....or atleast half of one. I still can't get over the blunder myself, for that's what this culinary experience was just one nasty mistake. For I have this thing about food, I want it to be fresh, healthy for me and atleast have some redeeming taste to it. I definitely have a paranoia concerning food and it's freshness, as I rightly should, having had the displeasure of experiencing food poisoning on several occasions. It is because of my past forays in food related illnesses that make me more inclined to toss out outdated foods than experiment with them in my next meal.
Unfortunately for me in my haste to take nourishment this morning before going off to Church I ate half of a moldy bagel. The moldy side was facing away from me and its existence did not come to my attention until I innocently flipped over the bagel for another bite and saw green fuzz. Since half of the green fuzz circle was missing I realized that it could only mean I had ingested that portion.
Here's where I should interject that I have a fairly weak stomach concerning things I deem "nasty". Molds are nasty, deep cuts are nasty, rotting carcasses are nasty, and a variety of other things make my list of nasty. I usually know when I have something new to add to my "nasty" when my gag reflex starts to go at it. So for me overcoming "nasty" things is really a practice in mind over matter.
So truly for the better part of my drive to Church this morning I was working at overcoming this matter of the digested mold. Even now I'm thinking that I need to walk down to the pantry and throw away the rest of the horribly offensive bagels, but I'm a little disturbed by the fact that I'll come yet again into contact with that green mold.
Thankfully for me, I was able to get a hold of myself this morning and get past the mold issue without embarrassing myself in any way. The new Church I had the pleasure of visiting probably went a long way in taking my mind off my previous issues of the morning.
I attended a CMA (Christian and Mission Alliance) Church located in Murray, Utah. Murray is fairly close to where I am living now, which is Kearns, and both are seen as being part of the greater Salt Lake City. I had a wonderful time at the worship service and felt almost immediately at home. I'm really looking forward to attending again next Sunday and meeting more of the Christian Community there.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Some Pictures from My Trip Out to Utah
So, I've just finished uploading the pictures from my trip out West. I wanted to take a moment to apologize for the lack of sequence to my photos. I really just didn't feel like taking the time necessary to put them in the appropriate order. I'm sure if you take the time to read each of the captions you'll begin to gain a sense of my trip and the order of events. Enjoy!!
Friday, May 27, 2005
In Response to a Comment Written...
Today was a day for new experiences and adventures. I took time out of my afternoon to travel down to Temple Square in Salt Lake City. I saw for the very first time the Mormon Temple with the angel Moroni looking down on me. The whole experience left me quite sad and in tears, and it was during that state that I left an audioblog from my cell phone. *I will take a moment to state that my sadness wasn't for me, but every person I've ever known who found themselves in Mormon Church*
When I arrived back home I had an email waiting for me, from someone who kindly responded to my blog. This person identified themselves as "Non-Mormon Person" and went on to ask me several very good questions. I also thank this person for enlightening me to the areas of my blog that I seem vague concerning; namely, my faith and the stance I take in my relationship with Christ.
I grew up in the Mennonite Church (for more information concerning the Mennonite Church http://www.mennoniteusa.org/). Though, I'm baptized in the Church and hold with many of the doctrines of the Church, I don't appreciate the divisions that denominations bring. I'm more in support of believers the world over uniting as the Family of Christ.
It was my Senior year of High School when I was first introduced to the system known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (also known as Mormons). Over time I became quite familiar with the LDS Church, with many of my close friends being Mormon themselves. It was during this period in my life that I began investigating the Mormon Church in earnest, and actually for a short period fell into the belief system myself.
It wasn't until I began uncovering doctrines that I couldn't explain away (especially in relation to what is written in the Bible) that I really began questioning the LDS Church. Since that time I've been about trying to reach out to LDS believers in love and patience.
I know that I'm sounding fairly disjointed and unfocused at this time, but I'll try to bring it all together now with some scripture that I find comforting, especially in relation to the subject of ministry:
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move moutains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:1-7, 13
When I arrived back home I had an email waiting for me, from someone who kindly responded to my blog. This person identified themselves as "Non-Mormon Person" and went on to ask me several very good questions. I also thank this person for enlightening me to the areas of my blog that I seem vague concerning; namely, my faith and the stance I take in my relationship with Christ.
I grew up in the Mennonite Church (for more information concerning the Mennonite Church http://www.mennoniteusa.org/). Though, I'm baptized in the Church and hold with many of the doctrines of the Church, I don't appreciate the divisions that denominations bring. I'm more in support of believers the world over uniting as the Family of Christ.
It was my Senior year of High School when I was first introduced to the system known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (also known as Mormons). Over time I became quite familiar with the LDS Church, with many of my close friends being Mormon themselves. It was during this period in my life that I began investigating the Mormon Church in earnest, and actually for a short period fell into the belief system myself.
