genesis 22 8-14) The Lord will provide for us
3) YHWH Rohi (Psalm 23) The Lord will guide us
4) YHWH Raphael (Exodus 15:26) The Lord God heals
5) YHWH Nissi (Exodus 17:15) The Lord is our banner
6) YHWH Mekadishkem (Exodus 33:13;22, 34:6-9, Leviticus 20:8;21:8;22:9,16) The Lord our Sanctifier
7) YHWH Tzidkeenu (Jeremiah 23:6,33:16) The Lord is our righteousness
Seven of these names of God manifest themselves as God inside of different spiritual places in our individual spiritual bodies…They are very similar to the seven I am meditations that Jesus Christ speaks about himself in the Gospel of John.
The other three invoke God, as being greater than each of us, but, inside of all of us..
We can meditate on the first seven, then the last three...then the first seven as the last, the first three after that and then the first three twice as the first again (which makes a total of 26 the numerical value of the Hebrew letters in God's name the Tetragrammaton. This name is the most sacred name of our creator, the father of Jesus Christ, the Word or concept, of God. His only Son or concept of himself inside of us being the most sacred person or the most sacred lifting up him upon us. He is an image and likeness, the face of our God in us that is with us in the present moment now and which we can worship as God among us on this earth today...If we have faith we can, with his help, do this in order for our souls to go forwards and backwards in time

8) Yah YHWH Saboath (1 Samuel 1:3) The Lord God of Hosts
9) Yah YHWH Elohim (Genesis 2:4-25) God as the Lord God
10) Yah YHWH Shalom El Chai (Judges 6:24) The Lord God of Peace and Eternal Life

Also, it is possible to translate the first five of these Hebrew Juhuda prayers into some thanksgiving, affirmative, petitionary words of Greek, European, English, and American Christianity:

1) YHWH Shammah iff God and their/our Son Jesus Christ are present in us.

2) YHWH Yireh iff God and Christ Jesus are our providence.

3) YHWH Rohi iff God and Jesus Christ enlighten us and are the head of us (our leaders).

4) YHWH Nissi iff God and his/her/our Son Christ Jesus hold the whole world in their hands.

5) YHWH Rapha iff God and our Son Jesus Christ are our healers.

Some remembrances and praise to the teacher of Saint Andrew (Jesus Christ, the greatest and most exalted man on earth) from his apostle

Jesus Christ, you are the door to Heaven for us…
This becomes true once we remember you are our light and the knowledge of that which nourishes and sustains us eternally.
Jesus Christ, you are the way the truth and the life for us…
Once we go through the doors you open for us on this earth
You are the joy and jubilation for us…
This becomes true once we remember that you are our resurrection and our life.

HaEl

O God, in the omnipotence of your strength, great in the glory of your Name, mighty eternally
and awesome through your awesomeness, O King enthroned upon a high and uplifted throne.

Hael b'tatzoomot oozeh…ach, hagadol beech'vod sh'meh…ach, hagabod laneh…tzach
v'hanora b'nor'oteh…yach, hameh…lech hyoshev al Keesay ram v'neesha.

(on Sabbath morning, start with

Shoken Ad

He who abides forever, exalted and Holy is his name. And, it is written: Sing joyfully, O
righteous, before the Lord;
for the upright, praise is fitting.
By the mouth of the upright shall you be lauded;
By the words of the righteous, shall you be blessed;
By the tongue of the devout, shall you be exalted;
and amid the Holy shall you be sanctified.

Shoken Ad,marom v'kadosh sh'mu. V'katov ran'nu tzadekem bayay, lay'sharem navah t'heelah. B'pe y'sharem teet'halal,uv'deb'rey tzadekem teet'barach,
uveel'shon chasedem teet'romah, ub'kehrehb k'doshem teet'kadash.

Et Shem

The name of God , the great, mighty, and awesome King; holy is He. (congregation)

Et Shem hael hameh.lech hagadol hgeebod v'hanora kadosh hu.

Then they all accept upon themselves the yoke of heavenly sovereighty from one another, and
grant permission to one another to sanctify the One who formed them, with tranquility, with clear
articulation, and with sweetness. All of them as one proclaim His holiness and say with awe: (cantor)

V'kulam m'kav'lem aleyhem al mal'cot shama…yeem zeh meezeh, v'not'nem r'shot zeh lzeh,
l'hak'desh l'yotz'ram, b'na…chat r'oach b'shaphach b'rorah uveeen'emah. K'doooshah coolam
c'echad onem v'om'rem b'yeer'ah.

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, the Lord God of Hosts. The whole World is filled with Your glory (congregation)
Kodesh, kodesh, kodesh, YHWH Saboath, m'la kal haretz k'vodu.

Prayers from the Amidah** (normally said while standing)

Blessed art Thou, Adonai, Our God, shield of Abraham.

Blessed art Thou, Adonai, Our God, Our King who helps, saves, and protects.

Blessed art Thou, Adonai, Our God, who resurrects the dead.

You are forever mighty, Adonai: giving life to the dead. You are a mighty Savior.

Blessed art Thou, Adonai, Our God, the Holy god.

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.
Early in the morning, our song shall rise to thee;
Merciful and mighty;
God in three Persons,
The whole earth is full of Your glory

From across a distant way
(ie across the ocean or from other mountain tops)
we offer blessing and adorations to the trinity of your presence
The glory of Adonai is blessed from his place.

Blessed art Thou, Adonai, Our God, who graces us with knowledge.

…who favors those who repent.

…who is gracious and forgives abundantly.

…who redeems Israel.

…who brings complete healing to all our wounds.

…who blesses our years.

…who ingathers the scattered from among his people Israel.

…who loves righteousness and just lawfulness.

…who destroys his enemies and humbles the arrogant.

…who is the staff and support (trust) of the righteous.

…who rebuilds Jerusalem.

…who hears our prayers.

…who causes the light of your Son, the Christ, to blossom in us.

…who blesses in Peace the people who have struggled with him and won.

Blessed are You, Adonai, who hears and answers our prayers.

We gratefully acknowledge, by rendering you praises (for our lives, which are in your hands, and for our souls, which are entrusted to You, and for your miracles that are with us each day, and for the wonders and goodness at every time) that You are Our God and Our ancestors God
Forever. You are the rock of our lives and the shield of our salvation from generation to generation. You are good, for your good never ceases. You are merciful, for your kindness never ends. You have always been our hope

Blessed are You, Adonai, who redeems Israel,
Whose Spirit heals both our bodies and our souls,
Whose Words encourages both our souls and our spirits,
Whose Light reveals that Truth inside of us which is eternal.

