For Heaven's Sake by Mike Morgan for May 03, 2010

Sing the refrain. Refrain from singing. What’s the difference?

They need a hearing to replace him, Joe. :-)

Thank god the CD’s not the “worship leader.” that title gets so many people confused .

“If you have a good voice, sing out to praise God with all your gifts. If you have a lousy voice, sing to get even.”

Our church choir has a variety of ages even young ones. And we have a postor in his 30”s married with 3 sons and wanting to adopt.

Since it is not about religion: I think the old man likes going to church and he likes to complain about church. He did saying something to the effect that complaining was his gift.

Bmonk ~ Is that how it works. I always turn up the music loud enough I can’t hear myself. Sometimes I wear headphones so I can’t hear myself but everyone else can. Ah, ha ha ha haaaaaa!!!

David wrote many of his Psalms “To the Chief Musician”. That is the title of the person we have who is charge of all the music in our church.

Some choir members are more note worthy than others.

My grandmother was the voice you could hear down the street and around the corner from the church. She wasn’t off-key, her voice just carried better than anyone else I ever heard.

What is singing huh? I can’t hear you!

I Be Good!

Have a nice week everyone!

Bmonk

I noticed this joke in my collection:

A daddy was listening to his child say his prayer “Dear Harold,” ……..

At this, dad interrupted and said, “Wait a minute, “How come you called God, Harold?”

The little boy looked up and said, “That’s what they call Him in church. You know the prayer we say, “Our Father, who art in Heaven, Harold be Thy name.”

It reminded me of the song:

Hark! Harold’s Angels Sing

Do you think God would mind if I call him Harold? Or do you have a better suggestion? (God just feels strange to me.)

@LuvH8, I suspect God is willing to accept a lot of names from us–as long as they are not given maliciously. What God really wants is to be with us, to share our lives. That’s why (John 1:14) “The Word became flesh, and pitched his tent among us.” Even The NAME revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14 can be interpreted or translated as “I will be with [you].”

I think it’s also like close friends, or spouses: they often have playful or endearing nicknames–some incomprehensible to those not “in” on their origin–but those names and their stories and the personal history together they evoke give the relationship that much more depth of meaning.

One interesting way to track your relationship with God–or with another person–is to look at the images you have of them, like the names or terms you use for them, the sort of favorite things you do together, and (especially with God) what sort of person you see them as.

For example, is God a stern judge, ready to punish? Is God a loving parent? Is God a remote, incomprehensible force behind the world? Is God a spouse, a (best) friend, a lover, a partner in play?

Bmonk ~ I am thinking about how to answer that, please check back tomorrow. It seems as if the answer for me requires time to get right.

Bmonk ~

I think I shall call Him Mr Deity (and Mr Deity, Sir when I’ve screwed up yet again). I think I am so used to having ‘God’ used as an exclamation rather than a name that it just doesn’t quite fit for me. (Plus there is still that not being sure He exists thing.)

My image of Mr Deity…… hmmm. Incomprehensible? Yes, definitely. A stern judge? Possibly, but also forgiving. Ready to punish? No. A loving parent? No. Maybe a loving teacher or other relative. Not a parent. A remote force behind the world? No, not remote. A spouse, a (best) friend, a lover, a partner in play? No.

Definitely incomprehensible! To teach through harsh lessons that are not necessarily given to the ones who need to learn. I also don’t think Mr Deity judges us by the same standards we judge ourselves and others, plus He would actually know more than we do.

Okay not sure the answer is ‘right’ but at least I thought about it some.

If you will recall when Jesus told the disciples how to pray, He had them start with “Our Father”. This shows both relationship and respect. Joe is also correct on the “Abba, Father” as well being “Daddy”.

@LuvH8, I do think our images work both ways. I know some who cannot relate to “God our Father” because their own fathers were so miserable. But God can work around that sort of thing–as you mention, a loving teacher might be closer.

But the important thing about the exercise, if it helps, is to pay attention to your own view of God, and then when others (or the Bible) offer a different view, at least you can note the difference and use it rather than just reject it out of hand as wrong.

It also helps, I find, when God is the one trying to get us to grow in the relationship. For example, looking at your name for God (Mr. Deity) and the qualities you list, I’d say your relationship with God is, at best, rather formal.

The closest image is a loving teacher–but usually we see a teacher only a few hours a day, and in a structured setting. Is God calling you to let him into the rest of your life? When you are relaxing, or out for entertainment, or close to someone? (You don’t have to answer here, or to me. But I think it would be good to answer to yourself and to God…)

The other spark came with “Definitely incomprehensible!…” Would it help to learn more about God and how he works, how we try to understand what he is telling us and where he’s leading us?

Joe & Phil N DeBlanc ~ I was trying to describe how I view God, not how he should be viewed so I hope you don’t take offense. My background is different than yours, so I think differently.

Bmonk ………..thinking again…………. at least partial answer by tomorrow afternoon

Thank you Bmonk, somehow ‘seeing’ you (and a few others) on a regular basis helps me not give up faith in humankind.

Joe - I had to laugh at the last sentence you wrote, because I’ve heard people pray the same way. It is a rather strange speech pattern, and they don’t talk that way to others, so that makes it even more odd to me. I’m glad I’m not the only one who found that amusing.

