Comparison. It is something I see in many aspects of our lives. I even see it in suffering. Sometimes when I am sitting with other breast cancer patients, I hear subtle comparisons between women who have different types of the cancer. One woman said to me, “Oh, I don’t have that kind. I have the…
Those of you that know something about me may recognize that self-promotion is not something I am comfortable with. In fact, I think I’m allergic to it. I get all itchy and scratchy just thinking about it. I just like to let things happen organically, in their own time and in their own way. Shocker!…
It was like slowly, gently unwrapping a piece of glass that had been stored away for decades. With tears running down her face, my client shared a secret that had been inside since she was a young child. I have been seeing this client for several years and she has made amazing progress on her…
I’m sure this week’s blog post will be a bit like playing pinball in the 1970’s because my thoughts are all over the place and can ricochet at a moment’s notice. So here goes… I’ve been thinking a lot about God this week. Last week, I had a client, who also has cancer, sitting on…
by Brother Lawrence Damien Cos “Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?” Dear CG family Enclosed find my latest article on Baptism for the Dead. It stems from a discussion we had in Sunday school…
My heart sank… At the end of the session, my client had asked if she could purchase a copy of my book from me. Normally, I would be pleased that someone was interested in my book, but this was different. I knew this client was a conservative Christian and was worried that learning I was…
Sometimes I think my brain is totally emptied of any thought I would want to share with other human beings. I wonder if this is the end of writing this blog. And then life happens. Today life happened in my lymphedema support group meeting at the hospital. In case you are not aware of lymphedema,…
My next CT scan, John O’Leary, Pastor Rob’s sermon this morning. Interesting cast of characters to trigger awareness about the rapid passage of time in my life. And yet, in combination, they have done just that. Eight days from now, I will go to the cancer center for my next CT scan. Four days later…
Dear Family, Bruce sent me a copy of a chat that happened in chat the other night after I left between Bruce, Dad and Father Steve. They were discussing morning stars and how both Satan/Lucifer and Jesus are referred to as morning stars and wondering why? Enclosed find my response to them in case anyone…
I am dreaming of a world without war, A world of peace with justice for all, With no male or female slave or free, Where we all are one as children of God. A dream where the lion can lie with the lamb Where all will know the Lord and seek him Where the…
The word “trinity” is not in the Bible and i think it can block people out when we add “doctrine” to try and categorize all the different things Jesus said. But i do get the concept. We could say that i as a human have a physical body, a mind or personality (some may disagree LOL),…
Many people interpret this parable as if the virgins get shut out because they didn’t plan ahead and bring enough oil. But is that how God works? Do we need to have it all together to “get in”? Here is the parable, only occurring in Matt 25:1-13 (NIV):
By Brother Lawrence Damien Cos Muiscas Ceremony for Connectedness “When I consider your heavens the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them] 5 You have made them a little lower…
Is God and Environmentalist? By Brother Lawrence Damien Cos Dear Family On Saturday April 22 we will be celebrating Earth Day here in the USA. That got me to thinking about what God might think of Earth Day? What would God think of our handling of the earth? Would he or she care? Many believe…
Why Did Israel Want a King and What Were The Consequences? By Brother Lawrence Damien Cos Dear Family I participate in a conference call on Monday nights where several of us gather to discuss what we have been reading in the Bible and sharing any insights God may have shown us so all can be…
What is the Real Story of Easter? By Brother Lawrence Damien Cos Today is Easter Sunday the day when we celebrate the resurrection of Christ from the dead. If you come from a traditional, fundamentalist either Protestant or Catholic background you may as I was taught that God was mad at humankind because of their…
What is Good Friday All About? By Brother Lawrence Damien Dear Family Today is Good Friday so what is it and why do we celebrate it? This is day that Christians throughout the world commemorate the crucifixion of Christ. Church services recall the account of Jesus death given in Christian scriptures especially…
What is Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday? By Brother Lawrence Damien Cos Dear family Palm Sunday has come and gone. Holy Week has begun and we are about to witness and be a part of the last few moments of Christ’s life. The first major event of that week comes on Maundy Thursday or Holy…
What is Chrism Mass By Brother Lawrence Damien Cos Dear Family, We are approaching Holy Week. At some point during Holy Week the priests, bishops and the faithful will gather for a Chrism Mass. This mass has two purposes. First it is the time for the blessing of the oils which will be used in…
Why Do WE Celebrate Palm Sunday? By Brother Lawrence Damien Cos Dear family, Tomorrow is Palm Sunday when the Christian Church celebrates Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is the last Sunday of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week. Jesus is coming fresh from raising Lazarus from the dead. While many believed in him…
