If you don't believe, then why ask.

If you don't believe in GOD, how and why do you expect GOD to believe in you?

When you pray asking for miracles and they aren't answered you get discouraged. You begin to question GOD's existence. You even deny GOD any attention. But why should GOD help you? GOD doesn't truly know you.

Imagine it this way. A stranger comes up to you and says, "I need $50.00 for my family, please help me." You may have the money, hell you may even have enough to spare right now, but you don't know the stranger. Would you give them $50.00 not knowing if they really have a family? Most of us would say no or give them something much smaller as a consolation prize.

Why then do we expect GOD to give us our large miracles if we in exchange do not give worship?

It is through worship that GOD gets to truly know us and know our hearts, our dreams, and our intentions. All of this just like how through interaction that stranger becomes our friend. We learn about their spouse and children. We learn about their goals, their dreams, and their intentions. We then long to see them achieved and go as far to help them. That is because there is a small form of worship in all friendships.

Worship goes beyond chanting, singing, and waiving about of censors and wearing of articles of clothing. It is about prayer and conversations. Worship is the placing of a value on an item or aspect of our lives. If we value a friendship then we worship that friendship. If we value GOD, then we worship GOD.

So what is the moral?

-GOD is like a friend. Don't expect miracles from GOD if you don't know each other. You wouldn't expect miracles from strangers and you aren't likely to provide them to a stranger either.

Start your friendship now and have a small heart to heart conversation with GOD daily.

Yours in Faith,

Archbishop Isaac L. Kramer

The wrong doings of "Religious" men

The vocational world today is faced with a myriad of issues. When you take the time to actually read an article on Yahoo News, AP, or any other internet news source, regarding religion, the same issue seems to be reoccurring, homosexuality. Homosexuality by no means is a sin. It isn't stated anywhere, that is truly written or spoke by GOD, that homosexuals are wrong and should perish. It is written by the hands of man claiming to have inherit truth that GOD wants such a law, to propagate their own hidden agendas.

We have seen in the last ten years alone the number of people speaking out irreverently about homosexuality being caught in their own traps. These confused and misled men and women caught on tape and photo performing same-sex acts. Their own disgrace is only exalted because of their hatred they first spewed.

The Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican church, and many others today are fighting this age old battle. I recently read an article about Pope Benedict XVI calling homosexuals to come out of the priesthood. Let me be clear, no human has a right to determine and force another's vocation. When did these so called religious leaders become GOD? What allowed these religious leaders to take such actions against the words of GOD?

We have been instructed time and time again to love each other; to treat each other as ourselves; and to understand the equality that all of us share. Where has these words gone in our current religious structures? All I seem to see is two large religious leaders dictating their way or get out. The messages of hatred that they share with their members is no better than the words Hitler shared to the Nazis.

Hitler shared a message of hatred towards different groups, but specifically the Jews. Pope Benedict XVI and his Anglican counterpart, are calling for hatred towards the homosexual community. Pope Benedict XVI has even gone one step further and continued to spread the hatred against women's vocation even. All I can say is, GOD must be so proud to have a bigot sitting on a man made throne, in a man made palace, telling HIS people who to hate.

Blind & Deaf

God help the blind and deaf, for they do not fully see nor hear your glory.

For the record, I do not mean the actual handicapped blind and deaf. I mean those who can see and hear but don't fully. They only see what they want and hear what they want. The Lord said, "Let those who have ears to hear, hear".

Today we have several people running around deaf and blind. They are blinded by hatred and long for injustice. They seek revenge instead of peace. They believe that their way is the only way and do not hear the advice of those around them.

I was reading a yahoo article about a recent Supreme Court case. The case disturbed me greatly. It is a case about a religious group picketing the funerals of fallen soldiers. Not just any fallen soldiers but ones who are not Christian and heterosexual. Isn't it bad enough for a parent, loved one, or child to have to see their family member dead? Now we have religious groups flashing signs that say stuff like, "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" and "You're Going to Hell".

This religious group has lost all sanctity for life, both living and dead. Funerals are just as much about the living as the dead. If they truly are believers of God shouldn't they be consoling the family instead of condemning their loved one?

Their website is filled with hatred and spews fragmented bible verses. I always love how if you take a few verses and only use a few words from each, that you can edit and destroy precious scriptures. Doing this twist doctrine to shape it to fit anything you want. I have noticed though it is always the people with messages of hate doing this, never a legitimate religious organization.

So if you "have ears to hear" and "eyes to see" be aware of how you are portrayed by your peers. We may not be God, but we too have a habit of judging.

