Owing to Father’s Day activities and church obligations, I wasn’t able to broadcast Holy Communion today. But I did make a quick video of the homily that I’ll be giving later tonight for my seminary service.
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As a manager at my day job, I have a rule that I got from Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, which is that 4-out-of-5 interactions should be positive. That way people are excited to hear from you, receptive to what you have to say, and primed to become friends, associates, customers, and team members.
Do the 4-out-of-5-thing with yourself. Make notes in your training journal to reflect your successes and PRs. Note your milestones, goals achieved, and all of that. But you had better be critical as well.
There’s real power in realizing that you really aren’t all that amazing.
In my work as Christian apologist, seminarian, and deacon — and just in everyday life — I’ve noticed that many people who are critical of Christianity are folks who want to create a safety bubble of like-minded people around themselves in which nobody is threatened or criticized. All criticism is directed outward at the “other.” And when they criticize Christianity, I hear them say that Christianity creates a false sense of sin and guilt and then provides a make-believe solution in the form of forgiveness, salvation, and redemption.
I know this because I said those things myself after I lost my faith. Thank God I got it back. But I quickly noticed that there are a lot of complacent Christians create their little safety bubbles too. In their bubbles, everyone is Christian (perhaps even of their own denomination) and everyone outside it is the evil “other.”
To hell with safety bubbles.
If you’re sufficiently self-critical — if you’re doing the work of being the best person you can possibly be — then you are staring into the darkness of yourself and seeing some ugly things. You should feel the need to repent, to be washed clean, absolved, forgiven, saved and redeemed. And from time to time, you should need a life-line to prevent descent into self-loathing. I pray for the peace of non-Christians doing the work, because I’m not sure how that’s done.
But if you’re okay with who you are, and if everyone in your circle is also okay as they are, then sin, repentance, absolution and all of that either looks really stupid (atheists) or already handled (complacent Christians). Not much is getting done on the self-improvement horizon.
Believe or don’t believe in the reality of Christ. I hope you will. But either way, be critical of yourself and see past bubbles.
¹ Remember sniglets, created by Rich Hall? Hilarious stuff. What’s a sniglet? “A word that doesn’t appear in the dictionary but should.” Aggumplish is a mix of gumption and accomplish. If you can’t figure out slothilize I can’t help you.
TWO MARTIAL ARTS DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS AVAILABLE. 100% free and operated through my non-profit, Cabal Fang is martial arts for personal development, self-defense and fitness. Bobcat Frontier Martial Arts is just $19.99/month and that’s your choice if you’re interested in Frontier Rough ‘n’ Tumble — the fighting arts, survival skills, lifeways and ethos of the colonial and indigenous peoples of North American during the frontier period (1607 – 1912). What are you waiting for — enroll today!
I’ve always wanted to be able to climb a rope. Today I did it for the first time. Let me tell you about the mindset you need to get this — and other hard things — done and dusted.
TWO MARTIAL ARTS DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS AVAILABLE. 100% free and operated through my non-profit, Cabal Fang is martial arts for personal development, self-defense and fitness. Bobcat Frontier Martial Arts is just $19.99/month and that’s your choice if you’re interested in Frontier Rough ‘n’ Tumble — the fighting arts, survival skills, lifeways and ethos of the colonial and indigenous peoples of North American during the frontier period (1607 – 1912). What are you waiting for — enroll today!
I’ll be attempting my first live Holy Communion on Sunday at 9:30 AM. Watch and enjoy or prepare bread and wine and join in as appropriate.
Holy Communion is a sacred ritual. Persons not baptized in the Christian faith should not partake of Holy Communion. If you are a sacramental Christian, please observe the guidance of your bishop as to whether or not, or in what manner, you should participate. Other baptized Christians should observe the guidance of their pastor.
If you enjoyed this content, please consider supporting my work by buying one of my ebooks, shopping at Mitch’s General Store, or supporting me on Patreon.
Pastor Cynthia Jackson of the Church of the Evangel (L) and her deacon (R) singing at the Feast of St. Andrew ordinations of Bishop Erik, Bishop Angela, Bishop Linda, and little old me to the role of deacon.
