The Sower and Seed Parable

Gospel of Matthew 13

That same day, when Jesus had left the house and was sitting by the sea, 2 such great crowds gathered round him, that he got into a boat, and sat in it, while all the people stood upon the beach. 3 Then he told them many truths in parables.

“The sower,” he began, “went out to sow; and, 4 While sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it had not much soil, and, having no depth of soil, sprang up at once. 6 As soon as the sun had risen, it was scorched, and, having no root, withered away. 7 Some, again, fell into the brambles; but the brambles shot up and choked it. 8 Some, however, fell on good soil, and yielded a return, sometimes one hundred, sometimes sixty, sometimes thirty fold. 9 Let those who have ears hear.”

10 Afterwards his disciples came to him, and said: “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 “To you,” answered Jesus, “the knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given, but not to them. 12 For, to all who have, more will be given, and they shall have abundance; but, from all who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 13 That is why I speak to them in parables, because, though they have eyes, they do not see, and though they have ears, they do not hear or understand.”

14 “And in them is being fulfilled that prophecy of Isaiah which says: ‘You will hear with your ears without ever understanding, And, though you have eyes, you will see without ever perceiving, 15 For the mind of this nation has grown dense, And their ears are dull of hearing, Their eyes also have they closed; Lest some day they should perceive with their eyes, And with their ears they should hear, And in their mind they should understand, and should turn—and I should heal them.’“

16 “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear; 17 For I tell you that many prophets and good men have longed for the sight of the things which you are seeing, yet never saw them, and to hear the things which you are hearing, yet never heard them. 18 Listen, then, yourselves to the sower and seed parable.”

19 When anyone hears the message of the kingdom without understanding it, evil comes and snatches away what has been sown in their minds. These receivers are signified by the seed which was sown along the path. 20 By the seed which was sown on rocky places is meant the receivers who hear the message, and at once accept it joyfully; 21 But, as they have no roots, they stand for only a short time; and, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the message, they fall away at once.

22 By the seed which was sown among the brambles is meant the receivers who hear the message, but the cares of life and the glamour of wealth completely choke the message, so that it gives no return. 23 But by the seed which was sown on the good ground is meant the receivers who hear the message and understand it, yielding a return, sometimes one hundred, sometimes sixty, sometimes thirty fold.”

24 Another parable which Jesus told them was this: “The kingdom of heaven is compared to a farmer who sows good seed in their field. 25 But, while everyone was asleep, their enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So, when the blades of corn shot up, and came into ear, the weeds made their appearance also. 27 Seeing this, the owner’s servants came to him, and said ‘Was not it good seed that you sowed in your field? Where, then, do the tares in it come from?’“

What is the Lord’s Prayer?

To continue reading Chapter 13 of the Gospel of Matthew, please click on page 2 below.

Forgive Seven Times or Seventy Times?

Gospel of Matthew 18

On the same occasion the disciples came to Jesus, and asked him: “Who is really the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 Jesus called a little child to him, and placed it in the middle of them, and then said: 3 “I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven at all. 4 Therefore, all who humble themselves like this child shall be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And anyone who, for the sake of my name, welcomes even one little child like this, is welcoming me.”

6 “But, if anyone who puts a snare in the way of one of these lowly ones who believe in me, it would be best for them to be sunk in the depths of the sea, with a great millstone hung round their neck. 7 Woe to the world because of such snares! There cannot but be snares; yet woe to you who is answerable for the snare! 8 If your hand or your foot is a snare to you, cut it off, and throw it away. It would be better for you to enter the life maimed or lame, than to have both hands, or both feet, and be thrown into the Aeonian fire.”

9 “If your eye is a snare to you, take it out, and throw it away. It would be better for you to enter into life with only one eye, than to have both eyes thrown into the fiery pit. 10 Beware of despising one of these lowly ones, for in heaven, I tell you, their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost.”

12 “What do you think? If you owned a hundred sheep, and one of them strayed, would you not leave the ninety–nine on the hills, and go and search for the one that is straying? 13 And, if you succeed in finding it, I tell you that you would rejoice more over that one sheep than over the ninety–nine which did not stray. 14 So, too, it is the will of my Father, who is in heaven, that not one of these lowly ones should be lost.”

15 “If your brother or sister does wrong, go to them and convince them of their fault when you are alone together. If you are listened to, you have won them over. 16 But, if you are not listened to, take with you one or two others, so that ‘on the evidence of two or three witnesses, every word may be put beyond dispute.’ 17 If they are refused also, speak to the church; and, if the church is refused, treat the wrong–doer as you would a Gentile or a tax–gatherer.”

18 “I tell you, all that you forbid on earth will be held in heaven to be forbidden, and all that you allow on earth will be held in heaven to be allowed. 19 Again, I tell you that, if but two of you on earth agree as to what they shall pray for, whatever it be, it will be granted them by my Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three have come together in my name, I am present with them.”

How to Teach the Lord’s Prayer?

To continue reading Chapter 22 of the Gospel of Matthew, please click on page 2 below.

The Lord’s Prayer Meaning: Our Father Who Art In Heaven

Chapter 1

Our Father who art in

heaven…

(Understanding Our Relationship to God)

The Lord’s Prayer begins with an idea that seems easy enough to understand. Jesus wants to establish God as our heavenly Father, and we as his children. What we often fail to notice though is what Jesus doesn’t say—yet what he leaves out is just as important. What Jesus doesn’t say is that we should pray to God as “My Father.” We are taught to address him as “Our Father” because prayer is not about individualism. It is not a private wish factory,¹ churning out favors so that we can escape the hardships of life. Its purpose is to bring us together:² to bring unity to our relationship with God and his creation.³

But why does Jesus describe God as a father figure? Why not “Our Mother” or “Our Creator”? Or why not just say “Our God”? Before trying to answer this, we need to recognize that our lives are defined by our relationships: the good and the bad. The roads we’ve taken have been paved by the arguments, joys, sadness, and desires we’ve shared with our family and friends. These roads though frequently do not lead to Christ or the kingdom of God.⁴ So Jesus demands that we tear them up.

He challenges us to hate our fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters, and abandon the life we’ve come to know.⁵ It’s an alarming request. If a preacher ordered his followers to do that today, we would call him a cult leader or religious crackpot. So what are we to make of this demand?

It’s doubtful that early Christians manufactured this teaching, since it directly opposes the Mosaic law of honoring thy parents. Yet the message seems to clearly contradict Christ’s gospel of love.⁶ Why are we to love our neighbors as ourselves but then hate our families? Let’s first step back for a moment and consider Jesus’s larger teaching methods. After all, this isn’t the only time in the Gospels that he makes demands that seem outlandish or unrealistic. For example, how many of us are really prepared to sell our possessions and give everything to the poor?⁷

As a spiritual teacher, Jesus had a keen understanding of human nature and the mind. He knew that most of his followers lived hopelessly one sided lives—their attachments to material things and family always seeking primacy. It is no different with us today. So to break these attachments, Jesus plays a clever psychological game. He demands our exact opposite behavior: in other words, hating our parents (while loving God alone); and abandoning our worldly goods (while earning treasures in heaven).

But we have to remember that this is only a temporary mind game. Jesus doesn’t expect us to turn our backs on our families forever or take vows of abject poverty. His hope is that these harsh commands will serve as an internal baptism of fire.⁸ And that as the flames rise up, they will be doused with the living water of the Holy Spirit,⁹ so that we will emerge from the ashes as harmonious new creations—instinctively knowing what things to render Caesar and what things to render God.¹⁰

To bring this new being to term, Jesus couldn’t refer to God simply as an abstraction. He had to make God tangible to us in a very human way—that is, as a parent. He also had to contend with Old Testament scripture. In matters related to “religion,” Jesus knew a lighter touch was needed than that which he used when dealing with our earthly attachments. For example, even though he turns many Mosaic laws on their head, his ministry wouldn’t have gotten very far had he gone around telling Israel to hate the prophets. He also couldn’t ignore the wisdom contained in Jewish scripture.¹¹

So Jesus hit upon an ingenious solution. He told his followers that…

The Lord’s Prayer. To continue reading, click on page 2 at the bottom.

