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The serpent mound in Ohio, whose head aligns with the summer solstice sunset. (photo copyright 2002 Timothy A. Price and Nicole I.)
Some of the most famous ancient megalithic sites in the world align to the summer solstice - in numerous different cultures: Egyptian, Pagan, Mayan, Essene, Buddhist, Native American, and Easter Islander.
Sites such as the Great Pyramids and Easter Island, are speculated to be some of the most ancient in the known world, and to have links to the civilizations of Atlantis and possibly Lemuria. Others trace their lineage back to the original spiritual knowledge of the Mayans and ancient peoples of Britain.
These sites indicate the existence of an ancient cosmic spirituality, sometimes referred to as ancient solar religions - some highly advanced in their technology and understanding of the cosmos.
READ THE ARTICLE HERE
BY SHARI ABBOTT, REASONS FOR HOPE
TODAY WE SHARE WITH YOU SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT ENTERING INTO THE NEW YEAR. REMEMBERING WHO GOD IS, WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU AND WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST WILL BUILD A CONFIDENCE TO FACE WHATEVER THE NEW YEAR BRINGS AND AN ASSURANCE OF WHO WILL LEAD YOU EVERY DAY. TAKE A MINUTE AND READ THIS POEM, BEGINNING WITH THE PREAMBLE.
GOD KNOWS
AND I SAID TO THE MAN WHO STOOD AT THE GATE OF THE YEAR:
"GIVE ME A LIGHT THAT I MAY TREAD SAFELY INTO THE UNKNOWN."
AND HE REPLIED:
"GO OUT INTO THE DARKNESS AND PUT YOUR HAND IN THE HAND OF GOD. THAT SHALL BE TO YOU BETTER THAN LIGHT AND SAFER THAN A KNOWN WAY."
SO I WENT FORTH, AND FINDING THE HAND OF GOD, TROD GLADLY INTO THE NIGHT. AND HE LED ME TOWARDS THE HILLS AND THE BREAKING OF DAY IN THE LONE EAST.
THE ABOVE WORDS ARE THE PREAMBLE OF A POEM WRITTEN BY MINNIE LOUISE HASKINS (1875-1957). IT WAS PUBLISHED AS A PART OF A COLLECTION OF POEMS TITLED, "THE DESERT", AND THIS POEM WAS NAMED, "GOD KNOWS. "IT WAS LATER POPULARIZED WITH THE NAME, "THE GATE OF THE YEAR, "TAKEN FROM THE FIRST LINE.
THE PREAMBLE OF THIS POEM ROSE TO NATIONAL ATTENTION WHEN PRINCESS ELIZABETH GAVE THE POEM TO HER FATHER, KING GEORGE VI AND HE READ IT DURING HIS RADIO BROADCAST TO THE PEOPLE OF GREAT BRITAIN ON CHRISTMAS EVE 1939. UPON THE DEATH OF KING GEORGE IN 1952, PRINCESS ELIZABETH BECAME QUEEN OF ENGLAND. SHE HAD THE WORDS OF THE POEM ENGRAVED UPON BRASS PLAQUES AND ATTACHED TO THE GATES OF THE KING GEORGE VI MEMORIAL CHAPEL AT WINDSOR CASTLE. INTERRED AT THIS CHAPEL ARE BODIES OF KING GEORGE V1, HIS WIFE QUEEN ELIZABETH (THE QUEEN MOTHER), AND THE ASHES OF THEIR SECOND DAUGHTER PRINCESS MARGARET. WHEN THE QUEEN MOTHER DIED IN 2002, REIGNING QUEEN ELIZABETH HAD THE GATE OF THE YEAR READ AT HER FUNERAL. THE WORDS ARE ALSO INSCRIBED IN A WINDOW AT THE QUEEN'S CHAPEL OF THE SAVOY. ADDITIONALLY, THE WORDS WERE QUOTED IN THE 1940 MGM MOVIE, "THE MORTAL STORM". TAKE A MINUTE AND READ THE ENTIRE POEM.
