Pentecost Sunday - just reporting in

[Drich]

Yeah, I'm just sharing.  As most of you know, I still go play organ for a Catholic church.   My budget needs it.

Good for you/it.

 So I'm an atheist sitting at the organ, watching the choir react to whatever the priest is spewing.  

Well, this morning was Pentecost, so the Priest was going on about the "gifts of the Spirit".  

Should have started with fruit or evidences of the Holy Spirit.

Healings, miracles, speaking in tongues, stuff that you usually don't talk about in a Catholic Church.  And this is a young (late 20's) intense, zealous guy.  And he was just ripping into the congregation: "If you would get down on your knees every single day and DEMAND that the Spirit keep his promises, everything in your life would improve!

Like I've pointed out in the past God will nt bless a corrupt understand or version of Himself. Just imagine if God allowed those spiritual gifts loose in a know catholic Church.. Then people would assume this church reflected the church of the bible. it doesn't. so what does God do instead? he his silent and sends the wind and the rain to test the houses the catholic church have 'built.' He tests the faith of those in the church, sometimes so intensly it forces people to admit that there is no God backing this particular expression of Christianity.

If you church came together and prayed the prayer He asked you to pray and God backed it... The church maybe all but abandoned.

 The Holy Spirit fixes what we cannot!

 Indeed so long as pride and sin do not first fill our hearts. Pride meaning (The idea that yours is the only version of acceptable Christianity.)

You would be so filled with love that people would stop you in the supermarket and ask you what your secret was!

 Not if we followed the rules about doing these kind of things in secrete.

We would be healing the sick!

Typically that is an elder or decon thing but yes.

 

We would be inspiring the world!

No the world would hate us all the more as per how they treated Christ.

 We would have so many new members that we would have to build a bigger church!!

No. Churches are for the spiritual sick/weak. the strong go out into the world and spread the god news.

 And because you do NOT pray, you're not only cheating yourself, you are cheating me as well!  You are depriving me of the gifts and inspiration that you should be giving to your pastor!"  

Brother if you practiced what you preached your faith being a catholic preist would be in turmoil. All the things he said do go on, but not in big show case churches. They have to teach the wrong things and mismanage their money to get that big. but cause of those discrepancies God would not bless them to do such works.

   Apparently the sheeple in the pews were not having the same thoughts as the atheist.  I was thinking "If you're a priest, (and if this Holy Spirit exists) you would be able to demonstrate those miracles yourself."  

we are not all given gifts but we are all given Spiritual fruit. Even when we are given gifts each man may only get a single gift or portion. Gifts are based on obedience and faithfulness, unlike salvation. Salvation is open to everyone. I don't even think you have to be 'christian' for that to take place. however gifts are the 'gifts' for seeking out who and what God really is apart from any religious nonsense.

I was thinking that he sounded really angry and frustrated.  He apparently wants HIS parish to get the attention of the Pope.

Then have him send the pope a copy of my Adam and eve/evolution assimilation and have him claim it for himself.

 It must be difficult to be a priest, and I'm not even thinking of the celibacy requirement.  To spend your life on your knees and beg god for those super-powers he was promising must be . . . crazy making.

Even if He got a Spiritual gift He would not be happy, as they are not magical illusion to be performed. These gifts are not from us and as such we can't just pull rabbits out of our hats. We are tools and gifts such as this come when they are to Help God and His will/plan and not our own.

   I walked out with a friend who is a science teacher - very pragmatic, very down-to-earth.  I asked her what she thought - if we pray hard enough, we'll all be doing miracles.  She laughed and said, "No, that's all myth and legend.

Indeed as it is not about faith and magic. (therefore prayer is not the catalyst here.) The holy Spirit is. We are to A/S/K for the Holy Spirit. When we receive a measure of the Spirit we will exhibit Spiritual fruit. If we honor what God gave us and continually to seek Him out then we will be given gifts if it is His will. Meaning The Holy Spirit is the reason for the Gifts not prayer. We do pray as apart of A/S/K to get the holy Spirit but that is only one element to the three we have been commanded.

 

What I'm amazed at is that he seems to think it's literal.  I wonder what they teach these boys in seminary."  -- She's one of these cradle-Catholics - she goes to Mass because she has always gone to Mass.  She's pretty sure that God exists, but that most of the Bible is silliness - she's not even sold on Jesus' "resurrection".  I like talking to her, she's very sane.  
    She's really one step away from atheism.  I wonder if she will ever take that step.  The priest seems very angry.  I wonder if he will ever wake up.

The reason he is angry is because his god is silent to him. He has built his faith on the sand and God tested it by sending the winds and rain and his faith/house fell down. again because he is worshiping the wrong God. So now he is seek out in a broader congregation if and where God is speaking out. or is he silent across the board.

Next he will loose his faith in the church and in Catholicism, and if he has bought into the catholic church being god's only church will determine whether or not he looses faith in God. or so it usually goes.

Happy Sunday to all here at AF.       -- Fuzz