Fenia City Cathedral

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Aida

Re: Fenia City Cathedral

Post by Aida »

As you might know, or probably not, as I know most of you use this time as excuse for a nap, but fire is a very important symbol in the temple. Why is that? Well, firstly, it’s associated with the Big Guy. That’s right, Mucaz. Head of the Mages and Very Important Figure.

But it gives us a lot of great metaphors to work with, so let’s take one of those. Book of Mages 3 1:2.

“At times it is not the gentle glow of the lamp that is needed, it is the inferno. It is the floods, hurricanes and the earthquakes, in order to shake us and set our hearts on fire.”

Sometimes we need the turmoil of life in order in order to ignite something inside ourselves, to motivate us into moving forward. And sometimes we need a firm shove, rather than a gentle push, to do the same.

Great things and great people can come out of turmultuous times. Let yourself be one of those great things, bringing warmth and light to the world instead of destruction and chaos.

Peace be upon you all!

Notices

Whilst the bowl of sacred fire by the altar is enchanted not to burn, that does not mean one should dare their friends to stick their entire head inside it. Just because it doesn’t hurt, doesn’t mean it can’t ignite! In case you needed an explanation for why none of the choir boys currently have eyebrows.
Aida

Re: Fenia City Cathedral

Post by Aida »

Greetings, all.

In Tenets 7:6, it says this.

“It is the mind and the will that dictate what a creature can become, not birth nor raising.”

I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. No matter where we come, nor who has raised us, it is our own choices that define who we are at the end of the day. Whether we have had an advantageous upbringing, or one mired in sorrow, we can choose what we become despite or because of it.

I hope that wherever you come from, forest or sea, lake or fields that Fenia City gives you the opportunity to become the kind of person you would like to be.

Peace be upon you all!

Notices

It’s fried chicken today! The ban on ball games has been lifted temporarily for some friendly competitive badminton also, on account of the sunshine.
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Duke_of_Earl
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Re: Fenia City Cathedral

Post by Duke_of_Earl »

Duke sits upon the podium Projecting mentally for the crowd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4oZZhpMXP4

<A circle has no beginning.
Is time a circle; or is it a line - or perhaps a polygon of some kind?>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUQcS4xhhqo
((The text got cut out for some reason in the actual mass.))
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Sendile
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Re: Fenia City Cathedral

Post by Sendile »

This was a new day. The first day the young Deaconess had to preach in front of a bigger community. She was getting prepared for the unique event with the utmost care, hoping that her thoughts will meet the acceptance of her flock. She was a bit nervous, when she entered the Cathedral and stepped up to the pulpit. Then, altough with slightly trembling voice, she started to speak.

"Dear Sister and Brothers in Faith,

Today I would like to preach about decisions. Many of you have surely been in a situation, when it was hard to decide, whether to stay in the given state or to change it completely. Well, here is a short story about such a situation.

"Once the frog fell in a vessel of the hot water. The Water was still on a gas stove. The frog still did not try to jump out of the vessel, instead just stayed in it. As the temperature of the water started to rise, the frog managed to adjust its body temperature accordingly. As the water started to reach the boiling point, the frog was no longer able to keep up and manage its body temperature according to the water temperature.

The frog tried to jump out of the vessel but with water temperature reaching its boiling point, the frog was not able to bear it and couldn’t make it. What was the reason that a frog couldn’t make it? Will you blame the hot water for it?

Well, the frog couldn’t make it due to its own inability to decide when it had to jump out. We all need to adjust according to the situations but there are times when we need to face the situation and take the appropriate action when we have the strength to do so before it’s too late. Walk out before you need to jump.


Blessings to you all."
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Sendile
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Re: Fenia City Cathedral

Post by Sendile »

Today she was a bit calmer as she aproached the pulpit, but still nervous enough...

Her voice sounded clear, though, when she started to speak.

"Dear Brothers and Sisters in Faith,

Today I would like to speak about boundaries. Why do we have them in our lives? Are they always as restrictive as we think they are? And where do they derive from? Here is a short story about this topic.

"A gentleman was walking through an elephant camp, and he spotted that the elephants weren’t being kept in cages or held by the use of chains.

All that was holding them back from escaping the camp, was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs.

As the man gazed upon the elephants, he was completely confused as to why the elephants didn’t just use their strength to break the rope and escape the camp. They could easily have done so, but instead, they didn’t try to at all.

Curious and wanting to know the answer, he asked a trainer nearby why the elephants were just standing there and never tried to escape.

The trainer replied

“when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The only reason that the elephants weren’t breaking free and escaping from the camp was that over time they adopted the belief that it just wasn’t possible.


Dear Borthers and Sisters, Don't forget the truth: no matter how much the world tries to hold you back, always continue with the belief that what you want to achieve is possible. Believing you can become successful is the most important step in actually achieving it.



Blessings to you all."
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Sendile
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Re: Fenia City Cathedral

Post by Sendile »

Friday had come, so it was time again to teach her flock. She was rather excited and hoped her audience would like the lecture...


"Dear Brothers and Sisters in Faith,


Today I would like to speak about the creative way of thinking and problem solving. You have surely faced situations, when doom seemed to be unavoidable.Yet, it doesn't necessarily have to happen that way. Here is a story about such a situation.



In a small Italian town, hundreds of years ago, a small business owner owed a large sum of money to a loan-shark. The loan-shark was a very old, unattractive looking guy that just so happened to fancy the business owner’s daughter.

He decided to offer the businessman a deal that would completely wipe out the debt he owed him. However, the catch was that he would only wipe out the debt if he could marry the businessman’s daughter.

Needless to say, this proposal was met with a look of disgust.


