*   *   *   *

*   *   *   *

Welcome to “read the Bible – expand your mind:”

The Book of Common Prayer says that by sharing Holy Communion, Christians become “very members incorporate in the mystical body” of Jesus. The words “corporate” and “mystical” are key. They show that a healthy church has two sides, with the often-overlooked “mystic” side posing the question, “How do I experience God?” This blog will try to answer that.

It has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37.) The second is that God wants us to live lives of abundance.(John 10:10.) The third is that Jesus wants us to read the Bible with an open mind. (As it says in Luke 24:45: “Then He [Jesus] opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”) The fourth theme – another one often overlooked – is that Jesus wants us to do even greater miracles than He did. (John 14:12.) 

And this thought ties them together:

The best way to live abundantly and do greater miracles than Jesus is: Read, study and apply the Bible with an open mind. For more see the notes or – to expand your mind – see the Intro.

In the meantime:

November 30, 2024 – This year Thanksgiving came a mere 23 days after a much-anticipated – and in some quarters much dreaded – set of Election Day results.

But we knew going in that no matter who got elected, the next four years would be as polarizing as the last four years have been. (Depending on whose ox is being gored.) Which brings up the topic of making judgments, as your future expressed opinions may pertain to those results. (And maybe defending “truth, justice and the American Way,” as you define those terms.)

On the one hand Jesus said in Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” (In the King James Bible, the one God uses.) On the other hand, Ezekiel 3:16-27 warns that if we see someone doing something wrong and don’t warn them, we’ll both be punished. (The one who sins and the one who failed to warn him.) But if we warn that erring person and they ignore the warning, that person will be punished but we won’t. (“They will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.”) But doesn’t that type of Bible duty require some type of judgment?

Fortunately we have the internet to turn to for answers, like the article Two Types of Judgments – DBT Center of the South Bay: “We all make judgments, so why is it sometimes bad to be stating judgments?” It turns out that there are two types of judgments; “judgments that are discriminating, and judgments that are evaluative.” I would have thought the “discriminating” type would be bad, but it’s actually the good one: “Judgments that are discriminating (i.e. I prefer X over Y) reflect personal preferences and subjective opinions. They are considered judgments that are effective in terms of not projecting one’s perception as a complete conclusion.”

When judgments are evaluative (i.e. This is horrible) it is stating something as a whole and objectively. It is taking the facts of a situation and adding personal preferences, values, and opinions to make it an objective truth. This type of judgment is ineffective because others may view the same situation differently, whether it is marginally different or completely different.

By using “discriminating” judgments – and opinions – you leave room for other people’s interpretations and perceptions. In other words, “don’t project your own perceptions as a complete conclusion.” In more blunt terms, when expressing your opinions don’t think you’re perfect like Jesus. (The only person in history who can say His opinions are infallible.)

And that’s what Jesus meant when He said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” But just to be on the safe side you might want to add, “That’s my stupid opinion anyway. What’s yours?” That way you might avoid being “weighed in the balances and found wanting,” as shown in the painting below. But this post is also supposed to be about Thanksgiving, so here are some snippets.

For one thing, the idea behind the holiday goes back long before Plymouth Rock and the Pilgrims. For Native Americans, “gathering to give thanks was already a familiar custom, taking place not just annually, but 13 times throughout the lunar, calendar year – a cycle known as the Thirteen Moons. As one Wampanoag said, “Thanksgivings are a big part of our culture. Giving thanks is how we pray.” (The Wampanoags were the tribe who helped the Pilgrims survive their first winter in 1620-21. Of the 102 who landed in November 1620, less than half survived. Of the 18 adult women, only four survived. “And you think today’s politics are bad?”)

Anyway, as it turns out there’s a very good reason why special days of thanksgiving have been around a long time. “As more researchers dig into the science of gratitude, they’ve found the feeling likely played a key role in helping our ancestors band together and survive.”

So, “Who knew there was a science of gratitude?” But there is, and it has a definite healing effect: Whether thanking others, ourselves, Mother Nature or the Lord, “gratitude in any form can enlighten the mind and make us feel happier.” Which explains why our annual Thanksgiving in all its forms has been around so long: “That legacy continues today, as being in the mood for gratitude shapes who we are as a species and how we connect with the people around us.” And we could use a lot of positive shaping and connecting over the next four years…

*   *   *   *

*   *   *   *

The upper image is courtesy of Judgment Image – Image Results, and came with the page The Proper Use of Biblical Judgment – pastorfulmer.com, including another take on Matthew 7:1:

This is a verse from the Bible that is often thrown about with great liberty! Rather than being used as it is presented by the Lord in this text, it seems to be used more as a shield against any form of questioning or examination… When people try to deflect by using the text of Matthew 7:1, realize that it’s probably because they just don’t want to be held accountable for something. 