@Mr. Doty, in some traditions, especially Judaism and some Christian groups, people avoid speaking God’s name. God’s name is not “Father”, or even “Abba”–that, like “Christ”, is a title. However, using it in personal prayer, or another title or term of endearment, is acceptable, much as we might call a spouse or family member “Honey” or “Hon”, or a friend “Baby” or “Dude” (depending on their gender and our relationship!) rarely, if ever, using their actual name.

And I’d also say that the god I know and worship is more than just “a god”. As far as I know, and as I believe, God is the only God, the only living and true God.

As for repeating the name or title of God, I suppose you’d have to ask the person doing it. Perhaps it’s like “Sergeant” or “Sir” to a drill instructor–done once (or more) per sentence out of fear.

Perhaps it’s done not to remind God to listen, but to remind themselves and their congregation that this is a prayer, and to whom it’s addressed. (Perhaps their sentences are so long and convoluted, they need that reminder of what it’s about.)

Perhaps it’s their own form of liturgical style, much as most hymns written until about 1960 used the “thou cansts” and “thys”, when such forms had vanished long before from English usage.

I could think of several other possibilities, but you get the idea, I hope.

And, I have to admit that I too find it amusing and odd. But, as I said, you’d have to ask someone doing it why they do.

Bmonk How would you know if God is the one trying to get us to grow in the relationship?

The reason I asked about people sensing God the other week is because I have started to feel like something indefinable with my senses is there (and I want to make sure I don’t need to have my drugs adjusted).

As for calling Him Mr. Deity, I don’t feel as if I would be on a first name basis. Also I think I view God through the eyes of a child. So it would be a child to adult relationship. (similiar to formal? but not quite?)

I am trying to keep an open mind about other people’s views of God and religion, but we all want to think that we are right. (Blows Raspberry) I think right now it is more that I am mentally collecting data. Honestly, if I don’t think it would be true (or have as much meaning) if immediately believed as others do.

Would it help to learn more about God and how he works, how we try to understand what he is telling us and where he’s leading us? Yes.

I apologize for taking so long to get back to you. Monkey 2 is here and I am lousy at getting her to do what I ask. So, I couldn’t get to the computer.

Very nice, Bmonk.

Bmonk one of the advantages of communicating with you in this manner is that we both have time to consider what we are going to say. Which is what I am doing now. But…….

I think I am about 90% sure that Mr Deity exists and that He is the same being that people of most faiths worship. (Perhaps He is a multi-personality?) Hmmm……

I believe it was freeholder1 who said ‘maybe it isn’t all about you Luv’ (paraphrase). It is so easy to forget sometimes how many people could be reading this. Perhaps one of the purposes of this conversation is to help someone who has questions they do not feel able to ask.

Bmonk, since you said it is okay to pray when you are not sure ~ I will pray for those people who do not feel able to ask questions. Maybe you could ask God to bless them also?

I am still thinking about what you and others have said. I get the feeling Mr Deity has patience. I hope everybody else does.

Luv to All

BTW ~ Never planning to get married. (Blechy!!!)

I do pray for those who are lost and don’t know where to look–or feel they are unable ask questions.

God has lots of patience. Look at how long he is willing to wait until his children get it.

However, God is also rather a nag. He will hound you until you give in–which is what you need by then. The best battle you (or I) ever lost is a fight with God.

And don’t give up on marriage entirely. When (if) the right guy comes along…

Bmonk Do you remember the story about my name? I luv you. ( :

Bmonk - Very sound advice!

Oh, if you don’t remember the story it is okay to say that to a monk!

It could just be a benevolent ghost. Hmm……. Definitely feels benevolent anyway. (and I also 90% believe in ghosts [Do not tell the people who give me drugs!])

My personality type INTP and astrological sign are both ones that tend not to follow traditional belief systems. (I also can be stubborn ~ at least in my beliefs if not my actions.)

Ummm……. the “difficulties and sins” of Catholic Church…. I am not sure this is correct but isn’t the Catholic Church system the only one that is so connected all over the world? Which makes it easy to point at the Catholic Church. I know other religions have the same belief system within that religion, but aren’t they more autonomous? I know the same “difficulties and sins” happen within the other groups but I don’t think they are as newsworthy. Sort of like how 1000 people can die in car accidents in one day, but a plane that crashes and kills 50 people is what gets reported. (not sure I phrased that correctly but it was the impression I had)

Still thinking…….. but trying to do it with happy instead of grim. If I am expected to be any more grim and morose than I already am, well that would be a bad thing.

Thank you to anyone who has been helping and those who continue to be tolerant of the ongoing nature of this discussion. I hope I am not the only one learning from it.

@LuvH8, that’s one reason the Catholic Church gets so much grief–not that all of it is undeserved.

We also get it for calling the media and the powerful on their sins–such as saying that Communism and Marxism are inadequate, but so is unbridled Capitalism. Hollywood is another group that would like to see the Church lose authority.

Yes, other groups (such as Evangelicals) are much more autonomous, and also have a more varied theology–so it’s harder to pin down what each group or person stands for. Also, having been reflecting on our faith and what it means for our lives for some 1900+ years, we have quite a body of work, on theology, on social justice issues, on liturgy, and so on. Which means we can, say, address slavery, or abortion, or poverty and charitable works without having to start from square one in each generation.

Umm, were was I going? Maybe just that we are more visible than most, in some ways. And, as you say, losing 50 or 100 in one accident is more newsworthy than 1000 in individual accidents.

Okay, I think that is it for this week’s strip.