The loan-shark said that he would place two pebbles into a bag, one white and one black. The daughter would then have to reach into the bag and pick out a pebble. If it was black, the debt would be wiped, but the loan-shark would then marry her. If it was white, the debt would also be wiped, but the daughter wouldn’t have to marry the loan-shark.



Standing on a pebble-strewn path in the businessman’s garden, the loan-shark bent over and picked up two pebbles. Whilst he was picking them up, though, the daughter noticed that he’d picked up two black pebbles and placed them both into the bag. He then asked the daughter to reach into the bag and pick one.


The daughter naturally had three choices as to what she could have done:

- Refuse to pick a pebble from the bag.

- Take both pebbles out of the bag and expose the loan-shark for cheating.

- Pick a pebble from the bag fully well knowing it was black and sacrifice herself for her father’s freedom.


She drew out a pebble from the bag, and before looking at it ‘accidentally’ dropped it into the midst of the other pebbles. She said to the loan-shark “Oh, how clumsy of me. Never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.”

The pebble left in the bag was obviously black, and seeing as the loan-shark didn’t want to be exposed, he had to play along as if the pebble the daughter dropped was white, and clear her father’s debt.



Dear Sisters and Brothers, don't forget the truth: It’s always possible to overcome a tough situation throughout of the "box thinking", and not give in to the only options you think you have to pick from.



Blessings to you all."
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Sendile
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Re: Fenia City Cathedral

Post by Sendile »

When Sunday arrived, she walked to the Cathedral again. She had a story in mind for today, too.

Arriving there she stepped up on the pulpit and started to speak.



Dear Brothers and Sisters in Faith,


You have surely been in a situation, when you felt truly unhappy. When the whole sky was clouded with grey clouds and no matter, how much you wanted to find the missing happiness, you just simply couldn't.


Well, please allow me to share a story with you about such a situation:


An old man lived in the village. He was one of the most unfortunate people in the world. The whole village was tired of him; he was always gloomy, he constantly complained and was always in a bad mood. The longer he lived, the more bile he was becoming and the more poisonous were his words. People avoided him, because his misfortune became contagious. It was even unnatural and insulting to be happy next to him. He created the feeling of unhappiness in others.


But one day, when he turned eighty years old, an incredible thing happened. Instantly everyone started hearing the rumour: “The Old Man is happy today, he doesn’t complain about anything, smiles, and even his face is freshened up.”


The whole village gathered together. The old man was asked: "What happened to you?"


“Nothing special." said the Old Man. "Eighty years I’ve been chasing happiness, and it was useless. And then I decided to live without happiness and just enjoy life. That’s why I’m happy now.”


Dear Brothers and Sisters, don't forget the message of this story. Don’t chase happiness. Just enjoy your life.


Blessings to you all.
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Sendile
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Re: Fenia City Cathedral

Post by Sendile »

It was Wednesday again, so the young deaconess went to the cathedral to share her thoughts with her flock again.

"Dear Brothers and Sisters in Faith,



Today I would like to speak about encouragement. You have surely felt several times in your lives, what a huge role encouragement can play in our achievements. But the opposite is true, too: with words we can discourage others many times.



Please listen to a short story about this topic.



As a group of frogs was traveling through the woods, two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs crowded around the pit and saw how deep it was, they told the two frogs that there was no hope left for them. However, the two frogs decided to ignore what the others were saying and they proceeded to try and jump out of the pit.



Despite their efforts, the group of frogs at the top of the pit were still saying that they should just give up. That they would never make it out. Eventually, one of the frogs took heed to what the others were saying and he gave up, falling down to his death. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die.



He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs asked him, “Did you not hear us?”



The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.



Dear Brothers and Sisters, just like in the case of frogs, people’s words can have a big effect on other’s lives. Think about what you say before it comes out of your mouth. It might just be the difference between life and death.



Blessings to you all."
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Sendile
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Re: Fenia City Cathedral

Post by Sendile »

Friday has come and the deaconess stepped up on the pulpit again in the old Cathedral of Fenia City. Her voice clanged clearly as she started to speak.


Dear Brothers and Sisters in Faith,


Today I would like to preach about worrying and complaining. Some of you might know creatures, who keep struggling over and complaining about the same problems, no matter what happens in their lives. Well, allow me to share a short, but wise story about such a situation.


Once upon a time people of a village kept visiting a wise man, complaining about the same problems every time. One day the wise man told them a joke and everyone roared in laughter.


After a couple of minutes, he told them the same joke and only a few of them smiled.


When he told the same joke for the third time no one laughed anymore.


The wise man then smiled and said:


“You can’t laugh at the same joke over and over. So why are you always crying about the same problem?”


Dear Brothers and Sisters, don't forget: worrying won’t solve your problems, it’ll just waste your time and energy. Stop worrying, keep enjoying life.



Blessings to you all.
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Sendile
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Re: Fenia City Cathedral

Post by Sendile »

And finally Sunday had come. The deaconess made her way to the pulpit again and started to speak.


Dear Brothers and Sisters in Faith,



Today I would like to speak about difficulties. Why do we feel sometimes, that our life is so very difficult? What can these hardships teach to us? Well, that's what the following short story tells about.


Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.


Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter.


The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes the chef turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup.


Turning to his daughter, he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?”


“Potatoes, eggs and coffee,” she replied hastily.


“Look closer” the chef said, “and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.


“Father, what does this mean?” she asked finally.


He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity-the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently. The potato went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak.


The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.


However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.


“Which one are you?” he asked his daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?”





Dear Brothers and Sisters, in life things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is how we choose to react to it and what we make out of it. Don't forget: life is all about leaning, adopting and converting all the struggles that we experience into something positive.



Blessings to you all.
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Priestess * Lady of Nettlebane Tower * Baroness of Linbridge
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