It wasn't until I began uncovering doctrines that I couldn't explain away (especially in relation to what is written in the Bible) that I really began questioning the LDS Church. Since that time I've been about trying to reach out to LDS believers in love and patience.
I know that I'm sounding fairly disjointed and unfocused at this time, but I'll try to bring it all together now with some scripture that I find comforting, especially in relation to the subject of ministry:
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move moutains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:1-7, 13
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
The Male Blessing...and other issues of concern
So, I'm in the initial stage of making friends here in Salt Lake City, my new home of less than a week. Last evening was spent dining and conversing with Maija; she's a good friend to one of my cousins, who had at one point spent time in this area. I really enjoyed getting to know Maija, and I'm hoping we'll be able to spend more time together in the future.
Though during the course of our conversation Maija mentioned that she was Mormon, which I had in fact already figured out. It had been a fairly simple deduction, for Maija had mentioned in the course of a phone call (which she had taken in my presence) that she was in need of a "blessing". The term "blessing" in the context she was referring to is a distinctly Mormon practice. To cinch my assumption, Maija had been asking for this "blessing" from a male friend of her's, for only Priesthood Males are able to confer "blessings" within the Mormon Church.
Now that I have given the subject a vague context I would like to sound off on this issue of the "Mormon Male Blessing". For how unfortunate is it that women within the Latter-Day Saints (LDS) Church are dependent upon men as they seek their own relationship with God.
Right now if you're Mormon and reading this journal, you're thinking not true, she's writing lies. You'd be wanting to tell me how you believe that each man and woman is able to have a personal relationship with the Heavenly Father. And my response to you is this, yes you do believe that, but only on the surface. For their are multiple practices within the LDS Church that speak contrary to your stated beliefs that men and women have equal standing before God.
The "Blessing" for instance is a right that only Melchizedek Priests within the LDS Church are able to confer, and since women are not entitled to the Priesthood they are unable to issue "blessings" to others within the Church. For a woman, who was created to become a helpmate to man, this oppression of dependency is severely limiting to God's call for their lives.
All of this is not to draw away from the fact that we should be at work helping one another and lifting each other up in Christ. It is more to the point of focusing on the one-sidedness that exists in the LDS Church structure. For in the LDS Church system a woman is unable to truly obtain a full relationship with Christ without the presence of man lifting her up.
Another example to support of this claim is the Mormon belief that women are called through to heaven by the power of a male relative (i.e. husband, father, brother, cousin). This calling is done by the use of a secret name, which is given to the woman when she first enters the Temple. A male relative might be privy to this name, but usually it is given to her husband on their wedding day at the Temple. Interestingly enough, men are also given secret names, which they don't have to share with their wives.
When both the wife and the husband have passed over in death, it is the husband's responsibility to call his wife by her secret name so that she might find Heaven herself, and be his wife for all eternity. In a truly sad story, one ex-Mormon woman related that she lived in constant fear that her all to forgetful husband would never be able to remember her secret name, and she wouldn't be able to reach Heaven because of him.
The fear this woman lived in is all too much of a reality for millions of Mormon women, who live in the subtle oppression of religious beliefs. These women who seek God daily through their husbands and male relatives; yet, are unable to find an intimate, personal, whole relationship with God. Let us as Christ's believers be in prayer for these women, that they might one day see the Truth of Christ's Blessing, that ALL who believe and follow Him will receive Eternal Life. Amen.
Though during the course of our conversation Maija mentioned that she was Mormon, which I had in fact already figured out. It had been a fairly simple deduction, for Maija had mentioned in the course of a phone call (which she had taken in my presence) that she was in need of a "blessing". The term "blessing" in the context she was referring to is a distinctly Mormon practice. To cinch my assumption, Maija had been asking for this "blessing" from a male friend of her's, for only Priesthood Males are able to confer "blessings" within the Mormon Church.
Now that I have given the subject a vague context I would like to sound off on this issue of the "Mormon Male Blessing". For how unfortunate is it that women within the Latter-Day Saints (LDS) Church are dependent upon men as they seek their own relationship with God.
Right now if you're Mormon and reading this journal, you're thinking not true, she's writing lies. You'd be wanting to tell me how you believe that each man and woman is able to have a personal relationship with the Heavenly Father. And my response to you is this, yes you do believe that, but only on the surface. For their are multiple practices within the LDS Church that speak contrary to your stated beliefs that men and women have equal standing before God.
The "Blessing" for instance is a right that only Melchizedek Priests within the LDS Church are able to confer, and since women are not entitled to the Priesthood they are unable to issue "blessings" to others within the Church. For a woman, who was created to become a helpmate to man, this oppression of dependency is severely limiting to God's call for their lives.
All of this is not to draw away from the fact that we should be at work helping one another and lifting each other up in Christ. It is more to the point of focusing on the one-sidedness that exists in the LDS Church structure. For in the LDS Church system a woman is unable to truly obtain a full relationship with Christ without the presence of man lifting her up.