Blessed be Our Holy and Compassionate God
Who abundantly blesses in Peace those who have struggled with him and won.
Merciful and Mighty…
High and lifted up…yet nearer than a brother or sister or mother or father..
Always there to run the race along with us…
Yet never having to be himself or herself the winner..
May we repay your service to us by serving those who serve you.
Trusting and believing in those who trust and believe in you…
honoring and praising those who honor and praise you.

** These prayers are especially effective said at the conclusion of the eight days of Passover at evening prayer service which closes the Holiday.

May the words and expressions of my mouth,
the thoughts and meditations of my heart,
be acceptable to your ears and find favor in thy sight.
Before you, the Lord Adonai, my rock and my strength
my salvation and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

May Shehbayrach (traditional Jewish prayer for health, normally said while facing the Torah and with a minyan of 10 Jews)

He who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Issac and Jacob—may he bless this entire holy congregation along with all the holy congregations; them, their wives, sons, and daughters and all that is theirs; May the Holy One, blessed is He, pay their reward and remove from them every affliction, heal their entire body and forgive their every iniquity, and send blessing and success to all their handiwork, along with all Israel, their brethren. And, let us say Amen.

May shebayrech aboteynu, Abraham, Issac, v'Yaqov, Hu y'barech et kal hakahal hakadosh hazeh, eem kal q'heelot hak'odesh. Haym, un'shayhem, ub'nayhem, ub'notayhem, v'kal asher lahem. Hakodosh baruch Hu y'shalaym sh'charam, v'yasayr mayhaym kal mach'lah, v'yeer'pha lchal gofam, v'yees'lach lachal onam, v'yeesh'lach baruch b'hatz'lachah b'chal mashaych y'dayhehm, eem kal Israel achayhehm b'namar amen.

2007-02-07T05:38:00.000-08:00

Some thoughts, this year, for a day of Holy Transfiguration inside of Christ Jesus
(February 18,2007)
And the Jewish Festival of Purim
(March 4,2007)
"The weak and the soft defeat the strong and the hard."
Lao Tzu

photos of some morning waves with good energy in them
from internet Google image search
credits and thanks for the use of the photos
to www.summercloud.com and surfdiva.blogspot.com

Introductory prayer psalm: The Battle Hymn of the Republic

“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord…
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored...
In the beauty of the lilies* Christ was born across the sea,
With a beauty in his bosom that transfigures you and me…
He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty,
He is honor to the brave.
Glory...Glory...Hallelujah...
His Truth is marching on.”

*according to some esoteric teachings in Christian mysticism the center of the lilies are pathways in these flowers that the souls of those killed on the battlefied ascend up to heaven as there spirits transmigrate to a higher etheral plane and are saved by Christ. Indeed, as our teacher Jesus Christ's parable says the growth and evolution of a human soul can be compared to a slow development of a seed fallen to the ground and planted in the earth, nourished by the energy in a self existent Sun and through faith as God sends us carefully directed and measured waters from above so that we may have along with him a healthy fully grown spiritual body in his Kingdom of heaven among us on earth. May he who places salvation and peace and joy in the high heavens on earth in this way place salvationa and peace and joy in us.

Nowadays this psalm brings to mind to me a group of contemplative
Christian, Jewish, Buddhist Yogis practicing Qi Gong and Tai Chi outdoors (in a wave like manner)or a group of Jews with Tefillim on and wrapped in lovingly woven garments of light (prayer shawls with Tzitzits*** on their four corners) rocking to a prayer rhythm as they say the Shema (Shema Israel Adonai Eloheynu... Adonai Ehad... Baruch Shem K'vod Malkutu L'Olam Vaehd...Baruch atah Adonai Eloheynu...Adonai Adonai...The Lord is the Lord, a God most high...Living and Enduring, Awesome, Exalted and Holy...Compassionate, Gracious, slow to anger, full of Loving Kindness, and Truth, who preserves Kindness for thousands, forgiving bad intentions, willful trespasses, and mistakes, but not all...cleansing us of them. ) rather than the US civil war images of long ago (when it was written). Then, waves of attacking infantry soldiers grouped to march across bloodly fields of battle and launch frontals assaults against delibrately prepared defenses. Now, we just pray...again and again until God hears and answers us...according to his will.
*** blue and white woven threads that have knots in them woven and arranged according to some of the numerical values which can be inferred from the higher dimensional divine ordering of the Hebrew letters in God's name

"Rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham,
rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham,
rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham,
Oh rock my soul.

So high I can't get over it,
so low I can't get under it,
so wide I can't get around it,
Oh, rock my soul"

Oh Lord, you hold the whole wide World in your hands,
you hold the little bitty babies in your hands,
you hold you and me baby in your hands,
you hold you and me baby in your hands,
you hold you and me brother in your hands,
you hold you and me sister in your hands...
Oh, Lord, rock uh our soul in the bosom of Abraham,
Oh Lord, rock uh our soul in the bosom of Abraham,
rock uh our soul.
Amen

Traditional song with lyrics by Peter, Paul, and Mary
with some additional verses added by Andrew

Some more of my favorite songs (which are also written by Peter Paul and Mary)
and one of the Christian hymns of my greatgrandfather Adoniram Gordon's
and Rev. Pierson's Baptist coronation hymnal.

If I had a Bell
"If I had a bell...
If I had a bell...? I'd ring it in the morn..nn..ing
I'd ring it in the morn...nn..ing all over this land.
If I had a hammer...? I'd hammer in the morning...
I'd hammer in the morning all over this land.
If I had a song...?I'd sing it in the morning.
I'd sing it in the morning...all over this land.

Well I have a bell...
Its the bell of freedom.
And, I have a hammer...
its the hammer of justice.
And, I have a song...
Its the song about the love between my brothers and my sisters...
all over this land.

My Jesus I Love Thee

My Jesus I love thee...
I know thou are mine.
For thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer my Saviour art Thou.
I love thee because thou first loved me
and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree.
I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy head.
I love thee for bearing the cross as you walked on that day.
Yes, my Jesus, I love thee for what happened then,
but, my Jesus...if ever I loved thee tis now.

Victory in Jesus
I heard an old old story...
about a Savior come in glory..
how he gave his life on Calvary
to save a wretch like me.
I heard about his groaning,
his precious blood atoning...
then I repented and won the victory.

Oh victory in Jesus,
my Savior forever.
He sought me and bought me
with his redeeming blood,
He loved me before I knew him
and all my love is due him.
He plunged me to victory,
beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about a mansion he has
built for me in glory,
and I heard about the streets of gold
beyond the crystal sea.
about the angels singing
the old redemption story.
And, some sweet day I'll sing
up there a song of victory.

