Posted on 08/22/2005 6:26:33 PM PDT by sionnsar
As this piece points out, the churches where you are least likely to hear Scripture read during services are often those where the authority and teaching of Scripture are most emphasized, particularly evangelical churches. Strange, but true. And the writer’s experience is that even Anglican evangelical churches often read Scripture in their worship less.
My personal experience as one with a evangelical/fundamentalist background? My current REC church is the first of my church homes where Scripture is regularly read during services outside the context of the sermon.
I think this is one way is which evangelical-style worship impoverishes itself. As I’ve experienced first hand, there is a power to formally reading the raw word of God in worship. I'd much rather sit and listen to the reading of Scripture than sing one more “praise and worship” song. And Scripture reading is a prominent feature of Jewish and Christian worship through the centuries. Why cut oneself off from that?
Yes, I greatly value the role of Lector, of reading the Scripture lessons aloud during services.
My reading duties begin this Sunday.
wow - all in 29 days of forum life
you certainly have the gift of discernment ;-P
It doesn't take very much when it's as obvious, and as common on boards of this type all over the net as it is.
I've been in a Calvary Chapel where many women and teenage girls dressed almost exactly as you described.
I'm entering my sixth year at a secular state university, and I have yet to see this there, let alone at any church, mega- or otherwise, that I have ever visited.
There are 5 universities within a 40 mile radius of where I live. Most of the girls dress like the girls in rap videos, even in the freezing cold. It's more important for them to look "hot" than to be warm. I'm almost always shocked.
Ok, my apologies.
I don't know about anyone else, but personally, I take a bath and don a clean set of clothes at least once a month whether I need it or not.
Actually, they were playing the ancient forerunner of pin the tail on the antichrist, a game called, pin the tail on the camel.
Which Calvary Chapel was that?
Scroooooling, O, O, O, scroooling
Shame more don't have ignore buttons.
Perhaps because the King simply saw them together in public as a husband and wife would appear, and not as a brother and sister. St. Clement of Alexandria writes on the spiritual meaning of this event:
Oh, what wise child's-play. It is laughter
supported by patience, and the king is the
onlooker. Happy is the spirit of those who are
patient children in Christ. That is holy play.
Strong's indicates no connotation of sexuality here.
You may, however, continue to prefer the idea of the Patriarch Isaac having sex in public causing this revelation.
God created emotions, feelings. He wants us to worship Him with our whole being including our emotions. That is what the poetry and music of the church is for. It involves our emotional response to God, weeping and rejoicing. That does not mean you shut off reason, in fact to understand the emotional response, heightens the experience.
The way you talk about this makes it sound like a drug induced sensation. "Feelings" "experience", "emotional response", etc. You should rule your emotions rather than the other way around.
Typical obfuscation to confuse the message of the Public Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ with the labor of the Church.
How is it that your church ministers to God ?
By imitating the worship of the Angels. "Thousands of thousands ministered to Him" (St. Daniel 7.10). And by imitating the life of the Apostles and Saints. "Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ" (2 St. Peter 1.1) "Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he counted me trustworthy in making me his minister" (1 St. Timothy 1.12) "Our Father David, thy servant" (Acts 4.25) "Moses, the servant of God" (Revelation 15.3)
Thus we are "his servants" (Revelation 1.1).
What is it that you (and your church) do for Him ?
Apply His grace to mankind through the Sacraments after touching their hearts through the proclimation of His word.
Most especially, my Church forgives the sins of men so that they can be reconciled to God. This is the ministry of the Church towards mankind. Every other so-called ministry to man must have this as its heart and goal, or else it is nothing but humanism.
And by your lack of forgivness, I get back from you exactly what I expected.
No, in spirit and in truth.
In fact, I have found the most joy in those scholastic exercise. Do you not see how condescending you are to those who find joy in the very thing you do not? Delving deep into the Word, finding how perfectly inspired and inerrant it is, down to the last jot and tittle. I have had moments of deep worship sitting in an anatomy/physiology class as well, looking at the intricacies of the human body.
No, there was no music at those times. The music comes out of me because of a deep knowledge of truth, and pursuit of further truth. It is emotion and behavior which follows truth/belief, and not the other way around. The same can be said for Unity. Unity cannot be achieved without truth. Unity built on sloppy doctrine is an illusion. We may use the same terms and think we agree but in actuality do not because the definitions of our terms are different.
I bet she didn't have Victoria's secret...
Well, I have to say the 'faggot' comment was pretty overboard. But I will agree he just looks too polished for me. I do hope he gets off this pragmatism fad. He's leading a lot of people down a primrose path.
It's a fact. The evangelical church is generally going lukewarm to apostate. The pragmatism heresy is crossing all denominational lines. standing up for one's 'evangelical traditions' is irrelevant, really.
I suspect the mainlines aren't doing much better. If people spent half as much time building up their own church as they do tearing down the other guy's church, perhaps, just perhaps...
Naaaahhhh.
In fact, I think Cyrano likes those holes.
;-)
Because, as you know, all successful marriages are based on physical appearance and how new your PJ's are, right?
Exactly. That physical appearance thing is a real enigma for us matronly figures...
Cyrano read _Every Man's Battle_ by Arterburn and Stoeker. Some don't like it (say it's too simple) but we both found it hit home with us... really changed our perspectives on this kind of thing.
There were testimonies in there about how if you train your mind and eyes not to look at those features on other women, you will start to appreciate your own wife's 'features' much more -- even if she has that matronly figure. :-)
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