I know, churches rarely look like that anymore, but I can dream!
No judgment on those who don’t go….I just wanted to get some nice stuff from those of us who do, that’s all.
“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18: 20
Have a blessed Sunday…….I look so forward to Sunday mornings!
Z
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The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost,
Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration,
politics without God, heaven without hell.
William Booth
“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.”
― William Saroyan
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery. -- Winston Churchill
Ignorance is not an opinion, liberals
I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. C. S. Lewis
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
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geeez2014
GeeeZ ....
Unfortunately, I often see it as an obligation, giving God his due. But it is a nice weekly pause to refresh the soul and recharge your Christian batteries. Going to Church is very important; even when you don’t feel like it.
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Sadly it is getting harder to find a church that hasn’t gotten caught up in the P.C. world of progressivism.I have gone through several lately, and looking once more. Until then, an early morning sunrise is a pretty good method of a recharge of the battery.
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It is a place to exhibit oneness with the others in the Body.
To encourage and be encouraged in the faith.
To exercise and allow others to exercise the gifts God has bestowed, teaching, preaching, praying, exhortation, compassion.
To hear from others what God is saying to corroborate what He is saying to you.
What is the Body of Christ if the arm or leg or foot or thumb don’t show up.
To demonstrate to the world that we care enough to show up.
To plan together our plot to take over the world.
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Ed, particularly the last one 🙂 VERY good!! Very good list, thanks.
bunkerville, I hear this a lot from around the country…that the churches are sinking into a progressivism that simply doesn’t match the words in the Bible…but sure ‘sounds appealing’….some of the TV evangelists have pushed that agenda.
Some seminaries now promote thinking Christ isn’t really God’s son, but a good guy. Yes, it can go that far.
I had to leave a wonderful church that was a denomination (not a non denominational) whose writings I still admire, because the pastor was cunning, lying, drank inappropriately, showed NO grace whatsoever … and grace was a big part of his denomination’s writing… SO sad. Thankfully, I knew of another church nearby and the pastor, the elders, the fabulous people, very young and very old, are so caring, so supportive of everyone, such good information flows, a real commitment to prayer…amazing.
SF…I think it’s important, too. I wish all could find churches which fed them well.
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Well, as is often said, going to church doesn’t make a person a good Christian any more than going to a repair shop makes him a good mechanic.
But common sense tells us that taking the car in regularly makes it run better and last longer, so church in that analogy becomes a tune-up shop, a place to get the oil changed, the tires inflated, and the filters cleaned.
And since I’d love to go back to the society in which I grew up back in the 40s and 50s where nearly EVERYbody put on their Sunday-go-t’-meetin’ duds and sang and smiled and came out better for it, I wish more people went more often . . . and not just to wipe away 6 days of sin and self-indulgence with one morning of songs and psalms.
I’ve answered the question of why I don’t do it so many times that I gave up explaining it. Fortunately I live with this nice lady who shelters me under her prayer umbrella and keeps me off the streets and out of trouble.
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I, too, use the term “recharging my batteries” to describe my motivation in attending each week, but especially now at age 87 I consider it “studying for my finals”! Our “church” not only doesn’t look like the one shown above, it isn’t a church at all, in the traditional manner. It is being held in a conference room at our club house because it has only been in existence about 5 or 6 years. But as Z quoted above “For where two or three have gathered………..”
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Going to church used to mean that I hoped that there would be a lesson somewhere in the message or music. Now it seems it’s just a place to socialize, not that there’s anything wrong with socializing. As bunkerville stated so aptly above .. “a church that hasn’t gotten caught up in the P.C. world of progressivism …” and it’s getting more and more difficult to find one that isn’t PC. I want one that “rightly divides the Word of truth” by teaching we are saved by grace. I’m just about to give up. We mostly worship at home now. And donate to those who do teach the truth, but are not even in our State. Sad, but there it is.
Hope your day is blessed.
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Sparky and Bunkerville, the most likely place to still find the old traditional church service is where the majority are seniors, don’t you think?
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I like Mal’s answer.
At the risk of sounding holier than thou, I don’t just go to church, am part of the church.
I abide in the vine.
It’s important to my spiritual life to interact with other branches.
Church can be in a living room, or coffee shop or the middle of the street.
But if you are a member of the Body of Christ, it’s suicidal to hang unattached.
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bocopro; You’ve made yourself very clear on the faith issue; no need to go into it again, you’re right.
But I SO agree with you on the ‘tube and lube’! I can’t tell you how good it feels to be with like-minded people; they’re so wonderful, so honest, so true. I KNOW there are “Christians’ who aren’t, but I haven’t met many in churches, I must admit. Except the pastor whose church I had to leave 4 years ago, come to think of it. Sad, isn’t it.
Thanks for chiming in; you made good sense and very adeptly grasp many reasons church going is a really good thing. Society DOES benefit when more are going to church or synagogue, there is NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.
Mal, terrific input! Studying for finals….great! “BIBLE”..Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth…ever heard of that acronym!? My church looks NOTHING like my image, either, sadly..it’s a corner office-type construction……the last real church I went to is GORGEOUS, all brick, beautiful stain glass windows, everything you could want in a church, really…except no grace, no forgiveness, no thoughtful sermons….the people were wonderful but the pastor was (is) not, God help him. I’m not sure I’ll ever get over what led to my (and several others) having to leave that church as it keeps coming out in comments like these; I don’t like it about myself, I should get past it and I have to see him not infrequently and it all comes back. I’m trying to get the nerve to call him by his first name because a pastor should NEVER act like he has for years…but that’s just plain meanness on my part, he DEMANDS people call him Pastor. Funny, at my new church of four years, everybody calls Pastor by his first name, and I don’t like that at all…. I often call him Pastor.
Mal, you’re right about mostly seniors being in traditional churches…we SO badly need revival; however, there are SO SO many new churches springing up in Los Angeles FULL of young hip people….my worry is they don’t back up the terrific music and encouraging ‘sermons’ with study or other types of fellowship but I KNOW with certainty several do. Great stuff.
Sparky, I’m starting to think I was SUPER LUCKY with the church I go to now….because I hear too many Christians who feel like you do about their area churches. Worshipping at home…I like the idea of that. (if it includes wine 🙂 SMILE!)
Ed…I think we have to be VERY strong Christians to do as Sparky will do and worship at home….
I DO ‘go to church’ and I’m VERY much a part of classes, working fellowship coffee, donuts, other special projects. I say “Going to church” as this is a reach-out post every Sunday and I use the terms people are used to very much on purpose.
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Love Ed’s list – especially the next-to-last line. (well, and the last one 🙂 )
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the last is a humdinger, isn’t it!!
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I look forward to attending the Sunday 11am mass every Sunday with the wife and our baby boy (the bearded 21-year-old). I miss having all 3 boys with us but I guess that’s life. Love all the comments above. Probably why we gather here, Z. We may worship differently, but all seem to have faith and understanding of something bigger than ourselves.
Off topic a little (though its a church story, so was reminded of it). Last Sunday as we were walking to our car, we heard a horrible yell behind us. When we turned, it was like a scene running in slow motion from horror movie. An elderly lady was slowly getting side-swiped by an SUV backing out of a parking space and apparently didn’t see this lady. She swung her 4-legged walking cane with both hands against the driver window to get his attention. It worked or she would have ended up under the front left tire. She was shaken up but unhurt. We got in our SUV. I started the engine and turned to my son and asked, “what do you say, should we finish her off?”. OK, not your typical church story, but it did relieve the tension 🙂
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Cute, Jerry, but she probably wasn’t worth more than 5 points instead of the usual 10 earned when you hit a younger, healthier person!
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