Oh victory in Jesus,
my savior forever.
He sought me and bought me
with his redeeming love.
He loved me before I knew him
and all my love is due him.
He plunged me to victory
beneath the cleansing flood.

href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_Z0lwKZlWvEE/Rco0AyXUsZI/AAAAAAAAAAY/40CH6Y56p3s/s1600-h/MorningwaveIII.jpg">

teaching

Abraham's name sounds similiar in Hebrew to the words Ab rachem...
father of compassion.
According to the oral Jewish teaching his soul and spirit are also
a source of loving kindness. So, certainly, his heart is a good place
for our souls to find an anchor. However, it is clear to anyone who contemplates
it that for someone to be a father of compassion he must be compassionate to
all and compassionate at all times. When Abraham left his Son, Ismael by Hagar, in the desert; it was an act much more cruel than what anyone would condone today. And, it cannot be considered, in any sense compassionate. Compassion without integrity or a good conscience doesn't do anyone any good. Therefore we must look to a higher human standard to find a perfect example of divine compassion inside of us.
Jesus Christ, God's 1st Son#, has said
..."Before Abraham, I am"... Gospel of John
By studying the Gospel of Thomas as translated below,we can learn that...
like ocean waves in the morning gently rocking across time against land...
if our souls keep asking the God who has placed compassion and kindness
in the bosom of Abraham for help... eventually he will supply it to us in abundance.

# Jesus Christ and Christ Jesus exist both
inside and outside of time and because of this are also co-created with God in Heaven and co-equal...co-existent with him.
The divine order of all of this are, at its core,
an unreachable mystery.

Gospel of Thomas, verse 2

“Jesus said, the seeker should not stop until he finds.
When he does find, he will be disturbed.
After having been disturbed, he will be astonished.
Then he will rule over everything.”

Stevan Davies, Shambala Publications 2002

Note: It may be too late to correct this, but Saint Thomas should have added
At this point, Then, with the help of God’s rule having been established, conveyed, realized in us all, the seeker will find what he is looking for.
If you preach this Gospel to some protestant ministers they will tell you that , "You do not find God." .."God finds you." This may be true at the start of the salvation process when the Holy Spirit only "is" inside of us. But, later on as it grows like a tree of eternal life in us it begins to be a correspondence between what is and what is...that is spiritual truth inside of a human being. It is clear from the above teachings that Jesus Christ, God himself, also prayed to and worshipped God His Father as Someone divine also inside of himself.
There are many of us on this earth today who believe in God inside of us in the same way Jesus did... as God from God and God to God...light from and to light...love from and to love... Truth from and to Truth.

Listen closely, comtemplate and meditate on what God has called me to teach you... pray and ask God the Holy Spirit to help you understand it.. and you will gain this precious knowledge as an eternal part of your soul and spirit and resurrected body.

Gospel of Luke 11:4
“Ask and it will be given to you;
Seek and you will find;
Knock and it will be opened to you…
Rest assured,
Everyone who asks receives,
And everyone who seeks finds,
And for the one who knocks, it is opened.”

Daily Mindfulness Teaching for the One Human Holy Spirit who is God’s Son, Christ Jesus
(a poem written to tie us all in love and trust, for as long as we are true to God and he to us)

Awareness and faithfulness~ are reflections of two truths*.
Truth is a heart that listens** and is faithful and aware,
Along with a mind that believes what is right for all of us.

Goodness~~ is a heart that loves and gives
Beauty is a reflection of what is good
And a mind that is open***.

~ God is a mind that is and knows no limits (is faithful toward our hopes and prayers) yet still is what he or she or it is (aware) until that knowledge blossoms (becomes true) in us.
~~ Jesus Christ is he or she who is the Prince of Peace, heals and saves us all (being what we need him to be in order to do this) and sanctifies the name of God. God has no Son or Daughter but him or her.
* or alternatively, toward two truths. “Jesus said, One person cannot ride two horses at once, nor stretch two bows, nor can a man serve two masters, as he will respect one and despise the other. “ The Gospel of Thomas, verse 47 op. cit. Also he said,
“Do not let your left hand know what your right is doing.” Op. cit. verse 62. So, this said, if we are aware of our own shortfalls in this area and ask God for help. it is possible for the Holy Spirit and thus God in all of us to do all of this for all of our benefit. “Jesus said, If two make peace with each other in a single house, they will say to the mountain, ‘Move from here!’ and it will move.” Gospel of Thomas, verse 48, op cit.

** the Holy Spirit is a heart that listens, eyes and ears that see and hear what is good, a mouth that speaks what is true, and strong arms and legs that lift up the fallen, walks with them and leads them in the right direction.
*** To say that it is a reflection means it does not have an independently existing self. Two reflections can be an image (perceptive reflection) and a likeness (conceptual reflection)making up the soul and the spirit of a human being. So, a reflection may or may not be a part of an independently existing object or person. For instance, the heavens and the skies are beautiful. But, so can be a person, a woman for example.As Dr. Immanual Kant has said in his section distinguishing the transcendental logic into a transcendental analytic and a transcendental dialectic... ,"the conceptions of pure reason are not obtained by reflection...but by inference and conclusion." The Critique of Pure Reason, Great Books # 42 edited by Dr. Mortimer Adler page 112. Another definition of beauty is needed in this case.(added to copy 11/14/07) Another definition of beauty is needed in this case. Consider, “Beauty is controlled grace” a definition due to Leonardo da Vinci. This builds on the term grace which is sometimes defined as “Love that gives”. Also, I believe beauty may be due to an essential symmetry or a basic economy of expression in a humanly constructed definition containing a creative seed of truth or knowledge that can expand on itself growing into a material, psychological entity or living being (yet start over from the beginning or some midpoint along its path and reproduce itself if necessary). Mathematical proofs, a set of physical concepts and axioms or a well written and designed computer program can fall in this category. These three or four examples and definitions of beauty seem to me to fit well together into a shared human linguistic environment and belong to a common semantics or context that I commend unto you as part of a larger set of metaphysical definitions of heavenly terms. See previous blog for more on this.

2007-01-23T06:26:00.000-08:00

Tu B'Shvat..15th of Shvat (festival of the different types of trees)
February 3

View from a Cessna 172 (5416E), climbing to 5500 ft.in the warm summer air, beginning a flight from San Antonio Texas to Waco to Dallas... The pilot followed a fast moving line of thunderstorms until he was forced to land at Rusten LA, then the next day the flight continued from Monroe LA back to Jackson, MS...picture taken August 1986

One in God…One in Christ…We are One family.

“And He (Jesus Christ) said, ‘The Kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground. And then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases—he knows not how. The earth produces [acting] by itself---first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But, when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he sends forth [the reapers] and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready.”

The Gospel of Mark, chapter 4. Amplified Bible

“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil; and at once they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.
But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they dried up and withered away.

