Ladies, Fellows
I return from Philadelphia a very different person and with a lot more internet access. It's nice to get back on here and read and write. I really appreciated Jordan's last article because I thing it about sums up where I am right now. But all of this kind of got me to thinking, if I don't like this Sunday morning brand of worship, what would I want? So I have an assignment for each of you. Take some to time to contemplate what you think the ideal church would be like. Report back and share your thoughts with everyone.
Would the church meet regularly throughout the week? Would there be music? Would there be small groups? Would there be clergy? Would there be tithing? Just think about it and if you want some inspiration read some early church stuff from Acts to try and get a feel of what it was like for these believers living right after Jesus died with what I believe were the purest conceptions of church.
I look forward to hearing what you all have to say because we all bust on the church's faults but what do we see as a solution? Then maybe after this we can even talk about implementing some of our ideas. We'll see.
Peace,
Jason
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
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3 Comments:
I would really love to hear what everyone has to say about these questions. Like Jason said, we call out the church on everything that's wrong with it, and even sometimes say how it should be instead - based on the early church. But how do we act this out in our lives today?
I was recently thinking about what I really want instead of going to a Sunday morning service. Sometimes I'll not go to a church service because I get fed up with it, but do I honestly do anything to have a more genuine time of worship, learning, etc.? I will definitely spend more time in thought about this before I post any of my own answers.
Dave
I find it interesting Troxy mentions a need to pray and thank god. But if we're talking about the same god, he already knows what we would say. The longest prayer to god can be "said" faster than we have a means of measuring. So less I tear apart without offering solutions of a sort. One would probably ask me then, do you pray? Yes I pray. but not in a unison group prayer, or before dinner or such, I think verbal prayer just isn't nessisary. A verbal prayer is just a quick stint to make us feel like we communicate with God. When really we're only praying so we can get on to the next part of our day. Now the idea of meditation troxy mentioned at the end of his post I think is alot closer to what I do. God can hear us fine. It's how little we hear god which scares me. When I pray, I simply listen. that's all, no amen, no ohh thank you lords. I just listen. Sometime I do this as a traditional meditation eyes closed sitting silent in my room. Sometimes the best way for me to pray or communicate with god, is to simply go for a walk outside. God is in everything and it's at times like these that I truly feel closest to him. However I won't claim everytime I meditate or every walk I take I feel moved by the lord. But when he does have something to say I take heart knowing that i'll be listening. Instead of telling him things he readily knows already.
Yea, the early church was actually communist in order to alleviate dependence on materialism (which was one of the strongest points Jesus tried to make during his ministry). But at this point in our American society it's nearly impossible to achieve that kind of church anymore. Most pastors actually make a really good buck (or so I've heard...).
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