For Everything There Is a Season and a Reason By Brother Lawrence Damien Cos For everything there is a season and a reason There is a time to be born and a time to die, There is a time to be young and time to grow old, A time to be weak and also a…
Just a quick one, for an explanation of this parable about a Syrophoenician woman, children, dogs and crumbs. It always seemed harsh to me given that Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves (even towards people who hate us, as Jesus’s example the “good Samaritan” did). But as usual Jesus puts a twist on…
What is Lazarus Saturday? By Brother Lawrence Damien Cos Dear family In about a week we will be celebrating Holy Week and for most of us here in the West that will begin on Palm Sunday marking the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. However within the Orthodox Churches Holy Week starts a day earlier…
I think i will preface this by noting one big difference between the Pharisees (as portrayed in our Library of Writings known as the Bible) and Jesus. The Pharisees created a lot of separation between themselves, and the Jews and others: Don’t talk to the Samaritans, don’t touch the lepers, hate the tax collectors (who were traitors and…
Creeds like this one seem like they drop a pile of boxes filled with human ideas on top of God, who is so BIG that no human description could ever suffice. I hadn’t had an occasion to read a creed in awhile, so when we read it out of the Episcopal prayer book during my…
(First, see my previous article, “Christianese Substitutions Part 3 – “Hell” which reviews the actual Hebrew and Greek words that “hell” is substituted for throughout the Bible, and their meanings.) I understand the need or want for punishment for people who hurt people; what about murderers, torturers, rapists and thieves (and those of us who…
The Annunciation of the Lord By Brother Lawrence Damien Cos Dear family, Saturday March 25 will be The Annunciation of the Lord also known as The Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is also known as the Annunciation or Our Lady or Lady Day in England. It is Christian celebration of the announcement by…
Reflections on Radical Jesus the Taboo Breaker By Brother Lawrence Damien Cos Dear Family, Today’s gospel reading was on the women at the well of Jacob in Samaria. If we read this from a 21st century we might think what is so shocking about this passage. After all men talk to women everyday even women…
St. Patrick Versus the Snakes All Gory Be to Jesus How St. Patrick Drove All the Snakes in Ireland in to the Sea By Brother Lawrence Damien Dear family Today is Saint Patrick’s Day. Allegedly he drove all the snakes in Ireland into the sea and that is why there are no snakes in Ireland…
During the season of Lent many churches do what are called the Stations of the Cross. These are fourteen stations, which re-enact the last moments of Jesus life here on earth from His condemnation before Pilate through His body being laid in the tomb. We get to walk with Christ along the same path He…
In case anyone is interested I have done the following on Priestly Celibacy for my church. Thought some of you might be interested in the history of where the idea comes from so am sharing it here. If there are any Roman Catholic who are members of our group this is not a put down…
Dear Family, Enclosed find my latest Easter story on the meaning of Easter in parable form. Pray it will be a blessing to everyone. Comments are welcomed and if you like this feel free to share. The inspiration for this comes from a story on the internet I found about Peter Cottontail.
Dear family, Find enclosed my latest poem. Hope you all enjoy and comments are always welcomed Brother Lawrence Damien Cos The Power of God By Brother Lawrence Damien Cos I have been broken but not forsaken, Knocked down but not kept down I’ve felt pain but that was gain For the power of God is…
This is a list of words that are Greek, or transliterated directly from Greek, or are OLD and do not belong in the Bible. Even the word “scripture” just means “writings” and the word “Bible” just means “library of writings.” Why not speak clearly in regular English (or whatever modern language) instead of creating a…
I for sure don’t truly understand the actual experience, and i can’t promise this article is completely PC, but this is just to explain how i dealt with the cultural progression. When we were kids, which for me was in the 1960s and 1970s (but this is likely universal), little dudes were basically afraid of…
Dear Family A couple of days I posted an article on peace and violence I had found on the internet that I thought made a good case for non violence and peace. Today I would like to explore that a bit further with some of my own thoughts Two Different Views On War 1. Just…
Dear Family As anyone knows who knows me very well knows I am an pacifist committed to non violence. I believe all wars are immoral and that we as Christians and followers of Jesus are called to be peacemakers. Enclosed find an article that for me sums up the case very well for non violence…
Dear family and friends We have recently gone through Epiphany/Ordinary Times and been introduced to Jesus in many different settings. Then we came to Shrove Tuesday ate out pancakes, took stock of ourselves, confessed our sins, received absolution and penances to do during Lent, Then we arrived at Ash Wednesday and got faced with our…
Dear Friends and Family Enclosed find a pastoral letter on the immigration policy of President Trump that was issued to my church, and in which I stand 100% behind in solidarity with my bishops as well as with immigrants. It is shared here in the hopes some will endorse and embrace what is shared here…
