LadyKay Posted August 23, 2016 Group: Royal Member Followers: 12 Topic Count: 385 Topics Per Day: 0.10 Content Count: 7,692 Content Per Day: 1.93 Reputation: 4,809 Days Won: 3 Joined: 05/28/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted August 23, 2016 4 hours ago, Out of the Shadows said: What is the point of such a skit other than to mock those that choose not to attend church? The only people that will see such a skit are those that choose to attend, so it can have no impact on those of us who choose not to. Yeah. This kind of reminds me of the pastor once in a while giving a sermon on why we should attend church. I am thinking the whole time I know why I should attend and I want to attend that is why I am here. At a church I attended years ago, the pastor was passing out a pledge paper that he wanted everyone to sign that stated we all promise to attend church every Sunday if we are physically able too. I did not sign as I thought it was the same as swearing before God and because I enjoy attending church and I want to be there. No reason to force me to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running Gator Posted August 23, 2016 Group: Royal Member * Followers: 8 Topic Count: 91 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 10,596 Content Per Day: 3.69 Reputation: 2,743 Days Won: 25 Joined: 06/16/2016 Status: Offline Share Posted August 23, 2016 1 hour ago, shiloh357 said: Yes, I have heard that excuse and I don't buy it. It demonstrates a fundamental error of understanding regarding what the Church is. Church isn't an event or a building or a service. It is a community and you cannot be in community with trees. It's not a solo thing. It's not about a service. We go to church to be in community and to be the Church. Jesus said that upon the rock of Peter's confession, that he would build His community fully expecting His followers to participate in the community and participate in the mission of the community that Christ commissioned us to. Most of the time, when you know you are living outside the will of God and you know it, the last place you want to be is around other believers. It's called, being under conviction. Yet another lie perpetuated by the church, that not going to church means you don't want to be around other believers. I would venture to say I spend more time around fellow believers than most "church going folk". An hour a couple times a week sitting in a pew with other believers does not really do much for me. I would rather be sitting around my living room debating the meaning of a passage with a handful of fellow believers than sitting there letting some guy tell me what he thinks the bible says. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shiloh357 Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 There are good churches and there are bad pastors. There are good restaurants and there are bad restaurants. There good insurance companies and bad ones. There good doctors and nurses and bad ones, as well. I don't stop trying to see a doctor simply because I had a bad experience with a doctors some time back. I simply find a new one who is better. I don't stop eating Chinese food because one restaurant was bad. I find a new Chinese restaurant that's better. Same with Church. Not every person is a good fit for every Church. If you don't like the pastor, go to a different church. Now, if someone just don't want to go to church, that's between them and God. But don't try to make a refusal to be in community with Christians based on some self-righteous spiritual condemnation of everyone else. You're just as flawed as they are, and it is a bit hypocritical to justify in yourself what you condemn in other people. Churches are full of flawed people. Many of those flawed people are new believers who are still learning and making mistakes. Sometimes they have a misplaced zeal and still have stuff to learn. There are broken people in churches who life has really hit them hard and they still bear the internal scars and are still in the healing process and need time and patience to be restored. There is a church in my area, that ministers primarily to people with addictions who probably need more care than the average church is equipped to provide. God equips all of us differently for different reasons. So there are churches for people with unique needs and that's a good thing. At least those people realize they need God and they need to be in community with others in their walk with Christ. They could throw up all kinds of excuses about they just want to be on their own, but they don't. They are to be commended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running Gator Posted August 23, 2016 Group: Royal Member * Followers: 8 Topic Count: 91 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 10,596 Content Per Day: 3.69 Reputation: 2,743 Days Won: 25 Joined: 06/16/2016 Status: Offline Share Posted August 23, 2016 51 minutes ago, LadyKay said: Yeah. This kind of reminds me of the pastor once in a while giving a sermon on why we should attend church. I am thinking the whole time I know why I should attend and I want to attend that is why I am here. At a church I attended years ago, the pastor was passing out a pledge paper that he wanted everyone to sign that stated we all promise to attend church every Sunday if we are physically able too. I did not sign as I thought it was the same as swearing before God and because I enjoy attending church and I want to be there. No reason to force me to do so. A pastor has to fill the seats