1. God, your Father, knows what you need before you ask him. – Matthew 6:8 [↩]
2. So that sower and reaper rejoice together. – John 4:36 [↩]
3. “The harvest,” he said, “is abundant, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray to the Owner of the harvest to send laborers to gather in his harvest.” – Luke 10:2 [↩]
4. “Master,” someone asked, “are there but few in the path of salvation?” And Jesus answered: 24 “Strive to go in by the small door. Many, I tell you, will seek to go in, but they will not be able.” – Luke 13: 23–25 [↩]
5. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate their father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes and his very life, they can be no disciple of mine.” – Luke 14:26 [↩]
6. I give you a new commandment: love one another; love one another as I have loved you. 35 It is by this that everyone will recognize you as my disciples—by your loving one another.” – John 13:34-35 [↩]
7. “If you wish to be perfect,” answered Jesus, “go and sell your property, and give to the poor, and you shall have wealth in heaven; then come and follow me.” – Matthew 19:21 [↩]
8. “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what more can I wish, if it is already kindled? 50 There is a baptism that I must undergo, and how great is my distress until it is over! – Luke 12:49 [↩]
9. You who believe in me, as scripture says, out of your heart shall flow rivers of living water.” – John 7:38 [↩]
10. “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. – Matthew 22:21 [↩]
11. If you want to enter the life, keep the commandments. – Matthew 19:17 [↩]

The Lord’s Prayer: On Earth As It Is In Heaven

Chapter 5

On earth as it is in heaven…

(Understanding God’s Divide)

In the last two chapters on the Lord’s Prayer, we’ve established that our entrance into the kingdom of heaven depends on our sense of wonder; our ability to think and love; our patience; and our acceptance of will as a matter of choice—a choice shared equally with God, the Father. We’ve also learned that the kingdom is filled with potential, and with treasures that can be experienced today and every day. Unfortunately, we often lose sight of this. Even those who have dedicated their lives to preaching the Word of God often remain just outside the kingdom’s doorway.

Take for example the story of Jesus and the scribe in the Book of Mark. In this story a teacher of Mosaic law asks Jesus which commandment supersedes all others. Jesus replies that it is the first of the ten: “The Lord our God is the one Lord; And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.” He then adds that the second most important commandment is: “Thou shall love thy neighbor as thou dost love thyself.” The scribe heartily agrees and congratulates Jesus on being so wise. Jesus, in turn, acknowledges the scribe’s own wisdom, telling him that he is “not far from the kingdom of God.”¹

This story shows once again that Jesus did not view heaven as a celestial mansion in the sky or a Garden of Eden revisited. Instead, he saw God’s kingdom as a hidden reality waiting to be brought into the light.² Much more than a state of mind, it is a state of being wherein the heart, soul, and mind work as one—and which find their perfect stride in Christ. Hitting that stride takes more than having one’s heart in the right place or possessing wisdom (such as the scribe had), it means tapping the latent power of the Holy Spirit to bring harmony to our divided house, and likewise to God’s.

When Jesus says that with the coming of the kingdom of heaven and the Son of Man two shall be found and then one taken and the other left,³ he is talking about our divided selves. He is not saying, as we discussed before, that there is going to be a rapture, where the faithful are whisked up into the sky while the sinners are left to stew in their juices.

As the story of Jesus got passed down, the term Son of Man⁴ became interchangeable with Son of God.6 But for Jesus, these appellations were not the same. The Son of Man refers to our ego’s currently limited perception of our selves. And while this perception is necessary because (as symbolized by John the Baptist) it bears witness to Christ and the Word of God,⁵ it also ultimately must be beheaded⁶ (i.e., crucified)⁷ to make way for the Son of God and our expanding Christ consciousness—wherein which we treat our neighbors as ourselves because we recognize them as true reflections of ourselves.

Each one of us is born into a kingdom divided. And in this kingdom, we find both Christ and Satan competing for our attention—one using the Holy Spirit as his emissary and the other using the Ego. Yet it is a kingdom which cannot stand,⁸ for it causes us to love one master and hate the other.⁹ Or rather we go through life flipping allegiances between the two. When praying The Lord’s Prayer, we therefore must think deeply on the ways we are divided against our better selves, divided against our consciences, divided against Christ—for these divisions prevent us from manifesting the kingdom of heaven within and recognizing its fruits around us.

Consider Martha’s behavior in the…

The Lord’s Prayer. To continue reading, click on page 2 at the bottom.

1. Then came up one of the teachers of the law who had heard their discussions. Knowing that Jesus had answered them wisely, he asked him this question: “What is the first of all the commandments?” 29 “The first,” answered Jesus, “is: ‘Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is the one Lord; 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost love thyself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” 32 “Wisely answered, teacher!” exclaimed the teacher of the law. “It is true, as you say, that ‘there is one God,’ and that ‘there is no other besides him’; 33 And to ‘love him with all one’s heart, and with all one’s understanding, and with all one’s strength,’ and to ‘love one’s neighbor as one loves oneself’ is far beyond all ‘burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’” 34 Seeing that he had answered with discernment, Jesus said to him: “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one ventured to question him further. – Mark 12:28–34 [↩]
2. Nothing is hidden unless some day it comes to light, nor was anything ever kept hidden but that it should some day come into the light of day. – Mark 4:22 [↩]
3. Whoever is eager to get the most out of his life will lose it; but whoever will lose it shall preserve it. 34 On that night, I tell you, there shall be two in one bed, the one will be taken and the other left; 35 Two shall be grinding together, one will be taken and the other left. 36 Two shall be in the field, the one taken and the other left. – Luke 17:33-36 [↩]
4. “Foxes have holes,” answered Jesus, “and wild birds their roosting-places, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” – Matthew 8:20 [↩]
5. There appeared a man sent from God, whose name was John; 7 He came as a witness: to bear witness to the light that through him all men might believe. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness to the Light. – John 1:6 [↩]
6. He immediately dispatched one of his bodyguards, with orders to bring John’s head. The man went and beheaded John in the prison. – Mark 6:27 [↩]
7. The Son of Man is to be given up to be crucified. – Matthew 26:2 [↩]
8. When a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot last. 25 And when a household is divided against itself, it will not be able to last. – Mark 3:24-25 [↩]
9. No servant can serve two masters, for, either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will attach himself to one and despise the other. – Luke 16:13 [↩]

The Three Laughing Monks

In China, there is the legend of the three laughing monks. They are also today sometimes referred to as the three laughing saints (but of course in a very SBNR way). The monks only ever did one thing: on entering a new village, they would stand in the market place and start laughing. They would laugh with their whole being (mind, body, heart, and soul) and suddenly people would wake up to the Life and Kingdom of God that surrounded them. A crowd would soon gather and everyone would start laughing because of these three crazy monks. Eventually, the whole town would get involved and be alive to joy. Then the monks would shimmy on to another town.

The three laughing monks were loved and admired very much. For their only sermon, their only message; was laughter. They never taught; they would simply create a situation. As the years passed, the laughing monks’ fame grew and grew. All of China loved and respected them. Nobody had ever preached the way they did: with laughter and nothing else. Yet they also remained an enigma. For they never laughed at anyone in particular, but rather as if they had understood a great cosmic joke. The three laughing monks spread joy all over China without using a single word.

After living long lives together, one of the three laughing monks died. When this happened, the whole village in which they were staying wondered what would happen next. They thought that when the monk had died, the other two would surely weep. The whole village gathered expecting to see this unusual sight. But instead of crying, the two remaining monks stood beside the corpse of the third laughing a great belly laugh. The villagers asked, “How can you be laughing at a time like this?”

So for the very first time, the two monks spoke and said, “We are laughing because our brother has won. We always wondered who would die first and he has defeated us. We are laughing at his victory and our defeat. He lived with us for many years and we laughed together and we enjoyed each other’s company. There is no better way of giving him a last send off. We can only laugh.

