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Our synagogue's only had a couple of services in person since last March - everyone masked and jabbed, with limited numbers allowed at the shul itself and a zoom call for everyone else. The High Holy Days are coming up, and we're planning the same format for those - it'll be strange to have so few people in shul for them, usually we barely have enough chairs to fit everyone in.
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Aug 30, 2021 09:42
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I'm in Florida, where numbers now are worse than they've ever been before, and whether to hold services at all has become part of the... polarizing political issue that the pandemic is down here. Personally, I'm firmly in full social distancing mode again. https://i.imgur.com/1tESiQi.mp4
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Aug 30, 2021 13:25
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Yeah, I'm not going to go in person any time soon. I wasn't in the regular habit anyway.
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Aug 30, 2021 17:15
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Nehru the Damaja posted:Is this the best place on SA to ask about Taoism? I'm curious about it and want to learn more, but it seems like there's not a lot of resources for Americans who want to learn other than Tai Chi classes and hippy dippy New Age stuff that lumps all Eastern religions/philosophies together as basically the same. Nehru the Damaja posted:I don't really have anything to offer. I'm looking for someone who does or did practice to tell me what they got out of it, how they practice with or without a community for it, and if it challenged them to be a more moral/ethical person. Strictly speaking, I'm agnostic, and while I've been looking for something to develop as a moral being and subsume myself in something greater, orthodoxy is a real big hurdle for me. I guess what makes me curious about Taoism is the possibility of a practice that makes few of the kind of big demands of faith the way many religions do. I think the beauty of Taoism is that it requires no practice, community or faith. Simply asks you to accept the natural order of way things are. The main teachings are the idea of "Doing not doing," action through inaction. Letting go of the illusion of past and future and trusting the present. Also reaching the understanding that beneath everything exists the same oneness and setting aside judgments so that you experience things as they are. Some things, like Tai Chi may embody the doing not doing mindset, but they are not a requirement to Taoism, and that mindset can be applied to everything. I've dabbled in a lot of various religions, spirituality, and philosophy; nothing has resonated more than Taoism. Rather than teach me anything, it's showed me to trust things I already knew but had forgotten. I also see many other philosophies attempting to explain the same thing, but with uneccessary judgments and ritual. As far as what I get out of it. Lots of relief from stress and anxiety, much more calm and in tune with emotions rather than blocking them out or being controlled by them. Greater empathy and connection to others. An overwhelming sense of peace and relief from existential dread. A greater trust in oneself and ability to be present. I hope at least some of that makes sense, I'd be willing to try and talk about it more, but I think just listening to the Tao Te Ching a few times is a great start. I could drop some favorite quotes if you are interested. There is no practice to Taoism, you just embody it through doing not doing. Edit: I wanted to add that I came at Taoism as agnostic, and it's been the closest thing to a higher power I've been able to accept. The Tao is not a deity, a creator, an entity, or anything really. The Tao is just the way things are. We are all the Tao, the Tao is us, everything is the Tao and the Tao is everything. It was easy to accept, and I understand the relief others feel from accepting a higher power. EDIT 2: So according to the Buddhism thread, Taoism incorporates a lot more than just the Tao Te Ching, and I probably don't know what I am talking about. Which is all very likely true, I am certainly new to it. All I do know is that the Tao te Ching really resonated with me and helped me a lot. It seemed free of a lot of the trappings that I usually fault religions for, but apparently Taoism has those too, so I dunno. Take this whole post with big ol grain of salt, but definitely check out the Tao te Ching, its a good text. eSporks fucked around with this message at 04:46 on Sep 1, 2021 |
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Aug 31, 2021 18:28
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https://twitter.com/FatherTim/status/1432871460259958785?s=19
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Sep 2, 2021 01:55
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If there was one way to start an argument among the campus ministry crowd it was to bring up music used in the liturgy.
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Sep 2, 2021 02:23
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Goodbye anything with slant rhyming
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Sep 2, 2021 05:28
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On eagles wings
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Sep 2, 2021 06:00
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Onward Christian Soldiers. Also hi, I’m a cradle to grave Episcopalian.
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Sep 2, 2021 06:40
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I love and prefer the old hymns, but somehow I've ended up in more contemporary churches over the last decade or two. At one point I'd have dumped whole paychecks into strangling "I'm Coming Back to the Heart of Worship".
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Sep 2, 2021 12:11
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Is there a Christian music thread on SA or would this be it? I searched for Christian, gospel, worship, and got...jack. I'm not a huge hymn person. I prefer more like...top 40-ish Christian music. Matthew West, Micah Tyler, Casting Crowns, and Danny Gokey make up the entirety of my 30-minute morning God music playlist.
