Week 09
of 52 -
Village Church - Rancho Santa Fe
So far have traveled about 113,000,000 miles.
Thoughts
during the week:
My son,
David, wrote and told me it's just short of 60,000 Mormon missionaries now, not
29,000. That would have been a nice
"tickler" to give the Foursquares. Ha.
They haven't been watching the progress - and the rest of their
anti-Mormon data must be many years old too. We build about two chapels per day too
- and purchase about 8 Kawai pianos per day. (One for the chapel - one
relief society room - one primary and one Jr. Sunday School or rec. area for
the two buildings every day.) 33
years ago, we were negotiating to buy Yamaha pianos. Yamaha had (and I believe still does) a
policy of discounts for schools only - not churches. (BYU bought many of the Yamahas.) So, for the churches, we contracted with
Kawai instead - and have been doing so ever since. We must be far and away their biggest
customer. Imagine - 2920 pianos every
year!
I've
thought more about last week's meeting with the
Example: "Look at the Mormons. They have 29,000 full-time missionaries. We may not always agree with their teachings,
but we have to admit, they do a lot of good in the world - and many people come
to accept Christ as personal savior through the dedication of these Mormon
missionaries. In our program, if we
could do the same, we would expect to have great success - and we would be
teaching the gospel exactly as we believe it should be. We have not done nearly so good a job with
this as the Mormons have - but we could learn much from them if we look
carefully. Let's go for it!" I think they would have left the meeting on a
high - just as they had felt the rest of the time.
I
wonder if we also could learn some really good things from the successes of
other religions. We may continue to view
ours as the best for us, but that does not mean we couldn't find superior
things in others. We believe that when
the millennium is ushered in, we will of need become
vegetarians (The lion will eat grass.)
Are we grateful for the Seventh-Day Adventists for developing all the
good food at Loma Linda? We haven't done
it, but they have done it for us. I
noticed at the birthday party Saturday for sister Ries,
they had Vegeburger or something similar. I remember trying Vegeburger
by Loma Linda about 40 years ago. Tasted
like dog food. Now it is much
better. It even looks good.
I think
it was wonderful, during world crises of late, that we recognized the good
distribution system in place among Catholics - and so sent our own donations
directly to the Catholic Church for its management and distribution to the
needy. We have a very good system
ourselves - but its primary extent is to serve our own members. We recognized the Catholic world-view - and
joined it. That, to me, is extremely
positive.
During
visit 02 of 52 - Presbyterian
- The minister spoke of a
man who believed in evolution. (I think
people often think such beliefs are religious in nature.) The man was challenged to bring one of his
friends who believe in evolution who could testify that this belief had changed
his life - caused him to give up bad actions - love his children and wife
better, etc. And the minister said,
"I will bring you dozens whose belief in Christ has done that in their
lives."
This
is, of course true. All the math and
physics I have learned and practiced during a life in science could not have
brought about these changes either.
That's not what science is about.
Science
is not about goodness. It is about
truth. That does not make it
valueless. People who are good can use
science to do much good. People who are
not good can use the same knowledge for evil.
Knowledge is power - not good, neither bad.
Evolution
is not religion (not about goodness). It
is science (about truth).
Religion
is not a science (not about truth). It
is religion (about goodness).
Often,
goodness is called truth, but it makes the definitions hard to handle. It causes religions to become fixed and
unchangeable. Not having the facility to
change "truth" as new data comes in, it becomes
"conserving" of what it has.
It comes to "know" it already has the truth - and cannot
easily change. Such change could
reasonably be called "repentance."
Repentance is very difficult for religions. Religions teach people to repent - but the
religion remains fixed and unchangeable.
Science
does not teach people to repent (change) - but the science itself (the
community belief) repents constantly.
Some criticize science for that very repentance, saying they cannot
stick to what they have said in the past.
The fact that science is constantly changing (usually, but not always -
toward more correctness,) is its salient strength.
A very
important principle is that good people, who may have become that way partly
through their religious exposure and effort, ought to be the ones who learn
science. The power of that knowledge is
much better in the hands of the caring - than in the hands of the
uncaring. If anyone should understand
the processes of nature - including natural selection and speciation by
survival of the fittest, it is the good people.
