Posted on 08/03/2023 8:05:45 PM PDT by anthropocene_x
Antonio Gramsci is grinning from his place in hell.
I found it easier to hear God under a tree. Although I have given up hunting as my legs have become too unsteady to safely traverse the woods.
Now we just talk on the way to the mail box.
Tet68.
Or both
Yeah, real private like.
Talk to my mother that died when I was 6 a lot. I am certain she is my guardian angel.
No other explanation for much in my life.
Ours had a roll of tickets and handed them out to anybody who wanted one.
I remember going to a church outside of Budapest Hungary when My husband and I took an athletic ministry team there back during the soviet rule in 1986. the service was at a big house as church services were forbidden, didn’t stop people from coming and worshipping. 2 hour service went by like that, and though we didn’t understand the words in Hungarian we sang the songs and deeply felt the Holy Spirit at work. Not at all like American churches...we are in severe need of our Saviours revival!
This !
Same happened in all the Western countries, as everyone in leadership became ashamed of asserting the Christian tradition and nature of their countries.
Boom...quote for Truth.
Of course, the whole pedo rapist clergy thing hasn’t helped much at all.
There are evil people in the world. Most of them got that way because they lack a God based upbringing or wandered away because not living a straight life is easier and more fun. In short, they have no conscience and no expectation of judgement or fate of their eternal soul.
That loss of conscience is the danger of a fading church and religosity based in the Bible. As we grow away from conscience compounded by the sorry examples of what passes for leadership now we will simply rot much more than now.
How you treat others and how you behave every day is what will bring you salvation to save yourself and encourage others. Without that you can be in church every time the doors are open and still not be a good man.
I’ll stay away from organized religion though I was brought up in the church and don’t resent it one bit. My parents though are responsible for whatever I am now and their action included the good example of church going.
There is just too much to say in being critical of congregations and pastors. I give benefit of doubt that most mean well but don’t know how to bring it. They compete to entertain, they endlessly preach hell fire and brimstone or some prosperity religion and hardly a one of them is not wanting more money for something and they just can’t hardly get over that.
Then there is the bickering when there is nothing to bicker over. In one church I was asked which side I was on and I told them God’s side and left.
One of my best friends is a preacher. Before I moved to retire we would sit on his front porch early Sunday to drink coffee and go over his sermon more likely him presenting it to me and me commenting and questioning it. The best part of my friend is how he tried to make the Bible and the Gospel real and useful to people for living each day. Sometimes he would go for weeks on end and never once preach salvation but he would always invite people that had need to come forward and commit themselves to the Lord. He never asked for money, he built a large church almost by himself, some of the men co-signed the note and it was soon retired by a couple of generous gifts. I have explained to him and he accepts I can’t go to his church and be at peace with God. I can’t get into singing off the wall, repetitive songs more like chants and loud music more entertainment than worship. Sometimes I did go to support him and he would always have one old hymn sung a cappella just for me.
Takes too long to comment more. It is late.
My pastor doesn’t watch TV or movies. So….
bkmk
There are plenty of churches in America that aren’t feminist or woke.
Correct. But right now most of them are woke. In 10 years or so, that will all change.
For those not attending there are several commands being ignored.
Getting baptized perhaps.
Taking communion certainly.
Submitting to the elders - choosing them out. Having them lay hands and anoint when sick. Worshipping together is presumed in worship instructions. Praying as a corporate body. Preferring one another in live.
That is an unkind and inaccurate characterization of the faith you were raised in. If you have lost your faith, so be it. But don’t be nasty.
I show up just as the preaching starts, and leave before the “worship” band does its disco outro.
So I guess I miss “half” of church...
Call me wrong...
Objection: name of faith not specified.
Characterization could be accurate.
We were unhappy with the church we were attending, and stopped going for almost 2 years. We really missed going to church, and have found a different church which we love. We get a tremendous amount of good out of worshipping there. Just a small, old fashioned church; nothing fancy, nothing “seeker friendly”, other than the genuine seeker of menkind, Jesus.
What about the Scripture that tells us to forsake not the assembling together with other believers?
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