| Author |
Message |
Heretic
Registered user
Username: Heretic
Post Number: 78
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 04, 2005 - 3:15 pm: |     |
My family and I (yes, including my denominationally employed wife) visited our first "Sunday-keeping" church this past week. Talk about music...wow! There was a visiting choir from a Christian university that did a large portion of the service. I have never seen college kids so on fire for the Lord. It was evident that they saw this not just as a chance to go on cool trips with their friends, but more as a ministry. There was quite a bit of contemporary music with some gospel and traditional hymns, too. On many of the songs the congregation was to join in. But now I know what you mean, Colleen, about worshipping God as you sing -- as opposed to it being something you have to do to get to the sermon. It was such a moving experience that I don't think I have the words to describe it. When we sang "Holy, Holy, Holy" it was almost surreal. Awesome. For probably the first time in my life, the presence of the Holy Spirit was actually palpable during a worship service. The pastor followed with a good sermon on the power of the spoken blessing.
Something that struck us, given our background, was that when the pastor invited anyone to meet him in the front area, during a song, who was interested in baptism, the lady who came down was baptized just a few minutes later. There were only a couple of questions about accepting Jesus as her Saviour and wanting to member of the body of Christ and that was it! No weeks and months of classes to learn and accept certain doctrines, lifestyle requirements, and prophets.
The whole experience was tremendous and maybe a little bit of a window into what we've been missing for so long. So many people went out of their way to make us feel welcome in an unforced kind of way from the greeter on. Yesterday, one of the ladies from the Sunday school class we attended dropped by with a loaf of bread and a note thanking us for coming. Now that's how you make people want to come back to your church...by demonstrating love to others and obvious joy in Christ. After all, isn't that what it's all about?
Heretic |
Bob
Registered user
Username: Bob
Post Number: 238
Registered: 7-2000
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 04, 2005 - 3:28 pm: | |
Heretic, what you described is how my church's services are every week. Yes, this is what you have been missing! I hope it gave you and your wife an unending hunger for more such real corporate worship experiences.
Bob |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 1891
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 04, 2005 - 4:42 pm: | |
Heretic, I echo Bob--I hope it gave you and your wife a hunger for more such experiences. I realize that what I missed for years was the palpable presence of God in church, and true worship from those attending to Jesus whom they actually KNOW!
How astonishing!
Colleen |
Riverfonz
Registered user
Username: Riverfonz
Post Number: 248
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 04, 2005 - 6:50 pm: | |
I want to echo what all of you just said about worshipful Praise music. Colleen, you mentioned "Great is thy faithfulness". My wife and I just had a wonderful experience at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, when Pastor Chuck Smith came on with a woman's chorus, and sang that song. In light of everything that happened with her stroke, and with rapid healing, we both cried tears of joy. Praise God, you mentioned rap music. There is a great Christian rap band that perform in the inner city, with very solid theological lyrics, and they teach the great Reformed doctrines of the Christian faith, and you can even hear the words--I love it--I can't think of the name of the group right now. Stan |
Jeremy
Registered user
Username: Jeremy
Post Number: 628
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 04, 2005 - 7:00 pm: | |
Stan, I was just curious, is Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa where you regularly attend? I know you said on another thread that you attend Calvary Chapel. I love Pastor Chuck Smith's teaching--he is certainly filled with the Spirit.
Jeremy |
Riverfonz
Registered user
Username: Riverfonz
Post Number: 249
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 04, 2005 - 8:44 pm: | |
Yes Jeremy, my wife loves Chuck Smith, and so do I. But, how does a 5 point Calvinist and a partial preterist go to a church which leans Arminian, and teaches the pre-trib rapture? I love the worship experience, and Jeremy, I aree, Pastor Chuck is Spirit filled. The gospel of Jesus Christ transcends many theological differences, and since my wife would not go to church prior to her stroke, it is worth putting my theological leanings in the background. But my reading material is J.I. Packer and R.C. Sproul. Where do you go to church, Jeremy? Stan |
Melissa
Registered user
Username: Melissa
Post Number: 865
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 05, 2005 - 10:05 am: | |
I remember a former adventist who had tried getting a praise team type environment in their SDA church. She was telling about a woman who had obviously wanted to raise her hands, but couldn't in the environment, so she would seem them raised just to the height of the back of the seat. My friend was so sad that this woman was not able to worship as she obviously had wanted to.