Another example to support of this claim is the Mormon belief that women are called through to heaven by the power of a male relative (i.e. husband, father, brother, cousin). This calling is done by the use of a secret name, which is given to the woman when she first enters the Temple. A male relative might be privy to this name, but usually it is given to her husband on their wedding day at the Temple. Interestingly enough, men are also given secret names, which they don't have to share with their wives.
When both the wife and the husband have passed over in death, it is the husband's responsibility to call his wife by her secret name so that she might find Heaven herself, and be his wife for all eternity. In a truly sad story, one ex-Mormon woman related that she lived in constant fear that her all to forgetful husband would never be able to remember her secret name, and she wouldn't be able to reach Heaven because of him.
The fear this woman lived in is all too much of a reality for millions of Mormon women, who live in the subtle oppression of religious beliefs. These women who seek God daily through their husbands and male relatives; yet, are unable to find an intimate, personal, whole relationship with God. Let us as Christ's believers be in prayer for these women, that they might one day see the Truth of Christ's Blessing, that ALL who believe and follow Him will receive Eternal Life. Amen.
Why Do I Keep Posting More Photos???
I asked myself today what is with my apparent fascination with posting all my outdated photos. This journal is supposedly for my thoughts and feelings about my time spent in Utah and the people I meet here. Why then do I feel the need to post photos of Africa and Mexico (and even my temptation to post ones of Europe)?
As I reflect on my actions I realize that my travels and cross cultural experiences have shaped a large part of who I am. It is because I've followed God in the past to these other places that I now have the courage to follow God into Utah.
I also realize that my photos should not only be of places I have been, but there should also be quite a number of photos of my family and friends posted. For without the support of these loving and caring people in my life I wouldn't be where I am today, both in location and as a spiritual person.
So all of this to say that I'm probably going to be posting an excessive amount of photos. For each photo in little ways describes the person I am today and how I came to be that way.
As I reflect on my actions I realize that my travels and cross cultural experiences have shaped a large part of who I am. It is because I've followed God in the past to these other places that I now have the courage to follow God into Utah.
I also realize that my photos should not only be of places I have been, but there should also be quite a number of photos of my family and friends posted. For without the support of these loving and caring people in my life I wouldn't be where I am today, both in location and as a spiritual person.
So all of this to say that I'm probably going to be posting an excessive amount of photos. For each photo in little ways describes the person I am today and how I came to be that way.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Pictures Are Worth a Thousand Words...even if they are outdated
Okay, a year ago at this time I was touring around Lesotho and South Africa with a group from Eastern Mennonite University. That trip was a growing experience in many ways, and hence the reason why I still find enjoyment in sharing the experience through my photographs. I hope to have more recent photos up soon, ones from my trip out West and photos of my residence in Salt Lake City.
First Impressions
As of a few days ago I found myself in Salt Lake City, Utah. For anyone who's known me these last six years, you wouldn't be surprised much by my change of location. Since my Senior year of high school God has been at work, leading me into the ministry of converting Latter-Day Saints (Mormons). It's the Lord's calling now that I follow as I make a new life for myself in the Valley of Salt Lake City.
Since my arrival five days ago I've experienced numerous high and low moments. It's the positives that I focus on these days, such as, a conversation I recently had with one of my housemates. His name is Brian and he is the owner of the house, and his story is quite familiar to this area. He grew up in a large Mormon family here in Salt Lake City, and was your fairly straight laced "Molly" Mormon.
I'll segway here to give some explanation to the term "Molly" Mormon or otherwise known as "MoMo". A "Molly" Mormon is someone in the Church that exemplifies all that Mormonism stands for, someone who is about following all the rules without question. This individual will regularly attend all services, extra meetings, and even social events held by the Church. This individual would refrain from the consumption of alcohol, coffee and tea, and wouldn't be in the practice of taking illegal drugs. Most of all the "Molly" Mormon is a very prideful individual who's concerned foremost with how others perceive them.
Well, back to Brian's story. It wasn't until he was about twenty-one that Brian began to feel concerned over the practices that were being held in the Mormon Church. It started with an uneasy feeling he had concerning the bearing of testimonies that was a regular part of each service. It began to worry him that each Sunday several testimonies were shared and yet they were always the same. The standard testimony one would recite went something like this, "I believe that the Book of Mormon is True. I believe that Joseph Smith was a True prophet of God. And I believe that the Church is the True Church."
Brian began to take many issues with this practice of bearing testimony. The foremost was how one was made to feel by the leaders of the Church if they could not bear testimony. There was a tangible pressure by the Church to make one feel unworthy if they were not bearing the occasional testimony, so much in fact that Brian admitted to sharing the recited testimony on many occasions even when it was something he was unsure of himself. In his opinion it was better to be felt worthy by others than to labor under their challenges and questioning. It was easy to avoid questioning and people's poor opinions, all it required was that one stand before the Church at somewhat regular intervals and bear testimony.
