Pluralism, syncretism and institutionalized idolatry are as challenging today as in the days of Ahab

The lessons for the Second Sunday after Pentecost raise some questions and challenges about pluralism, syncretism and institutionalized idolatry.

To begin with, pluralism, according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, is 'a condition of society in which numerous distinct ethnic, religious, or cultural groups coexist'. Syncretism is defined as 'the attempt or tendency to combine or reconcile differing beliefs, as in philosophy or religion'.

Institutionalized idolatry is best illustrated in the First Reading from 1 Kings 18:20-21, (22-29), 30-39.
Because of his wife Jezebel's strong influence, King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel led his people into the idolatry of Baal worship. 1Kings 16:30-31 says, "Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him...He also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him".
Rulers like kings, and leaders in general, provide a moral compass for those they lead. The people of Israel strayed away from the Lord because of Ahab's leadership.
Earlier, in 1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43, which is the alternate First Reading for this Sunday, King Solomon had dedicated the temple he built for the Lord. 1 Kings 8:22-53 is the most inspirational dedication service in the whole bible. In its conclusion, Solomon "rose from before the altar of the Lord where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven...and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying: 'Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel, just as he promised"

Here are, therefore, two pictures of two different kings and two different leadership directions. The first typifies syncretism. In the opposite picture, Solomon prays: "Likewise when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a distant land because of your name – for they shall hear of your great name, your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm – when a foreigner comes and prays toward this house, then hear in heaven, your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and so that they may know that your name has been invoked on this house that I have built".

Simply put, in our own day, how do we distinguish between Baal worship and worshiping the Lord? Think of power, prestige, recognition, materialism (and consumerism).

Pluralism is probably even more challenging. Solomon prayed for the inclusion of the stranger. In the Gospel Reading too, from Luke 7:1-10, Jesus ministered to a Roman military leader, who, in turn had built a synagogue for the Jews. It is a picture of our own pluralistic society. Add to that our desire for free thinking, free from dogmas, free from conformity.

One can argue that there are two different issues involved here: Service to the whole world on the one hand, and our faithfulness to Jesus Christ and even inviting others into this faithfulness, on the other. Indeed, the Epistle Reading from Galatians 1:1-12 stresses the one gospel of Christ.

We would emphasize too, that the ultimate goal of all our endeavors and thinking ought to be the glory of God. In the words of Psalm 96, "Declare God's glory among the nations and God's wonders among all peoples...Ascribe to the Lord honor and power. Ascribe to the Lord the honor due to the Lord's Name".    


   

Transformation in practice

Transformational Author Experience®

How to Grow Your Business as a Published Author... and Impact More Lives With Your Message

Have you dreamed of writing a book or becoming a successful published author? Do you have a valuable message that - if put in print - will help grow your business and transform more lives? If you answered yes, but don't have your book written yet... keep reading!

There has never been a better time to write your book and become an author. The opportunities available for authors in the 21st Century are endless. Yet, the majority of entrepreneurs who say they want to write a book don't actually do it. Why? Based on more than 900 responses to a recent survey by Transformational Book Coach, Christine Kloser, aspiring authors revealed what holds them back.

Most authors don't know where to start or what to do first. They are overwhelmed with too much information and not enough action. Sometimes things like fear and doubt creep in. Other times, its confusion, lack of clarity or confidence that can stop an author in their tracks. Another big challenge for authors is feeling like their book has already been written... by somebody else.

Not to mention the maze of information out there about writing and publishing a book. Is it best to self-publish or try to get an agent and sell your manuscript? How important is it to build your platform? What are the first things to do to start writing your book? How can you leverage your book to grow your business? What do you do about "writer's block?" How much will it cost to publish?

The questions facing an aspiring author can be endless and the answers are often times confusing. But, it doesn't have to be that way. There are great people out there who want to help you write your BEST book, who are interested in your message and your success more than they're interested in your money.

And it's absolutely possible to write your book in a way that is easy, joyful and fun - without wasting your precious time, money or energy going in circles. It's also possible your book will bring about profound personal, professional, and even planetary transformation.

Consider this...

Throughout history; books have played a critical role in impacting readers to create positive changes in their lives. Seeing that individual transformation impacts global transformation - it can be said the books truly do have the power to transform the world. And YOUR book can be one of those books that transforms lives forever.

So, if you're ready to take the next step with your book (even just a little bit interested in writing a book someday) you'll want to join me for Christine Kloser's Transformational Author Experience®. Christine is a transformational book coach and is offering one of the best trainings I've ever seen for authors. Her faculty includes Bestselling authors like Lisa Nichols, SARK, and Marianne Williamson, as well as publishing industry leaders like Reid Tracy (CEO and President of Hay House), Marc Allen (Publisher of Eckhart Tolle's Power of Now), and Bill Gladstone (Neale Donald Walsch's literary agent). And that's just the beginning of what's in store for you at her f-r-e-e Transformational Author Experience®.

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Christine Kloser Bio

Christine Kloser, "The Transformation Catalyst" is a transformational book coach, spiritual guide and award-winning author whose spot-on guidance transforms the lives of visionary entrepreneurs and authors around the world. Her life-changing work is endorsed by many of today's leading transformational authors, including: Neale Donald Walsch, Lisa Nichols, Sonia Choquette, Gay Hendricks, and more - and has appeared in media such as the Los Angeles Times, Entrepreneur, FOX News, Forbes.com, and PUBLISHED! Magazine. Her books and publications have also received numerous awards including the Nautilus Book Silver Award, Pinnacle Book Award, eLit Award, National Best Books Award, and the Apex Award for Publication Excellence.