Nevertheless, the whole village remained sad. But then when the dead monk’s body was place on the funeral pyre, the whole village realized that the two monks were not the only ones who were joking, the dead monk was also laughing! At that time, the custom was to change the clothes of the deceased and bathe the body. But the dead monk said to his companions, “Don’t give me a bath because I have never been unclean. So much laughter has been in my life that no impurity can accumulate, can come to me. I have not gathered any dust. Laughter is always young and fresh.”

So just to respect his wishes, the two monks did not change their brother’s clothes. Then when the body was put on the fire, suddenly they became aware that he had hidden some Chinese fire-works under his clothes and had started going off. The whole village began laughing and the other two monks said: “You bastard, you’re dead, but you have defeated us once again. Your laughter is the last.”

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Gain fresh insight into the Lord’s Prayer. Read our free online book The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life. The prayer’s hidden teachings will enrich and inspire you. Click the following link to begin reading the Living Hour book now: The Lord’s Prayer.

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Our Relationships With God

And the moon rose over an open field… So it goes in Simon & Garfunkel’s classic song “America”. These 8 simple words are perhaps the most eloquent turn of phrase in all popular music–and a lyric that should serve as a strong metaphor for Progressive Christians and all those who seek the pathway to God.

When the moon is close the horizon, hovering just above the open fields or cityscapes, it appears incredibly large, as though we could almost touch it. Yet as it rises in the sky it becomes smaller and feels beyond our grasp. It all comes down to a matter of perspective. When the moon is closer to the horizon and our world, we can better perceive its grandeur. But when it is above our heads, there is nothing to relate it to except the tiny distant stars and planets. The moon becomes just another heavenly body beyond our reach.

The same can be said of our relationship with God, the Father. The further away that we place him in a heavenly mansion in the sky, the less tangible and real he feels. But when we begin to see God and the Holy Spirit working today (in the living hour) all around us–in friends and strangers, neighbors and family, and in every living thing of this green Earth, the larger and more magnificent he becomes. This, of course, is why Jesus of Nazareth tells us the Kingdom of God is “at hand”¹ not in the heavens above.

Although he doesn’t realize it, Paul Simon’s traveler ultimately finds “America” while laughing on the bus, playing games with the faces, his traveling partner imagining the man in the gabardine suit was a spy. We are to find God the same way.

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Gain fresh insight into the Lord’s Prayer. Read our free online book The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life. The prayer’s hidden teachings will enrich and inspire you. Click the following link to begin reading the Living Hour book now: The Lord’s Prayer.

To read about Saadi, Barack Obama, the Gulistan, and Islam, please go to: For the Sake of God.

1. After John had been committed to prison, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God: “The time has come, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe the gospel.” Mark 1:14-16 [↩]

Death & The Tao

Spiritual Progressives who have studied some Eastern philosophy are no doubt familiar with Lao Tzu, whose book the Tao Te Ching (The Way of Nature & Its Power) established the religion of Taoism. Not so many though are familiar with the second great teacher of Taoism, Chuang Tzu, who more than anyone preserved Taoism from the encroachments of Confucianism. One of the most memorable stories about Chuang Tzu surrounds the death of his wife, and now follows.

After Chuang Tzu’s wife died, his friend Hui Tzu went to his house to console him. When he got there, he found Chuang Tzu sitting on the ground, banging on a drum, and singing joyfully.

“This is too much!” exclaimed Hui Tzu. “To live with your wife and raise a son together, then not shed a tear after you’ve buried her in the ground, that would be bad enough, but to drum and sing! Surely, this is going too far!”

“Not at all,” replied Chuang Tzu. “When she died, I could not help being saddened by her death. But soon I remembered that she already existed as a spirit without substance or form. Substance was later added to that spirit, and her next stage was birth, after which she grew to become the person that I knew and loved. Now, by virtue of another change, she is dead, passing from one phase to another as spring turns to summer, fall, and then winter. Since she has passed into the next phase of life, for me to go about weeping and wailing would show that I am ignorant of the way of nature. Therefore, I refrain.”

Jesus of Nazareth took a similar view towards death, as is shown in the Gospel of Luke:

Jesus said: “Follow me.” “Let me first go and bury my father,” said the man. But Jesus said: “Leave the dead to bury their dead; but go yourself and carry far and wide the gospel of the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:59-60)

By living joyfully after his wife’s death, Chuang Tzu was carrying the gospel of Christ, and honoring both his wife and God.

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Gain fresh insight into the Lord’s Prayer. Read our free online book The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life. The prayer’s hidden teachings will enrich and inspire you. Click the following link to begin reading the Living Hour book now: The Lord’s Prayer.

The Evolution of God: Robert Wright’s Salon.com Interview

In today’s online issue of Salon.com there is an interesting interview with Robert Wright, a well-known American journalist. Wright is the author of a new book “The Evolution of God,” which approaches its subject from the logical standpoint that, more often than not, we have created our Gods to match our own evolving self-image and needs. Wright refers to himself as a materialist in that he thinks that the answers to religious questions, including the evolution of God, lie in the facts on the ground.

All good so far. But a problem arises in how Wright discerns what is fact, and what he chooses to include and not include in forming his opinions.

For example, when it comes to Jesus and what kind of person he was, Wright argues that Jesus probably wasn’t the great prophet of peace and love that we all think:

The fact is, the Sermon on the Mount, which is a beautiful thing, does not appear in Mark, which was the first written gospel. And these views are not attributed to Jesus in the letters of Paul, which are the earliest post-crucifixion documents we have. You see Paul develop a doctrine of universal love, but he’s not, by and large, attributing this stuff to Jesus. So, too, with “love your enemies.” Paul says something like love your enemies, but he doesn’t say Jesus said it. It’s only in later gospels that this stuff gets attributed to Jesus. This will seem dispiriting to some people to hear that Jesus wasn’t the great guy we thought he was. But to me, it’s actually more inspiring to think that the doctrines of transnational, trans-ethnic love were products of a multinational, imperial platform.

Wright then goes on to tell the ugly story where Jesus initially refuses to heal the daughter of woman not from Israel, basically telling her that we don’t serve dogs here. Wright ultimately feels that Jesus was a typical messianic Jewish preacher who thought God was going to come down to Earth and straighten things out.

So, where to start? Well the doctrine of universal love was not left out of the Gospel of Mark. In Mark, Jesus says that whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother (3:35); he criticizes John for trying to stop someone from doing the work of God simply because the guy wasn’t one of their followers (9:38-40); and he states that loving our neighbor as ourselves is the second greatest commandment (12:30). That Jesus was a prophet without borders is clearly demonstrated when he laments, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relations, and in his own home.” (6:4).

The anecdote where Jesus compares a mother and daughter to a dog appears as a distinct anomaly when viewed within the context of Mark’s entire Gospel, which is why its authenticity must be questioned. Considering the strong racist attitudes that Jesus had to overcome among his followers and how notoriously slow to learn they were (6:52, 8:17), it seems more reasonable to assume that this episode was made up.

As to the Kingdom of God, one would be hard pressed to say that Jesus thought this meant God was literally coming down to straightening things out here on Earth. If that were so, why do we find him using obscure parables and metaphors for the Kingdom of God, at one point likening it to a farmer who scatters seed but who doesn’t know how the seeds grows (Mark 4:26-27). Surely if God were coming down to sort us all out, he would know how he was going to do it.

While examining his “facts on the ground” on the evolution of God, Robert Wright ultimately stumbles for two reasons:

1) Wright does not always take into account the prejudices and weaknesses of the people who passed down the story of Jesus, and who by human nature would manipulate Jesus’s message to match their own self-image and needs, just as we’ve done (as Wright well notes) with our perceptions of God.

2) Wright undoubtedly held the personal belief that it is more inspiring to think that the doctrines of transnational, trans-ethnic love were products of a multinational, imperial platform prior to writing his book “The Evolution of God,” and consciously or unconsciously discerned “the facts” in a way to match that supposition.

