The Walking Dead is set to start it’s
5th season on Sunday. Interestingly we are all interested in these
Zombie movies lately. It’s either a
zombie apocalypse or it’s an outbreak of illness that creates zombies. It is as if Hollywood can see what so many of
us are refusing to acknowledge. We are the walking dead. Well to be fair some of us are the walking
dead and some of us are the walking wounded. Drug addiction, alcoholism, porn addiction, food addiction, kids killing each other in school, people beheading other people for "God". What the heck is going on? It seems like we are living in a world filled with zombies.
What is interesting to me about all of these successful movies and sitcoms is how they parallel our own culture. It is as
if these movies are a commentary on our culture of death. We may not live in
the biblical times of leprosy but we certainly live in a time of spiritual
leprosy. We live in a fallen world and with fallen people. The new normal is
not man and wife with three kids a dog, a house and a white picket fence. In
fact, I am not even sure what the new normal is, but it is definitely not the “traditional”
family. The movies we watch that are depicting human beings as zombies, are
closer to the truth than most tv sitcoms.
We are all in need of healing. We need to find a means from which to heal
our wounds. We are all wounded in some
way. Some of us are living with the effects of sexual abuse or physical abuse;
some of us were abandoned by our parents. Still others were emotionally abused
or psychologically traumatized by alcoholic or drug addicted parents or even
others were ritualistically abused. Whatever the your childhood, chances are
you either experienced abuse or neglect yourself or someone very close to you
did. The effects of abuse wounds us and it is in through these wounds that we
begin to form our understandings and beliefs about who we are, who God is and
whether or not we believe in anyone or anything.
The wounds that are inflicted upon
us are openings to evil or negativity. Call it what you will, it is through
wounds that we are opened up and it is as these moments we can become bound up
as prisoner to our pain, our fears and the vows that we make to ourselves. We also need friends that we can trust to love us despite our wounds. We need friends to help encourage us and help us find joy and courage to persevere so that we can go into those dark places and and bring healing to them.
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| Property of AMC |
The reason why we are struggling in
this world is not because we are somehow strange or because we are not faithful
or pious enough, it is because we live in a world that has been divided because
of sin. Being faithful and growing in holiness can help us in our struggles but
unless we address our wounds we may find ourselves carrying a larger struggle
than God desires for us to carry by ourselves.
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| Property of AMC |
If you or someone you know feels
they are nailed to their cross instead of carrying it, then perhaps you are in
need of healing.
Here is the Good News! Christ came
to restore us! He makes all things new! Am I saying that healing our wounds is
as simple as bringing our suffering to Him on the cross? Yes I am. It is not
simple or easy to do but it is simple in choice.
But wait a minute...have you been seeing Jesus as some wimpy guy walking around in an effeminate gown talking in gentle high pitched voice? Cause my Jesus is not wimpy, he is B.A. (Bad Ass). He will kick some major butt if anyone tries to mess with his girl (that's me). Are you seeing Jesus as the laid down lover he is? He is ready and willing to run into the darkest of nights to bring in his lost bride (that's you). You just have to call out to him...
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| by Stephen Lindsey |
In scripture, it says we have a
mighty savior that will wipe away every tear and comfort every infirmity and
remove every sin for those who believe and trust in him. Instead of
despair we shall have the oil of gladness, instead of shame we shall have double
honor, not just in heaven but here in our lives, progressively as grace
perfects our nature. The zombies are the sin and the evil in the world and he wants to eradicate it so that you can be resurrected and made new!
Jesus wants your happiness in the world and in the next, he wants to set you free from all that has enslaved you! Everywhere you go he is with you and longs for you to trust in him. He pursues all of us intensely because of his great love for us. We are no surprise to God, he knew what he was getting when he made us! You are no surprise to God, I am no surprise to God yet he created us anyways! That is such a consolation!
When our wounds are redeemed and
washed clean in the blood of Christ we are made new. The very places you feel
the most broken become your most beautiful gifts. He will shine out of your
wounds in ways that will not only transform you, but it will transform the
people around you. His light shines through our wounds revealing hope and
healing. When we are set free from the healing
power of Jesus Christ we are able to retain the graces He pours out to us and
we will have Christ to give them in their own thirst.
How can one begin? Pray this
prayer. Come Holy Spirit Come. Next ask for prayer ministry. Even Jesus had
someone help him carry his cross. Then,
find a healing mass and receive the sacrament of the sick so that your wounds
can be healed. The sacraments are means of grace that fills us. Grace perfects our nature and healing
ministry is the means from which to retain this grace so that we can be
transformed. It will be through this transformation that the world will be
reconciled to God.
St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville Wisconsin will be holding monthly healing mass to heal and free the oppressed. If you need deliverance from the evil one, if you need healing for your afflictions then come to the living water! Come be healed! You will receive anointing with oil in the sacrament of the sick, there will be deliverance, there will be healing prayer ministry and you will be given an arsenal kit to take home so as to continue finding healing and freedom. Spread the word! If you are traveling and need help finding a place to stay then email me and I will see what I can do.
November 8th, 2014 7pm
December 13th, 2014 7pm
January 10th, 2014 7pm
February 7th, 2014 7pm
- Address: St. Mary's Immaculate Conception Church N2385 Municipal Dr, Greenville, WI 54942Phone:(920) 757-6555EmbracingYourGreatness@gmail.com
