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Talossans in Christ Church

Started by Antaglha Xhenerös Somelieir, May 27, 2020, 10:09:29 PM

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Antaglha Xhenerös Somelieir

Hello my fellow Talossans, following from Talossans Brothers and Sisters in Christ Church from the now, old, Witt, i thought id slightly rebrand and create the Talossans in Christ Church here, for sermons, worship, religious writings (poetryetc), musings, discussions and is open to all believers and not, as long as you are respectful of each others beliefs and keep things civil.

I hope people will appreciate this space in Talossa once again :)

Yours in Christ

Antaglha
Party Secretary of the Free Democrats of Talossa
https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?board=34.0
Talossans in Christ Church :-
http://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=294.0
Başbakan of Ataturk

Antaglha Xhenerös Somelieir

Here is a poem i wrote this evening i thought you might appreciate :-

Faith Through Darkness

Even in darkness, beauty can be found,
In the depths of darkness, light can shine,
The grace of God, brings how when there is none,
Through faith, you can push onwards,
Until God brings you into the light.

Darkness still surrounds me,
Yet my hope in God,
My Hope in light,
Has not been extinguished,
I refuse, Refuse to let,
Let the darkness defeat me.

The love of God sustains,
Sustains and strengthens me.
Often I do not notice, but,
Looking back, into the depths of despair,
I know that without God,
Here I would not be.

The fight it far, far from over,
Years could pass before peace finally,
Finally comes, but,
With my faith in God,
I know, in the end,
My faith in God will see me through,
Through the darkness and into the light


Let me know what you think

Antaglha
Party Secretary of the Free Democrats of Talossa
https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?board=34.0
Talossans in Christ Church :-
http://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=294.0
Başbakan of Ataturk

Éovart Andrinescù

Thank you and bless you for creating this unique space! I saw the link to the thread in your signature and decided to revisit it.

So here's a poem I wrote in November 2019. It has to do with faith and hope, similar I think to your wonderful poem  :D


Converts

All ye converts, stop your hearts!
Let my humble church alone!
We are called to be christlike, not to be Christ.
When you speak of setting your own heart on fire
What you are really speaking of is vanity,
And fantasy of falling upon crusade sword.
My motto is tenderness—
Be concerned only with your own heart and sin!

If you look to science for gnosis
You will come up empty-handed every time.
As if you look to Christ in false search of worldly peace
Your own uncertainty will chastise you thus:
Christ is unconcerned with the iniquities of your neighbour;
Indeed He cares only for the sanctity of your own heart,
For to Him all men are but one body, one single spirit—
Your concern at the rightness of your neighbour is only pride.

You have nothing to prove to Christ but your own charity.
All else will be judged in its own right, and not by you—
If there is a court, it will be a court from which you are absent.
And if there is a prison, it will not be a prison that is shared.
No—love is charity, and instruction is pride.
Therefore love and pray for those who disgust and disturb you.
After your pride subsides—and it will subside—
Remind yourself that only you will be judged.

Then learn to love others even as you love yourself,
And lastly learn to love yourself,
For in that love you will find the truth:
That for all the worldly folly that might give you misery,
There is still beauty.
Scramble to discover it. Scale the mountain of pain.
Find purchase. Find vantage.
Be as a flowering weed that sticks up between two slabs of concrete.

It is that beauty—whatever is worthwhile—
That is the presence of Christ in your life, not the other thing:
The compulsion to judge is the devil's work.
It is Satan who raises you up above the masses
And hands you a golden rod and says you power.
Cast down the rod that we have each taken in hand at one time or another,
For none of us is innocent, and I have stumbled as you have stumbled.
When the rod shatters upon the ground you will see its worthlessness.

Recall the words of St Paul:
If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord—
Whether we live or die we are the Lord's.
For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again,
That he might be the Lord both of the dead and living.
Each of us shall give account of himself to God.
Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this,
Not to put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in our brother's way.

Love will give you no prestige, no riches. It is its own reward.
And by grace and charity it comes to those who seek it earnestly.
If you can find the presence of Christ in a flower,
Or in a milk crate, or a parking lot, or in a friend,
Then you have found the presence of Christ in the world.
Let it remind you that each of us will be forgiven.
Then you will be comforted and your instinct to judge will disappear.
Knowing love, you will have peace.

(©  :P )

Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC

I hope that a lost heretic like myself might intrude (my wife is a lay minister in the Anglican Church and our daughter is being raised as a Christian), but I've been reading some of the quasi-apologetic literature by the Inklings, such as Lewis' The Great Divorce and Williams' Descent into Hell, and it seems... right to me, theologically. Any comments from the parishioners here?

