Liquid Holiness

For many generations, Christians have promoted (and made use of) a liquid substance primarily known as anointing oil! I myself keep a bottle of the stuff in my satchel. The question is whether or not there are biblical basis for it's use and, if so, when is it to be used? does it accomplish anything by being used.

I am writing on this topic after a friend of mine contacted me and requested that I share my thoughts on the topic matter and immediately I felt the inspiration to write on the subject matter. My friend asked me about my thoughts on the use of anointing oil and whether or not I thought is was abused, specifically by the charismatic/Pentecostal brethren.

My answer, however, cannot be made without first looking at scripture. In the Bible we see various instances where oil was used for anointing: generals to lead reformation, men to be priests, and a little boy to be a king. In the books and letters of the new covenant we see where people we anointed because they were sick.

The use of anointing oil has been upheld by Christian tradition for centuries. The Roman Catholic Church still supports it use in some of its rites, such as the final rites (which is perceived to be sacramental in nature). The RCC also uses Holy Water (which protestants, in a strange twist of irony, have labeled heretical). Pentecostal traditions have managed to mass produce the liquid substance and find themselves anointing. not only the sick or those being placed in a position of authority, but also the windows, chairs, walls, and doors.

What is the purpose of oil? What good does it do? Is it deeply symbolic, merely another strange action of a bizarre group of people lost in traditions while trying to honor a power and unfathomable God, or is there something deeply spiritual and effective about the use of oil? I'm not going to even pretend that I have the answer...because I don't. As much as I love God and as much as I have read books and had classes on scripture...more and more I realize that I may know more than most, I know nothing compared to all there is to know about Christ and His universe.

So, we have something that has vague use in the Bible, but is in fact used by the the early Church and carried forth by church tradition. It is powerful reminder and physical, tangible substance that draws our attention to the unseen and intangible. Regardless of it having power, it is a powerful tool for worship and prayer, as well as faith strengthening. Just like the incense that fills the naive and the bells that sound in rafters of ancient cathedrals, so does the oil bring us into focus upon our Creator and make us aware of His ever present Presence that covers us, fills us, and leaves a mark upon us.

I think the ultimate question is...does the your use of anointing oil or theology concerning anointing oil take away your worship, praise, faith, or reliance in God? Many pray to "Padre Pio" instead of praying to Christ, and many call on Mary and rely on her to speak on their behalf. Christ is center, Christ is focus, and if you find the anointing oil is a great symbolic reminder of the presence of Christ and helps strengthen your faith...then by all means use it! If you believe that there is a deep, spiritual essence to holy oil by which God causes change and/or acts upon the use of...then great! Point is that a) God gets glory and He is recognized as the life source and b) we are pushed to living a life style the reflects the beauty of the Gospel.

"Happy holidays! No offense..."

As I get older and spend more time contemplating Theology and life, I find that my understanding of holidays as a whole is undergoing significant change. My priorities and my focus all have shifted. Christmas is not what it used to be for me, and I'm happy that it isn't. The majority of Christmas music hurts my soul! If I hear that blasted song that says "I wanna see Christmas through your eyes" one more flippin time!!!....I'm sorry, I digress.

I have a good deal of thought concerning holidays, and I would like that Americans (particularly Christians) do not celebrate holidays enough, and when they do it isn't done well.  Lost in commercialism and selfishness, we fail to celebrate the holidays as they were meant to and, therefore, do not reap the benefits of said holidays. As a result, we suffer spiritually, physically, mentally, and culturally. Again, I digress. This is not what I wanted to focus on for my post, but I do believe needed to be said. I will expand on my thoughts in another post, but what really is my focus here is my hearing arguments about "offending" people.

