I wanted to make this post, to say what study I have done of religious studies in my life. Some of what I write cannot be studied, as it is personal experience with God.
This though is what I have studied in theory, I started an undergraduate degree at the age of 22 after a few difficult years. I started a degree a major in Religious Studies and a minor in Media Communications and ended up with a Combined Arts degree pretty similar to a Liberal arts degree with a Major in religious studies. I studied several religions in the world and read some of their texts. I was a Christian though and later went onto focus on my passion which was Christanity.
This is though the link below and subjects I studied. I wen on t to study for an MA in International Relations and conflict resolution was my prefwrred topic which led to my disseration which I have shortened and made public friendly and uploaded to this website as a blog post. I wrote my thesis on the Constructive use of religion in conflict resolution. I was highly motivated by my father to do this course. It is a pleasure for me now to be using my work for my heavenly father.
I am at this moment being trained to be a hospital Chaplain volunteer. I may be called to pray for some people and then if trained give them the Holy Communion. I will be giving spiritual console to all people from different faiths if they want to speak to someone and and being humane to them all. Allowing them to use their own words redefined and written by them and given back to them to help them resolve their problem at times, or thinking a little out of the box myself to try and support them..
This is what I do like from some of the Psalms that can used to support people learn to accept themselves as Christians. Psalm 139 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book
Isaiah 43 But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
Acts 17:28 And he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. Psalm 51
This can help with forgiveness of ourselves.
Jeremiah 1
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.
God's promise for his people-Jeremiah 29:11-13-
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Psalm 72
4 May he defend the afflicted among the people
12For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. 13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy
I also likeEzekiel 37:17and I decided to try what was written about joining two sticks together to reunite the members in the body. I
must say since last week I have been healed of that issue I was having
and I feel much better and the sensory processing is working well again. I also like 2Kings 2:11
as it depitcs God being on wheels, and some people with a disability
use this to say God perhaps himself has a disability. God is perfect
whether he has a disability or not, he is complete perfection. I like it
though given my disability that he is on wheels, it makes it even more
closer as well to my own situation in life. With our imperfections when
can be complete enough as well. You can see where it is quoted from the
picture in the text.
Genesis 1 2:27
For you were made in my image/likeness.Being made in God's image reflects our dignity and value and the respect each of us is due to each created as we are; also reflecting the responsibility we have to care for the creation. Being born of Spirit and we can be unified to the spirit of God through baptism. Also, it means to me having some of the attributes of God and the ability to love and care for others and the ability to do good as God does as well.
II Corinthians 12
Paul himself in the New Testament suffered from a neurodiversity. Paul
asked Jesus to heal this infirmity but Jesus said no to Paul and that
his grace was sufficient for him-Paul was graced with one of the gifts
of the Holy Spirit which God shone light into. It has been said that Nicodemus had autism as well who was a friend of Jesus.
-My
grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made in weakness. Most
gladly therefore, will I gather glory in my infirmities, that the
power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in
infirmities in reproaches..for Christ's sake when I am weak I am strong-
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths."
Ephesians 1
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.
Philippians 3:13-14
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 37
"They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in they days of famine they shall be satisified".
Revelation 21:4
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away."
............................. In Pia Matthew's book God's Wildflowers
documents 141 Saints, Blessed and Venerable, who experienced health
challenges ranging from mental to physical pain whilst serving God in
holiness. As the author states in this book. Illness doesn't prove
holiness and neither destroys or causes holiness. Furthermore, although
illness may make things challenging at times, illness doesn't cause
these Saints, Blessed and Venerable, to be abandoned by God.
I think illness in regards to autism etc can be taken to be like being overwhelmed etc.
Helen Keller
"I thank God for my handicaps, for, through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God."
You can also watch a longer video that was filmed during Easter 2025 and led by a senior rector at my church.