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Gain fresh insight into the Lord’s Prayer. Read our free online book The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life. The prayer’s hidden teachings will enrich and inspire you. Click the following link to begin reading the Living Hour book now: The Lord’s Prayer.

Luke – Gospel 18 – Kingdom Belongs to the Childlike

Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and never despair. 2 “There was,” he said, “in a certain town a judge, who had no fear of God nor regard for man. 3 In the same town there was a widow who went to him again and again, and said: ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ 4 For a time the judge refused, but afterwards he said to himself, ‘Although I am without fear of God or regard for man, 5 Yet, as this widow is so troublesome, I will grant her justice, to stop her from plaguing me with her endless visits.’”

6 Then the Master added: “Listen to what this iniquitous judge says! 7 And God—will not he see that his own people, who cry to him night and day, have justice done though he holds his hand? 8 He will, I tell you, have justice done them, and that soon! Yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

9 Another time, speaking to people who were satisfied that they were religious, and who regarded everyone else with scorn, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up into the temple courts to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax-gatherer. 11 The Pharisee stood forward and began praying to himself in this way: ‘O God, I thank thee that I am not like other men—thieves, rogues, adulterers—or even like this tax-gatherer. 12 I fast twice a week, and give a tenth of everything I get to God.’”

13 Meanwhile the tax-gatherer stood at a distance, not venturing even ‘to raise his eyes to heaven’; but he kept striking his breast and saying, ‘O God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 This man, I tell you, went home pardoned, rather than the other; for everyone who exalts themselves will be humbled, while everyone who humbles themselves shall be exalted.”

15 Some of the people were bringing even their babies to Jesus, for him to touch them; but, when the disciples saw it, they began to find fault with those who had brought them. 16 Jesus, however, called the little children to him. “Let the little children come to me,” he said, “and do not hinder them; for it is to the childlike that the kingdom of God belongs. 17 I tell you, unless you receive the kingdom of God like a child, you will not enter it at all.”

18 And one of the Presidents asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what must I do if I am to gain Immortal Life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” answered Jesus. “No one is good but God. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not say what is false about others, Honor thy father and thy mother.’”

21 “I have observed all these,” he replied, “from childhood.” 22 Hearing this, Jesus said to him: “There is one thing still lacking in you; sell everything that you have, and distribute to the poor, and you shall have wealth in heaven; then come and follow me.” 23 But the man became greatly distressed on hearing this, for he was extremely rich.

24 Seeing this, Jesus said to his disciples: “How hard it is for men of wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier, indeed, for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God!” 26 “Then who can be saved?” asked those who heard this. 27 But Jesus said: “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”
28 “But we,” said Peter, “we left what belonged to us and followed you.” 29 “I tell you,” he answered, “that there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, on account of the kingdom of God, 30 Who will not receive many times as much in the present and in the age to come, life everlasting.”

31 Gathering the twelve round him, Jesus said to them: “Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem; and there everything that is written in the prophets will be done to the Son of Man. 32 For he will be given up to the Gentiles, mocked, insulted and spat upon; 33 They will scourge him, and then put him to death; and on the third day he will rise again.” 34 The apostles did not comprehend any of this; his meaning was lost to them, they did not understand what he was saying.

35 As Jesus was getting near Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road-side, begging. 36 Hearing a crowd going by, the man asked what was the matter; 37 And, when people told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing, 38 He shouted out: “Jesus, Son of David, take pity on me!” 39 Those who were in front kept telling him to be quiet, but he continued to call out the louder: “Son of David, take pity on me!”

40 Then Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. And, when he had come close up to him, Jesus asked him: 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Master,” he said, “I want to recover my sight.” 42 And Jesus said: “Recover your sight, your faith has delivered you.” 43 Instantly he recovered his sight, and began to follow Jesus, praising God. And all the people, on seeing it, gave glory to God.

To read the next chapter of the Book of Luke, please go to The Gospel of Luke – 19.

This Online New Testament Gospel of Luke is excerpted from the book The Living Hour: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life (with New Century Gospels). Including over 200 bookmarked citations from the canonical Gospels, this Progressive Christian book appeals to the Unitarian spirit at the heart of all faiths.

Challenge your perceptions on the Gospel of Christ, Jesus’s parables, and the Kingdom of God by purchasing The Lord’s Prayer book today. Produced by LivingHour.org, a Thailand-based small press dedicated to publishing unique Learning Easy Thai Language Books, as well as works on progressive spirituality.

Jesus & The Wiz

On reading that Broadway was reproducing the classic 1970s musical The Wiz, we were reminded of one of its most memorable songs, Ease on Down the Road, sung by a spirited Diana Ross (Dorothy) and Michael Jackson (Scarecrow) while on their way to see The Wiz (Richard Pryor).

The song tells us don’t you carry nothing that might be a load, come on, ease on down, ease on down the road.

For Progressive Christians called by Jesus to repeatedly lay down our lives for others¹, this is good advice. We are not asked to carry the burdens of others, but to lift up the fallen. Jesus teaches this in the parable of the Good Samaritan. The charitable man from Samaria doesn’t fret over the fate and circumstances of his fallen brethren but lifts him up from the road, does what he can to tend to the man’s needs, then eases on down, eases on down the road..

When we Christians feel compelled to carry the burdens of others, more often than not, it reveals a compulsion to martyrdom: a strong desire to identify ourselves with Jesus on the Cross. But it was through life and joy that Jesus sought to teach us about the kingdom of God (The Wiz), not through suffering and death.

___

The Living Hour’s SBNR (Spiritual But Not Religious) motivational series combines history, literature, philosophy, religion, and popular culture to help bring about new perspectives for Progressive Christians and anyone who seeks a better understanding of “God” and life’s purpose. Sign up to have these progressive Motivationals delivered to your e-mail box three times a week.

1. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life to receive it again. No one took it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to receive it again. This is the command which I received from my Father. – John 10:17-18 [↩]

Common Sense Christianity

The old saying “there is nothing common about common sense” has never rung so true as it does today. We live in a course and relativist age where the noble drive for fairness and balance has been misdirected toward conflating opinions with facts, and where common sense lies buried beneath a rubble of truthiness. That being the case, it might be a good idea to return to the writer of Common Sense, Thomas Paine, for a little refresher on reasonable thinking.

Wrongly accused of atheism by the orthodox Christians of his time (and, later on, a strident Teddy Roosevelt), Thomas Paine is among the many American figures who form the bedrock upon which current Progressive Christianity has its house. With regards to an afterlife, Paine held the reasonable position that we can hope for happiness after this life but shouldn’t presume to guess what lies in store for us:

I consider myself in the hands of my Creator and that He will dispose of me after this life consistent with His justice and goodness. I leave all these matters to Him, as my Creator and friend and I hold it presumptuous to make an article of faith as to what the Creator will do with us hereafter.

It was by leaving the afterlife to God, and the dead to bury their dead¹, that Thomas Paine was able to follow Christ, carrying the kingdom of God within himself, to fulfill the living hour of his time.

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To get more Common Sense Christianity posts delivered direct to your email box, please sign up for The Living Hour’s Daily SBNR Motivationals by putting your email address into the box on the right corner of this page. For an example of a common sense Progressive Christian metaphor, please go to: And the moon rose over an open field.

1. To another man Jesus said: “Follow me.” “Let me first go and bury my father,” said the man. But Jesus said: “Leave the dead to bury their dead; but go yourself and carry far and wide the gospel of the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:59-60 [↩]

Jesus & Miguel de Unamuno – Solitude & Society

Jesus tells us we cannot enter the kingdom of God unless we are born of both water and spirit¹. Most of us can work out what Jesus means by born of spirit but born of water is a bit trickier. The literalist will just say, “Oh, he must mean baptism,” and leave it at that. But Jesus never wanted us to leave his words just at that. He infused all of his teachings with many levels of meaning, discernible to those who have the ears ready to hear it.²

As well all know, Jesus liked using parables to teach. Sometimes these parables are explicit, such as in the parable of the prodigal son, and other times they are implicit. For Jesus, water is a natural element that is a parable in itself. For example, if we look at Jesus’s life as depicted in the Gospels, we see that it echoes the flowing in and receding back of the ocean’s tides. Jesus would repeatedly flow out into society to teach, spread the gospel of Christ, and share fellowship with his neighbors, only to recede back into himself, into lonely places to pray³.

