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Bible Blessings


Miss Meeseeks

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Greetings :st,

Today at church since recently ive  decided to give my life to the Lord :nw:. The church given me a Bible as a gift which I appreciate it. 

Now as a Wiccan I'd like to bless the things and provide blessings to those in need. So I was wandering from those who have traveled upon this path (Christanity) much longer then me. 

If you are able to point me in the right direction of some general blessing(s) particularly of those which can be used for multiple purposes. 

 

 

Edited by Browng0at
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The trouble with blessings is they get so trite after while. I have to not gag when I hear "Namaste" too much, same with God bless you or Have a nice day. I doubt most saying it even really are sincere, tbh. I don't hear it that way often, anyway. 

But, yeah, Christian greetings are essentially "God bless you" or "Be blessed" around here. 

If you are curious about more formal prayers, traditions and teachings, the episcopal psalter is an old and nice reference I enjoyed as a younger person (I honestly always have been oriented to the pursuit of spirit and did do this as a kid). It outlines the basic Episcopal liturgy. I have no idea what your denomination is? Some are very lax in this and are based on the pastor's read of the Bible. Below is a link to the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

https://www.bcponline.org/

The best thing you can do is begin reading the Bible to learn what all it says in there. Episcopalian or not, there is an annual liturgy in that reference you can read along with the books it deals with for a nice overview. As you find passages that confuse or make you wonder more about the history there are a host of secular works out there covering many topics which will shed light for you. 

Or ask someone you know to be knowledgeable who will take the question seriously for you. There are easier versions of the Bible to use also. At times I have read a problem verse in several translations to feel I have a better grasp on the meaning the writer was trying for.  To just open the Book and start on page 1 is a tough road to get through, but, I have done it. If this is your option then try starting with the New Testament. Less Middle Eastern history and references to bog you down, to say nothing of Judaic ritual details and laws.

When my website is up I will add it to my profile and will do what I can to help there with general pointers. The Bible is foundational to the Christian faith and not understood as well as it should be, IMO. I am glad to hear you would like to study it and find out what it says. I have a small library here of religious books, several translations as well and will help if you ask. Others here also will.

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41 minutes ago, Browng0at said:

Greetings :st,

Today at church since recently ive  decided to give my life to the Lord :nw:. The church given me a Bible as a gift which I appreciate it. 

Now as a Wiccan I'd like to bless the things and provide blessings to those in need. So I was wandering from those who have traveled upon this path (Christanity) much longer then me. 

If you are able to point me in the right direction of some general blessing(s) particularly of those which can be used for multiple purposes. 

 

 

I no longer follow the path you have chosen.......but I don’t consider there to be any special “powers” in blessings, and there’s no power to the words or practice that I would be able to identify aside from the obvious cognitive effect.....and would suggest that in your faith prayers are more powerful....but....

I’d offer Aaron’s blessing from Numbers chapter 6 verses 24 - 26.

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40 minutes ago, Not A Rockstar said:

The trouble with blessings is they get so trite after while. I have to not gag when I hear "Namaste" too much, same with God bless you or Have a nice day. I doubt most saying it even really are sincere, tbh. I don't hear it that way often, anyway. 

But, yeah, Christian greetings are essentially "God bless you" or "Be blessed" around here. 

If you are curious about more formal prayers, traditions and teachings, the episcopal psalter is an old and nice reference I enjoyed as a younger person (I honestly always have been oriented to the pursuit of spirit and did do this as a kid). It outlines the basic Episcopal liturgy. I have no idea what your denomination is? Some are very lax in this and are based on the pastor's read of the Bible. Below is a link to the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

https://www.bcponline.org/

The best thing you can do is begin reading the Bible to learn what all it says in there. Episcopalian or not, there is an annual liturgy in that reference you can read along with the books it deals with for a nice overview. As you find passages that confuse or make you wonder more about the history there are a host of secular works out there covering many topics which will shed light for you. 