Other seeds fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out. Other seeds fell on the good soil, and yielded grain—some a hundred times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some thirty. He who has ears [to hear] let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing.” The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 13, Amplified Bible

A Poem
For Tu B’Shvat
By Andrew W. Harrell

I am Two Human Trees
(that flourish amid
God's Eternal Life)

One is a human evergreen, proud and lonely
(perhaps a 3266 year old Sequoia which only grows on the
west side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains)
Or a live oak, outreaching and friendly.
as it spreads it branches upward and outward
So it roots may lay deep below a watery, clayey,
mostly firm... but sometimes shaky, rocky earth.
The Sequoia has 33 inches of bark to protect it
from forest fires. They just cause its cones to pop
out seeds that help it propogate itself.
And, in its bark is tannin so it can resist insects and diseases*
He and I can live forever if water from the melting snows don't
wash its roots away and I accept the faith God gives us**.
Throughout the winter these two trees stand unchanged
with leaves and needles
peaceful, functional, joyful, and human.
I am an ancient Walnut, that bears much food...
hard on the outside, soft and nutritious on the inside...
not every year the harvest falls...
but when it does there is plenty for all.
And then, perhaps we are a maple,
that quickly grows to fill its space...
in symmetry and health,
once it has been planted well,
by a mindful group of us.
Then...under the hot summer sun it will be there to give shade
and help... (like this poem)
offering an invitation for someone walking by, who quiet down their
lives beside it...a little time of pleasant, happy rest.

A warm breeze blows, from through their branches, across our blessed land
and through the sunny clouds
That breathe our heavenly father (Gods’) energy
into its(our) many green oak leaves, pine needles, brown cones, and acorns.

Small warbling, happy birds enjoy the possibilities to nest
That our branches offer.

* information learned on the Sunrise Earth HDTV cable TV series
** Here I mean the faith God the Holy Spirit gives us. Since Our Father in Heaven
and Jesus Christ his Son are both part of the Holy Spirit of God inside of us I don't believe this conflicts with standard Christian theology. If you reflect on this you will see that taking this point of view of God's Tree of Life in us means the root of our faith exists hidden inside us. For all this to be true there must be at least three levels of God's soul and spirit inside and outside of our minds and bodies. What a deep and hidden mystery this is to think about and contemplate for those who want to understand how God's name dwells in us!

Some Definitions Which Depend on Themselves

Angels---Individual, self-existing beings who do God's will and are messengers for God to humankind of his goodness and faith in all of us.
Authoritative Sovereignty---Something which exists very infrequently in heaven.
Beauty---Controlled grace.
Being---What do we mean when we say an object of thought has being?
An object of thought may have being without having reality. And, this may or may not depend on the circumstances it finds itself in. The concept of reality (or true being)includes that, in some sense, of embodiment. Faith contains its own substance of the reality of what it hopes for but knowledge based on sense impressions does not. Being can be in the state of possibility (not having reality) or actuality (having reality). A concept has possible being...whether or not the experiences (sense perceptions or the realized truth of intuitive faithful knowledge) required to make it actual realized knowledge are accompanying the concept.
Belief—Faith.
Change---Something which exists very frequently on earth and very infrequently in heaven.
Compassion---Love that participates with us in our lives. It co-creates with us what is good.
Contingent---What does not exist by itself.
Earth---A fundamental realm of the realization of creation where things are as they are in heaven.
God has hidden wisdom and spiritual understanding inside of his heavenly earth in us. Both the beginning and the end of it he has placed as a basis of his truth in us. He placed it as the certain circumstances of a precious cornerstone of truth inside of the way his eternal (the past and the future) present moment dwells in us.
Eternal Life--- Light, love, truth, and goodness which is independently existing, non-contingent and non-temporal.
Eternal Light---Wisdom, Spiritual Understanding.
Faith---The light of the one increasing. A mental sustaining power created by God and each of us for our mutual benefit. Faith comes from God, but the base of its location is not in the part of him that is in the World. For faith to exist inside of us, God must first place the seed of its truth deep inside of us. For it to grow we must mentally acknowledge and accept it and know it (or understand it) as something that is good and helpful in us.
Forgiveness---Compassion in the face of what is not good.
Freedom—The state of existing independently and non-contingently and for our mutual well-being.
God the Father—A part of oneself and ourselves which is non-contingent and good. He created the Universe by himself, with his Son, and also with our help. He sustains and nourishes the creation of all things in the Universe.
God the Son--- A part of oneself and ourselves that reveals oneself and ourself to us. He is both contingent and non-contingent and he is himself good. He existed in the beginning with the Father and all things were created in him, with his help, and through him and God and us.
God the Holy Spirit---The Lord the giver of life. He (It) is a part of oneself and ourselves that is the expression of God the Father and God the Son in us. He enters the Spirits and Souls of those who call upon him.
God's Name--- That part of God's being which defines that which God is. It tells us that the three parts of the Trinity are co-existent but different and different but co-existent.
Goodness---What is desirable for its own sake. Love exists for another, but goodness exists because of itself. When goodness in us is guided by the Love in us, then divine order is established in us. Reality both exists for its own sake and also for other’s sake (for it is always an objective truth). Therefore reality is something more than just goodness…it is consciousness, love, good will, action, knowledge existing subjectively as well as objectively.
Grace---Love that gives.
Happiness---Knowledge of goodness. The co-existence in us and among us of peace along with goodness.
Heaven---A primary realm of creation where God exists and lives.
Hope---to desire or seek.
Humankind—The collective living and intelligent image of God which exists in heaven and on earth.
Joy---Spiritual understanding of what its good.
Knowledge---Assured belief: wisdom, spiritual understanding, and truth.
Obedience--- Submission of our individual and collective will and purposes to those of God.
Patience---Peaceful dependence on the Eternal Life in God for meaning and Truth in our lives.
Peace---Satisfied stillness along with joy and the expectation of future transcendent quietness and happiness in our lives.
Life—A continuous co-expression with God of one's being.
Love---A Correspondence between God ourselves and an other that most of the time exists for the sake of another. But, thankfully to God, sometimes it exists for its own sake between two beings that exist for their own sake.
Meaning---Independently existing spiritual understanding
Nothing---How we explain or define what the nothing we are talking is depends on how we are trying to know things. If we are looking at things from a materialistic, scientific viewpoint... then something is experienced as a "nothing" if it has no sense impressions associated with it. But, for a religious person this is not necessarily the case. A practicing Buddhist, for instance, is able to talk meaninfully about experiencing "nothingness" from a standpoint of having real knowledge of it. Understanding and knowing how to experience this "nothingness" in the present moment can be a source of healing, peacefulness, and liberation.
Reality--- Reality is not something which as the philosopher George Berkeley has said,does not exist when a tree falls in a distant forest where "no- body" is there to hear it. It is something which exists because there is a "no- body" (God and us) inside of us all. Wherever we are it "is", and it has the potential to be us, wherever it "is." When God created the reality in the World and the reality in you and I there was nothingness (spiritual emptiness) inside of nothingness (the wise knowing of this spiritual emptiness). For there was nothingness inside of him (his or her spirit) and nothingness (spirit) inside of you and I. For, then, at that time, in those days, in that place, two or three of us were gathered togethered in his name. And, he created it and us in him and out there and in us.God created the World out of nothingness, but he created you and I out of something (himself or herself).
Spiritual Understanding---Reflection of truth in one's being.
Strength---A non-mental sustaining power created by God in us and him to help us in our human lives.
Truth---Correspondence between what is and what is. What is may be contingent or non-contingent. The correspondence may be meaningful or not. When a self exists for a real non-self (not an illusory non-self), then it can create its own existence. The self which exists for itself is true (being a true self) only when it can be and has been known by itself and by that which it is not. Thus, in order to speak the truth, we should be ready for and not surprised by being known as we know others.
Wisdom---A patience, obedience (or fear) of the importance of and understanding and respect for the well being of God's name in us in order that one's own well-being be benefited.
note: some of the wording and some of the ideas for the definitions of some of these terms came from the book "A Metaphysical Dictionary" by Charles Fillmore
published by our long time prayer friends in the Unity School of Christianity and Unity Press, Unity Village MO 64065

