Everything old is new again

My sister Liz has been harassing me to blog again. I guess only one blog is missing the point. I have something to finally rant about. I actually wanted to write in December about the whole happy holidays - merry christmas thing, but as a musician, December is my crazy season. All I wanted to say about that however is Christians need to seriously lighten up. I LOVE saying "Happy Holidays" just as much as "Merry Christmas"! I love living in a place where Channukah, Ramadan, Christmas and Kwanzaa are all going on and everyone is in such a good place. I really don't think the Savior of the world is getting His feelings hurt by people recognizing and respecting other's religious celebrations instead of only focusing on His birth. Anyway, there was more to say about that last December, but now I have something new.

Friends in my faith are dropping like flies and it's seriously bumming me out! Now, I wouldn't mind so much if I felt like it was because of a sincere soul searching, studious, thoughtful, spiritual need. I'm finding it's more about wanting to come across as "ENLIGHTENED" and "PROGRESSIVE". Many feel that the church of their upbringing is just too old fashioned and naive. The doctrines of the church are based on fear, control, and an outdated cultural puritainism. The thing is, if you don't want to be part of a community of faith, fine, just say so. You are to be respected and loved no matter what you choose to do or not do with your spiritual life. However,every argument about the reasons for their leaving, their need to be enlightened, to have their eyes really opened to truth, to not be shackled by old, outdated philosophies - I can find in very OLD books, histories, and scriptures. There is nothing enlightened about leaving your faith for something easier. There is nothing new about seeing religion, and those who choose to live it, as foolish. There is certainly nothing progressive about limiting your eternal progress to satisfy your vanity by listening to the philosophies of mere men. And NOTHING, frankly, is more old fashioned than making righteousness look boring and unpopular. Okay, here's what kills me. I have friends that have gone to great lengths and great EXPENSE to learn these NEW philosophies. One friend in particular is going to training meetings to learn about the power within her to make her dreams come true. She's learning that it's all about love. No judgements, everyone has a right to their own truth. Now on paper, this is admirable and worthy. The problem is, she leaves her 5 kids at home with a nanny for four days once a month for 2-3 months, then weekends for 6 weeks, then other miscellaneous maintenance days. She won't tell me how much it costs, but it ain't free. And she flies to another state to do this! Oh, but she feels SOOO HAPPY!!!!! I think she has mistaken temporary relief for happiness. She no longer feels "bound" by the restraints of organized religion (read duty, honor, service). Look, living a faithful life is not always pretty. It is hard to deal with people that you wouldn't normally deal with. It's not always FUN to sacrifice your time and pride for the benefit of others. I just have to look at my parents and many other people who have made a lifetime commitment of faith. They have shown the rewards of "finding themselves" the right way. "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it" (Matt 10:39). These people have discovered that making a conscious choice to serve and love people - even when it didn't make them "happy" for the moment - has given them true personal power, peace, and purpose. They partake of the REAL happy, it's called joy because it lasts. It turns out that "old fashioned" honor, duty, work, service and love are ideas that are truly "progressive" because they are timeless, true and the will ALWAYS work! Best of all - you can learn and test out these principles for FREE!!!