Shall I pontificate...
Over the last few motnhs I have had a very interesting experience. I have gone from being one of the most liberal members of my congregation to one of the most conservative without changing my position. In some ways I guess it has probably been going on for longer than a few months, and I just had my eyes closed.
As I sit and ponder things that are changing within in the congregation, I read emails that are exchanged, I sit and listen to messages from he pulpit... I must say that I bounce from confused, to inspired, to concerned, to out right offended.
My first complaint... What's wrong with tradition? What's wrong with the way it was. I'm not saying it was perfect, but I was discussing this with a friend the other day. If we were raised under the old system, and we turned out OK, then what is the foundation for the argument that the old way was so screwed up. Is it wrong that I am bothered by these things... I will admit that many of the things that have offended mehave nothing to do with religion, that is why I have not left. Yet when others tell me that I am wrong for being offended... Well that really doesn't sit right either.
My second complaint... If they say that God is leading them to say and do the things that they are doing, and I believe that God leading me to say the things that I am saying and doing... then why is the assumption immediately that I am wrong.
I know that I believe the following:
- There is a line in the sand, and you must be on the right side if you are going to go to heaven.
- I do not know where that line is and it is possible that I am in the wrong.
- Jesus Christ is the son of Go and you must believe in him and be baptized for the forgivness of your sins to go to heaven.
- I beleive that many who beleive the are saved, are not actually saved (and yes it is possible that I am in that catagory)
Now I do not live my life in fear, I do not serve and cruel and destructive God. But I am concerned for the path that we take seems much to broad and too highly traveled. For the bible tells us that the path is narrow and the travelers are few.
I am not saying that I think that those that are leading my congregation are wrong and I am not saying that those that are pushing for change are wrong... But I am concerned by the boldness with which those who disagree are being told that they are wrong.
Even now I must admit that I am holding back many of the things that I wish to say because I know that my personal feelings are feeding my frustration. I pray that over the next few days, weeks, months that God will bless me with the words to say the things that he wishes me to say and not the things that I am interested in saying.
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Thanks for sharing your heart! always good to have a thought provoker...
ReplyDeleteWhat are they saying you are wrong about?
ReplyDelete-Jen Barnett
Wow. That is all I can say.
ReplyDeleteWow.
You are the conservative? There must be some crazy things going on up north!
Jack - don't know who you are but thanks for reading... come back often. To Jen and Jenn (my two loyal readers) All I can really say is that our congregation is having conversations that I never thought I would ever hear in the C.O.C. and I'm not saying that's a bad thing some of them are conversations that need to be had... In regards to the wrong thing... right now we have several in our church that claims that God is (speaking, leading, talking, etc) to them... Some of these words have been used bery strongly... And in a couple of recen emails and conversations it was implied that "God has told me what we are supposed to be doing and because you are not listening, then you are notlisteing to God."
ReplyDeleteSecond thought - in terms of what scripture tells us my last comment (not the blog as a whole) was probably not the right thing to do... As a chriisitian I should go to these individuals and discuss the issue and try to discern for myself whether or not these things are of the Spirit. In terms of my blog... I set it up so that I could say what I want about life and God and friends and my family... I do not intend for it to be a place for me insult or ridicule others...
ReplyDelete