Or ask someone you know to be knowledgeable who will take the question seriously for you. There are easier versions of the Bible to use also. At times I have read a problem verse in several translations to feel I have a better grasp on the meaning the writer was trying for.  To just open the Book and start on page 1 is a tough road to get through, but, I have done it. If this is your option then try starting with the New Testament. Less Middle Eastern history and references to bog you down, to say nothing of Judaic ritual details and laws.

When my website is up I will add it to my profile and will do what I can to help there with general pointers. The Bible is foundational to the Christian faith and not understood as well as it should be, IMO. I am glad to hear you would like to study it and find out what it says. I have a small library here of religious books, several translations as well and will help if you ask. Others here also will.

 

26 minutes ago, Guyver said:

I no longer follow the path you have chosen.......but I don’t consider there to be any special “powers” in blessings, and there’s no power to the words or practice that I would be able to identify aside from the obvious cognitive effect.....and would suggest that in your faith prayers are more powerful....but....

I’d offer Aaron’s blessing from Numbers chapter 6 verses 24 - 26.

Thank you both for the help it's much appricated. 

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The main thing is to mean it, and say so and use the words to express that :)

Now, if someone is into the rituals and liturgy, some of the trad blessings hold a lot of meaning and value, but, like most things spiritual, it is in the response of the person who receives it.

Take care.

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3 hours ago, Browng0at said:

Greetings :st,

Today at church since recently ive  decided to give my life to the Lord :nw:. The church given me a Bible as a gift which I appreciate it. 

Now as a Wiccan I'd like to bless the things and provide blessings to those in need. So I was wandering from those who have traveled upon this path (Christanity) much longer then me. 

If you are able to point me in the right direction of some general blessing(s) particularly of those which can be used for multiple purposes. 

 

 

Talk to god. 

Ask "him" to give people what they need.  To watch over them, care for them, protect them.

To give them strength and courage  in adversity .

Give thanks for your many gifts and blessings, from  the food you eat, to life itself. Give thanks for your gifts and talents, friends and loved ones.

Just be yourself, and construct the blessings you think you and others most need. Give travelling blessings, where you ask god to watch over people and help them travel safely.  

Ask for things you need, like courage to make hard decisions, freedom from material desires etc.

 In general, accept  that god's will, will be done, not what you may ask for, so you can always add in  "if it is your will lord, then let this be done"

Bless the earth, the animals, and the environment, which provide for you and your needs.  Ask god to watch over your family, neighbours, friends and colleagues  

Never take anything  for granted, and use your communications with god for the things which matter . 

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I am one of the religious nutters who believes "god" is within us all, and WE are the ones responsible for the decisions made in this world. 

Personal responsibility is what goes into population control, famine response, governmental malfeasance and school shootings. 

I sure do not see this being the spin put on much out there in the world, just a lot of religion bashing and media spin giving everything a new medical or psychological acronym and more pills (i.e. its not your fault, there is nothing you can do).

True spirituality gets us waking up and stronger and in better shape and given tools to deal with ourselves, as we grant permission for Spirit to work on us and define our reality further.

So, if you are worried about famine, as your picture infers, YOU need to give an eff, because YOU are god here on the ground. If you don't, then no, it doesn't get done and people die and curse god for not stopping the wars and droughts and sickness. 

Curse god, post memes to discourage others from striving to better themselves using the road they choose to explore in hopes to do so, and feel superior for your big effort in finger pointing. *golf clap*

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Ask yourself what is the meaning behind what you're doing. Figure it out and go from there. If you wish to make Christianity your path remember this. Keep your feet on the ground. Eyes forward. Embody kindness. Do not pray for god to change anything, ask god to help you figure out how to change things. If you want the world to be a better place, first become a better person.

*takes magician hat off*

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By giving gifts. Lumps of money. By helping your friends in need, and doing whatever you can to save their lives.

Edited by Opus Magnus
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I have done the same with my life, Mr Scudbuster, and when I hit hard spots I turned to my paranormal god and never felt the need to bash those powerhouse folks who need nothing at all apparently but their own powerhouse self.

