Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Categories
- All Categories 13.8K
- General Category 10.9K
- General Announcements 184
- Faith Issues 3.4K
- Coptic Orthodox Church 2.5K
- Personal Issues 1.4K
- Prayer Requests 423
- Random Issues 1.8K
- Introductions 294
- Non-Orthodox Inquiries 232
- Youth Corner 606
- Hymns 2.5K
- Hymns Discussion 2.5K
- Technicial Difficulties 368
- Technical Topics 368
shnoods' train trip
I am not much of a writer so you will have to excuse the bad grammer and the typo's.
I have taken it upon myself to write a kind of a blog about my train trip to work, hope someone gets something out of it.
Ok, since lent is comming up...
My thoughts/notes on the train!!!
St Mary's Station...
I thought what is the essence of lent? why do we practice fasting? is it because its just part of our culture and mum doesn't cook any meat for 40 days? what is the underlying idea behind lent?
we are taught in sunday school the basic lesson of FASTING and PRAYER (they cast out deamons). Im going to concentrate on the idea of self control. But not self control in the sense of food, but the idea of being watchful and sober to our surroundings.
This verse is what i am talking about:
1 Peter 1:13
1:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1:14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;1:15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 1:16 because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy.
It was a verse i had skiped through once before, and never really understood it untill i re-read it.
And it hit me actually at a celebration, of all places! How many of us are watchful? How many of us understand what it means to be sober minded of our lusts and to watch out for them to act accordingly?
At this revelation i came to the conclusion we would have to be 'rene rivkin'...(its said that this guy only slept 2 hrs a day!!- watching the stockmarket continiously!).
Christ said where your treasure is your heart will be also, so i thought where is my treasure?? but i digressed a little when the guy next to me on the train bummped me i started thinking about 'self control' again.
Who of the old testament practised self control? the obvious one that came to mind was Joseph the rightious another favorite were the three youths who did not eat of the kings delicisies. What do they have that I dont have? what makes these people different to me? We have all heard the talk about saints being just like us after all? They wernt super humans with genetic advantages, St abanoub was a child. So what is it?
Parramatta station....nodded off! to a weird station called Mcdonnald town?(train doesnt stop there)
I beleive it is 2 things.
1) They were sober minded
2) They had a relationship with God that made them have faith in Him.
Definition of sober minded is to be rational or sensible. In order for anyone to be rational or sensible they must know the truth, behind the underlying issue. What is the truth? The next part of the verse explains it very well.."brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ". Wow the revelation of Christ!? that is the truth, that christ has been revealed to me as a Human and God. What a revelation!? The truth of his suffering on the cross for my sake... now if that doesnt make you sober minded i dont know what will!...
I am sure you all seen those soap operas on tv, where a persons friend dies because that person made a mistake. And he finally comes to His senses? I think its exactly the same...I NEED TO COME TO MY SENSES ...If i see something that is not edifying or helpful to me, i need to come to my senses and say NO, this is not helpful. We all know what is right or wrong, even those who do not have Christ know basically from the carnal law what is right or wrong. So what is stopping me from being HOLY!, just as my father is Holy!...
PRIDE PRIDE PRIDE PRIDE!...
Lord be unto me a helper and take away my pride that has gripped me for so long. AMEN
Shenouda.
I have taken it upon myself to write a kind of a blog about my train trip to work, hope someone gets something out of it.
Ok, since lent is comming up...
My thoughts/notes on the train!!!
St Mary's Station...
I thought what is the essence of lent? why do we practice fasting? is it because its just part of our culture and mum doesn't cook any meat for 40 days? what is the underlying idea behind lent?
we are taught in sunday school the basic lesson of FASTING and PRAYER (they cast out deamons). Im going to concentrate on the idea of self control. But not self control in the sense of food, but the idea of being watchful and sober to our surroundings.
This verse is what i am talking about:
1 Peter 1:13
1:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1:14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;1:15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 1:16 because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy.
It was a verse i had skiped through once before, and never really understood it untill i re-read it.
And it hit me actually at a celebration, of all places! How many of us are watchful? How many of us understand what it means to be sober minded of our lusts and to watch out for them to act accordingly?
At this revelation i came to the conclusion we would have to be 'rene rivkin'...(its said that this guy only slept 2 hrs a day!!- watching the stockmarket continiously!).
Christ said where your treasure is your heart will be also, so i thought where is my treasure?? but i digressed a little when the guy next to me on the train bummped me i started thinking about 'self control' again.
Who of the old testament practised self control? the obvious one that came to mind was Joseph the rightious another favorite were the three youths who did not eat of the kings delicisies. What do they have that I dont have? what makes these people different to me? We have all heard the talk about saints being just like us after all? They wernt super humans with genetic advantages, St abanoub was a child. So what is it?
Parramatta station....nodded off! to a weird station called Mcdonnald town?(train doesnt stop there)
I beleive it is 2 things.
1) They were sober minded
2) They had a relationship with God that made them have faith in Him.
Definition of sober minded is to be rational or sensible. In order for anyone to be rational or sensible they must know the truth, behind the underlying issue. What is the truth? The next part of the verse explains it very well.."brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ". Wow the revelation of Christ!? that is the truth, that christ has been revealed to me as a Human and God. What a revelation!? The truth of his suffering on the cross for my sake... now if that doesnt make you sober minded i dont know what will!...
I am sure you all seen those soap operas on tv, where a persons friend dies because that person made a mistake. And he finally comes to His senses? I think its exactly the same...I NEED TO COME TO MY SENSES ...If i see something that is not edifying or helpful to me, i need to come to my senses and say NO, this is not helpful. We all know what is right or wrong, even those who do not have Christ know basically from the carnal law what is right or wrong. So what is stopping me from being HOLY!, just as my father is Holy!...
PRIDE PRIDE PRIDE PRIDE!...
Lord be unto me a helper and take away my pride that has gripped me for so long. AMEN
Shenouda.
Comments
very thoughful shnoods......nice work ;)
when will we all wake up to our senses...that is a hge queston that really touch my heart..thankyou for that!