2007-01-03T17:14:00.000-08:00

Day of the Holy Name of Jesus
December 31, 2006
Psalm 8
photo taken 5/2004 kayaking near the mouth of the Columbia River (where it empties into the Pacific Ocean)

Partners in God, partners in Christ, we are one family.

Yearly Prayer Calendar:

Holy Days 5767-5768/2007 Confession of St. Peter (Jan 18 Psalm 23), Conversion day of St. Paul (Jan. 25 Psalm 67), Tu B’Shvat (Festival of the Trees) Feb. 3, Ash Wednesday (February 21), Saint Benedict’s day (March 2), Purim (March 4), Saint Gregory’s day (March 12), Saint George’s day (March 23), Passover (April 3-10), Easter (April 8), Lag B’Omer (May 6), Pentecost (May 27), Ascension Day (May 31), St. Peter and St. Paul’s day (June 29 Psalms 66, 87,97,138), Independence Day U.S.A.,St. Mary Magalene (July 21 Psalms 30,42,116,149), St. James day (July 25, Psalms 7, 33,34), Saint Bernard’s day (August 20), Saint Barthomew’s (Nathaniel’s ) day (August 24 Psalms 15,67,86, 91), Rosh Hashanah (September 12), World Peace day (September 21), Gabriel, Michael, Ariel, Raphael and All Angels day (Sept. 29),Shemini Atzeret October 4, Saint Francis of Assisi’s day Oct. 4 , , Saint James of Jerusalem day (Oct 23 Psalm 1), All Souls/All Saints Day (Psalms 111,112,148,149,150), Veteran’s Day, Saint Margaret’s day (Nov. 16), Thanksgiving day, Saint Andrew’s day (Psalms 19,24,96,100), Channukah (December 5), St. Thomas’s day (Dec. 21 Psalms 23,27,121,126), Christmas,St. John’s day (Dec. 27 Psalm 92,97,98,145), Holy Innocent’s day (Dec. 28, Psalms 2,26,19,126), Day of the Holy Name of Jesus (Dec. 31, Psalm 8).

[For Bible readings and Psalms that go with these Holy Days see the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer (both the two year daily office and the two year lectionary readings) or the three year revised common lectionary at http:\\divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/lectionary . The revised common lectionary was created for the occasions of common prayer and worship services among Protestants, Catholics and Jews. It has more readings from the Old Testament than the ordinary episcopal or catholic lectionary. Using these two or three year daily offices is an excellent way to keep track of an intention for reading most of the Bible in two years. The best translation of the Bible I have found is “The Amplified Bible” published by Zondervan. It has cross-references in the text to related passages and prophecies which make this translation even more of a “Tree of Life” than others.]

New Moons of Shevet (January 20), Adar (February 18)) , Nissan (March 20), Iyar (April 17), Sivan (May 18) , Tammuz (June 16), Av (July 16), Elul (August 14), Tishrei (September 13) , Rosh Hashanah,Yom Kippur (September 22), Succos (September 27), Hoshana Rabba October 3,. Shimini Atzeres October 4, Simchas Torah October 5,Chesvan (October 23), Kislev (November 22),Tevet (December 22) (months of correct eating, laughter, speaking, thought, movement, seeing, hearing, action, feeling, smell, relaxation, judgement) tribes of Asher (Psalm 100 ), Naphtali (Psalm 98) Judah (Psalm 92),Issachar (Psalm 95), Zebulun (Psalm 96), Reuben (Psalm 90), Simeon, Gad (Psalm 94), Ephraim (Psalm 97), Menashah (Psalm 97) , Benjamin (Psalm 93), Dan (Psalm 99))

[According to Jewish tradition, Moses gave the eleven psalms 90-100 to eleven of the tribes of Israel., the tribe of Simeon was excluded because of the events in Numbers 25-1:15. Psalm 91 was given to the tribe of Levi. Psalms 95 to 99 have been called the “Coronation Psalms” and are used in the Jewish Saturday Morning Kabbala Shabbat service. For some Baptist Christian Hymns related to the Messianic age see “The Coronation Hymnal”, by A.J. Gordon and A.T. Pierson, Revell and Co., N.Y., Boston, Chicago.( which is now out of print, but copies are available in several University
libraries)

Irish Prayer and Blessing
“May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back.
May the Sun(Son) shine warm on your face, And the rain fall soft upon your fields.
And May God hold you in palm of his hands.”
(Until we talk and pray together again and he blesses you again through us)

Wherever I am, God is! Whereever I am, I am who I am and God is!
May the Light of Jesus Christ surround you ...
May the Love Jesus Christ give you peace of mind, enfold you and guide you towards his wise plans for you...
The Power (good will) of Jesus Christ protect you give you spiritual understanding and joy.
(through his Holy Spirit, his Word, his good name)
The Presence (knowledge, wisdom, meritorious actions) of Christ Jesus overwatch you.
(go before you, save you and help you... follow you, sanctify and redeem you.)
The Power (renewed good will) of Christ Jesus protect us all and
the Love and Light of Christ Jesus enfold and surround us all.

Jewish and Christian Blessing
“May the eternal light and good energy in the Lord Bless you, protect you, and keep you,
May he lift up his face upon you while being gracious unto you,
May he uphold you and that which you value, and give you peace. ”

2006-10-12T07:14:00.000-07:00

Saint Andrew’s Day November 30,2006/Kislev 8 5767
click on pictures to enlarge them in your browser

The three other climbers who summitted Mt. President 8/25/95
Paul from Maine, a friend, and his wife.