A men's book club is also be possible

In his introduction to the May/June/July 2013 Forward Day by Day, Scott Gunn, the Executive Director of the Forward Movement, makes the following observation: "In many congregations, there are regular readers of Forward Day by Day, though I have discovered that too often people who are practicing this daily discipline do not know one another". He continues: "I wonder how our church might be enriched if more people shared their faith journeys – the successes and the challenges – with one another".

Indeed, the best way to share faith journeys is in groups, especially interest groups. Think of a men's book club, for example. It is not quite an audacious or wishful thinking – such clubs do exist.

Christ Church Cathedral already has a men's and a women's Bible Study groups. There is plenty of room for other interest groups. How about a men's coffee and discussion group? What about a prayer and breakfast group? Actually these are some ideas that some people have considered. They can be transformed into concrete plans and actualized.

Scott Gunn suggests finding "other readers of Forward Day by Day and share your journey with them". Indeed, this could be the beginning of an interest group and fellowship in faith. It is important to note that this journey of faith is not meant to be a lonely experience. It is easier, joyful and enriching when in fellowship.

Those who appreciate the benefits of fellowship may want to start by connecting with one another through Forward Day by Day and taking it from there. Remember the Chinese saying: A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

Whose voice do you hear?

The lessons for this Fourth Sunday of Easter focus on the Good Shepherd. Last week we saw Jesus calling Peter – and the other disciples – to "tend" and "feed" the flock. In this Sunday's Gospel Reading (John 10:22-30) Jesus, the Good Shepherd says, "My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life..."

This is in perfect harmony with this Sunday's psalm – that most familiar and popular Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters".

Similarly, in the Second Reading from Revelation 7:9-17 we read as follows: "And the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger not more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any searching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes".

All these are consoling words, especially at this time and in this month of April which has been full of drama, violence, tragedy, heart-breaks and sorrow.

The question that these readings raise is this: "Whose voice do you hear?" Not just hearing but which voice do you heed? Remember, there are many voices and from many sources, vying for attention. It is critical that we hear and heed the right voice.

I am reminded of an illustration made by Charles Swindoll in one of his books. He narrates how in military training there are usually several platoons training simultaneously in the same ground. There are therefore several instructions coming from different drill instructors at the same time. In such a situation, it is essential that a recruit learn to recognize his or her instructor's voice.

So, who is your drill instructor and whose voice do you hear?

Always Strive to be Better

This is the eighth in the list of 10 Commandments for Happiness – not chronologically by rank but numerically. Striving to be better involves improvement and change.

An anonymous author wrote, "The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement". Another wrote, "The best contribution one can make to humanity is to improve oneself". We have already noted that happiness comes from giving or contributing to someone or something beyond oneself.

We are told that the human brain is capable of holding one thousand terabytes of data, roughly 100 times the capacity of the U.S. Library of Congress. Thus the human brain's capacity for learning more and improvement is almost beyond imagination.

Improvement also means growth, and moving beyond one's present station is a source of happiness. That is what C.R. Lawton meant in this quotation: "Unless you try to do something beyond what you have mastered, you will never grow".

We can therefore summarize by saying, self-improvement, growth and change, all contribute to happiness and they are interconnected. A final quotation from Les Brown: "You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change".

Treat others the way you would like to be treated

You can hardly find happiness if you are not involved in others' happiness. Look at every faith tradition and you will discover that they all emphasize compassion. Compassion is a lot more than simply pity or feeling sorry for another person.

Essentially, compassion is feeling what the other person feels. "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are..." (Romans 12:15-16).

There is a desire for compassion in every human being. Being compassionate with others leads them to be compassionate with us. Conversely, treating others with contempt prompts them to treat us with contempt.

Happiness is a two-way street: give it; you will receive it. Withhold it; you will be miserable. Essentially, that is what it means to treat others the way you would like to be treated.

Next, we will look at the remaining 2 of the 10 Commandments for Happiness
　

The Road to the London Olympics

After the close of the impressive 2012 World Choir Games, the people of Cincinnati can now turn their full attention to the upcoming London Olympics which open on July 27, 2012.

For the first time, women in the U.S team outnumber men 269 to 261

One of the women, the prospective – or even, the projected – first ever U.S gold medalist in Judo, has roots in Cincinnati. Not only that; Kayla Harrison, a Middletown native, has a life story that is pure inspiration as an example of one who overcomes affliction to emerge out a star.

It is fair to say that, even before London, Kayla Harrison is role model and a teacher to many. In 2004, when she was only 13, she was sexually abused by her judo trainer, and a sexual relationship continued for three years. It is devastating at such a tender age – or even at any age – to be abused by a person in a position of trust.

Yet, she overcame all that. Lou Holtz is quoted to have said, "It is not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it". That is the first lesson we all learn.

The second lesson is how she bonded with positive people at Pedro's Judo Center in Massachusetts, and managed to keep pursuing her Judo dreams after her emotional ordeal. It a lesson everyone can learn.

A first gold medal in Judo for the U.S will be a well-deserved crown for Kayla Harrison for her endurance. Again, that is almost assured. However, even without it, she has this far taught many some useful lessons which will continue to be part of her legacy.

At only 22, Kayla Harrison is, and will continue to be a role model for many across the country and around the world.