barracuda

Not a clue what town around Leesburg begins with an "O". Maybe it's somewhere else you are thinking I am from?

You're welcome. USMC 1985-1989

I have to share this story. It's just too good not to let you in on.... Shortly after the new year started my next door neighbor, our worship pastor, announces to the church that he is taking a job with his old church back in Colorado and leaving (heck, wouldn't you grab that one? Colorado - are you kidding me!!!). His last Sunday was last week. Anyway, I'm only his next door neighbor, whom we've played racquetball, golf, etc. He doesn't tell me until he tells the rest of the group, even though he knew back in November. HELLO!!! I guess that leaves me out of the "friends" category, eh? Anyway, I had sent him a e-mail back before Christmas telling him I wanted to cut back my commitment to the team, etc. he basically ignores me on that one. And to give you the details, my wife hates the church, and has never felt at home there. But we had made out a worship team schedule through February, so I promised to finish my commitment until then. So...once Michael (my now former next door neighbor) leaves I make sure to let the interim worship leader (a guy named Shawn who has been a part of the team with me since I've been there) of my intentions to leave at the end of February, when the schedule is through for the winter. Well, I had e-mailed Shawn back in the middle of January, and he never responded to my e-mail. Well, since I hadn't heard from him that way, I took the liberty of sending him a letter through the USPS to make sure that he got the message. I didn't want to leave him hanging at the last minute. I felt I owed them at least that much. Keep in mind that I mailed this on Monday, he got it on Tuesday, which is when he finally e-mails me to tell me he got my letter, and thanks me for staying through February and we leave it at that. Well, the plot thickens. I get an e-mail yesterday from him saying that he needed to meet with me, because we needed to talk. So I met with him last night an hour before the worship team was supposed to start rehearsals. It had to have been the shortest meeting I've ever had with anyone. He simply tells me that I can leave effective immediately, and that I will no longer be needed on the worship team. He says that I need to be with my family, since my family is not attending the church anymore, and that he needs continuity on the team, and he needs to start getting used to playing with the keyboardists that will be there. So basically I am church free. It's more of a relief then anything else. A little insight for you on Cornerstone Chapel - not that you asked, but I'll give it to you anyway. I classify Cornerstone as a church "corporation". They've got the bible teaching down to a science, but they have ZERO one on one compassion with/for people. If I died tomorrow would I want the pastor doing my funeral? Heck no. The man probably doesn't even know the names of my children , or my wife for that matter, even though I'm there 3 days a week and at each of the four services every week. They really treat people like a number there. They make an announcement at every service telling people to turn off their cellphones and their children (I kid you not). They "strongly recommend" (who are we kidding here - they force you) to keep your children out of the sanctuary during services, so that they can be taugh on "their level". Yeah, I get it, but there are better ways to get the message across to people without making it a focus of your worship service. My wife brought a bottled water to church one Sunday. The ushers wouldn't let her in the sanctuary. She was angry and so was I. I know we aren't supposed to have food and drink in the sanctuary, but this was WATER!!! not like it's gonna stain anything!!! Oh, and the hypocrisy in that is that the worship team all have their own private bottled water on stage at every service . So, it's ok for the worship team, but not for congregants? How stupid!!! My wife had also made several attempts to form her own home bible study. She called the church on several occassions, and it just seemed like they'd put her off, stall her, and basically tell her they'd get back to her. Real spiritual growth opportunity there! Here is a woman that was willing to host a bible study, but the church wasn't interested in supporting it. What are we - criminals?!!! And here really is the synopsis of why I won't be back. I was having some problems here at work in dealing with a co-worker. I wanted some spiritual guidance of a professional nature. So I e-mailed my Senior Pastor to ask for an appointment to meet with him to discuss it. Keep in mind that I'm not just some schmoe he doesn't know. I'm on the worship team - he knows me (or so I think). He replies via e-mail that he doesn't have time to meet with me and that I need to talk to someone else on staff. No thanks Gary (our senior pastor ). If I wanted to meet with another one of your crew I would have asked them to begin with. I want your advice. But he says he doesn't counsel anymore, and that he's too busy to do that anymore, because he spends all of his time preparing for his sermons and the worship services every week. What a crock of crap. And yet pretty much once a month in his sermons he mentions that he "met with this person just last week" to discuss whatever. Hmmm...you'll meet other people, but not me. Am I missing anything here? Guess I don't rate, huh? So, basically I'm done with Cornerstone, and done with being on any worship team . I'm resolved to sitting on the sidelines for quite sometime. In fact, I think the only way I'll ever play on a worship team is if I am compensated. I mean, I was giving Cornerstone a good ten hours a week, between four services, and rehearsals, etc. I was there every Sunday from 7 AM till 1 PM, and I was dismissed as easily as a quick 5 minute meeting. Guess my contributions were really important to them eh? The hypocrisy of all of this is that our former worship pastor gets several going away parties, $350 in gift certificates as a "love offering", and who knows what else in parting with the church. I was there just as much as he was and I get a simple drop kick out the door. Yeah, that's fair I think. So anyway, I thought I'd share the "love" that was prevalent at Cornerstone Chapel with you. Great bible teaching church, but if you want the love of Christ shown to you look somewhere else. The wife and I are going to take our sweet time in finding a church "family". I don't want any more church corporations where you are herded in like cattle and treated like a number, amongst 1,000 other people. I want to go somewhere where I can meet with the senior pastor and he's genuinely interested in my personal spiritual growth, and he might actually even know the names of the members of my family. I want a church where I can participate in a intimate bible study with 5 or 6 other couples. People we have over for dinner, and have us over as well. We share the joys and pains of our lives together and are generally there for each other no matter the circumstances. Anyway, I haven't had a church like that since we moved from Fort Lauderdale in 2000. I'm beginning to think it doesn't exist here in Leesburg. Don't you just love church politics?

