Exploring the Arts and My place in Creation


Exploring the Arts and My place in Creation - - - - - - - - Please visit my art blog at www.digidoodle.me


Thursday, January 13, 2011

The Joy of Congregation

I dont want to appear too cynical. I have a tension in me that I need to resolve. I miss congregation....gathering...interaction with other beleivers. There is a tension inside between my personal doctrine and sensitivity vs collective thought and proceedure. I need to lighten up and meet in the middle somewhere. I need to extend grace to the congregation, even though I myself may not necessarily agree. I think I just need to find a place of Love and then accept the way they do things. I am not looking for a club to belong to, and I dont need to take part in too many social events. What I do need to do is find a place of worship. I'm not just talk ing about my own worship being, I'm talking about congregational worship, whereby we stand together and praise the Lord, encouraging one another in faith and love.

I walked out of two services already because of a spirit of hate and unacceptance. The worship was great, I thought I was in heaven and then the Pastor stood up and out flowed*&^% and  *&^%. Sure his language was polished and clean and he could quote scripture, but he was void of any sort of love....just knowledge and a healthy dose of self.

Last Sunday I went to an "old style" United Church. There was an elderly congregation and an organ and stand up sit down wrote and ritual. I couldnt wait for it to end....but I didnt walk out! No...I sensed a great deal of Love. I was welcomed and I felt like they meant it. I saw beautiful kind and loving eyes. There was an aura of simple beauty. I feel ashamed in one sense for desperatly wanting to leave, Yet after introspection, I think I will return. I felt that the basis of their service was a simple love though they expressed it in hundred year old tradition.... Tradition I have despised for a long time......yet there it was...love.

There are more churches in town. I will go to them all. I have decided I will NOT drive out of my community. Community is where I live and community is where I will worship. I think that I will have to be more accepting of how they do things, and focus on the heart of my worship.

Please Lord...let me have it my way....jeesh.....Please Lord lead me in Your way...amen

6 comments:

  1. All I’d really like is to find someone to talk with who actually reads their bible and knows half as much of what’s written there and isn’t afraid to talk about it, as they know about what their church believes is written there. And funny enough, that includes pastors.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Last year, I went from person to person trying to talk about some of the prophesies of Ezekiel and Jeremiah. I didnt want an expert opinion, I just wanted to explore our possible misinterpretations and to explain or discuss another possiblility.

    People were either afraid to talk, or we quite happy with being told what to think. Most said...go ask the pastor. People seem to be afraid to think or the pressure of conformity is so great, they accept.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Absolutely right. But don't forget Daniel.

    Why is it so wrong to wonder about God's plan for mankind, when Jesus will return and bring with him peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind?

    Frankly, if all I'm going to be doing is sitting on a cloud after I die for the next 100 trillion years playing my harp and singing Holy, Holy, Holy I might go insane. My harp skills suck. How do our concepts of the life beyond this one fall short of the magnificence of God's plan, particularly if someone has lost a loved one? One of the sadest things I've seen is when someone expressed their fear of their mother being condemned to eternity without God because they didn't accept Jesus in this lifetime to a minister and the minister unable to provide comfort. Is God so merciless that he would allow this to happen? Especially given the representation he has here on this earth? Or is it only neglecting Jesus when he has had a chance to plead his case to you clearly and directly and personally?

    And why do we fall back on, "no one knows the day or the hour he will return" and not remember Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

    But in this day and age of fragmented understanding and a plethora of ministers "teaching" about God, how will we know who the prophets are?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Why is God deemed merciless because someone might not have accepted Jesus??? Some people do, some people don't, that's the facts. We can't always pat people on the head and make them feel better just because someone has died, that's what we do to kids. People need to grow up and accept the fact that some of their relatives might not make it. Let's hope they all do but some won't. That's life, hard as it is. God doesn't change, his heart breaks with that person. They don't need trite half-truths to comfort their flesh.

    Don... maybe you will bring the love into the church instead of going there to find it. Some of the lostest people are the ones inside the church community.
    Brenda ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  5. Forgive my rant. Those are just the things I think about when I'm alone.

    ReplyDelete
  6. hahaha not only forgiven but appreciated.
    Talk...discuss...explore...question....seek understanding...comment....and LOVE
    the Lord your God with all your heart.....

    There is much validity to what the other commentor said. I wont put words in his mouth, but here is what I think.

    When Jesus returns, we will meet him face to face where He will judge the quick and the dead.
    That is when the rubber hits the road.

    Major prophets and prophesies talk of the coming King and reconcilliation of His people. Though Jesus came already, he is coming again at which time he will raise his people. See the words of forgiveness, reconcilliation, rebuilding, God putting His breathe of
    life into his people and putting flesh back on our dry and broken bones.

    Though scripture says we must accept Jesus (GOD IN US) the question is..when does that happen? Is it now, in which case we take grace into
    our own hands, or is it when he returns.

    I beleive the seed of God is planted in ALL of humanity and when the King returns, he will do as He said, regardless of our religion,but in accordance to His love and grace.

    We are caught up in the here and the now. We are influenced by all sorts of doctrines. We are coorced into beleiving this way or that
    way. Our culture pounds its own version of the gospel. The obedient may very well be following a false prophet. Is he/she condemned? You
    are only as good as your teacher? The little muslim child who crys out to God with all his/her heart and soul....will they be denied because his/her culture got the wrong name or the wrong earthly proceedure? I say no...there is an explanation in scripture.

    Seek..question...show me I'm wrong...show me I'm right. I welcome the journey. I will try to explain myself better, because its a message
    few of my brothers and sisters in Christ seem to hear.

    It is important for me to explain it with scripture so that when I get it wrong, and
    you face God because of my mistake, you wont go to hell (?)...I will prepare...

    in love and respect
    dw

    ReplyDelete

Go ahead....Make my day!