Again, Christians fail at this. I'm not being critical of the Church here...I'm just pointing out a flaw in our thinking that needs to be addressed so that we can move forward and be more worshipful in our living. I've heard a lot of talk of how the Church should be as unoffensive as possible. "We don't want to offend people" is the stance that the White House took in saying "Holiday Trees" rather than "Christmas Trees", and what happened? People got offended. Possible more people than if they had stood by what they claimed to believe and said "Christmas Trees". The fact is that it is impossible to not offend someone, especially in America where people seem to look for chance to be offended and cause a ruckus ..it's a portion of the fallen nature of man that has taken hold in our culture.

To never offend someone is either to A) do absolutely nothing or to B) live life walking on eggshells and being a completely different person every time you change who you are around. The former will ultimately end in someone being offended; the latter will leave you broken and without any sense of identity or integrity and you will be enslaved to the beliefs and the stupidity of anyone that comes near you. It is an unhealthy way to live and it will destroy you. So to live healthy means that you will offend someone. If you care too much about what people say about you and about offending them, then you are probably living in fear and in sin...enslaved by people rather than living a holy and spiritual life that God desires for us. You are stripped of happiness and joy; caged by your own worldview.

The Gospel is offensive...Church is offensive...you can't escape it. To try is to dishonor our God, who had no problem offending people when it was needed. Neither should we. At the same time we should not waste our time and energy raising up arguments about "holiday trees" when there are far more important things that need to be discussed and fought for. Like our rights to bear arms and the evils of abortions.

People are offended by the death of 20 precious children and demand that guns be outlawed...while even more are offended by the murdering of hundreds of thousand of babies in the name of "human rights" and nothing is done! Stop tippy toeing and trying to not step on peoples toes and start standing for truth and for the things worth fighting for. I wish you all a Merry Christmas! May your Holy day be beautiful and full of the blessing of our Lord Christ. May you abandon your selfishness and your pride and remember to celebrate and give thanks to God for what He has done. Celebrate life by giving to those you love and be with them in unity and fellowship. Do not cry if you don't get the color iPhone you want, it will be worthless within the year. Put an end to your vain longings and set your thoughts on things that matter, like God and people.

Peace be with you all,

Stephen

Having a Moment...

Have you ever thought of the phrase "I just had a moment"? It's such a strange phrase. It makes very little sense if you think about it. Had...a...moment. And yet I find myself thinking of how just thirty minutes ago I had an experience that I can describe with no other words than "had a moment". I do not mean it in terms of psychological breakdown...but instead of a sudden and brief period of time where everything in life seemed to shift and life became a blur. It was a moment in which I felt a deep and unyielding desire that I have not felt in some time.

I was on my way from the laundry room to my apartment, listening to music, and reflecting on life as it is and how much things have changed in the last year alone. In the midst of my thoughts and emotions there rose this sudden desire to sing a song called "Moving Forward" by Israel Houghton that I haven't heard (or sung) in a very long time. It then passed a desire for God overwhelmed me. I got into my apartment as quickly as possible and put my clothes in my room as the emotions and the intense feeling of desire kept increasing...and before I knew it I was standing in the dark, right in the center of my living room and letting my emotions and desires rush over me and I began to pray.

Intimacy...this was my prayer. A closeness and a unity with God. For a long while I have been seeking to understand who I am, and then to apply what I learn to real life. I have definitely been seeking God before this moment, but nothing as strong or as relentless as this moment in time that came like a sudden wind...not knowing from where it came or to where it ever went or even still to where it will soon be. It is a beautiful and wonderful experience that touches the heart, the mind, and the soul...

This I hold as evidence...dear sweet truth of the Holy Spirit dwelling within me and I wish I felt it so strongly more often.

Reset

Sometimes I wish life was like my old Nintendo...if I mess up I can just hit "reset" and try again. Eventually I'd have every move, every step planned out perfectly to react to the appropriate approaching obstacle that I wouldn't have had foresight to avoid the first run through. Sadly, life doesn't come with a reset button. Whatever happens is "auto saved" in real time and there is nothing that we can do about time that slips by us.