If we are truly to realize Christ in its fullness, we should remember that both solitude and society are essential. The artist, poet, or musician who spends their life creating great works yet ignores regular fellowship with his community is as spiritually off-kilter as the good hearted soul who dedicates their life to helping others yet ignores that solitary inner dialogue which is essential to self-growth. Solitude and society are like a tidal river, each side continually feeding the other. Or in the eloquent words of the Spanish author and statesman Miguel de Unamuno:

Only in solitude do we find ourselves; and in finding ourselves, we find in ourselves all our brothers [and sisters] in solitude–in solitude and only in solitude can you know yourself as a neighbor, and as long as you do not know yourself as a neighbor, you can never hope to see in your neighbors other I’s–It is solitude that makes [us] really sociable and human.

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Please subscribe to The Living Hour’s free Daily SBNR Motivationals by entering your email address into the “Opening the Small Gate” box in the right corner of this web page. This Progressive Christianity series is written for Unitarians, Agnostics, and all who seek a richer life.

To read about Teilhard de Chardin and the inherent goodness of the world, please go to: Having Faith in the World.

1. “In truth I tell you,” exclaimed Jesus, “unless you are reborn, you cannot see the kingdom of God.” “How can someone,” asked Nicodemus, “be born when they are old? Can we be born a second time?” “In truth I tell you,” answered Jesus, “unless you owe your birth to water and spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:3-5 [↩]
2. “Nothing is hidden unless some day it comes to light, nor was anything ever kept hidden but that it should some day come into the light of day. 23 Let all who have ears to hear with hear.” Mark 4:22-23 [↩]
3. The story about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came together to listen to him, and to be cured of their illnesses; But Jesus used to withdraw to lonely places and pray. Luke 5:15-16 [↩]

The Gospel of the Kingdom

Gospel of Mark 1

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 It is said in the prophet Isaiah: ‘Behold! I send my messenger before thy face; He shall prepare thy way.’ 3 ‘The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness: “Make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ 4 And in fulfillment of this, John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism upon repentance, for the forgiveness of sins.

5 The whole of Judea, as well as all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, went out to him; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 John was clad in clothing of camels’ hair, with a belt of leather round his waist, and lived on locusts and wild honey; 7 And he proclaimed: “There is coming after me one more powerful than I, and I am not fit even to stoop down and unfasten his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

9 Now about that time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens rent apart, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him, 11 And from the heavens came a voice: “Thou art my Son, the Beloved; in thee I delight.” 12 Immediately afterwards the Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness; 13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and among the wild beasts, while the angels ministered to him.

14 After John had been committed to prison, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God: 15 “The time has come, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe the gospel.” 16 As Jesus was going along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the sea, for they were fishermen.

17 “Come and follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 They left their nets at once, and followed him. 19 Going on a little further, he saw James, Zebediah’s son, and his brother John, who also were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Jesus at once called them, and they left their father Zebediah in the boat with the crew, and went after him. 21 And they walked into Capernaum.

On the next Sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught them like one who had authority, and not like the teachers of the law. 23 Now there was in their synagogue at the time a man under the power of a foul spirit, who called out: 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God!” 25 But Jesus rebuked the spirit: “Be silent! Come out from him.” 26 The foul spirit threw the man into a fit, and with a loud cry came out from him.

Discover the Mysteries of the Lord’s Prayer.

To continue reading Chapter 1 of the Gospel of Mark, please click on page 2 below.

The Kingdom of God is Like…

Gospel of Mark 4

Jesus again began to teach by the sea; and, as an immense crowd was gathering round him, he got into a boat, and sat in it on the sea, while all the people were on the shore at the water’s edge. 2 Then he taught them many truths in parables; and in the course of his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! The sower went out to sow; 4 And while sowing, some of the seed fell along the path; and the birds came, and ate it up.

5 Some fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and, having no depth of soil, sprang up at once; 6 But, when the sun rose, it was scorched, and, having no root, withered away. 7 Some of the seed fell among brambles; but the brambles shot up and completely choked it, and it yielded no return. 8 Some fell into good soil, and, shooting up and growing, yielded a return, amounting to thirty, sixty, and even a hundred fold.” 9 And Jesus said: “Let anyone who has ears to hear with hear.”

10 Afterwards, when he was alone, his followers and the twelve asked him about his parables; 11 And he said: “To you the hidden truth of the kingdom of God has been imparted; but to those on the outside, teaching takes the form of parables, 12 That ‘though they have eyes, they may see without perceiving; and though they have ears, they may hear without understanding; lest some day they should turn and be forgiven.’” 13 He then went on to ask them: “Do you not know the meaning of this parable? Then how will you understand all the other parables? 14 The sower sows the message.”

15 “The people meant by the seed that falls along the path are those where the message is sown, but, as soon as they have heard it, Satan immediately comes and carries away the message that has been sown in them. 16 So, too, those meant by the seed sown on the rocky places are the people who, when they have heard the message, at once accept it joyfully; 17 But, as they have no root, they stand only for a short time; and so, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the message, they fall away at once.”

18 “Those meant by the seed sown among the brambles are different; they are the people who hear the message, 19 But the cares of life, and the glamour of wealth, and cravings for many other things come in and completely choke the message, so that it gives no return. 20 But the people meant by the seed sown on the good ground are those who hear the message, and welcome it, and yield a return, thirty, sixty, and even a hundred fold.”

Learn the Gospels through the Lord’s Prayer.

To continue reading Chapter 5 of the Gospel of Mark and learn what the Kingdom of God is like, please click on page 2 below.

First Must Be Last

Gospel of Mark 9

“I tell you,” he added, “that some of those who are standing here will not know death till they have seen the kingdom of God come in power.” 2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain alone by themselves. There his appearance was transformed before their eyes, 3 And his clothes became of a more dazzling white than any bleacher in the world could make them. 4 And Elijah appeared to them, in company with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.

5 “Rabbi,” said Peter, interposing, “it is good to be here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, because they were much afraid. 7 Then a cloud came down and enveloped them; and from the cloud there came a voice: “This is my beloved Son; him you must hear.” 8 And suddenly, on looking round, they saw that there was now no one with them but Jesus alone.

9 As they were going down the mountain-side, Jesus cautioned them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, till after the Son of Man should have risen again from the dead. 10 They seized upon these words and discussed with one another what this ‘rising from the dead’ meant. 11 “How is it,” they asked Jesus, “that our teachers of the law say that Elijah has to come first?”

12 “Elijah does indeed come first,” answered Jesus, “and re-establish everything; and does not scripture speak, with regard to the Son of Man, of his undergoing much suffering and being utterly despised? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and people have treated him just as they pleased, as scripture says of him.”

14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a great crowd round them, and some teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 But, as soon as they saw Jesus, all the people, in great astonishment, ran up and greeted him. 16 “What are you arguing about with them?” Jesus asked. 17 “Teacher,” answered a man in the crowd, “I brought my son to see you, as he has a dumb spirit in him; 18 And, wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth, and he is pining away. I asked your disciples to drive the spirit out, but they failed.”

19 “O faithless generation!” exclaimed Jesus. “How long must I be with you? how long must I have patience with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 They brought him to Jesus; but no sooner did the boy see him than the spirit threw him into convulsions; and he fell on the ground, and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 “How long has he been like this?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.

22 “From his childhood,” he answered; “and it has often thrown him into fire and into water to put an end to his life; but, if you can possibly do anything, take pity on us, and help us!” 23 Why say ‘possibly’?” Jesus replied. “Everything is possible for one who has faith.” 24 The boy’s father immediately cried out: “I have faith; help my want of faith!”

