Author Archives: audremyers

Internet

03 Wednesday Mar 2021

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During this Covid season, there has been much talk about how terrible ‘internet church’ is. There is, of course, nothing that takes the place of actually going (or being allowed to go) to church. Like the Bible – it’s one thing to hear stories from it, it’s an entirely different thing when one reads the Bible for one’s self. It is a living, breathing thing, as is the church.

I have no problem with internet church. It does what church is supposed to do – it reaches people. We always say that Jesus will meet you wherever you are – and that includes the internet. Long, long, long before covid, we’ve had our ‘shut ins’. They depended on the ability of the priest to make his rounds of visitations and then the shut-ins were alone again until the next month. Not so today. We are able to attend church even if we can’t attend church; we fellowship even if there are no coffee or cookies; we encourage each other even if we can’t reach out and pat someone’s hand in support and compassion.

My dearest friend Alys is in the UK and on lockdown – as is the whole country. She attends church with me on our church’s YouTube channel every week. We both attend Bible study with Bishop Chad via Zoom. We are doing Stations of the Cross every Friday at noon during Lent using Face Book video chat.

The chat feature is open on the church’s YT channel and if you promise not to tell the Bishop, I’ll tell you we chat – only during announcements of course (wink). I’ve been so pleased to be able to do Stations, I put my email address on the chat and invited anyone who is interested to join Alys and me when we do Stations. Sure enough – I received an email from a woman in Louisiana that wants to do Stations with us. In chatting back and forth via email, she mentioned she’s in hospice with stage four lung cancer. Going out is not an option for her. Were it not for the internet, she’d not be able to do Stations – I sent her the prayers so she can read a Station if she wants to or just follow along as Alys and I take turns with the readings.

There is no Holy Communion for us. Again, nothing takes the place of receiving Communion in both kinds. But the Church, in her wisdom, has given us a form for Spiritual Communion. Is it second to the real thing? Of course it is, but it is far, far better than to have nothing; ‘Spiritual Communion’ can be as fortifying as taking it – almost. But it is fulfilling and curbs the yearning in the heart for the real thing. Our friend in Louisiana did not have the form and just sort of waited online until the tech guy (God bless Dave and his devotion to serving the online congregation) comes back from receiving Communion and turns the church’s cameras back on. Now that she has the form, she, Alys, and I have our spiritual communion as the rest of the congregation have their actual communion. We are apart – but we are not apart. The congregation and the online congregation are one – we all pray together; that we are not sitting next to each other is meaningless. We are together.

The internet, just like any kind of technology, can be a blessing or a curse. I have found great blessing – and fellowship and encouragement – using the internet and the different technologies. So … no; I have no problem with the internet or internet church or internet fellowship. Wherever two or more are gathered in His name, there He is also.

Context

25 Monday Jan 2021

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There is a YouTube channel that I’ve been watching for some time now. It is a family man, Alex, in Alberta, Canada, a family man, who owns an antiques store. For Americans, he’s very Canadian (an inside joke, I suspect) but he’s a good guy and constantly busy doing ‘picks’ (looking for items for the antiques store) and or rebuilding old cars as well as typical husband/dad stuff. I enjoy his videos and I love antiques so it’s a good match.

I noticed a title to one of his videos, something along the lines of changing a person’s life for $20. I know my Bible pretty well after all these years and as many times as I’ve read it so I shied away from watching this video. (Matthew 6:4 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.)

Today I was watching one his videos and it turned out to be the background story of the video I didn’t watch. Then it was all clear to me. This is how he meets Adam $3500 from a dumpster?! Amazing garbage find! the things people throw away… – YouTube.

After success, Alex searches for Adam Paying it forward, changing a homeless man’s life forever for just $20. – YouTube. This is the video I didn’t want to watch because of the title. I watched it today.

This video is the follow up to the first two From $20 in trash to a new life. One year later… Homeless no more! Part 4 – YouTube.

