Any Thesauruses out there?
Har har, dinosaur pun. I'm so funny I don't see anyone else laughing (I'm going to assume it's because I'm laughing so hard).
Anyway...
Jason: Thanks for the defense. My only critique is your use of the word "against". Gummychild's reply was by no means "against" me. It was critiquing and in disagreement with what I said, but it certainly didn't wave signs claiming that I was hellbound and surely would be the destroyer of worlds etc.
Gummichild: I just want to be perfectly clear that I by no means endorse rampant church switching. From personal experience, doing so will leave one in rather turbulent waters in terms of faith and the understanding thereof due to a time of uncertaintly after each switch. In my case, I'm pretty sure God put me through that intentionally because I was far too comfortable where I had been, and needed some good ole' fashioned turmoil to get me moving.
Also, I'm definately not the kind of person to see a problem and do nothing about it. At each church I ended up leaving, I told someone in an important position (usually the pastor) how I felt. Sometimes it was merely a matter of doctrine, and after prayer found that I was not to stay where I had been. In a particular, and very sad case, the church was going somewhere that was completely against my heart, soul and mind and reponded less than half-heartedly to my concerns.
I won't name any names, but that particular church had three sermons in succession about how great their new, bigger and better church building was going to be. Sermons for crying out loud. I have no problem with a church mentioning church related issues in church, even in the service. It's probably the best time to bring up something that requires major funding like an entirely different church building. I was only minorly disturbed by the first "sermon", but when the next two had almost nothing to do with God or Christ as well and were simply about "what we should be doing so we can finish this nice new church building", I was more than disturbed. Between that and some other issues I was having with the particular church, leaving was necessary to preserve my faith.
*Matoushin comes to the realization he's rambling a bit*
To get back on topic, Jason defended me beautifully, and there isn't much more I can say specifically to that. I found a church at college that is the epitomy of awesome (so much so me and my roommate were compelled to cook dinner for the pastor and his wife one evening which, by the grace of God, was wonderful), and have stuck there since.
I'm here because I need fellowship with fellow Christians, and not ones who will necessarily agree with me. I have the unforunate problem of attracting people who largely agree with me, and I haven't figured out why yet. In any case, it is hard to be an honest Christian when one's secular friends know so little (and care even less, in fact getting livid at the mention of Jesus) and one's brothers and sisters in Christ are of the same mind one's doctrine is scarcely challenged, not to mention faith.
In any case, rest assured I don't advocate "shopping" for churches, or using them like some people use, uh, things you use once and throw away when you're bored. Additionally, I most definately advocate involvement in the church, and I think similarly towards government as well, and am generally of the opinion that if you have a problem with someone, something or anything and want to complain about it you have to also do something about it. If someone is complaining for complaining's sake, I usually call them on it and ask them if they are planning on talking to the person about it etc.
I should stop rambling now, before it's too late.
Jason (again): Keep up the dinosaur comics, they rock.
Anyway...
Jason: Thanks for the defense. My only critique is your use of the word "against". Gummychild's reply was by no means "against" me. It was critiquing and in disagreement with what I said, but it certainly didn't wave signs claiming that I was hellbound and surely would be the destroyer of worlds etc.
Gummichild: I just want to be perfectly clear that I by no means endorse rampant church switching. From personal experience, doing so will leave one in rather turbulent waters in terms of faith and the understanding thereof due to a time of uncertaintly after each switch. In my case, I'm pretty sure God put me through that intentionally because I was far too comfortable where I had been, and needed some good ole' fashioned turmoil to get me moving.
Also, I'm definately not the kind of person to see a problem and do nothing about it. At each church I ended up leaving, I told someone in an important position (usually the pastor) how I felt. Sometimes it was merely a matter of doctrine, and after prayer found that I was not to stay where I had been. In a particular, and very sad case, the church was going somewhere that was completely against my heart, soul and mind and reponded less than half-heartedly to my concerns.
I won't name any names, but that particular church had three sermons in succession about how great their new, bigger and better church building was going to be. Sermons for crying out loud. I have no problem with a church mentioning church related issues in church, even in the service. It's probably the best time to bring up something that requires major funding like an entirely different church building. I was only minorly disturbed by the first "sermon", but when the next two had almost nothing to do with God or Christ as well and were simply about "what we should be doing so we can finish this nice new church building", I was more than disturbed. Between that and some other issues I was having with the particular church, leaving was necessary to preserve my faith.
*Matoushin comes to the realization he's rambling a bit*
To get back on topic, Jason defended me beautifully, and there isn't much more I can say specifically to that. I found a church at college that is the epitomy of awesome (so much so me and my roommate were compelled to cook dinner for the pastor and his wife one evening which, by the grace of God, was wonderful), and have stuck there since.
I'm here because I need fellowship with fellow Christians, and not ones who will necessarily agree with me. I have the unforunate problem of attracting people who largely agree with me, and I haven't figured out why yet. In any case, it is hard to be an honest Christian when one's secular friends know so little (and care even less, in fact getting livid at the mention of Jesus) and one's brothers and sisters in Christ are of the same mind one's doctrine is scarcely challenged, not to mention faith.
In any case, rest assured I don't advocate "shopping" for churches, or using them like some people use, uh, things you use once and throw away when you're bored. Additionally, I most definately advocate involvement in the church, and I think similarly towards government as well, and am generally of the opinion that if you have a problem with someone, something or anything and want to complain about it you have to also do something about it. If someone is complaining for complaining's sake, I usually call them on it and ask them if they are planning on talking to the person about it etc.
I should stop rambling now, before it's too late.
Jason (again): Keep up the dinosaur comics, they rock.
posted by Matoushin at 7/09/2005 06:20:00 PM
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