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However, what I like about my church is the community.
Some people may sneer but I know our church in Houston helped a lot of people recover from Harvey and hosted groups of volunteers from churches throughout the country who came to help people rebuild their damaged houses.
Of course, other organizations could sponsor these types of efforts but few do and few are structured enough to do it on any scale.
What I don't like is the changing doctrine on social issues.
How would that manifest itself? What "thirst" would be quenched from within?
In the short term, the Spirit provides us guidance, direction, peace and a purpose-filled life. In the long-term, the Spirit gives us eternal life, with no pain, sorrow or tears, in the presence of God.
In the short term, the Spirit provides us guidance, direction, peace and a purpose-filled life. In the long-term, the Spirit gives us eternal life, with no pain, sorrow or tears, in the presence of God.
Thanks but that sounds so canned. Almost like an answer on a test.
I was reading the thread on Methodist vote on gay marriages and a number of posters are considering leaving the church.
I'm unsure what a church should be today. I read that one reason why the Methodist voted as they did is that the members from churches in Africa are traditional and conservative.
Do you leave a church if it's contemporary social message isn't to your liking?
I'm unsure what a church should be today. I read that one reason why the Methodist voted as they did is that the members from churches in Africa are traditional and conservative.
My mother is still a Catholic even though she abhors the history of sex abuse and supports keeping abortion legal. The underlying theology keeps her a member.
There's something to be said for consistency in a divided turbulent world.
If you're liberal when liberalism is popular and conservative when conservatism is popular, do you really have any doctrine?
When the teaching, preaching, ritual and prevailing thoughts of this body of professed believers makes you happy to be there. When more than the hymns make your heart sing, when you have a few good friends their and you look forward to Sunday morning, you know that you are home, and you are where God wants you to be - you STAY.
When the teaching, preaching, ritual a prevailing thoughts abrade your soul, and you know deep inside that they are saying things that contradict the loving and inclusive teachings of Christ, you know that you are a Christian, and you do the right thing. You leave.
You would need to over think it. You will feel it. Contrary to the teachings of many fundie churches - you DO go by feelings. If something hurts your heart - you leave.
This kind of thing would certainly spark my interest in going to a church meeting.
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