RevTom

Member
  • Posts

    554
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by RevTom

  1. Thank you. I have been reluctant to share my art and poetry here: much of it is secular - not profane or vulgar, just secular in nature.
  2. In keeping with some of the political posts in other threads, I hope this poem strikes a chord:
  3. Another foray from the more serious topics, yet a seriousness in itself
  4. This is a piece of my artwork...just a break from more serious topics and meanderings.
  5. It was my misunderstanding of your question: The only certification I have from ULC is the Certificate of Ordination. The degrees I mentioned earlier are from Candler School of Theology at Emory in Atlanta, Ga, and correspondence work I had to take as a student minister at University of West Georgia. The degree from Candler of course allowed me to be an ordained minister of UMC, and the Certificate of Ordination from ULC allows me to legally perform the sacraments.
  6. I did in fact serve as pastor for a circuit of rural churches in the West Georgia area while attending college, and as Associate Pastor for the church I grew up in, not far from my home. I went through a period of doubt and aimlessness, during which I left the church and let my license lapse. I have been sporadically active in the past few years, giving talks and motivational speeches to small groups. I am now wanting to get back into active ministry, and deciding on whether to start an online ministry, or a physical church. What did I put into my degree? in addition to the required course work, I believe to fully apply your degree and enhance it, you must put yourself into environments that will allow you to use what you have learned, and apply it on a practical basis. One of the most poignant experiences I have had is as a student minister, in the charge of churches I mentioned above. A man wandered up to the parsonage I lived in, and started asking me about faith and God's will. I talked with him and gave him my views and answers to his questions, and it calmed him and eased his torment. Being a pastor is so much more than standing in a pulpit on Sunday and delivering a sermon. It is responding to the needs of the congregation and the community.
  7. I was trying to respond to Rev Dave's post, "Angels Unaware", but there were no options to do so. I think it is a very good, thought provoking article, and it brought to mind a social media post a while back having to do with a pastor who disguised himself as a homeless man. It turns out the social media post was not factual, but based on a real life event (you can read the entire article in Snopes; homeless pastor). There are several pastors who have in fact disguised themselves as homeless people to see how their congregations would react, among them Rev Willie Lyle, who was then the newly appointed pastor of Santiago United Methodist Church. He spent 5 days as a homeless man, and was for the most part ignored and even shunned by his congregation. The point I am getting at is we do not know who we are dealing with as we approach people and they approach us in our daily lives. We should treat all people with courtesy and respect and help who we encounter to the extent we are able to do so. These are the things that will determine our spiritual growth.
  8. I think the degrees are what you put into them. I was an ordained minister in the UMC years ago, yet let my license lapse. I went back into the ministry in the UMC, and my past ordination counted for nothing. They wanted me to "take a refresher course" at one of their Schools of Theology, undergo the mentoring process again, and be voted on by the district conference. I went through years of seminary already, and have kept up my studies not only in Methodist doctrine, but also many other spiritual walks. All that being said, the degrees are worth zilch if they have no meaning in your heart and if you do not know how to apply what you have studied. Like it was said, a degree is worth what the user puts into and gets out of the study.
  9. It amazes me that many in each spiritual walk discount any other belief system as invalid. Each has its own dogma, own set of beliefs and traditions. These tenets tend to mold one's perceptions of the world, including their receptivity to others. There is a Hindu saying that "There are many paths up the mountain..." People oftentimes get focused on one path and discount others. In seeking proofs for one's chosen path, there are no absolutes, no concrete pillars to show. That is why it is called a belief. Christians have a whole library of work called apologetics, which I find offensive (the term, not the study). When giving reasons for my christian beliefs, I do not adhere to the term "apologetics" but do use the studies to help give reasons why I hold the beliefs I do.
  10. You will note I have changed my avatar, my worldview a bit, and my belief system has evolved. I hope this will be the basis of good camaraderie and healthy exchange of ideas. Much has happened with me in the past couple of years. I got the flu from hell in 2015 that was going around, and to make a long story short, developed pneumonia from it, which caused me to acquire Congestive Heart Failure, which I take a multitude of medication for. Anyway, I am glad to be back, but will most likely be in observer mode for the most part, until Ifeel the ebb and flow here.