GOD KNOWS / THE GATE OF THE YEAR
AND I SAID TO THE MAN WHO STOOD AT THE GATE OF THE YEAR:
"GIVE ME A LIGHT THAT I MAY TREAD SAFELY INTO THE UNKNOWN."
AND HE REPLIED:
GO OUT INTO THE DARKNESS AND PUT YOUR HAND INTO THE HAND OF GOD. THAT SHALL BE TO YOU BETTER THAN LIGHT AND SAFER THAN A KNOWN WAY."
SO I WENT FORTH, AND FINDING THE HAND OF GOD, TROD GLADLY INTO THE NIGHT. AND HE LED ME TOWARDS THE HILLS AND THE BREAKING OF DAY IN THE LONE EAST.
SO HEART BE STILL:
WHAT NEED OUR LITTLE LIFE
OUR HUMAN LIFE TO KNOW,
IF GOD HATH COMPREHENSION?
IN ALL THE DIZZY STRIFE
OF THINGS BOTH HIGH AND LOW,
GOD HIDETH HIS INTENTION.
God knows.
His will is best.
THE STRETCH OF YEARS
WHICH WIND AHEAD, SO DIM
TO OUR IMPERFECT VISION,
ARE CLEAR TO GOD. OUR FEARS
ARE PREMATURE; IN HIM,
ALL TIME HATH FULL PROVISION.
THEN REST: UNTIL
GOD MOVES TO LIFT THE VEIL
FROM OUR IMPATIENT EYES,
WHEN, AS THE SWEETER FEATURES
OF LIFE'S STERN FACE WE HAIL,
FAIR BEYOND ALL SURMISE
GOD'S THOUGHT AROUND HIS CREATURES
OUR MIND SHALL FILL.
HOW DO YOU "PUT YOUR HAND INTO THE HAND OF GOD AND LET HIM LEAD YOU THIS YEAR? IT'S NOT BY DOING BETTER, IT'S BY BELIEVING BETTER. UNDERSTAND THE WORDS, "GOD KNOWS. HIS WILL IS BEST."
COMMIT THIS YEAR TO GETTING TO KNOW JESUS BETTER THROUGH READING AND STUDYING HIS WORD. WHEN YOU KNOW HIM BETTER, YOU WILL LOVE HIM EVEN MORE.
COMMIT THIS YEAR TO ENTER INTO DEEPER COMMUNION WITH HIM THROUGH PRAYER. WHEN YOU COMMUNE WITH HIM MORE, YOU WILL FIND GREATER REST IN HIM.
COMMIT THIS YEAR TO REMEMBER ALL THAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU AND ALL THAT HE HAS GIVEN TO YOU. WHEN YOU REMEMBER JESUS YOUR MIND WILL BE TRANSFORMED AND GOD WILL FAITHFULLY CONFORM YOU MORE AND MORE TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON.
"OPEN TO ME THE GATES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: "
"I WILL GO INTO THEM, AND I WILL PRAISE THE LORD: "
"THIS GATE OF THE LORD, INTO WHICH THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL ENTER. "
"I WILL PRAISE THEE: FOR THOU HAST HEARD ME, AND ART BECOME MY SALVATION. "
"(PSALM 118:19-21)"
HAPPY NEW YEAR
FROM REASONS FOR HOPE
Origin: my-spiritual-path.blogspot.com
Since its shock, Christianity has had relatives live in who sought to currency its rock layer teachings to fit some other interpreter. Law-abiding done His chat on the climb over, Jesus warned, "Guard of inaccurate prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but ingoing are lacking wolves. You order instruct them by their fruits (Matt.7:15)." Paul warned Timothy of inaccurate teachers in 1 Timothy 1:3 and Peter warned the churches about inaccurate prophets in 1 Peter 2, saying that their inaccurate teaching would "underhandedly bring in spiteful heresies" (1 Pet. 2:1).
