Posted on 05/17/2004 7:06:39 AM PDT by qam1
Well said Tax. Couldn't agree more.
Don't take this personally but a person who cannot find a church in the Bible Belt is probably unable to see the real problem.
>>But don't turn the church into a Hollywood advertisement.<<
To a point I agree with you. In fact, the one thing that concerned me about the Matrix clip was that they were somehow giving the movie credibility. However in the context of the meeting, two things calmed down my concerns. 1. Everyone there had seen the movie.
2. It was presented as something the movie had done unwittingly.
Regarding your Brittney comments. I agree and disagree and, no, my name is not Kerry. I do not consider secular music - by virtue of it being secular - to be bad. I take each song on it's own merit. All popular artists are complex individuals just like you and I. There is more going on under the surface than just the lyrics of one or two (or more) of their songs. Like all of us, they have made compromises, some more than others, but there is good and bad from all of them - and all of us for that matter.
But no, I wouldn't have her sing "oops..." in my church.
Nice diatribe.
Many mainline churches are confessionally orthodox and offer worship rooted in the rubrics of ancient liturgical forms. Salvation by God's grace through Christ alone is firmly and consistently presented.
In an age when people ask what worship or church can 'do' for them, or how it can make them 'feel' --- churches offering orthodox worship and a balanced presentation of the personal and social implications of the Gospel are not always numerically growing --- narrow is the way and all that, you know. ;-)
The "church growth movement" and the "megachurch" are the Baby Boomer attempts to be cool and relevant.
The "emerging church movement" is the Gen X and Gen Y attempt to be cool and relevant.
NEITHER movement solves the REAL problem of "mainline-ism", which is heresy and cultural conformity, usually (but not always) to the left-wing form of American culture!!!!
A good number of young--and not-so-young people are doing something different. They are discovering Orthodox Christianity!!!! They are actually going for a church with (gasp) a liturgy, a LONG history, disciplines such as fasting, and non-conformity to the general culture (with its New World Order connections). All of these things are totally the opposite of the Church Growth and Emerging Church movements!!!!
In principle, some like-minded young people could go for the Evangelical Catholic and Anglo-Catholic forms of Lutheranism and Anglicanism, if they were offered to them in their integrity. But, alas, we are so mired in "mainline-ism" that these are options in only a very few places.
bump for later
Thanks :)
Can't wait to hear about your baby! Hang in there!
Thanks.
My point is that manu "mainline" churches are dying because they have abandoned the Word of God in favor of liberal social causes. The imperical evidence of that is overwhelming to the point of being beyond dispute.
That is not to say that all who attend such churches are reprobate or not Christian.
To the contrary, many of God's people continue to hold out hope and prayer that the once great denominations of John Knox, John Wesley, et al will return to the firm foundation upon which they were built.
I have a friend who is a Presbyterian minister in Buffalo, New York who is a Godly and deeply devoted Christian, whose beliefs are as conservative and orthodox as my own. He is fighting the good fight.
Nevertheless, the war over homosexual ordination, abortion, etc. is not being waged in Assembly of God or Southern Baptist churches, but in those mainline denominations where apostacy has gained a firm foothold.
I do not believe all secular music is bad either. I just meant most of it is not appropriate for church. We seem to be pretty much on the same page on all the key elements of this issue.
I see PLENTY of churches; I just couldn't find one preaching enough repentance to satisfy me. Apostasy just isn't my cup of tea. Oh, well...off to New Hampshire, where it will be 'home church' for our little flock.
Sorry but you are considered a Baby Boomer. I know in that once instance 1961 was chosen but the overwhelming start year of Gen-X is 1965 (There is a lot if debate between 1975 and 1981 of when Gen-X ends and Y begins).
The reason 1965 is chosen is because that's the year the birth rates (The "Baby Boom") collapsed and it would have been the first year adult baby boomers would have had their first kids.
Also what I think separates the late boomers from the early Xers is the Late boomers brought us Disco.
Actually, I've seen both 1961 and 1962 as the start of GenX, with 1962 being more common.
"Also what I think separates the late boomers from the early Xers is the Late boomers brought us Disco."
That rules me out.
"Actually, I've seen both 1961 and 1962 as the start of GenX, with 1962 being more common."
Thanks. I feel better.
are you being sarcastic or are you serious?
Some of my favorite songs are actually in Latin, written in the 1500-1600's, and are just out and out amazing.
Just to share an experience - my college choir gave a concert at Belmont Abbey college in Charlotte, NC. We sang a few hymns in the chapel, and that was probably the most awesome concert I have ever been in. It even beat out the chance we got to sing the National Anthem at Radio City Music Hall in NYC.
I get chills thinking about it still, the way our voices sounded in that holy place. We belonged there that day, and I believe for that time, centuries ago and that day, there was no better place to sing praises.
But by the same token, I remember seeing Creed live at a concert, before they became popular. Seeing other people rejoicing at the message they carried was also amazing. I was high on that the rest of the night.
My point is, I think the Good News can be spread many different ways. With my classical music training, I can fully appreciate the old hymns as you do. BUT - I am also a huge rock-n-roll fan as well, and can enjoy the message in another form as well. I think if the Lord moves you, then He moves you, whether it's in the form of music, literature, the birth of a child, or a sunset.
Awakenings can take place anywhere, and in any situation.
LOL but I have digressed from what you were saying... I just get caught up sometimes in the Awe of it all.
Sad but true
That is just a foolish misstatement, that flows from an ignorance of the doctrine and the people that hold it.
Most Calvinists were saved BEFORE they were Calvinists..
Instead of making a broad statement like that , why don't you show us where we believe that only Calvinists are the elect
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