Learn how to pray like Jesus prayed.

To continue reading Chapter 9 of the Gospel of Mark and how the first must be last, please click on page 2 below.

Why Do You Call Me Good?

Gospel of Mark 10

On leaving that place, Jesus went into the district of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. Crowds gathered about him again; and again, as usual, he began teaching them. 2 Presently some Pharisees came up and, to test him, asked: “Has a husband the right to divorce his wife?” 3 “What direction did Moses give you?” replied Jesus. 4 “Moses,” they said, “permitted a man to ‘draw up in writing a notice of separation and divorce his wife.’”

5 “It was owing to the hardness of your hearts,” said Jesus, “that Moses gave you this direction; 6 But, at the beginning of the Creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, 8 And the man and his wife shall become one;’ so that they are no longer two, but one. 9 What God himself, then, has yoked together man must not separate.”

10 When they were indoors, the disciples asked him again about this, 11 And he said: “Any one who divorces his wife and marries another woman is guilty of adultery against his wife; 12 And, if the woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she is guilty of adultery.”

13 Some of the people were bringing little children to Jesus, for him to touch them; but the disciples found fault with those who had brought them. 14 When, however, Jesus saw this, he was indignant. “Let the little children come to me,” he said, “do not hinder them; for it is to the childlike that the kingdom of God belongs. 15 I tell you, unless you receive the kingdom of God like a child, you will not enter it at all.” 16 Then he folded the children in his arms, and, placing his hands on them, gave them his blessing.

17 And, as Jesus was resuming his journey, a man came running up to him, and threw himself on his knees before him. “Good Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to gain immortal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” answered Jesus. “No one is good but God. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not kill. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not say what is false about others. Do not cheat. Honor thy father and thy mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” he replied, “I have observed all these from my childhood.”

21 Jesus looked at the man, and his heart went out to him, and he said: “There is still one thing wanting in you; go and sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall heave wealth in heaven; then come and follow me.” 22 But the man’s face clouded at these words, and he went away distressed, for he had great possessions. 23 Then Jesus looked round, and said to his disciples: “How hard it will be for men of wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”

24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again: “My children, how hard a thing it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to get through a eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 “Then who can be saved?” they exclaimed in the greatest astonishment. 27 Jesus looked at them, and answered: “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for everything is possible with God.”

Explore the ‘Our Father’ Prayer

To continue reading Chapter 11 of the Gospel of Mark, please click on page 2 below.

Support St. Mary’s Brisbane & Fr. Peter Kennedy

The Living Hour fully supports the parishioners of St. Mary’s Brisbane (Australia) and their priest Fr. Peter Kennedy in their dispute with the Roman Catholic Church. In brief, the Bishop wrote to Fr. Kennedy threatening to close down the church if the priest and congregation did not return to a more orthodox version of the faith. This is the second occasion on which the Bishop had chastised Fr. Kennedy and his “errant” parishioners. You can show your support to these Progressive Christians who, like Jesus, are speaking truth to “power” run amuck by becoming a member of their website at:

http://www.stmaryssouthbrisbane.com/

What follows is recent correspondence between the Bishop and Fr. Kennedy, and between the parish community and the Bishop. The letter from the Bishop is filled with tricky rhetorical flourishes to try to bring Fr. Kennedy and the parish in line. But they ultimately are empty arguments, such as when the Bishop says:

“The separation of Christians is contrary to all that Christ prayed for. Nor does such division promote the Kingdom of God.”

Jesus of course never prayed for the unity of “Christians” but the unity of ALL people. In The Lord’s Prayer he taught his disciples to pray “Thy (Father’s) Kingdom Come, Thy will be done.” That WILL being the recognition and fulfillment of our identities as Sons and Daughters of God: something that the parish of St. Mary’s is working towards by following the Holy Spirit’s call within them–the call that trumps all others, including the dictates of an Archdiocese. The Bishop and the Roman Catholic Church (in not recognizing that their own actions are the ones creating the division of God’s Kingdom) should recall Luke 6:42:

“How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you don’t see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you’ll see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

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Dear Peter,

Thank you for your letter of 12 January with its invitation to further discuss the situation of St Mary’s South Brisbane. I see no reason to do so. I have repeatedly asked for changes but you and the community have not budged an inch. Moreover South Brisbane’s instant disclosure of my letters and comments in the media gives me no reason to enter into discussion. By all means consult the people of St Mary’s as you wish but ultimately you yourself are the shepherd and leader of its decisions. Time and time again I have spelt out a request for changes at St Mary’s Parish if it is to remain in communion with the Archdiocese of Brisbane and the Roman Catholic Church. However time and time again St Mary’s has chosen to go its own way. Therefore reluctantly I make the following decisions.

1. I will terminate your appointment as Administrator of St Mary’s Parish effective Saturday, 21 February 2009 unless you were to resign beforehand.

I would like to add, without trying to exert pressure, that if you wish to retire from active service as a priest, the Archdiocese will assist you as it does with other Archdiocesan priests who retire.

2. From the 21st February 2009 I will appoint Dean Ken Howell, of St Stephen’s Cathedral, as Administrator of St Mary’s, until a new Administrator is appointed.

From Sunday, 22 February 2009 regular Masses at 7am and 9am will be celebrated at St Mary’s Church until the matter is reviewed. Other sacraments of the Church will be available and can be arranged with Dean Ken Howell. Church goers attached to St Mary’s are most welcome to continue, as well as those who wish to return to the parish or those who wish to become new parishioners.

3. I sincerely hope that St Mary�s emphasis on social justice will remain. However such matters should be discussed with the new Administrator.

4. Because of its name, chosen originally in 1864, I also hope that sound Marian devotion will be promoted at St Mary’s as was normal in the past. I will do whatever I can to facilitate and encourage this devotion.

5. Because there is doubt about the validity of the many baptisms performed at St Mary’s, I will nominate a special day in the near future when baptisms can be performed at St Stephen’s Cathedral and certificates issued to parents concerned about validity, or those who are adult converts. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith made it clear in March 2008 that invalid baptisms cannot be dismissed and forgotten. They must be corrected.

6. Peter you have already claimed in the media that you may lead people who desire to follow you into a breakaway Christian community elsewhere in South Brisbane. I cannot stop you from doing so. However those who follow you should realise that they will not be in communion with the Roman Catholic Church or the Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Peter, making these decisions gives me no satisfaction whatsoever. The separation of Christians is contrary to all that Christ prayed for. Nor does such division promote the Kingdom of God. You have had ample time to make a considered decision. Please God the division that exists at the present time will be healed in the future, probably not in my time. I ask the priests, deacons, religious and people of the Archdiocese of Brisbane to pray for me and for all who belong to the Archdiocese, especially the community of St Mary’s in its present situation. In this matter I pray also that Mary the mother of Jesus will be our inspiration and guide as we seek her prayerful support for the healing of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, and St Mary�s Parish.

The response from the Parish Council to Archbishop Bathersby:

——————

Your Grace,

The members of St Mary�s Community remain in shock regarding your decision to terminate Peter Kennedy as Administrator of our faith community.

As a community we have sought to engage respectfully with you over the past six months and we continue to feel ignored by your refusal to meet with us. At no time in our communication have you acknowledged the input and the role of the laity of St Mary�s Community.

As Catholics we fully understand your position and authority within the Roman Catholic Church. It is with much dismay that we have witnessed the Canonical process unfold in a manner in which we feel there to be a grave misuse of power. You have acted on the belief that St Mary�s Community is out of communion with the Roman Catholic Church.