Blame people, not a god. It Makes more sense for your argument, really. So, when was the last time you were in Africa? Which agency do you work with? Or did you go on your own? Ever been to Kenya or the Sudan? Beautiful people.

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I guess it depends on if you think God is a Vending Machine that you put prayers into and hope to get what you wanted. 

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1 minute ago, Scudbuster said:

It's people for both good and evil - that's the way it is. If anyone has proof of a god, that would be great, I'm all for it.

And where I have been, exactly whom I have helped, under what circumstances, is absolutely none of your business. But if you have been to Africa etc, I commend you for your good work.

Proof of God is subjective, it is personal and no way around that. Maybe someday the field of physics will find something we can look at and consider, but, idk, really. It is an internal process of transformation, seeking out the Divine, IMO. Ten thousand debates over on the other spiritual forum here tend to prove that the two extremes will not find much common ground on the issue, but, surely we can ALL agree that we need to do better as a people to reduce the suffering in the world, and it is NOT a case of somebody else doing it. It cannot remain a game of "Who is on first". It comes down to you and me and him and her, personally. That is my belief, my religion is all inside and fuels that point of view maybe, but it is still all of our problem, this world. Not god's, IMO. Not directly. There is more suffering out there than we can all get to if we all did try, I think. The more you do, the more need you find.

You brought up the famine, are not just a troll, so surely you care personally about the starvation in Africa, to post here on a topic from a new Christian asking how one blesses other people and things in that faith, right? You believe that starving black people in Africa do not seem to matter as much as healthy white people do in this world, right? I really appreciate that insight and compassion in you.

I thought it was nice to hope someone else was looking first to bless and help and care with their inner belief system right away. She is a brand new baby in that religion. Give her ten years and maybe she will be handing out food in Africa, given enough encouragement to believe she can make a difference in the world with one life, if this is the issue she takes up. She can do some good in whatever "cross" she chooses to take on as a cause she cares about. She can do it with god in her heart, or not, of course. I liked the company of my paranormal god, though, on those long nights I sat in a squad car trying to stay awake with the windows down to hear if glass broke to alert me if anyone was breaking in somewhere in my neighborhood. It is nobody's business if I also prayed for their safety after doing all I could patrolling and sat watch over the town. If you believe, then it did some good, combined with being on duty actively with a Glock to enforce things further if need be. If you don't, well it kept me up, made me happy and didn't cost the tax payer extra.

Buddhist, Wiccan, Christian, Atheist, I encourage anyone who wants to ease other people's pain.

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I guess the real question is "What does god mean to you?" (asking in general not directed at anyone.)

Some say that god is love, then become a loving person in order to metaphorically be god.

If god is dominating and a tyrannical idea to the individual, they will see that very thing in nearly everything.

Perhaps God is that little wordless voice that subconsciously nudges you when you're about to do something stupid, that's "Not a good idea" thing. 

The thing is there is zero way to prove the existence/non-existence of god. With that in mind why bother playing to blame game. I question that myself. Why? Doesn't answer anything, doesn't fix anything. Since we can not know. The only thing we have is an idea of god, if you're going that route, make it a good idea. If you do decided to embrace such an idea and it doesn't make you a better person, change it. 

*Takes magician hat off*

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21 minutes ago, Scudbuster said:

What on earth are you talking about...?? When have I ever inferred that is OK? Please show me where I have ever stated this is how I think. And for the record, it's not OK. Who do you think I am - a Trump supporter?? 

your meme showing the white family at church beside the one of the starving black one and that god doesn't care about them. I took you as sincere and that you felt the poor black family did not get the care they needed and this was unfair. I found that commendable and even understandable if you think this is god's fault and this is why you do not believe there is a god. I am agreeing with you, Mr Scudbuster, not accusing you of anything. I agree that they do matter as much as anyone else and we have to do better. It is horrific the suffering in Africa. 