When choosing your friends, whom would you prefer hanging out with if given a choice, and the two were completely seperate entities of persona: 1. Humorous sinner who likes to have a good time 2. Serious devout Christian who has no sense of humor? You also have to choose one or the other. No middle ground here. So get off of that fence and choose.

Yeah, well, I blame my guilt on the church. The church never forgives someone who gets divorced. So I spend the rest of my life living with the churches unforgiveness and the guilt associated with it.

my hobby is golf. And right now that hobby is buried under 6 inches of snow and 19 degree temperatures.

I'm tired of everyone in my office telling me how best for me to do my job. One person wants me to do one thing their way right then and there, and another person wants me to do it their way. It's never good enough anyway I slice it. I'm just tired of the daily grind and I think I've just had about enough of everything in general.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,145238,00.html Two homes, three women, six children, and not a bit of remorse or guilt for his lifestyle choices. The only thing he seems concerned about is not paying anymore child support. What a despicable human being. And here I am with one wife, two children, and a long ago divorce, and I still can't seem to shake the guilty feelings of my past, or my past wrongs. This guys just seems to keep on rolling with no thought of his past actions. And it amazes me that this guy can be so successfull in business and in life, but act this way in his private life. Totally disgraceful.

Hmmm...sounds like my office. Do you work with me?

Anyone else notice that just about everything at Wal-Mart comes from China these days? Anyone else shopping elsewhere because of it (like me)?

My sentiments exactly. Let me put it this way - I won't be traveling to France anytime before I die.

I'm definitely a carrot. Or in other words - a wimp.

Yep, you're absolutely correct on every single solitary issue WIP. You've got a firm grap on scripture, and we should all submit to your authority and take your word as gospel. You can't possibly be wrong. Far be it from me to point out any flaw you might have in your analysis and study of scripture. After all, I'm a lower then pond scum divorcee who can't ever be considered worthy or knowledgeable of what God has to say. Yeah, I know - my opinion is absolutely worthless since my divorce discredits me from this point on.

Would you rather be told you are loved without any condemnation - ever, or would you rather someone point out your sin...in love? Why?

WorkinProgress - the pride and arrogance you are showing in condemning others interpretations of scriptures is truly sinful. And since we're going down that path tell me what pastor is "blameless" and "above reproach". "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 The legalistic Christian community sickens me just as much as the liberal "it's all about grace" side of the fence. There is a middle common ground that needs to be found when addressing all controversial issues of scripture. If God can forgive me of my sin, then certainly the church needs to as well. By the church casting out divorcees they are simply raising their standards above what God has given us, and therefore the church is now playing God. And that is truly despicable and wrong. Compassion, love, grace, forgiveness, mercy, etc, etc, etc. Don't you just love the Beatitudes in Mattthew 5? And I have yet to run across a permanently condemning spirit who refuses to forgive that I would want to hang around with and consider part of my Christian community.