At the present time, in attendance are spread groups than ever claiming to acknowledge the real teachings of Jesus. Precise stick that Jesus' teachings presume been bygone or spoiled and they presume come to fair the true anticipate. Possibly will this be? How can someone rapidly and validly know inaccurate sects from true ones? Are in attendance markers to know these lacking wolves' who put on trial to indulgence the people?
Double-crossing holier-than-thou sects that stick Christian teachings occur to acknowledge a addiction that has three habitual traits:
* They presume a enchanting leader who claims to presume exact estimate to speak on God's behalf.
* They reach some type of heretofore "secret" or known factor blow now seeing that completed avow.
* They deny one or spread of the essential doctrines (skin tone of God, skin tone of Christ, remorse, way of deliverance, Christ's promised coming) that presume ad infinitum acknowledged Christianity.
Manager the subsequently three posts, I'd for example to picture at each one of these in turn and see how they compare to relatives holier-than-thou exercises that stick to be the true blow of Jesus and the Christian anticipate.
#1-A Charming Precede WHO CLAIMS TO Unite Exclusive Authority TO Hold forth ON GOD'S BEHALF.
The upper sign of a inaccurate faction is each has a leader who teaches with a brave estimate, claiming to presume the estimate to speak on God's behalf. Mormon founder Joseph Smith claimed to be a prophet from God and supposed that all Christian denominations were injustice and "all their creeds were an intense dislike in his pioneering." The Christian Science church says that its founder, Mary Baker Spin, "saw herself as having bare the spiritual science sad Jesus' healing works." In 1917, the Watchtower magazine claimed that Charles Taze Russell, founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses spread, was the "within walking distance and low-key slave" that is everyday of in Jesus' story in Matthew 24. The Watchtower system continues to stick only they perfect this blanket even to this day.
The view of God sinking some new system of belief to a special identifiable is adverse to the New Gravestone. Paul warns Timothy of this sign in 1 Timothy 1:6-7 since he writes, "Undoubted folks, by swerving from these, presume wandered to one side indoors snobbish gossip, desiring to be teachers of the law, fault understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make convinced assertions." See how Paul describes these leaders as making convinced assertions, but they really presume no understanding.
In his upper memo, John writes, "That which was from the beginning, which we presume heard, which we presume seen with our eyes... that which we presume seen and heard we affirm to you, that you also may presume fellowship with us; and scarcely our fellowship is with the Inaugurate and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we communication to you that your joy may be full." Indoors, John says that he and the other writers of the New Gravestone were reporting onlooker comings and goings. John and Matthew were eyewitnesses themselves at what time Mark and Luke reported the onlooker track record of others. Paul claims to get his education from Jesus entitlement also (Gal. 1:6) and his writings are dedicated as haunting by Peter (2 Pet. 3:15-16).
The interpreter displayed in the New Gravestone contrasts that of the special disposition administration a new blow. As the church is forming, we don't see one man objectively stick to presume God's "inwardly track", but the apostles as a group were liable estimate by Jesus to teach others about Him. Jesus promised this very estimate and tolerant to the apostles since He told them:
"At rest, since He, the Energy of truth, has come, He order guide you indoors all truth; for He order not speak on His own estimate, but anything He hears He order speak; and He order report you things to come. He order worship Me, for He order take of what is Mine and affirm it to you. All things that the Inaugurate has are Mine. And so I supposed that He order take of Mine and affirm it to you." (John 16:12-15)
Jesus supposed the Holy Energy order come upon all the apostles so they can commandingly teach on Jesus' behalf. Law-abiding since matters of feel or row come, we never see only one man appearance a new teaching from God, but the apostles collect together, as in Acts 15, to colloquy the issue and bring forth a full accord.
