an empty envelope, stale bread and grape juice (not wine)

For some (if not most) churches, yesterday was Communion Sunday. On such occasion, we take a piece of stale bread and dip it in grape juice (representation of wine) to celebrate the victory over sin from the Christ and the feast that God has for us in Heaven.

Yesterday was also Independence Day and we celebrated our freedom over oppression (or lack of liberty, to say it in a nicer way). It was a double celebration for Christians as we sang Christian national hymns like "America the Beautiful" as I remember singing as a small child in elementary school.

As much as we're free, lots are poor and most of us simply struggle to survive financially in this land of riches, the brave and the free. Nonetheless, holding on to our faith, we go to church to find God or for spiritual shelter. Yet we feel bad at times not to be able to give back the "fruit of our labors" as much or at all. Hence our offering envelopes contain less than our 10% or are cowardly empty.

How can it be that some go to bed hungry? How can we do nothing when political agendas take our freedoms, our rights, our benefits when poor or unemployed or disabled and especially our faith away? While trying not to insult groups of individuals, we're allowing some idiots kill this great Christian nation many times over and over.

Yet we return every Sunday (or as often as we can or feel the need to do so) to church to find shelter in God and drown our numerous pains. Once again we reach in deep in our pockets just to fill another empty offering and sit in shame -- even as we know that God would still welcome us with open arms regardless of our riches or lack of. Most troubling, we again hold on to our empty faith as we fail to remember that we're now living in a land where it's almost illegal to say the name of God in public (http://project05952381.blogspot.com/2010/06/end-of-this-great-christian-nation-pt-3.html).

09/28/2008, third week in a row, yeah!

Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church (http://www.fapc.org/)
Service from 11:15 to 11:15am
with Pastor Rev. Dr. Scott Black Johnson

1. World Prayer Sunday, all Christians in united prayer and communion, started by Presbyterians in 1800's, now (1940's) adopted by other Christians faiths, languages, origins, etc
  1.1. Baptism of two and introduction of new (registered) members of the congregation, me not a member still (well at least, not yet)
2. Sermon: difference between agnostics and atheists using new movie with Bill Maher:
  2.1. Agnostics confused, not sure about Christianity, would rarely fight
  2.2. Atheists sure that there's no God, passionate to fight and sell their conviction, belief that religion does more damage than good
  2.3. Good to question what we don't understand in our faiths, not as lack of blind faith, but to really understand and learn our faith
3. Me feeling not worthy, still feeling like fish out of water, still sitting in the back left of the church, trying to understand customs and over all church behavior, still taking notes
  3.1. Didn't take communion (small piece bread and small cup of wine), which was passed around, not ready, no confession before communion?
4. Why not walk four blocks down to St Pats?
  4.1. Still find Presbyterian church very rock n' roll, not so formal and up-tight, no saints and prayers to them (weird?)
  4.2. Much more sense than Catholic church, married pastors, female pastors (uh?)
  4.3. 'Our Father' also recited