We as a community testify that:

1. Peter Kennedy is a man of faith who leads this community with integrity and honesty. We reject the claim that Peter�s ministry has caused harm to ecclesiastical communion as stated in your decree to remove him. St Mary�s Community is testament to just how many people have found their rightful place within the church through Peter�s actions and faith. Our claim, in fact, is that Peter�s ministry has delivered immense benefit to ecclesiastical communion at St Mary�s;

2. Peter Kennedy has not been given fair or due process according to natural justice or Canon law. Any openness to receiving evidence in relation to the allegations made by Richard Stokes in a formal manner involving the community would, we feel, have provided you with an enormous amount of testament to just how ill-founded the allegations concerning the community and Peter Kennedy are. We strongly believe that Peter has not been given procedural fairness in accordance with Canon Law.

3. St Mary�s laity have been considered insignificant and ignored, as not being capable of entering into dialogue with you or having any constructive role to play in this conflict. This community has been denied it�s baptismal rights and it�s right to be treated with dignity and respect as part of a Catholic faith community by your refusal to see us as equal stakeholders alongside yourself and Peter Kennedy.

4. Tuesday�s events of publically presenting, via the media, an invitation to Peter Kennedy for mediation appears to be a process which has absolutely nothing to do with actual mediation and further dismays us. The invitation appears to be an attempt to intimidate and position Peter publically as being non-cooperative. There has been no attempt to enter into genuine discussion through a mutually agreed upon process. It would appear that both in the choice of the mediator (appointed without any negotiation) and the refusal for mutually agreed terms of reference for mediation that the imbalance of power underpins all actions in relation to the resolution of the issues.

Your Grace, whatever the outcome, we consider that you may have missed the opportunity to engage with us the community, a community of people who aspire to the equality and dignity of each of us and not simply a community of followers of a priest named Peter Kennedy.

We are people of faith and community, built on the solid ground of our Catholic traditions and the lived realities of our lives, a faith grounded in the world in which we live. We are proud of who we are despite your apparent misconceptions. We are glad to have experienced a Vatican II vision of church that allows spirituality and justice to exist hand in hand in all that we do as a community and as individuals.

We urge you to revoke the decree of Peter�s termination as Administrator and enter into formal and authentic mediation with representatives from the community and Peter Kennedy.

Your Grace, together we could demonstrate true reconciliation and faith as testament to that which we believe in as a Catholic community.

We implore you to accept this invitation.

———

To explore some resources on Progressive Christianity, please go to: Top Liberal-Progressive Christian Websites

John – Gospel 3 – In Christ We Are Reborn

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a leading man among the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one could give such signs as you are giving, unless God were with him.”

3 “In truth I tell you,” exclaimed Jesus, “unless you are reborn, you cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 “How can someone,” asked Nicodemus, “be born when they are old? Can we be born a second time?” 5 “In truth I tell you,” answered Jesus, “unless you owe your birth to water and spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.

6 All that owes its birth to human nature is human, and all that owes its birth to the spirit is spiritual. 7 Do not wonder at my telling you that you all need to be reborn. 8 The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes, or where it goes; it is the same with everyone that owes his birth to the spirit.” 9 “How can that be?” asked Nicodemus.

10 “What! You a teacher of Israel,” exclaimed Jesus, “and yet do not understand this! 11 In truth I tell you that we speak of what we know, and state what we have seen; and yet you do not accept our statements. 12 If, when I tell you earthly things, you do not believe me, how will you believe me when I tell you of heavenly things?”

13 “None have ascended to heaven, except those who descended from heaven—the Son of Man himself. 14 And, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 That everyone who believes in him may have everlasting life.”

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that everyone who believes in him may not be lost, but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him escape condemnation, while those who do not believe in him are already condemned, because they have not believed in the only Son of God.”

19 “The ground of their condemnation is this: that though light has come into the world, they preferred the darkness to light, because their actions were wicked. 20 For those who live an evil life hate the light, and will not come to it because they fear that their actions will be exposed; 21 But those who act upon the truth come to the light, that their actions born in God may be made manifest.”

22 After this, Jesus went with his disciples into the country parts of Judea; and there he stayed with them, and baptized. 23 John, also, was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there were many streams there; and people were constantly coming and being baptized 24 (For John had not yet been imprisoned).

25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew on the subject of ‘purification;’ 26 And the disciples came to John and said: “Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, and to whom you have yourself borne testimony, he also is baptizing, and everybody is going to him.” 27 John’s answer was: “We can gain nothing but what is given to us from heaven.

28 You are yourselves witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but ‘I have been sent before him as a messenger.’ 29 It is the bridegroom who has the bride; but the bridegroom’s friend, who stands by and listens to him, is filled with joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This joy I have felt to the full. 30 He must become greater, and I less. 31 He who comes from above is above all others; but a child of earth is earthly, and his teaching is earthly, too. He who comes from heaven is above all others.”

32 “He states what he has seen and what he heard, and yet no one accepts his statement. 33 They who did accept his statement attested the fact that God is true. 34 For he whom God sent as his messenger gives us God’s own teaching, for God does not limit the gift of the spirit. 35 The Father loves his Son, and has put everything in his hands. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, while he who rejects the Son will not even see that life, but remains under God’s displeasure.”

To read the next chapter of the Book of John, please go to The Gospel of John – 4.

This Online New Testament Gospel of John is excerpted from the book The Living Hour: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life (with New Century Gospels). Including over 200 bookmarked citations from the canonical Gospels, this Progressive Christian book appeals to the Unitarian spirit at the heart of all faiths.

Challenge your perceptions on the Gospel of Christ, Jesus’s parables, and the Kingdom of God by purchasing The Lord’s Prayer book today. Produced by LivingHour.org, a Thailand-based small press dedicated to publishing unique Learning Easy Thai Language Books, as well as works on progressive spirituality.

Luke – Gospel 21 – Win Yourself Life!

Looking up, Jesus saw the rich people putting their gifts into the chests for the temple offerings. 2 He saw, too, a widow in poor circumstances putting two farthings into them. 3 On this he said: “I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others; 4 For everyone else here put in something from what they had to spare, while she, in her need, has put in all she had to live upon.”

5 When some of them spoke about the temple being decorated with beautiful stones and offerings, Jesus said: 6 “As for these things that you are looking at, a time is coming when not one stone will be left upon another here, which will not be thrown down.”

7 So the disciples questioned Jesus: “But, Teacher, when will this be? And what sign will there be when this is near?” 8 And Jesus said: “See that you are not led astray; for many will take my name, and come saying ‘I am He,’ and ‘The time is close at hand.’ Do not follow them. 9 And, when you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified, for these things must occur first; but the end will not be at once.”

10 Then he said to them: “‘Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom,’ 11 And there will be great earth-quakes, and plagues, and famines in various places, and there will be terrible appearances and signs in the heavens. 12 Before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you, and they will betray you to synagogues and put you in prison, bringing you before kings and governors for the sake of my name. 13 Then will be your opportunity of testifying for me.”

14 “Make up your minds, therefore, not to prepare your defense; 15 For I will myself give you words, and a wisdom which all your opponents together will be unable to resist or defy. 16 You will be betrayed even by your parents, and brothers, and relations, and friends, and they will cause some of you to be put to death, 17 And you will be hated by everyone on account of my name. 18 Yet not a single hair of your heads shall be lost! 19 By your endurance you shall win yourselves life.”

20 “As soon, however, as you see Jerusalem surrounded by armed camps, then you may know that the hour of her desecration is at hand. 21 Then those of you who are in Judea must take refuge in the mountains; those who are in Jerusalem must leave at once; and those who are in the country places must not go into it. 22 For these are to be the days of vengeance, when all that scripture says will be fulfilled.”

23 “Woe to the women that are with child, and for those that are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great suffering in the land, and anger against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be taken prisoners to every land, and ‘Jerusalem will be under the heel of the Gentiles,’ until their day is over—as it shall be.”

25 “There will be signs, too (in the sun, and moon, and stars), and on the earth despair among the nations, as they dismay at the roar of the sea and the surge. 26 People’s hearts will fail them through dread of what is coming upon the world; for ‘the forces of the heavens will be convulsed.’ 27 Then will be seen the ‘Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28 And, when these things begin to occur, look upwards and lift your heads, for your deliverance will be at hand.”

