Making Sense of Sin: Father Matthew Presents

[1952YOU1320TUBE1952]

The Tao. Look within, then look again. Look until you see the Sight. If you say you see Nothing, I say you're bang on right. ...You see the True Location, The place where all are One. You see the Void that spins the world, Suspends the stars, and shines the sun. Here you see what wasn't born, Nor lives, nor breathes, nor dies. Stay with this One Awareness. See how it ramifies.

[1952YOU1320TUBE1952]

The guilt that the fucking church gave them in the first place,

and they being stupid enough to buy in to your shit.

I am sinless

"'I was not present when they decreed that I had to be an imbecile.'

"In other words,I will not honor agreements made in my absence.

[concord1775]

One of my favorite 'FM' videos. But although I'm not a big 'scripture' guy I have to wonder if the use of Luke 12:14 might not be way out of context. In that passage Jesus is speaking to two greedy brothers squabbling over the fine details of an inheritance of material wealth. Jesus, with more important things to do with his time, is surely saying he isn't here as Judge Judy, he is not a judge or arbitrator in the sense of small claims court, but that does not diminish his moral authority.

[SlinkyDragon]

Er, isn't suffering a result of sin though? I mean, didn't God place a blessing on obedience and a curse on sin in Exodus? The bible also tells us that "our own wickedness will correct us." It seems like a spiritual law of cause and effect.

[1952YOU1320TUBE1952]

@SlinkyDragon Do not confuse things. Religions are not remedies. Religions are the consequence of man's pitiful state of awareness. "They are replete with good intentions, but very few people are prepared to fulfill them. If their commitment meant anything of real value, the world would be full of saints, not sinners.

[musclemaggg]

hahahaha haaaaa

[zaynzaynzayn]

i dig father matthew's vlogs. but sometimes god is a judge, ain't he? and is a person in a "state of jesus" incapable of sin? a person living within the light of the trinity will not sin. but being in the light all the time is impossible, si?

[FatherMatthew]

I was trying to compare symbols, and my take is that sin as "blockage" is better than sin as "running afoul of a judge." Judge is a standard symbol for God in the Christian tradition, but it has its limitations.

[Cmey2k]

I thought that sin was when someone transgresses one of God's laws...or like i've heard a lot that sin in the Greek means 'missing the mark' of what God intended..

[Travers54]

Hello!!!

[squitmaa]

Great video man. I am subscribing.

[vdizhoor]

Cool! I liked this message.

[GreldigVedish]

Go ahead - keep making theologically liberal videos. In a few weeks, you'll be answering to ++Akinola instead of ++Schori.

[FatherMatthew]

Actually, in the Episcopal Church, my "boss" (or who I answer to) is actually my diocesan bishop, who is incidentally in Georgia. International Anglican political struggles will never change this.

[Travers54]

But also remember that is not for us to disguise sin either the word of God is the light which reveals whether for actions are right or wrong.

Sin is not something which we are suppose to sweep under the carpet and excuse but through prayer,fasting and reflection upon the word of God we should be prepared to turn from all wrong doing and allow the work of the Holy Spirit to have it's work of cleasning in our lives.

[Travers54]

The exposing of sin and wrong doing is the role of a Priest or anyone claiming a calling from the living God.Failure to do this is the actions of a reprobate.

[TruthSeeker502]

Hey, if you are in Yonkers Fr., what are you doing answering to a Bishop in Ga.? Of have I missed something?

[rexthebarker]

Our African counterparts can break away for all I care my priest in Michigan was a gay man and one of the most intelligent human beings I've ever met.

[GreldigVedish]

This has nothing to do with how genial and intelligent your priest was. Have you read the Rt. Rev. -Spong's most recent open letter to Cantuar? Is this the church you want to be a part of? Rowan will hopefully side with the GS and any priests who want to remain part of the Communion will hopefully join with CANA.

[trinitychiq]

RE: "Have you read the Rt. Rev. Spong's most recent open letter to Cantuar? Is this the church you want to be a part of?"

I know the comment is a year old, but I have to say, in response to it: Yes, I HAVE read that letter, and yes that IS a church I want to be part of.

Wow, a church where people are free to speak their minds openly and call authorities into account and reach out to people in love and make even more room at the table for everyone! Imagine that!

[trinitychiq]

Yes, I have blocked that person I responded to...because of the way people like him block gay people from grace.

[nawitus]

What else is God than an all-knowing judge who will give you eternal torture in hell? Do not try to twist the claims found in Bible to suit your "fun" image of Christianity.

[FatherMatthew]

Actually the claims of Jesus have been twisted by a fundamentalist vision, giving dark passages in a poly-vocal library of Scripture precedence over the loving, non-rivalistic vision of the Kingdom of God that Jesus had in mind. Jesus is the lens through which I read Scripture. This is not a distorting lens, but a clarifying one.

[Travers54]

Quote

"Jesus is the lens through which I read Scripture. This is not a distorting lens, but a clarifying one".

What a wonderful and balanced answer Father Matthew, and as the Bible says, judge and comdemn not and you will not be comdemned but rather rejoice in God's love and mercy.

[Travers54]

What a wonderful and balanced answer Father Matthew, and is fully in agreement with the Bible, which says, judge and comdemn not and you will not be comdemned but rather rejoice in God's love and mercy.

[1952YOU1320TUBE1952]

@FatherMatthew

 Ayahuasca is the len's which I used to find eteral life,peace and joy.

[1952YOU1320TUBE1952]

@nawitus

Your a barrel a laugh's.can I book you for my next birthday party.