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Sep 2, 2021 15:29
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D34THROW posted:Is there a Christian music thread on SA or would this be it? I searched for Christian, gospel, worship, and got...jack. I don't know that it's ever come up here but this seems like a good place for it! I used to listen to a lot of Christian rock/Christian contemporary music when I was much younger, and while I don't much any more, there are still a few artists I keep going back to. (Rich Mullins in particular is someone who's been on my mind a lot of late.)
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Sep 2, 2021 15:35
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Amazing.
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Sep 2, 2021 15:44
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mmmjstone posted:Onward Christian Soldiers. i can agree with this one
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Sep 2, 2021 16:18
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Thirteen Orphans posted:If there was one way to start an argument among the campus ministry crowd it was to bring up music used in the liturgy. Being Orthodox my first thought when I saw this was "I don't think you can do that".
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Sep 2, 2021 17:13
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D34THROW posted:Is there a Christian music thread on SA or would this be it? I searched for Christian, gospel, worship, and got...jack. Five Iron Frenzy really holds up in a lot of ways, IMO.
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Sep 2, 2021 18:12
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Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, meditating deeply on Perfection of Wisdom, saw clearly that the five aspects of human existence are empty, and so released himself from suffering. Answering the monk Sariputra, he said this: Body is nothing more than emptiness, emptiness is nothing more than body. The body is exactly empty, and emptiness is exactly body. The other four aspects of human existence -- feeling, thought, will, and consciousness -- are likewise nothing more than emptiness, and emptiness nothing more than they. All things are empty: Nothing is born, nothing dies, nothing is pure, nothing is stained, nothing increases and nothing decreases. So, in emptiness, there is no body, no feeling, no thought, no will, no consciousness. There are no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind. There is no seeing, no hearing, no smelling, no tasting, no touching, no imagining. There is nothing seen, nor heard, nor smelled, nor tasted, nor touched, nor imagined. There is no ignorance, and no end to ignorance. There is no old age and death, and no end to old age and death. There is no suffering, no cause of suffering, no end to suffering, no path to follow. There is no attainment of wisdom, and no wisdom to attain. The Bodhisattvas rely on the Perfection of Wisdom, and so with no delusions, they feel no fear, and have Nirvana here and now. All the Buddhas, past, present, and future, rely on the Perfection of Wisdom, and live in full enlightenment. The Perfection of Wisdom is the greatest mantra. It is the clearest mantra, the highest mantra, the mantra that removes all suffering. This is truth that cannot be doubted. Say it so: Gaté, gaté, paragaté, parasamgaté. Bodhi! Svaha! Which means... Gone, gone, gone over, gone fully over. Awakened! So be it!
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Sep 3, 2021 01:07
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D34THROW posted:Is there a Christian music thread on SA or would this be it? I searched for Christian, gospel, worship, and got...jack. I still listen to a lot of the '80s-'90s alternative and underground stuff that was going on then. One of the most cherished, pivotal memories in my life is of being a teenager and listening to this mealy-mouthed, mild-mannered guy play a wide variety of the most radical and weird and hardcore music in a couple of hours every weekend on a local Christian music station. I couldn't get a good signal inside the house so I'd sit out in my dad's car in the driveway in the dark, shivering with the cold and excitement, and having my mind blown that this kind of music could even exist, let alone be made by Christians, especially early electronic and industrial like Dance House Children/Joy Electric, Mortal, Deitiphobia, and others.
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Sep 3, 2021 04:13
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Not a christian, but I'd feel remiss if I didn't mention David Eugene Edwards. He plays exactly the kind of crazy christian americana you could only make if you were born in the wilderness to a bunch of hellfire preachers, and it is amazing. I prefer his early stuff with the band 16 horsepower, though the new band Wovenhand is also pretty good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHFG9tT-imc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-vpAn15-vE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_vdlo2X2ug
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Sep 3, 2021 05:17
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Tias posted:Not a christian, but I'd feel remiss if I didn't mention David Eugene Edwards. He plays exactly the kind of crazy christian americana you could only make if you were born in the wilderness to a bunch of hellfire preachers, and it is amazing. I prefer his early stuff with the band 16 horsepower, though the new band Wovenhand is also pretty good. This is so my jam! Thanks for sharing!
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Sep 3, 2021 05:23
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BIG FLUFFY DOG posted:Gaté,
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Sep 3, 2021 05:52
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My favourite Christian rock bands are/were almost all Finnish so there's not much point naming them but the one American band I return to every now and then is Tourniquet. It's just so really good.
