We Are the Dead Men Walking
Saved By A Good Samiritan

Prayer on Comfort:

What price is Comfort? What is it to live outside of the World? WHat should be the proper response to riches and in fame? How does the LORD equip the Lihtnings to be proper witness of the Goodnews that is the Gospel?
It is said; Light is sown [1] for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. (Psalm 97) Allow us to see that although we may be in power we may not be always right, and allow us to turn to the LORD to hear how HE wants us to lead our households and our doings in the WORLD. AMEN

1209 Massacre of the Cathari

The Pure Ones (Cathari) from a nearby planet heard the news of their impending doom by letter to their council:

The year of 1209, providing that the Cathari have infiltrated European Culture, originating from Bulgaria, before June 1 in this Calender Year. If the Cathari agree to not meet again, they will be spared from the current inquisition into their affairs; however if they do not disband we are determined to extinguish this group of heretics from the annals of history. We the high council in Rome deem this necessary because of your inflexibility to move from your gnostic notion of avoiding: marriage, sexual intercourse, eating of meat, and material possessions. You are to disband or be extinguished.

1209 What Threat Cathari

Cathari ship Troubadour landed in a meadow amongst a flock of lambs. Peacefully the aliens lived within the Empire. But then....the Cathari had become a leading voice in Culture. They had gained the protection of the Princes of Toulouse, and were spreading a new Gospel to Europe. Catholic Bishops and the Pope felt threatened...

1073-1085 Cathari and Heretical War

East of the wormhole the Cathari warship the Troubadour was headed towards Earth. Cathari leaders were devoted to extremes of self denial. They believed in killing the body in order to free the spirit. It was well known through out the universe, that they would rather starve themselves than submit to the whole body position defended by their enemies the Dominicans.

1253-1457 Women

Women had a submissive role in the middle ages due to males misogyny:
"The wickedness of women is grater than all other wickedness of the world and the poison of asps and dragons is more curable and less dangerous to men than the familiarly of women."

- Conrad of Marchtal

(Bynum 15)

"Learn Everything; you will see afterwards that nothing is superfluous."-Hugh of St. Victor

1079 – April 21, 1142 Abelard: Christ Showed us Grace

On the rocky shore of Cedar Key Florida, at low tide, I saw two crabs walking backwards. It was a spectacular morning, around four AM and the full moon was still lighting the beach.

I looked closer and saw that the crabs were kin. The mother was busy scolding her offspring and did not pay attention to me, the weather, or anything else.

"Why in the world, child, do you not walk as the other creatures do-forward instead of backward?" she complained.

"Mother, dear," replied the little Crab, "do but set the example yourself, and I will follow."

Abelard:
"Through this unique act of grace manifested to us - in that his Son has taken upon himself our nature and persevered therein, in teaching us by word and example even unto death - he has more fully bound us to himself by love; with the result that our hearts should be enkindled by such a gift of divine grace, and true charity should not now shrink from enduring anything for him." (Placher 145)

Application: Example is the best precept.

1079 – 1142 Abelard and Heloise

Amongst the Gold tinted columns and dew stained yellow wallpaper, Abelard was kindled by the tickling sensation of lusty sentiments. Cherubs sat naked on top of a fountain, and a young lady sat properly as she continually played with her hair. She attempted to show no interest to Abelard. But there was more kissing than teaching. Abelard was distracted by Heloise's beautiful breasts. He found his hands betraying him. The servants talked. The rich uncle found out. Heloise was sent to a nunnery. The furious uncle hired thugs to castrate Abelard. The flames of romance inspired to make these lovers classic.


Eloisa to Abelard a poem written by Alexander Pope captured Heloise Romantic thoughts:

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!

The world forgetting, by the world forgot.

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!

Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd ... ^[3]

1033-1109 Ontological Arguement Revealed to Bertrand Russel

Anslem a monk and Archbishop of Canterburry made this arguement for the existence of God betwen 1033-1109.

