Chanting the Lotus Sutra

 

chanting the Lotus Sutra

only his lips

are busy

This is a poem written by Master Sheng Yen (1930 – 2009), a Chinese Zen Buddhist monk. His criticism is of mindless, repetitive chanting with the mind being somewhere else. This was his final poem. He seems to be saying that real Zen enlightenment cannot be achieved by merely repeating a string of words, by performing a certain prescribed action. Distracting busy work.

The Apostle Matthew spoke on this subject twenty centuries earlier. "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words". Matthew 6:7 in the NASB. Meaningless repetition is just what it seems to be to unbelievers, just a string of words. Busy work with no actual effect on the world.

Christians can easily become mindlessly trapped in the busy work tar baby (look it up) of doing churchy things, attending worship services, singing in the choir, volunteering, providing funds for worthy social activities, working in a child care program, watching Christian movies and reading Christian books, Christian political involvement, running a food and clothing bank for the poor, social justice activities, organizing and attending meetings and events, maintaining a church library, participating in disaster relief programs, yada yada yada.

None of these things are wrong or inappropriate for a Christian, but they must never be allowed to replace or crowd out the truth. The truth is this: Jesus died on the cross and overcame death for me, for you, and for every single individual on the Earth. This was his gift to us, it is the one spiritual gift which every Christian possesses, and it is the one gift which we are commanded to repeatedly give to others. The paradox is that, when we give it away to others, we still possess it.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Bernard Acworth: (b. 1885, England – d. 1963) Writer, biologist, submariner, creationist. Evangelical.

Catherine Howard: (b. ca. 1518 - 1524, England –d. 1842; aka: Katherine, Katheryn, Kathryn, “a rose without a thorn”)  The fifth wife of Henry VIII, King of England.  In order to marry wife number six, Henry had f=her executed for treason and adultery. Roman Catholic.

Edward Jonathan Giddings (b. 1831 – d. 1894) Writer. Author of American Christian Rulers (1890).

Peter Maurin: (b. 1877, France –d. 1949; aka: Aristide Pierre Maurin) Roman Catholic social activist.  With Dorothy Day, was a co-founder of the Catholic Worker’s Movement (1933).

William McKinley (b. 1843, Ohio, USA – d. 1901) President of the United States (1897-1901).  He was assasinated by an anarchist.  Methodist.

Social Justice and the Church

God (I AM, Jahweh, Elohim, Allah, Deos, Theos, etc) is a God of paradoxes, He is the God of Mercy and the God of Righteous Judgement; the last shall be first; those who ostentatiously pray already have their answer; the King of the Universe appeared to us a a poor man; free will and predestination are both true.

Check your Bible, Jesus always spoke with and dealt only with individuals, never with governments or institutions. In front of Annas, the High priest, He spoke directly to Annas. In front of Pilate, Pilate, He spoke directly only to Pilate (John 18:33-38.) Even when Jesus spoke to large groups, He was speaking to His individual listeners.

Throughout the Bible and the teachings of Jesus is a great concern for the poor. Jesus makes it plain that a failure to help the poor is a failure to obey Him. It’s that simple, but that concern for the poor is a consequence of salvation, it is not the Gospel message.

The Gospel message and the ultimate concern of the Church, is that, through His freely given act of Grace, through His substitutionary death on the Cross, Jesus has defeated the consequences of man’s sin (death) and made it available to every individual on Earth.

The social actions of the Church are a vital function but when they become the primary or only focus, they become what many believe to be a heresy, because they replace the Gospel.
……………………………………………………………………….
Concerning the identity of the Church: the Church is not an organization, a denomination, or a “movement.” What constitutes the Church is the totality of all true believers in Christ, indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Not everyone who is a church member is a member of the εκκλεσια, the Church.