I am humbled by Alex’s good heart and ashamed at my own rigidity or self-righteousness. I judged a book by its cover or, more accurately, a video by it’s title, made assumptions that were wrong, and learned that if I really knew my Bible, or really knew Jesus, I would have been – should have been – intrigued by the title and the promise of how one might change another person’s life. A little knowledge is, indeed, a dangerous thing and I am living proof.

Not everyone or everything is as they appear – there’s always a lot more to each story and I would do well to remember that, going forward. Perhaps this is also a reminder to all who may read this. That is my hope at least.

Oh! Now that you know Alex and Curiosity Incorporated, you may want to watch two series he has about buying a hoarded house – contents and house – called The Potter’s House and then one in which he bought the contents alone, called The Musician’s House. And as a special kick to your heart, watch the episodes in which he does a Go Fund Me for his sometime worker, Hans.

A nod to “End of year”

29 Sunday Nov 2020

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End of year is a lovely article written by Jessica Hoff. It prompted me to share my own thoughts on the subject.

I have always considered Advent to be that time to prepare for Him a room. There was no room at the inn but there’s room in a heart. I walk into the room of my heart and look around and I’m not pleased. I go fetch my cleaning supplies and return to face the room.

I notice the cobwebs; I’ve not used this room to its full advantage and so it has gotten dusty. I didn’t praise Him enough. I didn’t pray to Him enough. I didn’t share my joy in Him enough so now all this dust and cobwebs. I sweep and vacuum and make sure I get into all the dark corners. I make sure I keep my eyes wide open so I can see everything in the dark corners. Where the Light is, there can be no dark corners.

I scrub mop the floor. It seems that every foulness I have occasioned is spilled over and floor bears every stain. It’s back-breaking work; I toss out the murky water as many times as it takes til the floor is so clean it is squeaky and shining.

I take special care in cleaning the windows. No streaks allowed! I don’t stop polishing the glass until it is sparkling. This is very important to me because they sparkle and glisten in the Son and will be seen by Him and everyone who looks in my windows will see Him.

Just about Christmas Eve, the room is prepared for Him. Clean, shiny, sweet smelling. The candles are lit and flicker playfully. There are no dark corners, the muck of another year has been removed and the room and I wait. I am ready to receive my Lord.

Psalms

11 Wednesday Nov 2020

Posted by in Audre, Bible, Faith

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I’m sure I’m not the only who has trouble with the Psalms. There can be several ‘voices’ within a Psalm and I get confused who is speaking to whom and sometimes, about what. It’s been an ongoing challenge for me but I haven’t given up the fight.

In that fight for understanding, one of our deaconesses recommended Christ in the Psalms by Patrick Henry Reardon (ya gotta love that name, lol!). He is an Archpriest of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese and is an author, lecturer, podcaster, and senior editor of Touchstone. I don’t know when he sleeps but that’s neither here nor there. Sometimes, the things he writes, how he expresses his understanding, takes my breath away. A sign of deep knowledge, I believe, is the ability to take a difficult topic and explain it so that even ‘the least among us’ can understand. He does not take more than a page and a half to discuss each Psalm. Even the dreaded 119th. I would suggest, to those who feel quite comfortable with the Psalms (may you be many times blessed), that you read Christ in the Psalms for the sheer beauty of Reardon’s writing.

A couple of years ago, I saw this video on YouTube and I was touched. And charmed. And delighted. After watching the video, I wondered what we might be missing in our understanding of the Psalms. With that in mind, through a very circuitous route, I was directed to try Tehillim. It’s the book of Psalms from the Jewish perspective. This morning I tackled – which is too harsh a word, it was great fun- Psalms 1 and 2. I like to think I looked really intelligent if someone saw me at my desk with three books open – I sat with King James, Patrick Henry, and Reb Ohel Yosef and the four of us endeavored to suck the wonderful juices from the Psalms. We four are just starting this journey together so I may have more to write some time in the future. I do want to give thanks to A. L., the gentleman on YT who directed me toward Tehillim in English and who has promised to help with any questions I may have. Right away, Psalm 2, my question is who is being referred to as regards “The Lord said to me, You are my son; I have this day begotten you”. Christians believe it is Jesus but I’m looking forward to finding out the Jewish perspective.

