syncretism

Fire girl's reply got me thinking about syncretism (which I understand to mean fusion of two different beliefs). Certainly, in the Old Testament, God had alot to say to the Israelites about being the only God, not worshipping other gods, and generally not taking on the religious practices of those around. They were to be different. Not that it seemed to work out like that alot of the time...
I have just started reading this book by Christoph Baumer about the Church of the East (also known as the Assyrian or Nestorian church). Reading about Zoroastrianism meant that some of the apocalyptic writing (such as Daniel or Revelation) and the whole concept of hell suddenly made alot more sense.
So, does that count as syncretism? Or is that OK as it was all a long time ago? Or is it OK because it's in Scripture?
I do wonder how much of what I think Christianity is about is culturally driven. To what extent is my Christian faith a syncretic mix of what Jesus taught and Western individualistic consumerism? It's difficult to work that out living in a Western individualistic consumerist society - I only manage to work out my own syncretism when faced with someone from a different background who has a different form of syncretism.
So I'm interested to hear from anyone else who either finds this a problem or practices their faith in a less traditional way (for want of a better way of putting it). And yes, that's partly because I'm nosy, but it's also in the hope that some of my own unknown idols will be exposed in the process.

welcome to any Pagans

There's been a fascinating discussion over on Matt Stone's blog about how Christians should (or more to the point shouldn't) deal with Pagans.
My own experience of alot of Christians is that they are actually terribly insecure about their own faith, and worried that it won't stand up to any kind of questions from someone of another belief system. If you couple that with the standard evangelical concept that if you do not believe XYZ, then God will fry you in hell forever (because he loves you so much, of course!!!) and that if I don't tell you this, then when it happens it will all be MY fault (and what terrible things might God then decide to do to me????) you end up with a recipe for serious neurotic guilt.
I have enough problems feeling guilty about stuff that I am not responsible for - I've had depression for the past 20 years - and have had to learn NOT to take responsibility for things that are not my problem. Consequently I don't buy in to the above.
So, to be clear: I am a follower of Jesus, but I don't think it's my job to convert people. I love talking God-stuff with anyone daft enough to want to. I know very little about Paganism, but love hearing people's stories about their faith journey. So - maybe we can start exploring together?

Palm Sunday

I am skiving church today, and will be again next week. It might seem odd to deliberately choose to stay away during the most important time in the church year. But that's the problem. It's the first Easter time since becoming out of pastorate (Easter was earlier last year, and it was mrPMs last service - we had no inkling of that at the time.)
So I am going through all the bereavement stuff of the first whatever since it happened. It feels wrong not to be at the brief ecumenical Palm Sunday service which concludes with parading through the town with the local band, before dropping everyone off at their own places of worship. It would feel even more wrong if I were in a different church with different traditions. I don't think it would be fair on the people at whichever church I ended up at - I would just be resenting them for not being what we had before - which is totally illogical and unjustified.
At least after next Sunday, all the first 'whatevers' will be over, and things will begin to get a bit easier.

theology course

I got my psalms essay back - not too bad, but it seems I sit on the fence far too much, and am supposed to give my own opinion. I suppose that's only to be expected as I come from a scientific background. Oh well, now I know...
Next essay on OT writings is on Ecclesiastes. I'm one of those odd people who likes Ecclesiastes - it cheers me up to know there's someone more depressed than I am - but I can only deal with it in small bits. Too much at once makes me more depressed. So it's going slowly.
In the meantime, I've started another module - Evangelism in contemporary society. (It's a compulsory module - no way would I be doing it otherwise!) It is going to be very hard going, as I seem to be coming from a different planet to the standard evangelical take on things. And it's not made easier by the word "evangelism" bringing me out in a (metaphorical) rash, and memories of a booklet called "Journey into life" - anyone else remember that? I loathed it with a vengeance then, and it seems to still be the standard tract model. In other words, the "gospel" is as follows:
God really really loves you, but you are so awful that he has to punish you in hell forever. The only way you can escape this is to accept Jesus as your "get out of hell free" card. There is nothing else you can do about the situation - only bloodshed and death will do. If you don't accept Jesus, then you know the consequences.

I've just read "Love Wins" by Rob Bell. And while there are bits of it I think are superficial, I really don't understand what all the fuss was about - he's not saying anything new. But the reason for bringing that particular book up is that he says we can have all the programs and trendy stuff we like, but if our concept of God is off, we will not reach people. And the idea that Jesus rescues us from an angry Father who is waiting to fry us (out of love because we deserve it, of course) is not the reality of God. Unfortunately it seems to be there in the background of so much of what passes for the "gospel".

a year on

It's a year since mrPM had to resign from pastorate. He was preaching for the first time since then on Sunday. It went well, despite half his notes falling on the floor part-way through the sermon. I assumed they were the ones he had already preached on, as he didn't stop and pick them up, but he told me afterwards that they were actually the bit he hadn't got to! Which I think confirms that this is something he should be doing.
I found it odd that he was preaching and I hadn't put the order of service together. We had got quite good at working together - he would give me a rough idea of his theme and I would put the order of service together, then he led it and I supported by playing piano. Although on paper it looked like the standard hymn/prayer sandwich, it never felt like that in practice - there was a starting point and then it all flowed through to the response at the end. That is something I do miss.
So how am I coping? Still not settled in a church, never mind a small group. Still talking to God (and even listening occasionally). Still taking the tablets and still feeling pretty wobbly alot of the time. And I still avoid going back to where we used to live - I meet friends who live there somewhere else. But I'm coping with work, which is something.
So now it's a case of waiting and seeing what happens next.

Barchester Towers

Mrpastasmissus and I have just finished watching the DVD Barchester Chronicles - a dramatization of Trollope's books 'The Warden' and 'Barchester Towers'. It was first broadcast in 1981, and I have dim memories of watching it first time round.
It's well worth watching to see Alan Rickman as the unctuous Mr Slope, and Geraldine McEwan as the unstoppable Mrs Proudie who is magnificent in full sail.
(Although it has to be said if I tried to behave like that to mrpastasmissus I would be in BIIIIIG trouble ;-) )

Sunday morning

I have a confession - I skived church this morning. But I have had a more productive time with God instead, so I don't feel bad about it.
Mrpastasmissus and I had a long chat this morning, talking about pastorate, and our fears and potential problems, and what we've learnt through what happened. We have realised we both have a whole new pile of buttons the other can now press unwittingly. It was good to talk through stuff together.
My exegesis of Psalm 84 which had ground to a halt had been looming over me from the bookcase all week. Unfortunately it's been a week when I've not had enough brain power or motivation to do anything with it. But this morning I felt I could get it done, and I now have!
So that's the first of my essays submitted :-)))
Off to celebrate with some chocolate (it's as good an excuse as any) ;-)