- Jun 14, 2012
- 438
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- US-Republican
Wanted to share this dream I had just this morning. Thoughts?
My wife and I were invited to a church by some acquaintances. I was wearing a nice black suit and tie. We got to the church and sat down. The environment was extremely casual, it barely resembled what you would picture a church service to look like. I couldn't tell who the ministers were, there were four guys standing up front that were in conversations with others. It's the kind of milling about you see when a service is about to start. So things settled down a little while the worship team sang, but some people still continued talking and such. As I looked around I remember being amazed at how apathetic people were during worship. People were even trying to talk to me and I was politely trying to show them this wasn't the time by keeping my focus on the worship; it was an extremely strange experience. I really didn't know what to do with it.
The service finally came to order as one of the gentlemen in the front began to speak. As he was beginning his message a dining service started. The person next to me got a plate of food with a good size steak on it, along with some mashed potatoes and vegetables. I remember the smell of food wafting through the air as the pastor continued on went on and thinking how out of place it seemed. The person next to me focused on his food. Behind me a cell phone rang and the person answered it and had a conversation. The pastor was telling a story, it wasn't anything out of the bible, it was more something you'd read out of "Chicken Soup for the Soul". It was very light and absolutely void of anything meaningful; although I was desperate to hear God in all of it. It was like I was starving.
Anger started to build within me. I couldn't believe that people were able to endure any of this; it was the worst service I had ever been in. I noticed behind the podium that there were people preparing more food to go out to the audience. There were racks filled with huge pieces of meat and bread all cooked to perfection. The food smelled amazing, but I still could not believe this was a church service. As the pastor was finishing his message, I caught the eyes of my wife who was sitting in the front with her back to the pastor, facing me.
For some reason my shoes were off. I went to grab the, and noticed they looked like they had been chewed up by a dog (we have a dog in real life). The right shoe had big rectangular piece out of the right side and the left inside of the left shoe (where the instep is) looked like swiss cheese. I smiled at my wife and mouthed to her "I'm going to need new shoes".
So I got some old black shoes from underneath the seat and put them on. The pastor then called for everyone with a black suit to please stand. Several people stood. Many were not wearing black suits; there were people standing who had on jeans and a black shirt, some wore only a black jacket, but there were only three of us wearing black suits. Then the pastor said "Will those who are not holding on to anything please remain standing". I remained standing, everyone else sat down. There wasn't anything done after that, and the service was concluded so I walked up to the front in hopes of talking to the pastor. Everyone was busy in conversations, so I looked at the people still in the audience. All of the sudden I felt the urge to speak. I began by saying "Excuse me, but what is going on in here?" I began to cry. Through tears I told them "Jesus loves you!" I told them again, "Jesus loves you! Do you even know that? What is the matter with you people?
When is the last time you loved Jesus just for who He is? When is the last time you called out to Him? When is the last time you thanked Him? Not for the car you drive, or the house you live in or the clothes wear or the job you have, but just thanked Him for what He has done for you on the cross? When is the last time you got before Him and just said "Jesus I love you"...
As I said these things I wept, and some in the congregation hung their heads and wept too. I told them to open up their bibles and read it; to stop being so apathetic.
END
My wife and I were invited to a church by some acquaintances. I was wearing a nice black suit and tie. We got to the church and sat down. The environment was extremely casual, it barely resembled what you would picture a church service to look like. I couldn't tell who the ministers were, there were four guys standing up front that were in conversations with others. It's the kind of milling about you see when a service is about to start. So things settled down a little while the worship team sang, but some people still continued talking and such. As I looked around I remember being amazed at how apathetic people were during worship. People were even trying to talk to me and I was politely trying to show them this wasn't the time by keeping my focus on the worship; it was an extremely strange experience. I really didn't know what to do with it.
The service finally came to order as one of the gentlemen in the front began to speak. As he was beginning his message a dining service started. The person next to me got a plate of food with a good size steak on it, along with some mashed potatoes and vegetables. I remember the smell of food wafting through the air as the pastor continued on went on and thinking how out of place it seemed. The person next to me focused on his food. Behind me a cell phone rang and the person answered it and had a conversation. The pastor was telling a story, it wasn't anything out of the bible, it was more something you'd read out of "Chicken Soup for the Soul". It was very light and absolutely void of anything meaningful; although I was desperate to hear God in all of it. It was like I was starving.
Anger started to build within me. I couldn't believe that people were able to endure any of this; it was the worst service I had ever been in. I noticed behind the podium that there were people preparing more food to go out to the audience. There were racks filled with huge pieces of meat and bread all cooked to perfection. The food smelled amazing, but I still could not believe this was a church service. As the pastor was finishing his message, I caught the eyes of my wife who was sitting in the front with her back to the pastor, facing me.
For some reason my shoes were off. I went to grab the, and noticed they looked like they had been chewed up by a dog (we have a dog in real life). The right shoe had big rectangular piece out of the right side and the left inside of the left shoe (where the instep is) looked like swiss cheese. I smiled at my wife and mouthed to her "I'm going to need new shoes".
So I got some old black shoes from underneath the seat and put them on. The pastor then called for everyone with a black suit to please stand. Several people stood. Many were not wearing black suits; there were people standing who had on jeans and a black shirt, some wore only a black jacket, but there were only three of us wearing black suits. Then the pastor said "Will those who are not holding on to anything please remain standing". I remained standing, everyone else sat down. There wasn't anything done after that, and the service was concluded so I walked up to the front in hopes of talking to the pastor. Everyone was busy in conversations, so I looked at the people still in the audience. All of the sudden I felt the urge to speak. I began by saying "Excuse me, but what is going on in here?" I began to cry. Through tears I told them "Jesus loves you!" I told them again, "Jesus loves you! Do you even know that? What is the matter with you people?
When is the last time you loved Jesus just for who He is? When is the last time you called out to Him? When is the last time you thanked Him? Not for the car you drive, or the house you live in or the clothes wear or the job you have, but just thanked Him for what He has done for you on the cross? When is the last time you got before Him and just said "Jesus I love you"...
As I said these things I wept, and some in the congregation hung their heads and wept too. I told them to open up their bibles and read it; to stop being so apathetic.
END
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