I intentionally did not mention the name of the religious organization. I do not wish to promote them or add to their rage. I simply hope to allow others to see and hear what they personally could be doing to society as a whole.

Yours in Faith!

Feast of Union

The month of July is always a special time of year. When we look around us we are reminded that we are truly in the full of summer. The sun is fuller, the days are longer, the trees are greener, and life is a bustle everywhere you turn. This is when we find ourselves longing to be outdoors and with friends and family the most.

Let there be no surprise that July to us is marked as the Feast of Union. Union of family and friends; Union of life in general, and Union of the Earth. July is known to be filled with weddings, celebrations, family reunions, fun picnics, and of course here in the United States, Independence Day.

We always encourage togetherness of family and friends, no matter the feast. July is one of those special months where no real pushing is needed. We as humans long to be among others when compelled by the Spirit to do so, and July has always been filled with that Spirit.

With that I say, back your bags with towels, swim wear, and good food. Then call all of your friends and family and have a day of Union with the full sun in the sky. Answer God's call to be with one another because you never know what tomorrow actually brings.

Feast of the Patriarch

When you stop and think about an average household you would be surprised to find that most of them are ran with a mother and child. That leads to the question, "where is the father?" More over today we find that the father is either absent or a poor example to the child. What has caused a society to go from a patriarchcal to a matriarchal?

It has been said throughout history that the mother makes the religion but the father makes the tribe. This theory has held true through thousands of years. The statement could be taken in a sense that the father is only needed for procreation and nothing more. On the flip side, I have begun to see many families run only by the father without a mother present. These families have done just as well.

The Feast of the Patriarch is to show support to all the fathers who are there for their children and families. In times like today where divorce is high and stress is higher, we need to ensure that families have the emotional support to survive. We take much of the year to celebrate and pat the mother on the back. Perhaps just for the month of June the mothers would be willing to allow the father that same moment of "great job" that they are use to. It doesn't mean they aren't appreciated, just fathers are needed too.

Find time this month to say thank you to an active father. Congratulate him on being supportive to his family. This is all dad really wants in the end a thank you said with a sincere smile.

He Was Risen 1,977 years ago

Today to celebrate Easter people around the world are saying not only Happy Easter but following it with "He is Risen". The general response to such a comment is "Truly He is Risen" or "He is Risen Indeed".

There is a fault in this comment though. Christ rose from the dead 1,977 years ago at Easter. He did not die on the cross just 3 days ago. We as a human race desire to feel a connection with things that are important to us. That is the reason why we replay the Passion every year. We want to believe that we were there and have a deeper connection to His pain and suffering. The point of the matter is, we weren't there.

When we say "He is Risen" we contradict Christs very deeds and words. He was crucified because of our sins and to expose them for future generations. He rose after 3 days to show that we too can rise back up when we are down. To say that "He is Risen" is to deny that He exist for 3 days of the year. Christ lives every day now since 33 A.D..

It is alright to want to feel a deeper connection, but remember that we today did not crucify Him. We today did not judge Him. Most importantly, we today live with Him and He lives with us. Think twice before you say "He is Risen" and deny His existence in your life for the last few days.

Yours in Faith,
+++Isaac

The radical changes we forgot

I want to take a moment to address something that concerns, no bothers, me. One of the most common things I hear is, "aren't you awfully young to be an Archbishop?". I respond with "no younger then John, Peter, Paul, or Jesus." I usually get a strange look at that point.

People tend to forget that Jesus was only 33 at most when crucified. Peter was the first Pope while being somewhere between 26-30 years of age. John was baptizing in the River Jordan before turning 30 years old. Paul was 34 when he converted to Christianity and in his early 40's when he began telling others what makes a good minister and bishop. Where does the old men come into play? Where did the women go that Jesus had appointed through Mary to lead? Jesus taught to rebel against the Jewish temple laws and to live a life devoted to God the Father.

Today, it has all been thrown to confusion with old men sitting on thrones telling younger men what to do. Women banned from standing at the pulpit or leading others like Mary once did. Forgiveness has become confused with a blind eye. And most importantly LOVE has been transformed to "not my problem, not my life". We are not practicing the true Christianity that Jesus taught some 2000 years ago. We are teaching a twisted form that has benefited those in power to remain and those without to be subservient to those who have.

We need to have that radical aspect back in our lives today to truly live a life that was taught to us. It isn't easy to love everyone. It isn't easy to be concerned for those around you in their times of need. We have generations of mistakes to correct but I'm confident that if we try others will try and that will be a great start for our children. Stand strong. Stand united. Mostly, stand with faith in what you believe.

Yours in Faith,
Archbishop Isaac L Kramer