"You will not always hurt like this." Sascha, from "True Words"
"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's defintion of yourself; define yourself." Harvey Fierstein
"The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn." Gloria Steinem
"I'm so tired of being sick and tired." Fannie Lou Hammer
"Here is a test to see if your life on earth is finished: If you're alive- it's not". Richard Bach, Ilusions
"Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death." Author unknown
"Hold onto yourself, for this is going to hurt like hell." Sarah McLachlan
"Be not afraid of growing slowly. Be afraid of standing still." Japanese proverb
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." Elenor Roosevelt
"Don't look back unless you intend to go that way." Marc Holm
"There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm." Willa Cather
"Fall seven times. Stand up eight." Japanese Proverb
"I thank God for my handicaps, for, through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God." Helen Keller
"If we always do what we've always done, we'll always get what we've always got. And it is if nothing changes......nothing changes." Alcholics Anonoymous
"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." Albert Einstein
"If
you believe that you can damage, then believe that you can fix. If you
believe that you can harm, then believe that you can heal." Rabbi Nachman
"My dad always used to say, "If your're falling off a cliff, you may as well try to fly. You have nothing to lose." Captain John Sheridan, Babylon 5
"A
woman is often measured by the things she cannot control. She is
measured by the way her body curves or doesn't curve, by where she is
flat or round. She is measured by 36-24-36 and inches and ages and
numbers, by all the outside things that don't ever add up to who she is
on the inside. And so if a woman is trying to be measured, let her be
measured by the thing she can control,by who she is and who she is
trying to become, because as every woman knows, measurements are only
statistics, and STATISTICS LIE." Nike
"Our worst
fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are
powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not darkness that mostfrigtens
us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brillant, gorgeous, talented, and
fabulous?' Actually,who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your
playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened
about shrinking so that others won't feel insecure around you. We were
born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is just not
in some of us; it is in every one of us." Nelson Mandela
I had some questions myself about Temples and Synagogues in the Bible
and I thought it best in the end to do my own research. I researched
this as I was interested and wanted to learn. I will share with you what
I researched and learnt below if anyone might be interested in this
topic as well.
With interest I read about about Tabernacles.
Inside the arch of covenant in the Tabernacle were 3 items, there
was the manna, the 10 commandments and also Aaron’s rod. Many of the
miracles performed in Egypt and in the desert involved Aaron’s rod being used. Like the Manna, this stick reminded the Israelites of their
formative years, when God controlled every aspect of their lives in a
way that was apparent.
Historically, in keeping with custom Jesus
also attended synagogue on the Sabbath to worship and honour his Father
(Luke 4:16). Prayer, preaching, teaching (Mark 1: 21-22), healing (Mark
1 23-28) (Luke 4: 33-35), scripture reading and gatherings (Acts 13:
14-16) (Acts 13: 42-44) took place on the Sabbath in synagogue. The
Temple and the synagogue shared responsibility for worship until the
Temple was destroyed around 70 AD in Jerusalem. Features of worship at
the Temple such as the baking of the bread of the Presence which was to
be shared by priests on the Sabbath was performed in the Temple.
In
the inner Temple situated the Holy Place which could only be used by
the priests. The Holy Place within the inner Temple was only accessible
to the Priests for ministry work and used to consume the Bread of
Presence on the day of rest that the Levites baked. The Levites would
bake and present the Bread of Presence and place it at the altar of the
Holy Place. Levites where also responsible for many of the supportive
roles and care-taking roles in the Temple. The Levites went onto retire
about 50 after starting the job many around 18.
In the Temple the Holy
of Holies was a Holy meeting point with God's Divine Presence that would
be accessed by the high priest once a year during Yom Kippor. Jesus and
the apostles also used the Temple for aspects of worship. Believers of
God could visit the Temple courtyards to offer physical atonement and
pray. Gentiles which were believers of God could not though enter into
the inner Temple to worship.
Synagogue worship which largely
centred around worshiping the Word of God(liturgy) in different forms.
Women had their own area called the Court of Women where they worshipped
with other Holy Jewish women. Holy women such Anna in the New Testament
would worship in the court of women. The characteristics from Temple
worship and Synagogue worship impacted on Christian churches when they
were established. Healing was performed on the Sabbath in the synagogue
by Jesus. This brought Jesus to the attention of Jewish religious
leaders (Luke 13:14-17) for not upholding the commandment of rest. Jesus
was not a law breaker in not upholding the rule of rest, but he brought
forward a new logical conclusion.
As Christians Jesus became the
embodiment for our atonement. Over time it became customary to move
from homes (Acts 2: 46) and hidden places to break bread and share the
Eucharist (the spiritual body and blood of Christ) in church buildings
(or modern day Christian assemblies).
Paul would debate in the
Temple with Jesus. Jesus was more than worthy to take the Bread of
Presence. It is not known to my knowledge if he did though. The
Eucharist became our new everlasting Bread of Presence as Christians.
