2007 activities

[InServicetoGod]

Well Greetings Brethren. Hope you all had a wonderful and blessed holiday season.

Mine was, and I could use another word to describe it: Busy

Yet for all the fun, all the inspiration, all the Love of the Holiday season , there is a level of stress that many talk of, and for many, yes, it is real.

As I was leaving church Sunday, after the Epiphany servie, I herad someone remark : "Whew what a season!" with a tired tone to them
I thought rather not so much of tired, but a little sadness, sadness at how the church goes all out at Christmas but not at the rest of the year, and I thought of how nice it would be to see this level of involvement year round......

SO what will I be doing in 2007?

For one, we do belong to a RM church (Christian, not DOC)
BUT let me clarify We only go once a month (and not during holiday season) SO, I have not been there since October......
The reason is, they have two pastors, a regular pastor and an associate. The associate only preaches on the 4th Sunday of the month, which is when I go. He is not only a gifted speaker, but he tries to address issues of Christianity in the hear nad now. issues that face Christians today. The other pastor does as I have encountered at many coc, cc and doc congregations, simply rehashes the "You have to be saved by Jesus amen to go to heaven" week after week after week, and this shallow theology, as I call it, wore thin after the second or third time. There is NO Depth to his sermons or his teachings. SO I don't go when he preaches, but if the other guy is preaching, then I go......
The other three sundays I split at other congregations (Where, yes, I am a member there too)

THIS year though, I found that a congregation of the Unity Church is growing nearby, and I will be spending more time there, which means I may not spend as much time at the other ones, but my feeling is, God does not reside in a building or a place, and no church owns God or heaven, and why waste time going somewhere where half of the staff is totally uninspiring?! Some might say that Gos exists within the confines of a building, well, God exists wherever I go (and you too)
So regardless of where I am on Sunday (or Saturday night if I go to the contemporary service) God IS still there

I will still make some involvement in the RM church, just not EVERY month, I will still be involved in the others, but along the way probably more so in the Unity church

Hope everyone has a great 2007 .... I plan to !

 

[JDIBe]

Greetings. May you have a good year as well.
One quick comment.

It is possible to go to a church where one does not like the preaching. One does go to church for edification. But one goes to church to edify as well. The sermon is only a very small part of what it means to be part of a family of Christ. Now I completely understand your feelings for the preacher you speak of. In my weaker moments, I call it the "grace/peace/love" sermon. (although I suppose I am actually strongly in favor of all three...) There are times I wish for something with a little more meat.

However, consider that your presence there might be inspiring to someone else there even when the sermon isn't particularly so to you that Sunday. Your talents might be needed there that day and throughout the week as well. By showing up once a month, you are losing out on the greatest reason to associate with a body of believers, the ability to be part of a family. One that works with and relies on each other.

So even if you can't be inspired on a particular Sunday, you can at least try to be inspiring! Being part of a family requires you to give as well as take. (and you know I don't mean just financially) If you can do nothing for a particular congregation, find one for which you can. You will grow spiritually and have a much happier year.

Good luck in your search.

 

[AJB4]

Well Greetings Brethren. Hope you all had a wonderful and blessed holiday season.

Mine was, and I could use another word to describe it: Busy

Yet for all the fun, all the inspiration, all the Love of the Holiday season , there is a level of stress that many talk of, and for many, yes, it is real.

As I was leaving church Sunday, after the Epiphany servie, I herad someone remark : "Whew what a season!" with a tired tone to them
I thought rather not so much of tired, but a little sadness, sadness at how the church goes all out at Christmas but not at the rest of the year, and I thought of how nice it would be to see this level of involvement year round......

SO what will I be doing in 2007?

For one, we do belong to a RM church (Christian, not DOC)
BUT let me clarify We only go once a month (and not during holiday season) SO, I have not been there since October......
The reason is, they have two pastors, a regular pastor and an associate. The associate only preaches on the 4th Sunday of the month, which is when I go. He is not only a gifted speaker, but he tries to address issues of Christianity in the hear nad now. issues that face Christians today. The other pastor does as I have encountered at many coc, cc and doc congregations, simply rehashes the "You have to be saved by Jesus amen to go to heaven" week after week after week, and this shallow theology, as I call it, wore thin after the second or third time. There is NO Depth to his sermons or his teachings. SO I don't go when he preaches, but if the other guy is preaching, then I go......
The other three sundays I split at other congregations (Where, yes, I am a member there too)

THIS year though, I found that a congregation of the Unity Church is growing nearby, and I will be spending more time there, which means I may not spend as much time at the other ones, but my feeling is, God does not reside in a building or a place, and no church owns God or heaven, and why waste time going somewhere where half of the staff is totally uninspiring?! Some might say that Gos exists within the confines of a building, well, God exists wherever I go (and you too)
So regardless of where I am on Sunday (or Saturday night if I go to the contemporary service) God IS still there

I will still make some involvement in the RM church, just not EVERY month, I will still be involved in the others, but along the way probably more so in the Unity church

Hope everyone has a great 2007 .... I plan to !

That's good. 2007 will be a tough year for me, I think. I've got so much going on in my brain right now. Stressful.

 

[Frame1520]

I'll echo the sentiments of JDIBe. Anything else I could say would probably come off the wrong way, and believe me, thats the last thing I want to do. I've learned my lessons.