4 views in 4 directions from the top of Mt. President
clockwise from the upper left:
1) East
2) North showing the mountain Diny was so inclined on that day to name as Gordon
3) West
4) South
"May he or she who places Peace in high places in us,
place Peace in you." Jewish Prayer/Blessing

"Under certain circumstances, truth can be considered as invariance under change of notation." teaching in philosophy and mathematical logic

Parable about Two
Mountain Climbing Souls
Who previously were Angelic Spirits
Part V

“For the bread of God is he who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the World.”
John 6:33, see also Exodus 3:12,15;4:12, Jeremiah 23:6, Matthew 1:21,23, Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:68-79

“Blessed (happy and to be envied, spiritually wealthy with eternal life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor [for they are in a state in which the born again child of God enjoys and finds salvation, regardless of his outward conditions]) are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10,11

Jesus Christ

Jewish thanksgiving prayer after meals during the eight days of Hanukkah

"We give thanks to you,Dear Lord (who is blessed and whom we bless) for the miracles, for the mighty deeds and deliverances, and for the battles you fought for us in those days in this season... You in your great mercy stood up for our fathers in their time of trouble. You fought their battle, judged their case, avenged their cause. You delivered the strong into the hand of the weak, the many into the hand of the few, the unclean into the hand of the pure, the wicked into the hand of the righteous, and the arrogant into the hand of those who keep your Word..." Translation of the Laws of Chanukah from the Shulchan Arukh by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan

Blessed art thou O Master of Creation...may it be during this time of the year in your Kingdom of Heaven on Earth that the few defeat the many, the weak defeat the strong,and the pure the impure.
[for Jesus's teaching about this see the Gospel of John, chapter 18 33-37, for St. Francis' teaching in this regard, he is right now praying with us during Hanukkah/Christmas that love will defeat hate, hope despair,faith distrust,the desire to forgive that to take revenge. Along with them, I commend unto you the Word of God and the Love of Christ for both of our successes (victories in Christ) in this life, see, for example, the complete text of Psalm 103, Amplified Bible]

In a time right now, but also long ago and yet to be, there were two mountain climbing souls who previously were angelic spirits. One was a male soul called Love (who listened patiently to the other) and the other was a female soul called Truth who talked a lot,(for truth was stronger than love , most of the time). And one day God (Wisdom and Understanding inside of humankind) said, There will be times when you neither know who you are or who others are.” “Then, at those times, you will have to be me and I you and they us. Then, you will have to find Righteousness with the help of faith, patience, and joy. So, they agreed to follow this advice. And, so they did! Righteousness kissed faith and said to faith, "You create my righteousness." And, faith kissed righteousness and said to righteousness, "You create my faith." They roped up, put on the climbing spikes (crampons) on their boots and headed up the glacier. Slowly they climbed the rope up the ice wall at the head of the glacier, and then sloshed through the deep snow drifts in order to reach the mountain's top. On the way, they remembered the wise teachings they had been taught by God (you might want to see and read some of theearlier posts on this blog) and “low and behold”, one day, finally Joy showed up, as if from out of nowhere. “Who are You? Where did you come from”, they said. “I belong to all of you. I come from inside of you and all those who patiently and faithfully wait and trust in the Lord, Our God, to be the One that helps them and sees the Christ in them”, she replied. Then, with her help, they pulled themselves up over the bergstrund [a series of dangerous crevices at the place where a mountain glacier reaches its top]. They slushed through the deep snowdrifts up there and finally made it up to a small and narrow ledge on top the mountain of God inside of them (where there was a clear view of those parts of the Earth and the Heavens that God has created for us). There they stayed for a short time and had a beautiful and wide ranging panoramic view of the whole area. From up there everything somehow appeared right after all. And, on the way back down to bring God’s good news to all of humankind two rainbows appeared for them to walk over [the two rainbows appear when the two promises corresponding to both of God’s two truths (one of faith and one of reason, one which is personal and one impersonal) are fulfilled inside each of us and all of us.]

Please note: This story both begins and ends with a blessing for Peace as
all good Jewish prayers should.

2006-10-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving Day
November 23 2006/5767

Four views of the area North of Banff in Alberta, Canada
(Clockwise from the upper left)
1) view from the top of Mt. President,
10,900' 8/28/95
2) view of Lake McArthur and Mt. Biddle
from the top of little Od'aray Mt.
3) view taken while climbing up to the top of Mt. President
facing toward Lake O'Hara from about 10,000'
4) view of Emerald Lake from the cottages not to far from
where the TransCanadian National Highway passes below Mt. President
all photos by Andrew
rock and ice climbing instruction, mountain guiding by Diny

Before Saint Augustine there were the 12 Apostles. Before the 12 Apostles there was Moses, Elijah, and Joshua. Before Moses, Elijah, and Joshua there was Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Before Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob there was Noah. Before Noah there was Adam,Eve the Word, God, and Christ. Before all these souls, in the beginning, with the Word and God and Christ I am.

Parable about Two
Mountain Climbing Souls
Who previously were Angelic Spirits
Part IV

Blessed, (happy, favored by God, spiritually overflowing-with-eternal life-joy and salvation…) are the merciful. For they shall obtain mercy!

Jesus Christ

In a time right now, but also long ago and yet to be, there were two mountain climbing souls who previously were angelic spirits. One was a male soul called Love (who listened patiently to the other) and the other was a female soul called Truth (who talked a lot, for truth was stronger than love , most of the time). One day, halfway up the mountain, while they were trying to figure things out God (Wisdom and Understanding inside of humankind) said, “Love and Truth shall kiss and have two children called Beauty and Goodness”. And, so they did. Beauty was a constant female and Goodness an active male. Then, after that, one day God (Wisdom and Understanding inside of humankind) said, “Love and Truth shall kiss and have a child called Faith”. And, so they did. And then God gave them human spirits and breathed life into them Then, somewhat later, God (Wisdom and Understanding inside of humankind) said, “Love and Truth shall kiss and have a child called Righteousness.” And, so they did. Faith was a gentle young lady, but Righteousness became a Man of War. They started to climb a high mountain together called the mountain of the Holy Cross. Truth led Love up to the mountaintop (for she knew where she was going more often than he did). God said, “Don’t forget to bring along Faith and Righteousness, Beauty and Goodness, You may need them to get to the top.” And, so they did. Truth brought along Faith and Goodness, Love Beauty and Righteousness, two men and two women (three men and three woman altogether). But, sure enough, along the way, one man, Righteousness got out of hand. “Be Strong. Be Strong. Be Strong.” He said. And, Love and Truth, Goodness and Beauty became like him a Man or War. Things got a little difficult, even a real mess, and they were discouraged. They made a decision to rest for a while to find out what to do. Then, after a while, God said, “Be still and know that the Lord God is with you. This world in which you live now and which I created for you a long time ago is far from being perfect in this present moment (in fact it never will be). We all fail each other some time. But, very few of us take the time or have the courage and patience to help each other set things right afterwards. Be still and know that I am God, that I am One. Be still and know that I am (just be still and be).There will be times when you neither know who you are or who others are. But, the perfectness which I put in your hopes and dreams, I put in you and in us and not in the World. So, then, at those times, when things fall apart and fail, you will have to be me and I you, us them and they us."

