My Sunday Thought for 121717: Just Another Material Day

Sacrilege is only so if it doesn't make a point in favor of the sacred, right?  So, one has to ask, when did Saint Nick die for our sins?  If Jesus is the reason for the season, why do we allow the reason to be hijacked by the faithless masses for the express purpose of selling mass quantities of future garage sale items, the stuff we already have, don't really need, or don't even want?  Maybe, for them, it is... just another material day.  It seems to be a day in which we praise Santa for giving more than Jesus and, yet, I have to repeat the question:  When did Santa die for our salvation?

No one is without sin, not one.  We look to the atheists, to the pagan, to Wicca, and we rarely look to our own house for discovery of all the broken glass.  Even the faithful fail their God, even the clergy.  Our greatest failure is to constantly give our all... for all the wrong reasons.

We say, “Lord, I’ll do anything you want. You name your price. You want a missionary? I’m ready to go. You want me to be married or to stay single, I’m you man. Lord, I’ll be a preacher or a pastor. I’ll be a deacon or an elder. I’ll pray every day and read my Bible. Whatever you want from me, that’s what I’ll do.” So what’s wrong with these? Those answers only deal with the outside. God wants your heart. You can be a missionary and have a hard heart. You can be married or single and have a rebellious heart. You can be very religious and yet far away from God.

-- Dr. Ray Pritchard, author, minister

Every one of us need to look within, each and every day, to ask ourselves if this is just another material day or if it will be something more.  Every day we need to take a moment to walk with God, not to "be not like the pretenders who like to stand in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets to pray, that they may be seen by the children of men," but to walk with God along His beach, by His waters, listening to His birds, and giving honest, humble praise for the life He has gifted you.

Perhaps we would be better served during these holy days, and throughout the year, to take our faith into the streets and minister to those in true need of love and understanding, tolerance and acceptance, forgiveness and salvation.  Ask of ourselves, of what use is faith behind closed doors, the closed minds of a religious denomination?  True faith cannot be named, any more than God can be described, without misinterpretation.

We are not supposed to be Catholic or Protestant any more than we are supposed to be Christian.  Christian is simply a way of trying to explain to all that we follow a particular set of philosophies which we would follow regardless of the label. We can, however, more easily describe our faith so all, everyone, can understand the simplicity of a philosophy which can lead to the salvation of a person's soul:   Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Put your scripture away, take to the streets, and minister from your heart, in your own words.  Tell all those who would listen of the two greatest commandments and those who would listen will surely hear.  I always advise people who are confused as they seek answers in scripture to fall back on the only guidance from God, the only WORD of God which is written in stone.  When all else eludes you, refer to the Ten Commandments and there you will find truth, not interpretation; do or do not.  For the millennials in our midst, it is a philosophy touted by Master Yoda:  "Do or do not.  There is no try."

This is not just another material day, this is the Lord's day, God's day, and so is tomorrow, and the next, and so on.

Editor's Note 

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card) 

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 23 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, to wage his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center.