As others have said, Heretic, that's what my church is like also. I came from a baptist background, where we have "quarterly" baptisms. There aren't really classes about doctrine per se, but they are offered new members classes to teach them about reading the bible, devotions, spiritual growth type things. So, even for me, it was a bit of a difference when a new pastor came in and said there is no where in scripture where people accept Christ and are told to wait for baptism...it's always immediate upon profession. And we made that change. The church I'm in now does baptisms any time of the day or night. The pastor has told stories of talking with someone until early morning hours, then baptising them at 2 am when they accepted Christ. It is certainly optional to wait and have family present if they desire. And no longer are people required to come up front for membership. They attend a membership inquiry class, which is completely separate from the issue of accepting Christ and baptism, which anyone can do and not be a member of our church. Then the pastor simply reads the names of people who have asked to join at the end of the service. It makes membership the back seat to salvation/baptism, which is really all the Bible talks about professing. Our church has even started turning down the lights during worship so people who might be more inhibited won't be distracted by those around them and makes the focus upon worship, not people. It truly is an awesome experience. |
Pheeki
Registered user
Username: Pheeki
Post Number: 564
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 05, 2005 - 11:00 am: | |
The southern baptist church I attend also turns the lights down...they have a full band that rocks out and the choir is awesome. I usually cry through the praise time...I still feel a little strange lifting my hands like they do but I am getting over it. They also baptize without indoctrination...I like that and you are right Melissa, it is very biblical! |
Freeatlast
Registered user
Username: Freeatlast
Post Number: 365
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, May 05, 2005 - 11:04 am: | |
Consider this Scripture:
"And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to [him], and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on [their] way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, [here is] water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him." Acts 8:26-38
Notice that when the eunuch asked Philip about baptism, Philip's only requirement was "believe with all thine heart"...that..."Jesus Christ is the Son of God". Conspicuously absent are things like "stop smoking, give up your beer, begin a strict vegan diet, take 13 weeks of doctrinal classes, and make a public profession of acceptance of 27 fundamental beliefs, THEN I will baptize you."
As soon as the eunuch was baptized, Philip was gone. He didn't hang around to police the eunuch's behavior and doctrine. The eunuch belonged to Christ, and had the Holy Spirit in him.
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Belvalew
Registered user
Username: Belvalew
Post Number: 402
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, May 05, 2005 - 11:55 am: | |
When I was processing out of SDAism and had started attending the Presbyterian Church with my husband and his family, I remember having to keep tissues with me because I would inevitably start to weep when the true meanings of the songs would hit me. I finally understood how much the Saviour loves me, and that my place in eternity was sure. The tears flowed uninhibited every song, every Sunday. |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 1897
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 05, 2005 - 1:54 pm: | |
Great points, Freeatlast. I have wished that our church did on-the-spot baptisms, but they do perform them without indoctrination.
The sense of the Holy Spirit's presence in church is still amazing to me. I'm convinced that the reason it's not there in the same way in most Adventist services is partly because Adventists put Sabbath in the seat of the Holy Spirit as the sign of God's seal. They have "The Sabbath" with them in church (remember the phrases? "Happy Sabbath", "Dear Father, thank you for the Sabbath", "What a beautiful Sabbath Day God has given us!" etc.) instead of the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit. Both cannot occupy the same place in a person's heart.
(BTW, how often did you hear "Thank you for Jesus" in a prayer?)
Thank you for Jesus, dear Father. And thank you for giving us Your Spirit to teach and train us. Thank you for giving us Your Word and for calling us to You. Thank you for being our All-in-All!
Colleen |
Dennis
Registered user
Username: Dennis
Post Number: 377
Registered: 4-2000
| | Posted on Thursday, May 05, 2005 - 7:15 pm: | |
Several days ago, I downloaded the authentic, SDA recipe for the whole wheat communion bread and gave it to my wife. I can't remember what thread it was posted under. Anyway, tonight we had homemade applesauce with freshly-baked communion bread. It was a tasty, delightful combination. Thank you, Raven, for sharing the communion bread recipe.
Dennis & Sylvia Fischer |
Raven
Registered user
Username: Raven
Post Number: 243
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, May 06, 2005 - 11:07 am: | |
You're welcome, Dennis--I'm glad you and Sylvia enjoyed it! I haven't made that in so many years, but my kids keep asking me to. Maybe one of these days... |
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