    1. RevTom

      RevTom

      I have once again changed my info. Because of my evolving worldview and return to my Christian spiritual roots, I have changed my username from Windwalker to RevTom. I hope it doesn't create a great deal of confusion.

  11. I hope I am posting this in the right place. I am just learning my way around here again after being gone for many months- maybe a year or so. I will be mostly observing as I get back to the ebb and flow of discourse, and hopefully will be meeting new friends and exchanging ideas. Most of those I conversed with, were friends with, and exchanged ideas with seem to be gone, but there also seem to be new opportunities for healthy discussion now.
  12. Thank you for bringing this perspective. I had never really thought about the difference between reacting and responding, and each one's effect on the way we contribute to and see the world.
  13. Are you still on this site? I don't have anyone in my friend - I guess now - followers list. It has changed radically. I should have kept up more; tie just flew away. Lots has happened - Congestive Heart Failure, learning to live (yeah right) on Social Security alone, two fiances come and gone...Aynoe who knows me still here?

  14. Are you still on this site? I don'y have anyone in my friend - I guess now - followers list. It has changed radically.

  15. what is is, regardless of our perceptions of them. God is, for whatever we perceive God to be, whether we understand it or perceive it. All the rationale, all the philosophical debates or meanderings, will not change this truth. It is only our quest for understanding that fuels these discussions, and through them, hopefully our understanding increases.
  16. ...just wondered how your situation turned out, Lordie; Also I am sad to say I just now saw this post. One of the greatest inspirations to me was a woman preacher (UMC). She had an awesome spirit, and was a joy to all who knew her. Although I am not of the Christian faith any longer, (Eclectic Wiccan) at the time I went to her and told her the same problem - my faith and sense of purpose was waning. Her words will remain with me forever: "Talk the talk, live your words, and you will walk the walk". I have gone on to another spiritual path, but practice those words in my spiritual journey.
  17. If I ever can get another bike, that sounds like a great inspiration, outreach, and teaching method. Be safe, and Brightest Blessings.
  18. I still can't figure out how to download my pics here...can someone help? for Fawzo: The altar and tools are steeped in tradition and serve the purpose of drawing energy (psychic and spiritual, not electric...) to the ceremonies and rituals. I am Celtic, and am also an initiate in Correllian Wicca. I clicked on image, and suppose I have to have a URL from the pics on my computer????
  19. bloody inconvenient for them not to stay scrunched up so I don't have to do all that extra work!!!...actually it is for making altar and/opr ceremonial tools. It cannot be used to draw blood or anything that would be spiritually or ritually impure.
  20. Well, i can't figure out how to load my pics from the computer, so if you want to see the crafts I made, you will have to go to my page at Witchschool.com: http://www.witchschool.com/profile/TommyJohns
  21. ...hate it when that happens...JUST KIDDING...I am really a one woman man...any time I see one woman, I want to be her man...JUST KIDDING AGAIN!!!...Honey, if you read this you know I am a jokester (trying to butter her up so she won't kick my tail).
  22. ...and there lies the conundrum: We are required to obey the legal definition in whatever state and/or country we live in. The laws may or may not be arbitrary, but they are the laws, as dictated by a vote of the majority whether realistic or not. Thus, there are those who are fully capable of making sound, rational decisions long before the legal age, while there are others who may never acquire that state. I thought perhaps at my age..63 - I may have acquired that ability, but sometimes...
  23. So, in what ways have you looked, or in what arenas do you travel? What are your interests? Those are the areas where your friends and boyfriends, lovers, soulmates, etc. are found. One of the most interesting and worthwhile people I have ever known was a lady preacher (United Methodist Church). While she and I were not boyfriend/ girlfriend material...she is a devout Christian and I am Eclectic (now Correllian) Wiccan and she can't come to terms with my spiritual path, she is a great person and friend.