Solitary Christian?

AnglicanPeace

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I'm sorry to sound like a broken record, but I just want to make sure there's no problem with me keeping to myself as a Christian.

I want to keep to myself because:

1. I'm quiet and don't have much to say to people
2. I don't see the "point" in just "hanging out"
3. I don't want to have atheism, other denominations, or other religions imposed on me
4. I believe everything I do will either be pain or cause pain. As the Buddhists say, "all is suffering" and when I realized that, I felt contentment and peace. So with that said, I'm not so keen to go chasing after pleasures.

Of course, there's the opportunity to help others and society, but maybe that could be done alone, through intercessory prayer?
 

messianist

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I'm sorry to sound like a broken record, but I just want to make sure there's no problem with me keeping to myself as a Christian.

I want to keep to myself because:

1. I'm quiet and don't have much to say to people
2. I don't see the "point" in just "hanging out"
3. I don't want to have atheism, other denominations, or other religions imposed on me
4. I believe everything I do will either be pain or cause pain. As the Buddhists say, "all is suffering" and when I realized that, I felt contentment and peace. So with that said, I'm not so keen to go chasing after pleasures.

Of course, there's the opportunity to help others and society, but maybe that could be done alone, through intercessory prayer?
If you can find fellowship, it will be a big help for you on your journey.
 
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hid in him

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I'm sorry to sound like a broken record, but I just want to make sure there's no problem with me keeping to myself as a Christian.

I want to keep to myself because:

1. I'm quiet and don't have much to say to people
2. I don't see the "point" in just "hanging out"
3. I don't want to have atheism, other denominations, or other religions imposed on me
4. I believe everything I do will either be pain or cause pain. As the Buddhists say, "all is suffering" and when I realized that, I felt contentment and peace. So with that said, I'm not so keen to go chasing after pleasures.

Of course, there's the opportunity to help others and society, but maybe that could be done alone, through intercessory prayer?

I’m very similar.
I think there are different seasons we go through in our lives and quiet solitary periods have been precedented in Scripture. Moses, our Lord Jesus Christ and even Paul took time away from the world to focus on God and be refreshed before coming back to it for time.

Quiet time is healthy I’d encourage prayer for opportunities to witness and find like minded fellowship for mutual comfort and continuing in your prayers of thankfulness for the blessing of being a prayer warrior for others which is a blessed ministry.

In Christ we are never truly alone, our Spirit witnesses with the Holy Spirit, our Lord and our Father.

God’s peace and blessings to you.
 
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EzekielsWheels

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Yes I have found there are seasons of relative isolation but we are meant to be part of the Corporate body. Jesus took time alone to pray but I don't think it was for prolonged periods. Paul went out on his own away from Jerusalem but I am not sure he was completely alone. I totally understand how uncomfortable it can be but I have found often when I go outside of my comfort zone I am rewarded for it.
 
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chevyontheriver

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I'm sorry to sound like a broken record, but I just want to make sure there's no problem with me keeping to myself as a Christian.

I want to keep to myself because:

1. I'm quiet and don't have much to say to people
2. I don't see the "point" in just "hanging out"
3. I don't want to have atheism, other denominations, or other religions imposed on me
4. I believe everything I do will either be pain or cause pain. As the Buddhists say, "all is suffering" and when I realized that, I felt contentment and peace. So with that said, I'm not so keen to go chasing after pleasures.

Of course, there's the opportunity to help others and society, but maybe that could be done alone, through intercessory prayer?
It is appropriate for some Christians to live mostly solitary lives. The tradition of Christian hermits is exactly for that. The hermits are not absolutely solitary, and can come together for limited occasions like common worship, but most of their days they live simple lives by themselves in prayer and study and manual labor. You are not bad in thinking this may be for you. But you are not a solitary Christian. You are only a Christian in the midst of the community of the rest of us as part of the Church. It's just that you don't need to 'hang out' to do that. The hermit monks of Alexandria were vital for the Church in the time of the heretic Arius. Look them up, and St. Anthony in particular.
 
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HTacianas

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I'm sorry to sound like a broken record, but I just want to make sure there's no problem with me keeping to myself as a Christian.

I want to keep to myself because:

1. I'm quiet and don't have much to say to people
2. I don't see the "point" in just "hanging out"
3. I don't want to have atheism, other denominations, or other religions imposed on me
4. I believe everything I do will either be pain or cause pain. As the Buddhists say, "all is suffering" and when I realized that, I felt contentment and peace. So with that said, I'm not so keen to go chasing after pleasures.

Of course, there's the opportunity to help others and society, but maybe that could be done alone, through intercessory prayer?

The Desert Fathers of the early Church withdrew from the world to live their lives in prayer and fasting. So yes, there is such a thing.
 
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Andrew77

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I'm sorry to sound like a broken record, but I just want to make sure there's no problem with me keeping to myself as a Christian.

I want to keep to myself because:

1. I'm quiet and don't have much to say to people
2. I don't see the "point" in just "hanging out"
3. I don't want to have atheism, other denominations, or other religions imposed on me
4. I believe everything I do will either be pain or cause pain. As the Buddhists say, "all is suffering" and when I realized that, I felt contentment and peace. So with that said, I'm not so keen to go chasing after pleasures.

Of course, there's the opportunity to help others and society, but maybe that could be done alone, through intercessory prayer?

The worst advice I ever got was to go out and be social and make friends.
So I have no problem with you being alone.

HOWEVER.... I do believe that you should go to a church, go physically to a place of worship... and I do believe that you should perform some act of direct service. And no, "intercessory prayer" is not a substitute for doing something.

That said, your act of service does not have to be some big thing, like throwing the Christmas ball or something.

Perhaps it can be something as small as.... cleaning the windows. Grab a small rag, some windex, and wash the windows around the church.

It doesn't have to be a major deal. It can be something tiny, that you can do as a service to G-d.

But... for me at least.... I tend to have a negative reaction to people who say intercessory prayer. I've heard that too often from people who simply don't want to help. That is not an excuse for me anymore.

You don't need to run the entire children's program, or landscape the entire church grounds.... but don't do this "Well.... I'll just pray". No, you need to do something. It can be the smallest thing possible, but you need to do SOMETHING.
 
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SolomonVII

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All may be suffering, but life is vastly greater than all the suffering that living entails.
Chasing pleasures, solitary or otherwise, is certainly not enough to create a life for oneself that is more substantial than the hell and suffering that is central to life.
Solitary or connected, since all is suffering, since hell exists, the challenge is to create the kind of world that is so substantial that hell itself is transcended.
Individuals will come up with a myriad of different ways to make that transcendence their own. Some individuals certainly have created profound lives as hermits and ascetics living in deserts and on the tops of poles or sitting looking at walls for their lifetimes.
For most people though, even if we experience others at pain on some deep or dark level, the more common experience of others is as sources of pleasure, and happiness is something that increases the more that it is shared.
 
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