I hope you get as much enjoyment from the video as I did – and continue to do every time I watch it.

A Horror Story

31 Saturday Oct 2020

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I am a child of the 50s. I grew up B movies – especially the spooky ones. They were great, even though by today’s standards they were silly and not in the least bit frightening. But for that time, we enjoyed them.

Here in America, the sole purpose of October first is to start the process to get to October 31st – Halloween. Americans are crazy for Halloween. There’s candy to be bought, parties to organize, foods to cook, costumes to get, music to find, decorations to be purchased … it’s a process; we love it. Oh! And don’t forget the decorations!

But of all the horror movies I’ve seen and all the horror stories I’ve read, there is nothing more horrifying than this: And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked at Peter.*

That look. It makes me shudder thinking about it. That look. My horror of the Lord looking at me that way – I can’t even give it voice. This was Jesus – God with us. It would not have been a look of hatred or anger. It would have been a look of resigned affirmation; He knew what Peter would do – He even told Peter he would do it. But once again, we humans let Him down. Peter could have been a hero; he could have told those people who charged him with knowing Jesus that Jesus was his and he was Jesus’s. We can all say that but in the face of possible death, as Peter assumed would happen to him? I pray I never am put in that situation but I am not so ignorant of the world that I don’t know Christians around the world are facing that exact situation now – today.

I will, one day, see Jesus face to face. What will I see? Will it be a face of love and joy and welcome; or will it be that most horrifying, haunting face of all – resigned affirmation.

Good Lord, deliver me.

*St. Luke 22:60-61

But! There’s this …

28 Wednesday Oct 2020

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The year 2020 has been remarkable in so many ways. It seems there are no happy people on the planet. I admit, I’m having more down days than up days, too.

Prayers are built for comfort and they do comfort us. They remind us of Who is in charge and that we are never alone; He will neither leave us nor forsake us. Great comfort in that.

Being human, however, that confidence in Jesus can get a little weak, get a little dimmed by what’s around us. Sometimes, it takes something more to get us back on the right track, restore in full measure what we know so well.

This is a very short article because I’d much rather you focus on these videos. I can not explain in words how the elevate me, how they lift my soul.

So, yes; there’s politics and yes, there’s virus, and yes, there’s the economy. But! There’s this:

And this:

It is well with my soul.

Underground

19 Monday Oct 2020

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As persecution has increased around the world, and the countries of the West are in dire threat of socialism, I’ve worried for some time about “what if?” I’ve just finished reading Rod Dreher’s Live Not by Lies, which is very good, but I’ve also read books about life under Communism and Socialism. We are told repeatedly in the Bible, “Fear not”. Ok; I’ll try, but I’m not having a whole lot of success with that, quite honestly. They say ‘you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone’ but I beg to differ. I know right now what I’ve got and what it will be like when it’s gone and I’m not happy.

The subtitle to Dreher’s book is A Manual for Christian Dissidents. He has a lot of great information for families but it seemed scant information for the rest of us. I am reminded of the fish symbol – half the image in the sand and a knowing person finishing the image and then scuffing away the sign. Maybe we should begin buying fish statues for the front yard. Perhaps fish flags under the American flag. Should we replace our Cross necklaces with fish tattoos? This all sounds fairly funny and light hearted but there’s nothing in the least light hearted behind it.

What will we do when we can no longer take our religious freedom for granted? We’re on the cusp and if you’re not aware of that, you’ve been blinding yourself to it. What will we do when governmental constraints become so strict as to choke off – and finally, kill – the Church? I read this article this morning and it follows a thought that’s been in my mind for some years now. https://www.smallgroupchurches.com/preparing-the-american-underground-church/

It’s one thing to see an event coming, it’s quite another to prepare for it. I see that every hurricane season here in Florida. Two things happen when a hurricane is threatening – the availability of plywood in the anticipated hit zone goes to zero and the beer coolers in the supermarkets are emptied. People make choices and not always intelligent ones. How one prepares in large part determines the outcome. So. How do we prepare for what may not be so far off in the distant future?