Explanation of God’s concept of Time Everything does not happen, “right now” Everything does not happen, “on time” or “in time”. But everything happens in the “fullness of time” in the fullness of your and my time. The fullness of time is the richness of its expression inside you and me and all of us. Right now is the time for the reward God has promised you...If you have in fact accepted him as your helper, your savior, your redeemer, your sanctifier inside of you he brings his own reward with him. I believe that “right now” if you take some more time to re-evaluate your situation in the God's eternal present moment inside of you inside of us...that you will receive a rich blessing of happiness, peace, love, hope, and faith. Give thanks, you don't need to expect a miracle. You are God's miracle… his and her’s song of their eternal joy and peace inside us all.

2006-10-10T05:30:00.000-07:00

Veteran’s Day
November 11, 2006/ Chesvan 21, 5767

Group of Mountain Climbers
Gearing up in Rock and Ice Climbing
Equipment at the Base of the Glacier, 11,500'
on the North Face of Mount Shasta, Late Summer of 2002

“Blessed is the One. Blessed is the One by whose speech the world came to be. Blessed is he who creates, endures, and lives forever. Blessed is the One who speaks as well as acts. Blessed is the One who has mercy and compassion on the earth and on all creatures. Blessed is the One who sustains by decreeing. Blessed is the One who rewards those who fear him, who lives eternally and saves by redeeming. Blessed is he and blessed may be his name forever.” part of the Jewish holiday prayer service

Parable Having to do with
God inside of Humankind
And of Two Angelic Spirits
Who Lived in God’s
Eternal Tree of Life
Part III

And after the two spirits left God’s tree of eternal life their souls went to the Moon. And, from the Moon they went to the Sun. But, before they got there, because of the great flood that had happened, their spirits and part of their mind went into a sea turtle laying its eggs on the beach in the moonlight[see Song of Songs, all of Chapter 2 Amplified Bible with its cross references,especially verses 12-14, where the simile of a turtledove trapped at the sea edge is used to prophesize, foreshadow the blossoming or 2nd coming of the Messiah, see also Luke 2:24, see the whole book of Isaiah especially chapter 32:30, "Happy and fortunate are you who cast your seed upon the waters...when the river overflows, for the seed will sink into the mud and when the waters subside, the plant will spring up and you will find it after many days and reap an abundant harvest."]. And, from the Sun the spirits and the souls went to he who hold the seven stars in his hand [Rev. 1:16] and she who wears the twelve topmost stars in us as a crown of glory on her head [Rev. 12:1]. And a man of God who holds the seven stars in his hand threw a small life preserver and a needle [The needle stands for the Hebrew letter vav (the third letter in God’s name Yod Heh Vav Heh] containing the six attributes of human effort necessary to be successful in God’s Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, which is composed of faith, love, and hope in him and her being here on Earth. These six attributes are: 1) loving kindness, 2) strength, 3) beauty, 4) patience, 5) obedience, 6) righteousness.] into a large ocean and he said, “This sea turtle (or its children) shall swim under the seas for 3000 years until it finds this needle at the bottom of the ocean and comes up from there at the right place (the life preserver) and lays its eggs (which contain the spirits of the two angelic beings )[The two angelic beings are the two cherubims that sit top of the ark of the covenant in God’s dwelling place or holy temple inside of us all. The male cherubim is the archangel Gabriel and Michael (Christ Jesus) and the female the archangel Ariel and Raphael (Jesus Christ). For those Christians who practice Judaism these two beings are represented by the two Sabbath Candles that we light on Friday night. The Sabbath is the last day of the week for which the first was made. For Christians it is also the first day of the week, to which the last belongs. It is a beginning in an end as well as an end in a beginning.][Book of Daniel 7:2,2:37;Ephesians 1:17-20,Romans 11:33,Job 5:9,9:10]. This might seem like an awful lot to ask for the sea turtle to do for them. But he knew that later their spirits and their souls were destined to be born again (with "God Inside of Humankind"'s help) where they would met up again as human souls in a story about Love and Truth. It would be a story about how Righteousness comes to help us all after Faith and Awareness first , Patience and Joy, Beauty and Goodness had joined in to enable us to reach the top of God’s mountain (Wisdom and Understanding) of happiness that had already been placed inside of humankind. When the sea turtle (who according to the Yoga and Taoist teachings conveys the divine gift to the soul of being able to transcend our earthly desires and thirsts) brings the needle to the Messiah (he who holds the seven stars in his hand; see the Book of Job Chapter 28 for an explanation of how God has hidden wisdom and understanding below us deep inside the earth) then he is able to again attract the other divine part of his spirit and soul the Shekeniah. And, he can then use different energy God gives from these austerities (as the Holy Spirit expresses itself through him and as his prayers are spread out over the liturgical prayer year) to sew together the heavenly souls and spirits of the righteous into a garment of light. With each breath he will sow another stitch to connect the souls and spirits of the righteous for the One (who is the Messiah, the Christ Jesus ) to come to wear as a garment of light. Then he will give the garment to the fair lady who works the heavenly shuttles of light (she who wears the twelve stars as a crown of glory on her head) inside the great expanses of God’s heavens. And, with each movement of the shuttles thousands of souls and spirits will be sown together as a garment of light in heaven for the Messiah to wear.(to be continued).

