Posted on 09/26/2011 9:54:58 AM PDT by markomalley
2 or 3 times a week, I go past this church on the way home from work:
No big deal, never paid it much attention.
A couple of days ago, I noticed a slight change on the frontage of their property:
This sort of surprised me a bit.
I didn't, based upon the back and forth here, think that the OPC did "charismatic" things.
This understanding was confirmed by looking at the OPC website (here). Saying, We believe that the "charismata" (those first introduced at Pentecost and further dealt with in 1 Corinthians 12-14) have ceased with the end of the apostolic age. In fact, they identify beliefs that endorse charismatic gifts as "unbiblical" (pretty strong words...)
So it got me wondering. I could never picture an OPC Congregation renting out their church to a Catholic parish, a Lutheran parish, or an LDS group...Nor would it be reasonable to do so, as it would tend to lend some credence to the beliefs and/or practices of those groups.
So why a Pentecostal group? And a Hispanic Pentecostal group, to boot?
I realize that it is highly unlikely that any of the OPC FReepers who post on the RF are members of this congregation, so I'm not making some kind of an accusation. I'm just honestly curious. The OPC (and other reformed) FReepers who post on the RF seem to be pretty rigid with their beliefs. Renting out a church to a group who has "unbiblical" beliefs / practices like Pentecostals makes about as sense as renting out the church hall for a lesbian wedding.
So is this something that is normal / commonplace with OPC congregations or is this just an outlier?
I am not asking to mock, I'm just curious. Definitely not something I'd expect to see.
i don’t see the problem if the chinese church more or less believed the same as you did, just in a different language.
not really. there is always gossip about the vicar’s wife, no matter how saintly.
probably
hardly — the OPC says clearly that there is no point in ecumenism with groups such as many pentecostals etc.
it could have been OPC, PCUSA, PCA, USPCA, ASPCA, PTCA, UCPA, etc.
—i don’t see the problem if the chinese church more or less believed the same as you did, just in a different language.—
I think you would see the problem if you were there. I actually tried to be friendly with them as we tore down the music stuff (I played bass in the band) and they were setting up. The culutral divide is great ans made significantly worse with the language barrier. And everyone is preoccupied with the work they are doing.
It is the whole “we gotta get out and make room” attitude instead of “so, how’s it going?” attitude. It was the one church we went to that after a year we never really felt like we could really connect much with anyone. The one guy I did connect with left town and started a home very similar to Ronald McDonald house but on a much smaller scale. And most people would desrcibe him as “weird”.
Probably, I apologize if my previous comment came across as brusque or in any way attacking you personally
No prob. I understand what you meant. The whole thing was kinda awkward every sunday. I’m HUGE on fellowship with other believers. I think that is a major reason for church.
A friend (and ex-pastor) told me he chooses his chuch based on their potlucks. I thought he was joking. He was using the apparently flippant remark to illustrate what the first century church actually did when they met.
Christianity is about two things, and pretty much every verse and scripture deals with one or both of these things: Man’s relationship with man and man’s relationship with God. When we gather together in His name, a HUGE part of it should be the relationships of the believers gathered there. That means before, during and after the service.
Of course, each church does it in their own way, but what happened in this church was that “clicks” would meet at restaurants after the service. And folks like my wife and I would just be standing in a parking lot with a bunch of chinese scurrying into the building and setting up. This was not an issue at any other church we attended, and definitely NOT an issue where we are now.
you are right, relationship with God and community.
There are so many christian denominations that it is difficult to keep score about which issues are important to each group.
Welcome to Free Republic! Looks like you just started posting today - why the eleven-day delay?
How was Knox in the orbit of Henry VIII? He didn't go to England until 1549 -- two years after Henry's death.
Just so you know, proe, when someone says, “Welcome to Free Republic!!!,” and then questions your posts, what they mean is “ATTENTION WOLF PACK! THERE IS NEW FRESH MEAT FOR US TO TORMENT, DEVOUR, AND THEN DESTROY.”
Don’t let them drive you off.
So what intrigues cause Knox to gravitate to England? He was clearly under the Tudor spell long before he left Scotland. It was the daughters of Henry VIII, Elizabeth and Mary, that eventually thwarted his ambitions to implement Calvinism in England that enraged Knox's Calvinist misogyny.
Do not direct people to where sin may be. Show them where the light ( JESUS) is. Basking people in righteousness keeps them away from sin. Never promote where there is sin as it can influence the sheep that are weak. God will expose all things, so, we need not make exposing sins our focus. God will do this. The time we spend exposing sin is the time we can spend ministering to the people which will protect them from sins; through his blood. Praise Jesus.
PROVERBS 23:4-9
4 Do not wear yourself out in quest of wealth, stop applying your mind to this.
5 Fix your gaze on it, and it is there no longer, for it is able to sprout wings like an eagle that flies off to the sky.
6 Do not eat the food of anyone whose eye is jealous, do not hanker for his delicacies.
7 For what he is really thinking about is himself: ‘Eat and drink,’ he tells you, but his heart is not with you.
8 You will spit out whatever you have eaten and find your compliments wasted.
9 Do not waste words on a fool, who will not appreciate the shrewdness of your remarks
Deuteronomy 18:9-22
9 ‘When you have entered the country given you by Yahweh your God, you must not learn to imitate the detestable practices of the nations there already.
10 There must never be anyone among you who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire of sacrifice, who practises divination, who is soothsayer, augur or sorcerer,
11 weaver of spells, consulter of ghosts or mediums, or necromancer.
12 For anyone who does these things is detestable to Yahweh your God; it is because of these detestable practices that Yahweh your God is driving out these nations before you.
13 ‘You must be faultless in your relationship with Yahweh your God.
14 For these nations whom you are going to dispossess have listened to soothsayers and mediums, but Yahweh your God does not permit you to do this. From among yourselves, from among your own brothers,
15 Yahweh your God will raise up a prophet like me; you will listen to him.
16 This is exactly what you asked Yahweh your God to do — at Horeb, on the day of the Assembly, when you said, “Never let me hear the voice of Yahweh my God or see this great fire again, or I shall die.”
17 Then Yahweh said to me,
18 “What they have said is well said. From their own brothers I shall raise up a prophet like yourself;
19 I shall put my words into his mouth and he will tell them everything I command him. Anyone who refuses to listen to my words, spoken by him in my name, will have to render an account to me.
20 But the prophet who presumes to say something in my name which I have not commanded him to say, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die.”
21 ‘You may be privately wondering, “How are we to tell that a prophecy does not come from Yahweh?”
22 When a prophet speaks in the name of Yahweh and the thing does not happen and the word is not fulfilled, then it has not been said by Yahweh. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. You have nothing to fear from him.’
LUKE 6:27-36
27 ‘But I say this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly.
29 To anyone who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek as well; to anyone who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic.
30 Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from someone who takes it.
31 Treat others as you would like people to treat you.
32 If you love those who love you, what credit can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit can you expect? For even sinners do that much.
34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to get money back, what credit can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount.
35 Instead, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
36 ‘Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate.
Do not direct people to where sin may be. Show them where the light ( JESUS) is."
Words to live by. Thank you.
Deus fit homo ut homo fieret Deus.
Definitely my brother. All thanks and praise to Him who we serve.
“God became human so that humans might become God”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.