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It is spiritually discerned. Different to head knowledge, but yes, manifested in the soul and body sometimes. When experienced, something inside says, "Yes".
It is abstract!
That is why I laugh at the folks that claim Christianity superiority when they use the term "that is man made".
As soon as you put it into words or even write it down on the forum it becomes man made.
What is meaningful to me:
Engaging the thought-feeling state of 'being' in Christ. This is what is done when 2 or more believers share their Christ focussed lives together. That is fellowship, and mutual respect as members of the body. That is 'church'. Each person testing (under the guidance of the holy spirit) what is said and done in the assembly / congregation is rightly exercising your responsibility before God. No one can tell you what to believe. If you have the expectation that the 'Pastor' should be watching over you, guess what, there's plenty of christian career hungry 'pastors' who will 'watch over you'. God gives gifts liberally to the whole body- 'leaders' should demonstrate they have at least one of them. ...as best as i can positively paint meaningfulness that's it in a nut shell. The negative picture that has helped me move and look for what is positive, is that Jesus wasn't followed around by 'Christians', that is a modern, western created word - I prefer 'believer'. And a 'church' was a pagan temple or circle of stones. I only use those words because people can associate with them.
God calls all believers to "rise up, and know Him for yourself". God responds to faith, so call upon Him. You are a brother of Christ. Go and beat the door down and say "Dad, I'm home!" :-)
Hi - and thank you for the explanation. i will try to think on these things.. however, one tiny correction - I'm a sister, not a brother sometimes you cant tell on the message boards
Hi all - it finally dawned on me today why I beleive I hate enduring this otherwise nice church.
2 reasons - and when i got the answer today, i felt I was at the end of a long journey into finding the answer.
#1 - when they do the baby dedication, every month, its like they are pressuring you the viewer - into "this is the right and acceptable way to go - to have babies and be a traditional family - and I'm sorry, for a single person, this grates on me. i feel very different than a "family atmosphere" and what that entails. its almost like a gay person in a straight church would feel.
#2 - Voila - the hugest reason I beleive is - that it so reminds me of my earlier Roman Catholic church and mass. if you know anything about the catholic mass, you see its a very pretty formalistic ritual, complete with a nice sermon - pastor talking at that one type of cadence, they give you a bulletin, the mass/chuch service is laid out like a script, and in this church, though it is protestant, even has a big organ they play AND they have played some songs just like what sounded like what i heard in catholic church. And the layout of the church has the look like my old grammar school catholic church.
the reason why i like the sunday schools before and after church, its more informal, the minister who leads the 2nd one is a black man, and truly, i really love the way black ministers preach. its more expressing true feelings, not going according to a laid out script. though the teacher in the morning is white, yet, he is so interesting, and its not a formal script he's reading.. its like being in a very interesting bible class.
so thats why I really believe I hate enduring this service of this otherwise nice church. yes they have everything solid for you to grow in the Lord and the people are great, just this main service makes me want to leave. i was waking up today and this is what dawned on me, as the reaason. I hated catholic mass. not only because they made us go everyday and we had to endure this event, and i also tried to ditch it too, so maybe its just triggering all that.
I think i am going to find another church that is also in the neighborhood that i visited and i think i may be better suited there.
does that ring true for any of you? haha it does me
Maybe you need to join one of those snake-handling churches. That's about the only church service I've ever witnessed (on TV) where the people looked like they were actually having FUN at church. Most services I've witnessed were boring at best, and the church where my mom took me when I was a kid was like going to a funeral every Sunday. I couldn't believe that people actually WANTED to go there every week.
Maybe you need to join one of those snake-handling churches. That's about the only church service I've ever witnessed (on TV) where the people looked like they were actually having FUN at church. Most services I've witnessed were boring at best, and the church where my mom took me when I was a kid was like going to a funeral every Sunday. I couldn't believe that people actually WANTED to go there every week.
oh no.... no.. no thanks i dont even watch those tele-evangelists on tv... they are called Word of Faith,, they are pretty much fake and shysters and shame the real true God and dishoner Him.
I'm trying to figure out something that doesn't make sense. I am a member of one of the most respected churches considered by dedicated born again saved Bible loving true Christians, and it is true, they do preach the true Word of God, etc. there is nothing wrong per se, but maybe its just me but i cant quite put my finger on it.
Respected by man? Is this what qualifies a church to "preach the true word of God?"
dedicated born again saved Bible loving true Christians.....are you sure? This is a rather lengthy list of responsibilities and obligations to live up to.
Are you searching for the Jesus in your image or are you willing to see Jesus for who He is beyond the image of what other people say He is and allow Him to see you as you are?
Possible that sometimes we get caught up in wanting a specific Jesus that will do miracles in our life, when all we need is a Jesus to support the work we are able to complete.
God has given us all the guidance we need in His son.
Respected by man? Is this what qualifies a church to "preach the true word of God?"
dedicated born again saved Bible loving true Christians.....are you sure? This is a rather lengthy list of responsibilities and obligations to live up to.
Are you searching for the Jesus in your image or are you willing to see Jesus for who He is beyond the image of what other people say He is and allow Him to see you as you are?
Possible that sometimes we get caught up in wanting a specific Jesus that will do miracles in our life, when all we need is a Jesus to support the work we are able to complete.
God has given us all the guidance we need in His son.
Hi - thats true what you said. I was trying to describe the church to express the perception I have of this supposedly good and highly respected church among christians. I was trying to see how could such an exceptional place vs my dislike of it - how can that be? Maybe you have a point, I was elevating it to such a high status comparing myself to it which i should not do. But I think they may actually qualify as a good quality church, and it probably is a good one to go to… ok maybe i elevated it higher than it should have but anyway, if its such a good church why didn't i like it? why dont i feel the love for it like some others do?
I'm not looking for miracles or extreme pentecostalism falling down running around church Word of Faith type of stuff, im just looking for a place that i fit in, that i feel like this is home, and that will teach the Bible, but i think maybe it was as i outlined .. that it reminded me of the old memories i had going to grammar school roman catholic church. I'm still not done looking, i guess i wonder about myself and i really dont know but maybe i put that on myself by elevating that church so high and that might be it too.
I sometimes dont think im such a great christian, because if i were, how come i dont enjoy the basic things that other christians seem to enjoy, or maybe im not even a true christian, or else i would love to do those things, but i dont … otherwise im pretty ok with life.
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sometimes you cant tell on the message boards 