It wasn't until sometime later that Brian began to question the effect of what repeating this testimony could be doing to him. The idea came to him, that if someone told themselves a lie long enough and often enough they could begin to know it as the truth. This thought of his, wouldn't leave him and began to weigh very heavily upon him, to the point that he stopped bearing testimony, even when it meant falling under the Churches constant pressure.
And that is where Brian remains today. More and more he is turning away from the Mormon Church, and having less to do with all their beliefs and practices. He now sees the Mormon Church as a lie that he was made to believe in for the majority of his life, a lie that he was almost brain washed in.
Brian's story isn't cause for total celebration, like so many others leaving the Church, he has become an ex-Mormon statistic. He is one of many that have left everything Mormon behind, and that includes the Bible with message of salvation through Christ Jesus. For that is how twisted the Mormon cult is, that Joseph Smith (the founder) took the truth of the gospel and transformed it into a lie. And now for someone like Brian who wants to leave behind the lies and know what is right in this world, it's very hard to see through to the truth. Unfortunately, for many ex-mormons the truth is left behind and in its place is a cynicism of nothingness.
It's our calling as believers to be in prayer for Brian and persons like him, that they might one day know the Truth of the Gospel. For let us remember that even though Satan might be deceiving many of the Children of God here in Salt Lake City, it is God who has already won the ultimate victory. Let us put our faith and hope in God for Brian's salvation, Amen.
Since my arrival five days ago I've experienced numerous high and low moments. It's the positives that I focus on these days, such as, a conversation I recently had with one of my housemates. His name is Brian and he is the owner of the house, and his story is quite familiar to this area. He grew up in a large Mormon family here in Salt Lake City, and was your fairly straight laced "Molly" Mormon.
I'll segway here to give some explanation to the term "Molly" Mormon or otherwise known as "MoMo". A "Molly" Mormon is someone in the Church that exemplifies all that Mormonism stands for, someone who is about following all the rules without question. This individual will regularly attend all services, extra meetings, and even social events held by the Church. This individual would refrain from the consumption of alcohol, coffee and tea, and wouldn't be in the practice of taking illegal drugs. Most of all the "Molly" Mormon is a very prideful individual who's concerned foremost with how others perceive them.
Well, back to Brian's story. It wasn't until he was about twenty-one that Brian began to feel concerned over the practices that were being held in the Mormon Church. It started with an uneasy feeling he had concerning the bearing of testimonies that was a regular part of each service. It began to worry him that each Sunday several testimonies were shared and yet they were always the same. The standard testimony one would recite went something like this, "I believe that the Book of Mormon is True. I believe that Joseph Smith was a True prophet of God. And I believe that the Church is the True Church."
Brian began to take many issues with this practice of bearing testimony. The foremost was how one was made to feel by the leaders of the Church if they could not bear testimony. There was a tangible pressure by the Church to make one feel unworthy if they were not bearing the occasional testimony, so much in fact that Brian admitted to sharing the recited testimony on many occasions even when it was something he was unsure of himself. In his opinion it was better to be felt worthy by others than to labor under their challenges and questioning. It was easy to avoid questioning and people's poor opinions, all it required was that one stand before the Church at somewhat regular intervals and bear testimony.
It wasn't until sometime later that Brian began to question the effect of what repeating this testimony could be doing to him. The idea came to him, that if someone told themselves a lie long enough and often enough they could begin to know it as the truth. This thought of his, wouldn't leave him and began to weigh very heavily upon him, to the point that he stopped bearing testimony, even when it meant falling under the Churches constant pressure.
And that is where Brian remains today. More and more he is turning away from the Mormon Church, and having less to do with all their beliefs and practices. He now sees the Mormon Church as a lie that he was made to believe in for the majority of his life, a lie that he was almost brain washed in.
Brian's story isn't cause for total celebration, like so many others leaving the Church, he has become an ex-Mormon statistic. He is one of many that have left everything Mormon behind, and that includes the Bible with message of salvation through Christ Jesus. For that is how twisted the Mormon cult is, that Joseph Smith (the founder) took the truth of the gospel and transformed it into a lie. And now for someone like Brian who wants to leave behind the lies and know what is right in this world, it's very hard to see through to the truth. Unfortunately, for many ex-mormons the truth is left behind and in its place is a cynicism of nothingness.
It's our calling as believers to be in prayer for Brian and persons like him, that they might one day know the Truth of the Gospel. For let us remember that even though Satan might be deceiving many of the Children of God here in Salt Lake City, it is God who has already won the ultimate victory. Let us put our faith and hope in God for Brian's salvation, Amen.
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