Psalm 24, Responsorial Form
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
TWO MARTIAL ARTS DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS AVAILABLE. 100% free and operated through my non-profit, Cabal Fang is martial arts for personal development, self-defense and fitness. Bobcat Frontier Martial Arts is just $19.99/month and that’s your choice if you’re interested in Frontier Rough ‘n’ Tumble — the fighting arts, survival skills, lifeways and ethos of the colonial and indigenous peoples of North American during the frontier period (1607 – 1912). What are you waiting for — enroll today!
The martial focus for this month is Sparring, the Symbol is the Candle, and the constitutional is:
2 minutes each of the following:
Video below.
TWO MARTIAL ARTS DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS AVAILABLE. 100% free and operated through my non-profit, Cabal Fang is martial arts for personal development, self-defense and fitness. Bobcat Frontier Martial Arts is just $19.99/month and that’s your choice if you’re interested in Frontier Rough ‘n’ Tumble — the fighting arts, survival skills, lifeways and ethos of the colonial and indigenous peoples of North American during the frontier period (1607 – 1912). What are you waiting for — enroll today!
Way, way back in 2015, I wrote a post called B&N, Crapazon, and Paper Books. In that post I made an joke comparing Amazon (I call it “Crapazon”) to the evil mega-corp Blue Sun from the Firefly TV show.
Well, what I didn’t know then but I just realized today, is that — coincidence? I think not! — Jeff Bezos had already founded his space company back in 2000 and he had named it Blue Origin. Did Joss Whedon do this on purpose? Nope. Whedon once said that Blue Sun was a combination of Microsoft and Coca-Cola.
For me though, Blue Sun is Blue Origin, and Blue Origin is Crapazon.
Back when I wrote my original post in 2015, I reported that Jeff Bezos was the fifth wealthiest person on earth, I warned that the big box bookstore was in just as much trouble as the now-D.O.A. corner bookstore (sure there are a few, like Book People and The Little Book Store, but they are now scarcer than hen’s teeth).
As of today, Jeff Bezos is the wealthiest man on earth, Barnes & Noble has closed numerous locations and is now privately owned rather than stock-market-listed.
The march of Crapazon-Blue Sun continues. Two-by-two, hands of blue — the hands of blue are coming for you.
The first great American Revolution was against the British monarchy.
The next one will be against the mega-corps.
TWO MARTIAL ARTS DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS AVAILABLE. 100% free and operated through my non-profit, Cabal Fang is martial arts for personal development, self-defense and fitness. Bobcat Frontier Martial Arts is just $19.99/month and that’s your choice if you’re interested in Frontier Rough ‘n’ Tumble — the fighting arts, survival skills, lifeways and ethos of the colonial and indigenous peoples of North American during the frontier period (1607 – 1912). What are you waiting for — enroll today!
I wasn’t able to video Holy Communion today. But for those who are interested, here is my homily. Yours in Christ,
Deacon Mitch
Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Sunday – June 6, 2021
Readings: Ex 24:3-8, Ps 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18, Heb 9:11-15, Mk 14:12-16, 22-26 (Alleluia Jn 6:51)
by Deacon Robert Mitchell
Brothers and Sisters, what is this rite that we perform, the one that we celebrate today, which is the Eucharist or Holy Communion? What’s going on here? Well, obviously it’s symbolic, deeply symbolic. But it’s a particular type of symbol: an inversion symbol or a transgressive symbol.
The eating of human flesh and the drinking of human blood are forbidden in every culture. The most enduring monsters of fiction are flesh-eating zombies and blood-drinking vampires. This rite was particularly shocking to the Hebrews of Jesus’ time because their laws not only forbade the eating and drinking of human flesh and blood but the consumption of animal flesh and blood together. Animal flesh and blood were never to be comingled as they are when the fraction is placed in the wine.
This rite is also a shocking reversal because, before Jesus’ institution of this new rite, an animal would’ve been sacrificed on the altar, and any meat not given over to the flames would’ve been consumed by the faithful as physical nourishment. But this new rite is a human sacrifice, something forbidden in the culture. And the nourishment gained is of an entirely different sort.
The third way in which the Eucharistic rite is upside down is that it flips the very idea of sacrifice on its head. Previously the sacrifice of animals was intended to be pleasing to God so that the faithful could be blessed by God. But in this new rite, God sacrifices himself so that we can be fundamentally transformed from within.
