Is the grass truly greener....on the other side?!?

[CC1]

Originally Posted by ILG

No comprendo senor.

Me neither now. Did you delete a post? I can't find what I was referring to. So I guess nevermind!

[BeenThinkin]

Some great posts on this thread. But, in my situation, I didn't approach it as the grass being greener on the other side. I had been raised in OP, UPC, Independent Pentecostal churches all my life. Then, at a point in time I began to question so many of the inconsistencies in the denomination I was in.

In the district I lived in, you could go from one extreme to the other. Pastors of big churches would get up at campmeeting and preacher holiness or hell, with all of the shouting and screaming that goes along with that kind of preaching, then the "Big Pastors" would go back to their Big Churches and let people do as they pleased and as they had been doing, while the "Little Pastor" went home and raked his poor people over the coals for what he had heard at campmeeting.

I found myself looking at doctrines, that to uphold, you had to overlook so many other scriptures. I watched as my wife wore a wig so that others wouldn't think she was cutting her hair. (She was not cutting it, it just didn't grow) But, to keep up with the system, and not leave place for the judgmental spirit of some to engage, she wore a wig.

Now understand, I had been raised in OP and was taught that everyone else was going to hell. So when I looked across the fence, the grass wasn't greener, there was no grass. The other religions and churches had nothing.

The greatest dilemma was who do I talk to. I couldn't express my searching for truth with the OP, they wouldn't even consider they were wrong on anything. And I didn't know anyone else in any other denomination or church.

So, I guess to make it simple, I just decided to open the Bible and let it simply say what it said without any twisting in any direction. Much of what happened would not have happened if I had not spent some time alone.

Am I right about everything I believe? I doubt it. And if "I" discover that I am wrong, I will change. I have done it in the past and will do it in the future if the occasion arises.

So... no, the green grass didn't draw me! A sincere desire to walk with God and to search out the truth for myself .... (2Ti 2:15* Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.) helped me find a green grassy field that I didn't even knows was there.

I believe in going to church, but I don't want to find myself being condemning of those who are not going, and cause them to grow farther from God.

Enough said! Way too long!

Been Thinkin

[Apprehended]

BeenThinkin....

Thanks for your honest, humble and transparent post. I understand.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by ILG

Just to say that the faith of the person in the church does not determine the rightness of the doctrines of a church.

Well, I never said anything about the rightness of doctrine. Not sure why you felt to introduce more negative commentary to a positive response to your first negative statement. You must really have some strong negative feelings towards the UPC. I'm glad I don't share them. I know people, friends, that left the UPC over standards and never engage in negative comments about the UPC.

But I might add the negative story like yours does not determine the wrongness of the doctrines of a church either.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by unitedpraise10

The anointing isn't there. It's very stale. They've lost a ton of people. The dress is different. Etc...

Ok, well I don't see what is so funny.

Anyways "anointing" is subjective. I've been in church meetings where people claimed the anointing was great, and not felt much of anything.

If they lost a "ton" (another subjective term) of people maybe they just did not like the direction the church went. A lot of churches have hard liners in them that resent change and leave.

The dress is different? Maybe they just have more visitors and sinners or maybe they just don't emphasize the UPC's version of Holiness?

Im not sure those are the signs they left the UPC for some other organization

[missourimary]

Originally Posted by onefaith2

I cannot fathom a life without a church family.

I didn't have a church family when I attended an OP church. The church I was in was extremely sin-sick, even if it was UC. They believed in strong outward standards but didn't abide by any inward ones.

Originally Posted by faithit166

why attend another denomination when you already walk in truth,

See above. Acts 2:38, sleeves, necklines, and hemlines aren't the whole truth. There are thousands more scriptures... things about love, mercy, justice, grace, hope, and faith, and of a Savior who would die in my place, a Father who would run to meet and embrace a slop covered prodigal. Those are ALL part of Truth. But there are churches who claim to have THE Truth who rarely preach them.

Originally Posted by onefaith2

If you sit on the pew and judge one another ... you will wilt and die.

And so... if you're in a church where too many people sit on pews judging one another and every visitor who walks in, and the pastor does the same, should you sit and die with them or leave? The four leprous men asked the question, "why sit we here til we die?" They decided it was better to go to the enemy's camp than starve. They got there and there was food and to spare. Some of us have found the same. So yes, the grass is greener for some of us.

Amazingly, before I left, a very conservative OP pastor preached a conference message about foundations. He said the foundation can't be shaken, for the foundation is Jesus. He went on into one of the deepest messages on the foundation and the blood that I've ever heard. My foundation is sure. No matter where I attend--or don't attend--church.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by missourimary

I didn't have a church family when I attended an OP church. The church I was in was extremely sin-sick, even if it was UC. They believed in strong outward standards but didn't abide by any inward ones.

See above. Acts 2:38, sleeves, necklines, and hemlines aren't the whole truth. There are thousands more scriptures... things about love, mercy, justice, grace, hope, and faith, and of a Savior who would die in my place, a Father who would run to meet and embrace a slop covered prodigal. Those are ALL part of Truth. But there are churches who claim to have THE Truth who rarely preach them.

And so... if you're in a church where too many people sit on pews judging one another and every visitor who walks in, and the pastor does the same, should you sit and die with them or leave? The four leprous men asked the question, "why sit we here til we die?" They decided it was better to go to the enemy's camp than starve. They got there and there was food and to spare. Some of us have found the same. So yes, the grass is greener for some of us.

Amazingly, before I left, a very conservative OP pastor preached a conference message about foundations. He said the foundation can't be shaken, for the foundation is Jesus. He went on into one of the deepest messages on the foundation and the blood that I've ever heard. My foundation is sure. No matter where I attend--or don't attend--church.

good post, missourimary.

[CC1]

Originally Posted by unitedpraise10

The anointing isn't there. It's very stale. They've lost a ton of people. The dress is different. Etc...

Again I don't know the particular church but in my opinion what many UPC folks consider the annointing I consider vain repetitions and a cheerleading / pet rally culture when it comes to worship.

I had enough screaming, yelling, twirling, running, "helicoptering", to last me a lifetime when I was UPC so I really enjoy being in the presence of God without all of the drama. Not that there is anything wrong with that (as they would say on Seinfeld).

I just don't see the "annointing" as how loud one can scream into a microphone. My pastor preaches very annointed messages and has not resorted to "holy breath" or screaming into the microphone a single time! No one has twirled down the aisle wailing to the top of their lungs yet the presence of God is in our church and changes peoples lives.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by NotforSale

Life in Faith is a journey, and that journey may include time in the Wilderness, where isolation from all the formalities of Organized Religion are released.

I've noticed that Traditionalists have an extremely hard time with this, believing that God cannot be found in solitude and separation from the million opinions in Christianity.

I think people are afraid to head out on their own, fearing what they will see about themselves and the World gone crazy over things that don't matter in the realm of God's true love.

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself......at least when you are lead.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by CC1

Me neither now. Did you delete a post? I can't find what I was referring to. So I guess nevermind!

No, I didn't delete anything....shrug.