1. God is something than which nothing greater can be thought.

2. God exists in the understanding.

3. It is greater to exist in reality and in the understanding than just in understanding.

4. Therefore, God exists in reality

Bertrand Russel in 1894 walked from the University down Trinity Lane.

Women talked about the fashions amongst the green verdant vegetables. The men in red coats and black hats discussed the current philosophy of the day; faith must precede understanding. The sun cast a shadow against the yellow grimly stained buildings full of noisy children learning from their open books and strict school masters. The red roofs of the buildings stood in contrast to the crosses on top of the cathedral.

An idea alighted on Bertrand Russel, like a stick of dynamite. He had gone out to buy a tin of tobacco but on his way back he was struck, the tin went spiraling in the air, and he exclaimed as he made an amazing catch, "Damn, the ontological argument is valid. Great Scott, the ontological argument is valid."

1228-1306 Jacophone De Todi

Plato and Socrates may contend

And all the breath in their bodies spend
Arguing without end -
What's it all to me?
Only a pure and simple mind
Straight to heaven its way doth find;
Greets the King - while far behind
Lags the world's philosophy.

Jaciphone De Todi (1228-1306)

Two medieval point of views emerged:

(1)Those in the monastery held onto the faith. Monks/theologians meditated solely on the word of God and the meaning of Christianity.

(2) Those in the university held onto reason coupled with faith. University professors meditated on the Word of God and how it related to the WORLD. They then waged an intellectual jihad for the merits of Christianity against worldly based human reason.

Dominican and Franciscan monks attempted to blend the role of the professor and the theologian together, an imperfect union of faith and reason.

1179 Wheres Waldo? He's in Rome at the Third Lateran Council.

The poor took comfort from the church, when the church was closed.

The poor took comfort when the parishioners were not in sight.

The church had forgotten the words of Jesus (Matt 19:21)²¹"If you want to give it all you've got," Jesus replied, "go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me."

Bishops dereliction of Jesus's mission was caused by a need for Global dominance and a need for security assured in being a Roman Empire.

1225-1253 A Visit with Grossestese

As we walked down the corridor we are greeted by a lone monk.

"Welcome! I am Senior Grosseteste of England. Allow me to amuse you in these hallowed corridors of our Roman Church; where we appoint not pastors but destroyers of the hearts of men. Our clergy rank highly in the arts of covetous, greed and of course immorality. When we hear of protest we deem those protesters heretics, and send them to our Hell-Hound Cerebrus. Cerebrus gnaws on bones with a passion not equaled. What a delightful sound to hear them cry like babies, while our dog gnaws on their flesh, ripping them into pieces. Such delights! We will use any means neccessary to protect the sanctity of our mother the Church. We just ask that you believe."

He thought on God's role of spiritual healing as he gazed at the light blue sky; Aquinas thought he had set the celestial bodies into a grand alignment. Would the Orchestration become a tune worth dancing to? Or would the notes get in the way?

1265-1274 Summa Thologica, Thomas Aquinas

Aquinas walked in the garden amongst the seven Sacramental Oaks: Baptism, Confirmation, the LORD's Supper, Penance, Extreme Unction, Marriage and Ordination.

The tallest tree was the LORD's supper. The tree once a week changed miraculously into the actual body and blood Christ (transubstantiation). Neighbors often thought they had been slipped a pill when they saw Jesus walking in the garden.

1198-1216 Cooking Up Legalism (Pope Innocent III)

See, I have set you this day k over nations and over kingdoms,
t to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.

Jeremiah 1:10

The aliens watched.

The students sat on dry straw, drooling. They drooled, and drooled. Teachers lead them to think that Christ was 1+1+1=3. They had their Harmony of Discordant Canon and Cannon Law memorized. They held onto the legal understanding firmly. Their hearts were quickly deadened, because God is not a number on a box score.

