Of all ironies

Sunday's reading from the epistle of James:

"Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.
Did not God choose those who are poor in the world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom
that he promised to those who love him?"

And compare to a recent headline in Time Magazine:

Does God want you to be rich?

..For several decades, a philosophy has been percolating in the 10 million-strong Pentecostal wing of Christianity that seems to turn the Gospels' passage on its head. Certainly, it allows, Christians should keep one eye on heaven. But the new good news is that God doesn't want us to wait.

Known (or vilified) under a variety of names -- Word of Faith, Health and Wealth, Name It and Claim It, Prosperity Theology -- its emphasis is on God's promised generosity in this life. In a nutshell, it suggests that a God who loves you does not want you to be broke.

Its signature verse could be John 10:10: "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." In a Time poll, 17 percent of Christians surveyed said they considered themselves part of such a movement, while a full 61 percent believed that God wants people to be prosperous.

I have heard more than one person express the desire that God burden them with fantastic wealth, but I prefer the cross already laid out for me.

The Good and Peaceable Man

In addition to reading about the Desert Fathers, and Bl. Teresa of Calcutta, I'm reading through 'The Imitation of Christ' by Thomas à Kempis. I read this part this morning, and thought that it should be a good reminder to all christian bloggers on the tenor of our discussions. From Book 2, Ch III:

First keep thyself in peace, and then shalt thou be able to be a peacemaker towards others. A peaceable man doth more good than a well-learned. A passionate man turneth even good into evil and easily believeth evil; a good, peaceable man converteth all things into good. He who dwelleth in peace is suspicious of none, but he who is discontented and restless is tossed with many suspicions, and is neither quiet himself nor suffereth others to be quiet. He often saith what he ought not to say, and omitteth what it were more expedient for him to do. He considereth to what duties others are bound, and neglecteth those to which he is bound himself. Therefore be zealous first over thyself, and then mayest thou righteously be zealous concerning thy neighbour.

I guess that instead of incessantly venting our spleens about bishop Invertebrate or sister Heresychaser, OP, we should be first as ruthless in routing our own sins. I get in posting ruts, where it's only the things that rile me enough to write about that get onto the blog. I suspect that others get into that rut as well.

Thou knowest well how to excuse and to colour thine own deeds, but thou wilt not accept the excuses of others. It would be more just to accuse thyself and excuse thy brother. If thou wilt that others bear with thee, bear thou with others. Behold how far thou art as yet from the true charity and humility which knows not how to be angry or indignant against any save self alone. It is no great thing to mingle the good and the meek, for this is naturally pleasing to all, and every one of us willingly enjoyeth peace and liketh best those who think with us: but to be able to live peaceably with the hard and perverse, or with the disorderly, or those who oppose us, this is a great grace and a thing much to be commended and most worthy of a man.

Is there any point to reading heretical journals, if one only does it to stoke resentment and provide fresh accusations? It's one thing to expose a heresey, and offer corrective proof, and another to just lambast the author with aspersions about their faith or intelligence (Mea Culpa).

There are who keep themselves in peace and keep peace also with others, and there are who neither have peace nor suffer others to have peace; they are troublesome to others, but always more troublesome to themselves. And there are who hold themselves in peace, and study to bring others unto peace; nevertheless, all our peace in this sad life lieth in humble suffering rather than in not feeling adversities. He who knoweth best how to suffer shall possess the most peace; that man is conqueror of himself and lord of the world, the friend of Christ, and the inheritor of heaven.

Peace to you all, as there are many trials ahead for us all.

Foresight and Worthiness

From Athanasius' biography 'the Life of Antony of Egypt'

[Antony] denounced the Arians, saying that their heresy was the last of all and a forerunner of Antichrist. And he taught the people that the Son of God was not a created being, neither had He come into being from non-existence, but that He was the Eternal Word and Wisdom of the Essence of the Father. And therefore it was impious to say, 'there was a time when He was not,' for the Word was always co-existent with the Father. Wherefore have no fellowship with the most impious Arians. For there is no communion between light and darkness [20]. For you are good Christians, but they, when they say that the Son of the Father, the Word of God, is a created being, differ in nought from the heathen, since they worship that which is created, rather than God the creator. But believe ye that the Creation itself is angry with them because they number the Creator, the Lord of all, by whom all things came into being, with those things which were originated.

If one looks at the contemporary plagues of Mohammadeans, Zionists, and blithering christians sects, one will see that Arianism is alive and well. Dan Brown's 'DaVinci Code' is just one more grenade in the bandolier of Arianism, denying the Divinity of Jesus and calling the Apostles liars. Antony predicted this. Antony spent the better part of is life in spiritual combat against evil spirits and the fallen angel they serve, Satan. I'll take his word for it.

I've been reading ' The Eternal wisdom of the Desert Fathers' , published by Paraclete Press, and while I've just read up though Antony, I'm astonished at the love and dedication to our Lord that these men and women lived. It really shames me to compare my life to theirs, my comfort to their mortification. As much as we kvetch about loopy liturgists, Brokeback bishops, and heretical theologians, we cannot compare in our witness to those who've given up EVERYTHING for Christ. I get the same feeling when reading Bl. Teresa of Calcutta, her complete surrender to Christ, unselfish love, and gentle criticism of the rest of us slackers. Time for a wee attitude correction..

"Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come immediately and sit down to eat'?

"But will he not say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink'?

"He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he?

"So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'"