It’s time for us to address this issue with our church families. How will we continue to worship? How will we continue Bible study? Who can ‘say a few words’ at a funeral? We, the baptised, are able (thank God and His mercy) to baptise at need, so that’s covered. How will a house church in neighborhood A stay in contact with the house church in F neighborhood?

Even as I write these words, it sounds ludicrous even to me. But the shot heard round the world was Senator Feinstein’s remark, “The dogma lives large … ” It does, indeed, and not just in the life of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. I believe in Christ exactly the same way I believe I have blue eyes. I believe the tenents of the Church the same way I believe in the pulse in my wrist. I believe the loss of community in Christianity is as deadly as gangrene.

These questions I pose are not rhetorical. If you have had thoughts along these lines, I suggest that right now, here on this site, we should open some dialog and make some plans, hash out ideas, give voice to the concern. Cliches become cliches exactly because of their underlying truths; in this case, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Forgiveness

14 Wednesday Oct 2020

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That’s a hard word to choke down. I wonder sometimes if we love our anger; if, somehow, our feelings of ‘injustice’ or ‘outrage’ isn’t really something we hold dear and precious and are loath to suspend.

The ‘cancel culture’ is unforgiveness writ large. It seems an unwritten agreement, “I cannot forgive you for having an opinion or attitude that is different than mine and because I will not forgive you, I’m going to get everyone I know to excoriate you, vilify you, ruin your every day life and take away your employment.” Twitter is full of those people. And I dare say, a good many of them are Christians. Or identify as Christian. Big difference between the two. I can call myself a teapot – that doesn’t make it true.

70 x 7. That’s a tall order. Peter asked Jesus how many times we should forgive and got a completely mind-shattering answer. Peter thought seven times was pushing it. I think Peter was considering times in a week. I’m fairly certain Jesus meant hourly if need be.

Whether the offense against you is verbal, physical, or emotional, you need to find forgiveness for your offender. Hanging on to your hurt or anger sickens you and has absolutely no effect on the offender. You can’t sleep and he sleeps fine. You can’t eat and he’s dining out. You mull it over and look at it under a microscope and shine a bright light on it while he forgot the damage the instant it was over, doesn’t think about it again, and moves along with his life.

We are called to forgive and Jesus, being the smartest guy ever, knew what holding on to anger and hurt feelings could do. One: He was the one nailed to the cross who said, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. He was the one who said love your neighbor as yourself and keep in mind, the whole world is your neighbor. He was the one who said forgive as you are forgiven. Two: withholding forgiveness has a physical and emotional cost; the impact on you. To serve God and protect your health, you must will to forgive the offender.

Resignation is not forgiveness. I can say, “I can’t deal with this situation anymore and I’m placing it at the foot of the cross”, but I haven’t practiced forgiveness. I’ve simply tried to lay the matter down somewhere that I don’t have to look at it. But that’s not what we’re called to do. You must find a way to say, “I don’t know why this has happened, but I am releasing these feelings in true forgiveness of the one who has harmed me. I can’t understand or know what prompted what happened but the offender is someone just like me, broken and fallen. I forgive him as Jesus has forgiven me – blot it out from memory as if it had never happened.”

I’m repeating myself but that is a tall order and hard to achieve. It is, however, the only common sense way to go about life. You are enriched and grow in strength and understanding. Whatever happens in the life of the offender, he no longer has a hold on you – you’ve forgiven him and have moved on with your life. It’s part of that peace so often spoken about in the Bible – the peace that passes all understanding. And, I am all for peace.

So excited!

05 Monday Oct 2020

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My daily YouTube jaunt this morning garnered outstanding results.