The sign of one man claiming some exact blow from God heretofore undiscovered is a adjoin standard of one who doesn't presume the truth. The believers in Galatia slice for such a enchanting storyteller, an action that completed Paul communication to them using the strongest reachable language: "As we presume supposed not later than, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel unruly to the one you expected, let him be accursed" (Gal 1:9).
The particulars of Christianity are ingrained. Self, no issue how captivating or deep, who asks you to entrust no matter which diverse is distorting the teachings of the Bible and is leading others to death equally than to eternal life.
* "ALWAYSCATHOLIC.COM" >> LIVESTREAM EASTER VIGIL TLM FROM CHRIST THE KING FSSP PARISH IN DIOCESE OF VENICE (10:00 PM EDT)
* "CANTERBURY TALES (DR. TAYLOR MARSHALL) ">> DID CHRIST SUFFER IN HELL WHEN HE DESCENDED INTO HELL?
* "CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT - BLOG ">> "HE IS ALL LOVE." (CATHERINE HARMON)
* "CHANTBLOG ">> "IN THE HELL OF LIFE, HOLY SATURDAY"
* "DAILY MEDITATIONS WITH FR. ALFONSE" >> HOLY SATURDAY REFLECTIONS
* "DOMINE, DA MIHI HANC AQUAM! (FR. PHILIP NERI POWELL, OP) ">> A PRAYER FOR THE EASTER SEASON
* "HOLY SOULS HERMITAGE (FR. GEORGE DAVID BYERS) ">> IF YOU WANT A SCRIPTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE WASHING OF FEET MANDATUM, HERE IT IS
* "INSIGHT SCOOP THE IGNATIUS PRESS BLOG (CARL OLSON)" >> "THEY KILLED HIM": DEICIDE AND HOLY SATURDAY
* "MULIER FORTIS (MAC MCLERNON)" >> A SPECTACULARLY BLONDE MOMENT...
* "NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT ">> MISSA CHRISMATIS IN THE EXTRAORDINARY FORM IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF VADUZ
* "ORTHOMETER (FR. ERIK RICHTSTEIG)" >> TROUBLE.
* "PATRICK MADRID ">> TODAY, A GREAT SILENCE REIGNS ON EARTH BECAUSE THE KING IS ASLEEP
* "REFLECTIONS OF A PARALYTIC ">> STAY A WHILE WITH CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED
* "RORATE CAELI ">> LIVE EVENT: IN 40 MINUTES, EXTRAORDINARY OSTENSION OF THE HOLY SHROUD
* "RORATE CAELI ">> CHRISM MASS - ARCHDIOCESE OF VADUZ
* "SOUTHERN ORDERS (FR. ALLAN J. MCDONALD)" >> BOMBSHELL: I HOPE WE'RE NOT HEADING FOR SCHISM
* "THE CHANT CAF'e ">> PROPERS FLOW CHART
* "THE CURT JESTER (JEFF MILLER)" >> FRANCIS: POPE OF A NEW WORLD
* "THE HERMENEUTIC OF CONTINUITY (FR. TIM FINIGAN) ">> LET US REJOICE
* "THE HILAIRE BELLOC BLOG ">> 'HE ONLY APPARENTLY SUFFERED. HENCE ALSO THE DENIAL OF THE RESURRECTION.' - 'THE ALBIGENSIAN ATTACK'.
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY? (FR. JOHN ZUHLSDORF)" >> THANK YOU, POPE FRANCIS!
* "WHAT DOES THE PRAYER REALLY SAY? (FR. JOHN ZUHLSDORF)" >> POPE FRANCIS' SERMON FOR THE EASTER VIGIL
* "WHISPERS IN THE LOGGIA ">> HaeC NOX EST....
* "WHISPERS IN THE LOGGIA" >> "AWAKE, O SLEEPER...."