Re: DBT, “Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based therapy that uses dialectical strategies and mindfulness to help change behaviors that prevent people from leading a life worth living.”

The Book of Common Prayer reference: The “corporate-mystical” prayer is on page 339, the post-communion prayer for Holy Eucharist, Rite I.

“Feast days” are designated days on the liturgical (church) calendar “set aside to commemorate events, saints, or doctrines that are important in the life of the Church. These can range from Solemnities, which are the highest-ranking feast days like Easter and Christmas, to optional memorials that celebrate lesser-known saints.” Feast Days: Celebrating the Church’s Calendar.

For more on the Ezekiel quote, see Ezekiel 3:16-27 — Commissioned as the Lord’s Watchman.

The “snippets” came from the post, Thanksgiving 2023 – and an “epileptic Rabbit Trail.” For another snippet see On Thanksgiving 2022 – and an Unknown American Icon (on John Howland – a Pilgrim who almost drowned on the Mayflower‘s voyage over from England – and later “peopled America with his progeny.” He died at the ripe old age of 80 and populated America with 2 million descendants.”) Or see other Thanksgiving posts, from 2015 to 2019, and others.

The lower image is courtesy of Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin Image – Image Results. See also Belshazzar’s feast – Wikipedia.

*   *   *   *

As noted in the opening blurb, this blog has four main themes. The first is that God will accept anyone. (John 6:37, with the added, “Anyone who comes to Him.”) This is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. From the Old Testament, Psalm 9:10, “You never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.” (In the Version in the Book of Common Prayer.) The second is that God wants us to live abundantly.  (John 10:10.) The third is that we should do greater miracles than Jesus. (John 14:12). A fourth theme: The only way to do all that is read the Bible with an open mind:

…closed-mindedness, or an unwillingness to consider new ideas, can result from the brain’s natural dislike for ambiguity. According to this view, the brain has a “search and destroy” relationship with ambiguity and evidence contradictory to people’s current beliefs tends to make them uncomfortable… Research confirms that belief-discrepant-closed-minded persons have less tolerance for cognitive inconsistency…

So in plain words, I take issue with what I came to call “Christian first graders.” Those who stay in a kind of elementary school, and maybe even never go beyond first grade. See John the Baptist, ’24 – and “Christian First Graders,” for more detail. But the key point: “The Bible was designed to expand your mind,” not keep it narrow. Also, the idea that “Jesus was anything but negative. His goal was for you to grow and develop into all that you can be.” (For more on that see ABOUT THE BLOG, above.)

Before that post I wrote that the blog takes issue with boot-camp Christians, the Biblical literalists who never go “beyond the fundamentals.” But the Bible can offer so much more than their narrow reading can offer…  (Unless you want to stay a Bible buck private all your life…) Now, about “Boot-camp Christians.” See for example, Conservative Christian – “Career buck private?”  The gist of that post is that starting the Bible is like Army Basic Training. You begin by“learning the fundamentals.” But after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training.” 

However, after boot camp, you move on to Advanced Individual Training. And as noted in “Buck private,” one of this blog’s themes is that if you want to be all that you can be, you need to go on and explore the “mystical side of Bible reading.*” In other words, exploring the mystical side of the Bible helps you “be all that you can be.” See Slogans of the U.S. Army – Wikipedia, re: the recruiting slogan from 1980 to 2001. The related image at left is courtesy of: “toywonders.com/productcart/pc/catalog/aw30.jpg.”

Re: “mystical.” Originally, mysticism “referred to the Biblical liturgical, spiritual, and contemplative dimensions of early and medieval Christianity.” See Mysticism – Wikipedia, and the post On originalism.  (“That’s what the Bible was originally about!”) See also Christian mysticism – Wikipedia, “In early Christianity the term ‘mystikos’ referred to three dimensions, which soon became intertwined, namely the biblical, the liturgical and the spiritual or contemplative… The third dimension is the contemplative or experiential knowledge of God.” As to that “experiential” aspect, see also Wesleyan Quadrilateral – Wikipedia, on the method of theological reflection with four sources of spiritual development: scripture, tradition, reason, and “Christian experience.”

For an explanation of the Daily Office – where “Dorscribe” came from – see What’s a DOR? 

*   *   *   *

Also, an interesting read from November 26, 2024, How these older voters who backed Harris are engaging in “quiet resistance.”