In 2004, what became the highest ever box office release with an R rating, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, was released to an anxiously awaiting public. There’s never been a ‘Jesus movie’ like it, before or since. It was a tremendously moving experience. Like or dislike Mel Gibson (keep in mind, we are ALL broken people), what he committed to film will never be forgotten – much like the Man in the title. In the movie, ‘Jesus’ (Jim Caviezel) speaks Aramaic – a dead language. Several ancient languages scholars were brought together to formulate what Aramaic sounded like. It’s one of the exciting extras that got all those people to the box office. It was an unforgettable movie about an unforgettable Man.

Which brings me to what I saw on YT this morning. We were always told that Gibson would make a sequel to The Passion of the Christ but the trail went cold, Gibson had his run-ins with the law and alcohol, and the idea faded, like tracks on hard ground. But this morning, I found not one but TWO new Mel Gibson movies! The first one, Christ: The Second Coming, is due out next year. From the few trailers I watched, all I know is Dwayne Johnson stars but I think I also saw Jeffrey Dean Morgan in a wide lens shot (he plays the character Negan in The Walking Dead); that’s a guess because it was a fast camera pan of a big room. Special effects seem to abound but the ‘Coming on the clouds’ scene looks riveting! I’ve got my fingers crossed about this one – I was excited about the Noah movie (not a Mel Gibson produced/directed movie) and was fairly disappointed with it.

But here’s the doubly exciting one – The Passion of the Christ: The Resurrection – is due to be released in 2022. Caviezel will reprise his role as Jesus. I want to see this one so badly! Like a little kid, I ‘can’t wait’ to see it. Because I AM a geek of epic proportions, I’m hoping that there will be some kind of emphasis on the burial shroud and the sudarium of Oviedo. That would just amp me up! Yes; of course I know Jesus is the center (of everything) but that geek in me really wants to see special treatment on the cloths! The Bible states that the cloth was on one portion of the bench and the face cloth set apart and folded.

Gosh! I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas!

Christian music

01 Thursday Oct 2020

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(elbow to your ribs) C’mon, now; it’s not like it used to be. I used to turn my nose up at contemporary Christian music but I’m older and wiser now and I’ve learned a thing or two. Christians will always tell each other, and those who are ‘inquiring’, that Jesus will meet them wherever they are. We say it because it’s true. No one has to finish a pre-req course or take a test or stand up in a meeting; all a person has to do is say, “Help me, Lord” and Jesus is at his side, ready, willing, and able to help and to love.

One of the great forms of communication is singing. Ever watch little children when they sing? They get a sort of ‘look’ on their little faces, like what they are doing is amazing and all theirs and they just discovered it. I used to love to hear my dad sing while he was doing his chores – I’d giggle because he never remembered but a few words and made up his own, but he loved to sing. And was inordinately proud of his whistling. All ages love to sing. All peoples love to sing.

Hymns are lovely and a salve to the spirit and we love them in a very special way but truth be told, we are of an age and time that is passing. God finds new ways to reach out to the broken and weary and one of those ways is Christian music. The kids have got to know that there’s an answer to all this mess they see here; that there is something more and mightier and worth living for. They have to know that they have worth and are valued and wanted and lived and died for. Contemporary Christian music does that.

New Christian music comes in every genre – country, hip hop, rock’n’roll, rap, easy listening and everything in between. Many of the songs cross over into mainstream popular music and vise versa. This was a country song that Christians took immediately to their hearts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5z-jjWyAJQ

This one brings tears to my eyes. I look at the faces of the crowd – all that wasted potential, and I think of those people I wrote about awhile back, the ones with the tattoos, and I can’t help but weep. As important as hymns are, so is the music that reaches people who don’t have that connection – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WtV1XtqsW0

Next time you’re rolling that dial in the car (or pushing the button or whatever new vehicles do), stop on the Christian station and give a listen. And learn a lesson. And humble yourself to a new way to hear the Lord speak to His children.