Here is a summary of Christianity as i understand it now. You can also check out my Christianity page on my old website (which badly needs to be updated). And i really love the site YHWH.com; wish i wrote it myself! I tried to summarize this all in a few key sentences, but this is the best I could do,…
What is Shrove Tuesday (aka Fat Tuesday)? By Brother Lawrence Damien Cos A week from today many will be gathering in their churches to eat pancakes and celebrate Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday. It marks the end of Ordinary times or Epiphany depending on your tradition and getting ready for Ash Wednesday and the beginning…
by Brother Lawrence Damien CoS Dear Family, In a week we will celebrate Ash Wednesday and many of us will be going to church to get our foreheads marked with the sign of the cross from ashes made from burning last year’s Palm Branches that were used and blessed on Palm Sunday. So why will…
Tears drop down this porcelain face as blood from sores of past memories forgotten, remembered. Pain unknown by mind brought forth suddenly as to remind the soul “you cannot be rid of me” Shadow you daunt my view while light peaks around the corner of my hopes and whispers these are only dreams of you…
Who are you? You feel so far away. Who are you? I feel you in my blood. My veins. Are you there God? I’m crying out your name. Are you there? Well are you?! Do you even know my pain? Talk to me. God talk to me! Am I speaking to a wall? Where are…
I thirst to know you more as I fight through the crowds grabbing desperately for your feet, fighting is all I know. They say I’m not allowed near you. I can’t. I must leave. NO! Let me in, let me go! I will touch. I have to feel. I know you’re there, so close, you’re…
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I came out when I was 23 and thought I had a solid foundation in Christ and my Christian faith. I spent a year or so writing for a website called lesbepure and of course blogged on my own blogs www.brokenandbruisedyetbeautiful.wordpress.com and then I lost everything. When I say I lost everything, I mean, mainly…
I’ve been beset by dreams lately. Mostly, they are about my career. I want to change. I want outta here! I don’t like call-centers. They are a pain. Out of 7.5 hour days, I’m on the phone about 50 percent of my day. The other portion, paperwork, is fine. I tend to like paperwork. I’m…
The past two days I’ve been reading Isaiah 59. It is such a powerful chapter to me, because it answers so many questions. The most obvious would be ‘why has God forgotten us?’ This questions is posed by the world. Usually the secular world and carnal Christians. The answer begins in verse one: ‘See, the…
I’m almost finished this book and I can only say that it has been thus far: refreshing! It might be where I am in my life, in that I was so bored in my life and hated about half of my job. I have been so stressed with phones, that I thought that life couldn’t…
God is good. I spent the New Years in Times Square, New York welcoming-in the new day with a million revelers! It was great. Party favors, cuzoo’s, lots of people howling, shouting, holding their cell-phone cameras, digital cameras, cups of beer and otherwise! What an atmosphere and I’m glad that God let me be a…
My NKJV version reads as follows: “Blessed is the man You choose, And cause to approach You, That he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Of Your holy temple.” The word that strikes me is ‘courts.’ In David’s day, a ‘court’ wasn’t the place where lawyers…
Posted on 14/11 09:36 Hi, back again. I do plan to resume my tale, which left off sometime in 2005, but with the election over, I still find myself thinking about the past– the ideas, goals and even words I wanted to try; but didn’t. Though I’m 45, part of me still feels…
Posted on 30/10 10:25 Hi, all. This is Teri. It has been so long since I’ve been on here, and I finally decided it was time to come back. So I just sat down and started doing it. Let’s face it–I’m 45 now, and not getting any younger. My mind has whirled with so…
Posted on 12/04 10:42 I be back. Truthfully, before I resumed writing here I hadn’t thought about Alex in 3 years–when her pal Abby had contacted me out of the blue. It’s been 7 years, and my memories of the post-Alex period are hazy. I do recall the pain, and how I scrambled to…
Posted on 06/04 10:09 My heart was jumping like it hadn’t in months, since Lynn had shoved me away. I was more myself in a controlled way, and I was sharing that with Tim & my kids. Just more proof that when the good juices flow, it can affect others, not just you. On…
Posted on 05/04 10:38 Holidays are, 99% of the time, my favorite time of year. I love Christmas, there is just this feeling in the air, the atmosphere of warmth–sometimes literally, when we come in from the snow to hot chocolate and a movie.Also, everyone seems just a bit nicer to each other, it’s…
Posted on 10/03 12:58 Hi, this is Teri. I know it’s been over a year since my last writing. But over the past few months, I’ve felt a little drain, monotony, from not trying things I’d really like to experience while in the flesh. Writing is what I do best, I think– better than…
Posted on 01/01 23:52 For this entry, I take a break from my story, which now flows into 2004, and give part of my perspective on gay & bi-ness. As my title suggests, I compare it to alcoholism–only in reverse. With alcoholics, it’s said that when they are drinking, they are wet (practicing) alcoholics; which…
Posted on 01/01 22:31 The autumn of 2003 had to take some getting used to; as I’d been so accustomed to going to work & dropping the kids off at school til 4 or 5. Josie, now in kindergarten, would come home with me at 10:50; sometimes to take a nap before lunch, as…