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Visited a church today

Jethro Bodine said:
Had found a good teaching church in town a while back but the pastor seemed to be out of town more than in town, and there was no interaction between members of the congregation....well besides the 'hi, how are you' kind of stuff on the way in and out.
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Most of my fellowship comes from the internet so I get what you mean. Our youth pastor has invited me to hang out sometime and I really need to take him up on it. My church is fantastic, but it's large (250+)... one thing I miss about the old Orthodox church I went to is that every Sunday after Divine Liturgy we'd eat breakfast together and chat. I often got to church around half an hour early at 9:30 and didn't get home until about 3 or 4. And for every bit of sports or politics we talked there was an equal amount of spiritual edification and theology. I miss that -- but only that.

I believe a lot of the folks who will be in my little circle will be congregants in a church I pastor at one day. Just a hunch.
 
Jethro Bodine said:
Had found a good teaching church in town a while back but the pastor seemed to be out of town more than in town, and there was no interaction between members of the congregation....well besides the 'hi, how are you' kind of stuff on the way in and out.
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I am shy and an introvert, so I have to admit I don't speak much unless I'm spoken to, even at church. Look at me and I'll smile at you, I at least try to look friendly.
 
AirDancer said:
I've walked out of one service where song after song was sung for about 10 minutes each. The people started swaying during the 3rd song, and those around me had eyes that were somewhat glazed over. There was a surreal atmosphere surrounding everyone. The Spirit told me to run out of there...not merely walk....as it was not a healthy place to be.
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I've been to one like that. A proclaimed prophet also prophesied over me there one day, and man, it was out of hand. He was "calling down mantles" and having young teens and adults pick them up out of the floor to step into their callings. By that I mean they were bending and scooping down invisible items from the floor. Not long after he relayed to me that he could see our names in lights on billboards. I broke off communication. Their services were much the same.
 
Blake said:
I've been to one like that. A proclaimed prophet also prophesied over me there one day, and man, it was out of hand. He was "calling down mantles" and having young teens and adults pick them up out of the floor to step into their callings. By that I mean they were bending and scooping down invisible items from the floor. Not long after he relayed to me that he could see our names in lights on billboards. I broke off communication. Their services were much the same.
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How were you able to keep a straight face during all of that? I would have had difficulties to prevent laughter from exploding due to the absurdity of the situation.
 
I've been to the looney tunes churches before too.
They make for great stories at Thanksgiving and Christmas family dinners, but that's about it.
 
questdriven said:
I am shy and an introvert, so I have to admit I don't speak much unless I'm spoken to, even at church. Look at me and I'll smile at you, I at least try to look friendly.
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If this is what you mean, I'd run screaming from your church. :hysterical
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AirDancer said:
How were you able to keep a straight face during all of that? I would have had difficulties to prevent laughter from exploding due to the absurdity of the situation.
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I hardly did. They were looking at me expecting to walk into this invisible bonfire of mantles in the middle of their floor, and scoop one up, so that I could step into my calling right then and there. I kept myself seated right where I was, and as they were wrapping up the service with another 15 minute song of 1 or 2 lines repeating over and over (trance inducing stuff), I walked out the door.
 
Willie T said:
Any particular reason?
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Specifically, it was the fake, forced worship.
Overall, I knew this was not a place where God was going to meet me and I did not want to waste any more time there. I did not want to go through the awkward 'come back and see us' time after the service, me grinning through my fake smile. :biggrin2
 
Blake said:
I hardly did. They were looking at me expecting to walk into this invisible bonfire of mantles in the middle of their floor, and scoop one up, so that I could step into my calling right then and there. I kept myself seated right where I was, and as they were wrapping up the service with another 15 minute song of 1 or 2 lines repeating over and over (trance inducing stuff), I walked out the door.
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Good for you for not buying into their pretense!

Invisible mantles .... talk about the Emperor's new clothes..................
 
AirDancer said:
Good for you for not buying into their pretense!

Invisible mantles .... talk about the Emperor's new clothes..................
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God has a mantle in store for me, I know this in my spirit, and Satan knows this, but I have to finish up this period of character development in my life and wait on His word. This church just wants to appeal to people's flesh and call it spiritual. They had little 15 and 16 year old kids in there, telling them they'd all soon be visiting hospitals and the streets and laying hands on the sick and setting captives free! The Spirit told me rather directly that they weren't even yet weened, milk is still on their breath. I suspect a mighty fall.
 
Blake said:
God has a mantle in store for me, I know this in my spirit, and Satan knows this, but I have to finish up this period of character development in my life and wait on His word. This church just wants to appeal to people's flesh and call it spiritual. They had little 15 and 16 year old kids in there, telling them they'd all soon be visiting hospitals and the streets and laying hands on the sick and setting captives free! The Spirit told me rather directly that they weren't even yet weened, milk is still on their breath. I suspect a mighty fall.
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Wow, that is so sad about the 15 & 16 year olds of that church. So sad :shame
 
Only time I ever walked out of a church service (in protest that is) was when I was still a fairly new member and one Sunday without warning they announced that they had fired the pastor. And the reason I had joined was precisely because this gifted man was such a good pastor. Really wasn't trying to make a scene, I just couldn't stand what they had done and just wanted to quietly leave and not come back again. Then as I walked out I remembered I had ridden my motorcycle that day. It's a Harley with loud pipes. As it turned out (so I'm told) they had just started a quiet prayer when I happened to fire up the bike. Even though I did it as quietly as possible, I'm told everyone in the church heard it and new exactly why I had left. Then they could hear it all the way down the highway for about a mile! My friend there told me it had been a perfect statement!

Just recently found out they just fired the pastor that replaced the first one too. He used to preach the best sermons I've ever heard! And they kicked out a youth director a while back as well. Until recently I'd worked there in a paid position as a sound engineer for several years until they asked me to leave one day too. (Because I couldn't pull stunts to satisfy the old people like making "The Revelation Song" with it's strong electric guitar sound like the Gaithers singing the traditional hymn "Amazing grace".) They sure have built up a reputation for firing everyone who works there. Well, I'd only gone back because it was a paid job and I really just looked at them as my employer anyway, not my church. And they are the only employer that ever asked me to leave in all my life! Ya know, lately I've been considering just joining the ranks of those of you here who have sworn off going to any church at all. I think that's probably a bad idea, and I don't think it's Biblical, but it's the way I feel lately. :sad
 
Blake said:
You and Brother Jethro both, I'm very curious. :)
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It has ranged from, I had to go to work to this pastor was boring me, to leaving a few minutes early so I can drive out of there, when I am at my church I am at a big church. But my pastor is never boring so those walkouts were at other churches.
 
Some churches need to get a pulse.
Other churches need to slow down the run away heartbeat.

Do we not need not be involved in the process according to our faith? Being lukewarm is not the answer either. Dealing with former Gentiles takes effort. Dealing with former Jewish folks is work intensive too. Jesus broke down the wall, to make one new man, but there is much work to be done before the crushed stone roadway is able to be traveled. Heaven has the gold covered ways. Every church has its own differing needs. I have such a limited knowledge I probably need to shut up.

Chainsaws cutting new exit doors over excite or depress some folks. Ambulances removing the spiritually dead are more than some others can stand.

If we are at home, are we lukewarm?

eddif
 
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