I was kidding about my last Blog. I really am going to write about what I like about the church because it's healthy for me. What I like about the Church: 1. I am not sure I would be where I am today (maybe this is what i don't like -just kidding) if it weren't for good people in the church. There is a man named Larry Bruins who is a butcher. he helped me feel good about myself sometimes when I was a kid. He kind of followed me up the grades as a volunteer in my church. I disliked my church very much but Larry did a good job of making me feel liked. The church did a great job of letting me know I was loved- by Jesus- but not so good in letting me knwo I was liked. I got offtrack there... sorry. I remember cooking venison sausage on a "hobo stove". It was really fun and made me feel like a part of something good.
Later in life I moved to the same street as Larry. I didn't always treat his kids very well because we were pretty different and they were younger. I remember Larry taking me aside and encouraging me on my leadership qualities and how God will use me for good. I think i was in middle school. After I went to college and started to enjoy all the seed bearing plants that God had created I came home from Iowa and went to my old church with my parents. I had been out late the night before enjoying all that life had to offer. Larry hunted me down and told me after church that the missionary that had been there reminded him of what kind of man I would become. I wasn't really listening to the missionary, but it felt good that Larry believed in me. I remember thinking about the night before and how the two options conflicted and that I would never be a "good man". Larry was a butcher-thus the picture.
#2. Something else I like about the Church- The Cchurch helps people. Though the motives of the Church I believe are often off-based, the Church does often help people out who need help. I have been involved in helping others get involved as well as heard or read or observed other instances where churches have gotten involved in good things. This is good and what the Church is called to do.
#3. Education- The church has often been the center of study and thought for the world including hospitals, libraries, art, colleges, etc. This is also good. I will not go into how we have misused this aspect of goodness for our benefits because this is the "What I like about the Church" Blog. Just to clarify, I think healthy people, reading, creating things, and learning are good and have blessed society.
I can't think of any other good things right now. This is part of my problem. Most of my thoughts are on negative things. Can you guys add some things. PLease don't say stupid things though like: the Crusades, the assimilation of Native American Culture, WWJD bracelettes, or anything to do with Jim Dobson. Thanks.
7 comments:
Yeah, I'm thinking you need to work on this one a little more...Things I like about THE CHURCH:
1. Community: it fosters spiritual community with other believers that would otherwise be very difficult in our culture to uncover.
2. Accountability: Although many of the examples I have of accountablity in my past with "the church" haven't done a good job with this I think the role of this with each other is good and there are a lot of groups set up with in the church who do this well with each other.
3. Showing eachother the face of God. This is a beautiful part of the Church and the world in general. We get to see the face of God in everyone we meet...which should convict us to take care in how we treat one another, but often doesn't.
4. You. If it weren't for the church I never would have met you, married you and became the mother of your children:)
5. Many of my other friends...whom I never would have met either had it not been more this global movement of Christianity:)
hi jodi,
(can i disagree with you and still maybe hang out with you later, after i really meet you?)
I totally agree with all the things you said about the church as being good, but here is what I think: these are the things of the church that are SUPPOSED to happen, but DO they? 1. Keith and I were just talking last night about how your closest friends should be in the church. Your "family"/community and your church should go hand-in-hand. We shouldn't have deep friendships outside of our local church, but then still go to church, put on the fake and friendly pose, and then leave to go hang out with our "real" friends (that is so divided and not what jesus really wanted for his church. he didn't want the church to be a building that you go to on sundays, but your "real" community is outside of that building. Ya know? I know that the church is SUPPOSED to foster community, but i'm just not sure how much it really does. I guess it depends on if you are talking about the local church as n institution or the Body of Christ as a whole.)
2. Accountability- do you think this ever really happens? I mean, sure, the accountability like "um, I'll pray for you, man...since you said you struggle with alcoholism" or whatever, but how often does the church REALLY hold each other accountable for the 'real' things, like "Hey, that is a sucky attitude. You need to change it." or "How come you're talking to your wife like that?" Ya know? no one in the church really thinks of each other enough as part of their own Body to hold them accountable for daily-living stuff.
3. I don't think I have a comment about this one right now....i haven't thought about it enough.
4. I can't be thankful for meeting your husband, cuz I haven't yet, and because that would be just plain wierd.
5. I do have Christian friends, but I don't think it ever has been because I met them in "the church". It seems like that should be different.
I guess I'm not trying to argue with you, but I AM a little frustrated about the purpose of the church...what is it? is it fulfilling it? if so, why am i so frustrated with it?
I WISH that the church was our main source of community, but I really don't think that any church we went to focused on that very much and certainly didn't make finding community easy.
And i think the church SHOULD be a place where accountablity happens, but I've never seen that...personally, (except once keith and i visited a church where one of the ushers told me to stop chewing gum, because it was irreverant to God. does that count?) :)
I hear you, Jodi, I think these are all good things that the church SHOULD be doing....i'm just yet to figure out how to get to that point...how do we GET there?
Good post Christian. i think we both are a bit pessimistic, which is probably why we get along so good. You know, there is a place for pessimism in the Church (especially since it's an "ism" and all 'isms" belong in the church, don't they). It has it's place when it is productive in bringing positive change.
Larry the butcher sounds like a great Christian influence and example. Thank God for these extroadinary everyday people God uses.
What i like about the Church is both what Jodi said about the things that do indeed sometimes occur, and also the potential for having these things occur on a more regular basis. Right now i'm stoked on the potential of the Church, and i suppose on my own journey to find out what the real Church is supposed to look like and what we are to concern ourselves with. i'm heading into the Gospel of Luke. i was surprised to find an underlying theme of repentance in Mark, which was missing from Matthew. i'm still trying to answer the question of "repentance from what", though a lot of it seems to deal with injustice and a general lack of love.
Good points everybody. Jodi I think you're right about community. We have experienced some good things in this area. I would disagree with you on accountability because I think we've seen too many issues break apart community. The church gets a F in my book on that. I agree with "Face of God" comment. This is why I posted because I need to see Christ in people more instead of the rest of the crap. You are also right about the "You" comment. Without me the church wouldn't have much to brag about. Great point.
I think that kind of responded to Karla too" except the disagreeing with Jodi part. I will never disagree with Jodi because I love you too much. I'll shot it from the mountaintops: ILOVE JODI BARON AND DON'T DISGAREE WITH HER ABOUT ANYTHING!!!!!!
Except the points i mentioned earlier.
Keith great point about the isms. One area we need to do better is VANDALISM. Another is NARCISISM. I'll try to raise the average on thaose two. You are so good at reading the WORD. Crunch down and eat it up buddy. I wonder if maybe someday we'll end up working together. That would be fun. I get to be boss though.
Christian, Jesus is my CEO. Put it on a bumpersticker buddy.
Stop looking for a job and start posting. You really need to take a closer look at your priorities. Less action, more talk.
Get off that hippi sight, and start posting.
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