Many might say that I am too young to begin thinking like this...I don't think so. I might be, however, too young to know how to handle such a realization. No? Ok. In that case I have not the maturity and strength of will to handle it. I want to despair over time wasted and words spoken in vain. This, however, is not a very godly way of approaching life, and it is void of grace. Grace should overwhelm our lives. No it should not become a justification for wasting time or sinning, but it should allow us to say "Ok, I messed up...but I can do better and I don't have to be angry or feel condemned for what I have or haven't done."

One of the most striking phrases I have heard in a church service was during a time of confession during a vespers service that I attended at an AMIA (Anglican Mission to America) church service. It went like this :

"Heavenly Father, we confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole hearts; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves..."

Every time I say this words, I sense the presence of God. In my yielding and confessing I sense His grace being poured out on me and I am renewed. It has come to my attention of late that I am not so gracious to myself. I do not think it possible for one to "forgive" one's own self, but I do think it possible to withhold grace from oneself. This I do often. I also do not own up to reality and say "what is don't is behind me, don't fret it and make the change." This is the most ungodly thing about me that I can currently name.

To day I heard a priest say "it sinful to think too highly of yourself, but it also sinful to think too lowly of yourself." Here is where I fall short time and time again. It's something that affects more than just me, but also my friends and loved ones. This is not what I desire for the rest of my life. Instead I'd rather stand tall, look at all that has transpired, and say "no more!" So I pray for the Holy Spirit's continual loving mercy to mold and shape my mind and my heart that I might move forward in peace to love and serve the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. To live...truly live life in the presence of God the Almighty and enjoy His creation unto my death.

Peace be with you all.

Stephen

Stay Connected

It's the 21st Century! We have advanced in technology and technology makes the world a better place!

Or does it???

It is easy for one to argue either way. One aspect of technology that I want to focus on, however, is that which connects us and keeps open multiple lines of communication. Today we are all consistently aware of what others are saying, thinking, and doing by way of Facebook, Twitter, and various forms of social media, as well as having cell phones that keeps our friends and family just a few short rings away at all times. Many would think of this as a wonder that has brought progress and advancement to the world, and they would be right in saying so! But what else have these things brought us?

I don't think we realize the problems that have also been wrought by our so called "advancements". For one, technology has led to the depersonalizing of relationships. Certain social networks have taken away the risk in relationships, as well as devalued the meaning of the word "friend". Today, everyone is automatically a "friend" so long as they have sent a friend request. No one personally shares their stories with there friends. Instead they pour it out for everyone to see/read.

Boundaries are broken because of the advancement of technology. Privacy is invaded, and people are quicker to speak without thinking first. Many people make statements online that, if they were in the presence of all the people they have "friended", would think twice about saying and ultimately choose not to say. Emotion and personality are significantly reduced by the use of texting and social networks.

Ultimately, one could argue that we are in fact LESS connected because of advancement. When communication is reduced to short, emotional-driven statement made in haste and without discernment as to whom is reading, then we are left with relationships that are raped by emotions and by cold, unforgiving delusions of popularity and friendship.

Also, I question the value in people also being contactable? This severely affects the much needed solitude and silence that are needed for one's psyche. These are two spiritual disciplines that are all but lost because of all that I have mentioned above. With the presence of cell phone, people suddenly are loaded with false obligations and responsibility. How many of you have been reprimanded for not answering your phone? Or for not responding to a text fast enough? Is it your responsibility to do so? There is no scripture that says "Thou shalt make yourself as available as possible for others" or "If thou art within the reach of one's voice, then thou shalt heed it!" No, this is not a Bible taught concept. Again, this is a violation of privacy and of personal boundaries. Too much "communication" can be bad, especially since these forms have overridden true quality time with other members of humanity.

Don't get me wrong. I am grateful  for technology and I am grateful for what cell phones and social media can do to better our lives; to ease our lives. I simply am stating that we need to be aware of the problems that can incur because of it and work to keep these from affecting us, our relationships, and the unity of the Church.

Peace be upon you all,

Stephen