And remember, where you have a concentration of power in a few hands, all too frequently men with the mentality of gangsters get control. History has proven that.
Lord Acton

999-1003 Western Illuminate Aliens visit the Middle Ages

estern Alien Illuminate landed amongst the learned Schoolmarms.
The UFOs were sent out in hopes of discovery to learn the New Being of Christianity . The Aliens chose the time because Christianity had been laid out and thoroughly organized. Schoolmarms had been living religiously in a studious manner. Now they invited the aliens to cups of Earl-Grey-Tea.

Within the temporary tent the teachers solidified the Christian system by reading :

"God reached out, touched my mouth, and said,
"Look! I've just put my words in your mouth—hand-delivered!
See what I've done? I've given you a job to do
among nations and governments—a red-letter day!
Your job is to pull up and tear down,
take apart and demolish,
And then start over,
building and planting." Jeremiah 1:10 (The Message)

1261-1453 Knightly Orders

The crusades failed. It failed to unite the east or west.

It failed to beat the Muslims back from controlling the middle east.

It succeeded in creating three knightly orders: The White Knighted Templars (knights of the temple);
The Black Knighted Hospitaliars (Knights of St. John of Jerusalem: created to care for the sickly and wounded);
and the white robed and black cross Teutonic Knights ( exclusively a German order).

These orders swore to obey God by protecting all pilgrims in Crusading States and to wage perpetual war against the Muslims.

But, these order would grow too large and would succomb to the fate of the tower in Babel. Our efforts outside of Christ, do not secure our footing. We must turn to Christ and surrender our efforts no matter how gallant or visibly holy.

Genesis 11:4-9
(ESV)
Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower^C)">(C) with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth." ⁵And^D)">(D) the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. ⁶And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. ⁷Come,^E)">(E) let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech." ⁸So^F)">(F) the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. ⁹Therefore its name was called^G)">(G) Babel, because there the LORD confused^a]">[a] the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.
(Message)
^6-9 God took one look and said, "One people, one language; why, this is only a first step. No telling what they'll come up with next—they'll stop at nothing! Come, we'll go down and garble their speech so they won't understand each other." Then God scattered them from there all over the world. And they had to quit building the city. That's how it came to be called Babel, because there God turned their language into "babble." From there God scattered them all over the world.

12 Signs of A Church Planter

Charles R. Ridley compiled 13 Characteristics of a church planter and this list is the most utilized profile in church planter selection.

1. Visioning Capacity
2. Personal Motivation
3. Creating Ownership of Ministry/Building a Core Team
4. Reaching the Un-churched
5. Spousal Cooperation
6. Relationship Building
7. Commitment to a Healthy Reproducing Church
8. Responsiveness to Community
9. Gift Utilization
10. Flexibility and Adaptability
11. Builds Group Cohesiveness
12. Resilience
13. Exercising Faith

Britains Got Talent

Ezekiel 40:22 (Show Ezekiel 40)
And its windows, its vestibule, and its palm trees were of the same size as those of the gate that faced toward the east. And by seven steps people would go up to it, and find its vestibule before them.

I watched last night before me

an ugly duckling become an elegant swan.
she stood their amongst cat calls.
Salivating wolves licked their chops.
Because she did not look anything like talent.
She opened her mouth in triumph,
her voice flew out fluttering,
wiping tears that appeared in front of my dirty eyes,
wings cleansed my dirty frame,
I had seen an ugly duckling,
but now I saw her beauty take flight.

1095 Blood Baths Amongst the Mohamideans

1095 The Crusades:
What was the reason for Crusading? Why did one Crusader say, "Indeed it a just and splendid judgment of God that this place should be filled with the blood of the unbelievers, since it had suffered so long from their blasphemies?" (Shelley 207) The Crusaders, noble in birth, mostly illiterate, ignorant of the words in the bible, grew into a sea of blood hungry sharks.