29 Then he taught them a lesson: “Look at the fig tree and all the other trees. 30 As soon as they shoot forth, you know, as you look at them, without being told, that summer is near. 31 And so may you, as soon as you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 I tell you that even the present generation will not pass away till all has taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

34 “Be on your guard else your minds should ever be dulled by debauches or drunkenness or the anxieties of life, and lest that day should come suddenly upon you, like a snare. 35 For come it will upon all who are living upon the face of the whole earth. 36 Be on the watch at all times, and pray that you may have strength to escape all that is destined to happen, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.”

37 During the days, Jesus continued to teach in the temple courts, but he went out and spent the nights on the hill called the ‘Mount of Olives.’ 38 And all the people would get up early in the morning, and come to listen to him in the temple courts.

To read the next chapter of the Book of Luke, please go toThe Gospel of Luke – 22.

This Online New Testament Gospel of Luke is excerpted from the book The Living Hour: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life (with New Century Gospels). Including over 200 bookmarked citations from the canonical Gospels, this Progressive Christian book appeals to the Unitarian spirit at the heart of all faiths.

Challenge your perceptions on the Gospel of Christ, Jesus’s parables, and the Kingdom of God by purchasing The Lord’s Prayer book today. Produced by LivingHour.org, a Thailand-based small press dedicated to publishing unique Learning Easy Thai Language Books, as well as works on progressive spirituality.

Luke – Gospel 22 – Peter Denies Jesus Three Times

The feast of the unleavened bread, known as the Passover, was near. 2 The chief priest and the teachers of the law were looking for an opportunity of destroying Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. 3 Now Satan took possession of Judas, who was known as Iscariot, and who belonged to the twelve; 4 And he went and discussed with the chief priests and officers in charge at the temple the best way of betraying Jesus to them. 5 They were glad of this, and agreed to pay him.

6 So Judas assented and looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus to them, in the absence of a crowd. 7 When the day of the festival of the unleavened bread came, on which the Passover lambs had to be killed, 8 Jesus sent forward Peter and John, saying to them: “Go and make preparations for our eating the Passover.” 9 “Where do you wish us to make preparations?” they asked.

10 “Listen,” he answered, “when you have got into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you; follow him into whatever house he enters; 11 And you shall say to the owner of the house: ‘The Teacher asks you where is the room where I am to eat the Passover with my disciples?’12 The man will show you a large upstairs room, already furnished; there make preparations.”

13 So Peter and John went on, and found everything just as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 14 When the time came, Jesus took his place at table, the apostles with him. 15 “I have most earnestly wished,” he said, “to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you that I shall not eat it again, until it has had its fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then, on receiving a cup, after saying the thanksgiving, he said: 18 “Take this and share it among you. For I tell you that, after today, I shall not drink the juice of the grape, until the kingdom of God has come.”

19 Then Jesus took some bread, and, after saying the thanksgiving, broke it and gave to them, with the words: “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And in the same way with the cup, after supper, saying: “This cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you. 21 Yet see! The hand of the man that is betraying me is beside me upon the table! 22 True, the Son of Man is passing, as it was ordained for him, yet alas for that man by whom he is being betrayed!”

23 Then they began questioning one another which of them it could be that was going to do this. 24 And a dispute arose among them as to which of them was to be regarded the greatest. 25 Jesus, however, said: “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their oppressors are styled as benefactors. 26 But with you it must not be so. No, let the greatest among you become like the youngest, and him who leads like him who serves. 27 Which is the greater: the master at the table or his servant? Is it not the master at the table? Yet I myself am among you as one who serves.”

28 You are the men who have stood by me in my trials; 29 And, just as my Father has assigned me a kingdom, I assign you places, 30 So that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and be seated upon twelve thrones as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel. 31 Simon! Simon! Listen. Satan desires to sift you all like wheat, 32 But I prayed for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. And you, when you have returned to me, are to strengthen your brothers.”

33 “Master,” said Peter, “with you I am ready to go both to prison and to death.” 34 “I tell you, Peter,” replied Jesus, “the cock will not crow today until you have disowned all knowledge of me three times.” 35 Then he said to them all: “When I sent you out as my messengers, without either purse, or bag, or sandals, were you in need of anything?” “No; nothing,” they answered.

36 “Now, however,” he said, “he who has a purse must take it and his bag as well; and he who has not must sell his cloak and buy a sword. 37 For I tell you that passage of scripture must be fulfilled in me which says: ‘He was counted among the godless’; indeed all that refers to me is finding its fulfillment.”

8 “Master,” they exclaimed, “look, here are two swords!” “Enough!” said Jesus. 39 Jesus then went out, and made his way, as usual, to the Mount of Olives, followed by his disciples. 40 And, when he reached the spot, he said to them: “Pray that you may not fall into temptation.” 41 Then he withdrew about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and began to pray.

42 “Father,” he said, “if it is thy pleasure, spare me this cup; only, not my will but yours be done.” 43 Presently there appeared to him an angel from heaven, who strengthened him. 44 And, as his anguish became intense, he prayed still more earnestly, while his sweat was like great drops of blood falling on the ground. 45 Then he rose from praying, and came to the disciples, and found them sleeping for sorrow.

46 “Why are you asleep?” he asked them. “Rise and pray, that you may not fall into temptation.” 47 While he was still speaking, a crowd appeared in sight, led by the man called Judas, who was one of the twelve. Judas approached Jesus, to kiss him; 48 On which Jesus said to him: “Judas, is it by a kiss that you betray the Son of Man?”

49 But when those who were round Jesus saw what was going to happen, they exclaimed: “Master, shall we use our swords?” 50 And one of them struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear; 51 On which Jesus said: “Let me at least do this”; and touching his ear, he healed the wound.

52 Then, turning to the chief priests, and officers in charge at the temple, and councilors, who had come for him, he said: “Have you come out, as if after a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple courts, you did not lay hands on me; but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” 54 Those who had taken Jesus prisoner took him away into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance.

55 But, when they had lit a fire in the center of the court-yard and had all sat down there, Peter seated himself in the middle of them. 56 Presently a maidservant saw him sitting near the blaze of the fire. Fixing her eyes on him, she said: “Why, this man was one of his companions!” 57 But Peter denied it. “I do not know him,” he replied. 58 A little while afterwards someone else—a man—saw him and said: “Why, you are one of them!” “No,” Peter said, “I am not.”

59 About an hour later another man declared positively: “This man also was certainly with him. Why, he is a Galilean!” 60 But Peter said: “I do not know what you are speaking about.” Instantly, while he was still speaking, a cock crowed. 61 And the Master turned and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered the words that the Master had said to him: “Before a cock has crowed today, you will disown me three times“; 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

63 The men that held Jesus kept making sport of him and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and then questioned him. “Now play the prophet,” they said; “who was it that struck you?” 65 And they heaped many other insults on him. 66 At daybreak the national council met—both the chief priests and the teachers of the law—and took Jesus before their high council.

67 “If you are the Christ,” they said, “tell us so.” “If I tell you,” replied Jesus, “you will not believe me. 68 And, if I question you, you will not answer. 69 But from this hour ‘the Son of Man will be seated on the right hand of God Almighty.’” 70 “Are you, then, the Son of God?” they all asked. And Jesus said: “You say that I am” 71 At this they replied: “Why do we any further witnesses? For we have heard ourselves from his own mouth.”

To read the next chapter from the Book of Luke, please go to The Gospel of Luke – 23.

This Online New Testament Gospel of Luke is excerpted from the book The Living Hour: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life (with New Century Gospels). Including over 200 bookmarked citations from the canonical Gospels, this Progressive Christian book appeals to the Unitarian spirit at the heart of all faiths.

Challenge your perceptions on the Gospel of Christ, Jesus’s parables, and the Kingdom of God by purchasing The Lord’s Prayer book today. Produced by LivingHour.org, a Thailand-based small press dedicated to publishing unique Learning Easy Thai Language Books, as well as works on progressive spirituality.