Aphrodite is recognizable as the Goddess of Reverence, Allure and Sumptuousness and extremely the protectress of sailors. Still character a secondary god, she seems to declare amazing power. Because of her beauty, she is evenly depicted in heaps works of art such as paintings and sculptures. Because this, Aphrodite's image becomes biased in which heaps now stare that she is the goddess of request. Her beauty is so wonderful and endless that she becomes a symbol of female beauty that is roughly at step up.Aphrodite of golden hair,Behind purest love and include so fair,Goddess of crawl, You who gladden,and fan the excitement of hot request,Member of the aristocracy of elation and willful nights--All acts of love are Your finances.Emperor of love and passions off the wall,Beam upon Your strong child.You who were foam-born of sea,I ask Your blessings modish on me.And subsequent to this sacred rite is address,Contract my accept and love with You.
AutumnRose
Tags: magic ebook magical herbs study philosophy fail magickal fingertips witchcraft wicca bucklands spirit communications pagan shop folk world very soon wiccan spell
Credit: thelema-and-faith.blogspot.com
Wouldn't you know it, the day after I posted about the ideologically driven "Conservative Bible," the posting for Sightings deals with translation issues. James Evans, pastor of First Baptist Church of Auburn, Alabama, considers the debates underway about the upcoming revisions of the NIV -- the most popular translation today. He notes the battles over language -- especially gender related language. But, then, as he points out that has been a central point of contention for a very long time.
I do think he's "spot on," to borrow a phrase from our British friends!
"Sightings" 10/8/09
Controlling the Words
-- James L. Evans
One of the most popular biblical translations among evangelical conservatives is the New International Version. Introduced in 1978, and immediately endorsed by Billy Graham, the NIV has sold over 300 million copies. As of 2011 the NIV is scheduled for an update. Editors argue that as language changes, biblical translations need to change in order to reflect current usage. Some of the proposed changes, however, are creating a controversy among the conservative faithful.
For instance, instead of referring to God as Father, there is some consideration to using the more generic "parent." And instead of the male weighted "brethren" as a reference for the gathered church, there is a preference for the more inclusive "family members" or "brothers and sisters." Critics are accusing editors of bowing to political correctness. In 2002 messengers at the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution contending that the British version of the NIV had "gone beyond acceptable translation standards." Their particular concern was the rendering of God as "Parent."
Throughout the history of Christianity, the practice of translating Scripture from one language to another has been controversial. Even in the third century before the birth of Jesus, some among the Hebrew faithful were disputing the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek. Incidentally, it was this Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures that was favored by the early church. In time Christians would argue over the translation of the Greek Bible into Latin, and the Latin Bible into German, Slavonic, French and ultimately English. In fact, there were many who lost their lives or spent time in prison for trying to translate the Bible from a preferred language to another.
Translation battles continued even after English was established as the primary language of Christianity. The King James Version, produced in 1611, dominated for several centuries. The King James Bible was not just a book of faith; it was also the lexicon of Western literature and culture. Consequently, we should not be surprised to learn that in 1810, an effort to update the King James translation was met with strong resistance. And in 1901, when the American Standard Version was introduced, it was demonized by devotees of the King James as a work of the devil. That same sort of reaction greeted the Revised Standard Version in 1949 and the New Revised Standard Version in 1989. Most of this resistance was not from mainline Christian churches or from biblical scholars, but from segments of evangelical Christianity.
It's amazing to notice how many of the translation disputes of the past have centered on issues of gender equality. For instance, the King James Version identifies a woman named Phoebe as a "servant." The same Greek word is translated elsewhere as "deacon." But since women were not allowed to be deacons in King James' church, the more generic translation was adopted. The Greek word can certainly mean servant, but in the context of the New Testament it was also used to designate a particular office. In the current NIV translation, Phoebe is a servant, not a deacon.
And at the end of the day that is what it is all about - controlling the words. Whoever controls the words that are used in translation ultimately controls how we are able to think about theological issues. The words open or close doors for our understanding of God. And ultimately, the words determine who has status in the church, and who does not. Just ask Phoebe.