¡LADINTSCHIÇETZ-VOI - rogetz-mhe cacsa!
"They proved me right, they proved me wrong, but they could never last this long"

King Txec

I didn't realize this thread existed. I'm Catholic by religion and have always felt there was more out there than we know. I'm interested to see where this goes.
TXEC R, by the Grace of God, King of Talossa and of all its Realms and Regions, King of Cézembre, Sovereign Lord and Protector of Pengöpäts and the New Falklands, Defender of the Faith, Leader of the Armed Forces, Viceroy of Hoxha and Vicar of Atatürk
    

Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC

I was raised Catholic, but even progressive Pope Francis thinks people like me shouldn't exist, so meh

¡LADINTSCHIÇETZ-VOI - rogetz-mhe cacsa!
"They proved me right, they proved me wrong, but they could never last this long"

Antaglha Xhenerös Somelieir

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on August 23, 2020, 07:21:21 PM
I hope that a lost heretic like myself might intrude (my wife is a lay minister in the Anglican Church and our daughter is being raised as a Christian), but I've been reading some of the quasi-apologetic literature by the Inklings, such as Lewis' The Great Divorce and Williams' Descent into Hell, and it seems... right to me, theologically. Any comments from the parishioners here?

As long as you are respectful (and I have no reason to see that you wouldnt be) i have no objections to Theological discussions happening in here, as long as people are open minded, tolerant and respectful of eachother, then all are welcome to share, discuss, ask questions etc. This is a predominatly Christian Thread, and for Talossan worship and discussion, however, I strongly believe that open and healthy discussions is an essential part of faith.
Party Secretary of the Free Democrats of Talossa
https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?board=34.0
Talossans in Christ Church :-
http://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=294.0
Başbakan of Ataturk

Antaglha Xhenerös Somelieir

Disclaimer, this is a more personal post, and shres deails from events from my past. Which i do not mind sharing, but might not be easy to read. But i thought what i wrote here, is a good fit to be shared here, as a kind of testimony about my faith, and what it means to me, and why.

So I just wrote this, it isn't an easy read, and is brief as possible, and might be all over the place at times, but I thought, I would share as it is an honest reflection and my Faith in God.

For many years, and still to this day, I have and continue to struggle with my connection, my belief, my faith in God, yet, every time I take the time, and search, or sometimes just spend time in reflective worship, I always find it, it isn't as big as it once was, as I have not had the energy to invest into the relationship, but it is still there, and I strongly believe my faith will be with me until I pass from this world.

Thinking on this, I found myself asking, why, why is my faith still there, I know I haven't had the worst life, but I also know I do have deep seated issues from past traumatic events, and then fighting for over a decade now, with depression and anxiety, then finally admitting to myself I'm a Transgender Woman (which has caused me to lose a few friendships, and a relationship with my Dad) then deciding to come out to the world and start the process of transition, which many of my faith would condemn, and as with progress on my mental health, this too has been slow to get anywhere, but is not now, nor has it ever been s decision I have regretted.
After all of this, with increasingly less time spent on my relationship with God, I still am shocked that my faith has survived.

I openly admit that there are many logical issues when it comes to the Bible, and that's just about how it came together, I do believe that it was at least inspired by God in some way, yet being deeply flawed.
So, I know my faith doesn't solely come from the bible. But the bible does have some weight, and had, and will continue to guide my faith.
So where does my faith come from?

Honestly, I think I cling to my faith as much as I do, is because without my faith, I have no idea where I would be in life, as it has immeasurably helped and guided me through situations where I would not have had the strength to go through otherwise, and that's as recently as March this year, as just before the UK went into lockdown, I went to Finland for a week to visit a friend, and just how everything went so well, and lifted me enough out of a massive slump with my mental health I had been suffering with before it just came together pretty last minute, especially with it being my first flights etc alone. I honestly wasn't sure about going until everything just falling into place last minute, and a prompting I know too well, that just told me I needed to do this (a prompting I believe comes from God) and the trip went amazingly.
Then I think 3 days later the UK went into lockdown. And without that trip, I'm honestly scared where I would be mental health wise right now. And what the implications of that could be.

There are many examples of this I can point to in my life, and times of immense connection with God in the past (the biggest blessing I had was the opportunity to come to Wales, where I still live 16 years later, and that decision, guided by God, has given me a lot of experiences I would not have had otherwise (both good and bad)), especially in certain times of worship and prayer. It has become something I cling to, Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit and my faith in them, is what has given me the strength to move forward, and the greatest example of this was when in Jan 2001 (I was 7/8ish?), when I was abandoned to Social Services, one Friday evening after school, that night I spent hours crying, and for hours, I refused to speak to anyone, apart from a short visit with my Dad (though since that Evening, despite trying multiple times, I have no relationship with him, especially since he rejected who I am, which is a different story) after which, more crying, and then from seemingly nowhere a weird peace and strength came over me.
Part of which, I imagine, is myself subconsciously deciding to push away emotions, for my younger siblings sake, but also something else I couldn't identify at the time, but looking back I strongly believe that was God, giving me the strength to make it through that evening, and subsequent days since (I also note I have never been raised as a Christian, I first heard of it at a catholic primary school, but grew into it once I read more when I was older).