Read it again. I was not saying you agreed with such a vile viewpoint but that they do not seem to matter as much (inferred) so we need to do better, it is not OK, just as you say.

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God, angels, and demons. Yeah, alright. Sure religion. Be good to your neighbor and all that jazz. Truth is life ain't all rainbows and kitty cats, no amount of prayer or faith can change a horrible situation. That's up to us. If the words you say under your breath to god do not strengthen your determination for change. Might as well say nothing.

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When I was a Christian, I liked this one,  “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”

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30 minutes ago, XenoFish said:

God, angels, and demons. Yeah, alright. Sure religion. Be good to your neighbor and all that jazz. Truth is life ain't all rainbows and kitty cats, no amount of prayer or faith can change a horrible situation. That's up to us. If the words you say under your breath to god do not strengthen your determination for change. Might as well say nothing.

this.

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That statement was the basis of my whole magical practice. I got a lot of disrespect for taking that path. Too many people considered magick would get them everything effortlessly. The way I see it, it's all dressed up affirmation. Prayers, spells, sigils, chants. If it doesn't motivate you, don't bother doing it. 

It's why I often say Intention + Action = Results.

Prayer without action is inert. 

If you want the world to be a better place, be a better person. Don't demand respect earn it. Act without expectation.

(Screw it, the hat stays on)

Edited by XenoFish
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6 hours ago, Scudbuster said:

And that's exactly right Mr Rockstar - it's people helping people, not some paranormal god floating up in the sky somewhere. And that's EXACTLY what I have done with my life. 

THIS is what works:

God Helping...?.jpg

However, belief and faith, and particularly religious belief, motivate  people to care, to do something, to volunteer and to donate.

Studies all over the world show that believers give more time and money to help others than non believers, and in America 55% of all donors say that it is religious belief which causes them to donate. Imagine if 55% of Americans suddenly stopped caring and giving. 

https://theconversation.com/how-religion-motivates-people-to-give-and-serve-81662

 

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Reminder:

The Spirituality, Religion and Beliefs board is primarily aimed at discussing general topics pertaining to religion and spirituality, for skeptic vs believer style discussion and debate on the nature of spirituality themed topics please visit the Spirituality vs Skepticism board.

 

This is an area I will be focusing on separating more clearly.

Posters are requested again to take the debate of the existence of God to the Spirituality v's Skepticism board.

Posters are also asked to report posts wich do not belong in the Spirituality boards. 

Thank-you.

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35 minutes ago, Scudbuster said:

And imagine if that other 45% decided to quite caring.......

And it's all essentially 50-50 within margin of error stuff, so no big deal there either.

Just making sure you read my earlier post in this thread.

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On 19/08/2018 at 2:10 PM, Browng0at said:

Greetings :st,

Today at church since recently ive  decided to give my life to the Lord :nw:. The church given me a Bible as a gift which I appreciate it. 

Now as a Wiccan I'd like to bless the things and provide blessings to those in need. So I was wandering from those who have traveled upon this path (Christanity) much longer then me. 

If you are able to point me in the right direction of some general blessing(s) particularly of those which can be used for multiple purposes. 

 

 

Maybe 1 Corinthians 12

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Here is a good verse to connect what Scudbuster and I were speaking about: 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? 17So too, faith by itself, if it is not complemented by action, is dead.…

Just a blessing is really meaningless if we do not add what we can materially, do what we can. Our actions matter more than anything we merely say. At bottom, this one failure is why so many of us have left the Church, and why others have left faith entirely. Right or wrong, this is the truth of it. Talk is cheap when it is possible to do more. Sometimes, there is not more we can do, but, a lot of times there is.

The reference is from the Berean Bible, James 2:15-17 

Bible hub is great for comparative translations and is generally free of denominational bias, it is just the Bible mostly. You can find the verse and a dozen or more translations of it here: https://biblehub.com/james/2-16.htm

Edited by Not A Rockstar
fixed verse number
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