James L. Evans is pastor of Auburn First Baptist Church in Auburn, Alabama.
In this month's edition of the Religion and Culture Web Forum, Andre C. Willis of Yale Divinity School explores recent work by three major thinkers who both find inspiration in the pragmatic tradition and take religion seriously in their investigations of democracy-Jeffrey Stout, Roberto Unger, and Cornel West. He seeks to develop a conceptual grounding for his own move toward a pragmatism, rooted in social practice, which also bears a theological sensibility suitable for addressing those contingencies that are, in fact, the existential consequences of political realities. With invited responses from Eddie Glaude (Princeton University), Corey D. B. Walker (Brown University), and others. http://divinity.uchicago.edu/martycenter/publications/webforum/index.shtml
"Sightings" comes from the Martin Marty Center at the University of Chicago Divinity School.
The Essenes were a progressive sect -- the first monastic Jews influenced by BUDDHISM IN FARAWAY KASHMIR, which had a significant Jewish population ("Jesus in India, "Kersten Holger).ELAINE PAGELS and her scholarship on THE LOST GOSPELS has painted a much more sympathetic and sensible picture of original Christianity than the "Church Fathers" or secretive Vatican officials. What were the patriarchs hiding when they covered up the Buddhist-Christian connection?BBC documentary examines the question, "Did Jesus Die?" At minute 25 it takes a very logical and grounded turn with surprising conclusions that demonstrate that the "Three Wise Men" were Buddhist monks who found Jesus (a "tulku") and returned for him near puberty. They trained him in a Buddhist monastery (Hemis Gompa), and he spread the Buddhist philosophy, survived the crucifixion, and escaped back to a Jewish enclave in Kashmir, Afghanistan, where he died at the age of 80.There had never been anything like celibate monasticism in Judaism. Lone hermits going into the desert was learned from the mystical East, influenced by Buddhist shamanism ("shraman", "recluse" wandering asceticism) that ran counter to corrupt temple-priest craft (Brahmanism).Inspiring Wisdom Quarterly follower M. BEGUINE is a Gnostic Christian following the tradition of the Apostolic Johannite Church. She is living out her religious vocation as a solitary recluse in private vows in the spirit of Mary Theotokos, Mary Magdalene, Brighid of Ireland, and Dorothy Day with special places of honor for Julian of Norwich and Hildegard von Bingen. Her apostolate is mainly intercessory prayer and supporting and participating in her parish. Presently, she is in the process of adapting a hermitical RULE TO LIFE ("Vinaya") to her particular circumstances and conditions involving health and location. She lives in a major urban area in a large high-rise apartment building rather than the common dream of many city dwellers, a more rural setting. She is excited to be at the beginning of a religious formation laying out the plans and structure of her chosen vocation. Read more about her adventure at (G)NOSTIC NUNNERY.(Gnostic Teachings) Why were ancient Christian texts buried -- and why have they remained virtually unknown for nearly 2,000 years? Their suppression as banned documents, and their burial on the cliff at Nag Hammadi, it turns out, were both part of a struggle critical for the formation of early Christianity. The Nag Hammadi and other texts, which circulated at the beginning of the Christian era, were denounced as heresy by orthodox Christians in the middle of the 2nd century. "We have known that many early followers of Christ were condemned by other Christians as heretics, but nearly all we knew about them came from what their opponents wrote attacking them - Elaine Pagels, "The Gnostic Gospels" (New York: Vintage, 1989). * INGRID SERTSO'S JAZZ AFTER 35 YEARS OF BUDDHIST STUDIES * US DOLLAR INDEX: GREENBACK FALLING; 70% MARKS DISASTER * 6 (OTHER) REASONS TO HAVE SEX (LIVESCIENCE.COM) * ARE WE BEING SPIED ON? WHAT ARE THE COUNTER-MEASURES?