Deuteronomy 17:6 (The Message)

6-7 But only on the testimony of two or three witnesses may a person be put to death. No one may be put to death on the testimony of one witness. The witnesses must throw the first stones in the execution, then the rest of the community joins in. You have to purge the evil from your community.

Numbers 35:19-21 (The Message)

19 "In such cases the avenger has a right to kill the murderer when he meets him—he can kill him on the spot.

20-21 "And if out of sheer hatred a man pushes another or from ambush throws something at him and he dies, or angrily hits him with his fist and kills him, that's murder—he must be put to death. The avenger has a right to kill him when he gets him.

Genesis 9:6 (The Message)
6-7 Whoever sheds human blood,
by humans let his blood be shed,
Because God made humans in his image
reflecting God's very nature.
You're here to bear fruit, reproduce,
lavish life on the Earth, live bountifully!"

2 Samuel 14:6-8 (The Message)

5-7 He said, "How can I help?"

"I'm a widow," she said. "My husband is dead. I had two sons. The two of them got into a fight out in the field and there was no one around to step between them. The one struck the other and killed him. Then the whole family ganged up against me and demanded, 'Hand over this murderer so we can kill him for the life of the brother he murdered!' They want to wipe out the heir and snuff out the one spark of life left to me. And then there would be nothing left of my husband—not so much as a name—on the face of the earth.

8 The king said, "Go home, and I'll take care of this for you."

Interlude: Rob Bell Interviews Shane Hipps

Interlude: It's About Him!

Our LORD is a Mighty LORD he REIGNS....from Heaven Above he reigns... he is what it is all about! In him we are assured. In him we find living water; outside of him is the blood in the Nile. In him Joy! In him pain but a pain that rewards in the end because in humility we will be shaped into men ready to drink from the living fountain. I am ready to march around the temple with my trumpet in hand. Knock and he will answer! Be ever ready for the new earth to be revealed in time... he sees and he knows... Amen!

I was a sailor, I was lost in sea
I was under the waves, before love rescued me
I was a fighter I could turn on threat
Now I stand accused of things I've said

Love comes to town,
I'm gonna jump that train
When love comes to town,
I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down,
But I did what I did before love came to town

Used to make love under the red sunset,
I was making promises I that were soon to forget
She was pale as the lace of her wedding gown,
But I left her standing before love came to town

Ran into a juke joint when I heard a guitar scream,
The notes were turning blue as days as a little dream
As the music played I saw my life turn around,
That was the day before love came to town

Love comes to town,
I'm gonna jump that train
When love comes to town,
I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down,
But I did what I did before love came to town

I was there when they crucified my Lord
I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword
I threw the dice as they pierced his side,

But I've seen love conquer the great divide

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!!!!

Enjoy the Video

I was a sailor, I was lost in sea
I was under the waves, before love rescued me
I was a fighter I could turn on threat
Now I stand accused of things I've said

Love comes to town,
I'm gonna jump that train
When love comes to town,
I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down,
But I did what I did before love came to town

Used to make love under the red sunset,
I was making promises I that were soon to forget
She was pale as the lace of her wedding gown,
But I left her standing before love came to town

Ran into a juke joint when I heard a guitar scream,
The notes were turning blue as days as a little dream
As the music played I saw my life turn around,
That was the day before love came to town

Love comes to town,
I'm gonna jump that train
When love comes to town,
I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down,
But I did what I did before love came to town

I was there when they crucified my Lord
I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword
I threw the dice as they pierced his side,

But I've seen love conquer the great divide

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

Crusades according to Shakespeare

"As far as to the sepulchre of Christ--
Whose soldier now, under whose blessed cross
We are impressed and engaged to fight--"...

But I have sent for him to answer this;

And for this cause awhile we must neglect
Our holy purpose to Jerusalem....
But come yourself with speed to us again;
For more is to be said and to be done

Than out of anger can be uttered.

WESTMORELAND I will, my liege.

