How's that for a title to grab your attention?!? Quite the hodge podge of topics, huh? This is sort of a miscellaneous update, so the title fits.
Thanks: Thanks for all your comments on my last post about being in a funk. It feels so good to know there are people out there to encourage, pray, and support when I'm struggling. Tuesday after I posted, I already felt the load lighten a little bit. This is a lesson to myself- blog even when I'm feeling down or don't feel like blogging. I think it's partly therapeutic to get my thoughts and feelings out, and of course, I can't underestimate the power of prayers offered by fellow believers.
On Tuesday, I also read a great post about waiting and a book titled "Sacred Waiting." Have any of you read the book or heard about it? It looks at how God mandates seasons of waiting for Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus, and then it also talks about how waiting is incorporated into the church year. It looks like a great read and I happened to find it for $3.99 on CBD when ordering books for my husband. Is that a sign that God wants me to read it? ha, ha
Teaching: I realized that my last post about how many days of teaching I had left stirred up quite a few comments. My favorite comment was from Allie asking if I lived in fantasy land. ha, ha. I didn't mean to create teacher-envy by sharing that information. I teach ESL to adults, and we are on a semester system, which means our term is only 16 weeks. That is why we finish so early. But don't fear, our summer classes begin mid-May and I'm teaching the first term. So really I am teaching until mid-June, but I just have a break between the two terms.
Mormons: I haven't talked about this much on my blog yet, but I live in a town where the majority religion is Mormonism. I could write a whole book on my experiences, thoughts, and feelings regarding that, but that's for another time. Since I've lived here awhile, I often feel like nothing can surprise me about that religion anymore, and then I learn something new and am surprised all over again. It happened again this week. We were invited to a neighborhood picnic this week. That all sounds nice and dandy and we would maybe consider going, except for one thing...it's on Friday night! Yes, Good Friday is the day my neighborhood (presumably Mormon neighbors) decided to hold a BBQ. But really, I shouldn't have been surprised. Mormons don't observe Holy Week, they don't observe Good Friday, and they hardly observe Easter in church. One of the biggest celebrations in the Christian Church and they don't even observe it as a church. Amazing, huh? And they call themselves Christian. Don't even get me started on how they minimize the death of Jesus and put the focus on themselves and their good works..
Implants: I was at a sewing class last night (I started another one), and my friend was talking with the instructor. Somehow they got on the topic of implants because my friend is getting them this week (for the wrong reasons, in my opinion) and the instructor has them. I sat there listening to them discuss the ins and outs of implants and all the people they knew that had them. I don't know about you, but outside of this town, I don't know anyone else who has them. For whatever reason, it is extremely common for women here to get implants, and because of the dominant religion, I have to assume there is some sort of connection. Is that strange or what? I was talking about it with my husband after I got home from class, and we talked about how superficial and materialistic it is here. People are so focused on their appearance and how they and their family looks. Is this because they are constantly trying to work their way up the "worthiness ladder" in their religion? Now, this could be the same throughout the US, but because I've lived here for so long, I can't speak for other places. It just made me so thankful that I am "weird" in the eyes of the world and I don't care what other people think about my looks, beliefs, etc. My husband loves me just the way I am.
Tomorrow- And because I don't want to end my post on that topic, I'm so looking forward to worship tomorrow evening. Beforehand, we're doing a shortened version of a Seder meal. This is the traditional Passover meal that Jesus was eating with his disciples when he washed their feet and then went to the garden to pray. I can't wait for the symbolism of the meal and then going straight to worship with all those images in my head. We've never done this before and I'm really looking forward to it.
A most blessed rest of Holy Week to everyone!
My husband's family is Mormon on both his mom and dad's sides, but neither of his parents are practicing and they luckily didn't raise DH and his sister in that religion. However, when DH and I were married, we were added to the "Big Book of Mormon ancestry" since they're really into family trees (as am I, but probably for different reasons).
ReplyDeletelol I was about to move to your town to teach!! So you speak spanish then? I am an elementary spanish teacher :) Que bueno!!!
ReplyDeleteMormons have always interested me, especially the fundamentalists. I was hooked to Big Love and now am to Sister Wives. Interesting to see they don't celebrate Holy Week, how sad...
I just found your blog. I was raised Mormon and you are right about everything. They don't REALLY acknowledge Easter, other than to mention it briefly. They do not talk about Christ's death, they talk about his life (but to be honest, its mostly about Joseph Smiht).
ReplyDeleteI was raised in an area predominantly Baptist and was given many crosses as a youngster by my friends. I couldn't keep them because according to my mother "we don't celebrate Christ's death, we celebrate his life".
I converted to Catholicism about 5 years ago.
Katie- from what I understand, geneology helps them identify ancestors, so that they can perform baptisms for the dead in their family; thus, giving those deceased ancestors an opportunity to accept the Mormon church in the next life if they didn't have that opportunity on earth.
ReplyDeleteAllie- I actually do not speak Spanish, if you can believe it. All my instruction is in English as I have a variety of native languages all combined in one class.
More Than Anything- nice to "meet" you. Thanks for your comment and sharing about yourself. Interestingly enough, I had a Mormon come across this post and tell me how discouraged she/he was by my ignorance and judgement on Mormons. She/he said every Sunday Mormons commemorate and recognize the crucifixion and resurrection of the Savior. I'm not sure if that's done in the bread and water at sacrament meetings or something else, but that was a new one to me.
PPW - yes they do have "sacrament" the bread and water. BUT they do not believe it is actually the body and blood of Christ no "real presence" it is all symbolic.
ReplyDeleteI think I read this during a weekend in Lent and didn't have time to comment, but I'm back now :) I went to a small school with several mormon families so I have a few close mormon friends, although religion is something that we try not to talk about. well, i try to talk about it but it never seems to go far. anyway, i've felt in a way that i've had to 'educate' myself on mormonism given my closeness to them and the fact that they've sent me missionaries, etc. I converted to Catholicism about 4 years ago now (was Lutheran) and did a lot of reading on all types of Christianity while I was in a wandering period and there's just something so crazy about Mormons...I can't figure out what gets anyone to join it other than the exclusivity aspect and the desire to be part of the 'in crowd'. you literally have to turn your eye to facts and history in order to belong, but I guess its worth it. i know many people who just stay in it because why leave when all your friends and family are connected? i do pray for them, it must be a hard decision to make and would take a lot of strength to stand up. I know for me to tell my family I was converting it was a big deal, but that's why I took my time and really educated myself on what I was doing, so that I could discuss it rationally. Mormons seem to always just rely on the feelings - it must be right if you feel its right and we tell you it is for long enough.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, sorry that was so long. we probably have a similar interest here :) Where is it that you live? The implants thing was a surprising insight I hadn't heard of.
ack, blogger is acting up so i'm writing as an alias :)
Thanks for your comments, Alison. Yes, we do have similar interests on more than just Mormons...knitting...higher education....and more! I live in the West. Email if you want more details:-)
ReplyDelete