2006-10-09T05:29:00.000-07:00

view walking over a rainbow
while going down through
Half Moon Pass, Colorado (12,500')
9/2/1995
after hiking up to 50' below
the Mount of the Holy Cross

All Souls/All Saints Day
November 1 2006/5767

Parable Having to do with
Two Angelic Spirits
Who Lived in God’s
Eternal Tree of Life
Part II

“Blessed (enviably happy, fortunate and spiritually prosperous with the joy of eternal life and satisfaction that comes from God’s favor) are the pure in heart…for they shall see God (Ps 24: 3,4) and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be completely satisfied. (Isaiah 55: 1,2)"

Jesus Christ

As mentioned previously, a long time ago there were two angelic spirits who lived a happy life in God’s tree of eternal life, but were frightened by an eagle flying above them.. They thought about flying to the tree next to their’s, God’s tree of his knowledge of good and evil. But, just before this, they heard a rustle in the branches and saw a few leaves floating to the ground from that direction. From their vantage point above the ground they could see that there was a tiger hiding in the tree’s branches who had used the back of an elephant to climb there. Worse still, around the same time, when they looked at the other direction on the ground there was a hunter with a gun who had spotted them and was looking to fire his weapon at them. So, the female said to her mate, “I am frightened, what shall we do.” And, her mate said, “Do nothing, trust in God as we have been told to.” So they froze in fear, while waiting there. And, just as the hunter was aiming to fire his gun, a snake bite him on the foot disturbed his aim, made him miss and hit the eagle. And, on a branch next to the tiger there was a monkey. The monkey was rattled by the sound of the hunter’s shot and shook the tree’s branch. This was enough for the tiger who was hiding there to fall out, hurt himself and run away. So they (the two angelic spirits) were safe, but, shortly after that harrowing experience the female lost her patience and her trust in God’s word. Then wind of the out breath of God (Wisdom and Understanding) caught her up and she flew away. And, God stirred the depths and the heights of the ocean’s waters and brought a great flood on humankind. Both their spirits and souls went away together. For the wind of the out breath of God had taken away their hopes and dreams. This was because; they needed each other for happiness.

2006-10-03T05:37:00.000-07:00

“Light is sown for the righteous and faith (strewn along their way). And for those whose heart is upright, irrepressible joy and gladness.” Psalm 97:11

Shemini Atzeres/Simchath Torah October 15 2006/5767
Parable about God inside of humankind
and of two angelic spirits in God’s eternal tree of life.
Part I
A long time ago God inside of humankind was a man called Wisdom and a woman called Understanding. Wisdom had to do with helping God generate the out breaths of humankind and Understanding with the in breaths. And God (Wisdom and Understanding) had two children who lived together as angelic spirits like two birds (one named Love and the other Truth) in God’s eternal tree of life. They sang a song of eternal life so full and free (with truth singing and love listening). Then, one day, the male bird (Love) got tired of listening all day to the female’s (Truth)

Some say Truth is Jacob* and Love Abraham as in the important High Holiday prayer, “Grant Truth to Jacob and Kindness to Abraham”… or ”You will keep faith with Jacob and give loyaltly to Abraham.” See Micah, chapter 7 for the original Hebrew prayer corresponding to both of these translations. But, in this story their spirits are living in the Garden of Eden and the high heavens before this time.

song and decided he wanted to speak. He thought, since I was made by God I will sing a song of God inside of us all (Wisdom and Understanding) and speak prophecy in God’s name. But, Satan was listening and he said to God . Look at this small weak spirit in your tree of life trying to speak for you.

“Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel [by words] without knowledge.” The Book of Job, Chapter 42, verse 2. But also we know, “Not to have any madness at all in your spirit is itself madness. And, to see the world as it is instead of as it should be is the most madness of all.” Miguel Cervantes

He neither knows who he is or who you are. For, if he knew who he is, he would know who you are (his creator). And, if he knew who you are, he would know who he is (a being created by you). I will blow away the hopes and dreams of these two birds. And, since things at that time were occurring on an out breath, God (Wisdom and Understanding) let him. So, just then an eagle soared above them and spotted the female bird singing in God’s tree of life. Circling above them he made ready to swoop down and capture them both with his sharp claws. He was there to take them away from their happiness in God’s eternal tree of life and he was created by God as an illusion and an apparent obstacle to the realization of their hopes and dreams. (to be continued)

* footnote written 7/24/07...From another point of view someone could ( if they thought it would do us good) say that if Jacob was alive with us today and didn't confess the tricks and deceits he previously used in order to inherit the blessing from his family... that, then, he couldn't be a good representative for us and be the truth for us all. One might argue that, in this case, the truth is he who is Jesus Christ, or whoever is rational and consistent in terms of a logic or logos inside of the Word of God.

2006-09-22T05:32:00.000-07:00

All Angels Day September 29, 2006

Parable of the Two Runners

Once there were two neighbors who were both amateur runners. Each day of their life, for as long as they could remember they met out on the local track and ran laps. One day one of the two men decided he wanted to improve himself so he hired a professional coach without telling the other. And, he practiced extra hours by himself. Then, each day, he would run more laps than the other. And, so each time they raced in public he would win. And, because he had practiced longer he felt he deserved this. He wondered why his neighbor didn't care that he got the best of him each day. Then, the two men died and they each went to heaven. And, it turned out there was a prize in heaven that went to whoever had been the best runner on earth. These two men were the only two contestants left, because all of the professional runners had not lived as long as they. Nor, had the professionals run as long as these two amateurs. And, the neighbor who always won the races on earth was certain that he would get the prize... a crown of glory. But, the angels deliberated a while and they gave the prize to the other neighbor who always lost. And, the neighbor who won the most on earth asked the heavenly judges why they gave the crown for being the best runner to his neighbor. "Each day I ran more laps than him", he said, "and each time we raced in public I won." And the angels said, "You are right you ran the most laps. But, that is not how we count the score. We count the total number of days each runner showed up to run along side with the other. And, there was one day your neighbor came by and asked you to run with him, but you let him go by himself, without help. You reasoned that he needed the extra practice so he could run as fast as you. But, that is the day that he outscored you." So, all the angels bowed down and gave the crown of eternal glory to the one man [or woman] who was always there to run along side with his [or her] brother. [for, in heaven, it is as Jesus Christ has said in John 18:33-37]And, the most glorious part of this prize that they gave was that his [or her] soul went on running inside of others throughout all of time-- the past, the present, and the future. So, may things always be for us.

Picture of the Laughing Falls,
a place so named (by the Canadian Indians).
It can be found just off the Iceland trail
along the way up to the top of Mt. President.
Which is near where the TransCanadian Highway crosses the area
around Lake O'Hara and Emerald Lake north of Banff, Alberta, Canada

"Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb: and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, that the people may drink." Exodus 17:6

2006-09-12T05:01:00.000-07:00

World Peace Day 2006

Skyladder route up Mount Andromedia...above Columbia Glacier Icefield, hydrographic center of Canada.

Be Still and Know that Our God is inside of Us. Be Still and know that He and She is One.

Dear Lord, help us to make the United States of America an instrument of thy peace.
Wherever there is darkness may there be light.
Wherever there is despair, hope.
Wherever there is hatred and anger, forgiveness.
Lord grant that we may not seek to be forgiven so much as to forgive.
Lord grant that we may not seek to be loved so much as to love...
For it is in giving that we receive.

Prayer of St. Francis

Blessed, happy, filled with the riches of Christ are the poor in spirit.
Blessed, happy, joyful are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed, happy, joyful are the meek, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed, enviably happy, filled with the riches of Christ with the joy and contentment
of a satisfied eternal life are those who make and maintain God's Peace in Us.
For they shall be called God's Son.

Jesus Christ