Henry IV Scene One Act One- William Shakespeare

Interlude: Christianity Today?

Very funny and thought provoking? Enjoy!

Interlude: Christianity Today?

Found these funny videos on IMONK (Michael Spencer's Blog) and thought y'all would like them... very funny stuff and very ummm so thought provoking:

A Slice of the Battle: Kingdom of Heaven

1095 Chewing on Mohammedans

Were the Crusades truly human or truly holly?

There are no perfect causes or perfect systems that are stainless from the blood of sin. Crusaders were not exempt from rape or plunder.

Crusaders were at home when cooking and eating Mohammedans, because Crusaders objectified them as demons praying to a warrior god. One food critic on his first crusade gave heathen-flesh a Zagat Rating, "This is better than spiced peacock."

POV: Quran on Christians

Quran on Christians: 4:167 Lo! those who disbelieve and hinder (others) from the way of Allah, they verily have wandered far astray.
4:168 Lo! those who disbelieve and deal in wrong, Allah will never forgive them, neither will He guide them unto a road,
4:169 Except the road of hell, wherein they will abide for ever. And that is ever easy for Allah. 4:171 O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three" - Cease! (it is) better for you! - Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender. 4:172 The Messiah will never scorn to be a slave unto Allah, nor will the favoured angels. Whoso scorneth His service and is proud, all such will He assemble unto Him; 4:173 Then, as for those who believed and did good works, unto them will He pay their wages in full, adding unto them of His bounty; and as for those who were scornful and proud, them will He punish with a painful doom. And they will not find for them, against Allah, any protecting friend or helper.

Abraham's Blood Began the Feude

Why Can't We Just All Get Along?

Genesis 16:12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man,
his hand against everyone
and everyone's hand against him,
and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”

The battle began here when Abraham and Sarah doubted that they would bear offspring. (Gen 17:17) Sarah tells Abraham to make an heir through her maid Hagar. Abraham listened and conceived a child with Hagar. This action was not of God because God had promised Abraham an inheritance. And the covenant was between Sarah and Abram not between Abraham and Hagar. (Gen 12:13)

Sarah was angry and resented Hagar. Sarah took her anger out on Hagar because she did not dare to confront her husband, the lord of the Manor Abraham.

This offspring , Ishmael was the father of the people who would become the Arabs. These Arabs would hear the call from Mohammad about Allah. This group would battle with the Christians and Jews over the holy-land and Abraham's inheritance.

Whom was the first to be born from Abraham? Ishmael! The "First Born" had a right to the inheritance because of man's legal apologetics. But God had promised the covenant between Sarah and Abraham, (Genesis 17:7) and said "I will establish my covenant with him." (Genesis 17:19), so Isaac gained the inheritance.

The battle over Abram's Inheritance will be waged until the end of time.

Manzikert 1071

2Samual 3:34
"Your hands were not bound;
your feet were not fettered;
as one falls before the wicked
you have fallen.”

Manzikert August 25, 1071

The Byzantine Christian Empire (the Eastern Roman Empire) was crumbling apart.

The luxurious baggage train dragged and slowed the 200,000 Byzantine soldiers down.They continued the heavy march towards Manzikert. Seljuk Steppe warriors knowing their territory used classic hit and run tactics that continued to weaken the Byzantines. The Seljuks seized the opportunity to attack the Christian Soldiers as they grew more and more confused. Finally they seized the king Romanos IV.

This would be the beginning of the end for the Eastern Roman Empire.
___________________________________

When the Seljuk Sultan seized Romanos it is chronicled that the following discussion occurred:

Alp Arslan: What would you do if I were brought to you as a prisoner.

Romanos: Perhaps I'd kill you, or exhibit you in the streets of Constantinople.

Alp Arslan: My punishment is far heavier. I forgive you and set you free.