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Sep 3, 2021 14:56
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What will people think when they hear that I'm a Jesus freak
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Sep 3, 2021 15:03
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Goblin Craft posted:I still listen to a lot of the '80s-'90s alternative and underground stuff that was going on then. One of the most cherished, pivotal memories in my life is of being a teenager and listening to this mealy-mouthed, mild-mannered guy play a wide variety of the most radical and weird and hardcore music in a couple of hours every weekend on a local Christian music station. I couldn't get a good signal inside the house so I'd sit out in my dad's car in the driveway in the dark, shivering with the cold and excitement, and having my mind blown that this kind of music could even exist, let alone be made by Christians, especially early electronic and industrial like Dance House Children/Joy Electric, Mortal, Deitiphobia, and others. The concept of Christian rap and Christian screamo still blow my mind. I used to think it was all stodgy worship-type hymnal stuff but I've rapidly learned that it really does run the gamut of styles these days. Just on Spotify's Christian section alone, there's pop, rock, hip hop, and R&B. I especially love when I'm listening absentmindedly and it's like "Wait, is that Jon Foreman? Switchfoot does Christian music?" or Gary LeVox or Tori Kelly or artists like that.
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Sep 3, 2021 18:05
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Killingyouguy! posted:What will people think when they hear that I'm a Jesus freak Oh shoot. How can I forget that. I wish they'd thrown a tour in Europe.
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Sep 3, 2021 18:25
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Jars of Clay! I wonder if Emory could be considered a Christian band.
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Sep 3, 2021 18:28
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When I played guitar at the folk masses I would have paid good money to see the back of Bind Us Together.
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Sep 3, 2021 19:09
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HopperUK posted:When I played guitar at the folk masses I would have paid good money to see the back of Bind Us Together. That song is an endless loop!
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Sep 3, 2021 19:13
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D34THROW posted:The concept of Christian rap and Christian screamo still blow my mind. I used to think it was all stodgy worship-type hymnal stuff but I've rapidly learned that it really does run the gamut of styles these days. Just on Spotify's Christian section alone, there's pop, rock, hip hop, and R&B. My first glimmer of eye-opening was around 1990 when my mom heard Petra's softer ballad "First Love," and bought the album it was on only to discover they're more of an arena rock band, and gave it to me instead. It only took a few more years for me to discover a whole world of awesome stuff that was experimental or underground then and hardly known at all today. I sometimes wonder if these people feel forgotten or like no one appreciates what they did. Well, I do remember and appreciate. I feel like I have a lot more I could talk about on this topic and it's not something I get to discuss much, anywhere.
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Sep 3, 2021 20:04
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Goblin Craft posted:My first glimmer of eye-opening was around 1990 when my mom heard Petra's softer ballad "First Love," and bought the album it was on only to discover they're more of an arena rock band, and gave it to me instead. It only took a few more years for me to discover a whole world of awesome stuff that was experimental or underground then and hardly known at all today. I sometimes wonder if these people feel forgotten or like no one appreciates what they did. I could definitely go on a huge nostalgia kick (just mentioning Petra brings back a ton of memories!), even about stuff I quit listening to over the years. (Musical tastes changing since I was a teenager, yes I was a teenager in the late 80s/early 90s, more than anything else.) I still listen to The Choir though, and bless them, they are still releasing albums. (Tangentially related, Weird Al's 'Amish Paradise' leaped into my head today and I adore it and could also write an essay on the historical and theological inaccuracies of his Amish-themed parody of a Coolio song. I probably won't. BUT I COULD.) e. There's a podcast called Good Christian Fun that I've only listened to the intro episode of (and I want to give it some more time, just haven't yet) whose remit is doing deep dives into Christian music and pop culture over the years from what appears to be a more affectionate place than a mocking one.
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Sep 3, 2021 20:47
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docbeard posted:(Tangentially related, Weird Al's 'Amish Paradise' leaped into my head today and I adore it and could also write an essay on the historical and theological inaccuracies of his Amish-themed parody of a Coolio song. I probably won't. BUT I COULD.) Not just could, but absolutely should.
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Sep 3, 2021 21:22
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docbeard posted:e. There's a podcast called Good Christian Fun that I've only listened to the intro episode of (and I want to give it some more time, just haven't yet) whose remit is doing deep dives into Christian music and pop culture over the years from what appears to be a more affectionate place than a mocking one. Do they ever get into the collapse of the Christian Alternative scene into the worship music majority of today, because I know there's a lot of material and insights about that but none of which seems all gathered in one place, and it always struck me as holding potential for a fantastic read. I still rock out to Poor Ol Lu to this day, wish there was more stuff like that.