So, although my Views on faith has and will continue to evolve over time, I owe my life to my faith, and that is why I think it is still there, my belief, my faith in God, stems from the Love, Grace, Compassion and Strength I got from God, often times when there was none to be found around me. I can honestly say that my faith has never been something I have Regretted, and despite wanting certain things to have worked out differently (like being born in the right body, and the pain of abandonment, and going through a couple of foster carers relationships falling apart, and one foster carers death (on holiday), and other things), I honestly don't regret going through any of it, as it has made me into the person I am today, which is far from perfect, but I know could have gone much worse, especially without my faith in God over the years, and that's just in my ability to cope with the (admittedly still somewhat suppressed), emotions from everything.

I admit I need to work on my faith, but it has been the only constant I've had through my life and has seen me through so much, and I hope that one day I can serve God in a meaningful way.
Ill end this post with a prayer.

Father,
I thank you for the Love, Grace, Compassion and Strength and all other things you have helped me with over the years, and I pray you draw me ever close to you in years to come.

I pray that this introspective look into my faith, as least, shows people, why my faith is as important to myself, and the numerous Christians around the world,
Your word, through Christ, is based on Love, Compassion, Grace and Forgiveness, and so much more, and I hope and I pray, that shine your love through all those who follow you.
I pray for Hope for those suffering,
Comfort for those in pain,
And peace to all who need it.

You are why I'm still here today Lord, which I thank you for,
And I pray that you will continue to be there in times to come

In Jesus Name I Pray,
Amen.

If you have any questions or comments or things you want to share yourselves then please, feel free, this should be an open, safe and supportive space for all who seek it here.

Antaglha
Party Secretary of the Free Democrats of Talossa
https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?board=34.0
Talossans in Christ Church :-
http://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=294.0
Başbakan of Ataturk

Éovart Andrinescù

God bless you, Antalgha, that took a lot of guts to talk about. You're in my prayers.


As for denominations, since we seem to be enumerating them, I'm also Roman Catholic. (Damn papists are everywhere these days! )  :P

Antaglha Xhenerös Somelieir

Quote from: Éovart Andrinescù on August 24, 2020, 12:54:29 AM
God bless you, Antalgha, that took a lot of guts to talk about. You're in my prayers.


As for denominations, since we seem to be enumerating them, I'm also Roman Catholic. (Damn papists are everywhere these days! )  :P

Thank you. And fair enough. I personally have spent most of my Church life in the Anglican denomination. I dont particularly subscribe to any denomination myself, and would happily worship in most, although not all. I would definatly not call myself a Roman Catholic, and personally have big theological differences with the Denomination.But i do respect those in all denominations, as we all share in our core beliefs.
Party Secretary of the Free Democrats of Talossa
https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?board=34.0
Talossans in Christ Church :-
http://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=294.0
Başbakan of Ataturk

Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC

Quote from: Éovart Andrinescù on August 24, 2020, 12:54:29 AM
As for denominations, since we seem to be enumerating them, I'm also Roman Catholic. (Damn papists are everywhere these days! )  :P

My Irish friends assure me that you can tell the Protestants because they keep their toasters in the cupboard when not in use.

... no, I don't understand it either.

¡LADINTSCHIÇETZ-VOI - rogetz-mhe cacsa!
"They proved me right, they proved me wrong, but they could never last this long"

Éovart Andrinescù

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on August 24, 2020, 02:10:01 AM
My Irish friends assure me that you can tell the Protestants because they keep their toasters in the cupboard when not in use.

... no, I don't understand it either.

I cannot claim to understand that one. This is a stab in the absolute dark, but is it maybe something about Catholics looking for miraculous Marian images in the burnt toast? I'm at a loss.

Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC

My best guess is that Protestants were traditionally the ruling class in Ireland, and thus have big kitchens with lots of cupboards in which there is space to put a toaster

¡LADINTSCHIÇETZ-VOI - rogetz-mhe cacsa!
"They proved me right, they proved me wrong, but they could never last this long"

Breneir Tzaracomprada

I was raised Catholic in an area of the US which is well known as a center for African American Catholicism so I do have affinity for the institutions of the Roman Catholic Church. I recently visited the Vatican last October and was very moved.

But I have found comfort and invitation in the writings of the Gnostics and the reformist writings of John Shelby Spong and Mathew Fox. So I have found a home in the semi-syncretist community known as Unitarian-Universalists (origins in separate Unitarian and Universalist denominational traditions). My love for Jesus remains after a long spiritual journey of searching so I would say I consider myself a Christian but many Christians may not consider me a Christian.

Breneir

Big Bopper, at your service.
"Clearly we're not ostracizing this guy hard enough." -Miestra Schiva
"I refuse to work with you on this or any matter in Talossa." -Antaglha Xhenerös Somelieir

Éovart Andrinescù

Quote from: Breneir Itravilatx on August 24, 2020, 02:52:45 PM
I was raised Catholic in an area of the US which is well known as a center for African American Catholicism so I do have affinity for the institutions of the Roman Catholic Church. I recently visited the Vatican last October and was very moved.

I had a trip to Italy in the works before the pandemic came along and wiped that out  :(
But speaking of the See of Rome, we should reach out and ask that a papal nuncio be assigned to us. What kind of a nation are we if we don't have a nuncio?  :P