555 Visitors Today: Thank You

Today there have been 555 people visiting this site. That is awesome and I am very thankful. Gregorio Roth

1095 Pope Urban II first Crusade-Deus Volt:

Shakespeare on the Crusades:
Henry IV: I
As far as to the sepulchre of Christ--
Whose soldier now, under whose blessed cross
We are impressed and engaged to fight--
Forthwith a power of English shall we levy,
To chase these pagans in those holy fields
Over whose acres walk'd those blessed feet
Which fourteen hundred years ago were nail'd
For our advantage on the bitter cross.
But this our purpose now is twelvemonth old,
And bootless 'tis to tell you we will go:
Therefore we meet not now.--Then let me hear
Of you, my gentle cousin Westmoreland,
What yesternight our Council did decree
In forwarding this dear expedience.

WEST.
My liege, this haste was hot in question,
And many limits of the charge set down
But yesternight; when, all athwart, there came
A post from Wales loaden with heavy news;
Whose worst was, that the noble Mortimer,
Leading the men of Herefordshire to fight
Against th' irregular and wild Glendower,
Was by the rude hands of that Welshman taken;
A thousand of his people butchered,
Upon whose dead corpse' there was such misuse,
Such beastly, shameless transformation,
By those Welshwomen done, as may not be
Without much shame re-told or spoken of.

KING.
It seems, then, that the tidings of this broil
Brake off our business for the Holy Land.

Pope Innocent III: 1198-1216

In The Shadow of Papal Rome

Student Reciting from the board:
"The Pope is the sun, the kings are the moon. The pope is the the light, the moons received that light."
A book is closed a candle is blown out.
The church elongated into people's day casting a shadow that required obedience to Papal Rome or risk being cut off from their church, and their effective lives. Rome cut off not only men but whole countries, for the feudal LORD represents more than just a household but represented their subjects in their community!

Dayyenu

How many acts of kindness God has performed for us!

Had he taken us out of Mitzrayim without carrying
out judgment against the Egyptians- Dayyenu.

Had he carried out judgments against the Egyptians
without vanquishing their gods-Dayyenu.

Had He vanquished their gods
without dividing the sea for us - Dayyenu.

Had he divided the sea for us,
without leading us across on Dry land- Dayyenu.

Had He led us across on dry land without taking care
of for forty years in the desert - Dayyenu.

Had He taken care of us for forty years in the desert
without feeding us manna- Dayyenu.

Had He fed us manna without giving us
Shabbat- Dayyenu.

Had He brought us to Mount Sinai without giving us the
Torah-Dayyenu.

Had he given us the Torah without leading us
to the Land of Israel- Dayyenu.

Had He led us to the Land of Israel without
building the temple for us- Dayyenu.

How manifold and miraculous are the great deeds that our God has performed us, from taking us of Mitzrayim to building the temple.




עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְריִם. וַיּוֹצִיאֵנוּ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מִשָּׁם, בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה,
וְאִלּוּ לֹא הוֹצִיא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת–אֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם, הֲרֵי אָנוּ וּבָנֵינוּ וּבְנֵי
בָנֵינוּ, מְשֻׁעְבָּדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם. וַאֲפִילוּ כֻּלָּנוּ חֲכָמִים, כֻּלָּנוּ נְבוֹנִים, כֻּלָּנוּ
זְקֵנִים, כֻּלָּנוּ יוֹדְעִים אֶת–הַתּוֹרָה, מִצְוָה עָלֵינוּ לְסַפֵּר בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה
לְסַפֵּר בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם, הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח:
Avadim hayyinu l’far’oh b’mitzrayim, v’yotzi-ehnu Adonai Eloheynu mi-sham b’yad khazakah
u’vizro’a n’tuyah, v'ilu lo hotzi ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu et-avoteinu mi-Mitzrayim, harei anu uvaneinu
u'vnei vaneinu, m'shuabadim hayyinu l'Pharaoh b'Mitzrayim. V'afilu kulanu
chachamim, kulanu k'vonim, kulanu z'keinim, kulanu yod'im et-ha-Torah, mitzvah aleinu
l'saper b'y'tziat Mitzrayim. V'chol hamarbeh l'saper bitziyat Mitzrayim, harei zeh m'shubach.