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Sep 3, 2021 21:35
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I have a statement that is a precursor to a question, Please bare with me. I recently have entered into a new stage of life and one of the problems facing me whilst all my friends are out self-actualizing, is the topic of religion. I grew up in a household that was never more than casually religious, my father was a die hard atheist and my mother belongs to a heavily baptist family. I don't belong to either, my father insisted I not have religion forced upon me and even bought me a bible when i was younger as a gift and explained that if I wished to read it and follow it I was allowed to. The question of religion was just left to me. Now that I am a fully grown adult, it feels like a church or at least religion should be a part of my life. Spirituality is a big part of many people's lives. How does one figure out what part of Christianity they should follow? What questions do I need to ask myself to figure this out? Is there some sort of specialist out there that does nothing but plugs people into the right church or belief? Any help is appreciated.
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Sep 4, 2021 03:25
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First question, and not to be snarky, but did you ever read the Bible you were given? What did you think of what it says? You have an interest in it, clearly, but what in particular draws you?
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Sep 4, 2021 03:44
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I recommend reading the Confessions of Augustine
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Sep 4, 2021 03:46
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Fair_Winds posted:Any help is appreciated. It’s not going to help you pick a denomination. But it’ll help with these questions in general. Dynamics of Faith https://www.amazon.com/Dynamics-Faith-Perennial-Classics-Tillich/dp/0060937130
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Sep 4, 2021 04:04
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I suppose as a thread newbie myself, now as I'm diving in would be as good a time as any for an introduction, so you can know where I'm coming from. I grew up and remain in the Brethren church, a small forgotten Anabaptist group related most closely to the Amish and Mennonites. There aren't any hard restrictions on dress or technology like some of the others, but simple living is still encouraged, and pacifism is an official tenet. Some of the older men when I was growing up did still wear neither buttons nor neckties, and the older ladies wore hair coverings. The strongest challenges to my faith came in my 20s - as typical for most, in college, but from a Christian professor who was a strong believer in the Socratic method. He wanted to make us actually think for ourselves about our faith instead of coasting on our upbringing, and I think if you haven't gone through what I call the uncanny valley of the soul, you're not doing faith right. I never really stopped believing, but it took a long time to put the pieces back together and I was often angry with God because I couldn't find someone to share my life and start a family with. Now I have a wife and 7 kids as well as a granddaughter, so be careful what you pray for, lol. I've attended churches in most different traditions at least once, from Orthodox to Catholic to various Protestant groups, a Black church, a few charismatic ones like the Assemblies of God, and even one nondenominational that sincerely worried and dismayed me when they were all waving their offerings around like they were showing them off, and called their worship leader "The Prophet." Aside from the last one I found them all interesting and welcoming and comfortable, even though I do not fit in perfectly to any one of them. I have a pretty oblique approach to life and I am usually very reserved because I don't fit in anywhere. I made peace with that a long time ago, but it does limit how involved I get with people. Years ago I became a member of the AoG church where I met my wife, and of their 16 "essential doctrines" I agreed with 11, and to their credit they still let me join even though I said so on the written application. I'm philosophically opposed to unanimity, especially enforced, and I'm a radical supporter of free speech. Most of you, from reading earlier in the thread, would probably find me shockingly right-wing, but the older I get the less sure I am how to fix society. I think economics and politics are just chipping away at the edges, and we have more important business in the human heart.
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Sep 4, 2021 04:52
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Fair_Winds posted:I have a statement that is a precursor to a question, Please bare with me. I recently have entered into a new stage of life and one of the problems facing me whilst all my friends are out self-actualizing, is the topic of religion. I grew up in a household that was never more than casually religious, my father was a die hard atheist and my mother belongs to a heavily baptist family. I don't belong to either, my father insisted I not have religion forced upon me and even bought me a bible when i was younger as a gift and explained that if I wished to read it and follow it I was allowed to. The question of religion was just left to me. Now that I am a fully grown adult, it feels like a church or at least religion should be a part of my life. Spirituality is a big part of many people's lives. How does one figure out what part of Christianity they should follow? What questions do I need to ask myself to figure this out? Is there some sort of specialist out there that does nothing but plugs people into the right church or belief? Any help is appreciated. If you were to really boil it down, my main question was which one made/makes the most sense of the Gospel.
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Sep 4, 2021 04:58
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I was 'brought up' in AA and the other 12 step programs, where finding a higher power is an inherently free process. It has to make sense to you personally, and if another person tried steering that process, it might not get you where you want to be. Read, study and ponder. Seek out representatives or texts from all the religions and sects you can, then start to attend services that make sense to you - and don't worry too much. Getting in touch with the spiritual is something that will happen if you seek it.
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Sep 4, 2021 08:08
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The best advice I can give is always to find out what a given creed actually believes, and see if that resonates with you. This being 2021, most of the major sects actually have available literature on the web, although it's definitely good to speak with adherents to see what the day to day of the faith is actually like and how the scripture is interpreted.
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Sep 4, 2021 09:53
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