The fourth and final inversion of symbol is in the wafer itself. In the world of men, kings, emperors, queens, and princes mint wafers of metal called “coins.” They have put their faces on them, and we have to earn and trade these coins for the things of the world. This little commercial disc rules over our physical existence. But in the Eucharistic Rite, we have a little white coin of bread, embossed not with the face of a ruler, but with the Cross of the One True King. And if we accept this free gift, we gain a nourishment which contains the hope of eternal life.
As symbols go, I struggle to see how the symbol of the Holy Eucharist could possibly any more revolutionary, any more taboo, or any more completely at odds with worldly life than it is. This Rite smashes our sensibilities, flies in the face of convention, and turns our lives upside down. Yes, it’s a symbol – the most powerful symbol there has ever been or ever will be. But before you begin to think yourself around to the idea that the bread and wine are merely symbol – that they are not the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ – let’s turn to John 6 from which our Alleluia was lifted for today’s service.
In this long and important chapter, Jesus explains the nature of the rite.
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.”
And what do they say?
60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” 61 But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
Now we’re getting to it. Here’s the big finish, and there’s a nice coincidence here that makes this passage easy to remember. It’s John 6:66 — that’s “666”! — and it goes,
Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him.
Does Jesus back off on this point? No. He doubles down.
67 So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?”
He says in essence, “Do you want to leave like they did? Well there’s the door. Go!” Brothers and sisters, if this is you, please think hard about the consequences of your belief or lack thereof. Jesus knows that if we don’t believe and trust in the transformation that occurs in the Eucharist, how can we believe in the transformation that is in store for us in the Life to come? The Church Fathers – Athanasius, Irenaeus, Clement, Theophilus, Gregory of Nazianzus, and others – were clear on this point. God became Man, that Man might become God.
So is it a symbol? Yep, sure it is, and that’s great. But it’s so much more than that – it’s the ultimate reality!
If you enjoyed this content, please consider supporting my work by buying one of my ebooks, shopping at Mitch’s General Store, or supporting me on Patreon.
Earlier this week my wife said I was a contrarian.
contrarian/ kän·’trer·ē·ən / noun. 1. one who espouses contradicting viewpoints, especially toward the majority
I decided she was right and that I was okay with that.
The other night I watched a couple of videos about the ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine COVID controversies, and they scared my socks off. The hydroxychloroquine video — an interview of Dr. Peter McCullough by NYT and Men’s Vogue award winner and best-selling author Peter Leake — had to be put on Vimeo to keep from being banned. The other one was on the highly respected Dark Horse podcast with Brett Weinstein.
Why are contrary viewpoints on COVID and other topics being banned on YouTube, Twitter and other platforms? No tin-foil hats here. I think it’s about money. Advertising revenue drives the news and social media, corporations and their lobbyists drive our politicians, and the almighty dollar is in charge.
In 1776 — for the first time in human history! — a citizenry decided to take control of their government from kings, queens, emperors and princes. Corporations are the kings and emperors of the 21st century. The next revolution will be against Amazon, Pfizer, Facebook, and Google. Don’t believe me? Watch The Social Dilemma.
Be a contrarian. Come on in. The water’s fine.
Wrestling dice ©
TWO MARTIAL ARTS DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS AVAILABLE. 100% free and operated through my non-profit, Cabal Fang is martial arts for personal development, self-defense and fitness. Bobcat Frontier Martial Arts is just $19.99/month and that’s your choice if you’re interested in Frontier Rough ‘n’ Tumble — the fighting arts, survival skills, lifeways and ethos of the colonial and indigenous peoples of North American during the frontier period (1607 – 1912). What are you waiting for — enroll today!
As you guys know, I don’t gather much moss. This weekend I painted the ceiling of the temple space to look like clouds and trimmed it out with gold molding.
The week prior I went on a little trip, read a few books, learned a new song on the guitar, taught a martial arts seminar, etc. etc. Video below.
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.” ~Ecclesiastes 9:10
TWO MARTIAL ARTS DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS AVAILABLE. 100% free and operated through my non-profit, Cabal Fang is martial arts for personal development, self-defense and fitness. Bobcat Frontier Martial Arts is just $19.99/month and that’s your choice if you’re interested in Frontier Rough ‘n’ Tumble — the fighting arts, survival skills, lifeways and ethos of the colonial and indigenous peoples of North American during the frontier period (1607 – 1912). What are you waiting for — enroll today!
Posted in Martial arts, Mysticism
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