Church Revival 1137-1144

"I seem to find myself, as it were, in some of the earth nor wholly of the serenity of heaven, but by the Grace of God I seemed lifted in a mystic manner from the lower ends to the upper sphere." Suger the Abbot of St. Denite (guiding the rebuilding between 1137 to 1144)

Lifting up higher in arched finger as if picking grapes from the outstretched branches.
500 churches went up.
Reaching out like the tender waves collecting sand off of the rocky beaches.
High standing alters went up.
Aspiring like a great cedar, the high middle ages attempted to build a stairway to heaven.
White-washed steeples promised renewal.

Father Thomas Keating: Spiritual not Religious

We go back to a time when mysticism was a strong pulsating heart. We walk down the corridors of a monastery that is protected inside a cave. The cave is dark. The darkness is thick; like your moving within a cloud. A torch in your left hand allows you to view pictures on a wall. You look closely now at one of the pictures; you see a painful moment in your own historic quest. The pain has been there for a long time and has begun to corrode your heart.

(Father Thomas Keating speaks of releasing your grip on Religion and walk in the faith that could save your hardening heart.)

849 Battle of Ostia

Luck of the Irish?

Indexed had a great illustration of the luck of the Irish!!!!

847-855 Fire in the Borgo

Rome is the New Troy

Kill by the Sword not by the Pen

Ego sum rex Romanu a super grammatica: As "king of Rome" he was above "grammar!" He would rather kill by the sword, than kill by a well crafted letter.

(Sad Truths)...

I am sure others want to play the part of God, starring themselves. Once up then down, up and down.
The Pope felt he needed to guard the church. His focus was on outward forms, but gave no consideration to a god that is greater than boundaries.(Three O's)

Repenting: My Need to be God.

Charlmagne (the Hammer) April 2 742 – January 28 814

Charlemagne's physical empire was blessed by the Christian Leaders who feared losing their battle between the Muslims and Pagans. Charlemagne hammered up a fence between the Muslim outer world and the Christian inner world.

But Charlemagne re-opened the battle between the empire and papacy.

A thorny rose of cultural renewal grew between the fence posts.

April 25 799. Instrumentality of the Church

Sarah laughed.

A woman pass menopause could have a child? beyond reason?

The Pope laughed.

How could the Church survive? beyond reason?

Pope Leo III saw that his Church was threatened from many sides. He knew he needed a body guard. So he shuck hands with Charles the Great to endow a drafted plan of protection for the Church.

Whom is the Greatest?

Matthew 18

Whoever Becomes Simple Again

¹ At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, "Who gets the highest rank in God's kingdom?"

^2-5For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, "I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom. What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me.(The Message)

Galations 4:20-31

"Hey I did this so I am the Good A+ Student." The Law Creates "Good Students" who can regurgitate and make an A, but once the final is over they have not stored the learning to their undeveloped heart. There is a Problem: Exam Time is not at one place, or one time, it is 365/24/7.

Pope Leo III 795-816

Pope Leo III rode amongst the peasant fields. The fields laid muddied. There were no signs of wheat. Peasants were starving and getting angry. The Pope appeared to pray in vane.
Muddy paths slowed his movement to a crawl. Leo's black nag neighed.

Sound of horses moving quickly mixed with the Nags cries. Leo kicked his horse in its ribs to get it to move, faster. Kicking the horse did nothing but make the neighing louder. Pope Leo panicked when he saw the horses. Pope Leo III was captured. The palace guards took him to a Greek Monetary where he was charged with adulatory.

742 April 2 – 814 January 28 Charlemagne

Charlemagne at his Crowning: Raphael