Quote:
Originally Posted by timlan2057
Hi Nina.
I'm sorry that I missed this.
I haven't been checking here since Thad left a couple weeks ago, and of course he starts so many threads with multiple exclamation points that things get lost.
I would probably attend some place like the Episcopal Church and I wouldn't rule out attending the Roman Catholic Church.
I sing in the Red River Chorale with the Catholic Bishop, Ronald Herzog. He is one of the most christian and down-to-earth men I have ever met.
He has a doctorate in education, was a chaplain and reached the rank of brigadier general in the US army.
Yes, my thinking regarding my own personal views on God and religion has changed dramatically.
Jim Griffin, you hit it on the head.
How in the world do we think that just because we yelled and screamed and carried on that that made it "heart worship."
Repeating the same tongues-mantra from church to church from one end of the country to the other - praying in that same singsong: "Haaave your WAAAaaaAAAAY, GooOOOOD (repeat a million times) -
I have been humbled and affected singing not only old traditional hymns but religious compositions by Mendelssohn and others in my chorale repertoire.
They are classics for a reason. They've stood the test of time and they move me like some of these nursery-rhyme little songs or doggerel like "I'm a Pentecostal" never could.
Yes, we all are conditioned like Pavlov's dogs, to bark when a pentecostal preacher says "dead, dry denominationalism."
You know what? I'm SICK of every preacher saying God has talked to him directly about every opinion he pulls out of a cocked hat.
I think God is a lot bigger than that and is much more a mystery than any of us can figure out and I would personally feel I was expressing my faith a lot better, a lot more sincerely, and a lot more humbly, by worshipping through what a lot of uninformed, ignorant and prejudiced folks would call "dead and dry."
At this point I have not started attending regularly anywhere.
But this is what I meant when I said I would be happy in an environment with much more liturgy, structure and tradition.
I spent much more time on this than what I intended since I have a busy day today, but you asked what I feel is a sincere question so I wanted to explain what I meant and how I was feeling.
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Timlan, I can certainly understand you wanting to go a different direction than "Ole Time Pentecost". You can see all the faults and hypocrisy from your inside view that you had for years.
This past Sunday I went to a concert of the Nashville City Choir and the Nashville Symphony. The choir is composed of choir members from churches all over the city.
The music started with acapella and then erupted into glorious hymn arrangements with a huge pipe organ and the orchestra. I sat in awe of how awesome it sounded, and how God looked so majestic to me.
I made a comment to a friend that was with me of how much I loved this type of music. He responded that it was indeed awesome, but that I would tire of a steady diet of it! Sure enough, at the end of the concert they sang the song "Total Praise" which is a contemporary worship song, and tears filled my eyes and I saw hands being lifted up all over the concert hall! I realized that THAT was what I REALLY liked!
Sometimes a change is warranted or needed, but somewhere way back in one's mind will always be the sight and sounds of that first genuine touch of God on their life. That first love.
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