Unfortunately, their religions teach them to reject without study. This is a problem. Religions sometimes care so much for
goodness, that they fearfully fail to find truth.
If this
Presbyterian minister has a prodigy among his youth in the congregation - one
who would have become a wonderful biological scientist, perhaps helping to save
thousands of lives from pain and death, this youngster could be stopped cold by
this misunderstanding that evolution should "save people from their sins -
or get lost."
Talk to
Mormons you know - who have the background - doctors, dentists - biologists -
see what they believe when they are talked with honestly. You will find it is a rare one indeed who is
not sure of much of the evolutionary process - and they will view it all as a
great miracle - including speciation by natural selection - including
humans. We are all related, all living
things on the Earth. There is no greater
miracle of which I am aware.
The
visit:
The
sign says only "
The
meeting today was called "Family Meeting." They have these when there is a fifth Sunday
in the month. Other Sundays have the
kids in Sunday School while the adults have the formal
meeting. On "Family Meeting"
day, they have no Sunday School, and all attend
together.
It was
entirely a patriotic meeting,
The
adult choir was mostly senior citizens - a few 40 or do and then most 60's and
above. They had robes, but appeared
rather informal otherwise. It was much
like our choirs - singing quite well - with not too much smiling or other
exuberance. There was a woman soloist
obviously with training - operatic voicing.
I thought she was quite good - but stoic.
As a
congregation, we sang "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Then "God of Our
Fathers." On this one, they
had 3 real trumpets (not organ simulation).
They played the fanfare at the beginning of each verse loudly. But they also were the accompaniment for the
entire song - playing in three parts through the verses. Not professional - just three guys in the
"ward" who knew how to play a trumpet. It was quite wonderful.
We sang
also, of course, "
Words
were printed in program - no hymnals - no projection.
Then
the children's choir sang. My sense was
that was primarily an adult church. The
children didn’t really sing anything - just repeated words over and over -
answering a question, saying, "He is the one," and held their hands
up. This was spoken - and then there was
singing of verses, but one could barely hear them on the singing part. They would have to be inspired to hear our
primary and Jr. Sunday School sing. (Also with the size of it.)
The
sermon was on "Christian Patriotism."
Not bad - not just flag-waving.
There was, as we would expect, some critical remarks about the recent
court case about "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance." He talked of following authority in
governments and its importance - but of recognizing that God was above
governments of men. When in conflict,
God should be followed, not men. He
quoted some of the founding fathers - as they spoke of God at times which have become famous.
This
constitutional thing is difficult. I
remember David O. McKay's letter when organized prayer was removed from school
programs across the nation. The memory
of that letter has been allowed to die - with pressure from the whole Christian
community - and our social need to be in line.
The
patriotic music made the meeting what it was.
Other than with the music, enthusiasm was weak - I'm getting used to
more of that exuberance some of the meetings have.
At the
very beginning, the prelude music was patriotic on the organ. When he was finished, a couple of people
clapped mildly - so the minister got up and said, "Why not" - and led
a larger applause. It was as if they
needed "permission." The rest
of the meeting went without any appreciable applause. Seems a little "hold-backish" to me.
A couple of people would start a little - but it would go nowhere. (Those two will learn that it is not really
accepted.) I like sincere and open
reaction. I don’t particularly
appreciate "expected" reaction, as we see with the Pentecostals. Reverence and silence are
not the same thing. Loudness and praise are also not the same thing.
Honest and sincere and free expression is the best, with no expectation
that everyone has to act the same.
Not
much greeting or friendliness. I did
wonder how the wealthy acted at church - thought I'd try this one on for
size. The congregation was older on
average than ours. Dress varied from a
tee-shirt to suits and ties. I was fine
with a long-sleeved shirt and "clip-on"
Oh - I
almost forgot - they did the same "story-telling" thing that I saw at
the other Presbyterian Church. All the
kids come to the front, and a nice lady tells a story to them with the rest of
us watching and listening. It's not a
bad format. It's like being in primary
for a few minutes.
No
sacrament. Also none
at the other Presbyterian. Maybe
they don’t do that.
(The
spell-check has been forcing me to use the 'y' in Presbyterian.) God Bless Computers.
Love,
Brother Chuck
Week 09
of 52 -