One of the major themes of the sexual integrity program I've been studying is "Life, Love & Legacy." The basic idea is to embrace life (by caring for your body, soul and spirit), embrace love (by bulding a strong marriage and a strong family and by not polluting those things with artificial birth control methods), and to build a legacy for the family you leave behind.
Many of these ideas are based on the teachings of John Paul II loosely referred to as "The Theology of the Body." Someday, I hope to spend some time really delving into those teachings.
I'm trying to care for my body and I'm making some progress. I'm trying to embrace love and I'm making some progress. What I'm most excited about, though, is the opportunity I have to build a legacy by working to establish a classical school in Birmingham.
I spent the last week in Cincinnati at the Association of Classical and Christian Schools conference and I had the opportunity to learn more about classical education. It was exciting. It was terrifying.
13 comments:
I've read a few pages of that book and it kicks ass!
It's going to be really interesting, I'm sure. I'm developing a real fondness for the Catholics. They say whatever they think and don't apologize for it. We Presbyterians could copy a page...
Su
There are a couple of people at RMC that would stop posting stupid stuff in their blogs if the read JP2. As artists it is their perogative to check this out.
There is a reason why my blog is called sacramentaljazz. Do you see it yet? Presbies want to partition the sacraments out from the rest of life. When in the 39 articles it deals with the "sacramentals". Or, those things that we do, that model our relationship to God in a physical (eucharistic) way. Jazz improvisation happens to be mine.
Oh, I don't know about Presbyterians wanting to divide the sacred and the secular. I see writers like Os Guinness (Presbyterians seem to dig him even though he's an Episcopalian) really speaking about the unification about the sacred and secular.
I think the Catholics draw that distinction. I think we all (as Believers)should remember that our lives don't belong to us and that they should be cohesive testaments to the glory of God. We are supposed to be "living sacrifices." Now the ignorance of THAT, I am quite familiar with at RMC and in myself.
Su.
What I mean is that presbies tend to say one thing is a sacrament (because it has a biblically modeled OT precedent ...ie circumcision/animal sacrifice) and another is not. Yet, I don't believe the Westminster mentions "sacramentals" anywhere. They say things like "Baptism is a sacrament, marriage is a covenant". The question I have never heard answered is, "what about ceremonial laws?". Are they all modeled in one of 2 sacraments?
Technically, the Westminster calls baptism and communion sacraments. Click Here to see it for yourself.
I don't like that. I tend to think of marriage as being a sacrement as well. To say that it is only a commitment kind of leaves God out of it in my mind. In fact, shouldn't our whole lives be sacrememental? I suppose that's what you mean. If so, I agree.
Su
Oh, and as far as people "posting stupid stuff in their blogs," I have a hunch that if you suggested that they read the works of a Dead Pope, they would laugh at you. Some folks are only interested their own empirical fact-gathering. And that's sad. If I had to build my entire value system on myself, it would be the most pitiful piece of cheese in the deli, and I have no reason to believe that anyone else is any different.
Su.
Su. I know what the westmister considers sacraments. Read the 39 articles (25-31). I am using sacramental to describe a "lesser rite". There, marriage is something less than a sacrament and something more than a committement between 2 individuals.
OK, you're right. There is a least one who isn't an idiot and should read JP2 because he will like it. I won't mention his name (but it rhymes with "lent bells")
I wasn't saying that you didn't know that! I mostly just thought it was interesting that you could get the whole thing on line.
To me, marriage IS a sacrament. Don't you think?
As for Lent Bells, I don't know old Lent as well as I used to.
Su
Sacrament, shmacrament. I liked the part about a classical school in Birmingham!
Cordoroy is enthusiastic as well.
Let's get that thing started. Soon!
Make no mistake, Corduroy is PUMPED about having a classical school in Birmingham. I really think this thing is going to happen! I really do!
Su
Su. Why are you asking me? I'm not married.
The arguments against have always been Jesus never "modeled" marriage (typologically, he kinda did). And, not everyone will be called to marriage.
But, I think we should think along those lines. Certainly, its easy to see the similarities between sexuality and the eucharist in terms of judgement.
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