so he gets paid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrolMan Posted August 23, 2016 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 0 Topics Per Day: 0 Content Count: 138 Content Per Day: 0.05 Reputation: 82 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/01/2016 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/15/1941 Share Posted August 23, 2016 2 hours ago, Jayne said: Where did I give my "interpretation" or state any political correctness? I simply cited what Paul said about silence. Good day. Show me in my message where I said "YOU" when came to interpretation. Can you read the message again. I was using and indicating people in general. Plus I thought that we were talking about scripture, of course women can talk in church but they can not have authority over a man when it comes to the word of God. This is why women can not preach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creativemechanic Posted August 23, 2016 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 7 Topic Count: 414 Topics Per Day: 0.12 Content Count: 1,273 Content Per Day: 0.36 Reputation: 518 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/22/2014 Status: Offline Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 2 hours ago, LadyKay said: Yeah. This kind of reminds me of the pastor once in a while giving a sermon on why we should attend church. I am thinking the whole time I know why I should attend and I want to attend that is why I am here. At a church I attended years ago, the pastor was passing out a pledge paper that he wanted everyone to sign that stated we all promise to attend church every Sunday if we are physically able too. I did not sign as I thought it was the same as swearing before God and because I enjoy attending church and I want to be there. No reason to force me to do so. To clarify- not sley about church attendace but also about the way many Christians can excuse themselves form participation and help in ministries, leaving the bulk of the work to a faithful few for often petty reasons. i find alot of people seem to think sitting in a pew and not assisting is enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyKay Posted August 23, 2016 Group: Royal Member Followers: 12 Topic Count: 385 Topics Per Day: 0.10 Content Count: 7,692 Content Per Day: 1.93 Reputation: 4,809 Days Won: 3 Joined: 05/28/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted August 23, 2016 1 hour ago, Yowm said: This would indicate to me a pastor working in his own strength rather than trusting God. I no longer attend that church. This and a few other things that took place is part of the reason why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flsnookman Posted August 23, 2016 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 5 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 216 Content Per Day: 0.07 Reputation: 165 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/19/2015 Status: Offline Share Posted August 23, 2016 3 hours ago, Out of the Shadows said: 3 hours ago, Out of the Shadows said: A pastor has to fill the seats so he gets paid. What a sad and jaded attitude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running Gator Posted August 23, 2016 Group: Royal Member * Followers: 8 Topic Count: 91 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 10,596 Content Per Day: 3.69 Reputation: 2,743 Days Won: 25 Joined: 06/16/2016 Status: Offline Share Posted August 23, 2016 2 minutes ago, Flsnookman said: Reality is not always rosey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willa Posted August 23, 2016 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 68 Topic Count: 186 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 14,228 Content Per Day: 3.33 Reputation: 16,652 Days Won: 30 Joined: 08/14/2012 Status: Offline Share Posted August 23, 2016 We are all imperfect clumsy reflections of Christ and in need of our Savior. We go to church to love those other people who are so impossible. That is how God grows us, perfecting us in His love. God fits us living stones together into His building, He knows what He is doing when He places with unlovable people. We can only love them with Christ's love working through us so that we may come to the full knowledge of the heights and depths of His incomprehensible love. Moreover, the temple of the Holy Spirit is contained in all the body of Christ, not just one. Together we are a huge functioning expression of God however imperfect. We need each other. Eph 2:19 ESV So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. 1Pe 2:4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1Co 12:12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 1Co 12:15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body . 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 1Co 12:19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 1Co 12:21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 1Co 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 1Jn 4:20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. :21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. I totally understand how painful it is to sit in some chairs. Pain is our excuse for missing services. We also have to sit near people who wear fragrances that cripple my ability to breathe. So we try to move to a safer area. My biggest regret is that I no longer am able to be active in ministry in my church, but for prayer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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