[HerbertLandei]

Nope, it's much easier: "sin" ist just another word for "fun"

[blink56k]

about separation from God: Julian of Norwich (I think) put it so beautifully when she said that God is closer to us than our soul. you and fr. steve make good videos so im subscribing...yay haha.

[embryophagous]

So by his standards, Reason = Sin.

That's dangerous.

[SpiritJourneyYouth]

thanks for your views on sin. youth actually will talk about anything that appears on the internet.

[alidem13]

The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus...

Romans 3:22-25

[ddelray]

I think that sin is rooted in ingratitude: an unwillingness to recognize that everything in this life is God's gift to us and to love God for and in all of it; and a failure to give back to others and to God as much as or more than we have received. ddr.

[MLBMateo]

I am a big fan of Katherine Tanner, and I am intruigued by this view of sin. Thank you.

-(another)Fr. Matthew

[SadieDammit]

I didn't think you could get any cooler until I saw you used art from The Wall. I will no longer put a ceiling on your coolness. Your message wasn't lost in any of this, by the way. Still digesting everything you said. "Suffering is not diving punishment for our actions, for God continues to heal us...". Whew. So much spiritual food for thought.

[SadieDammit]

-minus five points for misspelling "divine".

[joseesteban32807]

Padre Matthew, this is absolutely excellent!

[hlinskona]

I'm going to meditate on this a bit, but so far what I'm getting, on a gut level, is that sin has to do with...not trusting God. Sort of a lack of faith. Pride, as I understand it, can be simply an excessive focus on the self, even if it is unhealthy self-attention. Even if it is to continually tell oneself "I am unworthy" and all that. I hope that makes sense.

I might post about this on my blog.

[hlinskona]

Fr. Matthew I love you - you put a triquetra on your video!!

[ninjagrayfox]

Another excellent post Father Matthew, thank you.

[Kricker63501]

I like this analogy but it probably has more to do with my medical background and training. It's pretty easy to imagine sin as this big clot or plaque that I cover myself up with right in the middle of God's flow of grace.  I would also add, humanity has a "chronic condition" predisposing us to create these blockages to some degree, much as we inherit some of our tendency to have high cholesterol from our parents, and some "lifestyle adjustments" that can modulate.

[norbray]

Great thinking Matthew, thanks.

FrNorm

[Ohforfusake]

Father, I'm waiting anxiously to learn more about what exactly are God's gifts that we... uh, block voluntarily.

[nubius]

this is a very interesting question. I often find myself contemplating the dynamics of sin. Being a dynamic thing, it may be inaccurate to describe it as just one thing, or phenomenon. Sin isn't static, neither is faith. Just a thought, and as always Thanks for posting Father ^_^

[JPerkinsProductions]

When I think of sin I think of it in terms of being out of tune, or not in tune. My sinful state prevents me from harmonizing perfectly with God, but God is still there with me, it's just not as nice as it could be if I was more in tune, or maybe it's a little like a radio that needs to get closer to the transmitter, or be tweaked a little in order to tune in the source.

Great video, thanks.

[LynnyLee]

I've never heard the blockage metaphor before. I rather like it. It may replace the "missing the mark" metaphor as my favorite.

[dank1280]

It has always been my undestanding that by our sinning God is not leaving us, but we are by our own free will leaving God, or at least attempting to do so, since I don't think it is possible to fully "leave" God. Am I mistaken in this assumption?

[cavejourney]

Pride is the opposite of shame. Being raised with religion I lived a life of self hatered. I still struggle with trying to feel good about myself. Pride is not a bad thing - but I think the church wants us to hate ourselves.

[FatherMatthew]

In some situations, pride is destructive. Not all. I don't think self-hatred is the Church's goal. It is opening us to the gifts of God that we tend to block from ourselves and others.

[cavejourney]

Telling people that they are dirty sinners, born with the original sin, and that the most human of things like say "masturbation" is dirty or sinful sets people up to hate themselves. I've never seen an individual benefit from low self esteem but the church financially benefits from people trying to loose their church imposed shame.

[FRMason]

John chapter 10 shows us a different kind of identity and value, one where Jesus proclaims Our value or self-worth is determined by the price that Christ paid for it. Shame is about who you are and guilt is about what you have done. We are guilty because of sin, but because of Christ righteousness we have been declared not guilty! To make use of our new identity we have to believe and live like it's true.

[SadieDammit]

I want to thank you for this comment. "...Jesus proclaims Our value or self-worth is determined by the price that Christ paid for it." What a powerful cure for low self esteem that statement is. I am going to share it with anyone suffering from issues of self worth, etc. And remind myself of the same now and then as well =)

THANK YOU.

[Chrisboe4ever]

Not a bad video, but the use of the term "blockage" for sin still leaves you with the same problem you would have if you used the "separation" metaphor. How can you block an infinite being who is everywhere?

[FatherMatthew]

I think "blockage" is better because it suggests the disruption of a natural process (God's giving of gifts) rather than the way "separation" suggests spatial distance. But I am open to hearing other images for sin. "Blockage" is my favorite at the moment.

[Chrisboe4ever]

To me, I think Sin is best described as a tool for God's divine plan, if it actually exists. If God had already planned all the events that were ever going to happen, like writing a story, Sin would naturally be used to provide the conflict necessary for a good story take place. Batman has The Joker, God and Jesus have Sin and Satan. Ultimately, I would think it is pointless to worry about sin or sinning since whatever happened had already been preordained according to Scriptures, correct?

[Lauralizabeth]

What if a person's sins are the cause of their internal pain or vis versa... if we are blocking God's gifts, is he still able to help us when we need him, like, what if we really need him, but we've sinned?

I liked how you talked about the whole deal of sin disconnecting us from God, I always wondered why God would leave us if he loved us so much.